Assistance with German language Will dated 1800

Question

I'm wondering if someone would be kind enough to review this German language will from Berks County, Pennsylvania in 1800 and help identify the people who are mentioned in it? Thank you.

Answer 1

I will give a translation. It might not be word by word, but without loss of information I hope :)

In the name of God, I, Friedrich Hamann, make my last will and testament as follows:

My three sons, Friedrich, Johannes and Jacob, shall have my farm/plantation together, if they agree on. If they dont want it or are not able to take it for the sum of 1000 pounds, they shell be allowed to sell it for the said money, which then is to be distributed equally between my three sons and fife daughters, exept the two oldest sons, Friedrich and Johannes, shall have 50 pounds before. On the other hand, it is my will that if my youngest two sons, Johannes and Jacob, want to take over the Farm/plantation, they should be allowed to do so without quarrel. If they do, each of them shall have a horse including the harness and each of them a plow, thereas the dray/carriage and the harrow should be used by both. Also if it is possible to divide the land in two parts, they might do so without quarrel. If not, the land shall be sold and the money be distributed as mentioned above. If the two youger sons take the farm, they shall pay 200 pounds for a start one year after, and then pay 40 pounds every year till they reach the sum of 1000 pounds. But if they sell the farm, they should sell it for the same conditions of payment. Also it is my will that the first son of my daugther Catharina, named Friedrich Jacob, shall have 25 pounds out of her inheritance. The same Friedrich Jacob shall also have another 15 pounds, but this time out of the total sum.

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It looks to me as if there might be another page of the will. ?

Comments

Thank you so much, Danny. Yes, there is a second page. I did not realize the share feature restricted you to looking at only the first page. Here is the second page.

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Ok, so here comes the rest of it:

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Again it is my last will and testament that if this two sons of mine not take over the farm as stated above, but have to sell it, that in this case all my three sons and fife daughters inherit the same amount exept the eldest two sons, who get 50 pounds each beforehand. It is my last will as well, that my eldest daughter, Elisabeth, shall not have more than 15 pounds. The rest of her share shall go to her children. The three sons of mine together shall be empowered to issue a selling contract and give it to whomever is buying the land, so that no one else can ever make any claim to it. It might be, that one or another point can and will be added to this will, if need be. Given February 8th 1796 in the presence of witnesses.

Witness: Georg Guth Senior              Signed: Friederich Hamann, his sign.

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Answer 2

I found four named children: Friedrich, Johannes, Jacob and Catarina. I believe there were 3 sons and 5 daughters.

Can’t contribute details, am not used to reading old-fashioned texts in German.