Will of John DREWRY (1797); 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 Drewry
Signed June 17, 1797
Proved June 29, 1797

John Drewry
His last Will
In the name of God amen. I John Drewry of Saint Mary's County in the state of 
Maryland being sick & weak of body but of Sound & disposing mind and memory & 
understanding Considering the certainty of death & the uncertainty of the time 
thereof, and being desirous to Settle my worldly affairs, & thereby be the 
better prepared to leave this world when it Shall please god to call me thence, 
do therefore make & publish this my last will & Testament in manner & form 
following that is to Say~~~ first & principally I commit my Soul into the hands 
of almighty God, & my body to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion 
of my Executor herein after named and after my Just debts are paid I devise & 
bequeath as follows~~~ Item, I give & bequeath unto my beloved wife Ann Drewry 
one third part of my Real Estate during her natural life, and likewise one part 
of my household furniture & stock to her & her heirs forever~~~ It is forth my 
will that my wife Shall have her choice of my stock & furniture to the amount of 
her thirds~~Item I give & bequeath unto beloved sons Francis Decalus Drewry 
Joseph Drewry & William Drewry Seven pounds ten Shillings Current money each to 
them & their heirs forever. Item I give & bequeath unto my beloved Daughter 
Monica Drewry one Cow to her & her heirs forever. Item I give & bequeath unto my 
beloved Children Anastasia Vessells, Susanna Raley, Mary Meadley, Monica Drewry, 
John Chrisostom Drewry, Francis Decalus Drewry, Ignatius Drewry, Joseph Drewry, 
& William Drewry all the residue & remaining part of my Estate both real and 
personal to be equally divided between my Children be fore mentioned to them and 
their heirs forever.~~Lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint my beloved Son 
Francis Decalus Drewry, to be wholo and Solo Executor of this my last will & 
Testament, disannulling any will or wills by me heretofore made ratifying and 
confirming this and no other to be my last will & Testament. In testimony 
whereof I have hereunto affixed my hand & Seal this 17th day June 1797~

John + Drewry (((Seal)))

Signed Sealed & declared to be the Last will and Testament of the with named 
Testator in the presence of us
Allexander Greenwell, Eleanor x Stone
John Greenwell Junr

On the back of the foregoing, was the following, towit
Saint Mary's County, towit, the 29th day of June 1797. Then came John Decalus 
Drewry and made oath on the holy evangels of almighty God, that the within 
instrument of writing, is the true & whole will & Testament of John Drury, late 
of Saint Mary's County, deceased, that hath come to his hands 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 29th day of June 1797. Then came Allexander 
Greenwell & Eleanor Stone two of the three subscribing witnesses to the written 
last will & Testament of John Drury, late of Saint Mary's County, deceased and 
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 & testament, that at the time of his 
sodoing, he was to the best of their apprehensions, of Sound & disposing mind, 
memory, & understanding: and that they respectively subscribed their names as 
witness to this will, in the presence, & at the request of the Testator, & in 
the presence of each other, & also in the presence of John Greenwell Junr the 
other witness who they did see Subscribe his name as a witness in the presence & 
at the request of the Said Testator.
Certified by Jeremiah Jordan, Regr wills
for Saint Mary's County
********************************************************************************
*******************************
Transcribed by Judith A. Burger February 1, 2001 from a photocopy of an original 
court document, Libra: J. J. No. 2, Page: 189, obtained from The Register of 
Wills, St. Mary's County, Maryland. The photocopy was good and the writing was 
legible with the exception of the word in parentheses. I made no corrections of 
any kind.