Wills: Stephen Hill, 1827 and 1834, of West Bethlehem Township, Washington County, PA. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Marilyn Hill Mansouria. mansouria1@aol.com USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file 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. --------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: The following two wills of two different men named Stephen Hill of Washington County PA were found in the records of Knox County, Ohio Court of Common Pleas: Knox County, Ohio Court of Common Pleas: Stephen Hill's Will 12 June 1835: Benjamin J. Brown produced in court an authenticated copy of the will of Stephen Hill of West Bethlehem Township, Washington County, PA. ---------------------------------------------------------------- "The State of Ohio, Knox County: Be it remembered that heretofor to wit: on the twelfth day of June A.D. one thousand eight hundred and thirty five at a court of Common pleas holden before the Hon'l Abner Ayres, Eli Miller & James Ellick associate Judges of said county. - Benjamin J. Brown produced in open court an authenticated copy of the Last Will & Testament of Stephen Hill Deceased late of Washington County, Pennsylvania, also satisfactory evidence that said will is proved according to the Laws of the State of Pennsylvania, and that said Stephen Hill is deceased, It is thereupon by the court ordered & directed that said Will be and the same is admitted to Record by this court - which said will together with the proof thereof taken in the State of Pennsylvania read in the words and figures following to wit: - "Stephen Hill's Will - In the name of God Amen - I Stephen Hill of West bethlehem Township, Washington County, Sate of Pennsylvania do make and ordain and declare this instrument which is written & every page thereof to be my last Will and testament - Item To my beloved brother Joseph Hill I give and bequeath unto him all my real and personal estate in the States of Pennsylvania & Ohio, with the herein after named legacies - Item. To my beloved brother Thomas P. Hill I give and bequeath unto him two hundred dollars to be paid on the first day of April one thousand eight hundred & twenty nine. Item To my beloved brother John C. Hill I give and bequeath unto him four hundred dollars to be paid in the following manner viz - on the first of April one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine he is to be paid one hundred dollars, on the first of April one thousand eight hundred and thirty to receive one hundred dollars more, and on the first of April one thousand eight hundred and thirty one he is to receive the balance which is two hundred dollars - Item. To my beloved brother Elias Hill I give and bequeath unto him five hundred dollars to be paid in the following manner viz - one the first of April one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine he is to receive one hundred dollars, on the first of April one thousand eight hundred & thirty he is to be paid one hundred dollars more, and on the first of April one thousand eight hundred and thirty one he is to receive the balance being three hundred dollars.- Note. The cause of my not leaving as much to my brother Thomas P. Hill is on account of his having received more of our fathers estate than they - I do here appoint my beloved brother Joseph Hill the role of executor of this my last estate real & personal to settle - In witness of all & each of the things herein contained I have set my Hand and seal this thirtieth day of December one thousand eight hundred and twenty seven - Stn. Hill ( seal ) acknowledged and signed before us - James Beatty, Stephen Billings Washington County: Be it remembered that on the 12th day of January anno Domini 1828 before me Robert Colmer, Register for the probate of Wills & granting letters of administration & for said County came James Beatty & Stephen Billings the subscribing witnesses to the written last Will & Testament of Stephen Hill Dec'd who being duly sworn and affirmed do say that they were personally present and did see the Testator thereof sign this will and did hear him publish pronounce and declare the same to be his Last Will and testament, and that at the time of his so doing he was of sound and disposing mind memory & understanding to the best of their knowledge and belief - James Beatty Stephen Billings and Sworn & affirmed to & established before me - R. Colmery Reg. Washington County P: In the commonwealth of Pennsylvania - I John Grayson Register for the probate of wills and granting letters of administration in & for said County do certify the above & foregoing to be a true copy of the original Will of Stephen Hill Deceased together with the probate thereon taken - all of which is regularly Registered & on file in the Registry office for the county aforesaid - & in Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of said office at Washington this 7th day of May in the year of our Lord 1835. Jno Grayson Regtr. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - Washington County : I officer Prothonotary of the court of Common pleas for said County do hereby certify that John Grayson whose signature is attached to the above certificate was at the time of so doing the register for the probate of Wills &c in & for said County duly commissioned and that full faith and credit is and ought to be given to all his official acts - In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said county of Washington the 7th day of May A.D. 1835 - Thomas Officer Prothy - Pennsylvania : I Thomas H. Baird President Judge of the fourteenth Judicial district of Pennsylvania composed of the counties of Washington, Fayette & Greene do hereby certify that John John Grayson Esq. is Register for the probate of Wills & granting letters of administration in & for the county of Washington aforesaid - and that the foregoing ____________ (encruplification?) of the Will of Stephen Hill certified by said Register is in proper form of law and _______ to full faith and credit - So Testimony whereupon I have hereto set my hand & seal this 12 May A.D. 1835 Thos. Baird ( seal ) Stephen Hills Will. The State of Ohio, Knox County: Be it remembered that heretofore to wit: at a court of Common pleas holden before the Judge and at the place Non'l. Abner Ayres, Eli Miller & James Elliott associate Judges of said county on the thirteenth day of June A.D. one thousand eight hundred and thirty five "Benjamin S. Brown produced in open court an authenticated copy of the last Will and Testament of Stephen Hill Deceased late of Washington County Pennsylvania, also satisfactory evidence that said Will is proved according to the laws of the State of Pennsylvania,and that said Stephen Hill is deceased. It is therefore by the county ordered and directed that said Will be and the same is admitted to record by this county which said Will together with the proof with the proof thereof be taken in the State of Pennsylvania reads in the words and figures following to wit: "In the name of God Amen, I Stephen Hill of West bethlehem township Washington County & State of Pennsylvania being sick and weak in body but of sound mind and memory but calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die I do make and ordain that my last Will and Testament that is to say, principally and first of all I recommend my soul to God who gave it and my body to the earth to be buried in decent manner _______ - And touching such worldly estate wherewith It has pleased God to bless me with in this life, I give and divide and dispose of in the following manner and form viz - I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife all my plantation where I now live on during her natural life, and all my personable property to dispose of as she thinks proper - 2ndly My wish and desire is that all my children is to be equal share and share alike except my son Stephen, & I give him one hundred dollars more than the rers (rest) of them. - and the land that I now own in the State of Ohio I wish my hereinafter named executors to sell at any time they think proper. And lastly I constute and ordain my beloved wife Executrix & my son George Hill & likewise my son John W. Hill Executors to this my last Will & Testament - In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 9th day of February in the year of our Lord 1834. In presence of Joseph Hill & Elias Hill. (signed) Stephen Hill ( seal ) Washington County : Be it remembered that on the 23rd day of February A.D. 1834 before me John Grayson Register for the probate of Wills and granting letters of administration in and for said County came Elias Hill who upon his solemn affirmation stated that he is well acquainted with the hand writing of the late Stephen Hill Dec'd whose Will is now presented for probate; that he has often seen him write; and that he believes the signature affixed to the foregoing will is the proper hand writing & genuine signature of the said Stephen Hill, and further saith not. - Elias Hill - and affirmed to and subscribed before me. John Grayson, Reg'r. Washington County: In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - I John Grayson Register for the probate of Wills & granting letters of administration in & for said County do certify the above and foregoing to be a true copy of the original Will of Stephen Hill late of the County aforesaid dec'd, together with probate thereon made all of which is of Record and duly filed in the Register office of said County, and I further certify that on the 22nd day of February 1834 letters Testamentory were issued to George Hill and John W. Hill executors in the said Will named, who as such were duly qualified, and in Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said office of Washington this 9th day of May in the year of our Lord 1835. Jno. Grayson Regr. Pennsylvania: I Thomas H. Beard president Judge of the fourteenth Judicial district of Penna. composed of the counties of Washington, Fayette and Greene do hereby certify that John Grayson Esq. is Register for the probate of Willis and granting letters of administration in and and for the county of Washington aforesaid, and that the foregoing ________________ (ramifications?) of the Will of Stephen Hill attested by said Register is in proper form of law and entitled to full faith and credit. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 25 May A.D. 1835 - Th. H. Baird ( seal )