Holbrook line: Johan Jacob Nuss, Immigrant

Trying to understand someone who died 260 years ago is hard.  We can't understand the culture of the times, we can't understand how these people lived and socialized.  When our ancestors are not of English extraction, it's harder, because of additional cultural and language differences.  That is why I am doing a mild happy genealogy dance today.  I've been able to trace down a bit of information with help from other genealogists, AND I've found a will, written in English.  Oh, happy day!

It's easy to forget that we have German lines in our family, since so many of the Holbrook lines trace back to New England and then mostly to England.  But we do have several lines that are German.  One of those is that of Johan Jacob Nuss. His story begins on June 25, 1716, either his birth or christening date, at Heuchelheim bel Frankenthal, Pfalz-Rheinland, Germany.  It ended on September 20, 1757 in what is now Upper Hanover, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. (At the time, this was known as Goshenhoppen, Lancaster County).  In between those dates, his life is not an open book, but we do find glimpses here and there. 

Jacob was born to Peter and Anna Margaretha Nuss.  He was one of at least six children, but as the youngest of those six, he would have not have been favored financially and probably would have struggled his whole life to make a meager living.  His mother had been dead ten years when Jacob made the trip to America in 1736 on board the ship "Marie", which sailed from Rotterdam to Cowes to Philadelphia.  Jacob was 20 years old and single when he came to America, a young man with big dreams. 

Life apparently started well for Jacob.  He married in 1738 to Anna Maria Reiher, daughter of Hans Michael and Anna Maria Seeland Reiher.  (Note: this family's surname in America shows up as Reyer, as well as numerous variations).  We don't know much about the next 19 years of his life, except that he and Maria had at least six children.  Jacob purchased land and built a home, possibly about 1745.  He had two hundred and sixty acres plus a dwelling house and out buildings, which were confiscated by the sheriff in March of 1757 to "satisfy a debt of four hundred and forty-two pounds (English), one shilling and six pence, owed by Jacob Nuss to Adam Clampffer, and was bought at public sale by William Clampffer, of Philadelphia, and transferred to him February 28, 1758." 

I have some thoughts about this:  442 pounds plus of English money was a lot of money in those days; a calculator shows a rough value of $80,000.  How did Jacob accumulate that much debt?  Secondly, this was in 1757 in a land that was under the threat of attack by native Americans in connection with the French and Indian war.  Did this have anything to do with the debt?  Jacob died of  "dropsy" (probably heart failure) in September of 1757, still in his early 40's. Jacob may have taken on much debt, not knowing his days were short.  He is buried in the Old Goshenhoppen cemetery, near the church he and his family attended for most of the years of their marriage. 

As you can imagine, the estate took some time to settle.  As nearly as I can determine, there isn't an actual will for Jacob, just an inventory and that is somewhat confusing.  As far as items go, he had what seems to be a lot of fabric on hand.  Was he a weaver, or a merchant of some kind?  He had a Bible, and guns, plus twelve pounds of lead for pouring (bullets?), but no farm animals were noted.  The largest amount on the inventory is "Outstanding book debts, notes, and bonds" of 408 pounds.  Was this a case of neighbor helping neighbor, or were the "book debts" those due him as a merchant?  (I sure wish someone more familiar with the customs and wills of this time and place could help educate me on what I am seeing!) The estate had an original value of almost 381 pounds after all the debts were paid and collected.  The last papers in the file are from 1765, when apparently the children were all provided for. 

This is what we know of Jacob's life, just glimpses really.  There are so many questions that I can't answer, and if I could ask him those questions, there would be a language barrier.  But let us know forget to acknowledge that we have Germans in our Holbrook background, and I hope to write more of them in the coming months.

This line of descent is:

Johan Jacob Nuss-Anna Maria Reyer or Reiher
Anna Elizabeth Nuss-Johan Jacob Hetrick
Abraham Hetrick-Sarah Lemmon
Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants