The Last Will and Testament of Christian Stouffer
Christian Stauffer lived in Salford Township, Philadelphia (now
Montgomery) County, Pennsylvania. He was my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.
He was the son of Christian 1685-1735. The clerk made his Is look like Js, and it is
therefore so transcribed. The source for his Will is:
Christian Stouffer will (1782), Philadelphia Will Book S: no. 58, City Archives, 401 City Hall Annex, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. microfilm 21728, Family History
Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
He made a will on 15 May 1773.
The witnesses were Melchoir Wagner and Owen Thomas. The transcript
of the Will reads:
In the Name of God Amen. I Christian Stouffer
of Lower Solford Township in the County of Philadelphia in the province of Pennsylva. yeoman, Am
advanced in years, but of perfect sound mind, understanding & memory thanks be to god for the same, Do
this fifteenth day of May, in the year of our lord, one thousand Seven hundred & seventy three make &
ordain this my last Will & Testament in manner & form following. First I recommend my Soul in the
hand of God my Creator, & my body to the earth, to be decently buried at the disceretion of my hereunto
named Exor. And as for my wordly goods & Effects, wherewith it hath pleased God to blefs me
in this life, I dispose & direct the same manner following.
First I will that all my Just debts funeral
charges with the probate hereof be duly satisfied & paid out of my whole Estate by my Ex.or,
Item I give & devise unto my well beloved Wife Elizabeth my bedsted with the usual beddings & furniture,
her new chest with what she usually hath kept therein, (money excepted) her Spinning Wheel, my Copper tea Kettle
& tea urn and fifty pounds currant lawful money of Pennsylva. the money to be paid to her within
three months next following my decease.
Item I give & devise unto my s.d Wife Elizabeth the
Jnterest of two hundred & fifty pounds like money the s.d Jnterest to begin at or before the
time of my decease. So that the first payment thereof be paid to her within one year after my decease &
afterwards yearly during the time -t-h-a-t- she remains my Widow. J likewise give unto her, her saddle she
use to ride on, all whereafords.d J give unto her in lieu or part of her thirds or Dower of
my whole Estate.
Item J give & devise unto my daughter Ann Mary her Bedsted with her beddings her Chest
& Spinning Wheel & a Smoothing Iron, all which I give unto her first & foremost, before she Shares
with my other Children.
Item it is my Will farther & I do order that all the residue of my whole estate,
both real & personal be sold, at a publick sale to the best advantage to my Children alive after my decease
& all the monies ariseing from the said whole Sale J dispose & devise the Same to all my here named
Children Share & Share alike, Yellis, JohnUly, Mathias, Gertraut, Elizabeth & Ann Mary. And to my s.d
Eldest Son Yellis I give & devise one English Shilling to be in lieu & in full of his double Shear.
And whereas J shall leave an Account after me of what each of my children already have had as in part of their
heirship the same each such part, shall be in the divifsion counted as a part thereof.
Item I will &
order further, that if my said Wife should happen to marry again, then I give the first abvors.d two
hundred and fifty pounds unto all my aforesaid children shear & Shear alike, and likewise if she she should
happen to die J give the the same to all my children Shear Alike, and J do further order that my said
daughter Ann Mary shall be first made equal with the rest of my children (if I can't do it myself) within one
year of my decease, and that the same time each of my children may receive fifty pounds apiece more in, inpart
more & afterwards yearly all shear alike till they receive the whole.
Lastly I constitute
& appoint my above named two Sons JohnUly & Mathias my whole & Sole Executors of this my last
Will & Testament, whom I do thereof my lands which I may leave behind me at the time of my decease, that
they may & shall make sufficient deed or deeds for the same, as authentical as J could do if J was living
& I do further disanual and make void all former Wills by me heretofore made, I do acknowledge
these presennts to be my last Will & testament.
In Witness whereof, I the s.d Christian Stouffer
have hereunto set my own hand and Seal, the day & Year first above written.
Christian Stouffer (SEAL)
Signed and Sealed Published & declared by the said Christian Stouffer
as his last Will and testament in the presence of us the Subscribers. Melchior Wagener Owen Thomas
Philad.a Jan. 11th. 1782. Personally appeared Melchior Wagener & Owen Thomas the
Witnefses to the foregoing Will & on their solemn Affirmations did declare that they saw and heard
Christian Stouffer the Testor therein named Sign Seal publish & declare the same as & for his last
will & testament & that at the doing thereof he was of sound mind memory and understanding to the
best of their Knowledge & Belief Coram John Gill DKy.
Be it remembered that on the 11th day
of January 1782 The last Will & testament of Christian Stouffer dec.d was proved & probat
& letters testamentary thereof granted unto JohnUly Stouffer & Mathias Stouffer Executors therein
named first being duly Affirmed well & truly to administer the said deceaseds Estate and bring an Jnventory
thereof unto the Register Office at Philadelphia on or before the 11th. day of Febru.y next
and under a Just & hau Account of the said Administration or before the 11th day of January
1783 or when thereunto legally required. Given under the Seal of said Office.
P. John Gill D.Regr.
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Created with The Master Genealogist for Windows v. 6 on 13 January 2005 at 1:41 am.