This is the will of my 6great-grandfather Abraham Steinbruch (also spelled Stainbrook). I love how, reading it aloud, you can practically hear his German accent in his misspellings of various words. It does, however, make it somewhat difficult to read. In this transcription, I have added bracketed "translations" whenever it seemed a particular word might cause consternation. (Bracketed words or phrases followed by a question mark continue to indicate an uncertain transcription, as usual.) There are, I admit, still a few places where I remain puzzled. What, for instance, is meant by "one Hough the jois"? I suspect "Hough" may be a misspelling of "half," but that doesn't seem to quite work in the context of the passage. It doesn't help that I have no idea what "jois" could mean. Still, I think I have managed to make sense of most of this will.
Abraham Steinbruch's Will, In the name of God Amen I Abraham Steinbruch of Penns Town-
ship County of Northumberland in the State of Pennsylvania Yeoman, being, weak in Body but of
sound and perfect mind and memory considering the uncertainty of this mortal life Do make and pub-
lish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following - ( that is to say first I Give
and bequeath unto my dearly beloved wife Eva my best bed and bed sted and one cow the Joise
in the Stock and however those come on my place to live is to find for said cow sufficient
and good food and baster [pasture] for said cow and one Sworm of Bees, one Iron pot her spinnen weel,
ten buchel of weed ten buchel of Rye fore Buchel of buckweed fore buchel of Indian corn
one Hough the jois one quarter of acer of flacks [acre of flax] to be sowed in good Ground the said
witto [widow] to find the sack one Protor tick fore Buter spones [Butter spoons] and also to live in my Dwell=
ing House to have and to hold all the above artigles ass long my said wife Remains
a witto & no longer _ Item I Give and Devise unto my son Jacob Steinbruch his Heirs and
assigns for ever one hundred and twenty five acres my land & allowance of six per Cent un=
divid being measured of from any plantation and to being the same he at present lives on, and
to be cut of in manner to begin at the corner of Philip Jordon then along miller's line and
then to the old place of said A. Steinbruch then a strate line to make up the [Cumparonent?]
of acres of Land as aforesaid and that to be cut of after my Desd. and further is my will that
my son Jacob is to have the above described land free and clear of all the rest of my Children
and in the rest of my Estate my son Jacob is to fall in with the rest Schare & Schare alike _
Item I Give and Devise unto my Son fridrig his Heirs and assigns forever the sum of thirty
pounds which is all he is to have and now more becose he went and dit live me fore years be=
fore his age _ Item further is my Will that my sons that is to say Aberham & Beter is
to have of out the rest of my Estate Share & Share alike _ Item further is my will that my
Dathers that is to say Barbara and Mery and Catharine is to have of out of the rest of my
Estate Share and Share alike to them or to their heirs or assigns _ And further I do appoint my
Dearly and beloved frands John Prentzius and John Herman my whole and sole Exeds. of this
my last will and Testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made and Gave
them bower [power] to act in my Estate the same as if I was present my self In witness whereof
I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the fifteenth Day of April in the Year of our Lord
one thousand eight Hundred and on, 1801. Abrah Stein bruch (seal) Siened Sealed published & Declared
by the above named Abraham Stainbrook to be his last will and Testament in the presence of us
who have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses in the presence of the Testator [no at least?]
under tint the words forever before sinet [signed] Jacob Bishop Johannes Zoutour Johannes Herman
Northumberland County ss,, Be it remembered that on the fourteenth Day of may in the year of our
Lord 1801. before me Jeremiah Simpson Register for the County afsd personally cometh Jacob Bishop, John
Pontius & John Herman the three subscribing witnesses to the foregoing will who being duly sworn accor=
ding to Law, saith they were personally present & did see Abraham Stinebrook the Testator sign seal
and declare the foregoing writing to be his last will & Testament, and that at the time of his so pub=
lishing the said Will he was of sound and disposing mind & memory as the Deponents do believe accor=
ding to the best of their Knowledge._ And that they repectively subscribed their names as witnesses
at the same time in the presence of each other._ and further saith not Jacob Bishop Johannes [Pontius?]
Johannes Herman Sworn & Subscribed the day & year afsd; cer. Jacob Simpson Regr.
Be it remembered
that on the Fourteenth Day of May in the year of our Lord 1801. before me was proved
and approved the last will & Testament of the said Abraham Steinbruch Deceas'd, Of which the forego=
ing, Record is a true Copy, and Letters Testamentary issued in due and Common Form of Law to John Pontz=
ius and John Herman, Executors therein named, on the same Day, Witness my Hand._Jeremh. Simpson Regr.
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