Last Will & Testament of George Sprecher
Transcribed by Steven Matthew Hahn, 9 January 2009
§
Will George Sprecher 1824
§
In the name of God amen I George
Sprecher, of East hanover township Lebanon
County and state of Pennsylvania, being weak and infirm in body but of perfect
mind and memory, calling to recollection the mortality of human nature, that it
is appointed for all men to die, first of all, I commend my immortal soul in to
the hands of God, who gave it and my body to the earth, to be buried in a
Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors herein after named or the survivor of them, and
believing it to be my duty to regulate my earthly concerns, so that those who
survive me may experience the best possible inconvenience(sic). Do make ordain
and declare my last will and testament as follows, I do order and direct my executors as soon as conveniently
may be after my decease to sell by public vendue all my personal property and
moveable effects (which are not herein otherwise to be disposed of) and to pay
all my last debts and funeral expenses.
To my dearly beloved wife Catharine, I do will and bequeath in lieu of a dower a maintenance for her on my
plantation on which I now dwell, that is to say she shall have the front room
at the south west end of the house with the one above it upstairs with their
length and breadth of the cellar & garret both included and her choice of
one half of the garden, with my two horses and waggon her choice of three cows,
the wind mill all the wheat & rye that is now on the loft, and of all the
grain that is now in the ground or to be put in this spring with wood cut
chopped & hauld home and cut short of the stove and kitchen fires with the
two ten plate stoves now in the house her choice of two beds and bedsteads and
one chest, also she shall have my plantation to be farmed under her care by my son John
and get the half of all that can be raised of said plantation each and every
year the grain to be delivered to her in the bushel, and the two horses and the
three cows to be fed out of the incomes of my plantation summer and winter and
her choice of three hogs all the linen cloth in the house with as much house
hold and kitchen furniture as she may think proper and all the wool of the
sheep this year and two sheep to be fed as above, my son John
Shall haul and chop the wood as above and to render & perform all as
aforesaid to his said mother All
the above enumerated legacies for my dealy beloved wife all which I order and
bequeath and allow to her during her remaining my widow, but if she should
marry the said enumerated legacies shall cease, and revert to the general mass
of my estate for the use and benefit of my children Catherine Waggoner shall have one bed & bed stead a chest two iron pots, one cow or
the money for one, and a spinning wheel
With respect to my plantation
or real estate on which I now dwell situate in said township, bounded by lands
of Andrew Keefer, John Snyder and others, I do order and direct my executors as soon as conveniently may be after the decease of
my said wife or in case she
should happen to marry to have my said plantation appraised by three good men,
and my son Jacob Shall have the first choice to take the land at the
appraisment, and if he refuse to take the land, my son John
shall have the next choice of the same, or if Jacob & John cannot agree to take in jointly between them, then and in that case
the plantation shall be sold by my executors at public vendue, and the money a
rising from such sale shall be equally, divided among all my children, named Jacob, John,
Catharine the wife of Samuel Hauk, Elisabeth the wife of Jacob Wert, and Maryan the wife of David Brought share and share alike, the above appraisment shall
be for cash and I do fully empower my executors or the survivers of them to
sign seal execute and deliver a good & sufficient lawful fee simple title
or deed in as full and simple a manner as I now might or could do, in any of
the above cases, and if any money should yet remain of my estate not otherwise
appropriated it shall be equally divid among my children
I Do nominate and appoint my
trusted friends John Bolton of said
township and county & George Hemberly of Londonderry in said county Executors of this my last will and testament And I hereby
declare this and none other to be my last will and testament and disannul and
revoke any other by me heretofore made
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 14th day
of April Anno Dommini one thousand and eight hundred & twenty
Georg Spreckar <seal>
signed sealed published and
declared by the above named George Sprecher as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who at
his request and in his presence have subscribed our names as witness thereto
Abraham Philps
John Snyder
§
Lebanon County
This 3rd day of Feby 1824
Before me Henry Doebler Register for
the probate of wills and granting letters of administration in and for the
county aforesaid Personally came Abraham Philips & John Snyder subscribing witnesses to the above will and being
duly sworn & affirmed according to law doth depose and say that they were
present and saw and heard George Sprecher the testator sign seal publish pronounce and declare the foregoing
instrument of writing as and for his last will and testament and at the time of
so doing he was of perfect sound mind and memory to the best of their Knowledge
observation & Belief
Henry Doebler
Register