Will of John Dant of St. Mary's Co., MD,1763 Dear Rooters, The following was transcribed from a photocopy of the ORIGINAL WILL, not the copy in the Will Book. Hence there are undecipherable words (enclosed in square braces). As far as possible I followed the original punctuation and spelling. However, my knowledge of the old writing is slight and perhaps some words are capitalized which are not in the original and vice versa. Short discussion follows. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In The Name of God Amen John Dant of St Marys Countyfinding myself sickly of Body But of sound and perfect sense & memory Thanks be to God and considering the uncertainty of This Life do think it Expedient to settle all such Temporal [concerns? con ..fits?] which it hath pleased God to lend me in order to which I do make this my Last Will & Testament Revoking & Annuling all and Every Testament & Testaments Will & Wills heretofor made & Declared & this only to be Taken for my last Will & Testament and none other which is in Manor & forme following, first & principally I give my Soul to Almighty God Believing that Through the Meritorious Death and Passion of Jesus Christ I shall Receive Pardon of my Sins, and my Body to the Earth to be buried in such decent Manner as my Executor hereafter specified shall think Expedient _ ... Item: I give & bequeath unto my Beloved Daughter Ann Spalding one Heifer Two [rupos?] old and in lieu of Negro Colons years work which is her right. __?__ Ten Barrels of Indian corne to be paid out of this years crop. ... Item: I give and bequeath unto my beloved Daughter Mary Ann Dant one feather Bed & furnitures the Second Best in my House & one Negroe Girl named Ter[ink blot]ia being now in possession of my son-in-law Edward Spalding and for his victualing of her this [ 3 undecipherable words] an half barrel of Indian corn to be paid this fall. The above Negroe girl is not to be appraised in my estate as I gave delivery of her in Time past. ... Item: I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mary Mills Twenty shillings in current money ... Item: I give and bequeath unto my Son John Baptist Dant the plantation whereon I now live called Hopewell & all the small p[..?..] adjoining & alsoe the watermill now in my possession. ... Item: I give and bequeath unto my Two Sons Charles Dant and Joseph Fran" Exav: Dant _ all that Parcel of Land called Westfield Equally Divided both in Quality and Quantity between them. Turned Over __?__ ... Lastly to the true performance of this my Last will & Testament I do Nominate Constitute & Appoint my Dearly beloved son John Baptist Dant to be my True & Lawful Executor and after my Just Debts being paid by him & my Dearly beloved Wife Elionor has received her Lawful Right the remaining part of my Estate to go Equally Divided among and between my six (six is crossed out) five children John Baptist Dant, Ann Spalding, Charles Dant, Joseph Fran Exav Dant, & Mary Ann Dant as Witness my Hand & Seal this 23rd Day of October 1763 ... Signd sealed published & declared to be the Last Will & Testament of John Dant John (his X mark) Dant In precents of us Wm Joseph [Send? - 2nd?] Thom T C (his X mark) Gatton Nicholas (his X mark) Gatton On the first Day of November, Anno Domini 1763 came William Joseph and Thomas Gatten two of the subscribing witnesses to the within will and made oath on the Holy Eveangelist of Almighty God that they did see John Dant the testator sign and seal this will and heard him publish pronounce and Declare the same to be his last will and testament and that at the time of his so doing he was to the Best of their and each of their apprehension of a 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 that they did also see Nicholas Gatton the other subscribing witness sign his name as a witness in the presence of the said testator and in the presence of each of them... [can't read the rest] The deceased's widow doth not [?][stand?] to that will [renamed] before me Sworn before [Shoient?] Edwards Deputy [?] of St. Mary's County - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John Baptist Dant and his son James went to Kentucky in the "Great Migration" and Charles followed some years after. Joseph Fran Exav (as it looks in the document - the names are abbreviated) is Joseph Francis Exavior (Xavior) Dant. He married Martha SHEIRCLIFF, daughter of Thomas Sheircliff of St. Charles Co., Md. As far as we know, Joseph FX (or FE) and Martha had four children: Thomas (who married Martha OUTTERIDGE and who settled in the DC area), William (who married Susan FENWICK and who settled in the DC area), Mary (who married Samuel Willett in Kentucky), and Joseph Francis. William Dant is my direct ancestor. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Contributed by: Mary Lee Dante