Rev. John Ashton's Will, 1810

Rev. John Ashton's Will, 1810

Wills; Priests-Jesuits-property; Women slaves; Slavery

In his 1810 will, Rev. John Ashton, the former manager of the White Marsh plantation bequeathed property to Charles and Elizabeth Queen, the children of Susanna Queen, a woman who had been enslaved at the White Marsh plantation and probably became free through the Queen family's freedom suits against Ashton in Maryland's General Court in the 1790s.

Included in the property that Rev. Ashton bequeathed to Charles and Elizabeth Queen were a man named Butler and a women named Linny and her unnamed children.

During Ashton's life, priests in the region surmised that he maintained an illicit relationship with Queen and had fathered her children.

Most of Rev. Ashton's property was bequeathed to Rev. Notley Young.

Click here for biographical information on the Rev. Ashton, who led the Jesuit mission at White Marsh in Prince George's County for decades, and was one of the founders of Georgetown.

Maryland State Archives

Family Search

1810-02-12

Adam Rothman, Elsa Barraza Mendoza

Maryland State Archives - Family Search

PDF

English

Will

GSA431

[April Term 1816 460-462]

Rev^d John Ashton Will

In the name of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost. Amen. I John Ashton of Charles County in the state of Maryland being of sound memory and understanding do constitute and make this my last will and testament revoking all wills made prior to the date thereof-

Imprimis. I bequeath my soul to God in whose mercies I place all my hopes and my body to the earth to be decently intered at S^t Thomas’s burying ground with a solemn Mass of Requiem-

Item  I bequeath to my Good friend the Reverend Notley Young the following tracts of land lying in Charles County near Port Tobacco and now in my possession vi^z. A tract of land called Chandlers Hills where I now live containing two hundred acres of land more or less; a tract of land called S^t Nicholas containing two hundred acres of land more or less; a tract of land called Green & containing one hundred acres of land more or less; a tract of land called little worth containing one hundred and sixty four acres more or less; a tract of land called small profit containing one hundred and thirty six acres more or less; The unsold parts of two tracts of land called Campbells Chance and Struthbrant lying on Elk Ridge in Ann Arundel amounting to about two hundred and fifty acres by conjecture and now for sale- I bequeath to a youth called Charles Queen and to his sister Elizabeth Queen the children of Susanna Queen the unalienated part of a tract of land called Litchfield Enlarged lying in Charles County whereon they now live with all the stock of Horses, Hogs, Cattle, and utensils of every kind found thereon at my death together with the Tobacco Grain and property of every description – I also give to the said Charles a negro Man called Butler and the male children of a Negro woman called Linny and I give to his sister Elizabeth the Negro woman called Linny with her other Children. – I give to the aforesaid Notley Young all the property which I hold on the books of the United States Loan Office, Bank Stock, Baltimore Insurance Office by Note or by Bond charging him with the payment of all my debts and contracts. - I give and bequeath to the same Notley Young all other real personal or mixed Estate of which I may be possessed at my death charging him with the Payment of one hundred dollars to be laid out in charity to the poor and suffrages for the repose of my soul together with funeral expenses. Item - I do constitute and appoint him the said Notley Young my whole and sole “Executor of this my last will and testament - In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twelfth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ten.-

Signed sealed published and }

Declared by John Ashton the }
                                                    John Ashton

Above named testator as and }

For his last will and testament }

in presence of us   }

John E Ford }

Igⁿ Semmes }

Jn^o Gittings }

On the back of the aforegoing will it is thus written Charles Count Sc March 15^th 1815 Then came Ignatius Semmes one of the subscribing witness to the within and aforegoing last will and testament of the Rev^d John Ashton late of Charles County deceased and made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God that he did see the testator therein named sign and seal this will and that he heard him publish, pronounce and declare the same to be his last will and testament that at the time of his so doing he was to the best of his apprehension of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding and that he together with John E Ford and John F. Gittings the other subscribing witnesses respectively subscribed their names as witnesses to this will in the presence and at the request of the testator and in the presence of each other –

                                Humphrey Barnes Regr. of wills

Manuscript