Peter Schmidt Sr. ^{1 2 3}

   Other names for Peter were Peter Schmitt ⁵ and Peter Shmidt.⁴

   FamilySearch ID: LRPB-RWC.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Church: Peter's son Peter was baptized at Smoke Church, 21 Dec 1786, Windsor Twp.: St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Smoke Church), Berks, PA. ⁵

2. Census in 1790 in Windsor Twp., Berks, PA. ⁶ The 1790 census recorded Peter Smith with this household:
Free White Persons - Males - Under 16: 3 sons
Free White Persons - Males - 16 and over: 1 father Peter

Listed two names below Peter Smith is Peter Yoh, related to Smith's wife, Eva Yoh.

3. Peter appeared in the household of Peter Smith Jr. In a census in 1800 in Brunswick Twp., Berks, PA. ^{7 7} The 1800 census recorded Peter Smith's household with:
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 2 sons born 1791-1800
Free White Persons - Males -10 thru 15: 2 sons born 1786-1790
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25: 1 son born 1775
Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44: 1 father Peter 1756-1774
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10: 1 daughter born 1791-1800
Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44: 1 mother Eve born 1756-1774

Listed before Peter are neighbors Cornelius Hoffman, George Ensinger, Jacob Bensinger. Listed after Peter are Aaron Bowers, John Shaffer, and Benjamin Kepner. Nearby on the previous census page is Ernst Fisher, who is a neighbor in 1810 and 1820.

4. He appeared as a sponsor at a baptism on 6 Apr 1806 at West Brunswick Twp.: Zion Red Church, Schuylkill, PA. ⁸

5. He signed a will on 24 Feb 1809 in Brunswick Twp., Berks, PA. ⁹ Berks County Will Book 5 page 228.

In the Name of God Amen,
I Peter Smith of Brunswig Township Berks county, and State of Pennsylvania, Carpenter, Being weak in Body but of sound Mind, Memory and Understanding, but considering the uncertainty of this transitory Life, I thought proper, to make my last Will and Testament in the following manner; that is to say: In the first place I recommend my immortal Soul into the Hands of my God, and my Body I surrender to the Earth.

But in Respects of the Worldly Effect, and the Property with which it has pleased the Lord to bless me with, I give and bequeath in the following manner, namely: First it is my will, that my actual debt and my funeral expenses shall be paid by my hereinafter named Executor, as soon as it can be done out of my present Estate. And that as soon as possible after my decease a true Inventory shall be made of my Household Goods and Effects, stating out Debts and other Moveable Property; but out of which my beloved wife Eve make keep for her own use, as much as she may think sit and keep the same as long as she live and remain my widow. Likewise she shall have the right to live in my Dwelling house. The one half of my Plantation what it yields in eight Years, she shall yearly take in, for her and the use and maintenance of my two children Elisabeth and William. But after the Expiration of said eight years which shall commence on the first day of April next, my Plantation shall be sold by my Executor, either by Private or Public sail as it serves them best. But my said wifes Residence in the House shall be excepted, likewise she shall have for her yearly dower out of my Plantation, ten Bushels of Rye, two Bushels of Wheat, one hundred pound of Pork, ten pounds of Flax and ten pounds of Taw, and besides shall her Cow be kept in Pasture in the sommer and in the winder by Hay, besides Stable Room, but the Person who has the Land in Possession, and she shall have from this hensforth, the one half of the Gardain Yearly in possession. And also, she shall have five Pounds of Money every Year; but if my widow should get married again, then in that case, all the Property which she had of mine, shall fall back to my children. All that which she done not keep of my houseables, shall be sold as soon as convenient, after decease, and out of the moneys arising therefrom my remaining debt, be paid, except one Horse which my son Peter shall have and shall be his choice which he wishes to take, besides Gears for two Horses, and he shall have my Plantation during the said eight years, for which he shall give to my said wife one half of what grows thereon, so far as it respects the wintergrane, and one third part of the somer grane is all which he shall thrash and delver her share in the House and shall take Grane to mill for her, and the meal he shall fetch home agane, besides as long as she lives on my Plantation she shall be furnished by the owner thereof, with firewood and small and my son Peter shall feed the Cow of my wife during the said eight Years, in sommer and winder so as she wishes to have it, and the sheep which now are on the Plantation, my said wife and my son Peter shall have and shall be divided between them share and share alike.
After my Plantation shall be sold the whole som arising therefrom besides the Dower of my wife shall be divided amongst my six children, John Smith, Peter Smith, George Smith, Jacob Smith, Elisabeth and William Smith. When my son John Smith shall first receive his portion, after which the rest of my children their share yearly according to their age from the oldest to the youngest, and after the decease of my said wife, that which she had kept of my Moveable Property, shall be divided amongst my said six children. And I impower my Executors to give good and indispensable Titles, which shall be equal to as if I had done it myself, and I herewith give and bequeath my whole Estate and ever Reversion to my said six children to their Heirs and assigns forever, and I nominate and appoint herewith my beloved brother Baldaser Smith and my beloved son Peter Smith as Executors and fulfiller of this my last Will and Testament and I nominade as the same time my wife the soal Guardian of my minor Children. I Testamony whereof I Peter Smith the Testator have herein set my Hand and Seal this twenty fourth Day February in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nine.

Peter Schmitt (SEAL)

Signed, sealed mad known and acknowledged by Peter Smith the Testator as his Last Will and Testament in the Presents of
Jacob Joh
Johannes Paul

Registers Office, Reading Berks County June 10th 1809. Then appeared Jacob Joh and John Paul witnesses to the within written will, who were duly qualified according to Law, did declare and say: That they were present and did see and hear Peter Smith the Testator, Sign Publish, Pronounce and declare the same writing, as, and for his last Will and Testament; And that at the Time of the doing thereof, he the said Testator was of sound mind, memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and as they verily believe. And further the name Jacob Joh and John Paul are the deponents own hand-writing thereto subscribe as witnesses in the Presents of each other and in the Presents and at the request of the Testator.

Jab. Sneider, Reg.

(will cover)
Peter Smith dec.
Letter Testamony was granted unto Baldaser Smith, Brother and Peter Smith, son of the Testator, the Executors therein named they first having been sworn according to law.
June 10th 1809.

6. Church: The burial record for Zion's Church (Red Church) states: 1809. Peter Shmidt, native of Reading, Pa; aged 50-0-17, died May 29th., 29 May 1809, West Brunswick Twp.: Zion Red Church, Schuylkill, PA. ⁴

Peter married Eva Yoh, daughter of George Yoh and Elisabeth. (Eva Yoh was born in , , PA and died in West Brunswick Twp., Schuylkill, PA.)