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Will of John STEVENS 7 July 1840

Caroline County, Maryland, Liber CR #W Folio 157-160
Wit: Robert Harding, James Sullivan, Nathan Todd, Jr.
Submitted by Connie Sue Stevens Cochran
I, JOHN STEVENS, of Caroline County in the commonwealth of Maryland, being of sound mind, memory, and understanding do make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner following that is to say:
1: I give and devise unto my son Richard A. Stevens my plantation, it being the same land which I purchased of Richard Spencer situate in Talbot County, known by the name of "Bridgewater" to him the said Richard A. Stevens and his heirs in fee simple. Also I give and bequeath unto said Richard A. Stevens the following personal property, that Is to say, one Negro woman Caroline and her three children, Tom, Jo and John Henry, one other Negro boy Ambrosial, one Negro girl maria, three beds and furniture now in his possession and all personal property of mine which is on the plantation which I hereby give to the said Richard A. Stevens, all my cattle and sheep excepted, in addition I give to the said Richard A. Stevens one yoke of oxen now in his possession, and two hundred and forty two dollars in cash.

2: I give and devise unto my son Perry 0. Stevens my plantation situated in Talbot County, it being the same land I purchased of William B. Smith, known by the name of "Dover Farm" to him the said Perry 0. Stevens and his heirs in fee simple, I also give and bequeath unto the said Perry 0. Stevens, the personal property, that is to say, one Negro woman Sarah, one Negro boy Sam, one Negro girl Eliza Ann, and one Negro girl Rebecca, three beds and furniture, one yoke of oxen, now in his possession, and three hundred dollars in cash, and all the personal property that is on the plantation which r have hereby give to the said Perry G. Stevens, all the cattle and sheep----------p.

3: I give and devise unto my daughter Mary Ann Evits, wife of John Evits, my plantation sitate in Caroline County, the land at this time occupied by Andrew Sullivan the said plantation being composed of the following, tracts or parcels of tracts of Land that is to say, one parcel of Land that I purchased of John Daweon and Unie his wife, known by the name of "Dawson". "Dawsons Regulation?? resurveyed "Dickenson Escheat", and other parcel of land known by its name of "Dawsons Regulation Resurveyed" and one other parcel of Land that I purchased of Levin Stack, known by its name of "Edwards Farm" be its quantity of acres more or less, be the name or names what the same may be called, I give the same lands to her the said Mary Ann Evits, wife of the said John Evits, and her heirs in fee simple. Also I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Mary Ann Evits, wife of the said John Evits, the sum of two thousand dollars in cash, also I give and bequeath onto my said daughter Mary Ann Evits, wife of John Evits, the following personal property that is to say, my Negro woman Mary, and her children one called Henrietta and the other called John Robert and another Negro boy called Harrison, one bed and furniture, the said Negro and bed and furniture are at this time in her possession, one yoke of oxen and one of my horses the one of her own choice. (JOHN STEVENS SEAL)

4: I give and devise unto my son Hooper B. Stevens plantation that whereon I now reside situate in Caroline county known by the name "Mount Washington", also one other parcel of Land known by the name "Lott Controversy", that I purchased of Kendall Crockett. Also, one other parcel of land that I purchased of James Hubbard and his sisters and brothers known by the name of "Red Oak Pond" also one other parcel of land known by the name of "Controversy", also one other parcel of land that I purchased of Archabald MCCIVISh/McClash one other parcel of land that I purchased of Sarah Ann Kelley be the name of the same what they may be, and be. the quantity of acres more or less, I give the said lands to him, the said Hooper B. Stevens and his heirs in fee simple, I also give him the said Hooper B. Stevens the following personal property that is to say, one negro woman Bethany, one negro boy Jim, one negro girl Leah, one negro boy William Henry, and one negro boy John Wesley conditioned that the said Hooper B. Stevens pay to Richard A. Stevens, Perry G. Stevens and Mary Ann Evits, wife of John Evits, each the one fourth part of the value of said negro John Wesley, said boy to be valued by two disinterested men of sound judgement also, I give and bequeath to the said Hooper B. Stevens all the personal property that is in my dwelling house and on my ptantation known by the name of "Mount Washington", legacies, cattle and sheep excepted. I am in the habit of bringing grain provender and produce of one sort or other from my lands that I have by this my will given to my three children, now it is my wish that if at the time of my decease, there should be grain provenders or produce of any sort on the plantation called "'Mount Washington" that it shall be the property of the child who by this my will I make the proper owner of the land, on which land the grain provender or produce did grow therefore the grains, provender or produce if any of any sort brought from other of my farms is also excepted in the last bequests of personal property. (JOHN STEVENS SEAL)

5: I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Ann Evits, wife of John Evits, four of my hogs such as she or her representation shall make choice of.

6: It is my intention to do right, therefore it is. my desire that all sorts of grain, provenders and produce, that may be growing or grown on any of my respective lands that I have disposed of by this my will, at the time of my decease and the rents, issues and profits thereof shait be the property of the respective thereof, cattle and sheep excepted.

7: It is my desire that after~all the legacies herein mentioned shall be paid or disposed of according to the requireinents of this will, that all monies due to me or to my estate, by virtue of any judgements note or notes of hand account or accounts, or by virtue of any sort of evidences of debts shall be equally divided between my four children and heirs, herein before named share and share alike, also It is my wish and desire that all my sheep and cattle shall be equally divided between my four children Richard A. Stevens, Perry G. Stevens, Mary Ann Evits, wife of John Evits, and Hooper B. Stevens.

8: I do not appoint any executors of this my last will and testament, neither I wish any formal administration on my estate more than the distribution of my estate among my heirs herein before named, but I do recommend that them the said Richard A. Stevens, Perry 0. Stevens, Mary Ann Evits, wife of John Evits and Hooper B. Stevens do observe and pay strict attention to all my requests, bequests and desires herein made and close the concern of my estate as expeditiously as possible, and I do hereby revoke all other wills by me made heretofore.

I, John Stevens have, to this my last will and testament contained in three pages, set my hand and seal to the bottom of each page, and my hand and seal to the bottom of this page, the 7th day of July 1840.

(JOHN STEVENS SEAL)

Signed, sealed, published, and declared by the said John Stevens as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us, who at his request have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses unto in the presence of the said testator and of each other.
Robert Harding
James Sullivan
Nathan Todd, Jr.

Caroline County towit }
The 14th April 1841 }

Then came Richard A. Stevens, Perry G. Stevens, John Evits, and Hooper B. Stevens who offered this will for probate and severally made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God that the foregoing instrument of writing is the true and whole last will and testament of John Stevens, late of Caroline County deceased, that hath come to their hand or possession and that they do not know of any other of a later date.
Certified by W. A. Ford, Register of Wills for Caroline County

Caroline County towit: }
The 14th day of April 1841 }

Then came Robert Harding, James Sullivan and Nathaniel Todd, Jr. the three subecribbig witnesses of the foregoing last will and testament of John Stevens late of Caroline County, witnessed and severally made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God that they did see the Testator herein named, sign and seal the said Will and Testament heard him pronounce and declare the same to be his last Will and Testament that at the time of his so doing he was to be the best of their apprehension of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding and that they respectively subscribed their names as witnesses to this Will in the presence and at the request of the Testator and in the presence of each other.
Certified by W. A. Ford, Registor of Wills for Caroline County
 
Last Updated: January 2021