Wills:  Will of Nicholas Gassaway, (1757) Anne Arundel County, Maryland

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Will of Nicholas Gassaway of Anne Arundel Co. dated 18 Feb 1757

Vol. 30, pp. 297-299, Dated: 18 Feb 1757, Executed: 17 May 1757

In the name of God Amen, I NICHOLAS GASSAWAY of Queen Caroline Parish in Ann 
Arundel County being very sick and weak in Body but of perfect mind and memory thanks 
be given unto God thereof and calling into mind the mortality of my Body and knowing 
that it is appointed for all men 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 a 
Decent Christian Manner nothing doubting but at the general Resurrection I shall receive 
the same again by the mighty power of God. And as to the mortal Estate wherewith I hath 
pleased God to help me in this Life, I dispose of the same in the following manner:

Item - I give and bequeath to my deceased daughter ANN PIERPOINT's Heirs SAMUEL 
PIERPOINT one Shilling current money./ To my daughter ELIZABETH SELLMAN one 
Shilling Current Money. To my daughter SUSANNAH MANSILL one Shilling Current 
Money and to my son NICHOLAS GASSAWAY one Shilling Current Money.

Item- I Give and bequeath to my three sons BENJAMIN, RICHARD & ROBERT 
GASSAWAY all my tract or parcel of land called Talbot's Resolution manner containing 
three hundred acres more or less equally to be divided between them each to have hundred 
acres , only my son BENJAMIN to have first choice after being divided. If either of my 
said sons should die before they come to age Twenty-one years then go to the survivor 
two now mentioned to be equally divided between them, or the whole to one, if two 
should die before they come to the age of Twenty-one years, to their or his heirs forever.

Item- I appoint my wife RACHEL GASSAWAY to be my whole Executor of this my Last 
Will and Testament and after paying all my just debts, I give and bequeath all my personal 
Estate to my wife and children hereafter named. ELIZABETH, THOMAS, and JAMES 
GASSAWAY, HANNAH PORTER, MARY GASSAWAY, and LUCY NICHOLSON, 
BENJAMIN, SARAH, RICHARD, ROBERT and RACHEL GASSAWAY to be divided 
among them in such manner as the Law directs for the Distribution of Surplusage of 
Intestate Estates.

Item - I further Impower and appoint my Executor to pay of my foresaid children their 
parts as shall be by Division of all to each of them either in money or affects at apraisment 
to be at the Choice of the Executor. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto put my hand 
and seal the Eighteenth Day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven 
hundred and fifty seven.

~ NICHOLAS GASSAWAY (Seal)

Signed Sealed Published and declared to be his Last Will and Testament in presence of us: 
JOHN DORSEY (of JOHN),
WILLIAM LIAN,
WILLIAM ALDRIDGE,
CALEB DORSEY (son of John).

At the foot of the foregoing Will was this written:
Came on the 21st day of April 1757 William Lian and William Aldridge two of the 
subscribing witnesses to the foregoing will and made oath on the Holy Evangel of 
Almighty God that they saw the aforegoing Testator Sign and Seal the foregoing Will and 
heard publish Pronounce and declare the aforegoing will as his Last Will and Testament. 
That at the time of his so doing, he was to the best of their apprehension of sound and 
disposing mind and memory and that they subscribed their names as witnesses to the said 
will in the presence of the Testator and at his request.
Sworn before Benjamin Teisher

On the 17th day of May John Dorsey (of John) one of the subscribing witnesses to the 
foregoing will made oath on the Holy Evangel of Almighty God that he saw the before 
named Testator NICHOLAS GASSAWAY Sign Seal Publish and Declare the foregoing 
to be his last Will and Testament. That at the time of his so doing he was to the best of his 
apprehension of a Sound and Disposing mind and memory and that he subscribed his name 
in the presence of the said testator at his request.
Sworn before M. Mainemard