Chester County Wills

JOHN ALLEN I
LAST WILL & TESTAMENT 12m-7-1769

TO ALL PEOPLE to whom these presents shall or may come, I John Allen of the Township of London Grove in the County of Chester in the Province of Pennsylvania Yeoman being far advanced in years and having under my consideration the uncertainty of human life do make this my last will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say Imprimis I order that my Body be decently interred in Friends Buriing Grounds in a Christian and decent manner at the discretion of my Executors herein after named, and as to my worldly Estate which the Lord in mercy hath been pleased to bestow upon me I give and dispose of the same in manner and form following and first I will that all my just debts which I owe to any manner of person or persons together with my funeral charges be paid and discharged as soon as conveniently may be after my decease by my Executors herein after named.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Amy Allen the dwelling house I now dwell in with all the furnature thereunto belonging that she may think convenient together with all the linnen likewise one half of the orchard and the bay mare and one cow which she may like best as also sufficient pasturage and wintering for them as also what fire wood she may stand in need of to be provided for her at the expence of my son William Allen and brought to the door.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said son, William Allen the plantation on which I now dwell with the appurtenances situate lying and being in the said Township of London Grove containing sixty three acres Except what lyeth in the brick field and also what I have before bequeathed to his mother during her natural life with the saw mill and all my Right and Interest in the Corn or Grist Mill with all the utentials and appurtenances belonging as also all that part of my two hundred acre tract of land situate in the Township of New Garden and lying south of a line now run beginning at a corner stone set in the ground in or near the line dividing between the Township of London Grove and New Garden opposite to the end of a ditch dividing the meadow from the aforesaid Brick Field near the South East Corner of the said meadow thence north fifty seven degrees East sixty four perches to another stone, thence North sixty eight degrees east twenty five perches to a small white oak thence due East sixty six perches to a post in the Eastermost line of the aforesaid tract be. the content of the same more or less with the appurtenances Except the ground my son John Allen built his house upon near the aforesaid mill and it is my mind and will that the said house and what land is between the same and the Ditch and even with the back side of the said house shall be for the sole use and behoof of the heirs of my said son John and their assigns forever all that the aforesaid land lying south of the above mentioned line in New Garden Township to my said son William on condition he pays to his mother the aforesaid Amy Allen the sum of six pounds lawful money of the aforesaid Province yearly and every year during her natural life, to be possessed and enjoyed by him my said son William for and during his natural life and from and immediately after his decease to go and be vested soley in the heirs made of his body lawfully begotten and their heirs and assigns forever and for want of such male issue then to his two brothers to wit Joseph and Benjamin to be equally divided between them share and part alike and to their heirs and assigns forever.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said son William Allen all that tract of land lying West of the other Containing Sixty Eight acres and the usual allowance for roads together with the appurtenances to hold to him my said son William Allen and his heirs and assigns forever he paying out of the same to his late deceased brother John's Children viz. to Hannah the sum of Five Pounds lawful money of the aforesaid Province, to Amy the sum of Five Pounds of like lawful money aforesaid, to Ann the sum of Twenty Pounds of the like money, to John Twenty Pounds of like money, to Samuel Twenty Pounds of like money which said Several Legacies I will and order to be paid to each of them one year after my decease to the Eldest and so one year between each payment until they are all paid. But in case any of the aforesaid Children shall happen to die or depart this life before the time herein before mentioned for payment there of then and in such case, the part or share of him her or them that shall so happen to die I will and order to remain to my said son William's own particular use.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said son Joseph Allen all my wearing apparrell and the sum of Five Shillings which with what I have already given him is to be in full of his share or part of my Estate Except a dividing share of the surplus of my Estate if any be as herein after mentioned of the land.

Item, I give and devise and bequeath unto my son Benjamin Allen all that part of my aforesaid tract of land situate lying and being in the said Township of New Garden and north of the Division line herein before mentioned together with the appurtenances be the same more or less To hold to him my said son Benjamin Allen and to his heirs and assigns forever.

Item, All that my tract of land situate lying and being Between the Lands late of Steven Ailes deceased and the land of James Greenfield containing by computation Thirty seven acres and three quarters of an acre be the same more or less together with the appurtenances, I give devise and bequeath one full equal and undivided third part thereof to my said son William Allen and to his heirs and assigns forever, one other full equal and undivided third part thereof I give devise and bequeath unto my said son Joseph Allen and to his heirs and assigns forever and the other one full equal and undivided third part thereof I give devise and bequeath unto my said son Benjamin Allen and his heirs and assigns forever. Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Dixon the sum of Fifty Pounds lawful money of the aforesaid Province.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Phebe Thompson the sum of Forty Pounds lawful money of the aforesaid Province.

Item, I give and bequeath to my four grand children viz William Moode, Emey Moode, Ruth Moode and Hannah Moode the sum of Twenty Pounds lawful money of the aforesaid Province to be equally divided among them share and part alike. Item, I give and bequeath unto my grand daughter Elizabeth Ward the sum of one Shilling.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my two grandsons viz. Thomas Ward and Phillip Ward the sum of Thirty Pounds lawful money of the aforesaid Province to be equally divided between them share and part alike.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my grand son John Fraizer the sum of Twenty Pounds of like money aforesaid to be paid to him at the age of twenty one years and if in case he should happen to die or depart this life before he arrives at the age aforesaid that then and in such case I give and bequeath the said legacy of Twenty Pounds to my said two grand sons Thomas and Philip Ward to be equally divided between them share and part alike. And I hereby nominate constitute and appoint my loving son in law William Chandler Executor and my loving daughter Rebecka his wife Executrix of this my last Will and Testament to whom I give and bequeath the sum of Fifty Pounds lawful money of the aforesaid Province as a Legacy which said Legacy shall be in full as well for their Administering my said Estate as all other demands they or either of them may have against my said Estate also I charge them with the payment of my debts and Legacies according to the true intent and meaning hereof and lastly it is my mind and will that if any thing remain after my just debts and Legacies are fully paid and discharged that such remainder or residue be equally divided between my loving wife the aforesaid Amy Allen and my said three sons to wit William, Joseph, and Benjamin share and part alike. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, Dated the Seventh Day of the twelfth month in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Nine.

John Allen Seal.

Signed, Sealed, Published, Pronounced, and Declared by the said John Allen the Testator to be his last Will and Testament in the Presence of us the subscribers who subscribed our names as Witnesses thereto in his presence and by his request, Samuel Sharp, David England, Lewis Lemert.

Chester 5th November 1771 Then personally appeared Samuel Sharp, David England, and Lewis Lemert, who on their Solemn Affirmations according to law did Declare, Affirm and say that they were personally present and did see and hear John Allen the Testator within and above named, Sign, Seal, Publish, Pronounce, and Declare the foregoing writing to be his last Will and Testament and that at the doing thereof he was of a sound and well disposing mind and memory to the best of their understanding. Affirmed before H. H. Graham D. Regs'

Source: p. 9-10 The Allen Family: Descendants of John and Amy Cox Allen with Allied Lines, Lester M. Allen, 917 Forest Hill Dr., Greensboro, NC 27410 1987: Salisbury, NC: Salisbury Printing Company