Harshbarger line: Matthias Bruder 1720-1762

 Never is this easy, separating fact from fact from fiction.  So many times two men of the same name are conflated into one, somewhere along the line, and the confusion is compounded.  I am picking my way very carefully here, and hope that I am landing on the correct side of the facts for our Matthias Bruder.  

He was probably born about 1720, based on the age of his first known child, and possibly in the area of Lossburg, Germany, in what is known as the northern Black Forest.  Lossburg has the first known record of the birth of a son there in 1749, to Matheus Bruder and wife Christina.  This Matthias is thought to be the son of Jacob and Magdalena Schuttler Bruder.  Christina, his wife, is up for dispute.  Many websites list her as Christina Glintz,  Some list her as Christina Emmert.  The Glintz name runs into other lines of this family, including another or the same Christina married to Sebastian Kestenholtz.  I think it more likely that it's Christina Emmert, but don't go filling out your family tree based on my inexpert opinion which is not backed up by documents!

We do know that the couple was in Lossburg in 1749 when Johann Georg was baptized at the Evangelishe Kirche.  We know that the couple, along with several other families from Lossburg, emigrated in 1752 on the Duke of Wirtemberg, which arrived in Philadelphia on October 20, 1752, from Rotterdam via Cowes.  We don't know how long the voyage lasted, and there are no Glintz or Emmert families noted on the manifest so clues as to the name of his wife are not to be found there.  

Once landed, the men would have departed from the ship briefly, to swear an oath of loyalty to the English king, and then returned to the ship for their families.  If they had paid their own way to Pennsylvania, they would then be free to leave for the home to relatives or friends, or to make their own way in what would have been a strange land.  Many who came to Pennsylvania in this time period had to serve a period of indentureship to pay for their voyage, but I haven't found records yet for him during his first years in America.

The family settled in what must have been a border area between Berks County and Northampton County.  Mattias's will was probated in Berks County but at least some of his children were baptized at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church near Alburtis, in what is now Lehigh County but was Northampton County at the time.  They may have lived somewhere along Toad Creek, as that is the only identifiable water source on the maps I've seen.  

Matthias and Christina had several children, but George and Matthias are the two with documented dates, in 1749 and 1759.  There is a Jacob Bruder who likely is this couple's child, and several others, including a daughter who was born the year Matthias died.  As far as we know, Matthias was a farmer, working hard to provide for his family, however large it was.  

We can guess that the family was somehow affected by the French and Indian War, but precisely the extent of the involvement we don't know.  This area was repeatedly attacked by native Americans and it is likely that the family could tell us some intriguing stories if we could talk to them.  It is also likely that Matthias served in the militia, guarding borders if nothing else.  

Matthias died in Longswamp Township, Berks County, before November 3, 1762, when Christina was appointed administrator.  He left no will, but an inventory was taken.  "Improvements", presumably buildings on his land, were valued at 65 pounds and there was a little over twelve pounds in what we would consider personal property, including farm animals and implements.  Interestingly, he had 6 shillings worth of books, so he was a literate man.  I didn't see any mention of guns or ammunition.  It appears that he had about 8 pounds of debts, so this was a small estate.  

I don't know what happened to Christina, whether or not she re-married, or what happened to the children.  Were they apprenticed to someone in the area?  It would be interesting to trace them to see what became of them.  (We do know that son Matthias became a weaver and fought in the Revolutionary War.)

This story is like many of the others in the Harshbarger line-a sea voyage from Germany,  a Lutheran religion and community of believers, and a drive to care for family.  He's another man we can be proud to call ours.

The line of descent is:

Matthias Bruder-Christina

Matthias Bruder or Brothers-Christina Chestnutwood

Barbara Brothers-David Brown

Elizabeth Brown-William Cook

Barbara Cook-William Withers

William Withers-Della Kemery

Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger

Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks

Their descendants