In the Name of God Amen, I Daniel Smeck of the Borough of Reading in the County of Berks in the State of Pennsylvania Joiner and House Carpenter, being weak in body and considering the uncertainty of mortal life, and being of sound and perfect mind and memory, Thanks be to almighty God for the same. Do make publish and declare this my last Will and Testament on manner and form following; that is to say principally and first of all. I recommend my Immortal Soul into the hands of Almighty God, who gave me the same, to be in mercy received through the merits of my redeemer Jesus Christ, and that my body I give to the Earth to be buried in a Christian and decent like manner; and touching those worldly estates wherewith it has pleased God to bless me with. After my just debts and funeral charges are paid, I give, devise and bequeath in the manner and form following.
Firstly. I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Susanna the choice of the whole of my bedding and beds household and kitchen furniture of whatever kind they may be whatever she may choose of them to take & keep for her own Use and Behoof.
Secondly. It is my will and I order that my Executors as soon as conveniently may be after my decease, to sell by public vendue or Outcry, the residue or remainder of household and kitchen furniture & other implements of husbandry, not by my wife chosen to keep; and also to sell my out lot containing five acres; and also my wood land containing about 8 eight acres for the highest price that may be gotten for the same, hereby giving granting & empowering my Executors to execute and deliver conveyance or conveyances, deed or deeds for the share conveyance of the law as I myself could or might have done in my lifetime to the purchaser or purchasers thereof, and the money arising out of my personal estate and out of the lands to be sold aforesaid, after all my just debts are paid, I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Susanna aforesaid.
Thirdly. I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Susanna my messuage or tenement and lot of ground situate on the eastern side of Prince Street in the Borough of Reading aforesaid & marked in the General plan of the Town of Reading number ninety eight together with all and singular the houses, outhouses, buildings, barns, stables, hereditaments & emoluments whatsoever thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining, to have and hold for & during her natural life. Under and subject to the Right and Privilege of her sister Barbara Barret to live in the house and premises with my said wife; also during her natural life, and I devise & bequeath unto my wife Susanna the Right and Privilege during her widowhood if necessary for her support & maintenance should occasion her to borrow money for her support, I do hereby empower her to mortgage the messuage or tenement and lot of ground No. 98 with the hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging for to secure the payment of the money so to borrowed, and the mortgage so by her executed to be and stand as ample as though I in my life time had done and executed the same. Always nevertheless ?eserving that if my wife marry again that none of the money borrowed as aforesaid on my real estate nor none of my personal estate shall be applied toward paying any debts or contracts of her husband, by him made or to her funeral charges to be paid. I give devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate that may remain at the decease of my wife, unto my sister in law Barbara Barret aforesaid to have and to hold the same in as ample a manner as it had been held by my wife in her lifetime in every ?esped, during her natural life; (in case of the should outlive my wife). And at the decease of both the said Barbara Barret & my wife, their funeral charges and debts of their own contracting being first paid out of my estate; I give devise and bequeath the remainder or residue of my real and personal estate that may then be left, unto my brothers, namely Henry Smeck, Samuel Smeck, Jacob Smeck, & John Smeck to be to them or their issue live heirs or representatives equally divided share and share alike.
And lastly I nominate constitute and appoint my beloved wife Susanna and my trusty friend George Boyer of the Borough aforesaid, Innkeeper, Executors of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all former Wills and Testaments by me made, Ratifying and allowing this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal the twentieth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nine.Daniel Schmeck (seal)
Sealed, Signed, Published, Declared and Pronounced by the afore named Daniel Smeck to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of the Testator and at his request and in the presence of each other signed our names.
Daniel Feosig
John Roland
John Bright
Registers Office Reading in Berks County
On the March 20th A.D. 1809, Then appeared appear Daniel Fosig and John Roland, two of the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing will, who being duly sworn as is the law did depose and say that they were present together and did see and hear Daniel Schmeck the testator sign, seal, publish, pronounce and declare the same writing as and for his last will and testament that at the time of so doing thereof, he was of sound mind, memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge, observation and belief and as they verily believe and ??? that the names Daniel Fosig and John Roland are of the witnesses own hand writing thereto subscribed in the presence of each other and the presence at the request of the testator.
C. Braily
Register
Contributed by: Michelle.
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