AAFA Wills
WILL OF MATTHIAS ALFORD

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.