I William Donaldson of Pike run Township Washington County & State
of Pennsylvania
Farmer being weak in body but of sound & disposing mind and memory,
do make publish
and ordain this my last Will & Testament in the form & Manner
following Principally &
first of all I desire that at my decease God will receive my Soul and
that my body may be
decently buried. And as to such worldly estate as it hath pleases
God to bless me with in
this world, I give & dispose of in the manner following To Wit:
Item 1st I give and
bequeath unto my two sons Alexander & William Donaldson equal &
alike shares & part
of a tract of land on which I now live together with eight acres of
more adjacent to &
adjoining the lands of the late Thomas Maxwell & others which they
are not to come into
possession of till they arrive at the full age of twenty one year,
the rents and proceeds of
which, to be disposed of as stated hereinafter viz.: It is my
Will that the said lands be
rented at any time after the first of April next after my decease at
the discretion of my
Executors herein after named as they may deem advantageous to the future
benefit of my
children, & the proceeds thereof be put out to interest for the
support and education of
my children until my son Alexander Donaldson shall have arrived at
the age of twenty one
years. Further I desire that my son William Donaldson shall have
my gun & my son
Alexander Donaldson my gold watch so soon as they shall severally
arrive at the age of
twenty one years, Together with an equal share of the proceed of my
personal property &
the debts due to me which may be recovered with the exception of the
sums hereby
bequeathed unto my daughters Elizabeth Donaldson and Martha Donaldson
& the two
beds & bedding necessary thereto, also bequeathed to them.
I further bequeath unto my
son William Donaldson my shaving box & its contents. Item
I do hereby devise &
bequeath unto my two daughters Elizabeth Donaldson & Martha Donaldson
each &
severally the sum of one hundred & fifty dollars, one hundred dollars
of which to each, is
to be paid in cash & fifty dollars is to be paid in trade when
the said Elizabeth Donaldson
& Martha Donaldson arrive at the age of twenty one years, to be
paid from my estate real
& personal by their brothers Alexander & William Donaldson,
& in addition to the said
sun of one hundred & fifty dollars bequeathed unto my two daughters
I will unto each of
them, one bed together with the other bedding necessary thereto It
is my will that all my
stock of cattle & farming utensils shall remain on my farm until
the first day of April next
for the use of my nephew John Donaldson said farm being rented unto
him until that
period. It is my Will & desire that the rent of rents arising
from my farm together with
the interest of all sums due unto me may be applied to the support
& education of my
four children male & female until my son Alexander Donaldson shall
arrive at the age of
twenty one years, further I direct that whatever amount my stock on
my farm shall cone
to & such part of my furniture as my Executors shall dispose of
not necessary for the
accommodation & use of my children, to my son Alexander comes of
age the proceeds of
such shall be put to interest and applied to the education clothing
& support of my four
children before named, by my executors and should there be a surplus
over rent & interest
after paying for the cloathing & education of my four children,
said Executors are
directed to put it also to interest, which together with the principal
are equally to be
divided between my two sons Alexander & William Donaldson.
But it is understood that
a certain claim which I have on the estate of William Barr late of
Natchetoches Sabine
deceased (which will shew by a reference to my papers) should money
or property to the
amount of said debt or claim be recovered I do further direct that
it shall be disposed of in
the following manner viz.; I bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth
Donaldson one sixth
part of said debt or claim to my daughter Martha one sixth part, &
to my sons Alexander
& William Donaldson each one third part of the amount of said Claim.
And I do hereby
authorise & empower my executors or their successors either by
themselves or their
attornies to sue for and recover by law the claim I hold, against the
estate of the deceased
William Barr, my will & desire is that Daniel Spear of the City
of Pittsburgh Allegheny
County & my nephew John Donaldson of Pike Run Township Washington
County Penna
do & shall be the guardians of the Estate of my children before
named & also of their
persons and education. It is my desire that one of the boys &
one of the girls be educated
in Pittsburgh or changed time about as those their guardians may think
best to give them
the children an equal chance of education during their minority.
It is also my desire that
the boys shall be put to trades at the proper periods, which trades
I leave with my children
& their guardians to choose as may be best which I have reason
to believe that Isaac
Baldwin Counsellor at law has in his consequence of a power of Attorney
granted to him
by me recovered on my account a considerable sum of money, from the
estate of Ira Cole
said Isaac Baldwin residing in Alexandria rapids of Red River State
of Louisiana, therefor
I do hereby authorise & empower my Executors, to grant a power
of Attorney to an
agent or agents to demand & receive the debt before refereed to
and in case of the receipt
of the same, the one sixth part of said sum Together with the interest
thereon is
bequeathed unto my daughter Elizabeth Donaldson anther sixth part unto
my daughter
Martha Donaldson & the remaining part to be equally divided between
my two sons
Alexander Donaldson & William Donaldson, their shares to be paid
unto him by my
Executors as they severally arrive at the age of twenty one years.
I do hereby bequeath
unto my nephew John Donaldson one of my best suits of cloaths, &
the rest of my cloths
I do hereby direct to be applied to the use of my children. I
do hereby nominate
constitute and appoint my much loved friends and acquaintance Hugh
C. Ford, William
D. Mullen & Thomas Baird all of Cookstown Fayette County Penna
Executors to this my
last Will & Testament hereby revoking all other Wills legacies
& bequests by me
heretofore made & declairing this only to be my last Will &
Testament. In witness
whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this twenty third day
of April A D one
thousand eight hundred & twenty six.
William Donaldson (seal)
Signed sealed published pronounced and declared by said testator as
his last Will &
Testament in the presence & at his request have as witnesses subscribed
the same.
Thos. M Gryton, William Clark, Thomas Chester.
Washington County ss: Be it remembered that on the 13th day of
June A D 1826.
Before me Saml. Cunningham Deputy Register for the probate of Wills
and granting
letters of Administration in and for said County came Thomas Gryton
and William Clark
two of the subscribed witnesses to the within last Will and Testament
of William
Donaldson deceased who being sworn sayeth that there were present and
did hear the
testator thereof publish pronounce and declare this to be his last
Will and Testament.
That at the time of his so doing he was of sound and disposing mind
memory and
understanding to the best of their knowledge observation and belief.
Thos M. Gryton, Wm. Clark
And sworn to and subscribed before me
Saml. Cunningham, Dp. Regr.
Cookstown June 15 - 1826, to the hanarabe Court of Washington County
Penna.
Whereas William Donaldson of Pike Run Township Washington County in
his last Will
and Testament has nominated me as one of his Executors in the Will
this is tharefore to
give notice to whome it may concern that I cannot attend to the above
appointment.
Attest----W D Mullen
Robert Colemary Esqr., as Mr. William Donaldson decd has made use of
my name as one
of Exetors without my knowledge I would wish this to be filed as a
resignation as it is
unpossible in my presant situation to act June 15th 1826, Hugh C Ford
I therefore do
resign all claim to act as one of the Executors of the estate of the
late William Donaldson
Cookstown Fayette County 14th June 1826.
Thomas Baird
June 26th 1826 Letters Testamentary with copy of the Will issued to
James Donaldson
and John Jackman have been entered in bond and security for their ------