Document:Will of James Cowan, 1751, PA

In the name of God. Amen, the twenty ninth of September in the year of our Lord 1751, I James Cowan in the County of Chester being very sick and week in Body, but of perfect Mind and Memory thanks be givenunto God, therefore, calling unto Mind the mortality of my Body, and knowing that it is appointed 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 Christianlike and decent manner at the discretion of my Executors, nothingdoubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same againby the mighty Power of God.

And as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleasedGod to bless me in this Life, I give, devise and dispose of the same in thefollowing manner and form.Imprimis, It is my Will, and I do Order,

That in the first place, allmy just Debts and Funeral Charges be paid and Satisfied.
Item I give and bequeath unto Jean my Dearly beloved Sister the Sum of ten pounds Currency of good and Lawful Monies to be raised andLevied out of my Estate.
Item I give and bequeath unto my Dearly Beloved Father my blackbritches and Saddlebags and fur hatt.
Item I give and bequeath unto Joseph my Dearly beloved brother my pocket Byble.
Item I constitute and - allow my Estate together with all my Household goods and Moveables to be Set up at Publick Vendue and afterbeing Sold the Produce to be Equally Divided Unto three parts
- Katren my Dearly beloved wife to Injoy the One third part
- the remainder to be for the - [benefit] of the child or children and if it please God to bring this child that she shall suckle and provide for it or cause to be suckled and provided for till it Arive to two years of Age.
I likewise constitute, and ordain Hugh Cowan my Father and Thomas Hoapp My only and Sole Executors of this my Last Will andTestament, Ratifying and Confirming this, and no other to be my Last Will and Testament.

In Witness whereof I have here unto Set my Hand and Seal, the Day and year above written Signed, Sealed Publshed,Pronounced and Declared by the Said James Cowan as his Last Will and Testament,

James Cowan

in the Presence of us the Subscribers viz:

John Russell
James Leard

4th of November 1751

Inventory 4th of December [1751?] Chester County

[NB: The above dealing with witnesses is garbled in the electronic transcription. This should be checked against the original]

November 4th 1751 THEN personally appeared John Russell and James Leard and made oath on ye holy Evangelists of Almighty God that they were personally present and did See and Heard ye testator above named, Sign, Seal Publish pronounce and declare ye above writing to be their Last Will and Testament and That ye doing thereof he was of sound mind and Memory to ye best of their understanding.

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