Will of Hugh Steel

District 7, Cecil Co., MD

Sept. 3rd, 1816

          In the name of God Amen, I - Hugh Steel of North Susquehanna, Cecil County and State of Maryland, being in a sick and low condition but of sound disposing mind and memory do make and consider this my last will and testament in manner and form following, viz. -- First of all, I commit my Soul into the hands of a merciful God, through the merits of a Crucified Saviour and my Body to the dust (to be decently buried) in hopes of a Glorious resurrection, through Jesus Christ the ____________ cause, and after my just debts and funeral charges are paid, I give and bequeath to my beloved Wife Esther the one third of all my personal Estate to be disposed of as she may think proper, and the one third of the income of my Real Estate, during her natural life, and my Negro man Solomon, and my two negro women Sarah and Sylla, provided nevertheless it is my will that my NegroWoman above-mentioned shall be free in Five years after my decease, and I hereby manumit and set free her my said Negro Woman Sarah at the end of five years after my decease provided also that the said Solomon, Sarah, and Scylla are to be considered as part of the one third of my personal Estate above bequeathed to her my said Wife Esther.

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Boyd Steel eight hundred dollars current money and four shares of the Capital stock of the Susquehanna Bridge and Bank Company, my Estate paying the Installments of said stocks as they may be called for.  Also, one featherbed and furniture for it and a good Bedstead and also my Negro Girl Jane untill said Jane shall arrive at the age of Thirty-Seven years, when it is my will that she shall be free and I hereby manumit and set free her my said Negro Girl Jane when she shall arrive at the age of Thirty-Seven years, She being now twelve years old.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Steel the sum of eight hundred dollars current money and four shares of the Capital stock of the Susquehanna Bridge and Bank Company, my Estate paying the Installments of said stocks as they may be called for.  Also, one featherbed and furniture for it and a good Bedstead and my Negro Girl Jude untill she arrives at the age of Thirty-Seven years, when it is my will that she shall be free and I hereby manumit and set free from slavery her my said Negro Girl Jude when she shall arrive at the age of Thirty-Seven years, She being now nine years old.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Esther Steel the sum of eight hundred dollars current money and four shares of the Capital stock of the Susquehanna Bridge and Bank Company, my Estate paying the Installments of said stocks as they may be called for.  Also, one featherbed and furniture for it and a good Bedstead and my Negro Girl Susan until she arrives at the age of Thirty-Seven years, when it is my will that she shall be free and I hereby manumit and set free from slavery her my said Negro Girl Susan when she shall arrive at the age of Thirty-Seven years, She being now five years old.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Jane Steel the sum of eight hundred dollars current money and four shares of the Capital stock of the Susquehanna Bridge and Bank Company, my Estate paying the Installments of said stocks as they may be called for.  Also, one featherbed and furniture for it and a good Bedstead and my Negro Girl Sarah until she arrives at the age of Thirty-Seven years, when it is my will that she shall be free and I hereby manumit and set free from slavery her my said Negro Girl Sarah when she shall arrive at the age of Thirty-Seven years, She being now three years old.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Rebekah Steel the sum of eight hundred dollars current money and four shares of the Capital stock of the Susquehanna Bridge and Bank Company, my Estate paying the Installments of said stocks as they may be called for.  Also, one featherbed and furniture for it and a good Bedstead and my Negro Girl Nelly until she arrives at the age of Thirty-Seven years, when it is my will that she shall be free and I hereby manumit and set free from slavery her my said Negro Girl Nelly when she shall arrive at the age of Thirty-Seven years, She being now one year old.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my son John my Negro Boy Jim and my Negro Boy Moses until he arrives at the age of Thirty-Seven years, when it is my will that he the said Moses shall be free and I hereby manumit and set free from slavery him my said Negro Boy Moses when he shall arrive at the age of Thirty-Seven years, he being now fourteen years old.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Hugh my Negro Boy Charles until he arrives at the age of Thirty-Seven years old, at which time it is my will that he the said Charles be free and I hereby manumit and set free from slavery him my said Negro Boy Charles when he shall arrive at the age of Thirty-Seven years, he being now seven years old.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my two sons John Steel and Hugh Steel, their heirs and assigns forever, all my Real Estate, except the Land which I hold in Octoraro Hundred, to be equally divided between them by three men appointed by the Orphan’s Court of Cecil County when my son Hugh Steel shall arrive at the age of twenty one years, if he should so long live, provided nevertheless that in the said division it is my will that my son John Steel shall have the Buildings on the Farm on which I live, and that the Island in the Susquehanna River called Security Island shall be divided between them by a line running through the middle of it from one end to the other - provided also that he my said son John Steel shall enjoy the profits of the whole of my Estate until he my said son Hugh Steel shall arrive at the age of twenty-one years, subject, however, to the encumbrance of my Mother, during her natural life and my Wife’s Dower and my Wife’s occupancy of one half of the dwelling House with the right to keep with her the rest of my children and subject also to the maintenance and education of him my son Hugh Steel, so as to be capable of reading, writing, and Cyphering as far as the Rule of Interest.  Provided also that he my said son John Steel shall pay all my debts and funeral expenses and all the above-mentioned Legacies - and I hereby give and bequeath unto him my said son John Steel all the residue of my personal Estate not above Bequeathed.

            And whereas my wife Esther is now pregnant, if she shall live to be delivered of a living child, and it shall be a son, it is my will and I hereby give and bequeath unto him the said child, his heirs and assigns forever, the Land which I hold in Octorara Hundred which is a part of the land purchased from John Hall by John Creswell and from John Creswell by me - provided nevertheless if said child shall be a son and die before it arrives at the age of twenty-one years, then it is my will that said Land in Octorara Hundred be the property of my two sons John Steel and Hugh Steel, their heirs and assigns forever, share and share alike.  But if said child should be a Girl, then it is also my will that said Land in Octorara Hundred shall be the property of my two sons John Steel and Hugh Steel and in that case I hereby give and bequeath the said Land unto them my two sons John and Hugh, their heirs and assigns forever, they paying unto her my said child, when she arrives at the age of eighteen years, one thousand dollars, which I hereby give and bequeath unto her my said child when she shall arrive at the age of Eighteen years out of my said Land in Octorara Hundred and her maintenance and Education out of said land.

            Item.  It is my will [that] if either of my two sons John Steel or Hugh Steel shall die before they arrive at the age of twenty-one years then it is my will that the survivor of the two shall have the whole of the whole bequeathed to both, he the survivor paying two hundred dollars current money to each of his surviving sisters, provided also that, if both my two sons John and Hugh should die before they arrive at the age of twenty-one years and the child to be born shall be a son and should live to arrive at the age of twenty-one, then it is my will that he shall have and I hereby give unto him my said child all my Real Estate, he paying the whole of the above-mentioned Legacies and complying with all the foregoing conditions.

            Item.  It is my will that the above-mentioned Legacies of eight hundred Dollars be paid to my daughters when they shall severally arrive at the age of eighteen years, to which time they shall be supported at the expense of my Estate.

            Lastly, I hereby appoint and constitute my well-beloved wife Esther and my son John Steel Executors of this my Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking and annulling all former Wills by me made and confirming and establishing this my Last Will and Testament. 

            In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this third day of September in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixteen.

Hugh Steel [ his seal]

Signed, Sealed, and acknowledged by Hugh Steel to be his Last Will and testament  in presence of us who at his request have subscribed ourselves in the presence of each other as Witnesses thereto

Andrew McCullough

John Starrett

Francis Boyd

 Transcribed 5/8/97 by Fred Kelso Oxford, PA