Will of Peter Cooper
Will of Peter Cooper (Kieffer)
15 February 1766
In the name of God Amen. The Fifteenth Day of February in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Sixty six, I Peter Cooper of Shrewsbury Township in County of York and Province of Pensylvania, Gunsmith, Being very sick and weak in Body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be to God therefor calling unto mind the mortality of my Body and Knowing that it is appointed for all Men once to Dye do make and ordain this my last will and Testament. That is to say, Principally and first of all I give and recommend my Sol into the Hands of God that gave it and for my body I recommend it the Earth to be Buried in a Christian like and Decent Manner at the Discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the Mighty Power of God and as touching such Worldly Estate where with hath pleased God to Bless me with in this life I give Devise and Dispose of the Same in the following manner and form: Imprimise it is my will and I do order that in the first place all my Just Debts and funeral charges be paid and Satisfied Item: I alow that my dearly beloved Wife-Margret-shall live with my children and take care of them with the lands and have the whole care of them till my youngest son Petter is of age and at his arival to the age of twentyone years she the said Margarte my wife is to have the third of all my Movable Estate and if she lives single with her children I alow her the following perticulors to be given to her yearly and every year during her single life from her children's arival to the age of twenty one years that is to say first twenty bushells of wheat, ten bushells of corn, three acres of Medow where she pleases to take it and liberty to keep as many horses cows sheep and hogs as the said Medow will produce grass to mentain and she is to take care to cut and make hay her self and her sons is to draw the hay for her when and where she pleases and one hundred Bundles of Straw and the Dung of her own Stock to be hald for her where she pleases and without cost and a gardin and potato patch where she pleases the Patch to be ten rod long and two broad and a quarter of an Acor of flax and a half an Acor of Turnips Both with her sons and she has liberty to chose her flax in the Blosom and Turnips at four weeks age and a house to live in by her self if she sees cause and firewood During her single life; But if my wife Margarete should mary another man she is to quit clame to all but her third of my movable Estate only. She shall live on my land till my youngest child Elizabeth arives to the age of eighteen years and further before she maries the whole Estate of movables is to be Praised by men chosen for that purpose and sold at Public Vandue and the mony put out to interest for the children except my wife's third and they have liberty to clear ten Acors joining my improvement next Tho. Griffiths and five Acors more joining the Big field and Medow groundf down the run to the big white oak but not to wast or Distroy timber on no part of these lans. next I alow my eldest son Adam at his arival to age tohave that part of land which bought from Tho Griffith with the land and Medow ground up the run as far as my land goes from a marked white Oak on the South of my clear ground except the timber hill joining Conrad Fouts also if that is not medow ground sufficent I alow ten Acors of medow ground down the run next the saw Mill. Also I alow to my young son Peter the land I live on at his arival to age Providing always that my two sons Adam and Petter shall at their selling land Praise the Lands together and Pay to my two Daughters Eve and Elizabeth the one half of the whole Pressments to be equally divided between my two daters for which Proviso to be fullfilled. i give and bequeth to my two sons or to their heirs and asigns for ever all the above said land Further I do impower and allow my wife Margaret with George Kinz (Kins) in York Town and County to be my whole and sole Executor of this my last will and testament farther I alow my house and lot in Lancaster to be repaird and sold to the best advantage in witness my hand and seal the day and year above written.
Peter Kieffer
Signed sealed published pronounced and declared by the said Peter Cooper as his last will and testament in the presence of us the subscribers: James Smith, Phillip Snider, John Eson
[Original copy found in York County Courthouse, York, PA, in Wills Section in back room in box marked: Wills 1761. A copy of the will is recorded in a York County Will Book B, page 52.]