In the name of God Amen. I George Merkel of the township of Richmond in the County of Berks in the State of Pennsylvan. Ailling and weak in Body But thanks be to god of a good Sound Mind Memory and understanding Do make herewith my Testament and Last Will in Manner & form following
Imprimifs I Recommend my mortal Soul in the hands of Almighty god and my Body to be Buried in a Christian Like and Decent Manner at the Discretion of my Executors and that all my Lawfull Debts Shall be paid out of my Estate.
2ndly It is my will that my beloved wife Christina Merkel Shall have and Enjoy all the Benefit of my land and Plantations whereon my Son Casper now Dwells until my Son Christian Merkel atains to the age of twenty one years. She Miskeeping or sufering no wilfull waste thereon (if she Lives so long) and Shall have the two Servants Michael Grof and Elisabeth Grof During that time for her own ufe and She May take four Cows, two, two year old Heafers with Calves a Roan Horfe, an old Bay mare with their Gears, the Cows & that more Shall be for my Son Christian. Six sheep, the Little waggon, a plough & Harrow a wind mill a Table, a Drefer in the Kitchen a Coper Kedel, two Iron Potts & a pann, three Beds, Bedsteads and furniture, a Chest and the Linnen Cloth with Conditions that She Shall Maintain and Clothe my Minor Children, Anna Elisabeth, Christina, Rebecca, and Daniel and Send them to a Shool the Sons to be in her Care until twenty one and the Daughters to the age of Eighteen Years, with the Directions of my Executors or the Survivors of them But at the Expiration of the time aforesaid She my said wife Shall Deliver the Said Horfe and Mare the waggon, plough, Harrow and windmill to my Son Chrisitian or fo much thereof as Shall then Remain, the Cows and Heafers aforesaid She Shall Deliver to my Executors (Exept one which Shall be and Remain as and for her own.)
3dly I give and Bequeath to my Said wife the fum of five hundred Pounds lawfull mony of Pensylvania - two hundred and fifty pounds part thereof to be paid to her in one years time after my Son Christian orives to the age of twenty one years and the fum of two hundred and fifty pounds the Residue in three years after he atains the age aforesaid and fifty Bushels of Wheat and the above Bequests Shall be in Lieu for her third or Dower of my Estate.
4tly I give and Bequeath to my Son Casper Merkel all my land and plantation in the Township and County aforsaid wherein I now Dwell, with the Mills and all the Gears and tools belonging to the faid Mills, the land adjoining to Peter Merkel Containing two hundred Acres it be the fume More or Lefs to have and to hold to him and his heirs & Afsigns for Ever, and Likewise I give him the Remainder of the time of Servitude of Michael Grof after my Son Christian Merkel obtains his age of twenty one years, as aforesaid, for the land of said he shall pay to the other Executor hereafter named the fume of fifteen hundred pounds lawfull mony aforesaid for the ufe of my other Children, the fume of Seven hundred and fifty pounds in one year after my Death, and the fume of Seven hundred and fifty pounds in three years after my Death then Shall he Receive a Release of my Executor Christian Merkel for the fume.
And my Son Casper Merkel his heirs Executors, Administrators and Afsigns Shall be obliged to find and provide her a good Dwelling in my present Dwelling House or if She and he Can not well agree to Live together, he Shall Build her a good and Comodious Dwelling Houfe and a Stable on my said land at such place or Spot where it May Said Best and uphold the form, and give and Deliver her Yearly & Every Year During her widowhood So much hay and Straw to Such Stable as Shee may Keep one Cow, and Deliver her good and fufficient fire wood to Said Hous and this Shall be in Lieu of her Dower of my Estate and to Maintain the Said Cow as his own.
5thly I give and Bequeath to my Son Christian Merkel all my land and Plantations which I bought of Peter Tinseher and John Jonson Situate in the township and County aforesaid Containing two hundred and Eighteen Acres of Land it be the Some more or Lefs, to Have and to hold to him and his heirs and Afsigns for Ever, and he Shall have and take pofesion thereof at the time when he has fully orived to the age of twenty one years and therefore he Shall pay to my Executors ot the Survivors of them the fum of one thousand and five hundred pounds lawfull mony aforesaid, the fum of Seven hundred and fifty pounds lawfull mony aforesaid in three years after he has obtained his lawfull age as aforesaid, and the other Seven hundred and fifty pounds lawfull mony aforesaid in Six years after he has obtain his age aforesaid, and Likewife he Shall have the Remainder of the time of Servitude of Elisabeth Grof, after he has obtain the age aforesaid and when my wife Delivers up the Said land and Plantation as Mentioned in the Second paragraph.
But my Said Son Christian Merkel Shall have no power to Sell or Mortgage the Said land or any part thereof until he hath fully paid my Executors or the Survivors of them for the Said land and Received their Release for the whole fum and he and his heirs Executors Administrators and Afsigns Shall Deliver to my wife Christina During her widowhood Yearly and Every Year at my mill twenty Buschels of good wheat & ten Buschels of Buckwheat, and to fow one quarter if an Acre of land well and even with flax Seed for her and he Shall Live and Labour for his mother During the time of his Minority if She Remains a widow fo long. I give him alfo the Remainder of the time of Servitude of Elisabeth Grof from thence forth and Shall have the Horse & Mare with her Colts, the waggon plough Horow & windmill aforesaid.
6thly I give and Bequeath to my Daughter Catherine the fum of five hundred pounds lawfull mony to be paid to her in fix months time after my Death and fo much Mony as She has Received of me in my life time Shall be Deducted out of the faid fum.
And to my Daughter Magdalena I give the fum of five hundred pounds lawfull mony to be paid to her in fix months time after my Death and fo much mony as She Received of me in my life time Shall be Deducted of the faid fum of five hundred pounds.
And to my Daughter Christina I give the fum of five hundred pounds lawfull mony to be paid in two years after my Death and forty pounds for a Bed and household furniture.
And to my Daughter Anna Elisabeth I give the fum of five hundred pounds lawfull mony to be paid in two years time after my Death and forty pounds for a Bed and household furniture.
And to my Daughter Rebecca I give the fum of five hundred pounds lawfull mony to be paid in two Years after my Death and forty pounds for a Bed and Household furniture.
And to my Son Daniel I give the fum of One thousand pounds lawfull mony as aforesaid to be paid at fuch time as my Executors or the Survivors of them Shall think Most propper Yet also that the fame be paid before he orives to his Lawfull age.
7thly It is my will that if in Case one of my Children Shall Die in their Minority unmarried and without Ifsue then her or his Share Shall go to and among all my Surviving Children Share & Share Alike.
8thly All the Rest and Residue of my personal Estate not hereby Bequeathed Shall be fold by my Executors and the monys orifing from fuch fale to be Divided to and among all my Children.
9th I give full power and Athority to my Executors or the Survivors of them to Execute a Deed to John Merkel for a Lot of ground in the town of Reading No. 505 which I fuld him to him and his heirs and Afsigns for Ever.
Lastly I nominate Constitute and Appoint to and for Executors my beloved Brother Christian Merkel of Reading and my Son Casper Merkel to be Executors of this My Testament and Last Will and Appoint them Likewife as Guardians over the perfons and Estates of my minor Children. And I give them and the Survivors of them full power in Case my faid wife Christina Should Mary again to Take my Minor children from their Mother and put them to fuch place or places as they or the Survivors of them Shall think Most propper. My will is and I defire that my Executors or the Survivors of them Shall truly and faithfully Execute and Discharge the Trust as Executors, But if in Case the time of wor or other unavoidable Exidance once Should prevent them from Acting in all Cases according to the Laws of the land, then they or the Suvivors of them Shall not be Bound to Make good any Lofe to my Children if they have Done according to the Best of their ability and Knowledge. In Witnefs whereof I have fet my hand and feal october the third in the year of our Lord one thousand feven hundred and Seventy Eight 1778.
Register's Office at Reading in Berks County the Twenty fourth Day of february a.d. 1779 then Personally appeard Peter Merckel and William Reeser two of the Subscribing witnefses to the within written Will and on their Solemn affirmation Did feverally Depose and fay that they were present and faw and Heard George Merckel the Testator therein named, Sign, Seal pronounce Publish and Declare the within writing to be his Last Will and Testament and that at the time of Doing thereof he was of Sound Mind Memory and understanding as they Verily belive and that the said affirmeds together with Samuel Ely the other Subscribing witnefs in the presence of each other Subscribed their names Respectively as witnefses thereto at the Request and in the presence of the Said Testator.
A true and Perfect Inventory of the goods & Chattels Rights and Credits of the personal Estate of George Merkel of Richmond Township in Berks County Miller Deceased appraised by us the Subscribers.
We the Subscribers appraisors of the goods Contained in the above Inventory Do Certify that we have Carefully appraised the Same amounting in the whole to L4055-13-3 to the Best of our Skill and Judgement witnefs our hands march the 6th 1779.
Registers office Reading Berks County March the 6th 1779 personally appeared Samuel Ely & on his Solemn affirman. and Jacob Zoll upon his oath Severally Declared & Say that they have Carefully appraised the Goods Contained in the above Inventory to the Best of their Skill and Judgement.