The Heritage of Daniel Haston
 

Henrich Hiestand Will - March 22, 1777
Proven in Shenandoah Co, VA Court on August 28, 1783
Source:  Pages 2-4 of Will Book B.

 

Peter Hiessandt, Sr.'s (son of Henrich Hiestand) Bible record states:
(originally written in the old German script)

  • "Year 1777 the 12th of January my mother left this world for eternity." (three months before this will was created)
  • "Year 1779 the 5th day of October my father left this world and his age was 74 and 11 months and 27 days." (about two and one-half years after this will was created)

Note: This would mean that Henrich Hiestand was born on October 8, 1704. If he and lived three more days (October 8, 1779) he would have been 75 years old. 

Source:  From a set of "Bible Records for Heiston (Hiestand, Hiessandt) Family of Page County, Virginia" obtained from Joseph W. Baker of Saint Louis, MO.  Mr. Baker received them "years ago" from Mrs. Samuel (Eva) Winkler who lived at that time on what is now Dry Run Road in Luray (Page County), VA.  Mr. & Mrs. Winkler are now deceased.
 

 
In the Name of God Amen. I Heinrich Hiestand residing in Dunmore County in the Province of Virginia do this twenty second day of March in the year of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven. Make known and declare this my Last Will and Testament in good health and perfect understanding and memory. Thanks be to God for this beneficence. This my Last Will and Testament I make in the following manner and form. To wit firstly it is my will and I ordain that first of all my burial costs and all lawful debts shall be paid from my estates.

Item it is my will and confession and ordaining that my eldest son Jacob shall have five pounds beforehand afterwards though shall receive equal inheritance with all my other children and no more.

Item it is my will and ordaining that my son Jacob inherit my place, where I now should still reside, for [one] hundred and eighty pounds of money as it is current in Virginia after my demise.

Item it is my will and ordaining what of my following property or money and is still remaining of both that everything shall be equally and amiably shared after my death.

Item it is my will and ordaining that my five sons after my decease shall give out to my three daughters until they are all equal inheritance, however I ordain and it is my will that my youngest daughter Magdalena shall have ten pounds less in her inheritance than the other children because of a reason which I now do not like to mention, and likewise my son Daniel shall likewise have ten pounds less inheritance than the six remaining because of the same reason which I now do not like to mention. (emphasis added by Heritage of Daniel Haston webmaster)

It is interesting to know that the two of his children that Henrich seems to have reprimanded in the above paragraph of his will, Daniel and Magdalena, had been married for about three and one-half years at the time of this will and that their marriages occurred just a few weeks apart.
  • Daniel Histand to Christina Nave - September 28, 1773
    In addition to the "ten pounds less" reprimand stated in his father's will, Daniel also did not receive any land inheritance from his father.
     
  • Andrew Gimling (or "Kemling") to Magdalene Histand - December 5, 1773
    Note: Andrew Gimling was one of the witnesses for this will (see below).  Apparently, Heinrich's issue with Magdalena was not her marriage to Andrew Gimling, since Andrew was chosen to be a witness to Heinrich's will. 

Source: Pages 117 & 307 of Shenandoah County Marriage Bonds, 1772-1850 by John Vogt & T. William Kethley, Jr. (Athens, GA: Iberian Publishing Company, 1984).  

Item it is my will and ordaining that my eldest daughter Barbara shall have nothing of this inheritance so long as she lives with this man in wedlock but when she will be a widow so she shall have her share what comes to her by right like the six above mentioned children, but if she should die before her husband so her children shall have her inheritance instead as they come of age further I declare what my daughter Barbara has received from her inheritance from me which amounts to forty pounds and twelve shillings, herewith I ordain and shall be faithfully carried out that after my demise ten shillings from my estate shall be distributed to the poor.

So this is my Last Will and Testament that all of this shall be firmly and (unbalanced?) kept what I in this my Last Will order: In Witness I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year as is written above.

Signed
Pronounced
by me the aforesaid Henrich Hiestand
as my Last Will and Testament
In all your presence
Joh. Krück the 22nd March 1777

Henrich Hiestandt

To the following it is my Will and Confession and ordaining in this my Will and Testament that my grandson Christel Harnisch shall receive no more from this inheritance because he has already received more than his other siblings have inherited. In Witness hereof I have hereunto set my hand seal in all your presence with day and date as was just already mentioned

Signed
Pronounced
by aforesaid Henrich Hiestand
as my Last Will and Testament
In all your presence
Signed by us the 22nd March 1777
Joh. Krück
Jacob Hiestand
Peter Hiestandt
Andres Gimling

 

Observations from Kent Hiestand

This spelling Hiessand is from someone who could not read old handwritten German and can't tell the difference between an ess zet "sz" as it known in German which is the ß also known as a scharfes ees (sharp s) in German for the double ss and an st the s before a t in old German looked something like this ʃt. I have a copy from Peter's Bible of his name written by him that this ss comes from and as an EXPERT in old German hand writing I can assure you it is st and not ss. 

Examples: Signatures from Peter Hiestandt's Bible

 Anyone can see the t after the s is clearly crossed.
Common sense would tell us Peter Hiestand would never spell his own name incorrectly.  

Something else you might find interesting in the 1733 Wistar letters Heinrich Hiestand's name is spelled Henrich not Heinrich just like his signature on his will and the 1728 henrich hiest.

-Kent Hiestand (September 1, 2016)

Source of this copy of the transcribed will:  The Grand Chronicle of the Hiestand Family;  A copy of the actual will in German script appears on this Hiestand Family site.