Will of John ABELL (1848); 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. ************************************************************************ John Abell of Thomas Signed: October 2, 1848 Proved: July 4, 1857 John Abell of Thos Last will and Testament In the name of God Amen I John Abell of Thomas of Saint Marys County in the State of Maryland being Sick and weak in body but of 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 worldly affairs and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it Shall please 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 burried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named and after my debts and funeral Charges are paid I devise and bequeath as follows ~~~ Item I give and devise unto my Son John L. Abell the plantation as hereon he now dwells Known by the name of Gilmots Hills containing about one hundred acres more or less to him the Said John Lewis Abell and his heirs and assigns in fee simple. Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Eliza Spalding four negroes namely Milly Margaret Basil and Ambrose with their increase from the date thereof. ~~ Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Catharine Morgan two Negroes namely Bill & Leucretin with their increase from the date thereof. Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Ann H. Maryman three negroes namely Charlotte Gloriana and Nace together with two years Rent now due me from her husband James A. Maryman and all the Stock of Horses Cattle sheep and hogs and one bed and furniture now in her possession with their increase from the date hereof. ~~ Item I give and bequeath unto my Son Alexander Abell three Negroes namely Henry Henrietta and Frederick and their increase from the date hereof. Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary M. Nuthall four Negroes namely Maria and her two Children Lew and Bol and Amanda and their increase from the date hereof. ~~ Item I give and bequeath unto my Executor herein after named Twenty Dollars for the purpose of having Masses Said for the repose of my Soul. Item I give and bequeath unto my dearly beloved wife Ann Abell all the rest and due of my Estate both real personal and mixed with the increase from the date hereof for and during the term of her natural life and at her death all the remains of the aforementioned rest and residue or of it, increase to be equally divided among all of Said Children or their heirs reserving to my Son Alexander Abell the priviledge of taking the residue of my lands at the valuation of Fifteen hundred Dollars but if he Should refuse to do So then the said Lands Lands to be Sold and the proceeds thereof together with the above mentioned personal Estate to be equally devided among all of my before mentioned Children or their representatives. And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my two Sons Alexander Abell and John Lewis Abell to be Sole executors of this my last will and testament revoking and annuling all former wills by me heretofore made and confirming this and non other to be my last will and testament. In testimony whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and affixed my Seal this Second day of October in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred & forty Eight John Abell of Thomas (((Seal))) Signed Sealed publish & declared by John Abell of Thomas the above named testator as and for his last will & testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence if each other have Subscribed our names as witnesses thereto ~~~~~~~~ J. I. Spalding. Jas. E. Heard. Francis E. Heard. Saint Marys County towit the 4th day of July 1657 The last will and testament of John Abell of Thomas late of Saint Marys County deceased being this day exhibited to me for probat during the recess of the orphans Court and Joseph Morgan & Catharine his wife a daughter of the deceased having assented thereto and no Caveat being filed or objection made I Geo. Combs Register of Wills for Saint Marys County proceeded to take the probat thereto according to law. Certified by GCombs Register of Wills for Saint Mary County Saint Marys County towit The 4th day of August 1857 Then Came John L. Abell, and made oath on the holy Evangels of Almighty God that the within instrument of writing is the true & and whole will and testament of John Abell of Thomas late of Saint Marys County deceased that hath come to his or possession and that he doth not know of any other Certified by GCombs Register of Wills for Saint Mary County Saint Marys County Ss The 4th day of August 1857 Then Came James E. Heeard and Francis E. Heard two of the three Subscribing witnesses to the within last will ad testament of John Abell of Thomas late of Saint Marys County deceased and Severally made oath on the holy Evangels of of Almighty god that they did See the testator therein named Sign and Seal this will and that they head 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 apprehension of Sound and disposing mind memory & understanding and that they respectively Subscribed their names as witnesses to this will in the presence of and at the request of the testator and in the presence of each other and also that they did See John L. Spalding. The other witness to this will Subscribe the Same in the presence and at the request of the Said testator. ~~~ Certified by GCombs Register of Wills for Saint Marys County ******************************************************************************** ******************************* Transcribed by Judith A. Burger March 26, 2001 from a photocopy of the original court record, GC 2, 389-392, obtained from Norma I. Dawson, Register of Wills, Saint Mary's County, Maryland. The photocopy was good and the writing was clear and legible. I made no corrections of any kind.