1766 Benjamin Hershey was alive when brother Joseph Hershey's estate was settled. Joseph Hershey had been granted 200 acres by Benjamin Hershey on July 20, 1760. Joseph left his 200 acre estate (adjacent owners Benjamin Hershey, Jacob Shallenberger, Christopher Fry, Martin Hoofman, Peter Godshall) to son Christian with the condition that if Christian were to die without heirs that wife Mary was to have 500 pounds before division of the estate among Joseph's brothers and sisters. Son Christian died in his minority without issue. The estate descended to Joseph's brothers and sisters: Christian Hershey, Eva Hershey, Mary wife of Peter Kryder, John Hershey, Anna wife of John Hoover, Benjamin Hershey, Elizabeth wife of David Brubaker. Christian Hershey and David Brubaker paid the other heirs for their shares and divided the 200 acre estate. Bentz Hershey and sister Eva quit claim to Christian Hershey, all of Lancaster County. [1]
1780 On April 24, the Lancaster Orphans Court appointed guardians for the minor children of Benjamin Hershey, late of Hempfield township. [2]
Elizabeth Hirshy a minor daughter of Benjamin Hershey late of Hempfield township deced now intermarried with Henry Landes being above the age of fourteen years comes into court and chuses John Huber of Hempfield township guardian over her estate during her minority, and the said John Hoober is approved of and appointed her guardian.
Benjamin Hershey ... above age fourteen ... chuses John Huber ...
The court appoints Jacob Neff of Hempfield township guardian over the estate of Mary Hirshey ... she being under the age of fourteen years during her minority.
1790 On 21 August, son Benjamin Hershey and wife Elizabeth, and Henry Landis and wife Elisabeth, sold land to Jacob Naff and wife Mary, all of Hempfield Twp, Lancaster County. The land had been patented by Andrew Hershey in 1735. Andrew passed the land to his son Benjamin, father of the grantors of this deed. The remaining heirs of Andrew sold their shares to Benjamin in 1760 [3]. Benjamin died with heirs oldest son Benjamin, Elisabeth wife of Henry Landis and Mary wife of Jacob Neff, the parties to this deed. Another parcel was part of Andrew's patent A7-405. [4] [5]
Research Notes:
Another biosketch of Benjamin, with the children shown here, is identified as (IV) Benjamin, born 1710, who is reported with somewhat different ancestry than is shown here. [6]
1789 Benjamin Hershey died at age 93 in Lancaster County. Other researchers identify him as Benjamin [7], born 1696, son of Christian and Adelheit Scholi Hershey. I seek further evidence to clarify which Benjamin Hershey died in 1789. "Died last Wednesday night July 29 1789 on his plantation near this town Benjamin Hirshe old and tired of living. He was in his ninety third year of his age. His remains were interred on Friday morning in the near by God's acre attached to the meetinghouse about one mile from his home. His funeral was attended by a large following of all classes and denominations. He had been bedfast for the past five years owing to his great age. He came to this country from Germany in 1717, and since that time lived on his farm. He was one of the oldest inhabitants of this county. For more than fifty years he was a teacher and a worker in the vineyard of the Lord. He served the Mennonite congregation at all times with fidelity and by them he will be remembered in blessing forever. Mr Hirshe leaves a large number of descendants. He will be mourned by all who knew him." [8] Translated from German and described as "conclusive evidence of the early Mennonite bishop and minister living somewhere on or near the James Buchanan homestead and of the first meetinghouse and graveyard near the present Maple Grove swimming pool." [9] [10]
[Photocopy, Newspaper extract August 5, 1789, from Lancaster Zeitung.]
[Photocopy, Newspaper extract August 5, 1789, from Lancaster Zeitung, Title page.]
Mennonite card file. [11]
[1] Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed L-222 to 223, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[2] Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Miscellaneous Book 1780-248, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[3] Recorder of Deeds, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book H, 360-361, [360], [361], [FHLCatalog].
[4] Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed KK-675 to 678, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[5] Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed KK-678 to 681, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[6] Luther Reily Kelker, History of Dauphin County, Vol. 3 (1907), 598, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[7] Janet and Robert Wolfe, Genealogy Page for Benjamin Hershey, son of Christian Hershey and Adelheit Scholi, [JRWolfeGenealogy].
[8] Newspaper, Neue Unpartheyische Lancaster Zeitung und Anzeigs Nachrichten, Wednesday, August 5, 1789, page 3.
[9] Martin G. Weaver, Mennonites of Lancaster Conference (1931), 90.
[10] Martin G. Weaver, Mennonites of Lancaster Conference (1931), 120.
[11] Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, Genealogical Card File (Lancaster, Pennsylvania), [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].