John Allison 1670-1728 : Last Will and Testament

John Allison's will has many unclear words and missing parts. Uncertain areas are marked with a question or blank line.

In the name of God amen, this the 6^th of November one thousand, seven hundred and twenty eight, I John Allison of the township of Donegal in the county of Chester a yeoman being very sick and weak of body but of perfect  mind and memory, thanks be to God, therefore calling unto mind the morbidity of my body & knowing that is appointed once for all men to die do make and ordain this my last will & testament that is ________and last of all I give and recommend my soule into the hands of God that gave it hoping through Jesus Christ my only ____ lord Savour and redeemer that I shall ? live happily in the enjoyment of him through all Eternity in the higher ___ of __________________.   _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The jenneral resurrection  ________________________________________________________________   wordly estate when it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give______ and dispose of______  _____ in the following manner and form. 

I will that my just debts and funeral expenses be paid out of the first & ______ of my personal estate and___  remains of my estate. I in the first place will to my long beloved wife have this my dwelling house and all within it so long as she lives and I will it she be maintained by the products of the plantation through the care of my two sons John and Robert during her natural life and I alow her my riding hors and my cow called shishe.   

I leave to my eldest son James my black suit of clothes? and to my second son William 20 pounds current money of this __province to be paid by my two sons John and Robert Allison and I allow him ___ young sorel mear (mare) with his plow and irons? and lashings? and the improvements of the plantation I bought of James Brownlie with all the right and ___ I had from him. And to my son Patrick that young hors come of the black mear (mare). And to my two sons John Allison and Robert Allison I leave the improvements of this plantation I now dwell upon to live unaimously? together as long as they see convenient of themselves and their labours and gains? is all to be in on until parting and in the time they live together. They are to clear land at the woolen hall? for Robert thirty acres of land to be cleared in three years after this date with a well dug and walled and a Dwelling house built with the floors laid and Chimlie and ____ a barn with all the ?midowing (meadow?) in the swamp ___   _____ lowermost fence of the pasture and the whole ? work ________________________________________________________  to be paid of the whole? head. And I impower my two sons John and Robert ______________ ably? to recover and gette? in all my just debts & demands and I leave them what stock I ?enjoy enjoy both cows, horses, mears & sheep __  ___ is not named to any other of the family and when they ?see ___  ___  ___ John Allison is to have my now Dwelling Plantation with the Improvements theirof and Robert to the improvements __ is to be made at the watter hole/ woolen hall & all the moveables to be Equally divided both money goods and cattell (cattle).

I leave to my daughter Jean ten shillings to be paid at meeting.

I leave to my daughter Margaret twenty thirty pounds with her hors and sadle with a young bay mear (mare) in ten pound of the money.

I will and appoint the above __ Jannet Allison my beloved wife to be Executor of this my last will and testament and if there should be any ?debates fall out believe her and any of her children with respect to anything. In this my last will and testament I do will and appoint that the last ___ ?debates or differences be amicably taken away by the Rever. Mr James Anderson minister of the gospel in this place which I leave E____   ___ all ___ my Consearns (concerns) and I do hereby utterly disallow and renounce  & dis______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________& testament in ­­_____ whereof  I have ______________________________________________________

Signed sealed Published & Pronounced & Declared

By the ___ John Allison as his last will and testament in the presence of us the subscribers

Richard Allison                                                                                   John Allison

James Cook                            20 February 1728

A ?Hutchinson     _______

______ his mark

Source: Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993 for John Allison

Chester Estate Papers, No 262-374, 1700-1810: 

Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993 [database on-line].