Wills: John Shaw, 1776: Northampton Twp, Bucks County, Pa. 

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Written 28 February 1771, Proved 7 December 1776

In the Name of God, Amen.  I John Shaw, of the Township of Northampton, in
the County of Bucks, Yeoman, being sick and weak in Body, but of sound &
perfect Mind & Memory, praised be God for the same, do make this my Last
Will and Testament in Manner and form following /that is to say/  First &
principally I commend my Soul into the Hands of Almighty God my Creator,
hoping through the Merits of Jesus Christ to obtain Pardon for all my Sins,
and to inherit everlasting Life;  And my Body I commit to the Earth to be
decentely (sic) interred, at the Discretion of my Executors hereinafter
named.  And as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased
Heaven to bless me in this Life, I give and dispose thereof as followeth:
Imprimis, I will & order that all my just Debts & funeral Expences be
first paid and discharged.
Item, I give and bequeath to my beloved Wife Sarah Shaw, during her natural
Life, the use of the inner Room of my dwelling house, together with the
Bed, Bed-Stead, & Bed-Cloaths (sic) thereunto belonging; also my newest
Chest of Drawers, a black walnut Oval Table, Looking Glass, & warming Pan,
with an equal Third Part of all my Pewter.  I also give her One Cow,
whichoever she shall chuse (sic), with the use of one Horse; also the Use
of one Third part of the Garden, as the same is now inclosed (sic), with a
necessary & reasonable Use of the Orchard & Cellar.
And I do hereby direct & order, That my Executors, hereafter named, at
their joint and equal Expence (sic), do find and provide for my said
beloved Wife yearly, during her natural Life aforesaid, One Hundred pounds
weight of Pork, fifty pounds of Beef, and Six Bushels of Wheat, all of
wholesome good Quality,
well cleaned & dressed; and that they also find, & lay at the Door, her
necessary fireWood, cut in
proper Lengths for the fire;  That they keep her Cow above mentioned; and a
Horse, to be at her Command as often as she may have Occasion for his
Service. / But with Respect to which Horse, my Meaning is, That the
property thereof be not vested in her, but in my said Executors jointly, or
in one of them, as they shall agree.  Moreover, I give unto my said beloved
Wife the Sum of Ten Pounds a Year, during Life as aforesaid, to be paid her
by said Executors, or one of them, out of such Share of my Estate as by
this my Last Will & Testament will be allotted to them.  Which Ten pounds a
Year is to be taken, deemed & accepted of by my said Wife as a full
Consideration in Lieu of her Dower, or Thirds.----------But if my said Wife
should again mary (sic), Then my Will is, That she be no longer intitled
(sic) to the said annual Payment of Ten Pounds, nor to the Use of the said
Room to dwell in, not to the Use of the Garden, Orchard, or Cellar; nor
shall my said Executors be obliged any longer to procure her the Annual
Allowance of Provisions enumerated above; but from thence forward shall be
clearly acquitted & discharged of and from all & ev'ry expence (sic) &
Incumbrance whatsoever, herein before injoined (sic), for her
Benefit.........Item, I give unto my Daughter Elizabeth Banes, Wife of John
Banes, the Sum of Thirty Pounds, to be paid her by my said Executors in Six
equal yearly payments, the first payment to be in One Year after my
decease.  The said Thirty Pounds to be for her own seperate (sic) Use &
Maintenance, exclusive of her Husband, who is to have no Power to dispose
of, or intermeddle with the same; neither is it to become liable to her
Husbands Debts or Incumbrances.  And I order and direct, that the Receipts
in Writing under the Hand of my said Daughter, shall at any Time during,
and notwithstanding her Coverture (?), be sufficient discharges to my said
Executors for any such Sum or Sums of Money, as by such Receipts she shall
acknowledge to have received.  But if my said Daughter should chance to die
before She has rec'd the said Thirty Pounds in Manner as afores'd Then, &
in such Case, I give the same, or the Residue thereof, to her four Children
by her first Husband, Viz. George, Elizabeth, John & Sarah Randel, to be
equally divided between them or the Survivors of them, Share & Share alike.
 Also, I give and bequeath to my said Daughter Elizabeth Banes, during her
natural Life, the Use of the House & Garden where she at present lives.
And whereas the Goods and Household Furniture now in the Use & Occupation
of the Said Elizabeth were formerly siezed (sic) and held to Sale to
satisfy the debts of her present Husband, which Goods (whereof there is an
Inventory & Appraisement now in my Possession) I purchased, and afterwards
lent them for her Use.  Now my Will is, & I do hereby order, That the s'd
Goods & Household Furniture do remain as they now are,....in the use of her
the s'd Elizabeth, during the Tem of her natural Life afores'd.  After
That, I give them, or such of them as may then have a Being (reasonable
Wear & inevitable Accidents considered) to my Grand-Children afores'd to be
equally divided between them, or the Survivors of them, Share & Share
alike.  Item, I give and bequeath to my Son James Shaw the Sum of forty
Pounds, inclusive of the Money which, at the Time of my decease, he may be
indebted to me.  Item,  I give to my Son John Shaw my Silver Watch.
Item,  I give to my Son Jonathan Shaw the Cow and Six Sheep commonly called his.
Item, I give, devise and bequeath to my Three Sons, Joseph, John, and
Jonathan All the Residue and remainder of my Estate, both Real and
Personal, to be equally divided between them, Share & Share alike, due
Respect being had to Quantity, Quality & Value;  (Excepting nevertheless
and reserving hereout to my Daughter Elizabeth Banes aforesaid, as much
fireWood as she, during her Life, may necessarily consume, the same to be
had and taken at her own Expence (sic), from such Places as shall be shown
her, and that with as little Waste or Damage as may be.)  To hold to them,
their Heirs and Assigns forever, as Tenants in Common, not as Jointenants
(sic).  And my Will and Meaning furthermore is, That those parts of my
Estate whereof the Use only is herein before particularly given, be
considered as Parts of the Residue mentioned in my last Bequests, & to go
accordingly; but not so as to injure the parties who are to have the Use
Thereof.
Lastly, I nominate, consitiute and appoint my said Three Sons, Joseph, John
and Jonathan Shaw, joint & Co-Executors to this my Last Will & Testament,
hereby revoking and making void all other Wills, Bequests & Legacies, by me
at any Time heretofore made, bequeathed & given, declaring this & no other
to be my Last Will & Testament.  In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my
Hand & Seal the Twenty-Eighth Day of February, in the Year of our Lord One
Thousand, Seven Hundred and Seventy-One.

Sealed, delivered, published and                     John Shaw (his signature)    SEAL
declared by the Testator to be his Last
Will & Testament, in the presence of us,
who in the presence of him The s'd Testator, have hereunto subscribed our
names.

Arthur Watts
Abel Morgan             John Hart

Bucks Co.  This Seventh day of December 1776 appeared Arthur Watts & John
Hart two of the Subscribing Witnesses within named who upon their solemn
Oaths .......did declare & Say that They wer personally present & Saw &
heard the within named John Shaw (the testator) sign seal publish & declare
the within & foregoing wishing to be his last Will & Testament and that at
the Time of so doing he was of sound Mind & Memory and of a disposing
understanding to the best of their knowledge and Beleif (sic).
                                             Before me  ....Hicks? D. Reg.

Be it remembered that on this 7th day of December 1776 was proved this the
last Will & Testament of John Shaw dec'd when Letters Testamentary were
granted to Jonathan Shaw one of the Executors within named.  He being first
duly Qualified well & truely to administer all the Goods Chattels Rights
and Credits of the s'd dec'd and a true Inventory thereof to make into the
Reg. Office for the County of Bucks .....one Month from the day and to
render a just & true Account of his whole Admin. on or before the 7th day
of Dec. next or when there unto lawfully required.  In Testimony whereof I
have hereunto set my hand & official Seal of the office the day & year
afrs'd   .....Hicks?, D. Reg.