Will of
John Frederick Pontius
Submitted by Merritt Woznick (sent to her by Joni L.
Pontius)
Will of John
Frederick Pontius,
b. 1766 in Berks, PA, died 1814 in Seneca, NY. John married
Catherine. Children include: George, John, Samuel, Jonathan;
Catherine (m. Henry Keeler), Peggy (m. her cousin, George W.
Pontius), and Mary (m. Henry Moger).
Transcription:
"In The Name of God
amen I John Puntius of the Town of Fayette Seneca County and State
of New York being in weak in Body but of Sound and Perfect mind and
memory Blessed be almighty God for the Same, do Make
and Publish this my
Last will and Testament in manner Following. that is to Say, first I
Give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Catharine Puntius a Room in
the House we Live in sold (?) as She remains my widow and also one
thirt of the Garden North of the House we Now Live in, I also give
and bequeath unto my beloved wife sixteen bushels of Wheat twenty
Dollars in money Every Year as Long as She is a Life, also three
Bushels of Buckwheat three Bushels of Corn, and fifteen Pounds of
flax and Six Pounds of wool, and Six Pounds of Coffee yearly and
Every Year as Long as She Long as She Liveth the money is to be paid
Yearly of Follows,
"-George Puntius my
Eldest Son is to Pay five Dollars and four Bushels of wheat, & my
Second Son John Puntius is to Pay five Dollars & four bushels of
wheat & Samuel Puntius my thirt son is to Pay five Dollars & four
(?) bushels of wheat, and my youngest son Jonathan Puntius is to
Pay five Dollars and four bushels of wheat, to be Paid to their
Mother Yearly in one Year after my Death, and so the above mentioned
five Dollars & four bushels of Wheat Each as Long as She is alife,
the Corn & Buckwheat and flax wool & Coffe above mentioned my Eldest
Son Georg Puntius is to Pay to his Mother yearly and as much Salt as
She may want for her own use and a sufficient quantite of fire wood
and one Pair of New Shoes yearly and the use of Six apple trees Such
as She will make jam of in the orchet, Yearly, I also Give and
bequeath unto my beloved wife one Cow, and to have the Cow Kep in
pasture on the farm and well Kep through the winter as Long as She
Remains my widow I also Give and bequeath unto my Eldest Son George
Puntius fifty acres of Land of the North End of one hundred acres of
Land being part of Lot Number twentynine in the township of Fayette
together with the House and Barn, and the improvement thereon I also
Give and bequeath unto my Son George Puntius one waggon one Set of
plow Irons one Harrow and a windmill and one ox Chain, George
Puntius is to pay to the Heirs that Gits No Land fouor hundred &
twenty Dollars hereinafter mentioned, I also Give and bequeath unto
my Second Son John Puntius fifty acres of Land of the North End of
one hundred acres in the township of Fayette being part of Lot
number fortytwo as it is Now Divided and my Son John Puntius, is to
Pay the Heirs four hundred & twenty Dollars in manner following I
Also Give and bequeath unto my Son Samuel Puntius fifty acres of the
South End of the Said hundred acres Devided between John & Samuel
Puntius Samuel Puntiuis is to pay four hundred & twenty
Dollars
hereinafter mentioned. I also Give and bequeath unto my Youngest
Son
Jonathan Puntius fifty acres of Land of the South End of one hundred
acres Devided between George & Jonathan Puntius and Jonathan is to
Pay four hundred Dollars in manner following. I also Give and
bequeath unto my Eldest Daughter Catharine Keeler wife of Henry
Keeleer five hundred and thirty three Dollars & thirty three Cents
to be paid by my sons hereinafter mentioned I also Give and bequeath
unto my Second Daughter Peggy Puntius wife of George Puntius five
hundred and thirty three Dollars and thirty three Cents I also Give
and bequeath unto my Youngest Daughter Mary mouger wife of henry
Mogers five hundred and thirty three Dollars & thirty three Cents.,
I also Give and bequeath unto my Grantson John Bachman Son of my
Elder Daughter Sixty Dollars to be paid. by George John & Samuel
Puntius When Said John Bachman Comes of age, - in one Year after my
Death George Puntius my Elder son & John Puntius my Second Son is to
pay seventyfive Dollars Each thatisone Hundred and fifty Dollars
between the two, to be paid to my three Daughters that is to
Cathrine fifty Dollars, & to Peggy Puntius fifty Dollars, * Mary
Mouger fifty Dollars in one Year after my Death, and then two Years
…
"I do appoint my
Eldest Son George Puntius and my Second Son John Puntius. Executors
of this my Last will and Testament Hereby Revoking all former wills
and Testaments by me made in witness Whereof I have here Set my hand
and Seal this twentyfirst Day of March in the Year of our Lord one
thousand Eight hundred and fourteen- John Puntius (his mark)
witnessed by Ludwig Moffat? and John Hoster."
The odd spellings
are all intentional, and appear thusly in the original. The
personal estate was appraised and inventoried on November 22, 1814
by John Hoster and George Pontiius Junior. There was quite a supply
of Georges there, at least three.
from
Joni L. Pontius - July, 2000
(paragraphs have been added by the webmaster to aid
in readability and did not necessarily appear in the original.)