Will of Thomas CLARKE (1711); St. Mary’s County, Maryland This file was contributed by Jerry L. Clark . ************************************************************************ * 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. ************************************************************************ Thomas Clarke June, 1711 PC 1 page 177 The Will of Thomas Clarke In the name of God Amen I Thomas Clarke of St. Mary's County, Planter, being sick & weak in body, but blessed be God of sound & perfect memory doe make and constitute this my last will & Testament in manner following, and first I bequeath my soul to Almighty God my creator who gave it, trusting through the meritts of my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ to be made partaker of everlasting happiness, and my body to the earth from wence it came to be decently buryed by my execs hereafter named, & for what estate God of his mercy hath been pleased to bless me with in this world. I dispose of as followeth. Jusp. It is my will and desire that all my just debts be fully paid & satisfied out of my estate & as soon as possible can be. Item I give & bequeath to my two sons Thomas & John Clarke, my certain tenement _ _tuate & being on W___ River, in the mannor of Calverton, now in the occupation of Robert Parker, that is to say all the perill of land to them & Tenent belonging upon the river side comprehending the full breadth therof, to be equally divided, between my two sons Thomas & John, Each of them to have an equal portion of breadth on the water side. & from thence running back in the woods to the head of the valley above Mary Roses plantation, they paying unto my son, Adam Clarke, five pounds sterling, or the value therof in tobacco, and also paying to the Lord Proprietary the yearly rent for the whole tract afsd. The same containing one hundred and fifty acres- Item I give and bequeath to my son William Clarke, all the residue of the aforsd. Tract of land containing one hundred & fifty acres, that is to say, all the Remainder, being back from the head of the sd Valley above Mary Roses plantation to the uttmost extent therof, but if it should happen that my son William should, die before he comes of the age of twenty one years , then I give the sd. Lands to my son Benjamin Clarke. Item I give and bequeath to my loving wife Julian Clarke the plantation I now live on in the Mannor of Calverton called Mardike, for ___ her natural life & after her decease, to my son Luke Clarke, in case he will accept of this in lieu of a certain tract of land called Bowlings Reserve, wch I sold Thomas Mudd, but if my son Luke will not accept of this in lieu of the sd tract of land sold Thomas Mudd then I give my sd plantation called Mardike to my son & daughter Benjamin & Mary Clarke to be equally divided between them after my wifes decease. Item I give and bequeath to my loving wife Julian Clarke & to my four children Luke, William, Mary, and Benjamin, all the goods & Chattels to be divided & distributed by my sd Wife, amongst my sd. Children, when and in what manner, she shall think fitt. In case she remains a widow, but if my sd. Wife shall marry then my will is that my sd. Four children, have an equal part of all my sd goods & chattels, when they shall come to the age to be paid them, according to the appraisement therof. Lastly I doe hereby make constitute & appoint my loving wife, Julian Clarke, my whole & sole Executrix of this my last will & testament to dispose of the same according, as is declared to the use above mentioned , in witness, wherof I have hereunto subscribed my name & put to my seale, this 4th day of June, Anno Dom, 1711. Thomas Clarke (((seal))) sealed & delivered in presence of John Parry John Clarke Francis Clarke December the 4th 1711 then came Francis Clarke, and John Clarke two of the witnesses to the within will, and made Oath that they saw the within named Thomas Clarke signe seale and deliver the within writing, as his last will, and Testament. Wm Aisquith Dept. Commissioner.