Chester County Wills

Stephen Cook, 1817

I Stephen Cook of the Township of Londongrove, Chester County & State of Pennsylvania, being advanced in years, and desirous of setting my outward affairs while health and ability is aforded, do make this my will in manner following viz

First I order that all my Just debts and funeral expences be paid equally by my son Isaac and my grandson John Cook each one equal half part thereof.

Item I Give & bequeath unto my beloved wife Margaret Cook all the furniture & personal property that is in the house we occupy and also what is contained in the two Rooms in the part of the house lately occupied by my son Job, and during her widowhood I allow her the free and uninterupted use of the stone end of my dwelling house in every part thereof with liberty to go into the kitchen & there to cook, bake and wash as she may have a occasion in equal right with my grandson John Cook or those that may act therein for him, also suitable stabling hay & pasture for one cow, and firewood cut and hauld to the door suffient for one fire besides what may be necessary for her use in the kitchen and five hundred weight of wheat meal of good quality and two hundred weight of pork and one hundred weight of beef to be furnished her yearly during her natural life. I give the sum of thirty pounds to be paid yearly and every year during her life by my grandson John Cook [unin]

Item I Give and devise unto my son Isaac Cook his heirs and assigns forever the mills and land where I now live containing about seventy three acres be it more or less bounded as follows Beginning at a hickory at the south East corner of my land thence by land late Samuel Woodward& Tho. [unin] south Eighty five degrees & one half. West one hundred & sixty four perches & six tenths to White Oak, Thence North fourteen degrees, West by land of Amos & Enoch Speakman Fifty five perches and five tenths to a post in the Road, Thence by a mark'd Cherry tree, North eighty one degrees & three quarters, East fifty eight perches and five tenths to a Gum tree, thence South twenty eight degrees and one half, East nine perches and four tenths to a stone, Thence North sixty seven degrees, East seventy three perches and seven tenths to a stone , Thence North seventeen degrees & one half, west twenty three perches to a Gum. Thence North sixty six degrees, East forty seven perches and three tenths to a post. Thence by land late James Alfords, South six degrees and one half, East eighty four perches to the place of beginning, together also with full and uninterupted priviledge and use of the water to flow along the raw as usual from the dam through my other lands for the use of the mills with liberty to cleanse scour and repair the said raw and dam as often as he may have occasion excepting and reserving for the use and benefit of the owner or [unin] of my said other land the priviledge of letting the water out of said raw or dam to water and respect the adjacent meadow twenty four hours in each week, he the said owner or [unin], then stopping the courses where he lets it out of the raw-----he my son Isaac to pay out of the mills & land bequeathed him the sum of three hundred pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania in manner hereinafter directed.-------
v Item I give and devise unto my son Stephen Cook the sum of one hundred pounds to be paid to him in one year after my decease by my son Isaac.

Item I Give and bequeath to my son Ennion Cook the sum of one hundred pounds to be paid to him in one year after my decease by my son Isaac.

Item I Give and bequeath to my son Jeremiah Cook the sum of One hundred pounds to be paid to him or his order by my son Isaac in one year after my decease. Item I Give and bequeath to my daughter Hannah Cook the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds to be paid to her by my Grandson John Cook one half in one year after my decease, or on the day of Marriage which shall first happen, the other half to be in two equal annual payments after the above sum last mentioned, and the priviledge of a room of her choice in the part of the house left to the use of my widow as long as my said daughter lives single, to enjoy the aforesaid priviledge immediately after her Mothers decease.

Item I Give and devise to my grandson John Cook and to his heirs and assigns forever all the remaining part of my plantation being about eighty Nine acres be the same more or less with the buildings & other appurtenance thereto belonging subject nevertheless to all and singular the liberties priviledges & payments of money herein before given to my widow during her widowhood & natural life and also subject to the payment of the further sums herein aftermentioned.

Item I Give and devise to my Grand daughter Margaret Cook, daughter of Peter Cook deceased, one hundred Dollars to be paid to her when she [arrives] to eighteen years of age--by my Grandson John Cook----

Item I Give and devise to my Grand daughter Lydia Cook daughter of my son Job Cook deceas'd one hundred Dollars to be paid to her when she [arrives] at eighteen years of age by my Grandson John Cook.

Item I Give and bequeath unto my Grandson Stephen Cook, son of my son Job Cook deceas'd, the sum of one hundred and fifty Dollars to be paid to him when he [arrives] at twenty One years of Age by my Grandson John Cook.

Item I give and bequeath unto my Grandson James Cook, the son of my deceased son Job Cook, the sum of two hundred Dollars to be paid to him when he [arrives] at twenty one years of age by my Grandson John Cook.

Item I Give and bequeath unto my Grandson Ennion Cook, son of my deceased son Job Cook, the sum of two hundred Dollars to be paid to him when he [arrives] at twenty one years of age by my Grandson John Cook. [The following paragraph was added at a later time]

It is my will that if any or Either of the administators of my son Job Cooks estate shall bring any amounts against me or my estate on account of his improving my farm while it was in his possession & recover the same; that the lagacies left his four children cease and become void.

Lastly I constitute and appoint my son Isaac Cook & my Grandson John Cook executor of this my last will & Testament, hereby disannuling and making void all other will or wills by me heretofore made & declaring this and no other to be my last will & Testament.

In Witnefs whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this twentyth day of the Eighth month in the year of our LORD one thousand eight hundred and seventeen --- 1817 ----

Signed, Sealed, published & declared by the said Testator as his last will & Testament in Stephen Cook (Seal) the presence of us, who in his presence and at his request have subscribed as Witnefses

John Pennock
v David Lambon

John Hoopes
v LAST WILL and TESTAMENT of STEPHEN COOK, son of John and Elinor (Landsdell) Cook
Born - 7th mo. 15, 1732, Londongrove, Chester Co., Pennsylvania
Married (1st) - Hannah Reynolds, Dec. 5, 1755; (2nd) Margaret Williams, Mar. 31, 1759
Died - March 8, 1818, Londongrove, Chester Co., Pennsylvania
Buried - Londongrove FBG, Chester Co., Pennsylvania
Will Obtained :
Chester County Archives
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Will No. 6527

R. L. Cooke, III
October 6, 1997