USA > Pennsylvania > Historical notes relating to the Pennsylvania Reformed Church, V. I > Part 14
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The Perkiomen Region.
Number Seven of Volume Two of this serial has been issued, with these contents: Editorials.
Recent Publications: Snyder County Marriages; The Pennsylvania Dutchman, and Wherein He has Excelled; The His- tory of the Wagenseller Family; The Origin of the University of Pennsylvania.
Days Devoted to Rescarch Abroad- Pennsylvania Family History Found at Neuchatel.
Kilian Keely, a Primitive Settler in Falkner Swamp.
Old-Time News.
Henry Antes. A paper prepared by Heury S. Dotterer, and read at Fagleys- ville, March 19, 1898.
The Trappe Seventy-Five Years Ago.
Cleanings in Old Fiells.
Treasured Volumes.
Our Revolutionary Sires.
Our Kinsfolk and Acquaintance. Con- tributed by Michael Reed Minnich.
Payments for Early Land Purchases in the Perkiomen Country.
Marriages by Rev. George Wack.
Neuchatel.
BY HENRY S. DOTTERER.
Neuchatel, on the lake of the sune name, in the casteru part of Switzerland. is a city of rare attraction to the Reform- ed churchman. In this section the French language prevails. A steep hill or bluff rises from the lake; at the foot. upon the sides and upon the summit of the eminence, the city is built. Grapes are enltivated here, and one is reminded of Naples and the island of Capri by the many walls and pathways upon the hill- sides, and by the men and women do- scending and ascending. On clear days a magnificent view spreads ont before the
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
visitor; the lake lined with picturesque villages and landings in the foreground, the snow-covered Alps in the distance.
The cathedral, dating prior to the Refor- mation, is the most conspicuous object in the view of the city from the lake. The castle is beside it. They are of the 12th century, and are located on a spot about half-way up the mountain side. Here the faith of the Reformers supplanted that of the Romish Church in 1530. William Farel was the man who brought about the change. A memorial tablet was erected three Iindred years after the accomplishment of this work. It reads:
Guillaume . Farol Reformateur en . 1530. Gloire . a . Dien ! Jubile . de . 1830.
We were accompanied in our visit to the old church and the environing points hy two residents of Neuchatel, of Pen- sylvania ancestry, great-great-great-grand- daughters of Philip Frederick Antes, who was a member of John Philip Bol's congregation at Falkner Swamp, in the year 1728, and doubt less one of the found- ers of the congregation on the 15th of October, 1725. These ladies were Countess de Salis and Madame Godet, wife of Rev. Prof. Georges Godet. They made our visit of exceeding interest. . They are thoroughly familiar with the history of the town, the church, the castle, the Reformation period and the church affairs of our times. They pointed out to us every object and place of interest, and gave us descriptions of the carvings, the monuments, the choir, the organ, the statues, and the other interior furnish- ings of the church, and told us of the past customs and celebrations here. At present three different congregations wor- ship in the cathedral at alternate hours during the week and Sundays. These ladies were pleased to meet tourists com- ing from the home of their ancestors in Pennsylvania, familiar with the careers of those ancestors, and extended to us, during our three days' sojourn in Nou- chatel, hospitalities warm and hearty, such as delight the hearts of the recipi-
ents at all times, but especially when strangers in a foreign land. Connt de Salis is a gentleman of broad culture and wedded to art; and is in charge of the local museum of art and antiquities. He is a citizen of England as well as of Switzerland. Prof. Godet is the head of the School of Theology. He was deep- ly interested in the sufferings of the Armenians in Turkey and of the Stund- ists in Russia. He issued pamphlets in French and German describing the nu- speakable horrors of Turkish fiendish- ness, which then, and which since have even more, shocked the Christian world; and he was instrumental in collecting large sums of money to he applied to the amelioration of the condition of these unhappy Christian people. In the homes of these families we were shown many souvenirs and records pertaining to the Antes family. Countess de Salis and Madame Godet are the daughters of Charles Joseph LaTrobe, first Lieutenant Governor of Victoria, Australia: grand- daughters of Rev. Christian Ignatius LaTrobe; great-granddaughters of Anna Margaretha Antes, wife of Benjamin LaTrobe; great-great-granddaughters of Henry Antes, of Frederick township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania; and great-great-great-granddaughtersof Philip Frederick Antes, emigrant from Frein- sheim, in the Rhenish Palatinate, to Falkner Swamp, in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Good's New History. A Brief Review of This Important Work.
BY HENRY S. DOTTERER.
History of the Reformed Church in the United States, 1725-1792. By Rev. Prof. James 1. Good, D. D., anthor of the "Origin of the Reformed Church in Germany, " "Rambles Round Re- formed Lands, " and "Historical Hand- book of the Reformed Church in the U. S." Reading, Pa .: Daniel Miller, Publisher. 1599. Svo: 709 pp.
It is nearly fifty years since Henry Harbangh gave to the Church and the world his Life of Michael Schlatter and
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
The Lives of the Fathers of the Reformed ('Imreh. From that time to this, those works have been regarded as standard authorities upon the subjects whereof they treat, and they have been used and appropriated by writers without number. They were by many considered ex- haustive and final as to our carly Penn- sylvania Church history.
Now this is all changed. Four years ago, namely on the 20th of November, 1895, I sailed for Europe for the purpose of making search for traces of the names, nativity and history of emigrants from the Continental States to Pennsylvania- who constituted the main body of the colonists of our Province. My purpose was not at all to write Church history; that I regard as the province of others, fitted by appropriate training for the work.
In my search for names and facts as to the personality of the men who left the ports of Holland for Philadelphia, I found in the Archives of the General Synod of the Reformed Church of the Netherlands, at The Hague, several volumes and bun- dles of manuscripts consisting of the cor- respondence between the Dutch Church and the Pennsylvania Church, covering the period that the former sustained the latter, and that the latter observed alle- giance to the former, say from about 1729 to 1789. Among these papers was a statement prepared by Rev. John Philip Bohm giving a full and considerably- detailed account of what happened in his experience as founder of and fighter for the infant Reformed Church of Pennsyl- vania during the nearly twenty-five years from 1720 to 1744. My eyes first rested upon these papers on the 7th of January, 1896. Explorer never experienced greater joy at first sight of land, long sought. now found, than did I at the discovery of this great mass of faets, written by the hands of the very actors in the dramatic scenes which marked the early years of our Church in Pennsylvania. I was the first Pennsylvanian to handle these writings We must admire the judgment and dis- eretion observed by the author in his treatment of the controversies and church since they had left our shores, one Inin- dred to one hundred and seventy years ago. Nervous with excitement I turned quarrels which blemish our Colonial
the venerable leaves; my cager eyes scanned every word on the precious pages.
In my enthusiasm I wrote to Dr. Good: "In the archives at The Hague is preserv- ed a history of the first twenty-five years of the Pennsylvania Reformed Church, written by John Philip Buchm." A few months later, Dr. Good was in Glasgow at the International Conference of Re- formed Churches, and at London. soon as his representative duties at the Conference were ended, he crossed thie North Sea, spurred by the energy and diligence which marks his pulpit, pas- toral and literary labors, and repaired to The Hague to delve into the treasures of Pennsylvania Church history in the archives. In the preface to the work now under consideration he makes conr- teous acknowledgment of my agency in this matter.
The central feature of Dr. Good's his- tory is the production of the minutes of the Cactus, succinct and unbroken, from beginning to end of that historie organi- zation. This occupies three hundred and fifty pages of his book. These minutes have been carcinlly preserved in The Hague flis hundred and more years, and now have come to light to clear up the history of the Church here during the colonial era. For this alone the author is entitled to the gratitude of the Church.
More valuable perhaps to lay readers is the wealth of information, hitherto un- printed and unknown in America, re- garding the nativity and lives of the earliest Reformed ministers who came to Pennsylvania-Samuel Guldin, Philip Bohm, Peter Henry Porsius and George Michael Weiss. These facts were gathered not only in The Hague, but in widely separated points in Switzerland and Germany as well. In this portion of the work, as also in the copying of the Holland records. Rev. Prof. W. J. Hinke was the efficient and painstaking colleague of Dr. Good.
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
Church history. He does not-indeed, these easy-going writers will have occa- can not-ignore them; but from the sion to nse. ahnost inexhaustible mass of matter, manuscript and printed, transmitted to Holland from Pennsylvania, by the con- tending parties on our side to the patient Church authorities there, he extracts those facts . which help to illustrate our history and lets rest in obscurity the mis- chievous stuff to which misguided men gave utterance.
There is an exception to every rule. cannot refrain from finding fault with the seven pages devoted to the Reiff Accounts. Dr. Good leaves Mr. Reiff where Dr. Harbaugh left him-under the stigma of dishonesty. As far back as 1885, I took the trouble to show that Mr. Reiff was unjustly charged with dishonor. The story is too long to repeat here; but it can be seen and read upon application at the rooms of the Historical Society of Penn- sylvania. Mr. Reiff was one of the fore- most men of Teutonic origin in Pennsyl- vania in his time. He ranked with Michael Hillegass, Conrad Weiser, Daniel Hliester and Henry Antes as a man of business. He held for many years, after the occurrence of the collecting tour and trouble, the position of deputy Register General under the Provincial Govern- ment. It cannot be admitted for a moment that the authorities of Penn's government would tolerate a man of doubtful honesty in the office having to do with the disposition of the estates of the men of means of the country. It is to be hoped that our historians will take the pains to get the exact facts in this case, in order that injustice may no longer be done to Jacob Reiff.
Dr. Good's history starts' a new era. Hereafter his book must be consulted by those mild historians who undertake to write church histories and personal mem- orials. Heretofore Dr. Harbaugh's works have served this purpose. To many of these inert authors it never occurs to take the trouble to add an original fact to what they read in the printed hook. The wealth of faets marshalled in this new history will go far to furnish all that.
Dr. Good's book will without question have a large sale. A new edition will in time be called for. When that time comes it may be wise to make some re- vision. The Reiff article, for example, deserves different treatment. The story of Schoolmaster Bohm's tribulations in Worms and Lambsheim may well be ent down one-half or two-thirds. A more particular account of Rov. John Philip Leydich, whose antecedents have recent - ly been ascertained, deserves a place: he came with clean credentials, and served in the ministry without reproach. In some instances, too, the diction of the work is susceptible of improvement. Dr. Good is never superficial; every line bristles with facts. His style, however, is, now and then, commonplace. Ile is so full of his subject that he has little care for literary polish. A more dignified phraseology would be an advantage. Motley and Macanlay did not disdain che- gance of expression. With these emen- dations the volume is entitled to stand a monument, clear-ent and sufficient, of the Colonial history of our Church.
Dr. Good's present production is the outcome of years of research. Before and since the discovery of the Pennsylvania- Holland correspondence he has repeated- ly crossed the Atlantic to make historical investigations. The result is a series of valuable works on Reformed Church his- tory, the latest being the noteworthy book now under consideration. Few stop to think of the expense and labor incurred in this work. Few possess the unselfish enthusiasm to do such work. Many there are who never, willingly, perform a service without exacting recom- pense. Dr. Good is not of the latter class. In true altruistic spirit, he devotes bis energies, his talents, and his means to achievement for the good of others.
Will the Reformed Church appreciate the magnificent service performed hy Dr. Good ? The English-reading literary public in all lands will. The interest in the "Palatines" extends far beyond our Church membership.
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
The Protest Against the Ordination of Rev.Boehm, May 10, 1730.
BY PROF. W. J. HINKE.
When Mr. Dotterer delivered his interesting address on the history of the Falkner Swamp congregation. in October, 1897, the names of the opponents of Res. Bahn, who protested against his ordination, were still unknown. Fortunately this is no longer the case, for in the summer of last year, I discovered the original protest in the archives of the Classis of Amsterdam. For many years it had remained hidden, together with some other German Reformed documents, in a portfolio of Dutch letters from New York; for which reason previous investigators had overlooked it.
This protest has an interesting history. When Rev. George Michael : Weiss landed in Philadelphia, on September 18, 1727, and heard shortly after his arrival that John Philip Bohm was ministering to the Reformed congregations without ordination, he protested most vigorously against his work. On October 2, 1727, he wrote to Bohm's congregation in the Conestoga valley, Lancaster county, that Bohm had no right to preach to them; that he had neither been examined nor ordained: that he had not the requisite qualifications for å minister; and that no regularly ordained minister could recognize him or his work. With such arguments he tried to invade all of Birhim's congregations, to take them away from him if possible. As a result an unfortunate quarrel disturbed the peace of the congregations for several years. Some of them, like Falkner Swamp, Whitemarsh and Tulpchocken, remained faithful to Bohm; others, like Philadelphia, Conestoga and Goshenhoppen, went over to Weiss. The most unfortmate condition prevailed at Skippack. Here the congregation was divided. The party of Weiss, headed by Jacob Reiff, and assisted by Peter and Michael Hfillegas, Michael Schmidt and John Diemer, M. D., of Philadelphia, became very violent in their demonstrations against Belm. On March 10, 1728, they broke up a service held by Bahn as usual in the house of Jacob Reiff, and refused to grant him the further use of the house. This condition of affairs became at last intolerable, and henee in July, 1728, the consistories of the three congregations of Falkner Swamp, Whitemarsh and Skippack, petitioned the Classis of AAmsterdam. through the Dutch Reformed ministers of New York, to grant the ordina- tion of Bohm by the New York brethren. This request was granted. and on November 23, 1729, Bohm was ordained in New York, in the presence of three of his elders as witnesses. On the following day a reconciliation between Weiss and Bochum was effected, in which Weiss promised to recognize Bohm and not to interfere in his congregations any more. Whether Weiss kept his promise is difficult to say; so much is certain. that Bohm complained afterwards that he had not kept it. When Weiss went to Holland, in 17:0, to collect money for his congregations, the dissatisfied members at Skippack gave him their protest against. Bohm's
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
ordination to hand it to the Classis of Amsterdam. The protest is in the handwriting of John Diemer, who also wrote another, even more slander- ous, report to the Synods of North and South Holland. The protest is supported by only two very weak arguments: First, they protest because Bæhm had deceived the Classis, since it had not been their wish that he should be ordained. This is certainly a misstatement. Most of the members of his congregations and certainly all of his followers desired his ordination. Of course his enemies were displeased with his success. Second, they claim that the ordination is not valid because they had not given their consent to it. Such a claim is certainly of no force nor value. This protest, however, would not have been made, if the Classis had not ordered Weiss to leave Skippack and confine himself to Philadelphia and Germantown. The larger part of the letter is therefore filled with protests and complaints of the adherents of Weiss, that they would not accept Bæhm but were satisfied with the ministry of Weiss. When this letter was laid before the Classis on September 4, 1730, it was referred to a committee which reported, on October 2, that the ordination of Bohm must necessarily be recognized. On December 5, 1730, the Classical deputy, J. Bakker, wrote a long letter to the "Friends and Elders of the church of Skippack," in which he admonished them to submit to the decision of Classis, to accept the ministry of Rev. Bahm and live together in peace and harmony. This very earnest and appropriate letter did not have its desired result. Other ministers kept up the strife begun by Weiss, and after years of struggles and difficulties, the congregation ceased to exist in 1747, when Witpen was founded.
In conclusion we add the names of Bohm's opponents:
Elders: Wendel Keüpper Christophell Schnitt Gerhard (G. I. H. ) In Dehaven Hans Georg Reiff Willhelm (X. ) Schmit
Dewalt Jung
Johannes Scholl
Jagob Kebler
Johannes Lefeber
Marte Hilteboudel
Johannes ( HT. ) Leman
Ulrich Steffen
Jost Forer
Johan JJacob Arndt
Felix Guth
Hans Atam (H. M. ) Mauer
Henrich (H. ) Huwer
Johann Philb Ried
Jerg (I. (.) Gernan
Philips Henrich Söller
Valentin (V.H.A. ) Haussammen
Johannes Lebo Bastean Schmit
Nicklass Löscher
Jacob Hanf (?)
Christian Weber
Jost Schenler
David Montandon
Hans Jerg Baumann
Friederich Scholl
Andres Hack
Lutwich (X. ) Schefer
Jacel Leidy
Georg Philib Dodderer
Johannes (O. ) Willhe
Peter Wence
Jacob Heidschuh
Lorentz (L. S. ) Schweitzer
Hans Philb Steinheindig
Peter Borger
Carl Ludwig Keipper
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HISTORICAL NOTES. Marriages by Rev. George Wack.
COMMUNICATED BY W. H. REED, PH. G., M. D., OF NORRISTOWN. ( Continued. )
306. December
1. George Detwiler and Cathrine Detwiler.
307. December 8. Isaac Shlater and Susanna Newman.
308. November 9. Sanmel Zcarfoss and Sarah Fries.
309. December 12. Benjamin Waxler and Leah Yeakle.
310. December 22. Jacob Been and Elizabeth Johnson.
311. December 26. Daniel Beaver and Cathrine Detwiler.
312. December 31. Jacob Fisher and Mary Reinhard.
1823.
313. January
9. George Reiff and Cathrine Ashenfelter.
314. January
12. Henry Zepp and Tirza Sellers.
315. January
21. Jacob Landis and Cathrine Miller.
316. January
23. Henry Pruner and Mary Haupt.
317. January
23. Henry Peters and Anna Coler.
318. February 3. Thomas Walton and Cathrine Zimmerman.
319. February
20. Samuel Wringler and Mary Lehman.
320. March
6. Joseph Knipe and Susannah Shearer.
: 321. March
9. Henry Wilson and Cathrine Eble.
322. April
17. Peter Keiser and Elizabeth Been.
323. May
18. Henry Weikle & Porothy Rosenberger ( wid. )
324. June
8. Samuel Fries and Maria Hoffman.
325. August
17. John Reaver and Lydia Steinberger.
326. August
21. Elijah Summers and Mary Kole.
327. September 4. John Godschall and Margareth Lock.
328. September 14. Jacob Martin and Elizabeth Sands.
329. September 18. Samuel Smith and Elizabeth Weigner.
330. September 23. Isaac Harrison and Elizabeth Miller.
331. October 12. William Cole and Cathrine Espenship.
332. October 21. Abraham Favinger and Hannah Spore.
333. November 6. Christian Lighteap and Margareth Hoober.
1824.
334. January
: 1. Philip Wanner and Sarah Heiser.
335. January 336. January 337. January
13. David Rittenhause and Sarah Smith.
13. Christian Detwiler and Cathrine Heebner.
18. Seth Q. Collom and Eliza Sorver.
338. February
8. Abraham Reiff and Sarah Reiff.
339. February
12. George Greenwalt and Sarah Conear.
340. February
12. Joseph Dewees and Elizabeth Lukens.
341. February
12. Jesse Snyder and Lydia Knipe.
342. February
12. Benjamin White and Cathrine Dungan.
٠
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
343. February
12. Absolom Cromwells and Levenia Smith.
344. March
4. David Heebner and Mary Hahn.
345. March
7. Henry Hunsicker and Cathrine Shoemaker.
346. March 14. John Bartolet and Cathrine Dettwiler.
347. March 25. Arnold Vanfossen and Ann Teany. 348. May 6. Henry Shellenberger & Sarah Thomas ( wid. )
349. May 30. John Bucher and Rachel Wagner.
350. June
30. John Clemmens and Susannah Wissemer.
351. June
3. William Kinny and Elizabeth Cole.
352. June
6. George Leidy and Margareth Scheib.
353. July
8. Henry Leightcap and Hannah Roman. 354. September 13. Enoch Castner and Elizabeth Hoffman.
355. October
14. Conrad Colchaur and Rachel Garner. 356. November 27. Philip Summers and Ann Shutt.
357. December
2. Jacob Schlough and Susannah Grove.
358. December 359. December
5. John Fulmer and Mary James.
360. December
7. Charles Hendrix and Elizabeth Warner.
361. December 16. John Saylor and Mary Heyser.
362. December 23. Jonathan Faley and Elizabeth Hartenstine.
363. December 28. Mathias Custerd and Eleanor Tyson.
1825.
364. January
16. Samuel Hechler and Ann Rosenberger.
365. March 10. Samuel Pluck and Margareth Hallowell.
366. March 24. George Streevey and Margareth Dager.
367. April 17. Martin Hunsberger and Mary Zieber.
368. October 9. George Hoot and Cathrine Weber.
369. October 20. Jacob Lehman and Hannah Jones.
370. November 17. Anthony Whitby and Mary Metz.
371. November 17. Michael Stoneback and Susannah Hoffman.
372. November 20. Daniel Cassel and Magdalena Oberholtzer.
373. December 11. Abraham Hendrick and Maria Metz.
374. December 11. George Lehman and Hannah Trumbar.
375. December 18. John Stetler and Eliza Kunckle.
376. December 20. Jacob Kolb and Susanna Cassel.
377. December 22. John B. Reiff and Elizabeth Tyson.
378. December 22. Lewis Ott and Lovea Gerhart.
379. December 29. Eli Stauver and Hannah Stauver.
1826.
380. February 21. John Lehman and Nancy Spere.
381. March 21. Joseph Hübner and Susannah Lethera.
382. April 6. John Groff and Mary Knipe.
383. June 26. Isaac Batchelor and Anna M. C. Rittenhause.
384. July 9. Henry Yawn and Catherine Buchamer.
2. William Pluck and Mary Hellings.
.
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
385. July
12. Andrew Hide and Suphia Hooven ( widow. )
386. July
25. Christian Rittenhause and Hetty Metz.
387. August
31. Jesse Bowman and Hannah Snyder.
388. October
8. Henry Kolp and Maria Kolp.
389. October
26. James Yost and Elizabeth Dettera.
390. October 31. Mathias Tyson and Sarah Myers.
391. November 9. Joseph Cassel and Rebecca Heebner.
392. November 23. Jacob Stover and Anna Stover.
393. November 30. Jacob Printz and Sarah Rex.
394. November 2. Benjamin Dettweiler and Anna Ursilla Dager.
395. December 14. Samuel Eckel and Cathrine Leydie.
396. December 23. Andrew Keel and Elizabeth Summers.
( To be Continued. )
The First Quarter Century of Falkner Swamp Reformed Church.
BY HENRY S. DOTTERER.
Read at Falkner Swamp Reformed Church, October 31, 1897.
[Concluded.]
On the 3d of April, 1737, thirty-seven communed; and on the 17th of September, 1738, eighty-nine.
A report sent to Holland in 1739, stating that Falkner Swamp congre- gation always has four elders and two deacons, was signed on the part of the congregation thus:
Eltesten und Diac, der Gemeinde zum Falckner Schwam ... attestiren d. 4 februri 1739.
Bastian Reiffschneider, Eltester Jacob Krauszen, Eltester
Johannes Driektenhengsz, Eltester Johannes Dunckel, Eltester
Andreas Weisz, Diac
Joh. Diter Bucher. Diac
In the same report, Pastor Bohm makes a statement regarding the accommodations for having worship which does not correspond with the impression heretofore held, and which is rather surprising in view of the large membership in Falkner Swamp and vicinity. He writes: "Zum Falekner Schwam, zu Weitmarge, Oley, und Philadelphia, wie auch auf den neben Platzen, wird Gottesdienst bey allen gemein in Häussern und Scheuren wie man kann, mit grossen behulf gehalten." (At Falkner Swamp, Whitemarsh, Oley, and Philadelphia, and at the neighboring places, making shift as best we can, we hold divine worship in houses and barns. )
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