posteriall lines in time to come, Shall Cease, and bee thaken Out of the world . . . I . . . Depose and Comitt the three distinct Esstates, into the Custody of Most Honourable Generall Assembly of this Province of Maryland; . . . for the Use & propagation & propriety of a ffree Donative Scoole & Colledge, with Divine protestant Ministery, hospitalls & reliefe of poore & distressed people & travellars, to be by the said Generall honourable Assembly, Erected and Established . . . by the perpetuall name of the Augustiny Bohemians.”[1]
The will is signed by “Augustine Herrman, Bohimian, Aetatis 63.”[2]
Thus it will be observed that Herrman was desirous of having his name and that of his native country perpetuated in this country, as well as establishing a family of landed property by willing Bohemia Manor to his eldest son and his heirs, each being required to add the name “Augustine” to his own. The will is recorded in Liber G. folio 228 in the Office of the Register of Wills of Anne Arundel County, Annapolis.[3]
Herrman provided bountifully for his five children. Yet there was a cause for litigation. For some unknown reason the section of the will providing for his daughter, Anna Margareta, was torn from the recorded copy in the Registry of Wills, Annapolis. At length Matthias Vanderhayden, her husband, obtained possession of the original document and produced two of the witnesses, Edward and Samuel Wheeler
- ↑ Čapek, p. 26.
- ↑ It is mainly upon this date that many believe Herrman was born in 1621. Yet, as before mentioned, we do know that Herrman was a witness to the Schuylkill River treaty in 1633. It is of course possible knowing the ambiguities and vagrancies of 17th century spelling and use of dates that 83 was meant instead of 63. This would have placed the year of his birth at 1601, four years before the Rattermann date. Moreover, a close examination of the will seems plainly to show that the word “Aetatis 63” is not in Herrman’s handwriting.
- ↑ Penna. Mag. of Hist. and Biog., Vol. 15 (1891–92). p. 321.
