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 27
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189
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLLAND EXODUS.
On the 20th of August, the vessels | and some of the individual persons left their mooring in the presence of may be given with profit.
a large crowd (who were deeply moved at their departure) and car- ried the Swiss out on the angry waves of the Zuider Zee, to distribute them. Twenty-one went to Harlingen --- one hundred and twenty-six to Groningen-eighty-seven to Kampen and one hundred and sixteen to De- venter. total 356 persons. It is ob- served that this distribution was made by water-some of the Swiss being landed at the first coast point to these towns, and then escorted to the town.
The expense of those who went to Groningen was taken care of by the committee. largely of the elders of the old Flaninger congregation and of the Vaterlander congregation. They rendered a detailed account on the 30th of March 1712. In it they show that the board and lodging amounted for the first few days to five thousand seven hundred and eleven florins, in Groningen. (Müller 320.)
Authorities of the town had very little information when the Swiss ar- rived. and called upon Runckel to explain all about the causes of this emigration and the kind of people these were. Runckel praised them highly and succeeded in having con- ditions all favorable to them in the town. The price of land there was low, because the crops had failed in 1709. but there was demand for labor now.
Lists of names and accounts are still in existence, from which we get a good idea of the settlement. Names and numbers of families are given. and the expense of the trip. Also the points they touched on the road- the amount of money brought along by each-the allowance granted to each out of the general fund.
The full details would be too long but the names of the heads of families
1711-Swiss Leave Holland's Shelter.
The names of the heads of families and individual persons referred to above are; the families of Peter Leh- ner, Ulrich Roth, Jacob Stahli, Christ Stutzman, Niklaus Teuscher, Hans Tschabold, Peter Krahenbuhl, Hans Bauer,-and the single, Elsbeth Tsch- abold, settled at Saperneer. In Hoog- kerk, also near Groningen are the families of Emanuel Lortcher, Hans Furxer, Hans von Gunten. In Helpen, the widow Magdelena Schmidt, with her family, purchased an estate; in Vinklaus, Steffon Simon, with his fam- ily was located-the rest of the people were in and about Groningen, name- ly, the families of Hans Meier, of Ul- rich Frutiger, who in December 1711, lost his wife in Groningen; Anna Eesclebacher; of Kringold Krofffi; Matheys Aeschebacher; Christ Stucki, Christ Schilling, Elsbeth Rubin, Peter Krebs, and Peter Thonin. The other unmarried persons are, Niklaus Hoff- man, Vreni Barber, Hans Knenbuhl. Hans Aeschbacher, Peter Tschaggel- er, Hans Lortscher, Anna and Tillie Tuscher, Anna Kunzi, Elsbeth Bing- geli, Elsbeth Wenger, Barbara Frei. Katharina Schmied.
In the year 1721, the information was sent from Groningen to the com- mittees at Amsterdam, that none of Swiss were in need of any further as- sistance. Some of these in later years emigrated to Pennsylvania.
To Kampen came thirty-five children. three widows and seven children, and eight single persons, with a tota! amount of ten thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight florins. These were domiciled in the same manner as those of Groningen by Steven Cremer of Deventer, who bought the rights of citizenship in Kampen for six famil- ies, for one hundred and forty floring each, which carried with it the privi-
190
FROM HOLLAND TO NORTHERN GERMANY.
·lege of pasture for six cows and two| to Amsterdam, until the 8th of Sept- horses each. They are the families of teacher Michael Reusser, Stephen Reusser, Melchior Zahler, Hans Long, Hans Jacob Burki, Hans Gerwanni Hans Ogi, Hans Schmied, Hans Surer (?), Hans Buhler, Hans Gautschi, Peter Aeschbacher, Benedict Stockli, Hans Grasser, Blasins Sorg, Anna Muller, Marg, Galli, Chr. Schlappach, Daniel Gerwanni, Adam Gautschli, Ja- cob Petri, Chr. Stockli, Peter Meier, Peter Streit, Math. Aeschbacher.
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The above named brought one hun- dred and six persons to Deventer, namely, the families of the teacher Daniel Richen, Martin Richen, Peter Richen, Hans and Peter Krebs, Abra- ham Lauffer, Hans Schellenberger, Hans Thonen, Chr. Neuhauser, Ulrich Bryner, Elsbeth Althaus, Daniel Ger- ber, Peter Wenger, Chr. Krebs, Mar- gret Giseler, Barbara Schar, Kath. Ru- bin, Elsbeth Kufferschmied, Anna, Elsbeth, and Margaret Heiniger, David Laufer, Anna Bruger, Verena and Christian Galli, Marie Bogli, Peter Thonen, Elsbeth Koner, Kath Muller, Esther Benli, Barbara Gerber, and student Daniel Becker.
The Swiss experts, who, headed by Benedict Brechbuhl, were to investi- gate and pass on the Prussian offers, wrote under date of August 12, 1711, from Danzig to Amsterdam. They gave a description of their experiences in Luthania, praised the remarkable fertility of the soil, the favorable in- ducements of the king, and the great love and affections which were shown them by their brethren in the faith, in Danzig and Elbing. The houses, very naturally, did not suit them, but they had the royal promise of the permis- sion to fell the needed lumber from the forests of the domain free of cost. There were to be had 62 farms of 30 acres each. These journeys and a visit to Berlin, where they went upon invi- tation of the king, delayed their return
ember. By that time the Swiss had already gone to their new places of abode in Ireland, and there was a question whether, on the strength of the favorable reports of Brechbuhl, they could again be induced to wan- der to another place. For that reason three delegates to their brethren in Kampen; but neither there nor in Groningen and Deventer did they find a, willingness again to emigrate, inas- much as there was a prejudice against the plague, which had a short time before decimated those countries Brechbuhl reported on September 20, 1711, from Deventer in like manner as two days later Russer, Anken, Richen. Steiner and Zahler, who gave the as- surance that they would no longer be a burden to the commission, but would endeavor to earn their bread. Brechbuhl was quite enthusiastic over the colonization in Prussia, and no doubt, through his efforts, there were in later years, founded Swiss congregations there, which, howveer, in 1720, and particularly in 1730, be- came greatly distressed and later on mostly emigrated to Germany, the Netherlands and North America.
1711-Wanderings of a Portion of the Exodus.
From the year 1711 on, more emi- grants followed almost annually, since the persecutions did not cease, and which found renewed expression in the proclamation of March 24, 1714. In this year there emigrated from Goutenschwyl near Lenzberg to Hol- land-Hans Gautschi, his wife, Bar- bara Hafele and his daughter, Jacob Peters and his wife, Marie Stodler; Samuel Peter and Barbara Frei; Rudi Peter and Anna. Erisman; Samuel Peter Stulzer and his wife: Samuel Leutswyler, single; Rudolph Peter and Verena Aeschbach and Rudolph Wurg- ler.
191
THE HOLLAND SWISS REACH LANCASTER COUNTY.
Samuel Peter and Barbara Frei were called Neuhauser from their estate Waihaus, near Goutenschwyl, and are 'the ancestors of the very large and flourishing Neuhuizen, whose family tree Huizinga has worked out in great detail. Very likely they were induced by relatives who were among those who settled in Groningen, to make this the destination of their journey, and they remained in Kalkivyk at Hoogezand, near Groningen. At Sap- peneer and Groningen, sinall indepen- dent Swiss emigrations were formed. Prior to 1671, fugitives of Swiss orign (M. 323) had come from the Palati- nate into the country about Groningen, and were called Pfalzer (inhabitants of the Palatinate). This was applied to the arrivals of 1671, as they amal- gamated into a congregation which hold their services in a house in the "Achterunner" in Groningen. As founder of this congregation, their first teacher, Hans Anken, may be re- garded as principal; soon thereafter, assisted by Daniel Richen and Abra- ham Stauffer. It would have been considered too good a fortune if these Swiss could have been without dissen- sions in their new place of abode! Hans Anken had bought a house for himself, called the "great cloister." Abraham Lauffen deemed the style of architecture too vain, and insinuated to the owner to change the same. Anken did not take kindly to this sug- gestion, and this difference of opin- ion was sufficient cause for a split in the congregations into "Old" and "New" Swiss.
1711 - Mennonite Division Into Old and New Swiss Factions
The heads of one congregation of forty to fifty members were Hans and Peter Kreb, the heads of the other congregation of fifty to sixty members were Daniel Richen and Abraham
Lauffer. This split lasted from the year 1720 to the last quarter of the century, and extended to the congre- gation at Sappeneer. The stylish house of Anken's led as supposed to this split. It is very likely that the showy or conspicious house which Anken had bought was only a pretended motive to bring to a focus a deeper rotted dif- ference-a difference which ever and ever shows itself among the Baptists, between the strict and severe and the less strict.
1711 - Emigrants of 1711 Exodus Reach Lancaster County Eventually.
We have in a previous article given a description of the transportation of the Berne Mennonites down the Rhine in 1711. Kuhns in his work (page 46), calls attention to the fact that the names of many of those Swiss emigrants are identical with our Lan- caster County names and those who went down the Rhine in 1710 are iden- tical with our Lancaster County prom- inent names also. Among them he mentioned Gerber, Gaumann, Schurch, Galli, Haldiman, Burki, Rohrer, Schal- lenberger, Oberli, Jeggli, Wisler, Hauri, Graf, Wenger, Neukomm, Fluckinger, Rubeli, Ruegsegger, Kra- henbuhl, Huber, Buhler, Kuenzi, Stahli, Rubi, Zurcher, Bucher, Strahm. Among those exiled in 1710 were the names of Brechbuhl, Baumgartner, Rupp, Fahrni, Aeschlimann, Maurer, Ehersold and others. All these names -- which, more or less changed, are common throughout the State and country today-are of Bernese origin ._ The Landis, Brubacher. Meili, Egli. Ringer, Gut, Gochnauer and Frick families came from Zurich.
This would argue that ( while Müller does not trace any of these emigrants of 1711 to Lancaster County) many of them eventually reached this county.
192
PERSECUTED SWISS REACH LANCASTER COUNTY.
1711-Brethren Join the Pequea Colony of 1710.
According to Rupp, it would seem that as soon as the winter of 1710-11 was passed, the Pequea colonists sent one of their members back to the Old Country, to bring on members of their family, who were left behind.
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Rupp described very vividly, pages 80 and 81, how this came about. Quoting from a source which he does not mention, he says, that before the ground brought forth its first crop, they made preparations to bring the balance of their families over - that after the lot fell to Hans Herr, it was decided that Mart Kendig should take his place and that he, accordingly, went abroad and brought a company of Swiss and Germans back with him. He tells us that the party consisted of the balance of families already here and of Peter Yordea, Jacob Mül- ler, Hans Tchantz, Henry Funk, John Hauser, John Bachman, Jacob Weber and three others, whose Christian names are not given, Schlagel, Wen- rich and Guildin. It would seem that Schlagel's name was Christopher, be- cause in 1713, he had established himself on the Conestoga creek, and complained of the Cartledges interfer- ing with his mill.
1712 - Large Palatine Possessions in Lancaster County.
This year a tract of 3330 acres in Strasburg Township was ordered to be surveyed to Amos Strettle, for the occupation of Swiss Mennonites. It adjoins the original Herr tract of 1710 on the east. The warrant is dated the 5th of July 1712, and the survey was made November 1st, the same year. This tract was divided during the next twenty years among the following holders, viz .: Henry Shank, Ulrich Brackbill, Augustine Widower, Alexander Fridley, Martin
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Miller, George Snavely, Christian Musser, Andrew Shultz, John Foutz, Jacob Stein, John Hickman, John Bowman, Valentine Miller, Jacob Hain, John Herr, Henry Carpenter, Daniel Ferree, Isaac Lefevre, Christian Stoner, John Beiers, Hans Lein, Ab- raham Smith, John Jacob Hoover, Septimus Robinson, Samuel Hess, Samuel Boyer, John Musgrove.
It is intended a little while later to make a map of the original tract and show the present sub-divisions thereupon, setting forth the name of the owners of the present farms carved out of the same. Mention of this tract is made in Rupp, page 77.
1712-Poor Ragged Palatines in England.
Ralph Thoresly in his diary under date of June 1712, published in 2 vol- umes in London in 1830 says that on his return to Hyde Park, he saw a number of Palatines in England and that they were the most poor and ragged creatures that he ever beheld. (Diffenderfer's Exodus 86.)
1712-Growth of German Skippack Colony.
We are told that by this year, on April 6th, the Mennonites of Skippack numbered 99. They had additions in 1708 and '09. (Pennypacker's German- town 169.)
1712-Ferree and Lefevre, Mennonites, Take 2000 Acres of Land in Con- estoga Valley.
In the minutes of the Pennsylvania Board of Property, under date of September 10, 1712, it is stated that "at a meeting of the commissioners that day held-the late commissioners having granted 10,000 acres of land to the Palatines, by their warrant, dated 6th of Sth month, 1710, in pursuance thereof there was laid out to Martin Kendig, besides the 2,000 acres already
193
ADDITIONS TO SWISS SETTLEMENT.
confirmed and paid for, the like quan-I County reached Conestoga in their tity of 2,000 acres, towards Susque- hanna, of which the General Surveyor has made a return. The said Martin Kendig now appearing desirous that the said land may be granted and con- firmed to Maria Warenbuer, for whom the same was taken up. But upon further consideration of the matter, it is agreed among themselves that the
settlement for under the name of the "Dutch" it is stated in First Pa. Arch., Vol. 1, p. 33S, that they had been liv- ing at Conestoga during the past 20 years. The date of the letter is 1732. In some of the proceedings of the Conestoga Road, as it was laid out from time to time, there is a reference to "The road up to the Dutch settle- said land shall be confirmed to Daniel ment on the Susquehanna" in 1712. Fierre and Isaac Lefevre, two of the This makes it plain that there was a said widow's sons, and the considera- settlement that year, including road tion money, viz £140 at £7 per 100 improvements up to the River. This acres, by agreement having been for refers to a road "that leads from Philadelphia to the Dutch settlements some time due, but is now to be paid down in one sum. 'Tis agreed they at Conestoga" found in Volume one of shall only pay £10 for interest, that the original road papers in Chester is &150 for the whole. (2nd Series Pa. County, p. 50. The public are indebt- Arc., Vol 19, p. 259 and Rupp, page 90.) ed to the industry of Gilbert Cope in
This is the large section lying north : Chester County for the compilation of of the Herr and Strettle tracts; partly these road papers.
in East Lampeter Township and partly in Strasburg Township. The Fierres are the ancestors of the present Ferry or Forry family. Neither the -Lefevres nor Forrys were pure Swiss, was there was French extraction in their race. This tract was subsequent- ly divided among the following per- sons - Henry A. Carpenter, Forre Brinton, John C. Lefevre, Joseph L. Lefevre, Jacob Hershey, Christian Le- man, Henry and Jacob Brackbill, Theo. Shertz, John Shertz. F. S. Bur- rows, D. Lefevre. (Rupp 102.) I hope to have a map of the sub-divisions of this tract also.
That it lay partly in Strasburg Township is shown by the fact that Maria Warenburger, mother-in-law of Isaac Lefevre paid a quit rent on 2,000 acres in Strasburg Township, the same year. (Rupp 107.) Ferrees and Lefevres came from Steinmerster into the Palatinate. (Rupp 85.)
1712 -- German-Swiss Reach the Con- estoga Valley.
1712-Further Swiss Additions about This Year.
According to Rupp, in his "Thirty Thousand Names," about 1712, addi- tional tracts of land were bought by Pequea settlers. The settlers living in the Pequea Valley at that time (1712) he gives as follows: Johan Rudolph Budeli, Martin Kendig, Jacob Mül- ler, Hans Groff, Hans Herr, Martin Oberholz, Wendel Bauman, Martin Meylin, Samuel Gulden, John Rudolf, Daniel Herman, John George Trul- berger, Hans Mayer, Hans Hagy, Christian Herchy, Hans Pupather, Heinrich Bar, Peter Lehman, Melcher Brennen, Heinrich Funck, Michael Schenck, Johannes Landis, Alrich Honench, Emanuel Herr, Abraham Herr, Melchoir Erisman, Michael Müller and Christopher Schleagel.
1713-Rapid Additions to the Menno- nite Colony.
This year Isaac Lefever purchased 300 acres of land adjoining the other settlements made by his countrymen
It appears that, this year, the Ger- man-Swiss immigrants in Lancaster | near Conestoga and received a war-
194
FIRST SWISS GRIST MILL ON CONESTOGA.
rant for it. And Samuel Guilden, who had lately come from Berne, in
Switzerland as a minister to the Switzers, desired 800 acres in Stras- burg with the rest of his countrymen and a warrant was signed to him for the price of ten pounds per 100 acres, Pennsylvania money, 80 pounds or 60 pounds of English money. (2d Ser. Pa. Arch., V. 19, p. 669.)
1713-The Mennonites Build Their First Grist Mill on the Conestoga.
This year we have an account of a remarkable German Mennonite on the Conestoga. In Vol. 19 of the Sec. Series of the Penna. Arch., p. 569, it was stated at a meeting of the Land Commissioners, held on the 8th of October that, Christopher Schleagel, late of Saxony, being desirous to settle near the Palatines about Con- estoga and build a mill on a run, run- ning into the Conestoga Creek, wishes to take up 1000 acres of land there and build such a mill for the accom- modation of his neighboring inhabi- tants; and it was agreed that he could have the 1000 acres for 100 Pounds. And if he built the mill immediately 20 Pounds were to be thrown off. He did build the mill, because a year later I shall show he made complaint that people were interefering with his mill race.
Schleagel had some trouble about his land and at a meeting held on the 18th of March, 1718, Edmund Cart- lidge claimed to own it by having pur- chased from Schleagel, the right to a tract of land and an ordinary grist mill on a branch of the Conestoga; and it is stated that Schleagel did not comply with the terms, when he first bought, he lost his right. It is, however, set forth that Cartlidge has since built a good mill on the same land and he desires 400 acres to be laid out to him, including his build- ings and improvements. A warrant
was accordingly given him, (Do. 644). Rupp also notices that Christopher Schleagel in 1712 took up this land to build a mill and he finds the place not far away from the land granted to the Palatines. (Rupp, 115).
113-The English are Moving in Among the German Mennonites
We have just noticed that Edmund Cartlidge, the Indian agent, seated himself on Christopher Schleagel's land and in addition to this, we have the account that a patent was given in 1713 to Thomas Story near a set- tlement of the Palatines at Conestoga, and that he had a right to it as early as 1711, (Vol. 19 of Sec. Series of Pa. Arch., p. 572). There are also signed the same year, a patent to John Mar- low for 260 acres on Pequea in the rights of Gilbert Mace. These last are English names and show that the English were interested also in set- tlements in this section.
1714-Scheagel's Mill is Now Serving the Mennonites
The mill which Christopher Schleagel said he was about to build he evi- dently erected as may be seen in the Taylor papers, No. 2827. Schleagel went to Philadelphia, and made com- plaint about the English claiming his mill; and James Steele gave him a let- ter dated the 24th of September, 1714, which Schleagel carried to Isaac Tay- lor, surveyor for the Penns, who was surveying at Conestoga. In this let- ter, Steele states that Schleagel com- plains that a certain person has seated himself near the mill he hath lately built at Conestoga, by whose means the Indians that are there- about are likely to be troublesome and dangerous to him. This letter then further states that Isaac Taylor shall order the people there interfering with Schleagel's mill to remove and that 300 acres belonging to the mill
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195
FORCIBLE DEPORTATION OF SWISS TO PENNSYLVANIA.
should be in quiet possession of cording to Smith, were to be sent to Schleagel.
1714-George Leonard Takes Land in Octorara.
A patent for 300 acres on the Octo- rara Creek, dated 15th of September, was also executed to George Leon- ard. (Do. 572.)
1714-Additional Settlers Come to Pequea Colony.
In Rupp's "Thirty Thousand Names," page 10. he sets forth a statement by Jolinathon Dickinson. under date of 1719, in which Dickinson says: "We are daily expecting ships from London which will bring Palatines, in num- ber, about six thousand to seven thous- and. We had a parcel that came over five years ago, who purchased land about 60 miles west of Philadelphia, and proved quite industrious." Refer- ence may also be found to this addi- tion in Colonial Records, Vol. 3, p. 29 and 228.
1714 - More German-Swiss Locate in Our County.
This year the following order for passes to deport some of our ances- tors was issued, "We, the Mayor and Council, of the City of Berne, here- with notify you that we, being the persons in authority and especially appointed for this purpose, having power and command to transport five stubborn Mennonites and one cele- brated thief out of the country to Lausanne, under guard, with all necessary secrecy, on the 10th day of August, to be delivered to our Chief of Police, do command you and all people to allow them to pass safely through, and unhindered, and to give all aid to our State Officers convey- ing the said Mennonites, that lies within your power." (Müller 224.) These Mennonites (who were called stubborn) to be sent to Lausanne, ac-
the galleys.
1714 - Benedict Brackbill's Letter to Fries.
In Müller, p. 224, the following let- ter written by Benedict Brackbill in Manheim to Jacob Fries of Amster- dam appears :-
"Some time ago, a brother came from Switzerland and told me the present condition of the Swiss breth- ren. The government still keeps up its persecution against our people. They have given their police power anew to take our people to prison. and on one day about fourteen per- sons were taken and conveyed to prison, whose names, as well as I know, are Casper Ammann, of Reugan -Benedict Mowrer, who was previ- ously a prisoner with me and who also was gotten free with me at Nim- wegen, three years ago. At present he is in prison without his wife. Babbie Steiner. They have robbed hin of everything that they were able to find. They also imprisoned a poor H ------ R- - of Signau, and Oswald Otzerberger of Hochstetten -- Christian Wagsel (Wochtel) from Eggwyl, also Has Luthi and his son- in-law - also Elizabeth £
Zeuricher from Lauperswyl-and Barbara Yost from Landau, and three of the Amish side or branch. They are in a city situated far from us, in Savoy, hired out as slaves. One of them died on the way, by the name of Niklaus Baumgartner. At the end of the year they are to be set free. Some say they are to be set free and to be given some money." Dated Nov. 14, 1714. (Müller 224.)
Müller goes on to say that Brackbill made a mistake here, because the fourteen prisoners were not taken away to Turin, which he called Savoy, as can be shown.
196
ANABAPTIST OR MENNONIST TORTURE RENEWED.
1714-Another Brackbill Letter.
The substance of another letter written by Brackbill, this year, is as follows:
"Under date of February 6. 1714. Brackbill reported to Holland that conditions in the Palatinate were most deplorable, owing to the war. The gift of 400 florins was received with pleasure. Many are fleeing back to Switzerland, and are there again taken into captivity ; others have gone into Alsace and to Zweibrucken." (Müller 207.)
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to him, was condemned with no less punishment than the native teachers, and, therefore, he was sent to the galleys, in company with the teachers already sentenced and as a terror to other strange teachers. (R. M. June 6, 1714.) (Müller 228.)
Jacob Schnebeli's Testimony on Men- nonite Torture.
Information was given by Hans Jacob Schnebeli in Mannheim to Abram Jacob Fries and Company in Amsterdam, he learned by the de- must remain there during the winter. They were confined in a vault, in company with 90 miscreants and good-for-nothings, who were sold on account of their wickedness to a cer- tain man named Hackbrett, of Turin. They were daily taken out to hard work. "I fear," writes Schnebeli, "that by springtime, they will be sent
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