In !ome ways, this has been a hard year for me in genealogy. I have made only a few really outstanding, "Wow" finds. I only broke through one brick wall this year, with the help of a distant cousin, and although that was exciting, still, it was only one brick wall and I have many. At this rate, I will not live long enough to find them all, or even most of them.
However, the post I wrote about "Introducing Barbara Burkholder Long Buchtel Kemery" brought me great joy, because I had been looking for her for such a long time, and because it gave me more names to search and add to the family tree. I still don't know who her mother was, other than Elizabeth Miller, but perhaps that will come with luck and time.
One theme this year has been learning more of the stories of some of the collateral ancestors, particularly those with military records. I've written of the Civil War activities of George Botkin, a Beeks cousin or uncle of sorts. I've also learned and written about Aldridge cousin Donald C. Murdock, killed in New Guinea in World War II. On the Harshbarger side, I've learned and written of the World War II service of Ed Harshbarger and Robert Harshbarger, first cousins to Cleveland Harshbarger, who had stories of World War II service, from the Philippines to the European Theater.
On the Holbrook side, I've been blessed to connect with a group of people keeping the memory of the First Special Service Force alive. As I learned, this was the unit my uncle belonged to, which became known as the "Devil's Brigade". I've learned a little of their history, a little more about my uncle, and have come in contact with people who knew him, or knew of him. I know there is at least one person still alive who was in the same unit with T/5 Ray Holbrook. It's been amazing to follow my uncle's story.
Most of the posts I've written this year, however, have been about our immigrant ancestors. At the moment, I am out of stories about Beeks and Harshbarger immigrants, and I have just one or two more stories of Allen immigrants. I expect to spend most of 2018 posting about Holbrook immigrant ancestors, but I will also be busy researching to see if I can find enough information to write about others, and hopefully to even break through another brick wall or two. There are several that I have hopes for, at this point.
I'm still loving this journey, and I hope you are enjoying following along. Here's to more happy genealogy dances in 2018!
Friday, December 29, 2017
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Beeks line: Family Christmas, 1917 What was it like?
Christmas for the Beeks (and Aldridge) families, one hundred years ago, may not have been the wild extravaganza that many families are (almost) able to provide today. But Christmas, after Jesus, if about family, andthe Aldridges and Beeks provided lots of family, even back then.
Wilbur and Cleo Beeks were the people I thought about when I started considering this post. They were almost newlyweds, with no children, yet. I think they still lived in Wabash county because that's where Wilbur was drafted from, a few months into 1918. Wilbur's parents, John and Elizabeth Wise Beeks, were still living, as were Wilbur's paternal grandmother, Mary Wise, and maternal grandfather, David Wise. All those Wise's can be pretty confusing, but I'm sure the family knew them as much by first name as by family name.
William Beeks and Mary Wise had had 10 children, and I only have a death date for one of them. So Aunt Sarah and Aunt Rachel and Uncle George, and so on may have been at family gatherings of the Beeks family. John Beeks and Elizabeth Wise and three children, and I think both Chester (Bud) and Charity were in the area, also. I haven't tried to trace children for these aunts and uncles but it's a safe bet that at least some of them had children.
On the Aldridge side, Cleo's only direct ancestors living were her parents, Harvey and Margaret Catherine Dunham Aldridge. However, at least five of Harvey's siblings were living, and there may have been Dunham siblings, also. Cleo had five or possibly six siblings who were living at the time, mostly spread out between Huntington County and Tipton County. Also Harvey and Margaret were raising two of their grandchildren, who would have been part of any Christmas celebration.
I wish I knew how many, if any, of these families owned automobiles in 1917. If they didn't own automobiles, it might have been difficult for some of the family members to get together, especially since Christmas Day in 1917 was rather cool. It was fair and 35 degrees for a high according to the Fort Wayne Journal, which would not have been ideal weather for a horse and buggy ride, at least not a long ride. And family members who came, or went, as far as Kempton probably would not have gone and come back the same day. . Because of these long distances, it may have been just as difficult to schedule holiday gatherings then as it is now, with our busy calendars and "exes" that have to be worked around.
I wonder what the family did for entertainment, in the days before smart phones and television and even radio. I know Cleo sang well. Did other family members sing, and did the entire group join in singing the Christmas carols we still love so much? Was sledding or ice skating a part of their day? I'm positive that food was a large part of the day, and possibly liquid refreshment, also, at least for some of the men.
Maybe there were family disagreements, and maybe there were things that the family just didn't talk about, but it seems likely that in 1918, the family would look back and realize what a good Christmas they had in 1917. In 1918, Wilbur was fighting in Russia, Bud was just getting home from the war, and I'm sure there were other family members who were also affected by World War I Also the flu epidemic of 1918 was still to come, and there were other challenges as well.
In retrospect, it seems that Christmas 1917 would have been a very good year.
I'd love to hear from family members who can tell us more about Christmas in 1917. There must be family stories floating around and I'd love to hear them!
Wilbur and Cleo Beeks were the people I thought about when I started considering this post. They were almost newlyweds, with no children, yet. I think they still lived in Wabash county because that's where Wilbur was drafted from, a few months into 1918. Wilbur's parents, John and Elizabeth Wise Beeks, were still living, as were Wilbur's paternal grandmother, Mary Wise, and maternal grandfather, David Wise. All those Wise's can be pretty confusing, but I'm sure the family knew them as much by first name as by family name.
William Beeks and Mary Wise had had 10 children, and I only have a death date for one of them. So Aunt Sarah and Aunt Rachel and Uncle George, and so on may have been at family gatherings of the Beeks family. John Beeks and Elizabeth Wise and three children, and I think both Chester (Bud) and Charity were in the area, also. I haven't tried to trace children for these aunts and uncles but it's a safe bet that at least some of them had children.
On the Aldridge side, Cleo's only direct ancestors living were her parents, Harvey and Margaret Catherine Dunham Aldridge. However, at least five of Harvey's siblings were living, and there may have been Dunham siblings, also. Cleo had five or possibly six siblings who were living at the time, mostly spread out between Huntington County and Tipton County. Also Harvey and Margaret were raising two of their grandchildren, who would have been part of any Christmas celebration.
I wish I knew how many, if any, of these families owned automobiles in 1917. If they didn't own automobiles, it might have been difficult for some of the family members to get together, especially since Christmas Day in 1917 was rather cool. It was fair and 35 degrees for a high according to the Fort Wayne Journal, which would not have been ideal weather for a horse and buggy ride, at least not a long ride. And family members who came, or went, as far as Kempton probably would not have gone and come back the same day. . Because of these long distances, it may have been just as difficult to schedule holiday gatherings then as it is now, with our busy calendars and "exes" that have to be worked around.
I wonder what the family did for entertainment, in the days before smart phones and television and even radio. I know Cleo sang well. Did other family members sing, and did the entire group join in singing the Christmas carols we still love so much? Was sledding or ice skating a part of their day? I'm positive that food was a large part of the day, and possibly liquid refreshment, also, at least for some of the men.
Maybe there were family disagreements, and maybe there were things that the family just didn't talk about, but it seems likely that in 1918, the family would look back and realize what a good Christmas they had in 1917. In 1918, Wilbur was fighting in Russia, Bud was just getting home from the war, and I'm sure there were other family members who were also affected by World War I Also the flu epidemic of 1918 was still to come, and there were other challenges as well.
In retrospect, it seems that Christmas 1917 would have been a very good year.
I'd love to hear from family members who can tell us more about Christmas in 1917. There must be family stories floating around and I'd love to hear them!
Friday, December 22, 2017
Holbrook line: Samuel Allen 1597-1669 Immigrant
Some of the sources I'm using for this blog post is very old. Some is likely wrong. I'm indebted to "Private User", who posted some of what seems to be the most reliable information to Geni just last month. DNA evidence has revealed that Samuel's parents were not whom they have previously believed to have been, and his parentage is now unknown. Also this researcher believes quite strongly that both of his wives have been misidentified.
Samuel is believed to have been born at Bridgwater, Somerset, England in 1597, although I haven't found record of that. The Geni writer thinks that he was in Duxbury as early as 1630, which would mean he would have known Comfort Starr and William Brewster, our Allen ancestors, as well as Myles Standish. Other research says he was first at Braintree in1629 and then went to Sandwich before returning to Braintree The two stories are not mutually exclusive but more research needs to be done.
Samuel probably married in England. His first wife's name was Ann, but there is much controversy about her last name. The researcher I am following most closely here is quite adamant that she was not Ann Whitmore, as has been reported for generations. Ann, whomever she was, came to New England either with Samuel, or soon after he arrived. The couple had at least 5 children together before Ann died in 1641. Samuel apparently waited a few years to marry again, and once again, her first name only is known. She was Margaret, the widow of Andrew Lamb, but has not yet been further identified. There were two children born to this couple, beginning in 1650. One wonders how Samuel managed between the two wives, since he was left with 5 children from an infant to a 9 year old, when Ann died in 1641. Was there possibly another wife,or did he farm the childrenout to relatives?
Samuel and Ann settled in Braintree by 1635, because Samuel was made a freeman there on May 6,1635. He was a saw mill operator and also served as town clerk, selectman, surveyor of highways, constable, and as deputy to the general court. Here I do find anerror in the geni material. He is listed as having fought in King Philip's War but that is not possible because that war was 1675-1676 and Samuel died in 1669. It is possible, however, that he had fought in other battles against the native Americans, for instance, in the Pequot War, which would not necessarily be something to be proud of.
His will was probated September 16, 1669 and mentions his three sons, a daughter and two sons in law. His estate was valued at a little over 228 pounds, which is not bad for a saw mill operator. Interestingly, there is another family connection here as one of the witnesses to the will was Thomas Holbrook, who is yet another of our ancestors. These connections are getting more and more fascinating.
This line of descent is:
Samuel Allen-Ann
Sarah Allen-Josiah Standish
Josiah Standish-Sarah Doty
Hannah Standish-Nathan Foster
Nathan Foster-Elizabeth Lansford
Jude Foster-Lydia M
Betsy Foster-Josiah Whittemore
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Samuel is believed to have been born at Bridgwater, Somerset, England in 1597, although I haven't found record of that. The Geni writer thinks that he was in Duxbury as early as 1630, which would mean he would have known Comfort Starr and William Brewster, our Allen ancestors, as well as Myles Standish. Other research says he was first at Braintree in1629 and then went to Sandwich before returning to Braintree The two stories are not mutually exclusive but more research needs to be done.
Samuel probably married in England. His first wife's name was Ann, but there is much controversy about her last name. The researcher I am following most closely here is quite adamant that she was not Ann Whitmore, as has been reported for generations. Ann, whomever she was, came to New England either with Samuel, or soon after he arrived. The couple had at least 5 children together before Ann died in 1641. Samuel apparently waited a few years to marry again, and once again, her first name only is known. She was Margaret, the widow of Andrew Lamb, but has not yet been further identified. There were two children born to this couple, beginning in 1650. One wonders how Samuel managed between the two wives, since he was left with 5 children from an infant to a 9 year old, when Ann died in 1641. Was there possibly another wife,or did he farm the childrenout to relatives?
Samuel and Ann settled in Braintree by 1635, because Samuel was made a freeman there on May 6,1635. He was a saw mill operator and also served as town clerk, selectman, surveyor of highways, constable, and as deputy to the general court. Here I do find anerror in the geni material. He is listed as having fought in King Philip's War but that is not possible because that war was 1675-1676 and Samuel died in 1669. It is possible, however, that he had fought in other battles against the native Americans, for instance, in the Pequot War, which would not necessarily be something to be proud of.
His will was probated September 16, 1669 and mentions his three sons, a daughter and two sons in law. His estate was valued at a little over 228 pounds, which is not bad for a saw mill operator. Interestingly, there is another family connection here as one of the witnesses to the will was Thomas Holbrook, who is yet another of our ancestors. These connections are getting more and more fascinating.
This line of descent is:
Samuel Allen-Ann
Sarah Allen-Josiah Standish
Josiah Standish-Sarah Doty
Hannah Standish-Nathan Foster
Nathan Foster-Elizabeth Lansford
Jude Foster-Lydia M
Betsy Foster-Josiah Whittemore
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Allen line: Comfort Starr 1589-1659, Immigrant
I found a fascinating piece of speculation while looking for information about Comfort Starr, "Chirurgeon". He lived at the right time and the right place, with the right training, to have possibly been an associate or student under Dr. William Harvey, the man who first described the circulation of blood in the human body. There is even a possibility, but as far as I know no proof, that he may have followed in Dr. Harvey's footsteps and received his medical training at Padua, Italy. Even if none of this is borne out by facts and documents, the fact remains that the two men were active in medicine at the same time and place and would have at least known each other. I think that's pretty cool.
In the first of several known connections with other Allen and Holbrook ancestors, it appears that Rev. William Eddye, who is an ancestor in both of our families, was the vicar of the church Comfort likely attended in Cranbrook, from 1591 to 1616.
Comfort Starr, of course, does not need to hang onto the shirt tails of anyone. He can quite well stand on his own as an honorable and respected man, one dedicated to the well being of his friends and neighbors, and one brave enough, in middle age, to bring his family to New England while the country was still young and barely hanging on, still in survival mode.
He and three children, at least, and three servants sailed in the ship Hercules, of Sandwich, in 1635. One of the servants was his sister, Truth-Shall-Prevail. His wife was Elizabeth Watts, whom he married on October 4, 1614, but we don't know whether she traveled with the family or whether she came later.
Comfort is first seen in Cambridge, but by 1638 he had gone to Duxbury, in Plymouth Plantation (where our Holbrook ancestor Miles Standish lived). As another connection in the Allen line, the land and "dwelling" he purchased in Duxbury or Duxburrow was owned by Jonathan Brewster, also our ancestor. He was admitted a freeman there in 1639. In another eight years, Comfort Starr was in Boston, which by that time had grown to a larger population than Duxbury.
At Duxbury, Comfort had owned several pieces of land. He was respected enough that he represented Duxbury at a Plymouth Colony council of war in 1642. The next year, he was on a list of men able to bear arms, and his inventory later included a musket and sword.
We don't know much of his private life, but it is safe to assume that he was quite busy as a surgeon, and may have acted as an apothecary also as there is record of Thomas Lechford making a note to himself to write to Mr. Comfort Starr at Duxbury for a quarter of a pint of henbane and a quarter of a pound of hemlock seed. (Henbane was a remedy for stomach ailments. I didn't find a medical use for hemlock seed, in my extensive 30 second search of Google). There were over 70 names on a list of those whom owed Comfort Starr money when he died, and who knows whether all the debts were even noted. This gives us a feel for the size of his medical practice.
Although we don't know the extent of his education, he did own books valued at seven pounds when he died, which is more of a library than many had. If he studied with or in the footsteps of Dr. Harvey, we can guess that he had more education than most of his peers. He and Elizabeth had at least 10 children. I'm happy to report that except for passing on the name "Comfort", the other children were given more common names than Comfort and his siblings had received.
Elizabeth died at Boston on June 25th, 1658, aged 63, so she would have been about 19 when she married. Thomas died January 2, 1659/60 and left an estate valued at a little over 292 pounds. In his will, he made bequests to his children and grandchildren, with more granted to the grandchildren who had lost one or both parents.
In 1909, some of Comfort's many descendants had a monument erected at the Cranbrook church which said "In Memory of Dr. Comfort Starr Baptized in Cranbrook Church 6th July, 1589, a Warden of St Mary's, Ashford, Kent, 1631 & 1632 Sailed from Sandwich for New England 1635 One of the Earliest Benefactors of Harvard, the First College in America, 1638, of which His Son Comfort was One of 7 Incorporators, 1650, Died at Boston, New england in January 1659 A Distinguised Surgeon Eminent for Christian Character Erected by this American Descendants 1909".
Comfort and Elizabeth are buried at King's Chapel Burial ground in Boston, and there is a memorial stone there similar to the one described above. If we're ever in Boston, we need to pay our respects to this man.
There are two lines of descent for Comfort. The first is:
Comfort Starr-Elizabeth Watts
Thomas Starr-Rachel Harris
Samuel Starr-Hannah Brewster
Thomas Starr Mary Morgan
Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street
John Starr-Mary Sharp
John Starr-Betsy Havens
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
The second line is the same down through Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan. Then it diverges:
Mary Starr-John Chester
Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
Betsy Havens-John Starr
and yes, cousin married cousin, although they were, by my calculations, third cousins.
In the first of several known connections with other Allen and Holbrook ancestors, it appears that Rev. William Eddye, who is an ancestor in both of our families, was the vicar of the church Comfort likely attended in Cranbrook, from 1591 to 1616.
Comfort Starr, of course, does not need to hang onto the shirt tails of anyone. He can quite well stand on his own as an honorable and respected man, one dedicated to the well being of his friends and neighbors, and one brave enough, in middle age, to bring his family to New England while the country was still young and barely hanging on, still in survival mode.
He and three children, at least, and three servants sailed in the ship Hercules, of Sandwich, in 1635. One of the servants was his sister, Truth-Shall-Prevail. His wife was Elizabeth Watts, whom he married on October 4, 1614, but we don't know whether she traveled with the family or whether she came later.
Comfort is first seen in Cambridge, but by 1638 he had gone to Duxbury, in Plymouth Plantation (where our Holbrook ancestor Miles Standish lived). As another connection in the Allen line, the land and "dwelling" he purchased in Duxbury or Duxburrow was owned by Jonathan Brewster, also our ancestor. He was admitted a freeman there in 1639. In another eight years, Comfort Starr was in Boston, which by that time had grown to a larger population than Duxbury.
At Duxbury, Comfort had owned several pieces of land. He was respected enough that he represented Duxbury at a Plymouth Colony council of war in 1642. The next year, he was on a list of men able to bear arms, and his inventory later included a musket and sword.
We don't know much of his private life, but it is safe to assume that he was quite busy as a surgeon, and may have acted as an apothecary also as there is record of Thomas Lechford making a note to himself to write to Mr. Comfort Starr at Duxbury for a quarter of a pint of henbane and a quarter of a pound of hemlock seed. (Henbane was a remedy for stomach ailments. I didn't find a medical use for hemlock seed, in my extensive 30 second search of Google). There were over 70 names on a list of those whom owed Comfort Starr money when he died, and who knows whether all the debts were even noted. This gives us a feel for the size of his medical practice.
Although we don't know the extent of his education, he did own books valued at seven pounds when he died, which is more of a library than many had. If he studied with or in the footsteps of Dr. Harvey, we can guess that he had more education than most of his peers. He and Elizabeth had at least 10 children. I'm happy to report that except for passing on the name "Comfort", the other children were given more common names than Comfort and his siblings had received.
Elizabeth died at Boston on June 25th, 1658, aged 63, so she would have been about 19 when she married. Thomas died January 2, 1659/60 and left an estate valued at a little over 292 pounds. In his will, he made bequests to his children and grandchildren, with more granted to the grandchildren who had lost one or both parents.
In 1909, some of Comfort's many descendants had a monument erected at the Cranbrook church which said "In Memory of Dr. Comfort Starr Baptized in Cranbrook Church 6th July, 1589, a Warden of St Mary's, Ashford, Kent, 1631 & 1632 Sailed from Sandwich for New England 1635 One of the Earliest Benefactors of Harvard, the First College in America, 1638, of which His Son Comfort was One of 7 Incorporators, 1650, Died at Boston, New england in January 1659 A Distinguised Surgeon Eminent for Christian Character Erected by this American Descendants 1909".
Comfort and Elizabeth are buried at King's Chapel Burial ground in Boston, and there is a memorial stone there similar to the one described above. If we're ever in Boston, we need to pay our respects to this man.
There are two lines of descent for Comfort. The first is:
Comfort Starr-Elizabeth Watts
Thomas Starr-Rachel Harris
Samuel Starr-Hannah Brewster
Thomas Starr Mary Morgan
Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street
John Starr-Mary Sharp
John Starr-Betsy Havens
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
The second line is the same down through Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan. Then it diverges:
Mary Starr-John Chester
Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
Betsy Havens-John Starr
and yes, cousin married cousin, although they were, by my calculations, third cousins.
Friday, December 15, 2017
Harshbarger line: Christmas traditions
Since I've run out of ancestors to write about, for now, I thought it might be fun to think about the Christmas traditions that our German and Swiss ancestors might have enjoyed. My first thought was that most of them were so poor that it was hard to imagine that many of them would have had anything to spare for a holiday celebration. That may be true. It may also be true that some of the families didn't celebrate at all, for religious reasons. But most of our families, Lutheran or Mennonite or whatever, would have done what they could to make the day special. A quick Google search tells us of several traditions that stayed in families for generations, so we can imagine that our ancestors participated in at least some of these practices.
Belsnickel was a man who was dressed in somewhat decrepit clothes, and who was a rather intimidating figure. He would generally rap on a window a few days before Christmas (that is, if our immigrants had windows, but surely a door would work too) and when allowed inside, he would always ask each child whether they had been good that year. The children received a gentle rap on the hands if they said yes, and perhaps a "switching" if they said no, so it was important to remember all of one's transgressions. It also made the waiting for December 24 a little more nerve-wracking. Would there be gifts, or not? The children would put small baskets under the tree in anticipation that they had just made it under the wire another year.
The tree may have been a small fir or pine tree, but it may also have been a branch of a deciduous tree, bare and covered with a white flour paste. Either kind of tree was trimmed with whatever the family had at hand-perhaps end pieces of ribbon, or pieces of material, or nuts that had been painted various colors. Many families put what we would think of as a Nativity scene under the tree, probably hand carved or perhaps the figures were made of cloth. Wealthier families generally had more elaborate sets, of course. The same thing was true of gifts. Most of our ancestors probably had very small gifts-maybe a homemade doll or spinning top, or an item of clothing for which mother had carded, spun and knit or woven wool from the family sheep into whatever the child needed for his or her wardrobe.
Most families would also try to have some sort of Christmas feast-perhaps a party with extended family and neighbors (which could be one and the same thing) or maybe just a batch of cookies made with real sugar and other small treats to supplement the regular meal. After all, Christmas wasn't about the Belsnickel, or gifts, or the tree, or the putz, or even the food. Christmas was celebrated around the hearth and in the heart, even though chores still had to be done and meals needed to be prepared.
In some ways, the Christmas I've described is very different from our modern day Christmas. Our trees are bigger and more elaborately decorated, the gifts we give our children would not fit in a small basket, and we prepare more food than a family can possibly eat. Yet at the heart of the celebration, we honor our ancestors by the traditions we have built that were built on their traditions, and we still worship the same Lord Jesus. I think they got the important stuff right!
Belsnickel was a man who was dressed in somewhat decrepit clothes, and who was a rather intimidating figure. He would generally rap on a window a few days before Christmas (that is, if our immigrants had windows, but surely a door would work too) and when allowed inside, he would always ask each child whether they had been good that year. The children received a gentle rap on the hands if they said yes, and perhaps a "switching" if they said no, so it was important to remember all of one's transgressions. It also made the waiting for December 24 a little more nerve-wracking. Would there be gifts, or not? The children would put small baskets under the tree in anticipation that they had just made it under the wire another year.
The tree may have been a small fir or pine tree, but it may also have been a branch of a deciduous tree, bare and covered with a white flour paste. Either kind of tree was trimmed with whatever the family had at hand-perhaps end pieces of ribbon, or pieces of material, or nuts that had been painted various colors. Many families put what we would think of as a Nativity scene under the tree, probably hand carved or perhaps the figures were made of cloth. Wealthier families generally had more elaborate sets, of course. The same thing was true of gifts. Most of our ancestors probably had very small gifts-maybe a homemade doll or spinning top, or an item of clothing for which mother had carded, spun and knit or woven wool from the family sheep into whatever the child needed for his or her wardrobe.
Most families would also try to have some sort of Christmas feast-perhaps a party with extended family and neighbors (which could be one and the same thing) or maybe just a batch of cookies made with real sugar and other small treats to supplement the regular meal. After all, Christmas wasn't about the Belsnickel, or gifts, or the tree, or the putz, or even the food. Christmas was celebrated around the hearth and in the heart, even though chores still had to be done and meals needed to be prepared.
In some ways, the Christmas I've described is very different from our modern day Christmas. Our trees are bigger and more elaborately decorated, the gifts we give our children would not fit in a small basket, and we prepare more food than a family can possibly eat. Yet at the heart of the celebration, we honor our ancestors by the traditions we have built that were built on their traditions, and we still worship the same Lord Jesus. I think they got the important stuff right!
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Beeks line: Christopher Beeks, Immigrant
How did I miss writing about Christopher, who as far as we know now is the immigrant ancestor in the Beeks line? If this is a repeat post, I do apologize but neither my hand written list nor my search function is turning up a post about him. Maybe I was waiting to try to pin down more details about him. As it is, there is too much of his life that is still a mystery, but since I am winding down on this process of writing about the immigrants in the Beeks family, it's possibly now or never.
We don't know much about Christopher's early life. He is traditionally given a birth date of 1756 and it's said he lived in either Leicestershire or Lancastershire in England, born of parents yet undiscovered. We don't really know if either of these locations is correct, but the first thing we do know of him is that he was in trouble-big trouble.
Life in England in 1770 was, shall we say, difficult. Jobs were lacking, education was lacking, food was lacking and law enforcement was lacking. George III was already King of England, but he was not a forceful nor a temperate king, and his officials were, for the most part, out to get what they could for themselves, with no compassion at all for the poor. We don't know what Christopher's family situation was, but at 14 he was out on his own, just as many of his contemporaries were. Christopher had the bad luck to be caught, or at least accused and found guilty, of "assault on highway". This was from Manchester, Lancashire, England, but doesn't necessarily mean that's where his home was, as young men (and he was young, just about 14 at this time).
Some say he was sentenced to death by hanging and then reprieved, to be sent to America as an indentured servant, a dumping ground for "criminals" for either 7 or 14 years, again, depending on the source. I have yet to find records of his master, or for that matter, of the ship he came on.
When the Revolutionary War broke out, Christopher was quite happy to side with the American colonists who wanted their freedom. He enlisted in March of 1777 and served for at least three years in various Virginia Regiments, primarily the 8th and then the 12th. There is evidence that the unit he served with went through that hard winter at Valley Forge, and I haven't yet found anything that says he was furloughed during that time (the next winter, 1778, yes, he was furloughed for part of that time, but not the 1777-78 winter). So we can believe that he was there during that difficult winter, that he would have had ample chances to have seen George Washington, and that he survived the winter in good enough shape to continue soldiering.
We know that he served three years because in 1783 he was given a land warrant for 100 acres of land, and that is the amount of land that privates received for three years of service. Christopher didn't hold onto this land, though, because there was some problem with the tax collector not recording the taxes due and so Christopher, along with several others, lost their land. We don't know for sure where he lived when the war started, nor where he settled after the war.
We do know he married Catherine Barnes, who was the daughter of John Barnes and possibly Elizabeth, and we know they lived in western Virginia, variously listed as Augusta and then Berkeley County. They had at least ten children together, with the first known birth date of 1787, so perhaps they married in 1785 or 1786. No record has yet been located of this event, to the best of my knowledge. By 1790, he was running a pub or tavern and was soon in debt. He is found in various counties in Virginia until about 1811, when the family went to Xenia, Greene County, Ohio. His widow remarried in September of 1814 so Christopher had died before then. Catherine's children would have been teenagers and older at this point, so perhaps they no longer lived at home.
This is as much as we know about Christopher. He had a rough start in life and it appears that economically, he suffered for that through most of his life. He struggled to support his ten children, he lost his land and his business, and he may have had life long physical problems because of his time in the service of his new country. It's easy to feel sorry for Christopher. But we should also feel proud. He loved his new country well enough to fight for it for three years, and continued, in other ways, the struggle to give his children a better start in life than he had He must have felt joy that his children would not have to commit crimes in order to eat, and that they had the freedom to go wherever on this continent they wanted to go. Christopher Beeks, thank you for your service and for all the sacrifices you made!
The line of descent is:
Christopher Beeks-Catherine Barnes
William Beeks-Mary Elizabeth Nimerick
John Beeks-Polly Carter
William Beeks-Mary Wise
John Beeks-Elizabeth Wise
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
We don't know much about Christopher's early life. He is traditionally given a birth date of 1756 and it's said he lived in either Leicestershire or Lancastershire in England, born of parents yet undiscovered. We don't really know if either of these locations is correct, but the first thing we do know of him is that he was in trouble-big trouble.
Life in England in 1770 was, shall we say, difficult. Jobs were lacking, education was lacking, food was lacking and law enforcement was lacking. George III was already King of England, but he was not a forceful nor a temperate king, and his officials were, for the most part, out to get what they could for themselves, with no compassion at all for the poor. We don't know what Christopher's family situation was, but at 14 he was out on his own, just as many of his contemporaries were. Christopher had the bad luck to be caught, or at least accused and found guilty, of "assault on highway". This was from Manchester, Lancashire, England, but doesn't necessarily mean that's where his home was, as young men (and he was young, just about 14 at this time).
Some say he was sentenced to death by hanging and then reprieved, to be sent to America as an indentured servant, a dumping ground for "criminals" for either 7 or 14 years, again, depending on the source. I have yet to find records of his master, or for that matter, of the ship he came on.
When the Revolutionary War broke out, Christopher was quite happy to side with the American colonists who wanted their freedom. He enlisted in March of 1777 and served for at least three years in various Virginia Regiments, primarily the 8th and then the 12th. There is evidence that the unit he served with went through that hard winter at Valley Forge, and I haven't yet found anything that says he was furloughed during that time (the next winter, 1778, yes, he was furloughed for part of that time, but not the 1777-78 winter). So we can believe that he was there during that difficult winter, that he would have had ample chances to have seen George Washington, and that he survived the winter in good enough shape to continue soldiering.
We know that he served three years because in 1783 he was given a land warrant for 100 acres of land, and that is the amount of land that privates received for three years of service. Christopher didn't hold onto this land, though, because there was some problem with the tax collector not recording the taxes due and so Christopher, along with several others, lost their land. We don't know for sure where he lived when the war started, nor where he settled after the war.
We do know he married Catherine Barnes, who was the daughter of John Barnes and possibly Elizabeth, and we know they lived in western Virginia, variously listed as Augusta and then Berkeley County. They had at least ten children together, with the first known birth date of 1787, so perhaps they married in 1785 or 1786. No record has yet been located of this event, to the best of my knowledge. By 1790, he was running a pub or tavern and was soon in debt. He is found in various counties in Virginia until about 1811, when the family went to Xenia, Greene County, Ohio. His widow remarried in September of 1814 so Christopher had died before then. Catherine's children would have been teenagers and older at this point, so perhaps they no longer lived at home.
This is as much as we know about Christopher. He had a rough start in life and it appears that economically, he suffered for that through most of his life. He struggled to support his ten children, he lost his land and his business, and he may have had life long physical problems because of his time in the service of his new country. It's easy to feel sorry for Christopher. But we should also feel proud. He loved his new country well enough to fight for it for three years, and continued, in other ways, the struggle to give his children a better start in life than he had He must have felt joy that his children would not have to commit crimes in order to eat, and that they had the freedom to go wherever on this continent they wanted to go. Christopher Beeks, thank you for your service and for all the sacrifices you made!
The line of descent is:
Christopher Beeks-Catherine Barnes
William Beeks-Mary Elizabeth Nimerick
John Beeks-Polly Carter
William Beeks-Mary Wise
John Beeks-Elizabeth Wise
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
Friday, December 8, 2017
Holbrook line: Christopher Smith, Immigrant
Christopher Smith's biography has recently changed. I guess I'm glad I haven't written about him yet, because now I don't have to go back and do an update. There are some important facts missing about him, but still, we have more information about him now than we have about many of our immigrant ancestors.
Christopher Smith was born about 1591 in goodness knows where. Much information says he was born on March 18, 1593 in Lancashire, England, but I'm not sure this is the correct Christopher Smith. He was married on May 1, 1616 in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire. The distance between these two localities is 140 miles, which makes it somewhat unlikely that the Christopher Smith of Lancashire is the Christopher Smith of Warwickshire. More research is needed to prove or disprove this theory. What is known is that his wife was Alice Gibbs or Gibes and that she became our Christopher's widow a little over 60 years later.
The Smiths had 9 proven children, starting in 1617 and ending in 1633, all baptized in the church their parents were married in. Four of the Smith sons and one daughter went to Hartford, Connecticut, probably before their father came to America. Our Smiths were in Providence, Rhode Island by 1649. Hartford was Puritan and Providence was more tolerant, which was a good place for a Quaker like our Christopher to live. It would be interesting to know when the religions of some of the children split from those of their parents, or when Christopher split from them. More needs to be researched about his like in England. Was he ever harassed or jailed for his Quaker beliefs?
We don't know what Christopher did for a living, but we do know that he was given land in Providence in 1649 and in 1650 was taxed there. He became a freeman in 1655 and the same year served as a juryman. In 1656 he was granted a share of meadow in lieu of land he'd previously had, and he received more land in 1665. He and his wife Alice sold land in 1665 and in 1672. It's hard to get sense of what he did for a living but he did have shares in meadow land so must have owned at least enough farm animals for family subsidence.
He took an oath of allegiance in 1667, which makes one wonder whether he had given up his Quaker beliefs, or whether he actually affirmed instead of taking an oath. We know that he was a Quaker at the end of his life because when he died at Newport in 1676 he was noted in the Society of Friend records as being an "ancient Friend of Providence, RI." He died in Newport because he had gone there to take refuge from the natives who burned so much of Providence during King Philip's War.
I've not yet found his will, if there was one. He was at least 83 years old and probably older when he died, so he'd lived a good long life. He spent 27 years in Rhode Island, building a home and a future for his family. For this alone, we owe him honor. I hope to learn more about Christopher in the future, but for now this will at least mark him as "one of ours".
The line of descent is
Christopher Smith-Alice Gibbs
Edward Smith-Amphyllis Angell
Amphillis Smith-Zachariah Eddy
Elisha Eddy-Sarah Phettiplace
Enos Eddy-Sarah Brown
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Christopher Smith was born about 1591 in goodness knows where. Much information says he was born on March 18, 1593 in Lancashire, England, but I'm not sure this is the correct Christopher Smith. He was married on May 1, 1616 in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire. The distance between these two localities is 140 miles, which makes it somewhat unlikely that the Christopher Smith of Lancashire is the Christopher Smith of Warwickshire. More research is needed to prove or disprove this theory. What is known is that his wife was Alice Gibbs or Gibes and that she became our Christopher's widow a little over 60 years later.
The Smiths had 9 proven children, starting in 1617 and ending in 1633, all baptized in the church their parents were married in. Four of the Smith sons and one daughter went to Hartford, Connecticut, probably before their father came to America. Our Smiths were in Providence, Rhode Island by 1649. Hartford was Puritan and Providence was more tolerant, which was a good place for a Quaker like our Christopher to live. It would be interesting to know when the religions of some of the children split from those of their parents, or when Christopher split from them. More needs to be researched about his like in England. Was he ever harassed or jailed for his Quaker beliefs?
We don't know what Christopher did for a living, but we do know that he was given land in Providence in 1649 and in 1650 was taxed there. He became a freeman in 1655 and the same year served as a juryman. In 1656 he was granted a share of meadow in lieu of land he'd previously had, and he received more land in 1665. He and his wife Alice sold land in 1665 and in 1672. It's hard to get sense of what he did for a living but he did have shares in meadow land so must have owned at least enough farm animals for family subsidence.
He took an oath of allegiance in 1667, which makes one wonder whether he had given up his Quaker beliefs, or whether he actually affirmed instead of taking an oath. We know that he was a Quaker at the end of his life because when he died at Newport in 1676 he was noted in the Society of Friend records as being an "ancient Friend of Providence, RI." He died in Newport because he had gone there to take refuge from the natives who burned so much of Providence during King Philip's War.
I've not yet found his will, if there was one. He was at least 83 years old and probably older when he died, so he'd lived a good long life. He spent 27 years in Rhode Island, building a home and a future for his family. For this alone, we owe him honor. I hope to learn more about Christopher in the future, but for now this will at least mark him as "one of ours".
The line of descent is
Christopher Smith-Alice Gibbs
Edward Smith-Amphyllis Angell
Amphillis Smith-Zachariah Eddy
Elisha Eddy-Sarah Phettiplace
Enos Eddy-Sarah Brown
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Allen line: Early Parrish family
I thought I'd be writing about edward Parrish as our earliest documented ancestor in this family, but I'm not sure he belongs to us . Then I thought I'd be writing about John Parrish, who is possibly or maybe probably Edward's son, but you can see the problem. If John isn't Edward's son, why write about Edward/ And the same problem with John...Is he, or is he not, the father of Humphrey Parrish, who most definitely is our line? So now that we have doubts in our minds, I'll write just a brief outline of the two possible candidates for our oldest known ancestors, and then we'll learn a little more about Humphrey Parrish.
Edward was reportedly born in Yorkshire, England about the year 1600 and came to Virginia in 1635on the ship "Hopewell". He first settled at Elizabeth City where he purchased 200 acres in 1648,but then went to Anne Arundel County, Md, if this is the same Edward Parrish. In Maryland, he was both a planter and a ship captain in the British Royal Navy, and again, if this is the same Edward Parrish, surveyor general to Lord Baltimore. He died in Anne Arundel County in April of 1679,
Next is another Edward, born about 1640. He was married to Clara Judgwyn orJadgwyn. His birthplace is listed as West River Hundred, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
It's possible that the second Edward's son was John Parrish, born 1672 and I have also seen it stated that John was the son of the first Edward mentioned above. John was born in 1672 at West River Hundred in Anne Arundel County. Alternately, the John we are seeking was born in 1654 in Anne Arundel County Maryland, the son of the first Edward. He was married to Elizabeth Belt, the daughter of Humphrey and Margery Cragge Belt.
It makes sense that this John is the correct one, the son of the first Edward, because he named a son Humphrey, which was not a name previously known in the Parrish family. Young Humphrey, born in 1680 in Anne Arundel County, somehow and for some reason made his way to Virginia, where he married Mary Walker, daughter of John Walker and Lucy Wood. Since I don't have any documentation for the reasons he left Maryland to go to Virginia, this part of the story is a little doubtful. Humphrey may have been a merchant or a sailor, or simply have gone to Virginia on an errand for his family and decided to stay.
Humphrey and Mary had a son Humphrey born in 1708 in Baltimore, Maryland, or so the story goes. He may be the one who married Mary Morton. The younger Humphrey, along with his Mary, had several children, one of whom is Moses Parrish, of whom I have already written (he was a soldier in the French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War, and the Revolutionary War). This Humphrey, and probably his father and perhaps his ancestors, were small time slave owners.
So if this chronology is correct, Moses was a fifth generation American, (son of Humphrey, son of Humphrey, son of John, son of Edward). I'd love to find documents that support this line of descent, or that dispute it. I've read other sites that give different parents and different years of birth, so this is my best guess at lining the family up. It could very well be wrong. but even if it's wrong, it gives a sense of who the Parrish family was; they were early settlers in Virginia and they fought for their country. We can be proud of them, even if we still don't know a lot about them.
Edward was reportedly born in Yorkshire, England about the year 1600 and came to Virginia in 1635on the ship "Hopewell". He first settled at Elizabeth City where he purchased 200 acres in 1648,but then went to Anne Arundel County, Md, if this is the same Edward Parrish. In Maryland, he was both a planter and a ship captain in the British Royal Navy, and again, if this is the same Edward Parrish, surveyor general to Lord Baltimore. He died in Anne Arundel County in April of 1679,
Next is another Edward, born about 1640. He was married to Clara Judgwyn orJadgwyn. His birthplace is listed as West River Hundred, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
It's possible that the second Edward's son was John Parrish, born 1672 and I have also seen it stated that John was the son of the first Edward mentioned above. John was born in 1672 at West River Hundred in Anne Arundel County. Alternately, the John we are seeking was born in 1654 in Anne Arundel County Maryland, the son of the first Edward. He was married to Elizabeth Belt, the daughter of Humphrey and Margery Cragge Belt.
It makes sense that this John is the correct one, the son of the first Edward, because he named a son Humphrey, which was not a name previously known in the Parrish family. Young Humphrey, born in 1680 in Anne Arundel County, somehow and for some reason made his way to Virginia, where he married Mary Walker, daughter of John Walker and Lucy Wood. Since I don't have any documentation for the reasons he left Maryland to go to Virginia, this part of the story is a little doubtful. Humphrey may have been a merchant or a sailor, or simply have gone to Virginia on an errand for his family and decided to stay.
Humphrey and Mary had a son Humphrey born in 1708 in Baltimore, Maryland, or so the story goes. He may be the one who married Mary Morton. The younger Humphrey, along with his Mary, had several children, one of whom is Moses Parrish, of whom I have already written (he was a soldier in the French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War, and the Revolutionary War). This Humphrey, and probably his father and perhaps his ancestors, were small time slave owners.
So if this chronology is correct, Moses was a fifth generation American, (son of Humphrey, son of Humphrey, son of John, son of Edward). I'd love to find documents that support this line of descent, or that dispute it. I've read other sites that give different parents and different years of birth, so this is my best guess at lining the family up. It could very well be wrong. but even if it's wrong, it gives a sense of who the Parrish family was; they were early settlers in Virginia and they fought for their country. We can be proud of them, even if we still don't know a lot about them.
Friday, December 1, 2017
Harshbarger line: Colonial Pennsylvania ancestors
I'm writing this post partly for a Facebook group I belong to. This particular group is interested primarily in people who arrived in Pennsylvania before the Revolutionary War. So this is a list of people in the line of Cleveland Harshbarger, just the first ancestor to come to Pennsylvania There are more who were in New Jersey who may have lived in Philadelphia for a short time, and there are more that I haven't found yet. But this is a long list, as it is. In no particular order, I'll list the persona's name and where available a date and a place. By posting this list, I'm hoping someone will know more, and will add or correct this information. Here are the Pennsylvania ancestors in the Harshbarger line:
Anna Huber, dided 1759 in Pennsylvania
Johan Jost Gingerich, died March 5, 1776 in Pa.
Adam Burkholder, died efore feb. 5, 1800 He had children born in Pennsylvania
Mary Margareth Schilling, died 1800 Bethel Twp, Lancaster Co.
Daniel Shuey d March 8,1779, Bethel Township, Berks County
Anna Regina Hauch d 1738 Berks County, Pa
Nicholas Pontius d October 3,1794 Berks County, Pa
Anna Maria Conradt, d September 24,1796 Strausstown, Berks County
Johann Conrad Reber d September 24, 1796 Strausstown, Berks County
Catherine Saylor or Seiler children born in Pa
Johannes John Buchtel d 1809 rebersburg, Centre County, Pa
Johann Nicholas Mertz d December 2,1760 Longswamp, Berks County
Johann F. Schollenberger d about 1768, Greenwich, Berks County
Barbara Grundbacher d February 11, 1736 Shoeneck, Lancaster County
Peter Ulrich Schneer July 3, 1739 Lancaster County
Magdalena Kunkle, children born in Pa
Simon Essig children born in Pa
Hans Jacob Kemmerly d September 6,1791 York County, Pa
Martha Punch, at least one child born in Pa
Jacob Kestenholtz d September 5, 1768 Union City, Berks County
Anna Maria Glintz died June 1,1780 Union City, Berks County, Pa
Christina Emmert at least one child born in Pa
Matthias Bruder died November 3,1763 Longswamp, Berks County
Maria Salome Hoerner D. 1810 Woodbury, Bedford County, Pa
Johann Braun d 1742, Woodbury, Bedford County
Anna Maria Egli d 1774 Berks County, Pa
Jacob Kobel died 1731 Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pa
Maria Catherina Suder d 1760 Tulpehocken, Berks County
Johann Nicholas schaffer died April 1, 1758 Tulpehocken, Berks County
Isaac Wetzstein d February 26, 1795 probably Berks County
Anna Surber d August 19, 1769 Philadelphia
Jacob Maag d May 18,1767 Philadelphia
Henry Cook's father, probably Adam Cook, Berks County, Pa
Maria Elizabeth Dentzer d 1741 germantown, Philadelphia County
Anthony Jacob Henckel d 1728 Germantown Philadelphia County
Valentine Geiger died December 1,1762 New Hanover, Montgomery County
Anna Este d 1786 Chester County, Pa
Hubert Brower d 1786 Chester County, Pa
Tobias Miller had children born in Pa
Daniel Lawall d Decenber 12,1796 Upper Saucon, Northampton County, Pa
George Harter born 1755 in Pa
Johan Jacob Enck died March 30,1774 Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pa
Anna Margaretha Mueller d August 1761 Clay Township, Lancaster County
Johann Wendell Laber d 1762 Lancaster County, Pa
Frant Dulibon or Tulipan d Lancaster County, Pa
Johann Gebhard Huebschmann died April , 1771 Lancaster County
Catharina Weyl died after 1741, probably Lancaster Carneynty
Johannes Mentzer died 1781 Lancaster,Lancaster County, Pa
Maria Willman d 1760 Lebanon County, Pa
Michael Birkle died December 5,1753 Lebanon County, Pa
Matthias Kraemer d 1793 probably Berks County, Pa
Anna Maria Geise d 1810 haina, Centre County, Pa
Maria Anna Drach born 1755 in Pennsylvania
Georg Lindemuth d 1772 Berks County, Pa
Anna Barbara Elizabeth Daecher died 1750 Montgomery County, Pa
Johann Georg Weikert d March16,1755 Goshenhoppen, Montgomery County
Anna Barbara Schlagman d Philadelphia
Johannes Bernard Kepner d October 17, 1765 Philadelphia
Johann Peter Behney d about 1784 Heidelberg Twp, Berks County
Margaretha sands d 1758 Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pa
Hans Jacob Lowenguth april 1758, Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pa
Peter Jacob Fehler d 1753 Tulpehocken, Berks County
Fronica Ann Farney d 1763 Earl Twp, lancaster County
Peter Van Gundy d July 4,1758 Earl Twp, Lancaster County
Barbara Rupp d 1821 Somerset County, Pa
Christian Harshbarger d 1783 Berks County, Pa
There are many different spellings for some of these names. I am sure some of these locations are incorrect. Some of the dates are likely incorrect, also. There are facts still to learn and stories to uncover. This list includes so many stories, from the rough trips to Pennsylvania to being killed by Indians to religious strife to all the challenges of living in what was, for the most part, wilderness when these ancestors arrived here. I hope seeing this list of people who cared enough to face the unknown, and who cared enough to create the people who created the people, etc who created us is in some way and inspiration and a comfort to you. And I hope you'll share with me whatever you may know about these immigrants.
Anna Huber, dided 1759 in Pennsylvania
Johan Jost Gingerich, died March 5, 1776 in Pa.
Adam Burkholder, died efore feb. 5, 1800 He had children born in Pennsylvania
Mary Margareth Schilling, died 1800 Bethel Twp, Lancaster Co.
Daniel Shuey d March 8,1779, Bethel Township, Berks County
Anna Regina Hauch d 1738 Berks County, Pa
Nicholas Pontius d October 3,1794 Berks County, Pa
Anna Maria Conradt, d September 24,1796 Strausstown, Berks County
Johann Conrad Reber d September 24, 1796 Strausstown, Berks County
Catherine Saylor or Seiler children born in Pa
Johannes John Buchtel d 1809 rebersburg, Centre County, Pa
Johann Nicholas Mertz d December 2,1760 Longswamp, Berks County
Johann F. Schollenberger d about 1768, Greenwich, Berks County
Barbara Grundbacher d February 11, 1736 Shoeneck, Lancaster County
Peter Ulrich Schneer July 3, 1739 Lancaster County
Magdalena Kunkle, children born in Pa
Simon Essig children born in Pa
Hans Jacob Kemmerly d September 6,1791 York County, Pa
Martha Punch, at least one child born in Pa
Jacob Kestenholtz d September 5, 1768 Union City, Berks County
Anna Maria Glintz died June 1,1780 Union City, Berks County, Pa
Christina Emmert at least one child born in Pa
Matthias Bruder died November 3,1763 Longswamp, Berks County
Maria Salome Hoerner D. 1810 Woodbury, Bedford County, Pa
Johann Braun d 1742, Woodbury, Bedford County
Anna Maria Egli d 1774 Berks County, Pa
Jacob Kobel died 1731 Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pa
Maria Catherina Suder d 1760 Tulpehocken, Berks County
Johann Nicholas schaffer died April 1, 1758 Tulpehocken, Berks County
Isaac Wetzstein d February 26, 1795 probably Berks County
Anna Surber d August 19, 1769 Philadelphia
Jacob Maag d May 18,1767 Philadelphia
Henry Cook's father, probably Adam Cook, Berks County, Pa
Maria Elizabeth Dentzer d 1741 germantown, Philadelphia County
Anthony Jacob Henckel d 1728 Germantown Philadelphia County
Valentine Geiger died December 1,1762 New Hanover, Montgomery County
Anna Este d 1786 Chester County, Pa
Hubert Brower d 1786 Chester County, Pa
Tobias Miller had children born in Pa
Daniel Lawall d Decenber 12,1796 Upper Saucon, Northampton County, Pa
George Harter born 1755 in Pa
Johan Jacob Enck died March 30,1774 Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pa
Anna Margaretha Mueller d August 1761 Clay Township, Lancaster County
Johann Wendell Laber d 1762 Lancaster County, Pa
Frant Dulibon or Tulipan d Lancaster County, Pa
Johann Gebhard Huebschmann died April , 1771 Lancaster County
Catharina Weyl died after 1741, probably Lancaster Carneynty
Johannes Mentzer died 1781 Lancaster,Lancaster County, Pa
Maria Willman d 1760 Lebanon County, Pa
Michael Birkle died December 5,1753 Lebanon County, Pa
Matthias Kraemer d 1793 probably Berks County, Pa
Anna Maria Geise d 1810 haina, Centre County, Pa
Maria Anna Drach born 1755 in Pennsylvania
Georg Lindemuth d 1772 Berks County, Pa
Anna Barbara Elizabeth Daecher died 1750 Montgomery County, Pa
Johann Georg Weikert d March16,1755 Goshenhoppen, Montgomery County
Anna Barbara Schlagman d Philadelphia
Johannes Bernard Kepner d October 17, 1765 Philadelphia
Johann Peter Behney d about 1784 Heidelberg Twp, Berks County
Margaretha sands d 1758 Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pa
Hans Jacob Lowenguth april 1758, Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pa
Peter Jacob Fehler d 1753 Tulpehocken, Berks County
Fronica Ann Farney d 1763 Earl Twp, lancaster County
Peter Van Gundy d July 4,1758 Earl Twp, Lancaster County
Barbara Rupp d 1821 Somerset County, Pa
Christian Harshbarger d 1783 Berks County, Pa
There are many different spellings for some of these names. I am sure some of these locations are incorrect. Some of the dates are likely incorrect, also. There are facts still to learn and stories to uncover. This list includes so many stories, from the rough trips to Pennsylvania to being killed by Indians to religious strife to all the challenges of living in what was, for the most part, wilderness when these ancestors arrived here. I hope seeing this list of people who cared enough to face the unknown, and who cared enough to create the people who created the people, etc who created us is in some way and inspiration and a comfort to you. And I hope you'll share with me whatever you may know about these immigrants.
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