Person:Michael Hentzel (1)

Will Transcript

In the name of God Amen the 23rd day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty one, I Michael Hansill In Berkeley County and in the Commonwealth of Virginia, being verry sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto pod therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that It is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will and testament that Is to say principally and first of all I give and recomend my soul to the hands of god that gave it and my body'll recommend It to the Earth to be burried in a Christian like'and decent manner at the discretion of my Executors, nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God that gave it and as touching such wourldy Estate where with hath pleased God to Bless me in this life I give and bequeath and dispose in the following manner and form.

Imprimis I give unto my beloved wife Mary Hansill first and formost the full and just apperlals as followeth a good Bed one Cow and Eeffler one old Sow and One Barrow and two young shoats two iron potts one big and the other of the middle size to two Butter basons two plates and three spoons of the same and two Ewes and after my debts is paid she is to have fifty pounds hard money out of my Estate beside what is here mentioned and if that child which is expected should live and grow up and Come to his or her age so it is my will that the same child shall have the eaqueal part of my Estate like the rest of my other Children and to give said Child schooling like the rest of my other Children and my Dear beloved wife Mary has her own Choise after I am Deceased to live with what child of mine she ever pleased till to her Death that is so long as she continues a widow.

It is specially my will that she should live with my belove daughter Elizabeth, and to find her house room fire wood and stablege for her Creatures and if my Dear beloved wife Mary dies or after her death the estate what is left from her is to be divided in eaqueal parts amongst all my children further it is my will and pleasure that the plantation to be sold and after them bonds is paid what I am yet indebted on said plantation then the rest of the sums of money is to be divided in eaqueal parts among all my Children that is to say that one of my Children shall have as much as the other but to my oldest son Laurance I leave him Thirty pounds in hard money more than his Eaqueal part Clear above the others of my Children". And it is my will after my Death my youngest son George shall have a mare and to my Daughter Elizabeth is my will that she shall have two cows and two sheep two iron potts a Puther Bason a Dish and six plates and a half a dozen of Pewther Spoons a bed and a Chest and so likewise shall my daughter Eve have the same and likewise my youngest Daughter Mary Hansill shall have the same articles as aforementioned. And it is my will that the rest of my Cattles and other household furniture Horses and so forth shall be sold at public sale and shall be Divided in eaqueal parts among the Children so aforesaid further is my will that if any of my children dies before they come to age or has a family of their own that their parts shall be eaqueally divided amongst the that lives freely by them and their heirs and to be enjoyed forever, and it is my will that all bonds notes or any Debts inDulng to me Shall and must be settled and the sum or sums thereof to be divided amongst all my Children as aforesaid.

And I likewise Constitute and appoint my well beloved son Laurance Hansill and John Moore to be my only sole Executors of this my Last will and Testament and I do hereby disallow revoke and disannull all and every other testaments wills and legacies requests and Executors by me in any wise before time made named willed and bequeathed Ratifying Confirming this and no other to be my last will and Testament.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal the Day and year above written.

[Signed] - Michael Hansill

Witnesses - William Cofferoth Henry Tarney”.

In the Court of Berkeley Co. on Sept. 18th, 1781 and Nov. 20th, 1781, the above will was presented to the court by the Executors and proof of the death of Michael Hansill was made.

Berkeley Co. Clerk*s office, Martlnsburg, W.Va. in Will Book #1, page 333, "Excerpts":-

Pursuant to an Order from the County Court of Berkeley In Virginia to us directed dated 1781 we have appraised the personal Estate of MICHAEL HANSILL SENR., of said County Deceased as follows this 26th day of Nov. 1781 viz:

1 Chest left to Mary Hansill

1 New Chest left to Elizabeth Hansill

1 Chest left to Eve Hansill

1 Bed Sted and Chaff & Feather Bed left to Eve Hansill by will

1 Bed Sted and Chaff & Feather Bed left to Elizabeth Hansill by will

a Parcel Body Cloaks got by Lawrence Hansill

a Parcel Body Cloaks got by Philip Hansill

a Parcel Body Cloaks got by Michael Hansill (no doubt our 1st gen.)

a Parcel Body Cloaks got by George Sanslll

By Gifts given to George, Elizabeth, Mary and Eve Hansill already delivered amounts to .h 47..17...0

At a Court held for Berkeley Co. the 18th day of November 1783.

This inventory and appraisement of the Estate of Michael Hansill deceased was returned and ordered to be Recorded

Teste: Examined Will Drew (Clk)

Estate Records

Berkeley Co. Clerk’s Office, Martlnsburg, W. Va. in Will Book #1, page 368, Aug. 19, 1784, under account current, Michael Hansill, dec’d, names mentioned:-

Item #7 - To cash pd Philip Hansill his acct 19..19..11

Penna Cury equal to 16.. 0.. 0

Item #12 - To cash pd Palser Hess his acct ..15.. 2

Recorded Aug. 19, 1784.

In Berkeley Co. Deed Book 6, page 196, Nov. 18, 1783, Abraham Shepherd and Eleanor, his wife, of Berkeley Co. to Philip Hansill 40 shillings Va. money Lot 158 Mecklenburg. Recorded Nov. 18, 1783.

In same deed book, page 198, the same parties to Laurence Hansill 40 shillings Va money Lot 172, Mecklenburg. Recorded Nov. 18, 1783.

After the death of Michael Hansill, Sr., the farm or plantation of 278 acres seems to have been sold in three portions, each portion 91 acres. The first portion of 91 acres, as shown in Deed Book #6, pages 319 and 320, was transferred from John Moore and Lawrence Hansill, Executors of Michael Hansill, Dec’d, to Nicholas Young, consideration 455 pounds Pa. money; recorded Nov. 16, 1784. The second portion of 91 acres, as shown in Deed Book #9, page 276 March 29, 1790 from John Moore, Executor for Michael Hansill, Dec’d to Laurence Hansill of Berkeley Co. for 360 pounds Va. money; recorded June 15, 1790. The third portion of 91 acres, as shown in Deed Book #15, page 581 Dec. 23, 1799, from Lawrence Hansill, Executor for Michael Hansill dec’d. to Michael Yeasley, consideration 386 pounds 15 shillings Va. money; recorded Dec. 23, 1799

1.   Hansel, Marion Fern. The family name of Hansel (Hentzel). (1959).

   3rd Series, Pa. Archives Vol. 18, pages 45, 46, and 161, showed CASPER and PHILIP HENSEL in Windsor Tp., Berks Co., Pa. in both 1767 and 1768, each holding 50 acres of land; also, same authority, Michael Dewalt (Michael Hansel's sponser), as owning 200 acres in Windsor Tp., Berks Co., Pa. in both 1767 and 1768; also, same authority, page 13, MICPTAEL HENSEL, holding 50 acres in Ruscomb Manor Tp., Co. of Berks in 1767; page 17, MICHAEL HENZEL, holding 150 acres in Richmond Tp., Co. of Berks, in 1767, and on page 146, Michael Henzel, holding 150 acres in Richmond Tp., Co. of Berks in 1768.
   
   Pa. Archives, 2nd Series, Vol. 2, rage 354, showed as being naturalized as a British subject "MICHAEL HENTZELL", Berks Co., sacrament having been taken Mar. 22nd, 1761.
   
   "History of Berks and Lebanon Counties" by J.Daniel Rupp, showed in 1752 tax list of Barn Tp., Berks Co. (page 128) MICHAEL HANSEL: same authority, page 251, PHILIP HENSEL near Blue Mountain.
   
   In the statements of both Michael and George Hentzel, also. Hansel and Hensel, they said they moved to Berkeley Co., Va. shortly before the War. Where they may have lived from around 1774-5 to 1777, we do not know, except we know they were In Berkeley Co. However, the HENTZELS, in May, 1778, began purchasing land. First on May 13, 1778, under deed of lease, as shown in Deed Book #5, Page 8, Berkeley Co. Clerk*s Office, Martinsburg, W.Va., we find:-
   Nicholas Mclntire of Berkeley County to Michael Hansill for 5 shillings Va. money (from Fairfax to Mclntire Nov. 12, TT57) * on upper side of the falling Spring Branch near Thomas Shepherds Mill * Cor. to Jacob Vanmeter, cor. to Capt. Swearingen on Potomack River
   - 278 acres."
   Then on May 14, 1778, same deed book, page 9, under deed of release, we find:-
   Nicholas Mclntire and Abigail, his wife, to Michael Hansill - consideration 1100 pounds Pa. money, with same description as shown on page 8".
   This farm or "plantation” came up to the edge of the town then known as "Mecklenburg”, later known as Shepherdstown. Michael Hansill owned this farm slightly over three years, as he died sometime between August 23 and Sept. 18, 1781.
   
   In August, 1781, Michael Hansill became ill; so on August 23, 1781 he made a "will”, as shown in Eook #1, page 233, on file in Berkeley Co. Clerk*s Office, Martinsburg, W. Va. As the will covers mostly division of personal effects and personal property, not all of his children were listed in the will. Before quoting the will, we desire to say it named his widow as "MARY”, sons, Lawrence, and George; daughters, Elizabeth, Eve and Mary. However, in later records, to be shown later, Michael (Jr.) and Philip were mentioned. The writers, also, desire it to be known that we feel the MICHAEL HANSILL, who died in 1781, was the FATHER of our MICHAEL EENTZEl^ also, Hansel and Hensel, (1st generation), but we do not believe "MARY”, the widow, was the mother of these children. We believe their mother to be "ANNA CATHARINE HENTZEL”. From this will and later records, we now feel quite sure MICHAEL (1st gen.) was a brother to GEORGE HENTZEL, born In Berks Co., in 1758, and EVE (HESS) born In 1763. Considerable information will be shown in Chapter 14, relative to Lawrence, George and Eve Hansill.
   
   https://ia800708.us.archive.org/13/items/familynameofhans00hans/familynameofhans00hans.pdf