1755 Colonial Germantown Will of Dirk Jansen—Certified and Signed by Chief Justice Benjamin Chew, 1774
An unusually substantial colonial Pennsylvania probate manuscript: the last will and testament of Dirk Jansen, yeoman of Germantown, originally dated January 7, 1755, and officially copied and certified at Philadelphia on October 8, 1774.
Written across three large manuscript sheets marked A, B, and C, the will records Jansen’s distribution of an extensive Pennsylvania estate among his children John, Richard, Ann Catherine, and Rebecca. The property included his Germantown residence, meadow and orchard; numerous tracts along Germantown’s Great Road; and hundreds of acres in Bucks, Lancaster, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties. The will also distributes livestock, farming implements, household furnishings, and substantial monetary bequests.
The document is certified and authentically signed by Benjamin Chew (1722–1810) as Register General of Pennsylvania. At the time of this certification, Chew was also Chief Justice of Pennsylvania’s highest court. A prominent colonial jurist, Chew served as longtime legal adviser to the Penn family and was the owner of Cliveden, later a principal site of the Battle of Germantown.
The certification retains its large, elaborate embossed paper seal and original attachment cord. Historical sources associate Dirk Jansen with an early Germantown property later incorporated into the historic house known as Upsala, although additional title research would be required to determine whether the residence described in this will was that particular property.
This is an official 1774 certified copy from the original will retained in the Register General’s Office. The Jansen and witness signatures are clerk-copied; Benjamin Chew’s certification signature is original.
Condition is fragile, with extensive fold separation, tears, losses, staining, and detached sections, but most of the manuscript remains legible. The Chew signature and impressive provincial office seal are well preserved.
More info...
This is a colonial Pennsylvania certified manuscript copy of the last will and testament of Dirk Jansen of Germantown, originally executed January 7, 1755.
The three-page will was copied from the original held in the Pennsylvania Register General’s Office and officially certified in Philadelphia on October 8, 1774, only six months before Lexington and Concord.
The certification is signed:
“Benjamin Chew, Reg’r Gen’l”
It retains the large embossed paper-and-wafer seal of the Register General’s Office.
Principal figures
- Dirk Jansen, described as a yeoman of Germantown, Philadelphia County
- Children and beneficiaries: John, Richard, Ann Catherine, and Rebecca
- Witnesses copied from the original: John Bowman, Christian Warner, and John K—
- Benjamin Chew (1722–1810), Pennsylvania’s Register General and, by 1774, Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Chew was a leading colonial lawyer, longtime legal representative of the Penn family, and owner of Cliveden—the house that became a focal point of the Battle of Germantown.
Historical content
Jansen’s will describes a remarkably substantial estate, including:
- His Germantown residence, meadow, and orchard
- Multiple Germantown lots along the “Great Road or Main Street”
- Woodland and additional Philadelphia County acreage
- Approximately 400 acres at “Maxelium” in Bucks County
- Approximately 250 acres called “Indian Land” near the head of Perkiomen Creek
- Approximately 500 acres in Lancaster County
- Approximately 300 acres near Indian Creek
- Livestock, farming implements, household furnishings, and monetary bequests
Historical accounts associate a Dirk or Dirck Jansen with the early property now known as Upsala, near the later Battle of Germantown battlefield. One account states that Jansen probably erected the early rear portion around 1740. However, the present document does not itself name “Upsala,” so the specific residence described in the will should be presented as a possible, research-worthy connection rather than a certainty.
Important distinction
This is not the original 1755 will signed by Jansen. The Jansen signature, witness names, and written word “Seal” on page C were reproduced by the register’s clerk. The genuine autograph is Benjamin Chew’s signature beneath the 1774 certification.
Condition
Poor to fair but substantially legible:
- Three manuscript sheets, marked A, B, and C
- Extensive fold separations and edge losses
- Large internal tears and detached or nearly detached sections
- Several words affected or missing
- General toning, staining, and handling wear
- Original attachment cord present
- Embossed paper seal substantially intact and visually impressive
- Benjamin Chew’s certification and signature remain clear
An unusually substantial colonial Pennsylvania probate manuscript: the last will and testament of Dirk Jansen, yeoman of Germantown, originally dated January 7, 1755, and officially copied and certified at Philadelphia on October 8, 1774.
Written across three large manuscript sheets marked A, B, and C, the will records Jansen’s distribution of an extensive Pennsylvania estate among his children John, Richard, Ann Catherine, and Rebecca. The property included his Germantown residence, meadow and orchard; numerous tracts along Germantown’s Great Road; and hundreds of acres in Bucks, Lancaster, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties. The will also distributes livestock, farming implements, household furnishings, and substantial monetary bequests.
The document is certified and authentically signed by Benjamin Chew (1722–1810) as Register General of Pennsylvania. At the time of this certification, Chew was also Chief Justice of Pennsylvania’s highest court. A prominent colonial jurist, Chew served as longtime legal adviser to the Penn family and was the owner of Cliveden, later a principal site of the Battle of Germantown.
The certification retains its large, elaborate embossed paper seal and original attachment cord. Historical sources associate Dirk Jansen with an early Germantown property later incorporated into the historic house known as Upsala, although additional title research would be required to determine whether the residence described in this will was that particular property.
This is an official 1774 certified copy from the original will retained in the Register General’s Office. The Jansen and witness signatures are clerk-copied; Benjamin Chew’s certification signature is original.
Condition is fragile, with extensive fold separation, tears, losses, staining, and detached sections, but most of the manuscript remains legible. The Chew signature and impressive provincial office seal are well preserved.
More info...
This is a colonial Pennsylvania certified manuscript copy of the last will and testament of Dirk Jansen of Germantown, originally executed January 7, 1755.
The three-page will was copied from the original held in the Pennsylvania Register General’s Office and officially certified in Philadelphia on October 8, 1774, only six months before Lexington and Concord.
The certification is signed:
“Benjamin Chew, Reg’r Gen’l”
It retains the large embossed paper-and-wafer seal of the Register General’s Office.
Principal figures
- Dirk Jansen, described as a yeoman of Germantown, Philadelphia County
- Children and beneficiaries: John, Richard, Ann Catherine, and Rebecca
- Witnesses copied from the original: John Bowman, Christian Warner, and John K—
- Benjamin Chew (1722–1810), Pennsylvania’s Register General and, by 1774, Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Chew was a leading colonial lawyer, longtime legal representative of the Penn family, and owner of Cliveden—the house that became a focal point of the Battle of Germantown.
Historical content
Jansen’s will describes a remarkably substantial estate, including:
- His Germantown residence, meadow, and orchard
- Multiple Germantown lots along the “Great Road or Main Street”
- Woodland and additional Philadelphia County acreage
- Approximately 400 acres at “Maxelium” in Bucks County
- Approximately 250 acres called “Indian Land” near the head of Perkiomen Creek
- Approximately 500 acres in Lancaster County
- Approximately 300 acres near Indian Creek
- Livestock, farming implements, household furnishings, and monetary bequests
Historical accounts associate a Dirk or Dirck Jansen with the early property now known as Upsala, near the later Battle of Germantown battlefield. One account states that Jansen probably erected the early rear portion around 1740. However, the present document does not itself name “Upsala,” so the specific residence described in the will should be presented as a possible, research-worthy connection rather than a certainty.
Important distinction
This is not the original 1755 will signed by Jansen. The Jansen signature, witness names, and written word “Seal” on page C were reproduced by the register’s clerk. The genuine autograph is Benjamin Chew’s signature beneath the 1774 certification.
Condition
Poor to fair but substantially legible:
- Three manuscript sheets, marked A, B, and C
- Extensive fold separations and edge losses
- Large internal tears and detached or nearly detached sections
- Several words affected or missing
- General toning, staining, and handling wear
- Original attachment cord present
- Embossed paper seal substantially intact and visually impressive
- Benjamin Chew’s certification and signature remain clear
