Will of John White

Maryland In the name of God Amen I John White of Pocomoke in Somerset County Gent. Considering the futility of this life and the conviency to a family to have affairs always settled and now being weak in body though of sound and good memory blessed be God doe make and this my last Will & testament as followeth My soul I render to God gave it expecting its salvation, through the merit of my creator & merrits of my reedeemer Jesus Christ my body I comit to ye Earth to be decently burried as my executrix hereafter named shall thinke fit and for what worldly and outward Estate it hathed pleased Almighty god to bless me with all I give & bequeath as followeth My just debts being first paid ~ Item I give and bequeath to my eldest son White eight hundred acres of land being part of a tract of land called Buckingham to him the said William White his heirs or assigns for ever ~ Item I also give & bequeath to my said son Wm. White five hundred Acres being part of a tract of land called Partners Choice to her the said William White his heirs or assigns for ever ~ Item I give & bequeath to my second son Steven White the plantation I now live on called Cordicole, after the deceased of my loving wife Sarah to him the said Stephen White his heirs or assigns for ever ~ Item I give my due share of the swamp for the use & benefit of all my children Item I give and bequeath to John White my third son & to Eliza White my eldest daughter and to Sarah White my youngest Daughter seven hundred acres of land part of the aforementioned tract called Buckingham Six hundred and fifty acres of land ajoyning thereto. Called Unity to be equally divided between my said three children John Elizabeth & Sarah & to their heirs or assigns for ever. And if it shall please god so to order it as to remove any of my aforesd children that is to say John Eliza. & Sarah White by death then my will & desire is that the survivour or survivors shall enjoy the full portion or quantity of land that I have given and bequeath to all the three children ~ Item I give and bequeath to my two daughters Tabitha & Pricilla White which are twins seven hundred acres of land called Newport Parmell ajoyning to Buckingham aforesaid to them the said Elizabeth & Priseilla White their heirs and assigns forever ~ Item I give and bequeath two thirds of the remaining part of my Estate that is to say of my cattle horses Mares & household stuff equally to be divided among my twins Tabitha & Precilla & Sarah & John White ~ Item I give and bequeath to my Reverend friend Mr. Wm. Treit one young mare and all her futor increase after delivery ~ Item I give and bequeath to my coz. Will. Stevens Howard one cow & calf to be delivered next spring after my decease ~ Item I give and bequeath to my Dear and loving wife Sarah White the remaining part of that aforementioned tract of land called Partners Choice to be disposed of as she shall think fit and conveent as also the other third part of my Real & Personal Estate aforementioned as cattle horses mares and I do also ordain nominate constitute & appoint my said wife to be my whole & sole Executrix of this my last will and testament hereby revoking & cancelling all other former will or wills by me Made or done In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett and sffixed my hand and seal the first day of June Annoq. Dom 1685 ~ Signed Sealed & Published & Declared } To be the last will & testament of Mr. John White in the presence of us Elizabeth Stevens Robert Paine John White {Seale} Henry Ayers John Vigerous Edmond Howard October the 3d 1685 These are humbly to certifie that by virtue of a comission from the Honourable the Commisary for the probate of wills and granting of administration to me directed that then the fore written was proved by the oaths of Elizabeth Stevens Robt. Paine and Edmond Howard and then also the oath of an Executrix to Sarah White mentioned in the said will was administered as witness my hand and seal the day and year above written Wm. Coulborn ~ John Vigerous did also make oath that he saw the fore written will signed and sealed by the aforementioned Mr. John White deceased and did the same time set his hand as a witness thereof ~ Wm. Coulborn ~ Henry Ayers made oath that he saw Mr. John White now deceased on day before his death sign and seal to the writing on the other half sheet of paper as his last will & testament unto us amongst severance other he set to his hands as a witness in testimony of us I set my hand sworne before me Henry Ayers Wm. A Ayers: Henry, 2 C Coulborn: Wm., 2 H Howard: Edmond, 2; Will. Stevens, 1 P Paine: Robert, 2 S Stevens: Elizabeth, 1, 2 T Treit: Wm., 1 V Vigerous: John, 2 W White: Eliza, 1; Elizabeth, 1; John, 1, 2; Precilla, 1; Pricilla, 1; Priseilla, 1; Sarah, 1, 2; Stephen, 1; Steven, 1; Tabitha, 1; William, 1; Wm, 1