William Keepers
(Group 1)
A copy of his last will & testament dated December 17, 1756:
(transcribed from a hand copy)
In the Name of God Amen the Seventeenth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and fifty Six William Keeper (sic) of the County of Baltimore in the Province of Maryland ---- being very sick and weak in Body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given unto God therefore calling into mind the mortality of my Body, and --- that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament; that is to say, Principally and first of all, I give and recommend my Soul into the hands of God that gave it and for my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a Christian and --- like manner at the Direction of my Executor, nothing doubting but at the general Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God, and as trusting such worldly estate whereunto it hath pleased God to bless mine this Life, I give, devise, and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.
Imprimus: It is my will and I do order that in the first place all of my Just Debts and funeral charges to be paid and Satisfied. Item: I give unto Clarah my Dearly beloved wife, whom I constitute, make, and ordain my only Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament, all and Singular my Land called New Holland being three hundred acres and to be deeded to her Likewise all the ----, ----, & Improvements thereon together with the Horses, Cattle, Sheep, Hoggs, ----- thereon with a provisor she never marrys* and what is left at her Death be left to my Grandson, Joseph Keeper Son, Son of Joseph Keepers Sr. Item: I give and Bequeath to my Son Joseph Keepers Sr. one Shilling Sterling ~ Item: I give and Bequeath to my Daughter Susannah Kimpson one Shilling Sterling ~ Item: I give and Bequeath to my Daughter Mary Pierce one Shilling Sterling ~ Item: I give and Bequeath to my son William Keepers one Shilling Sterling. And I do hereby disallow, revoke, and Disannul all and every former Testaments, Wills, Legacies, and Axillors by me in any ways before this time named.
P. S. named, willed, and bequeathed Ratifying and confirming this and no other will to be my last will and testament In witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and Seal this day and year above written.
Signed, Sealed, published, and pronounced and declared by the said William Keepers as his Last Will and Testament in the Presence of us the Subscribers
James Wills Funt
Samuel D. Dunner
John Shrimplin
on the back of the foregoing will was this written next:
January 24th, 1747 (sic) James Wills Funt, Samuel Dunner, and John Shrimplin the Subscribing Witnesses to the aforegoing and within will bring duly of Solemnly Sworn on the Holy Evangelists of almighty God dispose and Say that they Saw the Testator, William Keeper Sign the aforegoing will and heard him publish 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 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 the said Testator and at his request.
Signed Before
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Baltimore County
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