Will of William Shockley
Wicomico Co., Maryland
December 24, 1872
I, William Shockley of Wicomico County in the State of Maryland do make publish and declare this to be my last Will & Testament in manner & form following.
First, I give, devise & bequeath to my son Christopher C. Shockley the land - except so much thereof as I shall hereinafter devise - which I bought of Benjamin Gravenor & wife and Elizabeth Russell conveyed to me by Deed dated 10th day of May A.D. 1856 and by another Deed of later date - containing about Thirty acres more or less together with two acres of the home place. Said two acres to be laid off on the line between me & William Bacon commencing about three hundred yards from the Eastward end thereof - to be equal in front to the breadth of two square acres to him the said Christopher during his natural life. And at his death to the child or children of the said Christopher, then living - and if the said Christopher die without a child or children living at the time of his death I will devise & bequeath the said lands to the children then living of the said Christopher's brothers & sisters equally. Share and Share alike.
Item 2nd. I give devise and bequeath the farm whereon I now live - except so much thereof as is herein before and after devised - to my two Sons, Benjamin Jackson Shockley and Sylvester Stewart Shockley as tenants in common during their natural lives, and as the death of either of them, the share devised to him to go to his child or children then living and if either of said sons shall die without a child or children living at the time thereof, I will devise & bequeath such share to the children then living of his brothers & sisters equally Share & Share alike.
Item 3rd. I give devise & bequeath to my son Thomas B. Shockley the sum of two hundred & seventeen dollars for which I hold his Promissory Note - the said note being for the purchase money on the house & lot which he purchased of me and where he now lives - together with twenty one acres of the home place where I now live to be laid of and located as he & my two sons Benjamin Jackson & Sylvester Stewart may agree upon: and if they cannot agree as to the location then Benjamin Jackson & Sylvester Stewart shall choose a man and Thomas B. shall choose a man and these two men thus chosen with power to select a third or umpire Shall locate the same - to him the said Thomas B. Shockley during his natural life and at his death to his child or children and if he die without a child or children living at the time thereof then to the children of his brothers & sisters - then living equally Share and Share alike.
Item 4th. I give devise & bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth D. Bennett the sum of Eighty cents per month during her natural life to be paid to her by my three sons, Thomas B., Benjamin J. & Sylvester S. - each to pay the one third part thereof and in case she should become afflicted and not able to take care of herself for my said three sons to provide for & take care of her.
Item 5th. I give devise & bequeath to my daughter Sarah Caroline Bennett, six acres of my home place to be laid off on the North side of the long branch & adjoining the lands of A. H. Bradley & running towards the said Bradleys home place together with two acres of the land which I bought of Benjamin Gravenor & wife & Elizabeth Russell and adjoining the lot on the eastward side thereof which formerly belonged to my deceased son Napoleon Shockley - to her the said Sarah Caroline during her natural life and then to her child or children then living and if she should die without a child or children living at the time thereof then I will devise & bequeath said lands to the children then living of her brothers & sisters - equally Share & Share alike.
Item 6th. I give devise & bequeath to my daughter Alberta Maloney Vincent eight acres of my said home place to be laid off on the westward side thereof, adjoining the lands of Obediah Darby & William W. Bennett and extending from the corner of said Darbys Land to a certain pine where the lands of Isaac L. English intersect said line - to her during her natural life and at her death to her child or children then living and if she should die without child or children - living at the time thereof I will devise & bequeath said land then living of her brothers and sisters equally Share & Share alike.
Item 7th. I give devise & bequeath to my wife Eleanor Shockley one bed, bedstead & furniture belonging thereto - her choice - in addition to the one third or dower interest in my estate allowed her by Law.
Item 8th. I give devise & bequeath to my daughter Alberta Maloney Vincent one bed - bedstead & furniture belonging thereto.
Item 9th. I give devise & bequeath to each of my three sons Thomas B., Benjamin J., Sylvester S. one bed - bedstead & furniture belonging thereto.
Item 10th. I give devise & bequeath to my seven children herein before named the lot of ground with the improvements thereon which formerly belonged to my deceased son Napoleon Shockley.
Item 11th. I give devise & bequeath the residue of my estate - both real & personal - after my debts are paid to be equally divided amongst my seven children herein before named Share & Share alike.
Item 12th. And lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint James B. Armstrong to be Executor of this my last Will & Testament revoking and annulling all former Wills by me made heretofore and ratifying and confirming this & none other to be my last Will & Testament.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty fourth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy two.
William Shockley (seal)
Signed Sealed & delivered in the presence of us by the Testator aforesaid as his last Will & Testament, who at his request and in his presence, and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto.
William F. Wilson, William Howard, Thomas W. Wilson
Whereas I, William Shockley am desirous to change the provisions of my last Will &Testament dated on the twenty fourth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & seventy two I do hereby make this Codicil thereto.
Whereas I did constitute & appoint James B. Armstrong to be Sole Executor of my said Will. Now I do by this my Codicil constitute & appoint my son Benjamin Jackson Shockley to be joint Executor with the said James B. Armstrong of my said Will as fully and effectually as if they the said James B. Armstrong & Benjamin Jackson Shockley had both bee orriginally in my said Will constituted & appointed joint Executor thereof. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this eighth day of December in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred & seventy four.
William Shockley (seal)
Signed Sealed published and declared by William Shockley the above named testator as & for a Codicil to his last Will &Testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence & in the presence of each other have hereunto set our hands as witnesses thereto.
Thomas B. Taylor, George W. Kennerley, Joseph F. Wilson
I Hereby Certify, that the within and foregoing Will & Codicil is truly copied from the original, now on file and of record in the Office of the Register of Wills for Wicomico County aforesaid.
In Testimony Whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name and affix the Seal of the Orphan's Court of Wicomico County, this 27th day of August A. D., 1875
William Birckhead
Reg. of Wills for Wicomico County.
