Oley Township, Berks County Written: August 14th 1769 Recorded: January 18th 1779 Heirs: High, Deturck, Pott, Keim, Pitting, Others: Lee, Lightfoot, Bockle, Gregory, Sholl, Seashold, Penn, Levan
I John High of the Township of Oley in the County of Berks and Province of Pennsylvania Yeoman, being in Bodily Health and of Perfect sound and well disposing Mind and Memory but considering the uncertainty of this Mortal Life and being desirous my outward Estate Should be disposed of agreeable to my Mind do make and publish this my last Will and Testament in Manner and Form following.
First My Will is that my Just Debts and Funeral Expenses be paid out of my Personal Estate by my Executors hereinafter named.
Item I give and Devise to my Son Abraham High All that my present dwelling Plantation Situate in the Township of Oley aforesaid Beginning at a Stone a corner of Land late of my Son John High deceased. Thence along a Line of the said Land South West three hundred Perches to another Stone Thence South East one hundred and twenty one Perches and three quarters of a Perch to a Corner thence North East by Land formerly of Richard Gregory and Vacant Land three hundred Perches to a Corner and North West one hundred twenty one Perches and three quarters of a Perch to the place of Beginning Containing two hundred and twenty Acres of land be the same more or less {It is part of a Tract of five hundred Acres of Land which by Warrant of the twenty second Day of December one thousand seven hundred and twenty seven was Surveyed to James Sholl late of the City of Philadelphia deceased in Right of an Original Purchase made be a certain John Seashold of Chiddington in the County of Sussex in England of the late Proprietary William Penn by Deeds of Lease and Release the latter bearing Date the twenty sixth Day of May one thousand six hundred and eighty two} Together with the Appurtenances I also give to my said Son Abraham High All that Water Course and Water running through part of a Tract of fifty acres and one hundred and fourteen Perches and a Tract of eighty three Acres of Land granted by me to my said Son John High in his Life Time and all my Estate and Interest in the same Water Course and Water with the Appurtenances as the same are excepted and reserved by me in and by the Deed to my said Son John for the said last mentioned two Tracts of Land To have and to hold the said Tract of two hundred and twenty Acres of Land and the said Water Course and Water Hereditaments and Premisses above mentioned with their and each of their Appurtenances unto my said Son Abraham High his Heirs and Assigns To the only proper use and Behoof of my said Son Abraham High his Heirs and Assigns for ever Subject to the payment of the Quit Rent due and becoming due for the same. He paying to my Executors the Sum of five hundred Pounds Current Money of Pennsylvania within five Years after my decease that is to say one hundred Pounds Yearly and every Year till the said five hundred Pounds is fully paid.
I also give and bequeath to my Sons Samuel High, Rudolph High, Daniel High, Jacob High and to my Daughters Deborah wife of John Deturck, Maria wife of Hans Pott Magdalena Wife of Jacob Keim, Susanna Wife of Ludwich Pitting and to my Grandaughter Catherine High Daughter of my said Son John High each the sum of ten Shillings Lawful Money they having been already advanced by me.
And lastly All the rest and residue of my Estate both, Real and Personal of what kind or nature so ever which I may die possessed of and not hereinbefore devised and bequeathed my Will and Meaning is and I do hereby give devise and bequeath the same to my Sons Samuel High, Rudolph High, Daniel High, Jacob High, and Abraham High aforesaid and to my Daughters the Said Deborah wife of John Deturck, Maria wife f Hans Pott, Magdalena wife of Jacob Keim and Susanna wife of Ludwich Pitting to be equally divided to and among my Said Sons and Daughters Share and Share alike. And I do hereby exclude my Said Grandaughter Catherine High from any Share in this residuary distribution of my Estate having fully advanced her Said Father my Said son John High in his Life Time his Share of my Estate.
And I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my Said Sons Samuel High and Daniel High and my Said Sons in Law John Deturck and Jacob Keim to be the Executors of this my last Will and Testament for which Trouble and Burdon my Will is that they and each of them Shall be allowed out of my Said Estate a reasonable Consideration for the Time they necessarily Spend and Expences they are at in Setting the Same and no more.
And Lastly I do hereby revoke all other and former Will and Wills by me heretofore made hereby ratifying and confirming this to be my last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I the said John High have hereunto Set my Hand and Seal Dated this fourteenth Day of August in the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and Sixty nine.
Johannes Hoch
Signed Sealed Published and declared by the Testator to be his last Will and Testament in the Presence of us who at his request Have Signed our Names as Witnesses
Samuel Lee
Benja Lightfoot
Johannes Bockle
I the above said John High do make and publish this my Codocil to my last Will and Testament as followeth. If it should happen that any of my Executors should be indebted to me at my decease my Will then is that so much as he of they are indebted to me shall be deducted out of his or their Legacy and Legacies and shall be and go to my other Legaties Share and share alike my Said Grandaughter Catherine High excepted who Shall have no part thereof. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand and Seal Dated the fifteenth Day of August in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty nine.
Johannes Hoch
Signed Sealed published and declared By the said John High to be his codicil To his last will and Testament in the Presence of us----
Samuel Lee
Benja Lightfoot
Johannes Bockle
Registers office Reading Berks County the 18th Day of January 1779 then personally appeared Samuel Lee & Johannes Bockle two Subscribing witnesses to the within written Will and on their solemn affirmation severally Deposed and say that they were present and saw & Heard Johannes Hoch the Testator herein named sign seal pronounce publish and Declare the within writing to be his Last Will & Testament and that at the time of the Doing thereof he was of sound mind memory & understanding as they verily believe and that they saw Benjamin Lightfoot subscribe his name as a witness thereto and that the names of the said affirments subscribed thereto as witnesses are of the affirments own hand writing at the request & in the presence of the said Testator.
Coram me Henry Christ
To Henry Christ Esq. Register for the Probate of Wills and Granting Letters of Administration etc for Berks County Whereas John High late of Oley in the said County deceased did appoint me the subscriber One of the executors of his last Will and Testament Which Executorship I am through sickness and Infirmity, unable to attend to or accept; I do therefore by these Presents renounce the Said Executorship and decline the acceptance of the same and do further desire and request that the same may be commutted to the other executors named in the said Will. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal this fourteenth Day of January in the Year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy nine.
Johan Deturk
Sealed & delivered In the Presence of us
Daniel Levan
Johannes Bockle
A True and perfect Inventory and Appraisment of all and Singular of the Goods Chattles Rites and Credits which were of John High Late of the Township of Oley in the County of Berks Yeoman Deceased Viz:
Cash
Bonds
Interest Due
His Wearing apparel
Riding mare Sadle and Bridle
Several Beds with Bedsteads
Linnen for
Cloath
Flax for
A Chest
Stove with Pipes
Corner Cobert
Several Sheets and other Bed furniture
Fire tongs and Shovel
To kitchen were
Two Trunks
A Pair of Small Scales
Several Chairs
A Small Table
Several Books
One House Clock
For Rent
Taken and Appraised by us the subscribers Amounting in the whole to the sum of L 2340=5=11 Lawful money of Pennsylvania August 1st 1777
Daniel Levan
John Bertolet
Submitted by: Mary Alice.
Last Modified