Person:Johann Crumm (1)

Excerpts from James Norman Crum's 1997 Crum Genealogy

"We know that the Pennsylvania Dutch were not Dutch but were mostly from Germany. Our branch of CRUM's came from an area in Germany called "Westerwald". Specifically they were from the towns of Bad Marienberg, Hof and Pfuhl which were in the German state of Hessen-Nassau prior to 1871 but are now in the state of Rheinland-Pfatz. This area was part of a larger region called the Palatine. If you look for Bad Marienberg on a modern map of Germany, you will find it about 40 km North East of the city of Koblenz. They were a very religious people and belonged to the German Reformed Church...The trip down the Rhine took at least a month with about 30 stops for custom inspections along the way. They probably had to wait weeks in Rotterdam before boarding a ship for the trip to America. England would not allow immigration to the American Colonies from other countries so the ships first stopped in England where the emigrants had to sign an Oath of Allegiance to the King and where the ships took on supplies for the long trip. The crossing typically took about two months or more on a crowded vessel where many became sick and many died."

Transcribed Will of "Francis" Crum

[RC retyped from the copied, typed transcription]

In the name of God, Amen. I, Francis Crum of the Township of Menallen in the County of Adams and State of Pennsylvania Yoeman being very sick and weak in body but of sound mind, memory and undertake and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following to wit: Principally and first of all I command my immortal soul into the hands of God and give it and my body to the earth to be buried in a decent and Christian like manner at the discretion of my executors hereinafter named and as to such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life give and dispose of the same in the following manner to wit: ---

Give and devise to my beloved wife, Modlena one bed, bedding and bedstead, one cow her choice two sheep her choice the use of the stove room and privilege in the kitchen and springhouse and as much of the garden as she shall want for her own use during her natural life. Ten pound of [hatched lax?] a year twelve pound of [?] two pair of shoes six bushel of wheat twelve bushels of rye three bushel of corn four bushel potatoes one hundred pounds of pork and fifty pounds of beef every fall one bushel salt one half of the use of the kitchen [...] while she lives a sufficiency of fire wood to be cut and laid to the house for her use and eight dollars a year and it is my will that she be [?] in a cow and two sheep and the necessary privileges for the same as long as she lives and it is my will and I would have the same to be taken in lieu of the dower and in full of anything she can claim of me on any part whatsoever.

I will and bequeath to my beloved sons Levi and Moses Crum my plantation equally also all my personal property except such part as is herein otherwise bequeathed by paying to my other sons the several sums herein after bequeathed and it is my will that the same shall be taken in full of their shares of my estate real or personal at the same time reserving the bequeaths already and such as shall be hereinafter bequeathed.

Item - I give and bequeath unto my beloved sons Casper John and Peter Crum the sum of two hundred pound each to be paid in manner herein of described. I give and bequeath to my beloved son Henry Crum the sum of two hundred thirty pounds in manner hereinafter described. I give and bequeath into my beloved sons Barnhart and Solomon Crum the sum of two hundred pounds each to be paid to them in manner hereinafter described ---

Item -I will and allow my beloved son Casper Crum to receive one fourth part of his share three years after my decease. I will and allow my son John Crum to receive one fourth part of his share at the end of four years after my decease. I will and allow my son Peter to receive one fourth part of his part five years after my decease. I will and allow my son Henry Crum to received one fourth of his share at the expiration of six years after my decease. I will and allow my son Barnharm to receive one fourth part of his shares at the expiration of seven years after my decease. I will and allow my son Solomon Crum to receive one fourth part of his share at the expiration of eight years after my decease---

Item - I will and allow my son Casper to receive a second pay out of the fourth part of his shares at the expiration of nine years after my decease and at the expiration of every succeeding year one of my sons to receive one fourth part of their shares in like manner as they received their first payment and I wish to have the same to be taken in full of anything they can claim of me on any pretense whatsoever---

Item - I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Modlena the use of the stove in the stoveroom during her natural life if she remains a widow but if my said wife should marry she is to quite my premise and be given no more than her bed and bedding and I would have the same to be taken in lieu of her dower and in full of anything she can claim of me on any pretense whatsoever.---

And lastly I nominate constitute and appoint my well beloved son John Crum and my [neighbor] Charles Steward to be the executors of this my will hereby revoking all other wills legacies and bequeaths by me theretofore made and declaring this and no other to be my last will and testament. In witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the nineteenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirteen. 1813.

Signed sealed pronounced and declared [before?] the said _____ as his last will and testament Frantz Crum (seal) in the presence of us who in his presence and upon his request have subscribed as witnesses Conrad Blank, Nathan Wright, J Stewart, Adams County Before James Duncan, Esp.______ for the probate of wills and granting letters of administration and for the County of Adams in the States of Pennsylvania, personally {?} Conrad Blank and Nathan Wright two of the subscribers_____ to the foregoing instrument writing and on their Solomon oath and affirmation do say that they were personally present and saw and heard the therein named Francis Crum sign his name until and seal and publish the foregoing instrument of writing as and for his last will and testament and at the time of doing thereof he [thought?] Francis Crum was of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and belief and that they subscribed their names thereto as witnesses in the presence of the said testator and at this request and also in the presence of each other and at the same time.

Sworn affirmed & subscribed before me, Gettysburg the __ day of November 1814. Conrad Blank, Nathan Wright.

1.   Ancestry.com.

   His German name was Johann Frantz Crumm. Arrived Philadelphia 29 Sept 1753 on the ship Rowan, accompanied by his father and brothers Johannes and Christian. First settled in Heidelberg Twp, Northampton (Now Lehigh) County, Pennsylvania. Naturalized fall of 1765 with bros Johannes And Christian. Relocated to Menallen Twp. Adams Co. PA c1780. Member Heidelberg Union Church 1757, also called Neff's or Schlosser's church.

2. ↑ Crum, Jim.
3.   Crum, Ruby Wagner. Diary of a House: Crum Homestead Since 1839. (Self published, 1984).