Will of Jesse BOWEN (1796), Worcester Co. MD Contributed by Doris Martin Jablonski ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Will of Jesse Bowen 14 December 1796 Worcester County Maryland Will Book JW 18 - 295, 296 In the name of God Amen, I Jesse Bowen of Worcester County in the State of Maryland being at this time in a low and weak condition of body but of sound disposing mind and memory, thanks be to God, and being also desirous to make some disposition of such worldly goods as devine providence hath bestowed on me, do for that purpose make and ordain this my last will and testament, in viva serre and form following to wit - Impremis, I will and devise the whole of my lands by whatever name and description, I am prized or possessed of with all rights, title in or to any land I may have which may be be in my actual possession at this time unto my dear wife Ann Bowen during her widowhood or natural life which should first determine and in case of her death or intermarriage my will and devise is that the whole of my lands in possession or otherwise may be sold by public order by my trustees or a majority of those then living for the benefit and advantage of my children as will be hereafter mentioned and expressed. Item I go hereby appoint and constitute my friends William Purnell, Ephrain K. Wilson, William Morris, trustees for the purpose of selling and disposing of my lands as ___________and I do hereby authorize and impower my said trustees or a majority of them, or in case of the death of anyone or two of them, then to the survivor or them full and absolute power to sell all of lands and at the death or intermarriage of my said wife, and the money arriving from the sale thereof be equally divided between the whole of my children that may then be living, and a compensation to my said trustees for their trouble of selling my said estate and paying the said over to my children according to the above ordered devise. I will and devise to each of my said trustee the sum of __________upon the amount of the sale of my said real estate. Item. I will and bequeath the whole of my personal estate to my loving wife during her natural life or widownhood which may first determine, and upon her death or intermarriage I will and bequeath unto my youngest daughters Comfort and Ann, thirty pounds to each of them out of my personal estate and fifteen pounds apiece to my two next younger daughters, Lotty and Nancy and the remaining part of my personal estate to be equally divided between them and all my other children. Lastly I do hereby constitute my wife, Ann Bowen sole ext. Of this my last will and testament, ratifying and confirming this as my said last will and testament. In testimony whereof I have hereto set my name and affixed my seal this 14th day of December Amo Domino 1796. Signed, Sealed published pronounced ) & declared by the Testator as his last ) will & testament in the presence of ) /s/ JESSE BOWEN us subscribing witnesses who at his ) request in the presence of each other ) have subscribed our names as witnesses) hereto: Davis Wilson, Charles Hammond) William Davis ) March 24the day of 1797 then came Ann Bowen and made oath that the within instrument of writing is the true and whole will and testament of Jesse Bowen late of Worcester County deceased that hath come to her hands and possession and that she doth not no of any other. Before Sevin Handy Regman Worcester County on the 24th day of March 1797 when came Davis Wilson and Charles Hammond of the subscribing wetnesses to the last will and testament of Jesse Bowen late of Worcester County deceased and severall made oath on the holy evangels of Almighty God that they did see the Testator therein named sign and seal this will and that they heard him publish pronounce and declare the same to be his last will and testament, that at the time so doing he was to the best of their apprehensions of sound disposing mind memory and understanding & that they with William Davis the other subscribing respectfully subscribe their names as witnesses of this will in the presence & at the request of the testator and in the presence of each other. Before Sevin Handy Regman