Fridesweed (Smith) Brownlow W10:66Will of
Bermuda. In the Name of God Amen. I Fridisweed Brownlow of St David's Island in the Parish of St George, widow, being sick and weak in Body, but of sound and disposing Mind and memory do make and publish this my Last Will and Testament in Manner and Form following, that is to say:
Imprimis. I will that all my just debts and Funeral Expenses be fully paid and satisfied. Item, I give and Devise all that my Mansion House together with the Land whereon the same stands, and also the yard, and all the land between the said house and the Land of Jonathan Burch Esq. unto my two grand children, Benjamin Brownlow and Fridisweed Brownlow, to hold the one Moiety of such House, Lands, & yard to him, my said grandson Benjamin and to the Heirs of his body lawfully to be begotten forever, and for default of such Heirs, then to my said Grand Daughter Fridisweed, and to the Heirs of her Body lawfully to be begotten for ever. To Hold the other Moiety of such House, Lands, & yard to her, my said grand daughter Fridisweed, and to the Heirs of her Body lawfully to be begotten for ever; and for Default of such Heirs, then to my nephew, John Smith, and to his Heirs and Assigns for ever.
Item. Whereas I am possessed of a certain Piece or Tract of Land supposed to contain five acres on a part of which the above devised House stands, the one Moiety of which said Piece or Tract of Land was given to me by my honored Parents, Christopher & Elizabeth Smith; and the other Moiety of siad Piece or Tract of Land was by me purchased of and from my Uncle and Aunt Paul & Mary Vaughan, the whole of which said Piece or Tract of Land was by my honored Grand Father, Thomas Stowe, given to them, his two daughters, teh said Elizabeth and Mary, I therefore Give and Devise all the aforesaid Piece or Tract of Land, so supposed to be five acres, to be the same more or less (except such Part thereof as I have afore devised with my said Mansion House) unto my aforenamed two Grand Children, Benjamin Brownlow and Fridisweed Brownlow, to hold that Moiety, so given to me by my said honored Parents, unto him, my said Grandson Benjamin, and to his heirs of his body lawfully begotten for ever; and for the default of such heirs, then to my said Grand Daughter Fridisweed, and to the Heirs of her Body lawfully begotten for ever, and for Default of such heirs, then to my nephew Thomas Smith, and to his Heirs and Assigns for ever. To hold that other Moiety so by me purchased from my Uncle and Aunt, unto her my said Grand Daughter Fridisweed, and to the Heirs of her Body lawfully begotten for ever; and for Default of such heirs, then to my Grandson Benjamin, and to his heirs of his Body lawfully begotten for ever; and for Default of such heirs, then to my nephew John Smith, and to his Heirs and Assigns for ever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my said Grandson Benjamin Brownlow, those my two Negroes, the one called Sary, the other called Davy; my several pieces of silver following, that is to say; three of my new tablespoons, and old tablespoon, a pair of Tea Tongs, a Porringer, adn a Tweezer Case, and also my largest Cedar Chest.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my said Grand Daughter Fridisweed, the sum of twenty pounds current Money; those my two Negroes, the one called old Bess, teh other called Little Bess, the several pieces of my silver following, that is to say; Three of my new Table Spoons, six tea spoons, a pair of tea tongs, a Grater, a scissors chain, a needle case, a Thimble, a pair of shoe Buckles and a Pepper Box, and also my Cedar Box, my six china plates, and all my wearing apparel.
Item, All the Rest and Residue of my Personal Estate, of what Nature and kind soever, or wheresoever, I Give and Bequeath equally between my aforesaid two grand Children, Benjamin Brownlow and Fridisweed Brownlow.
item. I will and order that all the timber growing on my said Lands, at the Discreton. order and direction of my Executor, be cut down and Sold by him; and that the money arising by the Sale thereof, be, by him, divided between my two Grand Children, Benjamin and Fridisweed Brownlow.
Item, In order the Better to secure to my said Grand Daughter Fridisweed, what I have in this way my last Will devised and bequeathed to her, it is my Will and Desire, that my Executor retain in His hands, all such Legacys and other Personal Estate, which I have before in this my Will bequeathed to my said Grandson, Benjamin Brownlow, until he sahll have given to my said Executor such Security as in the Discretion of my said Executor, shall be thought requisite, necessary or needful, that my said Grand Daughter Fridisweed Brownlow and her lawful Issue, or either of them, shall peacably have, hold, occupy and enjoy all and singular what I have in and by this my last Will either devised or bequeathed unto her, without the Hindrance Disturbance or Molestation of him, my said Grandson.
Lastly, I hereby Constitute and appoint my trusty Friend Jonathan Burch Esq, my sole Executor of this my Last Will & Testament, hereby revoking all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made; Ratifying, allowing and Confirming this and none other to be my Last Will and testament. In witness whereof I the said fridisweed Brownlow have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirtieth Day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy six.
Signed, sealed, published pronounced and declared by the said Fridisweed Brownlow as and for her last Will and testament, in
the presence of us, Who have subscribed our names as Witnesses thereto.
Benjamin Hayward
John Sawyer
Sarah Skinner
Bermuda Alias Somers Islands
By His Excellency William Browne Esq, Governor & Ordinary of these Islands.L S I do hereby certify that this 28th Day of August 1783 before me the Governor and ordinary aforesaid personally came and appeared Mrs Sarah Hayward (formerly Sarah Skinner), one of the subscribing witnesses to the within instrument of writing, who solemnly made Oath on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, that she saw Fridisweed Brownlow make her mark to, and seal and execute the same as and for her last Will and testament, and that the Time thereof, teh testrix was of sound and disposing mind and memory to the best of her (the deponent's) judgement And that hse also saw Benjamin Hayward and John Sawyer subscribe their Names as Witnesses therein.
In testimony, whereof I the Governor and Ordinary have hereunto set my hand and seal at Arms the day and year above Written.
By His Excellency's Command
Henry Tucker Jun'r, Secretary