BULLETIN - hsmcpa.org · IQ2 bulletin of historicalsociety op MONTGOMERY COUNTY ... Colonel Lutterloh told Feb. 20 that only twenty ofthe thirty wagons promised him came into Camp

BULLETINjo/^f/ke.

HI6T0RICAL50CIETYMONTGOMERY COUNTY

PENNSYLVANIAJÔJ^mSTOWN

Sohery

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETYAT \TS BUILDING 165<t DEKALB STREET

NORRISTOWN.PA.

OCTOBER, 1954

VOL. IX NUMBER 3

PRICE ONE DOLLAR

Historical Society of Montgomery County

officehs

Donald A. Gallagee, Esq., PresidentGeorge K. Brecht, Esq., Vice-President

Foster C. Hillegass, Vice-President

David E. Groshens, Esq., Vice-President

Eva G. Davis, Recording Secretary

Helen E. EiCHARDS, Corresponding Secretary

Mrs. LeRoy Burris, Financial Secretary and Librarian

Lyman a. Kratz, Treasurer

TRUSTEES

Kirke Bryan, Esq.

Harry L. Christman

Mrs. H. H. Francine

Donald A. Gallager, Esq.

Herbert H. Ganser

Kenneth H. Hallman

George M. Harding

Nancy P. Highley

Foster C. Hillegass

Mrs. a. Conrad Jones

Hon. Harold G. Knight

Lyman A. Kratz

Franklin A. Stickler

Mrs. Franklin B. Wildman, Jr.Norris D. Wright

Gulph Christian Church, First Building, 1835.

THE BULLETIN

of the

Historical Society of Montgomery County

Published Semi-Annually — October odid April

Volume IX October, 1954 Number 3

CONTENTS

The Schuylkill, Lifeline to Valley Forge 159Earl J. Heydinger

American Door Hardware, 1640-1840 171Robert T. Trump

History of Gulph Christian Church, 1833-1953 175M. Regina Stiteler Supplee

The "Old Dutch Church" in Lower Merion 185Charles R. Barker

Deaths in the Skippack Region (Compiled) 231

Reports • 245

PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

Mrs. LeRoy Burris Jean E. Gottshall

Charles R. Barker, Chairman

157

The Schuylkill, Lifeline to Valley Forge.*

Earl J. Heydinger

The story of the Schuylkill is important not only for itsown valley's history but also because the same methods ofimprovement and transport for produce were used on allthe major rivers of the Colonies and the United Statesduring the eighteenth century. The Mohawk carried morefur; the rivers of New England bore as much or more lumber and logs; while the Delaware-Lehigh, the Susquehannaand James rivers carried coal either earlier or in greaterquantity than the Schuylkill. However, only the Schuylkillplayed a vital role in the critical days of Valley Forge; itsvalue as a transportation medium was forcibly demonstrated during the blackest days of the Revolution. At onedespairing moment the Schuylkill became the lifeline of thenation.

The worth of river craft is emphasized by the reportof the chief engineer of the British Army, Captain JohnMontresor, who told on Sept. 27, 1777, the day after theBritish capture of Philadelphia, that the British had securedfifty boats of all sorts, among them a Durham boat with acapacity of a hundred men, despite continental orders forthe removal of all boats.^ Up river at Valley Forge by Dec.11, 1777 Continental Engineers had thrown two bridgesacross the Schuylkill to facilitate the army's move into theirwinter quarters. One was built of thirty-six wagons connected with each other by fence rails; the other floated onrafts.^

Within a week after the encampment of Valley Forgebegan starvation faced the Continental Army. SurgeonWaldo of the Connecticut Line recorded in his diary thathe had only "firecake" (unleavened bread?) and waterfor supper and breakfast. Surgeon Waldo had been for-

®Read before the Society, November 21, 1953.

159

^0Q BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

tunate; some brigades received no flour at all! The camphad no bread for three days and no meat for two.® A letterof Dec. 19 from Valley Forge blamed the scarcity of wagonsfor the calamity facing the Army. Berks County, this lettertold, had promised delivery within several days of sevenwagonloads of flour; not a barrel was known to be on theway from Lancaster County. Both regions complained aboutdifficulty in the procurement of teams. Unless 200 to 250barrels of flour arrived daily the Army would be unable toexist another week.-^ The arrival of 700 beeves furnished aweek's meat ration on Dee. 24, but there was no flour incamp for Christmas.®

Clothing as well as food was very scarce in camp. Theold story, "No pants (shoes or food) ; ho soldier,"®^ as aretort to reveille, or an order to fall out for a detail, is wellknown. On this occasion General Washington recognizedthe economy and time to be saved by Schuylkill transportation. In a Feb. 10, 1778 letter to Thomas Wharton, Jr.,President of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Washington requested that clothing, reported in the ReadingMagazines by Quarter Master Colonel Lutterloh, be immediately sent to Valley Forge. The General concluded theparagraph by saying that the clothing "may come down bywater and save the labor and the expense of wagon."® Afreshet on the Schuylkill before Feb. 2,"^ which probablybrought supplies from Reading, might have been the reasonfor directing that this clothing be sent via the Schuylkill.

A Feb. 12 complaint from Valley Forge blamed theimpassability of the roads for the non-arrival of a singlewagon for several days past. Further, not a wagon fromLancaster or the back counties, where food and whiskeywere abundant, had arrived in three weeks!^ General Washington, cautioning that secrecy on the serious condition incamp was necessary, warned the Continental Board ofWarbuying agents on Feb. 15 of the alarmingly critical foodsituation at Valley Forge. Meat had been missing from the

THE SCHUYLKILL, LIFELINE TO VALLEY FORGE Igl/

ration for four days or more. The disbandment of the Armywas a constant threat even though the men were patientlysuffering privation; the demands of nature for food had tobe supplied. He entreated the immediate and most activeexertion to forward meat in any quantity with the greatestspeed. Unless there were instant relief, the most seriousconsequences would follow. The lack of forage for theCamp's horses was also serious.® The lack of transport resulted in "little less than famine in Camp by Feb. 16."^®

Congressional counter-orders which hindered the movement of Pennsylvania supplies to Valley Forge, became thescapegoat in a letter written from Reading by CongressmanWilliam Duer of New York to his fellow committee-man,Francis Lightfoot Lee of Virginia, on Feb. 19, 1778 as aresult of Washington's complaint and warning missive ofFeb. 15. "All prospects of keeping the Army together is nowat an end, and you may expect every minute to hear of itsdissolution." Duer, after relating that Colonel Bird had sentnearly a thousand barrels of flour from Reading to ValleyForge by the Schuylkill since Washington's letter of Feb.15,^^ warned that the river had fallen, ending further watertransport, and that land transportation was too slow to remedy the drastic situation. In conclusion, Congressman Duerrepeated his prediction of mutiny and foretold the desertionof the Army to the British within a few days.^-

This timely shipment of 1000 barrels of flour, six tothirteen Reading-boat loads, was only the minimum for fouror five day's requirements, but those four or five daysgained by the life-line of Valley Forge, the Schuylkill, enabled Washington's Army to survive, to recuperate, to battleagain, to win independence! While the scheduled ration onFeb. 8, 1778 called for 1^/4 pounds of beef or salt fish, or 1pound of pork with ll^ pounds of soft bread or flour or 1pound of hard bread per man per day,^^ three ounces ofmeal and three pounds of flour as seven days' ration perman stresses the very critical food situation at Valley Forge

IQ2 bulletin of historical society op MONTGOMERY COUNTY

the next month.Look at the weight of the flour and cerealpackages on your pantry shelf in order to envision thisweek's ration without meat!

To illustrate the severe shortage of land transportationto the encampment a few of the complaints will be related.Colonel Lutterloh told Feb. 20 that only twenty of the thirtywagons promised him came into Camp. Even with thesetwenty, the gathering of food and forage by Camp detailswas insufficient for the need.^® On March 2, the Camp'sCommissary Officer reminded James Young, Pennsylvania'sWagon Master General located at Reading, that not one ofthe 180 wagons ordered to carry forage and food to Camphad arrived.^"

Duplication of bidding, national versus state, had addedto the critical condition at Valley Forge, but on February 17,Congress attempted to remedy the duplication by orderingthe Board of War to recall and suspend its buying agents,R. L. Hooper, Nathaniel Falconer and Jonathan Mifflin,who were busy outbidding Pennsylvania's agents and collecting a 2V2 percent commission on all purchases.Pennsylvania's Council on February 19 urged its County Commissioners for collecting provisions to forward flour, cattleand hogs to Valley Forge with the greatest alacrity possible.Funds for cash payment were sent with the orders.^®

The friction and hindrance generated by these ordersmeant to speed supplies to Valley Forge are reflected in theFebruary 23 report of James Young, the State WagonMaster General at Reading. National Commissioner Mifflinhad applied for fifty wagons to forward Continental-ownedsupplies to Camp. Young was forced to seize the twentywagons nearest Reading to even partially meet this demand.Upon their arrival in Reading on the 20th, they had beensent to Mifflin, who, in the meantime having received noticefrom QM General Green of his dismissal, refused to loadthese wagons, redirecting them to John Lesher and Valentine Eckert," the Pennsylvania County Purchasing Com-

THE SCHUYLKILL, LIFELINE TO VALLEY FORGE

missioners. Unfortunately at this time, these men had nosupplies to load. When Lesher and Berks County Wagon-master Reed applied again to Mifllin for Continental-ownedlading, he retorted that he had nothing to do with thematter. The result was delay, wagons sent back to the farms,useless cost to the government and no food or forage sentto Valley Forge. Reed resigned. Later, more wagons hadto be impressed.^®

The Pennsylvania Council on February 24 urged allCounty Purchasing Commissioners to exert every powerthey possessed to procure supplies as fast as possible toremedy the tragic condition at Camp. Contrary orders previously given were to be disregarded; all cattle, pigs, beef,pork, and forage available were to be immediately procuredand forwarded to Camp with the greatest possible speed.Additional manpower necessary for this purpose might behired as the occasion was extremely urgent.^^

Bird's thousand barrel shipment to Valley Forge assumes even greater importance in the light of these difficulties with land transportation. Though only four to five days'supply for the Camp, when considered in relation to timeliness, and the failure of other transportation to function,these six to thirteen boatloads of flour assume their

true value. As late as 1802 the Reading papers, in speakingabout the Reading-boat traffic to Philadelphia, state thatone ton of freight required a four-horse wagon.On thisbasis it would have required 3B0 horses, 90 %vagons, and 90drivers to have carried these thousand barrels to ValleyForge and probably would have taken at least three days,rather than the single day for a boat shipment.-^ Could theneighborhood of Reading have furnished the ninety wagonsrequired? Could the Army at Valley Forge have waitedthree days?

How was Colonel Mark Bird able to immediately sendthese thousand barrels of flour to Valley Forge at thiscritical moment? Mark Bird knew the Schuylkill well. With-

164 bulletin of historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

out doubt, both he and his father, Ironmaster William Bird,sent their iron to the Philadelphia market via the Schuylkill.Both were members of the Commissioners for the river'simprovement, the father in 1760 and the son in 1773. Moreover, Mark Bird held an official post in Pennsylvania's procurement setup at this time.^^ When the Revolution movedinto the Schuylkill Valley in 1777, there existed in andaround Reading a body of experienced Schuylkill boatmen.For over forty years poplar-log canoes with capacities upto four tons had been used between the lower section oftoday's Berks County and Philadelphia.-^ Ten-ton capacityflat-bottomed Reading Boats carried produce down riveras early as 1760; by 1769 an estimate placed thirty suchcraft in the Reading area.-® In these same years, especiallyafter 1760, Pennsylvania had improved the navigation ofthe Schuylkill by removing the most dangerous rocks at theseveral falls of the river near Philadelphia, and only twoyears before the Revolution David Rittenhouse, the Pennsylvania scientist, made a detailed survey of the river between Reading and Philadelphia. Finally, flour was storedat Reading for such an emergency. On January 15, 1778,when the encampment at Valley Forge was of less than twomonths' duration, Congress ordered 10,000 barrels of flourto be accumulated in the upper Schuylkill Valley, 8,000at Reading and 2,000 at Pottsgrove. This storage, in thesame quantity and locations, was reordered on February 14.^''

Later action at Reading by Pennsylvania and the Continental government adds to this high evaluation of theSchuylkill. On March 2, 1778, James Young, the Pennsylvania Wagon Master General, at Reading, reported "express" to Timothy Matlack, Pennsylvania Secretary of Stateat Lancaster, that the wagons of Berks County were workingfull time carrying flour and forage to the Schuylkill whereit was loaded for river shipment. This system of handlingfunctioned, he emphasized, at a time when the roads werealmost impassable for loaded wagons.^®

THE SCHUYLKILL, LIFELINE TO VALLEY FORGE 165

On this same March 2, 1778, the Pennsylvania Councildirectly recognized the value of Schuylkill transport by a"recommendation"' to the Berks County Commissioners ofPurchases. Because the utmost and immediate exertion wasnecessary, Schuylkill-boats suitable for transporting provisions to Valley Forge, reported available at or near Reading,were to be hired to carry supplies. If sufficient craft couldnot be secured by hiring, additional boats were to be seizedthrough legal action, and if any boat so seized requiredrepairs, these were to be made and deducted from the boathire .2®

A week later, John Lesher, one of the Berks CountyCommissioners of Purchases, reported in answer to theFebruary 24th exhortation by the Council that he had usedhis influence to have forage carried to the Schuylkill forshipment.®®

When Congress resolved on March 19, 1778 that Pennsylvania should call 500 militia to guard the Staters magazines, that body assigned two hundred to Reading.®^ Greaterrecognition came on April 23, when Congress ordered JehuEyre, of the Kensington (on the Delaware above Philadelphia) shipbuilding family to set up a boat-building establishment at Reading in order to build craft for use on theSchuylkill. Captain Samuel Clinton directed Eyre's shipcarpenters at Reading.®® On this same day, the PennsylvaniaCouncil suggested to the Pennsylvania Naval Board thatseamen from the dismantled Delaware River galleys beemployed either as guards or "in assisting in the transportation over the greater rivers [of Pennsylvania, the Schuylkill and Susquehanna] of stores and soldiers."®®

With this background of activity in the Reading area it isnot difficult to perceive the value placed on the Schuylkill bythe Army at Valley Forge. The arrival of food and forage byriver when road transportation was impossible naturallyinfluenced Assistant Quarter Master General at ValleyForge, Charles Pettit, to suggest to President Wharton of

3^00 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Pennsylvania on May 16, 1778 that the Continental Government improve the Schuylkill from Reading to Valley Forge,even though the benefit to the nation would be of shortduration. AQM General Pettit noted that the supply boatstraveling on the Schuylkill functioned well when the Riverwas at high water. After a survey from Reading to ValleyForge, Major Benjamin Eyre had informed Pettit that navigation during low-water could easily be made for boats ofrecent construction at a cost of 2,000i3, an improvementwhich would be of lasting advantage to Pennsylvania'scommerce. The forty fords in the forty nine miles betweenValley Forge and Kern's Ford in Reading are listed inMajor Eyre's report along with their distance from Reading,their depth and river-bottom conditions. These fords,AQMG Pettit suggested, might be deepened at a very lowcost by calling for volunteer labor from the neighborhoodof each ford.^^ The Council'of Pennsylvania in answeringPettit three days later told him that the proposition wasbefore the House of Assembly, where it was doubtfully received because the estimate of cost was considered too low.

However, if the clearing of the Schuylkill were absolutelynecessary, the hiring of men would be cheaper and moreexpeditious than the use of volunteers as proposed byPettit.3^

The Continental Warehouse on the Schuylkill at Reading where the Berks County military supplies, food, forage,armament, ammunition and clothing came by wagon forriver delivery to Valley Forge merits description. The storehouse, sixty by twenty feet, and a stable,^° 175 by twenty,were conveniently situated for river shipment along theeastern shore of the Schuylkill above the Penn Street Ford(Kern's in 1778).^^ The purchases of Colonel Nicholas Lotz,Commissioner of Forage at Reading 1780-81, reflect thelater activities at this warehouse on the river front. Lotzspent over $200,000, or about $2600 a month in a periodsomewhat over sixteen months.^® Because a Reading boat

THE SCHUYLKILL, LIFELINE TO VALLEY FORGE

was able to make a trip to Philadelphia in one day, theeconomy of the Schuylkill as a transportation medium inthe Revolutionary War period becomes more evident. Landtransportation cost Colonel Lotz two shillings, specie, aton-mile, or about 25 cents. Based on the price of corn atthat time, five shillings a bushel, one bushel of corn paidfor the land carriage of one ton only two-and-a-half miles.-''®

An advertisement in the Pennsylvania Gazette, July 27,1781, told how Continental ownership of the Reading-boatscommandeered at Reading by State order in 1778, andthose built at Reading on Congressional order after April1778, was terminated:

To be sold at Public Vendue, July 27, a number of flat-bottomed boats, Denham [Durham] and Reading-built, scowsand barges, etc. All persons possessing of public boats [should]return them to the Deputy Quarter Master before this sale.

With this sale the active part which the Schuylkillplayed in the Revolutionary encampment of Valley Forgeended. The prosaic traffic, produce, iron, rafts of buildingtimber, sawn boards, and staves, along with some logs, inreturning to their normal channel replaced the lifesavingtraffic of 1777-78.

The timeliness of Colonel Bird's February flour shipment, the reports of Wagon Master Young and the orderfor the hiring or seizing of Reading Boats by the Pennsylvania government in March, the ordering of boat construction at Reading by the Continental Congress in April, thesurveying of the Schuylkill by the Quartermaster Department of Valley Forge before May, the saving of two daysand the lives of thousands of horses by the use of watertransportation, demonstrate that the Schuylkill was vitalto Washington's Army, and in reality became the Life LineOf Valley Forge.

(The foregoing paper is the substance of a thesis presented to the Department of History of Lehigh University by Mr. Heydinger. Puhlication inadvance has been authorized by Dr. Harmon, of that Department.)

108 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Footnotes:

^G. D. Scull, ed., "Journals of Captain John Montresor, July 1, 1777to July 1, 1778," Pennsylvania Magaeinb of History and Biography,VI 42-43. Hereafter M of H B.

®William S. Baker, "Itinerary of General Washington from June 15,1775 to Dec. 23, 1778, Ibid,, XIV 275-77. Hereafter Itinerary. "ValleyForge, 1777-78, Diary of Surgeon Albigence Waldo of the ConnecticutLine" Ibid., XXI 305. Hereafter Waldo.

' Ibid., 299 Dec. 21 and 22, 1777. The pilfering of iron plates from thewreckage of the Valley Forge, reported in January 1778, was probablyinstigated by the necessity of the men to bake their own bread from thispasty ration. Termed firecake by Surgeon Waldo, this bread, probablyan unleavened concoction similar to sacramental bread, was made bypouring mixed flour and water on a hot iron plate. "Orderly Book ofGeneral Edward Hand, Valley Forge, January 1778," PMH&B 41, p. 208.Itinerary, 338.

*Archives, 1 VI 107-8.

®Ibid., 130.

Ibid., 254, Feb. 12 tell that many soldiers were confined to quartersfor lack of clothing.

«Ibid., 250. J. C. Fitzpatrick, ed. Writings of George Washingtonfrom Original Sources, 1745-1799 (Washington, 1931-44) X 447-48.Pa.'s council answered this request on Feb. 13, 1778 by ordering theclothing to be forwarded immediately. Archives, 1 VI 256.

' Date for freshet. Ibid., 220-1.

" Ibid.., 252.

* Ibid., 263-64. This letter was directed to the Continental Board ofWar Buyers, Mifflin, Falconer and Hooper. J. C. Fitzpatrick,-ed., Calendar OF Correspondence of George Washington, C. in C. of theContinental Army with the officers. (Washington, 1915 4 V) I 508.Hereafter Calendar of Correspondence. 1500 horses died during theencampment.

"Itinerary, 338.

" While Colonel Lutterloh on Jan. 28, 1778 mistakenly assigns Col.Mark Bird to Bucks County, Archives, VI 210, Pennsylvania Counciltells the next day. Ibid., 212, that Berks County wagons were to call onCol. Bird for provisions and forage.

" Ibid., 276-77. Lee presented this letter to Congress Feb. 21, 1778.Journal of Continental Congress, 1774-1789 (Washington, 1908) X189. Hereafter Continental Journals.

THE SCHUYLKILL, LIFELINE TO VALLEY FORGE Jgg

" Archives, 1 VI 247.

" S. Weir Mitchell, "Historical Notes of Dr. Benjamin Rush, March1778." M OF H & B, XXVm 148. Rush disliked Washington.

^ Archives, 1 VI 276, 283. These wagons were from NorthamptonCounty.

" Ibid., 320 lists a Mar. 2 call for 180 wagons, while Col. Rec., XI 409shows that Lutterloh had ordered 280 on Jan. 30; 190 of these were fromthe Schuylkill Valley.

"Archives, 1 VI 272, 258. See 333-335 for Pa's complaint, also 303-314for the elaborate system set up by these Continental buyers from theirheadquarters at Reading. Also 242, 266 for Hooper's actions.

Ibid., 278.

Eckert purchased flour, whiskey and provisions to the amount of$7600 with his own funds this year. Pa. Gazette, Jan. 18, 1786.

Ârchives, 1 VI, 289-90. Reed's resignation, 290.^ Ibid., 294.

®Zeitung, Mar; 3, Weekly Advertiser, Mar. 6, Adler, Mar. 9. Thesix-horse Conestoga Wagon, operating on an improved turnpike withfour-to-six ton loads, were an improvement a dozen years in the future.That eleven barrels of flour equalled one ton is related in the Abler,Mar. 16, 1813.

®An account of travel from Reading to Valley Forge on Christmas1777 tells that land transport, between these points even when the groundwas frozen, required 3 days' time. Richards Scrap Book, H-160. (AtHist. Soc. of Berks Co.)

Archives, l VI 212.

®Colonial Records, I 315-316. Eight owners listed in 1732, whilethree canoes were involved in the 1738 boatmen-fishermen fight. Ibid.,553-54.

^ Pa. Gazette, Apr. 3, 1760, Nov. 30, 1769." Archives, l VI 177, 256. Storekeepers were Colonel Cowperthwaite

at Reading, John Mitchell at Pottsgrove. Ibid., 279.

^ Ibid., 321.

®Ibid., 327.Ibid., 327.

Ibid., 374, 382.

Peter D. Keyser, "Memorials to Colonel Jehu Eyre" M. of H. & B.Ill 423-24. Hereafter Keyser. Keyser was a great-grandson of Jehu Eyre.This firm built batteaux for use on the Ohio in 1760 and for Sullivan's1778 Susquehanna Expedition. The family built ships at Kensington aslate as 1824. This order IS NOT in the Continental Journals, X.


Archives, I VI 434, 460. Whether soldiers were transported toValley Forge, or whether these seamen came to the Schuylkill is presentlyunknown to the writer. See F.N. 34.

*•1810., 513. Ford List, 514. Benjamin Eyre, Aide-de-Camp to Washington and later a Colonel, was a brother of Jehu Eyre, who had beenordered to build boats at Beading, Keyser, 303. Major Eyre was acquainted with Reading and the forage problem, having been a guest ofGeneral Thomas Mifflin at his farm, Angelica, on Nov. 11, 1777. JacobC. Parsons, ed., Extracts prom the Diary of Jacob Hiltzheimer ofPhiladelphia (Philadelphia, 1893) 36. Maj. Eyre had been as late asOct. 25, 1777 connected with the Pa. Galleys on the Delaware at Borden-town. Calendar op Correspondence, I 447.

Archives, I VI 525.

Evidently the horses were not returned nightly to their farmerowners but remained in the stable adjacent to the warehouse in Reading,a great time-saving. Again, the horses may have been owned by theContinental or State Governments.

" Archives, I IX 237. Hessians were temporarily quartered in thesebuildings in 1781. Ibid., 289. This warehouse and stable are shown definitely at this location by Hessian Captain Weiderhold's Map rather thanas far away as the (today's) Barbey Brewery area, as stated in theJan. 1937 Historical Review of Berks County. The disposition of thesetwo continental buildings has not been traced by the writer. Readinghistorian, J. Bennett Nolan in his George Washington and the Townop Reading, Pennsylvania (Reading, 1931) 105, 141, makes two seemingly conflicting statements. Speaking of Washington's 1793 trip throughReading, he tells that the great warehouses were dismantled, but, indescribing the 1794 expedition, he states that these warehouses for whichWashington had risked and lost Philadelphia, were in ruins. In a laterbook, The Schuylkill (Rutgers, 1951) Mr. Nolan hints that ContinentalHall was on the riverside as late as Spring 1814, when Captain Keim'sMilitia Company boated down the Schuylkill to Philadelphia. 80. (See theReading Weekly Advertiser, Sept. 24, 1814.) While Weiderhold's Maplists a Continental Hall, it does not show this structure on the river.A copy of the Weiderhold Map may be seen at the Historical Society ofBerks County.

^ Morton Montgomery, Historical and Biographical Annals ofBerks County (Chicago, 1909), 116, 118. The inflation of this periodreduces this total to a smaller figure, unless all purchases were mads inspecie. The dollar of 1777 was inflated to $29 Continental Money by Jan.1780, and to $74 a year later.

"Morton Montgomery, Berks County in the Revolution. (Reading,1894) 186.

American Door Hardware1640toi840*

. , Robert T. Trump

One of the earliest pieces shown here is a hickory latchwith a string fastened to the bar, which ran through a holein the door and was pulled bh the other side—lifting thelatch-;—an illustration of the old saying "The latch stringis out."

The collection of early wrought iron thumb-latches isinteresting because of their beautiful designs—includingiûch patterns as the "Arrowhead," "Cockshead," "Spade,""Heart," "Tulip," "Lima" Bean," '"Shell," "Leaf," "Pine-tree," "Crab," "Swordfish," "Ball and Spear,"-etc. Some ofthe finest examples of these were Pennsylvania Germanthumb-latches of thb "Tulip" pattern in many designs, withhearts, etd., cut out in a pierced design—while the "Sword-fish," "Crab," "Ball and Spear," etc., were characteristic ofNew England, Many of the CoIoniaLpie'ces iii-this countrywere derived or influenced in design and construction fromthe old European styles, because of the ancestry of thecraftsmen.' ' • ^ .

' Wooden box locks with wrought iron works were alsoused in the early 1700's and right on through until 1900.However the best-known and possibly the' most pleasing of

* Abstract of a paper read before the Society, February 23, 1953,•when a portion of the author's collection •was also displayed.

Mr. Trump, who resides at Valley Green Farm, Ambler, Pa., but haslately been serving with the Army Engineers in the Orient, collectsoriginal old door hardware; he is "a widely recognized authority on thishitherto little explored facet of American history, and has been consultedin the restoration of some of the finest early American homes and buildings." IThe Historical Society News, Feb. 11, 1953.]

Mr. Trump has supplied some of the hardware, notably the front doorlock, for the Society's present building.

171

174 bulletin of historical society op MONTGOMERY COUNTY

holding the Child on her lap, and one angel on her rightholding an olive branch, while the angel on her left holdsa flaming heart.

In another pa,ir of firebaeks in my collection, "Susannahand the Elders," is shown on one, while the other is thefamous "Hope" fireback, also pictured in "The Bible inIron," by Dr. Mercer. This latter shows "Hope" seated onan anchor, while one angel on her right holds a parrot, andthe angel on her other side has the parrot's cage.

I specialize in the field of restoration of old door hardware, supplying a great deal for historical buildings andmuseums throughout the country. Many people nowadaysappreciate the fact that the door hardware on an old homeis "the jewelry of the house," and it is as important to usegenuine old door hardware on it, as it is to use genuine oldbrasses on a piece of antique furniture.

m

Set of Pennsylvania German Hinges

for Double Door

History of Gulph Christian ChurchCulph Mills, Pa.

1833 - 1953

M. Regina Stiteler Supplee*

In presenting this history of the old Gulph ChristianChurch we are grateful to those who sacrificed in the earlydays in order that our Church might be established. Wealso appreciate the contributions made by those who, downthrough the years, have made it possible for the Churchto continue.

Our main interest, however, is what the Church hasaccomplished spiritually during the one hundred and twentyyears of its existence and with its service to the communityof which it has been a part.

The history of our Church began in 1830 when ElderFrederick Plummer, a local preacher from Philadelphia,began preaching in the Gulph School house. His congregation became so large that the school house was overcrowded and services were held under a large oak tree inthe school yard. He came occasionally during the next twoyears. He was brought here by George Righter, who droveto Philadelphia for him. (George Righter was the greatgrandfather of Irvin Supplee.)

In May of 1833 Elders Plummer and De Millard held aseries of meetings and on June 16th the following personswere baptized in the Schuylkill River: Isaac DeHaven,

* Mrs. A. Irvin Supplee. This church history was prepared in commemoration of the One Hundred and Twentieth Anniversary of theChurch, held July 19, 1953. For an earlier paper by Mrs. Supplee, entitled "Gulph Mills and Rebel Hill," see the Bulletin, vol. VI, No. 1;October, 1947; p. 17.

The foot-notes to this paper have been provided by the PublicationCommittee.

175


Andrew Supplee, John Henderson Supplee, George Supplee,Jacob Rodenbaugh (who later became pastor of theChurch), John Sutton (who became a traveling preacher),William S. Wagner, Elizabeth Matson, Sr., Jane Zell, ElizaSupplee, Mary Ann Supplee, Susanna Smith and Jane Mat-son. On June 23d, William Noblit was baptized.

On July 21st another meeting was held, after which thefollowing persons were baptized in the'Schuylkill River:George Righter, George W. DeHaven, Samuel Ouster, Catharine Wagner, Catharine Righter (Supplee), ElizabethWagner (Hawk), Susan J. Wagner (Rodenbaugh), Susannah Matson (Noblit), Sarah DeHaven, Terissa Dull andHarriet Clair. In the afternoon at 3 o'clock a meeting washeld in the school yard and the Church organized withtwenty-five members.

On November 15th a special meeting was held at thehome of Andrew Supplee and the following officers wereappointed:

Secretary William S. WagnerTreasurer '..George RighterDeacons Jacob Rodenbaugh

Andrew SuppleeIsaac DeHaven

Deaconesses Elizabeth SuppleeSusan J. Wagner

Mary Ann Supplee

We find records of baptisms on August 18th, September15th, October 20th, November 17th, and December 25th ofthat same year. We feel that those who had the faith andcourage to be baptized out-of-doors on Christmas Day deserve to have their names mentioned. They were EdwardParker, Jesse Dickey, Mary Parker, Elmira Righter(Broades), John Horn, Elizabeth Matson, Jr., and AnnJones. Sixty-three persons were baptized during ElderPlummer's pastorate. We find records of many specialmeetings, some lasting from three to four days.

,, - •; , ^ •4./

-' - -»r *=

• -:±^2h^Gulph Christian Church, and School House.

HISTORY OF GULPH CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 1833-1963 177

During the year 1834 we find records of the followingElders taking part in the services: E. S. Nutt, L. D. Fleming,H. Currier and T. Roberts. A special meeting was called onAugust 28, 1834 at which time it was agreed to supportElder Lorenzo D. Fleming one-half of the time.

"October 14, 1834 the members, with a respectable number of the neighbors, met at the Gulph School house to makeup a sum of money to purchase a piece of ground whereonto erect a church. They made up the amount, secured thedeed and went on and built the Church, which is called TheChristian Church in Upper Merion, Montgomery County,Pennsylvania and was dedicated to the service of God inthe year of our Lord 1835."

The original deed was given by George Stacker and hiswife, Eleanor, to George Righter, Isaac DeHaven, AndrewSupplee, John Henderson Supplee and Peter Richards. Itwas signed before J. Lowry and witnessed by J. Lowry andMary Wharton on September 3, 1835. Ours is the onlyChurch of the Christian denomination in MontgomeryCounty.^

Elder L. D. Fleming continued to preach one-half of thetime, the remaining time being taken by other elders andoccasionally by Elder Plummer.

In October, 1841 Elder Godfrey Hawk came. TheChurch was in poor condition because of irregular preaching. "Through his indefatigable labors and the prayers ofthe Church and the blessing of God the Church was revived." Elder Hawk remained until 1848 and during hispastorate baptized ninety-seven members.

At the Church meeting October 4, 1842 the followingofficers were chosen:


Deacons Isaac DeHaven

John H. Supplee

Deaconesses Ann Pechin

Mary Ann Rambo

Trustees Edward H. Pechin

George W. DeHaven

Treasurer George Stacker

Secretary William S. Wagner

During Elder Hawk's pastorate it was agreed by voteto pay off the debt of the Meeting House, by subscription,and agreed by vote that Elder Hawk was "to go around withthe subscription book." Later, some money was borrowed,this to be paid in spring of 1844.

On March 25, 1843, two delegates, John Noblet andHenry Foreman, were chosen to attend conference at Tully-town, Bucks County.

The first record we have of the Sunday School is June 10,1843, with John Henderson Supplee and Joseph Davis thefirst Superintendents, Edwards H. Pechin, Treasurer, andJohn Noblet, Secretary.

July 13, 1844 we find this resolution: "Resolved thatChurch meetings be held on Saturday evening previous tothe full of the moon."

During this period part of the business of these meetingsseemed to be the appointment of committees to wait ondelinquents, or to disown members until they altered theirway of living. One resolution was to collect money by subscription for oil and paint to paint the Meeting House. Theamount collected was $6.97^^.

In 1845 a lecture on Abolition was held in the Church.During this year the burying-ground was staked out in lots,which sold for $7 each.^

In 1846 a resolution to take up a collection every Sundaywas passed.

HISTORY OP GULPH CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 1838.1953 179

In 1847 permission was given the friends of the neighborhood to hold a singing-school in the Church building.

In 1848 Jacoli Rodenbaugh came as pastor and remainedhere until 1859. He baptized one hundred members duringhis pastorate and received several others by letter.

In 1849 the vault was built under the Church and thosewho paid $3 toward the cost had the right to use it withoutfurther charge.

On March 6, 1851, it was decided to apply to the StateLegislature for an act of incorporation for the Church. During this year the wall was built around the graveyard, as itwas then called, and the horse sheds were built. It was alsoduring this year that the Church united with a PhiladelphiaConference.

On March 23, 1859, after the Church was incorporated,a new deed was given to the Christian Church at Gulf Millsby George Righter, Isaac DeHaven, John H. Supplee andPeter Richards, surviving trustees of those to whom the firstdeed was given. It was signed before George McFarlandand witnessed by George McFarland and Charles Rodenbah.

Elder William Bradley was elected pastor in 1859 andremained one year. Elder Jacob Rodenbaugh again becamepastor April 22, 1860.

In 1861 the following note, signed by the pastor, wasinserted in the minutes: "A meeting was commenced on the13th of January of this year and continued until the 10th ofFebruary, during which time there was preaching everyevening. The Gospel proved to be the power of God to theSalvation of many. 25 were hopefully converted, beside anumber of backsliders were reclaimed and the Church generally revived."

Rev. J. G. Noble assisted with these meetings.The records show that eleven young men, members of

the Church, joined the army during the Civil War. Two ofthese — Thomas Shock and Stephen S. Davis — were killedin action. Two others died while in the army.

IgQ BULLETIN OP HISTORICAL SOCIETY OP MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Elder J. G. Noble came as pastor in April 1864.

On March 4, 1865, a committee was appointed to getshade trees for the Church yard.

In 1867 Rev. John Conrad was elected pastor'.^ He accepted no salary and earned his living by working for Philadelphia newspapers. In this year a committee was appointedto raise funds to build a parsonage. This committee consisted of John Henderson Supplee, Frederick Light and S.P. Hamill.

A library for the Sunday School was started in 1868.In 1869 a committee was appointed to draft a consti

tution and' by-laws.

In 1870 the ground on which the former parsonagestands was bought, and the parsonage built.

The first record we find of a woman's acting even asSecretary pro tem is on January 9, 1875, when CatharineMitchel was elected to act in the absence of David Hilton.

In 1876 the Church withdrew from the PhiladelphiaConference.

In 1877 the Church decided to give the collection ofevery Communion Sunday for the benefit of the poor.

In 1889 Rev. John Conrad resigned as pastor and Rev.John Blood supplied the pulpit until April 1, 1890, at whichtime Rev. J. B. Clark became pastor. He received a salaryof $400 per year. This was the first time any stated salaryhad been paid to a pastor since the Church was organized.During Rev. Blood's time he did good work in building upthe Church and was a great help with the music.

In May, 1890, the Church joined the New Jersey Conference.

In 1890 a baptism was held in the creek nearby. JamesComog and John Buler were baptized. So far as I knowthat was the last baptism held out-of-doors.

In 1891 the Christian Endeavor Society was organizedby Rev. Elwood C. Hall.

HISTORY OP GULPH CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 1833-1963 Jgl

In 1893 the ground for the new cemetery was purchased.

On July 29, 1893 a building committee was appointedand told to do its best toward building a new Church for$5000. Later it was raised to $6000. Many members constituted committees to get subscriptions for the work. Mr.Bums, a contractor from Berwyn, built the Church. It ismodeled after St. Martin's Church in Canterbury, England.

Messrs. Gillingham, Garrett and Newhall, friends of theChurch, helped very substantially with the finances andlooked after the work as it was being done. They alsodonated the bell which hangs in the tower.

The corner-stone was laid in 1894 and the Church dedi

cated, free of debt, in March, 1895. During November ofthis year Rev. P. S. Sailer helped with a series of meetings,resulting in the addition of fifteen members to our Church.

Rev. J. B. Clark stayed until 1899 at which time Rev. J.B. Fenwick came.

(No minutes were available for the period from 1899 to1903.)

In 1901 the Ladies' Aid Society was organized with thepastor's wife as its first president. It has been a wonderfulhelp in all the work of the Church.

Rev. J. B. Fenwick remained with us until October 1,1903. Rev. William Sivel preached for us until June, 1904,when Rev. S. L. Baugher came as pastor.

In 1905 the Ladies' Aid Society had a porch built on tothe front of the parsonage.

Improvements were made to the Sunday School and itwas re-dedicated March 3, 1907.

Rev. Baugher left us in August, 1911. In December,1911, Rev. M. W. Butler came as pastor.

In 1912 the Men's Bible Class was organized, with alarge and interested membership. Mr. J. Arthur McFarlandwas instrumental in helping start the class. Mr. ParkerWilliams was president and Mr. Lewis Palmer teacher ofthe class.

182 BULLETIN OF HISTOEICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

New shade trees were planted in 1914, and in 1915 thesteam heat was installed.

In 1915 our Church joined with other Churches of thesurrounding area in tabernacle meetings held at 2nd andFayette Streets in Conshohocken. Many members joined ourChurch as a result of these meetings.

Rev. Butler remained with us until January, 1920. Rev.Guy Lamson preached for us until July, 1920, at which timeRev. Albert Loucks came. During this year the Women'sMissionary Society was organized.

Rev. Loucks remained with us until November, 1922.Rev. Guy Lamson, D.D., and others, supplied the pulpit untilSeptember 1, 1923 when Rev. J. C. Barret was called.

During the early part of 1923 a new copper roof wasplaced on the Church building. In 1925 the Church was redecorated and a new organ purchased.

Rev. Barret preached for us until 1927 when Rev. M. W.Butler was again called as pastor.

At a meeting of the General Convention of the ChristianChurch, held atPiqua, Ohio, October 25, 1929, the Christianand Congregational denominations merged. Two representatives from our Church — Rev. M. W. Butler and Mrs.Irvin Supplee — attended the meeting. There was great rejoicing among all the denominations as this was the firsttime such an action had occurred in the United States.

In May, 1931 at the conference at Upper Montclair,N. J., Congregational Church, the New Jersey ChristianConference, of which we were a member, merged with theMiddle Atlantic Congregational Conference. In 1933 weunited with the Philadelphia Association of CongregationalChristian Churches.

In the Spring of 1932 the Trustees purchased the adjoining school property and greatly improved it. It is nowknown as "Butler Hall" and is used as a Christian Educationbuilding. How fitting that we should now own the propertyon which the Church was organized! ^

Five ministers have gone out from' our Church — Rev.

HISTORY OF GULPH CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 1833-1953 ;J^g3

Jacob" Rodenbaugh and Rev. John Sutton in 1833 and Rev.John Orrell in 1843. Later, Rev. Harry Rhodes was the firstmissionary sent to Japan by the Christian denomination.Rev. John Epright preached in several of our ChristianChurches and later in a Presbyterian Church.

In 1938 our Church transferred its membership fromthe Middle Atlantic Conference to the Pennsylvania Conference of Congregational and Christian Churches.

During this year an oil burner was installed in theChurch basement.

On March 17, 1941, our new Orgatron was installed.Rev. Butler resigned in October 1941 and was made

Pastor Emeritus.

Prof. Robert Landis, Superintendent of ConshohockenSchools, preached for us until Rev. Francis Tucker came onNovember 1, 1942. He was formerly a missionary to Africabut returned home because of ill health. Many young menfrom our Church and community were in the service of theircountry during World War II. Mr. Tucker sent news-lettersfrom the Church each month to each boy, which letters werevery much appreciated by the boys.

During this time Martha Thornton went from our Churchto study for missionary work. She graduated with highhonors from Schauffler College and now has charge of theChristian Education Department of a large Church inMedina, Ohio.

In September, 1946 Mr. Tucker resigned and Prof.Landis again preached for us.

In December, 1947 the chimes on our organ were dedicated in memory of Clarence Nippes, Jr., who gave his lifein the service of his country, and in honor of all the menin our Church and community who served in World War II.

On April 11, 1948 a memorial service was held for Rev.M. W. Butler and a portrait presented by his daughter.During this year many improvements were made to theformer parsonage and final settlement was made on the newcemetery.


Rev. William A. MeKee was elected pastor September 7,1948.

In January, 1950 Mr. A. Irvin Supplee resigned as trustee, having served for a period of thirty-seven and one-halfyears. The following year Mr. J. Lester Rinehart resignedafter many years of service. Both were made trusteesemeritus. , ,,

In 1951 the Church decided to sell the old parsonage toCalvary Cemetery Company and build a new one, whichwas dedicated June 1, 1952. During this year the old partof the Church building wasredecorated on the outside. Thebasement is now in the course of being redecorated andmany improvements have been made. Much of this work isbeing done by our members. . .

This brings the history of the Gulph Christian Churchup to the present time. We have felt the presence of Godwith us during the one hundred and twenty years of ourexistence, insomuch that we can say with Jacob of old:"Surely the Lord is in this place!" . t •(Note: This Church history was prepared by Mrs. A. Irvin

Supplee in commemoration of the One Hundred andTwentieth Anniversary of our Church to be heldJuly 19, 1953.)

Foot-notes

^The inscription on the corner-stone of the church reads, m antiquelettering:

FIRST CHRISTIAN

MEETING HOUSE

IN UPPER MERRIAN

A-D. 1835

=A transcript of the records from the tombstones in the burying-ground, made in 1926, is in the Society's manuscript collections

•Rev. John Conrad (b. in Philadelphia Novenjer 14, 1827. diedNovember 30, 1913) was the son of Peter and Catharine (Widderson)

^^Âlthough declining salary, he acted as pastor, not only of this ehurc^but of three others as well, and on retiring from the pastorate of GulphChurch after a quarter century's service, he left the congregation freeof debt.

The "Old Dutch Church" in Lower Merlon

(St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ardmore, Pa.)

Charles R. Barker

"Think how your fathers left their native land.Dear German land! 0 sacred hearths and homes!

And, where the wild beast roams,In patience planned

New forest homes beyond the mighty sea,There undisturbed and free

To live as brothers of one family.What pains and cares befell.What trials and what fears.

Remember, and wherein we have done wellFollow our footsteps, men of coming years!

Where we have failed to doAright, or wisely live.

Be warned by us, the better way pursue.And, knowing we were human, even as you,

Pity us, and forgive!"(Written in Latin, on the Germantown Records, by Frayicis Daniel Pas-torius, 1688, and translated by John Gr'eenleaf Whittier.)

FOREWORD

Usually, a writing that has "aged" as long as this onehas, sooner or later becomes out of date, because new andimportant material on the subject has been discovered.

But so far as the writer's knowledge extends, there hasbeen no discovery of records that would further illuminatethe beginnings of the Lutheran congregation in LowerMerion.

Had there been a further publication of the "HallischeNachrichten," bringing the date of those reports up to thetime of the founding of the congregation, one might look

185


for some official account of the event. But so far as appears,no such publication is even in prospect. There was hope thatthe Journal of Rev. Henry M. Muhlenberg might confirmthe tradition that he himself had been active in laying thefoundation of the "Old Dutch Church." But now that theJournal has been published,^ a careful examination of itscontents (of which the index will form a forthcoming separate volume) fails to discover any mention of a LowerMerion congregation until some years after the date (1765)recognized as that of its founding.

Originally, the title given to this paper was "Foundersof the Old Dutch Church," and the historical sketch nowbeing published here was intended only as an introductionto the genealogies of the families associated in that founding. A number of these genealogies were compiled, andperhaps, given favorable conditions, one or more of themmay some day appear in the Bulletin. A copy of theoriginal manuscript is among the collections of the^Society.

Readers will understand that this is not to be a historyof the church, but only an account of the circumstances outof which it grew.

Charles R. Barker

Why They Came

What was the reason for the German immigration toPennsylvania? What were the conditions at home, thatdrove to an alien shore, all within a relatively brief period,^tens of thousands of industrious and peace-loving membersof a most conservative race? The ivanderlust might, perhaps, be credited, but only in a small degree, for theGerman had never been a colonizer.^ Of all the names mostnoted in the annals of the discovery and exploration of theAmericas—among Norwegian, Italian, Spanish and British;French, Dutch and English — not one is German. No German banner had been borne hence across the Western

THE "OLD DUTCH CHUHCH" IN LOWER MERION 187

Ocean; no German monarch had laid claim to lands on thecontinent of North America. Yet, scarce had the authorityof Penn's government become a settled fact, when the German immigration — a great tide rising to a new luminary —began to roll in upon Pennsylvania.

First among the causes must be reckoned religious persecution. The German mind was profoundly stirred. Theseeds of the Reformation had fallen in good ground; butthe harvest was not to be garnered without a struggle.Strange sects had sprung up.-* All the borderland—^Bohemia,Switzerland, the Netherlands — had become the scene ofrancorous debate, of fierce persecution. The non-resistantMoravian, Mennonite, Schwenkfelder or Tunker, often persecuted alike by Catholic and Protestant,® found himselfliterally between the devil and the deep sea, and forced toa choice between exile and martyrdom.

Intolerance had gone hand in hand with war. Co-mingled motives of bigotry and conquest had brought onone conflict after another, which, whatever their causes,were alike in their eflcect on the industrious peasants andbusy tra'desmen. Levies of men had been frequent andheavy. The Thirty Years' War, lasting from 1618 to 1648,had brought Germany to ruin.® Yet, within less than a generation, war between Holland and France, from 1672 to1679, had drawn to the side of Holland some of the Germanrulers. In 1689, German states had entered the Grand Alliance for eight years more of struggle against the power ofFrance; then .after an interval of only four years, had comethe great conflict over the succession to the throne of Spain,''in which, once again, Germans and Frenchmen had come todeath-grips. In the space of a century there had been warnearly two-thirds of the time!

A patchwork of states, of variegated political and religious hue,® Germany had never presented a united front toinvasion. As always, the border states suffered most. Alongboth banks of the Rhine, where it is joined by the Neckar,

Igg BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

lay the lower Palatinate, or Kur-Pfalz, its fruitful fieldsand teeming cities in the path of invasion from north, southand west.® Again and again this hapless state had been overrun by Bavarians, Swedes and French, but the worst befellin 1689, when Louis XIV, unable to hold what he had won,ordered that the land be laid waste.^® Amid brutalities such

as have fixed upon the lowest curs in the Palatinate thename of the French commander, this order was carried outto the letter; hamlet and city went up in flames, and thewretched inhabitants were left to drift whither they might.So great was their number, that, although Wurttemberg,Alsace, Lorraine, all had suffered in their turn, it was thename "Palatines" that came to be applied to all Germanrefugees.^^

What persecution and conscription, pillage and war, hadleft undone, the elements seemed bound to finish. Over widesections of Germany, hard winters and scant harvests hadbeen followed by famine and pestilence.^® And so, withevery kind of misfortune so plainly telling him to go, thelong-suffering German awaited but the invitation "Gome!"And already, the Promised Land was being prepared forhis coming.

In 1671 and 1677, William Penn, the Quaker preacher,journeying up the Rhine, had preached In that region hisgospel of good will.^® In 1682, William Penn, the Proprietary, founded the city which he called "Brotherly Love,"and extended to the oppressed of all nations, whether inpolitics or religion, the asylum of his Province of Pennsyl-vania-i-^ Attractive descriptions of the Province were printed,and circulated in Germany, whither, also, other Quakerpreachers had journeyed.^® First to heed the call were agroup of Mennonites (including also, perhaps, some GermanQuakers), from Grefeldt near the border of Holland. These,following the formation of a company for taking up Pennsylvania land, arrived at Philadelphia in 1683, headed bytheir agent, Francis Daniel Pastorius;^® they settled on theridge between the Wissahickon and the Wingohocking, and

THE "OLD DUTCH CHURCH" IN LOWER MERION

there laid out Germantown, At about the same time, a fewquaint mystics, rearing their huts near the banks of the Wis-sahickon, lent a coloring of romance to the picturesquewildness.^"^ These sectarians, while they had little if anyfollowing in the region of which we shall write, neverthelessinfluenced it, through having thus founded the nearest German settlement, and so provided a rallying point for themore numerous and more widely diffused Lutherans andReformed who followed later.

For the Germantown settlers were but a ripple, as compared with the waves of immigration that were coming. Thefirst comers, having found not only an asylum but a living,sent for relatives or friends to join them.^® Penn's agentsabroad, and the speculative Frankfort Land Company,busied themselves to find buyers.^® By the close of the century, Germany had been well sown with tracts setting forththe advantages of Pennsylvania. Queen Anne, beginning herreign over England in 1702, needed colonists for New Yorkand the Carolinas;-'^ she caused the circulation in Germanyof a pamphlet (called, because of its gold-lettered title-page,"The Golden Book") proclaiming the benefits of life in theNew World.21 In 1709, England passed the act naturalizingforeign Protestants,^^ and in the spring of that year a problem was created for the English government by the arrivalat London of some thousands of unfortunates from the valley of the Rhine.-® A large company of these was finallyshipped to New York, to found a settlement in the Hudsonvalley, where an attempt was made to employ them in themanufacture of naval stores.^^

All these things had their effect on immigration—evengood Queen Anne's New York experiment, for this venturehaving proved disastrous, and the remnant of the settlershaving made their way through the wilderness to Pennsylvania, means were not lacking of getting news of the failureto Germany, and so helping to swell the tide that was nowsetting strongly towards Pennsylvania.^®


Their Coming

The German was on his way. From the mountains ofBohemia, from the vales of Switzerland, from the gloomyforests of Suabia, he was coming, by paths difficult and dangerous, down to the Ehine.^® He was floating with its slowcurrent to the sea, where, at the docks of Rotterdam, nowcrowded with river boats, the ship that was to take him tofar-away, unknown America was spreading its white sails.Already he was in a strange land, and was fallen amongthieves; for his simple and helpless state had made him aneasy prey for the extortioner. Perhaps, in bargaining for hispassage to Pennsylvania, his very next act would be to signaway, for a term of years, his longed-for liberty in the NewWorld. At last, he set sail. The lowlands of Holland sankinto the sea. England was reached, and again was left behind; and now the long swell of the Atlantic prevailed onevery side. For two months, or it might be for three, his faithand courage were put to the test by the hardships of theprimitive voyage.-^ Seasickness, heimweh, spoiled food, foulwater; a captain and crew no better than pirates. On deck,the stormy winds, and the seas that broke over the ship;between decks, packed, stifling quarters, with every discomfort and disorder. Fever, dysentery, and smallpox sweptunchecked through the company, until burial at sea becamethe daily routine. But the day came when his heart wasmade glad, as he watched, in the west, the land rise up outof the waters. Soon the rough waves were smoothed, and then,with the tide urging it on, and with the bright banks oneither side drawing nearer and nearer, the immigrant shipplowed its way slowly up the blue Delaware.

The German immigrant who landed in Pennsylvania setfoot upon an alien shore. Although there had been extendedto him, under Penn's liberal government, the same welcomeand tolerance, the same encouragement and easy terms, ashad been granted his English-speaking brother,he was asyet little more than a foreigner and a refugee. His speech,

THE "OLD DUTCH CHURCH" IN LOWER MERION

a dialect of the cantons of Switzerland, or of the BlackForest, or of the Rhine, fell harshly upon English ears.^^ Hisgait was that of one born to the furrow, and his nail-studdedshoes shuffled awkwardly upon the landing.^® The clotheshe wore—perhaps all he owned—were a rude peasant garb;a makeshift of garments, that bore all the marks of his longjourney, and excited the thoughtless laughter of the crowdwho had come down to see the Palatines land. It might bethat, in the depths of his big oaken chest, he had concealeda little wealth but like as not his only possession was thehuge, brass-bound Bible which he lugged under one arm;^^his only capital, the skill and the will to labor, and this, alas'already assigned to another, as the price of his sea-trip. Perchance he and his family must now separate, to enter theservice of different masters. Yet still, his heart rejoiced, andhis deeply religious nature, unschooled, but always readyto respond if the right chords were struck, was grateful thathe stood in a free land. So, shaken with fever, travel-sick,and uncertain of the future, but above all, hopeful, anddoubly grateful for having survived the miseries of the OldWorld and the perils of the great deep—so the Germancame into Pennsylvania.

The Redemptioners

The Schuylkill riverj just before its waters mingle withthose of the Delaware in the flats of southwestern Philadelphia, passes, by a deep and narrow valley, through a plateauupon which the counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery andDelaware join one another. A few miles to the southwest ofthe Schuylkill, this plateau, rising In a kind of land-swell, orflat-topped ridge, forms a divide between the Schuylkilland Delaware rivers, which extends from Paschallvillenorthward across West Philadelphia to the village of Acad-emyville, in Montgomery county, and thence northwestacross Delaware county until, perhaps a mile north of the


Strafford station of the Pennsylvania Railroad, it mergeswith the ridge forming the southern wall of the Great Valleyof Chester county. Down one slope, Gully Run and Mill,Arrowmink and Gulph creeks find their way, between rockybanks, to the Schuylkill; along the other, Cobbs and DarbyCreeks wind among broad meadows until their waters, firstuniting as one stream, then again dividing, flow through themarshes to the Delaware. Along the ridge of the watershed,travel out of Philadelphia by trail and by road, by turnpikeand by rail, has found the easiest way to the West; while,since the times when Thomas Holme, the surveyor, blazedthrough the forest the first lines of the Welsh Tract, thecountry has been a favored one for settlement.

This region, embracing chiefly the township of LowerMerlon, then in Philadelphia county, and those of Haverfordand Radnor, then in Chester county, was the back-water ofGerman settlement in Pennsylvania. Only an occasional eddyreached it from the strong current of migration that flowedsteadily from Philadelphia to the uncleared northwest.There, in the great limestone vallies lying between the BlueMountain and its foothills, vacant land still awaited theGerman farmers^^ who, in the second ten years of the eighteenth century, began to arrive in large numbers.^'* Here,however, there was none; all had been parcelled out, at thefounding of the Province, to Welsh and English purchasers,whose descendants now largely held possession. Land couldstill be rented, but rents were growing exhorbitant.^^ A farmmight be purchased; but the fact that scarcely any transfersof land in this locality, before the middle of the century,bear German names, shows how few had the means to buy.

Because of these humble circumstances, the German sideof our local history has never been fully turned to the light;in fact, it has been cast still farther into shadow by thesearching light directed upon the annals of the Welsh.Nearly everybody has heard the story of how William Penn,at Haverford, preached to a gathering of Welsh Friends

THE "OLD DUTCH CHURCH" IN LOWER MERION ^93

who understood never a word of.his sermon; but how manyknow the name of the zealous -pastor who ministered to thescattered Lutherans of the same neighborhood, at leastthirty years before they were able to organize a congregation? Much has been written of Merion Meeting; and theold church of St. David, at Radnor, has inspired a poem byLongfellow: but of the history of the "Old Dutch Church,"of Lower Merion, very little has been set down.

And so it is purposed to form, from the fragmentaryrecords of this nearly forgotten people, some sort of mosaicpicture—încomplete, but perhaps glowing here and therewith color—of their doings from the time of their arrival tothe founding of the "Old Dutch Church," now known as St.Paul's, in 1765.

The Welsh, it should be remembered, were a well-to-dopeople, who, like the Mennonite settlers of Germantown,had left their homes because of religious persecution^® andhad removed in communities to Pennsylvania, purchasingland in advance of their coming.®"^ But the Germans whofollowed them into Merion, Haverford and Radnor, came asscattered individuals, akin only in tongue, from various principalities or states of Germany. Probably most of these, having been penniless at the start, or having been fleeced outof their small savings before reaching Holland, had beenforced to turn Redemptioners. This meant that they madethemselves indebted to the captain of the ship for their passage money, and then became legally bound to redeem thedebt by serving, for a term of from three to seven years,whatever master chose to purchase their services from thecaptain, on their arrival in America.

The arrival of the immigrant ship would be noticed inthis way:—

"Philadelphia, November 2, 1752.Just arriv'd here the ship Phenix, Capt. Spurrier, from Holland, with

about 600 Palatines, amongst which a great number of single men andwomen, boys and girls, who.se freights are to be paid to POLK andHOWELL.'"®


"Sundry German Passengers, Families, and young People, on boardthe Ship SALLY, Captain OSMON, from ROTTERDAM, now in theStream, nearly opposite Chestnut-Street, whose Passages are to be paidto SAMUEL HOWELL, at his House, in Water-Street; who has for Sale,London Loaf Sugar, London Porter in Hampers, English Cheese, Brimstone and Whiting,"

The services of one of these Redemptioners might be assigned from one master to the next, as witness another advertisement:—

"To be sold by Elizabeth Griffin, at the Rose and Crown, in Water-street. A Dutch Servant Boys Time, he has almost seven years to serve.""

Gottlieb Mittelberger, who wrote an account of a journey which he made to Pennsylvania in 1750-1754, has left usthis picture of the Philadelphia servant-market:—

"Every day Englishmen, Dutchmen and High German people comefrom the city of Philadelphia and other places and go on boardthe newly arrived ship that has brought and offers for sale passengersfrom Europe, and select among the healthy persons such as they deemsuitable for their business, and bargain with them how long they willserve for their passage money, which most of them are still in debt for.When they have come to an agreement, it happens that adult personsbind themselves in writing to serve 3, 4, 5 or 6 years for the amount dueby them, according to their age and strength.""

According to Peter Kalm, the Swedish botanist, who arrived shortly before Mittelberger, there were some voluntary Redemptioners. He says:—

"Many of the Germans who come hither, bring money enough withthem to pay their passage, but rather suffer themselves to be sold, witha view that during their servitude they may get some knowledge of thelanguage and quality of the country and the like, that they may thebetter be able to consider what they shall do when they have got theirliberty. Such servants are taken preferable to all others, because theyare not so dear." "

That a consideration of this kind could carry weightwith the thrifty inhabitants of Philadelphia is thus a matterof record. But perhaps there was also another reason whythe voluntary Redemptioner was in demand: his higher intelligence meant greater efficiency in work, and greater aptitude in learning to speak English.

THE "OLD DUTCH CHURCH" IN LOWER MERION ^95

Rev. Brunnholtz, who preached to the Germans inChester in 1745, reported that they "for the most part areservants, and serve with the English, and therefore speakhalf German and half English."

When a Redemptioner, having completed his term ofservice, received his liberty, he was given a suit of clothes,called a "freedom suit," and perhaps a few tools; sometimeshe had been taught to read and write.^® He was now at liberty to go whither he chose. If he wanted a farm, he usuallychose to go back in the country, on vacant land, where, perhaps, he had already taken up a right to 50 acres or more,under the easy charges made by the Province to servantswho had completed their term of bondage.^* Pastor Muhlen-berg complained that the poor were forced to remove "intothe wild thickets."*^® So it may be supposed that there was asteady outflow, from the region of Lower Merlon, of newly-liberated servants, going to seek their fortunes in the northand west, and a steady inflow of newly arrived Redemp-tioners, coming to take their places. Of one of his earlycongregations, Muhlenberg noted with regret that whilesome, indeed, had passed away, many more had scatteredto the frontiers so that, within a brief space, nearly all of theoriginal flock had gone.

Another of the early Lutheran pastors, in making his report to the church authorities in Germany, wrote:

"When the Germans arrive here from the ships, those who cannotpay their passage must as it were sell themselves, together with theirfamilies; when they must serve until they have paid for their passage bylabor. Such are called servants. When they have paid for their passage,and earned something besides, they gradually move up into the countryand purchase homes for themselves." "

In this way it has doubtless come to pass that many aformer resident, whose life here in days gone by has leftlittle or no trace upon the records of the neighborhood, isnow looked back to as progenitor by some well-known familyof Berks, Lancaster or York county. That such was the case,is indicated by a record of burials (to which fuller reference

196 BULLETIN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OP MONTGOMERY COUNTY

will shortly be made) kept by the Merion Meeting ofFriends, whose graveyard, until about 1765, was the onlyburial-place in the township. Of a dozen German familynames here recorded, from 1746 to 1763, only five can befound in the first register of the "Old Dutch Church," covering the period from 1765 to 1835; of these, only three areto be found on the tombstones in the church cemetery.

In 1747, Rev. Johann Caspar Stoever baptized an infantwhose father was a "servant at Merion." About this time, itappears, some account was kept of the servants broughtinto Lower Merion. The record, made on a leaf of an oldbook, has been found among papers formerly belonging toPerry L. Anderson, of Lower Merion, and courteously loanedto the writer by Dr. Charles K. Mills, of Philadelphia, atthat time their owner. The paper is headed, "A List of thosewho have acquainted the Overseers of the Poor of the persons they have taken into the township of Lower Merion."Three of the four entries are marked "servants," and readas follows:—

"Joshua Humphrey bought a Woman Servant & Child 7 Mo 30th1746."

"John Roberts Carptr bought a dutch Servant girl 7 . . . 1751named Margaret Hope to serve 4 years."

"Joshua Humphrey bought a Boy named Jno Daniel Flour to serveeight years. 28th September 1752."

"Dutch" names, being quite unpronounceable and un-spellable, were often not set down at all. Thus, in the burialrecord just referred to, whose title is "A Book of Record ofsuch Person as Are Buried in Friends Grave Yard at Mer-rion Meeting House," there is a page headed "Some Strain-gers and Negros," on which (with one exception) the following entries occur:—

1749. "Dutch from Evan Jones's place."1750. "A Dutchman from a plantation of Thomas David."1752. "A Dutch woman from Evan Jones's Place."

1754. "A Dutch Girl from Phillip Creakbeara."1754. "A Dutchman a Strainger from Anthony Tunis."1756. "A Dutch Woman from William Stadleman."

1756. "A Dutchman from Joseph Lees."

THE "OLD DtTTCH CHURCH" IN LOWER MERION ^97

In the collections of the American Philosophical Society,there is a register of servants, which has been published bythe Pennsylvania German Society, under the title "Record ofIndentures of Individuals Bound Out as Apprentices, Servants, Etc., and of German and Other Redemptioners, in theOffice of the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, October 3,1771, to October 5, 1773."^^ It covers a period a little laterthan the one we are considering; but the following extractsare interesting, because of the local references and the details of indenture:—

"1771. November 20.-Elizabeth Schleburgh, from Rotterdam, indentured to John Staddleman and his assigns. Lower Merlon township,Philadelphia co., as servant, for 4 years, 3 months. £23 -15 - 10." {Thisreference may be to William Stadleman of the "Black Horse," whose fullname was Johann Wilhelm Stadelman.)

"1771 November 20-21. Anna Margaret Retchin, to Simon Glass, etc.,Lower Merion township, Philadelphia co., servant, 3 years, 6 months.£22 -10." (Simon Glass, a paper-maker, probably removed to Falls ofSchuylkill about 1783)

"1772 April 7. Jacob Weber, to Paul Jones, etc., Lower Merion township, Philadelphia co. 10 years. £16."

"1772 April 14. George Christopher Helmbolt, to Henry Cammerer,Philadelphia. 2 years. £14." (George Christopher Helmbolt afterwardsbecame owner of a paper-mill in Lower Merion.)

"1772 July 7. Thomas Dodd to John Righter, Merion township, Philadelphia CO. Servant, 3 years. £17."

"1772 December 5. John Zacherias Longebin, Rotterdam, to JacobHinkle, Radnor township, Chester co. Servant, 2 years, 6 months. £18 -7-6."

"1772 December 12. Johan Tyce Schnell, Rotterdam, to William Strad-leman, etc.. Lower Merion township, Philadelphia co. Servant, 4 years.£22 - 2 - 4."

"1772 December 26. John Peter Ulrich, Rotterdam, to Henry Kem-merer and his assigns, Philadelphia. Servant, 3 years. £29-16-0." (Onthe same day, he was assigned to Catharine Scheetz, of Lower Merion.)(See also Pa. Mag.; XXXIII. 481; XXXIV. 105)

"1773 May 21. Patrick Magines, Ireland, to Peter Ott, Blockley township, Philadelphia co. Servant, 3 years. £16 - 0 - 0."

"1773 June 7. Mary Davy to Philip Syng, Lower Merion township,Philadelphia co. Servant, 3 years 6 months. £15 - 18."

"1773 September 2. Henry Piser to Simon Litzenberger, Harford township, Chester co. Servant, 5 years. £27 - 0 - 6."

198 BUI^BTIN op historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

"1773 September -15. Malcolm Gunn, Scotland, to John Righter, LowerMerion township, Philadelphia co. Servant, 9 years. £13 - 0 - 0."

"1773 September 29. Matthias Schnyder, Rotterdam, to Jacob Waggoner, Blockley township, Philadelphia co. Servant, 4 years. £19 -18 - 0."(Matthias Snyder was between 18 and 19 years old at the time thisindenture was made.)

"1773 October 2. Mary Catherine Weaverin, Rotterdam, to JacobHinkle, The Sign of the Spread Eagle on the Lancaster Road. Servant,5 years. £27 -18 - 0." (The "Spread Eagle" was in Radnor township.)

"1773 October 4. John Bear to Matthias Poltz, Lower Merion township,Philadelphia co. Apprentice. 10 years 10 months."

In nearly all of these cases, the bound person was "to befound all necessaries and at the expiration have two complete suits of apparel, one whereof to be new." John Bear,being an apprentice, was to be "taught the art and mysteryof a farmer" and "to read and write."

Early newspapers abound with advertisements or runaway servants. While it appears that most of these wereIrish, an occasional "Dutchman," dissatisfied with his master or with the prospect of a long term of service, took it intohis head to break his pledge and decamp. Unwittingly, hethus performed a service to the future historian, by puttingon record a full description of himself. One or two picturesof runaway Lower Merion servants will be enlightening;—

"Philadelphia, May 9, 1753.Run away yesterday from the subscriber, in Lower Merion township,

Philadelphia county, A Dutch servant man, named Bastian Remus, of ashort stature, black swarthy complexion, black curled hair, and upwardsof 40 years of age: professes to be a miller, and a good Dutch scholar,and understands something of the Latin tongue: Had on when he wentaway, A lightish colour'd cloth coat, with flat pewter buttons, check shirtand trowsers, and 'tis supposed he has a pair of leather breeches underthem, good felt hat, and new shoes, with large metal buckles. Whoevertakes up the said servant, and secures him in any goal, so as his mastermay have him again, or brings him home, shall have Twenty Shillings,if taken up within twenty miles of his master's, and Forty shillings, ifupwards, with reasonable charges, paid by Joseph Williams." **

"Philadelphia, May 25, 1749.Run away on the 16th day of this instant, from Dennis Cunrads, of

Lower Merion, Philadelphia county, an Irish servant girl, named Mary

THE "OLD DtJTCH CHtJECH" IN LOWER MERION I99

0 Donnel, of low stature, round visage, has lost the forefinger of herright-hand, has the brogue on her tongue, and is 22 years of age. Hadon when she went away, a blue flannel petticoat, a linsey bed gown, whiteapron with cap, cotton handkerchief, blue yarn stockings, good shoes,and has taken with her a pair of new shammy gloves, and some otherclothing, as 'tis supposed. Whoever takes up the said servant, and bringsher to her master, or secures her, so as she may be had again, shall haveTwenty Shillings reward and reasonable charges paid by

Dennis Cunrads."'®

In 1751, Joshua Humphreys, "of. Merion," advertised arunaway "Welch servant man, named David Jones."®®

As the term servant applied to any person bound out toservice, it covered skilled as well as unskilled labor. Not onlywas farm help required in the exhausting work of fellingand hewing timber, grubbing stumps, and afterwards planting, tending and harvesting crops, but the infant industriesalong Mill and Cobbs creeks, and on the Schuylkill, neededhands for their operation.®^ As will be seen, paper-makingflourished in Lower Merion. The paper-makers, beingmostly Germans, had a natural preference for German workmen, who, says Dr. Benjamin Rush, "carry on arts they imported from Germany, with vigour and success."®- Sometimes a farmer who started only as a tenant, working thefarm on shares, or a miller, who had begun as a lessee, didso well that he was able to buy out the owner. Sometimesan apprentice, growing up to the business, finally succeededhis master. And it not infrequently happened that a poorRedemptioner climbed all the rungs of the ladder to estateand prosperity. The foregoing list affords at least one suchinstance. For the full particulars of another, we are indebtedto Robert Sutcliffe, the diarist, who, in 1806, made his homenear Merion Friends' Meeting-house. Describing a visitmade in that year, he says:—

"Having been several times kindly invited, I dined with P. W., arespectable paper-maker in the neighborhood of Merion, where I spentthe afternoon pleasantly. The situation is beautifully romantic, beinga deep narrow valley, the steep hills on either side of which are coveredwith wood. The mill which would be considered as an extensive one even


in England, is almost wholly employed in making writing and printingpaper, with large quantities of which he supplies the printers andstationers in Philadelphia. During the visit he gave me a little historyof his life. About 20 years ago, being then 12 years of age, he left Mentz,his native place in Germany, accompanied by his father, who died on thepassage to this country. Being of that class of immigrants called Ee-demptioners already mentioned, P. W. on the arrival of the ship in theDelaware, was hired by Henry Drinker, and was employed about thehouse as a waiting boy, and assistant to the girls in the kitchen. Afterspending nearly four years in this family, and having acquired theEnglish langruage, he had the good sense to discern, that it would be moreto his interest to be taught some manufacture; and requested liberty ofhis master to be put apprentice to a paper-maker, which was readilygranted, although his first indenture was not yet expired. After havingobtained a knowledge of the manufacture of paper, he, by industry andcare, acquired sufficient property and credit to enable him to beginbusiness, which he has now, for several years, carried on to advantage.I never was in a paper-mill where the business was managed with moreneatness and order." "

"On the 9th of May, 1753, Franklin, in a letter to Peter Gollinson,compares the German laborer with the English: 'When any of them(the English) happen to come here, where labor is much better paidthan in England, their industry seems to diminish in equal proportion.But it is not so with the German laborer; they retain their habitualindustry and frugality they bring with them, and, receiving higher wages,an accumulation arises that makes them all rich'."^

Writing in 1730 of the Germans of Philadelphia and itsvicinity, Rev. Jedidiah Andrews, pastor of the PresbyterianChurch, said:—

"Those yt live in town, are mostly a kind of Gibeonites, hewers ofwood, &c. They are diligent, sober, frugal people, rarely charged withany misdemenour. Many of 'em, yt live in the country and have farms,by their industry and frugal way of living, grow rich, for they can under-live the Britons, &c."

It is a matter of family record that one of the men mostprominent in the founding of the "Old Dutch Church" cameto Pennsylvania as a Redemptioner, and after completing histerm of service in Germantown, bought land in Lower Mer-ion and became a prosperous farmer.®® No doubt other instances could be cited;" but already enough has been written to show that such were by no means unusual cases.

THE "OLD DUTCH CHURCH" IN'LOWER MERION 201

As larger acreages came under cultivation, as Industriesprospered, and taverns grew busy with increasing travel,persons living in the neighboring townships of Germantown,Roxborough and Whitemarsh, where their families had already become established, were attracted by the prosperityof Lower Merion; in time, they purchased here, and, removing across the Schuylkill, introduced into the neighborhoodseveral German family names.

Lastly, there may have been some few newcomers fromGermany who were able to buy land here on their arrival.

Although the registers of indenture of Redemptionersare but fragmentary, the record of their arrival in Philadelphia, for a long period, is very complete; for in 1717 theProvincial authorities of Pennsylvania, alarmed at the risingtide of German immigration, which threatened to submergethe English-speaking element; and fearing, also, that disloyalty might take root among a population so largely foreign, established a test oath, which was required of everymale German immigrant above the age of sixteen years.®^Ten years later, registration of such immigrants was begun.As each man, on swearing allegiance, either subscribed hisname to a paper, or had it written down for him (sometimesboth of these things were done), there have come into thearchives of our state unique lists, which give not only thenames of the immigrants, but also the port of departure(usually Rotterdam), the names of the ships on which theytook passage, and the dates of their taking the oath. Sometimes, too, the age of the immigrant is given; and occasionally other interesting facts are established.®®

A news item in the "Pennsylvania Gazette" of September 5, 1751, informs us that

"A large Ship is in the Cove from Holland, with Palatines; and aBillander, that has been long expected, we hear is in the River from thesame Place, and with Palatines, also."

"As soon as the ships," says Mittelberger, "have casttheir anchors in the port of Philadelphia, all male personsof 15 years and upward are placed on the following morning

202 bulletin of historical sociETy of Montgomery county

into a boat and led two by two to the court-house or town-hall of the city. "There they must take the oath of allegianceto the Crown of Great Britain. This being done, they aretaken in the same manner back to the ships.

Although it appears that the oath of allegiance was administered wherever it suited the oiRcial convenience to do

so, the old Court House which once stood in the middle ofMarket street, at Second, thus became the scene of the naturalization of many of the builders of the Commonwealth.®^

Until 1776, when the outbreak of the Revolution not onlyhalted immigration, but also brought to an end all allegianceto Great Britain, this law remained in force and the records kept in pursuance of it have now acquired an interestprobably not foreseen by anxious Governor Keith, to whomthe bogey of German supremacy seemed a very real danger.®® But although valuable, these lists do not provide a sureindex to the family ancestor. Duplication of names was common enough. Many persons who came over as children werenot registered at all.®^ Philadelphia was the servant-market,not alone for the whole of Pennsylvania, but as well for theadjacent parts of New Jersey and Maryland;®® and the poorRedemptioner, once he was bound, had to follow whither hewas led, even unto the uttermost parts of the region. So itis by no means a simple matter to connect the obscure immigrant, who went on record at Philadelphia as a loyal subject of King George, with the rising husbandman who, someyears later, appeared as a purchaser of land in some distantcounty. Rival ancestral claims might plausibly be set up, byseveral unrelated families of the same name, living in asmany widely separated localities, to the self-same immigrantmentioned in the published Archives of Pennsylvania, andwith no better evidence in one case than in another.

But sometimes there is a puzzling plenitude of ancestors.For example; Caspar Bossard was a resident of Lower Morion in 1756, or earlier. Two of this name are known to havelanded in Philadelphia; but both arrived in 1735, at an in-

THE "OLD DUTCH CHURCH" IN LOWER MERION 203

terval of about a month, and both were children. Again:one Michael Cline became a landowner in Lower Merion in1763, but six of this name took the oath of allegiance between the years 1740 and 1755.!®®

A careful search, however, reveals no duplication of thefollowing names, all of which are of well-known settlers ofLower Merion and its vicinity:

1732. Johan Jacob Behlerdt; aged 24.1736. J. Georg Basel.1738. John Stephen Guthman; aged 27.1740. Johan Wilhelm Stadellmann.

1746. John Heinrich Kaltfleisch.

1749. Hans Philip Krischbaum.Johan Philip Supper.

1750. Heinrich Leininger.1751. Nicklaus Sehultz and Martin Miiller (both arrived September

14th, on the "Duke of Bedford.")Ludwick Knoll and Tobias Daumiller (both arrived September

24th, on the "Neptune.")Michael Oberle.

1752. J. Jacob Gotzelman.

1753. Friedrich Kroh.

1754. Job. Wendel Konigsfeldt.

Early Comers To Lower Merion

What records were kept by Lower Merion township, inthe olden day, is not certain. On rare occasions, an .old bookor paper, coming to light, shows that some matters, at least,were faithfully set down. But in those times, a man's house(so long as he held office) was not only his castle; it wasalso the seat of government. When his term expired, hemight turn over to his successor any books or papers in hispossession, but he might never be required to do so. Amongneighbors, such matters were not strictly regarded. By thismeans, the attics of the neighborhood would become the repositories of the township archives, which, sooner or later,would fall victim to the special vengeance meted out to "OldPapers."


Such easy-going practices, together with the destructionwrought during the Revolution, when Lower Merion suffered from both British regulars and American militia, mayaccount for the meagreness of some records.®'^ But even theassessors' lists, which must have been regularly filled outand turned in at the county seat (which, until 1784, wasPhiladelphia), are not available, except in rare instances.

In 1734, however, "A List of the Names of the Inhabitants of the County of Philadelphia with the quantity of Landthey respectively hold therein according to the uncertainReturns of the Constables," was compiled for Thomas Penn,Proprietary of Pennsylvania, and is still preserved.®® Commenting on the Lower Merion column of this list, William J.Buck says, "It contains fifty-two names and cannot fail toprove interesting at this day to their numerous descendants.It will also be observed that they are all Welsh, with theexception, probably, of two or three names."®® Of these twoor three exceptions to the general rule of Welsh proprietorship, one is of special interest, as being perhaps the earliestGerman landowner in the township. This is NICHOLAS RAPY.Where his farm was located, and what was its extent, arematters for conjecture, for no deed has come to light, and,unfortunately, the acreages for Lower Merion are not givenin the list just referred to. A marginal note, explaining that"The Constables return of this Townsp being mislayed havetaken the Names of the Inhabitants from the Book of Assessment," may also explain the absence of deeds, for the assessors' lists sometimes carried the names of lessees.

At this time. Lower Merion was commonly called "Merion," Upper Merion being still known as "The Manor ofMount Joy." In 1733,1734,1736 and 1737, Rev. John CasperStoever, whose services will later be dwelt upon, baptizedat "Merion" four infant children of Nicholaiis RoehbenV^ In1743, Nicholas Rebint, weaver, of Lower Merion, bought alot in Germantown and a farm of one hundred acres in Rox-borough.'^ He thus seems to have been identical with the


Nicholas Rapine, whose land in Roxborough adjoined thatof the Righter family," and the Nicholas Rehbein, who wasa member, in 1752, of the Reformed Congregation of Ger-mantown."

PETER RIGHTER, perhaps a member of the Righterfamily, stood sponsor at a baptism in Merion, in 1733J^Three children of JOHN BALTHASER STXJEBER and hiswife Maria Barbara were baptized there in 1734, 1736 and1739, respectively, the godparents being GEORGEMICHAEL MECK and his wife Maria Barbara, and PHILIPGUTMANN.'® There may have been some relationship between Philip Gutmann and Stephen Gutmann, later ofLower Merion. The records of St. Michael's LutheranChurch, Philadelphia, make mention of a Philip Gutmanand his wife Eva Maria, who, from 1745 to 1757, broughttheir children there for baptism; Stephen Gutman stoodsponsor at one of these ceremonials.And Eva MargarettaGutmann was sponsor at the baptism of an infant daughterof JACOB GEIGER, of Merion, in 1739."

BALTHASER STUBER died in Philadelphia in 1750,leaving a wife, Barbara, and children Philip and Barbara."

Thus there were, perhaps, half a dozen families of German origin, of which one, at least, held land, living in LowerMerion previous to the year 1740.

Among the thirteen families reckoned as the founders ofGermantown, was that of Abram Tunes (Tunis)." In 1740,ANTHONY TUNIS, a member of this family advertised forsale

"A GOOD PLANTATION in Germantown Township, about 10 milesfrom Philadelphia, containing 150 acres, 10 Acres of Meadow, 8 Acresof Orchard with about 250 Apple Trees mostly well grafted, a good largeStone House, Barn, Out Houses, &c.

Whoever inclines to Purchase or Rent the same may apply to AnthonyTunes, living on the said Plantation, and agree on reasonable Terms,"

He also held land in Chester county.®^ In 1741, he boughtof John Jones, youngest son of Dr. Edward Jones, deceased,a tract of something over 400 acres in Lower Merion, abut-


ting on the eastern side of the land belonging to MerionFriends' Meeting.®^ At the date of this purchase, he was living in Lower Merion, but was "late of Germantown township." Scull and Heap's "Map of Philadelphia and PartsAdjacent," of 1750, shows two houses of the Tunis family,one on each side of the Lancaster road, between MerionMeeting-house and the junction of the Ford road at the present village of Merionville. In 1743, Anthony Tunis waselected constable of Lower Merion, and in 1751, he becamesupervisor of the township roads.®® He was a weaver bytrade. He died in 1762, leaving a widow Mary (daughter ofJohn William, of Merion); sons Joseph and Abraham; anddaughters Bathsheba (married Evan Griffith); Elinor (married Isaac Cook) ; Alice (married Joseph Lees); Agnes(married Anthony Levering) ; Katherine (married IsaacKite); Hannah (married John Righter) ; and Elizabeth (married Peter Righter) .®^

In 1743, JACOB MELLOR, yeoman, of Lower Merion,gave a mortgage on 100 acres of land bounded, roughlyspeaking, by the present Montgomery avenue, Church road,and Linwood and Athens avenues.®® He probably lived there,and had a smithy, for in 1746, when he placed a secondmortgage, he was called blacksmith, and there was a houseon the lot,®® while his "For Sale" advertisements of the same

year (referred to elsewhere) mention both house andsmith's shop.®' Evidently, he did not prosper, for within afew months after this, he was living, with his wife Mary, inMonocacy, Maryland,®® and had made an assignment of theLower Merion property to DENNIS CONRAD (Cunrads) ofAbington.®® Two children of Jacob Miller, who were buriedat Merion Frends' Meeting in 1745, were possibly his.®®

Dennis Conrad, whose Christian name, although seemingly Irish, was only a corruption of that of his ancestor, wasa member of the family of Thones Kunders, one of thefounders of Germantown.®^ After having become assignee ofthe Mellor property in Lower Merion, Dennis Conrad ap-


pears to have removed thither. "At a Monthly Meeting heldat Abington ye 24th 9mo. 1746, Dennis Cunrads requested"a certificate for himself & wife, to recommend them tothe notice of the Mo. Meeting of Haverford."®^ At the nextmonthly meeting, "a certificate was granted to Dennis Cun-rad & wife Recommending them as frds in unity to the notice of frds of Haverford Mo Meeting.ju ^he followingyear (1747), he became supervisor of roads of LowerMerion township, and in 1752 he was constable.^^ Thehouse and farm, however, appear to have been sold to satisfy the mortgage; and in 1757 (probably earlier) they werethe property of Stephen Goodman.®^ And at a meeting ofFriends held at Abington, 2-25-1760, "Dennis Cunrads produced a certificate for his son Dennis from Merion."®®

VALENTINE STUPLEBEIN owned land fronting on theSchuylkill, now a part of Westminster Cemetery, in 1746.®'̂In the winter of 1746-47, "A Young Child of JACOB HEM-LER" was buried at Merion Friends' Meeting.®® An infantson of WILHELM VIEL was baptized "at Merian" in thefollowing November, the sponsors being JOHANNES WILD-FANG and his wife.®® These sponsors, however, may nothave been living in Lower Merion, for the Wildfang (nowWilfong) family were best known as residents of the adjoining township of Blockley, now West Philadelphia.

The family of Gyger were early comers to Lower Merion. Jacob Geiger has already been noted. "A CHILD ofJESLAR GIGER" was buried at Merion Friends' Meeting in1748.^®® In 1758, Jesley Guyger was taxed in Haverfordand in 1764, Jesse Guyger was naturalized, being then of"Merrion."^®® Just what was his Christian name, it is hard tosay, as he himself plainly could not write it, but made hismark, instead.^®® A daughter of Just Geiger and his wifeMary was baptized at St. Michael's, Germantown, in 1751.^®"^The Radnor tax-lists show that one of this name, in its various forms, owned 100 acres there from 1766 until 1771,^®^when he seems to have disposed of a small lot to George


Gyger (perhaps a son), he himself holding the remainderuntil after the Revolution. There was a Jostly Geyer whosubscribed to the fund for buying the land for the "OldDutch Church," in 1765.^'"'

GEORGE GYGER was witness to a deed given by Benjamin Humphrey, of Lower Merion, in 1764.^®'' He was a"freeman" in Radnor in 1767, an "inmate" there (probablyresiding with his father) in 1768, and a freeman in Haver-ford in 1769. About 1771, when he was a wheelwright, hecame into possession of a 3-acre lot in Radnor.^"® He married,in 1767, Margaret Pechin, who, with three children, Jacob,Susanna Beale and Mary White, was living at the time of hisdeath, 31 July 1803. He was then nearly 61 years old. Heleft to his son Jacob his estate on the Lancaster road. Margaret Gyger died in 1831, in her 88th year. George Gygerwas one of the founders of Radnor M. E. Church, which wasbuilt not far from his home.^®®

In 1748, CASPAR BOSSARD obtained a Provincial licenseto marry Deborah Yocum. In 1756, Deborah Bossard wasburied at Merion Meeting-house; while two children ofCaspar Bossard were interred there, probably at about thesame time. John Bttssard was assessed in Lower Merion as

a single freeman in 1780.^^®In the spring of 1748, David Davis and his wife Rachel,

of Lower Merion, sold 100 acres in "the upper part of Merion" to CONRAD SCHEETZ (Schuetz), a Germantownpaper-maker.^î The deed mistakenly calls him "Schultz,"an error not infrequent in his case. As to whether or notDavis, who was a fuller, conveyed a mill with the land, thedeed is silent, but an advertisement of an earlier date showsthat he had one there.Scull and Heap's map of 1750, aswell as the re-engraving of the same map by William Faden,dated 1777, places the "Schultz Paper Mill" very near tothe location of Dove Mill dam, of more recent years. Thiswas therefore the "Upper Mill" referred to in later deedsto the Scheetz property, and, being the first-built, was probably the smaller of the two.^^®

THE "OLD DUTCH CHUHCH" IN LOWER MBRION 209

Conrad Scheetz's hundred acres extended from Black

Rock road down the valley almost to the mill built by Johnand Jane Roberts in 1746 (the ruins of which are yet standing) ; and from Williamson avenue to the high gr9und onthe opposite side of Mill creek.No mention of any road ismade in the deed of purchase; but the Old Gulf road, thenor very soon afterward cut diagonally through the Scheetzlands, crossing Mill creek by the ford where the 10-milestone now stands. At this point, the stone house and the second, or "lower," paper mill were built.^^® In 1769, ConradSchultz was assessed for two paper-mills and 100 acres inLower Merion; as a matter of fact, the surveys had made agenerous allowance for roads, and the tract really containedover 120 acres.

Conrad Scheetz probably died before 1773. At the endof 1772, his wife appears to have had charge of the business; and in 1774, "Catharine Shutz, for the estate, 100acres," is found in the Lower Merion assessment. He did notleave a will. Eight children survived him: Catharine, married, in 1770, Henry Kammerer, paper dealer, of Philadelphia. He furnished, as Colonial Records show, many reamsof writing paper for the Supreme Executive Council, as wellas for the Comptroller General's office, all of which was undoubtedly manufactured at the Scheetz mills.^^® In 1788,after the death of the widow of Conrad Scheetz, the estatewas adjudged to Henry Kammerer, and was sold by him intwo parts.^^^ The westernmost part, with the "Upper Mill,"which was reached from Roberts's (now Old Gulph) roadby a cartway along the southwesterly side of the creek, wasbought by George Helmbold.^^® The easternmost, with thehouse and the "Lower Mill," was purchased by FrederickScheetz; and so the business continued to be run by thefamily.

Mary, another daughter of Conrad Scheetz, marriedSimon Stettekorn; they lived in Lower Merion for severalyears, and had one child baptized there. Benjamin Scheetz,

210 bulletin op historical society of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

eldest son, operated the upper mill until the settlement ofhis father's estate. Ellis (he signed his name "Elias") andWilliam, next in line, were twins. Elizabeth married, in 1778,George Helmbold, who owned and operated the upper milluntil 1798, when he sold it to Thomas Amies, later knownas proprietor of the Dove Mill. George Helmbold died inLower Merion in 1808, leaving a large family, of whomGeorge, eldest son, (1778-1821) was a lieutenant in the 13thU. S. Infantry, War of 1812.^^®

Two sons, Frederick and Conrad, complete the roster ofthe surviving children of Conrad Scheetz; several others haddied in infancy. Frederick, as already noted, bought thelower mill; he married, in 1784, Mary Barbara Bates. In1795, he conveyed his mill property to John Geyer, of Philadelphia, in trust for his wife Barbara Scheetz. In 1851, acentury after the purchase of the property by ConradScheetz, his grandson Francis, a son of Benjamin Scheetz,still owned this lower mill, with the house and half the original tract.^2®

Where unrecorded deeds and missing assessment bookshave left no trace on the records, the scrupulously keptchurch register often reveals a man's presence in the neighborhood. Thus, the marriage of HENRY COLFLESH (Kalb-fleisch) to Barbara Foltz (Voltz) is recorded at St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, under the date of1748, twenty-one years before the first tax-list now availableshowed that he was assessed in Lower Merion; while at thesame ceremonial, MATTHIAS FOLTZ, another Lower Merion farmer, and the father of the bride, was registered as awitness.^^^

"A Child of JACOB BENINGER" was interred at MerionFriends' Meeting-house in 1749. In 1763, several children ofJacob Benninger were baptized at the Lutheran school-house in Philadelphia; for one of these (Margaret), thesponsors were Stephen Goodman and wife, and for another(Susanna), Philip Crichbahn and wife.^"

THE "OLD DTJTCH CHURCH" IN LOWER MERION 211

JACOB BEALERT (Behlerdt) was living in German-town as early as 1738. He owned land there, and in 1743his wife Dorothy joined him in a mortgage. In 1738 and1739, Jacob Billard or Bellard, was a warden of the "DutchLutheran Church, in Germantown Township.Scull andHeap's map of 1750 places Bailert's house near the intersection of Righter's Ferry road (now Highland avenue) andthe Lancaster road, in Lower Merion, showing that, at thatdate, he was already settled in this township. Of this house,and the lands, more will be said later. Jacob Bealert wasprobably a ropemaker, as both of his sons followed thattrade. He died in Blockley township, in 1775 or 1776, leaving a widow, Dorothy; and five children: Mary, Jacob,David, Susanna and Elizabeth., to whom he bequeathed thefarm. Mary married Rudolph Latch, of Blockley, to whomfurther reference will be made. Jacob, a ropemaker, of Block-ley, married, in 1762, Lydia Edwards, a widow, and died in1795, leaving a son Jacob, from whom are descended theBealer family, still resident in Lower Merion; and a daughter Elizabeth, wife of William Lewis, of Newtown, Delawarecounty. David married, in 1767, Mary Foltz. Elizabeth married Benjamin White, of Horsham.^^^

SAMUEL WEISS (?), "widower, from Marien Township, Philadelphia County," and "Elizabeth Smith, youngwoman, of the same place," were married in Philadelphiain 1750. A child of JACOB SNITZER was buried in Lower

Merion in 1751. In the latter year, JACOB SIMON, a millerliving in Lower Merion, bought a house, a saw-mill, and atract of 30 acres on the Schuylkill, the land lying on bothsides of Mill creek; but his enterprise was unsuccessful, andwithin two years his property was sold by the sheriff.^^s

In 1752, FREDERICK KICKING (Beking), "a youngmember (Geselle) and — miller," was married at St. Michael's, Germantown, to Maria Catharina, single daughterof Johannes Unverzagt. Pastor Handschuch, who officiatedand, presumably, made the record, perhaps should have


written "paper-miller"—or so it appears, in the light ofmore recent events. It was ten years later, in 1762, thatFrederick Bicking, a yeoman, of Lower Merion, bought fromthe widow of Richard Harrison 150 acres of land. The tract

was V-shaped, with its apex on the hill in the rear of whathas for many years been known as Seth Humphrey's mill.From this point, the broad branch of the "V" extendednortheastward for more than half a mile, crossing Mill creekat Toddtown, and reaching beyond the Hagy's Ford road;while the narrow branch stretched along what is now Fair-view road to the present Summit avenue. Frederick Licking's deed does not mention a mill; but in 1769 he was taxedfor a paper-mill and 150 acres. In 1770, he bought from theestate of Charles Norris a tract of 105 acres, extending fromhis original land down to the Schuylkill river, opposite FlatRock dam; and in 1784, he purchased 50 acres more at theother tip of the "V." He was naturalized in Lower Merionin 1763, and served as a constable of the township in 1768.He was a generous contributor to the support of the "OldDutch Church," although apparently not a member.^^® Soonafter the outbreak of the Revolution, Frederick Bicking andHenry Katz, "being Paper Makers in the County of Philadelphia, on behalf of themselves and the Rest of the PaperMakers, in that Neighborhood," addressed a memorial to thePennsylvania Committee of Safety, setting forth that thecall for every man between 16 and 50 to join the troops,threatened the immediate closing of all the paper mills inthe county, so that "in a few Weeks . . . even CartridgePaper would soon fail." It may be supposed that this direfulprediction had some effect in exempting paper-makers fromconscription.^^"^

Frederick Bicking bequeathed his paper-mill to his son

Frederick. His will also gave directions for the preservation

of the family burying-ground, which had been established

on the hill close to the intersection of Summit avenue and

Fairview road. In this plot, fifty feet square, lie the remains


of its founder and of his wife and other members of the fam

ily. The two principal tombstones read, in part:—John Frederick Bicking, a native of Winterburg in Germany, who

was born March 29th, 1730, and departed this life Novr. 4th, 1809.Mary Catharine, wife of John Frederick Bicking, a native of Otwiller,

in Germany, who was born Augt. 81st, 1732, and departed this life Novr.30th, 1782.

Frederick Bicking married (2), in 1784, Dorothy, widowof Johann Jarrett, of Whitemarsh.

The children of John Frederick and Mary CatharineBicking were Richard, Sarah, John, Frederick, Joseph,David, Mary, Catharine and Elizabeth. Richard died in 1803,leaving issue. Sarah married William Dewees, grandson ofWilliam Dewees, the paper-maker, of Germantown township. John married, in 1781, Catharine May. Frederick married, in 1795, Jane Righter, daughter of John Righter, ofLower Merion. Joseph married, in 1789, Sarah Righter, another daughter of John Righter. David married, in 1787,Mary Underwood. Mary married, and left issue. Catharinemarried — Reynolds; some of their descendants are interred in the family plot. Elizabeth married her step-brother,George Jarrett, but evidently died before her father.^-®

JOHN HEMBERGER was buried at Merion Meetinghouse in 1753. ELIZABETH SCHIBLE was interred there in

the following year. In this year, 1754, several new nameswere added to the roster of Germans in Lower Merion. WIL

LIAM STADELMAN, an innholder, bought the "BlackHorse" property. MICHAEL BELLINGER, of "Meirion,"bought a lot on the Conestoga road, in Blockley; but twoyears later he died, devising his estate to his wife Margaret,who, when she sold this land, in 1760, was living in German-town. CHRISTOPHER ROBINS, proprietor of the "ThreeTons," in Whitemarsh, bought a saw-mill and 30 acres ofland on the Schuylkill, in Lower Merion (the same whichwere formerly the property of Jacob Simon, as alreadyseen). He bought an adjoining tract in 1758, at which datehe was apparently still living in Whitemarsh.^^® In 1768, he


and four other persons received a patent from Thomas andRichard Penn for islands Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, in the Schuylkill,"opposite lands of Hugh Roberts and Christopher Robins onthe west side." Probably there were good fisheries at theseislands. In the same year, Christopher Robins sold his sawmill and 30 acres to John Roberts, miller, and signed thedeed (as faithfully recorded in the deed book) "ChristophRap," in German script. The following year, he appears todispose of the rest of his Lower Merion property, includinga paper-mill. As late as 1784, a deed mentions "a road leading from the Lancaster road to Robins's paper-mill." It isdoubtful, however, whether he ever lived in Lower Merion.

Christopher Robins died in 1770, in Whitemarsh. His willmentions wife Margaret, and daughter Mary, wife of GeorgeHittner; a brother John Gotfred Robins, living in Germany;and a cousin George Robins.^®^

NICHOLAS LOCHMANN was living near Germantown,and probably in Lower Merion, as early as 1751, when hewas sponsor at the baptism of an infant daughter of his sister Catharine, wife of William Stadelman, of Lower Merion.He again acted as godfather, this time to his nephew, William Stadelman, in 1754. As he was constable of Lower Merion in 1758, he had probably been living there for someyears. In 1762, Nicolaits Lochmann was married, "in Wil-helm Stadelman's house in Merion township," to AnnaSchultz. She was probably a sister of Elizabeth' Schultz, whohad married Philip Krickbaum, of Lower Merion, as Nicholas Lochmann and wife were sponsors at the baptism ofNicholas, son of Philip and Elizabeth Krickbaum, in 1764.^^2

Nicholas Lochmann removed to the city of Philadelphia,where he was a butcher. He was a widower in 1770, whenhe married Maria Schneider. He died about 1795, leavingwife Joanna Maria, son George, and daughters Maria Mar-garetha and Catharine, the latter having been married, in1784, to Adam Fistar.^®®

In 1755, MICHAEL OBERLY (Oberle), born in Dutz-


moch, in Alsace, was married, at St. Michael's, Germantown,to Anna Maria Evinger (Effinger), who was bom in "Nuremberg in Wiirtenberg." He owned a 10-acre farm in UpperDarby township, on which he was taxed until about the timeof the Revolution. He contributed to the support of a pastorfor the "Old Dutch Church," and he and his wife Maryprobably attended there. They had at least three children:Regina Barbara, Johann Michael and Georg Henrich. Michael Overley, of Darby, died about 1778, and administration on his estate was granted to his wife Mary in that year.^^-*

PHILIP SUPER and Hannah Claiton were married in

1755. He owned a small lot in Haverford, where he keptstore, and was taxed there from 1758 until the Revolutionaryperiod. He was living there in 1780; but in 1782 and 1783he was on the Lower Merion assessment lists. He and his

wife Hannah attended the "Old Dutch Church," he wasa communicant there for many years, and was a subscriberto the fund for purchasing land for the church, as well as toother of its funds. His family afterwards became influentialin the Radnor M. E. Church. His children were Hannah

(married Ristine); Mary (married Ludwig Knoll);Sarah (married Block); Joseph, Philip and Jacob(married Jane Brooks, of Delaware county.)"®

GEORGE HORN, a farmer living in Whitemarsh, boughta tract of 154 acres near "Harriton," in Lower Merion, in1756, and had removed to it by 1758. In 1756, PHILIPKRICKBAUM was living in Lomergen (Lower Merion)township, and BALTASAR SIRCH in Ober Mergen Totvn-Shipp.^^^ In the same year, RUDOLPH LATCH, a shoemaker, bought 49 acres of land in Blockley, at the junctionof the Ford road and "the line dividing the said township ofBlockley from Merion Township." He was living in Blockleyin the following year. In 1770, he sold this land, and removed to Lower Merion. His wife was Mary, daughter ofJacob and Dorothy Bealert, of Lower Merion. After thedeath of Jacob Bealert, Rudolph Latch and his wife Mary


agreed to purchase the interests of the other heirs in theBealert estate. This agreement was afterwards carried outby Jacob Latch, Rudolph's son. The real estate consisted ofa house and about 85 acres of land, adjoining William Sta-delman's land, in Lower Merion. The house stood close tothe Lancaster road, which bisected the farm. Jacob Latchafterwards made his home here, and called the place "RoseHill," after the family name of his wife, Jane Rose. The oldhouse, although greatly modernized, may still be seen, withthe gigantic cherry tree standing in front of it, on the northside of the road; while on the south side, and nearly opposite, there stood until recently the home of the family's noteddescendant, Commodore Edward Biddle Latch.^^^

Rudolph Latch died in 1785. Of his children, there survived him four sons; Jacob (married, in 1782, Jane Rose);John (married, in 1782, Margaret Kappel) ; David (married,in 1790, Susanna West); and George (married, in 1785, Ly-dia Thomas.) He also left four daughters: Mary (married,in 1775, Jonathan James); Ann (married, in 1780, MatthiasSchneider); Elizabeth (married, in 1782, Titus Roberts);and Hannah, who was a minor at the time of her father'sdeath.

Mary, widow of Rudolph Latch, died in 1813, aged about80 years.^^®

NICHOLAS SCHULTZ was living in Lower Merion("uber der Schul Line in Lomergen Township wohnhaft") in1756, when his daughter Elizabeth was married. He and hiswife Mary were communicants of the "Old Dutch Church"in 1766; but they probably removed from the neighborhoodsoon afterward. His daughter Elizabeth married, in 1756,Philip Krickbaum, of Lower Merion. Another daughter, Barbara, married Henry Leininger, of the same place, in 1757.Anna Schultz, who was probably, also, a daughter, marriedin 1762, as already seen, Nicholas Lochmann. In 1783, Nico-laus Schultz, perhaps of the same family, married CathrinaSchaaff, at the First Reformed Church, Philadelphia."®

THE "OLD DUTCH CHUECH" IN LOWER MERION 217

CHRISTOPHER SCHLESSMANN was married to Catha-rina Ars (?) in 1756; they lived on a 100-acre farm in New-town, Chester (now Delaware) county in 1766,1767 and 1768.In 1757, CASPER WHITEMAN was living in Lower Merion,or nearby; he was on the Blockley tax-list in 1769 and onthat of Lower Merion, in 1774-1780; in 1781, he was livingin Haverford.i-^" STEPHEN GOODMAN appears as a landowner in Lower Merion in 1757. HENRY LEININGER, aslately mentioned, married, in 1757, Barbara, daughter ofNicolas Schultz, of Lower Merion. They were early communicants of the "Old Dutch Church." Henry Leininger wastaxed in Haverford in 1771, and in Lower Merion in 1774.Barbara Leininger, presumably his widow, was assessed inLower Merion in 1779, and in Tredyffrin in 1779 and 1780.^^^

Three citizens of Germantown—JACOB COLEMAN, aninnholder; WOLLORE MENG, a saddler; and MELCHIOR-MENG, a maker of saddle-trees—bought, in 1758, a tractof 100 acres on the Schuylkill river, at the spot where thePencoyd Iron Works was long afterwards established. Theydivided this land in 1759, deeding to one another the respective shares. In the deed for Melchior Meng's "division,"there is granted, along with his 33acres, the use of a roadone perch wide, "to be forever left open all along Schuylkillriver for the whole extent of the said one hundred Acres

Tract before recited," etc. This evidently refers to that section of the River road which within recent years has beenclosed after long litigation, through the efforts of the PecoydIron Works.^^^

Of the three purchasers, Jacob Coleman was probablythe only one who ever came to live on his Lower Merionlands, which comprised about 39 acres. He was living herewhen he made his will in 1785, calling himself "farmer,"and referring to his "plantation" in Lower Merion. Hiswidow, Catharine, survived him; she was one of his executors, and was living in Lower Merion in 1791. The otherexecutor, his son William, was at the same time a resident of


the borough of Reading, in Berks county. Other children ofJacob Coleman were Nicholas, John, Mary (wife of GeorgeZeller), Catharine, and Elizabeth (wife of WilliamMentz.)"^

Several persons named Fimple lived in this vicinity,about the middle of the century. JOHN FIMPLE andGEORGE FIMPLE were called in to witness the will of

Gwynn Rees, of Lower Merion, in 1758; and John Fimplewitnessed the will of Ludwick Knoll, also of Lower Merion,in 1763. Perhaps it was the same John Fimple who was ataxable in Lower Merion, 1769-1780.^'''* Joh. George Fimbelland Catharina Barbara Schwemmer were married in Phila

delphia in 1760. George Fimple held 50 acres in Radnor,1771 and 1774; from 1780 onward, he was taxed in LowerMerion. Two children of George, or Johan G. Fimple andCatharine his wife were baptized at the "Old Dutch Church'*in 1767 and 1768; and he was a communicant there, 1767to 1788, as well as a subscriber to the fund for purchasingchurch land, and to other funds.^^®

JACOB FIMPLE was a freeman in Haverford in 1768.

MICHAEL PIMPLE, son of Johannes and Maria Agnes,was born in 1754. He was a freeman in Haverford in 1780;

and he and his wife Christiana (called, in the church record,Christina) were communicants of the "Old Dutch Church."^"*®They had at least eight children: John (died in infancy);George (died in 1820); and Rudolph, Michael, Richard,John, Isaac and Mary, who survived their father. MichaelFimple, Senior, of Haverford, died in 1829, and his widowChristiana in 1834. The descendants of four of their sonslived in Marple, Springfield, and other parts of southernDelaware county

LUDWICK KNOLL was among the Haverford taxablesin 1758. On the same list was FREDERICK BITTLE; he waslater taxed in Radnor, and was an "inmate" in 1781. JACOBKITSELMAN (Gotzelmann) married Anna Margretha Riesin Philadelphia, in 1758; he settled in Upper Merion, bought


a small farm there in February, 1796, and died there, abouta year later. His widow, Margaret, was living in 1800."® Ason, Martin, died in infancy, and four children grew to maturity: Jacob and Casper, whose descendants scattered overWillistown, Easttown and other parts of Chester county;and two daughters, Margaret Washen and Elizabeth Buzzard. The family were connected with the Great Valley Baptist Church, and with the Baptist congregation of Tredyffrinand Willistown.

In 1759, PHILIP CULP (Kolb) and Catharine Sorg, from'"over the Schuylkill," were married at Germantown. He wasa laborer, and was living in Lower Merion in 1765, when hebought from John Roberts and his wife Jane a house and100 acres of land, near what is now known as Fairview, inLower Merion. This ground, or some portion of it, had formed a part of the Jones plantation known as "Mount Arra-rat;" in 1851, the same 100 acres, then owned by AbrahamLevering, was called "Green Dell Farm;" but today it haslost its identity in "Penshurst," the large estate of PercivalRoberts, Jr.^®® Philip Gulp and his wife Catharine were connected with the "Old Dutch Church" in 1766 and 1767, andhe was taxed in Lower Merion in 1779.^®^

In the adjoining township of Roxborough, the family ofRighter became well-known before the middle of the eighteenth century. Bartle (or Bartholomew) Righter died therein 1745, leaving children John, Jacob, Peter Bartle andElizabeth. Of these, John and Peter married, respectively,Hannah and Elizabeth, daughters of Anthony Tunis, whoat about this time, settled in Lower Merion. In 1741, PETERRIGHTER was granted, for the term of seven years, theprivilege of maintaining a ferry over the Schuylkill, betweenhis plantation in "Roxbury," and the opposite side. Thisferry right, which also forbade the establishing of other ferries within two miles on either side, was renewed periodically, and the proprietor, when he made his will, in 1776, stillcalled himself "ferryman.""^ Scull and Heap's map of 1750


indicates the position of this ferry, which was about % of amile above the mouth of Wissahickon creek, and also showsa road running through Lower Merion from the other terminus of the ferry to the Lancaster road. In 1767, John Van-deren, who had just purchased land in Lower Merion, wasdeeded the use of water in a run "coming down across PeterRighter's Ferry Road." In spite of the map of 1750, however,Righter's Ferry road, as it is now called, was probably neveropened as far as the Lancaster road, or beyond the Fordroad, which it met a short distance east of the Cynwyd station of the Schuylkill Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad.A deed of 1789 bounds a property "by a line of marked treesfallen and land formerly conveyed for the use of a road toRighter's ferry on Schuylkill;" and Levering's map of 1851does not show a continuation of Righter's Ferry road beyondthe intersection just indicated. In later years, however, Highland avenue has been opened along this line.^®^

Peter Righter, who died in 1776, left children John,Peter, Mary, Hannah, Rebecca, Sarah and Margaret.

JOHN RIGHTER, brother to Peter, the ferryman, was aLower Merion farmer when, in 1760, he bought from Hannah, widow of Richard Harrison, ICQ acres of land lyingalong Mill creek. In 1763, he bought, also from the widowHarrison, 75 acres more, adjoining his first purchase, thusgaining control of both banks of the stream, from what haslately been called Murray's Mill (where the road to theSchuylkill crosses the creek) to the State road.^®'' He was ahouse carpenter, as well as a farmer; and he established onhis land saw- and box-board mills; he also called himself"paper maker" when he made his will. The roads leadingto these mills from both sides of the creek took the nameof "Righter's Mill road;" one of them still holds the name;the other has been changed to "Black Rock road."^^'^

As already mentioned, John Righter married Hannah,daughter of Anthony Tunis. Their children were Anthony;Hannah (wife of Malcolm Quinn) ; Sarah (wife of Joseph

THE "OLD DUTCH CHURCH" IN LOWER MERION £21

Bicking); Jane (wife of Frederick Bieking, the younger);Amelia (wife of Martin Proctor); and three others who diedyoung. For his second wife, John Righter married Jane,daughter of William McAfee, who lived on the Lancasterroad near Haverford station.^®® By this marriage, there werethree sons, John, William and Charles. The family wereprobably Friends. John Righter was a contributor to thefund for erecting a school house at Merion Friends' Meeting.He served as supervisor of the township in 1775; he waselected auditor many times from 1767 and 1798, and constable in 1793. He reached the age of more than 91 years,and died in November, 1823 (tombstone says 1823)

BARTLE RIGHTER the younger—brother to John, andto Peter, the ferryman—also settled in Lower Merion. In1773, he bought from his brother John a small farm on theside of Fairview hill, sloping towards Mill creek. He soldthis, with a house, in 1792; but owned a "plantation" in1807, as his will shows. He died in 1809, leaving a widow,Charlotte; sons William, Rudolph and Joseph; and daughters Hannah, Mary, Rebecca, Catharine and Elizabeth; besides a grandson Bartholomy Keech.^®®

In 1760, Rev. Alsentz, of the Reformed Church, of Ger-mantown, united in marriage RUDOLPH SIBLEY (Ziibly)and Elizabeth Kern. They settled in Lower Merion, whereRudolph Sibley was taxed, but evidently held no land, from1769 onward. In 1785, he bought from the estate of RobertJones a tract of somewhat more than 50 acres, fronting onthe Righter's Mill road, about a mile from the present LowerMerion AcademyHe died in 1831. A 3-acre lot of thefarm passed to his son John, who with other heirs of Elizabeth Sibley, also conveyed about 35 acres to Hiram Litzen-berg, in 1859. The State road was afterwards openedthrough the Litzenberg property.^®®

Elizabeth, wife of MICHAEL FISHER, was buried atMerion Friends' Meeting, in 1762 (?)^®^

JOHANN PETER OTT and Sophia Catherina Kochlerwere marired, 24 August, 1762, in Philadelphia. Peter Ott


settled in Blockley; he was there in 1769, and in 1773 hebought a 15-acre farm on the Ford road, adjoining the landsof the Garrett family, who were settled about the Falls.Peter and Catherine Ott had four children who grew to maturity: Sarah, Peter, John and Andrew. Sarah marriedMcAdams, and died in 1854, aged 90 years.^®'^ Peter married, in 1794, Margaret Friess. John married, and settled inLower Merion, where he owned a tract of land along theRighter's Ferry road; his homestead stands just inside theentrance to West Laurel Hill Cemetery. Andrew married, in1802, Rebecca Johnson, of Blockley, and left two daughters.Peter Ott, senior, died in 1824, aged nearly 87 years; hiswife died in 1810, aged about 69. Descendants of their sonsPeter and John intermarried with Lower Merion families,and the name is still extant in the township.^®®

FREDERICK GROW (Groh) was naturalized in 1763;he settled on a farm of 100 acres in Lower Merion. In 1763,also, FREDERICK STILLWAGON, a farmer living in UpperMerion, bought a tract of 100 acres in Lower Merion, thelocation of which seems to have been at the intersection of

Gulph and Spring Mill roads, diagonally opposite to theGreen Tree Hotel propertyHe and his wife Agatha hadtwo children baptized at the "Old Dutch Church," in 1767and 1768; and he was on the Lower Merion tax lists for 1769and 1774. GEORGE COLP witnessed the will of Ludwick

Knoll, 1763.^®® MICHAEL CLINE, a Lower Merion weaver,bought 14 acres on the northeastwardly side of the Lancaster road, in the present village of Bryn Mawr, in 1763.He bought 20 acres adjoining, in 1770, and as much morein 1785; and in 1796, he was called "yeoman.""® He and hiswife Elizabeth were communicants of the "Old Dutch

Church;" but at the organization of the Radnor M.E.Church, he became one of its trustees, and his family wereafterwards identified with the Radnor congregation. Hedied in 1807; his wife, in 1800. Two sons, Henry and Matthias, appear to have died before their father, both leaving

THE "OLD DtrrCH CHTOCH" IN LOWER MERION 223

children. A daughter, Barbara, was bequeathed "threeAcres of Land along the old Lancaster road next to Mor-decai Taylor's together with the old houseand a son John,the residue of the land."^ ,

MARTIN MILLER and Susanna Pechin were marriedin Philadelphia in 1764; they settled in Lower Merion, atwhat is now the eastern end of the village of Ardmore, andsome of their descendants still live in the neighborhood.^®®

Three of the original purchasers of the land for the "OldDutch Church" in Lower Merion had settled in Haverfordtownship previous to 1765. SIMON LITZENBERG (Litzen-berger), a cooper, owned 80 acres there, near the Goshenroad. GEORGE BASSLER (Baseler; Basel) was taxed for30 acres as late as 1774; then he and his wife Juliana Maryseem to be no longer of record. CHRISTOPHER KITSEL-MAN (Gotzelman) held land in the township until 1769, andin Tredyffrin, 1774-1781; he was sponsor at a baptism atthe "Old Dutch Church" in 1783. Of his descendants, littlecan be told. A Michael Kitselman was a freeman in Haverford in 1766; and Michael Gotzelman — bom 1744, died1766—is buried in the old cemetery at Ardmore.^®®

Besides these, the Haverford tax list for 1765 namesJACOB BEERYj holding 100 acres there; JACOB CARL,100 acres; and GEORGE STUMP (Stamp) who afterwardsbecame a landholder in Lower Merion. In the same year,HENRY BEAR, a tailor, and ADAM SITER (Seyter), tanner, each held 100 acres in Radnor; JOHN GRIM (Krim),a laborer, was in Marple; and JACOB RIGOR in UpperDarby. And there were yet others. The tax list for 1765 forthe township of Lower Merion, Upper Merion and Blockleyis not available; but JOHN LEICKS and TOBIAS TOW-MILLER (Taumuller), both later residents of Lower Merion; JACOB PRINTZ (Brentz), JOHANNES HUSS (Hoosz),JOHANNES SCHLEYER and JACOB SCHLONHANS—allwere living in the neighborhood, and were connected withthe "Old Dutch Church," at the time of its founding.

(To be continued)

224 bulletin of historical society of Montgomery county

Footnotes :

*The Journals of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg; translated by Theodore G. Tappert and John W. Doberstein (Muhlenberg).

®Theodore E. Schmauk: History of the Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania; 1638-1800; Pubs. Pa.-German See.; XI, XII, Pt. 1. 226. (Hereafter called Schmauk.)

'Sydney G. Fisher: Making of Pennsylvania; 70 (Fisher) CompareSachse's account of the German-Spanish colony in Venezuela; Pubs.Pa.-German Soc.

* Fisher; 94-5.

'Ibid.; 74.

'Schmauk; 1; 3—Julius F. Sachse: The Fatherland; 95, 100; Pubs.Pa.-German Soc.; VII. (Sachse)

' Ernest L. Hazelius: History of the American Lutheran Church; 23.(Hazelius)

®Fisher; 90.

'Frank R. Diffenderfer: German Exodus to England in 1709; Pubs.Pa.-German Soc.; VII. 380, 382; (Diffenderfer; German Ex.)

"Schmauk; 1; 3 — Sachse; 113, 140.

" Barr Ferree: Pennsylvania, A Primer (Ferree)

"Schmauk; 1. 3 — Diffenderfer; German. Ex.; 283.

"Diffenderfer; German Ex.; 286.

" Schmauk; 1. 3.

"Robert Proud: History of Pennsylvania; 219 (Proud)"Ibid.; 219, 304 — Samuel W. Pennypacker: Settlement of German-

town; Pubs. Pa.-German Soc.; IX. 54-5, 68, 74-5 (Pennypacker)—Fisher;89 — Frank R. Diffenderfer: German Immigration into Pennsylvania;Pubs. Pa.-German Soc.; X. Pt. 2. 19 (Diffenderfer; German Imm.)

" Fisher; 82.

"Diffenderfer; German Ex.; 288 — Pennypacker; 83.

"Diffenderfer; German Imm.; 19.

"Schmauk; 1. 3 — C. W. Schaeffer: Early History of the LutheranChurch in America; 71 (Schaeffer)

'"I. Daniel Rupp: Collection of 30,000 Names (etc.); 3 (Rupp){Note: a later publication, Pennsylvania-German Pioneers, publishedsince this paper was compiled, is now the authority on the subject.)

" Diffenderfer, German Ex.; 289.

"Ibid.; 291 — Schmauk; 1. 218 — Samuel S. Schmucker: AmericanLutheran Church; 16 (Schmucker)


Fisher; 98 — Sanford D. Cobb: Story of the Palatines (Cobb) —I. Daniel Rupp: Religious Denominations in the United States; 380(Bupp; ReL Den,) — Henry E. Jacobs; German Emigration to America;Pubs. Pa.-German Soe.; VIII. 63 (Jacobs)

^Fisher; 108.

® Benjamin Rush: Account of the Manners of the German Inhabitantsof Pennsylvania; 6-9 (Rush)

" Diffenderfer, German. Imm.; 175. Quoting Mittelberger.

='Ibid.; 184, 267.

Fisher; 96-7.

**Pennypacker; 164 (cut).

®*Rush; 6-9.

James P. Wickersham: A History of Education in Pennsylvania(Wickersham).

®Fisher; 92.

" Schmauk; 1. 218.

" Halle Reports (Hallisehe Nachrichten); II. 51 (Halle)

'"Fisher; 96.

"Halle; II. 51.

Pennsylvania Gazette; Nov. 2, 1752 (Pa. Gaz.)

®Ibid.; Oct. 22, 1767.

"Ibid.; May 20, 1742.

"Gottlieb Mittelberger: Journey to Pennsylvania; 26 (Mittelberger)" Peter Kalm: Travels into North America; I. 388 (Kalm) — Halle;

1.115.

" Record of Indentures of Apprentices, Servants, etc., Philadelphia;Pubs. Pa.-German Soe.; XVI (Indents.)

" Diffenderfer, German Imm.; 184, 267 — John Oldmixon: BritishEmpire in America, 2d ed.; I. 310 (Oldmixon)

"Halle; II. 51.

"Ibid.; I. 109.

" Indents.

"Pa. Gaz.; May 10, 1753.

"Ibid.; May 25, 1749.

=®Ibid.; Sept. 26, 1751.

"Mittelberger; 29-30.

"Rush; 11-35.

" Robert Sutcliffe: Diary; 257-8 (Sutcliffe)


Samuel E. Weber: Charity School Movement in Colonial Pennsylvania; 11 ("WeberJ

"Samuel Hazard: Register of Pennsylvania; XV 201 (Hazard)"Communicated, George H. Grow, 1914 (Cowm.)" Comm., Thomas Bealer, 1912.

" Diffenderfer, German Imm.; 34-9 — Fisher; 99-100 — Julius P.Sachse; German Sectarians of Pennsylvania; 24-7 (Saehae, Germ. Sect.)

"Pennsylvania Archives; 2d Series; XVII (Pd. Arch.)—Fisher; 101—Rupp.

"Mittelberger; 44-5.

"Diffenderfer, German Imm.; 93-=-Joseph Jackson: History of Market Street; 26-9 (Jackson)

"Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; XVII.

"Diffenderfer, German Imm.; 34-9.

Rupp.

" Mittelberger; 26-7.

" Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; XVII.

"Pa. Arch., 1st Ser.; VI. 97-101; 2d Ser.; III. 118-9—PennsylvaniaMagazine of History and Biography; XXV. 544 (Pa. Mag.)—Sketches,Historical Society of Montgomery County; III, 174-81 (H. S. Monig.)—Records, Merion Friends' Meeting (MerionFr.).

®Landholders, Philadelphia County, 1734; Publications, GenealogicalSociety of Pennsylvania; 1.166 (Landholders).

"William J. Buck: History of Montgomery County (etc.); 34 (Buck)See, also, same author in Bean: History of Montgomery County; 930.

"Records of Rev. John Caspar Stoever, Baptisms and Marriages; 6(Stoever).

''^Philadelphia Deed Book H-6, 687 (Phila. Deeds).

"Ibid.; H-18, 118.

"Henry S. Dotterer; Church at Market Square; 20 (Dotterer). (Reprint from "The Perkiomen Region.")

Stover; 6.

"Ibid.; 7.

" Records of St. Michael's and Zion Congregation, Philadelphia (Lutheran) ; MS, Gen, Soc, of Pa. (St. M. <& Z.)

"Stover; 13." Philadelphia Will Book "I" 286. (Phila. Wills).•''Naaman H. Keyser, et al: History of Old Germantown; 29 (Keyser).

American Weekly Mercury; April 10-17, 1740 (Mercury).

THE "OLD DUTCH CHUECH" IN LOWER MEBION 227

"Phila. Deeds; G-8, 130.

"Ibid.; H-6; 90-4.

"Papers of Perry Anderson, Esq. (Examined in the original) ("Anderson^

"PhUa. Deeds; G-8; 130; 'T'-15; 26—Phila. WilIs; M 300; P 411—Records of Radnor Monthly Meeting; MS, Gen. Soc. of Pa. (Radnor)—John W. Jordan, editor: Colonial Families of Philadelphia; 1558 (Jordan)

"Phila. Deeds; G-3, 544.

"Ibid.; G-8,168.

"Pa. Gaz.; March 11, 1745-6; May 1, 1746.

. "Phila. Deeds; G-8, 271.

"Ibid.; G-3, 544-6. -•

"Merion Fr.

"Charles P. Jenkins: Guide Book to Historic Germantown; 36 (Jenkins)

"Records of Abington Monthly Meeting; II. 8; MS. Gen. Soc. of Pa.(Abington) >.

"Ibid.; II. 9-10.

" Anderson.

"Pa. Gaz.; Oct. 13, 1757—Phila. Deeds; G-3, 544-6.

"Abington; II. 253-4.

"General Loan Office Mortgages, Philadelphia, 1745-47; 160 (LoanOff.)

" Merion Fr.

"Stoever; 36-7.

Merion Fr.

Henry G. Ashmead: History of Delaware County, Pa. (Ashmead).^Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; II. 459.

'"Chester County Will Books; MS, Gen, Soc. of Pa. (Chester Wills)Records of St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church, German-

town, Philadelphia; MS, Gen. Soc. of Pa. (St. MiehaeVs, Gtn.).'"Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV.

Records of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lower Meriontownship; (MS copy by writer.) (St. Patd's).

'"Phila. Deeds; "I"-l, 320.

'"Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV.

'"Park McFarland: Records of Gloria Dei Church, Philadelphia (Mc-Farland)—Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; VIII—Delaware County Wills; MS, Gen.

228 bulletin of historical sociETy of Montgomery county

Soc. of Pa. (DeL Wills)—Inscriptions, Radnor M. E. Church; MS, Hist.Soc. Montg. Co. (Radnor M. E. Inscrips.)—Ashmead.

"'Merlon Fr.—Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV.

""Phlla. Deeds; H-12, 197-9.

^'^Pa. Gaz.; May 8, 1746.

"'Montgomery County Deed Book 4; 59, 131 (Montg. Deeds)—Catalog, Merion Chapter D.A.R. (D.A.R.)

"*John Levering; Map of Lower Merion Township, 1851 (Levering)."'Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV—Montg. Deeds; 11; 885-7.

"'Indents; 180 Pa. Mag. XXXUI. 487—Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV; 2dSer.; IX—Montg. Deeds; 4; 283-5—Colonial Records of Pennsylvania;XV. 648; XVI. 146, 174, 463 (Col. Recs.).

'"Montg. Deeds; 4; 283-8.

"'Ibid.; 11; 385.

"'Ibid.; 4; 59, 131; 283-8; 11; 385—St. Paul's—Records of the Reformed Congregation of Germantown, Philadelphia; MS, Gen. Soc. of Pa.(Ref., Gin.)—Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; IX—Montgomery County Will Book 3;57 (Montg. Wills)—Inscriptions, St. Paul's, Lower Merion, MS copy bywriter (St. Paul's, Inscrips.).

""Merion Fr.—Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; IX.—Montg. Deeds; 10; 135—Levering—St. Paul's—D.A.R., 14.

"•St. M. & Z.—Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV.

Merion Fr.—St. M. & Z.

"»Phila. Deeds; F-10, 227; G-5, 105—S. A. Ziegenfuss; History of StMichael's Church, Germantown, Philadelphia; 11, 13 (Ziegenfvss).

"♦Phila. Deeds; D-3; 298—Montg. Deeds; 9; 51, 146; 12; 39—Montg.Wills; 1. 37—Philadelphia Will Books; Q 234 (Phila. Wills.)—Pa. Arch.,3d Ser. XIV; 2d Ser.; IX—Merion Fr.

Records, First Reformed Church, Philadelphia; MS, Gen. Soc. ofPa.; (Ref., PMa.;—Merion Fr.—Phila. Deeds; 'T"-4, 81; '♦I"-5, 56, 222.

""St. Michael's, Gtn.—Pa. Gaz.; Mar. 16, 1774—Phila. Deeds; H-19,302; H-15, 160; D-10, 155; D-11; 6—G. M. Hopkins & Co.; Atlas ofMontgomery County, Pa., 1871 (Hopkins, Montg.)—Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.;XIV; 2d Ser.; II. 445—Levering—Anderson—St. Paul's.

"'St. Paul's—Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; I. 615.

Phila. Wills; 8; 21 — Levering — Inscriptions, Bicking Burying-ground (Bicking, Inscrips.).

""Phila. Wills; 3; 21—Bicking, Inscrips.—Montg. Wills; 8, 344; 6,192—Pa. Arch.; 2d Ser.; IX—St. Michael's, Gtn.

THE "OLD DUTCH CHUECH" IN LOWER MEBION £29

'"Merion Fr.—Phila. Deeds; H-6, 259; D-3, 295, 296; 'T'-6, 63; "I'M,172—Phila. Wills; K 438—Pa. Gaz.; Oct. 31, 1751.

"^Philadelphia Exemplification Records; 3, 667 (Exemp.)—^Phila.Deeds; "I"-5, 222; D-9, 357—Montg. Deeds; 1; 112—Phila. Wills; P 18.

"'St. Michael's, Gtn.—Ref., Gtn.—Anderson—St. M. & Z.—Pa. Arch.;2d Ser.; IX.

"'Phila. Wills; "X" 323—Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; IX.

St. Michael's, Gtn.—St. M. & Z.—Chester Wills—Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.;XIV—St. Paul's.

'"Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; VxII; 3d Ser.; XIV—St. Paul's—Comm.—Theodore W. Bean: History of Montgomery County, Pa.; 1115 (Bean).

"•Phila. Deeds; "I"-10, 386; H-9, 257—Ref., Gtn.—St. Michael's, Gtn.

Phila. Deeds; "I"-10, 84-6; H-8, 302—Montg. Deeds; 9; 146, 153—Phila. Wills; Q 234—Levering—William D. Ashworth: Historical Sketchof the Life of Edward Biddle Latch (Ashworth).

"•Ref., Phila.—Montg. Wills, 1; 57—Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; VIII, IX—St. Paul's, Inscrips.

Ref. Gtn.—St. Paul's—St. Michael's, Gtn.—St. M. & Z.—Ref., Phila.

"®Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; IX; 3d Ser.; XIV—Philadelphia AdministrationBook G 80 (Phila. Admns.)

'"Phila. Deeds; H-8, 103—St. Michael's, Gtn.—St. Paul's—Pa. Arch.,3d Ser.; XIV—Pa. Gaz.; May 13, 1762.

'"Phila. Deeds; H-14, 73; "I"-17, 203—Levering.

'"Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV—^Montg. Wills; 1; 194—Montg. Deeds; 6;34.

'"Phila. Wills; L 174 N 44—Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV.

'"St. Michael's, Phila.—Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; IX; 3d Ser.; XIV—St.Paul's.

"'Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV—St. Paul's—St. Michael's, Gtn.

'"St. Paul's—St. Michael's, Gtn.—Del. Wills; 0 163—Inscrips., St.Paul's.

'"Ashmead; 347—Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV; 2d Ser.; IX—St. M. & Z.—Montg. Deeds; 13; 69—Montg. Wills.

St. M. & Z.—Montg. Wills—Records, Great Valley Baptist Church;MS, Gen. Soc. of Pa. (Valley Baptist)—Înscriptions, Eagle School House;MS, Gen. Soc. of Pa. (Eagle Inscrips.)

'"'St. Michael's, Gtn.—Phila. Deeds; H-20, 497—Pa. Gaz.; Feb. 10,1763—Levering.

"'St. Paul's—Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV.


^ Phila. WUls; H 45; Q 240—Phila. Deeds; "r'-15, 26—Exemp.; 2;637; 3; 518—Anderson; 64.

• *®Levering—Phila. Deeds; "I"-16, 2, 3—Montg. Deeds; 5; 182—Hopkins, Montg. .

. '"Phila. Deeds;,H-15, 160—Pa. Gaz.; Jan. 4, 1770—Montg. Deeds; 7;I. 132; 9; 138—Levering.

'"Phila. Deeds; H-18, 118—Anderson—Pa. Gaz., advts.; Dec. 7, 1769;Jan. 4, 1770; May 25, 1774—Montg. Wills; 6; 192.

'"Phila. Deeds; "I"-15, 26—Montg. Wills; 6; 192; 1; 363—MerionFr.—Montg. Deeds; 12; 173.

'"Montg. Wills; 6; 192—Phila. Deeds; "I"-7, 80—Anderson.'"Montg. Deeds; 7; 1.132—Montg. Wills; 3; 170.

•"Ref., Gtn. — Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV — Montg. Deeds; 3; 301—Levering.

'"Montg. Wills; 7; 71—Levering—Montg. Deeds; 114; 124—Hopkins,Montg.

'» Merion Fr.

'"St. M. & Z.—Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; IX, XIV—Phila. Deeds; "I'^ll,296—Phila. Wills;—Inscrips. St. Paul's.

'"Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; IX—Levering—St. Michael's, Gtn.—Phila. Wills—Inscrips., St. Paul's—Montg. Wills; 8; 145—Comm.

'"Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; II; 3d Ser.; XIV—Phila. Deeds; H-18, 473—Levering.

""St. Paul's—Pa. Arch. 3d Ser.; XIV—Phila. Wills; N 91.

'"Montg. Deeds; 7; II. 640, 904, 908; 10; 109—Levering. .'"St. Paul's—Ashmead—Montg. Wills; 2; 617.

'"Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; VIII.

'"Pa. Arch., 2d Ser.; XIV; 3d; XIV—Phila. Deeds; "I"-14, 198—St.Paul's—Inscrips., St. Paul's.

"®Pa. Arch., 3d Ser.; XIV—St. Michael's, Gtn.—St. Paul's.

Deaths in the Skippack Region(Continued from page 109)

No. 250. "WILLIAM ANDERSON died October 29, 1824."Son-in-law of Nos. 42 and 180, he lived in UpperSalford Township from 1785 to 1810 on land belonging to his father-in-law, Solomon Grimley. Hethen apparently removed to Frederick Townshipwhere he spent the rest of his life. He marriedNo. 464—Elizabeth Grimley—sister of Nos. 560and 456. Issue: Solomon, John who married Susanna Bergey; William who married Barbara Cas-sel; Mary, wife of Jacob Rees, and Rachel, wife ofAbraham Rees. (Montgy Mortgage Bks 7/279;17/176; Misc. Bk 83/19; Dd Bk'40/131; BergeyP28).

No. 251. "JACOB BARLEY his wife died November 16,1824." She was Elizabeth Krupp, daughter of Nos.329 and 292. Jacob, born Peby 19, 1787 and diedApril 20, 1846, married secondly Susanna Johnson,daughter of No. 385. They lived in WorcesterTownship. He was a brother of No. 377 and sonof 384, and is buried at Lower Providence Brethren Church. Of his children John, Abraham, Mary,Annie, Philip and Mathias, only the last two survived their father. (Heckler p 311; Montgy W Bks6/560; 8/465).

No. 252. "JOHN LEDERACH his son died November 17,1824." He was Jacob Lederach, son of No. 538 andher husband John. (Heckler p 205).

231


No. 253. "CHATARINA STAUFFER died December 11,1824." Widow of No. 167, she was a daughter ofNo. 169 and sister of Nos. 538 and 588. Letters ofadministration were granted December 16,1824 toher brother Henry Kolb, blue-dyer, and herbrother-in-law Abraham Ziegler. (Montgy OC Bks4/137; 11/349)

No. 254. "JACOB BERGE died February 25, 1825." BornNovember 10,1769, son of Nos. 59 and 152, he wasa school teacher and farmer. He and his wifeCatherine S. Cassel, daughter of Nos. 471 and 625,born March 11, 1784 and died January 10, 1863,are both buried at Lower Salford Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Christian who married Anna Kolb.(Bergey p 24; Montgy W Bk 6/266)

No. 255. "Old MATHIAS TEYSON died February 27,1825." Bom February 17, 1745, son of No. 67 andhis wife Alice Nash, he married Elizabeth Markley(No. 274) who renounced her rights to administerher husband's estate to her son Benjamin Tyson,March 14, 1825. She and her husband are buriedat Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Theirprobable children were Benjamin, Mathias whomarried Mary Harley, William of Juniata County^John, and a daughter who married John Hend-ricks. (Montg RW No. 17,017; OC No. 19,272; DdBk 33/439; OC Bk 4/637)

No. 256. "Big JOSEPH TEYSON his wife died March 13,1825." She was Barbara Wentz, second wife of No.328, his first wife having been Elizabeth Robinson.(Jordan: Colonial Families, p 396)

No. 257. "YELLIS KOLB died March 20, 1825." Son ofHenry and Elizabeth (Cassel) Kolb, and brother

DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK REGION 233

of Nos. 169, 313 and 487, he married CatherineSavacool (No. 308). Buried at Lower SkippackMennonite Cemetery. Issue: Henry who marriedCatherine Bean; Jacob who married Peggy Moy-er; Joseph who married Nancy Rosenberger;John who married Magdalena Heimback, andAbraham. (Kulp p 153; Montgy RW No. 13,157)

No. 258. "Old MARTIN KOLB died April 4, 1825." Son ofIsaac and Maria (Swartz) Kolb and brother ofNo. 75, he married first Sarah Kolb, daughter ofNos. 35 and 260, and secondly Catherine Jans,daughter of Nos. 7 and 13. They lived in Skippack.Issue: Dillman, Abraham who married BarbaraWismer; Hannah, wife of Henry Detweiler; Barbara, wife of Isaac Detweiler; Mary, wife of HenryKolb; Sarah, wife of Jacob Hunsicker; John (No.194); Catherine, wife of Dillman Z. Gottshalk;Susanna (No. 297), wife of Garret Reiff; Magdalena, wife of John Z. Hunsicker; Isaac (No. 239).(Montgy OC Bk 4/596; W Bks 1/526; 2/434;Kulp p 38)

No. 259. "Old ABRAHAM ALDERFER died April 17,1825." Born November 4, 1747, son of No. 21, hemarried first Catherine Benner, born October 28,1750; died August 28,1814, daughter of Johannesand Elizabeth Benner. After her death he married the niece of his first wife: Esther (Benner)Souder, widow of Abraham Souder. No issue byeither wife. He is buried at Lower Salford Men

nonite Cemetery. (Bulletin, HSMC, Vol 8/213,Oct. 1952)

No. 260. "Old HANNA KOLB died May 21, 1825 aged 96yrs." Widow of No. 35, her name is generally givenas Susannah Krister. However, it is suggested she


may have been Susannah Kuster, daughter of Conrad and Susanna (Adams) Kuster who settled inSalford in 1720 on 100 acres which he sold to Con

rad Gehr, son-in-law of Hans George Reiff, in1735. This land, conveyed by Gehr in 1736 toJacob Krupp, bordered the Franconia line. FromSalford, Kuster moved over to Franconia where in1729 he had purchased 102^ acres which he soldin 1741 to Jacob Hunsberger. It is believed hethen removed with part of his family to Virginia.He is thought to have been a son of Arnold andRachel Kuster, and grandson of Paulus and Gertrude (Streypers) Kuster. (Phila Dd BkF-3/470;W Bk H/528; Montgy Dd Bks 3/241; 6/478;32/90; WBk 2/434)

No. 261. "Old JACOB SCHWENK died July 29, 1825."Born June 7, 1755, son of No. 27, he married EvaMaria Bierly (No. 397). They lived in GwyneddTownship. Issue: Magdalena, Susanna Catherine,wife of Peter Summers; William of Hilltown andJacob. (HSL, Montgy Dd Bk 44/256)

No. 262. "GEORGE NESS died October 23, 1825." Lettersof administration were granted to Jacob OusterNovember 3, 1825 on the estate of George Netz ofUpper Providence. He and his wife Maria Margaret had lived in Skippack from 1814 to 1822 onland purchased from Henry and Hannah Det-weiler. They then moved to Upper Providence,purchasing 28 acres from Jacob and HannahHorning. Buried at Trappe Augustus LutheranChurch, his age is given as 52 yrs, 3 ms, 2 ds. Hiswife was born in October 1771 and died in September 1845. She is buried at St. Luke's Reformed

Church, Trappe. Issue; Rebecca, wife of PhilipRifinger; Elizabeth, wife of John Perch; John


Susanna, Catherine and Henry, the last four beingminors at the time of their father's death. (MontgyOC Bk 5/5, 22; Dd Bks 38/151; 591/5, 8)

No. 263. "Widow CROLLIN died October 24, 1825." BornJune 17, 1745, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth(Hartzel) Wentz, she was the widow of MichaelCroll, Justice of the Peace in Upper Salford, whowas born February 9, 1738 and died December 8,1796. Both buried Goshenhoppen Lutheran Cemetery. Besides property in Upper Salford, theyowned a 240-acre farm in Worcester; she died inUpper Dublin, however. Issue: Elizabeth Snyder,Sarah, wife of William Shuler; Catherine Hartzel;Anna, wife of Benjamin Reiff, Jacob of Marl-borough; Rebecca Klein; Susanna, wife of HenryWagner; John who married Susanna Wagner;Mary Gearhart; Sophia Boyer and Michael.(Montgy W Bk 6/317, 1/202; OC 1/382)

No. 264. "Old ABRAHAM GRAFF died October 20, 1825."Son of Jacob and Maria Groff and brother of No.100, he was born July 19, 1753, married May 26,1776 Magdalena Wagner (No. 522), and is buriedat Goshenhoppen Union Cemetery. Issue: Jacob,Samuel, Joseph, Abraham, Elizabeth wife of Abraham Freed, Maria, wife of Philip Richards; Catherine, wife of John Herring; Magdalena, wife ofMichael Decker. (Montgy W Bk 6/319)

No. 265. "ELIZABETH WEBERIN died in October 1825."Widow of No. 105, she was Elizabeth Reiff, daughter of Jacob and Catherine Reiff (Nos. 118 and73). Her tombstone at Wentz's Cemetery statesshe died September 16, 1825, aged 56 yrs. (Montgy W Bk 4/207)

236 bulletin of histoeical society of Montgomery county

No. 266. "Young MATHIAS TEYSON his wife died in December 1825." Has not been identified, but wasperhaps Mary Harley, daughter of Henry whodied in 1840, and daughter-in-law of No. 255.

No. 267. "Little JACOB REIFF died January 29, 1826."Born October 14, 1787, son of No. 268, he marriedElizabeth Kolb, born January 13,1798; died April5, 1890, daughter of Henry and Barbara (Hun-sicker) Kolb. Buried at Lower Salford MennoniteCemetery. Issue: William who married EmilyMiller; Henry who married Mary Steiner; Johnwho married Sarah Cassel; Mary, wife of DanielCassel. (HSL; Montgy OC Bk 5/95,115; KulpFamily, pps 155, 174, 226)

No. 268. "Old JOHN REIFF died February 5,1826." Son ofNo. 118, he was born December 5, 1759 and married first Barbara Funk, daughter of No. 72, whowas born January 22,1760 and died July 27,1798.By her he had issue: John, husband of No. 173;Jacob (No. 267); Elisabeth, Catherine and Margaret or Mary. He operated a mill in Lower Sal-ford and was a minister of the Funkites for whomhe built a meeting house on part of a farm ownedby him in Towamencin. He was a member of theLower Skippack Militia Company during the Revolution. His second wife was No. 272. (Moyerp 308; Cassel p 61)

No. 269. "HERMAN PANNEBECKER died February 12,1826." A miller in Lower Skippack where he alsodelt extensively in real estate, he was the son ofHenry and Rebecca (Kuster) Pennebacker andmarried his first cousin Barbara, daughter ofJacob and Margaret (Tyson) Pennebacker.(Montgy Dd Bk 36/150)

.DEATHS JN THE SKIPPACK REGION 237

No-.-270. "SAMUEL PANNEBECKER died February 13,1826." Born'November 4, 1746, son of Peter andElizabeth (Keyser) Pennebacker, he married atTrappe May 15, 1768 Hannah Gisbert (No. 449)who was probably the daughter of Andrew Guis-bert of Limerick, although her name is sometimesgiven as Gilbert. Issue: Daniel who married Susannah Paul; Benjamin, William, Jacob, Samuelwho married Catherine Wierman; John who married Mary Snyder; Joseph, and Abraham whomarried Hannah Hill. (Keyser Family p 147;Montgy W Bk 6/336; Phila 00 Bk 5/12'8)

No, .271. -"ABRAHAM KRUPP his second wife died February 13, 1826." Her tombstone in Worcester Men-nonite Cemetery, where she and Abraham Kruppare buried, gives her name as Susanna, and her ageas 25 yrs, 8 ms, 6 ds. In April 1826 Silas, Johnand Ann Krupp, minors, appeared before theMontgomery County Orphans' Court representedby their guardian John Krupp, to claim the estateof their mother Ann Krupp. Whether they werechildren of Susanna or No. 182 has not been established.-.(Montgy OC Bk 5/66) •

No. 2'((2, "JOHNREIFF his widow died February 25,1826."•Borh^ca 1762-64 she was Elizabeth" Cassel, daughter of Abraham and Fiega (Grimley) Cassel. Shehad no children. (Cassel p 55)

No. 273. "GERHART CLEMENS his widow died March 6,1826." Widow of No. 165, she was born March 8,1744, daughter of Valentine Hunsicker and hissecond wife Elizabeth Kolb. They were marriedMay 29,1766. She was a sister of Nos. 98, 311 and419. (HSL; Hunsicker Family)


No. 274. "Old MATHIAS TEYSON his widow died March

27, 1826." Widow of No. 255, she was ElizabethMarkley, born May 23,1749, and daughter of Nos.18 and 50. (HSL; Dotterer Papers, GenealogicalSociety of Penna.)

No. 275. "Widow SUSANNA KRAUS died April 24, 1826."Bom in November 1741 she was the widow of

Charles Kraus, innkeeper of Skippack who haddied about 1806, and the mother of No. 83. She isburied at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery.(Montgy W Bk 6/349)

No. 276. "JOHN TEYSON his widow died April 26, 1826."Born in 1759, daughter of Abraham Updegroveand his wife Christina Peters, she was SusannaUpdegrove, widow of No. 219 and sister of No.352—Henry Updegrave. She is buried at LowerSkippack Mennonite Cemetery. (Montgy Dd Bk33/301)

No. 277. "Young ABRAHAM TEYSON died April 29,1826." Not definitely identified, but was probablya son of William Tyson who died in 1848. Aweaver by trade, he died in Lower Providence. Hiswife has not been identified; their children wereall minors at the time of his death: Samuel, Phillip,William and Mary. (Montgy OC Bk 5/96,10/206,167; Dd Bk 42/502, 504)

No. 278. "Stout ANDREW ZIEGLER his widow died May 8,1826," The widow of No. 93, she was MargaretZiegler, possibly a daughter of Michael Wiermanof Hatfield, who died in 1788, and his wife Sophia.(Montgy W Bk 1/136)

No. 279. "ABRAHAM CRATER his wife died August 13,1826." Widow of No. 370, Maria Magdalena (Cas-


sel) Crater was born about 1775, daughter of Isaacand Barbara (Detweiler) Cassel. She is buried atLower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. (MontgyW Bk 6/152; Dd Bk 40/131)

No. 280. "My brother-in-law HEINRICH KIELI died August 18, 1826." Son of Henry Keely of Skippackwho died in 1798, he had married apparently Hannah Markley, presumed to be the daughter of Nos.185 and 359. She would therefore be sister ofPhilip Markley (No. 634). She died in 1848. Issue:William, Abraham, Elizabeth, wife of John Pool;Mary (No. 133), wife of Abraham Halderman;Hannah, wife of Frederick Waggoner; Catherine,wife of Charles Graft; Henry, John, Lydia, wife ofJohn Laughman; Anna, wife of Michael Klein, andJonas. (Montgy W Bks 2/91, 6/377; OC Bk 10/204)

No. 281. "Old JOHN WIERMAN died September 10,1826."Born in 1749, son of John Wierman of Skippackand his wife Mary (No. 4), he died intestate, leaving no lineal issue but four sisters: Catherine, wifeof William Schlotterer; Anna, wife of GeorgeHauek; a deceased sister Mary, wife of Jacob Wis-mer, and Esther, wife of Elias Horning of MifflinCounty. (Montgy Dd Bk 43/188; W Bk 1/352)

No. 282. "JACOB TEYSON his wife died September 23,1826." Has not been identified.

No,283, "MATHIAS STAUFFER died September 24,1826."Son of Christian Stauffer and his wife Elizabeth,he was an innkeeper in Lower Salford during theRevolution. He married Ann Clemens, daughterof Abraham and Catherine (Bachman) Clemensof Lower Salford, and was a brother of No. 112.

240 bulletin op historical society'of MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Issue: Catherine, wife of Jacob Stover; Christianwho married Elizabeth Funk; Abraham who married Catherine Hackman; Mary, wife of HarmonGodshalk; Susanna, wife of Cornelius Custer, andElizabeth, wife of Abraham Reiff. (Montgy W Bk6/384; Stauffer-StoverFamily p 164ff.)

No. 284. "VALENTIN ANDERSON his wife died September 29, 1826." Bom March 27, 1757, daughter ofJohn Johnson of Hatfield and his wife Mary Godshalk, she was Elizabeth Johnson, a sister of Nos.233, 292 and 385, and first wife of No. 605. Buriedat Lower Salford Mennonite. (HSL)

No. 285. "Young GEORGE PREISZ his second wife diedOctober 1,1826." Has not been identified, butmayhave been a daughter-in-law of the preacher, JohnPrice (No. 333). John Price's son George marriedfirst Elizabeth Owen, and after the death of hissecond wife moved to Ohio.

No. 286. "LUDWICH TRUCKENMILLER died October 7,1826." Bom June 7, 1746, he married October 10,1771 Rachel Pawling (No. 321).A taylor bytrade,he spent his adult life in Skippack and is buriedat Augustus Lutheran Church, Trappe. Issue:John, believed to have married Sarah Heiser; Hannah (No. 172); William; Elizabeth, wife of AdamHatfield; Benjamin who married Catherine Keely,and Joseph of Chester County. (Montgy Dd Bk45/129; W Bk 2/2)

No. 287. "ANNA YOCUM died October 7, 1826." Secondwife of James Yocum (No. 415), she is buried atlYanconia Mennonite Cemetery. Her tombstonegives no dates and she has not been identified further. (Montgy Dd Bk 29/301)

" DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK EEGION 241

No. 288. "Old GEORG SCHUMACHER died October 13,1826."-Son of Jacob and Susanna (Ziegler) Schumacher, he was born in October 1743. Brother ofNos. 179, 469 and 576, and husband of No. 187,he was a weaver by trade and lived in Franconiaprobably from the time of his marriage until 1794when he purchased a grist and saw-mill in Skip-pack from Henry Pennebecker. He and his wifeboth buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery. Issue: Isaac, Susanna, wife of John Godwals,and Mary, wife of Jacob Hallman. (Montgy W Bk6/390; Dd Bks 7/893; 62/215)

No. 289. "Old JACOB WAGNER died October 14, 1826."Bom August 15, 1753; son of Michael and MariaElizabeth Wagner, he married May 7, 1776 Barbara Tyson (No. 401), daughter of Peter Tysonand his wife Margaret Hendricks. Both buried

Goshenhoppen Reformed Cemetery. They lived inLower Salford Township. Issue: Michael who married Maria Boger; Catherine, wife of Joseph Groff;Mary; Barbara, wife of Jacob Faust; Elizabeth,wife of Joseph Bergey. (Montgy OC Bk 5/149;Goshenhoppen Lutheran and Reformed Church

Records)

No. 290. "HENRICH LANDIS died October 29, 1826." A

weaver by trade, he was the son of Yellis and Eli

zabeth (Kolb) Landis, and nephew of Nos. 95, 111,and 210. Lived in Skippack with his wife Susannah and nine children: Jacob, Elizabeth, Mary,Sarah, Henry, Elias, Joseph, Susan and Ann, thelast five of whom were minors at the time of their

father's death. (Montgy OC 2/390; 5/151,167;• Dd Bk 20/238)

242 bulletin of historical society op Montgomery county

No. 291. "BENJAMIN JOHNSON his widow died Novem

ber 25, 1826." Widow of No. 233, she was Mary-Johnson, daughter of John and Mary (Godshalk)Johnson of Hatfield, and sister of Nos. 284, 292and 385. (Montgy Dd Bk 5/339)

No. 292. "JACOB KROB his wife died December 31,1826.**Bom February 3, 1747, she was Anna Johnson,daughter of John Johnson of Hatfield and sister ofNos. 284, 291 and 385. She and her husband No.329 are buried at Plain Mennonite Cemetery, Hatfield Township. (Montgy Dd Bk 5/339; OC Bk5/66)

No. 293. "RUDOLF HERLEY died January 1, 1827." Sonof Nos. 61 and 82, he was born February 7, 1749and married first Barbara Bach, daughter of Jacoband Barbara (Stager) Bach, who died June 9,1800, aged 49 yrs. 8 ms. By her he had Rudolph,

. John who married Elizabeth Harleyman; Marywife of David Grubb; Elizabeth, wife of AbrahamGrubb; Samuel who married Catherine Slifer;Sarah, wife of Joseph Reiff; Jacob (No. 557);Abraham who married Catherine Grubb; Barbara,wife of Peter Steger and Hannah, wife of JohnReifsnyder. By his second wife Sarah Bomberger,he had issued Benjamin who married Susan Penny-packer. They lived in North Coventry Township.(Rev. Carl Smith; Geo. F. P. Wanger Notes)

No. 294. "CHRISTOPH ZIMMERMAN died January 23,1827." Son of Arnold Zimmerman of Worcester and

his wife Mary Engle, he was born March 16, 1749.His first wife was Esther, daughter of ChristopherSower; his second wife, whom he married October22, 1793 was Magdalena Shutt, born August 13,

DEATHS IN THE SKIPPACK BEGION 243

1765; died December 16,1821, daughter of No. 77.Buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery.By her he had issue: Mary, wife of Jesse Van Fos-sen; Barbara, wife of Francis C. Bumside; Arnold,who married Elizabeth Custer, and Rebecca, wife

of Samuel Brown. (Montgy W Bk 2/295; Perk:Region Vol 12/43-49)

No. 295. "Young JACOB REIFF died January 24, 1827."Has not been identified, but may have been a sonof Benjamin and Anna (Croll) Reiff and grandsonof No. 268.

No. 296. "JOHN KEPLER died March 29,1827." Son of No.32 and his wife Rebecca Zieber, he had been thehusband of No. 218. After her death he married in1824 or '25 Catherine Hummel, widow of Jacob,late of Frederick Township. By his first wife hehad three sons: Daniel, David and Abraham towhom he devised his property in Skippack. Hissecond wife had had seven children: Sarah Hagey,Elizabeth and Catherine, Tobias, Jonas, Samueland John Hummel, the last five of whom wereminors in 1823. (Montgy W Bk 6/412; Misc. Bk3/38; Dd Bk 43/576; 17/339)

No. 297. "GERHART REIFF his wife died April 2, 1827."She was Susanna Kolb, daughter of No. 258 andhis wife Catherine Jans. Her husband, born January 28, 1796, was a son of George Reiff and hiswife Elizabeth Clemens (No. 506). (Montgy 004/596, HSL)


No. 298. "ABRAHAM BENNER his - son died May 15,1827." Born August 5, 1816, this was Joseph Banner, son of No. 330 and his wife Sarah Markley.The lad was a grandson of No. 322 and great-grandson of Nos. 80 and 236. He is buried atLower Salford.

No. 299. "Young JOHN FUNK died May 28, 1827." Bornabout 1793, son of No. 246, he married ChristianaBaughman who was bom in 1797. A Funkite likehis father, they lived at Perkiomen Bridge. Issue:David, Elizabeth, George, Henry and Jeremiah.(HSL)

(To be continued)

Librarian's Report

When these lines are read we expect to be settled in our new headquarters at 1654 DeKalb Street, Norristown. The second most notableundertaking ever attempted inthehistory of theSociety hasbeen brought,after several years of devoted effort, to a more than successful conclusion. This second milestone is comparable only to that first great event,the purchase in 1896 of the former Borough Hall, 18 Bast Penn Street,Norristown, as the first home of The Historical Society of MontgomeryCounty. Then in its fifteenth year of existence, and after holding itsmeetings in the Court House and other public halls, the flourishing youngSociety was ready for its own building. Prom that time on, the Societygrew steadily to occupy the enviable place in the county it holds today.As that event of prime importance stimulated the growth and service ofthe Society, so will this event of fifty-eight years later attract in likeproportion theattention and interest of the people in thegreat county werepresent.

The last meeting of the membership in the old building was that ofSaturday, April 24, 1954. The last day the library doors were open tothe public was Saturday, July 10, 1954. We havevacated Historical HallI and the leave-taking was tinctured with sadness. It has served us well.It willalways havea special place in our affection and memories. We aremoving intoa new era with a fresh awareness of our responsibilities: topreserve, promote and perpetuate the history of Montgomery County.

As we stand within these new walls—walk these new paths—facenew problems, we can more vividly appreciate the contribution of thoseearlyfounders of our Society, their devotion to the ideals and culture ofthe years gone by, and we may well adopt for our own the motto ofColonial Williamsburg, "That the future may learn from the past."

JANE KEPLINGER BURRIS, Librarian

245

April Meeting

The regular meeting of the Historical Society of Montgomery Countywas convened at 2 P.M. on April 24,1954, at the building of the Society,with President Gallager presiding. The minutes of the February meetingwere read and approved.

President Gallagher reported for the architect and the Special Building Committee that construction of our new building continues accordingto schedule, and that it should be completed by July 1, 1954.

President Gallager introduced Paul Jones, who spoke on The ValueOf Local Historical Societies, and some of his experiences in writing onlocal history.

At the close of the meeting the Hospitality Committee served a pleasant tea.

EVA G. DAVIS, Recording Secretary

246

Report on Membership

New Members Elected April 24, 1954

Harold S. Benner H. Barton Off

John A. Heidel Mrs. Lillian S. Eose

Mrs. Earl W. Johnson Lee Zimmerman

DEATHS

Mrs. George N. Highley

Joseph B. Ganser

Present Status of Membership:

Honorary Members 5

Life Members 34

Annual Members 549

Total Membership 588

HELEN E. RICHARDS, Corresponding Secretary

247

The Historical Society of Montgomery County has for itsobject the preservation of the civil, political and religioushistory of the county, as well as the promotion of the studyof history. The building up of a library for historical researchhas been materially aided in the past by donations of family,church and graveyard records; letters, diaries and othermanuscript material. Valuable files of newspapers have alsobeencontributed. This public-spirited support has been highlyappreciated and is earnestly desired for the future.

Membership in the Society is opento all interested persons,whether residents of the county or not, and all such personsare invited to have their names proposed at any meeting. Theannual dues are $4.00; life membership, $50.00. Every member is entitled to a copy of each issue of The Bulletin, free.Additional Copies, One Dollar Each.

Historical Hall, 18 East Penn Street, Norristown, with itslibrary and museum, is open for visitors each week day from10 A.M. to 12 M. and 1 to 4 P.M., except Saturday afternoon.The material in the library may be freely consulted duringthese hours, but no bookmay be taken from the building.

To Our Friends

Our Society needs funds for the furthering of its work, its expansion,its growth and development. This can very nicely be done throughbequests from members and friends in the disposition of their estates.The Society needs more funds in investments placed at interest; theincome arising therefrom would give the Society an annual return tomeet its needs. Following is a form that could be used in the makingof wills:

I HEREBY GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO THE

HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY,

PENNSYLVANIA, THE SUM OP

DOLLARS (I )

Documents

BULLETIN - hsmcpa.org · IQ2 bulletin of historicalsociety op MONTGOMERY COUNTY ... Colonel Lutterloh told Feb. 20 that only twenty ofthe thirty wagons promised him came into Camp