John Conrad Hess

1714 - 1797  (82 years)

• Name	John Conrad Hess
  Born	19 Aug 1714	Mutterstadt, Ludwigshafen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
  Gender	Male
  Will	05 Jul 1773	Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania
  	WILL OF JOHANN CONRAD HESS Probated at Easton, Northampton Co., PA July 5, 1773: I, Johann Conrad Hess, of New Brittain Twp. Buck Co. and Province of Pennsylvania, being not yet critically ill, but of sound mind and understanding, for which I am thankful to God, being mindful of my mortality, bequeath my undying soul to ghty God who gave it to the earth, to be buried in a Christian way and manner by herein after named Executors and to my worldly possessions with which it has pleased Almighty God to bless me with in this life, I make this my last will and testament, which shall be as follows: My plantation lying in Williams Twp., Northampton Co., Pa., with all my money and household goods, I give to my beloved wife, Maria, as long as she lives and does not remarry, but if she remarries, she shall have only one of the above, and the children whom I shall leave behind shall have each one eighth if they are still living. The funeral expenses must be paid first and aftward all my debts are to be paid. I hereby name my children according to their ages: Anna, my daughter; John William my son; Maria, my daughter; Christian, my son; Johannes, my son; Jeremiah, my son; Elizabeth, my daughter; and Frederick my youngest son, whom with their Mother I turn over to God and hope they will always lift their eyes to him. And it is my heartfelt wish, as already stated that my wife shall have all my possessions which I leave at my decease to be hers as long as she lives and it shall not be taken from her, as long as she does not marry again. BUT IF SHE MARRYS AGAIN, she shall have one third of my estate, and after her death what remains shall be divided in equal shares among the above named children, but my Oldest son William of his second share shall have not more than one eighth of a shilling, and if he should go to law, he shall have nothing. I name my wife Maria and son William as Executors to execute my last will and testament, written and declared before me on the aforesaid mention year of our Lord and Master 1773. Johann Conrad Hess [Seal] Witnesses: Jacob Ratzel George Schell NOTE: Conrad died before Feb. 6, 1797, when his will was probated. Maria probably died sometime before 1790 because Conrad is listed as living alone in the 1790 Census of Williams Township, PA.
  Died	06 Feb 1797	South Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania
  Notes	Johann Conrad Hess was the son of Jeremiah and Anna Hess, who were German immigrants. (1) Married Maria about 1741. Her maiden name may have been Best. She was born about 1722. (2) Children: (3) John William. Christian. Jeremiah, born in 1751. Frederick. Johannes. Maria. Married Jacob Grotz. Elizabeth, bapt. July 23, 1758. Married Jacob Keller. Ann. Married Tobias Scholl. (The Daughters of the American Revolution file for Conrad, which contains known errors, and "History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania," list a Henry Conrad as a son. A younger Conrad does appear as a witness in some records pertaining to the family but is not listed in Conrad?s will or a deed that records the sale of his property after his death.) Conrad seems to have been a prominent man in the early history of Northampton County. He served in county government in the mid-1700s and also operated an inn known as Lofty Oaks on the outskirts of Easton. Upon the formation of the county, Conrad was appointed a supervisor for Williams Township. The appointment was made June 16, 1752. Conrad was appointed a justice of the peace for Northampton County on Nov. 27, 1757. He was among the justices presiding over the Northampton County Orphan?s Court, beginning March 22, 1758 and continuing until at least 1761. On Nov. 27, 1757, a council of colonial officials approved Conrad and others for "the Commission of the Peace for Northhampton." (4) In the 1761 tax lists for Williams Township, he is listed as "Conrad Hess, Esq.," another indication of his standing as a member of the county?s legal community. (5) Conrad appears as a justice at most sessions of the orphan?s court until 1762. (6) Conrad probably held other positions, but I have not confirmed them. "History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania" says he was "prothonotary and Clerk of the Quarter Sessions and Oyer and Terminer from 1760 to 1771." According to a manuscript in the Hess file at the Wyoming Valley Historical Society in Wilkes-Barre, he was appointed to the election board of Northampton County in 1756. Much of the work of the county court may have been done at Conrad?s Lofty Oaks, according to a manuscript in the Hess family file at the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society. "The name Conrad Hess Esq. appears on file in the records of the Orphan?s Court of the County of Northampton in Easton, Pa., for the period 1758-1771. Since the court sessions of the county were held in taverns before the courthouse was built in 1766 it is very likely the Loft Oaks tavern served in this capacity during this period," the item says. Loft Oaks was situated on 157 acres in Williams Township, which was just south of Easton. Conrad received a warrant for the property on March 8, 1743, according to the Hess file at the Northampton society. Land records say Conrad didn?t receive a patent on the land until Sept. 12, 1796. Upon his death, the land was divided among his children, who then sold it in pieces. (7) A brief note on Conrad?s Lofty Oaks Inn is included in "Historic Structures of Williams Township": "A small one and one-half story stone structure, now owned by the Joseph Link family, was once an inn and tavern operated by Conrad Hess. It is located at the intersection of Industrial Drive and Old Philadelphia Road at the northernmost limit of Williams Township. A search of the deeds does not permit an accurate dating of the structure nor a precise time period when is operated under Hess?s management, but a date prior to 1780 would appear plausible. Conrad Hess, son of Baltzer Hess, was a major landowner, citizen, and parishioner of the early Lutheran Church which stood on the site of the Easton Water Reservoir ... He is listed in the 1758 Horse and Wagon Census as Conrad Hess, Esq., and in the 1780 tax rolls as a well-to-do farmer. His son Jeremiah is listed as the innkeeper." (8) The family may have been Lutheran. Elizabeth was baptized in 1758 by the Rev. Daniel Schumacher "in the church at Williamstown across the river." Schumacher was a Lutheran circuit preacher who served various parishes in the region. (9) Conrad died before Feb. 6, 1797, when his will was probated. Maria probably died sometime before 1790 because Conrad is listed as living alone in the 1790 Census of Williams Township. (1) Philadelphia County Will Book G, No. 73, as cited in "Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Vol., IV, Abstracts of Philadelphia Wills, Part II, 1726-1747," page 823. A facsimile of Jeremiah Hess? will appears in "I Shook My Family Tree," by Thelma (Hess) Parsons, pages 170-171. Much research has been done of Conrad, but some of it seems to be faulty. Manuscripts at the Wyoming Valley Historical Society indicate that several researchers have confused our Conrad and others of the same name. Conrad?s parentage has been a matter of great dispute. Secondary sources are confusing or conflicting. "Historic Structures of Williams Township," page 8, says his father was Baltzer Hess. It seems that there was a Baltzer who was his brother. Conrad?s file with the Daughters of the American Revolution says he was born about 1726 to Swiss immigrant Nicholas and Catherine Hess. However, Nicholas? son Conrad was born in the 1740s, far too late to be our Conrad. The DAR file frequently confuses this Conrad with others of the same name. Concerning his birthplace: I have obtained an abstract and two transcripts of Conrad?s will but have not obtained a copy of the original yet. They are at odds. The will was in German and had to be translated, which probably explains some of the confusion. Conrad was a resident of New Britain Township, according to a transcript in a manuscript focusing on the Hess family, which is available at the Wyoming Valley Historical Society in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and "Abstracts of German Script Wills," page 117, which is available at the Marx Room in the Easton Public Library. (2) Wedding and birth dates and maiden name come from "A History of the Wapwallopen Region," by the Wapwallopen Historical Society, page 54. Other secondary sources cited here mention the connection to the Best family. (3) The children are listed in Northampton County Will Book 3, page 119, and in Northampton County Deed Book, E-2, page 143, the second of which lists the married names of the females, except Ann. The females? husbands are named in "History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania," by Charles Rhoads Roberts, page 566. Elisabeth?s baptism is listed in "The Record Book of Daniel Schumacher 1754-1773," translated by Frederick S. Weiser, Page 77. (4) Source for posts are, respectively: "History of Northampton, Lehigh, Monroe, Carbon and Schuylkill Counties," by I. Daniel Rupp, page 22; "Pennsylvania Archives," Series 2, Vol. 9, page 812; Northampton County Orphan?s Court Records B 1758 to 1762; and "Colonial Records of Pennyslvania," Vol. 7, page 769. (5) "Northampton County Tax List for the Year 1761," by the Works Progress Administration, page 25A. (6) "Genealogical Abstracts of Orphan?s Court Records, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Vols. A-E 1752-1795," by Candace E. Anderson, pages 7-24. (7) By Northampton County Deed Book E-2, page 143. Patent in Pennsylvania Patent Book 28, page 398. (8) "Historic Structures of Williams Township," by the Williams Township Bicentennial Committee, page 8. (9) "The Record Book of Daniel Schumacher 1754-1773."
  Person ID	I3086	Wm L Gann Ancestors
  Last Modified	26 Jun 2011

  
  

  Father	Jeremiah Hess,   b. Abt 1675,   d. 28 Apr 1739, Philadelphia, Delaware, Pennsylvania  (Age ~ 64 years)
  Mother	Anna Maria Heim,   b. 1687, Mutterstadt, Ludwigshafen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany ,   d. Sep 1743, Philadelphia, Delaware, Pennsylvania  (Age 56 years)
  Married	1702
  Family ID	F1380	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family	Anna Maria Best,   b. 1722,   d. Bef 1790  (Age 68 years)
  Family ID	F1383	Group Sheet