In the name of God,
Amen, I Arthur John WILLIS of Caroline County and State of
Maryland,
being weak in body, but of sound mind, memory and understanding do make
and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following
Item 1 I
give, devise
and bequeath unto my beloved wife Belle M. WILLIS all that
piece
or parcel of land at Potters Landing contained within the following
metes
and bounds viz commencing at the fork of the roads near
O. M. HIGNUTTS
store,
and bounding with said roads untill it reaches a line running parallel
with the west end of the building commonly known as the Hotel, said
line
to run from the county road leading to B. G. Stevens Store,
Fifteen
feet west of said Hotel Building supposed to contain one and a half
acres
of land more or less together with all the buildings and improvements
thereon,
during her natural life, and at her death to go to the children of my
daughter
Mary
Virginia STEVENS equally, and I further will that my executors
hereinafter
named shall pay at my death to my said wife Belle M. WILLIS the
sum of Two Thousand Dollars as agreed between us before our marriage,
also
that they pay her whatever dividend maybe declared during her life on
Twenty
Shares of preferred Stock of Northern Pacific Rail Road, and at her
death
said Rail Rod Stock to go to my Grand Daughter Caroline E. VANSICKLE,
and I further will to my said wife One Piano, Piano cover and Stool,
One
full set of Cottage furniture with Bed, Bolster, Pillows and Bed
clothes
complete, one chamber and chamber Bucket, Wash Bowl & Pitcher, Six
Towels, Combs & Brush, Flower stand and all the Pot Flowers, with
all
she had before our marriage and all she has accumulated since
2nd I
give devise
and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Virginia STEVENS wife of B.
G. STEVENS all my lands and improvements that may belong to
me at the time of my death (except that part herein willed to my wife)
on the South side of the County road leading from Lidens Mill to T.
F. Johnsons Store running with said Johnsons line South to a big
Stone
and thence West to the Wharf on the Great Choptank River Known as
Potters
Landing I further will and bequeath unto her One Hundred and Fifty Four
Shares of Preferred stock of the Northern Pacific Rail Road.
3rd I
give devise
and bequeath unto my Daughter Caroline S. Messick Three parts
or
parcels of land Situated in the 4th Election Districk of
Caroline
County, One of which is Known as the P. J. WILLIS tract 150
acres
on which (unreadable word) Mill has been erected, The 2nd
tract
Known as the R. S. WILLIS tract containing 136 acres, The 3rd
Known as the Timber land tract containing 85 acres, all formerly owned
by Short A. WILLIS Dec'd, I further will her One Hundred and
Fifty
Four Shares of Preferred Stock of the Northern Pacific Rail Road.
4th I
give devise
and bequeath unto my daughter Georgeanna VANSICKLE wife of John
T. VANSICKLE, Three Hundred Shares of Preferred Stock of
the
Northern Pacific Rail Road to be held in trust by my executors for her
use, and for the support and education of her children, she being
hopelessly
insane, and in case the dividends should be more than sefficient for
the
maintenance of herself and children, the surplus to be invested for her
use, and in case of her death all shall be equally divided between her
children when they arrive at lawful age to receive their portion.
5th I
give devise
and bequeath unto my Grand Son A. J. Willis STEVENS my farm
known
as the Willis Homestead on which Rownell CARROLL at present
resides,
laid down for 150 acres of land, and in case he should die without
lawful
issue I will it to my Grand Son A. J. WillisMESSICK.
6th I give
devise and bequeath
unto my Grand Daughter Caroline E. CROSBY formerly Caroline
E.
STEVENS all that tract or parcel of land lying on the Northside of
the County road leading from Lidens Mill to T. F. JOHNSONS land
whereon Capt Robert HUTCHINSON at present resides.
7th I give
devise and bequeath
unto all my Grand children that may be living at the time of my death
(equally
divided) One Hundred and Forty shares of the Preferred Stock of the
Northern
Pacific Rail Road, and I hereby direct that my Executors shall invest
the
dividends for their use untill they shall arrive at lawful age to
receive
their portion.
8th I hereby
direct that
all my personal property not herein specified, be sold by my executors
at Public sale and after paying my funeral expenses and other just
debts
the balance of the proceeds of said sale be equally divided among my
three
children.
I hereby
appoint B. G.
STEVENS and R. M. MESSICK sole executors of this my last
will
and testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me made, In
testimony
whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this 18th day of May
1886.
Signed and
Sealed A. J.
WILLIS
Signed, sealed,
published
and declared by the above named Arthur John WILLIS, to be his
last
will and testament, in the presence of us who at his request and in his
presence have hereunto subscribed our names, as witnesses to the same ~
T. F. JOHNSON
W. F. LIDEN
J. W. HIGNUTT
Caroline County
to wit:
The 26th
of March
1889.
Then came Thomas
F. Johnson,
the depositor of the aforegoing instrument of writing and made oath on
the Holy Evangely of Almighty God, that the said instrument of writing
is the true and whole will of Arthur John WILLIS, late of
Caroline
County, deceased, that hath come to his hands or possession, and that
it
was delivered to him by the testator, and that he doth not know of any
will of a later date left by the said deceased or of any codicil.
Cert by Jas
B. STEELE
Reg of Wills for Caroline county ~
Caroline
County, to wit:
26th of
March
1889.
Then came Thomas
F. JOHNSON
and William F. LIDEN, two of the subscribing witnesses to the
aforegoing
last will and testament of Arthur John WILLIS, late of Caroline
county, deceased, and severally made oath on the Holy Evangely of
Almighty
God, they did see the testator sign and seal the said will, that they
heard
him publish, pronounce and declare the same to be his last will and
testament,
and that at the time of his so doing he was, to the best of their
apprehensions,
of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, and that they
respectively
signed their names as witnesses to the said will in the presence and at
the request of the testator, and in the presence of each other and of John
W. HIGNUTT the other subscribing witness ~
Cert by Jas
B. STEELE
Reg of Wills for Caroline county ~
Caroline
County, to wit:
26th
of March
1889.
Then came John
W. HIGNUTT
one of the subscribing witnesses to the aforegoing last will and
testament
of Arthur John WILLIS, late of Caroline County, deceased, and
made
oath on the Holy Evangely of Almighty God, that he did see the testator
sign and seal the said will and that he heard him publish, pronounce
and
declare the same to be his last will and testament, that at the time of
his so doing he cannot say that the testator was, to the best of his
apprehension,
of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding, but that he
together
with Thomas F. JOHNSON and William F. LIDEN the
other
subscribing witnesses respectively subscribed their names as witnesses
to the said will in the presence and at the request of the testator,
and
in the presence of each other ~
Cert by Jas
B. STEELE
Reg of Wills for Caroline County
