Woodward Wills in Chester County, Pennsylvania
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Woodward Wills and Inventories
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Will of Richard Woodward, Sr. of Chester County, Pennsylvania

In the name of God amen: the Sixth of September Ano Do 1706. in ye fifth year of the Reign of Queen Anne over England &ct. I Richard Woodward of Middletown in the County of Chester and Province of Pensilvania yeom being sick and weak of body but of sound mind and perfect memory: praise be unto God for ye same and knowing the uncertainty of this life and
paying as aforesaid six pounds current mony to his mother during her naturall life. And ever after the the ffree estate of him and his Heirs.

Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Martha Baker five [shillings?] in monys or a Cow equivalent to the sum.

I give to my Daughter Jane Woodward twenty pounds current monys of this Province.

I give to my Daughter Mary Woodward twenty pounds current monys of this Province.

I give to my Daughter Sarah Woodward twenty pounds current monys of this Province.

Item I give and bequeath to my Eldest son Richard Woodward four shillings or (&) a pair of gloves.
Item I give and bequeath to my son Thomas Woodward four shillings or (&) a pair of gloves.
Item I give and bequeath to my son Edward Woodward four shillings or (&) a pair of gloves.
And it is my will that the said Richard, Thomas and Edwardshall quit all claims to the remaining part of my estate, real and personal.

Item I constitute and appoint my well beloved wife Jane Woodward and my son Joseph Woodward my true and lawfull Executors of this my last Will & Testament faithfully executed and pergformed according to the true intent and meaning hereof. And do order them my said Executors to pay all my funeral charges and all my just debts out of my personal Estate as household goods &ct and then the remaining part of my personall Estate to be equally divided betwixt my said Executors my wife to enjoy half part of the said personal Estate during her naturall life and then to be equally divided amongst all mhy children or their Heirs.

Lastly I appoint my son Richard Woodward of Thornbury and my son Edward Woodward to be my overseers that my will be faithfully performed.

And I hereby state this to be my will and sett to my hand and seal the day and year aforementioned Richard Woodward his mark "R" [Seal] Sealed and delivered in the presence of ...Jervis...Worilaw...Cooper.

Will of Richard Woodward, Jr. of Chester County, Pennsylvania

Following is the will of Richard Woodward, grandfather of our Abraham Woodward of North Carolina and Tennessee. This is a wonderful will with a lot of strange items that bear thinking about, but that we will probably never solve. First and most obvious is the provision for the "now" wife Martha Heald Woodward (actually Richard's fourth wife). He takes great pains to properly provide for her. The importance of the "warming Pan" and it being returned to the heirs is delightful. In tht climate a pan to hold coals to warm the bed was probably precious but making it be returned seems a little much! Richard must have been a very thrifty man. Richard was a devout Quaker; in fact he was elder of the Bradford Monthly Meeting in Chester County from its inception. The Quakers did not alwlays hold themselves to be bound by the laws of the land. Richard is careful to spell out widow's thirds as required by law but he definitely breaks the law in not leaving his land to his eldest son William. Doubly strange as William stood firm by his father's side all his life, often stepping in and performing Richard's meeting duties when he was unable to due to illness or other commitments. The land to the youngest son was often done though to make sure that a wife would be taken care of for the longest time possible and that she not be turned out of her home (particularly when the said wife was not the mother of the children.) William no doubt agreed with the arrangement as he had his own land. Richard III was also given land and he was unmarried (he married his niece Abigail Hayes in 1755 and was disowned by the Quakers.) Son James is not mentioned in the will as he died earlier in 1748, but he left six children and it is a little odd Richard left nothing to that family (perhaps he had made an arrangement for them earlier.) Most of Richard's children are left only the sum of five shillings (the minimum required by law.) Daughter Deborah is left twenty pounds but she was yet unmarried so this was no doubt her dowry. She married at Old Swede's Church in 1749 out of the faith. It is interesting that Richard uses the word "daughter" with each of his girls except Elizabeth. Was that deliberate or unintentional? Elizabeth was a wild girl, marrying contrary to discipline twice due to pregnancy and also being accused at one time of having an affair with the school teacher whom she later married. Her first husband was Thomas Thornbrough, a relative of Abraham Woodward's wife Hannah.
**************************************Will*************************************
I, Richard Woodward of West Bradford in the County of Chester, Province of Pennsylvania, yeoman, being but weak of body yet of a sound mind and memory and calling to mind the uncertainty of human life do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend mhy soul into the hands of God that gave it and my body I commit to the earth to be buried after a Christian like decent manner at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named and as for such worldly goods as it hath pleased God to bless me withall in this life I give and dispose as followeth this thirtieth day of the sixth mon Anno Dom 1748.

Imprimus my will is that all my just debts and funeral expenses be fully payed and discharged by my Executors hereafter named. Item I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Martha during her natural life one room in the manshon house to dwell in with liberty to pass and repass in and out of the same and also one bed with furniture and belonging unto it and the use of a large Bible during her natural life and then to return to my son John and likewise the use of the warming pan during her life and then to be returned to my Executors and also a small iron pot I give to her during her natural life then to return to my Executors and my will is that my said wife shall have firewood delivered her at the house cut fit for her fire and also twelve bushels of wheat yearly and every year to be provided for her and if she dwells upon the said premises to be ground and bolted and brought home to supply her with bread. And I also give her one horse and one cow and six sheep and likewise pasturing for them in the summer season and hay sufficient keeping for them in the winter season: and also the free use of one half the garden and the privelege of the orchard for fruit for her own use and also to be paid unto her in cash yearly and every year the sum of Eight pounds in two equall distinct payments one upon the sixteenth day of May and the other on the Sixteenth day of November annually yet with this proviso that at the time of my decease she shall have payed her the sum of five pounds at the time when it may which be allowed to be a part of the eight pounds per annum making the other payment that year to be the sum of three pounds and also my will is that if the horse she may chuse for her use do not suit her conveniency to ride my son John who I leave in possession of said plantation shall lend her one for her necessity while she dwells on the premises all which privileges and sums of money by me bequeathed to my said wife shall be levied and raised out of that part of my estate in Bradford where I now dwell.

Item I give to my son William the sum of Five Shillings.

Item I give to my daughter Esther Wilson the wife of Thomas Wilson the Sum of Five Shillings.

Item I give to my daughter Jane Hayes widow the sum of five shillings.

Item I give to my daughter Sarah Jones, the wife of Evan Jones the sum of five shillings.

Item I give to Elizabeth Young the wife of John Young the sum of five shillings.

I give to my daughter Mary Entrikin the wife of George Entrikin the sum of five shillings.

I give to my daughter Hannah Underwood the wife of Joseph Underwood the sum of five pounds.

I give to my daughter Deborah the sum of twenty pounds.

I give to myu son Richard a tract of land adjoining to the land where I now dwell butted and bounded by lines which I give to him his heirs and assigns for ever if he lives to have heirs of his body lawfully begotten and for want of such after his decease my will is that the said land shall be sold and if he leaves a widow one third part of the value thereof shall be payed to the said widow and the remaining part to be equally divided amonst all my children that are then living share and share alike. Also I give a large wainscot chest that stands in the house.

Item I give and bequeath to my son John a tract of land and plantation in West Bradford aforesaid where I now dwell to him his heirs and assigns forever if he lives to have heirs of his body lawfully begotten and for want of such after his decease my will is that the landand plantation shal be sold and if he leaves a widow one third of the value thereof shall be payed to her and the remaining part shall be equally divided amongst all my children that are then living share and share alike. Also I give to my son John one table and cloathes press, a pare of bedsteads and an elbow chair. Also give to my son John three horses with a cart plow and harrow with horse harness and gears belonging to them.

Item i give a cross cut saw to my three sons and my will is that after all my debts are fully payed and discharged all the remaining part of my personal estate if any there be shall be equally divided amongst all my daughters share and share alike. And I nominate, constitute and appoint my two sons William and John my Executors to perform this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills and testaments by me made and do confirm this and only this and no tother to be my last will and testament. Signed, sealed, published and declared by Richard Woodward the testator to be his last will and testament in the presence of Susanna Worth, Ebenezer Worth, Thomas Worth. /s/Richard Woodward (seal) 17th November 1752 Affirmed and proven.

An Inventory of the Goods and Chattels Rights and Credits of Richard Woodward late of West Bradford County of Chester and Province of Pennsylvania, Deceased.
(amounts are lbs shilling pence)
Purse and Apparel 6 0 0
Riding Horse, saddle and bridle 12 0 0
In the House
A bed bolster two pillows a pair of blankets and coverlid 5 0 0
A clothes press 5 0 0
A walnut cupboard 0 15 0
A long walnut table and bench 3 0 0
An elbow chair and pair of bedsteads, walnut 1 0 0
Two walnut chairs 0 7 6
A walnut box lock and key 0 4 0
Four chairs 0 4 0
A little table 0 1 0
A warming pan 0 5 0
A pair of stillyards 0 10 0
A walnut pestle and mortar 0 1 0
A pewter dish cason and plate a quart tankard 3 spoons 0 5 0
Four earthen dishes 4 plates and casons and a bowl 0 5 0
Gridiron flesh fork toster and tongs 0 8 0
A box iron and two heaters 0 5 0
A tin lantern and two pair of sheep shears 0 4 0
Two brass kettles a candle wick and skimmer 0 5 0
Eleven trenchers and bowls and platter 5 earthen cups and dish 0 3 0
Sewels History and Elwoods Sacred History 1 0 0
A large Quarto bible 1 0 0
Scales and weight hackle and screen 0 3 0
Brass spoon mould money scales and weights 0 15 0
Two pair of wool cards and hair sieve 0 2 0
A memorandum book 0 1 0
Half a dozen knives and forks 0 6 0
A hone and razor 0 1 0
A chest of drawers 1` 5 0
Three flagg bottom chairs 0 9 0
A small looking glass 0 1 0
A remnant of thick cloth 7 yds at 6 ps 2 2 0
Nine old sheets two table cloths and pillow case 0 15 0
A bed and furniture 8 0 0
A bed and bedstead two bolsters and blankets and an old rug 2 0 0
A chaff bed bedstead and board two blankets and coverlid 0 15 0
A wainscott walnut chest 1 15 0
A clock reel and two little wheels and long ? 0 10 0
A poplar table and pine chest 0 8 0
Two earthen bottles two jugs and 2 glass bottles 0 4 0
A large copper kettle 1 15 0
One iron pot and hooks 0 8 0
Two iron pots and hooks kettle skillet 0 15 0
A frying pan brass skillit and ladle 0 3 0
6 earthen pans and pots and tin pan 0 5 0
A churn and cedar table two pails 3 cheese vats 0 9 0
Two keggs and half barrel 0 5 0
A Gun 0 10 0
Twelve baggs 1 16 0
A Woolf trap a parcel of old iron 0 7 9
A maul and wedge mattock a sprouting hoe 0 6 0
Three old axes and two weeding hoes 0 5 0
A broad ax a pick ax and three augers and gouges 0 9 0
A trowel a drawing knife and compasses 0 5 0
A lung borer two old drawing knives a fro and hand axe 0 8 0
A joiner and crose and hay knife 0 3 3
A half bushel two risoles and a seive 0 2 6
A grindstone a wheel barrow 0 9 0
Horse gear 0 6 0
A briar scythe and hangings a cross cut saw two pieces of chain 0 1 0
A cart and back band 5 10 0
17 harrow teeth 0 9 0
One third part of the wheat in the barn 12 0 0
Ten swine 1 16 0
A yearling roan mare colt 3 0 0
A black bald faced horse 10 0 0
A white mare 12 0 0
A black colt 2 0 0
A gray colt 2 0 0
Five sheep 1 12 0
A brindle cow 3 10 0
A white face black cow 3 0 0
A brindle steer 2 0 0
A pied heifer 1 10 0
A brindle heifer 1 15 0
A bond 3 5 0
A note of hand 6 0 0
Book debts 16 4 11

Total Amount 154 15 11

Appeared before us this 10th day of year 10 mo 1752
George Carter
Humphrey Marshall


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