In the name of God amen, this tenth day of October onr thousand seven hundred and ninety eight, I, John Skinner of the Township of Metal, County of Franklin and state of Pennesylvania, being weak in body but of perfect mind & memory thanks be to God for the same therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body, & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make & ordain this my last Will and Testament that is to say, principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul to God that Gave it, & my body to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian burial, at the discretion of my Executors, nothing doubting but at the General resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God, and as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to blefs me in this life, I give demise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form Viz. Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife Elizabeth the use and benifit of an house & Lot in Fannetsburg known in the General plan of said Town by No. 80 which house and lot she is to hold with all its benifits, profits and rents, also all my Household goods and furniture, a Cow and what is necefsary for firewood from a tract of land herein after bequeathed unto my son John, also the sum of twenty pounds per year as long as she lives and remains my Widow, to be paid half yearly to her by my Executors, out of the rents and benifits of my Estate as sall be most convenient for her support & the benifits of the Estate. Item I give and bequeath unto my son William Skinner Fifty acres of land to be taken from a Tract of land that I surveyed in Clarks Gap in the County of Franklin from the West of said tract running up the Bear Valey. Item I give and bequeath unto my son George Skinner the sum of ten shillings, having already conveyed to him his aprt before in full. Item I give and bequeath unto my son John Skinner fifty acres of Land to be taken off the South West end of a tract of land lying on each side of the state road, containing one hundred acres, in Franklin County, adjoining lands of David McConnaughy in Path Valley also that house and lot in Fannetfburg, after the decease or mariage of my Wife. Item I give and bequeath unto my son Archer Skinner the sum of ten shillings, & one third or share of my Estate as will be herein after mentioned. Item I give and bequeath to my son Enoch Skinner the sum of ten shillings, having already conveyed o him his part before in full. Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Ann, herself and her heirs the sum of ten shillings, & what is herein after mentioned. Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Isabella, one hundred and fifty acres of land, it being the remaining part of that Tract of land of which a part was bequeathed to my son William and also what is hereinafter mentioned. Item lastly I give and bequeath all the remaining part of my Estate after my lawful debts are paid and such other things as hath been bequeathed above to be divided equally among my three Children Archer, Ann & Isabella. Also I do ordain, constitute and appoint William Skinner, John Skinner & William McClay, or any two of them Executors of this my last Will and Testament, giving and granting unto them the full power of renting & selling or otherwise disposing of my Estate as shall seem most proper for them to do. And I do hereby disannul, revoke and set afide all and everyother former Wills Testaments, legacies, bequests & Executors by me in any Wise before named, Willed and bequeathed, ratifying, publishing, declairing and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In Witnefs whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written - signed sealed published and pronounced & declaired by the said John Skinner as his alst Will and Testament
On the 10th, December 1801, David Denny one of the Witnefseth to the foregoing writing appeared before me Register &c. for Franklin County and on his solemn Oath did depose and say that he was present & saw and heard John Skinner aforesaid now deceased write his name unto & seal & publish the foregoing writing as and for his last Will and Testament, and that at the time of doing hereof he the said John was of sound and disposing, mind and memory and understanding to the best of his knowledge & belief that his anme thereto subscribed as Witnefs is of his own handwriting and that he did see James McConnaughy sign also at the same time.