Chester County Wills

John Cook, 1758

The last Will & Testament of John Cook of the Townfhip of Londongrove in the County of Chester & Province of Pennsylvania who being very sick & weak in Body, but of a Sound disposing mind & memory for which I am Thankful to the Alone giver thereof; & calling to mind the Morality of my Body, do make & Constitute this my last Will & Testament in manner following (that is to Say) Princapally & first of all, I give & Recommend my Soul into the Hands of Almighty God that gave it; & for my Body I order it to be Decently Buried at the Discretion of my Ex's hereafter named. And as touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath Pleas'd the Lord to Blefs me in this Life I give Devise & Dispose of same in the following Manners and form, Viz ----

Imprimis It is my Will & I do order, that in the first place all my Funeral Charges & just Debts be paid & fully Discharg'd by one of My Ex's hereafter named.

Item I give & Bequeath unto my Beloved Wife Elinor Cook the Stone End of my D'lling House wholly for her own use & Convenience. As also the [unintel] under the same During her Widow hood together with free and full Privilidge of Ingrefs, Egrefs, & Regrefs, into to upon & from the Premifses on which s. house stands. And also it is my Will that my Heir to this my Plantation as hereafter Named should Provide cause to be Provided a Sufficient Quanity of Firewood for my Wife Afores'd during her Widow hood from time to time as she may stand in need thereof to be cut Cordwood length & brought to the Door; It is likewise my Will that she should have the Two best Feather Beds, & Furniture, an Oak Case of Drawers, an Ovel Walnut Table, & alittle Square Poplar one, The Clock & Case, The Couch, an Oak Chest, & Six Rush Bottom Chairs, together with other Furniture in the Stone End Afores'd. As also a Pot of her Choice & my Riding Horse Named Rock, & her Choice of one of the Milk Cows, with Pasture & father Sufficient for Keeping the same whilst she Remains my Widow. -------

Item, I give unto my Son John Cook the Sum of Four Pounds ---

Item, I give unto my Daughter Mary Pyle the Sum of Four Pounds ---

Item, I give unto my Daughter Margaret Johnfon the Sum of Four Pounds ---

Item, I give unto my Daughter Hannah Brabfton the Sum of Four Pounds ---

Item, I give unto my Daughter Phebe Plummer the Sum of Four Pounds ---

Item, I give and Bequeath unto my Son Stephen Cook his Heirs & Afsigns forever all the Tract or plantation of Land I now Live on with all the Appurtenances thereunto belonging. Except the Afores'd. Priviledges to my Widow afores'd. As Also all the Remainder of my Personal Estate for his own proper use & behove for The better enabling him to pay or cause to be paid & fully Discharg'd all my Funeral Charges & just Debts as Speedily as my be; together with the Legacies Afores'd. which Legacies it is my Will should be Discharg'd within one year after my Decease.

And further it is my Will that my s. Son Stephen his Heirs Ex's. Adm'd. or Afsigns should pay or cause to be paid unto my Wife Afores'd. The sum of Eight Pounds Current Lawful Money of the Province of Penfylvania yearly and every year whilst she Remains my Widow.

Lastly I do nominate Constitue & Appoint my Beloved Wife & Son Stephen Afores'd. Sole Ex's. to this my last Will and Testament. And I do hereby utterly Disallow, revoke , make Void & Disannul all & every other Former Testaments, Wills, Legacies, & Ex's. by one in any ways before this time Named, Will'd & bequeathed. Ratifying & Confirming this, & no other to be my last Will & Testament. According to the true Intent & Meaning thereof. In Witnefs whereof I have hereunto Set my hand & Seal this Twenty Seventh Day of the Twelfth Month in the year of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred & Fifty Eight.

Signed, Sealed, Published, Pronounced &

Declared by the s. John Cook as his last Will & Testament in the Presence of us the Subcribers ----

John Pusey - - - Dinah Cook John Cook (Seal)
Isaac Jackson

Chester March 15th 1759 Then Personally appeared John Pufey & Dinah Cook two of the witnefses to the within Will and being of the People called Quakers on their Solemn affermations according to law did folemnly Sincerely and truly declare affirm and Say that they were personally prefent and did see and Hear John Cook the Teftor within Named Sign Seal publish pronounce & declare the within Writing as for his last Will & Teftament and that at the doing thereof he was of a found & well Disposing mind & memory to the Beft of their underftanding & that their Names Subfcribed as Witnefses thereunto are of their own respective proper Hands writing.

Affirmed Before me
Henry H. Graham D Reg.

LAST WILL and TESTAMENT of JOHN COOK, son of Peter and Elinor (Norman) Cook Born - September 2, 1696, Tarvin, Cheshire, England
Married - 1718, Elinor Lansdell, Newark MH, Chester Co., Pennsylvania
Died - Abt March 1759, Londongrove, Chester Co., Pennsylvania
Buried - Believed to be buried in an unmarked grave in the Londongrove FBG, Chester Co., Pennsylvania
Will Obtained - Chester County Archives
Archives and Record Services,
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Will Book - D, page 161

-- R. L. Cooke, III September 11, 1997