Frederick County MD Archives Wills.....Griffith, Orlando September 10, 1800 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/md/mdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Allie Griffith-Nelson alinel@sbcglobal.net March 28, 2007, 3:23 pm Source: From Archival Copy Written: September 10, 1800 Recorded: July 31, 1801 In The Name of God Amen The 10th day of September Eighteen Hundred I Orlando Griffith of Frederick County and the State of Maryland being very sick and Weak of Body but of perfect mind do make and Ordain this my last Will and Testament. Principally and first I Request that my Body be Buried in a decent and Christian manner and Touching the Worldly Estate of which I am at this time possess’d I give demise and swiftness of in manner and form following- First I give unto my wife Elisabeth Griffith my Negro man Sam, my said Negro Man Sam I give unto her during her life and at the time of her death I give the said Negro man unto my Son Orlando Griffith and heirs and assigns forever- I give unto my Son Elisha Griffith the Sum of five shillings Current Money and no more-I give unto my son Zadock Griffith the Sum of five shillings Current money and no more- I give unto my son Chisholm Griffith the Sum of five shillings Current Money and no more- I give unto my son Joshua Griffith the Sum of five shillings Current money, my English Musquet all the wearing apparel I may have at the time of my decease and no more- I give unto my Elisabeth Griffith my Negro girl named Charity the said Negro girl and her increase I give unto my said daughter Elisabeth Griffith and their heirs of her Body Lawfully begotten forever as also the rent of my Plantation which is now in the Tenure of Mathew Hilton during the time she shall remain unmarried and no longer- I give unto my daughter Rachel Griffith my Negro girl Kathe with her increase I give the said Negro girl with her increase unto my said daughter Rachel Griffith and the heirs of their Body Lawfully begotten forever is also the Rent of the plantation whereon the Widow Gator now lives- during the time she shall remain unmarried and no longer I give unto my daughter Ann Silver the wife of Georg Silver, my Negro girl named Cassy and her increase I give the said Negro girl Cassy with her increase unto my said daughter Ann Silver and heirs of her Body Lawfully begotten forever. I give unto my grand daughter Elisabeth Silver daughter of Georg Silver and Ann his wife my Negro girl named Nell I give the said Negro girl Nell and her increase unto my said Grand Daughter and the heirs of her Body Lawfully begotten forever. I give unto my Son William Griffith two plantations one of which is in the possession of William Caywood the other in possession of Henry Griffith. Beginning to include the said plantations of the one of two hundred purchases on the fourth line of a tract of land called Black Acre and Running with said Land until it comes opposite to the end of the last line of a tract of Land I conveyed to Henry Darnell then by a line at right angles, to Strike the end of the said line of the land I conveyed to Henry Darnell as aforesaid then with this given line thereof to the Beginning of the last mentioned land. Then with the course of the said given line extended into the Hollow then with a straight line to the first place of beginning The said land and two Plantations I give unto My said Son William Griffith his heirs and assigns forever Also my Negro Woman Named Fanny a cow and a calf a Sow and pigs Ewe and Lamb the feather bed and furniture which is now called his and my Rifle Gun The said articles I give unto him his heirs and assigns forever I give unto my Son John Griffith all the rest and remaining part of my Estate both Real and personal. I give the same unto him his heirs and assigns forever And I do revoke all former wills heretofore made by me hereby ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament. In witness thereof I have herein to set my hand and affix my seal the day and year first above written Signed and Sealed Published pronounced and delivered by the said Orlando Griffith at the said day and year first above written to be his last will and Testament Orlando Griffith [seal] In presence of- John Coons, Roger Edmonston George [x ] Silver Jerome Plummer mark Frederick County July 31 1801 then came John Coons Roger Edmonston Jerome Plummer witnesses to the afore going last will and Testament of Orlando Griffith late of Frederick County Deceased and made oath on the Holy Evangeles of Almighty God that they did see 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 he was to the best of their apprehensions of a sound and disposing mind and memory and Understanding that John Coons, V Roger Edmonston two of the witnesses above named respectively subscribed their names as witnesses to this will in the presence and at the request of the Testator and that the said Roger Edmonston did also sign the name of Jerome Plummer the other of the witnesses above named at the Special Instance In request of the said Jerome Plummer and that they did also see Georg Silver the other subscribing witness make his mark to which his name is perceved as a witness to said will in the presence and at the request of the Testator and all in the presence of each other. George Murdock Reg.r I Elisabeth Griffith Widow of Orlando Griffith late of Frederick County Deceased do hereby renounce and quit all Claim to my Bequest or Devise made to me by the last Will of my Husband exhibited and proved according to Law and I Elect to Take in lieu thereof my Dower or legal Share of the Estate of my said Husband- Elisabeth [x] Griffith mark July 31 Day 1801 To the Register of Wills Fred Cormty Additional Comments: When reading of the somewhat skewed portion of the estate that was left to Elisabeth Griffith, by husband Orlando,it is obvious why she chose to renounce her claim to the current will. Electing instead to invoke her Dower rights, or legal share, in this particular instance afforded Elisabeth a lifetime interest in 1/3 of all land owned by her husband. Allie Griffith-Nelson 28 Mar 2007 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mdfiles/ File size: 6.8 Kb