Chester County Wills

Joseph Root, 1801

Probate records Chester Co, PA "Last Will and Testament of Joseph Root proven March 12th 1801 (taken from copy of original):

I Joseph Root of Vincent Township in the county of Chester in the State of Pennsylvania being under weakness and Indisposition of Body but through mercy favoured with sound and well disposing mind and memory do this twenty fifth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred make and ordain this my last will and testament as touching such worldly estate as it hath pleased the Lord to bless me with in this life in the following manner and form.

Imprimis I do order all my just debts and funeral expenses to be fully paid by my executors herein after named.

Item I give to my well beloved Christiana Root the sum of three hundred and fifty pounds of good & lawful money to be paid to her in manner following that is to say fifty pounds part thereof on the twenty seventh day of May next after my decease and thence forward one such like payment on the twenty seventh day of May in each & every year until the whole of the said sum of three hundred and fifty pounds shall be fully paid to her. I also give and bequeath unto her the following articles of household goods and furniture to wit two of my best beds bedsteads & clothing belonging to them, my clock, breakfast table, clothes press, and all that is contained therein, brass kettle, two iron pots, four chairs, and my dresser with all that is usually kept on it and in it; I also give her one cow of her own choice out of my stock of cattle. I do also grant and allow unto her during the term of her widowhood the use and benefit of the stove room and the room called the little room upstairs in my dwelling house with all necessary use of my kitchen, Cellar, bake oven and milk house, four square perches of ground in the garden and further my will is that she shall receive yearly during the term aforesaid from the produce of my plantation ten bushels of wheat, fifteen bushels of rye, five bushels of buckwheat, six bushels of potatoes, ten pounds of flax from the hackle with all the tow produced from it, eight pounds of wool, thirty pounds of beef and one hundred and fifty pounds of pork and that a cow shall be kept for her both in the winter & summer seasons and that she shall be furnished with a safe horse to ride on to meeting or elsewhere when & as often as she shall be minded thereto and that she shall be plentifully provided with firewood cut in suitable length for burning in the stove delivered at her door.

Item I give and bequeath unto my eldest son Sebastian Root the sum of twenty five pounds good & lawful money to be paid unto him in ten years after my decease if he shall so long live but in case of his sooner decease I then give and bequeath the same together with the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds more to and among his children whether already born or hereafter to be born to be paid unto them by even and equal portions part and share alike as they severally arrive to the age of twenty one years no interest in the mean time to accrue thereon.

Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Moyer wife of Christian Moyer the sum of twenty five pounds good and lawful money to be paid unto her within twelve years after my decease if she shall so long live but in case of her sooner decease I then give and bequeath the same together with one hundred and seventy five pounds more to & among her children whether already born or hereafter to be born to be paid unto them severally as they arrive to the age of twenty one years by even & equal portions alike but no interest shall accrue thereon in the mean time, Hoping that they my grandchildren by my said daughter may shew kindness to their mother and relieve and assist her out of it as her necessity may require.

Item I give and devise unto my two sons Samuel and Daniel Root all my plantation and tract of land situate in the said township of Vincent containing two hundred and nine acres be the same more or less to hold to them my said two sons and their heirs and assigns forever as tenants in common and not as joint tenants subject to the privileges and benefits granted as above mentioned unto my beloved wife and under and subject to the payment of the sum of one thousand four hundred and fifty five pounds good and lawful money with which sum I do hereby charge my said plantation in order to make up the shares or portions of my son Sebastian and my daughter Elizabeth Moyer above named as above bequeathed and the shares of my four children not herein before named to wit Joseph, Peter, Jacob and Catherine, to each of whom I give and bequeath a fourth part of what will remain after the shares of my son Sebastian and daughter as above bequeathed are paid that is two hundred and seventy pounds a piece to be paid unto them in the following manner that is to say the share of my son Joseph in three equal yearly payments that is ninety pounds each payment and the first of them in two years after my decease the second of them in three years the third and last of them in four years. The share of my son Peter in three like payments the first of them in five years the second in six years and he third in seven years after my decease. The share of my son Jacob in like manner that is the first payment in eight years the second in nine years and the third in ten years after my decease. And the share of my daughter Catherine in three such payments the first whereof in eleven years the second in twelve the third in thirteen years after my decease.

Item It is my will & order that the whole residue & remaining part of my estate of what nature or kind so even shall be appraised and that my two sons Samuel and Daniel shall take the same as the appraisement and pay unto my last named four children to wit Joseph, Peter, Jacob and Catherine to each one of them a sixth part of the amount of such appraisement in one year after my decease and to be no further accountable for the same.

Lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint my said two sons Samuel and Daniel sole executors of this my will hereby revoking all former or other wills by me made ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.

Witnessed by Philipp Millar and William Bartholomew and Simon Meredith

Note: Joseph signed his name as Joseph Rutt."