Person:Martha Davis (105)

Will

In the Name of God Amen. I Martha M[err]itt of Kent County and State of Maryland Widow being in Perfect health of Body, and of sound and disposing and memory and understanding, considering the certainty of Death and the uncertainty [of] the Time thereof, and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs, and thereby be the better Prepared to leave this world when it shall Please God to call me hence, do therefore make [an]d Publish this my last Will and testament in manner and form following that is to say [fi]rst and principally I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God, and my body [to] the Earth to be decently burried at the discretion of my Executors herein after named – [an]d after my debts and funeral charges are Paid I devise and bequeath as follows —

I give and bequeath unto Mary Dudley my daughter wife of Joshua Dudley of Queen Anns County my Clock —

Item I devise and Bequeath all the rest of my Estate in manner and form following —

I give and bequeath unto my Grand children Edward Beck and Nancy, children of my Son Edward Beck one – third part of my Property —

Item I give and bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Mary Everitt daughter of Hales Everitt and Priscilla his Wife one third Part of my Property —

Item I give and bequeath unto Lovering Vansant and Mary Bostick children of my daughter Sarah Bostick wife of Eli Bostick one third of my Property —

Item It is my express will, my Property so disposed of to my Grand children — shall not be sold or diminished but shall be given up to them without the least injury or Diminution on their coming of age: that is to say the Girls at sixteen years of age or day of marriage, which shall first happen, the Boys to be Paid their Part when – they come at their respective Ages fo Twenty years —

Item I direct that my Negro Girl Sal be set free on her arrival at the age of twenty years ———

Item I direct that my Negro man Ben, and my negro Woman Sarah wife of said Ben, and their two youngest children shall be set free at my death —

And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my Son Edward Beck, Halls Everitt, and Eli Bostick to be sole Executors of this my last Will — [and Testam]ent revoking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore [made and]ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and Testament

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my Seal this twenty fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ~ eighty nine ————— ——— ——— ———

her Mark

\ Martha X Merritt {Seal}

Signed, sealed, Published and \ and Seal

declared by Martha Merritt the / above named Testatrix, as and for her last will and testament in the Presence of us, who at her request, and in her Presence have Subscribed our Names as witnesses thereto —

Dan. McCurtin, Bartus Wilkins, Bartus Wilkins Junior ~

I Renounc all claim to the Administration of the within Estate. Edward Beck Q.±N.

I disclaim all claims to the Administration of the within Estate. p.r Ha.s Everitt—

K.t County to Wit. Febr.ry 25.th 1790. Then came Eli Bostick one of the Ex.rs within mentioned and made Oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God, that the within Instrument of writing is the true, and whole Will and Testament of Martha Merritt late of K.t County deced that hath come to his Hands or Possession, and that he doth not know of any other —————

Before, Jn:o Nicholson Reg.r Wills for K.t County —— State of Mary.d

February 25:th 1790. Then came Bartus Wilkins and Bartus— Kent County to Wit. / Wilkins Jun.r two of the Subscribing Witnesses to the within last ——————— / Will and Testament of Martha Merritt late of K.t County deced and Severally made Oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God, that they did see the Testatrx herein Named sign and Seal this Will and that they heard her Publish Pronounce and Declare the same to be her last Will and Testament, that at the time of her so doing she was to the best of their Apprehensions of sound and Disposing mind Memory and understanding and that Daniel M.cCurtin the other Subscribing Witness was Present at the same time and sign’d his Name as a Witness to this Will in the Presence and at the request of the Testatrix and in the Presence of each other ————

Before —— Jn:o Nicholson Reg:r Wills for Kent County

[Source: Kent County Register of Wills, 1781-1790]

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008).
2.   Merritt, Mark A. Mysterious Martha, Identifying the widow of Edward Beck III and Lovering Merritt.

   http://www.merrittfamily.org/genealogy/articles/mysterious_martha.htm