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In the Name of God: Amen; This Eleventh Day of December in the year of our Lord, One thousand Seven hundred and fifty three, I William Thomas of the Township of Hilltown in the County of Bucks and Province of Pennsylvania Yeoman Being Stricken in Years, yet in an Indiferent Good State of Bodily Health and of Perfect Minde and Memory through the great Goodness and tender Mercy of God towards me, and Calling to Minde the Mortality of this my Body, and knowing that it is appointed for Men Once to Die and after that the Judgment, Do make and Ordain this My last will and Testament in Mannor and form following, that is to say, Principally and Above all things I recommend My Precious & Immortall Soul to God that gave it, Trusting for Mercy and forgiveness of all my sins, through Jesus Christ, according to the Riches of the free and undeserved Grace of God in Christ, the alone Mediator Between God & men, And My Body to ye Earth from whence it was taken; to be therein Buried in Christian-like & Decent Mannor on My own land in ye Graveyard by the meeting house in Hilltown aforesd nothing Doubting but I shall Receive the same Again at the General Resurrection by the Mighty Power of God. And as Touching Such Worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to Bless me in this Life. I do Give, Devise and Dispose thereof In the following mannor Viz: first of all: I Do will & Ordain that My Just Debts and funerall Expenses be fully and truly paid and Discharged.
Item: I Give Devise and Bequeath unto the Inhabitants of Hilltown Aforesd for ever, The Meeting House Erected by the Graveyard, together with the Graveyard to bury their Dead in and all Others far & Near Whites and Blacks, such as are Guilty of self Murder only I reject & Deny to be Buried in ye sd Grave Yard or in any Part of my Land, Giving Liberty to the said Inhabitants to Enlarge the said Grave Yard on ye South Side towards the hollow as Much as Occation Requires, the same to be laid out and Bounded in the following mannor, Viz: to begin at Henery Lewis his corner Post Thence South East somewhat further than the spring or well which belongeth already to ye said Meeting house thirty five perches, thence North East-twenty perches, thence North West Thirty five perches to a white Oak Sappline by ye Grave yard Thence along ye sd Road south west twenty Perches to ye place of Beginning Conntaining by Estemasion Four Acres of Land and Some odd perches And I forbid any Timber to be cut on the said lot for any use save to Repair ye sd Meeting house and Grave Yard fence. The said Meeting house and Lot of Land before Described I give unto the sd Inhabitants of the said Township Forever to bury their Dead as aforesd, And to School their Children I also allow others to Join the School there and to Perform Christian Worship, But under the foregoing and following Directions and Restrictions, Viz: I allow all Tolerated Ministers to Preach Funerall Sermons either in ye Grave Yard or ye Meeting House which they May like best, Papist and Hereticks I reject & Altogether Deny them any Grant, My Will is that the Baptists hold Religious Meetings in the said House as often as they can, but not any one of them that Deny to sign the Nicene Creed - I allow the Presbyterians to Preach in the Said house Provided they hold the Westminster Confession of faith, And Independants Likewise; but if it happen that any Among them will not swear Allegiance to a Protestant King, Such I deny & Disallow Altogether: Papists and Moravians I Allow Not to preach in the said House, Nor any Other Strangers let them Appear Never So Godly, untill they are well known to be joined in ye ffaith, and My Will that Catechsing of children be kept up in the said Meeting-house forever by Orthodox Catochicsm: And in Order that my will herein May be Observed and Performed Accordingly, I Do Constitute and Depute my five Sons Thomas Thomas John Thomas, Ephraim Thomas, Manasse Thomas and William Thomas, And to Assist them to take proper Care Herein, I appoint Lewis Evan Junior Nathaniel Griffith eldest son of Evan Griffith and Jonathan Evans all of ye Township Aforsd, and further I Direct & order of them and every of them, in their Wills to Depute Some Honest Religious Man in ye Room of each of them to Answer the Care & Trust I Have Reposed in them
Item: I Give Devise and bequeath unto my Daughter Gwenllian Morris all that Tract of Land adjoyning to ye said Meeting house Containing About One hundred Acres (be it more or less) Together with all the Buildings Improvements and Appurtenances thereunto belonging to hold and Enjoy the same During the Term of her Naturall Life. But after the Decease of my said Daughter then I Give Devise and bequeath unto my Grandson Cadwalader Morris (my said Daughters Eldest son) And unto his Heirs forever All the said Tract of Land (the said Meeting House and GraveYard Always Excepted) with ye Buildings Improvements and Appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonging. But in case My said Grandson should happen to Die without any lawful Issue Living at the Time of his Decease then & in such case my Will is That the said Tract of Land Shall Descend to ye Other Children of Morris Morris Begotten on ye Body of My said Daughter Gwenllian Morris from ye Eldest to ye Youngest of them Equally; and if all ye children of ye said Morris Morris begotten on My said Daughter Should happen to Die without Leaving any Issue Living at the Time of their Decease, then My Will is that ye said Tract of Land be equally
Divided
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Divided Amongst my own Children To hold to them their heirs & assignes forever. And in Case my said Daughter Gwenllian Morris should happen to Die at any time before my said Grandson Cadwalader Morris arrives at ye age of Twenty One years, then My Will is, that his Father Shall Enjoy the Profits of ye said place until My Said Grandson Arrives to ye age of Twenty one years Allowing him to Clear ten More at four severall Times where he likes best.
Item: I Give Devise and Bequeath unto my son Ephraim Thomas and unto his Heirs and Assigns forever one hundred and fifty Acres of Land (Part of three hundred acres bought first of James Logan) situate in ye Township aforesd, where the said Ephraim now Lives on, Together with all & singular the Buildings Improvements And Appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonging, and I order him My Said Son Ephraim to pay the Proportionable part of ye Quitrent of ye Tract which is one Shilling Sterling.
Item: I Give Devise and Bequeath unto my Son Manasse Thomas and unto his Heirs and Assigns for ever, one hundred and fifty acres of Land being the Residue of the three hundred acres Aforesd on the other side of the line, where the said Manasse Now Improves Together with all and singular the Buildings Inprovements And Appurtenances Whatsoever thereunto belonging And I order him My Said Son Manasse to pay the proportionable part of ye Quit rent thereof and in case he my said Son Manasse Should happen to Die without lawfull Issue Living at the Time of his Decease, them My will is, and I Do hereby Direct that his Land be Equally Divided Amongst the rest of my children to hold to them their Heirs & Assigns forever.
Item: I Give Devise and Bequeath unto my son John Thomas and to his Heirs and Assigns forever a Tract of Land (which I bought last of James Logan) Joyning to ye three hundred Acres Last Mentioned, Whereon My Said Son John now lives containing two hundred Acres Together with all and Singular the Buildings Improvements and Appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonging My said Son John paying the Quit rent of the said two hundred Acres.
Item: I Give Devise and Bequeath unto my son Thomas Thomas and unto his heirs and Assigns forever, the Tract of Land he now lives on which I Bought of Roland Ellis contaning one hundred fifty acres together with all the buildings Improvements & Appurtenances thereunto belonging and further I Give Devise and Bequeath unto My said Son Thomas Thomas and his Heirs and Assigns forever, out of a Tract of Land I now live on the fifty Acres of Land which I bought of Benjamen Phillips with all the Improvements and Appurtenances thereunto belonging and further I Give & Devise unto my said Son Thomas & his Heirs & Assigns forever out of ye Tract of Land I now Live on (which I bought of Jeremiah Langhorn) fifty perches in broadth, Beginning at a Corner post White Oak by Evan Griffiths Land, Thence Along the Division between line Between me and the Said Evan Griffith Fifty Perches and no further, Thence along a line paralell to the Land aforesd by this will Devised to ye said Thomas Thomas untill it meets ye Land hereby After Devised to my Daughter Anna and no further; And I order him to pay ye Quitrent of ye severall parcolls of Land to ye Lord of the Fee thereof And my will is that the field called the Long Field Shall stand as it is now at this Present Inclosed and fenced in.
Item: I Give Devise and Bequeath to my Daughter Anna Thomas During her Natural Life Such a Part of the Tract of Land I now Live on, the which I bought of Jeremiah Longhorn Described as followeth Viz: Beginning in the Creek in James Lewis his Line, at Marked Elm tree, and Running up the said Creek towards my Now Dwelling House to a Marked Line, Thence along of said Line which is already Marked as far as the line that runs from ye Aforementioned corner past (White Oak by Evan Griffiths Land to Henery Lewises Land Together with the Buildings Improvements and all other ye Appurtenances thereunto belonging, Directing her to pay one English Shilling or value thereof for Qutirent yearly to Proprietories of this Province I forbid her my said Daughter to clear any More than one half of ye said Land whether for Corn or Meadow, And further in case My said Daughter Anna shall have any children by lawfull Marriage, my will is that such Children of hers & the Heirs forever Shall Enjoy the said Land from the Eldest to the Youngest of them Provided always the Male child Shall be the Heir tho he should be the youngest of al
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and in case My said Daughter Anna shall happen to Die without any Lawfull Heirs Living at the Time of her Decease, then and in such case, my Will is: and I Do Give Devise and Bequeath unto my Son William and unto his Heirs and Assigns forever the said Parcell of Land hereby Given unto my Daughter Anna as ye same is before Described, ordering & Directing him my son William to pay at ye Expiration of one year after her Descease ye sum of Sixty Pounds lawfull Money of Pensylvannia to be Equally Distributed amongst his surviving Brothers and Sister Provided Always that they Release and Quit all Claim & Demand of in & to ye said Tract of land now Devised to my said Daughter Anna, And in case my son William Should Decline to accept, or take to ye sane on ye terms aforesd I desire my Son Thomas would accept thereof on ye Say & Terms aforesd, I Do not like it should be sold to Strangers.
Item: I Give Devise and Bequeath unto my Son William Thomas and to his Heirs and Assigns for ever all the remainder of the four hundred acres I bought of Jeremiah Langhorn, being the place I now live on (My Mantion house) Together with all the Buildings Improvements and Appurtenances thereunto belonging he my said Son William Thomas Paying the Proportionable Part of the Quitrent Due for his part of the sd Tract of Land to the Propriotaries of this Province.
And My Will is that if any Deficiancy of Default be found in ye Title of any of my Lands hereby Devised as aforesd that then all My Sons Shall Joyntly Contribute to Defray the Charge of Obtaining a clear and Lawfull Title unto ye same.
Item: I Give and Bequeath unto all & every of my Grand Children male & female the Sum of Twenty Shillings Each to be paid by My Executors at the Expiration of one year after My Decease And My Will further is that my Personal Estate Goods and Chattels, whatsoever (after my Just Debts, Charges & Legacies be deducted) be Equally Divided Amongst my Children Share and Share
And I do nominate Constitue and Appoint My aforenamed Five Sons Thomas Thomas, John Thomas, Ephraim Thomas, Manasse Thomas, and William Thomas to be Joynt Executors of this my Last Will and Testament and I do Nominate and Appoint my Brother in Law Lewis Evans, and my Trusty Friends Evan Griffith of Hilltown aforesaid and Evan Evans of Gwynedd and John Jones Carpenter of Montgomery both of the County of Philadelphia to be Trustees or Overseers to see this my Will in all things fulfilled performed and accomplished and Finally I Do hereby Disannull and Declare Void all other and former Wills and Testaments by me at any time before this make Willed or Declared to be made and Willed by word or writing Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & Seal the Day and Year Aforesd
N:B. that ye word (Issue) between of 18th & 19th lines of the Second Page, and ye words (my Son) between ye fourth and fifth lines of third page were interlined before the Signing & Sealing hereof
Signed Sealed And Declared
By William Thomas Testator as his last
Will & Testament in ye Presence
of us who in his Presence have
Benjn Griffith Junr
Joseph Griffith[seal]
Benjn Griffith
Memorandum that on the twenty first Day of Decenber A.D. 1753 Personally appeared before me Simon Butler Esqr one of ye Justices of ye peace for ye County of Bucks, William Thomas of Hilltown in ye Said County Yeoman, and Brought ye within written Will Contained in three Pages with his name to Each page and acknowledged ye Same to be his Last Will and Testament. So Desiring that it may be Deemed, Taken and allowed, to be his Last will & Testament in every part Thereof without Exceptions he at the same being in Good health & of perfect mind and memory.
S Butler [seal]
Witness my hand & Seal ye Day and year above Said
I William Thomas the Testator above named having in & by the within Written Will Given & Devised to My Daughter Anna Thomas a Certain Piece or Parcell of Land within certain Bounds, the Courses and Length of ye lines and the Quantity of Land Contained within the said Mentioned Bounds not being known at ye making of ye said will, which Parcell of Land was Since Surveyed and is Butted and bounded as followeth Viz; Beginning at an Elm Tree by ye land of James Lewis and Extending thence by my other lands North thirteen Degrees West Forty Two Perches to a Red Oak, Thence North Fifty Degrees West Fifty Two Perches to a Spanish Oak Tree for a Corner Thence North twenty five Degrees East sixty Perches to a white Oak, Thence North Forty Degrees East forty eight Perches to a Corner, Thence North fifty Degrees, East, Sixty Two Perches to a Corner, Thence by Thomas Thomas's Land South East Sixty Four Perches in ye Line of James Lewis his Land. Thence by ye said James Lewis his land South west two hundred five Perches to the Place of Beginning Containing one hundred Acres (be it more or less) My Will is that my said Daughter Anna Thomas shall Enjoy ye Said Piece or Parcell of Land under this Metes and Bounds aforesaid and that in ye Mannor to all Intents & Purposes that is Expressed in ye body and Seal of this Codicile this Eleventh Day of October in ye Year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred & fifty six
Signed Sealed and Declared by William Thomas
[ ] Testator in the Presence of us———————
Joseph Griffith
Benjn Griffith
Bucks ss: The 13th day of October Anno Domini 1757 Then appeared Joseph Griffith and Benjamin Griffith Two of the Witnesses to the Adjoining Written Will and Coddicil and upon their Solomn Oaths According to Law Did Severally Declare that they were Present and Saw William Thomas the Testator Sign Seal Publish and Declare the foregoing Writing to be his Last Will and Testament and that they Likewise Saw him Sign Seal and Acknowledge the forgoing Coddicil or Addition to the said Will as a Coddicil or Part of the Same Will and that he was at the Doing thereof of Sound Mind Memory and Understanding to the best of their Knowledge
Before me Richd Gibbs Depty Regt.
By Virtue of a Commission from the Regt. Genl
And by the Direction of Saml Growdon Depty Regt.
Be it Remembered That on the 13th day of October Anno Domini 1757 This Last Will and Testament of W and Coddicil of William Thomas Deceased was Duly Proved According to Law and Probated and Letters Testamentary were Granted unto Thomas Thomas, John Thomas, Manassah Thomas and William Thomas jun as the Executors therein Named they being First Solemnly Sworn well and Faithfully to Administer the Goods and Chattels Rights and Credits of the said Deceased and to Exhibit A True and Perfect Inventory thereof into the Registers Office for the said County of Bucks in One Month after the Date hereas and a Just and True Account of their Administration when thereunto Required to Witness my Hand and the Seal of the said Office the Day and Year aforesaid. Richd Gibbs Depty Regt.
By Virtue of a Commission from the Regt. General
And by the Direction of Saml Growdon Depty Regt.
I Ephraim Thomas of ye Township of Hilltown Being Sick this many weeks Cannot attend with my Brothron at ye Proving my Fathers Last will and Testament: I desire ye Same may be Proved Given from under my Hand this Twelveth Day of October 1757
Ephraim Thomas
Inventory of the
Estate of Wm Thomas
Deced. filed 13th October
1757
#919An Inventory of the Personall Estate Goods & Chattels of William Thomas of Hiltown in the County of Bucks Yeoman, latly Deceased as Priced this Twelveth Day of October A D 1757: at the Joynt Request of the Executors by Jenkin Evans and Isaac James Both of Montgomery in the County of Philadelphia Yeomen.
£ S D Wearing Apparell 5 10 00 Cash 1 14 00 horse and Sadle & bridle 4 00 00 Bills & Bonds 2 97 18 6 A Brass Pann 2 5 00 Books 17 07 00 a few small Boxes 00 02 00 a Feather Bed and Beding 11 00 06 a pair of Steelyards 00 07 06 four old Chairs 00 07 06 a Setl 00 10 00 Pewter ware 01 09 00 maul Rings, Dung fork and a Chain 00 06 00 Iron Kitchen utensils 00 07 06 Barels 00 07 06 Some Bed Cloaths 00 12 00 A feather Bed, bed Stand, and Bed Cloathes 06 07 00 an old Case of Drawers 00 18 00 an old bed Pann & Grind Stone 00 05 00 old Coopers tools & Some old Irons 00 03 00 3 51 16 06 Priced on the Day aforesaid
by us
Jenkins Evanz
Isaac James
