General Notes

Prerogative Court of Maryland
Will Book 27, pp. 395-397

Will of George Dent of St. Mary's Co., MD
dated 5 Apr 1746
probated 7 Jun 1750

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. I George Dent Senr. of St. Marys County in the Province of Maryland planter being sick of Body but of a sound and perfect memory and calling to mind the Uncertainty of this Transitory Life and that it is appointed for all Men once to dye do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in Manner and form following that is to say first and principally I Recommend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping through the Merits and Satisfaction of my Blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ our Lord to receive forgiveness of all my Sins and to Inherit Everlasting Life and Salvation and my Body to the Earth to be decently
Buried at the Discretion of my Exrs. hereafter Named and as touching Such Worldly Estate as it hath pleased God in Mercy to bless me with I Give and dispose thereof in Manner and form following

Imprimis I will that all my Just Debts be duely paid and discharged
Item I give and Bequeath to my Loving Son John Dent One hundred Acres of Land where he now dwells and one Ewe ---
Item I give and Bequeath to my Loving Son George Dent fifty Acres of Land where he now dwells and One Ewe ---
Item I give and Bequeath the Remain[ing] part of my Land to my three youngest Sons that is to say Peter Dent and Thomas Dent and William Dent and the sd. Wm. Dent to have his part where I now Dwell and if one of the three die without heir the Other two to have an Equal part of it ---
Item I give and Bequeath to my Loving Daughter Mary Armstrong one Ewe.
Item I give and Bequeath to my Loving daughter Lidia Dent one feather Bed and Covering --
Item I will that my Loving Daughter Charity Dent may abide at the place where I now dwell as Long as She shall keep the Name of Dent and Nowways Mislested[sic].
Item I give and bequeath to my dearest Wife Mary Dent all my Moveable Estate not before disposed of during her Natural Life and after her death it I [sic] will that it be Equally divided between Peter Dent and Thomas Dent and William Dent and Charity Dent and if one of them Should die without Issue the Others to Enjoy an Equal part --
Lastly I hereby appoint my dearest Wife Mary Dent Sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all and Every former and Other Will or Wills by me made and declaring this only to be my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixt my Seal this 5 day of April Anno Domini 1746

Sealed Signed published and George Dent {Seal}
declared to be the last Will and Testament of George Dent Senr. in the presence of
John (his mark) Hiltun Margit (M her mark) Hiltun On the Back of the foregoing Will
Mary (M her mark) Hiltun was thus Written Sst.

St. Marys County Sst. June ye 7th 1750. Then John Hilton Margret Hilton and Mary Hilton the Subscribing Witnesses to the foregoing Will being duely and Solemnly Sworn on the holy Evangels of Almighty God depose and say that they saw the Testator George Dent sign the foregoing Will and heard him publish and declare
the same to be his last Will and Testament that at the time of his so doing he was to the best of their apprehension of sound and disposing mind and memory and that they subscribed their Respective Names as Witnesses to the said Will in the presence of the sd. Testator and at his Request Sworn to before me
Thos Aisquith Deputy
Comis~ry of St. Marys County

Note: The Prerogative Court of Maryland records do not contain any additional records on the estate of George Dent. Normally for a testate estate there will also be a testamentary bond taken out by the executor with two sureties, an inventory of the personal estate, one or more accounts on the personal estate, and a final distribution of the personal estate