In the Name of God amen I Nicholas Rathge of Abany Township, Berks County in the Province Pennsylvania being weak in Body by of good Memory blefsed be God Do ye 22d Day April in the 34th Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God King of Great Britain France Scotland and Ireland and in the Year Anno Domino 1760 Publish this my Last Will and Testament in the following Manner First I give to my Son Elias Rathge the Improvement the Waggon two Mares the Plough one Iron Harrow one drag Chain with the Swingletrees and Hook and Ring one Axe Mall and Wedges and two Cows one Heifer the best one pitchfork one Dung Hook and dung Fork four Swine Six hens the big Iron pott the Coppor Kettle one Grubbing Hoe the big Pewter Bafon for which he s____ give his Mother eight Shillings or two Bafons one for four Shill____ah he fhall have a Waggon Cover:
Also I give _y Daughter Anna Margaret Rathgen fifteen Pound in ___ey which my abovementioned Son Elias Rathge Fhall pay he_ the first Time five Pounds two years after my Death and Five Pounds ___h Year on the two years next following:
Also I giv_ to my loving Wife Maria Anna Urfula ten Pound in Money _hich my mentioned Son Elias Rathge shall pay her, five fhi____________________________mentione Wife the third Part ____ my Cattle and the Cloth that she gets made shall be hers but thereof she shall make four Shirts for my mentioned Son also my mentioned Son fhall give her half the Flax which is now on the Place when he has cleaned it and fo long She lives every year fo long fhe lives, five and twenty. Pound fwingled Flax and my mentioned Son shall give to my mentioned Wife so long fhe lives fifty pound of Pork and Fodder one Cow and fhe fhall have liberty to gather as may Apples as fhe will and I give to my mentioned Wife the third Part of all Moveable Goods and fhe fhall have every Year five Bushels of Wheat and feven Bushels of Rye:
And if my mentioned Wife Maria Anna Urfula fhould die fhe may bequeath her Part by Testament to whom fhe will and I give and bequeath to my mentioned Son Elias Rathge all the Residue of moveable and immoveable Goods with the mentioned to him and his Heirs and Succefsors for ever (allregrist) Alfo my above mentioned Daughter Anna Margaret fhall have her above mentioned Portion for her and her Heirs and Succefsors now and for ever (allregwit): And I make my beloved Friends Michael Probft: Andreas Wenner and Stoffel Rentzberger: overfeer and to take Care according to my true Intent and Memory of this my Last Will:
In Witnefs hereof I the mentioned Nicholas Rathge have to this my Last Will and Testament fet __ Hand and Seal hereunto the two and twentieth Day of April in the Year one thousand feven hundred and fixty. Fubscribed Fealed and Delivered by the mentioned Nicholas Rathge as and for his Last Will and Testament.
Reading Berks County Pennsylvania May the Twenty third in the Year of Our Lord one thousand feven hundred and Sixty There appeared personally Andreas Wenner and Christopher Rentzberger, two of Witnefses to the aforewritten Will, and upon their folemn Oath on the Holy Evangelists did, feverally, depofe and fay, that they were prefent and faw and heard Nicholas Rathge the Testator therein named, fign Feal, pronounce publish and declare the fame Writing to be his laft Will and Testament, and that at the Time of the Doing though the Faid Nicholas Rathge was of found Mind Memory and Understanding as they verily believe; and further that the Named Andreas Wenner and Stoffel Rentzberger thereunto fubscribed and the Handwriting respectively of them the said Deponents by them fubfcribed (at the fame Time with Michel Probft the other fubfcribing Witnefs) as Witnefses thereto in the Presence of each other and of the said Michel Probft, and at the Request and in the Presence of the faid Testator.