This week's document for transcription is the 1771 petition by Michael Ruth to hold an Inquest to Partition the real estate of his father Peter Ruth to the heirs-at-law in Berks County, Pennsylvania Colony.
* Berks County, Pennsylvania, "Estates 1752-1799 Resher, Gabriel-Seitzinger, Nich.", folder "Ruth, Peter CU 1771", image 1523 of 2236:
The transcription of this document is (not aided by Artificial Intelligence):
[image 1523 of 2236]
To the Honorable the Justices of the Orphans Court of the County of Berks admon
Orphans Court held at Reading on and for the County of Berks the ___ Day of November
in the Year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy one.
The Petition of Michael Ruth eldest Son and Heir at Law of
Peter Ruth late of the Township of Cumry in the said County Yeoman Dec'd
Humbly sheweth,
That Your Petitioners said Father died Intestate about ___ Months
since leaving a Widow, to wit, Catharine and Issue fourteen children, to wit, Your
Petitioner, Jacob, Christian, Peter, George, John, Henry, Francis, Catharine the Wife
of Henry Mayer, Mary Catharine the Wife of Jonas Eckert, Barbara, Eva, Magdalen
and Margaret, two of whom, to wit the said Magdalen and Margaret are now under
the Age offourteen ^twenty one^ Years. And That the said Intestate was seized at the Time of his Death
in his Desmesne as of es?? of and in the Real Estate herein after described, Viz't.
One Messuage or Tenem't and four Tracts or Pieces of Land situate on Coconing Creek partly
in the said Township of Cumry and partly in the Township of Heidelberg in the County of Berks
aforesaid. One of them Beginning at a post in a Line of John Davis's land and extending thence
by the same N.66-1/2 W 170 f't to a Post thence by Land surveyed to Griffith Hughes North
182 f't to a Post thence by Vacant Land E.75 f't to a post thence by Land surveyed to George Kiesner
????? ???? f't to a post thence S.66 f't E. forty seven f't to a post, thence S. ??E 46 f't to
a white Oak, thence by Vacant Land S.27. West 188 f't to the Place of Beginning Containing
138 Acres and three Quarters of an Acre and the Allowance of six p'r Cent for Roads.
One other of them Beginning at a white Oak marked for a Corner and from thence extending
by Widow Davis's Land S.43.E 92 f't to a marked Hickory Tree, thence by Septimus
Robeson's Land S.28W. 75 f't to a post thence by John Davs's Land N.65.W 93 f't
to a post thence by the said above described Tract of 138 A's & 3/4 of an Acre N.25.E 110 f't to the
Place of Beginning Containing 49 Acres and an Allowance proportionable to six p'r Cent for Roads.
One other of them Beginning at a post set for a Corner and extending thence by Land granted
by Thomas Jenkyns to Thomas Bartholomew N.65.W 260 f't to a post thence by Land late of
Thomas Hughes the three next following C????? and Distances ???? N.65.W 40 f't to a Post S.W. 60 f't
to a post and S.37.E 288 f't to a post thence by Vacant Land N.E. 193 f't to the Place of Beginning
Containing 245 A's and a half and Allowance aforesaid. And the other of them Beginning at a post
in a Line of Land late of the aforesaid Thomas Hughes and extending thence N.E. 60 f't to a post
thence S.65.E 40 feet to a post thence by Land late of granted by the aforesaid Thomas Jenkyns to the said Thomas
Bartholomew N. 98 f.t to a post thence by Land of Benjamin Thomas West 22 f't to a post
thence South 27 West by the said Benjamin Thomas's Land 136 f't to a post thence S 37.E 10 f't to
the Place of Beginning Containing 28 Acres and Allowance aforesaid [which above described four
Tracts or Pieces of Land with the Appurtenances was granted by Thomas Bartholomew & Catherine his Wife
by Deed Dated the 16th day of January Anno Domini 1748/9 (Recorded at Reading in Book A Vol.3.
page 270 &c) unto the said Peter Rooth (alias Rood) in Fee]. Two other Tracts or Pieces
of Land contiguous to each other situate in the Township of Cumry aforesaid ^in the said County^ bounded and
limited as follows, to wit.^One of them^ Beginning at a post thence by James Seely's S.E 97 f't to a Post thence
by Peter Ruth's Land N37.W 174 f't to a Stake set for a Corner thence S40W 22 f't an a half
thence South East ????? to an Oak thence S.W. by Adam Spohn's Land 164 f't to a
Hickery thence by David Evans's Land S.E. 62 f't to a Chestnut Oak thence N.E. by the other Tract
above mentioned 46 f't to a Stake thence S.E. by the same Land 97 f't to the Place of Beginning
Containing 155 Acres and a half. And the other of them Beginning at a Corner of the last above
[NOT At bottom of the page:
^out of next Described Tract (Except a certain Lot of ab? to FRanc? Kni??? the Younger in Fee) Part therein granted by the Intestate in his Life Time.^]
[image 1524 of 2236]
described Tract thence SE. by David Evans's Land 169 f't to a Stake thence NE. by the
same land 47 f't to a Stake thence by Jonas Seely's and the last above bounded Land NW
169 f't to a Stake, thence by the same land SW 46 f't to the place of Beginning Containing
44 Acres and a half [which last above described two Tracts of Land with the Appurtenances
were granted by Hannaniah Pugh and Mary his Wife by Deed Dated the tenth day of
October in the Year of Our Lord 1752 (Recorded at Reading as s'd in Book A. Vol.3. pa.2714)
unto the said Peter Ruth (alias Rude) in Fee.] One Messuage or Tenement and Tract
of Land situate in the Township of Heidelberg in the County aforesaid, bounded and limited
as follows, to wit. Beginning at a Corner marked white Oak in a Line of Philip Philips-
mayor's Land thence extending by the same N.59 W 172 f't to a Corner Post thence S.40
W. by Land of George Haines 100 f't to a Corner post of John Jones's Land granted or
intended to be granted to Michael Schmael thence by the saqme S.48E 300 f't to a Corner
Post thence by Vacant Land N.40E. 95 f't and a half to a post thence N.50W. 60 f't
thence S85W. 59 f't to a post thence N.5W 44 f't to a black Oak thence N.40E 25 f't
to the Place of Beginning Containing 167 A's and a half besides Allowance aforesaid
[Granted by William Resse??????? and Elizabeth his Wife] by Deed dated the
third Day of August in the Year of Our Lord 1763 (Recorded at Reading aforesaid
in Book A. vol. 3. page 1304) unto the said Peter Ruth in Fee]. And one
other Tract of Land called The Moon bounded and limited as follows. Viz't.
Beginning at a marked Chesnut thence by Jonas Seely Esq'r Land North forty
five Degrees West 130 f't to a post thence by Ludwig Moon's Land North forty degrees
East 74 f't to a Post, S50E. 112 f't to a marked Chesnut Oak, S10W 41 f't to a Stone
thence by Vacant Land S.45.W 50 f't to thep lace of Beginning Containing 59 Acres
& 61 ??? and Allowance of six p'r Cent for Roads [Granted by patent of the
eighth Day of July in the Year of Our Lord 1763 (Recorded at Philadelphia
in Patent Book AA vol. 10 page 431) unto the said Peter Ruth (alias Roodt
val Root) in Fee] with the Appurtenances. Your Petitioner therefore
humbly prays Your Honors to award an Inquest to make Partition of the said Real Estate
^Except before excepted^ to and among the Heirs of the said Intestate if the same can be done without Prejudice to or
Spoiling the Whole thereof. And in Case such Partition cannot be made That then Your
Honors will order and direct the said Inquest to value and ppraise all and singular
the said Real Estate (except before excepted) So that Your petitioner may hold and
enjoy the same upon paying or securing to be paid to the Relict and younger
Children of the said Intestate their several and respective Shares therein according
to such Valuation.
And Your Petitioner will ever pray &c.
Peter Ruth (also Roudt, Roodt, Routh, Root, etc.) owned significant land in Berks County, Pennsylvania Colony when he died intestate in 1771. The total acreage for the eight tracts of land in the petition above is approximately 868 acres.
To the Honorable the Justices of the Orphans Court of the County of Berks admon
Orphans Court held at Reading on and for the County of Berks the ___ Day of November
in the Year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy one.
The Petition of Michael Ruth eldest Son and Heir at Law of
Peter Ruth late of the Township of Cumry in the said County Yeoman Dec'd
Humbly sheweth,
That Your Petitioners said Father died Intestate about ___ Months
since leaving a Widow, to wit, Catharine and Issue fourteen children, to wit, Your
Petitioner, Jacob, Christian, Peter, George, John, Henry, Francis, Catharine the Wife
of Henry Mayer, Mary Catharine the Wife of Jonas Eckert, Barbara, Eva, Magdalen
and Margaret, two of whom, to wit the said Magdalen and Margaret are now under
the Age of
in his Desmesne as of es?? of and in the Real Estate herein after described, Viz't.
One Messuage or Tenem't and four Tracts or Pieces of Land situate on Coconing Creek partly
in the said Township of Cumry and partly in the Township of Heidelberg in the County of Berks
aforesaid. One of them Beginning at a post in a Line of John Davis's land and extending thence
by the same N.66-1/2 W 170 f't to a Post thence by Land surveyed to Griffith Hughes North
182 f't to a Post thence by Vacant Land E.75 f't to a post thence by Land surveyed to George Kiesner
????? ???? f't to a post thence S.66 f't E. forty seven f't to a post, thence S. ??E 46 f't to
a white Oak, thence by Vacant Land S.27. West 188 f't to the Place of Beginning Containing
138 Acres and three Quarters of an Acre and the Allowance of six p'r Cent for Roads.
One other of them Beginning at a white Oak marked for a Corner and from thence extending
by Widow Davis's Land S.43.E 92 f't to a marked Hickory Tree, thence by Septimus
Robeson's Land S.28W. 75 f't to a post thence by John Davs's Land N.65.W 93 f't
to a post thence by the said above described Tract of 138 A's & 3/4 of an Acre N.25.E 110 f't to the
Place of Beginning Containing 49 Acres and an Allowance proportionable to six p'r Cent for Roads.
One other of them Beginning at a post set for a Corner and extending thence by Land granted
by Thomas Jenkyns to Thomas Bartholomew N.65.W 260 f't to a post thence by Land late of
Thomas Hughes the three next following C????? and Distances ???? N.65.W 40 f't to a Post S.W. 60 f't
to a post and S.37.E 288 f't to a post thence by Vacant Land N.E. 193 f't to the Place of Beginning
Containing 245 A's and a half and Allowance aforesaid. And the other of them Beginning at a post
in a Line of Land late of the aforesaid Thomas Hughes and extending thence N.E. 60 f't to a post
thence S.65.E 40 feet to a post thence by Land late of granted by the aforesaid Thomas Jenkyns to the said Thomas
Bartholomew N. 98 f.t to a post thence by Land of Benjamin Thomas West 22 f't to a post
thence South 27 West by the said Benjamin Thomas's Land 136 f't to a post thence S 37.E 10 f't to
the Place of Beginning Containing 28 Acres and Allowance aforesaid [which above described four
Tracts or Pieces of Land with the Appurtenances was granted by Thomas Bartholomew & Catherine his Wife
by Deed Dated the 16th day of January Anno Domini 1748/9 (Recorded at Reading in Book A Vol.3.
page 270 &c) unto the said Peter Rooth (alias Rood) in Fee]. Two other Tracts or Pieces
of Land contiguous to each other situate in the Township of Cumry aforesaid ^in the said County^ bounded and
limited as follows, to wit.^One of them^ Beginning at a post thence by James Seely's S.E 97 f't to a Post thence
by Peter Ruth's Land N37.W 174 f't to a Stake set for a Corner thence S40W 22 f't an a half
thence South East ????? to an Oak thence S.W. by Adam Spohn's Land 164 f't to a
Hickery thence by David Evans's Land S.E. 62 f't to a Chestnut Oak thence N.E. by the other Tract
above mentioned 46 f't to a Stake thence S.E. by the same Land 97 f't to the Place of Beginning
Containing 155 Acres and a half. And the other of them Beginning at a Corner of the last above
[NOT At bottom of the page:
^out of next Described Tract (Except a certain Lot of ab? to FRanc? Kni??? the Younger in Fee) Part therein granted by the Intestate in his Life Time.^]
[image 1524 of 2236]
described Tract thence SE. by David Evans's Land 169 f't to a Stake thence NE. by the
same land 47 f't to a Stake thence by Jonas Seely's and the last above bounded Land NW
169 f't to a Stake, thence by the same land SW 46 f't to the place of Beginning Containing
44 Acres and a half [which last above described two Tracts of Land with the Appurtenances
were granted by Hannaniah Pugh and Mary his Wife by Deed Dated the tenth day of
October in the Year of Our Lord 1752 (Recorded at Reading as s'd in Book A. Vol.3. pa.2714)
unto the said Peter Ruth (alias Rude) in Fee.] One Messuage or Tenement and Tract
of Land situate in the Township of Heidelberg in the County aforesaid, bounded and limited
as follows, to wit. Beginning at a Corner marked white Oak in a Line of Philip Philips-
mayor's Land thence extending by the same N.59 W 172 f't to a Corner Post thence S.40
W. by Land of George Haines 100 f't to a Corner post of John Jones's Land granted or
intended to be granted to Michael Schmael thence by the saqme S.48E 300 f't to a Corner
Post thence by Vacant Land N.40E. 95 f't and a half to a post thence N.50W. 60 f't
thence S85W. 59 f't to a post thence N.5W 44 f't to a black Oak thence N.40E 25 f't
to the Place of Beginning Containing 167 A's and a half besides Allowance aforesaid
[Granted by William Resse??????? and Elizabeth his Wife] by Deed dated the
third Day of August in the Year of Our Lord 1763 (Recorded at Reading aforesaid
in Book A. vol. 3. page 1304) unto the said Peter Ruth in Fee]. And one
other Tract of Land called The Moon bounded and limited as follows. Viz't.
Beginning at a marked Chesnut thence by Jonas Seely Esq'r Land North forty
five Degrees West 130 f't to a post thence by Ludwig Moon's Land North forty degrees
East 74 f't to a Post, S50E. 112 f't to a marked Chesnut Oak, S10W 41 f't to a Stone
thence by Vacant Land S.45.W 50 f't to thep lace of Beginning Containing 59 Acres
& 61 ??? and Allowance of six p'r Cent for Roads [Granted by patent of the
eighth Day of July in the Year of Our Lord 1763 (Recorded at Philadelphia
in Patent Book AA vol. 10 page 431) unto the said Peter Ruth (alias Roodt
val Root) in Fee] with the Appurtenances. Your Petitioner therefore
humbly prays Your Honors to award an Inquest to make Partition of the said Real Estate
^Except before excepted^ to and among the Heirs of the said Intestate if the same can be done without Prejudice to or
Spoiling the Whole thereof. And in Case such Partition cannot be made That then Your
Honors will order and direct the said Inquest to value and ppraise all and singular
the said Real Estate (except before excepted) So that Your petitioner may hold and
enjoy the same upon paying or securing to be paid to the Relict and younger
Children of the said Intestate their several and respective Shares therein according
to such Valuation.
And Your Petitioner will ever pray &c.
The source citation for the entire probate folder is:
Berks County, Pennsylvania Probate Records, Eldest son's 1771 petition for partition of Peter Ruth's real estate; imaged, "Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1999196), #185 Berks County, Pennsylvania, "Estates 1752-1799 Resher, Gabriel-Seitzinger, Nich.", folder "Ruth, Peter CU 1771", images 1501-1577. Original records in County courthouses, Pennsylvania.
Peter Ruth (also Roudt, Roodt, Routh, Root, etc.) owned significant land in Berks County, Pennsylvania Colony when he died intestate in 1771. The total acreage for the eight tracts of land in the petition above is approximately 868 acres.
The probate packet contains many more papers concerning this estate administration. The real estate was subsequntly valued at over £5,300. The other heirs-at-law received a promissory note of £358 each from the administrator, the eldest son Michael Ruth, who received all of the real estate. The personal estate was valued at over £1,300.
Johann Peter Ruth (1704-1771) was born in 1704, perhaps in Wallhausen in Rhine Palatinate, emigrated to America in 1733, and died on 14 September 1771 in Cumru, Berks County, Pennsylvania Colony. He was married twice, firstly in 1724 to Anna Sophia Lauer (1702-before 1735) in Germany, and they had five children; secondly in 1735 to Eva Catherina Meyer (1715-1793) in Pennsylvania, and they had nine children. All fourteen children from both marriages are named in the petition.
Johann Peter and Eva Catharina (Meyer) Ruth are my 6th great-grandparents through their son Gorg Ruth (1740-1812) who married Anna Maria Benss (1751-1796) in 1766 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania Colony.
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Read other transcriptions of records of my relatives and ancestors at Amanuensis Monday Posts.
NOTE: Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme years ago called "Amanuensis Monday." John offers this definition for "amanuensis:"
"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."
The URL for this post is: https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/08/amanuensis-monday-1771-petition-of.html
"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."
The URL for this post is: https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/08/amanuensis-monday-1771-petition-of.html
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