"In the Name of God amen, I Richard Bracewell of the County of Orange, in North Carolina being of perfect mind & memory, but calling in to mind the uncertainty of this transitory life, do make & ordain, this my last will & testament in manor & form following:
First and principally I commend my soul unto the hands of almighty God, who give it & my body to the Earth to be entered in a decent Christian manner in (?) (?) hope of its resurection to eternal life, the morals & meditation of Jesus Christ my Savior & redeamor and my worldly estate which it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I give, devise & bequeath as follows VIZ
My will & devise, is that all of my just debts formal charges be first paid & fully satisfied.
Item: I give & bequeath to my loving son Valentine Jacob Bracewell three hundred & twenty acres of land lying on the North Side of Haw River at the lower part of tract of land I bought Hector Mackniel, to him his heirs & assignees forever.
Item: I give & bequeath to my loving son Richard William Bracewell, the residues of that tract of land I bought of Hector Mackniel which is three hundred & twenty acres, to him his heirs & assignees forever----after my loving wife decease, but my will & devise is that she should have (?) and (?) during her natural life.
Item: My Will & Devise is that if either of these sons by mentioned dyes without issue that his part should fall to his other brother, and if both dye without issue I devise that the whole tract should be equally divided between my two daughters Mary Bracewell and Tabitha Bracewell & my loving wife Joyce Bracewell, to them their heirs & assignees forever.
Item: I give & Bequeath to my loving wife Joyce Bracewell all and every part of my movable estate, during her natural life, & after her decease will & devise is that is should be equally divided between my four children, Valentine Jacob Braswell, Richard William Braswell, Mary Bracewell and Tabitha Bracewell to them their heirs & assignees forever---- and I do hereby constitute & appoint my loving friend Hector Mackneil & my loving wife Joyce Braswell & my loving brother Henry Bracewell executor of this my last will & testament, revoking and disclaiming all former will or wills by me hereto forever made allowing this & no other, to be my last will & testament as witness my hand & seal this twelth day of June one thousand and seven hundred and sixty one.
Signed sealed and acknowledged in the presence of---
Thomas Tucker
(?) Records
Henry Brace (page torn)
Richard Braswell SEAL
(Orange Co., NC WB A Pg 16)
Transcribed by Kay Braswell Dawson
NOTE by Ann Braswell, see attached image. It says Bracewell with a Y? for a mark?