WILL: John GRIFFITH, Sr., 1869, St. Clair Township, Bedford County, PA

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Terry Griffith tgriffith@new.rr.com February 23, 2005, 11:09 am

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________________________________________________

Source: Copy Of Original Will
Written: September 11, 1869

Transcribed from SAMPUBCO copy by Terry Griffith. 
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Will Book 4, page 604

Last Will and Testament of John Griffith Sr.

Know all men by these presents that I John Griffith Senior of St. Clair 
Township in the County of Bedford and State of Pennsylvania do make and publish 
this my last Will and testament hereby revoking all former Wills by me at any 
time heretofore made. And as to my worldly estate and all the property, Real, 
Personal or mixed of which I shall be subject or possessed or to which I shall 
be entitled to at the time of my decease. I decree, bequeath and dispose of all 
matters following to wit -:- Item: I give and devise and bequeath to my beloved 
wife Hannah Griffith as her dower, the first choice of all articles of personal 
estate of which I shall die possessed until the amount thereof shall reach the 
sum of three hundred dollars in value-as the same shall be valued by appraisers 
hereinafter named. Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Griffith the 
amount of ninety dollars in money to be paid her out of the money arising from 
the sale of my personal estate. Also one milk cow. Item: I bequeath to my son 
Alexander Griffith the sum of twenty dollars to be paid the same as Mary's. I 
also will to Richard Griffith one milk cow. Item: I will to my daughter Sarah 
the sum of sixty dollars to be paid the same as the others. Also one milk cow. 
Item: I also bequeath to my daughter Amanda the same as Sarah. Item: I also 
give to my son David B. Griffith one black yearling colt. Also one cow. The 
first choice of the cows to be Mary's and after her to choose from the oldest 
down respectively. And as to the remainder of my personal estate, I direct that 
it be appraised and sold by my executors hereinafter mentioned as soon after my 
decease as practicable and from the proceeds thereof, I direct that all my just 
debts be fully paid and all that shall then be remaining I direct to be equally 
divided between each of my children viz: Mary, Alexander, Richard, Sarah, 
Amanda and David B. Griffith. And as to my Real Estate I direct that my wife 
shall have the privilege of living on the same and drawing for her own use and 
disposal the one third of the nett proceeds thereof until my youngest child 
David B. Griffith shall become of age-(except she should see proper to marry). 
In such case I direct that she shall leave the property but draw her income as 
before. I then order that as soon as practicable after said David B. Griffith 
shall become of age that all my Real Estate be by my executors hereinafter 
named sold and the nett proceeds thereof divided between each of my children 
above named share and share alike. I also desire that Joseph Hiller and Michael 
Miller Senior be the appraisers of my personal property And I do lastly 
nominate and appoint my son Richard Griffith and Cyrus Way to be my Executors 
of this my last Will with full power to sell and survey all my Estate 
agreeably  to the written Will and desire them to leave the same kept in good 
order and repair until sold. In testimony whereof I the said John Griffith, 
Sen. have to this my last Will and testament subscribest my name and affixest 
my seal this Eleventh day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand 
eight hundred and sixty-nine.

John Griffith  (seal)
(his mark)

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said John Griffith, Sen., as and 
for his last Will and testament in the presence of us who at his request and in 
the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto.

Hiram Blackburn (signed)
John Griffith (signed)


Bedford County. SS 
     Personally appeared before the undersigned guest Deputy Regr. for the 
Probate of Wills in & for said county, Hiram Blackburn & John Griffith 
subscribing witnesses to the foregoing instrument of writing who being duly 
affirmed do depose & say that they were present & saw the Testator John 
Griffith sign his name to the same by making his mark & heard him pronounce & 
declare it to be his last Will & Testament-That he desired them to sign their 
names as witnesses thereto & that at the time of so doing he the said Testator 
was of sound & disposing mind, memory & understanding to the best of their 
knowledge & belief.
Hiram Blackburn (signed)
John Griffith (signed)

Affirmed to & subscribed before me.
Sept. 22, 1869, H. Nicodemus (signed), Dept. Regr.

Be it remembered that on the 22nd day of September 1869 Letters Testamentary 
were issued to Executors within named, they having been duly sworn.

(Transcriber's note. The following addition was written on the side margin of 
the Will: Widow refuses to take under the Will and elects to take her dower 
under the common law, per paper filed Oct. 24, 1869.)


Additional Comments:
John was a son of William and Hannah (Messenheimer) Griffith.

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