USA > Pennsylvania > Historic background and annals of the Swiss and German pioneer settlers of southeastern Pennsylvania, and of their remote ancestors, from the middle of the Dark Ages, down to the time of the Revolutionary War > Part 19
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people to come here; and also that they are now conducting the affairs of Germantown without any help from the rest of the County. The Charter of Germantown was then sent for and it was soon seen that the Germantown people had full power of holding their own Courts and trying all their cases but had no right to have anyone represent them in the Assembly. And they objected to tax- ation without representation. The Council however said that they had the right to choose members as well as the rest of the county and they ought to bear their part of the taxes; and that they enjoy the roads and bridges built around them, and must help to support them. They answered that they had their own roads and bridges to build and the rest of the county was enjoying their roads. The question was not solved at this time but was to be taken up at another time. However, no further action seems to be shown. (Vol. 2 Col. Rec., p. 13.)
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1701-Hans Binggeli (Binkley) a Teacher.
This year a man by the name of Binggeli or Binkley appeared in Schwarzenberg. Müller in an item (p. 207) says that he took the children from Schwarzenberg and from Phol- eren and Blumenstein to the Palati- nate for instructions in the Mennonite doctrine. He left them there for a term and then brought them back again to their homes. He seems to have been conducting a school to ad- vance Mennonite principles, similar to the modern Mennonite Sunday School.
1701-Some Germans May Have Locat- ed Near Susquehanna Temporarily At This Time.
In the Treaty made the 23rd of April, 1701, with the Susquehanna and Con- estoga Indians there are references to the conduct that the Indians should
132
MENNONITES PRINT THE NEW TESTAMENT
observe towards the Christians inhab- ' matters or Baptist affairs. It was iting near or among those Indians. found that Peter Geishbühler was the binder and had six of these books. Finally in 1705 Basle was given orders to suppress the work (Müller, p. 353). But it is not likely that there were any Germans lving here then but that the provision was to be made for the Ger- mans that were about to come. (Vol. 2 of Col. Rec., p. 15.)
1702-Hans Burkholder, Mennonite Teacher.
In Geraldsheim in 1702 there was a Hans Burkholder, a teacher among the Mennonites. He taught several years, and about 1710 we find him begging the Holland authorities for 500 gulders for the family of Christian Wenger, impoverished through cattle diseases. He also states that the Men- nonite congregation at Geraldsheim had been subject to an extra contribu- tion of the 1000 gulder for the corona- tion of the new elector and that taxes ranging from six to ten gulden a head were levied upon the Mennonite breth- ren (Müller, p. 208). It will be ob- served here that the familiar names of Burkholder and Wenger are mention- ed, giving us some knowledge of the locality from which they came.
1702-Skippack Settlement Begins.
Quoting from Pennypacker's Settle- ment of Germantown, we observe that he states (page 140) the Skippack Mennonite settlement began in 1702, in the present Perkiomen Township in Montgomery County. Some of the Skippack pioneers were William and Cornelius Dewees, Hermanus Keister, Christian Zimmerman, and others.
1702-New Testament Printed by Men- nonites in Basle.
This year a New Testament was printed by Yohon Jacob Gevoth in Basle in octavo form and it was con- sidered dangerous by the State Church. These New Testaments were discovered at a book-binder's shop in Bergdorf. They were ordered to be seized and sent to the Court of Switz- erland having charge of Mennonite
1702-A Mennonite Hunt Throughout the Emmenthal.
The edicts against Mennonites in the Emmenthal did not have the desired result. The people sympathized with them and gave them warning by vari- ous signals when any officers were about. Ully Dummersmuth for a long time harbored baptists and gave them room in his building for their meet- ings, though he was not a Mennonite himself. He lived in Rotachen. Anna Wenger, and the two brothers, Chris- tian and Hans Dummersmuth were caught and imprisoned twenty-four hours for being obstreperous against the officers. Ully had to pay 159 pounds and the costs of the chase and capture and work in the work house. He gave battle to the chasers. One of the men who was employed and hired to hunt down and chase these Men- nonite brethren and harass them was Christian Rupp. He later came under suspicion of blackmail by the Swiss Government, extorting large sums of money from these Mennonites and then letting them go. There was some testimony that he pointed a gun at the brethren or at the breast of some of them and threatened their lives if they did not pay (Müller, p. 341).
1702-The First German Tract of Land Located.
It seems that about this time some of the German Mennonites contracted for land about Conestoga or some- where in the Conestoga or Pequea val- leys because it is stated in Vol. 1 of the Penn and Logan Correspondence, pp. 148 and 149, that there is a fear that the Indians would disturb the re- mote settlers, such as the "New Ger- man Tract" which they say has not been purchased from them by the
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133
FUNK'S SERMON BEFORE KING CHARLES XII.
white people. I can not say where this new German Tract was located as early as 1702 but the Indians referred to are the Conestogas and it is so stated. So that at this time it is cer- tain that a German Tract was decided upon and contracted for with Penn's authorities, even though the Germans themselves had not actually located on it.
interest to the heirs of the exiled Mennonites. But as generally the children went with the parents, the principal fell to the Governments (Müller, page 358).
1703-Stephen Funk Preaches Before King Charles XII of Sweden, at Thorn.
Many Baptists or Mennonites at this 1702-The Skippack Mennonite Settle- ment Again. time lived in Poland in the town of Thorn. They were compelled to fur- Kauffman says in his book, p. 129, that this settlement was an extension of Germantown. It is in Montgomery County and it began by Matthias Van Bebber securing 6000 acres of land there which he immediately began to colonize with Mennonites. The prin- cipal families were the Kolbs, Zim- mermans, Pannebeckers, Jansons, Zieglers, and others. nish supplies to Charles XII in his wars. Among them was a leader named Stephen Funk from Moravia. King Charles XII's chaplain on one occasion held services and Funk was present and listened attentively to the chaplain's sermon and took notes. This was brought to the attention of the authorities and State Church digni- taries and Funk was asked why he 1703-Swiss Suffer and Perish Cross- ing the Ocean. took notes. The author was brought before the King and he asked Funk Our ancestors in the beginning of the century suffered with what was known as Palatine fever. It is said that the children under seven years of age rarely lived. Mittelberger says he saw no less than thirty-two children thus dying and being thrown into the sea (Kuhn, p. 71). who lie was and why he took notes of the sermon. He said to see if it were correctly spoken. The King said for that act Funk must preach a sermon to him, the King, and asked. "When can you do it?" Funk said, "In four- teen days, but you must keep me safe from harm." The King promised. The day came and Funk appeared and 1703-Swiss Baptist Property Con- fiscated. went to the tent of the King. The provost and generals, prominent and This year in Switzerland the farms of a lot of Mennonites who had been banished were sold at auction. We have no record of how many there were, but at least quite a number. They brought 5576 pounds. Of this money 220 pounds went to the Judge of the Court and the balance was di- vided among the Mayors of the towns off Steffisburg, Schwarzenegg, Ober- Neiderstachten, Blumenstein, Bals- ringen, Ruegsau, Trachelswald, Trub, Lauperswyl, Schangnau, Hutwyl, Criswyl, Hasli, Schofftland, Diesbach petty, were present. The King told all that he had ordered the sermon to be preached and that all should give attention. At the conclusion. none had any objections to offer. The King said to Funk, "You have proved your position in all points except you should not condemn war." Funk said, "War can not be upheld by any- thing in the Bible." , The King said, "Is there no permission given at all in the Bible for war?" Funk replied. "If a King should be attacked in his country he could defend by war, but and other towns, whose officers were he must never go to another country to hold the same in trust and pay the | and devastate it." This ended the
134
LANCASTER COUNTY GERMAN-SWISS PIONEERS
matter. This was King Charles of 1704-The Lancaster County Menno- Sweden. He compelled the Mennonites nite Pioneer. to furnish supplies to carry on his wars. This happened in Thorn, no' in Prussia; or formerly in Poland (Brons, 330).
1703-Jacob Telner and Skippack Mennonites.
Telner at this time was zealous in the Skippack project. He was on the ground and spent part of his time in Philadelphia. Penn in a letter to Logan, the 6th of June, 1703, writes, "I have been much pressed by Jacob Telner about Rebecca Shippen's busi- ness in the town. I desire that truth and righteousness may take place" (1 Penn and Logan Corr., 189). Penny- packer says that Telner had a right to five thousand acres and took up the bulk of it on Skippack Creek. It comprised a township.
1704-Germans Not Allowed to Own Land Absolutely.
Without naturalization the Germans could not pass the land which they lived on, to their children by will or otherwise even though they improved it by buildings and tilled it. In order to have the same right as the English people they complained to the Assem- bly asking that their titles should be as good as anybody else's. Their first petition seems to have been filed in 1704. (Vol. 1 of Notes of Assembly, Part 2, p. 26.)
1704-Theodorus Eby Moved to the Palatinate.
This year an old patriarch, ancestor of a large Lancaster County family, > Theodorus Eby, who was born in Zurich on the 25th day of April, 1665, moved to the Palatinate and resided there until 1715, when he came to Philadelphia and thence to Eby's Mill on Mill Creek, afterwards Roland's Mill, south of New Holland on the line -
between Earl and Leacock townships. (History of Eby Family, p. 5.)
Rupp in his history, pp. 54, 55 and 70, says that this year Louis Michelle, a Swiss miner, was in America look- ing for a convenient tract to settle a colony of his people on. He was among the Indians near Conestoga about 1706 and 1707 in search of mineral ore. It is thought that he built a fort several miles above Conestoga. These performances do not look much like the Mennonite actions, especially the building of warlike defenses, yet in those days a defense of that kind was as needful as an ordinary house just now. It is safe to say he was inter- ested in the Swiss Mennonites be- cause the statement that he wanted a tract to settle the "colony of his people on" indicates that he was act- ing for his distressed brethren.
1705-The German Palatines Apply for Naturalization.
This year several Germans filed a petition in . the Assembly asking that they might be naturalized. not only so that they could hold their lands, but have all the other privileges of other citizens in Pennsylvania. (Vol. 1 Votes of Assembly, Part 2, p. 47.)
1705-Frederich de Redegelt, a Ger- man Palatine, Takes Land on the Susquehanna.
This year it is stated in the Sec. Series of the Penna. Archives, Vol. 19, p. 46S, that John Henrich Kursten showed a deed translated by Daniel Pastorius, from Frederick de Rede- gelt, for 750 acres of land, part of the 10,000 purchased of William Penn in England by Redegelt, to be taken up, rent free for seven years, near Sus- quehanna. So it appears from this that this friend of old Pastorius and likely member of his church had secured land about Susquehanna at this early date.
135
GERMAN-SWISS PIONEERS BECOME NATURALIZED
1705-Swiss Prepare to Settle in Lan- [ as they are considered as foreigners; caster County.
In a letter written by William Penn to Logan, the 16th of February, 1705, he says, "I have a hundred German families preparing for you. They buy 30,000 or 40,000 acres; and no longer than yesterday Sir Charles Hedges discoursed me upon a Swiss Colony intended thither (eo Pennsylvania) by request of our envoy in the Can- tons; but keep this close for many reasons" (1 Penn & Logan Corr., p. 352). Thus we see that this year preparations were taking shape to people the section which afterwards became Lancaster County.
1705 - Some Toleration by the Re- formed Toward the Mennonites in Switzerland.
By this time the Swiss Reformed Church began to allow toleration to the Mennonites; but even this year a legacy left by a member of the Men- nonite congregation to the congrega- tion for its benefit was confiscated by the Government authorities and State Church. By this we see that tolera- tion had not made much headway in Switzerland around Berne.
1706-Familiar Names at Skippack.
Among the Mennonite land buyers of the Skippack settlement is to be found under the date of 1706 the name of Edward Beer (Bear). Among the Assembly to act on it. (Vol. 2 Col. preachers a little later were found two Hunseckers, two Landises, a George Detweiler, a Christian Huns- berger and a Hans Witmer, (Brons, p. 369).
1706 -- German Palatines Petition again for Naturalization.
This year Johannes Koster and about 150 other High and Low Germans pre- sented a petition, stating that though they came over here by Penn's invita- tion and many more had also done the like, they feel insecure in their estates,
and they beg that a law may be passed to naturalize all the Germans that come, and to give them the right to hold and enjoy land and to sell it or pass it to their children, and to give them the right of voting and of being elected to serve in Assembly or other offices. They also set forth that they are Mennonists and that they as well as their predecessors for over 150 years past could not on account of conscience take an oath. And they ask that they should have the same rights as the Quakers about this mat- ter, as the Quakers are not required to take an oath. (Vol. 2 of Col. Rec., p. 241.) The Assembly thought this was perfectly reasonable and that these good people ought to be secured in their estates and titles and have the other rights they ask for. And the Attorney General was instructed to draw up the proper act of Assembly to be passed.
But these poor Mennonites had to wait three years before the Act got through Assembly, when finally on the 17th of August, 1709, some of them appeared with an act drawn by the Attorney General and begged the Council would urge the Assembly to pass it into a law; and the Council agreed that they would request the
Rec., p. 480.) From this we see that matters moved very slowly towards giving these German Palatines any well-deserved relief. The matter was now dragging along, and on the 31st of August the Council decided that this bill of these Germans required di- spatch, and the Council read it and re- turned it to the Assembly and in- structed the messenger that the As- sembly is requested to consider care- fully whether it is safe to make this naturalization so extensive. (Do., p. 488.) But finally it was passed.
136
SETTLEMENTS AT SKIPPACK, PA., AND NEW BERNE, N. C.
1707-Swiss Settiers Come to Pennsyl- 1707-Swiss Mennonites Not Allowed vania. To Be Employed.
This year it seems there were Ger- mans or Swiss who came into Pennsyl- vania "under a particular agreement with the Honorable Proprietor at Lon -. don"; and took up lands under him, and a couple of years later moved up to Lancaster County. They had not fol- lowed the formalities necessary on the part of foreigners to get complete title, and thus on the 16th of June, 1730, they asked the Government, who called them "several Germans now in- habitants of the County of Lancaster" for the rights and privileges of British subjects. The Governor says they are all of so good a character for honesty and industry as deserves the esteem of this Government. (3 Col. Rec., p. 374-Old Style p. 397.)
1707-First Germans in Jersey.
One of the first settlements of Pala- tines in New Jersey was that in what was named German Valley, in the Counties of Sussex, Passaic, Essex and others. These Germans intended to go to New York, but the ship leaked, and they stopped in the beautiful valley of a little river in Jersey. They were, however, a Reformed congregation from Germany. In the year 1705 they got to Neuwyl on the Rhine, from which they went to Holland, hired themselves for Dutch settlement in New York and were sent over in 1707. (Löher, p. 70.)
1707-Swiss Mennonites Secure Natur- alization in Germany and Threaten Swiss Authorities.
In the year 1707 Mennonites were permitted to leave Switzerland on pay- ment of a fee. Some left and went to other lands, became naturalized in those countries, and then came back as citizens of other countries and made trouble for Switzerland. (Mül- ler, p. 349.) -
Some of the Cantons of Switzerland, by a mandate of June 29, this year, gave the Swiss Mennonites until No- vember 20th to leave the country. It was also enacted that a fine of fifty pounds would be inflicted on anyone who hired a Mennonite as a servant or leased any land to Mennonites as tenant farmers, except such as could show a certificate from the Judge that they were honest, law-abiding citizens and obedient to the authorities of the country and had made an oath of al- legiance. Whoever did not have cer- tificates were given orders by the Government to leave and were de- ported if they did not leave volun- tarily. (Müller, p. 349.)
1708-Accession to Skippack and Germantown.
About this time some of the prin- cipal leaders of the Germantown colony arrived in Germantown and at Skippack. By the 23rd of May, this year, there were 43 members in the Germantown and Skippack congrega- tions. Among them were Herman Kas- dorp and Martin Kolb, who were chosen their preachers. (Pennypacker, p. 174.)
1708-Swiss Settle Newbern, N. C., and Are Destroyed.
In 1708 a colony of Swiss went to North Carolina and founded Newbern. Others came to the colony a little later from Pennsylvania. Most of them were Mennonites and were induced to go to colonize that neighborhood by Michelle and Graffenreid. They cut down the forests to make their settle- ment. The Indians allowed them to build their huts and to build a fort in their midst. Graffenreid purchased 15,000 acres there for them. He was also kindly treated by the Indians for a time. Later they captured him up the Neuse river and decreed that he
DUNKARDS ORGANIZED-FIRST MENNONITE CHURCH IN AMERICA 137
should be burnt. The chiefs sat in two | have requested a certificate of the rows in front of him, and behind hin. the savages were dancing the death dance. Graffenreid told them fairy tales and tried the expedients of Cap- tain John Smith upon the savages, and they let him go; but Lawson, his part- ner, they burned to death. Graffen- reid then left his colony for five weeks, and when he came back it was all destroyed by the Indians. (Loher, p. 51.)
1708-Dunkards Secede from the Mennonites.
This year Alexander Mack, of Schwarzennau, in Westphalia, founded the Dunkard denomination. (Kuhn, p. 179.) About twenty families of them in 1719 came to Germantown, Skip- pack, Oley and to the Conestoga. Their leader was Peter Baker. It would seem from the similarity of their creeds that they were formerly Mennonites.
170S-Kocherthal Colony of Palatines.
On the 28th day of April, 1708, a number of the German Palatines were sent under Kocherthal in a colony from New York on a Government ves- sel, accompanied by Lord Lovelace, the newly-appointed Governor. ("Die deutschen im Staate N. Y." by Kolb.) I cite this from Diffenderffer's Ger- man Exodus, page 7, in which he also says that the Board of Trade records (Appendix B.) state there were ten men, ten women and twenty-one chil- dren in this colony.
1708-Mennonites Granted Permission to Leave the Palatinate.
By a paper dated March 10, 1708- set forth in Rupp's History, p. 93-it is provided that the several Menno- uites mentioned in it, with the view of improving their conditions, wish to reside in "The Island of Pennsyl- vania." It is further stated that they
authorities to set forth that they are free and not subject to vassalage and have paid all their debts, and that they have behaved themselves piously and honestly. It then states that they have the permission of the Council or of the Palatinate to leave and go to the New Country. The same day, as shown on p. 95 of the same book, they also got the permission of their Church and a certificate that they were Christians and had the record of the baptism of their children. So, with these blessings they departed for America.
This company went to New York, but their religious customs not being approved there they finally drifted across into Pennsylvania. They were some of the first fruits of Mennonite migration.
1708-First Mennonite Church in America.
Mr. Kauffman says in his book that the Mennonites held their services in private houses or in the open air until 1708, when a log house was erected for public worship in Germantown. He says that Christopher Dock, the Mennonite preacher, taught school in this house for several years. He also tells us that it was rebuilt in 1770 and is today the oldest meeting house in America.
1709-A Lot of the Palatines Natural- ized.
The petition we spoke of before was finally passed September 29, 1709, and by virtue of it 82 of the Palatines of Philadelphia County and one of Bucks County were naturalized. Among them were Pastorius, the Conrads, Shuemakers, Vanbibbers. Gattschalks. Stolls, Kesselberrys, Hoffs, Smiths. Scholls and others. (2 Col. Rec .. p. 493.)
138 SWITZERLAND DETERMINED TO SEND MENNONITES TO AMERICA
1709-New Attempt to Banish the Ana- baptists or Mennonites From Berne.
The Berne authorities again en- deavored to get rid of the objectionable Anabaptists (all other means and measures having failed) by shipping them to America; since it became known that the Queen of England was desirous of obtaining colonists for her transatlantic possessions. There ap- peared at Berne about this time a for- warding merchant, or agent, named Ritter, with some associates, who was about to embark for America. They declared themselves willing to take with them "poor families" and capable persons of the Anabaptist religion, who were to be deported from the country. Negotiations were opened with this Mr. Ritter, by the authori- ties; and it was decided that he was to receive for the 101 persons to be deported 500 Thaler (Dollars) ; and for the Anabaptists 45 Thaler per per- son actually landed in America. The Anabaptists were to pay for their own transportation, the money to be taken from the funds obtained by confisca- tion of their possessions. Return to the fatherland was prohibited on pain of death.
The Swiss Ambassador at The Hague, Holland, Francois Louis Pes- ine, Seignueuer de Saint Saphorin, in- terested himself in Ritter's undertak- ing by asking the Dutch authorities to be watchful lest some of these deport- ed Anabaptists might make good their escape while en route through Holland or at their re-shipment at Rotterdam. The Anabaptists of Holland had re- ceived word of their Swiss brethrens' plight; and as they were influential and were held in high esteem in that country, they were determined to have them set free as soon as they arrived in Holland. There had been several conferences with the Ambas- sador, Saint Saphorin, by the Dutch
authorities, the Ambassador of Eng- land, Mylord Townshend, and a num- ber of Brethren and friends of the de- ported Swiss. These friends sent word to their brethren in Rotterdam to have a watchful eye, lest the deported Swiss be secretly shipped over to Eng- land.
As the efforts of the Swiss Ambas- sador at The Hague to secure passage for Ritter's expedition had become known, letters were written by Messrs. Hendrik Toren and Jan von Gent (good fellow-believers in Amsterdam) to the Burgomaster, von der Poel in Briel; to the passenger lists of the packet boat at Hellevoet, and to Mr. James Dayrolle, Secretary of the Queen of Egnland at The Hague, ask- ing to inform them, should anything about the prisoners be reported from England. Mr. Torne (who reported this on March 31st, to Mr. Vosterman in Amsterdam), also told .Vosterman of a certain Mr.Machielse, who appear- ed to be a servant of the Swiss Ambas- sador. This is very likely the hereto- fore-mentioned Mr. Michelle, who was in Lancaster County, in 1705. Prepara- tions were made to go to Nimewegen, to meet there the Swiss prisoners, and to furnish them, if possible, with a ship for their transportation over to England. (Müller, p. 269.)
1709-Mennonites Prepare to Come to Pequea Valley, Lancaster County.
Rupp tells us (p. 71) that a lot of Mennonites reached Pennsylvania and also some, North Carolina in Decem- ber, 1709. He says that "a respectful number of Mennonites left Strasburg, in Germany, where they had come overland, and sailed for America." Page 74, he also tells us that they first made a bargain with William Penn, that is the Swiss Mennonites, and then came to Lancaster County, reaching it in 1709. He quotes this from Benjamin Eby's "Geschchten Der Mennoniten," p. 151; and the
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