This collection of wills and inventories was compiled by J. Bryan Grime in the office of the Secretary of State of North Carolina and was published in 1912. This database is not meant to be a comprehensive listing of all wills housed at the office of the Secretary of State, but as the compiler states, "In selecting the wills for printing it was intended to choose those that reflected most clearly the varied phases of domestic life of the colony."

Wills generally detail the person or persons (usually close relatives and friends) to whom property and goods were given. These records give detailed information about real estate (or land) and the property that may be attached to it, such as buildings, mills, and water rights. One may also expect to find information about the personal property of an individual including such things as movable goods (lump sums of money, jewelry, furniture, clothing, horses, cattle, etc,. Wills and inventories provide unique information about the personalities and personal goods of our ancestors.