This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: GayleLonderee Surnames: Howard, Shircliffe Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.maryland.counties.stmarys/4537/mb.ashx Message Board Post: We've always had a number of unconnected Howards in St. Mary's County. I've always assumed they descend from Thomas Howard who immigrated in 1647. I've ignored his brother, John, but he may be a ancestor to some of the family. He would share the same DNA as Thomas. There was a question asked on the Archives back in 2004, but maybe someone has the answer now. Who was the John Howard named in William Shircliffe's will in 1707? Here's the full version... http://www.msa.md.gov/megafile/msa/stagser/s500/s538/000000/000018/pdf/msa_s538_000018.pdf PREROGATIVE COURT (Wills) 1635-1777 S538 1705-1709 -JC & WB 2 -12, Part 1. Photostat - 01/11/01/013 -1290-1 -MSA S538-18 page 157 In the Name of God Amen, I William Shercliffe of St. Maries County in the province of Maryland being sick and Weak of body altho (Thanks be to God) in pfect mind & memory Do make and ordain this my Last will and testament in manner and forme following # hereby revoking and making Void all wills byine formerly made and this only to Stand for my Last Will and Testament and no other and as for what Worldly State it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I do give and Dispofs of the Same in manner and forme following first my will is that all my Debts which I owe to any person whatfoever be well and truly paid as soon as may be by my Executrix hereafter named Item My will and Defire is that a Line be Drawn North West from the Beech tree by the swamp side ( the said beech being the Bound tree of the Land I now Live on and also abound tree of the Land I had of Ffracis Spinke) and so from the said Beech with the Said North West Line till it Come to the Swamp of Garder's Runn Item I give and Bequeath unto my Sonn in Law Dennis Mohawny dureing his naturall Life and to my Daughter Milldred wife of the said Dennis and to her heires forever a small parcell of Land part of the Land I now on (Joyning to the Land which I had of Francis Spinke) Begining at abound Beech tree by the Swamp Side so runing under the hill by the Swamp Side to the mouth of a Small run (and not to have any previledge of that part of the Swamp) & so from the mouth of the said Runn to goe up the said Run & vally till it Comes to a Large poplar standing near the Brush fence upon the Levell Between the old Road and new Road that Leads to the plantacon of page 158 Mrs. Elizabeth Gardner and from the said oake wth a north East Line till it Come to the Land that I had of ffrances Spinke and in Case the Land before mentioned (that is to say) Being Between the north west Line which is to be Run and the naturall Bounds from the said Beech and north East Line will not make thirty acres of Land then to take a flip [slice?] without the Beech tree till it Comes to the north East Line to make it up thirty acres of Land the which pcell of Land as Before mentioned I give and Bequeath to my sonn in Law Dennis Mohawny dureing his Life (if he Lives on it) and my Daughter Mildred Mahawny and her heires forever and in Case my Said Son in Law Dennis shall Desert the said Land and Leave it he shall not sell it to any pson Whatfoever Itm. All the remaindining part of Land Which I now have on the South Side of the north west Line which is to be Run from the beech tree to the swamp of Gardners Runn (V the main) Swamp (Except that parcell of Land i have given to my Son in Law Dennis Mahawny and Mildred his Wife and one hundred acres wch I formerly Leafed to ffrancis Knott for ninety nine yer) my Will and Defire is that it Shall be Equally Divided in four parts and the plantation I now Live on wth the Equall part therunto Belonging I give and Bequeath to my Loveing Wife Mildred Dureing her naturall Life with previlledge to take and make use of any Timber on any of the Land belonging to me so farr as shall be need full for the good of her plantation dureing her Life Itm I give and Bequeath the Said platation and the Land Which will be thereto Belonging (after my Wives Decease) to my son Peter and his heires forever Itm I give and Bequeath to my Son John one other Equall forth part of the said Land which is next the Maine Swamp by ffrancis Knott to him & his heires forever Itm I give and Bequeath the other two parts of Land Divided as afd to my other two Sons William and Thomas (the eldest to have his Choice) to them and their heires forever and in Case any of my Said four Sons shall Dye Before they Come to age then their parte to go to the survivours and my will is that my sons be of age page 159 to Work for themselves at Eighteen but not to pofsefs their land Till they Come to the age of twentyone years But to have the previlledge of Working on their part of Land at the age of Eighteen and further my Will and Desire is that the Land Leased to ffrancis Knott (when the time is Expired I Leased it for) that it shall Returne and Goe to the heirs of my four sons John, William, Thomas & Peter to be Equally Divided between them and in Case any of my said sons dye without heirs then the said land shall goe to the heires yt shall be then Living Item all that tract of Land of my which I had of ffrancis Sinke (Except what I have Bequeathed to my Son in Laqw Dennis Mahawny and Mildred his Wife) I give and Bequeath unto my four Daugh- ters Mary Melton, Wife of Thomas Melton, Anne Eliza & Ticla & their heirs forever to be Equally Divided Between them and in Case any of my four Daughters shall Dye Before they Come to the age of Sixteen that then their parts to goe to the survivours and my Will & Desire is that my Daughters be of age at Sixteen Item Twenty five acres of Land Joyning to fferny Hill formerly belonging to John Howard I give & Bequeath to Ellinor Spinke Daughter of Wm Spinke decd & her heires forever Item I give and Bequeath to my Son John my Carpenters & Coopers Tools only one Broad ax he taking his Choice of the Broad axes and my Cutting tools for horses Item The firt tome of the old Testament I give to my son John and the second tome to my Daughter Mary Melton and the Book Called the difference Between the Temporall and Eternall to my Daughter Anne and the Rest of my Books to the rest of my Children the Which I Leave to the Discretion of my wife Item I give and bequeath unto the priest that shall afsist me four hundred pounds of Tobo. or a mare that uses at the head of Clements Bay to be at the Choice of my Executrix Item all the remaining part of my eftate as Well Real or psonal page 160 I give and bequeath to my Loving Wife Mildred and her heires forever Lastly I Doe hereby Constitute and appoint my Loving Wife Mildred Whol and sole Extx of this my Last Will and Testamen hereby Desireing her to see it fullfilled according to the true intent and meaning thereof In Wittneff Whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and Seale this Twenty fifth Day of March anno Duo 1707 Wm Sheircliffe ((seale)) sealed signed & acknowledged in presence of Edw. ffield John Drewery James Martin Then Came James Martin & James Drary two of the Wittnefses to the within mentioned Will and made oath that they saw the wthin named Wm Sheircliffe signe seale publish and Declare the Within Will to be his Last Will and Testament and at the Doing thereof he was of sound and p fect mind and memeory Wm Aisquith Dty Conty Edward ffield one of the Wittneffes to the Said Within mentioned Sworne accordingly the Day & Year avove said William Aisquith Deputy Comty These are the records I have for John Howard, brother of Thomas, who was born in 1627. Note there is record of his demand for 50 acres, but I haven't seen a record that he received any land. So who is the John Howard who had Ferny Hill? Career Files of Dr. Lois Green Carr Howard, John b. 1627 d.? Immi. serv St. Inagoes Date first rec.: 1641 last rec.:1649/50 last rec. alive: 1649/50 Arr. 1641 free by 1652 No title Testate: no Brother: Thomas Howard. both were servants to Thomas Copley. no record 17th c. Roman Catholic or Anglican Howard, John ABH 59, 356 (Pat 1,f 24) trans 1641 July 1, 1642 Frances White demands land for transp 5 men in 1641: Thomas Howard, John Howard, Rowland Mace, Wm. Johnson, Thomas Lewes 2 Dec f356 Thomas Howard and John Howard his brother make demand either of them 50 a for performing there time of service to Mr Thomas Copley as hath been allowed in the like kind and the said Thomas demands 100 a for transp his now wife a freewoman into province before 10 June 1652 warrant issued. John Howard Archives X, p.11 Provincial Court January 27, 1649/50 Henry Hooper of St. Inagoes, surgion, freely give dispose unto Ralph Crouch of St. Inagoes, all my bills, debts and personal estate whatsoever, with the proviso that after my decease all my debts be first discharged and the remainder be used in such pious causes as sd. Crouch shall think fit. In the presence of John Howard, Robert Taylor witness will of Henry Hooper Lib 1, f.25 27 Jan 1649/50 John Howard, about 22, servant to Tho: Copley Esq., deposes that the above Henry Hooper being of sound perfect memory in this dpnt.'s jdmt., did make such disposition of his estate as abovesd. Sworne Feb. 6, 1649 before Tho: Hatton Robert Taylor, about 22, servant to Tho: Copley, swears the same as above. The Jesuit Missions of St. Mary's County Maryland, Edwin Warfield Beitzell, 1960 Page 23 Father Copley, after his acquittal, returned from England in 1648, without having secured any redress from the Admiralty Court and the following is Father Zwinge's account of his efforts in Maryland to recover some of the possessions of the Jesuits. " Mr. Thomas Matthews, his attorney, brought back some of the twenty-one servants that had departed during the disturbance (for without this help it was impossible to cultivate the farms). A certain John Howard however preferred a kind of tramp life, until Mr. Matthews had him arrested, and then he too went back to serve out his time, rather than in jail." Thanks for any insights you may have. Gayle Howard Londeree Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.