Area History: Fourth Will of William Penn, 1701

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           FOURTH WILL, NEW CASTLE, 30 8br 1701
            Newcastle on Delaware, 30 8br 1701

Because it is appointed for all men once to dye, and yt their days are in
the hand of ye Almighty their Creator, I think fitt upon this present
voyage to make my last will testament, which is as follows:

Since my estate, both in England and Ireland, are either entailed or
incumbred, my wil is, that whch is saleable, be sould for payment of my
just Debts, and all my household stuff, plate, and linen, not given or
disposed of to my children by their relations, and if there should be any
overplus, that it goe equally to my son William and daughter Laetitia, as
to my estate in Europe, be it Land, houses, or moveables, except my gold
chain and meddall. sch I give to my son William; and except such estate as
I had with or since I Married this wife, ffor my estate in America, it is
also encumbered, but not with the tenth part of true value thereof--I mean
of the Province of Pennsylvania and counties annexed--when that incumbrance
is discharged, I give my son William all my sayd Province and Territorys,
to him and his Heirs forever as proprietary and Govern.  But out of or
rather in the sayd soyle thereof, I give to my Daughter, Laetitia Penn, one
hundred thousand acres, seaventy of sch out of or rather the sayd province,
and ten thousand acres out of or rather in each of the Lower Countys of the
territorys.

I also give to my son John one hundred and fifty thousand acres, of wch one
hundred thousand in the Province, and fifty thousand acres in the Lower
Countys; and I also bequeath to him my tenth or Proprietary ship of Salem
tenth or County in West New Jersey, to my sayd son John and his heirs
forever, with all rents, Proffits, and Interests therein.

I also will that the Childe my De: wife, Hannah Penn, now goes with, shall
have one hundred thousand acres if a boy, a seaventy thousand if a Girle,
in the Province aforesd: all which Land so given shall lye between
Susquehanagh River and Delaware River, and to be taken up within twelve
months after my death.  If my encumbrances can be discharged in yt time, or
so soon as they are: but so as that the sayd Lands be not above = 80 =
miles above a due west line, to be drawn from Philadelphia to Susquehanah
River, and to be layd out in ye way of townships, and to pay to my son
William one silver shilling for every township of five thousand acres when
taken up forever, in lieu of all demands and services, hereby requiring my
sayd son William to erect all of any part of ye aforesayd Lands into
mannors, with due powers over their own Tennants, according to my sayd
children's respective agreements with them, when they or any for them
require the same.

Addendum and comments by Horace D. Satcher hsatcher@mindspring.com
 
"..I give to my Servts, John and Mary Sach...[this is as written in the
book I have taken this from] three hundred acres between them; to James Logan one
thousand acres, and my blacks their freedom, as under my hand already; and
to ould Sam 100 acres....."

John and Mary Sach... are John SATCHER (SOTCHER or SACHAR) and wife Mary
LOFTIS steward of Pennsbury Manor from 1701 until around 1710 (some
variations of actual departure date.)  They are mentioned in later
correspondence of William and Hannah Penn as well as correspondence 
of James Logan.

"...& my blacks their freedom, as under my hand already...."

The note reads:

        "This is the only one of WP's extant wills that contain such a
provision.  Neither his will of 1705  nor his last will of 1712 repeated this 
resolution, and, though WP freed some slaves during his lifetime, others passed 
to his heirs at his death."

See: The Papers of William Penn, Volume Four 1701-1718
Editors, Craig W. Horle - Alixon Duncan Hirsch - Marianne S Wobeck - Joy
Wiltenburg.

General Editors     Richard S. Dunn  -  Mary Maples Dunn

University of Pennsylvania Press  1987