Albany Twp, 1761
Know all men that by these presents that we, Barbara Ritter, widow and relict of Henry Ritter, late of the township of Albany, in the county of Berks in the Province of Pennsylvania, yeoman, deceased, Christian Merckel of the town of Reading in the said county, blacksmith, and Henry Kerst, of the township of Oley in the county aforesaid miller, are held and firmly bound unto Christian Plumsted, Register General for the Probate of Wills and granting Letters of Administration in and for the province of Pennsylvania, in the sum of three thousand pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania to be paid to the said William Plumstead, Register General his certain attorney executors, administrators, or assigns to which payment well and truly to be made, we do bind ourselves our heirs executors and administrators and every of them jointly and severally for and in the whole firmly by these presents; sealed with our seals dated the seventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty one (1761). (NOTE: Christian Merkel was Juliana Ritter's (Henry's sister) husband.
George RITTER, the father, wrote his will 6/4/1760 making Henry the executor. George's wife Anna is not mentioned and must have pre-deceased him. Children listed in the will of George RITTER are: Eva Rosina GERST[KERST], widow; Elizabeth REIS, widow; Henry; Francis. But Henry died 3/1761 before George Ritter died (abt 12/1761), and in the papers for George's estate, dau Eva Rosina GERST(KERST) was appointed administrator.
Inventory of Henry's estate by was made on 3/7/1761. His death was probably shortly before this inventory date.
On 2/12/1779 Ferdinand Ritter, second son of Henry Ritter, filed a petition to the Orphans Court of Berks County asking that the property, totaling some 400 acres with messuage and tenements in Bethel, adjoining Philip Brobst, be evaluated and partitioned among the children: Jacob, the eldest; himself; John; Catharine wife of Matthias Waggoner; Anna Maria, wife of George Kremer/Kraemer; Eva Rosina, wife of Geo. Kistler; Elisabeth, wife of Bastion Faust, and Juliana, still in her minority. This was to be subject to the Dower of the widow Barbara according to the Acts of Assembly in such case made and provided. The oldest son, Jacob, refused to order such under his sworn signature.
(Note Juliana was still a minor in 2/1779)
Papers were not included about the succession of Henry's land, but it apparantly went to dau Catherine and her husband Mathias Wagner/Waggoner. See information re this under Barbara RITTER's estate.
Additional info:
With Henry's intestate property, leaving widow Barbara, and children Jacob, Ferdinand, and John and daus all under 21, LOA were given to Barbara as above. Jacob and Barbara requested a new patent since Henry and George RUTTER/RITTER were both 'aliens'. The 301 acres confirmed to Jacob in trust for Barbara, Jacob and the other children was recorded 12/31/1761.[Book AA-3:33].
[Source: National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol 67, p 131, title: 'Family Data in Some Pennsylvania Land Patents, 1760-1763']
Submitted by Diana.
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