|
Francis Fisher Alexander Fisher |
Will of FRANCIS FISHER Made 29 Feb. 1723/4 Recorded 7 May 1729 Liber 19, Folio 679 In the name of God amen I Francis Fisher of Dorchester County in the province of Maryland being weak of body but of sound and perfect mind and memory praise be given unto almighty God do make and ordaine this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) first and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God hopeing through the merrits Death and passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my Sins and to Inherit Everlasting Life and my body I commit to the Earth to be decently buryed at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter named and as touching the disposition of all such temporal Estate as it hath pleased almighty God to bestow upon me I give and dispose thereof as followeth ~ Imprimis - I will that my debts and funerale Charges shall be paid and discharged ~ Item - I give and bequeath unto my Loving son Richard Willis the one half of my land on Nanticoke River where I Live which half hath on it my dwelling house and being the lowermost half pursuant to an agreement and division lately made between my Son Richard Willis and unto the said Richard and his heirs for Ever ~ Item - I give and bequeath unto my loving Daughter Francis Newton one feather bed, bolster and covering and one Mollato Slave named Nanny and also one large trunk (being the Biggest trunk) with what shall be therein Contained and all my wearing cloaths and a cole Still with one chest of Draws to her for ever ~ Item - I give and bequeath unto my Grandson Richard Willis the other half of my Land on Nanticoke River belonging to my dwelling plantation and being the uppermost half of all my said lands pursuant to an agreement and division lately made between my son John Willis and unto the said Grandson Richard Willis and his heirs forever. And it is my will that my Grandson Richard Willis shall have one negroe boy called by the name of Robin - the said Richard paying two thousand pounds of tobacco on the account of the land and two thousand pounds of tobacco on the account of the negro boy. All this tobacco to be paid to his brother John Willis and then the Land and negroe boy to be delivered to the said Richard Willis at the age of twenty one years and further it is my will that my son Richard Willis see the manniging of the same till the aforesaid Richard Come to the age aforementioned ~ Item - I give and bequeath unto my Granddaughters Francis and Mary Newton daughters of Edward Newton to each of them a heiffer ~ Item - it is my will and desire that all travilling friends as their occasions shall call them this way shall have freedom of entertainment and be kindly used so long as this place endures ~ Item - I give and bequeath to Elizabeth Thompson daughter of Joseph Thompson one heiffer to be left in the hands of her uncle Edward Newton to be delivered at the age of eighteen years ~ Item - I give and bequeath unto Obediah Dawson son of Richard Dawson one mare for ever ~ Item - I give and bequeath unto Anthony Dawson son of Richard Dawson one cow and calf for ever ~ Item - I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth Dawson daughter to Richard Dawson one heiffer for ever ~ And Lastly all the residue of my personal Estate after my debts funerall charges and Legacies are paid and discharged I do give and bequeath unto my Loving sons Richard Willis and Edward Newton and do hereby ordaine, constitute and appoint the said Richard Willis and Edward Newton full and sole Executors of this my Last Will and Testament and I do hereby revoke disannul and make void all former wills and testaments by me heretofore made In wittness whereof (I the said) Francis Fisher to this my Last Will and Testament being contained in one sheet of paper set my hand and seal this twenty ninth day of february one thousand seven hundred and twenty three/ four ~ Signed and Acknowledged to be her Last Will and Testament In the presence of us: Thomas Griffith, Samuel Long, William Burn To which said will was annexed the following Codicell (Vizt) April the 14th 1729. This is a codicel annext to my Last Will is to shew that my desire is (unreadable word) That my Granddaughter Elizabeth Thompson have the white mare and my yellow gown and pettycoat which is mine ~ Item - to my son Richard Willis I give my negroe wench named Betty to him the said Willis and his heirs for ever ~ Item - I also give to the said Elizabeth Thompson the bed one blanket and one pair of sheets which Lies now thereon the same bed which she now lies on ~ Item - I give to my loving Grandson Edward Newton one negroe man called Toby to him and his heirs for ever ~ Item - I give to my grandson Richard Willis one negroe girl named Phillis in manner and form as the aforesaid Robin is given to my said grandson and his heirs for ever ~ Item - My will is like wise that the first child that the aforesaid Phillis is delivered of which shall live to the age of 12 months is hereby given to the proper use of Mary Willis sister to the aforesaid legatee Richard Willis to her the said Mary and her heirs for ever ~ Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of us: Thomas Tompson, William Thornell, Margaret Edwards And to which said will was annexed the following probates May 7th 1729. Came Samuel Long one of the subscribing Evidences to the last will and testament of Francis Fisher Late of Dorchester County Deceased and made oath on the holy Evangelists of Almighty God that he saw the above named Francis Fisher sign and seal and heard her publish and decree the above instrument of writing to be her Last Will and Testament and at the time of her so doing she was to the best of his knowledge in perfect sense and memory and that the other two witnesses (Vist) Tho. Griffith [Who is since gone out of the country] and William Burn [who is since dead] was there present and signed with him ~ Jo.n Pitt Dep. Com. There likewise appeared at the same time (vizt) May the 7th 1729 Thomas Thompson Jun., William Thornell, and Margaret Edwards the three subscribing Evidences to the codicel annext to the Last Will and Testament of the said Francis Fisher and made oath on the holy Evangelists of Almighty God that they saw the above named Francis Fisher sign and seal and heard her publish and declare the above writing to be a Codicel which she desired to be annexted to her last Will and Testament and at the time of her so doing she was to the best of their knowledge in perfect sense and memory. John Pitt Dep. Com of Dorchester County The executor desires this deposition may be annext to the will to show the reason of the will's being raised out in several places ~ And to the foregoing will was also annexed the following Deposition ~ Dorchester County In Maryland Elizabeth Thompson being sworn by me the subscriber John Rider one of his Lordships Justices for the aforesaid county on the holy Evangel of Almighty God saith, that she was at her Grandmother's Francis Fisher about the 12th day of last month april being saterday on which day her said Grandmother was taken sick and the next morning following finding her self very ill ordered her will to be brought and read to her which was done - this deponant understood the will was made about six years before and this Deponant declares that she then heard her grandmother Francis Fisher order the names of the Dawsons and John Newtons name to be scratched or raced out of her will saying they had misbehaved themselves or something like it, and this deponant further saith that about one hour after or there abouts she heard her said Grandmother Francis Fisher order several legacies to be inserted in her will as she should direct one of which legacies very well she remembers was a negro woman named Betty which she ordered to be Given to her son Richard Willis and this Deponant stil further saith that after her aforesaid Grandmother Francis Fisher desired that her will should be read over to her which was done all which she liked and approved of and seemed to be to her content and satisfaction and further this deponant saith not. This deposition sworn to by the within Elizb. Tompson this 5th day of May 1729 Coram. John Rider Return to top of document. |
Will of ALEXANDER FISHER Made 16 Jan. 1716/17 Recorded 25 March 1717 Liber 14, Folio 249 Wife: Mary Fisher Son: Thomas Fisher Son: Alexander Fisher Daughter: Elizabeth Fisher Brother: Mark Fisher Sister: Sarah Marrott (Marke Marrott) Apparently Sarah's husband died or she left him and lived in the Fisher Manor House. According to Will she was to be allowed to live there until she died, remarried or "became uneasy" to wife - Mary. Mary was also with child when will was written as provisions were made for its future care. Return to top of document. |
