Person:Joseph Yard (1)

ANCESTRY: His father's name may have been George (speculative).

OCCUPATION: Mason and brick layer -- built Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) church in Wilmington, Delaware 1697-1773. Also built "Old Buttonwood" 1704+ First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Also thought to have built Gloria Dei in downtown Phila. was still standing in 1956 then Episcopalian.

DEATH: I Joseph Yard of the City of Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania Bricklayer being sick and weak in body but of a sound and perfect mind memory & understanding and calling to mind the frailty of this transitory life and that it is appointed for all flesh once to dye Do make and ordain this my last Will & Testament as follows revoking all former & other Wills by me at any time heretofore made.

First I Will That all my Just Debts and funeral Expenses be paid and discharged by my Executrix herein after named within a Convenient Time after my decease Item I Give Devise & Bequeath unto my Son Joseph Yard and his heirs and Assigns for Ever all that my Messuage or Tenement & Lott of Land being the Southernmost of my Tenements on the West Side of the Front Street in Philadelphia aforesaid. Item I Give Devise & Bequeath unto my dear and well beloved wife Mary all and singular the residue and remainder of all my real Estate and all my personal Estate wheresoever the same may be found and of what nature kind or species soever the same may be The yearly rent of which said remainder of my real Estate she my said wife shall receive & take & Convert to her own use during her natural life At or before whose decease my Will is That all my Estate as well real as personal shall according to my said wives discretion be by her divided & distributed amongst my five youngest Sons and the Survivors of them Each of which said Sons Share Legacy and portion of my said real Estate shall wholly and soley be and remain to the only use & behoof of such of my said five youngest Sons and to Each of their respective heirs for Ever according to the aforesaid reasonable & d(discretionary?) division and distribution of my said wife And if any of all my Sons aforesaid should happen to dye without Issue lawfully begotten Then and in such Case my Will is That the Legacy share & portion of such Child or Children deceasing without lawful Issue as aforesaid shall be Equally divided amongst the Survivors of them and their heirs for Ever And I do hereby nominate Constitute and appoint my aforesaid Wife Mary Sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament In witness whereof I the said Joseph Yard have put my hand and Seal to this my said last Will & Testament dated the sixteenth day of May in the Second year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George by the Grace of God of Great Britain & King And in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred & sixteen

       Signed Sealed and Declared by the said
       Joseph Yard as his last Will in presence of

       William Bissell
       John Lloyd
       John Cadwalader

       Joseph Yard

1. ↑ Rix N. Yard. Descendants of ( )AtYard. (decendency chart (22 May 1998)).
2.   John W. Jordan, LL.D. Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania; Genealogical and Personal Memoirs. (The Lewis Publishing Company (NY, Chic.) 1911)
   Volume 1 pg 316 "Fox Family".
3.   George E. McCracken, Ph.D.; Professor in Drake University, Des Moines, IA. The Yard Family of Philadelphia And Trenton. (1956).