In the Name of God Amen
Done the nineteenth Day of December and in the gracious year of our Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour One thousand seven hundred and sixty five John Sigfriedt being, God be praised in my good understanding Reason and memory And my beloved house wife to wit, Catherina Sigfriedt shall have as long as she bears my Name and is a widow, Yearly and every year one cow which she will among all in the old place, to her use Further there shall be given to her every year two hundred pounds of meat, to wit from both the sons, viz. from John Siegfriedt fifty pounds of Beef and fifty pounds of Pork and from Jacob Siegfriedt also fifty pounds of Beef and fifty pounds of pork. Secondly she shall have yearly fifteen bushels of wheat from John Siegfriedt seven bushels and an half and from Jacob Siegfriedt seven bushels and an half, thirdly, John Siegfriedt her son shall give her twenty pounds of swingled flax, and my son Jacob Siegfriedt shall give her twenty pounds of swingled flax and that every year as long as she bears my name and is a widow, and fourthly my both sons shall give her six pounds of wool, to wit, John three pounds and Jacob Siegfriedt three pounds. Fifthly a horse shall be given her from the old place when she purposes to go to any where. Sixthly she shall have her free seat on the old place as long as she bears my name & is a widow - and if they cannot agree together my two sons must build her a house where she will have it and there must my John build the half and my Jacob Siegfriedt the half. And Seventhly she must have a row of apple trees where she will choose on the old place. Eighthly I bequeath the possession of that old place till my son arrives of age, as long as she bears my name and is a widow. There she must maintain the children with her give them schooling and let them learn what Trade they choose. But if she marries I assign it to the executor Sebastian Zimmerman Guardian & executor and Henry Grim. Now it is further my will that my son John Siegfriedt shall have the old place and the half of the land thereto??? And my son Jacob Siegfriedt the other half of the land and my son Peter Siegfriedt shall have twenty acres of land before any division is thereof made (marked out, but stet written beneath) which is situate at the corner of my Brother Joseph Siegfriedt's land and the land of William Gross, and it shall laid out at right angles or as it suits him best. And my son John shall pay out five hundred pounds when he gets the possession of the land and my son Jacob Siegfriedt shall pay out four hundred pounds when he gets possession of his land and the nine hundred pounds of money shall be divided among the other six children, to wit, one as the other in equal parts. And there my son John Siegfriedt and there he must give fifty pounds of money when he is twenty three? years of age and so every year till he has paid his proportion - and my son Jacob Siegfriedt must give fifty pounds of money when he is twenty five years of age and then every year so much till he has paid his proportion to the heirs or executors, to wit, to Sebastian Zimmerman, Guardian & Executor and Henry grim executor and Elizabeth Siegfried shall have the first fifty pounds of money afterwards Margaretha Siegfried fifty pounds, afterwards Peter Siegfriedt fifty pounds and so on till the three first shall each have one hundred pounds, afterwards fifty pounds to Susannah Siegfriedt and so forth till each hath his share of the father's estate. And Sebastian Zimmerman and Henry Grim Executors and Guardians.
John Sigfried (seal)
Peter Braun
Anthony Altman
Reading
Note: Copy of translation typed by Nancy J. Freehafer
(1723 -1766)
John Siegfried II was born 1723 in Oley, Philadelphia County (now Berks County since 1752) the son of Johannes and Elizabeth (nee: unknown) Siegfried. He moved to Maxatawny with his parents about 1724 where his father accumulated 600 acres of land before he died in 1747. The Land of Johannes I was divided evenly between John II (1723) and his older Brother Joseph (1721).
John II married Catherine R. Federolf, b. 1732 (the daughter of Johann Peter Federolf and Anna Maria "Margaretha" Rothermel) and they had the following children: Elizabeth, m. William Werlein; Margaret, m. Henry Lantz; Peter; John III; Susanna, m.Albrecht Werlein; Jacob; Daniel; and an eighth child whose name is not known.
John II (Johannes II) died in May 1766, more than a year before his Mother Elizabeth, who died in September 1767. His will was written in German and dated 19 Dec 1765 (a translation can be found in Book Z, page 77 in The Register of Wills Office, Berks County Court House, Reading, PA). He was survived by his Wife Catherine and his children. The provisions of the Will are as follows:
Elizabeth - £50 then £50 more after Margaretha and Peter get £50
Margaretha - £50 then £50 more after Peter gets £50 and Elizabeth gets second £50
Peter - £50 then £50 more after Elizabeth and Margaretha get their second £50.
Will states that the first three shall receive £100, afterwards
Susanna - £50 and so forth ‘till each has his share of his father's estate.
Note: When John II died in May of 1766, John III (b. 4 Oct 1758) was 7 years 8 months old and Jacob (b.18 Aug 1762) was 3 years 9 months old and they didn't take legal possession of their land until they became 21 years of age (See Berks County Tax Records).
Submitted by Leon.
Prepared: 5 May 2002
Last Modified