Will of Edward Stevens

In the name of God Amen whereas I Edward Stevens of Pocomoke in the County of Somerset In ye province of Maryland planter being in body sick & weak but in perfect & sound memory blessed be ye almighty & considering ye frailty of flesh & that it is appointed for all men to die I here make known unto all Men that I do Revoake disanull & Make void all former will or wills Testaments or Testaments Legacie or Legacies by me formely had made ordained ie Constituted or Appointed to be made & do now absolutely fully & wholly make Constitute & ordain this to be my absolute last Will & Testament ~ Imps I do humbly resign & bequeath my soul to god that gave it trusting & relying wholy on ye infinite meritts of my blessed saviour & my body to ye ground to be decently & christianly buried & for these temporary blessings which ye Lord hath been pleased to bestow upon me I do give & bequeath in manner & form following ~ Item I do give unto my loving wife Ruth Stevens one third part of my Land called by ye Name of Blakes Hope to be quietly & peacibly enjoyed by my said Wife during her Naturell Life together with one third part of all my moveables as of Cattle Hoggs horses, Mares, or any other plantation Creatures & Necessary tools as here after shall or may be in being upon my deceased, that is to say soe to make use of them us to her own proper Interest & benefit & that upon her decease the said one third part or Mtoiety of the former Specified Seven hundred Acres of Land called Blakes Hope shall return & be ordered together wth ye rest of ye devident in form as followeth yr ~ I do Absolutely give & bestow ye said land to ye three sons of Florence Tucker Commonly Called & Known by ye Names of Edward Stevens, Wm Stevens & John Stevens ye Same to be devided in equal portions by ye Judgmt of Two persons as near as their Judgment can discern & Likewise ye same course to be blesed in & about what Creatures of all sorts may be living after my decease & other Moveables belonging unto me ye said Edwd Stevens that is to say the said Land & Perquisets are & shall be Enjoyed by them & their heirs for Ever only I do particularly give unto William Stevens second son of Florence Tucker my old bay Mare called Pegg together with her Increase for Ever as Also I give unto Edward Stevens ye Eldest son of ye Said florence one a Gilding about 2 years old Lastly I do appoint & Confirm florence Tucker my sole & Absolute Executrix for ye due ordering performing & Regulating of this my Last Will & Testament as Witness my hand & Seale this Twelfth day of May in ye year of our Lord god One Thousand Six hundred Eighty & four Signed Sealed & Deld in ye presence of us ~ John Heath the marking of Thomas Williams Edward X Stevens {Seal} Will: Morris The Above will was proved by the Oaths of three Witnessess to the same this 29th day of September 1685 & the wittneses made oath that the Testator Was at the sealing & delivery there of sound & perfect Memory & that he delivered & declared the same was his last will & testement ~ Sworne before the Judges James Cullins Regr Somerset County Intry at the request of Edward Stevens on record ye within mentioned ye Nineteenth day of May in the year of our Lord god One thousand Six hundred Eighty & four ~ Edm: Beauchamp Cle: Cor Somerset Recorded in Liber E B No. 5 folios 187 & 188 ~ Examinined Test. Esmr Bayly Reg W.S.C B Beauchamp: Edm, 1 C Cullins: James, 1 H Heath: John, 1 M Morris: Will, 1 S Stevens: Edward, 1; Edwd, 1; John, 1; Ruth, 1; William, 1; Wm, 1 T Tucker: Florence, 1 W Williams: Thomas, 1