Authors' Notes from “A Family Called Fort.”
2106John Fort's Will. Made August 27, 1824 and recorded November, 1825, this will is in Will Book 19, Page 452, Wake County. This John Fort was the father of the man who married Patsy Powell; the latter had died by 1824. By comparing the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren named in this will against the will of the other son, James, it is possible to identify the descendants of John Fort and Patsy.
Further Research. While they had access to the will mentioned above and to the excellent research of Mrs. O. A. Lester of Raleigh, the authors did not search the Wake County records personally. It is believed that such a search would reveal much more of the descent from John Fort than is .given in this volume. Mrs. Lester supplied the name of John Fort's wife.
Embry Descent. Norris W. Embry of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Mrs. Milton Priebe of Kingfisher, Oklahoma, kindly supplied the data on both Marion and Patsy Embry, using family records. The name is sometimes given as "Embrough".
John Caswell Fort. The will of Franky Broadwell Fort is in Wake Cotlnty, Book 24, Page 259, dated. May 8, 1834, probated February, 1839. It mentions the "late John C. Fort" and gives the married names of Nancy and Zelphia Smith and of Martha E. Fort. Will Book 24, Page 5 gives the will of "John Fort, Jr." The authors' extract is hard to read but apparently lists: William David Fort, Martha Grizzy Ann, Sally Fort, W. F. Fort, Jackey Fort. John, Jr. is probably John Caswell Fort. The John, Jr. extracts gives December 31, 1836 as the day of his death, but this is probably the date of record.