Harford County Wills of Elizabeth, Thomas and William Smithson File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Chris Smithson. wsmithso@erols.com 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. _________________________________________________________________________ Wills Elizabeth (Scott) Smithson (TSB pp. 163-165) Thomas Smithson (AJ #2 pp. 98-100) William Smithson, Esq. (AJ #C p.451) WILL OF ELIZABETH SMITHSON, WRITTEN 18 JUL 1818, PROBATED 22 JULY 1818. HARFORD CO., MD, WILLS, 1811-1832, pp. 163-165. In the name of God, Amen, Elizabeth Smithson of Harford County and State of Maryland, Widow of William Smithson late of said county deceased, being in a weak state of health, but of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof and being derisons to settle my worldly affairs and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please God to call me hence, do therefore make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is say: First and principally, I commit my soul to the hands of the almighty God and my body to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executor hereinafter named, and after debts and funeral charges are paid, I bequeath as follows: I give and bequeath unto my niece, Elizabeth Dorsey, all and singular the personal estate or property of every kind and description which I shall be possessed or own at my death accepting all the right I now or may than have in Negro slaves, to her the said, Elizabeth Dorsey, her heirs and assigns forever. It is my will and desire that Negros Maria, Rose and Honor daughter of Negro Hannah now in the possession of Joshua Whitaker shall be free from slavery at the age of sixteen years respectively and in case they or either of them should have any issue during their servitude the Males are free at the age of twenty one years and the females at the age of sixteen years. Also Negroes Hatty and Robert the Children of Negro Clae the said Hatty and Robert being now in the possession of William McMath, Hetty to be free at the age of sixteen years and Robert at the age of twenty one and in case the said Hetty should have a child or children during her servitude the male or males to be free at the age of twenty one years and female or females to be free at the age of sixteen years and also that Negros Harriet and Eliza (the children of Negro Clae) may have before they are free agreeable to the last will and testament of their Master, my deceased husband shall be free male or males at age of twenty one years, the female or females at the age sixteen years. And lastly I do hereby constitude and appoint my truely friend Henry Dorsey of Edward to be my sole executor of this my last will and testament revolking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore made retifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and testament. In testamony whereof I have hereunto set my hand affixed my seal this nineteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen. Elizabeth Smithson Signed, sealed, published and declared by Elizabeth Smithson the above names testation as or for her last will and tesament in the presence of us, who at her request in her presence and the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto. Witnesses: John Reardan Benjamin Guyton WILL OF THOMAS SMITHSON, WRITTEN 14 JUN 1795, AND PROBATED 27 OCT 1795. HARFORD CO., MD, WILLS, 1775-1785, LIBER AJ, NO. 2, pp.98-100. I, Thomas Smithson, of Harford County in the State of Maryland, being sound mind, memory, and understanding do make and ordain this, my last will and testament, in manor and form following: First, my will is that all my just debts, if any, be paid. Secondly, I give and bequeath to my son, Nathaniel Smithson, to him and his heirs forever, at the death of my wife, Mary Smithson, the plantation I now live on suppose to contain one hundred acres of a tract called Beals Camp, if he pays to my daughter, Margaret Bartin, fifty pounds, and pays to my daughter, Cassander Green, fifty pounds, and pays to my son Thomas Smithson (deceased) three children, fifty pounds, after my wife's decease. My will is that if my son, Nathaniel Smithson, does not pay of the legatees above mentioned that he shall not have the said land and premises. Thirdly, I give and bequeath to my son Archabald Smithson, to him and his heirs forever, at the death of my wife, Mary Smithson, all that parcel of land where my son, Nathaniel Smithson, now lives, being part of a tract called Beals Camp, containing about one hundred acres. Fourthly, I give and bequeath to my daughter, Ann Durham, one shilling of my estate and no more. Fifthly, I give and bequeath to my daughter, Elizabeth Durham, one shilling of my estate and no more. Sixthly, I give and bequeath to my son, William Smithson, one shilling of my estate and no more. Seventhly, I give and bequeath to my daughter, Sary Durham, one shilling of my estate and no more. Eightly, I give and bequeath to my grandson, Benjamin Smithson, fifty pounds to be paid by my executor in one year of my death. Ninthly, I give and bequeath to my son, Daniel Smithson, one shilling of my estate and no more. Tenthly, whereas I lodged a state certificate in my son, Daniel Smithson's hands to the amount of seven hundred pound or upwards with the interest, my will is that he pays the sum of two hundred pounds, one third of the two hundred to be paid to my daughter, Margaret Bartin, one other third of two hundred pounds to be paid to my daughter, Cassander Green, and the other third of the said two hundred pounds to be paid to my son, Thomas Smithson's, threen children. Eleventhly, my will is that my negro woman, Hannah, is to be free at my wife's death. My negro man, Caesar, and negro boy, Jack, is to be free when they arrive to the age of thirty years unless my wife should then be living. In that case they are to serve until her death and no longer. Twelvethly, that my will and mind is that I give and bequeath to my wife, Mary Smithson, all the remaining part of my personal estate and the use of all my land during her life. And lastly, I constitute and appoint my son, Nathaniel Smithson, my whole and sole executor of this, my last will and testament, retifying and comfirming this and to other to be my last will and testament, revoking and disannulling all other will or wills by me before this time made, in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this fourteenth day of June, seventeen hundred and ninety five. Thomas Smithson Witnesses: James Preston William Greenfield Joshua Green WILL OF WILLIAM SMITHSON, WRITTEN 14 AUG 1805, AND PROBATED 24 JAN 1809. HARFORD CO., MD, WILLS, AJ-C-451. In the Name of God, Amen, I William Smithson, of Harford County and State of Maryland, considering the uncertainty of this mortal life, and being of sound and perfect mind and memory, blessed be the Almighty God for the same, do make and publish this my last Will and Testament, in manner and form following (that it to say): First I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Elizabeth Smithson, two hundred acres of land it being parts of Tract of land called Burr and Scott's, improvement inlarged, also all my land lying on the east side on the Road leading from Belle Air to the Roman Catholic Church, it being part of the land formerly the property of Thomas Pycraft Presbury with the addition to Emm's delight adjoining tracts, all situate lying and being in Harford County, the said several parts or portions of land and premises with the appurtenanees to be the right title and estate of my said wife during her natural life, and after her decease the said lands to be the Estate of Henry Dorsey of Edward and my niece Elizabeth Dorsey (his wife) during their natural lives, and after their decease the said lands and premise is to be the right title and Estate of Mary Dorsey, daughter of the said Henry and Elizabeth Dorsey her heirs and assigns forever.But in case the said Mary Dorsey should die without issue before the death of her mother that hereafter said one, this being Elizabeth Dorsey shall enjoy the same to her or her heirs. I give and bequeath unto my nephew William Smithson son of Daniel all the rest and residue of Meriton's lot supposed to be three hundred and eight acres more or less with a full privilage of a Waggon Road there from though that part of Meriton's which I herein have bequeathed to my wife or until it intersects the road leading from Belle Air to Abingdon. The said Waggon Road to be laid out as convenient and with as little damage as possible. I also give and bequeath unto my said nephew William Smithson of Daniel a Tract of Land called Reimburses adjourning said Track of Land called Meriton's Lot, also a Tract of Land adjoining Reimburses called Luck, the said land and premisses with the prevallance of a Wagon Road as aforesaid to be the right title and Estate of the said William Smithson son of Daniel his heirs and assigns forever. It is my Will and desire that all of the remainder of my land, which formerly belonged to Thomas Pycraft Presbury as aforesaid, shall be sold on reasonable credit by my Executrix and Eseccutor herein after appointment and the money arising from the sale thereof to be disposed in the following manner, to wit, five hundred dollars thereafter to be given when received to my said nephew William Smithson of Daniel also five hundred dollars thereof to be given to my niece Elizabeth Dorsey in liece of her keeping my Negro Woman Dinah and raising her children, upon the delivery of said Negro Dinah and her children to my Executors immediately after my decease, to be dispond of agreeable to this my last will and testament, and also that the rest and residue of said sale money shall be applied towards paying my just debts. It is my will and desire that Negro Sampson, Negro John, Negro Hannah, Negro Else, and Negro Dinah (said Dinah now in the possession of Henry Dorsey) shall be absolutely free from Bondage at the expiration or seven years from and after my desease. It is also my will that Elizabeth Dorsey shall have the use and service of said Negro Dinah for and during the said term of seven years from the date hereof. Also it is my will that all the children which the said Negro Dinah now has or may have during the said term of sevenn years shall be the property of the said Elizabeth, until they severally arrive to the folowing ages: to wit, Males the age of twenty five years each and Females to be age of twenty one years each, at which periods they the said Negro Dinah's children shall be free from all manner of Bondage or Slavery. Also, it is my will and desire that all the rest of my young Negros which I now own or may own before my decease shall be absolutely Free, Males at the age of twenty five years each Females at the age of twenty one years each, and lasty also , all rest residue and remainder of my personal estate of what kind or nature so ever. I give and bequeath the same to my said beloved wife Elizabeth Smithson, whom I appoint Executor with Henry Dorsey of Edward Executor of this my last will and testament hereby annulling all former wills by me made. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fourteenth day of August in the August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five. William Smithson Signed, sealed, published and declared by the above named William Smithson, to be his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as attorneys, in the presence of the presence of the Testator, and each other. In the words, but in case the said Mary Dorsey should die without issue before the death of her mother that then her heirs whoever, enterlined between the twenty first and twenty second lines from the beginning before signing. Witnesses: John Guyton Joseph Robinson John Reardan