Will of John Gill 1793

Will and Codicil of John Gill, of Baltimore County, Dated 22 May 1793, Codicil dated 22 Feb 1796, Proved 21 Jan 1797

In the Name of God Amen. I John Gill of Baltimore County in the State of Maryland Farmer being sick & weak in body but of perfect mind and memory do hereby make & declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say first and principally I recommend my soal (sic) to the hands of Almighty God my Creator & my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried by my executors herein after named & as touching my Temporal Estate God hath been pleased to bless me with I Give devise & bequeath as follows Viz

Imprimis I desire direct and appoint that all such just debts as I shall owe at the time of my decease Together with my funeral expences, shall be first fully paid and satisfied.

Item I give and bequeath unto my dear and loving wife Mary Gill all my dwelling plantation being part of a tract of Land called Batsons Forest with the Appurtenances thereunto belonging for and during her natural Life also my Negros, Tom, Jack & Fan for and during her natural life afores^d and immediately after the decease of my s^d wife then I devise give & bequeath to my son John Gill his heirs and Assigns forever my above said Plantation Called Batsons Forrest containing two hundred and fifty acres more or less. I give devise and bequeath to my s^d son John Gill my Negro Man named Bob also I give devise & bequeath to my s^d Son John Gill his heirs and Assigns forever part of my Land Called Nicholsons Manor and part of the Land formerly in his Lordship's Reserve in Baltimore County which I have a Lease for Ninety-Eight acres of s^dReserve that is Called Hickory Bottom and all that lies on the south side of the Western Run where he the s^d John Gill now Lives and Also Fifty six Acres af[?] Nicholsons Manor that lies on the south side of the Western Run between Hickory Bottom & the Land my s^d son Jn^o Gill purchased from Roger Boyes' also I give and bequeath unto my s^d. Son Jn^o Gill one featherbed & furniture and six Leather Chairs.

Item I give devise & bequeath unto my son Stephen Gill his heirs and Assigns forever One hundred acres of land part of a tract afsaid called Nicholsons Manor being the last purchase I made from Roger Boyes also I give & bequeath to my said Son Stephen Gill one Feather bed & furniture and half my Wearing Apparel.

Item I give devise and bequeath to my Son Edward Gill his heirs and Assigns forever part of a tract of Land called Nicholsons Manor that is enclosed in the following metes & bounds beginning at a Stone Mark^'t w^th the Letters S.G. B set up in the ground at the same place that the one hundred Acres of Land I gave my son Stephen Gill begins Also it being the Beginning of one other hundred acres of Land I bought of Roger Boyce and running thence South Eight One deg. & thirty minutes West one hundred & four and a half perches North Eight Degs & thirty minutes West one hundred and Fifty and an half perches until it intersects the North Fifty six degrees, East three hundred & twenty three perches line of the whole tract called Nicholsons Manor thence running with and bounding on s^d Line North Fifty six degrees East twenty four perches thence South fifty six degrees East One hundred and thirty two perches, thence North Eighty seven degrees and thirty minutes, East twenty perches thence South fifty three degs & thirty minutes, East sixty perches to the Western run then running up and binding on sd run the seven following Coursor South twenty nine deg^sWest three perches and an half perch thence South Forty degrees, East thirty one perches thence South Fifty six deg^sWest Fourteen perches thence South thirty two deg^sWest sixteen perches thence South twenty six deg^sEast ten perches thence South sixty two degrees West sixteen perches thence South Forty one deg^s West twenty two and an half perches to the end of the First line of the Fifty acres of Land my son John Gill bought of Roger Boyce thence with that Fifty acres South Eighty one degrees & thirty minutes West thirty nine perches and thence straight to the beginning for one hundred & thirty three acres.

I also give & bequeath to my s^d Son Edw^d Gill after the decease of my Loving Wife Mary Gill my two Negroes Tom & Jack also I give & bequeath to my s^dSon Edw^d Gill my Silver Watch & my Gun also my Waggon.

Item I give devise & bequeath unto my son Nicholas Gill heir & Assigns forever all the remainding part of my Land Called Nicholsons Manor and Hickory Bottom that is not already heretofore given devised & bequeathed also my Negro Man named London and also I give & bequeath unto my s^d Son Nicholas Gill my Stock of Horford Cattle & Hogs & sheep that are now on the Plantation whereon the s^d Nicholas now Lives. Also A Featherbed & Furniture.

Item I give and bequeath unto my son William Gill half my wearing Apparel Also I give and bequeath to my s^dSon William Gill after the decease of my Loving Wife Mary Gill my Negro woman named Fan and also my Negro Girl named Juda also one Cow and my Cart.

Item I give devise and bequeath to my Daughter Eleanor Pindall my Negro Woman Named Nan and all her Children she hath or may have hereafter.

Item I give devise and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah Cooper my Negro Woman named Hannah.

Item. I Give devise & bequeath to my Daughter Elizabeth Rogers Barclay my Negro Man named Neale.

Item I give devise and bequeath unto my Loving wife Mary Gill all the remainding (sic) & residuary part of my Estate Except my Negro Boy named George my Negro boy Abraham my Negro boy Neale & my Negro Girl Rachel for and during her Natural Life and after her decease it is my Will that the remainding (sic) & residuary part of my Estate as aforesaid should be divided into three Equal parts or shares for the purpose hereafter mentioned Viz. One third part for my daughter Eleanor Pindall one other third part for my Daughter Sarah Cooper and the other third part to my Daughter Elizabeth Rogers Barclay.

Item I give devise and bequeath to my Grand Daughter, daughter of my son Jno Gill named Elizabeth my Negro Boy named George.

Item I give devise and bequeath unto my Grandson Edw^dGill son of my son Edward Gill my Negro boy named Abraham to him his heirs & Assigns.

Item I give devise and bequeath to my great grandson Stephen Gill son of my Grand Daughter Elizabeth Gill daughter of my son William Gill my Negro Boy Named Neal to him his heirs or Assigns.

Item I give devise and bequeath to my Grand Daughter Mary Gill daughter of my son Edw^d Gill my Negro Girl named Rachel to her, her heirs, and Assigns,

And Lastly, I hereby appoint and ordain my two sons John Gill & Edward Gill Executors of this my Last Will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all former Will or Wills by me heretofore made and do make and declare this only to be my Last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I the said John Gill the Testator have hereunto sett my hand & seale this 22d day of May in the Year of our Lord 1793 --.--.--.--.--.--.--.

N:B: the words 'my Negro Boy Abraham my Negro boy Neal & my Negro Girl Rachel interlined between the fortieth & forty first line also the words and residuary as aforesaid being [?] Interlinations between the Forty second and Forty third line interlined before sealed.

Signed sealed published and
declared by the said John Gill the
Testator as and for and to be and Contain
his Last Will and Testament in the presence
and at the request and in the presence of each
other have Witnessed the Same.

John Gill {seal}
Jere. Johnson
Sam Worthington
Jno Worthington
Wm Lynch

Baltimore County on the twenty first day of January 1797 Came Jeremiah Johnson & Samuel Worthington Subscribing Evidences to the aforegoing Last Will and Testament of John Gill late of said County deceased and made Oath on the holy Evangels of Almighty God that they did see the Testator sign and seal the 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 sound disposing mind memory and understanding and that they Subscribed their names as witnesses to the Will in his presence at his request in the presence of each other and of the other Subscribing Evidences. Sworn before me Register of Wills for Baltimore County.
Wm Buchanan

Codicil to the Last Will and Testament of John Gill made this twenty second day of Feb^ry one thousand seven hundred and ninety six. Whereas I have by Will aforesaid bearing date the twenty second day of May one thousand seven hundred and ninety three given, Devised and bequeathed to my son Nicholas Gill his heirs and Assigns forever all the remaining part of my Land called Nicholsons Manor and Hickory Bottom, also my Negro man Named London, my Stock of Horfor Cattle Hoggs and Sheep that were on the Plantation whereon the said Nicholas then lived also a feather bed and furniture, References to said Devise in my aforesaid Will may fully appear. And whereas my aforesaid Son Nicholas Gill hath departed this life I now devise and bequeath the above Property as follows Viz.

Item My Will and desire is that Elizabeth Gill widow of my late Son Nicholas Gill shall have full authority to occupy and possess the above Land also my Personal Property that is to say, my Negro man London, Feather bed and furniture and all my Stock aforesaid if any are now alive for the Support of herself and her four Children untill her son Stephen Gill arrives to the age of Eighteen years she the said Elizabeth Gill widow for the commit no waste on said Land nor Suffer it to be done by others with her Consent, and for to keep the plantation in good repair, untill and at the Expiration of the above time. And a soon as my Grandson Stephen Gill son of Elizabeth Gill aforesaid shall arrive to the age of Eighteen Years my Will is that he the said Stephen shall immediately be possessed with my Negro Man London as aforesaid unto him the said Stephen his heirs or assigns. Also the right for to occupy and Possess two third parts of the above Land and plantation and the other one third part of said Land and plantation my Will and desire is that Elizabeth Gill aforesaid shall occupy and possess the same for and during her natural Life she committing no Waste thereon more than she would have had a Lawful right to have done had she held it as her dower, and after the decease of the said Elizabeth Gill aforesaid by virtue of this my Codicil I give devise and bequeath unto my grandson Stephen Gill son of Elizabeth Gill all and every part or parcel of the aforesaid Land and Plantation in fee Simple unto him the said Stephen Gill his heirs or Assigns forever. Nevertheless it is under these restrictions that the said Stephen Gill son of Elizabeth Gill aforesaid shall pay unto his three Sisters Susannah Gill Katharine Gill and Elizabeth Gill, daughters of Elizabeth Gill aforesaid each of them or their heirs the sum of one hundred pounds Current Money of Maryland on or at the time his Sister Elizabeth Gill aforesaid shall arrive at the age of Sixteen years. And in Case the said Stephen Gill should neglect or refuse for to pay the sum of one hundred pounds to each of his Sisters as aforesaid then and in that Case my Will and desire is that my son John Gill Jun^r and Edward Gill or in case of the death of either of them, then the Survivor to sell and dispose of at Public Sale as soon as it can be Conveniently done, first giving Notice of the Sale three Weeks in the Baltimore Newspaper prior to the day of Sale, so much of the Land aforesaid, to be Laid off together by them or him as will sell for three hundred pounds Current money and the Expences of making such Sale, and immediately after or as soon as Can be expected the money to be paid by my Sons John Gill and Edward Gill or either of them as the Case may be unto the aforesaid Stephen Gills three Sisters, daughters of Elizabeth Gill aforesaid One hundred pounds each unto them or their heirs and that my said sons John Gill Jun^r and Edward Gill or the Survivor Shall have full power to give a Lawful Deed of Fee Simple unto the purchaser of said Land sold by them or him as aforesaid.

Item Having by my Last Will given my Daughter Elenor Pindel my Negro Woman named Nan and her increase And Whereas my Daughter Elenor Pindel has departed this Life my Will and desire now is that the aforesaid Negro Woman named Nan and her increase be and remain the property and Estate of my daughter Elenor Pindels children and their heirs and Assigns; and my desire is that the above Negro Woman and her increase shall not be deem'd valued or apprais'd as any part of my Estate.

Item Whereas I have given devised and bequeathed in my Last Will and Testament almost the whole of my Estate both real and personal unto my Children and family and that they have the greatest part of it in their Possession except some Legacies that remain in my Possession for and during my Life and some as given by Will aforesaid for to Continue in my Loving Wife Mary Gills Possession during her Life, and as it will be giving my Executors useless trouble for to have my Estate all appraised and Inventoried my Will and desire now is that not any part or parcell of my Estate given to my Children &^c. by my Last Will and Testament shall be demed (sic) valued or appraised as any part of my Estate. Excepting the residary (sic) and remainder part mentioned in my Will aforesaid.

Item having by my Last Will given my Daughter Sarah Cooper after the death of my Loving Wife Mary Gill One third part of the residuary and remainder part of my Estate; And Also have given another third part of the remainder as aforesaid unto my Daughter Elenor Pindol And whereas my two Daughters Sarah Cooper and Elenor Pindel aforesaid have both departed this Life, My Will and desire now is that the heirs of my two Daughters aforesaid shall receive their parts of the residue and remainder of my Estate aforesaid that is to say my late daughter Sarah Cooper's children for to receive one third part and my late daughter Elenor Pindel's children for to receive one third part after the decease of my Loving Wife Mary Gill for to be equally divided among them. In Witness whereof the said John Gill hath hereunto set his hand and affixed his seal this the twenty second day of Feb^ryin the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety six.

John [his mark] Gill {Seal}

NB, between the fourteenth and fifteenth lines of
this [?] the word "other" is interlined before signed
sealed published and declared by the said John Gill
as and for a Codicil to his said Last Will and Testament
in the presence of us who subscribed the same as
Witnesses thereto at his request and in his pence (sic)
and in the Presence of each other --
John Kemp
Joseph Cole
Giles Cole

Baltimore County to Wit on the twenty first day of January 1797 Came John Kemp, Joseph Cole and Giles Cole Subscribing Evidences to the aforegoing Codicil to the Last Will and Testament of John Gill Late of said County deceased and made oath on the holy Evangels of Almighty God that they did see the Testator sign and seal this Codicil that they heard him publish Pronounce and declare the same to be a Codicil to his Last Will and Testament that at the time of his so doing he was to the best of their apprehensions of sound disposing mind memory and understanding that they subscribed their names as Witnesses to this Codicil in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other Sworn before me register of Wills for Baltimore County.

W^mBuchanan

Contributed by Cheryl Kemp Perkins
Source: MSA: Baltimore County Wills - CR72,242-1 Liber 5, Folio 467-475