WILL: John DAVIES, 1772, Caernarvon Township, Lancaster County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Anna Brown elijahf1@earthlink.net

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The Will of John DAVIES,
Dated 27 March 1772, was proved 7 April 1772.

In the Name of God Amen I John DAVIES of Caernarvon Township in the County of 
Lancaster and Province of Pennsylvania Yeoman being weak in Body but of Sound & 
perfect mind and Memery blessed be almighty God for the Same do make & ordain 
this my Last Will & Testament in Manner & form following Viz In the first place 
it is my will and I do order that all my just debts & funeral charges be fully 
paid and satisfied Item it is my will and I do order that my land whereof I am 
now possessed Situate in the said Township of Caernarvon be sold with the land 
of my son John DAVIES deceased by my Executors hereafter Named and the money 
arising therefrom to be divided Accorded to Quantity
Item I give and bequeath to Elizabeth my beloved wife One third part of the 
money arising from my Said Land and likewise my Riding Horse & all my Horned 
Cattle Sheep and Swine and all my household goods and Furniture during her 
Natural life. [Except my Books & small desk & iron Pot] and after her decease to 
my Daughter Elizabeth HUDSON & her Heirs forever the one third part of the Money 
hereby bequeathed to my wife after her decease Together with the other remaining 
two thirds to be equally divided between my children Myrick, Peninah & Elizabeth 
to be by them their Heirs and Assigns Possessed and Enjoyed forever

Item I give and bequeath all my Books belonging to the Law to my Grandson John 
DAVIES but if he should happen to die in his minority then to the first male 
child born of my Daughter Elizabeth HUDSON but in case she has no male issue 
then to my Son Myrick DAVIES and his heirs forever Item I give and bequeath to 
my Daughter Elizabeth HUDSON One New Bible in Quarto and Common Prayer Book and 
the Second Volume of Sherlocks Discourses Also I order the remainder of my said 
Books be sold by my Executors hereafter Named Item I give and bequeath the 
aforesaid Small Desk and Iron Pots to Thomas PARRY the said Several Legacies and 
Sums of Money I will & Order Shall be paid to the Said respective Legatees after 
my wifes decease by my Executors hereafter Named Item I also give & bequeath 
unto Elizabeth my said wife my Negroe Woman Named Hannah with all her Offspring 
Item I give & bequeath to William MACKEY all my Wearing Apparel with respect to 
my Estate in the Township of Vinicant {is this spelled correctly?} in the County 
of Chester to wit one half of two Certain Tracts of Land in the said Township of 
Vinicant One containing Two Hundred and Six Acres whereon is erected an Iron 
Works or Forge and Several other Buildings & Improvements which I & John EVANS 
have sold to one John YOUNG Iron Master for Seven hundred & seventy five POunds 
Currency as will appear by Certain Covenants now in the care of Joseph MILLER in 
Chester County & one other Tract of Four Hundred Acres more or less whereon is 
erected a Grist Mill & Saw Mill with all other Improvements thereon sold to one 
John PHILIPS for Four Hundred and Fifty Pounds Currency by the above said Joseph 
MILLER by a Verbal Order from me & the said John EVANS I do therefore Order & it 
is my will and I do hereby Authorize and Impower the said John EVANS to Convey 
all our right Title Claim and demand thereto Agreeable to the Covenants and 
Agreements Subsisting between us the said John EVANS & my self and the said John 
YOUNG & between the said Joseph MILLER and the said John PHILIPS as Amply fully 
& Intirely to all intents and Purposes as If I had lived to have done it myself 
Lastly I Constitute and Appoint my beloved wife Elizabeth DAVIES Executrix & my 
Trusty Friends Thomas PARRY, Morris HUDSON Executors & Elizabeth HUDSON 
Executrix whome I Order & Impower to make and Execute a Sufficient Title & Deed 
of Conveyance for the Land which I have Ordered to be sold as Aforesaid hereby 
Revoking all former Wills by me made In Testimony whereof I have hereunto Set my 
hand and Seal this Twenty Seventh day of March in the Year of our Lord 1772
John DAVIS J D

Signed Sealed Published and declared by the Above Named John DAVIES to be his 
Last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto Subscribed our 
Names as Witnesses in the presence of the Testator, Griffith EVANS, Evan EVANS, 
David JENKINS.

Lancaster County Jst On the Seventh day of April Anno Domini 1772 Personally 
appeared David JENKINS & Griffith EVANS two of the Subscribing Witnesses to the 
within Will & on their Corporal Oath did depose & Say that They were present and 
Saw and heard John DAVIES the Testator within Named Sign Seal Publish pronounce 
and declare the within Named will as and for his Last Will and Testament and 
that at the doing thereof he was of Sound and well disposing mind and memory and 
understanding to the best of their knowledge Observation & belief. Edwd SHIPPEN, 
Reg

Be it remembered that on the Seventh day of April Anno Domini 1772 the Last Will 
and Testament of John DAVIS {DAVIES} late of Caernarvon Township in the County 
of Lancaster Yeoman deceased was proved in due form of Law & Letters 
Testamentary were granted to Elizabeth DAVIS, Thomas PARRY, Morris HUDSON & 
Elizabeth HUDSON the Executors therein Named they being first duly Qualified 
well and truly to Administer the Estate of the Testator and to exhibit a true & 
perfect Inventory thereof into the Registers Office in Lancaster on or before 
the seventh day of May next and to render a true & fair Account of their 
Administration on the said Estate when thereto lawfully required Given under the 
Seal of the said Office Erme Edwd SHIPPEN DGR

Transcribed August 28, 1996 by Anna Brown from FHL film # 0021355, Lancaster 
County PA Will Book C, pp 154-157