Don’t you love the old Maryland wills?  Property was named, giving easy access down through the years.  Most wrote very detailed wills, leaving pieces of property to their children, along with family treasures.  The will of Colonel Samuel Magruder is no different.  He even leaves part of a sailing ship to some of his children!  At first, I thought the name of the ship was Purtuxson – as written in the will.  After a bit of research, I realized that it was a merchant ship on the Patuxent River! 

Colonel Samuel Magruder was the son of Alexander Magruder, the immigrant from Scotland, and his first wife, Sarah Braithwaite.  Samuel was born about 1661 and married Sarah Beall, daughter of Ninian Beall. 

Samuel and Sarah had twelve children – seven sons and five daughters – Samuel, who married Eleanor Wade; Ninian, who married Elizabeth Brewer; John, who married Susannah Smith; James, who married Barbara Coombs; Alexander, who married Ann Wade; Nathaniel, who married Susannah Blizzard; Elizabeth, who married first Ninian Beall, Jr., and secondly William Beall; Sarah, who married William Selby; Verlinda, who married John Beall; Mary, who married George Claggett; and Eleanor, who married Nehemiah Wade. 

At his death Samuel Magruder owned five pieces of land – Good Luck, Dunblane, Turkey Cock Branch, Alexandria and Magruder’s Delight.  Samuel Magruder received Good Luck and Magruder’s Delight from his father’s will.  The other pieces of land belonged to his father.  Perhaps these were purchased from one or more of Samuel’s brothers.

All sons were fairly young. It is mentioned that ‘if any of my son’s die without issue’ then the land is to be divided between the remaining brothers.  ‘John, James, William, Alexander and Nathaniel shall work for themselves at the age of sixteen years’, meaning they were younger than that age.  Elizabeth and Sarah were young – they were given money ‘to buy a gown and petticoat.’

When Samuel Magruder died 1710/1711, all twelve children were mentioned in his will.  At the death of his wife Sarah in 1734, three children were deceased – Nathaniel, Sarah and Mary, who married George Claggett

Samuel Magruder’s Will – written November 23, 1710, probated April 16, 1711

Prince George’s County Wills 1698 Pages 46-48

In the name of God, amen, I, Samuel Magruder, of Prince George’s County in ye Province of Maryland, being sick of body but in perfect mind and memory, praise be therefore given unto God, and considering the uncertainty of this life do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is to say, my soul I commend into the hands of Almighty God, hoping through the merits and passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ, to receive full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins at ye last hoping to inherit eternal life and to ye praise of God and the comfort of my immortal soul, which cannot die, my body I commit unto the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named and touching what temporal estate it hath pleased God to bestow upon me, I give and bequeath as followeth. 

Imprimis.  It is my will and pleasure in this my last will and testament that all my funeral charges and also all other just debts due from me to any person or person by bill or otherwise however, be duly and honestly paid without suit or settles of law by my well beloved wife Sary Magruder, whom I do leave and appoint and ordain to be my sole executor over my whole estate. 

First, I bequeath unto my loving wife Sary Magruder my now dwelling plantation and the land belonging unto it during her natural life, to occupy, possess and make use of to the best of her advantage and after her decease I give and bequeath unto my son Samuel Magruder said plantation with two hundred acres of land

belonging to it, being the uppermost part of a tract of land called Good Luck unto him and his heirs forever. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son Samuel Magruder one hundred acres of land, it being called by the name of Magruder’s Delight and the plantation belonging to it, unto him and his heirs forever. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son Ninian Magruder a plantation that was my brother John Magruder’s and the three hundred acres of land belonging unto it, it being the uppermost part of a tract of land called Alexandria, unto him and his heirs forever. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son John Magruder the tract of land called Dunblane with its plantation and two hundred and fifty acres of land, to him and his heirs forever. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son James Magruder a plantation that John Colle lives on and three hundred acres of land belonging unto it unto him and his heirs forever.  I give unto my son William Magruder all that tract of land called Turkey Cock Branch with one hundred and ninety-three acres of land belonging unto it unto him and his heirs forever. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son Alexander Magruder one hundred acres of land, it being part of a tract of land called Good Luck, unto him and his heirs forever. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son Alexander Magruder an eighth part of the Patuxent Merchant Ship unto him and his heirs forever. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son Alexander ten thousand pounds of tobacco for to be shipped home this year and with the produce for to buy a piece of land for him. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son Nathaniel Magruder one hundred acres of land, it being part of a tract of land called Good Luck unto him and his heirs forever. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son Nathaniel Magruder the eighth part of the Patuxent Merchant Ship unto him and his heirs forever. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son Nathaniel Magruder ten thousand pounds of tobacco for to be shipped home this year and with the produce for to buy a piece of land for him. 

Item.  My will is that in case any of my sons Samuel, Ninian, John, James, William, Alexander or Nathaniel Magruder shall die without issue that then the deceased his land to be equally divided between the other six brothers. 

Item.  My will is that my five sons John, James, William, Alexander and Nathaniel shall work for themselves at the age of sixteen years. 

Item.  I will and bequeath one third part of my personal estate unto my loving wife Sary Magruder. 

Item.  I will and bequeath unto my two daughters, Elizabeth Magruder and Sary Magruder, ten pounds for to buy them a gown and petticoat. 

Item.  I will and bequeath unto my five sons John, James, William, Alexander and Nathaniel Magruder and my three daughters Verlinda, Mary and Eleanor Magruder, the two thirds of my personal estate unto them and their heirs forever. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my sons Samuel, Ninian and John Magruder one lot at Marlborough Town containing one acre of land and lot number forty-eight unto them and their heirs forever. 

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my four sons James, William, Alexander and Nathaniel Magruder one lot of land at Marlborough Town containing one acre of land lot number three unto them and their heirs forever. 

Item.  My will is that what goods I have sent for out of England should be accounted of as in my personal estate and my dear wife to have her thirds of them and do order and appoint my brother Alexander Magruder and my brother Nathaniel Magruder and my brother John Pottenger to be overseers of this my last will and testament.

And lastly I do want this to be my last will and all other formerly made to be void and of no affect, as witness my hand and seal this twenty-third day of November in the year of our Lord god one thousand seven hundred ten.

Samuel Magruder

Signed, sealed, pronounced and declared that this is the last will and testament of Samuel Magruder in the presence of Edward Willett, Tabitha Willet, Ann Smith

On the back of this will was endorsed to wit.  April 16 day 1711

Then came Edward Willett, Tabitha Willett and Anne Smith before me.  Benjamin Berry, Deputy Commissioner of Prince George’s County and made oath upon the holy Evangels that they were evidenced to the within will and were at the signing and sealing the same and that the within Samuel Magruder was in his right sense and memory at the same time to the best of their knowledge and he owned this to be his last will and testament.  Sworn before me, Benjamin Berry, Deputy Commission, Prince George’s County

Sarah Magruder’s Will, Prince George’s County Will I Pages 235-236

In the name of God, amen.  I, Sarah Magruder, of Prince George’s County, in the Province of Maryland, widow, being well and in health of body and of sound, disposing mind and memory, praised by almighty God.  Therefore, considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof, do make and declare these presents for and as my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is to say, first and principally my soul I recommend into the hands of Almighty, my creator, who gave it, trusting and assuredly believing that in and through the alone merits and mediation of my blessed Savior and redeemer Jesus Christ, to obtain free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and life everlasting in the world to come, my body I commit to the earth from whence it came, to be decently interred at the discretion of my executors hereafter named.  And as to the disposing of my worldly estate wherewith God of his goodness hath blessed me in this world, after my just debts and funeral expenses being there out first paid and satisfied, I give and dispose thereof in manner and form following.

Imprimis.  My land called Headache lying in the eastern branch of the Potomac, containing three hundred acres, I will and bequeath to be equally divided between my daughter Eleanor Wade, wife of Nehemiah Wade, and Sarah Claggett, daughter of George Claggett and my daughter Mary Claggett, deceased, and the heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten and to be begotten forever.  My said daughter Eleanor Wade to have new quarter on the said land and

woodland ground thereunto, conveniently adjoining the whole to contain one hundred and fifty acres and the said Sarah Claggett to have the plantation lately in possession of the said George Claggett and the remainder of the said land to go to the survivor and the heirs of her body lawfully begotten forever.

Item.  I will and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Beall, wife of William Beall, one silver tankard to her own use, benefit and disposal.

Item.  I will and bequeath unto my daughter Verlinda Beall, one silver tankard to her own use, benefit and disposal.

Item.  I will and bequeath unto my daughter Eleanor Wade two silver tumblers, two silver salts and six silver spoons, to her own use, benefit and disposal.

Time.  I will and bequeath unto Mary Edmonson six silver spoons.

Item.  I will and bequeath unto William Selby, son of William Selby, six silver spoons and one Negro girl.

Item.  I will and bequeath unto Sarah Magruder, daughter of Ninian Magruder, my son, one Negro man called Will.

Item.  I will and bequeath unto John Magruder, son of my said son Ninian Magruder, one mulatto boy named Bailey.

Item.  I will and bequeath unto Samuel Beall, son of Ninian Beall, deceased, one Negro boy named Batchelor, now in possession of the said Samuel Beall.

Item.  I will unto the said Sarah Claggett one Negro girl.

Item.  I will and bequeath unto my sons and daughters, John, James, Verlinda, Alexander and Eleanor each one working Negro. 

All the rest and residue of my personal estate not before bequeathed I will and bequeathed to be equally divided between my sons and daughters Samuel, Ninian, Elizabeth, John, James, Verlinda, William, Alexander and Eleanor and my said granddaughter Sarah Clagett.

Lastly, I do hereby revoke, make null and void all former wills by me at any time heretofore made, ratifying and confirming these prints for and as my last will and testament and do hereby nominate, ordain and constitute and appoint my son John Magruder and John Beall, Executors of this my last will and testament.  In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this sixteenth day of January in the year of our Lord God one thousand seven hundred thirty-one.

Sarah Magruder

Signed, sealed, published and declared in the presence of John Baldwin Adamson, Ann Adamson, Rupert Butler.

Prince George’s County Court May the 9^th 1734.  Then came John Baldwin Adamson and Ann Addamson and made oath on the holy Evangelist of Almighty God that they saw the said Sarah Magruder seal, sign and deliver above instrument of writing and acknowledge the same to be her last will and testament.  Sworn before us David Crawford, Thomas Claggett

On the back of this will was endorsed to wit September the 28^th 1734.  Then came John Baldwin Adamson and Ann Adamson and being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God declared and said they saw Sarah Magruder the deceased testator sign the foregoing will and heard her publish and declare the same to be her last will and testament and at the presence of and at her request they subscribed the same as evidence and they believe the other subscribing evidence saw and heard the same as they did.  Sworn before Pat Dent, Deputy Commissions of Prince George’s County.