In the name of God, Amen. I, Stephen Hotzenbella, of the County of Frederick, in the Colony of Virginia, being sick and weak of body, but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be to God for it. Therefore calling to mind the mortality of the body, and knowing that is is appointed for all men once to die; do make and ordain this my last will and testament, in manner and form, to-wit:
Imprimis: I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife, Barbara Hotzenbella, the young bay horse, unbranded, one cow, and one featherbed and furniture.
Item: I give and bequeath to my daughter, Susannah Seigler, one mare of the value of eight pounds, one side saddle and bridle, two cows, one rug and one blanket.
Item: My will and desire is that after all my just debts and funeral expenses are paid and satisfied, that all the rest and residue of my estate be divided equally between my surviving sons and daughters.
Item: I give and bequeath to my said ‘beloved wife, Barbara, the plantation whereon I now live during her natural life or while she remains my widow, but after her decease or marriage,
Item: My will and desire is that my Executors do sell the said Plantation to the best advantage that can be got and out of the money arising thereby that they pay to my son Jacob Hotzenbella, forty pounds; to my son Stephen Hotzenbella, sixty pounds; to my grand-daughter, Rebecca Bumgardner, fourteen pounds; to the Lutheran Church five pounds; and to the Calvinistic Church five pounds, and the rest and the residue of the money arising by the sale of said Plantation, I give and bequeath in manner following: viz., to my daughters, Agnes Bumgardner, Mary Switzer, Anne Maria Stroup, Sarah Coffman and Susannah Seigler, and the surviving heirs of my daughters, Catherine Kerns and Elizabeth Huver, to be equally divided between them
And lastly: I do constitute, make and ordain my son-in-law, Valentine Switzer and my beloved son, Jacob Hotzenbella, Executors of this my last will and testament. And I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and disannull all and every former testament, wills and legacies by me in anywise before willed and bequeathed. Ratifying and confirming this, and no other, to be my last will and testament.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and ‘seal, this second day of April 1776.
His mark X
Stephen Hotzenbella.
Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Stephen Hotzenbella as his last will and testament, in the presence of us: Thomas Wood, Frederick Conrad, John Poher, Jacob Poher.
