The Last Will and Testament of Henry Mohler, Jr.

In the name of God Amen: I Henry Mohler of Cogollico Township, being weak in Body, but sound in Memory and Senses, Wherefore remembering, that by the will of God I shall soon be discharged of my Corporality, I hereby make this my last Will and Testament in the following manner viz.

I order that my wife and children shall carry on all business in my Family and on my Plantation in like manner and as if I was alive from the date hereof for the Term of four years next following: and all the Profit and Income both of mine real and personal Estate within that Term shall be the property of said my Wife, provided she pays within that Term all Debts which I have contracted, and also gives all my children within that Term sufficient maintenance and Education. But if the said Debts should not be discharged within that Term, then my two oldest sons shall be bound to pay them besides the valuation money for my lands and that in equal shares.

After the expiration of said Term my children under age fourteen years shall be under the Tuition of my Wife, until each is fourteen years old, shall have from her proper Education, and a year Schooling, all Expenses for said Education to be paid to my Wife by my two oldest Sons in equal shares, beside their consideration money for the lands; so much as my two Executors, or any surviving, shall think proper.

To my beloved Wife I give the sum of one hundred Pounds Pennsylvania currency, to be paid to her by my two sons in equal shares from the first money arising from said lands, in the first year forty Pounds, the second year the same sum, and the third year twenty Pounds, which sum shall be deducted from the money which they shall pay for my Lands.

Item. I give and bequeath to my Wife all my Kitchen Furniture, tools and Implements, to be taken possession thereof by her, when four years are expired.

Item: I give to her all Flax, Hemp, Linnen, Beds and Beddings, found in my family, when said four years are expired, except that she at the expiration of said Term shall give to each of my eldest sons a Feather Bed. I give her full power to dispose of all said articles by a Last Will.

Item: I give to her farther the following Articles and Privileges in my Estate, but only during the Term of her remaining a Widow, and not farther, viz my two eldest Sons shall supply her at the expiration of said four years every year with eight bushels of Wheat, three bushels of Rye, five bushels of Bookwheat and they shall for her keep the best Cow of mine cows in good summer and winter fodder and they shall supply her with sufficient firewood, fitted for her use and brought before her door. And also every year shall they supply her with half a hog, weighing with the grease no less than eighty pounds, with seventy five pounds of good beef and she shall the free use of a dwelling room in the second story of my house and my Executors shall take care, that a proper room be made for her dwelling in my house, in the second story, provided well with all things necessary and the other room opposite to that shall also be for her use. She also shall have the free use of the washing house and of one cellar, which she likes best, and one third of my garden, one half an acre of land, three waggonloads of Dung every year and also three barrels of cider every year, and so many apples, brought by my sons in her cellar, as she thinks best. Also shall she have the free use of the bake oven, and a riding horse, as necessity requires it and further every year fifteen pounds of heckled hemp or flax together with its toe and eight pounds of tallow every year.

To my two eldest sons I give all my personal estate not already bequeathed to be divided among them, when said four years are expired, shares alike, under Condition that they shall pay to all my Heirs (themselves included) for said personal property the sum of one hundred and twenty pounds in terms as shall be mentioned and my eldest son shall have for every year he stays in my family above his age the sum of twelve pounds, to be paid from my estate as other debts.

Further, after said four years are expired all my Real Estate shall be divided by my Executors in two equal shares according to the quantity of Acres and appropriated the same to my two eldest sons, my eldest son shall have that part, where my dwelling house stands. Said my two sons shall pay for said Lands the sum of fifteen hundred Pounds Money aforesaid [unreadable line] share alike, in manner following together with the hundred and twenty Pounds, arising from the personal Estate, as aforesaid viz: first my eldest son shall have a Legacy of ten Pounds, provided he quitteth his double share, further shall each of said my two sons pay very immediately following year after the Expiration of the said four years the sum of twenty pounds money aforesaid, until the whole debt is discharged, and after my wife is paid, my two married Daughters shall have their share, of which my eldest daughter Mary hath upon account of her portion received the sum of sixty four pounds, and my other Daughter Elizabeth the same sum, which must be deducted, and they shall pay the eldest of my children their shares first and said my two sons shall have their shares the last. Item: said my two sons shall supply my wife every year as aforesaid with four Pounds of Wool with one third all the eggs on my Premises

Further I order and invest my Executors, in order to keep the balance between my two sons, to value the lands of each, and according to that valuation to make them equal in their shares, by obliging him which hath the best part, to pay so much to the other, until they are equal, and herewith my two sons shall be satisfied.

And farther I hereby empower my Executors, or any of them the surviving, when said my two sons shall have paid for their Lands, or gives sufficient security to my Executors, to give to them good and lawfull Deeds for said Lands, to have and to hold said lands to them, their Heirs and Assigns forever, which I hereby acknowledge as Lawful, as if done by myself.

Finally I constitute as my Executors of this my Last Will and Testament my two friends Daniel Bowman and Jacob Keller, Jr. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my name and seal this [unreadable line] hundred and seventy four.

Witnesses: Jacob Senseman and John Landis.

The signature is very shaky, as if written by a very sick man.

The will was proved 6 May 1774. 

At his death his children and their ages:

Mary Pfautz, 23 years, Elizabeth Herr, 21-22, Henry, 20 years, John 17 years, Salome, 13 years, Susanna, 10 years, Margaret, 7 years, Jacob 3 years and Christian, one month

Deed DD-357, 1 Jan 1785, Maria Pfautz, Elizabeth Herr, Susanna Bucher and Salome Mohler, quit claim on the estate and each received 182 pounds.

Deed TT-489, 25 April 1795, Jacob Mohler, Christian Mohler and Margaret Zug sign off on their inheritance. Each received 182 pounds.

The deeds for sons John and Henry to receive their lands have not been found, but they did receive land. Deed H-9-70, in 1834, estate of (Bollinger's) John sells land John rec'd from father. Henry III, in an 1832 deed, mentions the 132 acres, he received from fathers estate