Last Will and Testament of Ulrich Gindlesperger and Related Documents

Read Rev. Norman L. Gindlesperger´s analysis, "Evidence Regarding the Date of the Death of One "Uli [Ulrich] Ginglesberger" for more information about these documents.

These documents were transcribed by Rev. Norman L. Gindlesperger with the grateful acknowledgement of the assistance and guidance of the current Register of Wills, Faith A. Zembower, and her staff, November 5, 1998

Last Will and Testament

Dated April 30, 1783, the original will was written in German; this is the English translation.

I Uli Guindelsperger living in Quimehon Township in Bedford County and State of Pennsylvania Make this my last Will & Testament this thirtyeth Day of April Anno. Do. 1783 and is as followes: in the first all my Personal Estate Shall be made in three Shears and I give and bequeath one Shear thereof unto my Wife and two Shears to my Son Albrecht Guindelsperger, secondly. I give & bequeath unto my Wife one hundred Acres of Land to hir Haris and Succesors to whome so ever she sign it over and as albrecht has two Shares of the Personel Estate he therefor by the Surveyor Shall out of the hundred Acres of Land at the at the Line which is marked by Witnesses and Shall pay the expences thereof. third I give and bequeath unto my son Albrecht Guindelsperger the remainder of the Land which is within th eLine (to him his Hairs and Succesors and to whome so ever he may sign it over.) for Forty Pounds and the payment thereof Shall be in this manner two years he begin at the oldest & so on untill the youngest and then to begin at the oldest again untill the whole sum is Paid and fourthly - I chuse and constitute my Friends and nighbers John Yoder and David Holy to be my Executors over my whol Estate and give them full Power & authority to buye and Sell Colect Debts & to pay Debts and to sign over it my Bill of Sale, Deed, Notes or Bonds or what ever Name a thing may have, to sign over, and that which personal Estate and then Shall the Mother and Albrecht divite it as is above mentioned. This is my last Will and Testament and Seal it with my own Hand in the presence of Witnesses

Uli Guindelsperger (seal)

               his                              
Christian    X   Kauffman
             Mark
Jacob Kauffman

Bedford County SS.

Before me David Espy Esquire Register for the Probate of Wills and Granting Letters of Administration in and for the County of Bedford in the State of Pennsylvania, personally came the within named Christian Kaufman and Jacob Kaufman the two subscribing Witnesses to the within Instrument in Writing and on their solemn Affirmation taken before me do say that they were personally present and saw the within named Uli Ginglesberger sign seal and declare the within Instrument in Writing as and for his last Will & Testament That at the Time of doing thereof the said Uli Ginglesberger was of sound and disposing mind and Memory according to the best of these Affirmants Knowledge & Belief and that they subscribed their Names as Witnesses to the same in the Presence of the Testator and at his Request

               his                              
Christian    X   Kaufman
             Mark
Jacob Kaufman

Affirmed to and subscribed at Bedford this twenty fifth Day of February Anno Domini 1874

Before me  David Espy
             Registrar

Executors Affirmed same day.

Recorded and compared June 11, 1956
Robert H. Hammer
Registor

Inventory of the Goods & Chattles of
Uli Ginglesberger deced

filed 25th Feby 1784 . ~

[Affidavit of the Appraisors]

Bedford County

Christian Kaufman & Christian Miller the within named Appraisors the Day came personnally before me the subscribed one of the Justices of the Peace for the afore-said and upon their solemn affirmation taken before me did say that the within mentioned Goods and Chattles were justly and truly appraised by them and that the Sums issued them respectively are their real Value according to the best of their Skill and Knowledge.

Affirmed the 25th, Feby 1784
Before me       
David Espy

1783
27th June

— An Inventory of the Goods & Chattles Rights & Credits which were of Uli Ginglesberger late of Bedford County Yeoman Deceased

Notes on this document from Rev. Norman L. Gindlesperger, transcriber

1. The word "Chattles" and "appraisors" as well as the abbreviations "Deced" for deceased and "Feby" are spelled as they appear in the document.
    
2. "Houshold," "houhold," and "houshold" in lines 2, 3, and 5, respectively, are spelled as they are in the manuscript.
    
3. With a shade of uncertainty because of the manuscript, "jug" in line 5 is my best judgement.
    
4. In line 7, in "Chifsels" I used the "f" to indicate the archaic 18th century manuscript style for the first of a double "ss."
    
5. In line 13 "plain" should be spelled "p-l-a-n-e," the carpenter's tool.
    
6. In line 15 "Stilliards," Funk and Wagnell states "today `steelyards´" and defines it as "a simple device for weighing, consisting of a scale beam supported near one end..."
    
7. In line 20, the "...one pair of Woll (sic, Wool) Cards" are two boards with handles that have nail-like teeth on one side, similar to a flat wire brush. When fleece is taken off a sheep, it must first be carded, or combed, to clean, untangle, and arrange the fibers for spinning. A similar, but more brushlike, instrument is used to curry cattle and horses. Clarification courtesy of Galen Miller.
    
8. Line 26, according to Webster a "wether" is "a castrated ram."
    
9. Line 29, "Clevifces" (sic, Clevises (pl.)). The clevis is part of the rigging and harness used to hitch a horse to a plow. According to Webster, "A devise, usually a U-shaped piece of metal with the ends perforated to receive a pin, used on the end of the tongue of a wagon [plow], etc., to attach it to a draft chain, whiffletree (singletree), etc. Clarification courtesy of Galen Miller.
    
10. The italicization indicates the original signature of Christian Müller (Miller).

The Account of ... the Administrators

The Account of John Yoder and David Holy Administrators of all and singular the Goods, Chattles, Rights, and Credits which were of Uli Ginglesberger late of Bedford County Yeoman deceased; as well of all and singular the Goods, Chattles, Rights, & Credits which were of the said deceased as of then payments & disbursements and out of the same [ ]

Imprimis, The said accountants charge themselves with all and singular the Goods & his Chattles, Rights and Credits which were of the said decedent at the time of his death came to the hands of the said accountants according to the inventory thereof exhibited into the Register´s office at Bedford amounting to

To the amount of Tabs including the appraisement
[£     s.       d.]
3 ~    0   ~   0

Plem, The said accountants pray an allowance of their payments of the disbursements list of the same - viz.