Albany Township, 3 July 1775
Translation
In the name of God the Father, Son. and Holy Ghost Amen! I Valentine Probst of Albany Township in the County of Berks in the Province of Pennsylvania being weak and sick in Body but yet of sound Mind and Memory. God be praised who hath put me in Mind of the Mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed for all Men once to die, Do make and order this my Last Will and Testament, that is to say, Principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of almighty God who gave it and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a decent and Christian-like Manner at the Discretion of my Executors, nothing doubting I shall receive the same again at the General Resurrection through the mighty Power of God and touching such worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give and disperse of the same in the following Manner and Form
Firstly I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Catherina all the Linen Cloth which we have in our family; and two cows & a Mare whereof she shall have the Choice to be hers {cannot read- paper missing at fold in document} This she shall have & advance for herself to do therewith as she pleases. The two cows and the Mare the Possession of my Plantation where I now live shall feed carefully, the whole time of her Widowhood, without any Damage, as well in Summer as in Winter.
Secondly I make and ordain my said Wife Catherina and my Brother-in-law Frederick Hill and my Brother's Son Henry Probst as my true and only Executors, of this my Last Will and Testament, whom I do likewise hereby do empower to sign seal and deliver good and lawful Deeds to the Heirs and Purchasers of my herein mentioned Plantation & Tracts of Land, which shall be totally indisputable and of the like Force as if I myself had personally executed them; and they shall bring all my Accompts, as Executor Administrator or Guardian (of any person) to a proper Settlement immediately after my Decease, and shall at the same time cause all my movable Goods, nothing excepted, to be appropriated by impartial Men and set down in a clear and particular Inventory and duly exhibit the same.
Thirdly I give and bequeath unto Catharina Schneider (my said Wife Catherina's Sister's Daughter) to her and her Heirs for Ever the exact Sum of fifty Pounds lawful Money of Pennsylvania, which shall be paid her by my Executors out of my Estate.
Fourthly I give and devise unto Jacob Probst his Heirs or Assigns for Ever (the said Jacob Probst being a Son of my deceased Brother Michael Probst) the plantation which I bought of Jacob Gortner with the several parcels of land thereunto belonging together, with all the Grain now on the same and also the young black Horse and two Cows, yet upon this Condition, that he shall pay as much lawful Money to my Executors that I gave the said Jacob Gortner for the same, which money my said Executors shall Divide in equal Shares amongst all my Brother's and Sister's Children or their Heirs; the said Jacob shall also partake of such division, but my deceased Brother Martin Probst's Daughter Catherina Stein shall be {cannot read- paper is missing at fold in document}from me;_ And my said Executors shall give him a good and lawful Deed for said Plantation as soon as he has paid them the said Money.
Fifthly I give and bequeath unto my Sister Dorothea Federholff her Heirs Successors for Ever the one half Part of all the Household Goods & Bedding which we have together in my House, and the one half part of my Horses and Horned Cattle Sheep and Swine.
Sixthly I give and Bequeath unto my Wife Catharina the other half Part of all my Household Goods & Bedding which we have together in my House and the other half Part of my Horses, Horned Cattle, Sheep and Swine and also the one half Part of all my other movable Goods , without Exception, to her own sole use to do therewith as she pleases and to bequeath give where and to whom she will, also shall she have my Plantation in Maxatawny wheron her Sister Susanna Neundorff now lives immediately after my Decease in her hands to do as she pleases during the whole Term of her natural Life; but after her decease the last mentioned Plantation shall be equally divided among the Children of the said Susanna.
Seventhly My said Executors shall divide the remaining one half Part of all my other movable Goods, without Exception, in Equal Shares amongst all my Brother's and Sister's Children or their Heirs (Catherina Stein as only excepted).
Eighthly I give and devise unto Johannes Federolff the Son of my said Sister Dorothea Federolff and Brother-in-law Jacob Federolff, his Heirs or Assigns for Ever my Plantation lying in the afore mentioned Township, consisting of four certain pieces of [ ] Land I at present dwell, which shall be valued by four impartial Men as soon as he is twenty two years old, when he shall take the said Plantation into Possession and (if) his said Mother Dorothea should have any more Children, then he shall give each an equal share, according to the amount of such Valuation, thereout, and he shall have an equal share with them for himself. And my said Executors shall deliver him a good and lawful Deed for the said last mentioned Plantation as soon as he has paid the said Money to his Brothers and Sisters and in case his said Mother Dorothea should have no more Children then he shall give nothing thereon and immediately on his Arrival to the Age aforesaid he shall have such Deed. But should Johannes Federolff happen to die under his age aforesaid and without Heirs, then shall his Brothers & Sisters, Children of my said Sister Dorothea, possess and have the last mentioned Plantation upon the same Condition as the said Johannes Federholff. But should he die without Brothers or Sisters and Heirs, then the last mentioned Plantation, after the decease {cannot read – poorly taped} my said sister Dorothea, be equally divided among my Brothers and Sisters Children or their Heirs (except that the said Catherina Stein shall have nothing). Provided always that my said wife Catharina as long as she continues as my Widow, shall have her Widow Seat and the Right in my Dwelling House , and my said Sister Dorothea likewise shall live upon the last mentioned Plantation until her Decease and all that is produced and raised on said last mentioned Plantation, in Grain and other Produce and Cattle, thereof shall my said Wife Catharina have the one Half, and the other Half my said sister or her Children or the other Occupions of the said last mentioned Plantation shall have, And they shall carry my said Wife Catharina's Share yearly to {cannot read – paper missing where taped along fold in document}
Shall carry so much grain as she chooses to the Mill for her and when it is ground shall bring it to her House again and shall bring her sufficient Fire-Wood to her House and cut it small for her;_ Of all the Garden-Truck and the Produce she shall have the one Half as already mentioned; But in Case my said Wife should marry again then her Widow-Seat and other Income on the said last mentioned Plantation shall cease, and she may then remove to her appointed Place in Maxatawny; As to my Right to the Saw Mill and Land by Henry Reichelsdöffer and my Land over the Blue Mountains my Brother's and Sister's Children or their Heirs (the said Catherina Stein only exempted) they shall have the Income thereof, one as the other, until six years after my Decease, at which time my said Executors shall sell them and divide the Money arising therefrom in equal Shares in like [ ] as the Income thereof. And I the said Valentine Probst do revoke, disannul and declare for null and void all Wills Testaments and Bequeaths by me heretofore made; and make and ordain this (and no other) To be my Last Will and Testament
In Witness whereof I have I have hereunder set my Hand and Seal the third Day of July in the Year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy five.
Valentine Probst
Witnesses:
Philip Stambag
Geo. Kistler
NOTE: Valentine Probst and Wife Catherine Levan (Daughter of Jacob Levan) had no children).
Submitted by Leon F. Borst
Last Modified