In the Name of God Amen this twenty sixth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand feven hundred and ninety, I Peter Newman Senr. of Heidelberg Township in the County of Berks and Common Wealth of Pennsylvania Yeoman, being at Present far advanced in Age, and Weakly & Sickly in Body, But of Sound disposing Mind, Memory and Understanding thanks be to God therefore, 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 Soul into the Hands of God who gave it, Hoping through the Merits of our Savior Jefus Christ to receive Remifsion of all my Sins, and an Happy Admifsion into the regions of Blifs and Immortality. And as to my Body I recommend it to the Earth, to be Buried in a Christianlike and Decent Manner. And touching fuch Worldly Estate wherewith it Hath Pleased God to Blefs me in this Life, I give devise and dispose of the same, in the following Manner and form.
Item I give and devise unto my Son Henry Newman, All that my Plantation and three Tracts or Pieces of Land, that is to say my Plantation whereon I at Present Live Situate in said Township of Heidelberg and County of Berks, Adjoyning to Lands of Conrad Weiser, Peter Leifs, Newmans Town and others, Containing One hundred Acres of Land be the same more or lefs. The other Tract or Piece Adjoyning to the aforesaid Tract and Lands of George Leonard Emmert, John Keyser and others, Containing Thirty five Acres of Land be the same more or lefs, The third Tract or Piece Situate Near the South Mountain Dauphin County adjoyning to Lands of Frederick Rapp deceased, Peter Zeller and others Containing Forty Acres of Land be the same more or lefs. And also the one Moiety or half part of Newmans Town, Alias called Newburry, To Have and to Hold my aforesaid Plantation and three Tracts or Pieces of Land, and one Moiety of Newburry, with all the Deeds and Writings, Buildings and Appurtenances unto each of them belonging or in any wise Appertaining unto my said Son Henry Newman his Heirs and Afsigns to the only Use and Behoof of him my said Son Henry Newman his Heirs and Afsigns forever. In Consideration whereof my said Son Henry or his Heirs and Afsigns Shall pay or Cause to be paid the Sum of Seven Hundred Pounds in real Specie of Gold or Silver Money of Pennsylvania, in Manner following that is to say the Sum of Thirty five pounds in one year after my decease, and so on yearly the Sum of Thirty five pounds until the aforesaid Consideration Money, is fully paid and Satisfied unto my seven Daughters, to wit, Elizabeth, Magdalena, Barbara, Anna Eliza, Catharine, Maria and Christina or to their several and Respective Heirs or Representatives in Equal Shares, And for which several payments the aforesaid devised Premifes Shall always be Subject until they are fully paid and Satisfied.
Item It is my Will and I do Order that my Son Henry or his Heirs and Afsigns, as a further Consideration for my aforesaid Plantation and three Tracts or Pieces of Land and one Moiety of Newburry, Shall give deliver and make good unto my Beloved Wife Magdalena yearly and every year during her natural Life, the following Articles that is to say twelve Bushels of good Wheat, and to take the same from time to time into the Mill and bring the Meal and Bran Home again into her dwelling, a fat Swine which Shall weigh one hundred and fifty pounds at the season of Killing, And if he Kills a Beef in the Fall one quarter thereof, to keep two Cows in provender Summers and Winters like his own Cows, but he fhall have the Hay which my Son George is to give, to find her a Horse with Saddel and Bridle when she will Ride out, fifteen pounds Hatchled Flax, fifteen pounds Tow, fix pounds good Wool, if there are Apples, so many Apples for to Eat and to make Dry Apples as fhe has Need, five Bushels Potatoes, the one Moiety of the Garden and to Dung the same when required, fo many Hens or Fowls and Egs for to Eat as she has Need for, half a Bushel of Salt, one Gallon of Fish Oil, fo much small Cut Fire wood fit for Use and to be Hauled to her dwelling as she wants, to have the Liberty to Live in the House wherein I at Present Live and the use of the Kitchen and Cellar with Free Egrefs and Regrefs; and when she should get Infirm or Sick to give or find her good Attendence.
Item I give and Bequeath unto my Son John or his Heirs, the Sum of ten Shillings Lawful Money of Pennsylvania to be paid unto him or them in three Months after my decease and which fhall be in full for his or their Portion or Share of my whole Estate because I have advanced and paid him his Portion in my lifetime, so that he has no further demand against my Estate anly as aforesaid.
Item I give and Bequeath unto my said Son Henry two Horfes, the Gears for four Horfses, the Waggon, a Plough with the Implements, the Wind-Mill and Cutting Box, which he shall have in the bargain to the aforesaid devised Premif's.
Item I give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Christina, a Cow and a yearling old Heifer, which she Shall have before hand, provided she does not receive the same in my lifetime.
Item It is my Will and I do Order that my beloved Wife Magdalena Shall have and keep in her Pofsefsion, All the Remainder of my Personal Estate (which I have not yet Bequeathed) and also to Receive the Rents of the one Moiety of said Newburry which I own, So long as fhe Lives, and that after her decease, my ten Children to wit my aforesaid feven Daughters and three Sons Peter, George and Henry or their Several and Respective Heirs or Representatives, Shall equally divide amongst themselves my Personal Estate what my beloved Wife shall leave after her decease, Provided always that my Executors fhall have due Regard to deduct of either of my aforesaid Daughters Portion, either in the land or personal Estate, fuch Sum or Sums as I have advanced them or their Husbands in my Lifetime, and charged to them, in Order to bring my Daughters or their Heirs upon an Equal portion or Share of my Estate. And lastly I Nominate and Appoint my two Sons, to wit, George and Henry to be Executors of this my last Will and testament, hereby Revoking disannulling and making Void, all former and other Wills and Testaments by me heretofore made, Ratifying and Confirming this to be my last Will & Testament. In Witnefs whereof I the said Peter Newman Sr., have hereunto set my Hand and Seal, Dated the day and year first above written.
Registers Office, Reading in Berks County April 26th 1791. Then Personally appeared Frantz Seibert and William Betts the fubfcribing Witnefses to the aforewritten Will who being duly Sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did depose and fay feverally, that they was present together, and did fee and hear Peter Newman Senr. the Testator therein named Sign (with his mark) Seal pronounce, publish and declare the same aforewritten Writing as and for his last Will and Testament, and that at the time of the doing thereof he the faid Testator was of found Mind Memory and Underftanding as they Verily believe, and further that the names Frantz Seibert and William Betts thereto Subfcribed are of the proper hand writing of the faid Deponants respectively by them thereto fubsfcribed as Witnefses in the presence of each other, at the request and in the presence of the said Testator -
A true and perfect Inventory of the Goods and Chattels & Credits which were of Peter Newman late of Heidelberg Township in the County of Berks Yeoman decea. taken and Appraised by us - John Meifer & George Strickler the twenty first day of May in the Year of Our Lord one thousand feven hundred & ninety one