WILL: Robert MCPHERSON, 1792, Cumberland Township, York County, PA ************************************************ Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Lowell Thomas lst@mitre.org Source: This is a transcription of the original will, now in the possession of the Historical Society of Frederick County, Maryland. The last will And Testament of Robert McPherson 25th of June 1792 In the name of God Amen, I Robert McPherson of Cumberland Township in the County of York & state of Pennsylvania being of sound & disposing mind & memory & calling to mind The uncertainty of this life & that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make ordain & declare this my last will and Testament in manners & form following that is to say, I commit my soul to God & my body to the dust to be interned in a decent manner at the discretion of my Executors here in after mentioned, and as to what worldly property I am pocession of I will & order. Imprimis that all my just debts and funeral expenses Be paid & all my just dues collected. Item I will and order that my honored Mother Agnes McPherson shall have the sole and exclusive use & property of that room in the mansion house, which she now occupies together with that room in the kitchen end of the house which is on the North side thereof, both during her natural life, and also all that use of the kitchen which may be necessary for her accommodation, with a like use of the spring house. Moreover it is my will that she shall have one horse Creature & one cow pastured & wintered on the farm I now Posess and half a bushel of flax seed†sowed on good ground as long as she shall require it, & lastly I give and bequeath Unto her my Negro man File during her natural life. Item I give and bequeath unto my Nephew Robert McPherson Son of my brother William McPherson the sum of four hundred & fifty Pounds lawful money as aforesaid of the state of Pennsylvania as aforesaid. Item I give and Bequeath unto Robert McPherson son of my Brother John McPherson the sum of four hundred and fifty Pounds lawful money as aforesaid. Item I give and bequeath unto my nephew Robert Grier Russell son of Alexande Rusell Esq. The sum of seventy five pounds lawful money as aforesaid. tem I give and bequeath unto my sister Agnes McPherson the sum of seventy-five pounds lawful money aforesaid. Item I give and bequeath unto my nieces Nancy Greir, Molly Grier, Jenny Greir & Peggy Grier daughters of David Greir, Deceased, the sum of seventy five pounds lawful money As aforesaid to be equally divided between them that is The one-fourth part of seventy five pounds to each. Item I give and bequeath to Nancy Riddle, daughter Of James Riddle attorney, the sum of seventy five pounds Lawful money as aforesaid. Item I give & bequeath unto my brother William McPherson his heirs and assignees forever all my real property that is to say my farm with all its appurtences, except the bequeathment to my mother, situated in the Township County and State aforsaid In consequence of which & as a condition of the said bequethment he must & it is my will that he shall pay the Several sums of money bequeathed above in the following manner. Viz in the space of one year after my decease he Shall say into the hands of the legal representative of the above mentioned Robert Grier Russell refuses the full sum of seventy-five pounds as aforesaid in trust & for the benefit of the said legate to be paid to him when he shall arrive at the age of twent one years. In the space of four years after my decease he shall pay to the legal representative of the above mentioned Robert McPherson Son of John McPherson the sum of four hundred & fifty pounds as aforesaid in three equal shares one third paid at the expiration of two years. One third part at the expiration of three years & one third part at expiration of four years after my decease in trust to be given to said legate when he shall arrive at the age of Twenty one years-at the expiration of five years after my decease he shall pay unto my wife Agnes McPherson her hers or assignees the sum of seventy-five pounds as aforesaid. At the expiration of six years after my decease he shall pay unto my above mentioned nieces Nancy, Mary, Molly, Jenny & Peggy Greir those of them who shall be of the age of eighteen years & to the legal representative of those of them who shall be of the age of eighteen & to be legal Representative of those of them who may be of legal age the sum of seventy five pounds to be equally divided among them as aforsaid. At the expiration of seven years after my decease he shall pay to the legal representative of my above mentioned niece Nancy Riddle the sum of seventy-five pounds in trust as aforesaid to be given to her when she shall arrive at the age of eighteen years. Item I will and order that immediately on my death my Negro man Gregg shall be free and no longer retained in slavery. (Of my mother Agnes McPherson) Item I will and order that immediately on my death my Negro man Fill shall be free and no longer retained in slavery. I will and order that my personal property except what is otherwise disposed of above shall be disposed of at public sale. & all my just debts discharged thereby & is† after this anything shall remain, that it shall be divided between the legalese above mentioned in just proportion to the sums respectfully devised to them, & paid as soon as it can be collectedinto the hands of the representatives as aforesaid respectively in trust for the legatees. tem I will and order that all my best wearing apparel shall be equally deviled between my two nephews Robert son of William & Robert son of John McPherson & That my common or course apparel be given to my two negro men Gregg & Fill. tem I will & order that my nephew Robert McPherson son of my brother William, shall arrive at the age of twenty one years, his father my said Brother William McPherson shall pay unto him the sum of four hundred & fifty pounds the legacy bequeathed to him my said nephew above. Lastly I appoint my beloved brother William McPherson & John McPherson Executors of this my last Will & Testament by me made & the VIZ John Black guardian of my Estate as therein disposed hereby revoking all former Wills & Testaments by me made & constituting , fixing pronouncing & declaring this & no other to be my last Will & Testament .In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this 25th Day of June 1792 Rob McPherson Signed, sealed published and pronounced & declared by the above named Rob McPherson to be his last will & testament in presence of us who were declared by him to subscribe it as Witnessed in his presence & in the presence of each other. John Black James Liveney Thomas Liveney KNOW all MEN by these presents, That I Robert McPherson Junior of Cumberland Township York County am held and firmly bound unto Alexander Russell and Mary his wife of Hamilton Bam Township in the Sum of† Eighty Three† pounds six shillings and eight pence Gold or Silver money of Pennsylvania money to be paid to the said Alexander Russell and Mary his wife or to their certain Attorney, Executors, Administrators, or Assigns. To which Payment well and truly to be made I bind myself my Heirs, Executors, and Administrators, and every of them firmly by these presents. Sealed with. MY Seal. Dated the Twenty ninth Day of June in the Year of our LORD, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty nine THE Condition of this Obligation is such, That if the above bounden Robert McPherson Junior his Heirs, Executors, Administrators, or any of them shall and do well and truly pay, cause to be paid, unto the† above named Alexander Russell and Mary his wife or to Their certain Attorney, Executors, Administrators, or Assigns the just sum of Forty one Pounds thirteen Shillings and four pence at the decease of Agnes McPherson the Elder Relict† and widow of Robert McPherson Esquire deceased who died intestate without any Fraud or further Delay, then the above Obligation to be void, or else to be and remain in full Force and Virtue. Sealed and delivered Robert McPherson in the presence of D. Greir John McPherson