Will of Thomas Sheircliff In the name of God Amen. I Thomas Sheircliff of Charles County in the State of Maryland being in a low state of Health but of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding and considering the certainty of Death and the uncertainty of the Time Thereof do therefore think it necessary to make & publish this my last will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say. First and principally my soul into the hands of Almighty God and my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter named, and after my Debts and funeral charges are paid I devise and bequeath as follows. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Catharine Sheircliff all the Land I now possess, for her use and benefit so long as she lives single or unmarried. But in case my daughter Catharine aforesaid should marry there I devise my Land aforesaid to be sold and the money arising from the sale of said Land to be equally divided between my four Daughters Ann Sheirburne, Mary Clements, Martha Dant & Catharine Sheircliff aforesaid with the proviso that my Daughter Ann Sheirburne shall have thirty pounds currency paid her out of the price of said land exclusive of her equal part with my other Daughters. And in case my Daughter Catharine Sheircliff should die without marrying then my will is than my Land aforesaid shall be sold for the benefit of my other three Daughters Ann Sheirburn, Mary Clements, and Martha Dant with this proviso that my Daughter Ann Sheirburne shall have twenty pounds currency more than her equal part out of the money said land sells for. Item I give and bequeath unto my Grand daughter Martha Clements my negro girl called Milly with this proviso that my Daughter Mary Clements shall have the use of said negro girl during the life of said Mary Clements. Item I give and bequeath unto my Grandson William Clements one negro woman called Sarah with this proviso that my Daughter Mary Clements shall have the use of said negro Sarah during the life of said Mary Clements. Item I give and bequeath unto my Grand daughter Martha Sheirburne my negro girl called Henny with this proviso that my Daughter Ann Sheirburne shall have the use of said negro girl Henny during the life of said Ann Sheirburne. Item I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Martha Dant my two negro boys called Stephen and [Harry?]. Item I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Catharine Sheircliff my young negro [nolan?] called Basil and my negro girl called Anny. Item I give and bequeath all the Residue of my Personal Estate unto my Daughter Catharine Sheircliff with this Proviso that all my Just Debts and funeral charges shall be paid out of the said Residue of my Daughter Catharine aforesaid. Lastly I constitute and appoint my daughter Catharine Sheircliff and my son in law Joseph F E Dant to be Executors of this my last will and Testament revoking and annuling all former wills by me heretofore made and ratifying this to be my last will and Testament. In testamony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 26th day of May anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine. Signed, Sealed, published and declared by Thomas Sheircliff the Testator as and for his last will and Testament, Thomas Sheircliff in The Presence of us who at his Request and in his Presence have subscribed our names as Witness thereto G. B. Causin Ignatius Wathen his William W Latimer seal At the foot of the foregoing will it is thus written (to wit) - Charles County [ ] 24th January 1791 Then came Catharine Sheircliff acting Executrix of Thomas Sheircliff, late of Charles County dec'd & made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God that the foregoing instrument of writing is the true & whole last will & Testament of the said dec'd that hath come to his hands or profession & that she does not know of any other. Cert'd by John Muschett Regr. of Wills Charles County [ ] 24th January 1791. Then came Gerard B Causin & Ignatius Wathen two of the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing last Will and Testament of Thomas Sheircliff late of Charles County dec'd & Severally made oath on the holy Evangels of Almighty God that they did see the Testator therein named sign & seal this will that they heard him publish pronounce & declare the same to be his last will & Testament that at the time of his so doing he was to the best of their apprehensions of sound & disposing mind memory & understanding & that they together with William Latimer the other subscribing witness respectively subscribed their names as witnesses to will in the presence and at the request of the Testator & in the presence of each other. ..... by John [Muschett] Regt of Wills Transcribed and contributed by Mary Lee Dante, mdante@CapAccess.org 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. 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