Last Will and Testament of John DAWSON (Sr.) (1710); Talbot County, MD Contributed to the USGenWeb Archives by K. Brooke Nelson [k.brooke.nelson@gmail.com] Copyright. All Rights Reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/md/mdfiles.htm ********************************************************* NOTE: Superscripts are indicated by {}. A formatted version can be Viewed at http://usgenweb.org/md/talbot/wills/dawson-js.pdf Name on will: John Dawson Date written: July 31, 1710 Date proved: October 21, 1710 Source of record: Prerogative Court (Wills) MSA S538, Liber 22, pp. 117-122 117 In the name of God Amen I John Dawson of Talbot County in the province of Maryland Gent{n} being Very Sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given to God therefore Calling into mind the Mortallity of the body and knowing that it’s appointed for all men once to die do make and ordaine this my Last will and Testamt (that is to say) principally and first of all I give and recomend my Soul into the hands of God who gave it and for my body, I recommend it to the Earth to be buried in a Christian Like and descent manner at direction of my Ex{rs} nothing Doubting but at y{e} gen{a} resurection I shall receive the Same againe by the mighty power of God & touching Such worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this Life I give devise and dispose the same in the following manner & forme. Imp{rs} I give and bequeath to my Son John and to y{e} heirs of his body Lawfully begotten the upper or Eastward moyety of the Lands I’me no possessed with Lying on st Michaels River and I will and bequeath to my Loveing wife Mary Dawson the other moyety of the said Lands ( Including the house I new dwell in ) her Life and my will is that my s{d} wife shall keep the Dwelling house in good ord{r} and repair and give Such security for so doing as Mrs Mathew Tilghman Ward and Rob{t} Ungle shall think fitt within Twelve Months after the date hereof_ and after the decease of my Said wife my will is that all the above menconed Lands and Tenements given to her during her Naturall Life shall go to my Said Son John and to the heirs of his body Lawfully begotten for Ever_ and if it should please God that my Son John Should dye without Issue Lawfully begotten then I give and bequeath all my Said Lands and Tenements to my Son W{m} and to the heirs of his body Lawfully begotten and in Case of failure of Such heir from him then to my Son Ralph and the heirs of his body Lawfully begotten and in Case of failure of Such heir from him then to my Daughter Susannah and the Heires of her body Lawfully begotten & in Case of failure of Such heirs from her then to my daughter Eliz{a} and the heirs of her body Lawfully begotten and if no Such heirs from her then to my next heir and his or her heirs Lawfully ( begotten ) 118 begotten provided Nevertheless that nothing hereby given shall Prejudice my wife in the poss{n} of the above menconed Moyety of the Said Lands during her Life It{m} If it should so happen that when my Son Jn{o} arrives at the age of twenty one yeares he should marry or that my wife and he Should not agree, then my desire is that my Said wife Shall Cause to be built & finisht for my Said Son (on his Moyety of the above said Lands one dwelling house w{th} Two Roomes on a??????? w{ch} Shall be such a house as M{r} Math. Tilghman Ward and Robert Ungle ( who if then Living Desire to take the Trouble on them ??? all appoint_ It{m} I give and bequeath to my Son W{m} all the Land due to me in Gallway neck part of Galway part of Batchelors range part of Batchellors Range addition and hattons hope to him the Said W{m} and the heirs of his body Lawfully begotten and if my Said Son W{m} Should dye without Such heirs then my will is that the Said Lands shall go my said Son Ralph & the heirs of his body Lawfully begotten forever & for want of Such heirs to my Daughter Susannah and the heirs of her body Lawfully begotten and on failure of Such heires to my Daughter Eliz{a} & the heirs of her body Lawfully begotten and for want of Such heirs to my son John and the heires of his body Lawfully begotten and on failure of Such heires from him then to my next heir and the heires of his or her Body Lawfully begotten_ It{m} I give to my son Ralph Dawson all the Land on the other side Gallway where Charles Sinclear now dwells to him and his heirs for Ever but if it should happen that my son Ralph should dye before he arrives at Twenty one yeares of age then my will is that the afd Land Shall go to my Daughter Susannah 119 Susannah & Eliz{a} and their heires to be Equally Divided betwixt them when they Come at age or at the day of her Marriage and if Either of them die without heirs then to the Surviver and her heirs for Ever . Item. I give to my Loveing brother James Dawson all the Right title Interest and Claim w{ch} I have or ought to have of in or to a Certain tract of Land Lying in S{t} Michaels Creeke Called by the name of Futchland to him and his heirs for Ever. Item. I give to my Son John and my Daughter Susannah one negro man Called Tom one negro woman Called Judith two Negro Children Called Mingo & Grace and all the Increase of the Said Negroes to be Equally divided betwixt my Said Son and Daughter when they Come at Due age and if my Said Daughter Should be Disposed of in Marriage before my Said Son is at age then a division may be made for her part and the Residue with their Increase kept in the hands of my Ex{rs} till my Said Son arrives at age provided Nevertheless that ye first Child w{ch} Shall be borne of the above named Negro Judith I do give and bequeath to my son Ralph if not withstanding any Generall bequest of the whole Increase of the Said Negroes and further my will and order is that if my Said Son John should dye before he arrives at the age of Twenty yeares or my s{d} Daughter Susannah before She arrives at due age or Marryes then that only the four first named Negroes Shall go to the Survi= =vors all the Increas Except y{e} Negro Given to Ralph if any Such be Shall be Equally Divided amongst all my Children the Said Ralph Coming in for an Equall share over & above the Said Negro ( if any such be ) _ Item. I give to my Son W{m} and my Daughter Eliz{a} two negro Children Called Peter & Anne w{th} all their Increase to be Equally divided betwixt them when my Said Son shall arrive at the age of twenty one years or when my Said Daughter shall be disposed of in Marriage but if my Said Son W{m} Should dye before he arrives at that age or my Said Daughter before she arrives at the Said age or is Marryed then my will is that y{e} s{d} Negroes and their Increase shall go to the Survivor and his or her heires for Ever _ Item. all the rest of my Estate whether real or personall or what ( nature ) 120 nature Soever I do hereby give and bequeath to my Loveing wife Mary Dawson under Such restrictions & Limitations as is hereafter menconed first I order that my Said wife pay to Each of my Children before named when the boys arrive at Twenty one yeares of age and the girles at due age or be Marryed (w{ch} shall first happen ) forty pounds in Currt Money of this province or in Such Comodity as this County afordes – and I do further order my Said wife to give to my son John & my Daughter Susannah Each a bed & furniture of about six pounds price Secondly I do further order my Said wife and my other Ex{rs} hereafter named to pay to my two brothers Richd and Thos Dawson five thousand five hundd pounds of Tob{o} in Such Mannor as to my Said Ex{rs} shall seem meet – provided the Said payment be made within Twelve months after the date of this my Last will and Testam{t} the Said Tobacco being to be Equally divided betwixt my Said two Brothers as was desired by my Loveing father Ralph Dawson deceased _ Item. and whereas the Land Called Batchelors Range addition is supposed to be foul of Some ?ld or survey whenever the bounds of the Said Land shall be ascertained so that y{e} s{d} tract of Land shall have its due meets and bounds according to patent then I do hereby Empower and authorize my Ex{rs} hereafter named to make over and Convey to Rachel the daughter of my brother Ralph and her heirs or assignes about one hundred acres of the Said tract of Land be Laid out as may least prejudice the Land given to my Children W{m} & Ralph Item. I do moreover desire and request my Ex{rs} hereafter named that if any Difficulty should arise in the Executing any part of this my Last will and testament that they will apply themselves to my Loveing friends M{r} Mathew Tilghman Ward and Rob{t} Ungle who Doubt not will aid assist and advise them to the best advantage of my Loveing wife and Children _ And I do hereby request my Said ( two ) 121 two friends to give all the help and assistance to my Said Executors that they are Capable of . Lastly I do hereby appoint my Said Loveing wife Mary Dawson and my Loveing Brother James Dawson to be my Ex{rs} of this my Last will and testam{t} and I do hereby Disallow revoke and make null and Void all and Every other form or Testam{t} will, Legacy, or Cordicil whatsoever by me made willed or bequeathed Ratifieing and Confirming this & no other to be my Last will & Testam{t} In witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and affixed my seale the thirty first day of July in the 9{th} yeare of the reigne of our Sov{e}n Lady Anne by the Grace of God of Great Brittaine ffra & Ire{ld} Queen defend{r} of the faith anno Dom 1710 Signed Sealed Delivered } published prounced and } John Dawson Sen Declared by Jn{o} Dawson to be his Last} will & testam{t} in Psence of us } her Sam{l} Wade Mary Vallant Abigail X Wise his mark James Wright X mark on the back of the s{d} will is as thus written Talbot ssc Octob{r} y{e} 21{st} Anno Dom 1710 Then Came before me the subscriber Depty Comry of the County afd ye within menconed James Dawson being Left Exr Together wth Mary Dawson of the within will and the Said Mary Dawson haveing renounced her Executorship of the Said Deceds John Dawsons Estate therefore the Said James Dawson Caused the Said will to be proved wch was accordingly proved in due forme & the oaths of Saml Wade Mary Vallant and James Wright three of the witnesses to ye within Testamt Subscribed & Lres Testamentary was accordingly Granted unto the s{d} James Dawson Exr as afd Togeather wth a Copy of the will annexed JE Rob{t} ffinley Dep{ty} Com{r}y for 18 sides Talbott County C d{le} ffinley S{sc} This Comes to acquaint you as you being Deputy Comissary for Talbot County that pronounce the Legacies given me by my husband M{r} John Dawson deceased in his Last will & ( testament ) 122 Testament both Personall Estate and Reale & I pray you to record the Same in your Said office for probate of wills this given from undr my hand this thirtieth day of Aug{t} 1710 Testes W Turlo P me Mary Dawson To Cd{le} Rob{t} Finley Memorandum That the within named John Dawson deced departed this Life the second day of the ?Instantizio? _ Aug{t} 30{th} 1710 Then was the within renunciation Delivered to me at my office for probat of wills & by Maj{r} W{m} Turlo & accordingly it is Recorded _ P me Rob{t} ffinley Dep Com{r}y for Talbot County This file is located at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/md/talbot/wills/dawson-js.txt