my 4^th great grandfather.

Jan 6, 1792

In the Name of God, Amen, I George Mathias of the County of Westmoreland in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania being of sound mind and memory But calling to mind the uncertainty of this life and knowing it is appointed unto all men once to die, Do invoke constitute and ordain this to be my last will and testament….I give and bequest unto my beloved Wife Mary Mathias, the Dwelling house I now live in and the Power and Management of my estate real and personal as she had in time past, untill my eldest Son Michael Mathias comes to the years of twenty one. And it is my Will that when my Son Michael is twenty one years of age that all my Estate Personal and real be appraised & the Land then be my Son Michael Mathias.

*It is my Will to give my loving wife Mary one Horse and Saddle, one Milk cow, and to be kept in the produce of said Land. And I Do likewise leave unto her twelve Bushels of wheat, and one hundred weight of Pork and half of a Bushel of Salt and half a Bushel of Flaxseed to be saved and six pounds of Wool, and one Pair of Shoes and one row of apple trees, and seven shillings and Six pence and Bed and Bed cloths, two Bee hives one Iron Pot and all the Pewter on the Dresser, the horse and Cow, the Bed and cloths and two Bee hives she is to have her choice on the day of Appraisement, the twelve Bushels wheat, the one hundred Weight of Bacon, the half Bushel of salt, the half Bushel of flax sowed, the six pound of wool, the one pair of shoes, the seven shillings and six pence, and one row of Apple trees to be given yearly and every year during her Widowhood by my son Michael Mathias. But when married to cease and be no more.

*Item. It is my will and I give it to my son Michael Mathias two Horse creatures, two cows, two Sheep, two Breeding Sows, Plough and Irons, two set of Geers, all the Farming Impliments belonging to me on the place.

*Item. It is my Will and I order that the Praise Bill of my Real estate and the remainder of my Personal estate be equally divided among my Seven children and when the respective Shares is settled they are to be Paid by my Son Michael Mathias. And it is my will and I do impower my Executors to appoint the time of the Payments and the produce they are to be paid in.

*And lastly, I Do constitute make & ordain my Trusty friends Michael Fritchman and Christian Erret Sole Executors of this my last Will and testament and do hereby revoke & disannull all and every former Testament and wills & Confirming this & no other to be my last Will and testament whereof I hereunto set my hand & Seal Sixth day of January at one thousand seven hundred and Ninety two.

George [his mark] Mathias [Seal]

Signed, Sealed published pronounced and declared by the said George Mathias as his last Will and testament In the presence of us George Mathias**, Andrew RosenSteel, James Lyon.

Be it remembered that on the tenth day of May A.D. one thousand seven hundred and Ninety two before me James Hamilton Esqr. Register and for the County of Westmoreland came personally George Mathias** and James Lyon and being sworn according to Law saith that they were present and saw the Testator within Named & make his mark seal pronounce and Publish & declare this to be his last Will and testament. And that at the time of his so doing he was of sound mind memory and understanding to the best of their observation and belief. Sworn the day and year aforesaid before.

James Hamilton Regr.

(Source: Will Book 1, #72. pp. 34-35; Registrar of Wills, Westmoreland County Court House, Greensburg, PA.)

Typed verbatim by Barbara Beck-Ramsay with the exceptions of: (*), paragraphs added for readability; (**) to denote that this second George Mathias is the nephew of the testator. The nephew is the son of Daniel Mathias, brother of George.

Note: George's seven children, from oldest to youngest, were Catharina, Magdalena, Michael, Jacob, twins Adam and Eve and Barbara Mathias. On July 15, 1805, the Westmoreland County Orphans' Court granted a petition to appoint John Erret, Jr. the legal guardian for Eve, Adam and Barbara Mathias, the minor children of George Mathias, deceased.

George probably died between Jan 6 and May 10, 1792. His wife Mary is listed as "Widow Cope" on the 1800 US Census in Hempfield. The guardianship petition was presumably granted just after her death.

October 1, 2002