Last Will and Testament of Jost Kreischer

Berks County, PA

(Spelling and punctuation faithful to the original)

Surnames: KREISCHER, RAUSCH, DICKEN, HILLIN

In the Name of God Amen. The Twenty-fourth Day of December In the Year of our Lord God 1766 I Jost Kreisher of Windsor Township In the County of Berks, Farmer, being very Sick and Weak in Body but in Perfect Mind and Memory Thanks be Given to God, Therefore Calling unto Mind the Mortality of my Body and knowing that He is appointed for all men once to Die Do make this my Last Will and my Testament. That is to say Principally and first of all, I Give and Recommend My Soul unto Hands of God that gave it and for my Body I Recommend it to the Earth to be buried In a Christian and Decent manner at the Desireation of my Executors Nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall (unreadable: Presume?) the Same again by the Mighty Power of God - and as (unreadable) (unreadable) Worldly Estate wherewith the Lord Hath been Dispose to Plese me in this Life, I Give, Bequeath and Dispose In the following Manner and form ---

Inprimus; I Give and Bequeath to Baety Elisa My Dearly beloved wife shall make a Ventio (?) with all moveable Goods and Shall Pay the Cost and all Note am bound with I owe any Person or Persons and the Executors that I named over my Last Will and Testament Shall Rent out the Plantation nine year and when the nine year is over then shall my oldest Son Michael Kreischer shall have the Hole Plantation with all the Building and Shall Give Two Hunderd Pounds for it, fifty pounds His brother Nicklaus Kreischer my youngest Son, and fifty pound his Sister Margrate, my only Daughter, the Money must be Paid as following --

Item; Twenty five Pound the next yeare when the nine year is over to the Nicklaus Kreischer: and the Second twenty five pound to the Margrate and the third to the Nicklaus Kreischer: and the forth to the Margrate fore Yeare Every Yeare Twenty five Pounds, the other one Hundred Pounds Shall Have My oldest Son Michael Kreischer and He Shall mandan (maintain?) His Mother and Shall Give her Every Yeare fifteen bushel Rie and Wheat - Half Rie: And Wheate 7 Pounds Ready money Every Yeare a Sau (Sow) between 70 and 90 Pound a Half acres Flax Good Land a Paire of Shoes a paire Good Sole, a paire stocking a pound wooll Six Yard Woollen Woolfy (Woolsy?), the Half Kitchin Garden: He must bring the Rie and Wheat in the mill and make bek at home He must make fire Wood and bring to the Hause and He must building a Hause for His mother with a (unreadable) (unreadable) , all that is (unreadable) (unreadable) must Michael Kreischer give His mother Every Yeare So Long She is in Life. Now this is my Last Will and Testament my oldest son Michael Shall lern and (unreadable) the Will He Shall not take the Plantation before He is twenty five yeare old. Now I Likewise (unreadable) Make and ordain my Bruder Michael Kreischer and my frind Jacob Rausch fore Executor of this my Last will and testament and I Hereby Utterly Disallow and Revoke and (unreadable) all and Every other former wills and Testament Legacies Requests(?) and (unreadable) by me In any way before (unreadable) (unreadable) (unreadable) (unreadable) (unreadable) (unreadable) (unreadable) and Confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I Have hereunto Set my Hand and Seal the Day and Yeare above written.

Signed Sealed Pronounced and Delivered by the said Jost Kreischer as His Last Will and Testament in the Presents of the Subscribers (unreadable)

Contributed by: Bonnie Blau.