In the Name of God Amen. I Henry Prather of Venango County and State of Pennsylvania, being sick and weak in body but of sound mind memory and understanding considering the certainty of Death and the uncertainty of the time thereof and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs, and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please God to call me hence, Do therefore make and publish this my last will and Testament in the manner and form following--
First and principally I commit my soul into the hand of Almighty God and my body to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executrix hereinafter mentioned and after my debts and funeral expences are paid, I devise and bequeath as follows--
I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Lydia Prather and my children Polly, Elizabeth, Sarah, Rebecca, Thomas, Nelly, Henry, Abraham and Ann Prather, the plantation whereon I now live to be and remain unsold as long as my wife shall remain my widow and it ??? under her directive, but in case she should marry again she should cease to have any further claim to the above mentioned Plantation and it is then to be sold and an equeal dividend made unto each of the children--
The tract of land which I own in Allegheny Township to be first sold if need require it, after that the three hundred acres adjoining the tract I now live on to be sold One hundred acres at once until it is all sold--
My wife shall have full power to do as she thinks best with all my personal property only it is to be for the use of her and the family--
And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my dear wife Lydia Prather my Executrix and executor of this my last will and testament revoking and annulling all former wills by me made heretofore ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and testament.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 21 day of September in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.
Henry Prather (seal)
Signed sealed and published and declared by Henry Prather the above named testator as for his last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto--
Abm. Prather
Sally Rickets
Venango County ss:
The eighth day of February 1819 then personally appeared Abraham Prather and Sally Rickets the witnesses to the within or foregoing written will and upon their solemn oaths according to law do severally depose and say that they were present and did see and hear the testator aforenamed sign, seal, publish, pronounce and declare the foregoing writing as and for his last will and testament and that at the time of the doing thereof he was of sound mind memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and ?? they verily believe and further that the named Abraham Prather and Sally Rickets are of their own handwriting suscribed by them as witnesses in the presence of each other and in the presence and at the request of the said testator--
Abm. Prather
Sally Rickets
Sworn & subscribed before me this 8 day of Feby 1819
A. McCalmont, Regr
Recorded 13 July 1843