Person:Christopher Stump (3)

Land Acquisitions

Christopher Stump received a warrant [Lot No. 28] in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, patent dated 11 Feb. 1752. [Internal Affairs Montly Bulletin, Vol. 22/No. 6/7, May-June 1954, Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pa.].

Will of Christopher Stump

In the name of the Lord, Amen!

Today on the eight and twentieth day of February, in the year of Our Lord, one thousand, seven hundred and sixty-nine;, I Christopher Stump, of Heidelberg township, in the County of Lancaster in the State of Pennsylvania; Farmer: being very sick and weak; allbeit having my full understanding, memory, and being of sound and disposing mind, as I ever was in my full health, for which God be praised being mindful that all men are mortal, that the day of our death is unforseeable, and that each man should make proper provision to leave this world, do make and declare, herewith, that the following is my last will and testament, namely:

Firstly, I commit my immortal soul to the hand of my God, and to his eternal mercy, and my body to the earth to be buried by my executors, hereinafter named, in a Christian like manner, as it shall seem good to them. It is my wish and will and I so order it, that all my just debts and out-lying cost, shall be paid, as soon as possible after my death.

Item: I bequeath to my son George Adam Stump, the sum of one hundred pounds, current money of Pennsylvania, which he still owes on a certain piece of land – the said land shall be made over to him as his inheritance, clear of all mortgage and debt to me. I have still another piece of land in the possession of said George Adam Stump on which he still owes me 50 pounds. Said Georg Adam Stump is to pay this sum to my executors. Furthermore, I bequeath to said George Adam Stump the sum of one shilling as his birthright, and no more, and the land at one hundred pounds.

Item: I bequeath to my son Friederick Stump, a certain piece of land at 80 pounds, which he still owes me. I empower my executors to make over this land to Friedrich Stump, clear of all mortgage and debts, as his inheritance, and nothing more.

Item: I bequeath to my son George Stump, the sum of seventy pounds, current money of Pennsylvania in full for his inheritance of my estate. And I authorize my exectors first to assess from the said land the sum of which he owes me, and direct George to pay it within two years after my death.

Item: It is my wish and will and I direct my executors to pay to the heirs of my deceased son Christopher Stump the sum of ten pounds, money as above, and no more, for his or their inheritance of my estate in real and personal property.

Item: I bequeath to my daughter Maria, the wife of Johannes Schener the sum of fifty pounds, in good money or in real or personal property as her inheritance. I empower my executors to deduct from the fifty pounds whatever her husband Johannes Schener still owes me, and they shall pay her the remainder in two years after my death.

Item: I bequeath to my daughter Susanna, the wife of John Lineweber the sum of fifty pounds in good money, in full for her part of my estate, and this shall be her inheritance in one year after my death.

Item: I bequeath to my daughter Margaret, the wife of Ludwick Maris, the sum of fifty pounds in current money, and no more, in full for her part of my real and personal estate, which sum shall be pain to her in one year after my death.

Item: I bequeath to the heirs of my deceased daughter Catherine, late wife of Georg Adam Bush, the sum of one shilling, and no more, in full, for her part of my real and personal estate, which sum shall be paid to them within one year after my death.

Item: I bequeath to my son Henry Stump, the sum of one hundred pounds, as above, which he owes me on a certain piece of land, which land shall be given to him free of debt, for his share of the inheritance. Further, I also own a piece of Land, now in possession of the said Henry Stump, worth fifty pounds, which sum the said Henry shall pay to my executors.

Item: I bequeath to my daughter Magdalene, the wife of William Frymer, the sum of fifty pounds, current money, for her share of my estate. I empower my executors to deduct from the said fifty pounds, such sums as she owes me, and to pay the remainder in one year after my death.

Item: I bequeath to my daughter Susanna Stump, the sum of fifty pounds, current money, in full for her share of my estate, to be paid to her within one year of my death.

It is my will that all that I have left to the heirs of my children, shall be paid to them in full by my executors, and that they shall have no further claim on my estate. And what the children of my present wife inherit, to them I bequeath as follows:

Item: I bequeath to my daughter, Catherine, the wife of Leonhart Strickler, the sum of fifty pounds, current money: this fifty pounds, the said Leonhart Strickler owes me for a piece of land which shall be turned over to him free of all debt, as her part of my estate.

Item: I bequeath to my daughter Julianna Stump, the sum of fifty pounds, current money, as her full share of my estate, to be paid to her within a year of my death.

Item: I bequeath to my daughter Margaret Stump, the sum of fifty pounds in full for her share of my estate which shall be paid to her when she reaches the full age.

And I empower my executors to pay all these legacies, and for this purpose I empower the executors and their successors, to sell my stone messuage and lot of ground, in Reading in Berks County, as soon as can be profitably done, after my death, and I empower them, my executors and their successors, to give a deed to the buyer of the same.

Item: I bequeath the whole plantation on which I now live, in Heidelberg Township, containing about two hundred and seventy acres, to my two sons, namely Leonhard Stump and Christopher Stump, and to their heirs and assigns forever. That is to say, the upper part or the southern part, the one part of it as now divided –I will to Leonhart Stump, his heirs and assigns forever, on the condition that the said Leonhart Stump shall have have given to my executors, a hundred pounds, also that Leonhart Stump with the help of his brother Christopher Stump, shall provide a lifetime home for my widow Margaret, so long as she remains a widow and no longer. The above land shall be the property of the said Leonhart Stump, in full for his share of my real estate.

Item: I bequeath to my said son Christopher Stump, the lower or north part of the above land, the one half as it is now divided, this he shall hold as his property, the Christopher Stump, his heirs and assigns forever; on which land he shall have nothing to pay except that with the help of his brother Leonhart Stump, he shall provided a home for my widow Margaret Stump so long as she shall remain my widow, and no longer; which piece of land he shall have for his part of my real estate.

Item: I bequeath to my son Michael Stump two hundred and fifty acres of patent land: lying beyond the Blue Mountain in Berks County on the Machaney Creek, which the said Michael Stump shall hold, his heirs and assigns forever, without any payment or debt for the said piece of land, in full for his share of my real estate. And in case one of my above mentioned sons, namely Leonhart, Christopher and Leonhart (sic Michael) (writer’s error?) shall die before they come of age, without heirs, the survivors, their heirs and assigns forever, shall divide the land, and the said survivors shall measure off to Leonhard Stickler 50 acres of the land on which I now live, adjoining Leonhart Strickler, George Holstein, and Michael Miller, and shall give a good deed to Leonhart Strickler, his heirs and assigns forever, - I authorize my executors, their heirs and assigns to make such deeds and conveyances, as may be needed to accomplish my intentions, as declared in this will. Also, I bequeath to my son Leonhart Stump, my colored boy named John, and to my son Christopher Stump, my colored boy named Adam, which negroes my sons shall have when they first reach their legal age. – I bequeath to my widow Margarette the full third part of all my possessions (excepting the blacks) and direct that she shall have everything under her command, that is to say the entire farm, and shall manage it with the help of my sons until Leonhart and Christopher reach their legal age. And shall rear her children from the profits and income, without demanding more from the estate – and after my youngest child comes of age, my personal property shall be divided among my six youngest children, in equal shares after the widow has taken her third – and I further direct that my widow shall have her dwelling place on the plantation, in the house in which I now live. And when my sons Leonhart and Christopher take possession of the plantation, they shall build a house for my widow, as long as she remains my widow and no longer – but should she, my widow, marry, then she shall receive the third part of my personal property and no more, and shall give up her right to a home on the farm. And finally I name as my executors, Leon Strickler and George Smith, of this my last will and testament, and also name said Leonhart Strickler as guardian of my minor children. And I declare this to be my last will and testament.

(signed) Christopher Stump (by his mark)

Signed, Sealed, published and declared by the said testator as his last will and testament in the presence of us the subscribers.

(signed) John Meyer (his mark), (signed) Henry Myer (his mark)

[Source: "Frederick Stump, the Rest of the Story", by Julia Cook Guice, 1991; originally translated by Elizabeth Kieffer, Archivist, Fachenthal Library, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, abt. 1963].

Sources

"Frederick Stump, the Rest of the Story", by Julia Cook Guice, 1991

Pennsylvania Archives

Historical and Bilgraphical Annals of Berks County PA Vol.II 1909, compiled by Morton L. Montgomery #1, page 1133

Research of Arlyne M. Stump, http://genforum.genealogy.com/stump/messages/336.html

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Last Will and Testament of Christopher Stump, Testator: Christopher Stump, Volume: Will Book C, Film: 21355. (28 Feb 1769)
   pp. 578-581.
2. ↑ Gordon W. Pace. Christopher Stump 1829, Recipient: STUMP-L@rootsweb.com, Author E-mail: siriuspace@aol.com. (29 May 2000)
   ...Christopher Stump was born in 1695 in Germany.
3. ↑ Brendle Esq., A.S. A Brief History of Schaefferstown. (Dispatch Publishing Co., York, PA, 1901)
   pg. 194.
4.   Morton L Montgomery. Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County Pennsylvania. (Chicago: J H Beers & Co, 1909).

   Christopher Stump, one of the pioneers of Heidelberg township, Berks County, was a man of remarkable physical strength, and over six feet in stature. He accompanied Conrad Weiser to the midwinter Indian conference of the Six Nations in northern New York. He was twice married, and sixteen children, in all, among them being two Susannas, two Margarets, two Catharines, and two Christophers. He owned several slaves, according to his will, which was made Feb. 28, 1769, and in which he is mentioned as Christpher Stump, von Heidelberg township, Lancaster (now Lebanon) County.

5. ↑ on the ship St. Mark.