Will of John DALE (1778) Harford County, Maryland This file was by K. McLamb ************************************************************************ * 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. ************************************************************************ HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND RECORDED WILLS- pages 142-144- 1778; Maryland Hall of Records In the name of God Amen- I JOHN DALE of Harford County in the State of Maryland being weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory blessed be God do this day make and publish this my last will and Testament in manner following viz--- FIRST I give to my loving wife Mary Dale all the estate I may die seized of for and during her natural life or widowhood she yealding and paying yearly the sum of five pounds to my daughter Mary Orr. SECONDLY I give and bequeath to my grandson John Dale Orr the sum of fifty pounds common money at the death or marriage of my wife Mary. THIRDLY I give unto the children of Mary Orr who shall survive their mother one hundred pounds to be equally divided between them share and share alike. FOURTHLY I give unto my grandson Richard Colegate Dale my negro Ben and fourty pounds common money at the death or marriage of my wife. FIFTHLY I give unto my granddaughter Nancy Dale my two female negroes Dinah and Precilla and fourty pounds common money at the death or marriage of my wife. SIXTHLY I give to my loving brother William one suit of cloaths and ten pounds common money. SEVENTHLY I give to my nephew Joseph Dempster one suit of cloaths and ten pounds common money. EIGHTLY and all the remainder and residue of my eastate I give unto the children of my daughter Mary Orr to be equally divided between the survivors of their mother share and share alike. and LASTLY I make, ordain and appoint my true and trusty friend James Clendenin to execute this my last will and testament and he is hereby appointed to be executor. In witness whereo, I the said John Dale, hath to this my last will and Testament set my hand and seal this second day of April 1778 (signed) John Dale (SEAL) In presence of us James Amos, Senr Joshua Amos Hannah Amos James Clendenin the within named executor proves this to be the will and Testament of John Dale the testator and that he knows of no other- 1778 July 4th came James Amos Senr and Joshua Amos son of James and made oath oan the holy evangels thtat they did see John Dale the Testator herein named sign and seal this will and that htey heard him publish pronounce the same to be his last will and Testament and he was to the best of their apphrehension at the time of of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding and and that they subscribed their names to this present writing in the presence of each other and in the prescence of Hannah Amos who subscribed her name as a witness at the same time Certified by J. Geo Brasford (?) Register of Wills Harford County The last words of John Dale late of Harford County deceased when on his deathbed respecting his last will and Testament is as follows to wit. James Orr scratch out Ben’s name in ye will and set down 200 pounds in ye place of it for I have sold Doctor Benfield ye negro Boy and he must have him for I have rec.d part of the money for him and then when all is settled there will be betwixt 200...300 pounds.. to my daughter Mary’s children. Joseph McClakey Agnes McClaskey (her mark) James Orr On the 2nd of July 1778 came James McClaskey, James Orr, and Agnes McClaskey and made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God that they were present at John Deal’s a few hours before he departed this life when he informed them that he has sold his negro Boy Ben to Doctor Benfield and that it was his will and desire that 200 pounds of the money should be paid to Richard Colegate Dale at the death of his wife in place of the said negro Ben that had been left if his last will that he had made in writing which would be a means of saving between two and three hundred pounds for his daughter Mary Orr ‘s children to the best of their knowledge. Sworn to before Abm. Whitakers. On the 28th day of August in the year of our Lord seventeen hundred and seventy eight cames James Orr, Joseph McClaskey before the Orphan’s Court of Harford County and made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God that John Dale of this county deceased desired athis deponent to scratch out a negro Boys name from his will called Ben devised to his grandson John Colegate Dale which said negro boy was sold to Doctor Benfield by him the said John Dale and thast two hundred pounds of the money should be inserted in his will as a legacy instead of the negro Boy and that the above words were spoken in the last illness and upon the death bed of the said John Dale. Sworn Before Aql..Paca Jno. Love NOTE: There is an apparent error in recording the name of grandson. The name is Richard Colegate Dale, NOT John Colegate Dale. KMM