USA > Virginia > Madison County > Madison County > The Germans in Madison County, Va. Documents Bearing on Their History > Part 1
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and sett up the Kings Standard to which a good many has Re- sorted, all the Indented servants & Negroes that is able and willing to serve his Majesty belonging to the Rebels is declar'd free of which there is a great number in this Country, 'tis a great misfortune his Lordship has not a sufficient force to go ag't the Vast numbers of Rebels assembled in different parts for he is a brave man, 'tis a wonder some assistance is not sent him tis now affirmed the people mentioned within from W'sburg is now on their way down here if so God knows what may be the conse- quence. I will write you again in a month or 5 weeks w'h will be the last Ship I know off for britain. pray let me hear from you if you possibly can I am as above
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
THE GERMANS IN MADISON COUNTY, VA.
DOCUMENTS BEARING ON THEIR HISTORY.
Translated and Annotated by Prof. WILLIAM J HINKE, Ph. D.
[The following documents gathered from various sources, throw some light upon the history of the first German Lutheran Colony in Virginia.
The German immigration into Virginia began, as far as we now know, in the year 1714. In that year a colony of twelve German Reformed families was settled by Governor Spotswood at Germanna, to work his iron mines. They were followed in 1717 by a second colony of twenty German Lutheran families and these in term by a third colony of forty German families in 1719. The following documents deal with the second and third colonies, consisting mainly of Lutherans. They remained at or near Germanna until their term of indentured service, lasting eight years, was ended. Then, in 1725, they removed to the present Madison County, where they organized a German Luth- eran congregation and later built a church, both of which have
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THE GERMANS IN MADISON COUNTY, VA.
continued to the present day, and are now known as the Heb- ron Lutheran congregation and church in Madison County. EDITOR. ]
I. Church Account.
Belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Spotsylvania County in Virginia, kept by Andrew Kercher, Church- warden of the said Congregation, begun January the first, 1733.
Dr. Money Received Anno 1733.
To money agreed on and given by each family for providing a minister .
£ 2. 7. 0
To an offering made the second Sunday after Trinity at the first Communion I. 10. o
To an offering made the thirteenth Sunday after Trinity 15. 6
To an offering made the twenty-second Sunday after Trinity
IO. 3
To an offering made at Christmas
13. 3
To money delivered the 26th July by Ziriachus [Cyriacus] Fleishman one of ye collectors ·
II.
3. 6
16. 19. 6
Dr. for money received brought forward
16. 19.
6
To money delivered by ye Collectors 9th ye 29th To money delivered by Ziriachus Fleishman & Michael Smith ye collectors ye 19th of Feb., 1733
25. 5. O
7. 14. 672
To Sundry wares given to ye church & sold to ye minister ·
2. 19. 6
To ye like wares sold to George Shebley for -. 14.
3
To ye like wares sold to Zyriachus Fleishman for -. 19. 6
To other wares sold to And'w Kercher for
19. 5
To 2 yards Linnen a present made to ye minister to ye value of
-
I9. 6
To whole sum received 1733
56.
7. 21/2
Disbursements deducted
32. 13. 9
Remains due to ye church
23. 13. 572
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VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
Discounted, heard and ratified ye 28th Febr., 1733-
JOHN CASPER STOEVER, Minister.
Church wardens : Michael Cook, Michael Smith, Michael Clore, Hans George Utz.
Cr. By disbursements, 1733.
By money paid to inquire for a minister in Pennsylvania
o. 6. o
By money to Sheibley for travelling to Pennsyl- vania with our minister when he went to re- ceive his orders -.
17. 0
By money paid by George Sheibley to ye rev'd Mr. Shultz in Pennsylvania for ordination' By paid our minister John Casper Stoever his travelling expenses to Pennsylvania
I. 3. -
I. 9. -
By paid Urban Tunner [Turner] for travelling expenses to W'msburgh about church business -. 12. - By paid for 2 quarts of wine for ye communion the second Sunday after trinity -. 3. -
By paid for wine for com. on the 13th Sunday after trinity -. I. 8
By paid for wine for the communion the 22d Sunday after trinity - 3. -
By paid for wine for do & a bottle at Christmas -. I. 9
4. 16. 5
1This statement settles, in a very natural way, the time and place of Stoever's ordination. On April 8, 1733, the younger Stoever was ordained by the Rev. John Christian Schultz, in a barn at Trappe, Montgomery county, Pa. We now learn that the older Stoever was ordained by the same Rev. Mr. Schultz, in the same year, and most likely at the same place, which served as a meeting-house for the congregation at Trappe. The Rev. Mr. Schultz arrived in Philadelphia with the ship "Loyal Judith," on September 25, 1732, and became at once pastor of the Lutheran congregations at Philadelphia, New Provi- dence (Trappe) and New Hanover. In the summer of the following year he returned with two delegates of his congregations to Germany to collect money in their behalf. He never returned from this trip. See Halle Reports, new ed. Vol. I., p. 5.
139
THE GERMANS IN MADISON COUNTY, VA.
Brought over from Cr. side .
4.
16. 5
By Drink money paid to Wm. Carpenter's wife on account of ye land bought for ye minister By paid Wm. Carpenter after deducting of ye Earnest money for the land bought for ye minister
18. 6
5.
o. o
By paid for building a Kitching & hennhouse on the ministers plantation
2. 15. -
4. -.
6. -.
I. 13. 9
-. 19. 6
- 12. 6
By paid ye Court for ye Deeds of ye ministers land
I. I. 3
By paid Michael Willhite
I. -
By money remitted to John Raussen
-.
I. -
By paid Cook & Smith for travelling expenses twice going to Court
I. -. -
By paid for the Deeds for ye ministers Land By paid Michael Cook for a table for ye minis- ters house -.
- IO.
2. 6
The whole sum of Disbursm'ts 1733
32. 13. 9
Dr. for money received 1734. To ye ballance of ye last settling due
£23. 13. 572
To John Willers gift delivered by Fleishman To further payment made by Fleishman on acc't of ye money scales brought for Smith -.
4. 6
To further payment made by Fleishman on ac- count of ye Collection -. 8. 0
To an offering made on Sexagessima Sunday To an offering made at Easter
- 9. 4
I.
4. 8
To money paid by Hoffman towards the minis- ters salary
To money paid by Richard Bordine for the ministers salary -.
5.
2. 6
By paid freight for our ministers moveables By paid the Collectors the 1-5 of their Collection By further paid them ye deduction money of 1-5 By a present made to ye minister of Linnen By paid for 10 quire paper for ye use of ye church By paid Fleishman & Mich'l Smith their expenses & 1-5 part of their collection
3. 2.
4
-. 2. 6
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VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
To an offering made on the third Sunday after trinity
-. 6. 572
To offering made ye 11th Sunday after trinity To money paid by Fleishman on acc't of the Collection -.
4. 10
19. 4
To 55 lbs tobo. promised to be given to the Col- lection & received by the minister .
-. 8. 4 To an offering made ye 19th Sunday after Trinity -. 9. 9
To a present made by Mich'l Clour [Clore] to ye church -
18. 11/2
The Money received 1734
29
16. 912
The disbursements deducted
28. I. 2
Remains due to ye Church I. 15. 712 Which by ye Accomptant hath been made good.
Virginia That this account this 24th of September 1734
in Spotsy !- is settled, Heard and found good is hereby vania County testified.
JOHN CASPAR STOEVER, Minister.
Michael Cook.
Michael Clore.
Andrew Kercher.
Hans Zeuche.
Michael Smith.
Cr. By disbursements 1734.
By expenses for ye minister, And'w Kercher, Michael Clore & George Utz in Fred'ksburg at ye settling ye accounts of ye collections & moving for leave to make a collection w'ch was granted by the Court .
By paid for communion wine on Sexagessima Sunday .
£ -. 12. 9
3. - By paid for one quart wine & bottle on ye feast of Easter -.
1. 10
13. - By paid further for ye ministers land ·
By post money laid out by Blanchenbuchter re- paid him for a letter sent on church business -. 3 4
By money paid for Planks sawed for ministers
6.
5.
-
house
By paid Jno. Hoffman for 9 days carpenters work to the ministers house I. 2. 6
.
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THE GERMANS IN MADISON COUNTY, VA.
By paid Quitrent for the ministers house 11 By paid for I qu't wine for ye comunion ye 3rd Sunday after trinity -.
I. 6 By paid for 2 quarts do: for do: ye 11th Sunday
3. O after Trinity -.
By paid George Sheibley for his part of Collec- tion dues -. 6. - By pd. for I qu't wine for Communion ye 19th Sunday after Trinity -. I. 6
By 55 lbs tobo. by ye minister of ye Collection money for w'ch he yet is indebted -. 8. 4 By ye ministers Debt for sundry goods 2. 15. 6
By paid for two quarts brandy at ye raising of ye ministers house to Michael Clore -. 2. 6
By paid for ye same for use of ye same -. 7.
6
By money due from Christopher Uhl & Fred- erick Coppeller yet unpaid -. 2. - By further payment to Wm. Carpenter for ye ministers Land I. 1. 1012
By further paym't to Wm. Carpenter on account of the ministers Land being therewith fully paid
-. 18. 11/2
The whole sum of disbursements 28. I.
2
At a Court held for Orange County on Thursday the 24th day of August 1738.
This account of several sums of money received & disbursed by Andrew Kercher for the use of ye German Congregation, was presented into Court by John Carpenter, Adm'r of ye s'd Andrew Kercher dece'd & James Portens made oath that to the best of his skill & knowledge the said account was truly by him translated from the German in English w'ch on the motion of ye s'd Carpenter is ordered to be certified & ye acc't is admitted to record.
Test : HENRY WILLIS, CI. Cur.
A Copy-Test : C. W. WOOLFOLK, Clerk, Orange Circuit Court, Virginia.
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VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
II.
[AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE REV. JOHN CASPER STOEVER AND HIS WIFE.]
North Carolina at Graven Precinct, the 10 Day of March, 1734.
Since the holy state of matrimony is not only a holy and Di- vine Ordinance, But also the Institution of this holy Ordinance earnestly requires that the same should be kept holy and peace- able according to his word, without that we desire to heap on us those heavy punishments & judgments therein threatened. In consideraton of which I, John Caspar Stoever,2 (minister of the Evangelical Lutheran German Congregation in Vir- ginia) and my spouse Maria Magdalena,3 between whom and
2This document introduces us to the first German Lutheran minis- ter in Virginia, of whom we have any record. He was born in 1685, at Frankenberg, in Hesse. "His father, Dietrich Stoever, conducted a mercantile establishment. His mother, Magdalena, was the daughter of Andrew Eherwein, pastor at Frankenberg. One of his baptismal sponsors was John Christ. Eberwein, pastor and head-master in the Pedagogium at Giessen, which position was held later by a relative of the Stoevers, John Philip Fresenius, one of the most prominent and the warmest friend of the Lutheran Church in America. Already in youthful years, Stoever was a teacher at Amweiler, at the eastern slope of the Hardt mountains, and received from them good testimo- nials of his descent and character, which were prepared for him by the elders of the congregation. Here he also attended to the playing of the organ, and probably engaged in theological studies. In the year, 1728, he sailed with his son. John Caspar Stoever, Jr., and ninety Palatines on the ship "Good Will," David Crocket, master, of Rotter- dam, leaving Deal on the 15th of June, and landed in Philadelphia on the 11th of September."
(Halle Reports, new edition, Vol. I, p. 563, and Rev. T. E. Schmauk's History of the Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania, Lancaster, 1903, p. 245, note 291.)
$This agreement, which is taken from the Court Records of Orange Pool, shows that the older Stoever was married twice, because the County, and is part of the papers submitted in the suit of Mary mother of John Caspar Stoever, Jr., was named Gertrudt, her family name is not given. (Schmauk's History of the Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania, p. 248, note 295.) Nor is the family name of the sec- ond wife certain. It may be Pool, as her mother's name was Mary Pool. It is, however, possible that her mother was also married a second time, like her husband, John C. Stoever.
143
THE GERMANS IN MADISON COUNTY, VA.
me hitherto hath been some difference, I have agreed as fol- loweth, to-wit:
Ist. The married persons promise each other to live in this holy state of matrimony (according to God's will till Death shall part them) peaceably and in union as behooves Christians, and totally forget and bury in oblivion all what has formerly past between them, and to travel together to Virginia where ye sd Stoever's congr. is & he lives.
2ly. The husband promises heartily to love and honour his beloved wife, Maria Magdalena, and to provide for her main- tenance and cloathes according as his station and condition will afford & as behooves Christian husband, also.
3ly. Maria Magdalena promises to love and honour her hus- band and in all things, & in love & faithfulness to obey his law- ful commandments as a Christian wife ought to do.
4ly. In case the husband agt. his wife's will should travel to any other place, and contrary to expectation leave her there, half of his Estate to fall to her share, without that she be the cause of his so leaving her.
5ly. I, Stoever, have promised to give unto my son (John Gasper) & Daughter (Elizabeth Catharina) by the first mar- riage, a certain part of my estate for their entire exclusion, and to make this present wife & ye son got (together with what children God shall be pleased to give me) by this second marriage, sole heirs of what estate I shall leave, so that they shall have no one to divide it with them.
6ly. Stoever promises during the life of his mother-in-law to maintain & cloath her & to shew her all love and faithful- ness due from a child; in consideration of which she promises as well to be careful of not giving offence herself, as to admon- ish her Daughter to beware from offending & giving occasion of quarrel or strife, especially to leave off all evil speaking, backbiting & slandering which occasion offence, and truly to behave herself so in all things towards her child and son-in- law as becometh a loving & Christian mother. To the end the congregation may not be offended nor no new strife may be raised in the house. And that all these things may be truly
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VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
kept and performed the married persons & the mother-in-law have hereunto set their hands which is by the hereunto chosen witnesses confirmed. Dated as above.
7th. If the mother-in-law should not be willing, or Stoever rather would chose that she would live in some other place and not with him, then doth he promise for himself and his heirs to pay her yearly for her maintenance five pounds Vir- ginia money as long as she lives. I say five pounds.
Certified to by my own hand,
JOHANN CASPER STOEVER.
Martin Frank, John Hans Daver, Jacob Shyte, Endorsed : Stover and Ux'rs Agreement.
III.
[LETTER OF COUNCILLOR KOEHLER OF KOLBERG, POMMERANIA," TO PROFESSOR FRANCKE, DATED MAY II, 1736.]
That I take the liberty to trouble your Reverence is due to the well known delegates of the congregations in Virginia, who, together with their minister, Mr. Stoever, have arrived here and from here will go to Danzig and Koenigsberg. They have collected a rich harvest, more than 2000 "Thaler,"" to which this city contributed 200 "Thaler." When I represented to them, that I did not hope that they would disregard the main purpose of their transplantation to America and of the blessing bestowed by the dear Lord, but would take to heart the fact that the calling of the Christians consisted mainly in this, to make known the gospel of Jesus Christ in all places and parts of the earth, they perceived this clearly, and assured me that this would be their principal endeavor. But inasmuch, as their minister is of the opinion that he alone is not equal
+Unfortunately, this interesting letter cannot be given completely, only this extract as found in Muchlenberg's Autobiography, published by Rev. Dr. W. German, Allentown, 1881, pp. 221-223.
5A German dollar, worth about 73 cents.
145
THE GERMANS IN MADISON COUNTY, VA.
to this work, he has asked me to inquire of your Reverence whether there is with you a person, equipped by God and filled with a divine impulse, who would be willing to go over with them and co-operate at first in the work of ministry and in the school until divine providence would show them an opening among the heathen. This congregation, he reports, consists of Palatines, whose sad experiences in England, in their jour- ney across the sea, and in the beginning of their stay in America is known. They had no minister till two years ago, when the present pastor, Mr. Stoever, only accidentally came to West India, intending to visit his son." He was before a school teacher, driven away by Catholics, but received gladly by these people who secured his ordination. He has the inten- tion: (1) On his return, to buy twelve negroes as slaves, with whom he intends to clear enough land so that he together with another minister and assistant could live on it, without being a burden to the congregation. He is now paid a salary of 3,000 pounds of tobacco by the congregation. If these slaves be kept better than those among the English people, and be instructed in the Christian religion he thinks that thereby hundred, nay even thousands of slaves, who are compelled to work for Englishmen, will be brought from heathen ignorance to Christ, indeed that much good could thereby be accom- plished among the English. (2) Regarding the heathen living in the country, they had been made very timid by the English, and had been driven forty to fifty miles farther into the coun- try. No one concerned himself about them, but left them go in their blindness. However, since their settlement had been fixed at the extreme borders, only forty miles from the Indi-
6This statement, if correct, throws new light upon a dark period of Stoever's life. The question which has puzzled historians very much, is what became of him after his arrival in Philadelphia, in September, 1728. Some historians, as Dr. Schmauk, (History, p. 247), believe that from 1728-1733 the older Stoever ministered in Philadelphia. But this statement in the letter of Mr. Koehler seems to suggest that he returned to Germany, and in 1733 came back to America. Perhaps he was carried by a storm to Virginia, as the Lutheran immigrants of 1717.
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VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
ans, they met them occasionally hunting ; indeed they [ the In- dians] even allowed themselves to be coaxed into their homes, where they [the Germans] showed them much kindness. Hence, the report had spread among the Indians that they were kinder people than the English and Spanish. For this reason much good was to be expected, with the divine assistance, from these heathen people, especially since they recognized, by the light of reason, two beings worthy of worship, the one good, the other evil, the latter of which was served, out of fear, more than the good. Your Reverence will therefore consider this, and report whether a fit and willing person can be found, ready to go over at the expense of the congregation, which now consists of three hundred people. He must also be willing to be content with the necessaries of life until the proper ar- rangements have been made. As the ships do not go to Vir- ginia till February of next year, they [the delegates] intend to go first from Koenigsberg to Sweden and from there through Denmark to London. They will remain in Danzig four weeks to wait for the answer of your Reverence.7
7Prof. Francke answered this letter on May 23, 1736. He expressed his- readiness to co-operate in getting an assistant for Stoever, but he complained that students were attracted by philosophy, that they considered everything from the standpoint of reason, and would not consent to take any place which did not offer an adequate remunera- tion. During the last year he had looked for men for Bengal and Trankebar, but had received only declinations, and met with difficulties. He asked to be remembered to Stoever. If he [Stoever] should meet on his journey a suitable person, whom he could use as his assistant, he should not disregard the opportunity to engage him. Meanwhile, he . would be pleased to hear from him as to his whereabouts so that, in case he would find anybody, he might notify him.
(Autobiography of Muehlenberg, edited by Dr. W. German, Allen- town, 1881, p. 223.)
The writer of this letter was not the great August Herman Francke, the founder of the famous orphans' home, and of the numerous educa- tional institutions at Halle, but his son, Theophilus Augustus Francke. who followed his father in 1727 as director of orphans' home, and of the other institutions. Both he and his father took great interest in the German Lutheran churches in America. In fact many of the
147
THE GERMANS IN MADISON COUNTY, VA.
IV.
[REPORT OF THE REV. JOHN CASPER STOVER, SR., 1737.] Short Report of an Evangelical German Lutheran Congrega- tion, living in the American Virginia, namely, at the extreme borders of the County of Spotsilvania, prepared by John Caspar Stoever, first pastor of this congregation, Hanover, printed by L. C. Holwein, 1737.
In the year 1717 a small number of Evangelical Lutheran Christians8 from the Alsace, the Palatinate and the neighboring districts, (whose intention it was to go to Pennsylvania) after an unfortunate voyage to the American continent, settled at the extreme borders of the province of Virginia, in the County of Spotsilvania, having undergone many hardships during the first eight years.º Their number is at present 300 souls. They
Lutheran ministers in Pennsylvania during the eighteenth century came from the Halle institutions. Dr. Schmauk gives the complete list of twenty-four men. (See History of Lutheran Church, p. 201, note 235.)
8From several sources we know that the colony of :717 numbered twenty families or about four-score persons. (See Perry, Historical Collections Relating to the American Colonial Church, Vol. I, p. 247, and Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society, Vol. II, pp. 10.4, 106.)
From the Court Records of Spotsylvania County, as published by Mr. Charles E. Kemper, (see Virginia Magazine, Vol. XIII, pp. 370- 372), it appears that Christopher Zimmerman, Henry Snyder, Mathew [ Michael] Smith, Michael Cock [Cook], Andrew Kerker, and Christo- pher Pavlur or Parlur, arrived in Virginia in 1717, and must therefore be members of the 1717 colony. Three of these, Michael Cook, Michael Smith, and Henry Snyder, appear among a number of eighteen Ger- mans, who were sued by Colonel Spotswood in 1725 (See Virginia Magazine, Vol. XIII, pp. 364-367). It is, therefore, probable that most, or perhaps even all of the persons sued by the Governor belong to the 1717 colony.
"This statement, no doubt, implies that Governor Spotswood held these Germans for eight years as indentured servants. It also fixes the time of their departure from Germanna, as 1725, most probably the fall of that year. Mr. Charles E. Kemper has come to practically the same conclusion on the basis of other evidence. He shows (Vir- ginia Magazine. Vol. XIII, p. 365) that the Court Orders of Spotsyl- vania County fix the removal between July, 1725, and November, 1726.
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VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
are now amply provided in temporal things by the Preserver of all creatures, to whom all honor is due. Because they live fifty German miles from the ocean they are unable to dispose of their superabundant provisions, with the exception of their tobacco, which they exchange for the necessary clothing.
Although this congregation, solicitous for the salvation of their souls, made every effort to secure a pastor, and twelve years ago,10 by sending two of their men to Europe, intended to accomplish this, yet for full sixteen years11 they were com- pelled to be without public worship and a pastor, although they had a very great hunger for the word of grace.
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