There are many biographical accounts for the men and women who settled and colonized in North Carolina. What we have noticed is that when you look up any of these people you will see entries about them on state run sites and these write ups go on and on about all the "good" work they did to build this or that town, their political work, how much land they owned, their families, how beautiful the houses were that they built, their travels and higher education endeavors.
What we also noticed is that rarely in these accounts of their lives is it mentioned that they enslaved Black people.

We are going to give you that information about William Hooper, one of three North Carolina signers of the Declaration of Independence.
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In 1767, Hooper married Anne Clark, the daughter of a wealthy early settler to the region and sheriff of New Hanover County. They had three children: William (b. 1768), Elizabeth (b. 1770), and Thomas (b. 1772).

-William Hooper enslaved at least 10 people at his Masonboro and Hillsborough estates. He did not own a massive plantation, but he actively participated in the institution, benefitted from and utilized enslaved labor
His children also enslaved Black people on their North Carolina properties.

-1782 Tax Records: Early tax archives documented that Hooper enslaved at least 10 individuals as taxable property following the war.

- Records also indicate that Hooper later hired out enslaved men, such as a man named Jerry, to students at the University of North Carolina to generate income.
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His will was written a few months before his death in Orange County, North Carolina, shortly before his death in October 1790. He died in Hillsborough, North Carolina on 14 Oct. 1790 at the age of 48, and was buried in The Old Town Cemetery, but in 1894 was re-interred in the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro, North Carolina.
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This is the last Will and Testament of William Hooper.

It is my will and desire that my body may be buried with decency and with little expence. It is also my will and desire that all my estate real and personal should stand subject to the payment of my just debts and I trust that my Executors will discharge them in Such manner as to defeat as little as little as possible the devises hereafter made.

To my dearly beloved Wife I give and bequeath my trusty Slave John (Son of Venus) Lavinia, her son Sam and all other her issue (Nancy excepted) & Mulattoe Roy to my Said Wife her Executors Administrators and assigns forever.

To my daughter Elizabeth I give and devise Nancy daughter of Lavinia, Dall daughter of Pindar to her the Said Elizabeth her Executors administrators and assigns forever.

To my Son William I give and devise my honest and faithful Slave Jem to him his Executors and administrators and assigns forever

To my Son Thomas I give and devise my Slave November to him his Executors administrators and assigns forever

It is my will and desire that during the natural life of my Wife all my Slaves by this will not already disposed of should be employed for the use maintenance & comfort of my said Wife and family and that at her death she should dispose of one third of the Said Slaves as to her Shall Seem meet and that the other two thirds of the Said Slaves should be divided equally among my children William Elizabeth and Thomas Share and Share alike.

I give devise and bequeath to my Wife the dwelling house in which I now live the Office and all other the Kitchens barns outhouses and buildings together with the eight lots of land which I purchased of John Allison to my said Wife for and during the term of her natural life. And at the death of my Wife I give devise and bequeath the said dwelling house Office barns outhouses buildings and eight lots of land so bought of John Allison to my Said daughter Elizabeth her heirs and assigns forever

I give devise and bequeath unto my Wife during the term of her natural life all the land which I bought of Shanklin together with all the land I bought of Mr Hogg adjoining it And at the death of my wife

I give devise and bequeath all the said land bought of Mr Hogg and of Shanklin to my Said daughter Elizabeth her heirs and assigns forever

I give devise and bequeath to my Wife during the term of her natural life Clarkmont that is to say all the land which I purchased of Chapman together with all buildings thereon and at the death of my said Wife

I give devise and bequeath the said land so bought of Chapman to my daughter Elizabeth her heirs & assigns forever

I give devise and bequeath to my Wife all my plantation tools Plantation work horses properly so called cattle and Hogs and Poultry, also all my riding carriages & Harness also two of my best carriage horses, also all my Waggons & carriages of burden & Harness & Gears to my said Wife her Executors administrators and assigns forever

I give devise and bequeath to my Wife all my Household fumiture of every kind & [illeg] Books excepted to her, her Executors administrators and assigns forever It is also my Wish and desire that all the Horses & Mares and Colts of which I shall die possessed and not hereby already devised shall be equally divided amongst my wife and children Share and Share alike.

I give devise and bequeath to my Son William his heirs and assigns forever all that dwelling House and Houses Store and Stores as well the Brick Store as the rest together with all the land and buildings thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining which Land Lots and Houses are in the town of Wilmington & were formerly the property of Anthony Husk by him sold to Campbell and [illeg] and by them to me. Provided always and on this express condition that he the said William shall pay his mother during her natural life Fifty pounds yearly and every year for the use of her and her daughter Elizabeth while the said Elizabeth remains unmarried and upon the death or marriage of the said Elizabeth then and in that case in lieu of the said Fifty pounds he shall pay forty pounds yearly and every year to

I give devise and bequeath unto my Son Thomas all that my Dwelling House Office outhouses which I built in the Town of Wilmington together with the lot or lots of land which I purchased of Eliz Cath. Derossett Also all that land called Clarks place on Cape Fear River together with Clarks Island formerly the property of my Wife's father Also all the land which I own on the Island opposite Wilmington which I bought of John Gordon & which is half of the land bought of Henry Toomer by Thomas Hooper and by him Sold to John Gordon, the said Houses and lots in Wilmington Lands called Clark place Land on the Island opposite Wilmington to be and inure to the said Thomas his heirs & assigns forever. But on the express condition that the Said Thomas shall pay to his mother yearly and every year during the term of her natural life Twenty pounds.

It is my will that two lots which I hold in Charlottes town in Mecklenburgh county should be sold and the proceeds applied to the payment of my debts I do further order that under the direction and with the advice and assistance of my worthy friends Governor Samuel Johnston, Archibald Maclaine, Alfred Moore, James Iredell, and Jesse Benton my law books Should be sold to the best advantage and the proceeds applied to the payment of my debts It is my will also that my Executors should Sell my Miscellaneous Books after my wife shall have Selected such as She may think fit to retain for the amusement of herself and Children, and such books So retained at the death of my Wife shall be divided amongst my Children. The proceeds of the said Sales to be applied to the payment of my debts.

It [My?] will is those who are to Sell my books be [give?] worthy consideration whether they will Sell in this or Some other State to greater advantage It is my Will and desire that if any one of my Children shall die before marriage or before he She or they shall arrive at the age of Twenty one years then and in that case all and every [part of?] the property thereby devised to such Child so dying shall be divided equally among my Wife & children or in case my wife be dead then among my Surviving children and this is to be understood as well of real as personal property

I give devise and bequeath all my right title claim interest and demand which I have or may have in any of the Goods Chattels rights Credits debts or in the estate real personal or mixed which was of James Murray deceased to my wife her heirs executors & administrators and assigns forever

I give devise and bequeath my plantation on the Sound called Masonboro together with the Dwelling house and all other houses thereunto belonging to my Son William his heirs and assigns forever I give devise and bequeath all my land in Moore County formerly the property of Cheney and by me bought at Vendue to my Son Thomas his heirs and assigns forever. And all and Singular the residue of my estate not hereby already devised

I give devise and bequeath to my wife and Children to be equally divided among them Share and Share alike I do hereby make ordain constitute and appoint my Wife Anne my Sons William & Thomas, and James Hogg and Jesse Benton Executors of this my last Will and Testament And in case of any difficulties arising I recommend to them to consult with my dear and worthy friends Samuel Johnston, Archibald Maclaine, Alfred Moore, James Iredell and John Huske as [illeg] I trust will persevere in those offices of kindness to my family when I shall be no more; which I have had frequent experience of during our long and intimate friendship I do hereby revoke all wills by me heretofore made and do declare this to be my last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have Set my hand & Seal to the bottom of this page and my hand to the bottom of the other pages this 24th day of April 1788.

Will Hooper

The Writing contained in this & the eleven preceding pages was signed Sealed published and declared by the said William Hooper to be his last Will and testament this day of [unfinished] In Presence of us McDowal Hogg Jurat Walter Alves Jurat Helen Hogg

The above is based on an 11-page photocopy provided by the NC State Archives to Marilyn Symonds. She sent her transcription [slightly revised here].[7]

Source: Ancestry dot com; North Carolina State Archives
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Retrieved July 5, 2026 from wiketree/hooper