Will of Catharine Armstrong 1876

Last Will and Testament of Catharine Armstrong of Baltimore county, Dated 28 July 1876

In the name of God, Amen. I Catherine Armstrong of Baltimore County in the State of Maryland being sick and weak in body, but sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, considering the certainty of death, and the uncertainty of the time thereof, and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs, and thereby being the better prepared to keave this world when it should please God to call me hence, do therefore make and publish this, my last will and testament, in manner and form folllowing that is to say;

First and principally I commit my soul into the hands of Almight God; and my body to the earth, to decently buried and after my debts and funeral charges are paid, I devise and bequeath as follows

First I desire and direct that all my estate both real and personal be sold and converted into money as soon as possible without sacrifice, and in the discretion of my executor- hereinafter named

Second Haveing in my judgement amply provided for my son Daniel S. Armstrong during his life time I give and bequeath to his lawful heirs the sum of one dollar to distributed equally among them

Third I give and bequeath to my son Henry S. Armstrong one fifth of the nett proceeds of my Estate.

Fourth I give and bequeath to my daughter Margaret Hicks the wife of John Thomas Hicks one fifth of the nett proceeds of my Estate.

Fifth I give and bequeath to my daughter Eliza M. Gartside the wife of Wm. N. Gartside one fifth of the nett proceeds of my Estate.

Sixth I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah J. Gibson wife of John Gibson one fifth of the nett proceeds of my Estate.

Seventh I give and bequeath to the children of my deceased daughter Mary A. Harman named respectively as follows: James N., Anna Mary, and Laura Elizabeth, one fifth of the nett proceeds of my Estate to be equally divided among them each one to receive share and share alike.

Eightth And I earnestly ask my children to appropiate the money they shall receive from my estate to the purchase of a home for themselves. And I further direcct that my Executor be paid no commission upon my estate and that he receive nothing over and above his actual expenses as Executor and incured in the discharge of his duty as such.

And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my son Henry S. Armstrong, to be sole executor of this my last will and testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore made, ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and testament. In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this Twenty eighth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred seventy six.

Catherine (her X mark) Armstrong

Witnesses:
Jas. S. Smith
Joseph R. Knight
James Cress

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Contributed by K. M. McLamb

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