John Gass

1690 - 1734  (~ 59 years)

• Name	John Gass
  Born	Between 1675 and 1690	England   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Emigration	1718	Came to Pennsylvania   [2]
  Note 1	18 Mar 1730
  	Purchased several hundred acres in East Donegal Township from James Cunningham.
  _FA2	23 Jan 1733	Purchased 250 acres south side of Condoguinet River west of Susquehanna   [2]
  _FA3	1734	Signs his will - names of children not given   [2]
  _FA4	1734	Future son-in-law Archibald Woods was one of the witnesses.   [2]
  _FA5	1734	Benjamin Gass was an executor of the will.   [2]
  _FA7	1734	Widow was to receive two child's shares.   [2]
  Died	1734	Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
  Will	28 Jun 1734
  	The Will of John Gass I am sick in body but sound in memory and judgment blessed be almighty God for it I makethis my last will and testament revoking all other wills and testaments made by me. I bequeathmy sole to the great God who gave it to me and my body to be decently buried in the churchyard of Donegal as my exs. some site allow. I leave my dear wife two child's parts of the whole after my just and lawful debts is paid: also if she marries in eight to ten years she is to leave the plantation to my sons: also my children are not to receive their part for four years after due. Also I leave my dear wife and Benjamin Gass executors and William Brayns and Sam Smith or Peter Rod tutors to my whole family. Signed Sealed and Delivered in the Presence of Use: and dated this 28 day of June 1734. Memorandum before signing that it is only the three oldest of my children that are to want their part for four years after it is due. Archibald Woods, William Wallace, Sa(m) Smith, William Bryan. Jon. Gass (Seal) Notes Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania Will Book A, Volume 1, page 19 Benjamin Gass was named exc. in 1734. In his will the elder John Gass directed that his remains "be desently buried in the church yard of Donigall" and that "ye plantation (be left) to my sons." *Donegal Church is located in the present day town of Hershey, Daulphin Co., Pa. At the time of John's death this area was located in Lancaster Co., Pa. No "Gass" is shown as having been a member of Donegal Church. Those I did find with similar spelling are: Joseph and Mary Guess ... Joseph Guest ... The following all have surname Gest: Ann, Benj., Daniel, Deborah, Deborough, Elizabeth, Hannah, Henry, John, Joseph, Margaret, Mary, and Ruth. It's believed and undoubtedly so, that William Magill was quite possibly the third husband of Margaret Gass. Margaret removed to Virginia sometime after Johns death ... wherein, she and William were married. Thusly, the children listed for William Magill would be his children and not hers. It's further speculated, because of the unusual request in John Gass' Will, that Margaret may not have been the mother of all of his children and that he feared for her well being after his death. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Viginia extracted from the original court records of Augusta Co., 1745-1800. "Abstracts of Wills of Augusta County, Virginia, Augusta County Court ... Will Book Number 1" ... Page 202 10th Octorber, 1749. William Magill's will -- Wife, Margaret, and her son, David Gass; sons, James and William, adjoining Charles Campbell; son, John; grandchild, James' son; daughter, Elizabeth. Executors, Robert Cravens, Hugh Campbell. Signed William Magill, Margaret Magill. Teste: Andrew Erwin, Charles Campbell. Proved, 29th November, 1749, when Margaret renounced the will. (p. 15) An Index to the Will Books and Intestate Records of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 1729 - 1850 (The following Cowen's can be found in the above described index) David Cowan (1757) Henry Cowan (1760) John Cowan (1760) Wm. Cowan (1793) David Cowan (1758) Geroge Cowan (1799) Thomas Cowan (1770) (Source – Mary Hazeltine Cole)
  _FA8	31 Dec 1734	John Gass' will was proven in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.   [2]
  Will	1736	Executors sold his land in East Donegal to William McClellan and Mich. McCleery.   [2]
  _FA10	26 Apr 1738	John Gass' widow, Margaret, had 200 acres surveyed in Lancaster County   [3]
  _FA11	Probably married twice   [2]
  Notes	It is my practice to enter in the notes section most of the information that I research or obtain from various sources and fellow correspondents in order to preserve a permanent record. As a result the notes section may contain some conflicting information that I am unable to resolve. This is the case with respect to the Gass line. (Note to File - JP Rhein) The mouth of Conodoquinet Creek at the Susquehanna River is located just south of West Fairview in now Cumberland County and flows west, passing to the north of Carlisle where it ends about five miles west of Carlisle. (Note to file - JP Rhein)
  Person ID	I0160	McKinney and Stewart of Clarion County, Pennsylvania
  Last Modified	2 Nov 2007

  
  

  Family 1	Margaret Cowan
  Married	Abt 1710  [2]
  Children	1. Samuel Gass,   d. 13 Feb 1765   2. Daughter Gass + 3. Benjamin Gass,   b. Abt 1712,   d. 1751, Chambersburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania  (Age ~ 39 years) + 4. James Gass,   b. Abt 1716,   d. Aft 1782  (Age ~ 67 years) + 5. Isabella Gass,   b. 8 Jan 1717,   d. 2 Nov 1766, South Carolina  (Age 49 years) + 6. Henry Gass,   b. Abt 1730,   d. 1783  (Age ~ 53 years) + 7. David Gass,   b. Abt 1733,   d. 1806, Madison County, Kentucky  (Age ~ 73 years)
  Family ID	F0070	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Margaret ???
  Married	Abt 1725
  Family ID	F0110	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Sources

  Mary Cole, 70 Ridgecrest Rd, Kentfield, CA 94904. [S02831] Mary H. Cole, 70 Ridgecrest Rd, Kentfield, CA, 94904-2746, CDGGA47A@Prodigy.com. [S02838] Pennsylvania Archives Series 3, Volume XXIV, page 414.