20-May 1811 Stephen Tarlton's Will In the name of God Amen. I Stephen Tarlton of Saint Marys County in the State of Maryland, being of sound and disposing mind, memory, and understanding, concerning the certainty of Death; and the uncertainty of the time thereof, and being desirous to settle my earthly affairs and thereby be the better prepared to leave this earth, while it should please God to call me home, 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 first to the hands of Almighty God, and my body to the earth; to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executor, hereinafter named, and, after my debts and funeral charges are paid I devise and bequeath, as follows- Item, I give and devise unto my Daughter, Fanny Cheseldine the use of the plantation wherein she now lives for and during her natural life and after her death to her two children, Washington Cheseldine and Mary T. Cheseldine and their heirs forever it being part of a tract or parcel of land I bought from Clement Gardiner called Hatchets Thicket lying and being in Saint Marys County and likewise I give and devise to my said daughter Fanny Cheseldine for and during her natural life one half of this rich and timbered land lying on the North Side of the road that leads to Saint Clements Bay and after her death to her two children Washington Cheselden and Mary T. Cheseldine and their heirs forever the --?-boundaries of which said land shall be described jointly in the devise to Cyrenius Cheseldines Children- I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Fanny Cheseldine the use of the following Negroes , Sook, Joe and Tom during her natural life and after her death to her two children, Washington Cheseldine and Mary T. Cheseldine and their heirs forever and the increase of the said Negroes to them and their heirs. I give and bequeath unto my grandson, Washington Cheseldine one full Bank Share in the Union Bank of Maryland. Item, I give and bequeath unto my grand Daughter Mary T. Cheseldine one full bank share in the Union Bank of Maryland. Item, I give and bequeath devise into my Seven Grand Sons, Elijah Cheseldine, Richard Cheseldine, Kenelm Cheseldine, Charles Cheseldine, Cyrenius Cheseldine, John Cheseldine and Gerard Cheseldine the plantation wherein their father Cyrenius Cheseldine now lives to them and their heirs forever, it being part of the tract or parcel of land I bought of Clement Gardiner called Hatchets Thicket lying and being in Saint Clements Manor in Saint Marys County on a Branch of St. Patricks Creek beginning at a post marked with one notch heading at the head of the west fork of the said branch of this said creek thence northwardly with the said distance to a stone marked with the letters IHYCIH thence northwardly and easterly with an old ditch to another post marked with two notches standing by the roadside leads across the said plantation towards St Clements Bay, thence from the last mentioned post a due north course until it intersects the line that divides Phillip Mosby (?)' land and the said Plantation thence Eastwardly with this said line to his corn or stones of this said Mosby and Henry Miles land, and then said Plantation thence southwardly and westwardly with the line that divides the said Miles land and the said Plantation to the head of the East Fork of the said branch of Saint Patrick Creek thence with the water of the said branch to the beginning. I likewise give and devise to my above mentioned Seven Grand Sons, the one half of the --? -On the north side of the road leading to Saint Clements Bay to them and their heirs forever. Item, I give and bequeath unto my seven grandsons, Elijah Cheseldine, Richard Cheseldine, Kenelm Cheseldine, Charles, Cheseldine, Cyrenius Cheseldine, John Cheseldine and Gerard Cheseldine one Negro boy one named Ben and the other Charley to be equally divided among them. Item, I give and bequeath unto my said seven Grand Sons, Elijah Cheseldine, Richard Cheseldine, Kenelm Cheseldine, Charles Cheseldine, Cyrenius Cheseldine, John Cheseldine and Gerard Cheseldine, one full bank share to each of them, in the union bank of Maryland. Item, I give and bequeath unto my Grandson John Cheseldine, ?- the sum of one hundred Dollars. Item, I give and bequeath unto my son John Tarlton five full Bank shares in the Bank of Alexandria. Item, I give and devise unto my Daughter, Chloe Blakistone, the use of my Dwelling Plantation, wherein I now devise, called Bluff Point.(after the death of her mother) during her natural life, and after her death to her equally divided among her surviving children forever. Item, I give and bequeath unto my said Daughter, Chloe Blakistone the use of the following Negroes, Soloman Wise, Philippa, Maria, Gerard and Harriet, and all these increased during her natural life, and after her death these Negroes, Harriet with all her increases I give and bequeath unto my grand son Nathanial Blakiston all the other Negroes, above bequeath to my Daughter, Chloe for Her own, after her death, and their increase I give and bequeath to her surviving children to be equally divided among them Nathanial Blakistone not_?_. Item, I give and devise unto my son Richard Tarlton all that tract or parcel of land called Maiden Bower(?)lying on the right hand side of the road that leads from Matapany to dwelling plantation. I, also give unto him the said Richard all that tract of land all that tract or parcel of land called Demly (?)to him and his heirs forever, of which two tracts or parcels of land I bought of James Everton laying on the west side of two posts standing by the road side that leads from Fosters Neck towards the head of Saint Clements Bay marked with one notch the other standing by the roadside that leads from the Sacred Heart Chappel toward Tommy -Oken church marked with two notches and in case of my said Son Richards Death without lawful heirs, then it is my will and desire the aforesaid tracts or parcels of land so divised to him shall go to all his Brothers and Sisters of the whole blood, taken equally divided among them. Item, I give and desire unto my Daughter Ann Tarlton all the tract or parcel of land I bought of Ruben Craig being part of Fosters Neck and to her and her heirs forever. I, also, give unto my said daughter Ann all the part of Maiden Manor lying on the left hand side of the road that leads from Matapany toward Kenellms Dare (?)House to her and her heirs forever. I, also, give to my said daughter, Ann part of this tract of land called Demly beginning at the house stone at Henry -? - gate and running with the road toward Mr. K----'s lain until it comes to the edge of the wood and thence with the edge of the woods until it intersects the crop road that leads to Mr Jordans then with the road to the little broken hill then with direct line to Henry Allstans ditch fence thence to the beginning to her and her heirs forever. Thereto if my said daughter Ann should die without lawful heir, then and in that case her part of Demly and Ma----?-as aforesaid to go to my son Richard Tarlton, and her part of Fosters Neck as aforesaid to go to my son John Tarlton and his heirs forever. Item, I give and bequeath to my daughter Ann one Negro girl named Harriet the daughter of Negro Jane , one other girl named Levitia. Item, I give and devise unto my son George Tarlton the plantation where on I formerly lived called Foxes Nole together with all my lands thereunto adjoining that is not otherwise devised, to him and heirs forever. Item, I give and devise unto my son George one Horse saddle and bridle of this value of one hundred dollars. Item, I give and devise unto my son Henry Tarlton the plantation called Matapany (after the death of his mother). I, also, give to my son Henry one Negro boy, not to be less than sixteen years old and not now the-twenty one years old at his arriving at the age of twenty one years. I also give unto my said son Henry one horse saddle and bridal, one bed and furniture both of which are to be worth one hundred and sixty Dollars. My further due and desire is that my said son Henry may be continued at Charlotte Hill School on some other seminary of learning of that until he arrives at the age of twenty in one years of age in order to complete is education and the expense of his clothing board and tuition to be paid out of this profit of my estate under the direction of my executor hereafter to be named. Item, I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Elizabeth Tarlton in lieu of her dower during her natural life the use of my dwelling plantation together with all the engross, stock, household and kitchen furniture and all the plantation utensils that may belong to the same and after her decease all whole of the aid Negro stock, household and kitchen furniture, plantation __?__together with the remainder of all my estate whatsoever kind it may be not otherwise disposed of, to be equally divided among all my children, then surviving, which she the said Elizabeth may have had bequested . I do hereby authorize and direct my executor hereafter named total my two thirds of the schooner Leary either for cash or on a credit, as they may deem most advantageous. And Lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint Thomas Blakiston and my son Richard Tarlton to be my sole executors of this my last will and testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me now heretofore made, ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and testament. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my Seal this twentieth day of May in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and eleven. Stephen Tarlton (Seal) Signed, Sealed, published and declared by Stephen Tarlton the above named testator, as and for this last will and testament, in the presence of us, who at his request, and in his presence have subscribed to our names as witnesses thereto. Henry Clements, Thomas Gardiner, Sam Carpenter, William H. Plowden. Saint Marys County to wit, the 9th day of July 1811. There came Thomas Blakistone and Richard Tarlton and made oath on them Holy -?-of Almighty God, that the within instrument of writing is the true and whole last will and testament of Stephen Tarlton late of Saint Marys County deceased, that hath come to their hands on possession and that they do not know of any other. Certified by James Forrest , Reg. of Wills for St. Marries County. Saint Marys County on the 9th day of July 1811. Thence came Henry Clements and William H Plowden two of the subscribing witnesses as to the forgoing last will and Testament of Stephen Tarlton late of Saint Marys County deceased and severally made oath on the Holy __?__ of Almighty God, that they heard him publish, pronounce and declare the same to be his last will and Testament that at this time of his so doing, he was to the best of their appraisement, of sound and (this ends the statement for the copy did not include the final part of this statement.) Note: There are a few names and places that I was unable to accurately read. I have used __?__ as those I could not read at all, and others I have used a few letters with-----after the letters. This will is very long and very detailed and unless one is familiar with the names and places mentioned, it is almost impossible to read. Most of my difficulty was in reading names of Plantations. The old English writing can sometimes be very difficult to decipher. The print was made smaller in the middle of the document to save space.) ================================================================================ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Peg Rufner , Rufpeg@aol.com 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. 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