Jacob Westall Ridgley I (1744 - 1815)

In the name of God Amen, I Jacob Ridgely of Frederick County in the State of Maryland, being in perfect health of body, and of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, considering the certainty of death, and the uncertainty of the time thereof 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 mehence, 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 Executors herein after named and after my debts and funeral expenses are paid, I devise & bequeath as follows - I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Ruth Ridgely for and during her natural life, all my tract of Land called and known by the name of "Leave it so" lying in the County aforesaid, also all that part of my land called "Philips Luck" and that part called "Matthew's Good Will", I also give to my said wife for and during the term aforesaid [that is to say, during her natural life] all my personal property of every kind whatsoever including therein one share in a fire insurance company of Baltimore Town, which I hold, by whatever name the same may be called, and at her decease, It is my will that the whole of the aforesaid property be equally divided among my children by name, Jacob, William, Westall, Sarah, Ruth, Greenbury, Thomas, Martha, Eli, and Hezekaih, share and share alike.

Item. I will and direct that, that Tract of my land called and known by the name of "The Fair Thing" be sold by my executors hereinafter named, at or within one year after my decease, to the best advantaged for the whole concerned, and the Net proceeds thereof to be by them equally divided among my said ten children, by name Jacob, William, Westal, Sarah, Ruth, Greenbury, Thomas, Eli, Martha, and Hezekiah, share and share alike.

Item, I will and devise to my son Jacob Ridgely, over and above his share of my Estate above given to him, all that part of a tract of Land belonging to me and now in my possession called "Fair View" containing about fifty acres more or less, he the said Jacob paying into my Estate twenty dollars per acre for the same, for the number of acres it may be found to contain on actual survey to be equally divided among my ten children as above, share and share alike. Item. It is my Will and desire that no letter testamentary be taken out on my Estate during the life of my wife, provided the same can be fairly & equitably settled with out - And lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint my before named two sons Jacob Ridgely and William Ridgely , to be my Executors of this my last Will and Testament whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this twenty-fourth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eleven."

Signed, Sealed published and declared by Jacob Ridgely the above named Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us, who at his request, in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses there to: Patrick McGill, James Torrance, George Willyard.