Name | John Gass | |
Born | Between 1675 and 1690 | England ![]() |
Gender | Male | |
Emigration | 1718 | Came to Pennsylvania ![]() |
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 ![]() |
_FA3 | 1734 | Signs his will - names of children not given ![]() |
_FA4 | 1734 | Future son-in-law Archibald Woods was one of the witnesses. ![]() |
_FA5 | 1734 | Benjamin Gass was an executor of the will. ![]() |
_FA7 | 1734 | Widow was to receive two child's shares. ![]() |
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. ![]() |
Will | 1736 | Executors sold his land in East Donegal to William McClellan and Mich. McCleery. ![]() |
_FA10 | 26 Apr 1738 | John Gass' widow, Margaret, had 200 acres surveyed in Lancaster County ![]() |
_FA11 | Probably married twice ![]() |
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Notes |
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Person ID | I0160 | McKinney and Stewart of Clarion County, Pennsylvania |
Last Modified | 2 Nov 2007 |
Family 1 | Margaret Cowan | |||||||||||||||
Married | Abt 1710 [2] | |||||||||||||||
Children |
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Family ID | F0070 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
Family 2 | Margaret ??? | |
Married | Abt 1725 | |
Family ID | F0110 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
Sources |