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"In the name of God Amen I Robert McDonald of Delaware Township Mercer County & State of Pennsylvania being of sound mind & memory do make constitute & exclaim this my last will & testament as follows
First, that I give & bequeath to my wife Mary McDonald all my household & kitchen furniture beds & bedding with the house I now live in Also the profits of all my farm also the one half of all my stock during her natural life for her support
2 I give & bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Hamil two dollars to be paid to her or her heirs by my Executors at the time of my death or the death of my wife should she out live me
3 I give and bequeath to seven of my children viz Robert, Elenor, James, Mary, William, Authuls heirs, & Alexander, one dollar each to be paid to them by my Executors
4 I give and bequeath to my son Charles McDonald all my farm I now live on with all my farming utensials & half of my stock at the time of my wifes death to be his absolutely [three words lined out]
I do will that after my wifes death the half of the stock that was left to her is to be sold to pay the first eight legacies & other expences & should there not be a sufficiency to defray all expences then my son Charles is to pay them
5 I do constitute & exclaim James Thompson of the Borough of Mercer & Josiah Espy of Delaware Township my Executors to this my last will & testament to which I have this 13th day of February 1839 set my hand in presence of
John Wright, Joseph H. Wright
[signed] Robert McDonald
Mercer County ss
On this 23rd day of June AD 1840 personally came before me Joseph Smith[?] Register for the probate of wills etc in and for Mercer County John Wright & Joseph H. Wright and on their sworn oath saith that they were present and saw the above testator Robert Mcdonald sign and acknowledge the above instrument of writing as and for his last will and testament and that he was at the time of his so doing of sound deposing mind memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge observation and belief and that their names John Wright and Joseph H. Wright is of their proper handwriting of these deponants sworn & subscribed before me June 23rds 1840
Joseph Smith Register
[signed] John Wright, Joseph H. Wright
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Administration papers:
Know all men by these presents that we Alexander McDonald Thomas W. Pearson and William Swager of the County of Mercer and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are held and firmly bound with the said Comonwealth in the sum of five hundred dollars lawful money of the United States to be paid to the said Commonwealth to which payment will and truly , to be made we bind ourselves our heirs executors and administrators jointly and severally for and in the whole firmly by these presents sealed with our seals and dated the twenty fourth day of June AD 1840. Whereas Robert McDonald of Deleware Towsnhip Mercer county and State of Pennsylvania deceased did on the 10th day of February 1839 rightly and duly make and declare his last will and testament in the presence of witnesses whose names are hereunto transcribed wherein James Thompson and Josiah Espy were appointed executors but who afterwards refused to act and the said testator is since decd (as is alleged) which said last will and testament was on the 23rd day of June 1840 duly proven in the Registers office at Mercer in and for the County of Mercer aforesaid And wherein Administration with the will annexed, is granted with the said Alexander McDonald. Now the condiditon of this obligation is such that if the above bounden (Alexander McDonald Administrator with the will annexed) of all the singular the goods and chattels rights and credits of Robert McDonald deceased do make or cause to be made a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the goods and chattels rights and credits of the said deceased which have is (or as?) shall come to the knowledge hands in possession of him the said Alexander McDonald as into the hands or possession of any other person or persons for him and the same is make do exhibit or cause to be exhibited into the said register office in the County of Mercer aforesaid within thirty days from the date hereof and the same goods chattels rights and credits are all then the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased at teh time of his death as which at any time after shall come to the hands as possession of the said Alexander McDonald or unto the hands or possession of any other person or persons for him do will and truly administer according to law and further do make or cause to be made a true and just account of his said admininstration within one years from the date hereof and all the rest and redisual of the said goods chattels rights and credits which shall be found remaining on the said administrators accounty (the same being first examined and allowed by the orphans court of Mercer County) and shall determine pay to such person or persons respectively as the said orphans court by the decree pursuant to the true intent and meaning of the several laws now and forever in the Commonwealth shall hire[?] and appoint and if it shall here after appear that any last will and testament was made by the said deceased and the executor or executors therein named do exhibit the same into the registers office making request to have it allowed and approved cecen[?]singly And if then the above bounded Alexander McDonald bring thereunto requested do render and deliver the said letters of administration approbation of such testament being first hand and made by the said register then this obligaiton to be void and of none effect or else to remain in full force and virtue[?].
Albert D. Smith
Alexander McDonald [his mark "X"]
T. W. Pearson [signed]
William Swager [his mark "X"]
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The amount of property of Robert McDonnell dec as appraised this 30th day of June 1840
Item Amount
1 one Cow at $ 15 00
2 one Bull 14 00
3 one Cow and Calf 12 00
4 one heiffer 05 00
4 one Yoke Cattle 40 00
6 one Mare 35 00
7 one Colt 15 00
8 one Calf 02 00
9 two Hogs 05 00
10 one Sow and Pigs 04 00
11 Eighteen sheep at 1 18 00
Mercer county
Personally appeared before the subscriber and justice of the peace in and for said County John C. Smith and Wm Philips who on their solemn oath doth depose and say that teh above is a true appraisment of the goods and chattels of the said robert McDonald deced and shown them by the heirs of said decd and that the same valued them to the best of their judgment and belief and for them saith not sworn and subscribed this 6 day of July 1840 before me
Wm McElhenry
John C. Smith [his mark]
William Phillips
[part of one large piece of paper:]
Account of Alexander McDonald administrator with the will annexed of the estate of Robert McDonald late of Delaware Township Mercer County decd.
Administrator charges himself with the sum of one hundred and one dollars and 02 cts arising from goods sold at vendue $101.02
Balance of Pension Money 59.10
$160.12
Amount of Credits 97.49 1/4
$62.62 3/4
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Mercer County
Alexander McDonald the above administrator being duly sworn according to law say the annexed account is correct to the best of his knowledge and belief. Sworn and subscribed before me on this 31st day of Dec AD 1841 Joseph Smith Register
Alexander McDonald [his mark]
Administrator craves credit for following payments:
viz
Mary McDonald $ 5.00
John Moore 6.00
Patrick Griffin 2.28
Wm W. Pearson 36 1/2
Holstein and Stephens in attending to suit
before Wm Penn 2.00
Wm S. Garrison[?] 1.75
Wm Philips 1.18
Dr. Magiffin[?] 2.68
J R Regas[?] 3.37 1/2
Mary Mcdonald 2.25
Js. Smith Register 4.25
J T Porter dcd 3.00
J. Maggiffin 13.00
Mary McDonald 10.00
Wm S. Gurin[?] 1.8 3/4
Andrew Smith 2.00
John A. Smith 1.00
Joseph McCoy 2.18
Administrator for his services 20.00
Holstein and Stephenson for services in case of Wm McDonald, admins[?]
1,000
Register [?] this acct and [?] 2.00
Copy to Clerk of Orphans Courtf 1.00
[?] 2.00
97.49
Vendue List
Purchasers Names Property
Alex McDonald one grindstone 00 6[?]
Samuel Shower Note sheep first lot 00 5[?]
John Steen Note 2 lot sheep 01 7[?]
John Chrowsehare[?] note 3 lot sheep 02 3[?]
Wm McKeever Note 4 lot sheep 02 5[?]
Oliver Perry Note 5 lot sheep 01 97[?]
John Smith 6 lot sheep 01 37
Wm Kain Note 7 lot sheep 00 90
Wm McKeever 8 lot sheep 01 44
John Smith one hieffer 05 65
John Smith one calf 02 85
John Sleighter Note one mare 39 50
George Crousehara Note one colt 27 00
Thomas McLoskey Note one sow 04 18
Patrick Griffen Note one side leather 02 28
James Griffen 200 feet boards 1 25