Historical Notes
Transcribed from the June 1953 issue of the Harnsberger Newsletter.
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.) Recorded in Will Book A, p. 212, Court Records of Culpeper Co., Virginia.
"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 ordain 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 some worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, demise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form:
"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. 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. 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."
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 beforehand."
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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Although Stephen was apparently in the bad graces of his father, John, when John made his last Will and Testament, and no mention of his second marriage was made in that 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). It is not know just when Stephen went to August County (now Rockingham), but it is established that he lived there in 1751, because at that time he was on the list of tithables liable to work on the road from the Shenandoah River to the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Swift Run Gap. Lands patented to him were situated on the west side of the Shenandoah River, about 1/2 mile from the river, near what was then know as Beasley's Ford, now Harnsberger's Ford, and about 1 1/2 miles southwest of the present town of Elkton.
In his will dated December 6, 1774 and probated March 19, 1776, recorded in Will Book 6, p. 404, August Co., Staunton, Va., Stephen made provision for his second wife and his five sons by this marriage: Adam, Henry, Stephen, Conrad and Robert. After the preamble, which closely resembled that of his father's Will, the Will continues:
"I, Stephen Hanceberger. . . . . order all of my lawful debts to be paid, which I have legally contracted. Imprimis I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Uachel her bed & spinning wheel, & chest & and the benefit of my dwelling house & garden during her natural life also 1/3 part of my whole estate land & movables and debts - also I give & bequeath to my well beloved sons, Adam, Henry, Stephen, Conrad & Robert the other 2/3 of all my estate of lands, debts and Moveables to be equally divided between them at my decease & this I trust will be done & truly fulfilled & I do hereby constitute make & ordain my son Adam Hanceberger sole Executor . . . . . . . ."
Note: Spellings of proper names, punctuation, etc. are given as shown in the original documents.