1854: Colebrookdale Township, Berks County, PA
Will of John Ritter late of Colebrookdale Township Berks County and approved March the 28th, 1854 and letters testamentary in common form under the seal of office were granted to John Ritter and Daniel Ritter sons the executors in the will named. The other executor Joseph Ritter being sick and could not attend they being duly qualified thereto.
In the name of God Amen I John Ritter of Colebrookdale township Berks County and the state of Pennsylvania farmer. Do make and publish this my last Will & Testament in the following manner to wit:
1st I commit my soul into the hands of God who gave it.
2nd I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Maria all and singular the goods, household furniture, kitchen utensils, iron, tin, pewter and crockery ware, beds, bedding linens etc, etc. Which she brought to me when she first moved to me and also fifty dollars in money to be paid her out of the first monies coming into the hands of my Executors to hold the same to her, her heirs and assigns for ever.
3rd I give and bequeath unto my said wife during her widowhood, two beds and the necessary bedding my eight day clock, two cows and two hogs of my stock and also during her widowhood the use and occupation of the one-half part of the new brick house which we now occupy together with necessary privilege to pass from apartment into the other in the part of the house which she may choose and into the cellar which she may choose also the necessary privilege at the pump and bakeoven and in the spring house to accommodate her goods, also the privilege to take apples and other fruit as she may want for her use, also sufficient good firewood cut small for immediate use and hauled convenient to her door.
4th I give and bequeath unto my said wife annually in due season and in merchantable order during her widowhood, ten bushels of wheat, twelve bushels of rye, ten bushels of Indian corn, ten bushels of potatoes, five bushels of buckwheat, ten pounds of good hatcheld flax, 5 pounds of good fine toe, three pounds of wool, half barrel of good cider and a half barrel of water cider, feed, pasture and good stable room for two cows as good as those of the occupier of the plantation which I now occupy and the privilege to have two hogs to run in the fields with those of the occupier of my said plantation and good pen and stable for the same, fifty pounds of good beef, also one fourth part of the garden with dung hauled in it sufficient to manure it and also annually the interest accruing on the sum of one thousand dollars at five percent per annum.
5th It is my will that the plantation whereon I now live situate in Colebrookdale township Berks County adjoining lands of Jacob Bechtel, John Hoch, Mathias Ritter, and William Henrich and the farm which I have lately sold to my son John Ritter containing sixty seven acres more or less, and also a tract of woodland situate partly in Washington and partly in Colebrookdale townships Berks County bounded by lands of David Muthard, Jacob Weis, Jacob Miller, Mathias Ritter and others containing ten acres, more or less, shall be appraised as soon as convenient after my decease by eleven disinterested and respectable men of the neighbourhood, to be appointed by my children, but any or either of them should not be living at the time then the survivors of my children and the husbands, Executors or Administrators of such deceased child or children shall appoint said men, and my Executors shall give public notice of the time and place for appointing such appraisers and if any or either of them should not be in the neighbourhood or refuse to appoint such appraisers - then my son Lewis Ritter shall take the same at such appraisement, subject nevertheless to all the rights, liberties and privileges in the house, barn (? unreadable) are given and bequeathed to my said wife by the third item of this my last Will and also to deliver unto my said wife the necessary firewood cut small as mentioned in said item and also to give and deliver unto my said wife annually in due season during her widowhood all and singular the grain, meat, flax, wool, cider, feed & pasture for two cows and privilege to have two hogs to run in the fields, stable room for said cows & swine, and right in the garden etc., etc. as is given and bequeathed to her in the fourth item of this my Will and also subject to the payment of one thousands dollars the interest whereof at five percent per annum to be paid annually to my said wife during her widowhood being the same interest which are given and bequeathed to my said wife by the fourth item.
And the said principal sum of one thousand dollars to be paid to all my children or their legal representatives immediately after the decease of marriage of my said wife and the remainder of the said valuation after deducting the said sum of one thousand dollars shall be paid to my Executors to be distributed as herein after directed in the following manner one half thereof at the end of one year after my decease and the remainder thereof in two equal annual payments with interest from the time of my decease. But in case my said son Lewis Ritter shall refuse to take the said plantation & woodland at the valuation thereof then the same shall be sold by my Executors or the survivors of them, at public sale subject never the less to the rights etc. of my said wife as in case the same is taken at the valuation as aforesaid.
6th It is my Will that all the rest of my real estate and all my personal estate not herein otherwise disposed off shall be sold by my Executors or the survivors of them at public or private sale, and for that purpose I hereby authorise my Executors or the survivors of them to execute and deliver deeds of conveyance to the purchases of my real estate.
7th It is my Will that the charges which I may have against my children at the time of my decease and the receipts which I may have from my children or husband of my daughters shall be deducted out of their respective shares of my estate.
8th I give and bequeath unto my sons Geo: Ritter, Henry Ritter, Daniel Ritter, Joseph Ritter and Lewis Ritter and John Ritter each of them the sum of one thousand dollars in advance and all the remainder rest and residue of my whole estate I give and bequeath unto my eleven children to wit Geo: Ritter, John Ritter, Henry Ritter, Daniel Ritter, Joseph Ritter, and Lewis Ritter , Maria the wife of Jacob Shell, Lydia the wife of Thomas Shaner, Rebecca the wife of Geo:Zollar, Sarah the wife of Daniel Moyer and Esther in equal shares.
9th I give and bequeath all what shall be left after the decease of marriage of my said wife to my eleven children in equal shares.
10th It is my Will that in case any or either of my children should die under age and without issue that the share or legacy hereby given to such child or children dying as aforesaid.
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Richard N. James.
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