Last will and testament of Conrad Rutter, dated April 19th, 1734, and proved February 8th, 1737.
Notes by the transcriber are enclosed in brackets. Backslashes were added by the transcriber to facilitate understanding. Spelling is left as it appears in the original document.
Source: Lancaster County Historical Society, Lancaster, PA, Lancaster County Will Book A, Vol. 1, pg 29
In the name of God Amen the 19 Day of Aprill in the year of our Lord God 1734 I Conrad Rutter of Leacrok [sic] – in the County of Lancaster \ Plantationer \ Being Ould and Weake of Body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God \ therefore calling unto mind the mortallity of my Body and knowing that it is apointed for all Men once to die do make and Ordain this my Last Will and Testament \ that is to say Principally and First of all I give and recommend my Soul Into the Hands of God that gave it \ and for my Body I recommend it to the Earth to be Buried in a Christian Like and decent manner at the Discretion of my Executors \ nothing Doubting but att the Generall Resureacttion I shall receive the same again by the mighty Power of God \ and as Touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to Bless me with in this Life I give and Devise and Dispose of the Same in the following and form \ Imprimus I give and Bequeath to my eldest Son Andrew Rutter one milch cow and a calf and one horse kind along with one English Shilling \ Item I give to my well Beloved Daughter Elizabeth Ever one cow and calf and one horse kind along with one English Shilling. \ Item I give to my well Beloved Son Petter Rutter one English Shilling \ Item I give to my well beloved Son Joseph Rutter one English Shilling \ Item I give to my Grandaughter Eleasbeth Evers [sic] one milch cow and a calf and one Feather Beed and Beedclose \ And my Wife’s Body Cloase after her deseas I Leave to the Discretion of my Executor to devid betwin my Grandaughter Eleasbeth Every [sic] and Rebecca Rutter \ Item I give to my Grand Children Petter Rutter William Ever Eleasbeth Rutter and Hennory Rutter all the moveabls in my House but what I Exepted already or what I now will Exep \ Etim [sic] I give to my Sons Conrad Rutter and Petter all my Coopers Tools to be made use of Betwixt them \ Item I give to my well beloved Son Joseph Rutter my Chest \ Item I give to my well Beloved Son Conrad Rutter \ whome I likewise constitut make and ordain my only and Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament \ my Largest iron Pot and the Smalest iron Pot [a?] Feather Bed and the Beed Cloase Belonging to it \ the Largest Pewter Dish and a [Pewter?] Beason \ a Table and a pair of the best Sheets in the House besides what is on - - the beed and all the [line ends here - appears to be a mistake in the original record, perhaps a line omitted]
A Black Walnut Chest \ all the rest of my Moveable Goodes in my house I Leave att the Discretion of my Executor to devid amongst my Foure GranChildren that I have mentioned within my will \ my Plantation and all therein and thereon to belonging I do Leave to my Executor but what I have already willed out of it \ he paying his three Brothers and his sister ten pounds out of it [the preceding sentence written in above the text] \ and that to be equealy divided amongst them \ but if soe be that he cannot raise mony they shall take such as he has in possession \ according as two Reasonable men will Value them \ to the Value of their mony if soe be that they cannot agree him and them about the Price \ I do give to my Executor Conrad Rutter Two hundred acres which belongs to the Ould Plantation wherein I Lived \ and if the return of the whole Sume amounts to more then Six hundred Acres I give it to him alsoe with all the Horses Mares Coults horned Cattel Sheep and hoogs and [weagons?] and Impliments of all Sorts that here [work?] - - [missing text?] Plantation with Houses Barns and Outhouses and all Improvements of all Sorts on the Plantation \ my Executor Conrad Rutter I do order and [alow?] to take care of my wife \ and that he shall not see her want anything that is reasonably in power to help her with during her Life \ but fearing there should be any mistake be it known that what I leave willed Bequeathed or Given is still to be given out of my Estate \ And I do hereby utterly disallow Revoke and [disanull?] all and every other former Testaments Wills and Leaggues requits and Executors no Other to be my Last Will and Testament in Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seale the Day and year above mentioned or written
Conrad Rutter [his mark CR] [seal]
Signed sealed publised pronounced and Declared by the said Conrad Rutter as his last Will and Testament in the Presence of us the Subscribers viz
Andrew Douglas, James Douglas, Jean Douglas
[?] the Eighth Day of February Ano Dom 1737 there Personally appeared Andrew Douglas & James Douglas two of the witnesses to the within written will and on their Oaths did Declare they saw and heard Conrad Rutter the Testator within named Sign Seal and Publish & Declare the said will to be his Last Will & Testament and at the Doing thereof he was of Sound mind memory & understanding to the best of their Knowledge
Coram Sa : Blunston Dep Regist.
Be it Remembered that on the 8th Day of February Anno Dom 1737 the Last Will and Testament of Conrad Rutter Deced was proved in the form of Law and Probate and Letters Testamentary was Granted unto Conrad Rutter he having first Affirmed well and truly to Administer the sd Deseasers Estate and bring an Inventory thereof into the Registers Office in Lancaster County att or before the Eighth Day or March next and also to Render an Acct when thereunto Lawfully Required. Given under the Seal of the said Office,
P. Sa : Blunston Dep Register