Kate’s Notes: This transcription was created from a copy of the original document and I did not make corrections for spelling, punctuation, etc. There are some peculiarities in capitalization which can probably be attributed to simple style elements to the cursive of the time, but I have done my best to interpret this document as true to the original. Any other records, such as the inventory of Fleming’s estate, will be filed as supplementary documents in the Gilliland Trails library. The collected documents relating to this estate may be found online at the LDS genealogy site, “Family Search”, at https://familysearch.org
    Fleming Gilliland (1789-1860) was a son of Col. William Gilliland and Catharine Fleming, the latter a daughter of William and Mary (Kerr) Fleming. Catharine died in 1798 and is buried at the Great Conewago Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Fleming’s second wife was Sarah McKnight, who is the Sarah cited in this will.
    Fleming could be considered a man of considerable means for his day. One thousand dollars in 1860 would, by today’s standards and adjusting for inflation, be worth somewhere between 25 -30 thousand dollars. When the value of his real and personal property, stock, et al is added to the sum of his currency and bonds, the totality of his estate speaks of a man of comfortable means and one wise with his money and investments. Such an estate would leave his widow comfortably situated.
    Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is located within Straban township of Adams County and how the looming shadow of Civil War may have directly affected this family is currently unknown to me. From an historical and genealogical standpoint, it is important to mention here that Adams County was not formed until 1800 and one must study the earlier maps to understand how records of both York and Lancaster counties are connected to those of Adams. I refer to Wikipedia for a short background on this subject:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straban_Township, Adams_County,_Pennsylvania
Founding
Straban Township was created in 1746 when this area was still part of Lancaster County. Named for Strabane, a town in Northern Ireland, this spelling was in use as late as the 1870s. For the most part the original boundaries remain unchanged to this day. York County was formed out of Lancaster County in 1749, and for the next 51 years Straban Township was a part of York County, until Adams County was formed in 1800.
    Many members of Adams County’s Gilliland families are buried at the Great Conewago Presbyterian Church Cemetery which, during the Battle of Gettysburg, served as a Confederate infirmary; an index of their graves may be found here: http://www.greatconewagopresbyterianchurch.org/g_k_burial_records.htm
   Other members of the Gilliland family are buried at Evergreen Cemetery, the namesake of Cemetery Hill, made famous during the battle of Gettysburg. It is also believed to be the spot where Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.
                                                                                                                         -Kate Maynard, 2013

Last Will and Testament of Fleming Gilliland, Adams County, Pennsylvania, 1860

Source:
Pennsylvania Probate Records
Adams County
Estates, 1859-1863
File no 3625

    In the name of God, Amen, I, Flemming Gilliland, of the Township of Straban, County of Adams and State of Pennsylvania, being very weak in bodily Strength, but of Sound Mind, Memory and understanding, praised be God for the Same, And Knowing the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof, and being desirous of Settling My worldly affairs whilst I have Strength and Capacity So to do, do make and publish this My last Will and Testament, in Manner and form following, to wit:
    First, and principally, I commit my Soul into the hands of my Creator, who gave it, and my body to be interred in a decent and christian-like manner, and as to Such worldly goods wherewith it hath pleased God to entrust me dispose of the Same as follows --
    My will is that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid as Soon after my decease as conveniently can be done –
Item -- I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sarah, Such articles of household and Kitchen furniture, as She may think proper to Select for her own use and comfort; also her choice of two of my cows, and the right and privilege of using and occupying during her natural life, any three rooms She May Select, in the House at present occupied by us, with equal privileges (with the other Tenants) in the Kitchen, Garrett, cellar and Garden[s]; and that She Shall be Supplied and provided with Sufficient boarding, Such as a woman of her age and circumstances Should require; the Same to be furnished to her in her own room Should She require or desire it; also Sufficient fire wood, cut  Hauled and Split ready for the Stove, at her door; together with Sufficient grain, hay and pasture for two Cows, to be Stabled, fed and attended to, the aforesaid provisions to my wife, to Stand charged and chargeable against my Mansion farm where I now reside, during the natural life of my Said wife –
   And further, it is my will, and I So order and direct, that my Executors Shall place at interest the Sum of Two thousand Dollars, including my Rail road Bond of Four hundred Dollars, for the use of my Said wife Sarah, the interest of the Said Sum to be paid to her Annually during her Natural life, and at her death, my will is, and I So order and direct, that the Said principal (Two Thousand Dollars) including the Rail road Bond as aforesaid, Shall be equally divided between my three children, John, Samuel and Sarah Ellen, Share and Share alike their heirs – 
Item -- I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sarah Ellen, or her heirs, Three Thousand Dollars, One thousand Dollars of Said Sum, I direct my Executors to place at interest; and the interest of the Said one thousand Dollars, to be paid to my said daughter Sarah Ellen each and every year during her natural life, and at the death of my Said daughter, the Said Sum of One Thousand Dollars, Shall be paid to the heirs and legal representatives of my Said daughter Sarah Ellen – 
My desire is, that the Bond which I hold against my Nephew Samuel Gilliland; of five hundred Dollars, shall Stand as it is, So long as my Nephew desires it, by him paying the Interest yearly, or so long as my Executors, in their Judgment, Shall think it prudent to let it Stand uncollected; the Said Bond to be taken as a part of the One Thousand Dollars, to be placed at interest for the use of my daughter Sarah Ellen –
Item -- I give, bequeath and devise unto my son John, his heirs and assigns, My Farm, Situate in the township of Straban aforesaid, adjoining lands of John [Weltz or Welty] Joseph [Thomas] and others, containing One hundred and Sixteen Acres more or less, also my Tract of Mountain Land, Situate lying and being in [ left blank ] Township, County of Adams aforesaid, adjoining lands of William Long, [ left blank ] [Eichinger] and others, containing Sixteen Acres More or less;  [for] the giving and granting unto my Said son John the right and privileges of cutting and handling three hundred rails each and every year (So long as he, my Said Son, John Shall retain the title of the before mentioned Farm in his own name) from off the Tract of Mountain Land, hereinafter willed and bequeathed to my Son Samuel -- 
Item -- I give and bequeath unto my Son John or his heirs the Sum of Five hundred Dollars –
Item -- I give and bequeath unto my Son Samuel or his heirs my Threshing Machine, my [-----] wheel Wagon, My Seeder or Drill my Winnowing Mill, and his own choice of two of my Horses -- 
Item -- I give and devise unto my Son Samuel his heirs or assigns, My Mansion Farm, where I now reside, adjoining lands of Henry Worts [read: Wertz], Joseph Bailey and others, containing Two hundred and twenty Six Acres more or less, Subject nevertheless to the privileges herein before granted to my wife Sarah, in and about the premises, as also for her boarding, fire wood, and the provisions made for her two cows -- And for this the Said farm is to be chargeable and Stand charged with whatever deficiency there may be (after the Settling of my Estate) to pay the Special Legacies of Five hundred Dollars to my Son John, the Three Thousand Dollars for the use of my daughter Sarah Ellen, and the Two Thousand Dollars to be placed at interest for the use of my wife Sarah, together with the costs and charges of Settling my estate, the Said deficiency (Should there be any) Shall be paid by my Son Samuel in equal annual payments, not to exceed three hundred dollars each -- 
Item -- I give, bequeath and devise unto my Said Son Samuel, his heirs or assigns, any other Tract of Mountain Land, Situate, lying and being in the Township of [ left blank ] in the County of Adams aforesaid, adjoining lands of Joseph Everett, John [Torssey] and others, containing eighteen Acres, More or less, Subject nevertheless to the privileges hereintofore granted to my Son John of getting rails from Said Mountain Tract --
My Will further is, that there Shall be no Sale made of the balance of my personal property, until one year after my decease unless my Executors Shall desire So to do --
Lastly, I nominate constitute and appoint my Sons John And Samuel, Executors of this my last Will and Testament .
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this twentieth day of February, AD 1860
                                                                                                                          F Gilliland {Seal}
Signed, Sealed, declared and published by the above named Flemming Gilliland, as and for his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, who, at his request, and in his presence, and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto –
                                                                                                                          Henry Wertz
                                                                                                                          J B Danner

***********************

Adams County SS
    Before me Zachariah Myers Register for the probate of Wills and Granting letters of Administration in and for Said County of Adams Personally Came Henry Wertz and Joel [B] Danner Esquire  [inserted above line, “witnesses to the foregoing will”] Who being duly Sworn according to law do Say that they were present and saw And heard Fleming Gilliland the testator Sign Seal publish pronounce and declare the foregoing instrument of Writing as and for his last Will And testament And that at the time of So doing he was of Sound mind memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and belief and that they Signed Said Will at the Testators request in his presence and in the presence of each other at the same time
Sworn and Subscribed before   }                                                               Henry Wertz
me at Gettysburg the 24th          }                                                                JB Danner
day of March AD 1860             }
                            Zachariah Myers

Please do not publish this transcription elsewhere without credit to the transcriber, preferably with express permission of same. If used as a citation, please attribute to the following:
Transcriber: Kate Maynard, 2013
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