John Wolfart

John Wolfart¹

• Name Variation: Johannes Wohlfarth
• Name Variation: Martin John Wolfart²

• Marriage*: Spouse: Maria Agatha (?)³
• Death*: between March 1750 and 22 January 1751; Tulpehocken Twp., Berks Co., Pennsylvania; Will date, and marriage of daughter Margaret.

Family:

Maria Agatha (?) d. a Aug 1765

• Marriage*: Spouse: Maria Agatha (?)³

Children:

George Wolfart¹² b. b 1730
Christopher Wolfart¹² b. a Aug 1731, d. bt 19 Jan 1809 - 22 Mar 1809
Michael Wolfart¹² b. bt Aug 1731 - Jul 1732
Anna Margaret Wolfart¹² b. b Jan 1733
Philip Wolfart¹² b. bt Mar 1738 - Oct 1746
Catharine Wolfart+ ¹² b. c Dec 1741, d. 24 Jun 1815

Notes

• Note*: In 1739 at age 44 Johannes Wolfart with his wife and young children immigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania. By 1741 they were located on a tributary to Swatara Creek in the Tulpehocken in Berks County, with a claim for a 166 acre tract. In 1749, after setting aside a parcel for a church, he purchased the 162 acre tract which is now the town of Rehrersburg. He died two years later.
  In 1755 Indian war struck just across the adjacent mountains, and the Wolfart family would have been among the Tulpehocken settlers who went on rescue missions, housed refugees, manned forts or temporarily fled.
  
  His full name is listed as 'Martin John Wollfahrt' in only one known record, the marriage record of his daughter Margaret.
  
  His surname is most frequently anglicized as 'Wolfart', and sometimes as 'Woolfart'. In the German records of his adult children at nearby Altalaha Church the name most frequently appears as 'Wohlfart', but also 'Wollfart', 'Wohlfarth'. His wife signed a deed as 'Wolfarsch'.
• Note: "A List of Passengers Names of 16 Years of Age & Upwards, on board the Friendship, Wm Vitery, Commdr, from Rotterdam. Qualified [Philadelphia] September 3, 1739...Johannes Woolfert, age 44"⁴
• Note: George Wheeler, in his history of the Manor of Andolhea presents two lists created in 1741. First is a list of sixteen settlers on the manor lands of Richard Penn, including "John Wolfart 166 acres". The second was a list made 1 Sep 1741 of twenty three settlers who had made definite arrangements to purchase, including "Johannes Wolfart, 166 acres, at £36 per C., £59-15-1".
  
  Also quoted is a letter, with date not given, from Richard Penn's son-in-law asking Conrad Weiser to speak to five settlers, including Johannes Wolfart "Purchasers of the Hon Richd Penns Tract at Swatarah in the County of Lancaster whose Accounts are yet Unsettled...Mr. Weiser is Desired to speak to the above persons to Come and pay off what is due for their Lands & obtain Patents for the same."
  
  Wheeler also describes the impact of the Indian raids starting in 1755.⁵
• Note: Patent Index:
  Series A - No. 15
  Date of Patent: 19 April 1749;
  Page: 352;
  Patentee: Wolfart, John;
  Area: 162;
  Warrantee: Proprietaries;
  County: Lancaster
  
  Pennsylvania Patent Books:
  On 19 April 1749 James Hamilton on behalf proprietors Thomas and Richard Penn granted to John Wolfart of the County of Lancaster, in consideration of £58.6.4 money of Pennsylvania, a tract of land situate on the north east branch of Swahatawro Creek in the County of Lancaster containing 162 acres and the allowance of six acres per cent for roads and highways, with 1 shilling sterling per 100 acres due annually, part of a 5000 acre tract warranted to the Penns 12 May 1732.
  
  Note that the price per acre in the patent is the same price listed in George Wheeler's article quoted above.
  
  Also note that John Wolfart had originally claimed 166 acres, but purchased only 162. Those four acres plus a neighbor's 2 1/3 acres became the 'Church Land', called at first Atolheo, which became Altalaha Church, Rehersburg. See Survey D-84, p. 22.
  
  The location of John Wolfart's land, no. 13, is shown on the Tulpehocken map under Berks county on the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission website, in the Original Land Owners ("Warrantee Township Maps").
  
  The "History of Altalaha (Atolheo) Church" website states "... in a survey of 166 acres returned for John Wolfart on March 22, 1748 ..." This compiler has not located that survey.^6,7
• Note: John Wolfart died sometime between March 1750 and October 1751. He resided in Tulpehocken Township which changed counties in 1752, from Lancaster to Berks. Probate records span both counties, and Philadelphia.
• Note: The Lancaster County Orphans Court, on 11 Oct 11 1751 appointed guardians for the minor children of Johannes Wolfort: Michael, Christopher, Philip, Catharine. Guardians: Conrad Weiser & William Parsons.⁸
• Note: Location of will:
  
  The Berks County Orphans' Court Proceedings abstracted below states the date of the will. A copy of the original petition in the Berks County 'Estate' files, originally addressed to the Lancaster Co. Orphans Court, states: "...That although the said deceased John Wolfart did make his last will and testament, dated 22 day of March 1749/50, duly proved and remaining in the register generals office at Philadelphia, and thereof a true translation of the original being in the German language is hereto annexed..."
  
  Older Lancaster county will indexes contain odd entries:
  "1750 Woolfart John not proved" and "Woolfart John not found 1750", with no volume listed.
  
  A newer online index on the Lancaster County website, 'Genealogy Research: Historical Indexes', 'Will Index 1730-1977', lists:
  Woolfart, John not proved; 1750; book X; vol. 2; p. 88. That copy is abstracted below.^9,10
• Note: Title on outside of will:
  
  "1750 Will Johannes Woolfart
  no probate indorsed
  Not proved, No. 10
  p. 88"
  
  Will:
  
  "The Contents of the last Will & Testament of John Wollfart truely translated from the Original Dutch in the English Tongue by Casper Stover
  
  In the name of God the Father, Son & Holy Ghost Amen
  
  On the 22d day of March 1749/50 I John Wollfarthe [Johannes Wohlfard in German original]
  1) -unto subscribed in Tulpehocken Township Lancaster County by my last Will & Testament do give & bequeath unto my beloved Wife Mary Agatha over & above the third part of mine whole Estate thirty Pound Pennsylvania lawful currency, besides her dwelling seat & abode on my plantation during her life provided she remains a Widow, but she altering her widow state & marrying again, both the dwelling seat on the plantation shall be forfeited & also the thirty pound above mentioned shall be returned & distributed equally among my children, only the third part of my whole Estate shall be & remain as her own property at her own & free disposal.
  2) All my Children (being Six in Number) shall have equal shares except the youngest son John Georg Philip Wellfart is to have in case his mother Mary Agatha Wollfart dies before he is twelve years old five pounds Pennsylvania lawful currency more as his share, but he being at his Mothers decease twelve years old or above, shall have no more but an equal share with the rest of my children.
  3) My Children Shall get their respective portion no sooner as every one of them three Years after his full age the Boys Twenty four & the girls Twenty One.
  4) I denominate, appoint ordaine & Constitute both for Executors of this my last Will & Testament & Guardians over my Children, my trusty faithful & well beloved Friends Sebastian Stone & Godfried Rohrer to have full powers & authority to deal faithfully & truely with that Charge, I entrusted to them with the best of their knowledge & all which said premises I John Wllfare do confirm with my own hand & subscription Tulpehocken the 22d day March 1749/50 in Lancaster County. [signed] Johannes Wollfart."¹¹
• Note: Proceedings of the Orphans Court of Berks County:
  
  On 13 August 1752 the Berks County Orphans Court, upon the petition of the heirs of John Wolfart of Tulpehocken deceased, appointed four persons to make a valuation of his plantation. The heirs were George Wolfart, eldest son, Jacob Rieth and Anna Margaret his wife, and four minors, Michael, Christopher, Philip and Catrina (Catharine), represented by their guardians William Parsons and Conrad Weiser. All the heirs had agreed that George would own the property and he would pay the others their share according to the valuation.
  
  The deceased John Wolfart had made a will dated 22 March 1749/50, but it did not dispose of this land.
  
  John Wolfart had acquired the land by Patent dated 19 April 1749. The tract was in Tulpehocken, and contained 162 acres. The land description is the same as in the patent record. The land began at a corner of the church land and adjoined lands surveyed for Frith Capp now of Jacob Hoffman, Andrew Wichezer, Fredrick Arnold, Mathew Debler, and Hans George Brosius.
  
  On 16 Nov 1752 at Orphans Court the valuation was reported as £230 after the widows dowry, and the court ordered that George Wolfart should pay each of the others within twelve months one seventh of the balance.¹²
• Note: On 31 July 1753 Michael Wolfart of Tulpehocken Township, formerly of Lancaster county, now in the county of Berks yeoman, in consideration of £38.6.8, and Jacob Read of the county of Berks yeoman and Anna Margaret his wife, also in consideration of £38.6.8, released and quit claimed unto George Wolfort their interest in the 162 acre tract in Tulpehocken Township left by their father John Wolfart. At Orphans Court 13 Aug 1752 the six children heirs of John Wolfart had agreed to a valuation of the land, and to grant the land to the eldest brother George Wolfart, he paying each their share of the valuation. The valuation was for £230, and George agreed to take only one share (instead of the eldest son's legally entitled two), making each share £38.6.8. Michael Wolfart, then a minor, was now of full age.
  Recorded 16th January 1761 Berks County Deeds, Vol. A2, p. 210-219.¹³