Will of Solomon Smith (1831); Kent County, Maryland ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Judith Webb Lockard The Will of Solomon Smith of Kent Co., MD Liber WB12, folio 22 April/May 1831 In the name of God Amen, I Solomon Smith of Kent County and State of Maryland being in perfect health of body and of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding considering the certainty of death and the certainty of the time there of and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please Almighty God to call me hence do therefore make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is to say, First and principally I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God and my body to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executor therein after named, and after all my just debts and funeral expenses are paid, I do devise and bequeath as follows: Item-- I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Sarah Ann Smith for and in lieu of her dower the farm whereon I now reside containing two hundred and seventeen acres be the same more of less during her natural life and after her decease I give it to my daughter Elizabeth Smith and to her heirs in fee simple forever. Item-- I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Smith and to her heirs in fee simple forever, my farm lying in Delaware containing one hundred and forty three acres, also my Farm which I purchased of Shadrack Maberry, containing ninety acres more or less also my farm the property of the late Jesse Gilbert decd. And Mary Knock which I purchased at the sale made by the Commissioners appointed by Kent County to make said sale, and it is further my will and desire, that in case I die possessed of any personal property after all my just debts and funeral expenses are paid, that the same shall go to my daughter Elizabeth and to her brothers and sisters in case of any and also that the above devised lands shall be equally divided among them if any such there be. Item-- I desire in case that my daughter Elizabeth should die without lawful issue, that the lands before devised shall be equally divided between Thomas Smith, George Smith, George Deal and George Bryan and to their heirs in fee simple forever and in case of the death of either the said Thomas Smith George Smith George Deal or George Bryan the lands shall be equally divided among the survivors It is further my will and desire that my Executor and Guardian for my daughter Elizabeth Smith hereinafter named, shall expend the yearly rents or income from the lands devised to her, each and every year in boarding clothing and educating her the said Elizabeth Smith in the manner he shall deem most expedient. It is further my will and desire that Ann (daughter of my negro woman Mary who is now free) shall be free and discharged from all slavery to me or any of my heirs, from and after the expiration of nineteen years, commencing from the first of January Eighteen hundred and twenty eight 1828 It is further my will and desire that Charlotte daughter of the aforesaid Mary, shall be free and discharged from all slavery to me or any of my heirs, from and after the expiration of twenty three years commencing from the first day of January Eighteen hundred and twenty eight 1828 It is further my will and desire that Henry be free and discharged from all slavery to me or any of my heirs from and after the expiration of twenty five years commencing from the first day of Janry Eighteen hundred and twenty eight 1828 And lastly I do hereby appoint Piner Mansfield and John D. Perkins to be my sole executors of this my last will and testament, and also appoint them the said Piner Mansfield and John D. Perkins Guardians to my daughter Elizabeth Smith revoking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore made satisfying this and none other to be my last will and testament. In witness where of I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this sixth day of May in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty one 1831 Solomon Smith Seal Signed Sealed Published and declared by Solomon Smith the above named Testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribe our names as witness thereto Daniel C. Lockwood Samuel Woodall Jno. C. Lockwood It is further my will and desire that Mary Ann daughter of the aforesaid Mary shall be free and discharged from all slavery to me or any of my heirs from and after the expiration of twenty three years commencing from the first day of Janry Eighteen hundred and twenty eight 1828 Solomon Smith Seal Witness Daniel C. Lockwood Samuel Woodall Jno C Lockwood Maryland On this 19th April 1836 personally appeared Kent County John C. Lockwood one of the subscribing witnesses to written will before me and made oath in the Holy Evangels of Almighty God that he did see Solomon Smith the above named Testator sign and seal this will and that he heard him publish pronounce and declare the same to be his last will and testament and at the time of his doing so he believed him to possess a sound disposing mind memory and understanding and that he together with Daniel C. Lockwood and Samuel Woodall signed this will as witnesses at the request of the Testator in his presence and in the presence of each other Sworn before Jas. L.(?) Browne Reg Wills Maryland On this 19th April 18 personally appeared Kent County John C. Lockwood one of the subscribing witnesses to the above Codicil before me and made Oath on the Holy Evangells of Almighty God that he did see Solomon Smith the above