Inventories of estates show name of decedent and township, date filed, itemized list of possessions and assets, appraised valuation, and signatures and affidavit of appraisers and administrators. Administrators' Accounts and Administrators' Bonds are also filed with this collection prior to 1776. Other estate related papers sometimes included before 1776 were: Orphans' Court papers, Renunciations, and Vendue Lists. Inventories were sometimes filed with the wills and may be at the courthouse. Appraisers often included widow's allotments in the inventories. Any additional information such as occupation, cause of death, or the listing of enslaved persons or indentured servants are noted in the database.
Prior to 1752, documents between the months of January and March were subject to double dating, as a result of the conflict between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Therefore, documents filed between 1 January and 25 March have two years listed; one from the old Julian calendar and one from the new Gregorian calendar.
System of Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically and then chronologically within each letter.
Birth certificate done in German for "Anna Schenkin" (Schenk), born in "Connostoge Taunschip Langster County", November 20, 1783. Hand drawn, colored and lettered on laid paper with iron gall ink. No baptism indicates a Mennonite family.
The text is enclosed within a heart, surrounded by various vining flowers and four birds, two above and two below. The design conforms with artist's normal pattern of having the vines emanate from a hole at the top center of the heart. This artist made fraktur for mostly Lancaster County Mennonite families. He was almost certainly a schoolmaster. There are about 15 of his fraktur that are documented.
"Johannes Schopf/Schopp Artist" (active c. 1774-1800)
Note written on frame's dust cover by Smith states this fraktur was exhibited in two shows: Allentown Folk Art Show (Nov. 1974) and William Penn Memorial Museum, F/A Show (Jan. 1975).
Slide #27-2-4 in Archives West.
Provenance
Purchased by Richard Flanders Smith at a public sale along Route 222, north of Willow Street. Given to the Lancaster County Historical Society with the understanding that it would become part of the Heritage Center collection with the establishment of that institution.
Foxing or brown spotting over much of surface. Some tears along the edges. Moisture or adhesive stain at bottom center.
A condition report and treatment proposal was done by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia in 1986. Matted and framed by conservator Brian Howard of Carlisle in 1996.
Object ID
G.77.50.11
Place of Origin
Conestoga Twp.
Credit
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Richard Flanders Smith, Heritage Center Collection
Printed fraktur taufschein (B&BC in German) for Michael Ruthisill, born Aug. 17, 1808 and baptized Aug. 30, 1808 by Pastor (Gotthilf Henry Ernestus) Muhlenberg at the Lutheran Church in Manheim Township, Lancaster County. Parents were Philip and Susanna (Schreiner) Ruthisill and the sponsors were Michael and Catharina Ruthisill (grandparents?).
Certificate printed by Lancaster printer Benjamin Grimler in 1803. Penwork & decoration attributed to the "Ruffled Tulip Artist" by the Earnests (9-14-98). See object file for info.
Printed on laid paper, fraktur has a large central heart and two smaller hearts at bottom with verses in German in each. Large heart has main text, with blanks filled in by scrivener/artist in red ink. 1/4-inch-wide yellow border around perimeter. Hand-drawn floral motifs surround the large heart: large tulip-like flowers at top and bottom center, flowering vine at sides and smaller flowers above small hearts and within large heart. Colored in red, green and yellow.
The "Ruffled Tulip Artist" was working circa 1799-1813. He drew distinctive ruffles around large and folky tulips and infilled in German on printed three-heart forms, of which seven are known - all birth & baptismal certificates.
Klaus Stopp, The Printed Birth & Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans, Vol. III, p. 128.
Ellis and Evans, History of Lancaster County, p. 498.
Earnests, Papers for Birth Dayes, Vol.II, pp. 659-60.
Provenance
Donor reports his wife has Rudisill ancestors. He and his wife received this fraktur with instructions to sell the piece upon their demise in order to pay for funeral expenses. The fraktur was never sold, even now that his own wife has died. See genealogy of Rudisill family in file, given by Lisa Garrett, cousin of donor's wife. Lisa says donor died in 1998.
Condition when received: Entire piece buckled, pasted onto brown Kraft paper. Multiple tears and losses, especially at center of right and left sides; tears and small hole at center. Some foxing, general soiling, and water damage to colors in vining at sides. Color smears and fingerprints, esp. at top and bottom floral device. Small tears and curling at most edges.
At present: Conserved, matted and placed in sealed package by Marilyn Kemp Weidner in 1999 for $1,553. Framed by Lancaster Galleries.
Object ID
G.98.27.1
Notes
Four other copies of Grimler's printed certificate known, according to Klaus Stopp (The Printed Birth and Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans Vol. III, p. 128). Three of these were filled out for Warwick Twp. residents;the other for a Manheim Twp. resident. This 1803 print preceded Grimler's partnership with brother Henry which opened in 1804. From 1799-1812, when Lancaster was the seat of State government, the two brothers were employed by the Legislature to do the State printing. Benjamin was elected to the Lower House of the Assembly in 1824 and died in 1832.
See Rudisill genealogy in file, given by Lisa Garrett. It states John Michael Rudisill was born 17 Aug 1808 and died 8 Nov 1843. He married Maria Magdalena Kurtz on 17 May 1829, daughter of Conrad Kurtz and his wife Susanna Barbara Erb.
Large 8" x 10" color transparency in object file.
Place of Origin
Manheim Twp.
Role
Artist
Credit
Gift of Daniel S. Kauffman, Heritage Center Collection
