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 38
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1740-Taxation Without Representa- tion.
In Vol. 16 of Hazard's Register, 1:39-Laneaster County Reformed Germans Naturalized. page 253, there is an article showing the original letters of Peter Miller, who was a prominent figure in the Peter Miller In 4th Statutes at Large p. 327, will Ephrata settlement.
be found a list of what are called. writing about the events in his letter Reformed Lancaster County Germans of 1790 says, "that 50 years earlier, naturalized. This is the same list we which would have been 1740, the sub- gave in a previous item. although in ject of taxes came up and they were that item, we did not refer to them as all very poor at that time." He fur- being of Reformed faith. It is made ther states, that at that time, a Con- clear that they are not of Mennonite stable entered their Camp, for they faith. At the Court of St. James, May
lived in the form of a Camp then, and 12, 1740, an Act for naturalizing these demanded a single man's tax from Germans came before the King's each one of the single men. The Council, and on recommendation of Brethren differed among themselves the Lords Commissioners for Trade in opinion. some paid, some refused and of the Privy Council the Act for and claimed a personal immunity, on naturalizing was approved. the ground that, in the eastern coun-
EPHRATA DUNKERS AND TAXES-GERMAN-QUAKER COALITION. 271
tries the Monks and hermits were not low wall of mountain ridges between subject to taxes, they simply collected lower Susquehanna and the settle- every harvest by their labor so much ments following to the southwest into grain as was needed for the yearly the Potomac and other valleys, no longer formed the western boundary of our German population. supply and have also supplied all the prisons and helped the poor and, therefore, the old Roman Emperor
It is stated in Vol. 5, of the Colonial freed them from any taxes. They Records, page 445, that about 1740, claimed these early brethren were not Fredrick Starr, a German, with two inferior to those of ancient times. or three more of his countrymen The result was, that six of these made a small settlement in what is brethren were taken to jail at Lan- now called the Cumberland Valley. caster and were imprisoned 10 days
It seems that the Delawares roamed but were set free, and a veneral old in these parts of Pennsylvania and Justice of the Court offered himself for bail for them. His name was Tobias Hendricks.
that they considered it a breach of treaty, for white people to come into that section. They complained to the
When the Court came on and the Governor and the Governor said that brethren appeared before the Board, he would see that they were thrown the Judges became greatly impressed back over the mountains again. with the fear of God; because these We simply note this item as it seems to be the beginning of the Cum- 6 men had been reduced to skeletons, and finally, the Court decided they berland settlements. could go and be free; but, they should pay the tax as one family, that is the same as one head of a family would pay instead of each man paying a tax.
You can readily see, that the only excuse the brethren had, was that as they did not labor for gain and lay up estates; but spent their time in helping the poor and in teaching re- ligion, they should be freed of taxes.
1740-Historical Ephrata.
In Volume 15, of Hazard's Register, page 161, there is a historical sketch of our early German ancestors at Ephrata, stating that they came to America about 1719 and settled at Germantown, Skippack, Oley, Con- estoga and elsewhere. They formed a church at Germantown in 1723 and established a church at Muehlbach; and the account details, how they grew from time to time. It is too large an account for these annals.
1740-German Migration into the Cumberland Valley.
1740 -- Germans Support the Quakers in Opposing Gov. Thomas's War Spirit.
We all know that in 1740 Governor Thomas of Pennsylvania was very zealous in this Province, in gathering up soldiers to take part in King George's War-and he made no scru- ples of causing servants to leave their masters (who had paid for their services for a term of years), and entering the army. The Quakers op- posed this; and John Wright the pre- siding judge of our local courts (also a member of the Assembly) was strong in denouncing the governor. The governor refused to continue him longer as a judge and dropped him. He was a Quaker.
Gov. Thomas found himself opposed and overcome by the Quakers in the Assembly, and the Quaker members held their seats by the German vot- ers, who also opposed war measures.
The governor complained of this to It seems, that about this time, the England at last. In his communica-
272
GERMAN-SWISS FIRST TASTE OF POLITICS.
tion to the English Government Oct. 20, 1740 (Vol. 4 St. L. p. 468) he says in explanation of why he does not succeed better, that the Quakers and Germans, '"entered into consultation and came to a resolution to exert their whole power to secure a con- siderable majority of their own per- suasion to be chosen to assembly to oppose all expense on warlike prep- arations as they call it." That this was not secret but publicly openly avowed. Again p. 470 he says, "There is little reason to expect pro- vision for defense of the Province- as the same people at their yearly meeting which is now designed to direct the civil affairs of the govern- ment, instead of regulating religious affairs, were so strong that out of 30 members of the Assembly there are only 3 that are not Quakers. He then complains that "This could not have been effected had not the votes of the Germans (who are very numerous here) been engaged, by deceiving them into a belief that a militia will bring them under as severe a bondage to governors as they were formerly under their princes in Germany; that the expense would empoverish them, and that if any others than Quakers were chosen upon the Assembly they would be dragged down from their farms and be obliged to build forts as a tribute for their being admitted to settle in this Province. Many other falsehoods were spread among them in printed papers one of which fall- ing into my hands I have enclosed with as good a translation of it as I could procure."
Further on he says that "This pro- vince is become very populous from the great numbers that have for many years past come into it from England, Ireland and Germany-and there is now 10,000 pounds interest in the bank from the interest of paper money, etc."
He also says that though only one third of the people are Quakers yet by electioneering and using the Ger- man vote they elected all but 3 Quakers to the Assembly out of 30.
This article shows us several facts: -- that our early German and Swiss non resistant ancestors took an active part in elections, which in some branches is not exercised today-that they were however, not independent in politics as in religion, but were used by Quaker politicians-that they were fearful of expense and extrava- gance-that they were numerous- that they were for peace, and fearful of arbitrary power-and that they could easily be frightened, because of their ignorance of the constitution under which they lived. The translat- ed paper above referred to is not pre- served nor set forth.
1740-Earliest German-Swiss in Western Pennsylvania.
About this time or a little earlier, our Germans and Swiss found new homes in "western Pennsylvania." In Vol. 4 Votes of Assembly p. 140 it is noticed that some Germans were then settled in western Pennsylvania and were getting into trouble among the Six Nations of that place. Thus we see that at this early date, the coun- try toward the east was filled up and the new comers were obliged to seek homes farther west. We remember that by 1730 the whole country east of the Susquehanna River was filled up, and the migration into what is now York County began. We thus can trace the rate of growth and mi- gration westward, of these German- Swiss ancestors.
1740-Our Germans and King George's War.
This year, war having been de- clared against Spain by England which later (in 1744) included France
273
ARTHUR ANNESLEY AMONG THE GERMANS.
and became known as King Georg's War, the Governor of Pennsylvania ordered notice to be given to all per- sons in Pennsylvania, that they are invited to join Pennsylvania's expedi- tion against the Spanish West Indies; and that the persons to receive their enlistment in Lancaster County, were Dan Cookson, Andrew Galbraith, Thomas Edwards and Samuel Smith the late sheriff. The notice further set forth that these gentlemen were not permitted to give out any per- son's name who would join; but to keep it secret.
This notice was published in both German and English in the papers and was designed to attract the "Dutch servants" of the Lancaster County people. See American Weekly Mercury date Apr. 17, 1740, in the Historical Society Library of Penn- sylvania at Philadelphia, where old newspapers are on file.
The design of not giving out any- body's names was to prevent the own- ers of servants from making claim and from obtaining knowledge of where their servants were.
The fact that German servants and free Germans were enlisting is shown by the names of some of them who deserted the army, who were from Lancaster County and also by the following article:
"Notice is hereby given to all mas- ters of servants in the Counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester and Lan- caster who may have in any manner suffered by the late enlisting of serv- ants, that they immediately make known their several grievances to the constables of their respective town- ships, who have orders to transmit the same to Philadelphia, to the com- mittee of grievances appointed by the Assembly." See Pa. Gazette, Aug. 14, 1740.
Though names cannot be ascer- tained yet there were a great many of our German-Swiss ancestors in the
military operations between England, Spain and France, of these early days. We were loyal Englishmen then and fought for mother Britain against her European foes. But later we com- pelled her to acknowledge our inde- pendence.
1740-A Lancaster County German Had a Genuine English Lord as a Servant.
Lord Altham, whose name was Arthur Annesley, and who was mar- ried to the daughter of the Earl of Buckingham in 1715 had a son James by her the next year. Then he had a difference with his wife and separat- ed-soon afterwards, she died and the father became intimate with a Miss Gergory. She expected to marry the lord, and did all she could to alienate the father's affection for his son. The son was placed in a Dublin school, and in a few years the father died. Then his brother, uncle of James, to possess his brother's estate, enticed the boy on board a vessel for America in 1728. He was landed at Philadel- phia a redemptioner that fall, at the age of 13 years, sold as a redemption- er, and served 12 years here in our county in rough farm labor. In 1740 when he was about 25 years of age two Irishmen found him, working for an old German, in the eastern part of Lancaster County near the "40-mile" stone on the Lancaster road. The two Irishmen found that they and the boy were all from the same locality in Ireland and they agreed to go back with him and testify to his identity and prove his lordship; and did so. In England, James was tried for kill- ing a man, which he accidentally did soon after arriving, and his uncle tried to have him convicted. But he was acquitted. The great estate was given to the boy, but he did not live long, when his uncle again became entitled to it; but he also died soon after coming to it-a finished villian
274
SETTLEMENTS ON PEQUEA AND CONESTOGA.
and an Irish nobleman. (See Vol. 9) Haz. Rec. 145.)
This is perhaps the only case in which a plain German Lancaster on September 27, 1681, granted to County farmer had a member of the British nobility as a farm hand; al- beit, many Americans have had scores of fool British nobility sons-in-law since.
1740-An Echo From the First Set- tlement.
Among the first settlers on Pequea in 1710, there was one named Martin Mylin. Thirty years later his son Martin Mylin erected on the Mylin tract just east of what is now Willow Street, a fine large stone house of imposing proportions. Rupp tells us, pp. 286 and 287, that the house, com- pared with the modest dwellings of
There was a conveyance this same the times was so much a mansion year on November 22, for 192 acres that the settlement who were prac- of land in Sadsbury Township from James Masgrove to Daniel McCon- nell. (Same book p. 27.) tically all unassuming Mennonists, were greatly excited and felt it their duty to take him seriously to task I cite this transaction on Conestoga Creek to show the state of German- Swiss settlement at this date. And I - -- give the history of the transaction to show the fact that the early land titles of this county run back far be- yond the first deeds. In this case 60 years elapsed before a deed was given and 16 years between the warrant and the deed. for such violations of the principles of humility which were fundamental in their faith. Therefore, they called a meeting and protested against such ambitious building on the ground that it would seriously affect the peace and harmony of the community and offend their central tenet of humility. Brother Mylin, however, mollified the brethren; and with a Penn made many sales of land in Pennsylvania in 1681 and 1682 which land was not taken up and settled until 1720-1725 and later. sober and friendly admonition against further grandeur and display the mat- ter was dropped. The house was en- during and substantial as well as palatial and stood until a few years ago.
1740-Land Transactions of This Year.
This year Jos. Shippen and wife sold by deed of December 6, 1740, a tract of 94 and 2-3 acres of land on the Conestoga Creek, and also a tract Kieffers.
of 100 acres adjoining it by deed dated December 9, 1740, to Oswald lowing:
Hostetter. (See Recorder's Office, Lancaster, Book A, pp. 25 & 29.) These deeds recite that, William Penn
Charles Jones, Sr., and Charles Jones, Jr., soap boilers of Bristol, England, 2000 acres of land in Pennsylvania to be surveyed. From the Joneses it passed Nov. 4, 1711, to Esther Ship- pen, wife of Edward Shippen and from them to their grand-son Joseph Shippen by will August 4, 1724. Michael Shank paid 35 pounds for his 194 and 2-3 acres.
It is described as a tract on a branch of the Conestoga and extends 130 perches or nearly half a mile north and south and 123 perches or about three-eighth of a mile east and west. The Hostetter tract lies by it.
1741-Ship Records For This Year.
During this year we find 9 ship loads of these German Swiss people.
Among the common Lancaster County names we find the following:
2 Bernharts -- 2 Kocks-2 Millers-2 Myers-2 Martins-2 Welshes and 2
We also find one each of the fo !-
275
NAMES OF GERMAN-SWISS IMMIGRANTS.
Arnold - Becker - Bitner - Bieg-[
were breaking out among them on ler - Berger - Frey - Hess - Hu- ship, they were suspected of bringing ber - Henry - Hertzog - Hoffman -- Keiper - Kemper - Kapp - Reese - Ruth -Kapp - Smith - Snyder - Stout - Wagner and Wolfe.
These German Swiss people came in the ship "Frances & Ann," Thomas Coatman master -- "St. Mark," Thomas Wilson master-"Lydia," James Allen master -- "Marlborough," Thomas Bell master-"St. Andrew," Chas. Sted- man master-"Friendship," Alexander Thomas master-"Snow Molly," John Cranch master -- "Snow Thane," Wil- liam Weems master and "Europa," Lumnsdaine, master.
1:41-Contagious Diseases on Ship Board.
The question of contagious diseases among the German Swiss immigrants : for some time had caused a great deal of excitement and trouble; but about 1740 and 1741 measures began to be passed to guarantee protection against the spread of the diseases. The Government appointed Dr. Graeme to make a report and investi- gation on the condition and upon the necessity of erecting a lazaretto or quarantine. What he did on the mat- ter will be found in Vol. 4, Col. Rec., page 515.
The German Swiss about this time began to feel that they were quite disfavored in Pennsylvania; and in fact they had great reasons to feel that way; because every Legislature had something to say against them. They were looked upon suspiciously. This was partly because of them being aliens and partly because they began to take positions in political affairs in the Province. At least those who were naturalized. (See Rupp page 286 and Lyle's history page 126. A few years later they be- gan to be very zealous politicians.
Now that these contagious diseases
over foreign fevers and foreign ail- ments. They themselves asked for quarantine. (4 Col. Rec. 507.) In sloops which had been landing it was reported that great fear seemed to be rising in Pennsylvania, because they were afraid of the spread of small pox and other sicknesses. (See 4 Col. Rec. pps. 496 and 49S.)
The province of Pennsylvania passed a law for the protection of them- selves as well as of the Province in general, from the diseases which were being founded. (See Vol. 4 Col. Rec. p. 475.) The Governor was glad that the Assembly could agree to some- thing favorable to these people, and he expressed himself favorably to them. (See Vol. 4 Col. Rec. p. 511.)
These German Swiss people felt that these new troubles were very likely to cause more intolerance to be exercised towards them, and there- fore, that began to seek toleration. Some of their troubles can be seen in Vol. 3 Votes of Assembly, p. 347.
1741-Tremendous Snow Storm and Cold Winter in Lancaster.
In the Penna. Gazette, under the date of April 9, 1741, we are given a picture of some of the suffering of these German Swiss in the Conestoga settlement, at that early date.
The article is as follows:
"We hear from Lancaster County, that during the continuance of the great snow, which in general was more than three feet deep, great num- bers of the back inhabitants suffered much for want of bread; that many families of the new settlers for some time had little else to subsist them but the carcasses of deer they found dead or dying in the swamps or runs about their houses. And although they had given all their grain to their cat- tle many horses and cows are dead,
276
LOCAL GERMAN-SWISS AND THE ELECTION RIOT OF 1742.
and the greatest part of the gangs in the woods are dead, that the deer which could not struggle through the snow to the springs are believed to be all dead, and many of those which did get into the Savannahs are also dead, ten, twelve or fifteen being found in the compass of a few acres of land. The Indians fear the winter has been fatal to the deer, turkeys, etc., in these northern parts-that they will be scarce for many years.
We also hear, that a young woman in Derry Township attempting to get home about one mile, as soon as she came within sight of her father's home turned out the horse which she had borrowed of her neighbor, as he directed her, but not being able to make her way through the snow, she threw off her clothes and attempted to return in the horse's footing, but after much struggle as appeared by her tracks froze to death."
Therefore, we have here another evidence that our early ancestors had a very rugged existence in this new country.
1742-Amish Mennonites Petition As- sembly.
Hazard's Register (Vol. 5, page 21) informs us that in 1742 a number of Germans stated to the General As- sembly that "They had emigrated from Europe by an invitation from the Proprietaries; they had been brought up, and were attached to the Amish Doctrines, and were conscien- tiously scrupulous against taking oaths-they therefore, cannot be nat- uralized agreeably to the existing law."
To remedy this a law was passed allowing them to be naturalized.
These people followed the leader- ship of Jacob Aman. originally, sep- arating themselves from the main Mennonite Church to which they had belonged. The factions were then
known as the Reist and Amman branches of the church. They be- lieved in a more primitive form of worship and in "foot-washing" as the form of sacrament. This subject is discussed in these annals under date of 1693, page 128, ante.
1742-Germans and the Election Riot of 1742.
In the fall of 1742 there was a serious election riot, between what was known as the "country party" and the "city party" in Philadelphia. The city party secured a lot of toughs and dare-devil sailors to appear at the election and with clubs and mis- siles terrorize the Quakers and Ger- mans as they came to vote. The city party asserted that the country party in recent years imported Germans from Lancaster county and other places to help swell their Philadelphia vote, and alleged that many of such persons were present at this election. At any rate, an ugly fight ensued. The matter came before the Governor and Council and also before the Assembly.
The petition of the country party is found in Vol. 4, Col. Rec. 620. The proceedings in Assembly are found in Vol. 3, Votes of Assembly page 498 and also pages 564 to 575.
Some of the witnesses for the coun- try party were Hugh Roberts who said the mayor refused to quell the sailor rowdies and to call the con- stables together. John Dellyn also testified and said the mayor simply said the sailors "have as much right at the election as the 'Dutchmen' you had to meet at Reese Meredith's last night."
Thomas Lloyd said about 50 sailors led the fight. He reported it to the city Recorder and that officer said he heard that 300 unnaturalized Dutch- men (Germans) had come down to the city armed with clubs and stated the sailors had as much right as those Dutchmen.
LOCAL GERMAN-SWISS AND FIDELITY TO THE PROVINCE. 277
Jos. Wharton in his testimony said | had been formed and that the magis- there was a riot like this two years trates did not try to suppress it and before and that there are only 400 that the origin of the plot must be found and all concerned in it must be punished. (Do. p. 501). naturalized Dutch in the county and many more were at the polls (p. 568). Another witness said that one of the This will suffice to show us that the early Germans here were subjects upon which politicians could draw to further their ends and also that many of those Germans and Swiss were zealously interested in the political affairs and in the Government of the Province; and I fear it is true that some of the unnaturalized (who did not have the right to vote) could be induced and frequently were induced to vote. We shall see that this was so, not only in Philadelphia, but in Lancaster County also. I do not know whether any of the Germans or Swiss engaged in the Philadelphia riot were from Lancaster County or not. The statement that they were "brought down" to vote may mean were brought down from Germantown to Philadelphia proper. Some may have come from other counties. But the chief grievance was that they tried to vote and did vote though unnat- uralized. officers declared he would not stop the rioting sailors as they had as much right there "as the Dutch that you have brought down to vote" (do .! 568). A witness said that every year they had trouble to dissuade the un- naturalized Dutch from voting and arming themselves with clubs. John Rynell (p. 571) testified that the Re- corder when asked to restore order said "the sailors have as much right at the election as the unnaturalized Palatines many of whom have come down to the city to vote." A witness (Samuel Maris) said Captain Mitchell was drinking with the sailors and when spoken to, that he said it was agreed that these sailors and others should be there too, with clubs as the country party intended to have a lot of unnaturalized Dutch on hand to ! vote. Another witness Jo Hitchcock said he heard a gang of rough sailors going from the wharf to the Court House with sticks and asked them where they were going and they said "to knock down the broad brims." (p. 575). John Mitchell said he heard sailors say "Damm it, let us go down and knock those Dutch s-s of b-s off the steps." (p. 578). Another wit- ness heard the city party call the country party "Broad-brims and Dutch dogs." Another witness said the City Recorder said "There are only 400 naturalized Dutch in the county and you have over 1000 of them here" (p. 586).
The Assembly having heard all this testimony decided to draw up a "humble petition" to the Governor setting forth that a pre-meditated de- sign of disturbing the public peace of the province and terrorizing elections ;
The riot at any rate did not suc- ceed in defeating the German and Quaker vote, because a large Quaker assembly was elected helped by the votes of their German friends. The action of the new assembly in resolv- ing to punish the rioters, studiously avoids any reference to Germans vot- ing illegally. This is ignored as if there is nothing in it.
1742-German-Swiss Ancestors Re- Assure the Government.
Our unpopular German-Swiss local ancestors were now being continually accused of lack of love for the Gov- ernment in Pennsylvania. But in every instance they proved that they were wrongly suspected. Excitement ran high against them. To allay the feeling and prejudice they held a
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