Berks County PA Archives Wills.....KERST/KERSTON, Frantz/Francis January 23, 1765 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Diana Quinones audiana@msn.com December 5, 2005, 3:53 am Source: Register Of Wills, Reading, Berks Co Pa Written: January 23, 1765 Recorded: October 30, 1765 Will dated 1/23/1765; proved 10/30/1765. I, Frantz KERST, [alias Francis KERSTON] am as a weak and sick person at the present time in the town of Reading, otherwise of Exeter Township in the county of Berks, very weak in body, but God be thanked, of good mind and memory having considered the mortality of man, make herewith my Last Will and Testament in the following manner, that is to say: Imprimis: I recommend my immortal soul unto the Hands of the Great and merciful God who gave it to me, and my body in a Christian like manner to be buried in the earth out of which it was taken, and my lawful debts shall be paid out of my estate by my executor herein after named. Secondly: I give and bequeath to my dear mother Eva Rosina KERST the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania, which my executor shall pay to her within two years after my death if she shall so long live, out and from such sum of money which Philip Peter SCHOLL owes me, to her own use and benefit as she shall think proper. [Philip SCHOLL had a grist mill and 45 acres in Maxatawny Township in the 1767 tax list.] Thirdly: I give and devise to my dear brother Henry KERST in Oley township, one-fourth of my land and plantation which I have in possession, lying partly in Exeter township and partly in Alsace township in the county aforesaid, the whole tract into four equal parts to be divided, to have and to hold to him and his heirs and assigns forever in severally, that is to say, not as joint tenants with his brother and sisters, but to him and his heirs and assigns respectively. [Henry had 100 acres in Oley Township in the 1767 tax list.] Fourthly: I give and devise to my dear brother George KERST of Union Township, one-fourth of my land and plantation which I have in possession, lying partly in Exeter township and partly in Alsace township in the county aforesaid, the whole tract into four equal parts to be divided, to have and to hold to him and his heirs and assigns forever in severally, that is to say, not as joint tenants with his brother and sisters, but to him and his heirs and assigns respectively. [George had 250 acres in Union Twp on the 1767 tax list.] Fifthly: I give and devise to my dear sister Juliana MERCKEL of Reading, one- fourth of my land and plantation which I have in possession, lying partly in Exeter township and partly in Alsace township in the county aforesaid, the whole tract into four equal parts to be divided, to have and to hold to her and her heirs and assigns forever in severally, that is to say, not as joint tenants with her brothers and sister, but to her and her heirs and assigns respectively. [Christian MERCKEL was a blacksmith and had two lots and one house in Reading.] Sixthly: I give and devise to my dear sister Mary HUFF of Maiden Creek, one- fourth of my land and plantation which I have in possession, lying partly in Exeter township and partly in Alsace township in the county aforesaid, the whole tract into four equal parts to be divided, to have and to hold to him and his heirs and assigns forever in severally, that is to say, not as joint tenants with her brothers and sister, but to her and her heirs and assigns respectively. Seventhly, I give and devise to my dear brother Henry KERST and to my brother George KERST and to my sister Juliana MERCKEL and my sister Mary HUFF, all the land which may be allotted to me by a jury of the land and plantation which Anthony JAEGER has in possession, in the township of Oley in the county aforesaid and not yet fully settled according to the laws of the land. I say I give and devise the same to them in such manner and form as I have devised the above mentioned land unto them; to have and to hold to them and their heirs and assigns forever. [Anthony YEAGER had saw mill and gristmill on 400 acres in Oley in 1767 tax list.] Eighthly: If the one hundred and fifty pounds which I have bequeathed to my mother cannot be recovered from Philip Peter SCHOLL, it is my will and I order that such sum shall be paid by my brothers and sisters to my mother, to wit, by one as much as the other.... Lastly: I ordain, nominate and constitute my loving brother-in-law Christian MERCKEL of Reading, to be the sole executor of this my last will and testament, making null and void all and every former will testaments and executors by me made, and I declare and ratify this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament. And my desire is such that no words contained in this testament shall be in an ambiguous or doubtful sense and be fully understood; but according to the simple intent and meaning thereof. In Witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal the 23rd day of January 1765. Frantz Kerst (seal) Signed, sealed and by Francis Kerst, publicly declared as his last will and testament in the presence of us and at his request as witness hereto subscribed: Peter FESTER/FEDTER(sp), Jacob HOFFMANN, William REESER. A codicil annexed to this Testament - Francis Kerst am yet, thank God, in good understanding and memory, it is my will and I order that my Executor shall pay within three months after my death, the sum of ten pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania, to such poor as he shall think necessary and expedient, and shall also pay within the same time to the Church wardens, for the time being, of the German Reformed Church in Reading, the sum of ten pounds money aforesaid for the use and benefit of the new built church. Done February 18, 1765. Frantz Kerst (seal). As witness present: Henry HOLLER and William REESER. Translation. Proof of the original will and Codicil: At Reading, in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on the thirteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-five, personally appeared Jacob HOFFMAN, William REESER and Henrich HOLLER of the town of Reading aforesaid, yeoman. And the said Jacob HOFFMAN and William REESER [the said Jacob being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists, and the said William REESER, [a ----- Protestant, who declared himself conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath] having duly taken his solemn affirmation according to the law], did, on their oath and affirmation respectively, solemnly declare and say that they were present together and saw and heard Frantz KERST, the Testator named in the Last Will and Testament written in the German language on the first three pages and half page of the sheet of paper to which this writing is annexed, sign, seal, pronounce, publish and declare the same to be his Last Will and Testament, and that at the time of the doing thereof, the said Frantz KERST was of sound mind, memory and understanding, to the best of their knowledge, and as they verily believe. And the said Henrick HOLLER, being duly sworn on his oath aforesaid, and the said William REESER, on his solemn affirmation aforesaid, did solemnly declare and say that they were present together and saw and heard the same Frantz KERST sign, seal pronounce, publish and declare the writing on the other half page of the said sheet of paper, purporting to be the Codicil of the said Frantz KERST subjoined to the said Last Will and Testament; and that at the time of the doing thereof, the said Frantz KERST was of sound mind, memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge, and as they verily believe. And the said Jacob HOFFMAN on his oath aforesaid did further solemnly declare that the name Jacob HOFFMAN subscribed to the said Last Will and Testament is of his own handwriting by him subscribed as a witness thereto and that Peter FEDTER and William REESER signed their names in the presence of the other two, and in presence also and at the request of the said testator. And the said William REESER on his affirmation aforesaid did further solemnly declare that the name William REESER in the said Last Will and Testament subscribed is of his own handwriting by him subscribed as a witness thereto and that Peter FEDTER and Jacob HOFFMAN at the same time subscribed their names thereto as witnesses; every of them subscribing in the presence of the other two, and in presence also and at the request of the said testator, and also that the name William REESER to the aforesaid Codicil subscribed, is of his own handwriting by him subscribed as a witness to the said Codicil and that Henrich HOLLER [HOLDER/HALDER?] at the same time subscribed his name thereto as a witness, either of them subscribing in presence of the other and in presence and at the request of the said Frantz KERST. And the said Henrich HOLLER on his oath aforesaid did further solemnly declare that the name Henrich HOLLER to the said Codicil subscribed is of his own handwriting by him thereto signed as a witness, and that the said William REESER signed his name thereto as a witness, either of them subscribing in the presence of the other and at the request and in request of the said Franz KERST. James READ, deputy register 10/30/1765. Additional Comments: It is noted that a cemetery reading in 'Epitaphs', shows Frantz KERST died in 1763, age 26y,1m,18 days, but obviously this date is incorrect.] His grave is in a private burial site in Oley Township on Bertolet Mill Rd, on the former John S. Rothermel farm. Also buried there is Samuel KERST (11/22/1774- 11/11/1819) and Johannes KERST (born 12/19/1760-1763), two sons of Franz's brother Henry KERST. If Francis/Frantz was age 26 when he died shortly before 10/13/1765 when his will was filed, his birth year would have been abt 9/1739 and barely a month old when his father John KERST died in 10/1739. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 10.7 Kb