brother of my 3rd great-grandfather, John Michael Mathias

November 14, 1859

"In the Name of God Amen I Adam Mathias of Hempfield Township in the County of Westmoreland & State of Pennsylvania being of Sound & Disposing Mind & Memory do make and publish this my last will and Testament hereby Revoking & making void al former wills by me at any time heretofore made first and Principally. I Commend my Soul into the hands of my Creator and as to Such worldly Estate wherewith it both pleased God to intrust me with I dispose of as follows first.

*I Direct that all my Just Debts and funeral Expenses & Charges of Proving this my will be in the first place fully paid and Satisfied and also my Collateral Taxes and after payment thereof and Every part these of I give and Bequeath as follows,

*Item I give & Bequeath to my nephew Jacob Mathias two 2 hives of Bees.

*Item I give & Bequeath to Leonard Beck Intermarried to my Niece Mariah Mathias Two hives of Bees.

*Item I give & Bequeath to Elizabeth Mathias the wife of my Nephew Michael Mathias Jr. the Remaining Ballance of all my hives of bees and also any bead & beading & my chest & [?] Should their be any money left after all my Debts and Expences as aforesaid are paid.

*Item I give and bequeath the Same to Nephew Michael Mathias Jr. Should their be any Else that belongs to me and not yet bequeathed left I bequeath the Same to my Same Nephew Michael Mathias Jr. ad I do hereby Constitute ordain & appoint Michael Widaman Sole Executor of This my last will and Testament, In witness whereof I the Said Testator have to this my will written Set my hand and Seal this 14^th Day of November AD 1859.

Adam [his mark] Mathias [Seal]

Signed Sealed published and Declared by the Said Testator as and for his last will and Testament In the presence of us who in his presence and at his Request and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses.

John Troxel

Jacob Albright**

Michael Widaman

Legally proved and approved this 25^th of August AD 1863 Same day Recorded and Letters issued to Michael Widaman who was Sworn Before me.

Stamped

W.L. Evans, Register"

(Source: Will Book 4, pp. 460-461, No. 37 of 1863; 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 was the husband of Adam Mathias' niece, Susanna.

Adam probably died shortly before this will was "proved" on August 25, 1863. As the US censuses up to 1860 show, Adam lived all his adult life with his brother John Michael and apparently never married. In 1860, he listed his occupation as a bee-keeper. As the will shows, Adam left his possessions to the children of John Michael, the brother who followed him in death two years later.

October 2, 2002