In the name of God, Amen, this second day of June in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Seven. I, James Dean of Little Creek Hundred and county of Kent in the Dillaware (sp.) state, being weak in Body but of sound disposing Mind and Memory and calling to mind the Mortality of my Body and knowing that is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will and testament in Manner and form following, that is to say ,
IMPRIMUS I recommend my body to the Earth to be buried in a decent and Christian like manner at the discretion of my executors herein after mentioned.
ITEM. I order and my will is that all my Just Debts and funeral expences to be paid and discharged.
ITEM I give devise and bequeath unto my beloved wife and daughter Rebecca ten acres of land on the west side of the great road together with my dwelling house to be equally divided between them during their Natural Life (unclear) and no longer.
ITEM I give devise and bequeath to my son Jesse Dean all my lands and estate on the East side of the road to him and his heirs and assigns forever.
ITEM I give devise and bequeath unto my daughter Keziah Dean two shillings and sixpence to be paid by my executors herein after named.
ITEM I order that after all my Just Debts be paid and discharged that one half of my personal estate belongs to my son Jesse and the other half be equally divided between my wife Sarah and daughter Rebeckah.
ITEM I will devise and bequeath unto my son Jesse after the death of my wife and daughter all my lands on the west side of the road to him and his heirs and assigns forever.
And Lastly, I do hereby nominate and constitute and Ordain my dearly beloved wife and well beloved son Jesse to be my whole and sole Executors of this my last will and testament and be there presents I do revoke and disavowal all former wills by be made. In Testimony whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal this day and year first above written.

(signed) JAMES DEAN (in a shaky but ledgible hand)

Signed Sealed Declared and pronounced
By the above Named Testator to be his Last Will and
Testament in the presence of
Thomas Keith
John M Ever
Moses McClan

Proved on oath by Keith and M Clan June 26, 1787.
{right hand side of this document cut off}

Delaware State. Personally appeared before me Thomas (unclear) of Administration in and for the County of Kent, Thomas (unclear) within Instrument of writing and being solemnly sworn saw James Dean Sign and Seal and hard (sp.) him publish (unclear) and Testament and at the time of his so doing and saying this (unclear) and Memory that they at his Instance and request and in (unclear) witness thereunto and at the same time and at the (unclear) John McEver Sign his name as one other to the same (unclear) at Dover this 26th Day of June 1787

.

Administration Bond for James D ean dec'd
26 June, 1787
Recorded in Book M folio 145
Thomas Keith & John Torbert

Know all men by these presents, that we Sarah Dean and Jesse Dean in the Testament and Last Will of James Dean and Thomas Keith all of the County of Kent, are held and firmly bound unto the Delaware State in the sum of five hundred pounds current money of the Said State; unto which payment well and truly to be made unto the Said State, We do bind ourselves, our Heirs, Executors and Administrators, firmly by these Presents, Sealed with our Seals and dated at Dover, in Kent aforesaid, this twenty sixth Day of June in the Year of Our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and eighty Seven, 1787.

(document continues......naming Sarah and Jesse the Executors of Jame's will)
(signed) Sarah (her mark) Dean
Jesse (his mark) Dean
Thomas Keith

Inventory of James Dean deceased, 1787

Inventory of the Goods and Chattels of James Dean of Kent County in the Delaware State dec'd. Appraised by the Subscribers this 4 Day of August 1787

To his wearing apparel........................................4...0...0
To one sorrel mare...........................................10...0...0
To one Bay Colt 3 years old...................................6...0...0
To one Sorrel Colt 2 years old................................6...0...0
To one Red and White Cow and Calf.............................5..10...0
To two yearling Steers........................................2..10...0
To one Black Sow and 4 pigs...................................0..15...0
To one spotted sow and Barrow and 5 shoats....................2..10...0
To some hows and Dung Fork and old Spade......................0...7...0
To 3 axes.....................................................0...7...6
To 2 hand axes and adz........................................0..12...0
To 2 frows one (unclear) Chain two wedges an Iron (unclear)...0..17...0
To a Small Long box with Sundry little as likely (?)..........0...5...0
To a Small Bowl and (unclear).................................0...3...9
To 32 planes and (unclear)....................................3..10...0
To a (unclear) Carpenters Chisels.............................0..15...0
To 2 squares Iron and (unclear) and a Rule & some wire........0...5...0
To 4 Saws of Different Sorts & Sizes..........................1...5...0
To 2 Drawing Knives and (unclear).............................0...7...6
To a parcel of Turning Chisles and Brace and (unclear)........0..16...6
To a parcel of augers some of them (unclear) augers...........1..15...0
To Some Wood in Tools for turning and old Cross cut saws......0..12...6
To Sythe and (unclear)........................................0..10...0
To Plough and Tackling........................................0..20...6
To 650 feet prime boards......................................2...8...9
To 12 Hives of Bees...........................................4..10...0
To 2 Small Good Stoves........................................0...7...6
To some old Iron, Cart Ring and 1 Brush fork..................0...7...6
To 1 work bench...............................................0..10...0
To 4 (unclear)...............................................0..12...6
To one Fluke Harrow and an old sled...........................0...6...0
To a Sett of Cart (unclear)..................................0...5...0
To 150 feet walnut boards.....................................1...5...0
To one bed and furniture......................................5...0...0
To one New bed Tick (?).......................................1...0...0
To Some Pewter Plates Bason Dishes and some Spoons............1...0...0
To one Table Frame and one table..............................0..12...6
To one half worn mans Saddle..................................1..15...0
To 1 pair Sheep Shears 2/6 Five (unclear)....................0..10...0
To 16 yards fulled Cloth as 6s 7 and 4 and a yard (unclear)...5...1...0
To one Pewter Quart and Dish..................................0...5...0
To the other side............................................76..17...9

To a (unclear) in Knives and forks............................0...5...0
To one Gun and Warming Pann...................................0..15...0
To one Chest and Some (unclear) in it.........................0..10...0
To one old trunk and Soap Tubb................................0...5...0
To one Wheel and (unclear) Reel...............................0..10...0
To one half Bushel............................................0...3...9
To 2 Iron Pots and Kettle Frying Pan and Giddle...............1...5...0
To old hand Irons flatt irons and Small Tramel or Pot Rack....0...5...0
To 3 old Casks and one Ten Gallon cegg and some Earthen potts.0...4...0
To Some old Bags and bushel Salt (unclear)....................0...5...0
To one pitcher and four Jugs with some Linseed Oyl............0...4...0
To one Powdering Tubb and Old Washing Tubb....................0...3...9
To Several (unclear) in the milk house........................0...4...0
To one Tea Kettle and (unclear)...............................0...7...6
To 1 Old Flax Break and one Wooden horse......................0...3...9
To a Small Quantity Flax un Rotted and Some Rotted............0...1...3
To one old Pair Trucks (?)....................................0...1...6
(subtotal)....................................................6...8...6
from the other side..........................................76..17...6
Total Sum....................................................83...6...0

Mr. Keith was qualified to the above and that Mr. John Talbot satisfied him on the appraisement but is since deceased this 12th February 1789.
(signed) Francis Many

Testamentary Acc't- James Dean deceased - March 31, 1800

To Isaac Davis Register, Jesse Dean Adm. of J. Dean dec'd Presentsthe following Acc't of his Adm. & Prays its Adjustment

The Estate of the dec'd
To Cash paid for Letters Testamentary.................1..12...0
To Burying Charges....................................4...7...2
Appraisors Fees.......................................1...2...2
To Cash Paid James Smith bond as per Probt. of acc't..134..19..5 1/2
To Cash Paid Jno. Pattison, as per ditto..............3...0...6
To Cash Paid William Cahoon as per ditto..............2..19...8
To ditto paid ditto...................................0...6...0
To ditto paid Thomas Keath as per....................1...7...3
To ditto Paid Richard Scottern........................0..14...2
To ditto Paid Stephen Mercer as per ditto.............2...5...6
To ditto Paid Joseph Taylor as per ditto..............0..19...6
To ditto Paid Robt. Holaday & Sons as per ditto.......3...0...0
To Cash Paid Wm. (unclear) as per ditto...............0..17...0
To Cash paid (?) Smith on (unclear) of a transfer made
by the dec'd to J. Smith on Charles Solley............5..12...6
To Cash Paid John Sterlin as per ditto................0...6...0
To Cash Paid Joseph David as per ditto................2...7...6
To commissions on 115 pounds..6s..2p..................11..6...7
To the Register.......................................0..16...0

By the amount of the Personal Estate of the
dec'd as per Inventory................................83..6...0
By Cash rec'd from Sundry Persons.....................32..0...0
(TOTAL)..............................................115..6...0

Ballance overpaid the Estate..........................61..14...6

Examined, Adjusted Proved & Settled
the 31 of March 1800
(signed) Isaac Davis, Register