North Carolina Wills - Two Books #1 NC Wills Abstracts 1690 - 1760 746 pages, indexed ************************************************************************** Digital Books - Requires Adobe Reader 5 or higher to View Autoboot Menu for Easy Access ************************************************************************** By John Bryan Grimes Published 1910 $9.99 + $1.99 shipping and handling http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200304366761 Compiled from original and recorded wills in the office of the Secretary of State, J. Bryan Grimes. These abstracts show name of testator, place of residence, names of wife, children, legatees, witnesses, probate officer, etc.; also, names of plantations mentioned and remarkable items or noteworthy passages in wills. Wills were first required to be kept by the NC Secretary of State about 1700., with additional requirements added 1715, 1723 and 1749. The earliest will is for Mary Fortsen, in 1663. Few others are available prior to 1690. There are a few included after 1760. John Bryan Grimes (3 June 1868-11 Jan, 1923), was born in Pitt County, the son of Bryan Grimes and Charlotte Emily Bryan. He became Secretary of State for North Carolina in 1900 and served until his death in 1923. While in office, Grimes worked to make available to the public historical materials such as wills and maps that had been collected in the Secretary of State's office. Grimes promoted the state, its resources, and history in pamphlets and in speeches throughout the state and nation. #2 NC Wills & Inventories Published 1912 634 pages, indexed Copied from original and recorded wills and inventories in the Office of the Secretary of State. "In selecting the wills for printing it was intended to choose those that reflected most clearly the varied phases of domestic life of the colony. Not many inventories are printed, but enough are give to throw a strong side light on economic conditions in the colony at the time the inventories were made." These are scanned copies of the original books. Due to book conditions, some pages are not crisp and clear copies but all pages are present and legible.