In the name of God, Amen: the 10th day of ffebruary in the year of o’r Lord God one Thousand six hundred eighty and five I Elizabeth Reade of York parish in the County of York being weake in body, but of good and p’fect memory, Thanks be to Almighty God, Calling to Remembrance the uncertain Estate of this transitory life, And that all fflesh must yielde unto Death, when it shall please God to Call, Doe make constitute ordaine and declare This my last Will and Testament In manner and form following Revoking and Anulling by these presents, All and any Testament or Testaments, Will and Wills heretofore made by me and declared either by word or writing, and this is to be taken for my last Will, and Testament and none other, and first being penitent and sorry from the bottom of my heart for any sins past, most humbly desireing for forgiveness for the same, I give and commit my soule unto Almighty God my Saviour and Redemer in whom and by the meritts of Jesus Christ, I trust and believe assuredly to be saved, and that my soule with my body att the Generall Day of Resurrection shall rise again with Joye, and through the meritts of Christ’s Death and passion inheritt the Kingdom of heaven prepared for his Elect, and my body to be decently buryed where and in such place as my sonn Robert Reade shall appoint,
And for the settling my Temporall Estate, such goods, Cattle, Chattells and debts as it hath pleased God farr above my deserts to bestown upon me, I doe order give and dispose of in manner and forme ffollowing, that is to say, that all my Debts, and dues that I owe in Right or conscience to any manner of p’son or p’sons whatsoever, be truly paid in convenient time after my Decease, by my Executor hereafter named.
Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my sonn Robert Reade, one Negro man named Peter and Brigitt his wife, and one mollotta boy named Dick, one negro woman named Tony, one ffrench Nickolice Morell, and one woman servant named Mary Jane Tisso, the Said negroes I give unto my said sonn Robert with their increase.
Itm. I give and bequeath unto my sonn Ffrancis Reade, one negro man named Sandy one negro woman named Bess, one negro boy named Peter with their increase.
Itm. I give and bequeath unto my sonn Benjamine Reade one negro named Will and Jane his wife with their increase.
Itm. I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Reade one negro man named Jeffry Nimino his wife with her child, a Boy named Tom, and one negro boy named Will also one negro man named Jack my said son Thomas Reade Shipping tobacco for England until he hath paid the full summ of twenty five pounds unto my Executor after named, provided itt be not paid before my decease, the said negroes, I give unto my said sonn Thomas with their increase. Itm. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Chisman one negro Woman named Kate, one negro woman named Pegg with her child a Mollatta Girle named Dina with their Increase.
Itm. I give and bequeath unto my granddaughter Mildred Chisman one negro Girle named Murriah with her Increase.
Itm. I give and bequeath unto my granddaughter Eliz. Chisman one negro Girle named Hannah with her increase.
Itm. I give and bequeath unto my sonn Benjamin the ffeather bed I lye on with the furniture belonging to itt three pairs of sheets three silver spoons three peuter Dishes and one Iron pott.
Itm. I give and bequeath unto my sonn Thomas good ffeather and furniture three pairs of Sheets, three silver spoons three peuter Dishes and one Iron pott.
Itm. I give and bequeath unto my Daughters Elizabeth Chisman and Mary Reade all my wearing Apparill to be Equally Divided between them.
Itm. I give and bequeath unto my sonn Benjamin one young mare of three or fouer years old.
Itm. I give and bequeath unto my sonn Thomas one young mare of three or fouer years old.
Itm. I give unto my son Benjamin two cows of ffouer years old and one heafer with his pportion of the stock of Cattle which belonged unto his Brother George Reade Dec’d according to ye Division already made.
Itm. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mildred Warner the mourning Ring I usually ware.
Itm. My Will and desire is that all such servants Cattle and other movables as shall belonge unto my sonns Benjamin and Thomas Read as before mentioned Remaine and be in the care and custody of my sonn Robert Reade until my said two sonns Benjamin and Thomas come to the age of one and twenty years, allowing my said two sonns such necessaries apparell as they shall have occasion for Duerring there nonage to be allowed out of the pp’itss of their ffore menconed Servants Labors, also my will and desire is that my sonn Robert Reade when my two sonns Benjamin and Thomas doe come to age and Reaceive their Estates, that then they have allowed to each of them by my said sonn Robert, Corn sufficient for one year’s provision for them selves and servants and all their servants sufficiently cloathed.
Itm. My Will and desire is that if itt should please God to take to himself either of my two youngest sonns Benjamin or Thomas before they come to the full age of one and twenty years, That then the Survivor to Injoye and posses whatsoever is given and bequeathed to him that is Deceased, but if itt Should please God that both my said to youngest sonns should Dye before they cum to Age as aforesaid that then my sonns Robert and ffrancis Reade doe posses and injoye whatsoever is given and bequeathed unto my two Sonns Benjamin and Thomas to be equally Divided between them.
Itm. It is my will and Desire and I doe hereby give and bequeath unto my son Robert Reade all my Stock of Cattle sheep, horses, hoggs, goods Chattles, Debts, bills mdse and accounts whatsoever is may or shall be or belong to me nott being already bequeathed to any p’son before expressed. In this my last Will and Testament, nominating appointing and declaring my well beloved Sonn Robert Read the Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament.
It is my Will and Desire that my well beloved Sonn Mr. Thomas Chisman, Mr. Edward Noss and Mr. Thomas Barbar be overseers to See that this my last Will and Testament be Carefully and Truly pperformed.
Signed and Sealed in the presence of
David Condon Tho. Periman Charles his X mark A. Allen Elizabeth Reade (X) Seale
Jan’ury the 24th 1686-7.
