Will of Simon Hampton (1774): Concord Township, Chester (now Delaware) Co., PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Cyndie Enfinger . ****************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non- commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ ****************************************************************** (Will Book E, Pages 474-476) Simon Hampton Will} I Simon Hampton of the township of Concord & County of Chester, in the Province of Pennsylvania being Indisposed & weak of Body, but of Sound and well disposenig Mind & Memory, and calling to mind the uncertainty of this life, do this first day of March in ye year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred Seventy four make and publish this my last Will and Testament, in manner Following viz my mind and Will is that all my just debts and funeral Expenses be paid & discharged as soon as may be after my decease Imprimis I give and Bequeath unto my beloved Wife Sarah all my Estate to be Real & Personal Wheresoever the same may be found (Except the Legacy’s hereafter mentioned) Item I give to my Son Walter Hampton the Sum of one shilling ~ Item I give to my daughter Rebecah Pyle ye sum of one shilling ~ Item I give to my Son Thomas Hampton ye sum of one shilling ~ Item I give to my Daughter Sarah Bawldwin ye Sum of one shilling to be paid by my Executor herein after named and Lastly I do make Constitute I ordain my Son-in-law John Bawldwin to be Sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament in Trust for my said beloved wife In Witness whereof I the said Simon Hampton have to this my last Will & Testament Set my hand and Seal ye day & year above Written 1774 Signed, Sealed, & Delivered by the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who were present at Ye Sining and Sealing thereof. Nicholas Newlin, William Bell Nathan Newlin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nathaniel Newlin of Concord in the County of Chester on his Solemn affirmation saith, that on the first day of this Instant March he was sent for by Simon Hampton and on his going to the said Simon’s House he was Requested by the said Simon to draw his last Will and Testament that this affirmant took Notes thereof and went home and drew the same in Form and Return’d back and Read it to the said Simon Hampton, who declared the same to be his Will and that it was agreeable to his mind, and there upon the said Simon Requested this affirmant to call in Nicholas Newlin and William Bell as Witnesses and he would Execute it and on their being come into the Room where the said Simon lay, he the said Simon was raised up in Bed being very weak and low, and being asked if he knew what he was going to do he replied “to sign my Will, and on being asked by his Son-in law John Baldwin if he was Satisfied that the said writing contained his Will, he ans that he was well satisfied it was his will , and thereupon attempted to Sign and execute the same, by taking a pen in his Hand and making motions on the paper as though he was writing his name, but did not make any mark thereon, and being told he had not wrote his name, he said he thought that he had wrote Simon, and desired thus affirmant to write the Remainder of his name for that he could not see, and there upon growing faint he was laid down in Bed and in a few Hours after expired without signing it and this affirmant saith that at the time the directions aforsd were given for writing the Will when it was read and when the attempt was made to sign it he the said Simon Hampton was of a sound and well disposing mind and memory to the best of his understanding and that the writing now produced is the same Identical writing which was aforesd wrote at the request of the said Simon Hampton and read to him and by him attempted to be executed as his Will Nathal Newlin affirmed at Chester the 12th day of March 1774 Before me H. H. Graham D. Regr. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Personally appeared Nicholas Newlin and William Bell and the said Nicholas Newlin on his solemn affirmation and the said William Bell on his solemn Oath did declare and say that on the first day of this Instant March they were called in to be Witnesses to the Execution of Simon Hampton’s Will that soon after they were in the room where the said Simon lay, he was Raised up on Ben and a paper writing put before him by Nathaniel Newlin and on the said Simon’s being asked if he knew what he was going to do he answered yes to Sign my Will and on Being asked if he was satisfied that writing was his Will, he answered he was well satisfied it was his Will and then attempted to execute it, by taking a pen in his hand and making motions on the paper as tho he was writing his name, but did not make any mark, and on being told that he had not wrote his name he said he thought he had wrote Simon and desired Nathaniel Newlin to write the Remainder for that he could not see and then growing faint he was laid down in bed and in a few Hours after expired without signing the same, and that at the time of the declaration aforesaid and the attempt to Execute the said Will he the said Simon was of a sound and well disposing mind & memory to the best of their understandings, and that they are Convinced and verily believe the writing now produced is the same Identical writing so as aforesd, attemped to be signed and Executed for that they some time after the sd Simons death did Subscribe their names thereto in order to Identify it. Nicholas Newlin William Bell Affirmed and Sworn at Chester the 12th day of March 1774 Before me. H. H. Graham D Regr ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be it Remembered that on the twelfth day of March Anno Dom 1774 the last Will and Testament of Simon Hampton deceased was proved in due form of law, and letters Testamentary were granted to John Baldwin Sole Executor therein named, he being Solemnly affirmed, well and truly to Administer and bring in an Inventory of the deceased’s Estate into the Registers office at Chester on or before the Twelfth day of May next and to Render a true and just account of his administration in a year or when legally Required given under the Seal of said office H. H. Graham D Regr.