From the Probate Files: Ann Baker Sill - Chester County, Pennsylvania - 1779

Last month I posted about this maternal seventh great grandmother, Joseph Baker Jr.'s daughter and the wife of James Sill, who survived her husband and wrote her own will in 1777 which was probated two years later. Ann made small bequests including several silver objects, some pewter dishes, glassware, her clothes and tea ware to each of her children and two of her granddaughters. From looking at the list of her possessions, I now have a mental picture of Ann pouring her tea from her pewter teapot and perhaps adding cream from her glass jug before taking a sip of tea from one of her cups.

Ann Sills Will} The Second day of September in the year of our Lord one Thous=
=and Seven Hundred & Seventy Seven I Ann Sills of Edgment in the the Count=
=ty of Chester in the Province of Pennsylvania being ^very^ Sick and weak in Body but
of Perfect mind and memory thanks be giving to God therefore Calling unto mind
and the mortality of my Body and Knowing that it is appointed for all man
Kind once to die to Make & ordain this my last will and Testament that is to Say
principally & first of all I give and Recommend my Soul into the hands of God that 
Gave it and for my Body I Recommend it to the Earth to be to be Buryed in a Christian
Like and decent manner at the Discretion of my Executors herein after named and as 
Touching Such worldly Estate wherewith it hath Pleased God to bless me in this life
I Give Device & Dispose of the Same in the following manner & form Item I give
and Bequeath unto my Daughter Ann Cannady the sum of Ten Pounds and my
Cloak & puter Dish Item I give and Bequeath unto my Son George Sill a pair of 
Silver Buckeles & Sleve Buttons Item I give and Bequeath unto my Son Richard
Sill my Tea Cittle Item I give and Bequeath unto my Daughter mary moris 
a puter plate and Porrenger & Cream Jug Item I give and Bequeath unto my 

["Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L99B-L52M?cc=1999196&wc=9PMD-W36%3A268496301%2C280802301 : 3 July 2014), Chester > Wills 1774-1783 vol 6-7, F-G > image 255 + 256 of 441; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.]

Daughter Martha Houlston a arm Cheer & puter Tea pot Item I give and Bequeath unto 

my grand Daughter Ledy Sill my Saddle and my Wareing apearl to -- Equilly Deve=

ded Between my three Daughters & the above mentioned Grand Daughter, Lydia

Sill. Item I give and bequeath to my Grand Daughter Sarah Cannaday three 

Chessy[?] Cups & Sacers & Glass Cream Jug the Remainder of the tea ware to be Devided

Between my three Daughter as they can agree & my will is that all the Remain=

der of my Effects to be appraised and Sold by Publick vandue[?] & all my Just Debts

& funerall Charges to be paid and Discharged with the Same and if there

Shall be any more the same^ to be Equally Devided Between all my Children & I

Do hereby Constitute make and ordain my Brother Nehemiah Baker & my

Son James Sill to be my only and Sole Executors of this my last will and Testa=

=ment and I Do hereby Utterly Disalow Revoke and Disanull all and eve=

=ry other former Testaments with legacies and Executors by me in any ways

before this time Named willed Bequeathed, Ratifying and Confirming this

and no other to be my Last will and Testament In whiness whereof I have here

unto Set my hand and Seal the day and year above "Writing Sign"

Seald Published pronounced and Decleared By the Said Ann Sill as her

Last will and Testament in the presents of us the Subscribers Viz all

the Legacies to be paid by my Brother Nehemiah Baker and my son

James Sill in Lawfull money of Pennsylvania to be paid within Six months

after the Sale of Such goods or Effects Ann her/mark Sill {Seal} Lydia Baker

Joseph Robins

If you look at the downloaded probate transcript of Ann's will you will notice that someone noted all the misspellings in the original will.

Here's how I descend from this tea-drinking ancestor:

[Ancestry.com]

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