Wills: JAMES, William, 1778: New Britain, Bucks County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Geri. gerie@tvec.net USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm WILL of: JAMES, William WRITTEN: January 17, 1776 PROVED: August 6, 1778 INVENTORY: Filed August 26, 1778 In the name of God Amen the Seventeenth Day of January in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred & Seventy Six I William James of the Township of New Britain in the County of Bucks and Province of Pennsylvania yeoman being well Stricken in years But of Sound mind & Memory Thanks to God for the Same Therefore Calling to mind the mortality of my Body & knowing that its appointed for all men once to Die do make & ordain this my Last Will & Testament, Principally and first of all I Give and recommend my Soul into the hands of God that gave it and my Body to the Earth to be Buried in a Christain & Decent manner at the Discretion of my Exuctors hereafter named not Doubting but that I Shall receive the Same again at the general resurrection by the Almightly Power of God and Touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to Bless me with in this Life I Give & Dispose of the Same in the following manner (Viz) Imprimis my will is and I Do order that all my Just Debts and Funeral Charges be Justly paid & Discharged. Item I Give and Bequeath to my Brother Isaac James and my Trusty Friend and Brother in Gospel Bonds, Peter Evans of the Township of Montgomery & in the County of Philadelphia yeoman or to the Survivor of them the Sum of ten pounds Pennsylvania Curency for the use and Towards the Support of the Ministry in the Baptist Church Meeting in Said Township of Montgomery for Ever and to no other use and when my said Brother or Trusty friend Shall Die or of their Survivors Shall Die or remove from Said Church I will Said Church Carefully to appoint a Suitable person or persons to Succeed the person So Dieing in the Care of Said Legacy for the use afforesaid For Ever. Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Trusty friends Bretheran in Gospel Bonds David Evans & Daniel Evans of the Township of New Brittain yeoman the sum of Seventy pounds Pennsylvania Curency for and Towards the support of the Ministry in the Baptist Church meeting in New Brittain afforesaid for Ever and to no other use Ten Pounds of which to be in full pay of what my Daughter Rebecca owes unto Said Church and when one of my said Trusty friends shall Die or their Survivors shall Die or remove from Said Church I will Said Church carefully to appoint a Suitable person or persons to Succeed the person to dieing or removing in the Care of said Legacy for the use afforesaid for Ever. Item I Give and Bequeath to my Said Trusty friends David Evans & Daniel Evans the Sum of five Pounds Pennsylvania Curency to be by them and their succesors put to Intrest and the intrest arriseing therefrom to be applied to the use of the Baptist Buring ground in New Brittain afforesaid For Ever. Item I Give and Bequeath to my Esteemed Friend Joshua Jones Minister of the Gospel the Sum of five Pounds Pennsylvania Curency. Item I Give and Bequeath to my Son John James and my Daughter Margaret Lewis the Sum of Twenty Shillings Pennsylvania Curency Each. Item I Give and Bequeath to my Daughter in Law Sarah James widdow of my Son Isaac James Deceased the Sum of Seventy pounds Pennsylvania Curency Exclusive of Twenty pounds which She hath received as a free gift from me. Item I Give and Bequeath to my Grand Daughter Oswald James by my Son Isaac James Deceased my Feather bed now in posesion of her mother To be Continued in the Care of her mother for her use until she arrives to full age. Item I Give and Bequeath to my Grand daughter Catherin James by my son Abel James Deceased her Choice of one of my Feather Beds & one Bolster Two pillows one Sheet one Blanket one Rugg and one Bedstead also I Give unto her one Cow a little Spinning wheel which Legacies I Give unto her upon Condition she will continue to Live with me and my Daughter Rebecca Butler until she arrives to Eighteen years of age if not I will Said Legacies to my Daughter Rebecca. Item I Give unto my Said Grand Daughter Catherin James my new Brass Kettle and my Cubbard To be Delivered unto her at the Decease of her aunt Rebecca Butler. Item I Give and Bequeath to my Said Daughter Rebeca Butler all the Remainder of my household Goods of what kind so Ever and where Ever she may be found Exceping only the above said Brass kettle and Cubbard which I will her to have the use of During her natural Life also I Give unto my Said Daughter Rebeca Butler all my Horses & mares Cows and young Cattle Sheep and Swine Impliments of Husbanry of what Kind so Ever all the Grain of what Kind so Ever whether Clean or in the Sheaff also all the Hay & Fodder that I may have at the Time of my Decease. Item I TGive and Bequeath to my Grandsons William James & Abel James by my son Abel James Deceased the Sum of five Pounds Pennsylvania Curency Each. Item I Give and bequeath unto my Grand Children Daniel James Isaiah James John James Margaret James and Martha James the Sum of Four pounds Pennsylvania Curency Each. Item my will is that the Legacy herein given to any of my Grand Children that Shall be under age at my Decease Shall be put to Intrest by by Executors for their use until they arrive to full age-------------------------------- Item I Give and Bequeath to Tacy James Grand Daughter of my Brother Isaac James the Sum of Ten pouinds Pennsylvania Curency To be put to Intrest by my Esecutors for her use until she arrives to full age and if she Should Die before She arrives to full age I will her mother to have her Legacy. Item I Give and Bequeath to my Grandson Abiah Butler the Sum of Ten pounds Pennsylvania Curency to be deducted out of the rents which he owes me Isuing out of the House and Lot now in the tennure of William Pistorus. Said Legacy to be in full retaliation for all Service Done by him to me. Item I Give and Bequeath to my Neice Elizabeth Pawling the Sum of three pounds Pennsylvania Curency. Item I Give unto my Grand Daughter Mary Karr the Sum of five Shillings Pennsylvania Curency. Item I will the remainder of my Personal Estate to be put to Intrest & the Intrest arrising therefrom I Give to my Daughter Rebecca Butler during her natural Life and after her Decease I will Said Remainder of my Personal Estate amongest all my Grand Children that Shall be alive at the Decease of my Said Daughter Rebeca Butler to be Equally divided amongest them--------allowing all my Grand Children by my Son Abel James deceased to have a Double share of Said remainder Said remainder to be Divided one paid to all my Said Surviving Grand Children at the Expiration of Two years after my Said Daughters Decease. Item I Give and Bequeath to my Said Daughter Rebeca Butler the use and profits of all the Plantation and Tract of Land which I now Live on with all the appurtenunies thereunto Belonging During her natural Life the not Clearing Suffering above Two acres more to be Cleared thereon or Commiting any ward of the Timber more than necesary for reperation and fuel for her & her family use under the Penalty of Two Hundred pounds. Item my will is that after her Decease my Said Land and Plantation be Sold by my Executors and the money arriseing from the Sale thereof after all necesary Cost being Deducted I Give and Bequeath to all my Grand Children that Shall be alive at her Death to be Equally Divided amongest them all allowing always my Grand Children by my son Abel James Deceased Each of them to have a Double Share of the Same Excepting it Should So happen that my Said Daughter Should Marry and Leave a Husband to Survive her in which Case if it Should So happen then I Give & Bequeath to her Surviving Husband one Half of the money arriseing from the Sale of my Land and the other Half to all my Said Grand Children that Shall Survive her allowing my Said Grand Children by my Son Abel James Deceased a Double Share. Item I Do Hereby Nominate & Constituet my Said Daughter Rebeca Butler and my fore mentioned Friend David Evans To be Executors of this my Last will & Testament and to Continue Executors thereof During the natural life of her and Said Daughter. Also I Do Hereby Further nominate & Constitue my Said Trusty Friend David Evans and my Trusty Friends Peter Evans yeoman & Thomas Harries Schoolmaster both of the Township of Montgomery or any Two of Them or the Survivor of them to be Executors of this my Last Will & Testament from & after the Decease of my Said Daughter Rebeca Butler Hereby Impowering any Two of them or the Survivor of them to Make Sale of all my Land and Plantation whereon I now Do live and Every part Thereof according to the Direction of this my will & Makeing Title according to Law of the Same. Item I Do hereby appoint my Brother Isaac James and my Friend Daniel Evans to be Trustees to oversee the True performance of this my will. Item I Do hereby revoke all & Every former will by me in anywise before this Time made ratefying this and no other to be my Last will & Testament In witness where of I have herunto Set my hand & Seal Dated the day & year first above written --------------------------- Signed Sealed Published and Declared by Said William James as and for his Last will & Testament in the presence of us his Henry Harris William X James Amos Griffith mark James Griffiin Copy obtained from Bucks County Courthouse