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 36
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1735-Conestoga Manor Parceled Out.
Conestoga Manor was surveyed in the year 1718, and the warrant to survey may be found in the Taylor papers. It is also set forth in Rupp's history of Lancaster County (page 130), as follows :-
These are ... . March 1, 1717 to 1718.
While the Manor was laid out and surveyed, it was not divided among purchasers until afterwards. It seems that no patents were granted until 1723 and from that time on until 1774, different patents were issued to various Germans.
256 CONESTOGA MANOR (NOW MANOR TOWNSHIP) PARCELLED OUT.
As the patenting to different owners was at its height, about the year 1735, we are placing the list of patents un- der this year. It is better that they should be together in one paper, than to be distributed through these an- nals.
The principal ones are as follows :- Israel Pemberton held 300 acres, date of this patent is October 1, 1723. The Messrs. Wrights own 1500 acres -- date of patent, December 13, 1735-sold afterwards in smaller parcels to John Herr, Andrew Stineman, Daniel Lint- ner, Jacob Kilhaver, Rudy Herr, Jr., John Kilhaver, Jacob Frantz, Godfrey Klugh, Mathew Oberholtzer, Christian Hershey, Andrew Kauffman -- James Pattison 107 acres, November 21, 173, James Logan 700 acres, patent dated July 15, 1737, afterwards held by George Brenner, Philip Brenner, Christian Stouffer. Casper Souter, Adam Fisher, Valentine Rummel, -Lawrence Cliffer, Christian Stake- Michael Baughman 489, Michael May- er 131 acres, both same date February 20, 1738, Michael Mayer, sen .. 217 acres, patent dated October 16, 1737, Abraham Steiner 63 acres May 3, 1740, John Wistler 167 acres July 3, 1741, Jacob Kuntz 166, Anna Ottila Betty Koffee, 166, Jacob Hostetter 475, John Shank 197 acres, patent dated July 30, 1741, Edward Smout 113 acres June 21, 1743, Michael Baughman 339, May 28, 1752, Abrahami Hare 424 April 22, 1751, Jacob Wistler 125. Valentine Miller 140, both May 25, 1756, Martin Funk, 237, December 18, 175S, Jacob Wistler 202, Jacob Shuck 185, August 18, 1759, Abraham and John Miller 89, Valentine Haith 29, Robert Beatty 226 February 1760, Samuel Herr 247. John Keagy 188, Henry Funk 150, Jacob Wistler 173, Ludwich and Fred-
----
1761, John Keagy 159; Henry Funk 177, David Hare 195. John Miller 150, George Adam Dustler 112, John Cor- rell 209, Christian Stoner 244, all dated 1761, Michael Kauffman 116, John Kauffman 118, Jacob Kauffman 167, Christian Kauffman 163, Michael Kauffman 118, Abraham Steiner 200, John Wormley 115, Jacob Wistler 19, John Kreemer 184, Bartholomew Butt 40, John Graff 136, all dated 1762, Philip Ulweiler 39, Benjamin Miller 220, David Hare, Jr., 94, Peter Snyder 86, Henry Atkinson and Adam Big- ging 49, Peter Witmer 132, dated 1763, John Miller 60, January 19, 1764, John Newcomer 109, Joseph Nelson 109, Jacob Wistler 178, Mary Wright 119. dated 1767, John Kendrick 558, James Pratt 232, 1768, Henry Buckley 150, 1769, William Wright 257, 1770, Ulrich Rebur 232, John Manning 165 1772, Jacob Ashleman 340 1774, Indian Town 414, Blue Rock 800 acres. We omitted fractions of acres.
Thomas Penn estimated the value of Conestoga Manor being 65 miles from the City of Philadelphia, 13,400 acres, 40 pounds per hundred acres, 5,360 pounds, Pennsylvania currency.
There is no date to the paper from which the extract is made. See Sparks' Franklin Volume 3, page 535. All can be found in Rupp, page 131, 132
German Swiss Distressed by Bound- ary Troubles.
About the year 1736 the troubles between Maryland and Pennsylvania boundary became very acute, and our German Swiss were really between two mill stones-if they sided with Pennsylvania, Maryland oppressed them, and if they sided with Mary- land, Pennsylvania oppressed them -- rick Ziegler 209 June 1760, John Wit- they were non-resistants and there- mer 77, Abraham Miller 204, Rudolph Herr 176, Jacob Witmer 77, November 1761, James M'Master, 247, April
fore. did not take up arms to defend themselves. Maryland had asserted that the Susquehanna River was
GERMAN-SWISS AND THE PA .- MARYLAND BOUNDARY TROUBLES. 257
the boundary between Pennsylvania ! Governor of Maryland to the Gov- and Maryland. This was contested | ernor of Pennsylvania in which he for 60 cr 70 years before being finally settled by the Mason and Dixon Line.
Sixty families of our German-Swiss ancestors, living west of the Susque- hanna River, and holding their al -! legiance to Pennsylvania and their titles from Pennsylvania, this year were forcibly disposed of their land, and driven out of their homes and compelled to flee to the other side of the river. Thrilling accounts of this can be found in Vol. 4 Col. Rec. 149 and also Vol. 3, Votes of Assembly, page 288.
Cresap "a free booter" of Maryland, was encouraged by the Maryland au- thorities, to harass the German-Swiss because he had a great deal of the character of an outlaw, and he was very rough to our ancestors. And through a rough character by the name of Higgenbottom some of these Germans being intimidated, acknowl- edged the right of Maryland to gov- ern them. Afterwards they found their mistake and then acknowledged Pennsylvania was their lawful au- thority. (Vol. + Col. Rec. 56.)
The 60 German-Swiss, who were dispossessed, sent a pitiful letter as to their troubles to the authorities at Philadelphia, renouncing their al- legiance to Maryland and announcing their cleavage to Pennsylvania. (Vol. 4 Col. Rec. 57.) In fact, matters be- came so serious, that a particular Justice of the Peace was appointed, by the authorities of Pennsylvania, to protect these defenseless Germans or German-Swiss in this region. (Vol. 4 Col. Rec. 58.)
Maryland, among her other cruel- ties, sent a letter to the 60 families, threatening them anew with ven- geance, if they did not acknowledge Maryland's right to rule them.
In Vol. + Col. Rec. page 60, there is set forth, a letter from the Lieutenant
enclosed the letter signed by the 00. Germans, who he said, asked the Maryland authorities and the Govern- ment, for lands there, and that the Maryland Government empowered them to settle, which he claimed to be in Maryland, and .that these people resolved, by this enclosed letter, as a combination of association, to dis- own their allegiance to Maryland: and transfer themselves to the Govern- ment of Pennsylvania.
The letter which the Governor of Maryland refers to, signed by these 60 people, is in substance as follows: (page 61.)
That they met with oppression and ill-usage from Maryland, very differ- ent from the treatment in Pennsyl- vania, and that they believe that they are not settled in Maryland at all; but in the bounds of Pennsylvania: that their troubles are so unjustifiable and so grievous that they finally fied. They concluded by saying that they, the subscribers, with many of their neighbors are truly sensible of the wrong that they have done Pennsyl- vania in settling on lands that are in Pennsylvania, and at the same time, paying allegiance to Maryland. They decided therefore, to do their duty and live under the laws of Pennsyl- vania and the Government of Penn- sylvania, and that they will unani- mously adhere to this till a legal de- cision of the disputed boundary is had.
German Swiss Distressed by Bound- ary Troubles. (Continued.)
The communication is dated to be on the 11th day of August 1736: and in addition to this letter, depositions were taken of Francis Kipp to the ei- fect that he met the Master of the Sloop "Bachelor Hall," a vessel now lying in Susquehanna River. He said
258 GERMAN-SWISS AND THE PA .- MARYLAND BOUNDARY TROUBLES.
that a large number of men from Bal- and other Maryland rogues. Vol. 4 timore County with guns and on Col. Rec. 65-67. horseback, came out along the River, passing near by him. He asked the Colonel at the head of the column, if he was going to fight? But the Colonel said, that he was going on on peace- able terms. He later learned, that the Hall went up with these soldiers and crossed the Susquehanna River near the Northeast Iron Works in Cecil County, and was going up to join Cresap and get possession of certain lands the German Swiss had posession of.
The same year there was a petition of 48 of these Germans, sent to James Logan, and members of Council, stat- ing that they are inhabitants on the west side of the Susquehanna River, opposite to Hempfield, in the County of Lancaster. In this petition they state, that three years before, many of them just newly arrived in Amer- ica, were by fair promises of the Maryland authorities told to settle west of the Susquehanna River and were promised and told that the Sus- quehanna River was the division be- tween two provinces. They state that they soon found the whole usage was different from the usage in Pennsyl- vania; and also, without any cause, they were told that they were worse than negroes, that they had no Mas- ter and that they were not under the protection of any laws. They later learned that the Susquehanna River was not the boundary of Pennsyl- vania. They also noticed that their neighbors living on the east side of the River, further down than they lived, were enjoying the blessings of Penn's government. Therefore, they promised obedience to Pennsylvania, if Pennsylvania would take care of them.
On receiving this, letters were sent to the Justices along the River, to protect these people against Cresap
But things went worse. The follow- ing report was sent concerning the affairs. That a man named Tanner tried to get some of these Germans into ambush. This report was made to the Sheriff of Lancaster County. It was stated, that on Tuesday morning, a certain person went about six miles back from the River and there the Maryland people were plundering the Dutch people's houses. They were taking out of windows, cloth and other things that they could get their hands on, informing the Dutch that this was a public tax and that they owed Mary- land money. They stated that these Dutch people did not pay the Govern- ment and for this reason they had the right to do this. They threatened to burn the houses. When they were asked why, they retorted, because the Dutch people had revolted against Maryland. Then they told the Dutch, if they would come back and obey Maryland law, these taxes would not be collected until they had money. One of these intruders got a leader of the Dutch to get the neighbors to- gether and ask them, if they agreed to go back to the Maryland govern- ment, and if they would sign a paper. They all refused. Then these intrud- ers said that they would not do any- thing more to molest them now; but at the end of two weeks if they did not comply with the Government of Maryland that they would come up, with an assembly of men, and put them out of their houses and put peo- ple in, who would be true to Mary- land. These troubles lasted for a good many years. (Vol. 4 Col. Rec. 69.)
In the same book, (page 70), James Logan writes a letter to Mr. Blunston, one of the Justices along the river, in which he states among other things, "You may let the Dutch people know
259
GERMAN-SWISS TROUBLES UNDER NAVIGATION ACTS.
that the Susquehanna River is a part ' likewise hereunto annexed, humbly showeth :
of Pennsylvania; but it is hard to keep up a large force to protect them." But he states that Pennsyl- vania is going to stand by them.
There were petitions sent in by the Maryland people to the Maryland Gov- ernment. One of these is found in the same book page 101. In this peti- tion the subscribers who complain, state that they hear there is some vacant land near the Susquehanna River that the Dutch families settled on. They also state that these Dutch people are disloyal to Maryland and our Lord. One thousand seven hun- loyal to Pennsylvania and, therefore, they asked if Maryland will allow them to go and settle on these lands and throw the Dutch out.
A great deal more on the contro- versy may be found in Col. Rec. Vol. 4, pages 90 to 120.
All this tends to show. that great difficulty was had and great hardships were endured by our German Swiss ancestors, in those dark early days.
1736- Our German-Swiss Ancestors Suffer Under the Navigation Acts.
A new view of the difficulties and the burdens, under which our German- Swiss ancestors labored, in the Sus- quehanna Valley, and southeastern Pennsylvania generally, is shown by the following item, which appears in Vol. 4 Col. Rec. page 171 :-
"A petition of Durst Thome, of Philadelphia, in behalf of himself and others, was presented to the Board, and read in these words:
To the Honorable, the President and Council of the Province of Pennsyl- vania :
That being protestants and subjects to the Emperor of Germany, and en- couraged by the accounts that they had received from others of their countrymen in the province of Penn- sylvania, of the great blessings of peace and liberty of conscience, en- joyed in the said province, under the protection of that gracious and mighty Prince, King George the second, King of Great Britain and Elector of Han- over, they thereupon, in the year of
dred and thirty six, did transport themselves, with their families into this province; and having disposed of their old household goods and uten- sils, which were very bulky, at their coming down the Rhine, for very small quantity of new ones of the same kind, they were laden on board the ship Princess Augusta at Rotter- dam. And when the said ship made report of her lading at the port of Cowes, in Great Britain, the said household goods, utensils and other things belonging to your petitioners were freely exposed to the view of the Officers of that Port. who suf- fered them to pass without molesta- tion or requiring any rates, duty or customs for the same, they being for the proper use of your petitioners and not for sale. But so it is, may it please your Honors, that upon the ar- rival of your petitioners in the said ship at Philadelphia she. together with the goods and utensils aforesaid was seized by the collector and Naval Officer of this Port, or one of them, by which and the severity of the said Officers, your petitioners were re- duced to very great straits. And not- withstanding the said ship, upon a full hearing in the Court of Admiral-
The humble petition of Durst Thome, of Philadelphia, in behalf of himself and others, whose names are men- tioned in a schedule hereunto an- ty of this Province, before Charles nexed, being owners of the household Read, Esq., then Judge of the said Court; but since deceased, was legally goods and utensils in an inventory
260
GERMAN-SWISS TROUBLES UNDER NAVIGATION ACTS.
acquitted, yet the said goods were con- demned as forfeited; which sentence, as to the condemnation of the said goods and utensils, your petitioners being advised could not be warranted by law. They thereupon, petitioned the said Court of Admiralty for a re- hearing of the said sentence as to the household goods and utensils, in which petition they humbly conceive they have sufficiently shown that the said sentence was altogether null and void; and that the same (were the Judge of the said Court stil living) could not be put in execution, as by a true copy of the said petition herewith exhibited, and to which your peti- tioners for greater certainty beg leave to refer themselves, your petitioners humbly conceive will manifestly ap- pear; and as they are so unfortunate as to be deprived of having the sen- tence re-heard in that Court, by rea- son of the Death of the Judge, they do most humbly pray, as your honors are interested in the forfeiture of the said goods and utensils if they had been legally condemned, that you will in compassion to the unhappy circum- stances of your poor petitioners, be pleased to grant them such relief as you, in your wisdom shall think fit.
And your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.
DURST THOME.
It will be observed that these af- flicted German Swiss ancestors said that they arrived in the Ship Princess Augusta in 1736. . Upon making a search of the list of those who came in this vessel, which list is found in Second Series of Pennsylvania Ar- chives Vol .- 17, page 126 and also in Vol. 4, Col. Rec. page 72-we find among them the following general Lancaster County names. George and Jacob Myers, Jacob Miller, Jacob Bair, John Bumgardner, Philip Gard- ner, Charles Smith, William Huber,
Lawrence Simon, John Dubbs, Hans and Thomas Kerr, John Jacob Busch, John George Graeff (Groff), Christian Snavely (Sneiblein), Teilman Her- shel, Fred Greir, John Jacob Kellar, John Rudolph Erb, John Jacob Krei- der, John J. Dubbs, Fredrick Gardner, Sebastian Groff, Walter Bowman (Baumann), Melchoir Detweiler, Hans Zwalley, Peter and John Binkley, Ru- dolph Bumgardner, Jacob Christman, Jacob Lawrence, Nicholas Faree (Free), George Mowrer, Christian Shibley and Joseph Newell and others.
We may, perhaps, infer from this fact, that many of these people who suffered these hardships came to the Susquehanna Valley to settle. One thing is certain, if they did come up here, they came without their goods, for as we shall see in the next item, their goods were forfeited to the Gov- ernment and sold. A list of their goods will appear in the next item.
1737-List of Our German-Swiss An- cestors' Forfeited Goods and Dis-
posal of the Same.
The following petition (4 Col. Rec. 173) and the added items show how our ancestors fared in the difficulties mentioned in the preceding item.
"To the Honorable Charles Read. Esq., Judge of the Court of Vice Admiral- ty of the Province of Pennsylvania. The humble petition of Nicholas Tainy, Benedict Youghly. Bastian Graffts and George Graffts, passen- gers, in the plea of the aforesaid Samuel Marchant, mentioned on be- half of themselves and others. the passengers aforesaid, humbly show- eth :
That the said petitioners and others, the passengers aforesaid whose names are contained in a schedule hereunto annexed, were owners and .now claim property in Thirty Stoves, in the in-
261
GERMAN-SWISS AND NAVIGATION ACTS.
formation exhibited, called Chimney
backs, five hundred and ninety-six Syths, One hundred and three large Iron Instruments called Straw- knives, Fourteen Iron Instruments called drawing knives, Twenty seven Iron stew pans, eighty one Iron Ladles, Five dozen and three Iron Shovels, Twenty-seven Iron pot lids, Twelve Iron dripping pans and fry- ing pans, Thirteen axes and one hatchet, three small and one large crosscut saws, one gross of Shoemak- ers' and two of Saddlers' awls, six box Irons and six Chissels, Six Iron baking stove pans, Twenty three dozen of Clasp-knives, One dozen of Steels, One dozen of Plyers and Ham- mers, Six Iron Lamps, Six Trowels, One spade, One cask of nails and a smith's Vice, Fourten copper kettles, Five copper stills, Two dozen scissors, altogether
one packet of sleeve buttons and Studs, four Umbrellas, Four dozen and one half of Worsted Caps, Two dozen of printed linen Caps, Six pair of worsted stockings, Four pieces of striped cotton Handkerchiefs, Twenty five pieces of Tape, Two dozen black Girdles, One piece of black Crepe, One piece of striped Cotton, Nineteen pieces of Bedtick, Two pieces of brown Linen, One piece of blue and white Linen, Two dozen of ivory Combs, Two dozen and one half of tobacco Pipes with brass covers and a brass box, Two dozen of Ivory needle cases, Three handbrushes, Three dozen of Pewter Spoons, Three dozen of Spectacles, Eight looking Glasses, Eight Flutes, Six wooden Clocks, and one dozen of briarhook Sickles, in the information aforesaid mentioned; that to them they belong and were imported for their own private use, and not for sale; And say they are advised and hope to prove that the sentence against the Goods, Wares, and Merchandise aforesaid ought not to be put in execution, for
that the proceedings in the cause aforesaid against the said goods are Null, void, invalid, and of no force and effect in the law, for the several causes following, viz: for that it ap- pears by the plea of the said Samuel Marchant the goods aforesaid were the goods of those Claimants, and therefore, ought not to have been condemned without a hearing first given them, And also an opportunity of examining witnesses, by which it might have appeared to the Court here that the said goods were not liable to be condemned as forfeited; also, for that by the practice of this Court and Law in such cases, at least a third proclamation ought to have been made before the goods afore- said could legally be condemned; also for that the information aforesaid is
uncertain and illegal,
which has rendered the sentence grounded thereupon, altogether null and void; the said information being exhibited on behalf of the Governor or President, whereas, at the time of the exhibiting of that information, the Government, by the death of the late Lieutenant Governor and the laws of this province, devolves upon and still continues in the President and Coun- cil and not in the President only, and therefor the information aforesaid ought to have been in the name of the President and Council of the Province of Pennsylvania (in whom the power and authority of a Gov- ernor of this Province, by the death of the said late Lieutenant Gov- ernor, Patrick Gordon, Esq., deceased, is vested) and the sentence ought to have been pronounced accordingly. And even had this been done, as your Honor is a member of that very Council, and consequently interested in the event of the forfeiture, if any be, They submit it to your Honor whether it be consistent with the rules of Justice and Equity that any
262
SHIP RECORDS-MICHAEL WELFARE'S PREACHING.
sentence should be given in the premises at this time and in this Court.
For which reasons they humbly pray, that the said sentence may be reviewed, reheard, and not put in ex- ecution; but that the proceedings for the causes aforesaid may be declared invalid, null and void, and that the goods, wares, and merchandise afore- said be restored to their owners. And they, as in duty bound shall pray. NICHOLAS TAINY BENEDICT YOUGHLY BASTIAN GRAFFTS GEORGE GRAFFTS.
A schedule or list was likewise an- nexed to the foregoing petition, con- taining the names of One hundred and sixteen foreigners. Which petition and papers annexed, are contained un- der consideration."
Other steps taken by these unfor- tunate foreigners, concerning their goods, are found in the same book, page 226, where it is made plain, that all these goods were condemned and sold and the moneys given to the use of the English Government.
From these we observe, that since these German Swiss were not English and not naturalized, the goods which they attempted to bring to this coun- try and start their life here with, were liable to seizure as the English law did not allow any goods from any other country except England, to be imported into the colonies of Ameri- ca. It seems that under a certain taxation and restriction, certain amount of clothing and household goods could be brought over. But they fared very badly in the incident referred to above.
1737-Ship Records of the Preceding Year.
nate company who arrived in the Princess Augusta, set forth (ante) in these annals.
The only other ship arriving during that year was the Perth Amboy, ac- count of which is found in 2nd. Series of the Pa. Archives, Vol. 17, page 130. The immigrants arriving in this ship are as follows, common in Lancaster County :
Frantz - Hellar - Lambert - Stei- ger - Herr - Eberhart - Shultz - Haas - Rausch and Smith.
There are others arriving in this ship; but these are those of Lancas- ter County's common names.
1736 - Michael Welfare a German Baptist Preacher from Ephrata.
The Germans in and about Ephrata who followed a monastic religious life, produced several peculiar char- acters and a great many religious writings. One of these characters was Michael Welfare.
In the Pa. Gazette, in the issue of January 6, 1737, there is a notice of a book published by Welfare called, "The wisdom of God crying and call- ing to the sons and daughters of men for repentance."
The notice states, that this is really a sermon or testimony delivered to the people of Philadelphia Market September 1734 by Michael Welfare; together with some additional re- marks on the present state of affairs concerning christianity in Pennsyl- vania. To be sold by Benjamin Franklin. About the same time the testimony was delivered, a notice ap- peared in Franklin's newspaper under the date of September 25, 1734.
This may be found under that date in the preceding item of these annals.
1737-Ship Records For This Year.
The records of immigrants, coming to Pennsylvania in 1736, may be found. During this year we find 7 ship in the item setting forth, the unfortu-| loads of these German Swiss people.
263
HORRORS OF THE BORDER WARFARE.
Among the common Lancaster County names we find the following:
Four Alberts -- 2 Arnolds-2 Beck- ers - 6 Bowmans - 2 Fishers - 2 Frantzs-2 Falcks-4 Groves-2 Gar- bers-6 Habeckers-2 Kauffmans-4 Longs-3 Leamans-S Millers-2 Mey -! ers-2 Minnichs-2 Rotes-2 Reigels -- 2 Smiths -- 4 Stouts-3 Wolfes-3 Wises-2 Wagners-2 Welches-2 Zieglers-3 Stricklers-5 Shantzs and 3 Shrivers.
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