Analysis and Summary of the Will of William Burgess (1622–1686)

The following is a detailed analysis and summary of the 1685 Will of William Burgess of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

What is significant about William Burgess

William Burgess is worthy of a full biography post, so we will write more about him later. Just within the context of William Iiams, Burgess is interesting for the following reasons.

1. He came to Anne Arundel via Virginia, not directly from England. In 1650, he lead a group of 150 settlers from Virginia to the South River area of Anne Arundel.¹

2. It is said he’s originally from Truro, Cornwall, with some even believing Truro is in Wales.² Both Wales and Cornwall are prime candidates for the origin of William Iiams.

3. William Burgess was one of the wealthiest, and most powerful colonists in that area. He was a Colonel, responsible for leading the militia defending the area from attacks and the Maryland Governor appointed him to key positions throughout his life.

4. We have a direct connection to William Burgess via his son, Benjamin and William Iiams’ daughter, Hester. The couple had an affair that resulted in the birth of daughter, Ann. An excellent article exists about Hester’s illicit relationships by Katherine Harbury.³

Summary of William Burgess’s Will

William Burgess’s will,⁴ dated 11 July 1685, provides extensive instructions concerning his religious beliefs, burial wishes, debts, and the distribution of his substantial estate among family members, friends, and a servant. It shows careful planning for the financial security of his wife, Ursula, and provisions for his children’s inheritances. The document is one of only two wills from Anne Arundel colonists found in the England’s National Archives, likely because several of William’s children had moved to England. For convenience, the full document from the National Archives is posted here, as well as a transcription created using ChatGPT-4.

Beneficiaries and Bequests

Wife

• Ursula Burgess:
  • Named sole executrix.
  • Receives life estate in the plantation dwelling on South River and adjoining 800 acres purchased from George Westall.
  • Excluded from rights or profits from the Town of London established on part of that land.
  • Receives all residual real and personal property.
  • Holds guardianship and control over minor children’s inheritances unless remarried; otherwise, guardianship passes to named supervisors.

Sons

Note: Survivorship conditions ensure property passes to surviving sons in age order if any die before age 21.

Daughters & Grandchildren

Note: Daughter survivorship clause—inheritances shared among surviving daughters if any die before eligibility.

Servant

• Richard (Carpenter): £5 upon completing his term of servitude (unusual and noteworthy recognition).

Supervisors/Overseers

• Major Nicholas Sewall, Major Nicholas Gassaway, Captain Henry Hanslapp: Each receives £5 as a token of friendship and to oversee guardianship in case Ursula remarries.

Interesting or Unusual Details

• Wealth & Land Ownership: William Burgess was exceptionally wealthy, owning extensive land holdings across multiple Maryland counties, including Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Cecil. This clearly indicates his prominence and economic influence in colonial Maryland.
• Town Planning: Burgess owned property designated for a new town, “London,” suggesting his role in early colonial urban development.
• Complex Survivorship Clauses: These clauses reveal thoughtful estate planning to retain family wealth despite the high mortality rates of the era.
• Indentured Servant Bequest: It was relatively unusual at this period to make specific monetary gifts to indentured servants, indicating Burgess valued and rewarded loyalty.
• Conditional Gift to Edward: The provision tied to Edward regarding the division of George Puddington’s livestock hints at an important underlying historical context.
• Tobacco as Currency: Large bequests were specified in tobacco (“5,000 pounds in Casque”), highlighting the central economic role tobacco played in colonial Maryland.
• Provisions Concerning Widowhood: Burgess explicitly provided measures ensuring his wife’s rights and authority would shift to trusted friends if she remarried, indicating a desire to protect estate integrity and minors’ inheritances.

Historical Context and Genealogical Significance

This will is invaluable for genealogical research. It precisely identifies relationships, land tracts, and interconnected families, reflecting social status, colonial economics, inheritance practices, and the legal mechanisms of the era.

It also offers significant research avenues to historians interested in colonial Maryland settlement patterns, early urban planning, land transactions, and the use of indentured labor.

Recommendations for Further Research

• Investigate the relationship with the estate of George Puddington, as Burgess’s conditional gift to son Edward hints at an important underlying historical context.
• Examine the named properties (“Betty’s Choice,” “Morley’s Lott,” “Benjamin’s More,” etc.) in historical land records for greater context regarding colonial land use and development.
• Research the named supervisors (Nicholas Sewall, Nicholas Gassaway, Henry Hanslapp) to explore the extended familial or social networks within the colonial elite.

This will represents an extraordinary record of 17th-century colonial life, illustrating economic, familial, and societal dimensions in early Maryland history.