Alexander MAGRUDER

                   Notes:
Maryland Calendar of Wills: Volume 1
Magruder, Alexander, Prince George's Co., 20th Feb., 1676; 25th July, 1677.
To wife Eliza: and 3 child. by her, home plantation.
" sons Alexander and Nathaniel and their hrs., sd. plantation at death of wife afsd.
" sons James and John and hrs., 900 A. in 2 tracts, viz., "Alexandria" and "Dumblain" on Patuxent R.
" son Samuel and hrs., 500 A., " Good Luck."
" dau. Eliza: at 14 yrs. of age, and hrs., 200 A.,"Craighnaigh"
Exs.: Wife Eliza:, James and Samuel.
Overseers: Nath: Trueman, Saml. Taylor, Nn. Beale.
Test: Jas. Magruder, Jno. Lane, Jno. Johnson, Jas. Soullvant, Jas. Guthrey. 5. 261.
By codicil dated 12th March 1676/77, testator makes the following provisions: Should eld. sons, viz., James, Samuel, and John, die without issue, survivor or survivors of sd. 3 sons to inherit deceased's land; and in event of death of any of young, child., viz., Alexander, Nathaniel, and Eliza:, without issue, survivor or survivors to inherit deceased's land. Should all afsd. eld. child. die without issue, their land to pass to young, child. afsd. Should all young, child. die without hrs., their land to pass to eld. child. and hrs.

Allexander Magruder4.606 I CA #48776 Sep 14 1677
Appraisers: Richard Marsham. Peter Arthur.
List of debts: Thomas Greene, M. Parken, Samuel Taylor, John Smith.

Original will, Maryland Hall of Records
In the name of God, amen. This the tenth day of february in the years of our Lord 1676, I Alexander Magruder being in health of body thanks be to god and calling me to Remembrance the Uncertaintie of the Transitory life & that all flesh must yield unto death when it pleased god to call I doe make Constitute ordaine & declare this my last Will & testament in manner & form following denouling & pronounceing by this presents all testament & testaments will and wills hereto fore by me made & declared either by word or writing & this onely to be taken my Last Will & testament & none other. And first being sorrie for my Sins from my heart most humbly desireing foregiveness for the same I give & comit my Soule unto Almighty god my Saviour & Redeemer in whome & by this merits Jesus Christ I trust & believe assuredly to be saved & to have full remission & foregiveness of all my sinnes & that my soule with my body at the day of the resurrection shall rise againe with joy & through the Merits of Jesus Christ death & passing possess & inherit the Kingdome of heaven prepared for the Elect Chosen & my body to be buried in such place where it shall please my Executors hereafter mentioned to poynt. Now for the settling my temporall estate & such Chattells & debts as it hath pleased god far above my deserts to bestow upon me. I ord'n & give & dispose the same in manner & forme following that is to say first I will that those debts & duties which I owe in Right or Conscience to any p'son or p'sons whatsoever shall well and truely payd in Convenient time after my decease by my Well beloved wife Elizabeth Magruder & James Magruder & Samuell Magruder whom I doe leave & appoint & ordaine them my whole Executrix over my whole Estate. Item: I give & bequeath to my loving wife & her three children two thirds of my personal estate & that plantation that I now live on to my loving wife Elizabeth Magruder for her lifetime & after her decease to my son Alexander & my son Nathaniell to them & their heires forever, and if either of them dies without issue the the longest liver to have it. The said Land doth Containe by Patent & Conveyance Eight hundred Acres of land. Item: I will bequeath to my loving son James Magruder & John Magruder Nine hundred acres of land lying on the Western branch of Petuxent River held by two Pattents called Alexandria & Dumblain to them & their heirs. Item: I will bequeath to my Son Samuel Magruder five hundred acres of land lying in the Westerne Branch called Good Luck to him & his heires forever. Item: I will that my son Samuell shall assist my son James when he is minded for to goe upon his owne, that is for to say to cleare & fence & build as is done upon Samuell Plantation hafe as much. Item: I will and bequeath the third Part of my personall estate to my three sons James Samuell & John Magruder & if either of these my three sons dye without issue what doth belong to him that is deceased to be equally divided betwixt the other two & they are to have what estate belongeth to them at the age of Twenty years & to my daughter Elizabeth at the day of her marriage. I will & bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth two hundred acres of land called by the name Cragnigh lying in the Westerne branch of Petuxent River adjoining to my son Samuell's land her brother & these my sons shall not buy nor sell not above the value of four hundred pounds of tobacco without the consent of one of these my Overseers untill they are at the age of twenty five years of age of this my last Will & testament I request my Well beloved friends Mr. Nathaniell Truman, Mr. Samuell Taylor, Mr. Ninnian Beale. I pronouce this my last Will & Testament whereunto I set my hand & seals the day & year above written
Alexander Magruder (original wax seal)
Test:
James Magruder - John Lane
John (X) Johnson
James (X) Soulivant
James Guthrey

Calvert Co. Will Liber 5, fol. 261
Will of Alexander Magruder; Calvert Co., MD. 10 Feb. 1676
In the name of God, amen. This the tenth day of february in the years of our Lord 1676, I Alexander Magruder being in health of body thanks be to god and calling me to Remembrance the Uncertaintie of the Transitory life & that all flesh must yield unto death when it pleased god to call I doe make Constitute ordaine & declare this my last Will & testament in manner & form following denouling & pronounceing by this presents all testament & testaments will and wills hereto fore by me made & declared either by word or writing & this onely to be taken my Last Will & testament & none other. And first being sorrie for my Sins from my heart most humbly desireing foregiveness for the same I give & comit my Soule unto Almighty god my Saviour & Redeemer in whome & by this merits Jesus Christ I trust & believe assuredly to be saved & to have full remission & foregiveness of all my sinnes & that my soule with my body at the day of the resurrection shall rise againe with joy & through the Merits of Jesus Christ death & passing possess & inherit the Kingdome of heaven prepared for the Elect Chosen & my body to be buried in such place where it shall please my Executors hereafter mentioned to poynt. Now for the settling my temporall estate & such Chattells & debts as it hath pleased God far above my deserts to bestow upon me. I ord'n & give & dispose the same in manner & forme following that is to say first I will that those debts & duties which I owe in Right or Conscience to any p'son or p'sons whatsoever shall well and truely payd in Convenient time after my decease by my Wellbeloved wife Elizabeth Magruder & James Magruder & Samuell Magruder whom I doe leave & appoint & ordaine them my whole Executrix over my whole Estate.
Item: I give & bequeath to my loving wife & her three children two thirds of my personal estate & that plantation that I now live on to my loving wife Elizabeth Magruder for her lifetime & after her decease to my son Alexander & my son Nathaniell to them & their heires forever, and if either of them dies without issue the the longest liver to have it. The said Land doth Containe by Patent & Conveyance Eight hundred Acres of land.
Item: I will bequeath to my loving son James Magruder & John Magruder nine hundred acres of land lying on the Western branch of Petuxent River held by two Pattents called Alexandria & Dumblain to them & their heirs.
Item: I will bequeath to my Son Samuel Magruder five hundred acres of land lying in the Westerne Branch called Good Luck to him & his heires forever.
Item: I will that my son Samuell shall assist my son James when he is minded for to goe upon his owne, that is for to say to cleare & fence & build as is done upon Samuell Plantation hafe as much
Item: I will and bequeath the third Part of my personall estate to my three sons James Samuell & John Magruder & if either of these my three sons dye without issue what doth belong to him that is deceased to be equally divided betwixt the other two & they are to have what estate belongeth to them at the age of Twenty years & to my daughter Elizabeth at the day of her marriage.
I will & bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth two hundred acres of land called by the name Cragnigh lying in the Westerne branch of Petuxent River adjoining to my son Samuell's land her brother & these my sons shall not buy nor sell not above the value of four hundred pounds of tobacco without the consent of one of these my Overseers untill they are at the age of twenty five years of age of this my last Will & testament I request my Well beloved friends Mr. Nathaniell Truman, Mr. Samuell Taylor, Mr. Ninnian Beale. I pronouce this my last Will & Testament whereunto I set my hand & seals the day & year above written; Alexander Magruder (original wax seal) Test: James Magruder - John Lane John (X) Johnson James (X) Soulivant James Guthrey
Original will, Maryland Hall of Records also Calvert Co. Will Liber 5, fol. 261

An inexplicable development came in Testamentary Proceedings after Alexander's death. On 17 Apr 1677, Samuel Taylor and Ninian Beall, "friends" Alexander had named in his will to be overseers, informed a Judge that Alexander's widow "is also lately dead" thereby making his surviving children "orphans" who were "under the age of 17 years." On the strength of their testimony the Judge ordered the administration of Alexander's estate transferred to them. On 25 Jul 1677, Elizabeth Magruder, "widow and executrix" of Alexander's will, "shewed that [the court had acted] upon false suggestion that she the said Elizabeth was deceased," and she was given the letters of Administration. (Liber 9, f. 51, 254; see transcripts in "Alexander Magruder: Scotch Emigrant, Maryland Planter," The Rev. James Mitchell Magruder, 1935 ACGS Year Book, pp. 51, 52.)

John Ashcomb demanded twelve hundred acres of land for transporting into this province himself, Winifred his wife and John, Charles, Nathaniel and Samuel his sons and six servants viz. Alexandre Mathoda, Will. Gibbons, Will. Ward, Guy --, Edward Wood, and Joan--, in the years 1650 and 1651" (Patents AB&H, f. 202).
7 Oct 1653, Charles Steward assigned his right to land for bringing his wife Margaret Steward into MD to Alexander Macruder.
19 Nov 1653: I, John Ashcomb, do assign unto Alexander Macruder, my servant, 50 acres of land which will be due to me for the next servant I shall transport into this province of Maryland." Ashcomb signed with his mark and the same day a warrant was issued "to lay out for Alexander Magruder 100 acres of land in any part of the province." (Patents AB&H, f. 352).
29 Sep 1659, a tract was surveyed for Alexander Magruder in Calvert County by a great branch on the north side of the Patuxent River on the "back side" of land laid out for John Hambleton. He used three warrants for 50 acres each which he had received by assignment and another warrant for 50 acres" Magruder transporting Henry, his servant, into this province in Anno 1656." He aptly named the 200-acre tract "Success." It was patented in 1666 (Patents #10, f. 200).
He purchased rights to Hambleton's adjoining 200-acre tract and a patent was granted him in 1661 (Patents #4, f. 627). Between 1661 and 1668, "Alexander Magruder, planter," had another 1300 acres of land in Calvert Co surveyed and patented (Patents #5, f. 4, #11, F. 232, 444). Acquiring hundreds of acres of land which could later be divided or sold was an excellent investment strategy.
He obviously lived up to the name he gave his first property and was a success in acquiring funds to purchase land and pay the annual rent to the Lord Proprietor.

Archives of Maryland; Volume 49, Provincial Court Proceedings, 1665. Page 463;
Liber F.F. [p. 47] These ptsents wittnesseth that I Alexandr Magrowder of the County of Calvert in the Province of Maryland Doe hereby Assigne or make over from mee & my heires or Administrators unto Edmund Hinchman (of the aforesaid County) or his heires or Administrators or Assignes for Ever a Certifficate of the survey of Two hundred acres of land wth all priviledges thereunto belonging lying in the woods on the north side of Petuxent river bounding on the head of the land taken up by Woodman Stoakely on the one side: and on the other side on the land that was one Hambletons: In wittnes whereof I have hereunto sett my hand this tenth day of June 1664: Allexandr Magrowder Wittnes: George Richardson John [his marke] Gerrere
On the back side of the abovesaid Assignmt was this assignmt written as followeth:
I Edmund Hinchman Doe hereby Assigne over unto George Richardson or his Assignes all my right title and Interest of the wthin written assignmt assigned unto mee by Alexandr Magruder of and in a parcell of land lying in Petuxent river as in and by the said wthin written may appeare, as wittnes my hand this 6th August 1664 Edmund Hinchman Wittnes: John Edmondson Miles Mason
The abovesd land againe assigned away thus.
These prsents wittnesseth that I George Richardson of the Province of Maryland living in Talbott County doe by these ptsents sell bargaine and firmely make Over unto James Murphy of the aforesaid County and his heires for ever a parcell of land lying in Calvert County in Petuxent on the north side of the river next adjoyning to the land formerly surveyed for Woodman Stoakely and bounden on a parcell of land formerly surveyed for John Hamilton and on the land of James Gods-Grasse being survey for two hundred acres niore or lesse And I the said George Richardson doe Alienate sell Bargaine and for ever make over unto the said James Murphy and his heires the above menconed land to have and to hould the same wth all rights and priviledges of pattent thereunto belonging hee yeilding the Lord Proprietary yearely Rent, And I the said George Richardson doe by these ptsents binde my selfe my heires Executors Administrators and Assignes to Confirme and make good the saile and Bargaine of the abovesaid land unto the said Murphy or his Assignes, In wittnes whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale this the 8th day of June in the yeare 1665: George Richardson Seale Signed sealed & delivered In the prsence of us: William Heard Christa Fell
The Three foregoeing Assignmt was by Geo: Richardson into the Office brought request that they may bee Recorded mee: Daniel Jenifer Clke

Between 1668 and 1671, he made purchases in the part of Calvert Co that later became Prince George's Co, patenting tracts on the west side of the Patuxent River: "Anchovie Hill" 400 acres on Aquasco Creek; "Good Luck" 500 acres, with "Creighnaigh" 200 acres adjoining [later called "Magruder's Delight,". Maryland Heritage, Katharine Beall Adams, p. 201]; "Alexandria" 700 acres, with "Dunblane" 250 acres adjoining (Patents #11, f. 288, #12, f. 585, 587, #26, f. 274, 275).
Alexander Magruder was about 40 when he arrived in MD. While no record exists, it is not unreasonable to think he might have had a wife and children in Scotland. ACGS accounts for three wives in America and much speculation about them in the absence of proof. (See, for example, "Tradition and Margaret Braithwaite," W. C. Barrickman, 1945 ACGS Year Book, pp 30-37).
The "persistent tradition" is that "Alexander Magruder married Margaret Braithwaite, believed to be the daughter of William Braithwaite and Helenor Stephenson, who was the one-time temporary governor of Maryland and a cousin of Lord Baltimore" (Kurz, p. 68). The first wife of record is a Sarah, perhaps as early as 1653. His will lists Elizabeth Hawkins? or Green? whom he married about 1672 (the "Green" speculation from the fact that wife Sarah claimed land for bringing in "Elizabeth Green" in 1671). Dr. Kurz names Sarah as the mother of three sons - James, Samuel and John (but Clan tradition holds to Margaret Braithewaite as their mother), and last wife Elizabeth as mother of sons Alexander and Nathaniel and daughter Elizabeth (p. 69