Written: 9 July 1776
Proved: 5 July 1777
I Daniel Levan in Maxatawny Township in the County of Berks and the province of Pennsylvania Yeoman, being of an old age and weak in bodily heald, But of a good and sound mind memory and understanding, Do hereby make and publish this to be my Last Will and Testament in Manner & form following.
Item. It is My Will is that my beloved wife Susanna Levan Shall hold and possess all my Estate both Real and personal to and for her own use and Benefit until my Son Daniel Levan shall arrive to the age of twenty one years (if he lives so long) and she Shall Maintain My Minor Children and have them well educated out of the Income of My Estate.
Item – My Will is that these and from thence forth I Give Devise and Bequeath unto My Son Daniel Levan his Heirs and Assigns for Ever My land & Plantation in the township and County aforesaid My present Dwelling place, adjoining Theobold Bieber and George Kemp's land containing two hundred acres of land it be the same More or Less (Except a stone Mesuage and one Acre of land which shall herein be given to My Son Peter Levan) unto My Son Daniel Levan, I Likewise give and Bequeath one hundred Acres of wood land situate in Longswamp township in said County adjoining the land of Conrad Manesmith to hold the same to him & his heirs & Assigns for Ever, and I Give & Bequeath to My Son Daniel Levan four wagon Horses & wagons - ploughs - harrows - and all the Horse Gears and two thirds parts of all my Cattle or of so much as shall then be alive when he arrives to the age aforesaid. Provided always to never the less That My Son Daniel Levan and his Heirs Executors Administrators and Assignees Shall be obliged and Bound to Keep - fulfill and perform every Article as I Shall herein order & Direct for my wife Susanna for her yearly maintenance during the time of her Widowhood & paying my Children their proper shares out and for the Said land as hereafter will be mentioned.
Item – My Will is and I do order that My Son Daniel Levan shall pay for the Said land one Thousand and two hundred pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania at such time and to my Children as I shall nominate to receive the same. To wit In one year after My Said Son arrived to the age of twenty one and took possession of his Bequeast, He shall pay to My son Peter Levan the sum of fifty pounds and to my Daughter Barbara Reeser the sum of fifty Pounds. the second year to pay to my Daughter Elizabeth Reeser the sum of fifty pounds and to my Daughter Catharine Levan the sum of fifty pounds, and the third year to pay to My Daughter Mary Siegfried the sum of fifty pounds and to My Daughter Susanna Kemp fifty pounds. In four years to pay to my Daughter Magadelena fifty pounds and to my Daughter Margaret fifty pounds and then the fifth year to Begin with my Son Peter Levan and my Daughter Barbara Reeser and to Continue with the same payments until the whole sum of twelve hundred pounds be fully paid and my son Daniel Levan shall Receive no More of my Estate but what is previous Bequeathed to him. It is further My Will that My Son Daniel Levan Shall give & deliver to Each of my Children who are not Maried at this time when they or any of them will be Married two Cows Each of them Cows to be Haifers at Least to forty pounds and or two year old Haifers.
Item – I give and bequeath to my wife Susanna one third part of my Personal Estate and the other third part of my Cattle after my Lawful Debts are first paid thereout for her own use and Benefit for Ever.
Item My Will and I do order that my Son Daniel Levan and his Heirs Administrators and Assigns shall yearly and Every year During the Widowhood of my Wife Susanna Levan give and Deliver unto her at my Dwelling plantation, the new Back Stove Room and the Kitchen in my Dwelling House to and for her use and for the use of my Minor Children to Live with her and to pass and Repass any time to and fro non Molested, and to Keep the Same in Good Repair. Good and Sufficient Small Cut fire wood Delivered to her door and to sow one quarter of an Acre of Land with flax seed whence he sows his own flax Seed. But my wife may have her Choice to take her quarter of an Acre Every year when the flax is fit to be pulled in the field at which end or Side of the land as she thinks proper. Fifty pounds of pork and one hundred pounds of good beef at proper season & to Keep two Cows in Summer in good Paster and in winter in good stable and fodder as his own cows for her use, and one half of the garden and well Manured and fenced.
Item. I give and Bequeth to my Son Peter Levan the New Stone House Commonly caled the Store on my Dwelling Plantation in Maxatawny with one Acre of land the Acre to Begin at the Great Road leading to Reading thence along the Same towards Theabold Bieber's land to him and his Heirs only. For which house and land the Sum of fifty pounds Shall be Deducted of his Legacy provided always neverless that in case my son Peter Levan or his Heirs should incline to Sell the Sd House and lot at any time then he or they Shall nominate two impartial men and my son Daniel Levan or his heirs or Assigns two men and any three of them Shall Value and Appraise the Said Land & Buildings thereon. and my Son Daniel Levan his heirs and Assigns Can or may at their own Selections Take the Same for Such Price as Appraised by the said men . But in Case my son Daniel Levan his heirs or Assigns should Refuse to pay the Said price; then I give full power to my Son Peter Levan and his heirs to Sell the Sd House to any purchaser and his heirs and Assigns for Ever. Item. My Will is that if my Son Peter Levan or his heirs shall heir and possess the Said House & Land. and they Shall have the Sole use and Benefit of three rows of Apple Trees in My Orchard and passing the lane near the Said House that leads to Theabold Bieber's land for the terms or time of fourteen years and Liberty to pass and repass to and fro and he and they Shall have full Liberty and privilege to fetch water out and from the Spring at or near my Dwelling House at any time or times During his or their abode in the said House
Item. My Will is and I order that my Son Peter Levan and his heirs Shall have free Liberty to Cut and Take firewood Sufficient for him or them on my present Dwelling Plantation. provided that he or they Do not Willfully Destroy Such timber as Shall be necessary for fencing the said land and if my Son Daniel Levan his heirs or Assigns Should at any time fetch his or their fire wood on the land in Longswamp Township given to my Son Daniel then My Son Peter Levan and his heirs Shall also fetch their fire wood at the Same land and not on the land in Maxatawny aforesaid, and my Son Peter and his heirs Shall have liberty to Paster one Cow in the same Paster where my Son Daniel his heirs and Assigns Paster their Cows. And the Sd Cows to have liberty to go in and out of the yard with their Cows
Item. Whereas my Son Abraham Levan hath Received a large Sum of Money from me in my Life time as an Advance or help in the world. My will is and I do order that he Shall Retain in his hand the Sum of four hundred pounds Lawful money of Pennsylvania which Sum of four hundred pounds Shall be his full Share and Legacy amt of my Estate Both Real and Personal for him and his heirs and no more and the Remainder of Such Sums that he has Received of me he Shall pay to my Executors or the Survivors of them according to the True meaning of this my Will.
Item And whereas I am Siezed of one undivided Share on half part of a Tract of five hundred acres of Land – with Joseph Siegfried. in Company. Situate in Browenswig Township in Berks County whereon a Sawmill is Erected. I do hereby give and Bequeath the one third part of that undivided Moiety unto my Son Daniel Levan his Heirs and Assigns for Ever he paying to my Executors one hundred pounds lawful money for the same, one other Third part thereof I give and Bequeath to my Daughter Catherine Levan her heirs and Assigns for Ever. for which the sum of one hundred pounds Shall be Deducted of her Share or Legacy And one other Third part thereof (the whole into three Equal parts to be Divided) I give and Bequeath to my Daughter Susanna Kemp and to her heirs and Assigns for Ever and the Sum of one hundred pounds Shall be Deducted out of her Share or Legacy by my Executors for the Same. To have and to hold the Said land to them and their heirs and Assigns, as Tenants in common and Not as Joint Tenants.
Item. My Will is that the Share or Legacy of my Daughter Anna Elizabeth Friedlin Shall be No more than one hundred an Sixty eight pounds, four Shillings and three pence lawful money of Pennsylvania in full for her and her heirs out of all of my Estate Both Real and personal and so much she had Received of me in my Life time Shall be Deducted out of her Bequests as May Appear by my families Books.
Item. My Will is and I do order that the Share and Legacy of my Daughter Esther Weiser Shall be the Sum of two hundred pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania in full for her and her heirs out of all my Estate Both Real and personal and no more and what she has not received of me of me of that Sum in my life time. My Executors or the Remaining of them Shall pay unto her after the Death of her Husband Benjamin Weiser and in Case she should die before her Sd Husband. Then to be paid to her Children when they arrive Respectively to their Lawful age. Share and Share alike --- Item. My Will is that my Son Jacob Levan and my Son Isaac Levan shall have that Bond of Anthony Fischer in Maxatawny the Sum of four hundred and forty pounds lawful money with the Interest Due thereon.
Immediately after My Death for their own Benefit and my Daughter Sarah Levan and Daughter Doreatha Levan Shall have that Bond from Casper Shmeck in Maxatawny for the Sum of four hundred pounds with the interest Due thereon immediately after my Death for their own Benefit, and in Case a child's Share of my herein after named twelve children will amount to more than a Share of them before named four Children by these Bonds then these four Children Shall receive more in proportion and if not then they Shall be Satisfied with their Bonds as aforesaid according to the true Intention and Meaning hereof and if one of the four Children Should Die in their Minority unmarried and without issue then the Share of them so Died Shall be Distributed to and among my hereafter named twelve Children.
Item My will is that all the Residue of my personal Estate, not by Me herein before Bequeathed Together with Monies for my land above mentioned Shall be Equally Distributed by My Executors or the
Survivors of them to and Among my Children. To wit, to Peter Levan, Jacob Levan, Isaac Levan, Barbara Reeser, Elizabeth Reeser, Catharine Levan, Mary Siegfried, Susanna Kemp, Magdalena, Margaret, Sarah, and Dorothy Levan Share & Share Alike including the two Bonds above mentioned according to the True Intend and meaning aforesaid.
Lastly I do nominate, Constitute and Appoint as and for my Executors to this Will and Testament my beloved Wife Susanna Levan and my Son-in Law George Kemp and I make null and void all other and former will & Testament by me Made. Ratifying and Allowing this to be my last will and testament
Daniel Levan
In witness thereof I have set my hand and seal on the Ninth Day Of July --- 1776
Signed Sealed Published and Delivered by the said Daniel Levan to be his Last will & testament
In the presence of us
Henry Christ
Sebastian Levan
Balser Geehr
Registers office in Berks County ----------
Reading July 5, 1777 then personally appeared Balser Gehr & Sebastian Levan witness to the above written Will & Balser Gehr On his solemn oath and Sebastian Levan on his affirmation did Solemnly declare & say that they were present & saw & heard Daniel Levan the Testator Therein Named Sign Seal Announce publish and Declare the above Writing to be his Last Will & Testament and that at the Time of doing thereof he was of Sound Mind Memory & Understanding as they verify believe. And that They Saw & Were Present when Henry Christ subscribed his Name hereto thereto as a Witness & that they Subscribed their Names Executively thereto as Witnesses at the Request & in the presence of the said Testor.
Coram me
Henry Christ Register
Note: "Leon Borst's note: Daniel had 16 Children - 4 by his first wife and 12 by his second wife, Susanna. See notes at the end of Susanna (Siegfried) Levan's Will posted on this site."
Submitted by Leon.
Last Modified