![Transcriber’s Note: Wherever possible, I have preserved the true spelling of the original document, including the “fs” rather than double “s.” Words not entirely readable are underlined to mark them as uncertain. -Carol Van Natta, March 16, 2011 [239] Ch](/hamp/learn/historyculture/images/Codicil-Combined.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false&quality=78&format=webp "Codicil-Combined")
NPS The codicil to his will was written on April 28, 1828, just 10 days after his daughter Sophia’s untimely death. According to various sources, one of the influences of Carnan Ridgely's codicil of his will was because of influence from his daughter, Sophia. There were many impacts of this decision which can be found throughout our Ethnographic Study. Additional impacts the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland wrote about. Transcription:
[239] Charles Ridgely of Hampton Last Will and Testament I Charles Ridgely of Hampton of Baltimore County in the State of Maryland do make and declare this to be my last will and testament hereby revoking all others by me heretofore made.- In order to make what I deem a suitable provision for my daughter Rebecca Hanson, I hereby constitute and appoint my son in law James Carroll and James Howard trustees for her benefit and the benefit of her ifsue should she leave any surviving her. To the said Carroll and Howard therefore and the survivor of their heirs and afsigns of such survivors I give and devise my two houses and lots on Baltimore Street in the City of Baltimore adjoining each other usually occupied as stores. Also the house and lot on Gay Street where my said daughter now lives, also my house and lot on Frederick Street where she formerly lived also the former Elk Ridge in the occupation of her husband, also all the negroes stock utensils Plate and Household furniture at the said farm and other dwelling on Gay Street which belongs to me, Also my stock in the United Bank of Maryland upon which there hath been paid twenty-five hundred dollars to them the said James Carroll and James Howard and the survivor of them, the heirs and afsigns of such survivor, to be holden in special trust for the sole and separate use and benefit of my said daughter Rebecca during her natural life acquitted and discharge from the control and compled from all liability for the contracts or engagement of her present or any future husband – giving and allotting to her solely and exclusively all benefit of the use of said property the income and profits thereof exempted as aforesaid and in such right to receive and give receipts and discharges therefor and for the dividends upon said Bank Stock. The said farm to be holden under and subject to the further trust that my said daughter Rebecca shall have full right and power to dispose of the same agreeably to and in pursuance of a Deed by me heretofore given to her of the said farm or some of the provisions there exprefsed And with full right and power to her to create and secure to her husband an Estate for his life only in said Farm should he survive her either of said powers to be executed by her in any form approved in Law or by any written declaration or appointment declaring the same to be signed and acknowledged by her in the presence of one or more attesting witnefses which she is hereby authorized to do, shall be deemed sufficient and effectual to direct and govern the Trustees aforesaid. And the aforesaid Real and personal property and Bank Stock is to be holden upon the further trust that if my said daughter should have ifsue surviving her them the same shall be and remain to and for the use and benefit of such ifsue their heirs and afsigns in common after the decease of my said daughter and the termination of the life estate to her husband if such estate be created by her and conveyed to each ifsue as tenants in common in fee simple. And further if my said daughter should not have ifsue surviving her then all the aforesaid property and Bank Stock other than the farm aforesaid But if she should not dispose of the said farm or create a life estate therein as above provided and if she doth then upon the said termination of the said estate for life the said farm also as well as all the other property so devised In trust shall be and remain after the decease of my said daughter as part of my estate and pafs and be disposed of as directed by this will for the disposal of all the rest and residue of my Estate and property [240] To my son John Ridgely I give and bequeath the sum of one thousand dollars this is done in Consideration of his becoming at my decease entitled to the Hampton Estate to which my son Charles would have been entitled had he survived as unto the will of Captain Charles Ridgely and the Deeds heretofore executed respecting said Estate excepting the personal property thereon. – To my son David Ridgely I give and devise the White Marsh farm on the Havre de Grace turnpike in Baltimore County, which is to be composed of one thousand acres of land to be laid off as compactly as may well be done and in a convenient manner for the improvement and advantageous for agriculture which said farm so to be laid off together with all the Negroes Stock and Utensils which may of my decease be used and employed thereon I give devise and bequeath to my said son David Ridgely his heirs and afsigns forever. To my son David Ridgely I also give and devise the one moiety or half part of my other Lands in the former fourth Election district of Baltimore County and also the one half of all my lands situated between the new Harford turnpike and the Bellair road called Gough road which lands have been commonly used and employed with my Forges and the one moiety or half of my said Forges, Rolling Rals and other improvements of said Forges on Gunpowder Falls and the one half of all the lands I hold or claim in Harford County together with the one half of the Negroes Stock and Utensils of every kind usually employed at or with said Forges at the time of my decease to him the said David Ridgely his heirs and afsigns forever. – Provided, however it do not happen that my son David or his ifsue male or female succeeds to the Hampton Estate under the will of Captain Charles Ridgely and the Deeds executed respecting said Estate. But if it should happen that my son David or his ifsue male or female should succeed to the Hampton Estate as aforesaid then the preceding devifses in this Section of my will made to him shall end and become void; and the moiety or half part of the property so devised to his shall pafs into and become part of the residue of my Estate and pafs under the devise thereof. – The foregoing devise of my Forges and property used with them is subject however to the employment directed of the same for working up the materials which may be on hand as after directed. – To my son in law James Howard I give and devise my plantation called Risteaus Place in the County aforesaid and also that part of Epsom Farm being on the east side of the Minebank road the said road I make the division between said Farms To hold to him the said Howard for the term of ten years to be comparted from the date of this will To the four children of the said James Howard and my lately deceased daughter Sophia, namely Juliana Elizabeth Howard and Charles Ridgely Howard Margaretta Howard and John Eager Howard I give and devise the aforesaid plantation called Risteaus Place to them their heirs and afsigns forever as tenants in common Subject however to their fathers enjoyment of it for what of the period above mentioned as shall remain at my decease unexpired.- I give devise and bequeath all the rest residue and remainder of my Estate real and personal in Maryland Pennsylvania and elsewhere with the moiety of the Land and property real and personal devised to my son David the White marsh farm and personality therewith excepted upon the event of his or his heirs male or female succeeding to the Hampton Estate as provided and dictated in the devise of said moiety to him – as with? the real and personal property and Bank Stock devised in trust for the benefit of my daughter Rebecca as before provided upon the failure of or termination to the powers and trust declared and parted in said devise for the regulation thereof with my daughter Prudence Howard, Achsah Carroll, Priscilla White, Eliza Carroll, Mary Dorsey, Harriet Chew and to the four children of my late deceased daughter Sophia Howard namely Juliana Elizabeth, Charles Ridgely, Margaretta and John Eager before named in this will. – To them my said daughters now living six [241] in number the six undivided seventh parts unto them their heirs and afsigns forever, as tenants in common and the remaining one undivided seventh (the whole into sevenths to be divided) I give and devise to the aforesaid four children of my deceased daughter Sophia who are previously named in the will to them their heirs and afsigns forever as tenants in common. In the divifsion to be made amongst my daughters and above named grand children of the property above dividing to them in common I direct and require that an allowance be made for the property I have heretofore given to my daughters Prudence and Achsah at thirteen thousand dollars each and an allowance of Ten thousand dollars be made for the Plantation herein given to my grandchildren. These allowances are to be taken as chargible against my said two daughters and grand children respectively for the amounts aforesaid to cause and produce quality of division among the other devisees and them of the parts so devised in common and undivided - :It is my will and desire and I accordingly direct that my Forges and other works thereat be conducted and carried on at the charge of my Estate by my Executors and for the benefit of my Estate untill the stock on hand at the time of my decease of Cord wood Coal ore and Pig Iron shall be worked up and ready for Market for which purpose the Lands stock workmen slaves and materials usually appurtenant to the Forge operations or employed in conducting and carrying on the same shall be used and employed for the purpose above declared and I hereby declare the previous devises of any of the property so to be employed to be intended and are subjected hereby to the above use thereof and declared in trust to such extent and purpose – In consequence of rumors respecting the Hampton Estate I have thought it proper to provide and declare that if within Ten Years after my decease my son John Ridgely should loose the Hampton Estate by any final adjudication against him, In that event and upon that contingency, It is my will and I give and devise to my said son John Ridgely the one moiety of the Marsh farm aforesaid to be equally divided between him and his brother, David to take improvements – and upon the happening of the event aforesaid I also give and devise to my said son John Ridgely the other moiety of the Forges and Lands appropriated thereto or usually employed therewith as described in the devise of the moiety to my son David – To have and hold hence in the event happening as herein before exprefsed of his my said son loosing the Hampton Estate within the limitation of time aforesaid into him my aforesaid son John Ridgely his heirs and afsigns forever as tenants in common with his brother David and not joint and upon the happening of the event aforesaid the devise of the moiety of Lands now made to my son John, shall be deemed and taken a revocation of the devise of the said moiety as part of the residue of my estate - ..It is my will and desire I therefore order and direct John McLure an old and infirm man now and for many years past living at Hampton be comfortably supported by my Executors at the expense of my Estate for the residue of his life should he survive me I hereby constitute and appoint my Sons in Law James Carroll Junior and James Howard and the survivor of them to be executors and Trustees of this my will giving to them and the survivor full to power and authority to perform and execute the duties and trust continued and declared in it allowing and bequeathing to them for all their service and in lieu of Commifsions the sum of Five Hundred Guineas between to be paid by and out of my Estate with which I hope they will be satisfied – In Testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand and offered my seal on this twenty eight day of April in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty eight. Signed sealed published and declared by the testator as and for his last will and testament in our presence who in his presence and of each other have signed the same as Witnefses. C. Ridgely of Hamp. (Seal) Sam Owings James Tucker Thomas Kell Baltimore County, ffOn the 20th day of July 1829, came James Tucker and Thomas Kell two of the subscribing witnefses to the aforegoing last will [242] And testament of Charles Ridgely (of Hampton) late of said County deceased and made oath on the holy evangely of Almighty God that they did see the testator sign and seal this will that they heard him publish pronounce and declare the same to be his last will and testament that on the time of his so doing he was to the best of their apprehensions of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding and that they together with Samuel Owings the other subscribing witnefs thereto subscribed their names as witnefses to the will in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other. In and to an open Court with G. M. Pirine Register of Wills for Baltimore County. I Charles Ridgely of Hampton of Baltimore County and State of Maryland do make and declare this codicil to my last will which bears date on that twenty eight day of April - “ – and order and direct it to be so taken and held on all other particulars approving my said will. – With regard to the Negro slaves I may leave at my decease, my views are not provided for in my said will It therefore is my will and I give and bequeath all such slaves as I may leave Male or Female above the age of forty five years at my decease unto James Carroll Junior and James Howard Executors of my said will and the Survivor of them, the Executors and administrators of such survivor in trust of and confidence that none of them will be sold which I forbid being done and direct that the said Slaves shall be held by my Executors aforesaid permitted as for practicable to enjoy the rewards and benefit of their own labour their condition as may be ameliorated consist therewith that they be Kindly treated and provided for comfortably during their old age at the general charge of my Estate to be borne in equal contribution by all my children and grand children in their Character of Service of my real estate and if any of the above described female slaves shall have ifsue after my decease, I will and direct that such ifsue shall be free, the males at twenty eight and the female at twenty five years of age. – It is also my will and I direct and declare that all my Male slaves who at my decease shall be twenty eight years of age and under forty five, and all my Female slaves who at my decease shall be twenty five years of age and under forty five shall severally be and I declare from thence forthwith free. It is further my will and accordingly devise and direct that all my slaves who at my decease shall not have Arrived If Male at twenty eight years, if female twenty [five?-not in court copy] years shall nevertheless be free when they respectively attain these ages, the males twenty eight, the females twenty five – It is also my will and I direct linnet and declare that the time of service of the ifsue or children of any of the aforesaid females which may be born after my decease and before the time of the mothers’ right to freedom taking effect such children or ifsue shall serve the Males until twenty eight years of age the females till twenty five years of age, and shall at those ages respectively be free. – It is also my will and I order and direct that if any of the said female slaves shall at the time of their becoming actually free by the provisions aforesaid should have a child or children at that time under two years of age in such instances the mother shall have the choice of taking with her and keeping such child or children untill such age as their own right to freedom accrues as aforesaid. – and so far as the devises in my said will are inconsistence herewith, this Codicil is declared to be a revocation thereof, but in no other respect to operate against said will – In witnefs whereof I have hereto set my hand and affixed my seal on the twenty eight day of April in the year Eighteen hundred and twenty eight “.28th 1828 C. Ridgely of Hampt. [Seal] Baltimore County S.S.Signed sealed published and declared by the testator as a Codicil to his last will and testament before us who have signed the same as witnefses in his presence and of each other. Sam’l Owings James Tucker Thomas Kell Individuals
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Last updated: June 10, 2024