WILL OF GABRIEL COOPER
SOMERSET CO., MARYLAND
FEBRUARY 02, 1736
In the Name of God Amen this the second day of February in the year of our Lord God thousand seven hundred and thirty six , I Gabriel Cooper of Barron Creek in the County of Somerset being very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God for it therefore calling into mind the Mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed for all man once to Die do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament that is to say Principally and first of all I give and Recommend my Soul into the hands of God that gave it and for my Body I Recommend it to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the fame again by the Mighty Power of God and as touching such Worldly Estate who with it hath pleased God to Bless me in this life I give and devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form -
Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my son Gabriel Cooper one hundred acres of land lying on the north side of the Millbranch it being part of a tract of land called Bedford to him and his heirs
Imprimis I give unto my son Samuel Cooper one hundred one acres of land being part of the same tract called Bedford with his improvements to him and his heirs
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Isaack Cooper one hundred acres of land with his improvements being part of the same tract of land called Bedford to him and his heirs
Item I give unto my son Thomas Cooper two hundred acres of land with the Plantation I now live on being part of the land called Bedford to him and his heirs after the decease of my wife Ann Cooper
Item I give to my son Thomas Cooper one feather bed and bolster and one rugg one pair of blankets and one pair of shoots and one iron pott which he thinks fitt to chose
Item I give unto my son Gabriel Cooper and Samuel Cooper and Isaack Cooper and Ann Cottman and Phillis Clarkson and Sarah Taylor one shilling a piece sterling to be reised and levied out of my estate after my decease
Item I give unto my dearly beloved wife Ann Cooper her third part of my estate after the legaces paid
Item my desire is that my son James Cooper and Thomas Cooper and Betty Houfington the wife of Jonathan Houfington to have the personal estate to be equally divided between those ? after my wife third
Item I ordain my son Thomas Cooper my only and sole executor of this my Last Will and Testament ? disallow revoke and disannull all and every other former Wills Legacies and Executors by me in anyways before. This time named willed and bequeathed ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament In witness where of I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written
As witness my hand and seal
Gabriel Cooper (seal)
Signed Sealed published pronounced and declared by the said Gabriel Cooper as his Last Will and Testament in the presents of us the subscribers
Testes
James I Tuley (his mark)
Thomas T. Gravenor (his mark)
William Showdon (his hand)
July the 19th 1737 Came James Tuley and William Showdon and mad oath on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God that they saw the Testator Gabriel Cooper sign and seal and heard him publish pronounce and declare the within instrument of writing to be his Last Will and Testament and that at the time of his ? he was to the best of their understanding he was of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding and they ?? James Tulley and William Showdon subscribed the within Will and futher deposed that they saw the other evidence subscribe at the same time all in the presents and at the request of the testator Gabriel Cooper -
Sworn before Nehemiah King - Depty Com. of Somerset County
Recorded in Lib. T and D Folis 818 - Wm. Roger - Reg.
Recorded in Liber E B #9 folis 199 and 200
Test. Esme Bayly - Reg.
