The following is a
transcription done by Jana Reid-Stokes of John Biddle’s will and papers of
administration found on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake,
US/CAN Film #1,289,438 item 2-3, Blair Co., PA Will Book Vol A, p. 97-99. The microfilm was of the original records
found in Blair County courthouse.
Testament Blair state of Pennsylvania being of sound and disposing
Of mind & memory to make and declare this my last will and
John Biddle Testament revoking and making _______ all former wills
Decd by me at anytime made heretofore. I
give will and devise to my Grand
daughter Elizabeth Biddle the sum of Five hundred dollars to be paid her in three equal anuel (sic) payments the first payment to be made her when she arrives to the age of Twenty-one years and in case my grand daughter Elizabeth should die before she obtains the age of Twenty-one years and have no lawful issue then my will is that the same shall revert to my heirs share and share alike. I give will and devise to my daughter Christiana One hundred & fifty dollars to be paid to her by my hereinafter named Executors so soon after my death can be done, it being a compensation to her for the time worked over her age, after the payment of all my just debts and funeral expenses together with the before mentioned bequests and devices to my grand daughter and daughter, I give will and devise unto my five sons and four daughters share and share alike of all the residue of my real and personal estate in equal portions as follows, to my son John I give will and devise the manshion (sic) and tract of land I now live on adjoining land of Jacob Royer, George Snively and others on the South & West. Peter Biddle on the East & on the North a division line made by A. Soliday on the 24th day of May A.D. 1843. Containing One hundred & thirty one acres and One hundred & forty five perches with the ______ allowance of six per cent for roads &c., together with one acre & three quarters of land adjoining the above named Tract of Land which I hold by warrant. I further give will & devise to my son John fourteen acres of land out of the Mountain Tract of land to be bounded on the North by my son Charles’ fourteen acres of land & here along Tussey’s Mountain to extend as far up said mountain tract as will include fourteen acres, which I value at seven Dollars per acre and for said fourteen acres of land as given to my son John his is to pay to my hereinafter named Executors at the end of one year after my decease the amount and value I have made and fixed thereon and it is my will that my son John and his wife Ane shall have the use and occupancy with all profits and proceeds arising out and from said three pieces __ tract of during their natural lifetime and at the death of my son John and Ane his wife, then in ____ call said three pieces or tracts of land which I have given to the use & occupancy of my son John & Ane his wife during their natural life time is to be divided equally among their lawful heirs and in case none of the heirs of my son John should live to the age of twenty-one years and dieing without any lawful issue then my said will is that said described three pieces or parcels of land shall revert back to my lawful heirs share and share alike. I give will and devise to my son Charles Biddle the residue and remainder of said tract of land to be bounded by the division line made by A. Soliday on the 24th day of May A.D. 1843 & laying North of my son John’s tract adjoining land of Joshua Roller, Samuel Dean & Heirs of Thomas Biddle on the north & will tract on the East & South containing one hundred & thirty acres one hundred & six perches and allowance of six per cent for roads &c. which I value to him at thirty-five dollars per acre. I also give my son Charles fourteen acres of mountain land for _____ to commence at a hickory stump standing between the lands of Jacob Shonefelt formerly John Smith Fuller & Issac Sparr to extend from said stump along said Shonefelt’s line (formerly John Smith Fuller) and Isaac Sparr line so as to contain fourteen acres which I value to him at Seven Dollars per acre and _______ these two tracts of land at the valuation I have put on them amounts to more than his legacy on this one eight just part of all my real and personal estate after deducting out all my just debts of financial expencses (sic) , and requests and to my grand daughter, my daughter Christiana, and my son John & Ane his wife & heirs, he shall there pay to my herein after named executors for the share of his other brothers and sisters in the following manner at the end of one year after my decease my son Charles shall pay as aforesaid fifteen hundred dollars to include the obligations he holds against me for money barrowed from him and two hundred dollars shall be the yearly payment thereafter until the balance of the money is paid after deducting his Legacy. I give will and devise to my son Jacob a apart of Brook’s tract of land situated in Bedford County State aforesaid adjoining lands of David Brumbaugh on the East. Ebersole on the North to include the House & Barn to be bounded by a division line made by me in the year A.D. 1843 which runs nearly on East & West corvise? through the length of said Tract which I value to him at the sum of five thousand and eighty three Dollars fifty cents the residue and remainder of said Brook’s tract of land in Bedford County state aforesaid adjoining lands of David Brumbaugh, M. ______ and others and the division line made by me in the year 1843 I devise and bequeath to my daughter Drusana intermarried with Ezekiah Anderson which I value to them at the sum of Four thousand five hundred & eighty three dollars and fifty cents my son in law Esekiah Anderson to have the privilege to take the water from said spring for any kind of water works so that he does not injure the spring, and my son Jacob is to give said Anderson a way or Road to the said spring & said person is to give to my son Jacob one half of the Mountain run that comes from the West for the purpose of watering his meadow land & pasture fields. I give will & desire to my son George the one eight part of all my real personal estate after deducting out all my just debts funeral expenses and bequests. To my grand daughter my daughter Christiana & my son John & Ane his wife & heirs, my will is that no part of his legacy shall be made recoverably (sic) by my son George nor any part paid to him by my hereafter named Executors his Legacy shall remain one half in my son Jacob tract of land given to him by me & the other half remain in my daughter Drusanah & her husbands tract of land and the interest of his portion to be paid to him yearly during his natural life to commence one year after my decease by my son Jacob & Drusanah & her husband equally & in case my son George dies without any lawful issue his Legacy shall revert back to my lawful heirs share & share alike & in addition to the interest that my son Jacob is to pay my son George he shall pay my hereinafter named Executors two hundred dollars yearly to commence one year after my decease, and to pay yearly until the balance is paid up after deducting out his own Legacy & the one half of my son George’s Legacy, Drusanah & her husband to pay three hundred dollars yearly in addition to the interest the (sic) are to pay my son George the first payment to be made one year after my decease and so on yearly until they pay the balance up after deducting Drusanah and her husbands legacy & the one half of my son George’s legacy. It is my will the tract of land I have given to my son Jacob & to my daughter Drusanah & her husband is given them subject to the amts the (sic) are to pay out.
I give will and devise to my daughter Christiana the one eighth part of all my real & personal estate subject to the before mentioned devises and bequests in faviour (sic) of my Grand child & my son John & Ane his wife & heirs in addition to what I have already given her of One hundred and fifty dollars. It is my will that the legacy I have given to my daughter Christiana shall remain in the hands of my hereinafter named executors as long as she remains single and the interest payable to her each year and on the event or ____ing and she desiring to have her legacy my hereinafter named executors are to pay it to her, the one hundred fifty dollars I give her as compensation as services rendered is to be paid as soon after my death as my executors can conveniently do the same. I give will and devise unto my daughter Rachel intermarried with George Boyd the one eight part of all my real & personal estate subject to the before mentioned devices and bequests to my grand child my daughter Christiana & my son John & his wife Ane and heirs and in part pay of the Legacy to my daughter Rachael intermarried with George Boyd for my use amounting Nine hundred thirty four dollars and thirty nine cents including the interest to this date and costs of __tes the balance of the legacy left to my daughter Rachel after deducting out the amount said just ____ts & thirteen dollars which I have paid said advanced for said George Boyd for Sheriff and attorneys of __________is all ______ ______ ______ (p. 99) forty seven dollars and thirty nine cents shall be ______ her Legacy hereinafter named executors to her ___ proportion as the same comes into the hands of my executors. I give will and devise to my son Andrew the one eight part of all my real & personal estate subject to all the before mentioned devises & bequests relative to my debts, funeral expenses and Grand child, daughter Christiana & sons John & wife Ane & heirs charging ____with and deducting out of his share the amount of the obligations I hold against him with the interest thereon. I give will and devise unto my daughter Elizabeth intermarried with Jacob Snowberger the one eight part of all my real & personal estate subject to all the before mentioned devices & bequests relative to my debts funeral expenses and Grand child, my daughter Christiana & my son John his wife Ane and heirs the __________ and re________ if all my personal & real estate not herein before already desposed (sic) of shall be sold by my hereinafter named Executors so soon after my death as can be done conviently (sic) and out of the proceeds there of my hereinafter named executors shall pay to Elizabeth Snowberger intermarried with Jacob Snowberger, Rachael Boyd intermarried with George Boyd and to my daughter Christiana their several Legacies in the way and manner I have heretofore directed in proportion as source comes from the payments from my sons said sale of my real & personal property it is farther my will that if any of my sons and daughter dies without lawful heirs then in that case their portion reverts back to my heirs in common share and share alike. And lastly I appoint my sons Andrew & Charles Biddle the Executors of this my Last will with full power to execute a sufficient deed to the ________ or purchasens? (sic) of all my real estate directed by me to be sold.
And in Testimony that this my last will and Testament I have hereunto signed my name the same being written on two sheets of _________ sealed and published this Eighteenth day of June A.D. 1847.
Signed Sealed & published by the said John Biddle as his last will and testament in presence of us. The following words being first interl__ed word my in the eleventh line three in the eighty fourth line, one half in the ninety-seventh hundred in the one hundred & seventh line, named in the one hundred and twenteth (sic) for sheriff & attorney fees in the on hundred & thirty second line a __________ before signing. Joshua Roller, Samuel Dean
John Biddle (his mark)
Blair County __: Before we the Register for the ________ of Wills and granting letters of Administration in and for said County of Blair personally came Joshua Roller and Samuel Dean who being duly sworn according to law do depose and say that they were personally present and saw and heard the within named John Biddle sign, seal, execute, publish, pronounce and declare the within and foregoing I_______ if writing as and for his last will and Testament and that they these deponsnts? Did sign their name thereto as witnesses in the presence of each other and in the presence of the said Testator and at his instance and request and that the said Testator was at the time of sound and diposing (sic) mind memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and belief.
Sworn and Subscribed the 24th day Joshua Roller
Of February A.D. 1848, Before Samuel Dean
L.H. Wilians?, Register
On the 24 day of February A.D. 1848 personally came Andrew Biddle & Charles Biddle Executors of the within last will and Testament who being duly sworn & affirmed according to law do depose and say that as Executors of the last will and Testament of John Biddle Decd they will well and truly Administer the the g______ faithfully comply with the provisions of the Law relating to collates __ ________
Sworn & subscribed before me Andrew Bittle
L.H. Williams, Register Chas Bittle
Registered the 24th day Feby 1848