August 31, 1769: Amity Township, Berks County, PA
In the Name of God Amen this Thirty-First Day of August in The Year of our Lord 1769 I Elizabeth Bell in The Township of Amity in the County of Berks in the Province of Pennsylvania Widow, being very sick and weak in Body, but of perfect Mind and Memory, Thanks be given unto God Therefore, calling unto Mind the Mortality of my Body, and knowing that it is appointed for all Men once to dye, do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament. That is to day principally and first of all, I give and recommend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it; and for my Body, I recommend to this Earth, to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner; at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at The General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the might Power of God. And as touching such worldly Estate where with it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give, devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.
Imprimis ..It is my Will and I do Order; That in the first place all my just debts and funeral charges be paid and satisfied.
Item I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mary Henton, in cash Five Pounds. Item unto my Daughter Elizabeth Devese, Five Pounds. Item to my Daughter Margaret Gregory, Five Pounds. Item I do also give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mary Henton my blue gown. Item I do give and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Devese my Quilt and Rapper. Item I do give and bequeath to my Daughter Margaret Gregory my Brown gown. Item I do give unto my son Charles Bell Four Pounds to be raised out of my Estate and be paid my Son Jonathan. Item I do likewise give and bequeath unto my son Jonathan my Negro Girl Rachel, my own Bed and furniture. Item I do give and bequeath unto my Grand-Daughter Elizabeth Jones of my Son Peter Jones on Black Walnut Chest and my bigest pewter dish. Item.. I do give and bequeath unto my Grand-Daughter Elizabeth Devese two pewter plates, two porrengers, and a small iron pott.
Item I do give and bequeath unto my Grand-Daughter Bridget Jones, Daughter of my son Mounce Jones one Black Walnut Table and a frying pan. Item I do give and bequeath unto my Grand-Daughter Dorcas Gregory one pewter Bason and a Tea Cittle. Item I do give and bequeath unto my Grand-Daughter Mary Henton one pewter quart, one pewter tea pott and an Iron griddle. And it is my desire that my linen may be equally dived among my Three Daughters. Item I do give and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Devese my Black Cloak and a Short Gown. And it is my desire that Black Dianna may have my Sunday Apparel. And I likewise constitute make and ordain my well beloved son Mounce Jones my only and sole Executor of this my Last Will & Testament. And I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and disannual all and every other former Testaments, Wills, Legacies, and Executors by me in any ways before this time Named, Willed and Bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this and no other; to be my Last Will and Testament.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal Day and Year above-written.
| Elizabeth Bell Her mark |
Signed, Sealed, Published, Pronounced and declared by the said Elizabeth Bell, as her Last Will and Testament in the Presence of us the Subscribers, viz
John Kirlin
Thos Moses
Elias Dagley
Register General Office, Reading Berks county, Pennsylvania the Twenty ninth Day of April in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy One. Personally appeared John Kirlin of the Township of Amity, Blacksmith and being solemnly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of the Almighty God doth depose and lay, that he saw and heard Elizabeth Bell above and signed (with her mark) Seal, pronounce, publish and declare the aforewritten Will as and for her Last Will and Testament and that the name John Kirlin thereunto subscribed is of his own hand writing - that the said Elizabeth was the time of doing whereof of sound mind, memory and understanding to the best of his knowledge and he verily believes - and that he the deponent and Thomas Mose, who was a transitory man, who the place of abode the Deponent knows not and Elias Dagley a Schoolmaster who sometime removed to North Carolina signed the said Will as witnesses thereto in the presence each of the other two and in the presence and at the request of the said Elizabeth Bell the testrix.
Coram Me
James Read D. Req.
Contributed by: Liz Harrison.
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