USA > Maryland > First settlements of Germans in Maryland > Part 4
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There can be no doubt whatever, I think, that these venerable relics (the flagon at least ) were used by the Monocacy Reformed Congregation, and perhaps by Mr. Schlatter himself at the ad- ministration of the "Lord's Supper" to the 86 members of the congregation, May 8th, 1747, at Monocacy, and also to the 97 members of the same congregation at Fredericktown, May 14th, 1748.
The suggestion therefore that Mr. Zacharias makes is a good one, viz :- that this venerable flagon shall be used in administer- ing the "Holy Supper" at the Schlatter memorial services to be held during the year 1897, being the Sesqui Centennial of his missionary labors in Maryland and Virginia.
ARTICLES
For the government of the Lutheran Church at Monocacy, written in their Church book by Rev. Mr. Muhlenberg, June 24, 1747.
"WHEREAS, we, the subscribers, enjoy the inestimable liberty of conscience under the powerful protection of our Gracious Sover- eign King George the Second, and his representatives, our gra- cious superiors of this province, and have used this Blessed liberty since our first settling here at Manakasy till this day in worshiping God Almighty according to the Protestant Lutheran persuasion grounded in the Old and New Testaments and in the Invariata Augustana Confessions, certerisque libris symbolicis, we will pray for our most gracious sovereign, and all that are in authority; that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life in Godliness and honesty.
And whereas, we are several times disturbed by pretended min- isters that style themselves Lutherans, but cannot produce any
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lawful certificate or credentials of their vocation or ordination of a lawful consistory or ministry, and cause strife, quarrels and dis- turbance among the congregation, we the subscribers, and the church wardens and members of the protestant Lutheran con - gregation erect and agree and bind ourselves to the following articles, in primis-
I. The Church we have erected and built at Manakasy and used hitherto shall stand and remain and be for the worship of our protestant Lutheran religion according to our confession and oeconomic as long as the blessed acts of tolerance and of our liberty stand for ever. The Reformn congregation shall have liberty for their lawful minister.
2. No minister shall be admitted to preach, or administer the holy ordinances in our church, without a lawful call and certificate of his lawful Lutheran ordination and examination by a Lutheran congregation or ministry, and without consent of the church wardens.
3. Every year shall be chosen four or more blameless members of our congregation for church wardens, and they shall be chosen by per plurima vota.
4. The church wardens shall hold and preserve the key of the church, the vessels and ornaments that belong to the church and congregation, and deliver every piece in time of worship or when necessity requireth it.
5. Two of the church wardens shall keep an exact account of the alms and be ready to lay at the end of the year the reckoning before the rest of the church wardens and the congregation.
6. Whenever a member or church warden should turn to another persuasion or lead a notoriously sinful life against the ten commandments, the constitution and laws of our most graci- ous superiors, he or they shall not be accounted for a member of our congregation, but be excluded. To these before mentioned articles, which only tend to promote peace and quietness we set our hand this 24th day of June, 1747, in the 21st year of the reign of our most gracious sovereign King George the Second, whoin the Lord preserve."
Signed by the six Wardens and twenty-six other members of the congregation residing at Monocacy and Frederick and vicini- ties. (For the signatures attached to this paper, see page 13).
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THE FIRST GERMAN SETTLERS IN THE VICINITY OF FREDERICK CITY.
It has been the general beliet that John Thomas Schley, accompa- nied by 100 Palatinate families, came from Germany in 1735, and settled in the neighborhood of where Frederick City now stands, and that these were the first Germans who settled in that locality. But there is evidence to show that there were a number of Ger- mans located on lands in that vicinity prior to the date assigned for the coming of Thomas Schley. In Rupp's lists of 30,000 German, Swiss and French Immigrants, as well as in the lists published in the Colonial Records of Pennsylvania, are found the names of Joseph Brunner and his three sons, Jacob, John and Henry, Christian Getzendanner, Stephen Ramsburg, Conrad Kemp and his sons, Christian, Gilbert and Frederick, Ludwig and Johannes Bentz, Sebastian Derr, Jacob Stoner, Ulrich Staley, Hans Martin Wetzel, Nicholas Adams, and many others, the paternal ancesters of the families of those bearing their names in Frederick county who arrived at Philadelphia between the years 1727 and 1734, and who, it is reasonable to suppose, found their way into Maryland shortly after their arrival in this country.
From the fact that Schley's name is not found in Rupp's lists or in the Colonial Records of Pennsylvania, it is supposed, that he and those who may have accompanied him, came via Annap- olis or Alexandria, and that they were the first Germans to come to Maryland by way of the Chesapeake Bay. The favorite route of the German immigrants was to the port of Philadelphia, thence to Lancaster county, where large settlements were made at an early period. From here they spread into other sections of Pennsylvania, and into Maryland, Virginia, and as far south as North Carolina and Georgia.
It is possible that there may have been as many as one hundred German families settled between the Monocacy river and the Catoctin mountains in 1735, or shortly thereafter, but that so large a number came at that period at one time, is very doubtful. That number of families would represent at least two hundred, more likely two hundred and fifty or three hundred persons, and if so large a number had arrived at either Annapolis or Alexan- dria at one time, some evidence of the fact other than mere tradition would, I think, have been preserved.
It is true, there are other names found on the early records that do not appear in the Pennsylvania lists. The names also of
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Jonathan Hagar, and others who settled at Conococheague and Hagerstown at that period, are not found in those lists, and it is possible that some of them may have come with Schley, but still there is nothing to warrant the belief that as many as one hun- dred families came at any one time into Maryland.
It would appear from all the available data at hand that the first of these German immigrants to settle in the vicinity of the present Frederick City were the Brunners, Getzendanners and Kemps ; the following facts, therefore, referring to the coming of these first settlers, may prove of interest :
THE BRUNNER FAMILY.
Jacob Brunner, eldest son of Joseph Brunner, of the city of Schiefferstadt, Manheim, Germany, arrived at the Port of Phila- delphia on the ship "Morton." August 24th, 1728. He evidently came to "view the land." It is not known that he found his way into Maryland, at this time, but the report made to his family must have been satisfactory, for among the arrivals at Philadel- phia, September 15th, 1729, on the ship "Alien," we find the names of his father Joseph Brunner, his brothers John and Henry, and his brother-in-law Christian Getzendanner; two sisters, Ann Barbara, wife of Getzendanner, and Catherine (subsequently married to Stephen Ramsberg), and '(perhaps), his minor brother Elias.
The Brunners located on lands lying on Carroll Creek, west of where Frederick now stands. The lands they took up aggre- gating over one thousand acres, and are now comprised in the farms owned by the estate of the late Dr. Lewis H. Steiner, Mrs. Margaret Hood, Hiram Grove, Mrs. Hopwood, Mrs. George Zimmerman, Mrs. Joseph Butler, Jacob M. Huffer, E. L. Cramer, Alms House property and Joseph Cramer. Joseph, the father, settled on a tract containing 303 acres, now the property of the estate of Dr. Steiner, which he named in honor of his native city, "Schiefferstadt." This was deeded to his youngest son Elias, in 1753, from whom it passed to Christopher, son of Casper Myers, and grandson of Joseph Brunner, in 1771, and to Christian Steiner, whose wife was a granddaughter of Christopher Myers, in 1843. Christian Steiner was the father of the late Dr. Lewis H. Steiner, to whose estate it now belongs. The property, therefore, has always been in the possession of Joseph Brunner's decend- ants.
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There is on this property a very old and quaint two-story stone dwelling house. It is not known when it was built, but it has all the appearance of having been built in the "long ago." From the substantial manner in which it is constructed, the walls being three feet in thickness, and the cellar ten or twelve feet deep, with vaulted roof, which can be entered only from the outside of the house, leads one to imagine that it may have been intended as a shelter against attacks of the savages, as well as a shelter from the weather.
During the troublesome times of the French and Indian wars a granddaughter of Joseph Brunner was captured by the Indians and held in captivity by them for several years. She, however, finally made her escape, and was married subsequently. Some of her descendants are now living in Indiana.
The Brunners and their descendants occupied these lands for over a century, but there are now but few of the name residing on the lands taken up by their forefathers. The family took an important part in the building up of the town and county, and were particularly noted for their earnestness and zeal in the affairs of the German Reformed Church.
THE GETZENDANNER FAMILY.
Christian Getzendanner, or as sometimes found in the old records, Kitchadanner, was born in Switzerland, but took up his residence in Schiefferstadt, Germany, where he met and married Ann Barbara Brunner in 1723, and, as stated, came with the Brunner family to America in 1729. He settled about two miles west of the spot where Frederick was afterwards laid out. He purchased from the Indians a tract of 3000 acres, extending from the foot of the mountains, where Fairview now stands, easterly towards the Monocacy river. He relied upon the title ob- tained from the Indians, but ascertaining that one O'Neal had obtained a patent for about 1000 acres on the eastern part of his land, his eyes were opened to the necessity of obtaining a better title to his possessions. He accordingly applied for a pa' which he succeeded in obtaining April 17, 1754, for nine ' and thirty acreas, on a part of which his original se'
been made. The first house built of logs stood .
years ago. The descendants of Getzend ?- families of the Schleys, Kemps, Bucke
named were French Huguenots, who came about 1745 and located on lands in the vicinity of Buckeystown.
One of Getzendanner's grandsons was a captain in the Lafitte fleet, a noted chieftain in the forays on the ocean, but his offence was wiped out by his gallant conduct at the battle of New Orleans. (See Life of Lafitte, the pirate.)
The name of Stephen Ramsberg (Remspurger), appears in the lists of persons who were in Lancaster county prior to 1732, and it is probable that he came into Maryland about that time. He married Catherine, daughter of Joseph Brunner, and settled on a tract known as "Mortality," on the Monocacy, north of Fred- erick. He also purchased a tract called "Dearbought," now the property of the Derrs. He subsequently purchased lands adjoin- ing the Brunners on the east, where some of his descendants still reside. He was born on October 11th, 1711, and died March 7,1789. .
THE KEMP FAMILY.
John Conrad Kemp (Kaempf) and his three sons, Christian, Gilbert and Frederick, the latter under sixteen years of age, ar- rived at the Port of Philadelphia on the ship "Samuel," August 17th, 1733, and it is supposed came into Maryland via Lancaster county, soon thereafter. Conrad Kemp, the father, settled in the neighborhood of the present town of New Market, where he sub- sequently laid out the village Kemptown, in that vicinity.
Christian settled south of Frederick on "Ballenger's Creek," on the present Point of Rocks road, on lands in part now owned by the heirs of Christian Thomas. Gilbert and Frederick Kemp settled northwest of the Brunner tracts, on lands now owned by Columbus Kemp, Samuel Miller and Mrs. F. T. Lakin.
Ludwig Kemp, son of Christian, was a captain in the brigade commanded by John Michael Raemer, in the Revolution, and served throughout the war.
Henry, son of Ludwig, served several terms in the Legislature, also as Judge of the Orphans Court of Frederick county.
Peter, son of Gilbert Kemp, was a minister in the United Brethren (Otterbein's) Church.
Numerous descendants of Conrad Kemp and his three sons are living in Frederick county. and in various norte of the Sand
John Michael Raemer came from Germany in the year 1738. He married a daughter of Conrad Kemp. As stated, he commanded a brigade in the Revolutionary War. He was prominent and active in the affairs of the young settlement, and in the building up of the Lutheran congregation. He was the contractor for the erection of the stone church commenced by that congregation in 1752.
THE ALBAUGH FAMILY.
The progenitor of the Albaughs ( Ahlbach) was John Wilhelm, who came to this country with his sons Zacharias, John Wilhelm, John Peter and John Gerhardt, the three last mentioned being minors. The family first settled in New Jersey, but removed to Frederick county prior to 1750, and took up large tracts of land near what is now the town of Liberty. He also owned land on the east of Frederick, subsequently owned by the late Captain Edward Schley, now by George Cline, as well as some town lots.
His son, John William Albaugh, was a prominent citizen, being one of the Committee of Safety for Frederick county during the Revolution. His family, as well as the German settlers of Fred- erick county generally, were warm friends of the patriot cause, and rendered valuable services in the defense of the liberties of their adopted country.
His son Abraham, it is said, was the first person of German descent to hold office in Frederick county, that of magistrate and United States Marshal.
Among other known early settlers are the following:
Nicholas Adams, the ancestor of the family of this namne in Frederick county, came to America prior to 1727, and sometime thereafter took up lands on Israel's Creek, now owned by E. Lewis Cramer.
Sebastian Derr (Durr) arrived at Philadelphia, September 11th, 1728. From here he went by water to Alexandria, where he purchased lands in that vicinity, which he gave to his son Thomas. Some time prior to 1753 he removed into Maryland and purchased the tract of land "Dearbought," from Stephen Ramsberg, which is still in the possession of his descendants.
Jacob Stoner (or Ste.ner) came from Germany in 1731. He was born in 1713, and died in 1748. His tombstone is one of the few preserved in the old graveyard in the rear of the old log
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church of the Reformers. He was the paternal ancestor of the late Dr. Lewis H. Steiner and Bernard C. Steiner, Librarian of the Enoch Pratt Library.
Hans Frederick Geyer, born in 1696, died at Frederick in 1775. His grandson, Henry S. Geyer, removed in early life to Missouri, where he became a prominent lawyer, and in 1851 was elected United States Senator to succeed Senator Thomas Ben- ton, serving until 1857, and died 1859.
I was not able to find any warrants issued for land to any of the persons named earlier than the year 1742. It is evident, therefore, I think, that these first settlers were squatters. Or, as in the case of Christian Getzendanner, they may have purchased their lands from the Indians. They probably did not know that any one had other or better title to the lands than the Indians. When they discovered that the authorities at Annapolis had a say in the matter they applied to them for war- rants, but, as stated, this was not done until 1742, and in many cases not until a much later date.
The following is a list of some of the earlier warrants issued for lands in the vicinity of Frederick:
Christian Kemp took out patents as follows:
February 10th, 1743, for 230 acres, called "Despatch."
February 20th, 1743, for 100 acres, called "Kemp's Delight." February 20th, 1743, for 150 acres, called "Good Luck."
March, 1746, for a resurvey of "Kemp's Delight."
June 20, 1753, for a resurvey of "Good Luck," 539 acres.
August 4th, 1752, for Kemp's Long Meadow, 600 acres.
October 31st, 1754, for 25 acres, called "Meadow Recovered." June 20th, 1753, 82 acres, called "Great Desire." Conrad Kemp took out patents as follows:
March 12th, 1745, for 30 acres, called "Wilber Sign."
March, 1746, for 50 acres, called "Peace and Quietness."
September 19th, 1750, 100 acres called "Kemp's Delight."
July 30th, 1750, 10 acres, called "Kemp's Lot." This appears to have been for a tract of land lying between his land and Frederick Kemp's, for which the yearly payment was five pence sterling in silver or gold.
Gilbert Kemp took out patents as follows:
July 30, 1750, 50 acres, called "Kemp's Discovery."
November 10, 1752, 150 acres, called "Home House."
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Frederick Kemp took out a patent, August 14, 1754, for 55 acres, called "Kemp's Bottom."
George Shley (Schley), took out a patent, June 21, 1755, for 104 acres, called "Shley's Discovery."
William Albaugh took out patents as follows:
May 25, 1750, 50 acres, called "Albaugh's Choice."
June 29, 1754, resurvey "Albaugh's Choice," 530 acres.
Zacharias Albaugh took out patents as follows:
August 10, 1753, 125 acres, called "Albaugh's Choice."
October 1, 1753, 200 acres, called "Married Man's Delight."
Christian Getzendanner took out patents as follows :
November 11th, 1742, for 100 hundred acres called "Christian's Choice."
October 30, 1752, for 200 acres called "Frankford."
April 17, 1754, for a resurvey of "Christian's Choice," for 930 acres, adjoining Frankford.
1 quote in full the earliest patent I could find for any of the above tracts. It will be noticed that it was issued through Daniel Dulaney, who had acquired rights in the land but had not received a patent therefor.
FORM OF PATENT.
Christian Getsitoner [Getzendanner], his Patent, Charles, &c. "Christian's Choice" 100 Acres. Know ye, that whereas Daniel Dulaney of the City of Annapolis in our said Province of Maryland had surveyed and laid out for him a tract or parsel of land called "Christian's Choice," lying in Prince George's County, containing one hundred acres, by virtue of so much part of a warrant for four hundred and twelve acres granted him the 26th day of September, Anno Domini Seventeen Hund- red and Forty, as appears in our land Office, and upon such con- ditions and terms as are expressed in our conditions of planta- tion of our said Province bearing date the 5th day of April, Six- teen Hundred and Eighty-four, and remaining upon record in our said Province, together with such alterations as in them are made by our further conditions bearing date the fourth day of December, Sixteen Hundred and Ninety six, together also with the alterations made by our instructions bearing date at London, the twelfth day of September, and registered in our Secretary's Office of our said Province; but before our grant thereon to him
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did issue he did, on the eighteenth day of August, Seventeen Hundred and Forty-one, assign, sell, transfer and make over all his right, title and interest of and in and to the said land, and the Certificate of Survey thereof unto a certain Christian Getsi- toner who hath supplanted us that our grant may now now issue in is name for the same which we have thought fit to condescend unto.
We do therefore grant unto him, the said Christian Getsitoner, all that tract or parcel of land lying in Prince George's County called " Christian's Choice," and
Beginning at a bounded black oak, standing near the fork of Carrol's creek, and running thence south, eighty-one degrees west, sixty perches; then north, sixty six degrees west, thirty one perches; then south, seventy-nine degrees west, fifty perches; then north, sixty nine degrees west, sixty perches; then north, thirty degrees cast, one hundred and thirty perches; then south, seventy degrees east, one hundred perches; then by a straight line to the beginning tree.
Containing and now laid out for one hundred acres of land, more or less, according to the Certificate of Survey thereof taken and returned unto our Land Office, bear ing date the twenty-seventh day of November, Seventeen Hundred and Forty, and there re- maining together with all rights, profits, benefits and privileges thereunto belonging, royal mines excepted.
To have and to hold the same unto him, the said Christian Getsitoner, his heirs and assigns forever to be holden of us and our heirs as of our manor of Calverton in fee and common soceage by fealty only for all manner of services yielding and paying therefore yearly unto us and our heirs at our receipt at our city of St. Mary's, at the two most usual feasts in the year, vizt: the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Michael the Arch Angel, by even and equal portions, the rent of four shillings sterling in silver or gold, and for a fine upon every alienation of the said land or any part or parcel thereof one whole year's rent in silver or gold, or the full value thereof in such commodities as we and our heirs or such officer or officers as shall be appointed by us and our heirs from time to time to collect and receive the same, shall accept in discharge thereof, at the choice of us and our heirs, or such officer or officers aforesaid. Provided, that if the said sum for a fine for
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alienations shall not be paid unto us and our heirs or such officer or officers aforesaid before such alienation, and the said aliena- tion entered upon record either in the Provincial Court or County Court, where the same parcel of land lieth within one month next after such alienation, then the suid alienation to be void and of no effect.
Given under our Great Seal of our said Province of Maryland this eleventh day of November, Anno Domini Seventeen Hund- red and forty two.
Witness our trusty and well beloved Thomas Bladen, Esqr., Lieutenant General and Chief Governor of our said Province of Maryland, Chancellor and Keeper of the Great Seal thereof.
THE GREAT
T. Seal. BLADEN, Chan.
LAND OFFICE OF MARYLAND, SCT:
I hereby certify, that the aforegoing is a true copy of the patent for "Christians Choice," 100 acres, patented to Christian Getsi- toner, the 11th November, 1742, as recorded in Liber L. G. No. B. Folio 533, &c., one of the record books of this office.
Seul.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand affixed the Seal of the Land Office of Maryland, eleventh day of March, eighteen hundred and ninety-six.
PHILIP D. LAIRD, Commissioner of Land Office.
It will be noticed, that the terms upon which these patents were issued, were the same as those offered by Charles, Lord Baltimore, in 1732: an annual rental of four shillings per 100 acres, being about one cent per acre. It will be noticed also, that if there were found on the lands any mines (ore) they were always to be excepted. The "alienation fine" was the fee to be paid for the sale or transfer of the tract or any part thereof. This rental was paid to the agents of the Propriatories until the Revolutionary War, when it ceased, and as I understand the matter, a fee simple title was acquired by merely having the land resurveyed, and a record made of the same.
Many of the finest farm lands of Frederick county were obtain- ed by the original settlers upon these favorable ternis.
But the most of the early settlers in the vicinity of Frederick
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located on a large tract of land, known in old records as "Tas- ker's Chance," regarding which I have gathered the following facts from the records :
TASKER'S CHANCE.
April 15, 1725, there was surveyed for Benjamin Tasker, l'resi- dent of the Council of Maryland, a tract of 7000 acres of land, for which he received a patent bearing date of June 7th, 1727.
The beginning of this tract was at "a bounded beach tree with nine notches, standing about two perches from the banks of the Monocacy River or Creek, and about six perches from the mouth of Beaver Creek," and running in a westerlv direction for about three and one- half miles to the "Red Hills," the old McPherson farm, where the Dulaneys built a mansion for their own use. This farm is now owned by Minister Eustice of Louisiana, Minister of France.
The line then ran in a northerly direction for about three and a quarter miles. Then in an easterly direction to the Monocacy, Then following the west bank of said river to the begining.
"Beaver Creek" is now known as Carroll's Creek, and the bounded beech tree has been superceded by a large square stone planted near where Carroll Creek empties into the Monocacy.
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