Francis Boyd's Will
Francis Boyd was a farmer - says so in his will.
"No 58 . . . Francis Boyd . . . . . . April 11th, 1787
In
the Name of God Amen I
Francis Boyd of Cicel County
of State of Maryland
farmer being in a poor State of Health but of
sound Mind Memory and
Understanding blessed be God for his
Mercies, but knowing
the Uncertainty of this transitory Life do make
Publish and Declare this my
last Will & Testament in Manner and Form
following.....
that is to say...
First of all after paying all
my just and lawful Debts and funeral
Expenses and the legacies
hereafter reserved I give and bequeath to
my loving wife Esther
Boyd, the one third of all my real and personal Estate,
during her natural Life, or
during her widowhood, and at her Decease or
Day of Marriage if such
should happen I bequeath her third to be equally
divided among all my Surviving
Children and Grand Children, I also give
and bequeath the remaining
two thirds only what is hereafter reserved, to
be Equally devided between
my two Daughters Esther and Elizabeth
to
them and their heirs
It is also my Desire for the Convenince of the Heirs
that the Land should be Sold
at the Expiration of one year after my decease---
I also give and bequeath
to my Son Hugh to him and his Heirs
my Desk
____ I also give and
bequeath
to his son Francis
or his Heirs my Silver Watch ______ I also give and
bequeath to my Daughter Sarah
Williams to her and her Heirs the Sum of
Twenty five pounds,
I also give and bequeath to my three Grand Children
Jane
& Esther and Mary Williams to them and each of them their
Heirs or
Representatives the
Sum of Twenty five Pounds Each to be put to
Interest at the discretion
of my Executors until they arrive at lawful age ------
It is also my Will that my
Negro man Nero shall be free at the
Expiration of one year after
my Decease___
and I also give and bequeath
unto him during his natural Life Five
Acres of land to be laid of
my land on the South-East Corner adjoining
Land of Samuel Gay,
Widow Mitchell and Robert Weir.
It is also my Will that my
Negro woman - Esther shall be Sold for the
Term of Six Years after my
decease and then to be free, and also her
Daughter my Negro Nance to
be sold for the term of twelve Years and then
to be free, It is also
my Will that my Negro Boy Cesar shall be Sold
untill he arrives at the age
of twenty Six years he being now Seven
Years of Age It
is also my will that my Negro boy Solomon shall be
Sold untill he arrives at
the Age of twenty-Six Years, he being now four
years of Age and then
to be free,
from my Heirs Executors
or their Assigns ------ or any other Person
whatsoever Claiming under
them -----
and Lastly I do hereby
nominate and appoint my Son Hugh Boyd and
my
Son-in-Law Hugh
Steel to be Executors of this my Last will and
Testament hereby revoking
all former Will or Wills heretofore made
by (me)
in witness whereof I have herewith affixed my hand and
Seal this (blank space) Day
of January in the Year of our Lord One
thousand Seven hundred and
Ninety seven 1797------
Franc. Boyd
(Seal)
Signed Sealed and acknowledged
in the Presence of us the
Subscribers
and in the Presence of the
Testator
and in the Presence of each
other____
J. Egan
On the Same Day that I Francis
Boyd signed this Will on Second Thought I
Arthur
Alexander Jun do hereby allow
that my Negro Girl Flore
shall live with her Mistress during
Robert Weir
her mistress Life and at her Decease
my Heirs shall be bound to keep her
during Life and Shall not sell her as a slave;
as witness my Hand and Seal the day and
year above written Franc Boyd (Seal)
We the Subscribers do testify
that
this Codicil was done by the
Testator in
our Presence at the time of
Signing ____
Signed in the Presence
of us -------
J Egan Arthur Alexander Jun Robert
Weir-----
Cecil County S
April 11th 1797 then came Hugh Steel and made Oath on
the holy Evangels of Almighty
God that the foregoing is the whole and true last
will and testament of Francis
Boyd late of said County Deceased, that hath come
to his hands and possession
and that he doth not know of any other _____
Sworn before David Smith
Reg. Cecil County April 11th 1797
Then came James Egan,
Arthur Alexander Jun; and Robert Weir
the three Subscribing witnesses
to the foregoing last Will and
Testament of Francis Boyd
late of said county Deceased, and Codicil
thereto annexed and made Oath
on the holy Evangels of Almighty God
that they did See the said
Testator sign and seal this Will, that they
heard him publish pronounce
and declare the same to be his last Will and
Testament, that at the
time of his so doing he was to the best of their
apprehensions of a Sound and
a disposing Mind Memory and Understanding
and that they Severally Subscribed
their Names as witnesses to this will and
Codicil in the Presence and
at the Request of the testator and in the Presence
of each other.
Sworn before David Smith Reg.
Recorded and Examined by David Smith Reg. April 28th, 1797"
Above from MSA Nr. C646
Cecil County Register of Wills
Francis Boyd Vol. FF #6
pp. 96-99
Charles Fitzgerald cdfitzg1@juno.com