As promised in Monday's post about my maternal ancestor Milcah Richardson, here is the 1761 Will of her father Richard Richardson, a Quaker. Although he bequeathed enslaved people to each of his children, shortly after his death the Society of Friends universally banned the ownership of slaves and expelled anyone who didn't conform so that transfer wouldn't have taken place.
In the Name of God Amen Richard Richardson of Frederick County,
& Province of Maryland Farmer being Sick of Body but of but of Sound and disposing mind and
memory and knowing that it is appointed for all men to die do make and Ordain this ^to be my
last Will and Testament in manner and form following, recomending my Soul to God.
hoping through the Mercy to Obtain ^eternal Salvation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First that my body be decently buried at ye descretion of my Executors hereafter Named~~
2.ly. that all my Just Debts be honestly paid_ _ _ _ _ _______________________________
3.l.y I will and Ordain that all my Lands and xxxx Appurtenances thereunto
belonging Except what is hereafter Excepted to be sold at a Convenient time after my
Decease to ye highest Bidder my Executors first giving Notice by Advertisements in ye
Pennsylvania and Maryland Gazettes of ye time of Sales to be by them Appointed & I
hereby Impowers them, my Executors to Convey and make over by Proper Deeds to such
Bidder or Bidders & put him or them into Immediate Possession of ye Said Lands after
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _______________________________________
ye Receipt of ye Money & to ^Give discharge ye purchaser or purchasers for such Lands so purchased as Afsd. and I will that ye moneys arising from such Sale shall be divided amongst my
Children hereafter named in manner and form following, First that Twenty pounds amount
Money shall be deducted out of ye Money Arising from ye Sales of ye Land Afsd. which sum of
Twenty pounds I give and bequeath to my Loving daughter Sophia Mathews, her heirs and
assigns & ye remaining sum to be Equally divided amongst my five Sons Viz. Samuel
Richard Thomas John & William Richardson to them their Heirs and Assigns. & it is my Will
and desire that if any of my Sons ^aforesaid Should die before such Sale can be made as Afsd. sons not to Receive their proportions arising from such Sale or before ye Attain ye Age of Twenty One
years, then and ^in Such case my Will and Desire is that ye Money shall be Equally divided amongst ye Surviving brothers and as two of my Sons are young it is my Will and desire that their
Proportions Arising from ye Sales of ye Lands Afsd. be put out to Interest upon good and
Sufficient Security such Interest is to be applied to ye Maintenance of Afsd. Two young Sons
till they arrive at ye Age of Twenty One years ~~~
4.ly. I will and Ordain that my Executors sell with all Convenient Speed after my decease
that part or Parcel of Land which my which my [sic] Son in Law Edward Mathews now lives on
commonly Computed to be one Hundred acres of Land Called part of Sofiah and formerly
purchased by me from Henry Claqett and thereby Invest my Executors with such power to Convey
the same & I will that ye money arising from ye Sale of ye afsd. being one Hundred acres
of Land be immediately applied to discharge of my debts As to ye Remaining part of my
Estate with which I am now Possessed I give and bequeath in manner and form following Viz
I give and bequeath to my Son Samuel his heirs and assigns a Negro Boy Called Elluk ____
to my Son Richard and his heirs and Assigns a Negro Boy Called Watt Burr Tom To my Son Thomas
his heirs and Assigns a Negro Boy Called Boo To my Son William his heirs and Assigns a
Negro Boy Called Nat. I give to my Son John his heirs and Assigns a Negro Boy Called Sam_____
To my Daughter Milcah her heirs and Assigns a Negro Woman Called Sall a black Walnutt
Cupboard and all my China and Silver pint Cup & a Cotten Counterpin* _________________
To my Daughter Lucretia her heirs and Assigns a little Negro Girl Called Phebe a set of Silver
and Thain??? and three Large Silver Spoons.
Teaspoons Tongs ^To my Daughter Sophiah Mathews her heirs and Assigns a Negro Girl named Jenny and if she dies without heirs of her Body Lawfully begotten then I give ye Said Negro Girl
to my Daughter Lucretia her heirs and Assigns, I give to my daughter Margaret Peddycourt
her heirs and Assigns a Negro Girl Named Esther nd if she dies without heirs of her Body
Lawfully begotten then I give ye Said Negor Girl to my xxxx Son William his heirs and Assigns
I also give my daughter Margaret Peddycourt as many Feathers as will make a Bed
Boulster and two Pillows, three Ewes & one Sow and Pigs __ ____ _____________
And I Will that all ye remaining part of my Estate after my Just Debts are paid___
shall be Equally divided amongst my Six youngest Children Viz Richard Thomas
Milcah John William and Lucretia. Lastly I Appoint and Constitute my Loving
[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.]
Cousins Samuel Richardson and Richard Thomas of Frederick County whole and
Sole Executors & I Trustees of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking and
making Void all former Wills by me made In Testimony whereof I have
hereunto Set my hand & Seal. this Seventh day of January in ye year of Our Lord
1761 _______
Signed Sealed and published to ^be his Last Will and } Richard Richardson [Seal}
Testament in y3 presence of ----------------------------- }
John Darnall } On ye 7th Day February 1761 the Above Appointed
Henry Darnall Junr. } Samuel Richardson & Richard Thomas of Frederick
Edward Tansey } County came before me ye Subscriber and declared that
they and Each of them Do Renounce ye Executorship aforesaid and they will not
take upon themselves ye Burthen of ye Execution of this Testamant In Witness
whereof they have hereunto Set their hands respectively, In my presence
The above Renunciation taken ye Said } Saml Richardson
Day and year by Danl Dulany } Rich Thomas
Commissary Genl. } -------------
May 7th 1761 then
Came Mr. Henry Darnall Junr & Edward Tansey two
of ye Subscribing Witnesses to ye within Will of Mr. Richard Richardson Deceased
and made Oath on ye Holy evangells of Almighty God that they and each of them saw
ye said Testator Richard
Codicil and also heard him publish ^pronounce & declare ye same to be his last Will and Testament
and that at ye time of his so doing, he was to ye best of these Deponents' apprehension
and belief of a sound and disposing mind and memory & that the Subscribed
their ^respective Names as Witnesses to ye Said Will & Codicil in the presence of said Testator
and at his Request and that they also say John Darnall ye other Subscribing Witness
to the within Will Sign hi Name and Witness thereto in ye presence of ye said Testator
and also at his Request
Although his "Loving Cousins" declined to act as executors, Richard Richardson's estate was probated and his son and namesake Richard placed this advertisement in (at least) the Maryland Gazette the following year:
[Date: Thursday, February 25, 1762 Paper: Maryland Gazette (Annapolis, Maryland) Issue: 877 Page: 4 . This entire product and/or portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society. 2004.Source: GenealogyBank.com]
*A coverlet.
© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.
So what were they supposed to do with slaves they alreaady owned? Sell them off?
ReplyDeletebonnie