A will can be one of the most informative documents when researching family history. And then sometimes, if you are lucky, you will find a little more family history than expected, where they are buried, what they were thinking and what was important to them as they considered their demise. All with a little personality divulging itself, were these directions followed?
In the will of Jeremiah Banning who died in 1799 he requested “to be buried by those of Nicholas Goldsborough and my mother and a tombstone to be erected over each of them. The former died November 14th 1756 in the 52nd year of his age, the latter died November 11th 1767. Myself was born March 25th 1733. I desire that the burying place be enclosed with stone or brick without delay.”
Samuel Keene D.D. who died in 1818 wishes to be “buried in the family burying ground in my orchard at Long Marsh in Caroline County.” And makes a devise to “Sarah Keene my adopted daughter, the daughter of my brother Vachel Keene and wife of Charles Goldsborough”
Mary Ann Turbutt Goldsborough in 1811 states very specific burial directions – she requested “my poor remains be entombed at Ashely near my honoured mother, only my friends, relations and the poor may attend my funeral” she then added a codicil requesting her executors "to lay out and build of strong brick a wall around the grave yard at Ashely and build a roof over the whole ground that contains the remains of my dear departed parents and friends as soon as materials can be collected for the purpose.”
Robert Goldsborough who died in 1798 directs his executors to “sell the negroes – those the least beneficial and most contentious and troublesome to the family” and mentions the family bible “my grandfather registered his marriage….”
John Leeds Kerr in 1844 only asked to be decently interred in the family burying ground on his farm called Belleville in Oxford Neck.
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