Worke

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Jean
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(1750 - 1779)

Alexander
Worke
(1720 - 1777)

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Alexander Worke     Born: Abt. 1720 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Died:  1777, Rowan (Iredell) County   Alexander Worke/Work was born between 1700 to 1720 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Some think that his father was John Worke but that is still unproved. The original spelling of the name appears to have been "Worke" but was eventually shorted to "Work".   Alexander married Mary Isabella Baird and eventually migrated to Rowan County, North Carolina.  Alexander and Mary Isabella had at least seven children.   Children of Alexander Worke and Mary Isabella Baird Name Birth Date Death Date Spouse John Work 1745 Lancaster Co, PA 1792 Hannah Criswell Jane Work 1746 28 Aug 1823 William Guy Alexander Work Jr. 1750 Lancaster Co, PA 23 May 1809 Rowan Co, NC Never Married Sarah Jean Work 1750 01 Jan 1779 Francis Marion McCorkle Sr. Anne Work 1752 Lancaster Co, PA   George Locke Esther Work 17 Dec 1755 Lancaster Co, PA 22 Jan 1822 Rowan Co, NC Col. John Brandon m. Abt. 1776 Rebecca Work Rowan Co, NC Iredell Co, NC James Scott       Alexander was listed on Captain James Houston's Muster Roll of Mt. Mourne, NC prior to the Revolutionary War.     Alexander died about 1777 in .  He and Isabella are buried at Center Church near Mt. Mourne, North Carolina.     There are actually two copies of Alexander Work's Will with the exact same date - but the wording is slightly different. When I first found the second copy, I thought that one might be and older Will with a different date. But it isn't. One appears to be the original Will with some additional words added afterward as the person who composed the will was going over it with Alexander Work. When the final copy was written (or copied), Alexander Work's daughter Ann was accidentally left out and some of the wording in the original were totally left out.   I've decided to display both copies of  his Will so that you can see the differences. The words with the yellow highlighter are either different or totally left out of the final Will. I do hope "Ann" got her ten shillings when the estate was finally settled.     ORIGINAL COPY Last Will & Testament of Alexander Worke, Sr. 26 September 1977   Rowan County, NC Will Abstracts Book A, p. 252 Sept. 1777, Probated   In the name of God, Amen! The 26th Day of September 1777. I Alexander Work of Rowan County in the province of North Carolina being sick & weak in body but of perfect mind & memory. Thanks be to God calling to mind the mortality of my body & knowing that it is appointed to all men once to die, Do make & ordain This my last will & testament. That is to say principally & first of all I give & recommend my soul into the hands of God who gave it & my body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a Christian and decent manner At the discretion of my executors, nothing doubting but I shall receive the same again at the general resurrection by the Almighty power of God.  And as touching such worldly estate wherewith it had pleased God to bless me in this life, I give demise & dispose of in following manner & form.   Imprimis (In the first place) & first of all, I all my burial charges & all my just debts to paid out of my estate moreable.   Item I give & bequeath unto Isabel my well beloved wife a good decent living & to be keep in all reasonable & sufficient nicessarys on my estate during her lifetime.   Item. I give & bequeath unto my son John the sum of ten shillings.   Item. I give & bequeath to my daughter Rebecca the sum of ten shillings.   Item. I give & bequeath to my daughter Jean the sum of ten shillings.   Item. I give & bequeath to my daughter Sarah the sum of ten shillings.   Item. I give & bequeath to my daughter Ester the sum of ten shillings.   Item. I give & bequeath to my daughter Ann the sum of ten shillings.   Item. I give & bequeath to my son Alexander all my wearing apparal with all my land & tenements & appertenances thereunto belonging whet(h)er in partnership or otherways to me belonging or appertaining to him, his heirs & assigns forever with all the remaining part of my moveables of every kind to me belonging whet(h)er in partnership or otherwise. I likewise constitute make & ordain Isabel my well beloved wife & my son Alexander Work my sole executors of this my last will & test & I do hereby utterly revoke & disanul all & every other wills, testament, legacies & bequeaths & executor being in any wise before named willed & bequeathed ratifying & confirming this & no other to by my last will & testament In witness I have hereunto set my hand & seal the day & year firstwith signed, sealed, pronounced and declared in presence of ...   David Byars Alexander Poor & Florence Poor His Alexander  x  Work (SEAL) Mark           This appears to be the final copy of Alexander Work's Will.   FINAL COPY Last Will & Testament of Alexander Worke, Sr. 26 September 1977   Rowan County, NC Will Abstracts Book A, p. 252 Sept. 1777, Probated   In the name of God, Amen! The 26th Day of September 1777. I Alexander Work of Rowan County in the province of N. Carolina being sick & weak in body but of perfect mind & memory. Thanks be to God calling to mind the mortality of my body & knowing that it is appointed to all men once to die, Do make & ordain This my last will & testament. That is to say principally & first of all I give & recommend my soul to God & my body to be buried in a Christian decent manner At the discretion of my executors, nothing doubting but I shall receive the same again at the general resurrection.  And as touching such worldly estate wherewith it had pleased God to bless me in this life, I give demise & dispose of in following manner & form.   Imprimis (In the first place) & first of all, I all my burial charges & my just debts to paid out of my estate moreable.   Item I give & bequeath unto Isabel my well beloved wife a good decent living & to be keep in all reasonable & sufficient nicessarys on my estate during her lifetime.   Item. I give & bequeath unto my son John the sum of ten shillings.   Item. I give & bequeath to my daughter Rebecca the sum of ten shillings.   Item. I give & bequeath to my daughter Jean the sum of ten shillings.   Item. I give & bequeath to my daughter Sarah the sum of ten shillings.   Item. I give & bequeath to my daughter Ester the sum of ten shillings.   Item. I give & bequeath to my son Alexander all my wearing apparal with all my land & tenements & appertenances thereunto belonging whet(h)er in partnership or Aherways to me belonging & appertaining to him, his heirs & assigns forever with all the remaining part of my moveables of every kind to me belonging whet(h)er in partnership or otherwise. I likewise constitute make & ordain Isabel my well beloved wife & my son Alexander Work my sole executors of this my last will & test & I do hereby utterly revoke & disanul all & every other wills, testament, legacies & bequeaths & executor being in any wise before named willed & bequeathed ratifying & confirming this & no other to by my last will & testament. In witness I have hereunto set my hand & seal the day & year firstwith signed, sealed, pronounced, declared in presence of ...   David Byars Alexander Poor & Florence Poor His Alexander  x  Work (SEAL) Mark         Items Mentioned in his Original Will Sick and Weak Wife: Isabella Sons: John and Alexander Jr. Daughters: Rebecca, Jane, Sarah, Esther (and Ann who was left off of the final copy) Executors: Isabella & son Alexander Work Jr. Witnesses: David Byars, Alexander Poor & Florence Poor         As you noticed, each of Alexander Worke's children, except for Alexander Work Jr. (who received the bulk of his father's estate), was to receive ten shillings. Early Colonists used the English system of pounds, shillings and pence when buying and selling. As you might have guessed, when this system of money developed in the Middle Ages, it was tied up with measures of weight. In other words, pounds were referred to as "pounds sterling" because a monetary pound was originally worth one pound of sterling silver.   in 1777 when Alexander Work's Will was written, the pound was worth $19.55 by modern money standards. 20 shillings was equal to 1 pound. That means each of Alexander Work's children were to receive a half-pound, which is about $9.77. That may not seem like a lot by today's money standards but in Colonial times it was.           CHILDREN   Son Alexander Work, Jr. never married but did have an illegitimate son, Jefferson Work, with Esther Lewis during his youth.     Alexander Jr.'s son, Jefferson, is listed in his will as an infant.  Others listed in his will are his brother, John Work, and sisters Rebecca, Jane, Sarah, Esther and Anne.  He also mentions his brother John's son, Robert; his sister Rebecca Work Scott's son, Alexander, and the "youngest child"; sister Jane Work Guy's son, William; sister Sarah Work McCorkle's three children, Alexander McCorkle, Jane McCorkle ("who lives with me") and Isabella McCorkle Beatty (wife of William Able Beatty); sister Esther Work Brandon's son, Richard; and sister Anne Work Locke's son, Alexander.  Slaves mentioned included Peter & Sal, his wife now in Lincoln; Big Peggy, niece of Peter; Peggy's 10-year old son, Harry, "of a yellow complexion"; Press & Ned; Granny Nan; Old Bet the mother of Mage; and old Hannah.                 On 24 Nov 1809, the administrator of the estate of Alexander Worke Jr. requests the emancipation of eight slaves--Granny Nan, old Bet, old Hannah, Peter and Sall his wife, Big Pegg, Harry, and Ned. In his will, Worke freed nine slaves, but one had since died. At the time of his death, Alexander Worke, Jr. owned about seventy slaves.         When Alexander Worke Sr.'s son John died in 1792, John's son Robert was given custody of his three younger brothers, Alexander Work, John Work and Joseph Criswell Work.   18 Nov 1795, Robert Worke is appointed guardian of the minor orphans of John Worke, deceased in order to defend at the suit of Francis McCorkle.   17 Feb 1796, Ordered that Robert Worke be appointed guardian to Alex Worke, John Worke & Joseph Criswell Worke, orphans and minors under the age of 21 years and heirs at law of John Worke, Sr. Robert Worke is appointed special guardian for the purpose of defending a suit at the instance of Alex Worke and defending Salisbury Superior Ct of equity where there has been a decree in favor of the said Alex Worke for the sum of L1373, 1, 11 with costs of suit against the adm of John Worke, deceases to show cause why the land of said heirs should not be sold to satisfy said judgment and costs.   17 Feb 1796, Ordered that Nath Ewing & Alex Brevard be guardian of Alex Worke, John Worke, & Joseph Criswell Worke - orphans & minors under the age of 21 years and heirs at large with John Worke, deceased, and that they are appointed for the special purpose of defending a suit at the instance of Aaron Levi, defending - Salisbury Superior Ct for the sum of L166.15.6. and a further sum of L8.11.8 for costs of suit against the adminst. of John Worke, deceased, upon which the adm have pleaded fully administered which has been admitted whereupon liens has been issued against the said heirs of John Worke to show cause why execution should not issue to satisfy judgment and costs.       WORKE, JOHN (former owner) 11 JUN 1800, LINCOLN CO., NC, 19/568 (ALEXANDER WORKE buys from sheriff land formerly owned by his brother, JOHN WORKE)   LAWSON HENDERSON, sheriff (Lincoln Co.) to Col. ALEXANDER WORKE (Iredell Co.) for 20L sold a fourth of 2,400 acres in five adjoining surveys on waters of Mountain Creek, border LYTLE, CRONKLETON, PERKINS & LEE on west, CRONKLETON, SHERRIL & LYTLE on south, PARTINS, EDWARDS & MCCABES on east; the surveys are (1) 500 acres border BENJAMIN PERKINS; (2) 500 acres border "his" other corner; (3) 500 acres; (4) 500 acres border BENJN PERKINS; & (5) 400 acres border crosses "the" creek; sold 4 Jul 1798 due to execution from "Superior Court of Equity" Salisbury Dist to collect 951L4s2p from heirs of JOHN WORKE due to suit of ALEXANDER WORKE. Signed LWN HENDERSON. Witness: WM. BEATTY. Rec. Jul 1800.             SOURCES                 If you have additional photos or information on Alexander Worke, please contact me.