Wills: McPHERSON, William, 19 March 1832, Cumberland Township, Adams County, PA File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Lowell Thomas. lst@mitre.org USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. In the name of God Amen. I, William McPherson, of the borough of Gettysburg, County of Adams, State of Pennsylvania, being weak in body but of sound mind, memory, and understanding, Bless God for it, do make and declare this my last will and testament in manner following, that is to say first and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, my creator, my body I commit to the earth at the discretion of my executor thereinafter named and as for my worldly estate when with it has pleased God to entrust me, I dispose of the same as follows: IMPRIMIS: It is my will and I do hereby direct that all my just debts and funeral expenses be first paid out of my estate. Item: I will and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Sarah McPherson, the house and lot with the appurtenances on which I now live for the use of her, my said beloved wife Sarah, and my daughters Polly McPherson, Hannah Blythe McPherson, Nancy McPherson, Sarah McPherson and Abigail Eliza McPherson, or such of them as may remain unmarried during the natural life of my said wife Sarah McPherson, and at the death of my said wife Sarah McPherson, or as soon thereafter as it can conveniently be done for their advantage of my estate, it is my will and I do hereby direct and empower my executor hereinafter named, to sell and convey in fee simple the said house and lot in such manner as he, the said executor, shall think proper, and from the proceeds thereof purchase for the use of my said daughters who may be unmarried, a life house and lot, taking care however that the house he may purchase may be suitable and proper for my said daughters to live in during their lives respectively or till they are married. The said house so purchased being intended for the sole use of such of my daughters as may remain unmarried and until they are married and at the death or marriage of all my said daughters, it is my will that my said executor and he is hereby empowered to sell and convey, in fee simple, the said house so purchased by him as aforesaid in the best manner according to his judgement, the proceeds thereof to be distributed in the same manner and to the same persons as the rest and residue of my estate hereinafter directed to be distributed after payment of my debts and the legacies hereinafter mentioned and until my said executor can make a suitable purchase of a house and lot as aforesaid, he shall find a house fit and proper for my said daughters to live in and pay rent thereof out of my estate. IMPRIMIS: I will and bequeath unto my said beloved wife, Sarah McPherson, and my daughters Polly, Hannah B., Nancy, Sarah and Abigail E. McPherson, my two cows which are now on the first above mentioned lot for the use of the family and also all the furniture of every kind which is in the house and kitchen at this time to be equally divided between my said wife and my said daughters except the desk and bookcase which I will and bequeath to my son John B. McPherson. The said division to be made by themselves or by any person or persons they may choose. Item: I will and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Sarah McPherson, the rents, issues and profits of one hundred and fifty acres of land which my said executor is hereby authorized and required to lay off the north end of the tract of land owned by me nearest the borough of Gettysburg, by running a line through the same and nearly straight as conveniently may be and including the house now occupied by Philip Harris, a colored man, my said wife also to have her firewood off the tract so laid off, the rents, issues and profits and firewood to be for the use of my said wife and such of my daughters before named as may live with her unmarried during her natural life. And at the death of my said wife or as soon thereafter as may be convenient, it is my will and I do hereby direct and empower my said executor to sell and convey in fee simple the said one hundred fifty acres of lands in such as he may think best for the interest of my estate, the proceeds whereof to be divided in the same manner aforesaid and among the persons as the rest of residue of my estate is hereafter directed to be distributed after the payment of my debts and the legacies hereinafter mentioned. ITEM: It is furthermore my will and my executor is hereby directed and required to my said wife out of my estate, bread stuffs, beef and pork sufficient for her use and the use of such of my daughters as may live with her unmarried during her natural life. Item: I will and bequeath to my beloved wife, Sarah, four notes on ?? Angle of the State of Maryland for the payment of six hundred and twenty five dollars each of which said notes were given by the said Angle for payment of a mill purchased by him from Benjamin Reynolds in Franklin County, Penn., the said four notes being the sole and absolute property of my said wife Sarah, she paying to my son Reynolds McPherson, one thousand dollars on the first day of April 1833 which said sum of one thousand dollars is to be included in and be a part of his share or dividend of my estate as hereinafter mentionedÉÉÉÉÉ..estate made equal. Item: I will and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Sarah, five volumes of Scotts Bible and such other religious books as she may make choice of. The remainder of my books to be divided amongst my heirs to wit, John B., Reynolds, Polly, Hannah, Nancy, Sarah and Abigail as they may think proper. Item: I will and bequeath unto my grandson William McPherson, the son of my son Robert McPherson, deceased, two hundred dollars, and to my grandson David McPherson, three hundred dollars, and to my grandson Robert McPherson, two hundred dollars, to be paid to them severally out of my estate as soon as possible after my decease. Item: I will and bequeath unto my daughter Polly, the sum of ?? pounds being the amount of legacy left to her by her grandmother, together with interest, for the same from the time I received it, to be paid to her out of my estate as soon as can conveniently be done. It is furthermore my will and I do hereby direct, authorize and empower my said executor hereinafter named, to sell and convey in fee simple, all the real estate and residue of my estate, real and personal in such manner and at such times by public or private sale as he may think proper and for the benefit of my estate, not exceeding four years after my decease, the proceeds whereof and all the rest of residue of my estate of whatever kind or description of, of which I may die possessed of after payment of my debts as aforesaid, the legacies here in before mentioned. Item: I will and bequeath unto my sons John B. McPherson and Reynolds McPherson, my daughters Polly McPherson, Hannah B. McPherson, Nancy McPherson, Sarah McPherson and Abigail Eliza McPherson and William McPherson Fuller, the son of my daughter Jane, now deceased, who was intermarried with John L. Fuller, Esq., to be divided equally between them, share and share alike, except that there shall be first deducted from the share of my son John B. McPherson, one thousand dollars and from the share of my son Reynolds McPherson, four hundred dollars about which sum were advanced to them by me on their establishment in life and nine hundred dollars from the share of my grandson William McPherson Fuller, that sum being advanced by me to his mother at her marriage. Item: It is further my will and my executor is hereby directed and required to put the shares of my grandson William McPherson Fuller to interest on bond mortgage or otherwise as he may think best, the interest whereof to be applied to the uses of the said William till he arrives at the age of twenty one years, when the principal is to be paid to him; but the father of my said grandson should decease or from any other cause my said executor should think it necessary, I hereby empower him to apply any part or the whole of the principal of his said legacy to the maintenance of education of him the said William McPherson Fuller, in such manner as my said executor may think proper and if my said grandson should die before he arrives at the age of twenty one years, then it is my will that his share of my estate or whatever may remain thereof unexpended, shall be equally divided between my sons John B. McPherson and Reynolds McPherson and my daughters Polly, Hannah, Nancy, Sarah and Abigail Eliza McPherson or their heirs, share and share alike. And I do hereby appoint my son John B. McPherson, my sole executor of this my last will and testament. In witness where of, the said William McPherson, to this my last will and testament have set my hand and seal declaring it to be my last will and testament, the nineteenth day of March A. D. 1832. William McPherson (seal) Signed, sealed, published and declared by the above named William McPherson to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request and in his presence subscribed our names and witnesses thereto. Samuel T. King William S. Coborn Adams County Before me John B. Clark, register for the probate of wills and granting letters, etc. in and for the county aforesaid personally came William S. Coborn and Samuel T. King, Esq. who on their solemn oaths, do say that they were personally present and saw and heard the herein named William McPherson sign his name unto and seal and publish the foregoing instrument of writing as for his last will and testament and at the time of doing thereof he, the said William McPherson, was of a sound and disposing mind and memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and belief and that they subscribed their names unto as witnesses in the presence of the said testator and at his request and also in the presence of each other at the same time. Dated August 04, 1832