Wills: John Kitch, 1839: Salem Twp, Mercer County, Pennsylvania

In the Name of God, Amen. I, John Kitch of Salem Township in the County of Mercer & State of Pennsylvania, being Sick & Weak in body, but of Sound Mind & Memory & Understanding (Praise be God for it) And Considering the Certainty of Death & the Uncertainty of the Time thereof, to this end I May be the better Prepared to leave this world whenever it shall Please God to call me home, do Make and Declare this My last Will & testament in manner following, that is Say, First & principally I commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator, hoping for free Pardon & Remission of all my Sins, & to enjoy Everlasting happiness in the heavenly kingdom through Jesus Christ my Saviour, My body I commit to the Earth at the discretion of my Executors herein After named, and as the such Worldly Estate whether real or personall Wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give & dispose of the Same in the manner following, First I give and bequeath to Elizabeth my dearly beloved wife all and Singular my personal effects & estate remaining after my debts are paid out of the same. And also out of my personal property I give and bequeath to my nephew James Kitch the sum of one hundred Dollars, and I in like manner give & bequeath to my nephew Isaac Kitch the sum of fifty Dollars, both the above last mentioned Sums, after the expiration of two years from my deceas. To be by my executors hereinafter named with ni interest or by them kept at interest until they the said James & Isaac Kitch come of age, & as aforesaid the remainder to Elizabeth my loving & beloved wife, and as to Real Estate in manner which consists of one hundred acres of land, the farm on which I now live, I give and bequeath to Elizabeth my beloved wife as afore said during her Natural life together with all & singular the rents, ____, & proffits thereof To have, hold & enjoy the same during her natural life as aforesaid & after the death of Elizabeth my beloved wife as aforesaid, the land shall descend to the same nephews legitimate heirs, to hold and enjoy by them in equal shares , their heirs and assigns for ever, and I do hereby Constitute, Appoint, Make & Ordain Joseph Kitch & James Melvin My Sole & Only Executors of this My last will & testament, and I do hereby utterly disavow, revoke, & dis____ all & every other former testaments, wills, legacies, bequests, and executors by me in any wise before Made, , or named, willed or bequeathed, Satisfying & Confirming this, & no other to be My last will & testament. In witness wherof I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal the Twentieth Day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine.

Signed & Sealed in the presence of
Wm A Bear                                                                     John Kitch (his signature)
James C White

(From the handwriting, the will was written by Wm A Bear)