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 46
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51
The memorial of the Aymenish and Mennonists, breathes the spirit of a William Tell. It was written prob- ably by Emanuel Zimmerman, as his name is attached to it, on behalf of the Amish, Mennonists. etc."
1760-Newspaper in Lancaster.
In Vol. 6 of the Register, page 137, we have an item stating that in 1760 there were five newspapers in Penn- sylvania, all weekly, three in Phila- delphia, one in Germantown and one in Lancaster. We may state that Lancaster had a paper several years before that, the Lancaster Gazette, which was put out about 1754 and ran in two years. It contains interesting items concerning the early fairs which were held in May and October each year for the purpose of selling goods; and also items about the schools at that time. Also in the Pennsylvania Gazette on November : miles apart visit one another now.
"WHEREAS Rudolph Miller & Bar- bara Miller came over from Switzer- land to this Province with their father Jacob Miller, since deceased, and their sister Regina; and the said Rudolph and Barbara were then bound out as apprentices; and the said Regina has never since heard of her said brother and sister: she therefore desires them or either of them, if they hear of this advertise- ment to direct a letter to her or to her husband Daniel Kohn living at Conestoga Ferry near Lancaster."
This is similar no doubt to many cases that happened in those early days. One would think that when there were so few people it would not be hard to find the relations of one another; but it must not be for- gotten that there were no railroads nor modern conveniences and that travel was very difficult. Thus it happened people living thirty or forty niles apart did not get to see one another as often as people living 1000
S
33T
GERMANS AND LAND PURCHASES-WOOD TRUST.
1760-London Company's Lands Go to the German-Swiss.
In Pennsylvania Gazette December 11, 1760, there is an advertisement announcing the sale of the land of the London Company which consisted of 15 tracts. This land was in Philadel- phia County-Bucks County -- Lancas- ter County -and other sections of Pennsylvania. The sale was adver- tised for April 2, 1761; but the Gazette of that year does not give any ac- count of the sale.
From the description of the land in Lancaster County which are tracts number 12 and 13 it is seen that at this time this land was surrounded by German settlers. There is no doubt that these same Germans also bought up the land. The German- Swiss descendants occupy it today as the Germans have done in previous years.
Tracts 12 and 13 are described as follows:
2. Tract (2500 acres) in Lampeter 1 and Manheim township, and partly on Conestoga Creek and on the road from the city to Lancaster and ex- tends within a mile of that town, containing upwards of 2500 acres, laid out in plantations, now in the pos- session of John Kirk, David Craw- ford, Andrew Baisinger, James Pat- terson, John Rorer, Christian Stover, Widow McFilly, Mart Mosser, Rudisball and others, and is bounded by land of Sebastian Grove, Michael Immel dec'd, Melchor Snyder, Leon- ard Bender, John & Win. Bond, Jacob Hartman, Darus Buckwalter and others and is intended to be sold in parcels.
13. Tract (1874 acres) Strasburg Twp., on a branch of Pequea contain- ing 1874 acres bounded by land of John & Isaac Ferree, John McCauley, John Elliott, John Huston, Matthias Slayermackers and others. It now service and compel them to attend to consists of five plantations in posses- sion of Mathias, Daniel and Henry i
Slayermackers, Robert Smith, John Huston, Wni. White, Isaac Taylor and others and is intended to be sold in as many parcels.
1760-High Price of Wood in German Valleys.
It seems that the German-Swiss soon learned that the good heavy tim- ber in the rich lime stone lands which they owned was very valuable and that they had the best grade of it found anywhere. Thus as time went on they began to ask and got high prices for it. Of course hauling it was an item of expense.
In the Pennsylvania Gazette of January 10, 1760, the situation is set forth as follows:
"Help! help! help! Wood at 3 pounds and 10 shillings a cord,-a price never before heard of. The country men say we have wood enough. The boatman says he can bring two loads while he is bringing and unloading one. The merchants complain that the boatmen can bring wood at the same time they are bring- ing sugar. The woman hears a noise in her yard, rises from her bed at midnight and from her window sees a thief and she asks him what he is doing. He answers, that he must have wood. In the morning she views her small pile and laments the loss of half a cord. The rich engross, while perhaps 200 families have not a stick to burn. And thus it is at the very moment, that at one house two persons lie dead of small-pox.
Should not the fathers of the city do something in this extremity? Can- not our magistrates appoint an of- ficer or officers to inspect every boat -- and to agree on a price of the whole -- make them distribute their wood in small quantites at a price agreed on- restrain the carmen from every other the boats until they are unloaded? If this or something to the same par-
332
CONDITION OF PALATINES AT THIS DATE.
pose be not done, what may be the condition of this city before the be- ginning of next February?"
Here was a wood famine. We are beginning, in this 20th century, to notice that a question is rising as to coal becoming harder to get and ; going higher and higher in price. We are not as far on yet, in the pinch- ing stage of the coal question, as our ancestors were in 1760 in the wood question. Thus we see that the same difficulties come round again and again. There evidently was a great deal of the mean monopolistic spirit then as now. Old King "Selfishness" would crush and destroy others for his own gluttonous self then, as now.
1761-Conditions in the Palatinate at This Time.
He says his father corresponded with this Egly and his children some years; but not of late. He also says he is the only child of Ulrich Hack- man and Maria Egly Hackman and lives in Manheim, the capital of the elector,-that he has eight nephews and nieces (brother's children) and that four of them have gone to Penn- sylvania in America.
The balance of his letter is as fol- lows:
"As for me and our congregation here in Mannheim, we number seven- teen families and are contentd in our condition. Thank God, we have not had any great burden on account of the war. We have a gracious lord- ship and reasonable liberty and cit- izens' right to do business for a liv- ing. I distil whiskey as my means of livelihood. In our worship we are not disturbed. The meetings are held
Mr. John C. Egly of Philadelphia has a letter written in Manheim, in the Palatinate, in 1761 by John Jacob : in my house. As far as our country- Hackman to a relative or friend in men are concerned, they have some- what heavier burdens to bear because of the war and winter quarters and forage for the army. Still we fare better than the people who have to provide quarters for the soldiers both summer and winter. This we have not had to do here in the Palatinate, for which we cannot be sufficiently grateful to the Lord. Everything is, of course, dear-food and other neces- sities. For the French army is sta- tioned only eight miles away and is lying in winter quarters only two miles away. I do not intend to write much more now about the circum- stances of our country. Holstein inquiring concerning rela- tives there, a short sketch of his re- lationship and also giving something of the religious conditions and liberty there at that time. It required 8 years for this letter to reach its des- tination-the addressee acknowledges that he received it in 1769. The dis- tance was only a couple hundred miles. It is remarkable that such delay ensued. We give below the sense of the first part of it; but the part concerning conditions in the Palatinate is given in full. Those in- terested may see the whole letter in the Mennonite Year Book of 1914, page 35.
You will already have understood our situation. I pray, therefor, dear brother, not to think hard of me for thus troubling you in taking the lib- erty of writing to you.
In the letter Hackman says that he has relatives in Holstein, near Fred- erickstadt-his mother's brother Con- rad Egly, who was born in the Palati- nate. He states that during the late If I can otherwise be of service to you, I shall do so with pleasure. If you wish to reply to my letter, ad- dress me Jacob Hackman, at the war the Palatines moved to Holstein, temporarily, most of them returning after the war; but that Conrad Egly and Conrad Strickler did not return. | Schwarzen Lamme, Mannheim. God
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT OF GERMANS-THEIR FINANCES.
bless you, and greetings and the pro- tection of the Most High to all who read this. Commending all friends and brethren in Christ to God's care, I remain,
Your faithful servant,
JOHANN JACOB HACKMAN."
This shows again the conditions even in 1761 which made it hard for our German-Swiss ancestors to live their peaceful religious lives in Europe. The reasons are very plain why they came to the Susquehanna and Conestoga.
1761 -- Ship Records of this Year.
The Col. Rec. (Vol. 17, second series, page 454) record only one vessel ar- riving in Philadelphia carrying Ger- man Palatines this year. It was named the "Squirrel," and carried only thirty heads of families. There may have been many wives and chil- dren on board. Her master was "John Benn" and she came from Rotterdam by way of Portsmouth and arrived in Philadelphia Oct. 21, 1761.
The names of the men on board were:
Peter Mischler, Christophel Bom- berg, Andreas Graff, Daniel Schaab, Valentin Anwaldt, Johann Wilhelm Serger, Joh. Nickel Hertzog, Nicolaus Schweitzer, Wilhelm Becker, Henrich Holtzapfel, Friederich Probst, John Henry Diessinger, Johann Friederich Diehl, Johan Ludwig Probst, Johann Dietrich Taub, Eberhart Disinger, Johannes Beyerele, Stephan Danner, Friederich Lieberknecht, Casper Kno- baluch, Johan Simon Mayer, Johann Conrad Serger, Johan Nickel Becker, George Vogelgesang, Hans Eckardt, Joh. Jacob Vogelgesang, Georg Fried- erich Rohrer, Johann Jacob Hackman, Johann Nicolaus Diehl, Johan Jacob Probst.
ner, Mayer, Zercher, Eckert, Rohrer, Hackman and others. In 1762, no re- corded ships arrived at all.
1762-Early Executions in Lancaster County.
It frequently happened that capital punishment was inflicted upon crim- inals in early colonial times. The German-Swiss in southeastern Penn- sylvania figured frequently in crimes so severely punished. We have re- ferred to crimes that were not uncom- mon to the more ignorant German women's weaknesses.
We now set forth the predicament of two more Germans who were sen- tenced . to death. Their felony was burglary. For this they were con- demned to die. The record states that Anthony Miller, John Heller and Cor- nelius Dougherty were convicted of burglary in Lancaster County on No- vember 1st, 1762. No application was made to the council for a substitute for the death penalty and thus on November 11th, 1762, it was ordered that the sheriff of Lancaster County execute them by hanging, Saturday, November 20th. Apparently they were hanged that day.
The horror of capital punishment shocks the senses today; but in those days it was inflicted even for burglary because people lived widely separated; and burglary was more serious than now and often resulted in death. The victims could not secure help. The swiftness with which sentence and execution followed the verdict is a noticeable fact. The "hangings" were carried out on Saturday because it was a day when hundreds could be present to witness the entertainment. See this record in Vol. 9 Col. Rec. 5.
1762-Financial Standing of Germans and English in Lancaster at This Date.
Among them we notice many com- mon Lancaster County names, viz: Mishler, Boniberger, Groff, Schweitzer, This year a law was passed provid- Becker, Brobst, Disinger, Byerly, Dan-ling for a night watch for Lancaster
334
SHIP RECORDS OF IMMIGRANTS.
Borough. The people, living on the ' Andrew Graff-James Sanderson-Wm. outskirts of the town, petitioned to have a law passed for the repeal of the law on the ground of its expense. This led a large number of the citizens who lived in the heart of the town to op- pose the repeal. These citizens say that those who want the law repealed "are possessed of little property and liable to bear very little tax" and that the greater part of the taxes fall on those who desire the law to remain.
Complaint is also made that those who want the repeal acted in a secret manner. The petitioners there con- clude as follows:
"Your petitioners beg to observe that without the aid of the law or one sim- ilar the borough will be exposed to the greatest disorders by reason of the near situation of houses therein to each other-that the chief intent in applying for a law was to furnish themselves with a sufficient quantity of water, lodged in public parts of the borough to prevent fire which expense is too much for subscription ; and that | Peter Gonder and Michael Garther."
the useful design of the several fire companies of the borough purchasing engines, etc., buckets at great cost is frustrated by the want of water. Your petitioners beseech your honors not to assent to the law to repeal; and fur- ther that the house reconsider the bill and pass one which will allow the levy of a tax for the purpose of supplying a quantity of water in case of fire."
The signers are:
Jevon-John Ceary-Michael Diffen- derfer-Wm. Montgomery-Jas. Solo- man-Ulrich Reigart-Geo. Peters- Lowerntz Margert - Royer Connor - Union Fire Co .- Edw. Shippen-Adom Simon Kuhn - Christian Crawford - John Hopson - Rudy Stoner - Geo. Graeff - Christian , Voght - Frederick Dombrey - Thomas . Boyd - Anthony Snyder - Adam Reigart - Christ Rei- gart-Lenhart Kleis-John Eberman- Henry Dchoff-Balzer Keller-Math- ias Slough-Jos. Simon-Nis Miller- Sun Fire Company - Martin Quay- Michael Gross-Paul Wentzel-Christ Wentz-Casper Singer-Christ Mend- enball - Wm. Bausman -Christian Hayne-John Spoore-Philip Bush- John Henry-Wm. Lasch-Chely Lint- ner-Christian Stone-Bernard Hubly -Philip Beakler-John Epple-John Barr - Michael Fordner - John Ham- bright-Michael Job-Jawb Weaver- Daniel May-Simon Schnyder-Henry Hutlenstein -- Christian Knerscheldt-
From this list it will be seen by going over the above names that about half these petitioners (who say they are the chief men of substance in the town) are English and half are Ger- man-Swiss. The original petition and list of signers may be found in a vol- ume of manuscripts in the library of the Pennsylvania Historical Society at Philadelphia known as Miscellaneous Papers of Lancaster County (1724- 1772) on page 157.
"James Burd (Chief Burgess)-Isaac Whitlock -- A. Hubley-John Fellman- 1763-Ship Records of This Year. Caster Shaffer-Lodewick Stone-Geo. Moyer-Wm. Henry-Stofel Franciscus Four vessels carrying Palatines ar- rived in Philadelphia harbor this year : The Richmond under Capt. Chas. Y. Husband from Rotterdam via Ports- mouth Oct. 5; The Chance, under Capt. Chas. Smith from same place via Cowes Nov. 1; The Success under Capt. Wm. Marshall from same place Nov. 25. 1763; and the Pallas, under - Casper Shaffner (Town Clerk) - Friendship Fire Co .- Thos. Barton- Miller Albertson-Wm. White-Jacob Jeller-David Trissler-John Miller- Jas. Marchall - Philip Frank - John Grassel-Nicolas Stoner-Stofel Mar- tin-Fred Shadel-Mary Louman-Se- bastian Graff-Jocob Clefs-John. Mus- ser -Ludwig Louman-Jos. Chalye-| Richard Milner from same place via
335
GERMANS AGAINST PAXTON MURDER-CLEARING LAND.
Portsmouth Nov. 25. The total num -! ing outside. Mr. Barber was not per- ber of heads of families, or male adults reported in them was 248. This list may represent perhaps 800 to 1000 persons.
Among the familiar southeastern Pennsylvania names in the list are: Alsbach - Shellenberger - Kessler - Hauch - Becker - Wolf -- Arnold - Schmidt - Huber - Johns - Hauser - Schwabb - Zeiner - Ebersohl - Hoffman - Behr - Miller - Weller - Gill - Bernhart - Menges - Christ - Speilman - Hedrick Christman - Helm - Bauman - Moyer -- Kuhnete --- Wagner - Schoff -- Wendell - Flick - Blum - Ham- mer - Scherer -- Keiser - Pieffer - Groff - Rohrig - Burkholder - Schweitzer - Sehner - Seitz and Schreiber.
In some instances there are several of the same name in the list. These names are almost wholly sure Swiss though there is a percentage of Ger- mans among them. (See series 2 of 'Pa. Arch. Vol. 17 page 455, etc.)
1763-German Tries To Stop Paxton Murder.
From the manuscript journal of the great-granddaughter of Robert Bar- ber, one of the three pioneer settlers of Columbia; it is stated by Arthur B. Bradford in Vol. 9 Haz. Reg. P. P. 114 and 115 that "On a snowy morning in December, 1763, a German neighbour came to Robert Barber's house, and requested him to go with him in pur- suit of some ones who had been at his house the night before, and whom he called robbers. They had behaved in a very disorderly manner, such as melting the pewter spoons on the stove, etc. Mr. Barber, supposing it had been some persons in a frolic, ad- vised his friend to take no notice of it. He had scarcely left the house, when five or six men came in, very cold, their great coats covered with snow and wet. They left their guns stand-
sonally acquainted with them, though he knew from what part of the coun- try they came. He made up a fire to warm, and treated them to the cus- tomary morning refreshments. While they warmed themselves, they in- quired why the Indians were suffered to live peaceably here. Mr. Barber said they were entirely inoffensive, being on their own lands, and injur- ing no one. They asked what would be the consequence if they were all destroyed? Mr. Barber said he thought they would be as liable to punishment as if they had destroyed so many white men. They said, they were of a dif- ferent opinion, and in a few minutes went out. In the mean time, however, two sons of Mr. B. about 10 or 12 years old, went out to look at the strangers' horses, which were hitched at a little distance from the house. After the men went, the boys came in and said they (the men) had tomahawks, tied to their saddles, which were all bloody, and that they had Christy's gun, (Christy was a little Indian boy about their own age-they were much attached to him, as he was their play- mate, and made their bows and ar- rows, and other means of amuse- ment.) While the family all wondered what it could mean, a messenger came from Herr, giving information of the dreadful deed. Mr. Barber and some others went down to see the extent of the massacre. Shocking indeed was the sight !- the dead bodies of four- teen poor Indians lay among the rub- bish of their burnt cabins, like half consumed logs! Mr. Barber after some trouble, procured their bodies to administer to them the rights of sepulchre."
1763-German-Swiss' Strenuous Clear- ing of Land.
Hazard in Vol. 5 of this register, page 22, says under date of 1763: "The rapid growth of the county by large
336
MENNONITES KIND TO INDIANS.
healthy is now become unhealthy: They, therefore, pray that the Assem- bly pass a Law requiring the Sheriff to remove said dams, as there would be left no less than ten good Grist Mills, all in the distance of five miles from the town of Lancaster."
and extensive clearings, made each year by enterprising emigrants from Germany, Holland, and Ireland, in- duced also many of the worthless, idle, and dissolute to follow, and therefore compelled the honest settlers to build a House of Correction for the punish- ment of the vicious. A large number Note .- The owners of said dams altered them so as to remove many of the causes of complaint. of the Scotch-Irish, in consequence of the limestone land being liable to frost and heavily wooded, seated them- 1763-Mennonists Help Indian Victims. selves along the northern line of the counties of Chester and Lancaster, well known at an early period by the In the Pennsylvania Gazette of Aug. 4, 1763, the following item dated Lan- caster, July 28, occurs : name of the "Chestnut Glade." The Germans purchased their little im- provements, and were not intimidat- There are certain accounts that In. dians have passed the South Mountain and are gone into York County, and that some of them have assuredly been near Carlisle. The wants of the distressed refuges have been greatly relieved by sums of money collected in the different congregations in Lan- caster County. The Quakers and Men- nonists have been very liberal on this occasion, having raised a considerable sum and having hired men to assist the poor people in gathering in as much of their harvest as possible- and we are told that several large parties have again attempted to go over the mountains for this necessary and laudable purpose, but the risk they run is so great we cannot think of them without dread." ed either by the difficulty of clearing, the want of water, and the liability to frost which at this period was experi- enced every month in the year. Sev- eral valuable mills were built, but altho' very necessary for the settle- ment, they became a subject of much irritation among the farmers on the waters of the Conestoga, as appears from a petition presented to the Gen- eral Assembly, stating, "that Michael Garber, Sebastian Graff, and Hans Christy, erected three large dams on Conestoga Creek, to the great injury and detriment of the settlers on its banks; that said Creek flows about thirty miles through a woody and fer- tile country, of a width about 250 feet, well calculated for boats and rafts, of wood; that the price of wood in Lan- While this item mainly shows the Indian situation in southeastern Penn- sylvania at this date, it also shows that the German-Swiss people were liberal in helping to relieve distress and gives us a picture of the "good old times" in which they lived. caster is raised to 10s. a load for oak and 15s. for hickory; that before the dams were built, wood was lower, and they had an abundant supply; before any dams were built shad, salmon, and rock fish were in abundance, and in the tributary streams plenty of trout; 1764-Mennonists Kind to Indians till Extinction. before the water was dammed up, the country was free from pestilential In the Annals of the Suskuehan- nocks, etc., page 386, published by the present compiler in 1909, the follow- ing item showing the kindness of the fevers and from diseases of every kind; that in consequence of the dam- ming of the water, the country along the Conestoga is visited by an autum- German-Swiss toward the Indians of nal fever, and that which was formerly | lower Susquehanna Valley occurs:
.
337
GERMAN-SWISS IMMIGRANTS AT THIS DATE.
"In a lonely spot in one of the back pasture fields of this Homestead (The Old Hershey Homestead) the visitors found four stone markers set securely in the ground within whose enclosure lie the remains of "Michael and Mary," the last two Indians of Lan- caster County. These Indians were friendly and during their declining years were cared for by Christian Hershey, who then owned the home- stead. The following document was read by Mr. Hershey at this spot, after prayer over the remains of these last Children of the Forest, by Rev. Her- shey.
'Protection for Two Friendly Indians In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
By Ho'ble John Penn, Esq., &c., To Whom It May Concern:
Greeting: Whereas, I am given too understand that the Bearers Michael and Mary his wife are friendly Indians who formerly resided with other In- dians in the Conestoga Manor, and have for upwards of fifteen months past lived with Christian ,Hershey, at his plantation in Warwick Town- ship, Lancaster Co., Pa., during which time they have constantly behaved in the most friendly and peaceable man- ner to all his Majesty's subjects, I do hereby grant the said Michael and Mary my protection and do enjoin and require all officers, civil and Military, as well as all other persons whatso- ever within this Government to suffer to pass and repass on their lawful business without the least molestation or interruption, and they are hereby also desired to treat the said Indians with Civility and to afford them all necessary assistance.
Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms at Philadelphia, the 17th Aug., 1764.'
JOHN PENN.
'By his Honour's Command.
JOHN SHIPPEN, Secretary.
Thus it will be noticed that the Her- shey family is honored with decently burying the last Indians of Lancaster County and suitably marking their graves."
1764-Ship Records of This Year.
The vessels importing Gtrman-Swiss Palatines to Pennsylvania in 1764 were:
The Ship "Polly," Captain Robert Porter, from Rotterdam by the way of Cowes, September 19, 1764, carrying 56 passengers; among the familiar names in the list are: Beck-Galle- Mann - Bergman - Wenger - Konig Eulman - Holleback - Strass - Schwaab -- Grebiel - Dietrich Moser - Wenger - Graff - Schmidt - Strass - Heibst - Baner - Welte - Hoffman. The Ship "Sarah," Cap- tain Francis Stanfell, from Rotterdam by the way of Portsmouth, September 20, 1764, carrying 100 passengers; among the familiar names in the list are: Bischoff - Lehman - Frick - Lichtenfeld - Keyser - Eich -- Hoch -- Allspach -- Vollprecht - Welte --- Betz - Weber - Kaufman -- Hu- bacher - Dorr - Gass - Bintz - Lohr - Funck - Scheffer -- Schaub -- Strack - Thran - Hoff - Schuster Kuhn - Sheets - Hitz - Otter- shelt - Hartman - Kuhn - Raque. The Ship "Brittania," Captain Thomas Arnot, from Rotterdam, September 26, 1764, carrying 108 passengers; among the familiar names in the list are: Heger - Weber - Roth - Lamphardt -- Wolker - Wiser - Schaffer - Mil- ler - Bruckert -- Ott - Pautzler Ersterger - Weibel - Stettler -
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.