USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > New Hanover > The Lutheran Church in New Hanover, (Falckner swamp) Montgomery County, Penna. Part XXII. of a narrative and critical prepared at the request of the Pennsylvania-German society > Part 3
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The Pennsylvania-German Society.
George, Mathias Ringer, Kilian Kalie, the above named Henry Pennebaker, Anna Happin, widow and sister to the above men- tioned JOHN HENRY SPROGEL and Johanna Christiana Sprogel, widow of JOHN HENRY SPROGEL JUNIOR and Frederick Rich- ards-Do hereby on our solemn oaths in the presence of ye Al- mighty God and before John Potts Esqr. one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for ye County of Philadelphia aforesaid Certify and Declare that John Henry Sprogel senior above men- tioned did in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and nineteen freely and voluntarily give and grant the above de- scribed piece of land with the appurtenances in the presence of Us & many others then living for the proper Use and behoof of a Lutherian Congregation forever And further for more ample proof and confirmation of the same those lands that bounds on the above described forty nine acres vizt .- on the several courses thereof altho at that time settled yet the persons possessing them had not conveyances made to them at the time the said forty nine acres were laid out & surveyed for the use of a Church thereon to be erected as aforesaid. Now all the deeds granted by the said JOHN HENRY SPROGEL SEN., for the land adjoining the several different courses of the above described forty nine acres of land particularly and expressly bounds them on the several respective courses of the Church lands vizt .- A conveyance under the Hand & Seal of JOHN HENRY SPROGEL date the fourth day of May in the year 1736 in favor of John George for one hundred acres of land (being a part of Caspar Camps land) the words in the Deed are these (BEGINNING at a hickery marked for a corner thence extending by the Church Land northwest sixty four perches to another post &c) another conveyance granted by Christian Ludovick Sprogell as Attorney for his brother the said JOHN HENRY SPROGELL dated the fourteenth day of April in the year 1726 in favor of Jacob Appler for one hundred and sixty three acres of land the words in the said Deed are these: (bounded on the north east by the Church Land 207 perches to a post &c) as in and by the said respective Deeds & some others relation to
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them being particularly had may more evidently appear. All which concurring proofs & circumstances makes it clearly evident beyond all contradiction that the above described forty nine acres of land was freely given and dedicated by the said JOHN HENRY SPROGELL for the use and behoof of said Lutherian Church and Community forever and that the want of a formal Conveyance under the Hand & Seal of the said JOHN HENRY SPROGELL was entirely owing to the sloath and neglect of the Elders and Church Wardens of said congregation. Witness our Hands this tenth day of February in the year 1746/7, containing this and the two preceding pages, HENRY PANNEBAKER,
JOHANNA CHRISTIANA SPROGELL, Widow, JOHN FREDERICK RICHARDS, VALENTINE GEYGER, JOHN GEORGE, ANNA HAPPIN, Widow, & Sister.
The several persons above named have signed in the presence of us
JOHN CAMPBELL.
BALSER HOVER.
On the 16th day of March 1746/7 appeared personally before me John Potts Esqr., one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Philadelphia the above mentioned Frederick Richards, Valentine Geyger & Mathias Ringer who on their solemn oaths did declare that the contents of the three preceding pages was real truth.
Witness my Hand and Seal the day and date aforesaid
JOHN POTTS. (Seal)
Upon the sixth day of April in the year 1747 appeared person- ally before me John Potts Esqr. one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Philadelphia the within named Anna Hoppins, Widow, who on her solemn oath did declare that the contents of these three preceding pages so far as relates to the within mentioned donation or gift is real truth.
Witness my Hand & Seal the Day and Date aforesaid
JOHN POTTS (Seal)
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We John Campbell & Balsar Houver do hereby on our solemn oaths declare that we were then & there present when the within mentioned Henry Pannebaker, Valentine Geyger, John George, Mathias Ringer, Frederick Richards, Anna Happin, Widow and Johanna Christian Sprogell, Widow did with their own hands set their names to the within writing and that the names of us John Campbell & Balsar Houver as evidences thereto are of our own hands writing. Sworn before me the above mentioned John Potts, Esqr. the ninth day of April, 1747 JOHN POTTS (Seal) Recorded the tenth day of April 1747.1
In testimony, That the above and foregoing is a copy of a record as recorded in Book LETTERS OF ATTORNEY-pages 24, 25, 26, 27 remaining on file in the Department of Internal Af- fairs of Pennsylvania, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of said Department to be affixed at Harrisburg, this- sixteenth-day of November A. D. 1908.
HENRY HOUCK. [SEAL] Secretary of Internal Affairs.
The second deed recites the fact that Henry Mühlen- berg bought forty-nine acres of land from Thomas Pres- ton for a consideration of forty pounds ($106.66 2/3). The witnesses to this document are John Campbell and Anna Sherrard. The date is October 20, 1749 about two years and one-half after the above was drawn up.
Among other things it is stated that it is an indenture containing a contract between Thomas Preston, of Phila- delphia, and Rev. Henry Mühlenberg. Among other
1 " These may Certifie all whome it may Concern That I Geo: Boone the Subscriber hereof were appointed to draw a deed from John Henry Sprogel To and for a Certain Tract of Land given by him for the use of the Lutherian Church or Congregation in Hanover Township, Draught whereof was then given me which I have now in my Custody. But by Some Disappointment to me at present not perfectly known I did not proceed and So never Compleated the deed.
Witness my hand the 8th Day of June A. D. 1749."
GEO. BOONE.
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things it recites that John Henry Sprogell, who had been in lawful and peaceable possession of 22,377 acres of land in the County of Philadelphia, had by indenture of release of October 20, 1732, for a consideration mentioned, con- veyed 7,500 acres, a part of that larger tract, to Henry Soams of London. The time for payment having expired without payment being made, it reverted. Upon the death of the elder Soams it came into possession of his only son John, who died a short time thereafter intestate and a bachelor. It then became lawfully vested in his sisters, Catharine Yaldwyn and Mary Johns, both widows, the only surviving children of Henry Soams, deceased. Mrs. Yaldwyn administered, and the 7,500 acres were sold and deeded to Thomas Preston, October 8, 1748. Then he sold 49 acres of this tract to Rev. H. Mühlenberg. It will not be necessary to give the bounds and courses of this land. The transfer was made November 22, 1749, and record made May 10, 1751. There are other indentures and contracts besides this for 21 acres and 142 perches, also for 5 acres and 40 perches. It is distinctly stated in connection with these purchases that the land was bought for the "special use, benefit and behoof of the minister of the New Church of Hanover," and again it is specified that it is for the minister now in service for said congregation. It is also stated that this land is conveyed to Fredr. Michael Ziegenhagen and Gotthilf Aug. Francke, for the use of the pastors and school teachers of this congregation. Apparently the two smaller tracts were located between the tract on which the church was erected and that on which the parsonage was located. Yet while the description indicates that these smaller tracts were between the two larger ones, and that the school house was built on one of them, there is no clear proof at hand that such is the case.
CHAPTER III.
THE UNITED CONGREGATIONS.
Trappe, Falckner Swamp, Philadelphia and then Germantown. As United into a Synod.
......
'T would make this history en- tirely too lengthy to enter into a detailed account of the ori- gin, organization and early strug- gles of the four congregations, three of which united in the call originally extended to Rev. H. M. Mühlenberg. The fourth, seeing the advantages of combining in the work of the church, soon joined them.
But it may not be amiss to pre- sent a short résumé of some of the leading facts connected with the history of each up to the time when the three first named forwarded their earnest appeal to the authorities at Halle to send them a capable and faithful pastor. The history of the church at the Trappe has been made pretty familiar. To get hold of some of the main facts it is only necessary
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to look carefully at the full and detailed history presented by Rev. Kretschman in " The Old Trappe Church." Dot- terer's " Perkiomen Region " also gives very valuable in- formation in regard to prominent men who have lived there; H. M. Mühlenberg, the patriarch of the Lutheran church in America, his two sons, Frederic August and Henry Ernst, the one eminent as a statesman, and the other as a scientist : Governor Francis R. Shunk, Mr. Fry, and others prominent in the history of our country. But about the church itself he gives little information.
In the Halle Reports there is a pretty full sketch of New Providence (Trappe) ; but it lacks the one great es- sential of accurate local history, viz., exact dates, positive facts and clear accounts of the doings of the men who made its history.
As we are not writing the history of the church at New Providence it will not be necessary to go back to its origi- nal name, Landaw or Landau, or to that by which it was subsequently known, the Trap, Treppe, or Trappe, which- ever it may have been. The history of this congregation can, however, be traced back prior to 1730. According to the earliest recorded baptisms by Rev. John Casper Stoever, the indications are that services were held as often and as regularly as possible prior to that time. And while there may not have been what we in our day would call a regularly organized congregation, undoubtedly the men who preached and occasionally administered the sacra- ments would have been apt to assert that it was a congre- gation.
The second congregation to join in this pact was that of New Hanover. It will therefore be unnecessary at this point to go into further details as to its origin and progress until an appeal for a pastor was sent to Halle.
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The third congregation to join in this movement to se- cure an ordained pastor to take permanent charge of their interests was the German Lutheran congregation at Phila- delphia. The Halle Reports say "that Jacob Fabricius preached to the German Lutherans here [Philadelphia ] from 1688-91. But they [the Lutherans] remained without a church and without an organization; and this state of things continued for decades." They were after- wards served by John Christian Schulze, succeeded by Rev. John Casper Stoever, who instituted church records, 1733.
But we see from the statements of Dr. Schmauk ( Proceed- ings of the Pennsylvania-German Society, Vol. XI., pp. 79 et seq., 1900) that the first services, German and English, were held by Rev. Henry Bernhard Koester at German- town in 1694, upon the day of the arrival of that colony. He also preached at Philadelphia in both languages. His efforts there resulted in the organization of Christ Episco- pal Church. He seems not to have had equal success in bringing about an organization of the German Lutherans before his return to Germany. This difference was no doubt in great part owing to the fact that the established church of England sent over a man to look after their interests, while there seems to have been no one to look after the spiritual interest of the Germans after Koester had left to return to his native land, where he lived many years afterwards. But even then he showed that he had not forgotten his Lutheran confession and his Lutheran principles.
These three congregations united in a joint call and in an earnest appeal to the church authorities in Europe to send them an ordained pastor to break to them the bread of life. Nearly ten years before, in 1733, these same con- gregations had sent a most earnest appeal to Germany by
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the hands of Rev. John Christian Schulze, who was then their pastor, and had acted in that capacity for about a year. With two of their number, Daniel Weissiger and Joh. Daniel Schöner, he was sent to England, Holland and Germany, to collect funds to build churches and school- houses, as well as to provide means of support for pas- tors and teachers laboring among them. In this first appeal they say that several thousand Germans, mostly poor peo- ple, already occupied this territory, and without the sup- port they seek, there is great danger that their people will be scattered among the various sects and that many will return to heathenism. This appeal was signed by six of their prominent men: Johann Becker, Hans George Her- ger, Adam Herrman, George Hollebach, Joh. Nicol. Crossman, Jacob Schrack.
Unfortunately the result of this first appeal was not very encouraging. Schulze himself had not maintained his rep- utation for honesty, and was imprisoned for alleged misap- propriation of moneys collected. The other men returned but with very limited amounts. Altogether the congrega- tions seem to have profited very little pecuniarily and they remained without pastoral care for a decade more. Not- withstanding this events were progressing. During the summer of 1734 Daniel Weissiger presented the request of the congregations at Philadelphia, New Hanover and Providence to Rev. Francke at Halle, setting forth that they were exceedingly anxious to obtain a respectable pas- tor, capable of ministering to them faithfully and success- fully. Francke showed a disposition to accede to their request; but he insisted that they must pledge themselves to accept the minister sent to them, pay his travelling ex- penses, provide for his support, and if need be provide for his return.
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Francke then consulted with Dr. Ziegenhagen, the Court preacher at London, to whom these men had already appealed. In reply to the requirements of Dr. Francke and others, these people pointed to the fact that conditions here were such as to make it impossible for them to accede to them. They also declared that the assurances already given involved a degree of self-denial even greater than that which was expected of the minister to be sent to them. They did not mean to allow a pastor to suffer, but they did expect him to adapt himself to the local conditions. They now present a counter proposal. They suggest that the costs of passage and a year's support be taken from the col- lections, the balance to be devoted to building of churches and schools, and besides to buy land on which the pastor, with the addition of the "accidentia," might secure his support. To this Francke replied, that a young and inex- perienced man could not be depended upon, and a man of any standing could hardly be persuaded to accept a position under these conditions. He gave them no encouragement. Ziegenhagen seemed to have been of the same mind. In their reply the deacons certainly seem to have the better of the argument, and the whole transaction and correspon- dence reveal an amazing similarity to many experiences in all periods of the church, when those in positions of influ- ence and of high authority in the church seemingly show greater regard for their own plans of prudent management than for the Macedonian cry "come over and help us."
In the meanwhile, however, this urgent call had been presented to Rev. H. Mühlenberg. The congregations had given their assent to the choice. He was therefore designated for this mission on the conditions: (I) That it be for three years, with privilege to return at their ex-
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piration; (2) in case of return, expenses to be paid both ways; (3) the traveling expenses, as well as salary, to be paid from contributions in the hands of Dr. Ziegenhagen; (4) the formal call, with conditions mentioned, he was to receive from him (Ziegenhagen), as he held the call and commission of the congregations.
It will not be necessary to describe the departure and farewell address of Mühlenberg when about to go away from home and friends, whom he was never again to meet in this world. One recorded remark of his aged mother when she heard that he was to depart for far-off America will serve to show how this act of his was regarded. When she heard that he was going to those distant parts, she is said to have remarked dejectedly, that " she would rather follow him to his grave, than afterwards to hear that he had been torn to pieces by the savages."
We will not follow him on his journey of months across the tempest-tossed Atlantic to Savannah, thence to Phila- delphia, after a delay of more than a month. Suffice it to say that on Thursday, November 25, he reached the end of his journey. He set out the same day for New Han- over. On Saturday he met the officers of the congrega- tion, but he found the field actually already occupied, and the congregation itself divided. Some were utterly indif- ferent and did not care for the church at all. Zinzendorf had gained some adherents, a certain N. Schmidt had been accepted as the pastor by the congregation, and it was said the Philadelphians, Germantowners and those at Provi- dence had committed themselves to the notorious Valentine Kraft. This certainly was not a very promising outlook for a man who had travelled three or four thousand miles to take charge of a neglected field.
It is not made quite clear whether Germantown came
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in immediately, as soon as the people saw that they had now found a real pastor, but certain it is that no long time elapsed until that congregation joined the other three and they became four united congregations. According to Rev. Mühlenberg's diary, only three or four months had elapsed before the Germantown congregation united with the others.
As early as 1732 the three congregations, New Han- over, Philadelphia and New Providence, had combined, under the name of united congregations, in sending Rev. John Christian Schulze to Germany to secure aid for them.
On the first Sunday after his arrival in Pennsylvania, Rev. Mühlenberg preached his introductory sermon at New Hanover on 2 Cor. v, 19-20. It will not be neces- sary to present a detailed account of all the proposals and offers, of discussions and debates about the proper mode of procedure during these first days. The call as well as the instructions from Dr. Ziegenhagen had been read to the congregation, and Rev. Muhlenberg had re- turned to Philadelphia. He did not come back to the Swamp Church until December 20. He remained over Christmas and celebrated the Lord's Supper for the first time with his people, there being over one hundred com- municants. That evening the elders and deacons of the New Hanover congregation, as well as those of New Providence, entered into a formal agreement with him, declaring that with thankful hearts they accepted Rev. H. M. Mühlenberg as a lawfully ordained minister of the Gos- pel, sent upon their own earnest appeal by Rev. Fr. Ziegen- hagen. They also promised to provide the necessary liv- ing, to assist and sustain him in his office. This agreement was signed-deacons and elders of New Hanover, Christo- pher Withman, Matthias Ringer, Peter Conrad, Valentine
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The United Congregations.
Geiger, Jacob Aister, Martin Keblinger, George Jürger; deacons and elders of Providence : John Nicol. Groessman, Frederic Marsteller, John George Benter, Nicolaus Bittel, Geo. Groessman, Jacob Müller, John Geo. Groessman, the saddler.
They also pledged themselves that they would not per- mit any man who could not show a regular call according to Article XIV of the Augsburg Confession publicly to preach or to administer the sacraments in their congrega- tion.
Rev. Mühlenberg at once entered zealously upon his work, visiting New Hanover every four weeks. He im- mediately took up the work of instructing the young, and taught a class of young men ranging from seventeen to twenty years their letters. He also found it necessary to give instruction in English and in music. Although there was some division of sentiment, he soon secured har- mony among them and induced them to begin the erection of a school house the following spring. It may also be worthy of note that the first catechumen whom Rev. Müh- lenberg confirmed at New Hanover, had received her in- struction in English.
If space permitted it would be highly interesting to re- count some of Rev. H. M. Mühlenberg's experiences upon his arrival, especially with regard to the man Schmidt, who was evidently an impostor and who at first proposed to establish a rival congregation at New Hanover, but who seems to have conducted himself in a more dignified and honorable manner than either Valentine Kraft or Count Zinzendorf.
That Rev. Mühlenberg had a keen appreciation of humor, is manifested in his reply to the rather uncalled- for but caustic question of Governor Thomas, upon his
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(M.'s) first introduction to that worthy dignitary : " What is the reason that the Germans are so given to the habit of beating their wives ?" " Presumably the reason is this : the Germans have been a warlike people from the most remote period, but being at present under a quaker gov- ernment, which does not look favorably upon martial ar- rangements, they do not want to lose their hereditary bravery. They therefore seek to preserve it until needed by these private exercises." With this, he tells us, the political discussion was ended.
He then describes the sad condition of the community- the lack of instruction, the ignorance of the young, the spiritual destitution and the moral degradation. Even after three months spent in the field Rev. Mühlenberg had already become fully aware that one man could not pos- sibly do the work required. He therefore sent urgent appeals to Halle. Brunnholz, Handschuh, Kurtz and J. H. Schaum, ere long, were sent to aid him. Soon others followed.
It will be too far reaching for our present purpose to enter upon the detailed description of the labors and ac- tivities during the six years following. Within three or four months the three united congregations had become four. Other congregations applied for pastors to preach the word and to bring together their scattered members. One after the other, they placed themselves under the di- rection of Rev. Mühlenberg and those designated by him until two to three dozen congregations were thus united and seemed to recognize no other church authority than that of Mühlenberg and his co-laborers. All this indi- cated that the time was here to enter into more formal relations with one another-that the time was ripe for the organization of a synod. This step was now taken. Not
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much space need be given to the consideration of the for- mation of a synod by the pastors of these united congre- gations. Only six years had elapsed since Rev. H. M. Mühlenberg had landed at Philadelphia. The three stipulated years during which he might return to his native land had long since passed; it had become clearly evident to him as well as to those who had sent him, that unless they meant to abandon every prospect of building up the church in this western land, he must remain, and instead of recalling him they must send others to aid him in his work.
Since his arrival each year had seen more than the original number added to the united congregations. And yet there were still others asking to be received and to be furnished with ministers under the reasonable guaranty given by their union, that they would receive men of char- acter who could be depended upon to represent the church well and favorably, and that they would labor faithfully for its upbuilding.
We have thus far never seen an exact list of the congre- gations cooperating with Mühlenberg and the several pas- tors called by them at the time of the organization of the synod, but in a report sent to Halle by Mühlenberg, Brunn- holz and Handschuh, such a list is furnished. Being their joint work it can therefore be accepted as official and there- fore correct. They state that these congregations have been supplied by them with the word and the sacraments, viz .: Philadelphia, Cohenzi, Germantown, New Provi- dence, Pikestown, New Hanover, New Goschenhoppen, Indianfield, Tulpehocken, Nordkiel, Yorktown beyond the Susquehanna, Upper Milford, Saccon, Neshamony, Fork, Tohek, Readingtown (Raritan) in Jersey, Raritan Hills (Gebirge), New York, Hackensack-twenty given by name. But undoubtedly some were overlooked or else in-
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