The Last Will and Testament of Abraham Clemens

Abraham Clemens was born about 1710, the son of Gerhard and Anneli (Reif) Clemens. He married Catharina Bauchman, daughter of Johan George Bachman by his wife Anna Maria Schnebeli. Abraham died on 24 April 1776, and Catharina survived him by 34 years. Abraham is my 5great-grandfather.

Abraham Clemens left a will on 9 March 1776 in Lower Salfold Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
Abraham Clemens will (1776), Philadelphia Will Book Q, no. 249: 295, 296, City Archives, 401 City Hall Annex, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Microfilm 0021727, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The transcript of the Will reads:
In the Name of God AMEN. I Abraham Clemens of Lower Salford Township in Philad^a County Yeoman do find my Selfer Seak and Weak in Body But of sound Mamory and Understanding (Blased Be god). Therefore I do make and Publish this my Last Will and Testament. Inp^r
I do deliver my Soul in the Hand of god Allmighty my Creator and my Body to the Earth to Be Buyred at the Direction of my Executors And Concerning my Worldly Estate I dispofse of the same in the following Manner first I will that all my Just debts and furnel Charges shall be just and fully paid by my hereafter named Executors. Item, I give and devise unto my well beloved Wife Catharina our Bed with the Bedsted and Duppel Cafses and the Cuttans, all her Cloths with a Walnut Cheast her Saddle and Bridle, our small Copper Kittle, and so much Household Goods as she shall want, one of the Beast Cows which she will and my large Biblia and Corse Sing Book and gulden aple, all this I give her to her on Use and dispofsal and further the sum of One Hundred & fifty Pounds Lawfull Money of Pensilvania Whereof she is to receive the Interest Yearly so long she remainds my Widow. And in Case my Wife those marry again then the said Sum shall be divided among my Childern or the Heirs of their Body in equal Shears as well as after her Defeace. And my Wife shall live with my hereafter named Son Abraham on my pleace where I now dwell in the Littel Stone House which She is to have for her free Living, so lang she remainds my Widow and my said Son shall Ceep her Cow in foder and paustur as good as he shall Ceep his on and give her Yearly so long she remainds my Widow Twelve Bushel of Rey and Ten Bushel of Wheat, and fifty Pound of good Beef and fifty pound of good Borke and Ten pound of good Hacheld flax or Hamp and Ten pound of Tow, and fier Wood so much as she shall want ready cut for her Use Delivered to the house and the fourth part of the Gardan and Dung Brought on the same by my said Son, so much as she shall tincke fit and She is to have the Liberty of Aples in the Orchard so much as she shall want for her Use all this Artules shall be Cept and paid to my Wife by my said Son Abraham his Heirs and Afsings during the Time she shall remaind my Widow.
Item. It is my Will That my Wife with my Childern shall Ceep house as We dit to the Bast of my Childern with my Estate one Year and Six Months, after my Decease, And Whereas I do own and pofsef Two Hundred and fifty Six Acres of Land or thereabout and I had the same devided into two Parts as the same may be Sin in the Draughts and the largest part Those Contain One hundred and Eighty five Acres and Forty Perches it is my Will that five or Six Acres shall be survayed of the same to the other Lefser part to begin on or near a Maple Corner and thence up to Jacob Clemenses Madow and then by a Stright Line to Dilman Ziegler's Land.
Item I give and devise unto my said Son Abraham Clemens the said largest part of my said Land with the Appurtenances thereunto Belonging and with the large Cloths Clafset and the Larg Kitchen Drefser Which Land will be One Hundred and Eighty Acres to have and to hold the same unto my said Son Abraham his Heirs and Afsings forever Which I do valua to him in the sum of Eight Hundred Pounds Lawfull Money of Pensilvania Whereof I give and devise unto him, the sum of Two Hundred Pounds for his Shear and the Remainder part of Six Hundred pounds he shall pay in payments of fifty pounds Yearly without Interest the first payment, payment whereof one Year after my Wife and Childern shall Braik up House Ceeping And the Lefser part of my Land which will Contain when the above mantioned five or Six Acres Surveyed to the same Seventy Six Acres or thereabout which I give and devise unto my Son Jacob to have and to hold to him his Heirs and Afsings forever with all the Appurtenances thereunto belonging with the Weaver Lum and all the gears belonging to the same.
Item. It is my Will Whil my Wife and Childern Ceeps House that the shall move the Old House on the Least mantioned Land to the Spring where we all ready hould the Stons and to build the same according to the Direction I dit give to my Executor about the same, and to pay the Cost out of my Estate And I do valua the same last mantioned Land to my said Son Jacob in the Sum of Four Hundred & fifty Pounds Lawful Money above said. Two Hundred pounds thereof I give and devise unto him and the Residue of the said Sum he shall pay in Payments of Twenty five pounds Yearly and the first payment thereof when my Son Abraham pays the first.
Item. it is my Will that my Wife and Childern shall sow Winter Grain on both Pleaces the Least Year the Ceep House and that shall be fore the Use of my Two Sons Abraham & Jacob. Leekwise shall the have halfe of all the Hay and Somer Ceap and my Son Abraham Rader more than halfe the Hay, Cause he is to Ceep my Wifs Cow, and the other halfe part with all my Movable Easte and Household goods shall be sold on Publick Vendur when the Eighteen Months Expired after my Decease. And Whereas I have none Land to give unto my Son Gerhart I give and Devise to him the Sum of Two Hundred and fifty Pounds Lawfull Money beforesaid One Hundred Pound thereof shall be paid to him Derectly after my Defease and One Hundred Pounds in Twelve Months after, and the fifty Pounds of the first Vendue Money that my Executors shall receive. And Whereas I dit give to my Childern that are marryed on household goods and Cattle to the Value of Thirty Pounds it is my Will that my Childern that are not marryed shall have the same Either in household Goods or Money And Whereas I dit give to my daughters Anna Mary and Catharina besides their Household goods the Sum of Seventy five Pounds to Each of them it is my Will that my three Youngest daughters, Elisabeth, Susanna and Hester, shall have Each of them the Sum of Seventy five pounds All this to be paid to my three Yougest Daughters when the are Eighteen Years of Age And Whereas I dit give to my Son Georg at the time he was married to the Valua of Thirty Pounds, and the further Sum of Two Hundred Pounds which I did allow to him in the Pleace he bought of me, which Sums is to be Charg'd to his Shear, And it is further my Will and I give and Devise the further Sum of Sixty Pounds Leicke Money before said to be equaly devided Between my Six daughters to be paid Each his Shear as my Executors shall receive the payments of my Sons Abraham and Jacob of my Real Estate, my Sons Gerhart, Abraham and Jacob is to Receive Each of them the Sum of Thirty Pounds Either in Household goods or Money: When the begin to Ceep house Leike my Son George.
Item. I give and Devise the farther Sum of five Pounds lawful Money of Pensilvania to be paid to the Elders of our Meeting in Lower Solford Township for the Use of the poor in the said Meeting to be paid by my Executors after my Defease.
Item. All the Residue of my Estate I give and Devise unto my Ten Childern or the Heirs of their Body In equal Shears and in Case one or more of my Childern should die before the are at Age or without Isue then his or their Shear shall be equaly devided Between my other Childern then Living or to the Heirs of Their Body.
Item. It is my Will that my Two Youngest daughters shall be under the Care of my Wife till they are of Age and it is my Will that my Wife shall recive the first payment of the Interest of the one Hundred & fifty Pounds one Year after the Breakup House Ceeping and then Yearly as Mantioned before.
Item. It is Leastly my Will and I do hereby Nomanet and apoint my Two Sons Georg and Abraham Sole Executors of this my Least Will and Testament and give them full Power herewith Do Do and Act according to the true Indent and Meaning herein Contained maiking void herewith all my other and former made Wills declaring this present to be my only active and Least Will and Testament. In Witnefs whereof I do these prfent have Set my hand and Seal hereunto the Ninth day of March in the Year of Our Lord One thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Six.

Abrafam Cluinuns (Seal)

Signed Sealed and Declared by the said Abraham Clemens as his last Will and Testament in the Presence of us.
Jacob Heffelfinger
Efrighiour buriger
John Barky

Philad^a May 31st 1776 personally appeared Jacob Heffelfinger, Christian Barkey and John Barky the Witnefses to the foregoing Will and on their solemn Affirmations according to Law did declare that they saw and heard Abraham Clemens the Testator therein named Sign Seal publish and declare the same Will for and as his last Will and Testament And that at the Execution thereof he was of sound disposing Mind Memory and Understanding to the best of their Knowledge & Belief.
Coram Benjamin Chow Reg. Gen^l.

Be it remembered on the 31st day of May 1776 the last Will and Testament of Abraham Clemens deceased in due Form of Law was proved And Probate and Letters Testamentary granted to George Clemens and Abraham Clemens Executors of the said Will named they having been duly affirmed well and truly to administer the said deceased's Estate and bring an Inventory thereof into the Register Generals Office at Philadelphia on or before the 30th day of June next And render a true and Just Account of the said Administration on or before the 31st day of May 1777 or when thereto legally required.
Given under the Seal of the s.^d Office.
Benjamin Chew, Reg. Gen^l..

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