Will of Charles Harding
Montgomery County, Maryland
Book B: 448
Written 12 February 1790; Filed 14 February 1792

“In the Name of God Amen, I Charles Harding of Montgomery County in the State of Maryland being weak in body, but of sound mind, memory and understanding considering the certainty of Death and the uncertainty of the time there of and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall Please God to call me hence, do therefore make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following, that is to say, first and principally I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God, and my body to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executrix herein after named after my Debts and funeral charges are paid, I devise and bequeath as follows –

Item – I give and bequeath to my dear wife Eleanor Harding for and during the time of her living my widow the whole of my Estate, both Real and personal, and if it should increase or decrease from (unavoidable causes) the said profit or loss to be the gain or loss of my legatees hereafter named –

Item – It is further my will and desire and I do order and direct – that after the death or Marriage of my wife Eleanor Harding which shall first happen that the whole of my Estate both real and personal be sold at Public Auction by my Eldest son then living and the money arising there from be equally divided amongst my two daughters, namely, Millisent and Jocaster, and my nine sons, Namely William, Clement, John, Elias, Nachel, Benjamin, Lewis, Rezin and Charles to them and their Heirs each an equal dividend share and share alike.

And Lastly – I do hereby constitute and appoint my dear wife Eleanor Harding to be sole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore made ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last Will and Testament –

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this Twelfth day of February Anno Domini One thousand seven hundred and ninety

Signed, sealed, published and declared                                                 Chaˢ Harding [seal]
By Charles Harding the above named
Testator, as and for his last Will and
Testament, in presence of us who at his
Request and in his presence have subscribed
Our names as witnesses thereto

Thoˢ Cramphin
Edward Harding
Erasmus Perry

Montgomery County Ss. The 14^th day of February 1792 then came Thomas Cramphin and Edward Harding two of the subscribing witnesses to the within last will and Testament of Charles Harding late of said County deceased and severally made Oath on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God that they did see the Testator herein named sign and seal this will and that they heard him publish pronounce and declare the same to be his last Will and Testament and at the time of his so doing he was to the best of their apprehension of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding and that they and Erasmus Perry the other subscribing witness to this Will respectively subscribed their names to this will in the presence and at the request of the Testator and in the presence of each other

Certified by Samᴵ Turner Register”

©2014 transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/10/09/will-of-charles-harding/