Wentz Farmstead

Primary Source Series

Melchior Schultz Will

1826

Transcription by James Roper

Edited by Mark A. Turdo
2016

File: #H1.3.4 Schultz Family Melchior Schultz

Will, or last will and testament A testament is a just and compleat declaration or
sentence of a mans mind, or last will, of what he would have to be done with his estate
after his death. Or, according to dome, a will is a declaration of the mind, either by word
or writing, in disposing of an estate, and to take place after the death of the testator.
A New and Complete Law-Dictionary, Timothy Cunningham, 1765.

Melchior Schultz was born in Pennsylvania on March 25, 1756. He married

Salome (nee Wagner) on November 29, 1781. They had eight children, two of
whom died before Melchior. In 1794, at 38 years old, he became the third owner of
the 1758 Wentz House. He died in the house on June 1, 1826.
The following is a transcription of his last will and testament. Originally written in
English it provides insight into the house and farm, his relationship with his wife,
children, extended family, and neighbors. It is also the reason we refer to the
second floor northwest bed chamber as the Washington Room.
All spellings, punctuation, and abbreviations found in the original have been
retained in the transcription. Bracketed text is our editorial suggestion.

PETER WENTZ FARMSTEAD

Montgomery County (PA) Department of Assets & InfrastructureDivision of Parks, Trails, & Historic Sites,
Mailing address: P.O. Box 240, Worcester, PA 19490
Physical address: 2030 Shearer Road, Lansdale, PA 19446
610-584-5104
peterwentzfarmstead@montcopa.org
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The Last Will & Testament of Melchior Schultz

Proved Aug. 15th 1826
Witnesses affd
Executioners affd
Probate granted
Registered in Will Books
No 6 page 370 ??
Paid by F Shultz

In the Name of God, Amen!

I Melchior Schultz of Worcester Township in the County of Montgomery & State of
Pennsylvania yeoman, being weak in Body but of Sound Memory and understanding blessed be
God for the same, and putting to mind the uncertainty of this Life, do make and Publish this my
last Will & Testament this fifth day of June Anno Domini one thousand Eight hundred and
twenty Six in Manner following, vizt.
First, it is my Will that all my just Debts & funeral Expences shall be paid off out of my Estate
by my Executors hereunto named.
And I give & bequeath unto my beloved Wife Salome Two Beds with all what belongs to it, her
closepress, two chests with as much Linnen, stripes, check Lincy, Table cloths & Towels as she
likes to take, two Spinning Wheels & Reel, one Kitchen Tresser, two Tables, all the above
Articles to be of her chosing, & all the hatcheld Flax, as much of my kitchen Furniture as She
wants for her use, as many of my Books as she like to take, I likewise give unto her for a free
dwelling the little Kitchen and stove Room adjoining in the North end of my House, as well as
the Room in the second story called Washingtons Room, during her life time with Liberty to pass
& repass to and from the same, and to use the Water in the Pump as well as the Bake oven,
likewise is my will that my Son Frederick shall Manure the fourth part of the Kitchen Garden
opposide (sic) her Room for her use. She is also to have liberty to take from the Fruit Trees on
my Plantation as m[uch] as she wants for her use, and the Possessor of my Plantation shall
Provide for her Sufficient Firewood before the Door during her life time. I Likewise give her
on[e] Stove & Pipe which she choses, as well as my House Clock, and I Will that my Executors
shall pay unto her out of my Estate the Sum of fifty Dollars at or before she moves to the Rooms
bequeathed to her as above. And I likewise Will that the Sum of Two Thousand Dollars shall be
standing on my Plantation during the life time of the said my Wife Salome, and the Interest
thereof at the Rate of five percent pr Annum shall be paid unto her every year by the Possessor
of my said Plantation.
And I give, devise, demise & bequeath unto my Son in Law Melchior Krieble and to his heirs &
Assigns for ever all that part of my Plantation which is in his present Possession, with the New
Buildings thereon, & the appurtenances thereunto belonging, containing by a late Survey Sixty
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three acres more or less of Land, together with five acres of Woodland Surveyed for him at the
South East corner of my Plantation, and I value & appraise the said Two Tracts of Land to him
for thirty Eight Dollars pr acre to be paid into my Estate which he is to be pay in payments of
four hundred Dollars per year without Interest one Year after the other until paid, always do
reserve his inherital share thereof.
And I give, devise, demise and bequeath unto my Son Frederick Schultz and to his heirs &
Assigns for Ever all the remainder of my said Plantation situate in Worcester Township whereon
I now dwell together with all the Buildings & appertunances thereon belonging, under the
reservation above mentioned for my Wife. Containing one Hundred & thirty two Acres more or
less of Land; and I value and appraise the same unto him at the sum of Forty three Dollars pr
acre to be paid into my Estate; it is my Will that of the above mentioned standing Sum of Two
thousand Dollars, is five hundred Dollars on the Land of my Son in Law Melchior Krieble, to
pay the Interest of five per Cent pr annum during my Wifes Naturel Life time. And I will that
my Son Frederic shall have every year the one half part of the Apples growing on the orchard of
the above Land granted to Melchior Krieble until the end of the year one thousand eight hundred
and fourty, with Liberty to fetch them with Waggon, Cart or in any other way whenever it suits
him or his folks, and doing as little Damage to Melchior Krieble as Possible, and I will Melchior
Krieble & Son Fredric shall have the use of my Apple Mill & Cider press during said time in
Company. And I Will that my Son Frederic his Heirs and Assigns for ever shall have Liberty to
go along the Waggon rout towards Philadelphia over the land given to Melchior Krieble, and that
Melchior Krieble his heirs and Assigns for ever shall have the priviledge to go to his woodland
along the Waggon rout over the Land granted to Frederic.
And I will & I do hereby Impower and Authorise my hereunto named Executors David Krieble
to make Sign, Seal & deliver a good & Lawful Deed or Deeds of Conveyance unto my Son
Frederic his heirs & Assigns for ever for the above Plantation bequeathed unto him, and he shall
likewise Sign, Seal and deliver unto my said Son in Law Melchior Krieble a good and Lawful
Deed or deeds of Conveyance and to his Heirs & Assigns for ever for the above two Tracts of
Land bequeath to him.
And I Will that all my Books which my Wife does not take shall be equally Devided among all
my children and their Heirs. And I will that my Daughter Susanna shall have a free dwelling in
my house in the same Rooms with her mother, and after Mothers Decease the Stove in the
Lower Story of my House which was of her Mothers shall be her free dwelling as long she
remains Single & unmarried with Liberty to pass and repass to & from the same as well as to use
the Water of the Pump.
And my Will is to sell a certain Tract of Wood Land of Containing four Acres and three quarters
(more or less) situate in Charlestown Township Chester County and I impower my above named
Executor David Krieble to make Sign, Seal and Deliver a good and Lawful Deed of Conveyance
unto the purchaser of said Tract of woodland.
And I give devise, demise & bequeath unto my Son Frederic Schultz and to his Heirs & Assigns
for ever all that Tract of Woodland situate in Millford Township Bucks County Containing Eight
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Acres more or Less of Land; which I value & appraise unto him at the Sum of three hundred
Dollars, to be paid in my Estate.
And further I give and bequeath the whole of my Estate not bequeathed above in Eight equal
Shares & portions to be devided among my Eight Children and their heirs under the following
derections, one share I give to my Son Henry, the Second share to my Son Frederic, the third
share to my deceased Daughter Christinas Children, and I have given to Samuel Krieble the
former husband of said Christina, In my Will the sum of Two Hundred pounds in money, so is
my Will that said children to receive no more as to enclude said two hundred pounds into their
Share, the fourth share to my Daughter Regina, and as I have given to her last husband deceased
Christopher Krieble the sum of one hundred and Twenty pounds, which said sum, is my Will to
be taken into her said Reginas Share,; And the fifth share of my Estate I give and bequeath unto
Samuel Krieble junior, the only Son of my deceased Daughter Mary and her husband Benjamin
Krieble: And the Sixth share I give to David Krieble the Husband of my Daughter Sarah, and the
seventh share I give to my Daughter Susanna; And the Eighth share I give unto Melchior Krieble
the Husband of my Daughter Rosina.
And further I Will that after the decease of my Wife Salome the Sum of Two Thousand Dollars
standing on my Plantation for her use as above mentioned as well as all her other property shall
be Equally divided among my Eight Children & their Heirs, and paid unto them by my Son
Frederic in four equal yearly payments, the first payment thereof reserving to himself & brother
Henry, and the other three payments to his Sisters or their heirs according to their Age, without
Interest.
And further I will that my Son Frederic at the Time of taking Possession of my Plantation and
receiving a Deed for the same shall give Bonds to my Executors for all the Moneys he owes into
my Estate over and above what he is to keep first his Share, & what is left standing on my
Plantation for my Wife, each Bond to be three Hundred Dollars Without Interest.
And if the Land bequeathed to Melchior Krieble should amount to more Money as his share of
my Estate comes to, I will that he shall pay the overplus to my Executors within one year after
my Decease for the use of all the Heirs, but if such overplus should amount to more then as five
Hundred Dollars he shall pay in yearly payments of one hundred Dollars per Payment without
Interest.
And whereas my Son Henry owes me a Considerable Sum of Money over and above the Sum of
one thousand Pounds I gave to him, I Will that he shall pay thereof four Thousand Dollars in
Eight equall payments without Interest, that is to say five hundred Dollars yearly pr payment.
And I Will that all the moneys paid by him Annually, as well as by Frederic shall be given to pay
to the Children of my deceased Daughter Christina the first year, and the second year to David
Krieble, & so on by Rotation about allways leaving the last payment to Samuel Krieble jun. the
son of Benj. Krieble, but said Henry & Frederic reserving their share out of it in these payments.
And lastly I Will that my Family shall keep House on my Plantation for the Benefit of my Estate
until the first day of April next after my deceas, and about or some time before said day my
Executors Shall make Sale by public Vendue of all my moveable Affects, Chattels & Farming
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utensills after having the same Appraised, but Hay and Straw shall not be Appraised, but left on
the place for the use of my Son Frederic, and all the Winter grain, which shall be in the Ground
then, shall be harvested threshed and cleaned by my Son Frederic and he shall have the one third
part of grain & all the Straw for his Truble; and the other two parts shall be soald at private Sale
by my Executors for the Benefit of all my Heirs.
And further I constitute and appoint Freder my Son Frederic, David Krieble the Husband of my
Daughter Sarah and Melchior Krieble the husband of my Daughter Rosina, to be Executors of
this my last Will & Testament in Trust of all the Intents & purposes in this my Will Contained.
In Witness whereof I have unto this my last Will and Testament set Hand & Seal the day & year
above written
Melchior Schultz

Signed, Sealed, pronounced and Declared by the said Testator to be his last Will & Testament in
our presence Who at his request have signed our Names here unto
Baltzer Heebner affd }
Abraham Kreeble affd } Montgomery County Personally [appointed?] the witnesses to the
foregoing will and being duly affirmed according to Law did on their solemn affirmation
respectively say that they saw and heard Melchior Schultz the Testator therein named sign and
seal publish and declare the same will as his last will and Testament and at the doing of it he was
of sound mind memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and belief Also at the
same time the Executors appeared and being duly affirmed to diligently and faithfully regard and
well and truly comply with the provisions of an act of Assembly [illegible] collateral inheritance
& [illegible] Aug. 15, 1826.

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