Will of Ambrose Dixon

In the name of God Amen The Seventh day of April in the year of our lord god One thousand six hundred and eighty six I Ambrose Dixon of Somerset County in the Province of Maryland Planter being sick in body but of good and perfect memory, thanks be unto almighty god and calling to remembrance the uncertain Estate f this Transitory life, And that all flesh must yield unto death when it shall please god to call doe make constitute Ordain and declare this my last will and Testament in manner and form following revoking and adnulling by these presents all and every testament and testaments, Will and Wills hereafter by me made and declared either by word or writing and this to be taken only for my last will and testament and none other. And first being Penitent and sorry from the bottom of my heart for my sins past and most humbly deserving forgiveness for the same I give and commit my soul unto almighty god my savior and redeemer in whome and by the meritts of Jesus Christ I trust and believe assuredly to b saved and to have full remission and forgiveness of all my sins. And that my soul with my body at the day of resurrection shall rise again with joy and through the meritts of Christ's death and passion possess and inheritt the kingdom of Heaven prepared for his elect [???] and chosen And my body to the earth to be burried decently at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter named and now for the settling of my temporall Estate and Such goods ~ and debts as it hath please god from above my deserts to bestow upon me I doe order give and dispose the same in manner and form following that is to say First I will that all those debts and duties that I owe in right or conscience to any manner and form of person or persons whatsoever shall be well and contented And paid or ordained to be paid within convenient time after any decade by my Executrix hereafter named ~ I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth the wife of Robert Dukes after my wifes decease one Negro woman called Betty Ginney and her Increase to have and to hold to her the said Elizabeth and to her heirs and assigns for ever also I give unto my said Daughter Elizabeth one house which her husband Robert Dicks lately brother for me to have and to hold to her the said Elizabeth her heirs and assigns forever, to be delivered to her on order presently after my decease________ I give and bequeath unto my grandchild Thomas Potter son of Henry Potter one cow and cow calf to be for his use Presently after my decease. To have and to hold the sd. cow and cow calf with their future increase both male and female for ever also I give and bequeath unto my sd, Grandchild Thomas Potter One mare and her female increase to have and to hold the said mare and her female increase. To him the sd. Thomas Potter his heirs and assigns for ever presently after my decease also I give and bequeath unto my said grandchild Thomas Potter one young female Negro to be delivered after my wife decease and theirs to have and to hold the said Negro and increase to him the said Thomas Potter his heirs and assigns for ever, and further it is my will and desire that the sd. Thomas Potter be put to school there to learn Reading writing and arithmatick_______ I give and bequeath unto my son in law Edmund Beauchamp one cow and calf and there increase to have and to hold the said cow and calf and there increase both male and female to him the said Edmund Beauchamp his heirs and assigns for ever to be delivered to him or his order [???] presently after my decease, also I give and bequeath unto said son in law Edmund one young Black mare called Janny the youngest to have and to hold the said mare and her increase both male and female to him the said Edmund his heirs and assigns for ever. Presently after my decease to be delivered to him and the said Edmund his order.______ I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth Wilson the wife of George Wilson of the County of Somerset Planter one mare of the Abay Coullor with white star in her forehead called by the name of Jenny to be delivered presently after my decease to have and to hold the said Mare and her increase both male and female to her the sd. Elizabeth her heirs and assigns for ever______ I give and bequeath unto my wifes son Henry Pedington one Negro girl about ten years old to have and to hold the said Negro and her increase to him the said Henry Pedingon his heirs and assigns for ever to be delivered presently after my wifes decease_____ I give and bequeath unto James Browne of this County Planter on thousand pounds of good merchantable tobacco on cash to be paid to the said James Browne or his assigns at or before the tenth day of december right after my decease_________ I give and bequeath all of the rest of my Goods Chattles and Credits belonging unto my loving wife Mary Dixon during her natural life and the plantation I now live on except that part that my that my Son Thomas Dixon now live upon all provided and excepted and rightly to be understood that whatsoever state of goods and chattels with or without doors, and debt and other does belonging or it right or appertaining to me or possessed with all at the time of my decease that after the decease of my loving wife Mary the said goods chattles and other duos belonging to me at the time of my decease and give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Dixon and my in law Thomas Cottingham my son in law Robert Dukes my son in law John Richards and my si law Henry Potter to be equaly divided amongst thenm and t have and to hold the said Estate to them the said Thomas Dixon Thomas Cottingham Edmund Beauchamp Robert Dukes John Richardson and Henry Potter them and theire heirs for ever and leagacies above mentioned always excepted to stand form that is to say to Elizabeth Dules Thomas Potter Edmund Beauchump Elizabeth Willson Henry Pedington and James Brown Legatees above mentioned allways provided and it is my absolute will and meaning that if in case my loveing wife Mary should intermarry after my decease for then shee and the said Mary is to injoye and possess noe more than one third part of my goods and chattles and debts and the two other thirds I will and bequeath presently after her intermarriage unto my son and sons in law (??quirt) Thomas Dixon Thomas Cottingham Edmund Beauchamp Robert Dukes John Richards and Henry Potter equally to be divided amongst them allwaies excepted to stand firm the legacies given to the legatees above said Virt Elizabeth Dukes Thomas Potter Edmund Beauchamp Elizabeth Willson Henry Pedington and James Brown t be satisfied to them as is here my will expressing And whereas I did give and unto friends and promised to make over to them on acre of land my plantation where I now live on for the consideration of twelve pence in money red.?? Which by this my last will and Testament I do acknowledge to have received I owe therefore will and bequeath and confirm the said one acre of land and orating house to them ever don of this county and Gearge Johnson of Accomack in VA all the rest of friends whatsoever for ever and I the said Ambrose Dixon doe by these presents constitute ordaine and appoint my well beloved wife Mary Dixon whole and sole Executrix_______ And lastly deposing trust and confidence in my son Thomas Dixon my son in law Edmund Beauchamp my son law Robert Dicks and my friend George Wilson Sen. Of this County I do hereby ordain appoint and constitute the said Thomas Dixon Edmund Beauchamp Robert Dicks and George Wilson feas in trust for to see that this my last will and testament be duly and truly executed and performed_____ In conformation and full assuraned of the truth above written that this is my last will and testament and I the said Amborse Dixon have hereunto set my hand and fixed my seale as the witness. The day and year above written_____ Signed sealed and delivered by Ambrose Dixon as his last will his And testament the seventh day of April in the year of our Lord { Ambrose [AD] Dixon God One thousand Six hundred eighty six____ mark Stephen Horsey Samuell Horsey John Athens __________ And further my absolute desire is that if any of my said children son and son in laws rght, Thomas Dixon Thomas Cottingham Edmund Beauchamp Robert Dicks John Richard and Henry Pottershall in any wife trouble or molist illegally my beloved wife my executrix Mary Dixon in or about or concerning this my last will and testament that then their and each of there shares, I give and bequeathed by this my last will and testament to be void and of none effect and to be divided equally amongst the rest of my said sons and that causes no disturbance, as witness my hand and seale the day and year aforesaid______ Testis. Stephen Horsey John Heath his His Amborse [AD] Dixon {seale} James [ B ] Browne mark Mark Somerset County In Maryland } fst. Memorandum that this day was proved by the oaths of Stephen Horsey Samuell Horsey John Atkins and John Heath the withen mentioned Testament of Ambrose Dixon, deceased and also was mentioned unto Mary Dixon the oath of Executrix given under my hand this Tenth day of August anno. Dom. 1688 David Browne