Person Page - 324

     Bishop Jacob Henricks Godtschalk was born in 1666 in Goch, Duchy of Cleves, Germany. He married Aeltien Symons Hermans, daughter of Herman Davits and Trientien Symons, on 20 February 1689 in Goch, Duchy of Cleves, Germany. The date has also been given as 20 February 1688. Bishop Jacob Henricks Godtschalk was naturalized on 29 September 1709 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.¹ He left a will on 26 December 1760.² The transcript of the Will read:
In the Name of God Amen. Whereas I Jacob Godshalk sen^r of Towamencin Township in the County of Philadelphia (formerly while I was able) Turner having considered in my old age and the Certainty of my Death and being desirous that my wordly Estate hereafter may peaceably be shared among my Heirs after my Decease after my Decease therefore I do hereby this 26th Day of December in the Year of the Lord One thousand seven hundred and sixty make my Last Will and Testament as follows Viz. Imprimis. I give and bequeath unto my Son Herman all that Tract of Land or Plantation whereon I and him now dwell Containing One hundred and twenty two Acres and one half an Acre of land (be it more or lefs) according to the metes and Bounds conveyed to me together with all and singular the Appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaing to the only Ufe and Behoof of him the said my Son Herman his Heirs and Afsigns forever for which said my Plantation or Tract of Land he is to pay One hundred and twenty five Pounds in Manner following, that is to say twenty five Pounds lawful Money unto every one of my Children or their Heirs at the Expiration of one Year and one Day after my Decease Viz unto all the Children of my deceased Son Godshalf Twenty five Pounds thereof in equal Shares and unto all the Children of my deceased Son John twenty five Pounds thereof in equal Shares and unto the Children of my deceased Daughter Magdalena twenty five Pounds thereof in equal Shares and unto my Daughter Ana married to Peter Custard twenty five Pounds thereof and the Residuary twenty five Pounds my Son Herman reserves for himselve as his Portion thereof equal with his Brothers and Sisters. All the Residue of my Personal Estate shall likewise be equally divided into five Shares and every one of my above named Children is to have one Share thereof but whereas three of my said Children are deceased their Share or one Fifth Part of my whole Estate as afores^d shall again be equally divided among them according to their Number and paid to them if ye are twenty one Years of Age or upwards within two months after my Decease what is left of my personallities but their Share of my Real Estate at the Time of the above mentioned payment to be made by my Son Herman. But whereas the most of my deceased Childrens Children are yet Minors their proportionable Share shall be reserved for them by my hereafter named Executor until the attain their lawfull Age but in Case of Death as Minors their Share shall be equally divided unto such Minors Brothers and Sisters or their Heirs of or from their Body And I do hereby constitute and appoint my loving Son-in-Law Peter Custard sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament and I do hereby make void and anull all my former Wills and Testaments and declare these Presents to be my only Will of Force after my Decease.
In Witnefs whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the Day and Year above written.
Jacob Jhis X mark Godshalf (SEAL)
Signed Sealed and Declared in Presence of us
Jsaac Croll
Abraham Heiderich

Philad^a 3^d June 1763 then personally appeared Abraham Heidrich one of the Witnefses to the forgoing Will and on his solemn Affirmation according to Law did declare he saw and heard Jacob Godschalf the Testator therein named sign seal publish and declare the same Will for and as his Last Will and Testament and that at the doing thereof he was of sound mind memory and understanding to the best of his Knowledge, and that he together with Isaac Croll (now abs^t being disabled) did subscribe their names as Witnefses thereto at his Request. Coram W^m Plumsted Reg^E Gen^l.

Be it remembered that on 3^d June 1763 the Last Will and Testament of Jacob Godshalf deceased in due Form of Law was proved and Probate and Lres Testamentary were granted to Peter Custard Executor in the said Will named being solemnly affirmed well and truly to administer the said Deceased's Estate and bring an Inventory thereof into the Register General's Office in Philad^a on or before the 3^d July next and render a true and just Accompt when thereunto legally required. Given under the Seal of the said Office.
W^m Plumsted. Reg^E Gen^l. He died in May 1763 in Kulpsville, Towamencin, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, at age 97 years. He was buried in Towamencin Mennonite Meeting-house burial ground, Kulpsville, Towamencin Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.³ His estate was probated on 3 June 1763 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.⁴

     Aeltien Symons Hermans was born circa 1667. She married Bishop Jacob Henricks Godtschalk, son of Gottschalk Thonis and Lehntgen Henrichs, on 20 February 1689 in Goch, Duchy of Cleves, Germany. The date has also been given as 20 February 1688. As of 20 February 1689, her married name was Godtschalk. Aeltien Symons Hermans died in 1706.