archives BuildingSouthern Lancaster County Historical Society

Alexander McPherson

Will Book Volume page

Written Oct 15 1812 Proved November 16, 1812

of Drumore township Lancaster county

Names Occuring in this will:Ann Ankrim, Archibald Ankrim, Hannah Ankrim, James Ankrim (Doctor), Martha (McPherson) Ankrim, William Bausman (Register), John Buckanan Esq., Philip Housekeeper, John Jones, Hugh Martin, John McCulloch, Alexander McPherson, Elizabeth McPherson, James McPherson (father), James McPherson (brother), Martha (Ankrim) McPherson (mother), Martha McPherson ( dau of brother James), Mary McPherson, William McPherson, Martha McPherson Ritchey (sister), Samuel Ritchey, William Ritchey, Junior, David Scott,

Alexander McPherson

In the name of God Amen I Alexander McPherson of the Township Drumore in the County of Lancaster & State of Pennsylvania being sick & weak in body but of sound mind memory & understanding blessed be God for the same do make & publish this my last will & 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, & my body to the earth, to be buried in a decent & Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named; and 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.

First, it is my will, and I do order, that all my just debts and funeral expenses be duly paid & satisfied as soon as conveniently can be after my decease,

Item, I give and bequeath unto my well beloved & worthy parents, James and Martha McPherson the sum of fifty five pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania also my pocket watch or time piece to them during their natural lives & to the survivor of them during his or his or her natural life,

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said father his heirs & Assigns forever my bay horse called Jack together with my common saddle & bridles; likewise one share in the bridge contemplated to be built at or near McCall�s ferry on the river Susquehannah, in pursuance of an act of Assembly for that purpose made he paying to the bridge Company the money remaining to be paid for the same,

Item, I give and bequeath unto my sister Elizabeth McPherson (now a widow) her heirs & Assigns forever, the sum of one hundred Dollars like money aforesaid,

Item, it is my will that my Executors herein named shall as soon as conveniently can be after my decease make sale of my pair of working oxen; and the whole amount of the money arising from the sale of my said oxen, I likewise give & bequeath unto my said sister Elizabeth her heirs & Assigns forever,

Item, I give and bequeath unto my brother William McPherson, his heirs & Assigns forever, one half part of all the principal & interest due & to become due on a note promissory, given by John McCulloch of the State of New York for one hundred Dollars with interest payable to me; but which note is in the hands of my said brother,

Item, I give and bequeath the other one half part of all the principal & interest due & to become due on said Note unto William McPherson son of my said Sister Elizabeth, his heirs and Assigns forever,

Item, I give and bequeath unto my Sister Mary McPherson, her heirs & Assigns forever, the sum of one hundred Dollars, like money aforesaid,

Item, I give and bequeath unto my Brother James McPherson his heirs & Assigns forever, all that tract of Lands, containing thirty seven acres, more or less, with the Appurtenances there unto belonging situate in the aforesaid Township of Drumore & adjoining land of my said father & others & which said tract I bought of Jacob Walton Subjecting nevertheless him, my said brother James, to pay thereout unto said Jacob Walton, his heirs or Assigns, the sum of two hundred Dollars, together with the interest thereon, in which Sum of two hundred dollars I stand indebted to said Jacob Walton, by my Obligation to him, in writing,

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said brother James, his heirs & Assigns forever the sum of one hundred dollars like money aforesaid, also my riding horse with my best Saddle & Bridle & riding whip; likewise such of my wearing apparrel as my said Father may not choose to keep for himself,

Item, I give and bequeath unto my Sister Martha Ritchey wife of William Ritchey Junior, her heirs & Assigns forever, the sum of seventy five dollars like money aforesaid,

Item, it is my will and I do hereby give and bequeath (after the decease of my said Parents) my herein before mentioned pocket watch unto Samuel Ritchey son of my said Sister Martha Ritchey his heirs & Assigns forever.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said mother for & during her natural life my Umbrella and at and immediately after her decease I give & bequeath the same unto Martha McPherson, daughter of my said brother James,

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said Father his heirs & Assigns forever, all my Religious Books; also such part & parts of my wearing Apparrel as he may choose to keep for his own use,

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said brother James & to my brother-in-law William Ritchey Junior, aforementioned, their heirs & Assigns forever all my reading books, of what kind so ever not herein given to my father. Share & share alike between them,

Item, I give bequeath unto and my said brother-in-law William Ritchey Junior his heirs & Assigns forever, one share in the bridge contemplated to be built at or near McCall�s ferry on the river Susquehannah, in pursuance of an act of Assembly for that purpose made he paying to the bridge Company the money remaining to be paid for the same,

Item, I give bequeath unto John Jones, my present Apprentice, provided he shall serve out the remainder of his time, mentioned in his Indentures (which will expire the 14th of April Anno Domini 1813) to my Executors for the benefit of my estate as well & faithfully as he hath hither to served me, to him his heirs & Assigns the following Articles to wit: one vice, being the one now in the possession of David Scott, also the bellows & anvil which said Jones usually worked with,

Item, it is my will & I do hereby order that at and immediately after the first day of May Anno Domini 1813 my said Executors shall make sale of all my Farming Utensils & tools and of all my Smith tools (not herein otherwise appropriated) And the amount of all the monies arising from the sale of my said farming tools, Utensils & Smith tools I give & bequeath unto my said parents their heirs & Assigns forever And if said John Jones doth not fulfill the time of his Indentures as aforementioned, then & in that case it is my will that my said Executors shall make sale of my said farming tools, Utensils & Smith tools as soon as conveniently can be done after my decease for the benefit of my Parents as aforementioned,

Item, I give & bequeath unto my two Cousins Hannah & Ann Ankrim Daughters of Archibald & Martha Ankrim Deceased their heirs & Assigns my Milk Cow in equal Shares between them,

Item, it is further my will and I do hereby subject my said brother James out of the tract of land herein before given and devised to him to erect or cause to be erected at my grave a head & foot Stone & engraved thereon my name age & residence designating the names of my Parents,

Item, it is my will, and be it hereby remembered that I have desired & ordered the writer of this my last will & testament to make above on this page the following mentioned measures, they not being part of this my last will & Testament to wit: all the first line except three first words, all the second line except the six last words, all the third line except the three first words, & to erase the first word in the fourth line,

Item, And as to the rest & residue of my estate of what kind or nature so ever the same may be I give & bequeath the same as follows to wit: one half part thereof to my said parents their heirs & Assigns forever, & the other half part thereof unto my said Sister Mary her heirs and Assigns forever, And lastly I nominate, constitute & appoint John Buckanan, Esquire and Doctor James Ankrim both of the aforesaid Township of Drumore to be Executors of this my last will & testament hereby revoking all other wills legacies & bequests by me heretofore made & declare this & no other to be my last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I the said Alexander McPherson have, this fifteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twelve hereunto set my hand & Seal

Alexander McPherson (seal)

Signed, Sealed published pronounced & declared by the said Testator Alexander McPherson as his last will & Testament, in the presence & at his request have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses, the Words the same in second page being first interlined,

Philip Housekeeper, Hugh Martin.

Lancaster County ss, On the 16th day of November A. D. 1812 Before me the Subscriber personally appeared Philip Housekeeper & Hugh Martin who being duly qualified according to law did severally depose declare and say that they were present and saw and heard Alexander McPherson the Testator within named Sign seal publish pronounce and declare the within writing as and for his last will and testament and that at the doing thereof he was of sound and well disposing mind memory and Understanding to the best of their knowledge observation & belief.

William Bausman Register

Be it remembered that on the 16th day of November A. D. 1812 the last Will and Testament of Alexander McPherson Deceased was proved in due form of law and Letters Testamentary thereon were granted to John Buckanan Esq. and Doctor James Ankrim the Executors therein named they having first been duly qualified well and truly to Administer the Estate of the said deceased especially to exhibit a true and perfect Inventory thereof into the Registers Office at Lancaster within one month from this date and to render a true and just account of their Executorship on said estate within one year or when thereunto lawfully required. Given under the Seal of said Office.

William Bausman Register

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