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

In the name of God Amen. I, William Berry, of Prince George's County in the State of Maryland, being weak of body but of sound memory and understanding, make this my last will and testament. In the first place I bequeath my body to the ground and my soul to God, who gave it, and in the next place I do devise and order that all my debts shall be punctually and regularly paid. In the next place I dispose of my fortune in the following manner, vizt. I give and bequeath to Richard Berry the five following negroes. vizt. negro Sybert, negro Toby, a negro wench called Pegg with her offspring consisting of two boys, Edenburg and Herry. To Jeremiah Berry, son of Richard, [I] bequeath five hundred acres of land which I hold in joint tenancy with Thos Contee and Rezin Beall laying in the County of Greenbrier and State of Virginia. Likewise to Jeremiah Berry, son of the late Reverend Jeremiah Berry, the same quantity of the same land, that is to say, five hundred acres. To William Berry, youngest son of the late Reverend Jeremiah Berry, five hundred acres of the same land. To Mildred Berry, Jemima Berry, & Polly Berry one hundred pounds each. To Letty Marshall a negro wench named Verlinda and her daughter Lucy. And with regard to the remainder of the estate that God hath blessed me with I devise and bequeath it, both real and personal, to a natural son by a certain Ann Warman, now by marriage Ann Benson[Vinson], who was regularly baptized by the name of William Berry Warman. Whereas there are three thousand acres of land belonging to me on the Ohio River & I have disposed of fifteen hundred acres of the same & I intend one thousand for my son above mentioned, my desire and intention is that the remaining five hundred acres shall go and be given to Walter Story Chandler and his heirs forever. Wm Berry

Signed, sealed, published, and delivered as the last will and testament of William Berry before the following witnesses this 2d June 1784.

John Steuart, John F. A. Priggs, Arch'd Boyd, Thomas Marshall.

On the back of which was thus written: Prince George's County, August 30th, 1784, then came John Steuart, John F.A. Priggs, Archibald Boyd, and Thomas Marshall, the four subscribing witnesses to the within last will and testament of William Berry, late of Prince George's County, deceased, in their proper persons here in court and severally made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God that they did see the testator therein named sign and seal this will and that they heard him publish, pronounce, 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 his apprehension of sound and disposing mind, memory, and understanding, and that they respectively subscribed their names as witnesses to this will in the presence and at the request of the testator and in the presence of each other.

Hugh Lyon, DRW PG Coty

Source: Prince George’s County Register of Wills (Wills) 1770-1793, T#1:197. MSA C 1326-3