Chester County Wills

Joseph Gilpin, 1739

I Joseph Gilpin of the Township of Birmingham in the County of Chester and Province of Pennsylvania Yeoman being sick and weak in Body but of sound and disposing mind and memory and minding to settle that Temporal Estate which God has bestowed upon me to present all Difference Concerning the same after my decease do make this my last Will and Testament manner following that is to say First my Will is that all my past debts and funeral Charges be paid as soon as may be after my decease.

Item I give and devise to my loving wife Hannah Gilpin all that my Tract of land Situate in New Garden Township in Chester County (the bounds will more fully appear by the writings thereto belonging) which Contains by Estimation One hundred and Ninety five acres with all my Personal Estate during her natural life which [unin] not otherwise disposed of this my Will.

Item and I give and Devise to my Son Samuel Gilpin and to his heirs forever Sixty Pounds of lawful money of this Province to be paid to him within one year after my Wife's decease And also five pounds of [unin] lawful money to Samuel's Son Joseph Gilpin to be paid to him within one year after my wife's decease.

Item And I give and Devise to my son Joseph Gilpin and to his heirs forever Tenn pounds of lawful money of this Province to be paid to him within one year after my wife's decease.

Item And I give and Devise to my Son Mofes Gilpin and to his heirs forever Fifty pounds of lawful money of this Province to be paid to him within one year after my Wives decease and one half of my Wearing Apperel to him after my decease.

Item And I give and Devise to my Daughter Esther Gilpin and to heirs forever Twenty pounds of lawful money of this Province to be paid to her within one year of my decease And a long Leavith it to my Wife to give to her what further she think proper or Convenient.

Item And I give and Devise to my Grandson Joseph Seal five pounds lawful money of this Province to be paid to him within one year after my Wives decease.

Item And I give and Devise to my Grandson Joseph Mendenhall five pounds lawful money of this Province to be paid to him within one year after my Wives decease.

Item And I give and bequeath to my Grandson Joseph Peirce five pounds lawful money of this Province to be paid to him within one year after my Wives decease.

Item And I give and Devise to my Grandson Joseph Cook five pounds lawful money of this Province to be paid to him within one year after my Wives decease.

Item And I give and Devise to my Son George Gilpin and to his heirs forever my Clock and Great Bible and Shewels History after my Wives decease and my wearing apparel that is not otherwise disposed of I give him after my decease.

Item And I give and Devise to my daughter Rachel Peirce and to her heirs forever fifteen pounds lawful money of this Province to be paid to her within one year after my Wives decease.

Item And I give and Devise to my Son in law Joseph Mendenhall and to his heirs forever five pounds lawful money of this Province to be paid to him within one year after my Wives decease.

The Remaining part of my Estate not otherwise Disposed of in this my Will I give and order my Executor herein after named to divide equally between my daughters that are hereafter mentioned (viz) Hannah Seal, Ruth Mendenhall Lydia Dean, Sarah Cook, Mary Taylor and Esther Gilpin that is to say after my wives decease.

And I do hereby name and Constitute my Loving Wife and my Son George Gilpin and my Son in law Joseph Mendenhall Executors of this my last Will and Testament (Given them full power or the Survivor of them full power and Authority to sell my aforementioned tract of land and make Conveiance of (said) land with the appiontenances for ever as firmly as if I was present) Revoking all other Wills and Testaments by me made.

In Witnefs whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this Twentyninth day of the Eighth month Anno Dom One Thousand seven hundred and thirty nine. Joseph Gilpin (Seal)

Signed Sealed Published and Delivered by the within named Joseph Gilpin as and for his last Will & Testament in the presence of us who in his presence inscribed our Names as Witnefses Samuel Painter, Jeremiah Dean, Nathaniel Ring. KNOW all men by these presents that Hereafter I George Gilpin was Constituted and Appointed by my Father Joseph Gilpin to be one of the Executors of his last Will and Testament and not thinking fit to take upon me the Execution thereof Therefore for several good Causes and Conciderations me thereunto moving I have refused to act as one of the Executors of the Will Giving myself sent and Consent that letters of Administration thereof may by any [unin] be granted to His other two Executors. Therein named and faith I do hereby make that I have no ways [unin] any of the Testors Effects As Witnefs my Hand and Seal this fifth day of December Anno Dom 1739 George Gilpin (Seal)

Sealed and Delivered in the presence of Nathaniel Ring, Joseph Parker Chester Decemb. 5, 1739. Then Personally appeared Samuel Painter and Nathaniel Ring two of the Witnefses to the above and within written Will who on their solemn Affirmations do declare that they were present and saw the Testator abovenamed Sign Seal Publish Pronounce and declare the above writing to be his last Will and Testament and that as the doing thereof he was of Sound mind and memory to the best of their understanding. ------ Affirmned before Jo. Parker [unin]

LAST WILL and TESTAMENT of JOSEPH GILPIN, son of Thomas & Joan (Bartholomew) Gilpin Born - June 8, 1663, Dorchester, Oxfordshire, England Married - February 23, 1690/91, Hannah Glover, Baghurst MM, Alton, Southampton, England Died - November 9, 1739, Birmingham, Chester Co., Pennsylvania Buried - Birmingham, Chester Co., Pennsylvania

Chester County Archives
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Will Book - B, Vol. 2, Pages 51-52