January—February 2019 Vol. MMXIX No. 1

Happening in January

“The Gilded Age of Christmas” Exhibit

Ends Sun., Jan 6 Included on all Tours Free

Woodstove Cooking Demonstration

Sat., Jan. 12 10 am to 3 pm Snow Date: Sat., Jan. 19 Free

Happening in February

New Exhibit: “Family Roots“ Opening Fri., Feb. 1

Included on all tours Free

Victorian Valentines for Kids Sat., Feb. 9 10 am to 12 pm

Fee: $5/child Deadline Fri., Feb. 1.

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death and a wife who was drowned for heresy at Utrecht in 1568. The founder of the family in Pennsylva-nia, Hendrick Pannebecker, was born March 21, 1674. He was in Germantown in 1699, and from there moved out to Skippack in 1702 as the attorney for Matthias Van Bebber for the sale of the lands of the latter in Bebber’s [today Skippack] township. He later bought the township and became as well as Van Bebber and Lodowick Christian Sprogell, one of the three Dutch patroons of Penn-sylvania. He was a surveyor and laid out most of the early roads in upper Philadelphia, now Montgom-ery County. [This includes the Skippack Pike in 1713. It later was extended to the Perkiomen Creek

At some point most people be-come interested in wanting to know more about their family his-tory and where they came from. Samuel W. Pennypacker was no different and took researching his family to a whole new level in an era without computers, internet or even a telephone. Our new ex-hibit will feature Samuel’s Penny-packer ancestry. The very first chapter in his autobiography is on his ancestry where he wrote the following: The paternal line is Dutch, and the name which originated somewhere in the neighborhood of Gorcum, in Holland, is Pannebakker. It means a maker of tiles. The earliest trace of the family that I found tells the tale of a man who was burned to

January—February 2019 Vol. MMXIX No. 1

Left: Pennypacker family reunion group photograph on south porch at Pennypacker Mills. Circa 1925. Source: Archives at Pennypacker Mills.

where his son Peter purchased

the property in 1747 of which is now Pennypacker Mills.] I have his bill to the Penns for surveying a number of their manors in 1733, with the order of Thomas Penn for payment. He understood three lan-guages - Dutch, German and Eng-lish. He had a library of books. He owned seven thousand acres of

land. He wrote a very pretty script, drew deeds and devised a seal much like that of Van Rensselaer of New York. There is a biography of him in print and when it turns up at a book sale it brings twenty-five dollars. His wife, Eva Umstat, came from the lower Rhine and neither the marriage of his son, Jacob, who was a miller on the Skippack, nor that of his grandson, Matthias, who moved to the Pickering Creek, in Chester County, effected any race modifications. This Matthias, born in 1742, had a rather broad coun-

try life. He owned a mill, still stand-ing, and four or five farms. He was a commissioner for the navigation of the River Schuylkill. He was a bishop of the Mennonites, using three languages of his grandfather and preaching with eloquence and strength. He sent several contribu-tions of flour and money to the Philadelphia people when the yel-low fever devasted[sic] the city in 1793, as will be seen in the report of the committee. It is told of him that people came to his funeral from five counties and that he had the largest funeral and the longest will up to that time known in the county. No better evidence could have been given of his consequence. His son, Matthias, my grandfather, born in 1787, spent his days on the Pickering, owning the same mill. He was portly, and, it may, be a little pompous, but he had some reason for demanding in manner that those around him show re-spect. “Rich, respectable and nu-merous” was written of the family in his time. In 1826 and 1827 he was a member of assembly. The organization which was effected to bring about the incorporation of the Philadelphia and Reading Rail-road Company made him its presi-dent, and he was one of the incor-porators of that road. He repre-sented Chester County in the Con-stitutional Convention of 1837 which prepared a constitution for the state. When the Whig party held their county meetings at West Chester, he presided. In his day the traces of the old Dutch life almost entirely disappeared. English alone was spoken in the household and his children knew no other tongue. The German books which had lost their utility were given to a serv-ant. The old German family Bible was banished to the springhouse, and there one of his boys cut from it all its pictures. In his autobiography, Samuel con-tinued on with his grandparents

and other family members. How many people today have descrip-tions of their ancestors like that, and this is just a small portion of the information Samuel obtained. His ancestry was very important to him.

In the early 1870’s, Samuel began a genealogy of the descendants of Hendrick and Eve Pannebecker assembling a finished version in 1880. Samuel, along with other family members decided to have a great family reunion at Penny-packer Mills on October 4, 1877, which coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Ger-mantown, for which the property had been used during that cam-paign. More than 1500 family members attended the 1877 reun-ion coming from as far away as Texas. In that same spirit the Pen-nypacker family is once again holding a great family reunion at the Mills on July 6th of this year. Samuel never stopped gathering information or artifacts relating to his family. He did not just gather the basic genealogical facts of birth, marriage and death dates,

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Continued from Pg. 1

Above: Bill to the Penn family from Hen-drick Pannebecker for laying out the man-ors of Springfield, Manatawny and Per-kasie in 1733. When dealing with English people, Pannebecker signed his first name as Henry and with Dutch people as Hen-drick and with German people he signed it as Heinrich. Source: Archives at Penny-packer Mills.

Above: Family Bible of Eve Umstat Pannebecker. This Bible was published in Heidelberg and acquired by her grandfather Nicholas Umstat. Her father brought this Bible with them on their journey to Pennsylvania in 1685. Often times families recorded genealogy and events in the Bible. The Umstats record-ed genealogy and the first sighting of the comet in 1680. The image shows it open to the book of Judith with genea-logical notes written in the margins. Source: Archives at Pennypacker Mills.

but gathered information on where they resided, their occupa-tion and other descriptions. He wrote, Sarah Anderson my Grand-mother, the wife of Matthias Pen-nypacker was born Feb'y 10th 1784 on the Anderson homestead,

a farm on the south side of the Pickering Creek about two miles from Phoenixville. She was a very excellent woman, a lifelong and Consistent member of the Method-ist Episcopal Church and a model wife and mother. I have a porcelain box with a mirror in the lid given her by her lover before their mar-riage as a keepsake and also some pieces of woolen stuff made by her from the raw material for a suit of homespun for her husband during the war of 1812. She was very fond of reading Pollok's Course of Time a book which made a strong im-pression upon her. In person, as I remember her late in life, she was stout. She died Sep. 13th 1853 and is buried at the Morris Cemetery in Phoenixville. "Remember your Cre-ator in the days of youth and even sickness and Sorrow comes you will find a comforter. Your affectionate

Mother Sarah Pennypacker", 1835." His descriptions of people are quite remarkable.

Samuel was exceedingly interest-ed in his family history as noted by his daughter Lida in her pam-phlet “Memories and Portraits” where she wrote the following. One of Father’s greatest troubles was the difficulty in connecting up the thought and life of the past with the thought and life of the present and future. To him a trou-ble and an effort to overcome it were one. So he tried zealously to link our minds with the vivid and real life imagery with which his own mind was so full. “Lida,” he would say in a breath, I, being eight or ten or twelve years old. “Your grandfather’s name was

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Spend a wintry day at the Mills discovering how cooks in the early 1900s prepared meals on a wood fired stove. In the Classroom Building. The task of cooking was much more demanding than the way we cook today. No simple turning of a knob or push of a button and instant heat! No, this took much more time, more planning, and much more patience! Meet Sheila Walter and Becky Manley, two talented 18th through early 20th century cooks whose experiences with early recipes, different kinds of cooking vessels, and ever changing technological advances in cooking apparatus make them the perfect instructors for this fascinating demonstration. After spending time with these two experienced cooks, find your way

down to the Pennypacker mansion for a guided tour. Discover how the cook at the Pennypacker mansion used a modern coal fired stove, had indoor plumbing, and an ice box.

Above: Silhouette of Matthias and Sarah Anderson Pennypacker, c. 1820. Prior to photography people who could not afford to have their portrait painted could have their silhouette traced. This was the only image Samuel had of his paternal grand-parents. Source: Archives at Pennypacker Mills.

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Come to the Mills and celebrate Valentines Day a bit early as we create Valentines sure to win the

heart of your loved ones! Kids, bring an adult along to help and enjoy a morning of creating Valentine

cards, ornaments, and gifts! For ages 5+, accompanied by an adult.

This year, we’ll be making :

A Valentine poem in a wood frame that you’ll paint & glue together;

A heart shaped sun-catcher that you will cut out and add tissue paper squares to make your own

unique design;

A hand holding a flower that you choose the colors for;

A 3-D “bee” my Valentine card...such a surprise when you open it too!

Call today and pre-register for this fun workshop. We’ll take a break mid-point for a snack & drink.

The deadline to register is Friday, Feb. 1. Call 610-287-9349 today. Bring a friend or two!

Pre-register my child for the Valentines Workshop! You may pay via personal check or credit card by

phone. Call the site for availability before sending a check.

_________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Child’s Name (Adult’s Name)

_________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Street Address City State Zip Code

_________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Tel # Email for e-confirmation

_____ X $5 = $____________ # Kids Fee Total Enclosed

Send a check made payable to Pennypacker Mills Pennypacker Mills

5 Haldeman Road, Schwenksville, PA 19473

Clip and return with your payment.

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Many visitors to Pennypacker Mills have asked us if the 1959 film, “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker” is about PA Governor Samuel W. Pen-nypacker. The answer is no, alt-hough he obviously lived in both Philadelphia and Harrisburg. Here is a synopsis of the story:

In turn-of-the-century Harrisburg, PA, Wilbur Fielding, the son of the Rev. Dr. Fielding, learns that he has been appointed vicar of a small Rhode Island parish. This means that he can finally propose to his sweetheart, Kate Pennypacker, but as he must leave for his new post in one week, Kate impulsively sug-gests that they marry immediately rather than endure an extended engagement as required by con-vention. Kate's father, Pa Horace Pennypacker, the proprietor of the Pennypacker sausage factory, di-vides his business life between his factories in Harrisburg and Phila-delphia, spending alternate months in each city, and because he is cur-rently residing in Philadelphia, he is summoned home to Harrisburg for the wedding.

As soon as Pa receives his wife Emily's telegram regarding Kate's engagement, he drives to Harris-burg, narrowly missing the Phila-delphia sheriff who has come to issue him a summons for promot-ing a book about Darwinism that prominently depicts the police chief as a monkey.

In Harrisburg, Pa's blustery father Grampa protests the impropriety of Kate's hasty marriage. Unknown to Grampa, Emily and the eight

Pennypacker children, Pa has sired a second family of nine children who reside in Philadelphia. When Horace III, Pa's eldest Philadelphia son, learns of the summons, he hurries unsuspecting to Harrisburg to warn his father. Horace beats Pa to Harrisburg, and when he ap-pears on the Pennypacker door-step and introduces himself, Emily is incredulous.

Soon after, Pa arrives home and is struck dumb at the sight of Horace. As Emily and her spinster sister-in-law Jane upbraid Horace about his secret life, Wilbur and his father arrive to discuss the wedding. Just then, Grampa barges into the room and announces that his son is a big-amist.

Outside, on the street, the sheriff stops Grampa and serves him with the summons meant for Pa. After Grampa strikes the sheriff with his cane, the sheriff arrests him and takes him to jail.

As Kate sobs, heartbroken, Emily resolves that her daughter will be happily married. After Horace leaves for Philadelphia, the free-thinking Pa faces the Rev. Dr. Field-ing to defend his behavior. Alt-hough Pa argues that morality is simply a matter of geography, and that he is doing mankind a great service by propagating the species, Kate declares that she cannot mar-ry Wilbur because it would ruin his reputation. Meanwhile, as an act of defiance against their father, the younger children decide to run away from home. While Emily re-moves her wedding ring, Pa

searches for his brood and is ar-rested and jailed by the sheriff. Up-on returning to his church, the Rev. Dr. Fielding finds the Pennypacker children asleep in the pews.

Locked in a cell with Grampa, Pa is visited by his eldest son Henry who informs him that Emily has gone to Philadelphia to meet his other wife. At Pa's Philadelphia home, Emily discovers that the other Mrs. Pen-nypacker died eight years earlier. Pa is released from jail after apolo-gizing to the sheriff and comes home to a chilly reception.

Soon after, Emily returns, slaps Pa and declares their marriage is over. The children then file in and decree that Pa was wrong to conceal his other family. Coming to her hus-band's defense, Emily tells the chil-dren that their stepfamily is moth-erless and then reassures Kate that there will be no public scandal. Chastened, Pa apologizes to his children and relinquishes their ed-ucation to Emily.

Jane then decides to move to Phila-delphia to care for her motherless nieces and nephews. As Pa packs his suitcases to leave, the children beg him to stay, and with Emily's permission, he unpacks.

Soon after, Kate and Wilbur are married, and Emily is so moved by the wedding that she asks the Rev. Dr. Fielding to renew her and Pa's vows. As the minister conducts the ceremony, Emily tells Pa to repeat the phrase "forsaking all others."

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Pre-register me for the Beginner Genealogy Classes! You may pay via personal check or

credit card by phone. Call the site for availability before sending a check.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address City State Zip Code

_________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Tel # Email for e-confirmation

_____ X $40 = $____________ # People Fee Total Enclosed

Send a check made payable to Pennypacker Mills Pennypacker Mills 5 Haldeman Road, Schwenksville, PA 19473

Join genealogist Rose Brown and participate in 4—1 hour beginner

classes where you can learn the tools necessary to do your own fami-

ly genealogy. This program will include a discussion about how, what

and where to find information and the step by step process you’ll

need to follow. Get information on how to interview family members,

visit libraries, archives, cemeteries and use the Internet. Handouts

will be provided. This class is limited so call today!

Deadline Fri., March 1. Tel: 610-287-9349

Clip and return with payment

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time;

They just have the heart.”

—Elizabeth Andrew

Our volunteers are the heart of this historic site. Without their help,

many of our educational programs, special events and work on the

collections would not be possible. Thank you so much!

Assal, Anne 147 Evans, Will 7 Murphy, Heidi 5

Assal, Jim 34.25 Famous, Scott 6 Pegg, Bonnie 14.75

Boyd, Bill 30 Famous, Kathy 6 Pennypacker, Larry* 87.5

Boyer, Sharron 173.75 Flynn, Tara* 7 Previni, John 12.75

Brown, Derek 2 Gorman, Frank* 7 Previni, Mary 22.5

Coryell, Vivian 27 Gosser, Gail* 16.25 Ruth, Kathy 1.75

Custer, Carol* 288.5 Gummo, Duana 7 Sperring, Lisa 1

Cymbor-Jones, Meredith 23.75 Hightower, Robin 4.5 Royce, Carol 8.75

DeLucas, Margaret* 66.25 Hulmes, Edward 6 Staudt, Eric 7.25

Diamond, Gwen 5.5 Krause, Linda 9.5 Staudt, Paula 2.25

Dilmore, Don 80.5 Malc, Janice 22 Walter, Sheila 10

Dupont, Gail 48 Malc, Stan 10.5 Wilcox, Kathy 5.5

Earley, Richard 315 Miller, Lee Ann 3 Yerger, Chuck* 51.5

Ebert-Colgrove, Elizabeth* 39 Moore, Linda* 52.7 Zawacki, Robert 3.5

Evans, Suzanne 7

Hours from December 1, 2017 to November 30, 2018 — TOTAL 1685.95

* Member of the Friends of Pennypacker Mills

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Last January, we announced that we were in the process of putting our collections online at https://

pennypackermills.pastperfectonline.com/ In the past year, we were successful in placing all of our collection

records online. We have over 45,000 items in the collection for which we have 18,194 collection records. Of

these records, we have 17,370 of them online. We did not include duplicates and some miscellaneous parts

to items. It will be quite a while until all items are cataloged. Periodically as we add records, we will upload

them to the Past Perfect online website. We have had a few research requests because of our records being

online and have noticed that several people use the site each month.

Isaac Anderson, and his father was Matthias, who married Sarah An-derson, and his father was Matthi-as, a bishop of the Mennonites. Matthias’ father was Jacob and so you get back to Hendrik (sic) who was the founder of the family in Pennsylvania, born March 21, 1674. That is quite a bit for an eight to twelve year old to com-prehend.

Samuel collected more than just information, but artifacts that re-lated to his family as well includ-ing silhouettes of his grandpar-ents, signatures of all of the men in his direct line, some pieces of furniture, personal items and of course items providing infor-mation about the genealogy, fami-

ly Bibles. The earliest one being the Bible of Eve Umstat that was published in Heidelberg in 1568 and belonged to her grandfather Nicholas and brought to Pennsyl-vania by her father Hans Peter Umstat in 1685. This Bible will be on display as well as others in-cluding her son John. The exhibit will feature items of Hendrick and Eve Pannebecker and their eight children, with special attention to their son Peter who owned the property here from 1747-1770 and their son Jacob’s line that Governor Pennypacker descends from. Not only did Samuel pre-serve items, he often recorded the story of how he obtained it and some of these can be humorous. Some of these stories will be in-

cluded as well. This is an exhibit for all to see. Descendants of the Pennypacker’s will see artifacts of Hendrick and Eve and some of their children. For those who are not relatives, it will show how one person collected information and items in an era without a comput-er or even a telephone, preserving them for generations to come and may help in bringing about more interest in your own family’s his-tory. There will be tips on how to carry out researching your own family tree as well. The exhibit will run from Febru-ary 1, 2019 to January 31, 2020. The exhibit is located in the two second floor galleries and is in-cluded on all tours.

Pennypacker Mills 5 Haldeman Road Schwenksville, PA 19473

Montgomery County Board of Commissioners: Valerie A. Arkoosh, MD, MPH, Chair, Kenneth E. Lawrence, Jr., Vice Chair

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