Philip Spare (1718 - 1799)

Born 25 Jan 1718 in Germany

Descendants

Died 28 Sep 1799 at age 81 in Worcester, Montgomery, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Philip Spare was born on January 25, 1718, the son of Leonard and Elizabeth Spare, and died on September 28, 1799, in Worcester Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Philip Spare helped to found Wentz Reformed Church and was one of six trustees to whom two acres were donated in 1762, as a site for the church. With Rev. John George Alsentz of the Germantown Reformed Church and Rev. John Philip Leydich of the Falkner Swamp Reformed Church, ten laymen, including Philip Spare, signed an appeal for contributions to build the church. The dedication occurred in 1763, and construction was completed in 1770, when he was one of the audit committee that examined the accounts of the building committee.

Following the death of his father Leonard Spare in 1770, Philip Spare purchased his father’s 140 acre farm for £540, 10/-. His three sister released their rights to him. He had previously purchased a nearby 100 acre farm, for which he was reflected as the owner in the 1768 tax assessment.

By 1774, the tax assessment reflects him as owning 290 acres, two horses and five cattle.

In 1780, the tax assessment reflects a valuation of £5,300 on his real estate in Worcester Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, one of the greatest valuations in the county. The following year, the tax assessment included a distillery located on his property.

Philip Spare conveyed a number of tracts to his sons during his life. On April 26, 1790, he deeded a 59 acre farm to his son Leonard Spare for £5. On March 21, 1796, he deeded to his 130 of the 140 acres of his father's farm to his son Henry Spar and the remaining 10 acres, together with 115 acres adjoining, which he had bought in 1774, were deed to his son Daniel Spare.

His will was proved on June 13, 1795, and recorded on November 11, 1795, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The following abstract sets forth the basic terms of his will:

To son Leonard, farm in Providence, containing 59 acres.

To daughter Catharine, £115.

To daughter Christina, £135.

To daughter Mary, £125.

To daughter Barbara, £125.

To son Benjamin, £200.

To son Jacob, £200.

To son Daniel, farm where testator lived, &c.

To son Henry, farm where testator's father lived.

Personalty to be sold; sons Henry and Daniel to pay legacies to their brothers and sisters.

Execs: Son Leonard and son Daniel. Wit: Samuel Gordon, Jacob Garber, Benedict Garber.

He married Dorothea.

He is buried in the Wentz Reformed Church Graveyard in Worcester Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Sources

• "Pennsylvania Cemetery Records, ca. 1700-ca. 1950", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZPZB-RZN2: Fri Oct 06 16:09:17 UTC 2023), Entry for Philip Spare.

• Ellwood Roberts, Abstracts of Montgomery Co., Wills & Administrations, 1784-1823 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1911).

• Edward Hocker, The Spare Family: Leonard Spare and His Descendants (Norristown, Pennsylvania: Spare Family Association 1931).