Will of Daniel STAUFFER (1797) Frederick County, Maryland

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Will of Daniel Stauffer
Frederick County Register of Wills
Liber GM-3, Folio 342

In the name of God Amen. I Daniel Stouffert of Frederick County and the State of 
Maryland calling to mind the mortality of my body as knowing that it is 
appointed for all men once to die and impelled by a sense of the necessity of a 
timely arrangement of our worldly concerns which in the full enjoyment of our 
corporal & mortal facilities do make and ordain this my last will and testament. 
Imprimis that is to say my will and desire is that all my just debts be paid & 
sums of money due or that shall become hereafter due to me may be collected by 
my executors as soon as with propriety may be after my decease. Item my will and 
desire is that my beloved wife Barbara and my son Joseph whom I appoint and 
nominate joint executors of this my last will and testament do and shall manage 
the plantation to the best advantage together with all other family concerns 
till my son Samuel shall have attained to the full age of twenty on years and 
then they shall either divide the land which I possess in the State of Maryland 
into two equal parts or if the cannot duly effect it by themselves they shall 
cause it to be done by six proper persons and my wife Barbara shall receive 
during her natural life the full third part of the ????? rents or ????? thereof 
or in case of a sale thereof she shall receive the third part of the interest 
accruing from the purchase money thereof during her natural. Item to my son 
Joseph I give & bequeath the Negro boy named Bill to become his own sole 
property with this reserve or injunction however viz that he shall free and 
manumit said Negro when he the said Bill shall have attained to the age of 
thirty five years & also at his manumission of liberation from slavery he shall 
give him a good Freedom List. Item to my daughter Maria I give and bequeath that 
tract of land which I possess in Cross Creek Township, Washington County & State 
of Pennsylvania to her & her heirs & assigns forever after she shall have 
attained the full age of twenty one years. Item my will and desire is that the 
executors with all ???table dispatch after my decease shall cause a proper 
estimate or valuation of all my moveable estate in this county to be made by two 
freeholders & when the remaining children shall have attained the age of twenty 
one years then pay to said children their respective third shares but without 
interest after the plantation has been divided into tow equal parts as 
aforementioned. I give & bequeath to my sons Joseph and Samuel their equal parts 
as they shall agree or the said six men agree for them, to them their heirs and 
assigns forever, yielding or giving to their mother the full third part of the 
Noat Rent or interest as may be as aforesaid. Moreover I do revoke dis???? & 
invalidate any other other former will legacy or bequest by me heretofore in my 
wise(?) made left or bequeathed ratifying this & no other to be my last will and 
testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my seal this 
Sixteenth day of August in the Year of our Lord Seventeen Hundred & Ninety 
Seven.

Signed sealed published & declared by the testator to be his last will and 
testament in our presence who subscribe the same in his presence & in that of 
each other
Jacob Beyer, Peter Engles, Edward Salmon

Daniel Stauffer (seal)

Frederick County November 6th, 1799. Then came Barbara Stouffert & solemnly 
affirmed and declared and Joseph Stouffert made oath on the holy evangels of 
almighty God that the aforegoing instrument of writing is the true and whole 
will and testament of Daniel Stouffert late of Frederick County deceased that 
hath come to their hands and possession and that they do not know of any other. 
Geroge Murdock Reg.

Frederick County Novermber 6th, 1799. Then came Jacob Beyer & Edward Salmon two 
of the subscribing witnesses to the aforegoing last will and testament of Daniel 
Stouffert late of Frederick County deceased and made oath on the holy evangels 
of almighty God that they did see the testator therein named sign & seal this 
will that they heard him publish pronounce and declare the same to be his last 
will and testament that at the time of his so doing he was to the best of their 
apprehensions of a sound and disposing mind memory and understanding that they 
respectively subscribed their names as witnesses to this will in the presence 
and at the request of the testator and that they did also see Peter Engles sign 
his name as a witness to said will in the presence and at the request of the 
testator and all in the presence of each other. George Murdock Reg.