Will of John ABELL (1794); St. Mary’s County, Maryland

This file was contributed by Judith Burger.

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John Abell, Youngest
Signed: October 24 1794
Proved: December 2, 1794

John Abell. Yongt.
his last will 
In the name of God amen. To all Christian people to whom this presents Shall 
come greeting. Know ye that John Abell youngt. Of Saint Mary's County, & State 
of Maryland being of perfect Soundness of mind & memory do appoint Constitute & 
ordain this my last will & Testament in manner & form following first I leave my 
Soul to almighty God & my body to the grave to be buried afte the manner of a 
Christian by my Executor hereafter mentioned & as for the worldly good with 
which it hath pleased almighty God to bless me with, I give will & dispose of in 
manner & form following ~~ Item I give & bequeath to my Son John Stanfield Abell 
all my Land that leith on the East side of the main three notched Rode it Being 
the plantation whereon he how liveth to him & his heirs forever. I likewise give 
my son John Std. Abell one negro lad Isaac & one negro boy Aace all my wearing 
apparell my Silver watch Saddle & bridle to him & his heirs forever. Item 2. I 
give & bequeath unto my daughter Ann Abell the following Lands part of a tract 
of Land called Abells Lot part of a tract of Land called Johns (dred?) and part 
of a tract called Johns Ramble and one tract of Land called Abells addition it 
being the plantation whereon Susanna Hutchins now lives on to her & her heirs 
forever. Item 3. I give & bequeath to my daughter Susanna Simmonds all the Lands 
which I purchased of Peter Thompson it being the plantation where on I Now live 
to her & her heirs forever I likewise give to my daughter Susanna Simmonds one 
negro woman named Lidia and and her four children towit Aace/ Hope/ Anne & one 
not named which negroes is now in the possession of Mathew W. Simmonds & 
likewise give to my daughter Susanna Simmonds one negro man named Dick and one 
negro boy named Harry to her & her heirs forever. ~~ Item 4 I give and bequeath 
unto Ann Biscoe daughter of Ignatius Biscoe one negro Child Perry to her & her 
heirs. ~~ Item 5 I give & bequeath to my negro woman Sary her freedom & three 
pounds Current money. Item 6 I give the remainder of my Estate to be equally 
divided divided betwixt my three Children John Std. Abell/ Anne Abell & Susanna 
Simmonds to them and their heirs forever ~~ Item 7 and last I leave my Son John 
Std. Abell my hole & sole Executor of this my last will & Testament as witness 
my hand & Seal October the twenty forth one thousand seven hundred & ninety four 
~~~~
John Abell, youngt. (((Seal)))

Signed, Sealed published & declared in the presence
of us the Subscribes by John Abell youngest to be hislast will and Testament 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Francis H. Wathen, Edward Greenwell, Elenor Swails

On the back of the aforegoing, was as follows, towit,
Saint Mary's County, Ss, the 2nd day of December 1794. Then came John Stanfield 
Abell, & made oath on the holy evangels of almighty God, that the within 
instrument of writing is the true & whole will & Testament of John Abell yt. 
Late of Saint Mary's County, deceased that hath come to his hand or possession, 
& that he doth not know of any other.
Certified per Jeremiah Jordan, Regr wills
for Saint Mary's County

Saint Mary's County, Ss, the 2nd day of December 1794. Then came Francis Hudson 
Wathen, Edward Greenwell, & Elenor Swails, the three Subscribing witnesses to 
the within last will & Testament of John Abell, yt. Late of Saint Mary's County, 
deceased, & Severally made Oath on the holy evangels of almighty God, that they 
did See the Testator therein named, sign & Seal this will, & that they heard him 
publish, pronounce, & 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 
& disposing mind, memory, & understanding, & that they respectively Subscribed 
their names as witnesses to this will, in the presence, & at the request of the 
Testator, & in the presence of each other.
Certified by Jeremiah Jordan, Regr. Wills for Saint Mary's County
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Transcribed by Judith A. Burger March 14, 2001 from a photocopy of the original 
court record, JJ 2, 101-102, obtained from Norma I. Dawson, Register of Wills, 
Saint Mary's County, Maryland. The photocopy was good and the writing legible.