In the Name of God Amen.
I Baltzer Spangler of York township in the County of York and province of Pennsylv ania Yeoman being sick and weak of Body but of sound and Disposing mind memory and understanding Blessed be the Lord for the same and calling unto mind that all flesh is as Grass and the Goodliness thereof as the flower of the field and Remembering what the Lord said unto Hezekiah Set thy house in order for thee must die and not Live have this ninth day of October In the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy made and ordained this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following.
In the first place I Recommend my immortal Soul into the Hands of Almighty God my Creator Who Gave it trusting in the merits of my Ever Blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ for pardon and Remision of all my sins and an happy Admision into the Regions of Bliss and Immortality and for my Body I commend it to the Earth to be decently Buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter mentioned Nothing doubting but I shall receive the same by the almighty Power of God and as touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased Almighty God to bless me with in this life I give devise and Bequeath and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.
Item My Will is that all my Just debts and funeral charges be paid off and discharged as soon as conveniently may be after my decease by my Executors herein after Named.
Item I Give and Bequeath unto my dearly Beloved Wife Magdalena Spangler the Cloaths press and all the Linnen and Sheeting and Ready money in the house at the time of my decease together with two feather Beds and furniture as they now Stand a tea kettle and tea furniture two pewter Basons two pewter dishes six pewter plates one pewter porringer one pewter Quart Measure One dozen pewter spoons, one small Walnut Oval Table, four Chairs, two delf Bowls two small Iron potts one Iron Ladle one Iron Shimmer one Large Copper Ladle for dipping Water one Iron pott Rack, the Copper kettle and Spinning wheel and Reel the Clock and Cease, one Looking Glass one small Walnut Box, the Close Stool Chair a Large Iron pan with feet one small Washing tub one Bucket one pail one Brass-Bucket one Glass Lantern, two Quart Bottles a Psalm Book and two prayer Book, one Grid Iron, one Garden hoe, two Cows of Her own Choice, the Big Roan Mare Saddle and Bridle the Negro Man Jacob and the Negro Woman Tammer her Choice of four sheep and of two Beehives and of two hogs. My will is that my said dearly Beloved Wife shall have the produce of my dwelling Plantation and all that thereon is for one full year after my decease and that She Shall also have the Kitchen Cupboard.
Item I give devise and bequeath Unto my Eldest Son George Spangler the plantation and Tract of Land whereon he now Lives being part of any Original Tract as the same is more Laid out Containing one hundred twenty Acres or thereabouts he paying thereout to my Executors hereafter named the sum of twenty five pounds Lawful Money of Pennsylvania to hold to him, my said son George Spangler his Heirs and Assigns forever Which sum of twenty five pounds Tender to be paid in one year after my decease.
Item, I give devise and Bequeath unto my son Baltzer Spangler for the house and part of the Lott whereon he now Lives, Situate on the north side of high Street in York town Extending Back the wealth of his Buildings forty feet and then the whole Lott 6 be Equally divided Between Him my said son Balzer and his Brother Daniel by an Eight foot Alley to be Run through the remainder to the twenty foot Alley at the north End of the said Lott To hold to him my said son Baltzer his Heirs and Assigns forever and I also Give and Bequeath unto him my said son Baltzer the sum of twenty pounds Lawfull money of the province aforesaid.
Item, I Give and Bequeath unto my son Michael Spangler the sum of fifteen pounds Lawfull money of pennsylvania to be paid him or his order Yearly and every year during his Natural Life to be paid by my son John as is herein after mentioned.
Item, I Give Devise and Bequeath unto my son Rudy Spangler the house and Lott he now lives on Situate and being in high Street in York town of aforesaid Number 118 adjoining the Lott of Teeter Uley deceased and William Mathews to hold to him my said son Rudy Spangler his Heirs and Assigns forever, he paying thereout to my said hereafter named Executors the sum of fifty pounds Lawfull Money of Pennsylvania, the sum of twenty five pounds in one year after my decease and the other Remaining twenty five pounds in the next Year following.
Item, I also give and Devise unto my said son Rudolph Spangler a certain Small piece of Land containing one Acre and an half more or less as the same is now. fenced adjoining the Town Land and Land of my son Baltzer to hold to him my said Son Rudolph his Heirs and Assignes forever.
Item, I give devise and Bequeath unto my son Daniel Spangler the house and Parts of a Lott of Ground he now Lives on Situate on the North Side of High Street in York town aforesaid adjoining the house and Ground Bequeathed to my son Baltzer the half Lott to Contain the Weadth of the dwelling house and to be Equally divided off the said Baltzer's part by an Eight foot Alley to be Run from the twenty foot Alley at the North End of the said Lott towards high Street aforesaid one hundred and seventy three feet the Extent of which distance I allow to be the middle of another Eight foot Alley to Lead into the publick Square of the said township of York for the use and Convenience of my said Son Baltzer Spangler his Heirs and Assigns forever, to hold to him my said Son Daniel Spangler his Heirs and Assigns forever.
Item, I also Give devise and Bequeath unto my said Son Daniel Spangler a Small piece of Land off my Original tract Adjoining my son Baltzer Spangler and Land hereafter Bequeathed to Francis Koontz Containing one Acre and an half more or less as the same is now fenced to hold to him my said Son Daniel Spangler his Heirs and Assigns forever and I also Bequeath him my said Son the Sum of twenty pounds Lawfull money of Pennsylvania.
Item I Give devise and Bequeath unto my son John Spangler the dwelling plantation on Which I now Live with its appurtenances Situate in the Township aforesaid Adjoining the Land of James Smith, Francis Bickle, Geo. Stevenson Conrad Holsbaum Geo Spangler and Containing two hundred and twenty five Acres to hold to him my said Son John his Heirs and Assigns forever, Upon Condition that he provides for his Mother my Dearly Beloved Wife twenty Bushels of Wheat twenty Bushels of Rye twenty five Bushels of Oats fifty pounds of heckled Hemp one hundred pounds of Beef one hundred and fifty pounds of pork her Choise of four Rows of Apple trees Yearly and every year during her Natural Life and allow her to Live in this my dwelling house as long as she shall think proper and if she should not Choose to Dwell with him he shall Build her a Good and sufficient Dwelling house upon such part of my said plantation as she shall Choose at her Requital and shall also deliver her Sufficient fire Wood at her door And that he my said Son John Shall pay unto my son Michael Spangler beforenamed the sum of fifteen pounds Lawfull Money of Pennsylvania Yearly and every Year during the Term of his my said Son Michaels Life and the sum of two hundred and seventy five pounds Lawfull money aforesaid in manner following Vizt: twenty five pounds thereof on the decease of my beloved Wife Magdalena and the sum of two hundred fifty pounds the Remainder thereof at the decease of my said Son Michael Spangler Which said Sum of two hundred and Seventy five pounds I order and direct to be Equally divided amongst all my Children the Children of my Daughter Juliana only Excepted.
Item, It is my Will and I do order that notwithstanding the above bequest to my said son John that should he my said son John depart this Life Without Lawfull Issue of his body and he Possessed of the Lands above Bequeathed then and in such Ease the said Lands to him Bequeathed shall become property and Right of all my Children Except the Children of my aforesaid daughter Julia. I also Give and Bequeath Unto my said Son John Spangler the New Waggon and Gears the horse Called Pumer and the Young Roan Mare the plow and harrow a Lock Chain two Collars & two pair of Iron traces.
Item, I Give and Bequeath unto my Grandchildren Born on the body of my Daughter Juliana deceased Vizt: Frederick Magdalena Hannah John and Elizabeth Bickle the sum of ten pounds Lawfull money of Pennsylvania Each to be paid to them as they arrive to the age of twenty one years.
Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth now the wife of Francis Koontz the sum of two hundred pounds Lawfull money of Pennsylvania to be paid her by my Executors in manner following Vizt: the sum of fifty pounds part thereof in one Year after my decease and the sum of fifty pounds Yearly until the whole is paid.
Item I give devise and Bequeath Unto my said daughter Elizabeth Koontz a small piece of Land part of my Original tract Containing one Acre and an half more or Less as the same is Now Laid out and fenced to hold to her my said daughter Elizabeth her Heirs and Assigns forever. And all the Rest & residue and Remainder of my Estate Real and personal not herein before disposed of I order and direct the same to be Equally divided to and amongst all my Children Excepting thereout the Children of my aforesaid Daughter Juliana.
And Lastly I do hereby Nominate Constitute and appoint my son Baltzer Spangler and my trusty and well Beloved friend Michael Swoope Esquire my only and Sole Executors of this my Last Will and Testament hereby Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be and Contain my Last Will and Testament. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and affixed my Seal the day and Year first mentioned
Baltzer Spangler
Signed Sealed Published Pronounced and Declared by the said Testator Baltzer Spangler as and for his Last Will and testament
who in his presence and at his request Signed our Names as Witnesses to be the Same (Yearly and every Year during her natural life being first Interlind) George Weller Michael Hahn Christopher Lauman Joseph Boude.
Be it Remembered that on the day of the date hereof I the above named Baltzer Spangler do Will Order and direct my said son John Spangler to feed and find and provide the Cows Mare and Sheep Bequeathed to his Mother with Good and Sufficient fother during her Natural Life and as this was Omitted in the foregoing Will I have thought fit to place it on this Codicil. Baltzer Spangler Sealed signed Published and Pronounced by the testator as a Codicil to his Last Will and Testament in our presence George Weller Michael Hahn Christopher Lauman Jos. Boude.
Be it Remembered that on the 17th day of October 1770 I Baltzer Spangler the Testator Within Named do hereby Impower authorize and direct my Executors in my Last Will and Testament Named to Wit: Baltzer Spangler Junior my son and Michael Swoope Esquire or any or Either of them to make Execute and deliver deeds and other proper Conveyances in fee to my Several Children for the Several Houses Lotts and Land Which I have in my said Will Bequeathed to them and also to make Execute and Deliver a Conveyance or Conveyances in fee to such Other person or persons as I am by Articles of Agreement or otherwise Obliged to do and Execute for Lands Sold them as fully and to so good intent and purpose as if I myself were personally present and I do Order and direct that all my Cloathing be given to my son Michael by my Executors at any Reasonable time after my decease, together with a feather Bed he now lays in.
Baltzer Spangler Signed Sealed published pronounced and declared by the said Baltzer Spangler as and for a Codicil to his Last Will and Testamt in the presence of us George Weller Michl Hahn Jos. Boude Christopher Lauman York County SS
Before me Samuel Johnston Esqr Deputy Register for the Probate of Wills and granting Letters of Administration in and for the County of York in the Province of Pennsylvania Personally appeared George Weller Michael Hahn Joseph Boude and Christopher Lauman the four Subscribing Witnesses to the foregoing three several Instruments of Writing and the said Michael Hahn Joseph Bounde and Christopher Lauman on their Solemn Oaths respectively taken according to Law and the said George Weller on his Solemn affirmation taken according to Law according to Act of Parliament (he being of the People called Unitis Fratrum and conscientiously scrupling the taking of an Oath) do severally say that they were personally present and saw and heard the above named Baltzer Spangler sign seal publish and Declare the first of his within Instruments of Writing as and for his Last Will and Testament and also say that they were personally present and saw and heard the said Baltzer Spangler sign Seal publish and declare the two foregoing Instruments of Writing last mentioned as and for Codicils to his said Last Will and Testament and that at the Times when the said Baltzer Spangler executed the said Several Instruments of writing in manner aforesaid he was of a Sound and disposing mind and Memory and further that the said Deponents and affirmant Subscribed their Names to each of the said Instruments of Writing respectively as Witnesses to the same in the presence of the said testator and at his request Sworn & Affirmed and Subscribed before me at York this 3d Day of George Weller
December 1770. Saml Johnston Dept. Regr. Michl Hahn
Jos. Boude
Christopher Lauman
A True Copy compared With the Original &c
Saml Johnston Dept Regr.
His gravestone (translated from German) reads "Here rests the dust of the sainted Baltzer Spengler born 1705, fell asleep in the Lord 1770; The 23rd Psalm:" The remains of Baltzer and his wife were interred in the old German Reformed church graveyard and upon its abandonment, were removed to Prospect Hill Cemetery[2-3].
5) SOURCES
1. Edward W. Spangler, The Annals of the Families of Caspar, Henry, Baltzer and George Spengler Who Settled in York County Respectively in 1729, 1732, 1732 and 1751, with Biographical and Historical Sketches, and Memorabilia of Contemporaneous Local Events (York, Penn. : n.p., 1896), page 138.
2. Jim Tipton, indexed database, Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com), Prospect Hill Cemetery, York, Penn., Johan Balthasar Spangler memorial #13380480.
3. Edward W. Spangler, The Annals of the Families of Caspar, Henry, Baltzer and George Spengler Who Settled in York County Respectively in 1729, 1732, 1732 and 1751, with Biographical and Historical Sketches, and Memorabilia of Contemporaneous Local Events, page 145.
4. "Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994," digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org), York County > “Wills, 1749-1783, Vol. A-D,” Book C, pages 9-13 (images 331 to 333 of 647), Baltzer Spangler will and codicils, written 9 October and 17 October 1770, registered 3 December 1770.
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