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Friday, December 1, 2017

From the Probate Files: William Coale - Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 1678/9

If William Coale's estate was as substantial as it appears from the bequests in his will, the tobacco which he was to receive as noted in the Quaker Mens Meeting of 1676 doesn't appear to have been an act of charity.



I William Coale of ye County of Ann Arundell in the
Province of Maryland being sick and weake of Boddy
but of Sound and Perfect memory calling to mind [ye]
ffrailety & Mortality of all man kinde doe make
Ordaine Constitute and Appointe this my Last will
& testament in Manner & forme following & I give &
Bequeath my Soule unto god that gave it my Body
unto ye Earth from whence it was taken to be buried
at ye discretion of my Executrix hereafter to be 
named. Imprimio I give and Bequeath unto my [Sonne]
William Coale Borne of ye Boddy of Hester my
wife all my Land Knowne by ye name of Great
Bonnerstum Seituated Lyeng & being in west Ri[ver]
In ye county of Ann Arundell According unto the
meates & Boundes contained in ye land Pattint
ye same Bearing date the 16 day of ffebruary 16[59]
unto him & his heirs forever with one ffeather B[ed]
Curtaines & vallued of ye price of Seven poundes w[ith]
two pairs oof Sheetes one man servant A new hand {for]
terme he shall have to serve this to be delivered
next shiping after my decease with two Cowes {&]
two Breeding Sowes
(2 O doe give & Bequeath unto my Second Sonne W[m]
                           Coale
=====
Coale Begotten of Ye Boddy of Hannah my Second
wife One Hundred Acres of Land part of ye Sd Land
Knowne by ye name of Hickrey Hills being ye lower pat
theirof next unto Potexson River unto him & his heires
for Ever with one ffeather Beed & Curtaines and 
Valleined of ye Price of seven poundes & two pairs of
Sheetes together with ye Sume of four thousand 
poundes of tobacco when he attains unto age of one 
& twenty with one man Servant two Cowes with  
Calve or Calves by theire sides two breeding Sowes: and
ffoure thousand poundes of Tobacco when he attains
ye age of two & twenty
3 I give & Bequeath unto my Sonne Samuell Lawfully
Begotten of ye Boddy of my wife Elizabeth Eight
thousand poundes of tobacco to be paid unto him
when he shall Attaine to ye age of one & twenty together
with two men servants one of them my Negro Knowne
by ye name of Jack if he Shall then be alive & in case of
his mortality one Abell man Servant a new hand for
ye terme he shall have to serve, Alsoe two hundred
Acres of Land Part of Portland Mann: next unto
Potucson River & soe downward unto him & his
                               heires


Heires Lawfully Begotten of his Boddy & for w[ant]
of such heires to come Descend unto Phillip my
Sonne & his heires Lawfully Begotten of his boddy
& if my Sonnes should dye without Issue my Will
is ye ye Said Land descend unto ye next heire maile
of ye Coales & for want of such heire Maile to go[e]
unto ye next heire femaile
4) I doe give & Bequeath unto my Sonne Phillip
Bournn of ye Boddy of my wife Elizabeth three
hundred Acres of Land ye Resedew of Portland
Mann. after ye decease of Elizabeth my wife
unto him & his heires lawfully begotten of his
Body & for want of such heires to come and c[?]
descend unto my Sonne Samuell & his heires [?]
lawfully begotten as aforesaid & In case they
shall both dye without Issue then ye said Land [?]
fall & go unto ye next heire male of ye Coales and
for want of such heire hale to descend unto ye n[ext]
heires female & theire heires for Ever  I doe al[soe]
will unto my Somme Phillip two men Servants one of
them my Negro Knowne by Ye name of Roger if [he]
                            shall
======
Shall then be Alive & if not then one New hand & in
his Toome for ye terme he shall have to serve together
with two Cowes with Calfe or Calfesby theire sides &
two Breeding Sowes a ffeather Bedd & curtaines of
furniture of ye value of Seven poundes & two pr: of sheetes
& Eight thousand poundes of Tobacco
5) I doe give unto my daughter Elizabeth Eighteen
thousand poundes of Tobacco ye one helfe within
one year after she att ye age of fifteen together with
one ffeather Bedd Curtaines & Vallens of ye Price
of seven poundes & two pr of sheetes
Lastly  I doe constitute Ordaine & Appointe my ???
and well beloved wife ElizabethCoale my Sole &
whole Exe'x. of this my last will & testam: giving unto
my said Exe'x: my now Dwelling plantacon and three
hundred Acres of Land Adjoyning unto her owne
Proper use to her for during her naturall life & after
ye Exspiation theirof to descend unto my Sonne c
Phillip According and ??m this my Last will before
Expressed I doe also give & Bequeathunto my
Said Loving Wife & Ex'x: after my Just debts are
                   paid


[Will books; Author: Maryland. Prerogative Court; Probate Place: Maryland. Notes: Wills, vol 4-10, 1670, 1676-1679, 1682-1700. Ancestry.com. Maryland, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1777 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
Original data: Maryland County, District and Probate Courts.]


Paide & satisfyed & those my Legacies delivered
all ye Reaining of my Said Estate whither in
goods or Merchandize Tobaccoe goode or Moneys in
England unto her owne proper use [?] behoofe In
Confirmacon wheireof I have sette my hand & Seale
this twenty Six day of Octob: one thousand Six
hundred seventy Eight
Signed Sealed & delivered in 
the presence of ??                          WM Cole (Sealed]
Samuell Lane
Thomas ffrancis
And on ye Backside of ye Said will was written
Febry ye 6:78
Came Maj'r Samuell Lane of An Arundell County &
at ye house of ye Said Samuell Lane did then & th[ere?]
make oath & he ye Said Samuell saw ye testa[tor]
within menconed Instrument to be his Last will &
Testam: & that he was of a sound disposinge m[ind]
when he saw signed published & delivered &
further ye said Maj'r Lane as Physician to ye
Testat'r doth upon his oath further declare
said Testat'r not Long after ye publishing of [ye]
=====
Instrument was not capable of making another &
doth veryly believe that neither did or could make
another sworne before me  Thomas Taylor
Febr'y 24|78 then came Thomas ffrancis one of ye evidences
to ye within menconed testamt: before me at my
dwelling house & made Oath to ye same and the
above menconed Maj'r Lane verbatim Jurat Cor????
                            Thomas Taylor

As you can see from the will, William Coale's two surviving oldest sons were both named William*.My direct ancestor is the second one, the child of Hannah, whose first husband's surname was Galloway** but whose maiden name is unknown.

It seems likely that this William Coale was born in England and came to Maryland in the 1640 or 50s, although there are some believe that he was born in Virginia. You can read about the various claims here and decide for yourself.



*It isn't uncommon to find the same given name used by different wives of a man.
**The Galloways were a well-known family in the area.

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

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