In the Name of God Amen I Edward Gaither of Montgomery County & Province
of Maryland being sick and weak of Body but of perfect mind and memory
and caling to mind the mortality of my Body and that it is appointed for
all men once to die, I constitute and Ordain this my last will and 
Testament
   First and principally I recommend my soul to Almighty God who gave it,
trusting through the merits and mediation of our Savior Jesus Christ to
receive pardon and remission of all my sins, my Body to be decently
Buried at the discretion of my Wife and as touching my Worldly Estate
wherewith it hath pleas'd Almighty God to bless me with I give and 
dispose in the following manner & form.
   Item I give and bequeath to my beloved son Benjamin Gaither the two
following pieces of Land, one Tract or parcel of Land Called Gaithers
Purchase, containing one Hundred Acres more or less, also one other
Tract or parcel of Land being part of a tract of Land Called whats left,
containing and laid our for Fifty four acres of Land more or less, these
I give to him his Heirs and Assigns for ever.
   Item I give and bequeath to my beloved son Basel Gaither one Tract or
parcel of Land called Mitchels Garden, containing and laid out for
nineteen acres of Land part of a tract of Land called Mitchels Range to
be laid out so as to take all the House on his plantation, also part of
a Tract of Land Called Mitehels Range Beginning at the head of the Mill
Race and running with the said Race to Seneca and running up Seneca untill
it comes to Bakers Old line, thence with said Land to Seneca thence to the
beginning laid out for two acres of Land more or less, these Tracts or 
parcels of Land I give to him his Heirs and assigns for ever.
   Item I give and bequeath to my beloved son Eli Gaither my Dwelling
plantation whereon I now live it being all the Lands I purchased of 
Isaac Studer containing one hundred and ninety-eight Acres and a Half
Acre more or less, this I give to him his Heirs and assignes for ever.
   Item I give and bequeath unto my dearly beloved sons Greenbury Gaither,
Nicholas Gather, Burgess Gather, Jonsey Gather and Brice Gather, all the
remaining part of Mitchals Range and all the first and second Resurveys
on Mitchels Range and all that Tract of Land called Gathers Range and
likewise all that Tract of Land called Good Luck to be equally divided
between my five sons last mentioned the low Grounds that I am to have of
Zachariah Linthicum to be equally divided between my five sons last 
mentioned for the sake of the timber, these tracts or parcels of Land I
give to them there Heirs and assigns for ever.
   Item my will is that my son Greenbury Lott shall be laid of convinient
to his now dwelling Plantation.
   Item If any of my six sons last mentioned Viz Eli, Greenbury, Nicholas,
Burges, Johnsey and Brice shoud die before they arrive at the age of 
twenty one, then the five surviving sons to inherit the deceas'd part
aforesaid unless it should so happen that my son so deceas'd should have
a Lawfull Heir then the surviving sons to have no part of the deceast
Land aforesaid.
   Item I leave my dear beloved Wife and my sons, Benjamin Gather & Basel
Gather or any two of them to appoint two sensable discreet men such as
they think proper to divide the Land on Senica aforesaid between my five
sons aforesaid.
   Item I give & Bequeath unto my dearly beloved wife Ellenor Gather a
negro man named Tom and a Negro Woman named Moll during natural life and
after her decease the two Negroes aforesaid to be equally divided between
my Daughters hereafter mentioned, as also I leave my Wife my large Copper
Still during her natural life and after her decease to be equally divided
amongst all my Children. I likewise leave my Wife one third part of my
personal Estate after my Debts are paid, the Negroes excepted.
   Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved Daughters Elenir Prather,
Sarah Gather, Cassander Gather & Lyla Gather all my Negroes to them
their & assignes for ever.
   Item what my elder Children has Received in my life time shall go in
part of there protion and what shall be left after my lawful Debts are
paid shall be equally divided amongst all my Children aforesaid by my
beloved Wife and sons Benjamin & Basel aforesaid.
   Lastly I constitute and ordain my dearly beloved Wife Eloner Gather &
my sons Benjamin Gaither and Basil Gather whole and Sole Executors of this
my last Will and Testament, Revoking and making Void all other Will or
Wills by me heretofore made Ratifying and Confirming this my last Will
and Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal
this twenty sixth day of March in the year of our Lord One Thousand
seven hundred and seventy seven.
   Signed Sealed published and            Edwd Gather son of Benj
declared by the within Testator
to be his last will & Testament
in presence of 
Jno Ray Jun., Benjamin Ray, John Suter, Samuel Hadesty
   The will was proved on 11 June 1777