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“I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Catherine one cow”, Adam Steger’s Last Will & Testament.
Adam Steger was my 6th-Great Grandfather on the Garrison side. He was born 1719 in Lebanon, PA and died May 7, 1783 in the same place. Fortunately for his wife Catherine, he had amassed an impressive inventory of property and had much more than a single cow the leave.
My lineage from Adam Steger is as follows (note the altnerate spelling of Steger):
Adam Steger > Frederick Stager > Elizabeth (Stager) Daub > Johannes Daub > John Daub > Adline (Daub) Garrison > Charles Garrison > Charlene (Garrison) Crosby > Me.
What follows is a transcription of Adam Steger’s will. He ensured his wife was well cared for after his death. The transcription is posted at the bottom of this page in PDF format.
This will also identifies Adam and Catherine’s living children as well as one of their deceased sons, Balthzer. Adam ensured that Balthzer’s children Barbara, Frederick and Catherine also received a share.
(*NOTE: During the 1700s punctuation wasn’t used nearly as much as it is today. Many sentences are run-ons and, without commas, are a little confusing.)
Adam Steger
Deceased In the Name of God Amen.
This seventh day of May in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty three. I Adam Steger of Lebanon Township in the County of Lancaster Yeoman being at present sick and weak in body but nevertheless of perfect and disposing mind, memory and understanding, Thanks be to God thereby calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will and testament that is to say principally and first of all I recommend my soul in the hands of God who gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in a Christian like & decent manner and touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless my in this life I give divide and dispose of the same in the following manner and form Imprimis it is my will and I do order in the first place that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid off and satisfied as soon as conveniently may be after my decease –
Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Catherine one cow allowing her the choice of my cattle, her bed, bedstand & curtains and bed clothes, her spinning wheel & reel her chest with all that is in the same without search or examination – two pewter basins, two dishes, four plates – six spoons, one large and one small iron pot and bucket and one small tubb one iron pan and the kitchen dresser in and above what in hereafter is given and bequeathed unto her – Item I give and bequeath unto my oldest son Jacob the sum of five pounds over and above his equal share with my other children in full discharge for his first birth right to be paid to him out of my personal estate. Item I give and bequeath unto my youngest son Frederick one of my horse creatures allowing him the choice over and above the equal share with my other children.
Item my further will that the several articles herein before bequeathed and given are taken out of my estate that then the remainder of my personal estate shall be sold and made to money by my Executors by public sale and the money arising there from shall be divided in the following manner. That is to say my beloved wife Catherine shall have the one third thereof and the other two thirds shall be equally amongst all my children, Eight in number and the child of my deceased son Balthzer, named Jacob, John Catherine wife of Wm Stone Margarette wife of Nicholas Bonnet, Regeena wife of Adam Stone, Barbara, Frederick and Catherine the daughter of my deceased son Balthzer Steger, share and share alike, Item my further will is and I do hereby order that my beloved wife Catherine shall and may have full right and liberty to live and abide in the house wherein I now live with the possessor of my place for and during her natural life and shall have the liberty of the stove room, kitchen and cellar for her use without hindrance, molestation or denial – and the possessor of my plantation shall give and deliver unto her my said wife Yearly and every year during her natural life the necessary fire wood, twenty bushels good wheat, five bushels of good rye, one hundred pounds of good pork, twenty bushels of good hatchet flax, six pounds of good wool, the fruit of three apples trees allowing her the choice yearly, one third of the garden well manured and three pounds in [unknown] yearly and to keep and feed her cow summer and winter as his own cattle.
Item I give, devise and bequeath unto my youngest son Frederick Steger all that my plantations and lands situated in the Township of Lebanon, County of Lancaster aforesaid bounded or adjoining the lands of John Spiker, Wm Blecher, Adam Brand and others containing about two hundred and thirty acres be the same more or less together with the buildings and improvements thereunto belonging. To Hold him the said Frederick Steger his heirs and assigns forever he my son Frederick paying for the same such price and sum of money as five different men of the neighborhood to be chosen by the Orphan Court shall value and appraise the same which men shall at the time of such appraisement also settle the gates and yearly payments in such a manner as shall be reasonable for my son to make up. And the valuation of appraisement of my said lands shall be equally divided amongst my eight children and my granddaughter herein before named and by paid unto them as they succeed each other in age beginning at my eldest son and ending at my granddaughter and so on until the whole is paid – This appraisement is to be made in two years after my decease during which term my Frederick shall pay no further rent out of the place only furnish his mother with her maintenance and after the valuation aforesaid my son Frederick securing the payments of the valuation aforesaid my Executors hereinafter named are hereby ordered and directed to make and execute such deed or deeds for the plantation aforesaid unto my son Frederick Steger, his heirs and assigns as will vest on him a fee simple estate. And lastly nominate and appoint me trusty and loving friends Michael Tice and Rudolph Kelcher to be the Executors of this my last will and testament hereby disannulling and making void all and other former testaments and Executors by me heretofore made and appointed ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my will and testament. In Witness whereof I, the said Adam Steger have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first in the beginning written ———- Adam Steger {seal}
Adam_Steger_Will_1783.PDF
