WILL OF WILLIAM OFFUTT 1732-1734
In the name of God Amen:
I, William Offutt of Prince George's County in the Providence ofMaryland,
Planter, being of sound mind and memory, and bearing in mind thecertainty
of death and the uncertainly of human life do make this my last willand
testament in the manner following, that is to say:
IMPRIMIS: I give and bequeath to my loving wife, Mary Offutt, my now
dwelling plantation with several tracts of land thereunto belongingviz.:
Neighborhood Gleaning and Gleanings Addition to hold during her lifeand
after her decease I give and bequeath the same to my son NathanielOffutt
and his heirs forever.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my son Edward Offutt all the tract ofland
called "Outlett" beginning at a white oak on a small branch thatrunneth
into the branch called Pyney Branch, the said branch falling into the
Potomac against an island formerly laid out for Walter Evanscontaining six
hundred acres to hold for my said son and his heirs forever.
ITEM: I give to my son Edward the youngest negro I shall be possessedof at
the time of my decease.
ITEM: Whereas I have already sufficiently provided for my sons William&
James Offutt and for my daughters, Sarah the wife of Thomas Harris andMary
the wife of Thomas Bowie, junior, I do therefore only leave them in
remembrance of me as followeth viz., to my sons William and James Igive
and bequeath the sum of five pounds sterling each and to each of my
daughters I give and bequeath a gold ring of the price of twentyshillings.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my son John Offutt five hundred acres ofland
to begin at the beginning tree of a tract of land called CalvertonEdge, to
run the first course thereof so as to contain the said number of acreswith
the breath of another tract called Addition and of the said CalvertonEdge;
to hold to the said John Offutt and his heirs forever.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my said sons John and Nathaniel and totheir
heirs and assigns forever a lot of land with all improvements thereonin
the town of Upper Marlborough.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my son Nathaniel Offutt the remainingparts of
the aforesaid tracts of land called Calverton Edge and Addition tohold to
the said Nathaniel Offutt and his heirs forever.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my son Samuel Offutt all that tract ofland
called Offutts Pasture lying on the east side of my son Edward'sdwelling
plantation to hold to him and his heirs forever.
ITEM: I give an bequeath to my youngest son Thomas Offutt all theparcel of
land called the "Younger Brother" lying above the upper Falls of the
Potomac on the north side of a branch called Piney otherwise WattsBranch,
beginning at a bounded hickory standing on the west side of a smallbranch
that bears near North West and South East falls into the aforesaidPiney
Branch, to hold to him and his heirs forever.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my daughter Jane Offutt that tract ofland
beginning at a bounded black oak standing on the head of a smallbranch of
the South West Branch of the Western Patuxent River in Prince George's
County.
ITEM: I further give and bequeath to my said daughter the sum ofeighty
pounds sterling money to be paid to her on the day of her marriage orat
her attaining the age of twenty-one which shall first happen.
ITEM: My will is that if any or either of my said children - Samuel,
Nathaniel, Thomas and Jane shall happen to decease without issue oftheir
body or bodies lawfully begotten then my will is that the land orestate
hereinbefore or hereinafter severally willed or bequeathed to him orher
shall be held and enjoyed by the survivor or survivors of them.
ITEM: All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate both real and
personal - whether in England, Maryland or elsewhere I give andbequeath
the same, after my wife shall have deducted and received her thirdpart of
the same to my sons Samuel, Nathaniel, Thomas and to my daughter Jane.
ITEM: My will and desire is that my son Nathaniel Offutt, although hemay
not have attained the full age of twenty one years at the time of my
decease shall enjoy and receive all my hereinbefore bequests to him asif
he were of full age and that my son Thomas may and shall enjoy thebenefits
of his labors at the age of seventeen years but shall not be possessedof
the estate bequeathed to him until he arrives at full age.
ITEM: I give and bequeath to my son Nathaniel Offutt all that tract ofland
"Covert" beginning at a white oak in the fork of Henson Branchcontaining
about five hundred and six acres to hold to him and his heirs forever.
ITEM: I do hereby constitute, nominate and appoint my sons EdwardOffutt
and Nathaniel Offutt to be the executors of this my last will andtestament
and do also hereby desire my loving friends Mr. John Beall son ofAlexander
Beall and Mr. Ninan Magruder, the Older, to be overseers thereof andto be
assistants to my said sons in the due execution of the same.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the tenth dayof
November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and thirtyand
two.
William Offutt {seal}
Signed, Sealed, published and declared by the above named WilliamOffutt to
be his last will and testament who subscribed by his name in thepresence
of us who also subscribed our names in his presence.
William "W" Lowe, senior
J. Smith
Mary "Z" Coglan
On the back of this will was endorsed to wit:
June 10, 1734 - William Lowe one of the subscribing witnesses to thewithin
will being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God deposethand
sayeth that he saw the same William Offutt, the within testator signand
seal the within instrument and heard him publish and declare the sameto be
his last will and testament and that at the time of his so doing hewas of
sound and perfect mind; that the deponent and John Smith and MaryCoghlan
both deceased subscribed their names as witnesses to the said will inthe
presence of the testator therein mentioned and at his request that isthe
said John Smith write his name and the deponent and said Mary Coghlantheir
marks.
Sworn before me the say and year above.
D. Dulany
