Menges Family History

Estate Papers of Johann Conrad Menges

WILL OF JOHANN CONRAD MENGES

Following is a copy of Conrad's will, just as it was written on July 27, 1813, with all its misspelled and archaic words. Due to the style of writing, the archaic words and the deteriorated condition of the will, several words have defied interpretation. These words, with quotation marks in the text for identification, have been interpreted by Walter Mays of Cincinnati, Ohio. The first word is "firing." The fire was made in the open fireplace and the firing was made in the enclosed grate in the stove. We retain the work "firing" in the "firing" of a kiln. The scribe failed to dot his "I's" in "firing." The next two words are "hatchled" and "tow." The correct spelling of the first word in question should be "hatcheled." In the final stage of dressing flax fiber, it is combed with a "hatchel" to separate the long, straight fibers of the best quality from the short, tangled combings that are called "tow." The next word with quotation marks is "touching," which is archaic for "as concerns." The last word supplied by Mr. Mays was badly obsured by a smudge, but he believes that it reads "Hands."

"In the name of God Amen I Conrad Menges Snr of Turbutt Township, Northumberland County & State of Pennsylvania Yeoman being very sick & weak in body but of sound mind memory & understanding blessed by God for the same but considering the uncertainty of this transatory life do make and publish this my last will & testament in manner & form following to wit Principaly and first I command my immortal soul into the hands of God who gave it & my body to the earth to be buryed in a decent & Christian like manner at the discreation of my Executors herein after named & as to such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give & dispose of the same in the following manner to wit. Item 1st I give & bequeath unto my dear wife Ann Mary Menges two beds bedsteads & beding her choice of what is myne Two cows together with such of my household kitchen furniture or utentials as she may chose to keep for her use during her natural life. Item I give & bequeath unto my said wife the free & full use occupation of her choice of the rooms (to her self) in this the Mantion House on my plantation together with full & free liberty to do all her work which will or shall be nefsesary to be done in the kitchen otherwise an adition built to this said mantion house which shall be pleasing & comfortable to her my said wife to live & do here work in built by my said Executors & the expense & charges of the same paid out of my Estate which adition when built & made confortable & pleasing as before mentioned shall be for her use in stead & in place of the rooms & part of the kitchen before mentioned for & during her natural life. Item I also order that my said wife shall be furnished with wood sufficient for her use cut halled made fit for fire or stove carried into the house & if needfull the "firing" made on said allso when she shall think it needfull a maid servant provided keept & paid for to attend & waid on her my said wife; also a good tin plate stove with sufficient pipe also there shall be delivered to her yearly & every year twelve bushels of good wheat twelve bushels of Peotates twelve pounds of good "hatchled" flax twelve pounds of good "tow" two hundred of good poark yearly & every year one barrel of good strong sider and as many appels as she may see fit to use & dry for her own use yearly and every year when it may be reasonably expected provided never the less that when the appels is scarce she shall also have so much of the garden in any part where she chooses or would be reasonably thought sufficient for her use to be well dunged & worked for her yearly & every year it is also my will & I do order that my said executors do put five hundred pounds of my estate to interest on good security which interest shall yearly & every year be paid to my said wife during her natural life for her own use to use as she thinks fit but if it should happen that she should fall sick so that the aid of a phisition should be necessary and the afore said yearly interest should not be sufficient to discharge the expense of the same than in that case they shall take so much of the principel from time to time as shall be needful to discharge the same if it should happen that one or both of the cow should die or otherwise be lost my said executors shall replace the same out of my estate otherwise at the expense of my said estate which bequeath ments to my said wife I bequeath to her yearly & every year during her natural life for her maintainance support all which legacies to my said wife I do order to be lain on my homestead plantation I do allso hereby declare to be in lieu of her dower at common law. Item I will & bequeath to my son Christian the sum of three hundred & seventy three dollars & thirty three cents out of the land of my estate Item I will & bequeath to the 2 eight children of my deceased daughter Catharine the sum of one hundred & thirty three dollars each to be paid to them when they arrive to the age of twenty one years respectively but if it should happen that one of them should die in their minority and without issue then the share of such child so dying shall be considered as part of the residue of my estate as "touching" all the rest residue & remainder of my estate real & personal of what kind or nature the same may be in the County of northumberland or else where I give & devise the same unto my nine children Conrad Margaret Peter Jacob Christian Mary Elizabeth John & Sollomon share & share alike it is my will & I do order that my said executors shall hold Christians shares in their "Hands" & put the same to interest for his use to be paid to him as he reasonably may need the same unlefs he should happen to marry & have ishue in that case they are to buy a piece of land at a reasonable price sutable for him if it can be got the said land or his shair if he should die leaving ishue shall go to his children shair & shair alike I do order that my said executors shall have the sum of one hundred & thirty three dollar & thirty three cents for their trouble in executing this my will I do order & direct that my said executors or the survivor of them as soon as conviently may be after my decease sell & dispose of rail property & except what is herein before bequeathed to my said wife to such person or persons & for such price or prices as may reasonably gotten for the same paid for that purpose I do hereby authorise & seal execute & acknowledge all such deed or deeds of conveyances as may be requiset & necessary for the granting & asuring the same to the purchaser or purchasers there of in fee simple & the moneys arising to put & dispose of as herein before bequested & ordered and lately I nominate constitute and apoint my said son Peter & my son in law Simon Dim of Turbutt Township in County of Northumberland to be the executors of this my will hereby revoking all other wills, legacies & bequeathments by my heretofore made and declaring this and no other to be my last will and testament in Witness whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal the twenty seventh day of July in the year of our Lord God one thousand eight hundred & thirteen.

Signed Sealed published pronounced and
declared by the said testator as his last
will & testament in the presents of us
who in is presence and at his request
have subscribed as Witnesses

John Leinbach
Henrich Leinbach
Wm. Heslet