From Administration Book; Vol 5, Page 115 – Register of Wills Office, Berks County Court House:
Jacob Bower, Esq. – Register for the Probate of Wills and Granting Letters of Administration, in, and for, the County of Berks.
To Henry Sigfried and Daniel Sigfried Sons of Joseph Sigfried late of Maxatawny Township in Berks County Yeoman deceased (the Widow of said deceased being blind, in incapable of the Trust) and to each of them –
Greeting
Whereas, the said Joseph Sigfried lately died Intestate, (as is affirmed) having, whilst he lived, and at the Time of his Death, divers Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits, within the said County, by Means whereof, the full Disposition and Power of granting the Administration Of all and singular the Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits, which were of the said Deceased within the said County; and also, auditing the Accounts, Calculations and Recordings, of the said Administration, & a final Dismission from the same, to me is manifestly known to belong. I desiring that the Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits, of the said Deceased, may be well and truly administered, do hereby do grant unto You, the said Henry and Daniel Sigfried in whose Fidelity in this Behalf, I very much confide, full Power by the Tenor of these Presents, to administer the Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits, which were of the said Deceased, within the said County; and also, to ask, collect, levy, recover and receive, the Credits whatsoever of the said Deceased, which at the time of his Death, were owing, or to him in any Ways belong, and to pay the Debts in which the said Deceased stood obliged, so far forth, as the Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits, will extend, according to their Rate and Order of Law, especially of well and truly administering the Goods , Rights and Credits, of the said Deceased, and making a true and perfect Inventory thereof, and exhibiting the same into the Register's Office, at the Town of Reading, in the County of BERKS, at or before the first day of March next, and rendering a true and just Account, Calculation or Reckoning, of the said Administration, at or before the first Day of February in the year of our LORD, One Thousand, Seven Hundred and ninety eight. And also, I do by these Presents, ordain, constitute and appoint, you the said Henry and Daniel Administrators of all the singular the Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits, which were of the said Deceased, within the Limits aforesaid, saving harmless, and for Ever indemnifying me, and all other Officers, against all Persons whatsoever, by Reason of your Administration aforesaid, and saving to all others their Rights. In TESTIMONY whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal of Office, the first Day of February in the year of our LORD, One Thousand, Seven Hundred & ninety seven
For Jacob Bower, Register
Chris.n Burmanstein, D.Reg.
Source: SIEGFRIED, JOSEPH – MX 1797; Register of Wills Office, Berks County Court House, Reading, PA
To the Honorable the Judges of the Orphans Court of the County of Berks
The Petition of Henry Sigfreidt, Son of Joseph Sigfriedt, Late of Maxatawny Township, Berks County Yeoman deceased
Humbly Shuoeth,
That the said Joseph Sigfreidt died about one year since Intestate leaving a Widow named Maria and Issue Eight children to wit Joseph, Your petitioner [Henry], Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Daniel, Magdalena the wife of Abraham Levan, Catherine and John, who is since deceased leaving issue seven children to wit Daniel, Mary, Susannah, Catherine, Elizabeth, Isaac and Jacob And that the said Intestate died seized in his demesne as of fee of and in a Messuage and about one quarter of an acre of Land situate in Maxatawny Township adjoining the land of your petitioner And also of and in a Certain Tract of Woodland situate in Maxatawny Township aforesaid adjoining Land of Carl Korn, John Rockback, and others containing Seventy two Acres or thereabout. Your petitioner therefore prays your honor to award an Inquest to make partition of the premises to and among the children & representatives of the said Intestate in such manner- and in such proportions as by the laws of the state directed and appointed if such partition can be made without prejudice to or spoiling the whole. Otherwise to value and appraise the same and make report of their proceeding herein to the Court.
And he will pray
Heinrich Siegfried
Feb. 1 1797
The file also contains an inventory of items appraised on 1 Nov 1795 and exhibited to the Court on 18 Mar 1797 with a value of £684 6s 6p.
Also several documents involving twelve honest and lawful men who appraised the land at £568 · 2s · 6p. Henry Siegfried purchased this land at Orphans Court on 3 May 1797.
Henry also submitted the following petition for guardians of minor children of his deceased Brother John:
To the Honorable the Judges of the Orphans Court of Berks County
The Petition of Henry Sigfriedt In behalf of Catherine, Elizabeth, Isaac & Jacob Sigfriedt - Children of John Sigfriedt, deceased.
Humbly Shuoeth
That the said Catherine, Elizabeth, Isaac and Jacob are Minors under the Age of fourteen years & have no Guardian to take care of their Persons and Estates. Your Petitioner therefore prays your honor to appoint some person Guardian for the said minors.
And he will pray,
Heinrich Siegfried
May 3, 1797
Joseph died 3 Sep 1795 and is buried with his wife in the Siegfried family Cemetery in Maxatawny Township.
Joseph Siegfried was born 1 Feb 1721 in Oley, Philadelphia County (now Berks County since 1752) the son of Johannes and Elizabeth (nee: unknown) Siegfried. He moved to Maxatawny with his parents about 1724 where his father accumulated 600 acres of land before he died in December 1747. The Land of Johannes was divided equally between his two sons, Joseph (1721) receiving 300 acres and his younger Brother John (1723) receiving 300 acres.
Joseph married Anna Maria Romig, b. 1724 in Germany (the daughter of John Adam Romig and Agnes Marguerite Bernhardt). She d.1806. They had the following children: Johannes “Col. John” (1745-1793), m. Mary Levan (c.1747 - 1828); Magdalena (b. c.1747), m. Abraham Levan (1748 -1823); Capt. Joseph (1749 -1825), m. Maria Lobach (1753 -1805); Heinrich (1751-1822), m(1). Elizabeth Kutz (1760 -1816), m(2). Magdalena Levan (1756-1830); Lieut. Jacob (1753 -1823), m. Maria Barbara Graul (1750 - 1843); Catherine (1759-1812) never married but had a son Joseph to Dr. Joseph Hirst; Isaac (1763 -1833), m. Anna Maria Hochstresser (1771-1831); Abraham (1764-1800), m. Dorothy Kutz (1765-1832); Daniel R. (1767-1843), m. Sarah Bechtel (1776-1860).
You may wonder why Henry's letter to the Orphans Court lists his Father Joseph as having “a house on about ¼ acre of land” since Joseph inherited 300 acres when his Father Johannes died in 1747 (the 72 acres of wood land that Henry lists is and was not part of the 300 acres). Joseph sold to his son Henry 186 acres 99 perches of land and excluded about 1/4 acre of land which contained his home. This Deed is dated 28 Apr 1787 (Deed Bk.-Vol 13, P 215). Joseph then sold to his son Jacob on Deed dated 2 Feb 1788 a tract of land adjacent to Henry's containing 91 acres 14 perches (Deed Bk.-Vol 13, P 202). Jacob later sold the 91 acres to his Brother Henry and moved to what is now Schuylkill County.
Submitted by Leon.
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