A wonderful 1789 document from the orphan's court of Berks County, PA. Signed by several notables
including General Jacob Bower as High Sheriff. Henry Christ as clerk of the court, and Nicholas
Lotz (Lutz) as one of the 12 men who acted on the sheriff's request in the matter before the court.

The document is an inquest into the division of a piece of land that had belonged to Elias Retge
(Redcay) who died intestate (Without a will). His only son requested that the court preform an
inquisition to determine if the land could be divided without damaging the value of the whole. He
asked that if it could not be divided a value be determined so that the other heirs could receive
their proper shares. It was determined that the land could not be divided

"Therefore they have valued and appraised the said real estate or
lands and premises with the (illegible) at three
Hundred pounds -------- in gold or silver coin
now current in Pennsylvania Subject to all monies, In-
trest or encumbrances now due as recoverable for the same
premises."

Elias Redcay Sr
1716 - 1786

Elias Rattge (or Redche), the ancestor of the Redcay family in question, came to Pennsylvania, Sept. 26, 1737, from Germany, and was accompanied by Nicholas Rattge, a relative. Both names were written by a clerk, and that of Elias was spelled Ratgen. Tradition says he was related to John Jacob Radge, who
arrived in Philadelphia, Dec. 3, 1740, on the ship "Robert and Alice," Capt. Goodman, commander. Elias Rattge settled at once in Robeson township, Lancaster county, and Nicholas in Albany township, Berks (then Philadelphia) county, and
on Nov. 28, 1750, the latter received a warrant for fifty acres in Philadelphia county. He was a farmer, but little is known of him. He died in 1760 leaving a widow, Maria Ann Ursula, and children Elias (died in Greenwich township, Berks county, in 1773) and Anna Margarete.

In 1750 Elias Rattge (or Redche) secured a warrant from the proprietaries of Pennsylvania for sixty-five acres of land in Robeson township, Lancaster county; in 1752 this township was transferred to Berks county. On Oct. 28, 1765, he purchased of Henry Winterberger 140 acres at Gibraltar, Robeson township, adjoining the sixty-five acres previously mentioned, and there he farmed continuously until 1773. St. John's Church and graveyard are situated on this property. On June 12, 1773, he sold his property at Gibraltar to his only son Elias, Jr., and moved to Cumru (now Brecknock) township, in what was called "the Forest." There he purchased one hundred and thirty-four acres, through which ran the Allegheny creek, and on the banks of that stream he erected a sawmill, which he conducted successfully until the time of his death. He also followed farming on this land. He died in 1786, aged about seventy years, and is buried in the
St. John's graveyard at Gibraltar.

Elias Redche was twice married. By his first wife, Elizabeth, he had the following children. (1) Elias Redcay, born in 1745, m. Elizabeth Hunter (born in 1752, died Jan. 11, 1816), of Oley, April 6, 1773, and died Jan. 3, 1829. (2) Barbara m. John Kendall. (3) Mary, born Aug. 5, 1747, m. Gottlieb Christian, May 28, 1770, and died in 1832. (4) Catharine, born April 22, 1756, m. Christian Krauss, Sept. 5, 1773, and died Feb. 14, 1809. (5) Elizabeth m. Fredrich Rapp, Sept. 20, 1770, and died before 1786. Elias Redche m. (second) March 21, 1773, Rosina Zigler, widow of AdamZigler. They had no children, and at his death in 1788 she married Christian Eschelman, a neighbor.