Wills: Peter Stauffer, 1795: Newberry Twp, York County Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Rich Aungst. RICHAUN@aol.com USGENWEB 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. ____________________________________________________________ Peter Stauffer son of Johannes and Margaret (Good) Stauffer. b- 1750 Martic Twp. Lancaster Co. d- 1795 Newberry Twp York Co. ____________________________________________________________ Will of Peter Stauffer IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I Peter Stauffer of Newberry township in York County and the State of Pennsylvania, Yeoman being very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God. Calling unto mind the mortality of my body, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner following. I recommend my soul into the hand of Almighty God that gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be decently buried in a Christian manner at the discretion of my executors; and as touching such worldly estate where with it has pleased God to bless me with in this life I give devise and dispose of the same in following manner and form. First I order and I allow all my just debts and funeral charges to be paid by my executors out of my outstanding debts and moveable property as far as the same shall reach. Excepting and reserving for my dearly beloved wife Margaret all my living and a sufficient share of my household goods which I allow to be divided out from the others before this tender by my executor herein after named. She and they being satisfied with the quantity and quality of the same and in chase my outstanding debts and moveable property shall not be sufficient to pay all my debts , then it is my will that my real estate shall be rented out and the rents and profits thereof applied to the payment of my debts until the whole is fully paid. Reserving also for my aforesaid wife a sufficient share of the said yearly rents for her to live upon and after my just debt is fully paid then I allow unto her my aforesaid wife the full share of all my rents and profit during her natural life. I also allow a house sufficient for my wife to live in to be built by my executors on any part of my land where she shall think best and a acre of ground lying convenient thereto for the purpose of a garden, also liberty to cut firewood for the use of the said house on my land during here natural life as aforesaid. I further allow to my wife pasture for one cow on my land in the summer season and a liberty of pasture as much as she can use in the winter season for one cow, free and clear of all costs. Also liberty to go to the orchard and take apples when she pleases as much as she pleases, provided she take no more than for her own use. Also one third of all the flax that shall grow on my land during her natural life as aforesaid. I further allow my distillery to be rented out by my executors at there discretion until my youngest son shall come to age of twenty one years with liberty of cutting fire wood for the said distillery on my lands reserving still that if my brother John Stauffer will rent my distillery any part or all of the before mentioned same he shall be abated twenty pounds of the rent, that any other man will give for the said distillery for every year that he shall keep it. I likewise allow my plantation to be rented out by my executors until my youngest son shall be of age as aforesaid and the tenant bound to sow all the ground that he shall harvest in winter grain with clover seed in the month of March in the dark of the moon two quarts of seed to each acre and when my youngest son shall come of age as aforesaid then I allow my land to be valued and aforesaid by four good honest men chosen by my executors and in case they cannot agree, the four men to chose an umpire the men must also pay due regard both to the value of the land at that time and the plenty of money and after the said appraisal is made I allow my two youngest sons : Jacob Stauffer and Christian Stauffer to take my land and pay my other children in manner following to wit: One hundred pounds yearly and every year to be paid by my two youngest sons , each of them paying a part of the said hundred pounds in proportion to the value of that part of my land that he holds and the first yearly payment to be paid to my eldest daughter, intermarried with Jacob Hurst and the next hundred pounds to be paid to my son John Stauffer and so every year to pay the next eldest of my children until they have all received one hundred pounds apiece and begin with the eldest pay as before until they shall all enjoy equal shares of my estate . Excepting and reserving for my son-in-law Jacob Hurst one acre of ground above the head of the spring that is near to his house which acre of ground is to extend so low as to give the said Jacob an opportunity of building a spring house on the said spring and a convenience of watering creatures below, which said acre with the appurtenances I give and bequeath to him the said Jacob Hurst his heirs and assigns forever I further allow my executors in the field wherein I now have wheat sowed to be sowed with next March in the dark of the moon and also to be fenced off from my other fields for the purpose of making meadow ground of it. I further allow all my minor children to come under the direction of my executors during there minority and my executors to have the whole and sole management of them until they shall come of age. I also make and ordain John Gochenour and John Hurst and my wife Margaret Stauffer the sole executors and executrix of my last Will and Testament and I do hearby utterly disallow and revoke all former testaments, wills and legueis and executes ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament . In witness whereof I have here into set my hand and seal the 4th day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five. Peter Stauffer Signed sealed published and declared by the said Peter Stauffer as his last Will and Testament I the presence of us. Lammiel Laupft MEMORANDUM That Letters Testamentary in common form were granted unto John Gochenour , Jacob Hurst and Margaret Stauffer of the Estate of Peter Stauffer deceased . Inventory to be exhibited into the registers office at York on or before the third day of June next. An account or reckoning in a year or when legally there unto required. Given under my Hand and Seal of Office at York the Third day of June 1795 J. Barnitz Reg. Before me Jacob Barnitz Register for the probate of Wills and Granting Letters of Administration in and for the county of York and State of Pennsylvania. Personally came Jacob Hurst and Joseph Glancy the two subscribing witnesses to the foregoing instrument of writing and the said Jacob Hurst on his solemn affirmation and the said Joseph Glancy on his solemn oath, taken with an uplifted hand. They conscientiously and severally say that they where personally present and saw and heard the above named Peter Stauffer sign his name unto and seal and publish the foregoing instrument of writing as and for his last Will and Testament and that at the time of the doing thereof he the said Peter Stauffer was of a sound and disposing mind memory and understanding to the bet of there knowledge and belief and that they subscribed there names whereto as witnesses in the presence of the said Testator at his request and also in the presence of each other at the same time. Lamiel Laupfs Joseph Glancy Sworn affirmed and subscribed before me at York the Third day of June 1795..