| Notes |
- John came to this country with his wife in 1717. A court order book dated Feb. 1, 1725 for the County records of Spotsylvania Co., Virginia indicates that Hans Horrensburger petitioned for his rights to take up lands in accordance with the Royal Charter. He was granted the rights to take up to 150 acres. It appears this land was adjacent to the 2nd Germanna Colony.
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In 1726 John Harnsberger and John Motz were granted 400 acres. He later removed with others to the Lutheran colony in Madison Co. Virginia.
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John's will was dated Jan. 19,1759, and probated March 20, 1760. John gave his plantation and his black servant Sarah to his 2nd wife Anna Magdaline who was formerly married to Henry Ayler. He also bequeathed all of his personal estate to his wife and his grand children by Stephen and Stephen's first wife Agnes. After the passing of Anna the plantation was to be split 1/2 to John, Stephen's son and 1/2 to Stephen's 3 daughters Barbara, Elizabeth and Margaret. As for Stephen, John forgave the debt he owed and also left the brandy still. Our line from Stephen's second wife does not seem to be considered in the will.
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John's Will;
The following are excerpts from the Will of John Harnsberger dated 1759,19th of January, and probated the 20th date of March 1760. (This would fix the date of John's decease some time between these dates).
"IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. I. John Harrensparger of the parish of Bromfield in Culpeper County, being in a good health and of perfect mind and memory; but being old and calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die to make and or dain this my last will and testament: That is to say principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of the Almighty God that gave it, and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in a decent Christian burial, Nothing doubting but that at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again, by the might power of God, and as to touching so my worldly estate where with it has pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, demise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form:
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"At first I do give and bequeath unto my dearly beloved wife, Anne Magdalene, the plantation whereupon we have lived hitherto during her life, likewise my negro woman, Sarah, so long as she, my said wife liveth.
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2 - I do bequeath to my said beloved wife, Anne Magdalene and her heirs forever, the majority of all my personal estate and movable goods, consisting in horses, cattle and hogs or any other things whatsoever which I have right to claim, so that they may equally be divided between my just above mentioned wife and my grandchildren, my son Stephen's children by his first wife, Agnes, viz: John Harrensparger, Barbara Harrensparger, Elizabeth and Margaret.
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3 -- I do forgive to my son, Stephen Harrensparger, the debt he owes me, likewise I give to him for his portion of the heritage, the brandy still, about 15 pounds worth, which he fetched from my house, and I desire he shall be content with this portion."
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Later in the will, John directed that the plantation be divided, after the decease of his wife , 1/2 to John, son of Stephen, and the remaining half to Stephen's three daughters, Barbara, Elizabeth and Margaret. . . .." among which I to Margaret, which I have educated, have given one cow with all her increase before hand."
John went on to make further provision for disposition of property to the grandchildren mentioned above, and to "my beloved wife's children. viz: Henry Ayler and Elizabeth Tanner of their heirs". He made Henry Ayler ,"my son-in-law", his executor.
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Stephen was apparently in the bad graces of his father, when John made his Will, as no mention of his second marriage was made in the document, except indirectly by the mention of Stephen's children "by his first wife, Agnes", we know that Stephen was married again and that his second wife's name was Ursula Shitley. Variations of her first name appear in documents as Ursilla, Uachel, Ursley, Ulsey, Uashel.
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Notes from the Germana Colony:
Nr. 294:
One Germanna Colonist appears to have come directly to Virginia from Switzerland. His motivations in moving are not clear, but there is a record of his birth there. This was Hans Heerensperger, better known as Johns Harnsberger. He immigrated in 1717, and from his proof of importation we know he came with his wife Anna Purve (Barbara) and his son Stephen. The same day that he made his proof of importation, John Motz also made his proof, stating he came with Maria Pelona (Appollonia?). Both of these men stated they arrived in 1717.
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Nr. 295:
We were introduced to John Harnsberger in the last note, who was baptized in the Evangelical (Protestant) Reformed Church of Bussnang, Thurgau, Switzerland on 1 April 1688. He came in 1717 to Virginia with his wife Anna Barbara and son Stephen. We presume that he was married at the time to Anna Barbara. John would have been 29 years old at the time, so Stephen was probably very young.
This information, and more to be given, comes from Wanda Miller Cunningham who generously gives credit to John Echols Hansberger and Robert Torkelson for their contributions. Mr. Torkelson is responsible for the Swiss information and I expand upon that now.
Hans Heerensperger (to use his name in Switzerland) was the seventh child of Jacob Heerensperger, who had been born in April 1648 in Affeltrangen, Thurgau, and of Maria Hoerdlin, who been born ca 1655 in Switzerland. Jacob's parents are Hans Jacob and Susannah Wohnlich. The parish book of Bussnang lists seven children from 1673 to Hans in 1688.
The name Heerensperger gave both Englishmen and Germans alike some trouble as to its spelling. Early variations are common and sometimes it is hard to know if a name is to be identified with Heerensperger. Two of the most popular variations that have evolved are Hansberger and Harnsberger.
John Harnsberger was not sued by Spotswood nor was John Motz. However, from the date they gave for their importation, it would appear probable that they were members of the Second Germanna Colony. Also, they had a joint land patent in the Robinson River area (Hebron) on the same date as many Second Colony members did. Usually, a joint patent indicates some relationship between the men, perhaps through one or both of their wives. In this case, no relationships are known.
Sidetracking to discuss John Motz, very little is known about the man. His marriage record is in the Lutheran Church of Bonfeld, Baden for 28 Feb 1716. He too was a young man but the information from Germany does not help solve the riddle connected with him. He must have died early for he does not appear in the Orange Co. tithables for 1739. From later records, he may have left a daughter Elizabeth who married Philip Nelson. If it is true that he left only one child, a daughter, this may be the reason that so little is known about him.
Anna Barbara Harnsberger died and John married Anna Magdalena Aylor, a widow, some time after 30 Nov 1742. The will of John Harnsberger, dated 15 Jan 1759, probated in Culpeper Co. on 20 Mar 1760, mentions Anna Magdalena, grandchildren John, Barbara, Elizabeth, and Margaret Harrensparger, children of Stephen by his first wife Agnes; leaves a small bequest to Stephen; mentions "my wife's children" Henry Aylor and Elizabeth Tanner.
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Nr. 296:
In John Harnsberger's will, the name is given as Harrensparger, which is close to the Swiss spelling of Heerensperger. Witnesses to the will were George Samuel Klugg, Michael Thomas, and George Mayer, members of the German community in the Robinson River Valley. John Harnsberger left only one heir, Stephen, and the relationship between the two was strained. The legacy to Stephen was meager in comparison to the legacy to others.
John's statement with regard to Stephen was, "I do forgive to my son Stephen Harrensparger the Debt he owes me. Likewise I give to him, for his Portion of the Heritage, the Brandy Still, about 15 Pounds worth, which he fetched from my house and I desire that he should be content with this Portion." John's legacies to his grandchildren by Stephen's first marriage to Agnes were ample, but he made no mention of the five grandchildren of Stephen's second marriage to Ursula Scheitle. This may have been a basis of disagreement between them.
The inventory of John's estate indicated he had done well as a farmer. There were livestock, furniture, books, beehives, brandy and cider.
Stephen married Agnes about 1740, when he was perhaps about 24 years old. Her maiden name is unknown. Agnes died some time before 1750, for near that date Stephen married Ursula Scheitle. Stephen was a chain carrier for a survey for Henry Souther in 1748 along with Daniel Crisler. Chain carriers were often related directly or through their wives to the survey owner, but in this case no information is shed. By 1752, Stephen was living in the Shenandoah Valley, because he appears on a road crew there. Over the decade following, he acquired land by purchase and patent in the Valley.
A court case in 1766 in Augusta Co. sheds light on the history of Ursula, Steven's wife. Ursula's father died in Germany. The widow and young children left for America. In America, the mother married John Fotch who took possession of the remains of the Scheitle estate, which it was contended, amounted to almost one hundred pounds. After Ursula and her sisters were married, their husbands appealed to John Fotch for the girl's share of their father's estate. They received some money but Fotch contended that the balance of the estate was used in their support. Testimony was taken in the case but no decision appears in the records perhaps indicating that the case was dropped.
In 1775 Stephen wrote his will in the presence of John Zimmerman, George Zimmerman, Adam Carpenter, Jacob Miller, and Conrad Zimmerman. Though all of these names are Germanna names, the individuals themselves are believed to have sources other than Germanna. The will was proved in 1776 in Augusta County. Only the wife Ursula and sons, Adam, Henry, Stephen, Conrad, and Robert are mentioned.
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Davis Uriah I | Born 1707
Bef 1688 - 1759 (> 70 years)