USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > The German immigration into Pennsylvania through the port of Philadelphia from 1700 to 1775 : part II: The Redemptioners > Part 12
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See also GALLOWAY'S Laws of Pennsylvania, C. 49, p. 7.
164
The German Immigration into Pennsylvania.
Sec. III. of this law is so important that I quote it entire. " And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every Servant that shall faithfully serve four years or more, shall, at the expiration of their servitude, have a discharge, and shall be duly clothed with two complete suits of apparel, whereof one shall be new; and shall also be furnished with one new axe, one grubbing hoe and one weeding hoe at the charge of their master or mistress." Other sections provide that servants who absent themselves from their service for one day without permission, shall for every such day, serve five days longer at the expiration of their time, and besides make satisfaction for all damage the master may have sustained by such absence. Persons apprehending runaway servants and taking them to the sheriff shall receive ten shillings for the same or twenty shillings when the runaway is taken more than ten miles from his master's abode. Persons concealing servants without the master's knowledge, or entertaining them twenty-four hours and who shall not notify either the mas- ter or a justice of the peace, shall be fined twenty shillings for every day's concealment. The final clause in the act provided that whosoever should clandestinely deal or traffic with any servant for any kind of goods or merchandize, without leave or order from the master, shall forfeit treble the value of the goods to the master; and the servant, if white, shall make reparation to his or her master or owner, by servitude after the expiration of his or her time, to double the value of the said goods.99
On October 18, 1701, the law of November 27, 1700, regulating the marriages of servants as already quoted, was reënacted.
It seems that sometimes "bought servants " left their
99 Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania, Vol. II., pp. 54-56.
165
Servants Enlisting as Soldiers.
masters, greatly to the damage of the latter, and enlisted in the Queen's service over in New Jersey. In consequence of this hardship, an act was passed by the Assembly on August 10, 1711, providing that " any master who shall prove that a servant belonging to him has enlisted in the Queen's service since a certain date without the approval of his master or mistress, shall receive for every month's unexpired service of such servant, the sum of ten shillings, and the full sum which the unexpired time of servitude shall at that rate amount to, the entire sum not to exceed twenty pounds however. The master or mistress shall deliver up the covenant or indenture of such servant and assign thereon their right to such servant's services."
In an act regulating fees to be charged by public offi- cials, passed on May 28, 1715, a shilling is allowed " for writing the assignment of a servant and signing it." 100 On August 24, 1717, an act for levying taxes passed the As- sembly and among its other provisions was one requiring the constables in the several districts of the Province to carefully register the number of bound servants that are held.101 A similar law was reenacted on February 22, 1717- 1718, but servants not out of their servitude six months are exempted.102 A licensing act passed on the 26th day of August, 1721, prohibits the sale of rum, brandy and other spirits to be drunk by servants and others in companies near the place of sale; nor shall such servants be trusted or entertained, if warned by the master or mistress of the same; and any one arresting a servant for a debt con- tracted in this way, such actions shall abate, and the ser- vant or his master or mistress may plead the act in bar.103
100 Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania, Vol. III., p. 100.
101 Ibid., pp. 250-251.
102 Ibid., p. 181.
103 Ibid., p. 129.
166
The German Immigration into Pennsylvania.
Under an act passed May 5, 1722, a duty was imposed on persons convicted of heinous crimes who should be im- ported into the Province. The law recites that many per- sons trading here had, for purposes of gain, imported and sold as servants for a term of years, persons convicted of crimes, who soon ran away, leaving their masters' service, to the great loss of persons thus buying them. The law inflicted a penalty of five pounds on any shipmaster who should bring such a convict into the Province to be paid before the servant was landed and be in addition held bound in the sum of fifty pounds for the good behavior of such
convicted person, for the period of one year. Examina- tions were to be made of suspected persons by justices of the peace, and if any were brought and disposed of without complying with the law, twenty pounds fine was to be levied on the offender. All servants under the age of twelve years were exempted from the provisions of the law.104
This brings the legislation of the Province down to the period when the German immigration began to assume large proportions, and the importation and selling of the same appears to have taken its rise. During all that period the word " Servant " was used ; that of " Redemp- tioner " never, nor at any time thereafter in legal enact- ments, so far as I am aware.
Under the law, all contracts between redemptioners and their purchasers were required to be registered by officials designated for that purpose. It would be of much interest if these complete records were still in existence, but as they have not been discovered thus far, this is hardly to be hoped for now. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania has two volumes of such records. The title of the books is German Redemptioners, from 1785 to 1804. That
104 Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania, Vol. III., pp. 264-268.
167
Example From Record Book.
period included three volumes, but the second one is miss- ing. The books are in manuscript, folio in size, and the first one contains 409 pages. The third volume is smaller, only 130 pages, and the date runs from 1817 to 1831. Perhaps we have in this latter date the period when the traffic in these indentured people ceased. The smallness of the volume shows how few were recorded during the long period from 1817 to 1831. The books have a written index.
As a sample of the general character of this registry, the following entry from Volume I., page 57, is given :
" Maria Magdalina Shaffer assigned by John Fromberg, to serve Peter Muhlenberg, Esq. of Montgomery county State of Pennsylvania, the remainder of her indentures, recorded page 14. consideration £6."
" Maria Magdalena Shaffer bound herself to John From- berg, of the city of Philadelphia, merchant, to serve him three years and six monchs : to have customary freedom suits."
All the other records follow the same general style.
The conditions under which British bond servants were brought to this country may be seen by the following in- denture copied from the volume noted above. In this case, however, the document was in shape of a printed form, with names and dates filled in. It was the only one found in the book.
" This Indenture Made the 13th Day of May, in the year of our Lord, 1784, Alex! Beard of Broughshane, in the Co. of Antrim, Tayler, by consent of his father on the one Part, and John Dickey of Callybarthey in the said county, Gentleman, of the other Part, Witnesscui that the said Alexander Beard, doth hereby covenant, promise and
168 The German Immigration into Pennsylvania.
THE LONDON COFFEE HOUSE. 105
169
Copy of a Redemptioner's Indenture.
grant to and with the said John Dickey his Executors, Administrators and Assigns, from the Day of the Date: hereof, until the first and next arrival at Philadelphia, in America, and after for and during the Term of Three years to serve in such Service and Employment as the said John Dickey or his assigns shall there employ him accord- ing to the Custom of the Country in the like kind. In consideration whereof the said John Dickey doth hereby covenant and grant to and with the said Alexander Beard to pay for his Passage and to find and allow him Meat, Drink, Apparel and Lodging with other Necessaries, dur-
105 The London Coffee House was the most celebrated establishment of its kind ever opened in Philadelphia. The original building was erected in 1702 by Charles Reed. It was first used as a "Coffee House " in 1754 by William Bradford, the famous provincial printer. Bradford's petition for a license reads as follows : "Having been advised to keep a Coffee House for the bene- fit of merchants and traders, and as some people may at times be desirous to be furnished with other liquors besides coffee, your petitioner apprehends it is necessary to have the Govenor's license."
The house (still standing) is at the southwest corner of Front and Market streets. It became the resort of everybody of consequence in the city and of all the prominent people who visited Philadelphia. It was the focus of all the news that was going on. The Governor, and merchants of every degree, went there at stated times to drink their coffee, learn the news and gossip. There was a covered shed connected with it, vendues of all kinds were regularly held, and often auctions of negro slaves, men, women and children were held there. Some of the more memorable events in the history of the city occurred on the spot. The Stamp Act papers, which were seized wherever they could be found, were burned there. The ship captain who first brought news of the repeal of the Stamp Act, was wined and dined there. In 1774, the effigies of Governor Hutchinson, of Massachusetts, and of Alexander Wederburn were burnt because of their insults to Dr. Franklin. The Declaration of Independ- ence was read there by John Nixon, after which the Royal Arms were torn down from the Court House, carried there and burned. There General Thomp- son had a personal altercation with Justice McKean, leading to a challenge by the former, which was declined by the latter, because to accept it would be to violate the laws he was sworn to maintain. Even the Common Council pro- ceedings are frequently dated at the "Coffee House." It is alluded to by all writers of the period as the place of general meeting when any event of impor- tance, foreign or domestic, was to the fore. (WATSON's Annals of Philadelphia, Vol. I., p. 203 ; III., p. 203. )
170
The German Immigration into Pennsylvania.
ing the said Term and at the End of the said Term to pay unto him the usual Allowance, according to the Custom of the country in the like kind. In Witness whereof the Par- ties above Mentioned to these indentures have interchange- ably put their Hands and Seals, the Day and Year first above written.
"Signed, Sealed and Delivered
" in the presence of " PETER DILLON, ALEX". BEARD,
" JOHN WIER, JOHN DICKEY."
Just when this business came to a close I have not been able definitely to ascertain.106 That it died out gradually is hardly to be doubted. A more enlightened sentiment among the American people, and the still more important fact that the migrating " fever " had about run its course among the poorer classes, for a time, were no doubt the most important factors towards bringing this about.
So far as I have been able to learn, no Redemptioners were brought into Lancaster county after 1811. In that year Mr. Abram Peters, a prominent farmer of the county, while hauling wheat to the mills on the Brandywine, near Wilmington, stopped at Chester to buy a small German girl, his wife needing the services of such a person. He secured an orphan girl named " Kitty," at the price of $25. The mother had died at sea, leaving Kitty and her sister to be disposed of as Redemptioners. The master of the ship desired to sell the sisters to one person, that they might not be separated, and offered the two for $40. Mr. Peters, having no use for two, declined to take them both, but he promised to find a purchaser for the other sister at
106 From a document quoted elsewhere, it would seem the traffic reached its close about the year 1831.
171
Story of a Redemptioner.
$15, if possible. On his way home he met a Quaker gentleman and his wife. The latter wished to buy Kitty. Peters declined to part with her but told them of the other sister still at Chester. The old Quaker at once went to that place and bought her. The two purchasers had ex- changed addresses and promised to keep the two sisters in correspondence with each other. Both girls found kind mistresses and good homes, corresponded and visited each other regularly. Kitty finally married a wealthy German, a baker named Kolb, of Philadelphia.107
107 I am indebted to S. M. Sener, Esq., for the facts of the above narrative.
13
EARLY PENNSYLVANIA POTTERY. EARTHEN PIE-PLATE.
CHAPTER III.
ORIGIN AND MEANING OF THE TERM " REDEMPTIONER."- NARRATIVE OF GOTTLEIB MITTELBERGER, WHO AFTER RE- SIDING IN PENNSYLVANIA FOUR YEARS RETURNED TO THE FATHERLAND AND BY REQUEST WROTE A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE VOYAGE ACROSS THE SEA AND THE REDEMPTIONER TRAFFIC.
"Amerika, O neues Heimath land ! Du Land der Freiheit, Land voll Licht und Wonne ! Sei uns gegrüsst du gastlich holder Strand, Sei uns gegrüsst du goldene Freiheits-Sonne." * "They came, oft wronged beneath the mast, Or, when escaped the dreaded wave, How many wept their loved ones cast For burial, in an ocean grave."
C HE term Redemptioner had its origin in a peculiar sys- tem of voluntary servitude, rec- ognized by law and by custom, under which a freedman entered into a contract with another person, to serve the latter for a stipulated time and at a stipulated price, for moneys paid
(172)
173
Two Kinds of Redemptioners.
to him or for his benefit, before the service was entered upon. Through the fulfillment of this contract apprentice- ship or servitude, the servitor was said to redeem himself, hence the name of REDEMPTIONER given to those who en- tered into such agreements.
There were two kinds of Redemptioners, and the dis- tinction should be borne in mind. The first were the so- called " indentured servants " who made specific contracts before setting sail, to serve a term of years to masters ; the second, known sometimes as " free willers," were without money, but anxious to emigrate, therefore agreed with the ship-masters to sell themselves and their families on their arrival, for the captain's advantage, and thus repay the cost of their transportation.108
The historian Gordon very clearly and fully sets forth the character of still another class of immigrants. He says : " A part of the emigration to the Colonies was composed of servants, who were of two classes. The first and larger, poor and oppressed in the land of their nativity, sometimes the victims of political changes, or religious intolerance, submitted to a temporary servitude, as the price of freedom, plenty and peace. The second, vagrants and felons, the dregs of the British populace, were cast by the mother country upon her colonies, with the most selfish disregard of the feelings she outraged. From this moral pestilence the first settlers shrunk with horror. In 1682 the Pennsyl- vania Council proposed to prohibit the introduction of con- victs, but the evil was then prospective to them only, and no law was enacted. But an act was now passed (1722), which, though not prohibitory in terms, was such in effect. A duty of five pounds was imposed upon every convicted felon brought into the Province, and the importer was re-
108 MELLICK'S Story of an Old Farm, p. 149.
174
The German Immigration into Pennsylvania.
quired to give surety for the good behavior of the convict for one year ; and to render these provisions effectual, the owner or master was bound under a penalty of twenty pounds, to render, on oath, or affirmation, within twenty- four hours after the arrival of the vessel, an account to the collector of the names of the servants and passengers. But such account was not required when bond was given conditioned for the reexportation of such servants within six months." 109
The earliest direct reference to this traffic in German Redemptioners which I have found, appears in the work of Eickhoff 110 who cites a letter written in 1728 by several persons at that time, which fully bears out the existence of the trade in German Redemptioners at that period. The letter states that two persons, Oswald Siegfried and Peter Siegfried had informed them (the writers) for the second time from the city of Amsterdam, that there was a certain broker in that city, who would carry emigrants to Penn- sylvania, even when they were unable to pay for their pas- sage, if they could manage to scrape together only half the passage money ; and those who had nothing at all, if they were in a condition to perform manual labor when they
109 GORDON'S History of Pennsylvania, p. 189.
110 " Das diese art der Passagierbeförderung etwa im Jahr 1728 ihren Anfang nahm, laszt sich nach einem Schreiben von Heinrich Kundig, Michael Kra- biel und David Kaufmann an ihre mennonitischen Glaubensgenossen in Am- sterdam (Marz 1738) vermuthen, worin Jene erzählen, sie hätten Allen von der Auswanderung nach Pennsylvanian abgerathen, welche kein Geld hätten, um die Überfahrt selbst zu bezahlen, oder Freunde in Pennsylvanien, die dies thäten. ‘Nun hat uns aber Oswald Siegfried und Peter Siegfried zum 2 mal aus Amsterdam geschreiben, dass einer gewissen Kauffman in Amsterdam habe, der de leit nach Benselfania führen wil, wenn sie schon die Fracht nicht haben, wenn sie nur durch einander die halbe Fracht ausmachen Kön- nen; wenn auch leit seien, die nichts haben, wenn sie nur im Stant seien, dass sie arbeiten Können, werden auch mit genommen. Missen davor arbeiten, bis sie 772 Bischtolen abverdient haben.'"
175
Gottlieb Mittelberger's Narrative.
arrived. They would be obliged to labor upon their arri- val until their passage money amounting to 712 pistoles (about $30) had been earned.111
In my attempt to make this sketch as complete as possi- ble, I have carefully examined all the sources of informa- tion that were accessible or of which I was cognizant. Many writers have touched upon the Redemptioners with more or less fullness but it was a German visitor to Penn- sylvania to whom we are indebted for the fullest, and as I believe a most trustworthy account of the man-traffic which this is an attempt to describe. I refer to the little volume written by Gottlieb Mittelberger.112 Without any attempt at fine writing he tells what he saw and had personal knowledge of. His narrative, in addition to bearing inher- ent evidences of reliability, is further fortified and sup- ported by the concurrent testimony of numerous other writers. In fact, his veracity has never been questioned so far as I am aware, and the student of this period of our history will of necessity have to go to him when the era under review is discussed. He declares at the outset that he " carefully inquired into the condition of the country ; and what I describe here, I have partly experienced myself, and partly heard from trustworthy people who were familiar with the circumstances."
Mittelberger was a native of Wurtemburg. He came to this country in 1750 and returned to Germany in 1754. He was an organist and came over in charge of an organ which was intended for Philadelphia. He served as the
111 ANTON EICKHOFF, In Der Neuen Heimath, p. 142.
112 " Gottlieb Mittelberger's Reise nach Pennsylvanien im Jahre 1750 und Rückreise nach Teutschland im Jahr 1754. Enthaltend nicht nur eine Be- schreibung des Landes nach seinem gegenwärtigen Zustande, sondern auch eine ausführliche Nachricht von den unglück seligen und betrübten Umstän- den der meisten Teutschen, die in dieses Landgezogen sind und dahin ziehen. Frankfurt und Leipzig 1756."
176
The German Immigration into Pennsylvania.
organist of the Augustus Church at the Trappe, and as a schoolmaster during his nearly four years' stay in Penn- sylvania. His services in both capacities were so highly appreciated that, when he left, the church authorities gave him a most flattering testimonial.113
The account which Gottlieb Mittelberger gives of his voyage to Pennsylvania and of his return to Germany four years later is the fullest known to me of a complete trip from the heart of the Fatherland to the sea, the voy- age across the ocean, the trials and sufferings of that eventful period and the further events that waited on such as came penniless and dependent and who had already in Holland entered into contracts to serve some master until all their passage charges and the food they had consumed were paid for.
Mittelberger did not come as a Redemptioner ; his was a business trip ; he pursued his profession of organist for four years and then returned to Germany. But, as was most natural in a man of his kind and tender nature, he thoroughly sympathized with his poor countrymen in their time of adversity, and, being in daily touch with them and all that was going on in Philadelphia, no man was better acquainted with the wrongs put upon them and of the trials they were compelled to encounter. He was moved by all this, and by the appeals of his Philadelphia acquaintances, to tell the story of what he had seen and heard, upon his return to Germany, and out of the promise he then made we have his book.
It must always be borne in mind that Mittelberger's aim was to dissuade his countrymen from emigrating, and that
113 A most excellent translation of this book has recently been made by Mr. Carl Theo. Eben, and published by John Jos. McVey, of Philadelphia, who has kindly permitted me to make use of the translation for my present purposes.
177
Mittelberger's Narrative.
he puts the worst construction on the evils to be met and encountered possible, as if it was necessary to make his statements even worse than the reality !
There are some few minor inaccuracies in it, and occa- sionally a statement he had from hearsay is exaggerated, but there are no intentional errors, and the general truth- fulness of his narrative is unquestioned. He was not friendly to this immigration of his countrymen. It is true, he gives a most flattering account of the fertility and pro- ductiveness of the country and of the ease with which a living can be made there, but when he deals with the long voyage, the unpleasant events connected with it, its fatali- ties and losses, he is anxious that the people shall remain at home, and he says he believes they will after they have read what he has written, because such a journey with most involves a loss of property, liberty and peace ; with some a loss of life and even of the salvation of their souls, this latter because of the lack of religious opportunities in the new home.
MITTELBERGER'S NARRATIVE. .
" This journey from the Palatinate to Pennsylvania," he says, "lasts from the beginning of May until the end of October, fully half a year, amid such hardships as no one is able to describe adequately. The cause is because the Rhine boats from Heilbronn to Holland have to pass by 36 custom houses, at all of which the ships are examined, which is done when it suits the convenience of the custom- house officials. In the meantime, the ships with the people are detained long, so that the passengers have to spend much money. The trip down the Rhine alone lasts four, five and even six weeks.
" When the ships and the people reach Holland, they
178
The German Immigration into Pennsylvania.
are detained there likewise five or six weeks. Because things are very dear there, the poor people have to spend nearly all they have during that time. *
* Both in Rotterdam and Amsterdam the people are packed densely,
CASTLE IN THE PALATINATE.
like herrings, so to say, in the large sea vessels. One person receives a place scarcely two feet wide and six feet long in the beadstead, while many a ship carries four to six hundred souls ; not to mention the innumerable implements, tools, provisions, water barrels and other things which like- wise occupy much space.
" On account of contrary winds it sometimes takes the ships two, three and four weeks to make the trip from Holland to Cowes (on the isle of Weight, on the South coast of England). But when the wind is good they get
-
GERMAN IMMIGRATION INTO PENNSYLVANIA.
STIEGEL ELIZ
NACE
(A) PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN STOVE PLATE, HAROLD DIFFENDERFFER, PHOTO,
(B) FAMILY BAKE-OVEN, J. F. SACHSE, PHOTO.
179
Mittelberger's Narrative.
there in eight days or sooner. Every thing is examined at the cnatom house and the duties paid, and ships are sometimes letined eight, ten and fourteen days before their careso wie completed. During this delay every one is equaletin centi last money and to consume the Bile - /) Towwwwww wirich had been reserved for the SETAS XOAY to mor pamongers, finding themselves to vary By ve i sull greater need of them, Miha grids ingo hunger and want.
-Win de whips have for the last time weighed their ton n Lowes, the real misery begins, for from there chp, sales they have good winds must often sail eight, wino we twelve weeks before they reach Philadelphia. Ilw whdy the best wind the voyage lasts seven weeks.
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