This collection is made up of 3 documents related to the estate of Frederick Mehl of Germantown, Pennsylvania, who died in early 1787. The first item is a copy of Frederick Mehl's will, originally composed and signed on January 14, 1787. In anticipation of his imminent death, Mehl established legacy payments for his children and grandchildren, appointed Samuel Mechlin and his son Martin as estate executors, and offered his wife and daughter the use of his home and household goods. On February 19, 1787, two appraisers compiled a list of Mehl's belongings, which included household furniture, books, farm implements, and other items; this copy of the inventory is dated February 20, 1787. The final item is a notice posted by Martin Mehl regarding an upcoming sale of Frederick Mehl's estate. Along with the estate's remaining household items, Martin Mehl planned to sell his father's land, auctioned as five separate lots of three acres each (March 1, 1794).
Frederick Mehl (d. 1787) and his wife Magdalene lived in Germantown, Pennsylvania, near the end of the 18th century, and owned at least 15 acres of land. They had four children: Elizabeth, Frederick, Martin, and Charles. Elizabeth Mehl and her husband, Jacob Welcker, separated before 1787 and had three children: John, William, and Magdalen. Martin Mehl served as the executor over his father's estate.
