The Will of Vachel Downes, from Queen Anne's County Office, Register of Wills

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Cathy Downes [Cathy_Downes@msn.com] 

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The Will of Vachel Downes, from Queen Anne's County Office, Register of Wills

(Please note that in this document the name is spelled
Vachel, Vachael and Vacheal.  Vachael and Vacheal I
believe to be mispellings of the name.  The name appears 
in other documents (marriage records, newspaper
abstracts and census records) as Vachel.  In addition, 
other descendants of the same name used the spelling
Vachel, including my husband of the same name.)  
 
 "In the name of God Amen I, Vachael Downes of Queen 
Anne's County and State of Maryland, being in
imperfect health of body but of a sound and disposing 
mind, memory and understanding, considering the
certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time 
thereof and being desirous to settle my worldy affairs, and
thereby be the better prepared to leave this world, 
when it shall please God to call me home, do therfore make and
publish this my last (will) and Testament, in manner 
and form following that is to say, first and principal I comit
(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 hereinafter named and after 
my debts and funeral charges are paid and devise and
bequeath as follows.
 
I give and devise to my son John A. Downes a part of the 
tract of land where he now resides called Hog Harbour;
namely, all of the farm lying East of the public road 
leading from Halls X [Cross] Roads to Ruthsburgh
[Ruthsburg] during his natural life, and after his 
death to his son, Vachel Downes and his heirs forever.
 
I give and devise unto my daughter Susan A. Macabee a 
tract of land caled (called) Faulkner's Hope lying in the
west-side of the public [road] leading from Halls X Roads 
to Ruthsburgh now enclosed adjoining Hog Harbour
and the lands of the heirs of William Hall and Pere Wilmer's 
heirs, to her the said Susan Mackabee, and her heirs
for ever.

I give and devise unto my daughter Anna M. Downes a 
tract of land called Darling manor, containing one
Hundred and twenty acres of Land and more in the 
occupancy of Joshua S. Chance to her the said Anna M.
Downes in fee simple, and her heirs forever.  I also 
devise and bequeath to my daughter Anna M. Downes ---
Bedsteads and clothing and a set of chinaware.

I give and bequeath to my duaghter Marietta Smith the 
residue of my personal Estate, consisting of my mare, the
Bedsteads and furniture, House Hold and Kitchen furniture 
one cow, agricultural implements, one carraige and
Harness all of the rents of the farms occupied by son 
John A. Downes and Joshua S. Chance and Joseph
Mackabee, also all the money due me from all sourcis (sources).
 
I will (and) direct my son, John. A. Downes to pay to  
Samuel Hassett's five children Five Hundred Dollars as
they arrive at the age of twenty one years & Girls 
eighteen years.  Out of the portion of land I have left him
namely Thomas H. Hassett one Hundred Dollars, George 
Hassett one Hundred Dollars, Mary __ (A.?) Hasset
one Hundred Dollars, Susan E. Hassett one Hundred Dollars, 
and Samuel __  ( V.?) Hassett one Hundred Dollars.
 
And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint Daniel N. 
Smith to be my sole Executor of this my last will and
testament, In testimony whereof I have hereinto set my 
hand and affixed my seal this twenty first day of April in
the year of our Lord one-thousand Eight Hundred and 
Sixty-seven, signed sealed published and declared by
Vachael Downes The above named testator as and for his 
last will and Testament in the presense of us who at his
request, and in his presence and in The presence of Each 
other subscribed our names and witness as thereto -
Richard Williams      Vacheal Downes [seal]
Thomas B. Turner
John W. Richardson
 
Queen Anne's County, ???. February 18, 1868: Then came 
Richard Williams, Thomas B. Turner, and John W.
Richardson, the suberscribing witness of the foregoing 
Will, and made on the Holy Evangely of Almighty God,
that they did see Vachel Downes the within named testator 
sign his name to the foregoing Will, that they heard
him publish, pronounce and declare the same to be his 
last Will and Testament, that at this time of so doing he
was to the best of their apprehension of sound and 
disposing mind, memory and understanding that they
subscribed their names, as witnesses to the said will in 
the presence of each other, in ther presence of the Testor,
and at his request.
Queen Anne's county, Oct.
                     1868 
Then came Daniel N. Smith the Executor herein named, 
and made oath on the Holy Evangely of Almighty God
that the foregoing is the true and whole last Will and 
Testament of Vachel Downes, late of Queen Anne's County,
deceased, that hath come to his hands, or possession, 
and that he doth not know of any other.  W. A. Johnson,
Reg. Wills"