Well, it is Friday again and time to see what is buried in my files. Since I’ve about exhausted the materials I received from Mildred Barby, I turned to my filing cabinet. Three of those drawers are fairly packed with a variety of genealogy items.

For today’s find, I’m working with my RUSH folder. Within that folder is a typed transcript of Benjamin Rush’s will.

Benjamin Crawford Rush is one of my 5th great grandparents. This wonderful will names the following family members:

• Dorcas — wife
• Noah – son
• Azel – son
• Michael – son
• Benjamin – son
• Zebedee – son
• Ninevah – son
• Reuben – deceased son
• Annis – granddaughter (daughter of Reuben)
• Bathasheba – granddaughter (daughter of Reuben)
• Dorcas – granddaughter (daughter of Reuben)
• Mary Wright – daughter (husband – Isaac Wright)
• Dorcas Goss – daughter
• Bathsheba Andrew – daughter
• Dick – slave
• Cela – slave
• Millis – slave
• Alfred – slave

Thanks to FamilySearch’s efforts to digitize records, I was able to find the original will in the set of records titled: Wills 1773-1829. [Film 745245 DGS 004779426]. Will book 4 starts on image 377 and page 713 is found on image 730.

Randolph Co., NC
Courthouse records located Randolph Public Library
Asheboro, Randolph Co., NC

FAMILYSEARCH
Randolph County, North Carolina
Record of Wills, 1773-1964, with index
Wills 1773-1829 Film 745245 DGS 004779426
Image 377 – start of will book 4

Benjamin Rush
Will

Will book 4, page 713 (image 730)

Will book 4 page 713
In the name of God A Men.
I, BENJAMIN RUSH of the County of Randolph and State of North Carolina
being weak of Body but of Perfect Mind and memory do make constitute and
ordain this my last will and Testament in Manner Following to wit.
Item First My will is that all my Just Debts are to be paid out of my Estate,
Item Second I give & bequeath unto my Well Beloved wife DARCUS RUSH
during her natural life all that part of my Land and plantation where on I now
Live lying south of a line running from my west line east to a cross line
fence that is now standing then with the fence to the Uharee River thence
down the River four poles then east to the old creek then with said Creek its
various courses to a Stony Hill that NENEVY RUSHS House stands on then
down the Stony Ridge to bellow a small beach then north untill it intersects
a due line from the place of departure at the Uharie River and from there a
due east line to the eastern Boundry of my land also my household Furniture
Farming & Kitchen Utensials one Horse Called Charly and one Black Mare my
waggon & gear five head of cattle such as she may choose seventeen head of
hogs besides what runs about the house and all the iron on hand and Four
negroes to wit; Dick, Cela, Millis and Alfred also one hundred dollars in
money.
Item 3rd, I give and bequeath unto my son MICHAEL all that tract of land
whereon he now lives which I purchased of Lewis Fouts to him his heirs for
Ever.

Item 4 I give and bequeath to my son NINIVAH RUSH the tract of land whereon
I now live containing two hundred & sixty acres the same more or less with
the reserves made in the second Item a this my will on his paying unto my
Estate six Hundred dollars after the death of my wife DORCAS RUSH to be
divided as hereinafter decreed,
Item fifth my will is that the residue of my Estate not named in my will shall
be sold as soon as conveniente after my decease and the proceeds of the sales
to be Equally divided between my sons NOAH RUSH, ALFRED (Original image does NOT show Alfred but looks more like Azel) RUSH, MICHAEL
RUSH, BENJAMIN RUSH, ZEBEDEE RUSH, NINEVAH RUSH and the heirs of
REUBEN RUSH my son, to wit: ANNIS RUSH, BATHASHEBA RUSH & DORCAS
RUSH they having one eleventh part of the proceeds of land sales.
Item sixth my will is that at the death of my wife DORCAS RUSH that all
personal property she may die possessed of be sold & equally divided between
my sons NOAH RUSH, ALFRED (Again, original image does NOT show Alfred but does look like it could be Azel) RUSH, MICHAEL RUSH, BENJAMIN RUSH,

ZEBEDEE RUSH, NINEVA RUSH and the heirs of my son REUBEN RUSH
making the shares of the said ANNIS RUSH, BATHSHEBA RUSH & DORCAS
RUSH to be one seventh part of the proceeds arising from said sales to be
equally divided among them my grandaughters,
Item tenth. I give & bequeath unto my two daughters MARY WRIGHT & DORCAS
GOSS two hundred dollars each to be paid out of the money arising from the sale
of my property not named in my will in full of these parts or partions of my
estate both real and personal the notes I hold against ISAAC WRIGHT to be
deducted out of his wife MARY’S Legacy above bequeath and the ballance to be
paid over to the said Mary Wright.

Item 8th. I give and bequeath unto my daughter BATHSHEBA ANDREW one
negro girl by the name of Cela after the death of my wife DARCAS RUSH
to her and her heirs for ever in full of her share or portion of my estate
both real & personal, and I do hereby appoint my two sons NOAH RUSH
and ZEBEDEE RUSH Executors of this my last will and testament hereby
anuling and revoking all the other wills by me made Confirming and
Establishing this to my my last will and Testament in Witness whereof I have
Set my hand and Seal this 23 day of July 1819.

signed: BENJ. RUSH (Seal)

Signed published
sealed & delivered I
n the presents of
Phenehas Nixon
Larkin Arnold

State of North Carolina
Randolph County
Court of Pleas & Quartersessions
November Term 1819
The execution of this will was duly prove in open court
by Larkin Arnold one of the subscribing witnesses thereto
and ordered to be recorded
Jesse Harper CCC

North Carolina, Randolph COunty. Record of Wills, 1773-1964. Film #475245 DGS 4779426. Benjamin Rush Will, 23 Jul 1819; Vol. 4: page 713-715; Digitized images, FamilySearch http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online 8 July 2023.