March 4, 1733- The Last Will of James French,
St. Marys County, Maryland
In the name of God, Amen, I, James French of St.Mary's County______ being weak in body but of sound mind & memory, blessed be God, do make this my last Will & Testament in form as follows:_____I give & bequeath unto my beloved grandson, John French, to him and his heirs forever, one hundred & ten acres of land to be laid out on the West side of my land & also on the west side of a Branch unto my well beloved grand child, Mary Leake, wife of John Leake, to her and the heirs of her body lawfully begotten
forever.
Item: My Will is that my good & trusty servant, James Kirby shall be free from servitude on the day of my death.
Item: My Will is after all my just debts are paid, all that remains of my personal Estate be equally divided amongst all my grandchildren.
Item: I constitute & appoint my said grandchild, John French, my whole & sole executor of this my last Will & Testament, in Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal on this fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord, 1733
James French (SEAL)
Signed, sealed & published to be his last Will & Testament in the presence of:
John Thompson
James Kail
Elizabeth French.
March 17, 1733
John Thompson and Elizabeth French, two of the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing Will, being duly & solemnly sworn on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God, depose & say that they saw the testator, James French, sign the foregoing Will and heard him publish and declare the same to be his last Will & Testament that at the time of his doing so he was to the best of their apprehension of sound and disposing mind and memory and that they subscribed their respective names as witnesses to the said will in the presence of John French, grandson & heir at law, which same, John French did not object to the ____of the said Will.
Sworn to before me Tho. Aisquith, Deputy County Clerk of St. Mary's County.
(James French is my 8th great grandfather.)
