HENRY RITTER'S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
In the name of
God Amen. I Henry Ritter of the town of Manheim in the county of Herkimer being
of sound mind and memory blessed be almighty God for the Same. do make and publish this my last Will &
Testament this 19th day of May 1836.
FIRST- I hereby give devise and bequeath to my beloved wife
a full entire and ample support & maintainance out of my estate during her
life to be furnished & provided in all times fit useful & proper for
her in sickness & in health and at her decease a decent Christian burial by
my Son Joseph Ritter for the devise herein to him made. SECOND- I give & bequeath unto my said
beloved wife Mary two Cows & four sheep to be kept for her in and order for
her use and benefit by my said son Joseph and he to replenish & at all times
if any of them die replace others in there stead so that my said wife at all
times during her life has two good milch cows & four sheep for her
exclusive benefit all to be done & furnished by my Said Son Joseph for the
bequest & estate herein to him given & made. THIRD- I give bequeath
& devise to my daughter Annasse a full and ample support & maintainance
out of my estate in sickness & in health until she shall marry & in
case she is married then I give devise & bequeath to her the sum of on
hundred dollars to be raised out of my Estate & the above to be furnished
& paid by my Said Son Joseph from the property herein bequeathed to
him. FOURTH- I give devise and bequeath
into my daughters Catherine wife of
Baltus Strough, Margaret wife of John Boyer, Delia wife of Stephen Newman, Mary
wife of Adam Petrie, Elizabeth wife of Jacob H. Petrie the Sum of thirty
dollars each and every of them out of my estate to be paid also by my Said Son
Joseph Ritter for the bequest herein to him made. FIFTH- I give devise & bequeath unto my daughter in law Susan
Ritter widow of my Son John Ritter deceased the Sum of five dollars & to
each of her children by my Said Son John & the children of Such as are dead
the Sum of ten dollars out of my Estate to be paid by Said Son Joseph for the
bequest herein to him made. SIXTH- I give devise & bequeath unto my Son
Joseph Ritter & to his heirs & assigns forever all & Singular my
lands tenements & real Estate all my personal property & good chattles
& chasis in action of Every kind and nature whatsoever to have & to
hold to him his heirs and assigns forever he & they fulfilling &
keeping and paying all and each of the above devises bequests so that he pays
to each of said devises ten dollars at the end of one year after my decease
& so the like Sum annually until the whole is fully paid.
Henry Ritter
Signed sealed and declared by the said Henry Ritter to be his last Will and Testament who has signed the same in our presence & we have witnessed the same in his & in each other presence. May 19, 1936
Jacob Markill, of the town of Manheim Herkimer County.
Robert Hinchman, town of Little Falls Herkimer County.
George H. Feeter, town of Little Falls Herk. County
HENRY RITTER'S ESTATE
Herkimer County}
Surrogates Office}
To all whom the presents Shall Come or may concern. Greetings.
Know Ye, that I Ezra Gravis Surrogate of the county of
Herkimer pursuant to the power in me
vested by the laws of this State have this day appointed and do hereby appoint
Henry S. Clark of the town of Herkimer Special Guardian to Ezra Stough and
Franklin Stough, Loyd Smith and Samuel Smith minor heirs of Henry Ritter
deceased under the age of twenty one years for the special purpose of taking care
of their interests in the matter of the proving the last Will and Testament of
Henry Ritter the said Henry S. Clark having first consented and agreed in
writing to be appointed and to act as such Special Guardian.
In witness
whereof I have hereinto Set my hand and affixed my seal of office this 15th day
of June in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and forty seven.
Ezra Gravis Surrogate
State of New York
Herkimer County
Surrogates Court} Be
it remembered that on the ninth day of August A. D. 1847 the annexed last Will
and Testament of Henry Ritter was admitted to probate as a will of personal
property and probate there of was there
upon granted and the same time said will was duly proved as a will of Real
property upon and by the testimony of George H. Feeter and Jacob Maskill two of
the subscribing witnesses to the will was executed and attested in the manner
prescribed by law and that the Testator at the time of executing the will was
in all respects competent to make a will devising Real and personal Estate and
was under no restraint. The said will
and said proofs and examinations have been duly recorded in the proper book
provided and kept in the office of the Surrogate of Herkimer County.
In testimony
whereof I have herein set my hand affixed my Seal of office this Ninth day of
August A. D. 1847. Ezra Gravis
Surrogate
I certify the foregoing to be a true record of the original will of Henry Ritter and the proofs and examinations thereof. Dated August 9th 1847. Ezra Gravis Surrogate