John Henderson Will

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Will Book 5, Pages 88-90 Last Will of John Henderson, M.D., late of the
Borough of Huntingdon deceased 

In the name of God Amen: I, John Henderson, of the Borough & County of
Huntingdon & State of Pennsylvania, Doctor of Medicine, making void all
former Wills by me at any time heretofore made and to collect as son
after my decease as the same cam be effected without subjecting my
estate to any avoidable expense, all monies which may e due & owing to
me at the time of my decease by hand note or otherwise; and after first
paying my funeral expenses and all legal charges against my Estate as
follows to wit: Whereas in the education of my Sons. Setting them up in
life & afterwards supporting them for at time, I have advanced
considerably larger sums of money to some of them than to the others as
will appear by "Book of accounts and private memoranda" to which I refer
to fix & determine the amounts of the said advancements; and whereas it
is my Will & intention that my sons should receive equal portions as
nearly as may be of my Estate, taking into view the sums advanced to
them respectively as aforesaid. I do order and direct my Executors to
pay to my sons, Andres A. & William II. Out of the monies aforesaid and
if necessary other monies which may be received by my Executors in the
Settlement of my Estate, so much as will make their accounts equal to
the sums advanced as aforesaid to my sons Matthew A. & I. Kearsley [?],
the whole amount necessary to make such equalization to be paid to my
sons Andrews A. Immediately & to William I. In installments of five
hundred a year until the whole be paid, and whatever may remain of my
personal Estate I direct to be equally divided amongst my four sons. And
to my real estate which I hereby classify range & number in parcels
proper from their location & situation to be considered valued & taken
by my sons in the names hereafter mentioned as district parts or
properties. I order & direct my Executors a soon as the above & within
arrangements with respect to my personal property be made to employ
three respectable & disinterested persons in the neighbourhood of the
property, to appraise & set a value on each part or property, separately
which appraisement & valuation shall be made in writing. Signed by the
said appraisers & filed by my Executors in the office of the Register
for the Probate of Wills & granting letters of administration in and for
the county of Huntingdon; that is to say: 1st all my "Strong Farm" of
one hundred and forty six acres & including six tracts of unseated
mountain & timberlands numbered in the "Schedule of the Titles to my
real Estate" as Nos. 7,8,9,10,11,12 as by reference to said Schedule
will appear: Situate South West of the mouth of the Raystown Branch of
the Juniata River & containing in the whole Seventeen or eighteen
hundred acres more or less. In valuing which the appraisers Shall take
into view a first rate water power at the State Dam on said Farm; & the
purchased right of a road from the Dam across the Canal Bridge to the
____ pike at the Barn of Mr. Jacob Millers. 2nd as my "Esther Donaldson"
Farm on which James Sloan now resides, lying South west of the borough
of Huntingdon & including on the North west line fifteen or twenty acres
of a Survey in the name of Peter Rist [?]. 3rd area all my real estate
in Huntingdon and the the neighbourhood consisting of my dwelling house
& the two lots of ground on which it Stands; & a lot on the Square back
of the new Court house. Lots and adjoining the lot of I. P. Campbell,
Esq, as also my meadow lot of Seven areas Situate on Stone Park neat the
borough line. 4th on my large Farm of upwards of three hundred acres of
limestone land of the first quality, on which John Wagoner now resides &
formerly in the tenure of Thomas Patton in Centre County, Pennsylvania.
5th on the Farm adjoining the last mentioned [No. 4] containing one
hundred & twenty acres more or less on which Christian Hartswick now
resides, a reference to the drafts will show the boundaries of number of
acres contained in No. 4 & 5 as above stated. 6th on my property in Lock
Haven, Clinton County, Pennsylvania, consisting of a large Brick house
Situate on two lots of ground on the bank of the River. Also lot no 57
[?] nearly in their rear on which is erected a large Stable & also my
interest in two lots of ground on the Square owned by son, Matthew A.
near to the Court House lots. After the appraisement & valuation shall
be made as aforesaid & the whole value of the real estate be thus
ascertained, and what will be the equal Share of each of my sons
therein. It being my intention to divide & apportion the same among my
sons equally. It is my will & I do hereby order & direct that my sons
shall have the privilege of choosing & taking such part or parcels of my
real estate according to the arrangement & classification herein before
made as they may respectively desire the said choice to be made by my
sons according to Seniority. That is to say, my son, Matthew A. is to
have the first choice: my son, Andrew A., the second; my son, I.
Kearsley, the third; and my son William I. the fourth & last choice. And
it is my will that the parts of my real estate so accepted & taken by my
sons respectively in the manner herein direct. Shall be held & pass
serving evidence of the choice, so made, by any said sons and &
preventing any uncertainty with that they shall execute an agreement
designating. Specifically, the choice by them respectively made or shall
executer or deliver mutual releases which agreement or release shall be
acknowledged & placed before record and if any part of my real estate be
not accepted and taken by my sons at the appraisement as aforesaid there
& in that case, I hereby order & direct my Executors to sell and dispose
of the same either at public or private sale as they shall judge most
advantageous to my Estate & for that purpose. I hereby expressly
authorize & empower my said Executors to sell & convey the same & make &
deliver a Deed or Deeds therefore to the purchaser or purchasers; and
the proceeds I order & direct to be so divided amongst my four sons as
to equalize their respective claims to be a full share of my whole
estate. Lastly, I do hereby make & order George Taylor my Attorney at
Law, of the borough of Huntingdon, and my sons, Matthew A. & Andrew A.
Henderson, Executors of this my last Will & Testament; and I do hereby
order and direct that in order to prevent any sacrifice of any portions
of my property and all avoidable expense & confusion to the
Administration of my Estate, my said Executors in carrying my views as
herein expressed shall be allowed a reasonable time for the performance
of their duties, in apposition to any interference by those interested
in urging a too hasty settlement of my affairs. In Witness whereof , I,
John Henderson, M.D., the Testator, have to this my Will written on one
sheet of paper, Set my hand and seal the eighteenth day of March in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty Seven John
Henderson [in German] seal Signed, sealed and acknowledged in presence
of us John Cresswell, James Steel Huntingdon County P Before me the
Subscriber Register for the probate of Will and granting Letters of
Administration in and for the county aforesaid personally came John
Cresswell & James Steel Esquires who being first duly Sworn according to
law did depose and say that they were personally present and did hear
Dr. John Henderson the Testator in the within will mentioned, whos name
is affixed to the same Signing and Sealing the Same, acknowledge the
same in our presence as his signature, and also further heard him
publish pronounce and declare the within instrument of writing as and
for his last will & Testament and that at the time thereof he was of
sound disposing mind & memory to the best of the knowledge & belief of
deponents that they Signed their names thereto as witnesses in the
presence of each other and in the presence of the Testator and at his
request. Sworn & Subscribed the 2nd day of April A.D. 1850 Before M. F.
Campbell Reg. James Stell Jn. Cresswell 

George Taylor, Esq. Dr. Mathew A. Henderson Executors of John Henderson
late Of the Borough of Huntingdon 

Memorandum Letters Testamentary [in Common form] ____ this day granted
to Hon. George Taylor and Dr. Marthew A. Henderson on the estate of Dr.
John Henderson late of the Borough and County of Huntingdon deceased.
Inventory to be exhibited within thirty from this date and a just ____
___ account calculation and accounting of their administration of Said
Estate within one year from the date hereof as when thereunto legally
reuied. Given under seal of office this 22nd day of May A.D. 1850 __ F.
Campbell, Register