In the name of God Amen. The twenty eight day of July in the year of our lord one thousand six hundred seventy five I Edward Skydmore of Cecil County in the province of Maryland, planter, being sick & weake of body but of sound and perfect memory thanks be to God & calling to mind the uncertainty of this life & being desirous to settle things in order I doe make ordain appoint this my last will & testament in manner & forme following:

First & principally I commend my soule to almighty God my creator being fully assured of the free pardon & remission of my sins in and through the death and merit of my blessed saviour Jesus Christ, my body to the earth from which it was taken to be buried in fine decent manner according to the discretion of me executors & overseers hereafter nominated & appointed & as _________ such estate as the lord in mercy hath lent and bestowed upon me my will & meaning is the same shall be disposed & employed as hereafter shall be expressed.

I give bequeath will and assign unto my two elder sons Edward and Michael Skydmore equally to be divided among them my land & plantation on the eastern shore in Cecil County to them & thier heirs forever, and if it shall so happen that either of my sons shall decease before they come at the age of one & twenty or without issue that then the longest survivor shall inherit the said land & plantation with the housing & appurtances thereunto belonging.

I will & bequeath unto my loving son Samuel & daughter Elizabeth Skydmore my plantation in Anne Arrundel County to them and thier heirs forever with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging & if it shall happen that either of them shall dye without issue that then the longest survivor of those two shall inherit & enjoy the plantation wholly with the land & the appurtenances thereunto appertaining & belonging.

My will is that if my two eldest sonnnes decease without issue that then the plantation in Cecil County with the land & appurtenances thereunto appertaining descend unto my youngest son Samuel & daughter Elizabeth equally or unto the longest survivor of them two or their heirs or assigns forever. Also my will is that if my son Samuel & daughter Elizabeth should happen both to dye without issue that the plantation in Anne Arrundel County be & remaine to the only use & behoof of my two eldest sons or the longest survivor of them his heirs forever, & further my will is that my personal estate left & disposed of to & among my said children, if it shall please God any of them shall dye before they arrive at full age, shall descend unto the longest survivor in manner and form afore appraised & declared by the lands.

I do will and ordaine that my personal estate be equally divided into five equal shares to be disposed of as hereafter shall be appointed: viz.to my loving wife one share in lieu of her dower, to my son Edward one share, to my son Michael one share, to my son Samuel one part, to my daughter Elizabeth one part: my will is further that my wife & my sonnes out of their part of my personal estate shall pay or cause to be paid unto my daughter Elizabeth at the day of marriage thirty pounds sterling or the value thereof in goods or other commodity besides her full & equal share appointed her as aforesaid.

My will is that my loving wife Alice Skydmore have the full profit and youse of the plantation she now dwelles upon so long as she shall live a widdow or until my son Samuel or daughter Elizabeth shall come of age. My will is that my two eldest sonnes be of age to reseave & that my executrix deliver them thier part both real & personall when they shall arrive at the age of eighteen years, my son Samuel's part at the same age, my daughter Elizabeth's part of my personal estate at the age of sixteen or day of marriage which shall happen first.

It is my will that my executrix hereafter named shall bring up my said children in learning & maintaine them decently so long as they shall be and remayne under her tuition.

My will is that my executrix immediately after my desease set free & discharge from servitude Abigail Knowlman Shadbrooke at the expiration of three years after her first arrival with all the appurtenances to her belonging or appertaining.

My will is that Elizabeth Keely have one two-year old heiffer delivered to her as a legacy from me immediately after my decease to her own proper use & behoof both male & female increase.

My will is that William Towlson, Henry Howard, William Batman, gentlemen, have delivered to them in remembrance of me, each of them a ring of the value of twenty shillings. My will is that Thomas Francis of Anne Arundell County, have by my executrix paid unto him foure hundred pounds of tobacco: I do also bequeath unto the said William Towlson my best castor hat.

And lastly I do appoint, ordaine & constitute & make my loving wife Alice Skydmore executrix of this my last will and testament willing my said executrix to the true performance of the same, appointing and ordaining my loving friends William Towlson & William Bateman of Cecil County & Henry Howard of Anne Arundell County my overseers of this my last will and testament to see every part & clause therein contained duly executed & performed. In witness that this is my last will and testament I have hereunto set to my hand & seale the day & year first above written in confirmation of the same.

July the twentyeigth one thousand six hundred & seventy five, I the said Edward Skidmore do confirm that my said plantation in Anne Arundell Co be & remayne to the only use & behoofe of my sonne Samuel & that my daughter Elizabeth have no part therein except it fall to unto her by decent. Comfirming further every clause of my said will, excepting that by this is excepted fully to be performed according to the true intent & meaning thereof. Witness my hand & seale the day & year aforesaid.