Captain Berry's Will
Debauchery, Miscegenation, & Family Strife
Among 18th Century Gentry

that he, hearing that Capt. William Berry was sick, he called to see him and found him dressed in his clothes lying on his bed. Docr. Steuart, Archd. Boyd, Thomas Marshall, and one of his nephews was there. He saw the doctor in the other room and asked him how Capt. Berry was. His answer was that he was low-spirited, and he believed that was the chief of his complaint.

Dept. went into the room, spoke to Wm. Berry, and he seemed very glad to see him. Dept. asked him if anything extraordinary was the matter with him. He said he was not long for this world. Dept. cheered him up as well as Dept. could and told him he was accessory to his disorder from the bloated countenance he appeared in. Other conversation passed concerning Mr. Peter Carnes baloon in which Mr. Berry joined in it and appeared to be very cheerful after taking some drops from Docr. Steuart. Mr. Boyd insisted on his taking a dose of the same, which he did. They all went into the hall, and Mr. Wm. Berry seemed as cheerfull as he had been for twelve months past.

After this conversation about the baloon the Dept. was about taking his leave. Wm. Berry begged the Dept. to stay dinner. Dept. told him he had business on hand that he could not stay and begged to be excused. He then asked the Dept. to stay only a few minutes, that he had an instrument of writing to execute and mean time desired the Dept. to refresh himself with some toddy and bread & cheese, which he accordingly did. Mr. Berry then spoke to Mr. Boyd to finish what he had been about. Mr. Boyd brought out a paper from the other room and sat down and began to write. Mr. Berry, standing by him, spoke low and appeared to be dictating to him what was done in about two minutes, and what Mr. Boyd wrote seemed to be near the bottom of the paper.

Mr. Berry then desired this Deponent, Docr. Steuart, & Thomas Marshall to be evidences to what he was doing. Dept. apprehended at first it might be a deed, but seeing the paper not indented, Dept. asked Mr. Berry if that was not his will. He answered it was. He signed it and was going to acknowledge it as his hand & seal. The Dept. told him there was a formality necessary to be observed in executing wills. Dept. repeated to him what it was. Dept. told him that after acknowledging it to be his hand and seal that he must publish and declare it to be his last will & testament. Mr. Berry turned to Mr. Boyd as if he was going to say something to him. Mr. Boyd told him that really that formality was necessary. Mr. Berry then sealed that will and repeated the words "I acknowledge this to be my hand and seal, and publish and declare this to be my last will and testament," and Docr. Jno. Steuart, Thomas Marshall, and the deponent

Source: Prince George’s County Register of Wills (Orphans’ Court Proceedings) 1777-1790, f. 121, MSA C 1275-1