The Will of John Pottenger -- Prince George's Co., Maryland
My 8th great-grandfather was born possibly in 1661 in Lambourne, Berkshire, England. His christening date was November 29, 1661, and he was the son of Robert Pottenger and Sarah (mnu). John married Mary, whose maiden name is unknown, after immigrating from England to Prince George's County, Maryland. They had a total of 8 children, as far as I know, all of whom were named in his Will, and they were Sarah, Mary, John, Samuel, Robert, Rachael, William, and Verlinda. Other researchers have cited there was another daughter by the name of Jemima, but I haven't found anything to substantiate that information, and why she wasn't mentioned in his Will, is unknown.
Read the Will of Robert Pottenger, my 7th great-grandfather.
My family line from my grandfather, Lionel Howard Hamilton, to John Pottenger:
Lionel H. Hamilton - Noah Frederick Hamilton and Maude Mae McElfresh - Elmore McElfresh and Susannah Margaret Davis - John Wesley McElfresh and Jacintha Elgantine Davis - Bazil McElfresh and Nancy Ann Schreve - Richard McElfresh and Eleanor Magruder - Zadock A. Magruder and Rachael Pottenger - Robert Pottenger and Ann Evans - John Pottenger and Mary (mnu)
Date of Will -- August 2, 1734
Date Proved -- April 7, 1735
In the name of God, Amen, I, John Pottenger, of Prince George’s County, being in good health of body and of sound and perfect mind and memory, praise therefore be given to Almighty God. I do make and ordain this my present last Will and Testament in manner and form following.
First, I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, hoping through the merits, death and passion of Saviour, Jesus Christ, to obtain pardon and forgiving of all my sins and to inherit everlasting life, and my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my sons, Samuel and Robert Pottenger, whom I leave and appoint to be my Administrators over my whole personal estate, and as to such worldly goods as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me, I give and dispose thereof as follows.
Imprimis. It is my will that all my just debts and funeral charges be paid without suite of law or trouble by my Administrators above mentioned.
Item. It is my will that my sons, Samuel and Robert Pottenger, have all my negroes into their part of my personal estate if they think good to keep them.
Item. I give to my sons, Samuel and Robert Pottenger, all my wearing apparel.
Item. I give unto my sons, Samuel and Robert Pottenger, my house at Queen Anne Town with all my coopers and carpenters tools to them and their heirs forever.
Item. I give unto my son, Samuel Pottenger, twenty acres of land being on the north and east side of that one hundred and eighty acres of land I have some time ago conveyed to him by deed of gift, beginning at a bounded red oak standing at the end of the fifth line of the aforesaid land and running thence north with the said land ninety two perches, then east thirty five perches, then south ninety two perches, then west to the first tree to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give unto my grandsons, Samuel and Robert Pottenger, the sons of my son, Samuel Pottenger, the sum of thirty one pounds, ten shillings sterling, each of them.
Item. I give unto my grandson, Robert Pottenger, the son of my son, Robert Pottenger, my now dwelling plantation with one hundred and twenty six acres of land thereunto belonging to him and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten in marriage forever.
Item. I give unto my grandson, William Pottenger, the son of my son, William Pottenger, deceased, whereon his father lived on with one hundred and twenty three acres of land, it being the northeast part of my land to him and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten in marriage forever.
Item. It is my will that the land before given to my grandson, William Pottenger, be kept in the possession of my Administrators without predjudice to the land til he arrives at the age of sixteen years and then to have liberty to work on and make use of his land and the rents becoming due for the use thereof be applied to educate and bring up my said grandson, William Pottenger, and keep the houses on the said land in repair til come to the age aforesaid.
Item. It is my will that if my grandson, William Pottenger, die without heirs of his body as before mentioned then that his land before left him be equally divided between my two sons, Samuel and Robert Pottenger, and their heirs forever.
Item. I give unto my grandson, John Purnell, the son of my daughter, Rachael, one hundred acres of land lying on the north of Watt’s Branch that falleth into Potomac River called Newberry to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give unto my grandson, Richard Purnell, the brother of John Purnell, one hundred acres of land called The Remainder of Five Hundred Acres, which I bought of Nathaniel Wickham, Jr., to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give to my daughter, Verlinda Wade, two hundred acres of land called As Good As We Could Get binding on the Maddy Branch that falleth into Potomac River, to her and the heirs of her body forever.
Item. It is my will that my Administrators pay to the Rev. John Orme my subscription for one year although my death may happen before the time of the year that he began his ministry amongst us.
Item. I give to my granddaughter, Sarah Pottenger, the daughter of my son, John Pottenger, deceased, the sum of eight pounds.
Item. I hereby make void all my back debts against my children.
Item. It is my will that there being due to my granddaughter, Sarah Pottenger, one hundred thirty three pounds, sixteen shillings, and eleven pence, that the same be kept in my Administrators hands to pay her when she lawfully demands it.
Item. I give the remainder part of my personal estate to be divided equally in seven parts and that my sons, Samuel and Robert Pottenger, my daughters, Sarah Isaac, Rachael Purnell, and Verlinda Wade, have five of the aforesaid seven parts equally divided amongst them in Spetia and that the other two parts be kept in my Administrators hands and one part of the two paid to my son, William Pottenger’s, children in money according to inventory when they come to the age of sixteen years and the other part of the seven be kept in my Administrators hands and paid to my daughter, Mary Holmes’s, children in money according to inventory when they arrive at the age of sixteen years.
Item. It is my will that the part of my estate before left to my grandson, William Pottenger, although it is expressed that my Administrators shall pay it at sixteen years of age to him, it shall be with this proviso that he make no use it in bargaining without the consent of his uncle Pottengers otherwise to be paid him when he arrives at the age of twenty years.
Item. It is my desire that my neighbors, John Lamar and Francis Hall, do overlook and see this my Will performed, revoking and making void all former Wills by me made.
Signed, sealed, acknowledged, and delivered this second day of August one thousand seven hundred and thirty four in the presence of us:
John Lamar
Francis Hall
Thomas T. Mullikin
John Pottenger (his seal)
On the back of this Will was endorsed to wit April 7th, 1735, then came John Lamar, Francis Hall, and Thomas Mullikin, the three subscribing evidences to the foregoing Will, and after being duly and solemnly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, declare and say they saw John Pottenger, the deceased testator, sign the foregoing Will, and heard him publish and declare the same to be his last Will and Testament, and at the time of so doing, he was of sound and disposing mind and memory to the best of their apprehension, and in his presence, and at his request, they subscribed the same as evidences, sworn before:
Pet (or Pat?) Dent
Prince George’s County
Source:
FamilySearch.org
Maryland Register of Wills
Prince George's Co., Maryland
Wills 1698, pg. 251, img. 137-138
Transcribed by V. Burton