Will of Jonathan ABELL (1820); 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. ************************************************************************ Jonathan Abell Signed: December 19, 1820 Proved: January 23, 1821 Jonathan Abell's Last will & Testament State of Maryland, Saint Mary's County ~~~ In the name of God Amen. I Jonathan Abell of State and County aforesaid being very weak low weak and low but of sound and perfect mind and understanding thank God for it and calling to mind the mortality of this life and knowing tha6t it is appointed for all persons once to die ~~ do make and ordain this my last Will and testament ~ that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty god who gave it ~~ and my body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in decent and Christian Burial at the Discrission of my Executor Hereafter Mentioned ~ Nothing doubting but at the general Resurrection I shall receive the same by the mighty power of God ~ and as touching my worldly wealth that it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life ~ I give Devise and dispose of The same in the following manner ~~~~~ First ~~ I give and bequeath to my Mother Elizabeth Abell all of my Estate of every nature during, her life to do as she chooses with ~~~~~ Item I give and bequeath to my brother Enoch Abell the new house and land to him and his heirs for Care and also the ten acres of land that I bought at the Sheriffs sail called part of the resorection manner to him and his heirs for Ever ~~~ Item ~ I give and bequeath to my brother George Abell Twenty Seven Acres of land that I bought at sheriffs sale beginning at a large stump Jist below James F. Howes, house and one Negro boy by the name of William to be his right until the year Eighteen hundred and fifty ~ and then it is my will that he may be a free man until the day of his death ~ except he transgresses so as to deserve severe punishment and if he does to serve him and his heirs forever ~~~~~ Item I give and bequeath to my Sister Jimmima Floyd four dollars and fifty Cents to be her part of my Estate ~~ Item. I give and bequeath to my Sister Jane Clarke Four dollars and fifty cents to be her part of my Estate ~~~~~~~~ Item. I give and bequeath to my Sister Elizabeth Norris four dollars and Fifty Cents to be her part of my estate ~~~~~ Item, I give and bequeath to my Brother John B. Abell Ten Dollars provided that he gets it from Hazekiah Hale to be his part of my estate ~~ Item ~ all the remaining part of my Estate of every nature what ever to be equally divided between my three Brothers John B. Abell Enoch B. Abell and George Abell after my just debts are paid ~~ I also nominate and appoint my Brother Enoch B. Abell joint Executor with my mother Elizabeth Abell of this my last Will and testament ~ and I do hereby disallow revoke and disannule all and every other former testaments wills legaties bequests and Executors by me in any wise before named ~ willed and bequeathed ~ confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament in witness thereof I have set my hand and seal this the Nineteenth day of December the yeare of our lord Eighteen hundred and twenty Jonathan X Abell (((Seal))) Signed Seald and delivd in the presence of us ~ to be his last will and testament ~~~ Zachariah X Reyley, Joseph X Brown, Richard Evans ~~ Saint Mary's County, towit: the 23rd day of January 1821. Then came Enoch B. Abell and made oath on the Holly Evangels of Almighty God, that the aforegoing instrument of writing is the true and whole last Will and testament of Jonathan Abell late of Saint Mary's County, deceased, that hath come to his hands or possession and that he doth knot know of any other ~~~ Certified by James Forrest Reg. Wills for St. Mary's County Saint Mary's County, Ss, the 23rd day of January 1821. Then came Zachariah Raley, Joseph Brown and Richard Evans the three Subscribing witnesses to the aforegoing last will and testament of Jonathan Abell late of Saint Mary's 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 tobe his last Will and testament; that at the time of his so doing, he was to the best of his apprehensions of sound and disposing, mind, memory and understanding, and that they respectively subscribed their names as witnesses tothis will, in the presence and at the request of the Testator and in the presence of each other ~~~~~ Certified by James Forrest Reg. Wills for St. Mary's County ******************************************************************************** ******************************* Transcribed by Judith A. Burger March 12, 2001, from a photocopy of the original court record, JF 1, 43-44, obtained from Norma I. Dawson, Register of Wills, Saint Mary's County, Maryland. The photocopy was good and the writing legible. I made no corrections of any kind.