NOTE: In Philip’s will, he refers to his one daughter as Magdalena and in his wife’s will, she is referred to as Mary. She was Mary Magdalena. Spelling and most of the original punctuation and capitalization has been retained as in the will itself.
In the name of God Amen; I Philip Weller of Bethel Township in the County of Lebanon and in the State of Pennsylvania yeoman, being at present sick and weak in body, nevertheless of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding thanks be unto God calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will and Testament that is to say, principally and first of all I recommend my mortal soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it me and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner and as touching such worldly Estate where with it hath pleased God to Bless me in this life, I give, devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.
Imprimis this is my will and I do hereby order in the first place that all my just debts and financial expences should be paid off out of my Estate as soon as conveniently may be after my decease.
Item. This is my will and I do herby order and direct that my beloved wife Freny [Note: Fronica] shall have the right & liberty to possess either the stove room of my large house wherein I now live or my Spring House which she shall from time to time chose to live in during her natural life or widowhood she shall have as much in the upper part of my large house and room in my kitchen and kitchen chamber and in the spring house and celler as she shall want for her use. She shall have the use of the one third part of my garden which she shall chose she shall have the Liberty to my bake oven to bake her bread and to make her dry apples therein she shall have the liberty to take as many apples, pears, peach, cherries and any other fruit anywhere on my plantation as she shall chose for her to eat and to any?? she shall have the liberty to keep about six hens and to raise and keep one hog on my plantation wherein I now live yearly and every year during her widowhood she shall have the liberty to Bleach her linnens in any part of my meadows as she pleases. I also order and direct that my said wife Freny shall have and receive out of my plantation whereon I now live and to be delivered unto her by my son, Jacob Weller, to whom I have hereinafter devised my said plantation or by the possession thereof yearly and every year during her natural life or widowhood, the following articles in good order and at proper seasons to wit, Eight bushels of Merchantable wheat, six bushils of good rye, three bushels of Indian corn, five bushils of potatoes, one fat hog to weigh at least two hundred pounds, fifty pounds of fatted Beef, one barrel of pure cider if there be sufficient apples on my said Plantation to make the same. Ten pounds of coffee, ten pounds of Sugar one bushels of coarse and one half bushels of fine Salt, five pounds of good and clean washed wool, Twelve pounds of good and clean hatchel flax and twelve pounds of good Tow? he shall also keep feet? and pasture for my said wife on my said Plantation, two cows with and alike his own he shall also at all Times provide my said wife with sufficient enough fire wood small cut fit for use in the pipe stove to be brought to her dwelling he shall bring her grain into the mill and the ? and bran home unto her again at all times as she shall direct it he shall lend her a good riding horse at all times as she desires one to ride out.
Item, this is my will and I do hereby give and Devise unto my son Jacob Weller and to his heirs and assigns all that my certain plantation and Tract of land situate in the Township of Bethel and in the County of Lebanon aforesaid adjoining the several lands of Casper Sherck, John Isenhauer, Joseph Bixler the heirs of Jacob Neukommet? and Christian Wenger containing one hundred and twenty two acres, be the same more or less. Together with all and singular the Buildings and improvements thereon erected and being and also all the grain in the ground on the same at the time of my decease. To have and to hold my said Plantation and tract of land Hereditaments and premises hereby given & devised with the appurtenances unto my said son Jacob Weller his heirs and assigns To the only proper use Benefit and Behoof of him the said Jacob Weller his heirs and assigns forever. And I do hereby charge my said son Jacob Weller (blacked out)...plantation devised unto him the sum of Twelve hundred pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania to be paid in yearly instalments of one hundred dollars yearly the first payment of one hundred dollars thereof to be made within one full year after my decease and then so on the sum of one hundred dollars until the said sum of twelve hundred pounds is fully paid and discharged for which said sum of Twelve hundred pounds I order my said Plantation to be subject until the same is fully paid and discharged and also to be subject to the Deliverance and performance of the yearly articles & Privately? herein before ordered to be delivered and performed unto my said wife Freny. It is further my will and I do hereby give and bequeath unto my said son Jacob Weller and to his heirs and assigns in the bargain of the Plantation devised unto him All my House? Creatures, all my Waggons?, Ploughs, Harrows, windmill, Cutting box and other my farther utensils whatsoever and also my weaving loom with all the implements belonging thereto but my son Jacob shall weave my said wife's Linnen goods yearly without making any charge therefore. It is further my will that my said son Jacob Weller, his heirs and assigns shall suffer my two younger daughters, Elizabeth and Catharine to stay with my wife in my said house so long as they shall remain unmarried.
Item, this is my will and I do hereby give and bequeath unto my said beloved wife Freny two of my Cows? which she shall chose to take my house clock, my pipe stove with the pipe, three of my beds which she shall chose to take two of my Chests, all my Linnens, flax, yarn and wool, my Kitchen Spence? and as much of all other my household goods and kitchen furniture as she shall chose to take. It is further my will and I do hereby order that so much wheat and rye shall be taken from my Grain which I shall have at the time of my decease as will support my said wife and two younger Daughters and my said son Jacob with his family for six months after my decease. I further give and bequeath unto my said wife Freny the sum of one hundred pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania to be paid to her by my Executors hereafter named of the first money arising out of my personal Estate.
Item. This is my will and I do hereby order that all the remainder of all my moveable Effects whatsoever I have not herein before given to my said wife and my said son Jacob shall be sold at public Sale by my executors hereafter named at such convenient time as my Executors shall think proper and all the money arising thereof and therefrom after the said sum of one hundred pounds is paid to my said wife Freny and all the said sum of twelve hundred pounds to be paid by son Jacob, I give and bequeath the same unto all my hereafter named four Daughters, namely Barbara now the wife of Christian BRAND, Magdelena now the wife of George GASSER, Elizabeth and Catharine WELLER to be distributed to and amongst them as follows, that is to say those of my said Daughters to whom I have advanced any money or goods as by my family Book on their Bonds, notes or receipts will appear shall stand back and not to receive any money or goods out of my Estate until each of my other Daughters having first received as much to be equal with those of my said Daughters to whom I have advanced which already received the most and after my said four Daughters made equal as afore ordered then I order the yearly payments then yet remaining unpaid by my said son Jacob shall be received by my said four Daughters or their respective Heirs or representatives in manner following to wit the first oldest shall receive the first payment thereof then the second oldest shall receive the second payment thereof then so on to the youngest beginning always at the oldest to the youngest until each of my said four Daughters or their heirs or representatives having received their full equal share thereof. It is further my will and do hereby order if my said wife Freny shall give her into another marriage and not remain my widow that she shall then immediately quit claim all the possession of all my said House, lands and lands, produce and my said son Jacob then to be free of the Delivery of the said yearly articles unto my said wife. And as I have allowed the share of my said son Jacob in the Land devised unto him therefore I order that my said son Jacob not to have any share of the said yearly payments or of any other money arising of and from my whole Estate, and lastly I do hereby nominate, constitute & appoint my beloved son Jacob Weller and my trusty friend, Michael Kohn dwelling in the Township of Bethel aforesaid yeoman to be the Executors of this my Last Will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all former and other wills and Executors by me heretofore made ratifying and Confirming this and no others to be my Last will and Testament. In Witness whereof I the said Philip Weller have herunto set my Hand & Seal the fifth day of May Anno Domini 1817. Philip Weller LS Signed, Sealed , Published pronounced and declared by the above named Philip Weller the Testator as & for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us, Joseph Bicksler, Peter Bicksler. Recorded June 23rd 1817. -?- Schulze Register