Will of Edward ABELL (1807); St. Mary’s County, Maryland This file was contributed by Judith Burger. ************************************************************************ * 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. ************************************************************************ Edward Abell Signed: October 5, 1807 Proved: September 5, 1809 Edward Abell’s Last will & Testament} In the Name of God Amen ~~ On this fifth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred & Seven, I Edward Abell of Saint Mary’s County in the State of Maryland being of Sound mind, memory and understanding thanks be to God, calling to mind the certainty of Death and the uncertainty when it may happen do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in the manner & form following ~~~ Principally I recommend my Soul to God who gave it, and my Body to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian Burial at the discretion of my Executors hereafter mentioned ~~ and as touching my Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life ~~ I give, devise and dispose of in the manner and form following ~~~ Impremis, I give and bequeath to my loving Son Samuel Abell the use of one parcel of Land which I purchased of George Biscoe Lying in St. Josephs Manor containing Sixty one and a half Acres more or less during his natural life and after his decease provided his wife out lives him the use of the aforesaid Land to her during her widowhood ~ and after his and his Wifes decease or in case my Son Samuel Abell dies before his Wife and she marries again from the time of her Marriage I give and bequeath to their Son (Berisamiro?) Abell the before mentioned parcel of Land containing Sixty one and a half acres more or less the grave yard on the before mentioned Land is hereby excepted which I do hereby reserve for a Family Burying place to him and his heirs forever ~~ I also give and bequeath to my Son Samuel Abell Ten pounds current money, and my wareing apparel and do also discharge him from all claims I have against him for money advanced or otherwise ~~ I give and bequeath to my loving Son John Abell all the Negroes which he has now in his possession that formerly belonged tome with their increase, also, I give him my Silver Watch, and my Mahogony Writing Desk ~~ I give and bequeath tomy loving Daughter Mary Crane one Negro Woman called Trecy and her child or children and their future increase, also one Negro woman called Sander and her three children one called Trecy, one called Mary and the other called Henry and their future increase ~~ I give and bequeath to my loving Daughter Barbary Spalding one Negro woman called Nell and one negro boy called (Guae?) & her increase ~~ I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Phannel Abell the use of one parcel of land which I purchased of Charly King Senior, lying in St. Josephs Manor being part of a Tract of Land which I believe is called (Pieress Cost?) containing one hundred and Seventeen and a half acres, more or less as also the use of part of one other tract of Land lying in Abell Manor called (Velesiaes?) Rest containing (blot) hundred and Seven and a half acres more or less during her natural life and after her decease my Will is that the aforesaid Land may be sold by my Executor and the Money arrising from the Sale of Land to be equally devid amongst my three grand children Susanna Elizabeth and John Alexander children of my Son Samuel Abell and their heirs ~~ My Will is that the use of the Lands aforesaid devised to my Daughter Phannel Abell be Subject to the direction and Management of Zachariah Forrest Charles Chilton and Son John Abell and my Son in law James A. Crane, or Such of them as will be so kind as to act, and to trustees Such as they may think proper to appoint to succeed them ~~ I also give her one bed and furniture one Trunk and one old Woolen Wheel which she hath now in her possession ~~ I give and bequeath to my grand Son Edward Thomas Fifty pounds Current Money ~~ I give and bequeath to my Grand Son James Thomas Fifty pounds ~~ I give and bequeath to my grand Son Samuel Bean one hundred pounds Current Money to be paid to him when he arises to the age of Twenty two years or Marry, but in case my Grand Son Samuel Bean should dye before he arrives to that age or Marrys ~~ I give and bequeath the aforesaid one hundred pounds tomy Daughter Mary Cranes Children tobe equally divided amongst them ~~ I give and bequeath to my Negro Man Nace his Freedom and liberty and also Ten pounds current Money and all my Shoe tools ~~ I also Will and devise that the plantation whereon I now live with all the Lands adjoining thereto on the West side of Saint Francis’s (church?) supposed to be about three hundred acres and all the remainder of the Land I purchased of John Lee which I have not sold and all three Tracts or parcels of Land which I purchased of Stephen Stiles, and all that Land I purchased of William Redman and George Redman Heirs of William Redman deceased and all the land I took up adjoining the aforesaid Land and the residue of my Estate and remainder both real and personal be sold by my Executors, and the Money arrising from the Sale to be applied as hereafter directed, that is after paying my Just debts and the Legacy, before mentioned the balance to be divided in three equal parts one third part to my Son Abell and one third part to my Daughter Mary Crane and the other third part to my Son Samuel Abell ~~ Lastly I make and ordain my Son John Abell and my Son in Law James A. Crane Executors of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former Will or Wills by me heretofore made in Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and affixed my Seal the day and year before written ~~ Edward Abell (((Seal))) Signed, Sealed, published and declared by the before mentioned Edward Abell and as for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us Who have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses in the presence of the Said Edward Abell and at his request, and in the presence of each other ~~~ George + Clarke ~ Richard Biscoe ~ Charly Chilton ~~ Saint Marys County Ss the 5th day of September 1809 ~ Then came Charly Chilton, and on the 25th day of the Same Month came George Clarke and Richard Biscoe the three Subscribing Witnesses to the Within last Will and Testament of Edward Abell late of Saint Marys county deceased, and severally made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God, that they did See the Testator therein named Sign and Seal this Will, and that they heard him publish, pronounce and declare the Same to be his last Will and Testament; that at the time of his sodoing, he was, to the best of their apprehensions of Sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding; and that they respectively Subscribed their names as Witnesses to this Will, in the presence, and at the request of the testator, and in the presence of each other. Certified by James Forrest Regr Wills for Saint Marys County 1227W. ******************************************************************************** ******************************* Transcribed by Judith A. Burger April 13, 2001 from a photocopy of the original court record, JJ 3, 204-206,obtained from Norma I. Dawson, Register of Wills, Saint Mary’s County, Maryland. The photocopy was good but the writing extremely small and hard to read. The words in parenthesis were illegible to me. I made no corrections of any kind.