Will proved the 19th August 1779
Excers. sworn & letters testar. granted.
In the name of god Amen.
I, Francis Wenrich of the town of Reading in the county of Berks in the state of Pennsylvania, yeoman, am weak in body but of a good sound disposing mind memory and understanding thanks be to god for I having considered the mortality of all men I do hereby make and publish this to be my testament and last will in manner and form following that is to say.
Imprimis. I recomend my immortal saul in the home of Almighty God and my body to be buried in the earth in a decent and Christian like manner and that all my lawfull debts and funeral charges shall be paid by my executors out of my estate.
2ndly: I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Martha Wenrich and to her heirs and assigns for ever all and singular my personal estate of whatsoever denomination the same may be in bonds, notes, casch, and all manner of haushold furniture according to the true intent and meaning hereof.
3dly: I give devise and bequeath to my said beloved wife Martha Wenrich and to her heirs and assigns forever my house and lot of ground in the town of Reading in the County of Berks in the state aforesaid situate on the west side of Queen Street containing in breadth sixty feet and in length two hundred and thirty feet and is marked in the general plan of the town of Reading with number four hundred and ninety three (493). And also one other lot of ground situate on the east side of Queen Street aforesaid containing in breadth sixty feet and in length two hundred and thirty feet and is marked in the general plan of the town of Reading with number two hundred and sixty nine (269). To have and to hold the said two lotts to her my said wife Martha Wenrich and to her heirs and assigns for ever.
4thly: I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Martha Wenrich and to her heirs and assigns for ever a certain tract or piece of wood land situate in the township of Alsace in the county aforesaid, near the town of Reading. It is part of the propprietory [sic] 12000 acres tract in the township and county aforesaid containing thirty acres of land it be the same more or less as by the drought of the same May fully appears.
And I do nominate, constitute and appoint as and for Executrix my beloved wife Martha Wenrich and for executor my trusty friend Jacob Iager of the town of Reading inholden and I make herewith null and void all former wills & testaments by me made, and I ratify this and no other to be my testament & last will. In wittness whereof I have set my hand and seal February the twenty sixth 1779.
Francis Wenrich (FW his mark) (seal)
Signed, Sealed, Published, and declared by the said Francis Wenrich to be his testament & last will in the presents of us:
Christian Merkel
William Reeser
This Addition on codicil to my last will & testament is It is my will and I order that my executors shall pay out of my estate the sum of fifty pounds lawfull money of Pennsylvania to the Church wardens of the German Reformed Church in the town of Reading in the County of Berks or to their successors the sum of fifty pounds to the church wardens of the German Reformed church in the township of Heidelberg in the County of Lancaster where the Reverend William Handel is minister at Present.
And the said two bequests is to be aplied by the wardens of both churches to the use of the shool hauses according to the true intent and meaning hereof. In wittness whereof I have set my hand and seal March the 3th 1779.
Francis Wenrich (FW his mark) (seal)
Signed, Sealed and Declared by the said Francis Wenrich in the presenc of us
Christian Merkel
William Reeser
Register Office at Reading in Berks County the 19th day of August A.D. 1779 then personally appeared Christian Merckel & William Reeser witnesses to the within written will & codicil & the said Christian Merckel upon his solemn oath and the said William Reeser on his solemn affirmation did severally depose and say that they were present and saw & heard Francis Wenrich the testator therein named sign, seal, pronounce, publish and declare the within writing to be his last will & testament & the codicil thereto to be part of his will and that at the time of doing thereof he was of sound mind memory and understanding as they verily believe and that the names of the deponents subscribed both to the will & codicil are of their own hand writing signed thereto as witnesses done at the request and in the presence of the said testator.
Coram me Henry Christ, Register
Exhibited Oct. 2, 1779
A true and perfect inventory & appraisement of the goods and chattels, rights and credits which were of Francis Wenrich late of the town of Reading in the county of Bercks in the State of Pennsylvania yeoman deceased.
August the 23 1779
[Note: "to" appears at the beginning of many of the lines in the inventory; I suspect it means "ditto," but I'm not certain, because sometimes it doesn't make sense. - Nancy]
| Description | £ | S | D |
|---|---|---|---|
| His Apparels | 223 | 15 | |
| fine Linnen cloth | 80 | 0 | |
| 8 table cloth | 22 | ||
| to (?) chesht Linnen | 7 | 10 | |
| to (?) bed cases | 22 | 10 | |
| 6 sheets of good linnen | 48 | 15 | |
| to (?) another (?) bed case | 11 | 5 | |
| 8 hand towels | 11 | 5 | |
| to linnen yarn | 5 | 0 | |
| to a blanket | 7 | 10 | |
| three beds, bedsteads & furniture | 150 | 0 | |
| a bible & other books | 25 | 0 | |
| a Cloth press | 15 | 0 | |
| a Hause cloke | 60 | 0 | |
| 7 chairs | 15 | 0 | |
| a walnut dresser | 4 | 0 | |
| 2 old walnut tables | 8 | 0 | |
| a chest | 10 | 0 | |
| a looking glass | 3 | 0 | |
| to Delfth Earthen ware | 4 | 10 | |
| to Several glases & bottels | 3 | 15 | |
| 6 stone muggs | 12 | 0 | |
| two thee kettels & the furniture | 50 | 0 | |
| a pepper mill & sundrys | 3 | 15 | |
| knifes & forks | 10 | 0 | |
| a stilyard (?) | 5 | 0 | |
| Saws, chisels and augers | 11 | 5 | |
| to (?) an (?) blanket | 12 | 0 | |
| to (?) several axes & an ats | 9 | 0 | |
| a towgh traugh | 3 | 0 | |
| perolen (?) plates and dishes | 163 | 0 | |
| to (?) tin ware | 7 | 10 | |
| Candel sticks and lamps | 7 | 10 | |
| two brass keettels | 60 | 0 | |
| a brass pann | 5 | 0 | |
| Iron Ladels and sunderys (?) | 10 | 0 | |
| 3 iron potts & a skilet | 15 | 0 | |
| fire tongs and shofels | 5 | 0 | |
| a friing pann and sunderys (?) | 11 | 5 | |
| to (?) Earthen ware | 7 | 10 | |
| a dresser in the kitchen | 5 | 0 | |
| to (?) Several bukets and bails | 5 | 0 | |
| a siths & sikels | 1 | 10 | |
| a Sadel & Breidel | 11 | 5 | |
| a flax Hakel | 5 | 0 | |
| a Large wheel to spinn coton on | 2 | 0 | |
| to (?) wooll | 7 | 10 | |
| 3 baskets | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 spinning wheels | 5 | 0 | |
| Hous forcks (?) & Sunderys | 2 | 5 | |
| a Cuting box and knife | 11 | 5 | |
| a Half bushel & a Beck | 1 | 10 | |
| 8 old baggs | 4 | 0 | |
| 6 Brew Baskets | 0 | 12 | |
| Tubs and a churn & Sunderys | 20 | 0 | |
| Several glass Bottels | 2 | 5 | |
| to (?) Sohl Letter | 8 | 0 | |
| a swin (swine?) | 2 | 0 | |
| shoffels and forks | 2 | 5 | |
| a grein stone | 5 | 0 | |
| a cow | 70 | 0 | |
| to (?) several casks | 2 | 0 | |
| Bonds & Notes | |||
| No: 1. A Bond from Jacob Rabold | 17 | 0 | |
| 2. John Yerger | 31 | 0 | |
| 3. Adam Drinkhause | 15 | 0 | |
| 4. Nikalas Zeller | 35 | 0 | |
| 5. John Zerby | 130 | 0 | |
| Interest due thereon | 12 | 0 | |
| 6. Henry Kächler or Küchler | 23 | 0 | |
| Interest due thereon | 1 | 7 | 6 |
| 7. John Frey | 14 | 0 | |
| 8. Sebastian Grauser (?) | 12 | 0 | |
| 9. Charles Hornberger | 16 | 0 | |
| 10. Paul Ernst | 350 | 0 | |
| 11. Mathias Kuch | 30 | 0 | |
| 12. Mathias Kuch | 150 | 0 | |
| 13. James Whitehead | 30 | 0 | |
| 14. John Lesher | 37 | 10 | |
| 15. John Lesher | 30 | 0 | |
| 16. George Leahner | 37 | 10 | |
| 17. Thomas Youngman | 24 | 0 | |
| A Note from John Seiler | 65 | 0 | |
| £2380 | 7 | 0 | |
Taken and Appraised on the 23 day of August in the year 1779: Amounting in the whole to the sum of two thousand three hundred and eighty pounds & seven shillings, lawfull money of Pennsylvania ss (?) as
Christian Merkel
Jacob Bright
Register office Berks County: The 2 October 1779 appeared Christn. Merkel and upon oath & Jacob Brecht on his solemn affin. both declared & say that they have carefully appraised the above to the best of their judgemt.
Henry Christ, register
Exhibited Feby. 21st 1782
The Account of Martha Wenrich and Jacob Yaeger, Executors of all and singular the goods and chattels, rights and credits, which were of Francis Wenrich late of the town of Reading in the County of Bercks in the State of Pennsylvania yeomen Deceased.
The said Accomptants charge themselves with all and singular the goods and chattels, rights and credits, belonging to the said estate According to an inventory and Appraisement thereof exhibited in the Registers Office at Reading in the County aforesaid and Amounting to the sum of £2380--7--0.
Reading, February 8th 1782
Errors Excepted by
Anna Martha Wenrichin
Jacob Jäger
The said Accomptants graves allowance for their several payments & disbursments and of the said estate as ss (?) receipts
1779 August 19
| paid to Henry Christ Esquire for granting Letters Testamentary | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| to Christian Merckel one of the Apraisers | 3 | 15 | 0 |
| to Philip Jacob Faesig | 3 | 15 | 0 |
| to Kraft Heener | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| to William Boos the Minister | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| to Godlieb Christein | 4 | 15 | 0 |
| to Philip Neise for the coffin | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| to Doctor Deemer | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| to John Keim | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| to Henry Wolf | 3 | 15 | 0 |
| to Jacob Lightheiser | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| to William Boos, a Subscribtion for the Shool house in Reading | 3 | 15 | 0 |
| to Henry Vonderslies colletor (?) | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| to Nicholas Shell | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| 1780 to Leonard Shwartz one of the Elders of the German Reformed Church in Heidelbg township Lancaster County a donation by the will | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| to Philip Miller one of the Elders of the Reformed Church in Reading | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| to a Debt Due to Jacob Yager one of the Accomptants | 1 | 11 | 9 |
| 1782 Henry Christ Esqr. for Examining, passing & filing this Account and a --- copy | 0 | 17 | 6 |
| to William Reeser | 0 | 7 | 6 |
| Comissions (?) for Receiving the Sum of £2380 -- 5 ss(?) cash (?) | 119 | 0 | 0 |
| Do on paying 166 at Do. | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| £293 | 6 | 4 | |
| Ballance in the hands of the Accomptants in Continental Bills of Credit --- the Depreciation thereof | 2087 | 00 | 8 |
| 2380 | 7 | 0 |
Contributed by: Nancy.
Last Modified