Last Will and Testament of Matthew HOWARD (1750); Kent Co., MD Contributed to the USGenWeb Archives by Joseph H. Howard Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/md/mdfiles.htm ********************************************************* NOTE: Superscripts are indicated by {}. A formatted version can be Viewed at http://www.usgwarchives.net/md/kent/wills/howard-m.pdf Matthew Howard (d. 1750) Will Kent County MD Maryland Hall of Records 27:430 (Microfilm SR4421) Written 28 January 1749 & 24 October 1750 Probate 19 November 1750 Maryland. In the Name of God Amen I Matthew Howard of Kent County Planter being very sick & weak in Body but thanks be to Almighty God of sound and perfect Memory do Ordain and Appoint this my Last Will and Testament in Manner and form following. Revoking all former Wills and Testaments made or caus{d} to be made first I Bequeath my Soul in to the hands of Almighty God that gave it me and my body to Return to the Earth from whence it Came to be buried in a Christian Burial According to the Discression of my Executor hereafter mentioned. Item. I Give and bequeath unto my son James Howard the Southern part of a Tract of Land Called the Adventure Beginning at a Marked White Oak Standing at the head of watering Valley and standing in the Line of Handleys hope and standing in the south west and by west Line of the Adventure Bounding on the said Oak and turning from thence North Seventy Eight Degrees west Sixteen perches and from thence North fifty seven degrees west Twelve perches and from thence west thirty Perches and from thence North thirty four Degrees west thirty two perches and from thence South Eighty five degrees west till it Intersects the Land of Mr Bennetts - all that Tract and parcel of Land to him and his heirs for Ever. Item. I give and Bequeath to my dear and Loving Wife Elizabeth Howard the middle part of that Tract of Land called the Adventure where my dwelling house stands Beginning at the first Bounded Tree of the Adventure from thence running North Eighty five degrees west Eighteen perches and from thence South fifty five degrees west till it Intersects M{r} Bennetts Land all that Tract or parcel of Land above Mentioned during her Natural Life. Item. I Give and Bequeath to my Son John Howard the Remaining part of that Tract of Land Called the Adventure lying on the southwest side of a pond Commonly called Howells great Pond to him and his heirs for Ever and his mothers part of the Same Tract of Land before bequeath{d} after her Decease to him and his heirs for Ever. Item. I Give and Bequeath to my daughter Susan Howard a Tract of Land Containing Ninety Six acres called Howards pollicy and the Remaining part of the Adventure Lying on the Eastern Side of Howells Great pond Going to Howard pollicy to her and her heirs for ever but if she should die before She Comes to the age of One and Twenty Years having no Heir then to Return to my Daughter Hannah Howard and her heirs for Ever. Item. I Give and Bequeath to my dear Wife one Negro Man called James and one Negro Woman call{d} Dinah. Item. I Give to my Daughter Hannah Howard one Negro Girl call{d} Poll. Item. I Give to my son John Howard one Negro boy call{d} Jacob. Item. I Give to my son James Howard one Negro Boy call{d} George. Item. I Give to my daughter Martha Howard one Negro Girl call{d} Haney. Item. I Give to my daughter Ann Howard one Negro Girl call{d} Pegg and Eight pounds Sterling to be paid in Cash. Item. I Leave all the Residue of my Personal Estate after my Just Debts are paid and my Wifes thirds taken from it to be Equally divided amongst all my Children. Item. I make and ordain my Loving Wife my Whole and Sole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament and Doth Leave all my Children to her untill they Come to their full Ages the Boys to the Age of Twenty one years and Girls to the age of Sixteen. Witness my hand and Seal this Twenty Eighth Day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred forty Nine. Matthew Howard Signed Sealed and Delivered In the presence of Jerom Cannel John (his J mark) Hickes, John Briscoe, Tho{s} Chandler N.B. This Being part of my Will Item - that if my son James Howard should die in his Non Age or without I give then his part of Land to him Bequeath{d} shall, fall to my three Daughters namely, Hannah, Martha & Ann Howard to them and their heirs and assigns for evermore. As Witness my hand and seal this 24th day of October Anno Dom 1750 Matthew (his M mark) Howard Witness present - Thos Chandler On the back of the foregoing Will was thus Written On the nineteenth day of November Anno Dom 1750 John Hickes John Briscoe Thomas Chandler & Jerom Cannel the Subscribing Witnesses to the Within Written Will being duly & Solemnly Sworn on the holy Evangels of Almighty God Severally depose and Say that they saw Matthew Howard the Testator within Named sign and Seal the Within Will and heard him publish and declare the Same to be his last Will & Testament that at the Time of his So doing he was to the best of their knowledge and apprehension of sound and Disposing mind and memory and that they Severally Subscribed their Respective Names as Evidences to the Same Will in the presence of the Same Testator and at his request. Sworn before J A Calder, Dept Com, Kent County.