"George Carringer died testate, having written a will which named William Carringer as executor [Mercer County PA Will Book, Volume 6, Page 345]. Letters testamentary were filed on 10 April 1876 [Mercer County Estate and proceedings index, 1804-1971, Vol. 4, page 110]."
George Carringer's 1874 will is on the right-hand page of the image above. Note that this is a Probate Court clerk copy of the orignial handwritten will, and it is fairly easy to read. I want a transcription of this will.
This is a transcription of the Last Will and Testament of George Carringer (recorded as "Geo. Carringer") from Mercer County, Pennsylvania, dated March 25, 1874, and probated April 10, 1876.
I have followed your request for a line-by-line and word-for-word transcription. Please note that 19th-century legal spelling and shorthand (such as "sd" for "said" or "A.D." for the year) have been preserved.
Transcription: Will of Geo. Carringer
Will of | Know all men by these presents That I Geo. Carringer
Geo. Carringer. | of Perry Township in the county of mercer and State of
Decd. | Pennsylvania being of sound mind memory and understanding
| do make and publish this my last will and testament revoking
| and makeing void all former wills by me at any time here tofore made.
| First I commit my spirit to god who gave it and my body to be dec-
ently and respectably buried and that all my Just debts be paid including my
funeral expenses and that of my wife Isabell.
I give and bequeath to my son Harvy the farm on which I now live containing Sixty
nine acres west end of lot no 44 fifth district donation land my son Harvy to pay all
my Just debts likewise to pay one hundred dollars to my daughter Emily intermarried
with S. T. Robinson and Two hundred dollars to Clyde Deams Carringer son of James B.
Carringer decd. To be paid when Clyde Carringer is Twenty one years of age if Clyde should
die before he is Twenty one years old the money to be divided equally among my children
my son Harvey to provide a suitable and comfortable living for my wife Isabell dur-
ing her natural life to provide clothing and every thing to keep her decent and
respectable and if they cannot live comfortably and agreeably to gather. Harvey to pay
a reasonable and Just sum to keep and support her where she may wish to live.
Harvy to provide and keep one horse a buggy and harness for my wife Isabels use
during her natural life also one cow. I reserve to my wife the house during
her natural life and I leave to my wife Isabell all my Books and household furn-
iture and after my decease and that of my loving wife my executors to make
my son Harvy a good and sufficient deed for the farm and I apoint my son
William Carringer to be the executor of this my last will and testament.
In witness where of I set my hand and seal this 25 day of March A. D. 1874.
Thomas Wallace | witnesses Geo. Carringer {LS}
John Biggart |
Mercer County s.s.
Before me a Register for the probat of wills in and for said
County Personally came Thomas Wallace & John Biggart subscribing witnesses
to the attached instrument of writing purporting to be the last will and testament
of George Carringer deceased who being duly sworn according to law did say
that they were present with and saw said testator sign and seal said will
and heard him pronounce and declare the same as signed and sealed as for his
last will and testament and at the time of so doing he the said testator was of
sound and disposing mind and memory and understanding to the best of
deponents knowledge and belief also that they signed their names as witnesses
thereto at the request of and in the presence of said testator and in the presence
of each other
Sworn and subscribed before me | Thomas Wallace
this 10 day of April A.D. 1876 | John Biggart
Jno. N Reznor
Register
Would you like me to create a summary of the family members and specific assets (like the donation land) mentioned in this document for your genealogical records?
Based on the transcription, here is a breakdown of the family members mentioned and the specific assets distributed in George Carringer’s will. This format is often helpful for cross-referencing with census records or property deeds.
## Family Members Identified
George’s will is particularly useful for genealogy because it confirms several relationships and even mentions a deceased son.
George Carringer: The Testator (writer of the will).
Isabell Carringer: Wife.
Harvey Carringer: Son (primary heir and caretaker of his mother).
Emily Robinson: Daughter (identified as "intermarried with S. T. Robinson").
William Carringer: Son (appointed as Executor).
James B. Carringer: Son (identified as deceased by 1874).
Clyde Deams Carringer: Grandson (son of the deceased James B. Carringer).
### Notable Genealogical Clues
The "Donation Land": The mention of "Lot No. 44, fifth district donation land" is a specific legal descriptor. In Pennsylvania, Donation Lands were acreage granted to Revolutionary War veterans. This suggests that this land may have originally belonged to George's father or a relative who served in the Revolution.
The "Care" Clause: The will includes a specific contingency: if Isabell and Harvey cannot live "comfortably and agreeably together," Harvey is legally bound to pay for her support and housing elsewhere.
Timeline: The will was written on March 25, 1874, and George passed away sometime before April 10, 1876, when the witnesses appeared in court to prove the will.
Would you like me to look for any historical context regarding the 5th District Donation Lands in Mercer County to help narrow down the exact location of the farm?
5) Naturally, I said "yes, please!" again, and the response was:
Finding the exact location of 19th-century land requires matching the unique historical descriptors (like "Donation District") with modern geography. Here is the historical and geographical context for the Carringer farm in Mercer County.
1. The Location: Perry Township
The will identifies the farm as being in Perry Township, which is located in the north-central part of Mercer County.
• Modern Reference: Perry Township today is bordered by Sandy Creek Township (North), Deer Creek Township (East), Fairview Township (South), and Otter Creek and Salem Townships (West).
• George’s Farm: Historical records place George Carringer’s homestead near Fredonia Road, just south of Wolf Road. If you look at a modern map of Perry Township, this area is just west/northwest of the town of Fredonia.
2. The Land: "Donation Lot No. 44, 5th District"
The "Donation Land" mentioned in the will refers to a specific system Pennsylvania used to reward Revolutionary War veterans.
• The 5th District: The Donation Lands were divided into 10 surveying districts. The 5th District covers a significant portion of northern Mercer County.
• Lot No. 44: In the surveying records for Perry Township, Lot No. 44 was originally surveyed for a soldier named Andrew Johnston (Private) in 1785.
• George’s Portion: George specifies he owns the "west end" of this lot, containing 69 acres. Since standard Donation Lots for privates were 200 acres, it appears George’s father or George himself purchased a subdivided portion of the original military grant.
3. Connection to Martin Carringer
Genealogical records for this family show that George was likely the grandson (or close relative) of Martin Carringer, a Revolutionary War veteran who served in the Pennsylvania Line.
• Martin Carringer himself received Donation Lot No. 941 in Perry Township.
• The fact that George is living on and bequeathing Lot No. 44 shows how the family expanded and acquired neighboring donation tracts over the 19th century.
4. How to see it today
• If you want to see exactly where the "69 acres" sat, you can use the 1873 Combination Atlas of Mercer County.
• Because the will was written in 1874, this map is an almost perfect "snapshot" of the land as it looked when George wrote the document.
• Look at the Perry Township map in that atlas. You will likely see the name "G. Carringer" or "H. Carringer" (for his son Harvey) printed directly on a plot of land west of Fredonia.
Genealogy Tip: Since George mentions a "good and sufficient deed" must be made for Harvey after his and Isabell's death, you should be able to find a recorded deed in the Mercer County Recorder of Deeds office dated around 1876-1880. This deed will often contain a "metes and bounds" description (e.g., "starting at a white oak tree, then 50 perches south...") that defines the farm's exact borders.
Mercer County (Pennsylvania) Register of Wills, "Will Books, 1804-1917," Volume 6, Page 345, will of George Carringer, written 25 March 1874, proved 10 April 1876; imaged, FamilySearch Library microfilm 878,968, "Will books v. 4-6 1853-1880," image 771 of 959, Family Search Library (Salt Lake City, Utah); original records in Mercer County Courthouse, Mercer, Pennsylvania.
- The will transcription is almost perfect (it kept calling "Harvy" in the will as "Harvey" although "Harvy was very clear and consistent throughout!)
- The summary of the family members and assets of the will was correct and well-organized and the genealogical clues were accurate.
- Identifying the location of George Carringer's Lot 44 and Martin Carringer's Lot 941 is helpful and accurate. Gemini noted that this George Carringer land was not part of Martin Carringer's Lot 941.
- The information about the 1873 Combination Atlas of Mercer County is not correct - the G. Carringer on the 1873 atlas map is this George Carringer, the former owner of the lot along Fredonia Road. George Carringer sold at least part of the Lot 941 land to Cornelius Carringer before 1864. Apparently, the callout of "G. Carringer" on the 1873 plat map was not updated from 1864. Note that the Lot 941 land is not mentioned in George Carringer's will.
- This George Carringer resided on Lot 44 (which is south and east of the Martin Carringer patent Lot 941 when he made his will in 1874.
- Using the AI transcription was much faster (about two minutes) than transcribing it by typing (about 20 minutes for a page of clear text), although I took about ten minutes to compare the transcription with the image text.
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