Wills of Rev. William Shaw (1757-1815) and some descendents. File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives. USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations.
_________________________________________________________________________ Transcription of William Shaw's Will on file: Liber "A", page 133, dated: 29 July 1815, in the Allegany County Court House, Cumberland, MD First Page of Document: The Last, Will and Testament of William Shaw George Shaw, John Shaw, & Henry N. Shaw - Executors Filed 13th July 1815 - Recorded in Liber A, foler 119, 120 & 121 Geo Bruce Reg. Paid $1.25 for Probate recording 29th July 1815 proven by George Shaw, John Shaw and Henry N. Shaw Executors Geo. Bruce Reg. 29th July 1815 came Conrad Casbeer and Philip Myer two of the Subscribers witnesses and prove the written Will agreeable to Said. Geo. Bruce Reg. ------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Second Page of Document: In the Name of God, Amen, I William Shaw, of Allegany County and State of Maryland, being Very sick and Weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto god calling unto mind the mortality of my Body, and Knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament, that is to say principally, and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the Hands of Almighty god that gave it, and my Body I recommend to the Earth, to be buried in Decent Christian Burial, at the Discretion of my Executors; nothing doubting but, at the general resurrection, I shall receive the same again, by the mighty power of God, and as touching such Worldly Estate Where with it has pleased God to Bless me in this life, I give devise and Discharge of the same in the following Manner and form, after all my Just Debts are paid, by my Executors, and all my funeral charges by Levying and raising the amounts of my Just Debts out of my personally Estate, that then the rest and residue, of my real and personally Estates is Vested in the use and behest of my Dearly beloved Wife, to be by her used, occupied, possessed and Enjoyed During her life time or Widow Hood, but should She marry, to quit the premises, and put as with Her Dower, I give and bequeath unto my Well beloved Daughters, Elizabeth and Catharine each of them their Heirs or Executors at or when they arrive at the age of sixteen, one Cow and Calf each, I Give Devise and bequeath unto my Dearly beloved sons and daughters as following to Wit, to them their Heirs Executors and administrators the whole of my real and personally Estates after my Dearly beloved Wife Deceases that is to say Two Hundred and forty Acres of Land more or Less as by reference to the tittle papers Will fully appear, that is to say to George Shaw to John Shaw to Margaret Morrison inter married with Arthur Morrison, to Henry N. Shaw to William Shaw Junior to Joseph Shaw, to Elizabeth N. Shaw and to Catharine Shaw, share and share alike, the Whole, of my real and personal Estates totally them their Heirs and assigned used occupied, possessed and Enjoyed, for Ever, Appointing my beloved Sons George Shaw, John Shaw & Henry N Shaw Executors of -any- (any crossed out) this ------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Third Page of Document: My last Will and Testament and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disnnull all and every other former Testaments Wills Legacies Requests and Executors by me in my ways before named, Willed, and bequeathed, ratifying and confirming this and no other, to be my last Will and Testament, In Witness whereof I have hereon set my hand, seal, this Thirtieth Day of May, in the year of our Lord one Thousand eight Hundred and fifteen. Signed sealed, published pronounced and Dxxxx by the Said William Shaw, as his last Will and Testament Wm Shaw -Seal- in the presence of us, Who in his presence, and in the presence of each other, have hereunto subscribed our Names. Conrad Casbeer Hugh Hann Philip Myer NOTE: The xxxx means the word or words were unreadable. Dates were changed to read day - month - year. *********************** John Shaw is the grandson of the Rev. William Shaw and Charlotte Trimble Shaw, and the son of Henry N. Shaw and Sydney Thompson Shaw. John was born on and spent his whole life farming the land mentioned in his will. At the time of Henry's death, John's brothers Thompson and William were living in Iowa and West Virginia respectively. They agreed to have John buy out their interest in the Pekill Hill farm. Last Will and Testament of John Shaw "I devise and bequeath as follows; To my wife, Nancy C. Shaw, to have and to hold the farm where I now reside, house, stock and all implements thereon, during her life, in trust, to revert, at her death, to John C. Shaw and Allan Shaw, my sons, or their heirs or assigns." Additional bequests: $800 to George H., Rebecca Susan Beavers, William L, Mary Jane Andrews, Sydney Catherine Boal. $1,000 to Joseph I. $10 to Charles F., Zedick, James P., who "have heretofore received large benefits from my estate." Payment schedule of above: half in one year, remainder in two years. John C and Allan were to receive any residue of above mentioned estate. John C named sole executor. Witnesses: F P Green, G W Magruder, Charles A Green, Jas P McConnell "I request my children to see that my grave and also that of their mother, when she dies, are kept in a respectable manner." Admitted to probate 4 Apr 1905 John C died in 1910, not long after his father. According to James P. Shaw's biography in "The History of Allegany County" by 1923, James owned 124 acres of the the Pekill Hill farm. Perhaps that was John C.'s share. *********************** Last Will and Testament of James P. Shaw "I give, devise and bequeath unto Hanna Shaw my wife after my death all my real and personal property wherever situated and to receive and use the profits therefrom for her own use until her death then I want the wife of my deceased son, Clarence Shaw, to receive two hundred ($200.00) dollars and each of his three (3) children, to receive two hundred ($200.00) dollars apiece, and what is left, is to go to Earnest, my son and Elva M. my daughter, to share and share alike. And LASTLY, I do hereby constitute and appoint Earnest Shaw my son to be the sole executor of this my last will and testament. Revoking and annulling all former Wills by me, heretofore made ratifying and confirming this, and none other, to by my last will and testament." Witnesses: Frank E. Williams, John S. Robertson, W.H. Malcolm Earnest Shaw reported to the court 31 Mar 1948. Admitted to probate April 2, 1948 James P Shaw's wife Hanna (Johanna Creutzburg, daughter of Valentine Creutzburg and Martha Meerbach Creutzburg) predeceased James, and his estate went to his children Ernest Shaw and Elva M Shaw McGee. The farm on Caledonia Hill at Barton, which James P purchased in 1912 after managing it for 21 years, comprised 273 acres and was sold by Ernest and Elva in 1968 to R. Richard and Pauline H. Coddington. What became of his holding on Pekill Hill remain to be researched.