Jacob Showalter, Micromanager

Jacob Showalter was my maternal GGGGG Grandfather. His great grandson was Amos Good.

Jacob Showalter *, my maternal fifth great grandfather, was born in Germany in 1741 and immigrated with his family to Philadelphia at the age of 8. The family settled in Earl, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and there Jacob married his beloved Barbara Oyer. They had sixteen documented children between the years 1762 and 1797.

 

View from the family cemetery shows the beautiful Martindale countryside.

Jacob died in 1809. Accustomed as I am to detailed wills, his might set a record for micromanaging.

It helps to know that, while a woman had few rights in a marriage during this time period, she did have what was known as a “dower right” in her husband’s estate upon his death. This right was generally limited to one-third of his “real property,” the rest being distributed to his remaining heirs. Historically this stemmed from a husband’s obligation to support his wife for her lifetime. Hence the term “dowager” refers to a widow living off a dower. A widow generally could not sell the property, as her husband’s estate still controlled it and it would go to the remaining heirs on her death. If she remarried, the new husband took the responsibility of supporting her, and the real estate passed immediately to the heirs without waiting for her to die. [Note: This is the “flip side” of a dowery, which refers to assets a bride’s father gave her husband to help defray the costs of supporting the bride for her lifetime.]

Apparently many men were a bit cynical about how well their sons (or maybe their daughters-in-law) would behave towards the sons’ mothers after they were gone, so took great pains to spell out the support required. Jacob was extra-specific, as indicated in this excerpt from his will (modified slightly for readability): **

 

Jacob Showalter's will

Item: I do give and bequeath unto my well beloved wife, Barbara, the right and privilege to live and dwell in the house wherein I now dwell, that is to say, in two rooms upstairs on the north side of the house, and as much of the kitchen downstairs as she has need for, and as much of this cellar and spring house as she has need for. Together with the garden near the small house wherein my father lived at or immediately before his decease, when necessary, privilege to pass and repose and pass from the said rooms upstairs to the kitchen and otherwise to go to and from the barn, garden and spring house through the house and cellar as occasion shall require during her natural life or widowhood. She shall have a right to let any and as many as she chooses of her single children to live with her with privileges for them to pass and repose as occasion shall require. And if my said wife would of choice rather live in the house wherein my father lived as aforesaid she shall have a right to live in that house under which has a cellar and her right to the spring house as aforesaid. And on her preferring to live in the small house in that case she will relinquish her right to the rooms and kitchen in the house wherein I now live. Also she shall have right to the stable near said small house in case of her living therein or in the stables in the large barn are in case of her living in the house wherein I know live. She shall have a right to keep one dozen of fowls and as many hogs as she chooses to keep with privileges for her hogs to run in the clover and green fields after harvest with the owners hogs of the plantation whereon I now live. Further I give and bequeath to my said beloved wife, Barbara, yearly and every year during her natural life or widowhood as much good and sufficient firewood as she and her family shall want for ready-made split and laid to her door fit for use. 10 bushels of wheat, merchantable, 8 bushels of Rye, 8 bushels of buckwheat, 80 bushels of Indian corn, 5 bushels of potatoes, 12 pounds of hackled hemp or flax, 6 pound of wool, 1 ton of first crop [hay] and one common of second crop hay and as many apples and cider as she wants, if the Orchard bears fruit, 100 pounds of good beef, yearly, and every year during the term of the aforesaid.

 

This was the larger house.

Further, I do give and bequeath unto my said beloved wife, Barbara, two bed and bedsteads, her choice of as much of the household and kitchen furniture as she chooses to take, tin plates, stove and pipe in the small house, and one chest, her choice. The house clock, and case, her choice as many of any books as she chooses to take. And further I do give and bequeath unto my said beloved wife, Barbara, the annual legal interest of 200 pounds to be paid onto her annually during the term aforesaid by my two sons, Jacob and Henry out of the lands herein after devised unto them. My wife's cow shall be pastured by my said two sons, Jacob and Henry on the land devised unto them like their own cows.

 

This looks like a springhouse but we believe was actually the smaller dwelling house.

This was only the beginning of the will. After taking care of Barbara’s needs, Jacob went on for page after page, detailing how the two sons would divide up the real estate and other assets and going to great pains to make sure that everything was equal, as each already had been given lands for their use and advances on the estate.

Whether because of the detailed will or because Jacob and Barbara had raised them well, the boys must have done a good job. Barbara lived another twenty-one years, passing away September 12, 1830, aged 80 years 6 months and 7 days.

 

Headstones for Jacob and Barbara Oyer Showalter.

* Side note for those who will ask: Yes, it is likely that Buck Showalter is a fifth or sixth cousin; while I have not connected the dots completely, Showalters from this family moved to the area of Virginia from which Buck hailed.]

** Will book K-1-38 Lancaster Co. PA