In the name of God amen. I William Skinner of Fannet Township and County of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, being weak of body, but of sound, mind, memory, and understanding (blefsed be God for the same) but considering the uncertainty of this Transitory Life, do make and publish this my last Will and Testament, in manner and form following, to wit, Principally and first of all I commend my immortal Soul into the hands of God who gave it, and my body to the Earth, to be buried in a decent and Christian like manner, at the discretion of my Executors herein after named, and as to such worldly Estate, wherewith it hath pleased God, to belefs me in this life, I give and dispose of the same, in the following manner, to wit; I give and bequeath to my dear Wife, the place that I purchased of Robert Elder, that I now live on, together with fifty acres of Land that I purchased from John Laughlin, during her natural life, and I do allow my minor children to live along with their Mother and be supported of said place, until they become of age, only they are to help to farm said place, for their support, as is above specified, being two Tracts, but if any of said minor children, chooses not to live with their mother and afsist in working said place, they shall receive no benefits of them, during her natural life, but if it please God to remove her out of this World, before my youngest children, comes of age; I allow said places to be rented out, for the support of my minor children, until they come of age; And as touching the remainder part of my real Estates, I allow thirty acres of Woodland of the Mountain Survey to be put to the Land, that purchased from Thomas Blair and they and be one tract, and the remainder of real Estate, to be one other tract; And I allow the said two last mentioned tracts, to be valued by five or seven men, at the choice of my Wife and my Executors and if any of my children see cause, to take any one of said tracts of Land, they shall have it at said Appraisement of the five or seven men so chosen, and if any of my children chooses, any of said tracts, at said Appraisement, they shall not pay any money for the first year after said Appraisement, but if any of my children takes said places at said Appraisements they are to pay to my minor children as they come of age, out of said two Tracts of Land, One hundred pounds, lawful money of this State in Gold or silver, each of said holders paying in proportion to the appraisement of they Tract they pofsefs, & if the be any remainder, after paying all my minor children, as they become of age, one hundred pound, that is to say each and every one of them, as they become of age, one hundred pounds in Gold or Silver, then the remainder to be equally divided the whole of the Legatees, but if none of my children chuses, to take any one of said two Tracts at the Appraisement, then I empower my Executors, to sell said two Tracts of Land, or any one of them, and pay unto said minor children, and to each and every of them, as they become of age, One hundred pounds in Gold or Silver, if so being they shall sell said two Tracts of Land; but if one of said Tracts held by Appraisements and one sold by my Executors, the Legatee that holds by Appraisement, to pay in equal proportion to the amount of said Appraiement, to the Legatees as they become of age, as is above specified & my Executors paying in proportion to the Legatees out of the money arising out of the sale of said tract of Land, to the Legatees as they become of age, as is above specified; And I do allow my Executors, at the death of my Wife, if that she liveth so long, as my Minor children become of age, to sell the said two tracts of Land, that is for her support and the minor children, until they become of age, that is to say, at the death of my Wife, or when the minor children become of age, the said two tracts is to be fold by my Executors, or the Executors or Administrators of them my said Executors: And as touching my personal Estate, I dispose of in the following manner; I give and bequeath to my dear Wife, her choice of two of my best beds, together with the bed Clothes and hangings of said beds; Likewise the one third of my personal Estate, at the Appraisement of two men, and all the rest of my personal Estate, I allow to be praised or sold by my Executors, to pay my lawful debts, and if any remain of my personal Estate, after paying my lawful debts, it is to go for the support of the minor children. The two tracts of Land, that is to be sold by my Executors, or the Executors or Administrators of them, my said Executors, that is to say, the one tract purchased from Robert Elder, and the one tract purchased from John Laughlin; when sold, the money arising from said sales, to be equally divided amongst all my Legatees, or the lawful begotten children of any of my said Legatees, to have an equal share with the rest of any one of my children. And I do hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my son John Skinner and Richard Morrow Junr. to be Executors of this my Last Will & Testament, and I do hereby revoke and disannul, all Wills, Bequest or Legacies whatsoever. But publishing pronouncing and declaring this to be my last Will and Testament, and no other, in presence of the Witnefs herein after subscribed. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this twenty eight day of April Anno Domini One thousand eight hundred and eight.
And we in the presence of the said William Skinner, and presence of each other, saw the said William Skinner, sign the same will and acknowledge it.
John Moore, Adam HollidayOn the 2nd June 1808. John Moore and Adam Holliday, the witnefses to the foregoing writing appeared before me Register &c. for Franklin County, and upon their solemn Oaths, did depose and say, that they were present and saw and heard William Skinner deceased, write his name unto and feal and publish the foregoing writing, as and for his last Will and Testament, and that at the time of doing thereof, he the said deceased, was of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, to the best of their knowledge and belief, that their names written thereto, as witnefses, is of their own hands writing done at the same time.