USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > Bethlehem > A history of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1741-1892, with some account of its founders and their early activity in America > Part 19
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The ad interim arrangements for the conduct of affairs at Bethle- hem lasted longer than had been expected, for Spangenberg's return to America was delayed, and he did not come until the end of Octo- ber 1744. During this interval fewer stirring scenes were enacted than while Zinzendorf was in Pennsylvania. There was less planning
6 Besides those just mentioned, this company to Europe consisted of the following per- sons : The Countess Benigna; Anna Nitschmann; Rosina Nitschmann, wife of Bishop David Nitschmann; Magdalene Wend, who in Germany was married to Jonas Paulus Weiss; Anna Margaret Antes, daughter of Henry Antes, who in England became the wife of the Rev. Benjamin La Trobe; Joseph Mueller from the Great Swamp, who in Germany studied medi- cine somewhat and after his return filled a useful position in this service, particularly at Nazareth; Veronica Frey, daughter of William Frey of Frederick Township, who in Europe was married to Mueller; George Neisser, appointed to help form and prepare the next colony for Pennsylvania; John Jacob Mueller, the Count's secretary; David Wahnert and wife-he having been cook of the Sea Congregation, and serving numerous later colonies in this capa- city; Gottlieb Haberecht, George Wiesner, a member of the Sea Congregation returning to Europe; Andrew Frey, later an enemy and traducer of the Brethren; Andrew the Negro and his wife Maria, and three who were not members, viz .: James Benezet. a son of Stephen Benezet of Philadelphia; Jesse Leslie of Ephrata and William Hall of Brunswick, N. J. There were two others whose names are not given.
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and organizing and both material and spiritual activities proceeded with less turmoil and sensation. But some things of importance were achieved at Bethlehem and on the Nazareth land in externals. The most notable of these, during the first six months of 1743, was the building of a grist mill at the foot of the declivity above which the original house of the settlement stood. On January 25, the site was selected and Henry Antes, whose principal business was that of a millwright, offered to superintend its construction. He was assisted by the miller John Adam Schaus, already mentioned, who was now keeping the primitive tavern on the south side of the river, and by Gotthard Demuth, who came from Germantown for the purpose, together with a force of workmen from Bethlehem. The first grist was ground on June 28, and devout thanksgiving was rendered for this valuable acquisition. It was soon recognized as a boon also by the settlers to the north and west of Bethlehem and in the Upper Saucon Valley, for before this the only place within reasonable dis- · tance at which they could have grain ground seems to have been the mill of Nathaniel Irish on the Saucon Creek and that on Cedar Creek which Schaus had lately been operating. Thus began the his- tory of Bethlehem's famous mill-seat near the spring, where now in the third mill on the spot-the second was built in 1751-while all the other early industries which there arose about it have long ago passed away, the golden grain is yet ground for bread by machinery and processes of which those first builders and grinders did not dream. The miller Schaus was installed to run the stones for a while and instruct an assistant. He was also associated with another con- spicuous improvement at the place made early in 1743. Ford and canoes were no longer adequate means of crossing the river, especi- ally now that a mill was to be built, and on the same day on which the site of the mill was fixed, a place for a ferry was selected at the river. A "flat" to be-propelled by poling was built and, on March II, was dragged into the river by eight horses and launched. Schaus was the first of the line of regularly appointed ferrymen who did Charon-service with this rude craft and its successor, after it was car- ried away by a flood in 1746, followed in 1758, by the rope ferry, until 1794, when the first bridge across the Lehigh at Bethlehem was finished and opened for travel.
In August letters from Europe informed the executives at Bethle- hem that the large second colony that was awaited would probably arrive several months later. This occasioned new activity in prepa-
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ration for further building enterprises. The time had now come to turn attention to the Barony of Nazareth, where a considerable num- ber of these colonists were to locate. Neither hammer nor trowel had been lifted upon the foundations of the large stone house, laid there three years before, since the suspension of the work in that dreary November of 1740. This matter was the subject of a confer- ence on August 27. Four stone masons arrived from Germantown on September 28, and went to Nazareth, with Jacob Vetter, who in May had removed to Bethlehem from Oley, to start and direct the work. The Elder, Anton Seiffert, who had formerly been a carpen- ter, assumed the oversight of the woodwork. October 14, the car- penters of Bethlehem went in a body to Nazareth to raise the frame- work of the roof and begin to shingle it. But with all the energy now centered upon the completion of the Whitefield House, fears were expressed that it would not be ready to be occupied before the colony arrived.
In addition to getting that building finished, other plans that had been mapped out were now coming to light in steps that were taken. Henry Antes suggested to Zinzendorf the idea of opening six separate plantations on the Nazareth land, each with its own complete group of buildings and its own personnel of six families conducting a joint house-keeping and working the fields, stockyards, dairy and orchard in the interest of the whole. Thus this fine domain would be developed and become the most important source of support for the establishment at Bethlehem, and for the extensive missionary work. This general idea found acceptance, and the selection of the people to make up the colony of 1743 was based on this plan. Those for Nazareth were to be mainly people adapted for agricultural pursuits. Those for Bethlehem, which, so far as externals were concerned, was to be the center of manufacturing industry and the place of trade, were to be for the most part men skilled in various handicrafts and qualified to engage in business. Some were to be competent as accountants, secretaries and scriv- eners, a few men of classical education were to accompany them, and of the whole number, as many as possible were at the same time to be persons available for religious work when required. On October 8, Bishop Nitschmann, Boehler and Seiffert made a tour of inspec- tion over the Nazareth land, to select such places for opening farms, and a site for the further central buildings of the Barony. It is recorded that they found six suitable spots with copious springs-the
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statement being added that springs which did not flow all the year were dry at that time and those then found running could be relied upon. The location of what after the lapse of years came to be called "Old Nazareth," as well as of the other points afterwards opened on the Nazareth land may be traced to the reconnoissance of that day.
During those months of 1743, while further minor improvements were being added in the village of Bethlehem itself, the cleared and cultivated area on the original Allen tract was being extended, and a first orchard was planted with young apple trees brought from Oley on March 27, further activities were prosecuted on the south side of the Lehigh. It early became clear to the men of Bethlehem that the land lying along the south bank of the river and rising to the south-west, where they traveled the path to Maguntsche, was too near and prospectively too valuable to not be added to their posses- sions, if this could be done. Negotiations were opened with Wil- liam Allen in February, 1743, which resulted in the first purchase across the river, that of the so-called Simpson tract of 274 acres. When the preliminary agreement was settled, Mr. Allen insisted on the removal of the Swiss squatter Ruetschi, the first resident of Fountain Hill, already referred to. The matter was broached to him and he became much incensed and called the Brethren hard names. He also appealed to Justice Irish to sustain his right of preëmption and option on the land; but Henry Antes, being in Bethlehem just then, took part in the complications, with the result that a writ of ejectment from Mr. Irish was served upon the squatter. Dr. Adolph Meyer was sent over to face his wrath and to tell him that the Brethren were compelled, in accordance with Mr. Allen's stipu lations, to let the law take its course ; but that they would give him ample time in which to move and would make him a present of the crop from two bushels of oats that they had sown on the land.
Thereupon he was mollified and agreed to depart in peace. After that the name of Ruetschi appears no more in the local chronicles. In June following, another man comes into view on the south side who was associated with its primitive population and with various trans- actions, until in June, 1745, he yielded to the demand of the authorities at Bethlehem and vacated the house they permitted him to build in June, 1743, on their land on the south side, "near the tavern"- Schaus's. This was Anton Albrecht who removed to Bethlehem with his family from "near Philadelphia" at that time and was admitted to church membership, but became for some reason persona non grata
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A HISTORY OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.
at Bethlehem. In October, 1747, he arose to importance in the neighborhood as the first constable of Bethlehem Township. Three useful men whose names became conspicuous, in addition to Vetter, came to Bethlehem at this time and were admitted to regular church membership. They were Frederick Hartman from Philadelphia, Franz Blum from the Saucon Valley, both of whom were directly employed at Nazareth, and the potter Ludwig Huebner, already mentioned. Notwithstanding the hard toil and the extremely plain living in the matter of food and clothing, the course of things at Bethlehem during that time is referred to in records as a peculiarly peaceful and pleasant one.
One mournful figure, however, haunted the place. They had a poor, mentally deranged man on their hands whose pres- ence disturbed the peace at times, tried the nerves of the weak and awakened dread among the superstitious. It was the eccentric Englishman Hardie, referred to in a previous chapter. There was no institution to which they might take him, and they lacked proper facilities for his care. In February, 1743, they tried the plan of placing him in one of the Indian cabins at Nazareth under a special guard, but he escaped and wandered down to Justice Irish who sent him back to Bethlehem with a curt request in writing-the paper yet exists-that the Brethren take better care of him. One plan after another was tried, and many references to the trouble experi- enced with him during fits of madness occur until after 1745, when he left Bethlehem. He later appeared in the Ephrata community as "Brother Theodorus." He once more visited Bethlehem in August, 1754, attired in his brotherhood garb. His strange career is described in the Chronicle of that place. Like dissolving views, the fading vision of Thomas Hardie melts into that which then appears of the demented brother, Conrad Harding. He was, like the Englishman Hardie, a man of some refinement by birth and associations and withal of edu- cation and piety. He came with the colony of 1743, became mentally deranged, and when attempting to ford the Lehigh to go to a Synod at Philadelphia-having escaped from those who tried to restrain him-was drowned, March 29, 1746. The perplexing confusion in the references to these two unfortunate men is increased by the fact that both names are mis-spelled in some of the German diaries, and made more similar; and the fact that one with the name Theodorus -the cloister name given Hardie at Ephrata-came to Bethlehem from Europe in 1750, and died very soon after. Doubtless some
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would think it quite a proper feature that Bethlehem, at that early day, should have its mystery among the characters associated with it.
The connection of Bethlehem with the Indians during the year 1743 presents nothing that calls for mention in these pages except that the project to have some one go into the Indian country to learn the language of the people, for which, at first, Henry Almers was had in view, was carried out in the case of Pyrlaeus, after he closed his labors as preacher for those Lutherans of Philadelphia whom Zinzendorf had organized. He went to Tulpehocken in Jan- uary, 1743, and, while conducting the school there with his wife, studied the Mohawk language under the guidance of Con- rad Weiser, who was thoroughly conversant with it. They had their home at Weiser's house. They returned to Beth- lehem early in May, and after Rauch had gotten back in June from a protracted sojourn in the Mohawk country, they went there, took up their abode at Canajoharie, the middle of July, and remained there, enduring much hardship and privation until in September. On February 4, 1744, he opened a school at Bethlehem for candidates who proposed to enter the mission service, and under- took to teach them the language, the attempt to procure an Indian from Freehold for this purpose having failed. As to the ordinary school work, it is to be noted that on July 18, 1743, John Christopher Francke7 took ten boys to Nazareth and there, in the log house built by the pioneers in 1740, organized a little home school. It was the forerunner of the school in Nazareth Hall, and was the first school on the Barony of Nazareth ..
7 Francke, who subsequently figured mainly in connection with school work and was or- dained in 1749, had, with his wife Christina, arrived at Bethlehem from Europe in September, 1742, with a little company that was to have come with the Sea Congregation but for some cause were left to follow later. The others were Daniel and Rosina Neubert with an adopted child, Jacob and Anna Margaret Kohn, Martin and Anna Liebisch, Anna Maria Liebisch, Anna Maria Brandner and Michael Schnall. The invalid wife of Dr. Adolph Meyer, Maria Dorothea Meyer, sailed with them, but died on the voyage and was buried at sea, off the banks of New Foundland. Several of this company, particularly Neubert and Schnall who both became very useful men in Pennsylvania, had been actively connected with the attempt at Pilgerruh in Holstein and Heerendyk in Holland. Schnall was the father of the missionary John Schnall. They both ended their days at Bethlehem. Anna Liebisch was married at Bethlehem to Anton Seiffert and died in June, 1744. Kohn and his wife also engaged in spiritual service for a season but returned to Europe in 1745. The others were likewise conspicuously active people in various capacities.
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The institution for girls at Bethlehem was reorganized on October 19 following, when a room was provided for its use in the new eastern part of the Community House then completed.
At the very time when work was resumed on the large stone house at Nazareth, with a view to its use by the new colony that was expected, the main body of that colony sailed from Rotterdam to begin the voyage across the Atlantic. Those who were to constitute the Nazareth contingent were recruited with a few exceptions, at Herrnhaag and Marienborn-thirty-three young couples, of whom thirty couples were just married, twenty-four together at the latter place on May 27. For some years they commemorated this event by a lovefeast at Nazareth. It was spoken of as "the great wedding."
They proceeded in six divisions to Holland and at Rotter- dam, on September 12, they met the party from Herrnhut, ten married couples, one of them having an infant son-the only child in the colony-four single men and one single woman. The men of this party were mainly artisans, while a few of them were men of good education. A few also were native Bohemians and Moravians. Some of these colonists became regularly ordained ministers. At Rotterdam they found Captain Garrison waiting with the vessel he had purchased in England and, with the valuable aid of James Hutton of London, had fitted out to transport them. It was called the Little Strength. It was sometimes spoken of as the Irene, the name which at one time it was proposed to give it, as it seems, and which was bestowed upon the third transport owned by the Church. Its ensign is described as "a lamb passant with a flag on a blood covered field"-the device that has always figured with variations of detail, on the episcopal seal of the Church, and as its general official emblem. They lifted anchor at Rotterdam, September 16, got fairly on the way next day, and after a very trying and tedious sail, reached Cowes, September 25. There they found the English colonists awaiting their coming. There were six married couples, with the widowed mother of one of the men, from England. These were also people of various pursuits, but all of them persons who could be utilized in positions requiring natural capability and some education. One was an apothecary, another was later general steward of the establishment at Bethlehem, several were employed for some years in school work. Two were eventually ordained to the ministry.
Captain Garrison, who had now identified himself fully with the Brethren, took command, not only as master of the vessel, but as
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Elder of the colony during the voyage. With him was associated, as sailing-master, Captain Thomas Gladman, who had safely brought over the Catherine with the first colony; he being at this time also in regular connection with the Brethren in England. With Gladman, as mate, was John Christian Ehrhardt, who had been attracted to the Brethren in 1742, when mate on a vessel which took the West India missionary Frederick Martin from Holland to the West Indies ; who later served under Captain Garrison on the Irene, and was with the company that made the ill-fated first attempt to found a mission in Labrador in 1752. John Cook, a native of Leg- horn, Italy, and now a member of the Church in England-not only a sailor but a man of quaint poetic and artistic talent-served as sec- ond mate. Eight other sailors, one of whom was Nicholas Garrison, Jr., son of the captain, together with three boys, made up the rest of the crew. All but one of the sailors and two of the boys seem to have been counted as belonging to the Association of the Brethren. Organized for the voyage in much the same manner as the first col- ony, they have been called "the Second Sea Congregation."8 They
8 Space cannot be taken to insert even very brief personal notes of the members of this colony, as in the case of the first, for the number is too large. Such notes of some of them, who later figured in special ways, will be found in other connections elsewhere in this volume. Brandmiller and Wahnert had come with the first colony and returned. The several lists extant in print are not complete nor accurate. The complete roll is as follows :
I. FROM HERRNHAAG AND MARIENBORN.
Anders, Gottlieb and Johanna Christina. Biefel, John Henry and Rosina.
Michler, John Wolfgang and Rosina.
Michler, John and Barbara.
Boehmer, Martin and Margaret.
Moeller, John Henry and Rosina.
Boehringer, John David and Gertrude. Brandmiller, John and Anna Mary.
Mozer, John and Mary Philippina.
Muecke, John Michael and Catherine.
Christ, George and Anna Mary. Fischer, Thomas and Agnes.
Nilsen, Jonas and Margaret. Ohneberg, George and Susan.
Fritsche, John Christian and Anna Margaret. Opitz, Leopold and Elizabeth.
Goetge, Peter and Anna Barbara. Grabs, John Godfrey and Anna Mary.
Otto, John Frederick and Mary.
Partsch, John George and Susanna Louisa.
Hancke, Matthew and Elizabeth.
Reichard, David and Elizabeth.
Reuz, Matthew and Magdalene.
Schaaf, John and Anna Catherine. Schaub, John and Divert Mary.
Schober, Andrew and Hedwig Regina.
Schropp, Matthew and Anna Margaret.
Wagner, Anton and Elizabeth.
Wahnert, David and Mary Elizabeth.
Weinert, John Christopher and Dorothea.
Weiss, Matthias and Margaret Catharine.
Hessler, Abraham and Anna Mary. Hirte, John Tobias and Mary. Hoepfner, John Christopher and Mary Magdalene.
Jorde, John and Anna Margaret. Krause, Matthew and Christina.
Kremser, Andrew and Rosina.
Kremser, George and Anna Maria.
Kunckler, Daniel and Anna Mary.
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sailed from Cowes, September 17, and anchored off Staten Island "in front of Captain Garrison's house," November 26.
The next morning Henry Almers, who was then engaged in evan- gelistic work on Staten Island, went aboard with his wife to greet them, and then took the mass of letters that had been entrusted to Captain Garrison by Spangenberg and George Neisser, when the ship left Plymouth, and hastened off to Bethlehem to announce the arrival of the colony. Hector Gambold was awaiting them in New York with various instructions to be communicated. Thomas Noble, of New York, also went aboard to welcome them and at his house a consultation was held, after the vessel reached her dock on the 27th, in reference to the conveyance of the great quantity of luggage to Bethlehem. Dr. Meyer was at once dispatched to New York, after it was known that they had arrived, to assist in conducting them to Bethlehem and to render any professional service that might be needed. Captain Garrison as Elder of the colony was responsible for getting them properly started on the journey to Bethlehem, and accompanied one detachment all the way. They were divided into bands, each with a leader, as the best method of traveling. The journey" from New Brunswick to Bethlehem was made afoot. This was a serious undertaking for people just landed after a long sea voyage, many of them, particularly of the women, being rather feeble, even though
2. FROM HERRNHUT.
Broksch, Andrew and Anna Elizabeth. Demuth, Christopher and Anna Mary.
Hantsch, John George, Sr., and Regina. Hencke, Christopher and Elizabeth.
Zeisberger, George and Anna Dorothea. (SINGLE.)
Doehling, John Jacob.
Hantsch, John George, Jr.
Hertzer, John Henry and Barbara Elizabeth. Harding, Conrad.
Muenster, John and Rosina.
Oerter, Christian Frederick.
Nieke, George and Johanna Elizabeth.
Nixdorf, John George and Susanna.
Schuetze, Christian and Anna Dorothea.
Nixdorf, John Gottlob.
3. FROM ENGLAND.
Banister, Elizabeth (widow), mother of Payne. Ostrum, Andrew and Jane. Digeon, David and Mary.
Greening, James and Elizabeth.
Payne, Jasper and Elizabeth. Utley, Richard and Sarah.
Leighton, John and Sarah.
4. OFFICERS AND CREW.
Nicholas Garrison. Ole Bugge.
Notley Togood. John Nelson (boy).
Thomas Gladman. Jarvis Roebuck.
Owen Daly. John Leathes (boy).
John Christian Ehrhardt. Benjamin Davis.
Nicholas Garrison, Jr. John Newton (boy).
John Cook. James Moore.
Samuel Wennel.
Hantsch, Anna Regina (d. of J. G., Sr.). (INFANT.)
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there had been no serious sickness on board. The first one to reach Bethlehem was Hantsch, Jr., December 5. After his party had trav- eled a day and a half he was not able to proceed farther, and procured a horse and rode on ahead of the rest. December 6, two more single men arrived by way of Nazareth during the evening service. Then later on the same evening came Wahnert and his wife, with about thirty. They were followed by Captain Garrison, who stated that he had left his company in the care of Captain Gladman, about six miles from Bethlehem, because they were too much fatigued to travel far- ther. He also announced that another band conducted by Dr. Meyer might be expected that night yet. They came very late, almost exhausted. Boehler, then in charge at Bethlehem, records that they sat up and waited until this last detachment arrived and then had a lovefeast in the chapel. He also says: "The chapel was quite filled, and all rejoiced like children at this new influx to our little manger.9 The Bethlehem brethren served the newcomers and bathed their galled and weary pilgrim feet,10 for they had bad weather, roads and lodging, and often scarcity of food on their journey."
9 "Kripplein"-an allusion to the associations of the name Bethlehemn, like Zinzendorf, in certain verses sent to Bethlehem by him the previous summer as a greeting from the home of the miller Schaus in Maguntsche, beginning : "Christi Krippschaft, Suender Sippschaft -- Wie's Lutherus ausgedrueckt."
Io Such a service to a footsore traveler, spontaneously rendered by a warm-hearted brother some years before, and then followed by others with increasing frequency, gradually led to the thought of making it a token, in imitation of Christ taking the servant's place in this well-known act of oriental hospitality; after the manner of certain medieval reli- gious orders, and of certain German sects which have continued the practice to modern times. The over-wrought cultus developed at the middle of the 18th century then made it general as a church-ceremony in connection with certain occasions, especially Maundy- Thursday (John 13). Although conducted with all possible decorum-the several divisions (choirs) of a congregation by themselves, the sexes of course apart, at different hours, and never in a general public service with a mixed assembly present-the practice began to wane before 1800. In America, when last in vogue, the act, confined to the several exclusive church settlements, was restricted to Maundy-Thursday for many years and, even then, had become such a distasteful requirement that it was frequently omitted, because no edification attended it. The General Synod of 1818 released the congregations from obligation to observe it, and it has been obsolete since then. Comparatively few members of the Moravian Church in America even know that such a custom ever existed in it. This note is deemed desirable because not only antiquated works of reference on such matters giving misleading information, but even a dictionary of knowledge on churches and church customs published as recently as 1890, claiming special accuracy and "up-to-date" information, tells the public that this is one of the practices of the Moravian Church.
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