Will of Christian Gore 1802

Last Will & Testament of Christian Gore of Baltimore county, Dated 12 Oct 1802; Probated 16 Dec 1802

In the name of God Amen I Christian Gore of Baltimore County State of Maryland being weak in Body but of sound and perfect Memory praised be to God for his Mercies Do make and ordain this my last will and Testament in the manner and form following and First I commit my sole into the hands of God my Creator and my Body to the Earth to be buried at the descretion of my Executors hereafter to be named after paying off my Just Debts and Legacies I Give and bequeath unto my loving wife the third part of all my Estate both real and personal with full liberty of the dwelling house and the whole during her natural life and after her decease to be equally divided between the whole of my heirs

Item I also give and bequeath unto my loving wife one negro boy named James and one negro girl named Suse both to serve till they are thirty three years of age and if she dies before the said negroes come to that age their time to be equally divided between my four sons named John Nicholas Charles and Joshua and that the said negroes is not to be sold out of my family nor willed away

Item I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth one negro girl by the name of Rachel to serve till she is thirty three years of age and that the said negro girl is not to be sold nor willed out of my Family and if my Daughter Elizabeth should die without issue then the said negro girls time is to fall Back Equally between my four Sons

Item I also give and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Seventy pounds to be paid in two years after my Decease

Item I give and bequeath unto my son John ninety pounds to be paid to him in four years after my decease and also one horse by the name of Badger which he now hath and be it further remembered that my will and desire is that after my wifes decease all my lands and personal Estate shall be equally divided between my five children named Elizabeth John Nicholas Charles and Joshua and if my Daughter Elizabeth should marry her husband shall have no power to sell or dispose of her part of the Land and Lastly I Constitute and appoint my wife and two sons John and Charles Executors of this my last will and testament In Witness whereof I Christian Gore the testator have hereunto set my hand and fixed my seal this twelveth day of October in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and two.

Christian Gore (Seal)

Signed Sealed and Aknowledged by the Testator by his last Will and Testament in the presence of us
John Cross
Jacob Markey
John Markey

Baltimore County to wit on the 16th day of December 1802 came John Cross Jacob and John Markey Subscribing Evidences to the aforgoing last Will and Testament of Christian Gore deceased and made oath & that they did see the 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 apprehension of sound disposing mind memory and understanding and that they subscribed their names as Witnesses to this Will in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other sworn before me Register of Wills for BCounty
Wm. Buchanan

Contributed by Roma Seward
Source: State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland