Will of John Boone 1776

Below is a transcribed copy of John Boone's will dated 1776.

In this transcription abbreviations, spellings, and punctuation marks have been preserved. Line breaks also remain intact, as well as column structure. Indentations and spacing are difficult to replicate on the Web and may be distorted or omitted. [?] represents an unknown word.

                            WILL OF
                        JOHN BOONE

In the Name of God Amen I John Boone of Christ Church Parish
now of sound memory do make this my last Will and Testament
Item I Give and bequeath unto my Nephew John Boone Son of
my Brother Thomas Boone & his heirs after the death of my
Mother, my Plantation in Christ Church Parish, Item I Give
my Mother the work of Will and Hagar the Wife of Will, Israel,
Murriar, Gate, hagar the Coock, big Tony Mulatto Frank &
Bob, during her life, I also Give her the use of my boat
Carts & Stock on said plantation during her Life, Item after
the death of my Mother I Give & bequeath unto my Nephew John
Boone Son of my Brother Thomas Boone five negroes Namely
Will, Hagar wife of Will, Israel, Murriar & Gate & their in-
crease, but if the said John Boone dies before my Mother,
then I Give the said five Negroes & their increase to my Ne-
phew Thomas Boone son of my Brother Thomas Boone & his heirs,
I also give my Nephew John Boone, my Boat, Carts, & Stock on
said plantation, Item. I Give to my Nephew Henry White the

        Will of John Boone Page 2.

use of fifty Acres of high Land out of my Plantation in
Prince Frederick's Parish, to be run Square from his House up
the Branch. I also Give him the use of fifty Acres of Swamp
out of said Plantation beginning at the Head of the Lake and
Continue up the Swamp, during the Space of ten years and no
longer Item. I Give & bequeath unto my Nephew William Boone
& the Issue of his Body My Plantation in Prince Frederick's
Parish, but if my Nephew William Boone should not have any
lawfull Issue at the time of his Death, I then give the said
Plantation to my Nephew John Boone Son of my Brother Capers
Boone and his heirs but if he should be dead at the time of
the Death of the said William Boone I then Give the said
Plantation to the Eldest son of my Brother Capers Boone then
Living and his heirs, And I Give all my Stock on said Plan-
tation to my Nephew William Boone Item. I Give and bequeath
the remainder or Residue of my Estate including the Negroes
given to my Mother and not otherways Disposed of with all
their Increase to my Brother Capers Boone and my Nephew Levi
Durand & their heirs, to be Equally divided between them,
out of which I Will that each of them shall pay to my Niece
Mary White Daughter of James White, the sum of four thousand
pounds, and I do farther Will that the money remain in their
Hands they paying her the Interest half Yearly, And I do fur-
ther will that the Money be paid to her in one year after
she is married, and in Case she dies before Marriage I then
Give her full power to dispose of it by Will, as she pleases,
my desire is that my Negroes be Divided in families, and if
it should so happen that it cannot be Equally done that the
Difference be paid in Money, My Will is that my Brother
Capers Boone and my Nephew Levi Durand shall pay all my Debts
and funeral Charges Lastly I do hereby Constitute Nominate
and Appoint my Brother Capers Boone and my Nephew Levi Durand
Executors to this my last Will and testament given under my
hand and Seal this twenty Second Day of June in the Year of
our Lord One thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy three. This
was Signed the fourth day of June One thousand Seven hundred

        Will of John Boone Page 3.

and Seventy Six Witness

        Mary White
        Sarah Gibbes
        Mary White