WILL: Casper REED, 1801, Letterkenny Township, Franklin County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Jack Novicki pajznovici AT aol DOT com USGENWEB ARCHIVES (tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ___________________________________________________________ CASPER REED - Last Will and Testament Last will and testament of Casper Reed of Letterkenny Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania and is dated 5 November 1801 and was transcribed by Jack Novicki, 17 March 2004 < pajznovici AT aol DOT com >, from a SAMPUBCO copy, Will Book Vol. B, page 205. Note: Many of the first letters of various words appear to start with an uppercase letter and have been transcribed as they appear. No spelling or punctuation has been corrected. Because of the quality of the microfilm, it is difficult to be sure if a comma is there or not, when in doubt one was added. If a word is unreadable or not in current use today a question mark was inserted at the end of the word, or a few question marks have been inserted to indicate a missing or unreadable word. Note: "Laloms" Congregation could be the "Salem" Congregation of Pleasant Hall, Franklin County, Pennsylvania - Robin Penner. I read this as "Salem's Burying Ground" rather than Laloms. There is a Salem Church in Pleasant Hall, Letterkenny Twp, on PA Rt 997. It was also called "Shearer's Church" in some of the old records. Some of the founders were the descendents of Ulrich Shearer/Sharrer of Berks County, PA. As Casper Reith was also from Berks, this is probably the right place. - Carolyn K. Shearer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reed, Casper - Will. IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN Casper Reed of Letterkenny Township in the County of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, considering the uncertainty of this life, and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, I do therefore make while in perfect mind and memory, this my last will and Testament in the way and manner following that is to say, first of all I recommend my soul into the hands of god, who gave it, and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in a decent and Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executor, in the burial ground of Laloms Congregation along side of my daughter Margaret, and as touching such worldly affairs, where with it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life, I give dispose and devise of the same in the way and manner, following that is to say I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Catharina, one chest that stands in the room, with all that is therein and all the linning cloath that is in the house, two beds and bedsteads, with bed close sufficient, the table that stands in the room of my House, one tin plate stove, the kitchen dresser with all that is there on & in it one coper wash kettle, two Iron pots one skilled one frying pan, one tin bucket, one wooden ditto/dillo(?), one spinning wheel one Aect.(?), two cows of her own choosing one of my horse creatures which she shall chose, her side saddle and bridle, one crook or pot rake, and further it is my will, that my plantation, whereon I now live, that the same shall be rented by my Executors, at public vendue, to the highest and best bidder, so long as my wife Catharina shall live still subject to the following reserves, to wit, the dwelling House in which I now live I allow my said wife to live in during her natural life time, the cows and horse creature aforesaid to be pastured on the said Plantation, so long as my said wife shall live, as also Stable room for the ??? Creatures, as also to receive yearly of the said plantation, three ??? of good hay, halled home to her, & as much firewood laid to her door, as she shall need, as also yearly fifteen bushels of Wheat, ten bushels of Rye, and yearly five pounds in money as also ten pounds of hachlet(?) flax of ten pounds of tow, and also her choice of the apples growing in the orchard, that is to say one row of the trees in the orchard, which and where she shall from year to year chose and further I give and bequeath to my said wife fifty pounds in money to be paid her out of my personal Estate after my my(?) decease, also the use of the garden adjoining my House during her natural life time, and further it is my will and I do hereby direct that after my decease, that all my personal property not already bequeathed, shall be sold at public vendue by my Executors I direct that all my funeral expenses and just debts, be paid and the remainder to be equally divided amongst all my children, that is one equal share to my son Michael, and one equal share to my son Frederick, and one equal share to my son Peter, one equal share to my son in law Christian Dise, who is married to my daughter Catharina, one equal share to be equally divided amongst the children of my daughter Margaret who is now dead and was married to Andrew Fricher only deducting there from fifteen pounds, which I allow to my said son in law Andrew Fricher for the purpose of schooling the said children, one equal share to my son George one equal share to my son Casper, one equal share to my son in law John Stake, who is married to my daughter Eave, and further it is my will and direct that before the above divisions are made amongst my said children, that twenty pounds out of my said Estate be first deducted, which twenty pounds, I give and bequeath to my grandson George of my daughter Eave to be kept in the hands of my Executors until the said George shall arrive to the age of twenty one years then to be paid to him. And further it is my Will and do direct that after the decease of my said wife my plantation is to be sold by my Executors to the highest and best bidder and to the best advantage that they shall think best and then the proceeds thereof to be equally divided among my children as above as before mentioned in the personal property, the shares of my daughter Margaret, who is now dead to be divided equally amongst her children as before. And further it is my will and wish it to be understood that all the respective charges in my book against any one of my said children is to account for such charge out of their respective shares out of the personal Estate in the first division and I do hereby constitute nominate and appoint Abraham Crotzer and my son Casper Reed to be my Executors do hereby give and grant unto my said Executors full power and strength to make sign, seal and deliver good and legal titles for the said plantation after the same shall be sold by them as before I have directed and do hereby disallow and revoke and make void all and every former will or wills by me - heretofore made allowing this to be my last Will and Testament and none other. In witness whereof I the said Casper Reed, have hereunto set my hand and seal this fifth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and one. Casper X Reed - His Mark **SEAL** Signed, sealed and pronounced by the said Casper Reed, to be his Last Will and Testament in the present of us Dewald Keefer, Abraham Crotzer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the 15th August 1804. Abraham Crotzer one of the witnesses to the instrument of writing to which this paper is annexed appeared before me Register for the probate of Wills and granting Letters of Administration for Franklin County and upon his solemn oath, deposeth and saith, that he was present & saw and heard Casper Reed deceased make his mark unto and seal and publish the annexed writing as and for his last Will and Testament, and that at the time of doing thereof he the said Casper was of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding according to the best of their knowledge and belief, that his name signed thereto is of his own hand writing and that he did see Dewald Keefer The other witness sign also at the same time. Abraham Crotzer, Sworn and subscribed Cor-m. Edw. Crawford Reg-u. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edw Crawford Register for the Probate of Wills, and granting Letters of Administration for Franklin County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, hereby nominate and appoint [George] Knox of Wheeling in Ohio County in the State of Virginia Esquire to take and Certify to me the deposition of Dewald Keefer now of the said County of Ohio touching the execution of the forgoing Instrument of writing & of the state of mind of the Testator Casper Reed, at that time. In Testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand and seal of Office at Chambersburg this 31st day of July 1804 Edw Crawford Reg-u **SEAL** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OHIO COUNTY VIRGINIA -- Personally appeared Dewald Keefer before me the subscriber one of the Commonwealth Justices of the Peace for the County aforesaid and made oath as the law directs that he saw Casper Reed sign seal and acknowledge the written Instrument of writing as his last Will and Testament, and at the time of his doing the same, he was in a sound state of mind, given under my hand & seal this 7th day of August 1804 Joseph Kerr **SEAL** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OHIO COUNTY VIRGINIA -- I do certify that Joseph Kerr Esquire, before whom the deposition of Dewald Keefer was taken, and who appears to have subscribed his name and seal to the said deposition, and which deposition is on this Instrument of writing stated, was at the time of doing the same & still is the Justice of the Pease for the County aforesaid, duly commissioned & sworn, and that full faith and credit is & of right ought to be given to all his acts done as such, as well in County of Justice, as thereout, and I do further certify that George Knox who was expected to have taken the aforesaid deposition, has resigned his commission & Justice of the Peace for Ohio County ?? - In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the public seal of Ohio County this seventh day of August 1804 & in the 29th year of this Commonwealth Moses Chaplin, 6.06 Both Executors sworn to file Inventory on or before one month and settle within in a year or when legally required. 15th August 1804 A true copy taken from the original the remaining in the Register office at Chambersburg. 1