Last Will and Testament of Christian Stutzman on file and of record in the Register’s office, Berks Co., Pa. Probated Nov. 17, 1770.
In the name of the Holy Trinity, Amen.
"Whereas I, Christian Stutzman, have been very sickly for a long time past but praised be God in good understanding, but know not how long I shall yet live, so purpose to leave my Last Will and Testament as it shall be held with what I leave behind, and the same the date of the fifth of September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and seventy, Berks County, in the township of Bern.
"First, My wife, Barbara, shall remain on and manage the place of my death, if she choose, and if she finds it good to keep all together and to bring up the children, but upon condition that she remain unmarried.
"Second, if she will not keep the things that are moveable goods together they may be sold by the executors, and afterwards the executors may receive the money and hand out what belongs to the children and give to my wife Barbara what belongs to her.
"Third. When my least child is fourteen years old, the place shall be appraised and my eldest son, Christian, shall have it for his property if he will have it as it shall be valued by impartial men and for two years after he takes possession of it he shall pay nothing, and afterwards twenty pounds yearly, but if he will not have the place the second has the liberty to take it even as the first should have had it; and if he will not have it, the third has the privilege to take it, and so on to the last; and if my wife Barbara remains single, and she will, she may manage the place so long till one of my children takes possession of the place; but if neither of the eldest boys will have the place the executors are allowed, if they shall think proper, to sell the place as well as they can, and divide out the money among the children in equal shares, except that the eldest shall have five pounds more than any of the others.
"Fourth, If my wife remains single after my death she shall have her seat in the house as long as she lives and shall be maintained out of the place, and the son who takes the place shall give to the mother yearly twelve bushels of grain, seven bushels of wheat and five bushels of rye, and the grass of an acre of meadow where she will take it and the second crop, and one milch cow, and shall dry and haul in her grass and second crop, and the cow shall go where his milch cows go which are on the place, and she may have her bed in the stove room if she will; and every year a quarter of an acre of good land for flax seed to be sown in and that plowed and sown as it ought to be; as many apples as she may want for her use; and when she shall be sick they shall procure her proper attendance; and every year a fat hog of 100 pounds weight, and a garden for cabbage and potatoes according to her want for her support; and when she can no longer manage her work then he that dwells on the place shall do the work for her and that she shall have to do.
"Fifth, Now that this shall be orderly fulfilled, I choose such good friends hereto as executors, namely Christian Yoder, of Bern Township, and Christian Kiner, of Tulpehocken Township. This I acknowledge that this is my Last Will and testify it with my own hand by witness and seal."
Johannes Hochstedler
His
Christian X Stutzman (seal)
Mark
Ludwig Lupp
Tomorrow (Lord willing), we will look at this more closely and discuss where this couple fits into the family line.
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