In the Name of God Amen, I Matthias Alford of Dorchester County in ye province of
Maryland being in health of Body of sound & Perfect mind & Memory praise be therefore
given to All mighty God doth make and ordain this my present last Will and Testament
in manner and form following that is to say first and principally I Commend my Soul
unto the hands of All mighty God hoping that through ye Merits Death & passion of my
Saviour Jesus Christ to have a full & free pardon & forgiveness of all my Sins & to
Inherit Everlasting life and my Body I Commit to ye Earth to be decently Buried at
ye discretion of my Executors hereafter Named, and touching ye Disposing of all such
temporall Estate as it hath pleased allmighty God to bestow upon me. I give and dispose
thereof as followeth:
First -- I give and bequeath to my youngest Son, Matthias Alford Junr. One Cow & Calf
with her Increase.
Secondly to my Son James Alford one three year old Heifer with her Increase and ye rest
of my Estate my Wife's thirds being paid to be Equally divided between my four Sons to
Wit Matthias Alford Senr., Robert Alford, John Alford & William Alford only ? two
Shillings. I leave to my Son Thomas Alford and it is my Will and desire 1/4 in 1/4
division of my Estate my Son Robert may have my Young pacing Mare provided he gives
his Mare to my Son William & it is my desire that my Young pacing Mare be praised at
no more than ? my Son Robert's Mare is worth.
And I do Appoint my Wife Mary Alford my Son Matthias Alford Senr & my Son Robert
Alford my Executors & Executrix to see this my last Will & Testament fullfilled
Revoaking hereby all other Wills by me formerly made as Wittness my hand & Seale
this 30th day of December 1727.
Matthias X Alford (His mark)
Testes
Jon Elliot
Wm. Chipley
Ambrose Alford
Joseph X Slack (His mark)
On ye Back of ye foregoing Will was thus Written ____?
February ye 6 1727
Came William Chipley, Ambrose Alford and Joseph Slack three of ye Wittnesses to ye
last Will & Testament of Matthias Alford late of Dorchester County deceased & made
Oath upon ye Holy Evangelists of Allmighty God that they saw ye within Named Matthias
Alford Sign and Seal and heard him publish and declare ye within Instrument of writeing
to be his last Will and Testament and at the time of his so doing he was to ye best of
their Apprehension in perfect Sence and Memory & at the same time there was present the
other Wittness ____? Jon Elliot & Signed with them and this was done before
John Pitts Dept. Com'y ?
For Dorsett County
Pages 329 - 330
This will was typed as it was written with the original spelling and wording in use in 1727.