[Will]

In the Name of God Amen — I Thomas Baynard of Kent County upon Delaware in the Government of the three Lower Counties Called New Castle Kent and Sussex – being in Perfect health of Body and of Sound disposeing mind memory and Understanding, Considering the Certainty of Death and the Uncertainty of the time thereof and being desirous to Settle my worldly affairs and thereby be the better prepared to Leave this world when it Shall pleas God to Call me home – do therefore make and Publish this my Last will and Testament in maner and form following – that is to say –

First and Principally I Commit my Soul into the hands of Almighty God and my Body to the Earth to be decently buried at the Discretion of my Wife and Children hereafter hereafter Named &c –

Item. I Give and bequeath Unto my Son Henry Baynard three Hundred acres part of a Tract of Land Called Tantondean and one other Tract or Parcel of Land Baynards Regulation Containing Seven Hundred and Seventy three acres as also Part of a Tract or Parcel of Land Called Good Hope that I Bought of John Goslen Jun. Containing Sixty three acres and half an acre of Land to the Said Henry Baynard his Heirs and assigns forever ^ Provided that he the Said Henry Baynard or his Heirs do make over and Convey to my Son John Baynard his Heirs or assigns by a Good Deed of Sale the Land that did belong to my Wife called Fiddemans Fancy and Fiddemans Hill and appears at the Provincial Court in maryland if Required by the Said John or his Heirs or assigns and Suffer Such Common Recovery for the Docking and Caring and Estate tale that Shall appear to be thereon – and also make over and Convey to my Son Thomas Baynard or his Heirs in manner aforesaid one Hundred acres part of a Tract or Parcel of Land Called Danby — But if it Should So hapen that my Said Son Henry or his Heirs Should Refuse or Neglect to Convey the Lands aforesaid in maner aforesaid in a reasonable time after my decease then I Give and bequeath to my Sons Thomas Baynard and John Baynard the Land before mentioned to be my son Henry’s – to them the Said Thomas Baynard and John Baynard their Heirs and assigns for Ever –

Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Son Thomas Baynard one Hundred acres Part of a  Tract of Land Called Danby and all that part of a Tract of Land called Stewarts Ecstasy [?} as also all that Part of a Tract Called Baynard Content which I now Hold to  him the Said Thomas Baynard his Heirs and assigns forever –

Item. I Give and bequeath unto my son John Baynard a tract of land called Fiddemans Fancey Containing three Hundred acres and all that tract or Parcel of Land Called Fiddemans Hill Containing thirty acres to him the Said John Baynard his Heirs and assign forever – 

Item I Give and bequeath unto my Son Henry Baynard one Negro Boy Called (Young Abraham) and a Negro Girl Called Ibbey as also a Negro Man Called Jac to him the Said Henry Baynard his Heirs and assigns – 

Item I Give and devise unto my Son Thomas Baynard one Negro boy Called Will and one Negro Garl Called (Little Rose) and one Hundred Pounds Common mon{ey} to him the said Thomas Baynard his Heirs & assigns – as also one Negro woman Called Frank —

Item. I Give and devise Unto my Son John Baynard one Negro boy Called James and one Negro Girl Called Leddey and one Hundred Pounds Common money to him the Said John Baynard his Heirs and assigns —

Item I Give and devise Unto my Soninlaw John Anderson one Negro woman Called Big Rose, one Negro Girl Called Lovey and one Negro boy Called Caleb Together with What I have already Given him as his wife Esther’s full Share of my Estate and no more —

Item I Give and Devise Unto my Daughter Rachel Turpin one Negro boy Called Peter one Negro Girl Jinncy and one Negro Girl Called (Little Rose) and Forty Pounds Common Money Together with what I have already Given her as her full Shear of my Estate and no more —

Item I Give and devise unto my Daughter Sarah Baynard one Negro Boy Called George ^ Negro Girl Called Nan and one other Girl Called Hettes

Item I Give and Devise to my Daughter Nancy Baynard one Negro boy Called Isaac one Negro boy Called Plessable [?] and one Negro Girl Called Dinah

Item I Give and Devise Unto my Soninlaw Henry Ennalls a Negro Woman Called Jenney and her Children now in his Possession together with what I have already Given him as his Wife Margarets full Share of my Estate and no more —

Item I Give and devise Unto my dear and well beloved wife Elizabeth Baynard one Negro man Called Jacob one Called (Old Abraham) one Negro woman Called Sarah and one other Negro woman Called Cate, Two beds and Furniture three Cows and Calves Two Good Horses or mares Such as She Shall Choose out of my Stock. Twenty Barrels of Corn fifteen Bushels of Wheat Ten Good Hogs Six Sheep and three Iron Pots and Racks —

Item I Give and Bequeath all the Rest and Residue of my Estate both Real and Personal to be Equally divided among my five Children that is to Say, Henry Baynard Thomas Baynard, John Baynard, Sarah Baynard and Nancy Baynard their Heirs or assigns — my will and desir further is that there Shall not be any Administration on my Estate but that my Son Henry Shall Collect and Receive all Debts due to me and pay all Justly due from me and Keep a fare account of what he Receives and What he pays away and Produce the Same if Required on a Distribution of my Estate between him and my other Children (as mentioned in this Paragraft.) as also to pay off all the Legacies as is mentioned in this will and if there Should arise any dispute between my Children about the Devision of my Estate my will and desire further is that that they Shall Choose two or three of their Neighbors of Good Character to settle the Same by which Settlement they are to Obide —

In Testomony whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and affixed my Seal this fifteenth day of march 1777 Signed Sealed Published and declared by Thomas Baynard herein Named as and for his Last Will and Testement in the Presence of us who at his Request and in his Presence have Subscribed our Names as Witnesses — Thos. Baynard

Thos. White Edward White Waitman Goslen

Proved by Edward White the 16th February 1786 by Thomas White ???? 1 March 1786. T.R.

Delaware State Sst. Personally appeared before me Thomas Rodney Esqr. Register for the Probate of Wills and Granting Letters of Administration in and for Kent County , Edward White, and Thomas White Esquires two of the Subscribing witnesses to the above and foregoing Instrument of writing, and being Separately Sworn Upon the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God to wit the said Edward White on the Sixteenth day of February now last past, and the said Thomas White on this day to wit this first day of March Instant did both Declare and say, that they saw Thomas Baynard Sign & Seal, and heard him Publish, Pronounce and Declare the same as and for his last Will and Testament, That at the time of his so doing and Saying, he was to the Best of their Belief, of Sound and Disposing mind and memory; that they at his Instance and request and in his presence signed, and saw each other Sign their names as witnesses to the Same. And at the same time and at the like Instance and request and in his presence also they saw Waitman Goslen Sign his name as one other witness to the same. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto Set my hand at Dover the said first day of March Anno Dom. Seventeen Hundred and Eighty Six 1786. Thomas Rodney Register

[end document]

Inventory of the Goods and Chattles of Thomas Baynard Late of Kent County (Deceast) Appraised in Current Lawfull Money of the Delaware State by Edward White and Solomon Barwick they Being Qualify’d as the Law directs November 11th 1786.

…

[Slave Inventory]

1 Negro Girl named Rodah aged 14 years £35

1 do   Boy         Caleb       10.  do £38

1 do   do         Joseph         9.  do £38

1 do.      Girl         Rachel         8.  do £23

1 do.       do             Cloe         8   do      £23

1 do.      Boy         Aaron         7.  do  £23

1 do.      do              Abraham.       6.  do    £20

1 do.      do          Nathan         5.  do £17

1 do.   do          Joshua         2   do.         £10

1 do.     do         Jacob         1 do £  7

…

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Legasys left in the last Will & Testament of Thomas Baynard

To Elizabeth Baynard

1 Old Negro man Named Jacob £5

1 do Called Old Abraham £1

1 Old   do Woman Sarah £3

1 do.   do  do.       Cate £1

…

To Henry Baynard

1 Negro boy Young Abram Freedd by law before the Death of the Devisor

1 do      girl.  Ebby £35, 1 Negro man Old Joe £10

To Thomas Baynard

1 Negro boy, Will £60. 1 Negro girl Rose £30

…

To John Baynard

1 Negro boy, James, £60 1 Negro girl lidda Dyed before

…

To the Ballance of a Legacy Unpaid to Rachel Turpin

…

1 Negro girl Named Jenny Dyed before the Death of the Devisor

To Sarah Baynard

1 Negro boy George £60

1 Ditto girl Nan £40

1 do.    do. Hitty £40

To Nancy Baynard

1 Negro Boy Called Isaac £60

1 do.     do          Plyable died Oct. 1786

1 do.     Girl.             Dinah £35

[end document]

“Kent, Delaware, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS55-2W9G-Y?view=explore : Dec 18, 2025), image 301 of 922; Delaware Public Archives (Dover).

Image Group Number: 104399896

Transcribed 18 Dec 2025 by Nancy Maliwesky