In the name of God amen this sakond Day of January Anno Domini one thousand Seven hundred & forty four I Michael Lowber of he County of kent upon Delaware being very sick & weak in body but of sound & perfect sence mind & memory Thanks be given to almighty God for the same therefore Calling unto mind the mortality of my body in this uncertain Transitory Life & That all flesh must yield unto Death whensoever it shall please The Almighty God to Call Do therefore make this my Last will and Testament in manner & form following viz I bequeath my sour unto Almighty God that Gave it me hopeing through the merritts of my blessed Lord & Savior Jesus Christ to have full remission for all my sins past and my body I Committ it to the Earth to be buried in a Christian Like & Decent manner at the Discretion of my Executors hereafter named & as Touching such worldly estate where with it hath pleased God to bless me with in this Life I give & Dispose of the same in the following manner and form viz. first I Desire that all my just Debts I owe in right or Conscience to any person or persons whatsoever together with my funeral Charges may be Discharged & paid as soon after my Decease as possibly may or can be.

Imprimis I give & bequeath to my Daughter Unity the wife of  John Emerson one Large Church Bible & after her Decease the said bible to her son Michael Emerson.

Item I give & bequeath to my Daughter Susannah Lewis one negro woman named bettey to her and to her & to her Desposein.

Item I Give & bequeath to my son michael Lowber a negro man named  prince to him & his assigns forever my wife Rachel Lowber  havin his work tel his said master coms or sends for him.

Item I give & bequeath to my Son peter Lowber & Matthew  Lowber all my wearing apparrell of what kind soever  belonging to me with al my working tools as carpenters  Tools joyners Tools Shoe makers Tools & plantation Tools  to be Equally Divided between them both.

Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Gartry muncy one negro  Girl named hester which she is now possessed with. Likewise  Ten pounds to be Levied out of my Estate.

Item I Give and bBequeath to my daughter Grace Browns three  Children of the Renalls one negro man named Jacob they paying to their mother six pounds per year During both  thear natural Lives.

Item I Give & bequeath to my Daughter Margarett manlove one negro woman named Doll & to her Children to be Equally Divided amongst the said Children of the said Margarett manlove that Shall be born after my Decease or before and the negro Children to be Equal Divided for an after my Decease.

Item I Give & bequeath to my Daughter agnes walker one negro Boy named Tom to her & the heirs of her Body Lawfully Begotten for Ever Likewise Ten pounds to be Levied out of my Estate.

Item I give & bequeath to my son Isaac Lowber all that tract or parcell of Land & premises called amsterdam to him & the heirs of his body Lawfully begotten for Ever his mother haven on[e] Third Duern her natural Life & If hie Shuld Die Die without issue to be Equely Devided amongst the hol Family of the Lowbers ^which is nine his mothers Third Excepted Duren her natural Life. Likewise three negroes vis Charles mingo prince Junior. Likewise the Clock to my son Isaac Lowber & one ironpott Fact and iron pott with pott hooks & all my Silver buttons.

Item I Give & bequeath to my Granson michael Lowber son of Peter Lowber all Right use rents & profits ???? Land Called Sounthampton with Damm & all other things belonging to it containing one hundred acres

Item I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Rachel Lowber my horse prince & a good side saddle & bridle all at her Discretion 

Item I give & bequeath to my three grand children John michael  & susannah Degnals a certain tract or quantity of Land by estimation two hundred & seventy acres Lying ???? ??? & being in murtherkill hundred in the County of kent on Delaware In a place called Cow neck her third only I owe ther mother Excepted During her Life to them & the heirs of their bodys Lawfully begotten for Ever.

Item my will & Desier is that all my moveable estate of hous hold goods may be Equally Divided between Unity Susannah Gartey margrett agnes & grace my Children the stock of Cattle hogs sheep & horses & tow negroes horse & Colt to be Equally Divided as aforesad my wife Rachel Lowber her thirds Excepted she ???? on her thirds at the appraisement and Lastly I Do nominate appoint Constitute & ordain my Dear & well beloved wife Rahel Lowber & peter Lowber to be my whole & sole Executore & Executrix of this my Last will & testament makeing nul & void all other wills & testaments ???? before this time by me made Declaring this & no other to be my Last will & testament In Testimony whereof I have hereunto sett my hand & afixed my meal the Day & was first above & within written signed sealed published pronounced & Declared by the said michael Lowber as his Last will & testament. Michael Lowber

In the presence of us the subscriber Grzalla brooks her mark, Arthur Brooks Mary Brooks

The said Rachel ye Executrix named having first renounced her Legacies Aforsd mentioned & & reserved to her Lott be Right to her Thirds of ye ??? Executors Estate as per Right in Law of this Government

Personally came before me ???? Brooks Arthur Brooks & Mary Brooks ^now Mary Jackson all ye Evidences to ye forgoing will who being severally sworn on ye Evangelists of Allmighty God say yt they saw Michael Lober ye Testator Afsd seal & deliver & at same time acknowledged it to be his Testament & ????? & ????????????? at his request did sign as Evidences thereunto & yt at the time of him saying & doing  ??? They did Belive him to be of a sound & disposing mind & memory at Dover in ye county of Kent on December ye 7th Day of April 1746 Before me Jas Housman Recr

?????????

NB yt Arthur Brooks one of ye Evidences for the yt ????? said ?????? of same time of his so Executing his sd will yt his name was there but yt he took no notice of said name.

Mary brooks now Mary Jackson another of ye Evidences saith yt to ye best of her remembrance she thinks she saw his name thereto but cannot make promise of the same.

Isabella Brooks ye other Evidences said yt she remembers not anything about seeing the ????? or mentioning of his name was thereto she being not capable to read herself.

Done at ?????? As ye probat above Taken Test Jas Housman 

[end document]

Estate Inventory 27 Sep 1746

[partial]

[Slaves]

1 old Negrow woman Caled Best £16 & old man Caled Peter £16

1 Negrow Boy Caled Tom Left agness walker by will £18

1 Negrow Boy Called mingo £19:0:0 1 Do Called prince £35”0”0

1 Do Called Charles £30:0:0

1 Negrow man Called prince Left michael Lowber by will £50

1 Negrow man Called Jacob Left to Grace Brown and Daniel Ronels Children as per the will may appear £45

a Negrow woman Called young Betty Left Shussanah Lewis by her fathers will £40

a Negrow woman Called Doll Left margret manlove £40

[end document]

“Kent, Delaware, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSRM-WSTZ-2?view=explore : Feb 10, 2026), image 328 of 855; Delaware Public Archives (Dover).

Image Group Number: 104426469

Transcribed 10 Feb 2026 by Nancy Maliwesky