Johann Gerhardt (Wüll) Will (1719 - aft. 1778)

Born Mar 1719 in Lautenbach, Heiliges Römisches Reich

Ancestors

Husband of Maria Barbara (Drach) Will — married before 12 Jan 1747 in Philadelphia County, Province of Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died after 3 Jul 1778 after age 59 in Tryon County, North Carolina, United States

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Biography

Johann Gerhardt Will, son of Hans Adam Wull and wife Anna Juliana Troβ, was born 2_ March 1719 in Lautenbach. He was baptized at the parish church in Dörrenbach on 25 March 1719.^[1]

Gerhardt emigrated to America on the ship Friendship. On 2 November 1744 at the Philadelphia courthouse, he swore to the required alien immigration oaths.^[2]

Marriage

Spouse: Maria Barbara Drach
The couple married in Pennsylvania probably in 1746 prior to the birth of their first-known child in early 1747. No marriage record has been located.

Will

Gerhardt Will executed his will on 3 July 1778. He probably died soon after as it entered probate at the next session of county court on 19 October 1778. The will is signed Gerhard his W mark Will, and agrees with his mark on his immigration oaths.

In the name of God Amen I Gerhard Will of Troyon County & province of North Carolina farmer being sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God; calling unto mind the mortality of my body do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner following
I recomment my soul in the [hands] of Allmighty God that gave it and my body I recomment to the earth to be buried in the Christian buriel at the discretion of [my] executor and in touhing [touching] such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life I give divise and dispose of the same in following manner and form.
First I give and bequeath to Mary Barbara my dearly beloved wife all my money, household goods, debts, notes and bonds and moveable estate, but in case she doth mare [marry] again she is to have her thirds and no more and if she remains a widow she is to have hir living of [off] the plantation hir life time
I also give and bequeath to my son Daniel the sum of ten pounds and to my son Jacob ten pounds.
I also give and bequeath to my daughters Elisabeth and Magdalena the sum of ten shillings each.
Also I give and bequeath to my daughters Eve, Christina and Fronica two cows and calfs and a bed eah [each] also a fring [frying] pane a pot and some pewder [pewter] eah [each].
Also to my youngest son Conrod I give and bequeath to him his heirs and assigns for ever the plantation I now live on and the tract of land I bought of Adam Cloninger and when he is at the age of sixteen years he is to have two horse cretures wagon plow and tacklens
I likewise constitute make and ordain John Will, Jacob Seits, Adam Cloninger the sole executors of this my Last Will and Testament and I do hereby utterly disalow and revoke all former Testaments Wills Legacees and Executors ratifiing and confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this third day of July in the year of our Lord 1778. [signed] Gerhard his W mark Will
Signed sealed published pronounced and declared by the said Gerhard Will at [sic as] his Last Will and Testament in presens of us [signed] James Rutledge, James Cobron, Michael Cloninger [signed in German]

[The will appears to be in the handwriting of James Rutledge.]

[Cover reads:] Girard Will Last Will & Testament proved & filed October Court 1778
[Marginal note on cover:] Copy to be delivered [illegible word] Court to Exrs.^[3] His burial site is unknown.

Children

1. Daniel Will baptized 1747
2. Johannes Will born 1748
3. Johann Jacob Will born 1750
4. Maria Elizabeth Will born 1753
5. Maria Barbara Will baptized 1754
6. Johann Adam Will born 1756
7. Eva Will born 1757
8. Anna Magdalena Will born 1761
9. Anna Christina Will born 1765
10. Maria Veronica Will born circa 1768
11. Conrad Will born circa 1769-1771

Research Note NI1340

Note^[4]

The Saar River Valley where Gerhardt grew up had long been ruled by the counts of Nassau-Saarbrucken, but with France often in the background calling the shots. It was during this time that Gerhardt decided to move to America. So in 1744 he, a young single man, boarded the ship "Friendship " in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Also on board was Johannes Wildt; was he a relative? Captain John Mason sailed around to Cowes, England, where he picked up more passengers, then headed for Philadelphia. They landed November 2, 1744. That same day, Gerhardt and the other passengers took an oath of abjuration which meant they gave up their citizen ship to Germany. (See also April 4, 1762 below.)^[5] [Clarifying comment added 21 April 2024: two oaths were required of alien immigrants: 1) an oath of allegiance to Great Britain and 2) an oath of abjuration rejecting Catholicism and denouncing anyone other than King George II as the ruler of Great Britain. Only the oath of abjuration has survived for the ship Friendship.]

The following passengers aboard the ship Friendship settled in Berks Co. or possibly had relatives settle there (passenger listed first):

Weber, several: Anna Elizabeth Weber and Johann Heinrich ( John Henry) Weber

Radebush, Johan Adam: Henry Rodabaugh and Johan Adam Rodab augh

Ferber, Johan and Feyerbagh, Henry: Jacob Fryberger and Jo hannes Georg Fryberger

Krahl, Theodorus: Michael Graul

Kolbe, Christoph: Johann Christoph Kolb

Muller, Albrecht: Maria Elizabeth Mueller

Moll, Johanns: Hans Martin Moll

Hann, Petter: Johan Thomas Hahn

Scholkopf, Adam: Maria Catharina Scheelkopf

Spec, Dewald: Johann Michael Dewald

Bieber, Johann & Beaber, Dewald: Johannes Bieber and Theob ald Dewalt Bieber

Schmidt, Johan George: Maria Barbara Schmidt

Tieze, Johannes: John Jacob Suess, the father of Anna Barb ara Suess

Schadel, Johan Georg: Father of Urban Scheddel?

Klein, Johann Michael: Brother to Johan Adam Klein

Other Wills who sailed to Pennsylvania:

HANS MARTIN WILL arrived on the "William & Sarah" from Dove r and Rotterdam September, 1727.

MICHAEL WILL arrived on t he "Pennsylvania" from Rotterdam and Plymouth September 11 , 1732.

JOHAN PETER WILT arrived on the "Pink" from Rotterdam and Dover October 17, 1732.

JOHAN PETER WILT arrived on the "Townsend" from Amsterdam and Cowes October 5, 1737.

FREDRICK WILL arrived on the "William" from Rotterdam and Dover, October 31, 1737

ADAM WALL arrived on the "Winter Galley" from Rotterdam and Deal September 5, 1738.

MARTIN WALL arrived on the "Glasgow" from Rotterdam and Cowes September 9, 1738.

MICHAEL WILL arrived on the "St. Andrew" from Rotterdam October 2, 1741.

DAVID WEIL arrived on the "Robert & Alice" from Rotterdam and Cowes September 24, 1742.

ISAAC WILL arrived on the "Phoenix" from Rotterdam and Cowes September 30, 1743.

GERHART WILL arrived on the "Friendship" from Rotterdam and Cowes November 2, 1744

JOHAN GEORG WIEIL arrived on the "Hampshire" September 7, 1 748.

Gerhardt was a yeoman, as indicated by his first deed below. Being about 25 years old, he apparently immigrated to America with some money in his pocket, possibly given to him by his father or saved earnings. In Europe, the yeoman was a freehold land owner, rather unusual since commoners were not allowed to own land then. Though Europe mostly had only an upper class of nobles and lower class of artisans and labourers, yeomen were middle class.

Important dates and documents:

circa 1745-1746 - married Maria Barbara Drach/Drohin. Date is based on age of first child. Her maiden name is confirmed in the Moselem Zion Church.

DECEMBER 3, 1746 - Philadelphia County (present-day Berks), Pa. Obtained warrant for 200 acres between Maiden Creek and the Schuylkill River near the town of Moslem, originally named Museley (Mentioned in sale of land as below and sale of Henry Becker's half to Michael Becker in 1776).

In Berks County, the Will family seems to have attended two different churches: Lutheran & Reformed (Zion's) Church in Windsor Township and Zion (Moselem's) Lutheran Church in Richmond Township. These records are in the possession of the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philip Schaff Library, Lancaster, PA.

JANUARY 12, 1746 - Son Daniel born (age 32 when father died)

MAY 8, 1748 - Son Johannes born (age 30 when father died)

MARCH 8, 1750 - Son Johan Jacob born (age 28 when father di ed)

JULY 8, 1753 - Dtr Maria Elizabeth born (age 25 when father died)

MAY 4, 1755 - Dtr Maria Barbara born (age 22 when father died)

JULY 28, 1756 - Son John Adam born (age 21 when father died)

MARCH 20, 1757 - Dtr Eva born (age 20 when father died)

MARCH 27, 1761- Dtr Anna Magdalene born (age 16 when father died)

APRIL 4, 1762 naturalized. That same day others who intermarried with the Wills in NC and Missouri were naturalized: Henry Fry, Bostian Best, Michael Devault, Andrew Rudsisell, Jacob Hoffman.

AUGUST 11, 1765 - Dtr Anna Christina born (age 12 when father died)

SEPTEMBER 5, 1766 - Berks Co., Pa. Deed Book 2B, sold 200 acres in Windsor Twp. to Michael and Henry Becker for 260 pounds.

1767 - Tryon Co., NC (later Lincoln, eventually became Gaston) purchased 320 acres from Jacob Forney on the "middle fork of Killians Creek above William Berry's land." Jacob Forney was a neighbor in Berks Co. also.

October 1766 - Son Daniel married Maria Magdalena Lora at Hamburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania

1754, 1760, 1762, 1764 and 1766 - Gerhardt is on the tax list for Windsor Township, Berks County.

1767 - On Windsor Township, Berks County, tax roll with 150 acres, 2 horses, 2 cows. Paid five pounds.

c. 1767 - Son Conrad born (age 11 when father died)

c. 1769 - Dtr Fronica born (age 9 when father died)

JUNE 6, 1772 - Tryon/Lincoln Co., NC, Deed Bk 1, page 667, Gerhart Will purchased 313 acres from Matthew and Benjamin Armstrong on Leepers Creek, Dutchmans Creek and Killians Creek and Armstrong Creek for 100 pounds.

1772 - Tryon/Lincoln Co., NC, Deed Bk ?, sold the 313 acres to Hugh Jenkins for 150 pounds. Called a plantation of Killian's Creek. He made a nice profit!

MARCH 24, 1773 - Tryon/Lincoln Co., NC, Deed Bk 2, Pg. 748 (or 412), purchased 38 acres from Jacob Siets for eighteen pounds. It had no water on it, but it did adjoin land he already had. He now had 358 acres.

JULY 4, 1776 - Independence Declared from Great Britain. Revolutionary War began.

NOVEMBER 21, 1776 - Tryon/Lincoln Co., NC, Deed Bk 2, Pg. 174 or 412, purchased 243 acres from Jacob Devold for seventy-eight pounds. He now had 601acres.

Unknown date, book, acreage named in will, purchased land from Adam Cloninger.

Around 1778 - Son Johannes married Catherine maybe Reigelman

Died after executing will on 3 July 1778 and before 19 October 1778 when the will entered probate.

1781 - Revolutionary War ended

There are many surnames found in the 1790 census of Lincoln County that correspond with the 1752 tax list of Berks Co., Pa. They include (remembering the old handwriting is hard to transcribe):

Best/Bost/Brest, Betz

Bullinger/Beringer/

Dellinger/Delinger/Dillinger/Drollinger

Devault/Devii

Fry/Frymire

Hinkle

Killian/Kilion

Nifong

Sypes/Syps/Sites/Stas/Shutts/Shitz/Shutz/Spaez

Tepong/Tipong

Wilfong

Will/Wells/Willitz

There were occasional Indian raids in this territory. And it was not exempt from action during the Revolutionary War.

Sources

1. ↑ Research of Miles Philbeck citing Taufen 1708-1736 [baptisms], Gerhardt Wull (born 2_ March 1719, baptized 25 March 1719) Evangelische Kirche Dörrenbach, present-day Kreis Sankt Wendel, Rheinland, Germany; digital image, FamilySearch; FHL microfilm 102,783,702, image 200.
2. ↑ Ralph Beaver Strassburger and William John Hinke, ed., Pennsylvania German Pioneers (Picton Press, 1992), vol. I: 356 ship’s list; vol. II: 375 signature facsimile, Gerhart his W mark Will.
3. ↑ Lincoln County, North Carolina, Original Wills, Gerhard Will (1778); digital images, FamilySearch; FHL microfilm 7640015, images 1540-1543. Tryon County, in existence for only ten years (1769-1779), was formed from Mecklenburg County. In 1779, Tryon County was abolished and its area was reformed into two new counties, Lincoln and Rutherford. At that time, Tryon County records were deposited in Lincoln County.
4. ↑ Research Note NI1340 was included in the GEDCOM that created Drach-20 now merged into this profile. This research note also includes Note NI482 from the profile of Maria (Drach) Wills, and Note NI1479 from the profile of Johann Rudolph Drach. Edited copies of these notes are also on Cox Family History Preserved
5. ↑ Broderbund, World Family Tree, "CD-ROM," Vol. 11, tree #4463.

• K. Haddad, Maddox-Goble Family Tree at Rootsweb.com WorldConnect.
• Shannon M. Kerr and many others, Presley-Hamblin-Quintana-Bell Ancestors et al.

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Wills-165 created through the import of HAYER.GED on 29 May 2011 by Larry Hayer.
• Wills-1028 was created by Jerry Cox through the import of jcoxff.ged on 15 Oct 2013. NOTE: Imported GEDCOM includes Jerry's notes containing parts of his years of family history research.
• Vickie x.