Will of William Canter (1798):  Charles County, MD

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Tom Mahieu, <tommahieu@yahoo.com>

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Will of William Canter
Written June 7th, 1798 in Charles County, Maryland

     In the name of God Amen, I William Canter of Charles County Maryland being 
weak in body but of sound mind and perfect memory thanks be to God do make 
constitute and appoint this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form 
following -
     Impremis, I recommend my soul to God trusting in his infinite mercy through 
the merits of Jesus Christ as to my body I desire that it be decently buried at 
the discretion of my Executor herein after named and after my debts and funeral 
charges are paid I give and bequeath as follows -
     Item; I give and desire to my grandson William Hickey that part of tract of 
land which I now live to him his heirs and assigns forever.
     Item; I give and bequeath unto my grandson William Hickey Negro Daniel and 
Negro George to him his heirs and assigns forever.
     Item; I give and bequeath unto my said grandson William Hickey my youngest 
horse, cow and calf one bed and furniture one looking glass and one chest to him 
his heirs and assigns forever.
     Item; I give and bequeath unto my grand daughter Susanna Lyon one Negro 
girl named Sally, one horse, one bed and furniture, one cow and calf, one chest, 
one looking glass to her, her heirs and assigns forever.
     Item; I give and bequeath unto my daughter Jane Lyon Negro Cesar and Negro 
Harry and one cow and calf to her, her heirs and assigns forever.
     I tem; I give and bequeath unto my son James Canter one Negro man named 
Nice to him his heirs forever.
     Item; I give and bequeath unto my daughter Ann Hickey one Negro man named 
Robert and one Negro girl named Milley, with her future in was and one cow and 
calf to her and her heirs forever.
     I tem; I give and bequeath unto my daughter Susanna Moran one Negro man 
named Walt and one Negro girl named Phyllis and one cow and calf to her and her 
children and should it please God that my said daughter Susanna Moran should die 
without issue then the said Negroes Walt and Phyllis to return to the lawful 
heirs of my body to be equally divided.
     Item; I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Canter two Negro girls 
one named Minty and the other named Terry, one bed and furniture one cow and 
calf, one chest, one oval table and one tea kettle to her and her children 
forever.
     Item; I give and bequeath unto my son-in-law Gabriel Moran the sum of five 
shillings current money of Maryland and -
     Lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint the aforesaid James Canter, my 
son, to be Executor of this my Last Will and Testament. I do hereby declare this 
to be my Last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former Wills and Testaments 
by me made in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal 
this seventh day of June in the years of our Lord seventeen hundred and ninety-
eight.
Signed sealed and delivered by the Testator to be his Last Will and Testament in 
the presence of -
Witness     Joseph Johnson                           William Canter {seal}
Witness     Cornelius Johnson Wallis
Witness     Richard Parker
 
     At the foot and in the back of the foregoing Will it is this written to wit 
- Charles County Sct. September 10th 1798 then came James Canter Executor of 
William Canter late of Charles County deceased and made oath on the Holy 
Evangels of almighty God that the above instrument of writing is the true and 
whole  Last Will and Testament of said deceased that have come to his hands or 
possession and that he doth not know of any other.
                   Certified by Humphrey Barnes Reg. Of Wills
Charles County Sct. September 10th 1798 then came Joseph Johnson, Cornelius 
Johnson Wallis and Richard Parker the three subscribing witnesses to the within 
Last Will and Testament of William Canter late of Charles County deceased and 
severally made oath on the Holy Evangels of almighty God that they saw the 
Testator therein named sign and seal this Will that they heard him publish 
pronounce and declare the same to be his Last Will and Testament that at the 
time of his so doing he was to the best of their apprehensions of sound and 
disposing mind memory and understanding and that they respectively subscribed 
their names as witnesses to this Will in the presence and at the request of the 
Testator and in the presence of each other.
                   Certified by Humphrey Barnes Reg. Of Wills