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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

1936

HISTORIC BACKGROUND AND ANNALS
OF THE
SWISS AND GERMAN PIONEER SETTLERS OF SOUTH-
EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, AND OF THEIR RE
MOTE ANCESTORS, FROM THE MIDDLE
OF THE DARK AGES. DOWN TO
THE TIME OF THE REVO
LUTIONARY WAR

, An Authentic History, From Original Sources, Of Their Suffering
During Several Centuries Before and Especially During The Two Cen
turies Following The Protestant Reformation, And of Their Slow
Migration, Moved By Those Causes, During the Last Mentioned Two
Hundred Years, Westward in Quest Of Religious Freedom and Their
Happy Relief in the Susquehanna and Schuylkill Valleys In the New
World; With Particular Reference to the German-Swiss Mennonites
or'^abaptists. The Amish and Other Non-Resistant Sects.

H. FRANK ESHLEMAN. B. E., M. E., LL. B.
Member of the Lancaster Bar; Mem'ber of the Lancaster County
Historical Society; Member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
at Philadelphia; and Member of the Pennsylvania History Club of
Philadelphia. 1917
LANCASTER, PENNA.

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PREFACE
Southeastern Pennsylvania, during our colonial period was the prolific
hive from which the swarms of Swiss and German settlers of America almost
exclusively came, who, during the latter years of that period and during the
first several decades of our national existence, migrated westward and
planted the seed of the Teutonic element of our population in the middle
west, the southwest, the northwest and the far west, and whose descendants
in our later decades have sprung from them by millions and have largely
moulded the character of that vast empire, down to this day.
The valleys of the Susquehanna and Schuylkill Rivers being thus, the
mother-land of so powerful and populous an influence, in our state and na
tional existence, it was deemed by the compiler a matter of sufficient impor
tance, to gather up the historical events in chronological order, leading up to
the German^Swiss settlement here, from the time of remote ages. It was
also thought equally important to set out in like chronological form, the first
six decades or more of the growth and development of those same peoples
here after their initial settlement about the beginning of the eighteenth cen
tury and to show their wonderful growth in power, in numbers, and their
vigor in pushing the frontier line of our wealth and settlement westward.
These Annals record the outlines of a history of religious fervor and of
tenacity of noble purpose stretching across a thousand years, as glorious as
anything else that ever happened in the history of the world. As early as
the year 900, strong men began to stand out as champions of religious lib
erty and the simple Gospel, against the great Romish Church, the only Chris
tian Church of note then on the earth. They held fast to the faith, through
fire and against sword. About the year 1150, Peter Waldo renounced the
Romish Church and led the Evangelical Christians ; and by hundreds of thou
sands they adhered to him. They held the faith nearly four hundred years
more and went like lambs to slaughter. Then came the Reformation. Luther,
Zwingli, Calvin, and Menno Simon, led the movement in the heart of Europe.
Menno held to the Waldenseon beliefs (and especially to the doctrine of
non-resistance) and his followers became the prey of the militant faiths both
Romish and Reformed. But neither fire, nor sword, nor drowning, nor prison,
nor the galleys could turn them from their conviction; and while Zurich and
Berne and other cities exterminated, imprisoned and deported them, they
multiplied; and they were found by thousands everywhere. They obtained
governmental favor in Holland by the year 1575 and thus they beheld that
golden glow in the west and gravitated there at the cloSe of nearly 200 years
of suffering, holding on to their faith in all its simple purity.
Then they learned of America and in the next half century not less than
fifty thousand embarked to reach the glorious land of Penn. Nearly twenty
thousand who thus embarked died at sea; the remainder reached their happy
goal.

They filled the valleys of Susquehanna and Schuylkill and of all their
tributaries. Before the Revolution they flocked down the Shenandoah. They
soon crossed the Alleghenies and filled the Cumberland. They multiplied and
drifted into the Ohio Valley and by the beginning of the nineteenth century
they settled in lower Canada. They opened up the Indiana and Illinois
region, the Kansas section, the Dakotas and the Northwest. Their descend
ing generations in all the vast empire of middle-western and far-western
America as well as in eastern America, are sons and citizens of power and
wealth and influence in the forces that are moving and making our great
nation. Results such as these, make worthy of preservation, the origin and
early struggles and gradual steps — the long, the arduous and ever conquer
ing march — to such a goal. H. FRANK ESHLEMAN.

ANNALS OF THE PIONEER SWISS AND PALATINE
MENNONITES OF LANCASTER COUNTY,
AND OTHER EARLY GERMANS OF
EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA

Introdnction and Backgronnd.
, It is the purpose of the narration
which shall follow to set out in an
easy and attractive style, some of the
leading events in the life of the early
Swiss and Palatine Mennonites and
other Germans of eastern Pennsylva
nia, and particularly of Lancaster
County. This is a subject upon which
much is known traditionally but not
very much, accurately and authorita
tively. It is believed that the noble life and
struggles of these pioneers who were
the very backbone of early industrial
Lancaster County and of other eastern
Pennsylvania sections, should be pub
licly and familiarly known. And we
feel that if they are truly known, a
character will be shown to the public
in every way the equal of that of the
Puritans down east, upon whose early
noble acts and life all generations of
America have been taught to look
with awe and reverence, as if all the
good that was ever done for America
in primitive days was done by those
godly New Englanders. This, of
course, is not the fact. It may be very
truthfully said that the pioneer Swiss,
and Germans and kindred nationali
ties who originally settled certain
large portions of eastern Pennsylva
nia, have done as much for America
and have lived as nobly, and have up
held the pure religion and gospel, of
oiir nation as faithfully as the "witch-
burning" Puritans ever did.

These Swiss and Germans of whom
I shall write labored under many
problems and difficulties, which our
people of today will find it hard to
believe. They were foreigners and held
in disfavor for a time by the English
government of this province, though
Penn gave them a special invitation
to come and settle here. They were
looked upon with jealousy by other
people settled among them because,
these Swiss and Germans, early in
the country districts at least, began
making money and progress by their
thrift, etc.
It is not our purpose to give a com
plete history of these peoples; but
rather only a series of "Annals" de
picting the most striking events of
their life and progress here.
In order to understand fully the
life, feeling and ideals of these
peoples it will be necessary to go
back many hundred years and supply
the European historical background,
and trace up the long train of relig
ious causes which brought them to
Pennsylvania. This foundation or
early history of their troubles, etc.,
will be necessarily quite lengthy and
go back to the time of Caesar. But in
asmuch as familiar Lancaster County
and other eastern Pennsylvania
names will continually appear In it,
we hope that it will not become tire
some.

THE EUROPEAN BACKGROUND

The European Background — The
Causes Which Forced the Swiss
Into Pennsylvania.
Switzerland has passed through
centuries of bloodshed, civil convul
sion, war and religious persecution.
Before Christ, Caesar fought the Hel
vetian War, partly on its soil. The
objects were conquest and empire.
The Romans held it four centuries;
then the AUemani, in the German in
vasion, took possession; and in turn
the Franks overthrew the AUemani,
and the Burgundians. The Franks
started a new civilization under
Christianity, (Lippincott Gaz.). Perse
cutions against the Christians first
reached Northern Italy and the bor
ders of Sv/itzerland and Germany about
the year 600 A. D. Up to this time
the fiercest persecution in other parts
of Europe was that by the heathen
Longabards upon the Christians for
their refusal to honor idols, (Martyrs'
Mirror, Elkart Edition of 1886, p.
210). But the Roman Church now
began the same, and punished Bishop
Adrian in 606 as a criminal for refus
ing to baptize infants, (Do.). About
850 there was a butchery of non-con
formant Christians by the Franks,
(Do., p. 233). At the opening of the
10th century persecutions were still
raging in different parts of Europe'
on the question of baptism, of which
the learned Giselbert writes, (Do., p.
245). But most of the religious per
secutions during this century were
those inflicted by Pagans upon Chris
tians generally, all along the Medi
terranean coast, (Do.). In 926 King
Worm of Denmark persecuted the
non-resi'sting Christians in and sur
rounding Denmark, (Do., p. 246). By
950 the current which the Danish King
started reached Slavonia, whose un
godly tyrant King persecuted de
fenseless Christians there; and by the
end of the century religious war was
in progress by the Vandals, against

the non-combatant Christians of
Hamburg, Brandenburg and other
parts of Germany. And, indeed, in
Altenburg, Switzerland, he directed
his fury against all Christians, but
chiefly against Romanists. Then in
991 the Pagan Danish hordes again
poured into Germany and vexed the
Christians during 40 years there, (Do.,
p. 249).
In the 11th century the question of
infant baptism and transubstantiation
gave rise to furious persecution by
the main Christian Church upon the
separatists who refused to adhere to
either of those doctrines. Many of
these separatists were convicted of
heresy and executed, (Do., p. 255).
The Berengarians of Netherlands and
Germany suffered in this persecution,
(Do., p. 260). By the middle of this
century the Holy Roman (German)
Empire controlled Switzerland, (Lip
pincott). 1009 — Earliest Authentic Appearance
of the Herrs.
In the year 1009 we find the first
trace in Switzerland, of any name
common among us today in Lancas
ter county and Eastern Pennsylvania.
It is one- of the two most prominent
and numerous names of the county —
Herr. Miller is the other. The county
directory shows us indeed that there
are nearly twice as many Millers as
Herrs in the county today.
In the year just stated the Herrs
appear in Northern Switzerland, in
the person of the Swabish Knight
Hugo, the Herr or Lord of Bilried,
(Vien in Herr Genealogy, p. 1). The
race anciently lived in Swabia says
the same author. Swabia was one
of the districts into which Maximilian
II divided ancient Germany, then in
cluding Switzerland. Prof. Rhoddy
tells us that Swabia included near
ly tlie whole of Northern Switzerland,
and a large tract of Germany east of
the Rhine, at one time called Aleman-

ORIGIN OF THE WALDENSES

la. Therefore the foundation of
Lancaster county, was not only Swiss
in 1710; but the pioneers in 1710 were
descendants of a Swiss stock during
a prior period of over seven hundred
years. 1050— The Great Eby or Eaby Family
Moved to Switzerland.
We will not vouch for the truth of
the statement announced in the title
to this paragraph. Ezra E. Eby late
of Berlin, Ontario, author of the "Eby
Family" states that the Ebys lived in
Italy known as the Ebees and were
heathen until the Waldenses in the
12th century or later brought them
into Christianity. The Ebys were sup
posed to have come into Switzerland
during the 11th century.
1050— The Reformed Spirit in the
Roman Churcli.
Mtiller, page 57, recites a letter
from the Papal legate Peter Damian
to Adelaide Susa showing that the
Reformed Spirit existed in the Church
of Rome from 1050 at least. And it
is added that the old Evangelical con
gregations to whom the Waldenses
belonged existed from time immemor
ial. The diocese where the Wal
denses lived maintained its independ
ence of the Church of Rome until the
12th century says Miiller. And as
early as this time began the marriage
and expulsion of priests. In this re-
sistence against Rome Bishop Clau
dius of Turrene distinguished himself
earlier than all others from 815 to
835 — a true reformer says Miiller,
(Ernst Miiller's Geschichte der Bern-
ischen Taiifer, p. 57).
1160 — Origin of the Waldenses.
In the middle of the 12th century
at Utrecht and other places they were
burning the Berengarians alive, (Do.
M. Mirror, p. 281). About 1159 those
who opposed the doctrines of the Holy
Church which we have mentioned, be
gan to have strong and able suporters

in deposed Roman bishops and others.
One of these was Peter Waldo of
Lyons, who separated in 1160, (Do.,
p. 265). His adherents were first nu
merous in the province of Albi, (Do.,
p. 266). They were called Lyonites,
Albigenes and finally nearly all Wal
denses. They spread into every prov
ince and were objects of persecution
during four centuries and more. The
Roman Church began to call them
Anabaptists, (Do., p. 267) ; and by
that name their descendants in faith
were called down to 1710 at least, as
we shall show later. Their doctrine
was essentially the same as that of
the pioneers who in 1710 first settled
Lancaster county. Their creed con
tained the following principles among
others — opposition to infant baptism
— to transubstantiation — to war — to
participation in government — to oaths,
etc., (Do., pp. 265-277). They early
reached Northern Italy and the bor
der of Switzerland, (Do., p. 279).
1150 to 1200— Troubles of Non-Re-
sistants In Latter Half of the
12th Century.
In 1161, in the eighth year of
Henry II, about 30 German men and
women sailed over to England to es
cape Papal tortures. They were Ber
engarians or Lyonites and separated
because of their views on infant bap
tism, etc. They were illiterate and
led by a German of some learning
calleij Gerard. They were appre
hended in England. (M. Mirror, p.
283). Abram Millinus shows that
their doctrine was similar to the
Mennonite tenets of faith. They were
scourged- and banished and allowed
to freeze to death. In 1163 six Wald
enses were discovered in a barn near
Cologne, in Prussia and were burned
to death, (Do., p. 284).
Ernst Miiller tells us (p. 64) that
the Abbe of Steinfelden named Ever-
vin wrote in 1164 to the Holy Bernard

GROWTH AND SLAUGHTER OF WALDENSEANS

that an untold number are every
where prepared to oppose priests and
monks in their midst, and that this
heresy has grown secretly ever since
the time of the martyrs.
In 1191 the City Basle, Switzerland,
was founded. It has today a popula
tion of 70,000 and was the scene of a
like persecution and refuge.
. During all this time the Waldesean
doctrine was spreading rapidly. And
by 1199 one of their enemies said a
thousand cities were filled with
them. They filled Southwestern Eu
rope, England, Germany, Hungary
and Northern Italy, (Do., p. 279), Ja
cob Mehring says these people who
did not believe in infant baptism,
transubstantiation, force, war o r
political affairs were contemptuously
called Anabaptists, Waldenses, Ber
engarians, Mennonites, etc., by the
papists, Lutherans and Calvanists
(Do., p. 267). As far as the German,
Swiss and Dutch are concerned the
12th century closed with the expul
sion of many of these Waldesean
Christians from Metz and the burn
ing of their books, which books they
had translated from the Latin into
their native language.
1301 to ISOO— The Thirteenth Century
Religious Struggles
As far as religious persecution in
this century affects the Dutch, Ger
mans and Swiss we may notice that
persecution about 1212 began to rage
in Holland, (Do. p. 298) ; and at that
time IDS Waldenses were burned to
death in Strasburg, Germany; 39 at
Bingen and 18 at Metz, (Do.). In
1214 Conrad of Marpurg was ap
pointed by Pope Innocent III, the
grand inquisitor of Germany to exter
minate all who had strayed from the
Roman faith. In 19 years he killed
hundreds. He gave them red hot
irons to hold and destroyed all who
were burnt by it as heretics. They

were burned to death. Another test
was that of cold water, the accused
being thrown into a canal and if they
sank in it they were heretics, but if
they floated they were not.
By 1203 these Waldenses or Anabap
tists • had the Holy Scriptures trans
lated into their own language, (Miil
ler, p. 59) ; and they did not practice
any other doctrine. The parts of the
Bible most carefully followed by
them were the commandments and
the sermon on the Mount.
Muller tells us that in 1212 in and
about Strasburg, Germany there were
more than 500 of these Waldenses
(the parent faith of the Mennonites)
and that they were made up of Swiss,
Italians, Germans and Bohemians;
and that in the early part of this cen
tury they had spread far and wide, (p.
64.) And about 1215, there were
80 more of them burned at Strasburg
and more in other parts of Germany,
(M. Mirror, pp. 300 and 304). And in
1231 throughout Germany many more
of these Anabaptists — Waldenseans
suffered martyrdom, (Do., p. 306)^ By
1250 there was scarcely a land where
the Waldensean sect had not found its
way; and everywhere, where they ex
isted they were known by their plain
dress, moral life, their temperate liv
ing and their refusal to take part in
government and oaths, (says Muller,
p. 58).
In the year 1277 in Berne, (Muller,
p. 64) the opponents of the Catholics
from Schwarzenburg through the
Bishop of Lousanne in Switzerland
were brought before the Dominican
Humbert and the inquisition plied
against them; whereupon many of
them were burned.
This shows how the Anabaptists —
Waldenseans. as they were called,
(the parent Church of the Mennonites)
grew through the 13th century and
how they were persecuted and tor
tured throughout that century in Ger
many, Switzerland and elsewhere.

MENNINITES, DESCENDANTS OF WALDENSEANS

Bracht says that about 1305, the
light of the evangelical doctrine be
gan to arise on the Alps, through a
pious man and his wife who had ac
cepted the Waldensean faith. Many
followed his teaching but in 1308 he
and his wife were torn limb from
limb and 140 of his followers burnt
alive (M. Mirror, p. 317). Throughout
Austria also the persecution raged.
In 1315 a Waldensean teacher call
ed Ixjlhard at his trial in Austria
said he could find 80,000 persons who
believed in his religion (Do., 318).
In 1330 we find that a man named
Eckart or Eckert (who formerly had
been a Dominican monk and had left
the papists, because he became a
non-resistant and opposed the doc
trine of infant baptism and transub-
statiation) was publicly burned in
Germany for those reasons and be
cause he embraced the whole doctrine
of the Waldenses; and also many
more were likewise tortured for sim
ilar doctrines in Bohemia and Poland,
(Do., p. 319). This Eckert may have
been an ancestral connection of the
widely known Eckert family of Lan
caster county.
In the year 1340 among the Martyrs,
appears a name, now well known in
Lancaster county, — Hager. This year
Conrad Hager was martyred for hav
ing taught for 24 years the Walden
sean faith. Many had followed his
teaching, (Do.).
Ten years later John de Landuno of
Ghent, a highly learned man broke
away from the reigning church and
embraced Anabaptism and was tor
tured, (Do.). "Landuno" may have
been the Dutch form of "Landis".
Now about this time (1350) says
Cassel, p. 378 the Keiser of Bavaria
interposed and compelled the princi
pal papal church in his dominions to
cease its persecution upon the de
fenseless separatists.

In 1360 the name John de Rupe
(Scissa) appears among the Martyrs.
Three years later he was burned at
Avignon, (Martyr's Mirror).
In 1374 a separatist named Lofller
from Bremgarden was burnt on ac
count of his belief in opposition to
the established church — for being a
free spirit says Miiller, (page 64).
During the last decade of this cen
tury the torch of ¦ persecution was
flaming against the Anabaptists — the
Waldensean lambs — called hereitos by
the church of Rome, in Germany and
Switzerland particularly.
From the year 1382 to the year
1393 Miiller tells us (p. 64) that by
order of Pope Clement VII the Min
orite Franz Borell burned about a
hundred of these Waldenses, or ante
cedents of the Mennonites round
about Lake Geneva in Switzerland on
account of their religion, the papal
church declaring them heretics
worthy of death.
In 1390 not less than 36 persons
called Waldenses were burnt for
their faith at Bingen on the Rhine,
Germany. These martyrs were all
citizens of Mentz, (M. Mirror, p. 320).
Almost the same time on the borders
of the Baltic sea 400 were destroyed.
Ernst Miiller also tells us that in
the old books the doctrines of the
Waldenses are set out, as those doc
trines were in the 12th century, and
there can be no doubt that these Ana
baptists that the church of Rome call
ed heretics in the 14th century are
the same in religious principle as the
early Waldenses. He says those per
secuted at Bern and Freyburg
(Switzerland) had exactly the same
religious belief of those who were
tortured in 1398.
Thus we show that during the 14th
century the persecutions against the
separatists were very largely carried
on in the heart of Europe to which
places it spread northward from
Rome. It crossed the Alps into Ger-

PERSECUTIONS OF THE 15TH CENTURY

many, Switzerland and Austria. Those
who most fiercely felt its fire were, as
in the previous century, the non-re
sistants or Anabaptists as they were
called, the successors in faith of the
old Waldenses, and the antecedents of
the Mennonites.
Persecution of the Non - Resistant
Christians in the Fifteenth
Century
The Beghienen in 1403 through the
Dominican, Maulberger of Basel were
the instigators of the expulsion of de
fenseless Christians from Berne, but
they staid in Switzerland until the re
formation, (Miiller, 65).
It was contended that John Wick-
liffe embraced a part of the Wald
ensean doctrine and that John Huss
became a disciple and believer in the
Wickliffe teachings (M. Mirror, pp-
323-24). In 1415 John Huss ha'ving
examined and studied Wlckliffe's
book against the papal tenets and es
pecially against war, oaths and infant I
baptism accepted nearly all of these
Wickliffe teachings or principles,
(Do.). John Huss gained many of the
Waldenses in Bohemia, when he be
gan to preach. For want of a leader
they had greatly diminished in the
last 30 years; but he revived trem.
Both Huss and Jerome were burned
on the shores of Lake Constance,
part of the Northeastern boundary of
Switzerland, by the Roman Church.
Then the Hussites began a war on
the German electors and after the war
having largely given up the mild
Waldesean faith went back to the
Church of Rome again. But they
turned again from them and became
the Grubenheimers or cave-dwellers.
In the Freyburg district (Switzer
land) in 1429 Haris Michel of Wallace
and Anna Grause from Erlaugh were
burned, and the following year Peter
Seager too, (Miiller, p. 64).

Through imprisonment and torture
during the early part of this century
the congregations of Waldenses of
Freyburg were entirely destroyed.
Through this destruction it was found
out that Swartzenberg was full of
Waldenses too; and that the Frey
burg brethren had communication
with Zolathurn in Switzerland and in
Germany and Bohemia, (Muller, p.
64). In the year 1430 several Walden
sean teachers from Germany came to
Freyburg and settled there to counsel
and strengthen the congregations,
(Do., p. 65).
The benevolent converts of Beghar-
den and Beghlnen, says a papal au
thority were nurseries of Waldensean
heretics and were polluted with Wald
ensean proceedings. The Zurich of
ficer or chief police Felix Hammerlin
wrote in 1440 a pamphlet opposing
these "heretics" as he called them,
and in it he tells of the great growth
and spread of them up to that time.
He says every year they came from
Bohemia and preached in Switzerland
and Germany, which induced a great
number of people to accept their be
lief, in the cities of Bern, Zolathurn
and many Swiss villages, (Jliiller, p.
65). About this time there were per
secutions in Basle, Switzerland, and
the so-called "heretics" burned, (M.
Mirror, p. 335).
In the course of this narration of
the sufferings of our early Swiss and
German non-resistant ancestors, we
now meet a name very familiar and
very famous in our country, — the
name Herr. Mr. Jacob Schnebeli of
Obfelden, Switzerland, a historian of
note there informs me that in 1440
Hansley Herr was one of the brave
garrison of Greifensee, Canton of
Zurich, of 60 men, in the "Old Zu
rich War," who under Wildhans von
Breitenlandenburg, defended the cas
tle; and after the fall of the Castle
was beheaded. May 27, 1444. Hansley

HORRIBLE SLAUGHTER OF WALDENSEANS

Herr was from Hagnau, Switzerland,
near Uster. Thus while the Herrs
are now non-resistant, some of them,
at least, did not become Anabaptists
or Waldenseans before 1450. But
later they did largely become Walden
seans and eventually Mennonites; and
a tradition in their own family is to
the effect that, the broken spears
which are a part of their coat of
arms indicate that they denounced
Knighthood and war and became non-
resistant Christians.
Mr. Schnebeli wrote me also that
the names of Christian and Hans
Herr (now so familiar in our Coun
ty) were found in 1450 in the Canton
of Glarus, Switzerland; and that an
early branch of the Herr family was
settled in the upper part of the Can
ton of Zurich (Southeast) called Zu-
richer Oberland in very early times.
The Tchudi and other familiar Lan
caster county families came from
Glarus. In 1453 says the author of the "Eby
Family" the whole valley of the Lu
zerne in Switzerland was put under
an edict against the Waldenses by
the Church of Rome.
Persecutions of the Ifon-Resistant
Christians in the Fifteenth Century.
The next prominent persecution re
corded by history against the non-
resisting Waldenses is that which oc
curred in 1457 at Eichstadt, in Ger
many, (M. Mirror, p. 335).
In a convention in Sholka in 1467
the leader of the Bohemian brethren
in the presence of the German
Waldenses was consecrated through a
Roman Waldensean priest, from the
first church, (Miiller, p. 65).
Showing that the doctrine of the
Waldenses in every country where
they existed was the same at all times
as that which early in the 16th cen
tury they handed down to the Menno
nites, I relate that infant baptism
was rejected by the brethren of Bohe
mia and Moravia. (Thus also the

early Moravians believed in the same
faith.) They did not pay their
preachers a salary but depended on
hospitality. Their apostles or travel
ing preachers went throughout all the
countries to Moscow, Asia Minor and
Egypt. Their Bohemian teachers came
on to Switzerland in 1474, (See Miil
ler, p. 56). Bohemia as we all know
is part of the Austria Hungarian Mon
archy and lies northeast of Switzer
land, being separated from it by the
province ot Bavaria, part of the Ger
man Empire. Thus in our Mennonite
researches it is interesting- to notice
that not only from Italy on the south
but from Bohemia on the east, the
Waldensean faith came into Switzer
land — one of the ancient homes of the
Mennonites. In Bohemia too during
this century the persecutions raged.
i The Spanish inquisition plied its fear
ful and horrible butcheries at this
time, (M. Mirror, p. 336). In Ger
many also there were tortures and
,Tohn of Wesel who was teaching the
Waldensean faith at Worms was
burned, (Do.).
The Waldenses who lived in the
Catholic Bishopic of Basil where they
began to be numerous about 1487 were
one of the most zealous congregations
in all Switzerland, and the authorities
of the papal church were at their
wits' end to know how to suppress
them. As we shall show later the
authorities of Basil and Berne in the
16th century held a convention to de
vise some plan to get rid of as they
called them "these unchristian and
damned heretics". (Miiller, p. 235).
In 1487 came Pope Innocent's
measures to exterminate the Walden
seans says the author of the "Eby
Family", (Eby). This bill of the Pope
was dated April 25 and in it he asked
the whole confederation or league of
Papal churches to help wipe the
Waldenseans from the earth; and he
also sent his legates and other mili
tary officers under Albrecht of Capi-

SIXTEENTH CENTURY PERSECUTIONS

taneis to Wallace for this purpose,
(Muller, p. 65).
In 1498 says Muller. p. 65, a Bo
hemian deputation of the Waldenseans
were present in Upper Italy as spec
tators, when Savanarola was burned
for his faith in the mild doctrine. In
this year under Pope Alexander VI
this faithful and powerful Christian
was strangled to death and then
burned to ashes. He helped to pre
serve in large part the faith which the
Waldenses kept inviolate and handed
down to the Mennonites, who in the
next century gladly received it.
And thus ended the 15th century
amid blood and martyrdom. Those
who first about the year 850 in a
weak way announced their dissent
from the Church of Rome, and their
approval of what they understood to
be the plain simple teachings of the
Savior, found themselves greatly
strengthened about 1175 by the sect of
the Waldenseans. These spread
throughout Southern and Central
Europe in swarms and through fire
and the sword and all manner of per-
se'cution and death turned upon them,
defended the doctrine until the end of
the 15th century and into the 16th,
when about 1527 the new sect of the
Mennonites accepted the same from
the old Waldenseans, and also de
fended it and died for it as we shall
see through two full centuries and
more, in face of both Catholic and Re
formed tortures against them; and
finally taking it to Holland and the
Palatinate for safety, handed it down
In all its purity to the new world in
the beginning of the eighteenth cen
tury. Before we can describe the events
of that happy latter century, the blood
and the turmoil, and torture and
martyr-death of the 16th and the 17th
centuries lie before us, which we must
next proceed to narrate.

PERSECUTIONS IN THE 16TH CEN
TURY OF PENNSYLVANIA'S
EUROPEAN ANTE
CEDENTS
1500 — Menno Simon
This century begins with the in-
fanthood of a notable character in
religious history, — Menno Simon,
founder of the Mennonites. He tells
us he was born in 1496 in Witmarsum,
Friedland, in Holland. See his story
of his conversion in Funk's "Com
plete Works" of Menno Simon (Elk
hart, 1871) page 3. He says, "In the
year 1524, then in my 28th year, I un
dertook the duties of a priest, etc."
Rupp, (p. 84) therefore mistakably
fixes his birth in 1505. Thus the
Mennonite faith dates back nearly to
the discovery of America. Indeed, as
we have shown before, it is several
hundred years older than that, as
without much modification it was and
is a continuation of the Waldensean
doctrine, beginning at least as early
as 1170. The coming of Menno Si
mon simply changed the name of one
branch of the Waldensean sect; and
gave new strength and vigor to its
believers.
1507 — Non- Resisting Waldenseans
Persecuted in Hungary.
As we shall show in a later item,
both Holland and Hungary were ripe
at this time for the leadership of
Menno Simon as the faith which he
espoused when he came to mature
manhood (the Mennonite Faith) was
already strong in these places. Other
places had their leaders, viz: — Ger-,
many had Luther in 1517 and Switzer-
and had Zwiugli about the same date.
But Hungary and Holland including
Moravia, etc., had to wait for Menno
Simon about 1525. We shall give more
of this later. In 1507 the Waldenses
of Hungary and Moravia delivered a
defense of their faith against certain
unfounded accusations, because of
which they were persecuted. This de-

MENNONITES AND REFORMERS CO-EXISTENT

fense they made to the king of Bo
hemia, (M. Mirror, p. 397).
1509 — Holland Mennonites Flee lo
Germany.
The Congregation of Mennonites at
Leer, a Prussian town on the Leeda
river, at the beginning of this century
was Flemish, that is, they were not
native Germans, but came from Flan
ders, which in these early days in
cluded parts of Holland, Belgium and
France. Thus the earliest centers of
distinctively Mennonite faith were
Holland and adjacent places, and
Hungary. In 1509 they had ap
proached East Friedland, in Holland
and were settled there. One of them
suffered the death of a Martyr this
same year at Holstein. Persecutions
at once were begun against them by
the Roman Church and the Govern
ment in Flanders, and they fled to
Germany and particularly to Cologne,
(See A. Brons, Annabaptists or Men
nonites of Europe, page 245 — a Ger
man work published in Norden).
1510 — JTennonites and "Reformation"
Growing Up Together
From the convent of Trub in Bo
hemia the reformation was promoted
early. The Abbott, Thuring Rust of
Wahlhusen, famous until 1510 as Vi
car in Lauperswyl (Austria) felt him
self possessed of the new faith. He
resigned the dignity of Abbott and
went out to .the little valley of the
Trub Mountains, and married and
supported himself and his wife by
making shingles, and carried on the
Reformation in the Valley, (Miiller,
p. 22). He left the Church of Rome,
which forbade him as an Abbot from
marrying and became a "Reforma-
tionist." We cite this passage from Miiller to
show that the various branches of the
Protestant Church, especially the
Mennonites, Reformed, Lutheran and
Moravian branches grew out of the
same causes — the abuses and degen

eracy of the Church of Rome. Differ
ent leaders took hold of it in differ
ent places in Central Europe about
the same time. They all suffered
persecution from the Established
Church and State; but some defended
by war while others did not resist.
This difference in the manner of
meeting persecution in the course of
one hundred years or more caused a
wide difference between these
branches of the great body of Re
formers and with differences of view
on the subject of baptism and other
questions gave rise to a new perse
cution by one branch of the new faith
against another and thus we later
find the Reformed and Lutherans,
persecuting and destroying the Men
nonites, more severely than Rome
j ever did.
1510 — Conditions Which Moved Lu
ther and ZTvingli.
Brons tells us (p. 13) that as Lu
ther when he went in 1510 to Rome
became acquainted with the corrup
tion of the heads of the establish
ed church, so also Zwingli had his
eyes opened as Chaplain among the
soldiers of the Romish army in
Switzerland; and from being a
staunch defender of that faith he
turned aside to find purity; and this
helped to prepare him to join with
zeal and go into the cause, which the
old Waldenses started and which Lu
therans, Reformed . and Mennonites
were now carrying on. He and Lu
ther differed widely on the question
of the sacrament and their followers
differ today on the same point.
1515— The First Fierce Effort to De
stroy the Holland Mennonites.
About this time the Bishop of Ut
recht caused thirty-five towns in Hol
land to be burned, to purge the
Country of the Waldensean descen
dants (who a few years later were
called Mennonites). This was the
condition under papal power. While

10

WICKED CONDITION OF ZURICH

it may astound us to learn that a
Bishop could do this, we must not for
get that such was the power of the
State Church, that almost anything it
asked of the civil rulers, those rulers
gave the Church power to carry out.
About the same time came floods and
conflagration and famine; and the
people believing that this was a pun
ishment on them for leaving the
Romish church, again went back to
it for consolation; but they found no
consolation. Instead they found con
tinual demands for heavy p a y-
ments of money to pay for spiritual
benefits as they were called. No
wonder says Brons, (p. 397) the
people lost faith in the church and
lifted their hearts and minds to
Heaven. Thus suffered these Wald
ensean parents of the Menn&nites in
Holland in the beginnig of the 16th
century.
1515— Zwingli Still Adheres to Ro
mish Church— Not Friendly to
the Mennonites.
In 1515 Zwingli a second time went
with the banner of the Canton of
Glarus as chaplain to Italy. The Swiss
troops were to drive out the French
who had made a stand at Milan. But
here bribed by French gold, they
made a disgraceful treaty with the
French. Zwingli now preached with
wrath against this bribery and want
of fidelity to Keiser and Pope and the
honor of Switzerland, (Brons, p. 13).
We jot down this item simply be
cause it gives us a view of the atti
tude of Switzerland and particularly
of the Canton pr State of Glarus at
this time. We remember that Glarus
was the ancient home of a branch of
the Herrs. The Reformer Zwingli,
who later found many of the same
faults with the Church of ^ Rome as
did the Mennonites had not yet re
nounced papacy, though as we no
ticed in a former article, he denounc
ed many of its doings.

1516— Zwingli Begins Approving the
Waldensean Faith.
Zwingli now accepted a position as
preacher in the Abbey of Maria Ein-
sielden, and he found rest though
still a Catholic. He now began to
preach to the pilgrims who came for
forgiveness of sins. He told them
they must not rely on indulgences
and that all outward service is in
vain— that the picture of Mary has
no power — and no priest could for
give sins. Many a seed corn did the
pilgrims carry away with them from
his speeches, (Do.)
Then too, Erasmus from Rotterdam
published a Greek new testament for
the priests as the language of the
priests was in Greek.
1518 — Wicked Condition of Ziirieh.
In 1518 Zwingli accepted a call as
secular priest in Zurich. There were
there delegates and foreign powers
and Swjss soldiers to be enlisted.
Money fiowed in streams to Zurich.
Zwingli saw here that there was great
looseness of morals — great joy, delight
and pasttimes. Gentlemen and boys
took to drink, gambling and courting.
Some of the first families took the
lead in this abandon. Zwingli saw
that the heads of the Church made
sport of the commandment to fast and
on Palm Sunday they made pig
roasts. These things influenced
Zwingli. He says on these festive days
the people played, fought, gambled,
drank and committed mortal sins. If
one mended shoes during this holy
season, he was called a heretic; but
not if he did these things. For all
this he says the State Church was the
fault. We insert this item simply to show
the condition of Zurich at this time,
just about the time the Mennonites
began to grow in this sink of iniquity,
where religious degeneracy was rank
and the government winked at it.

NENNONITES IN BOHEMIA AND HOLLAND

11

1519 — Swiss Government Frowns on
the Rising Reformed and Menno
nite Doctrine.
Egli in his Ziiricher Wiedertauffer
Zur Reformationszeit, a German work
published In Zurich, he says, (p. 7),
that it has been said when Zwingli
came to Ziirieh in 1519 to preach the
new doctrine the Government powers
were in his favor — blamed the wick
edness of the place on the Roman
Church and wanted to get rid of it.
But he says it would be wrong to say
the heads of the State were with him,
for the Council of that day were anx
iously working against his novelties.
And he says the Council forbade at
tacks upon the Romish doctrine.
This is added here only to show the
dlfliculties the Reformed Christian
thought, of which the Mennonite was
one phase, had to encounter at all
times in the places of its origin.
1519 — Mennonite Faith in Bohemia.
In 1519 John Schlechta of Gostelek
had written to Erasmus, conceriiing
the Bohemian brethren, (Moravians).
He was told that they choose out of
the laity and not the learned Greek
bishops and priests to teach them.
Their ministers married and had
wives and children — they called them
selves brethren and sisters and recog
nized only the Old and New Testa
ments as sacred, despising all other
teachers. Those who joined the sect
were obliged to submit to baptisms
with ordinary water, (not Holy
Water). They regarded the sacra
ment as a memorial of the sufferings
of Christ. They regarded petitions to
priests, pennances, auricular confes
sions as out of place. They kept Sun
day, Christmas, Easter, etc., (Miiller,
p. 56).
These people we see were Walden
seans of Bohemia, a species of Men
nonites in early times, afterwards
Moravians.

Who were the Weldenseans asks
Miiller? Then he says, "The Catholic
Church called the Weldenseans the
old Evangelicals, who gradually gath
ered in the valleys of the Piedmont
and around Mt. Visa, on the borders
of France." By the same name the
Catholic Church called all the Evan
gelicals of Germany and Switzerland,
who like the Piedmont brethren be
fore the reformation adhered to the
old Evangelical principles in opposi
tion to the Romish Church, (Miiller,
p. 56). They stretched from Southern
France and Bohemia and Northward
and Southward across the Alps.
1520 — Mennonite Faith in Holland.
Says Miiller, (p. 159) the Dutch
Baptists (or Mennonites) derived
their origin from the Waldenses who
lived there. He also calls our atten
tions to a letter spoken of by Brons
from the Swiss Baptists (or Menno
nites) in 1522. This shows the con
nection of Swiss and Holland Menno
nites very early.
Other authorities relied on by Mul
ler prove that from 1520 to 30 Swiss
refugees were already present in
Amsterdam, Holland with their Men
nonite brethren. The Reformation
movement in the Netherdands from
the beginning had all the marks of
being led off by these Baptists or
Mennonites, says Miiller (Do.). Menno
Simon a little later became the leader
through his serious reflection upon
the execution of Sicke Schneider, who
was thus executed because he was
re-baptized, deeming his infant bap
tism in the Roman Church of no
avail. 1521 — Decree Against Mcnnoniti^s
Zwinglians and Lutherans.
This year, under permission of 13m-
peror Charles V of Germany, a decree
was issued forbidding anyone to read,
buy, carry, give or have possession of
any book containing the doctrines of
the Mennonites, Zwinglians or LU-

12

EARLY MENNONITE HOLD IN BERNE

therans. This decree was not made by
the State; but by the mother Church,
yet tolerated by the State. An old
writer calls it, "the first prohibition
or decree concerning religion and
brought into the Netherlands without
the consent of the State — rather toler
ated than confirmed by the State".
The reason for this decree is explain
ed by Brons, (p. 57). Congregations of
the mother church were fast going to
pieces and something had to be done.
He says, "The movement (Anabap
tism) was going on. The churches
became empty, the sacraments neg
lected, children not baptized, monks
and nuns were leaving the convents
and the preachers became indifferent
to the mother church. Thus Charles
V ordered those who were indifferent
to be punished."
— 1522 — Swiss Became Religious
Refugees.
Brons speaks (p. 53) of fifty con
gregations, presumably Swiss, out of
which the delegates, elders and teach
ers, numbering 600 had gathered at
Strasburg about 1522. At least, he
says, most of them were Swiss refu
gees, while other Swiss joined the Bo
hemians and Moravians, within the
Wald as ancient documents show.
The Canton of Switzerland, South of
Zurich is called Unter Walden. Lu
ther had correspondence with these
Waldensean or Mennonite refugees in
1522.1522— The Waldensean "Reform" in
Berne.
Says Miiller, "In Berne we find a
vigorous reform spirit in the aspiring
element of the citizens, or the pro
gressive, intelligent and business
classes. Especially in all the guilds.
The Munster Cathedral stone masons
showed themselves full of it," It is
supposed that we generally know that
about the end of the middle ages the
guilds or lodges of cut stone masons

and mechanics were very intellectu
ally and artistically advanced and
that they had a monopoly, of all Ca
thedral building in Central Europe,
(Muller, p. 20).
Muller continues that when in 1522
the dean of Miinsingen prosecuted the
Minister York Bruner in Kleinhoch-
stetten before the Council of Berne,
the Council took the side of Bruner
and sentenced the Chapter of Mun-
singen to pay the costs. Bruner's of
fense was that of speaking publicly
of the Pope, cardinals and bishops, as
devils and anti-christs and the priests
and monks as cheats, seducers and
oppressors of the poor; and wolves
who kill and destroy body and soul.
Of course if the Government of
Berne would dismiss such charges as
not heretical, it shows that the Coun
cil and all the heads of the Berne
Government at this time were ap
provers of or at least not opponents
of the reformed doctrines of the
Waldenseans and Zwinglians, -which
were taking root here.
Miiller also tells us, (p. 159) that
in 1522, these Anabaptists were in
different parts of Switzerland and
wrote letters encouraging other sec
tions. 1522— Early Hold of Uie Mennonite
Doctrines in Berne.
The Bible in the time of the Refor
mation had a wide circulation and
this was the same in Berne as else
where. In a Shrove Tuesday play or
drama in 1522 written by Nicholas
Manuel, the monks in the play com
plain that the farmers know all
about the New Testament. Among
the Weldenseans the Sermon on the
Mount and the apostolic administra
tions were regarded as the law of
those Christian communities. Miiller
continues (p. 54) and says the chief
question as to the Reform in the
early fifteen hundreds is whether
there is only family or race relation-

MENNONITE GROWTH IN ZURICH

13

ship between the -Baptists or Anabap
tists of the time and the old Walden
seans or whether both these concep
tions of the Reform movement are
different phenomena of one and the
same religious community.
Thus Miiller argues that there is a
close relationship between the early
Baptist or Mennonite views and the
Reformed and Lutheran views, and
that both have many points of belief,
identical with the ancient Waldenses.
But whether these beliefs were in
herited ones or beliefs merely adopted
and just happened to be similar to the
ancient Waldensean belief, he does
not undertake to say. However this
be, our ancient Mennonite faith grew
up out of the same soil as did that of
the followers of Waldo in 1170.
1523— Melclioir Hoffman's Religious
Labors in Zuricli.
Melchoir Hoffman born in Swabia,
(anciently the Northern part of
Switzerland; and as we have seen,
home of a branch of the Herr family)
was a tanner by trade about 1523, in
Waldshut When the movement of re
ligious reformation began, which
emanated from Zurich, inspired him
with the contents of the Bible which
many common people now first began
to read, he became a great student of
it and learned it. In the Wald, in
Switzerland, he began to make his
faith known. Even in Zurich as
Zwingli says, in a letter dated 1523,
this pious Anabaptist's work and ac
tivity were felt Hoffman went fur
ther than Zwingli. He did not stop
with the " Reformed " principles but
embraced what were then Anabap
tists' views, similar to the new Men
nonite non - resistant doctrine. Zwin
gli says of him, " The good-for-
nothing fellow who dresses hides has
turned up here as an evangelist and
has brought me under suspicion."
Contemporaries speak of Hoffman as
a man of strictly moral walk and con- |

versation, — having great eloquence
and holy zeal for the cause, (See
Brons, p. 373). I mention him be
cause his is a familiar Lancaster
county name; and because he seems
to have been a vessel filled with Men
nonite doctrine in and about Zurich,
the home of many of our eastern
Pennsylvanians' ancestors.
1523— Zurich Officials Favor the New
Religion, But Fear the Estab
lished Church.
In Dr. Emil Egli's Zurichter Weid-
ertaufer (p. 8), it is stated that the
Government was in sympathy with
the great mass of people rising from
the corruption in religious matters
and freeiiig themselves to do their
own thinking as the Bible taught
them; but against the Roman Church
as an institution did nothing. The
Government went only so far as the
public compelled. The Government
held back as long as it could says
Egli, and therefore so much more jeal
ous became the Reformers. Zwing
lians, Lutherans and Evangelicals all
had strong friends in the Government
officers.
1523 — The Anabaptist (Mennonite)
Movement in Zurich,
Says Dr. Egli, (p. 10), the Evangeli
cals showed as much zeal as the Re
formed and Lutherans. Simon Stumpf
of Hongg, near Zurich, began teach
ing the mild doctrine; and Rouplin
seems to have taught the same doc
trine in Wyttikon, Switzerland. At
least the Council in the Spring of 1523
took action with regard to the tithes
of his congregation. That is, that un
like the Lutherans and Reformed,
(who while they did not longer prac
tice the doctrine of the Roman
Church, continued to give tithes
for the use of the buildings in which
they worshipped, as they were the
property of the Catholic Church),
Rouplin asserted that his congrega-

14

EARLY MENNONITE LEADERS

tion was cut loose entirely from the
Roman Church and that the buildings
belonged to this congregation. So
they refused to pay tithes and they
not only ceased worshipping, but took
down and removed the pictures of the
Virgin and various saints. Thus we
learn that soon a radical party was
gathered, and opposed this delay of
the Government. From this founda
tion the Zurich Anabaptism or Men-
nonitism took its rise, says Egli.
1523— Jacob and Klaus HoIIinger,
(Taufers).
In 1523 we find two more now fam
iliar Lancaster county names in
Switzerland. Egli tells us (p. 11) that
the delay in the Zurich Government
to recognize and encourage the re
formed spirit made the Evangelicals
all the more insistent, especially the
zealous Jacob and Klaus HoIIinger,
who preached the Mennonite faith
and aroused the county of Zollikon
in Switzerland. In June, 1523 they
demanded the communion in both
forms, and insulted the priests. In
September, Klaus HoIIinger taught in
Statehoffen that the pictures of the
virgin should all be taken down and
later became a thorough Baptist
among a company of them in St.
Gallen, and was very bitter against
the "pictures". Soon after Jacob be
gan making most dreadful expres
sions about the mass. They created
a great public explosion in religion
by 1524. And says Egli, (p. 13)
Stumpf, of whom we have spoken
above continued his "awkward preach
ing and other matters" so much that
he was entirely banished from the
city and country.
1523— William Reublin Becomes a
Mennonite at Wittikon.
This Reublin says Brons (p. 23)
had become pastor at Wittikon in
Zurich. He left papacy and was pub
licly married. And at Wittikon at
the Corpus Christi he proceeded the

procession, with a beautifully bound
Bible, with the proclamation, "This is
your Venerable — this is your Sanc
tuary — all else is dust and ashes."
The "venerable" is the bread and
wine after the prayer.
1523 — ZwingU Converts the Govern-
ment Officials.
Brons tells us (p. 17) that Zwingli
was now exercising such power that
the council orderd that he might give
a public disputation of his religion.
Therefore, the Zurich authorities is
sued a proclamation that such dispu
tation would be allowed January 3,
1523. Upon this permission Zwingli
worked out 67 theses in which he
clearly set forth his doctrine in an
emphatic way. The opponents did
not reply and so the council ordered
it made public that "since no one rose
against Magister Huddrich Zwingli to
prove his error, or with divine Holy
Scripture to overcome him, the burg
omasters, council and great council
of the City of Zurich have resolved
after mature consideration and it is
their will that Zwingli continue as he
has done hitherto to proclaim and
preach the Evangelical (3rOspel and
scriptures according to the Spirit of
God. And the other ministers of the
word also in City and country shall
teach and preach nothing else than
what they are able with the Evangel
ical doctrine and authority of the
Holy Scripture to prove. And all in
sult to this religion is forbidden under
penalty." This surely was no mean triumph
in the cause of the old Evangelical
faith, first given to the world by the
Waldenses and handed down by them
to the Mennonites and to Lutherans
and Reformed.
The doctrine had also spread by
1523 into Holland, Brabant and
Flanders and also a year or two later
into the Netherlands, where Menno
Simon was its great advocate, (Brons,
P. 60).

EARLY MENNONITE CONFESSIONS AND WRITINGS

15

1523 — The Beginnings of a Mennonite
Confession of Faith.
While the first confession of faith
set forth in the Martyrs' Mirror is
dated 1625, there are to be found
some of the rudiments of a confession
one hundred years earlier.
In 1523 as Brons tells us (p. 53) a
catechism of the Bohemian brethren
appeared in German and Bohemian
language, in which it was taught that
it was not lawful to worship the sac
rament of the Altar. This was about
the same time that Michael Sattler
(M. Mirror) was accused of the new
custom of eating and drinking the
bread and wine.
This catechism caused Luther to
issue a "broadside" with the title "A
Little Scripture Concerning the Wor
ship of the Sacrament of the Holy
Body of Jesus Christ to the Brethren
of Bohemia and of Moravia, known
as Wald." In this broadside we read
at the beginning, "There is a little
book issued by your people in Ger
man and Bohemian to instruct the
young children in a Christian way, in
which among other things it is said
that Christ is not independent and
natural and the altar is not to be
worshipped, which almost moves us
Germans, for you must know how I
through your delegates requested you
that you should make this article
clear also in a little book for our
people." Brons tells us also (p. 420) that the
Moravians had entered into relations
with Luther who issued a broadside
to the Moravians, know nas Waldens
es. Many Catholics went over to
these Mennonites of Moravia and per
mitted themselves to be baptized
again and thus ' brought upon them
great persecution."
In all this we see that the founders
of the Mennonite faith were as early
and as active as those of the Re
formed and Lutherans, etc.

1523— Early Martyr Manuscrpits in
the Mennonite Congrt^gation Li
brary at Amsterdam.
The following information is taken
from two anonymous German old
Baptist Manuscripts of the Mennonite
Congregational Library in Amster
dam. The first is quarto in size_and is en
titled, "History Book of the Martyrs
of Christ, who in this our time in all
places of German Lands for the sake
of the faith and Godly truth have
been executed with fire, water and the
sword. What was transacted and en
deavored in many ways with them.
How they steadfast and comforted
were. Also what German persecu
tions and trouble the congregation has
suffered in this last time." This
writing extends from 1523 to 1618.
The second is Octavo and has the
following title, "Description of the
History Briefiy Comprehended, How
God Has Acted with his Faithful to
His own Fame and Praise, from . the
Beginning of the World and has
proved Himself Mighty till the Pre
sent Time." This extends to 1594.
(See Brons, p. 419).
These are the earliest manuscript
accounts preserved of the sufferings
of the ancient Waldenses, Old Evan
gelicals, Old Baptists, Anabaptists,
etc., out of whom grew the Menno
nites, the Reformed, Lutherans and
Moravians, etc. They have no doubt
all since been printed.
1523 — ^Anabaptists Separatists in Zur
ich Compelled to Pay Papal Tithes.
We have shown before that what
distinguished those of the general
Reformation from those called the
Brethren (in doctrine Mennonites)
who also joined the reform movement
was that, the latter refused to pay
tithes to the papal church for use of
the church buildings. The Govern
ment thought that these tithes should
be paid and the great Council of

16

LUTHERANS AND MENNONITES DIFFER ON BAPTISM

Zurich passed a resolution, January
22, 1523, that the right of the church
to demand tithes must be enforced.
All who use the churches must pay
the tithes. So these Anabaptists or
Mennonites had to do so, (Miiller, p.
8).1523— An Old Anabaptist Belief That
Children Should Not and Need Not
Be "Taken Into Church".
A different conception toward the
church was entertained by these
Anabaptists from that of the Re
formed. The church of the Reformed
was viewed like the Roman church
by its believers as a lawful commun
ion, to which the children and minors
belonged. The congregation of the
Mennonites (or Brethren) was ac
cording to old tradition, customs and
practices, a voluntary union of the
faithful. These must have the right
to receive and also expel members.
The church of the Reformed was held
by them as an institution for learn
ing and Christian and intellectual
growth for all, and they therefore
held they did not dare refuse the
children or anyone else the means of
grace. The Reformed believed in
children coming in as children to be
taught and the church as a school;
but early Anabaptists believed only
in adults being admitted, (Miiller, p.
9.) So their ways naturally parted
more and more. Also when in Octo
ber, 1523, the question was raised as
to abolishing the mass, Zwingli
wanted to place the decision in the
hands of the Council while Pastor Si
mon Stumpf (Mennonite) protested
against this, saying "You have not
the power to do this, to give the de
cision into the hands of the lords of
this or any other place." The Zwingli
party was successful, and in this way
the form of a state church was pre
ordained, whose forms and procedure
the State Council commanded. Hence
forth union between Reformed and

Mennonites was impossible. The for
mer became the state church and the
latter the refugee body, (Miiller, p.
9).
1524 — Early Difference Between Luth-
eran and Mennonite Forms, Etc.
Ernst Muller says (p. 11), that
Luther in his book concerning bap
tism published in Wittenberg, in
1523-25, retained all the Roman
church ceremonies. They were as
follows: — the child to be baptized
was first exorcised through breath>-
ing upon him — salt was then put into
his mouth — the cross was made upon
him — his nose and ears were touched
with spittle — the head was anointed
with oil and in doing all this a burn
ing candle was held in the hand.
Even in the book of Concord the for
mula is found. "I conjure thee, thou
unclean spirit in the name of the
Father, Son and Holy Ghost that thou
come out from this servant of
Christ" In this report concerning the con
secration of the Minister of Basil un
to the Anabaptists there, whom he re
cently joined, Kalonford, a former
Lutheran Reformer, says, "It was
thrown up to me that we performed
ceremonies in the baptism of chil
dren — that we conjured the Devil —
that we gave the children salt — burn
a candle — that we used spittle, etc. I
did not want to defend this or excuse
it for I, myself, don't approve of it at
all." Now from the beginning the Ana
baptists or Mennonites refused to
make use of these ceremonies of bap
tism or believe in them. Their bap
tism was as simple as possible. Just
us Menius Pratorius and other Luth
eran theologians however, expressly
attributed great importance to the ex
orcism. But Hans Denck broke off from this
belief and he and his followers came
to the Anabaptism belief saying that

ANABAPTIST (MENNONITE) POEMS AND LEADERS

17

the new born child is pure and not
possessed of the Devil. And this is
often expressed in Baptist writings,
(Miiller, p. 11).
1524 — Early Anabaptists or Mennonite
Poems.
Among the Bernese Productions
appear these two lyric Anabaptist
poems, which show how in early days
the Mennonite views of baptism then
existed in Switzerland. By a free
translation and reversification, I
render them as set forth below. The
first is directed against exorcism in
baptism of children, and is as follows :
So that our God might be despoiled,
of his great name;
As if could be in his pure offspring
Found a blame;
A little child, without a sin;
Which God into this world has sent;
And new created pure within;
"Its soul is lost", their cry is spent.
They take it quickly in their power
And say, "Expelled and out of it we
clean
Sin and Devil from this hour."
Though they themselves are steeped
in sin.
And this also is found on the sub
ject of Christian Companionship:
In the inner light from- our God we
can see
Into every one there now cometh a
ray;
And the soul that is bright with these
beams shall be
The chamber of Christ and his spir
itual way.
All they who receive this light from
the giver,
Shall have joy and day in their
souls forever.
1524 — Revolt Against Infant Baptism
in Zurich.
Egli tells us (p. 18) that from the
spring of 1524, Ruplin had begun to
preach against infant baptism, and

parents began to be opposed to it be
cause of these sermons, and quit
bringing their children. Finally
about August, the Town council sum
moned two fathers and demanded of
them why they do not have their chil
dren baptized. One had a boy about
a year and a half old. These parents
appealed to Ruplin's sermons and said
they believed what he preached. One
of the parents said that Ruplin de
clared that if he had a child he would
not have it baptized, until It came to
years of understanding, and could
choose its own sponsors. This father
also . appealed to his neighbors who
followed his course. Ruplin was put
in jail, and a commission was ap
pointed to examine his doctrine. It
consisted of preachers, the Abbot of
Kappel, the Clerk of Kiiusnoch (Ec
clesiastical clerk), the provost of Em-
brach and four delegates of Council.
In addition to investigation they were
to have all unbaptized infants imme
diately baptized.
1524 — Miinzer, Greybel & Manz, and
Mennonitism.
The last named author says (p. 19)
that the time and place when and
where their doctrine came from are
not definitely known; but it is be
lieved that the widely circulated writ
ings of the German head of the Ana
baptists, Thomas Miinzer were much
read in Zurich, for when in Septem
ber, 1524, Miinzer travelled in Wals-
hut and remained eight weeks in Grie-
ssen, the restless spirits of Zurich, es
pecially Conrad Greybell and Felix
Manz visited him and frequently they
took in the Anabaptism preached by
Miinzer. Miinzer, however, became a
war anabaptist and believed that they
who believed in the new faith ought
to fight for it.
1524 — Materials for the Martyr Book
Collected.
About this time, too (says Brons, p.
237), there was a great deal of ma-

18

MUENZER AND GRAYBILL'S LABORS

terial collected about the sufferings
of the early martyrs, as a means to
increase the faith and the courage of
those who were suffering now. Hands
and hearts were in it and many old
matters and rhymes were found and
made new. Some preachers of the
¦"fatherland" at whose head was Hans
de Ries, undertook to make a new
¦edition with increased contents.
These collections were made into a
iDOok, at Hoarlam, a large quarto
with ten pictures, bound in leather
with copper hooks and corners. The
title was, "History of the Martyrs or
the True Witnesses of Jesus Christ
Who Witnessed the Evangelical Truth
Under Many Tortures, and Establish
ed Them With Their Blood, since
the year 1524." Their confessions of
faith were also added and their dis
putations which express their living
liope and mighty faith and love to
God and his Holy Truth.
1524— Mennonite Growth in the Neth
erlands, (Holland).
By the last quoted author we are
told also, (p. 244) that the number of
those who had left the Roman church
in the Netherlands, as early as 1524
through the infiuence of the writings
of these fathers of the faith (consid-
able of it being because of Luther's
writings) according to the report of
Peter of Thabor, (in Monch, in the
Cloister of Thabor, or Thires, near
Sneek a contemporary of Menno
Simon) had become so great that the
Pope the same year called a secret
council in regard to the matter. It
was resolved and proclaimed by the
Council that in Holland the Pope
would grant all backsliders for God's
sake, absolution of all their sins,
without money if they would come
back and come to confession, keep the
feasts, pray according to prescription
of their church and not neglect the
sacrament of the altar.

This item is highly interesting to us
in Lancaster county because it gives
us light on the condition in Holland
at the beginning of the Mennonite
faith, the country where it started. It
tells us of the vigorous hold it had on
the people; and how anxious the
Catholic Church was to stop it. That
not simply a bishop or other high
church oflBcer was moved to bring
back the Anabaptists, but the power
ful pope himself, shows that it was
regarded very seriously by the
Church. And that such a wonderful
concession was made to forgive all
those people their sins without them
being required to pay for it, when by
the ordinary course of things the for
giveness of the sins of such a multi
tude would have meant thousands of
thalers (dollars) out of their pockets
and into the pockets of the priests,
shows how it was viewed. But the an
cient fathers bravely withstood this
munificient offer from the head of
their former Church, having since
learned that salvation is free to all
"whosoever will."
1524 — Miinzer's Anabaptists Attacked.
About this same time says Brons
(p. 31) Zwingli published a broadside
against the turbulent Miinzer and in
it alluded to Greybell and Manz.
Thereby Greybell was induced to send
out of jail a defense to the Council of
Zurich in 1524. He did not want to
be considered as a person who incited
to riot in his religious teachings, or
spoke anything that would lead to it.
Miinzer as we have seen as an Ana
baptist was of so determined a nature
that he taught tlie people should defy
opposition to God's truth as he saw
it and Greybell did not want to be
considered any other than, the mild
and defenseless Mennonite. Inter
est is found in this item from the fact
that it contains the well known promi
nent and honorable Lancaster county
name, Greybill.

BATTLER'S EXECUTION: THE GRAYBILL MENNONITES

19

1525— Michael Sattier's Efforts in An-
abaptism.
Michael Sattler of Stauflen was a
monk of St. PeterB in the Black For
est and had gone over to Anabaptism
in 1525 in the region of Zurich. He
was expelled from that place but con
tinued his work in his home and was
the founder of several congregations
at Horb and Rotenburg. He is de
scribed by Swiss and Strasburg
preachers as a highly honorable.
quiet and learned man. "Golden
Apples in Silver Pitchers" an Ana
baptist book of 1742 contains his fare
well letter to the congregation in
Horb, the events of his trial and his
parting song. In 1527 he was cruelly
executed and his wife was drowned.
Unshelm, the Berne writer of the
chronicles described the cruel execu
tion in a tone very pathetic and pays
a noble tribute to Anabaptism. Un
shelm was a fellow sufferer as he
was also a prisoner, but whether an
Anabaptism or Lutheran is not clear,
(Miiller, p. 38). Battler's death is al
so described in Martyrs' Mirror, p.
401. 1525 — Early Anabaptists of Berne.
Miiller tells us (p. 23) that in
Berne there were Baptists in 1525 of
whom the ministers of the Council
tell. Mention is made of them in a
letter of H. Bullinger which he wrote
from Kappel, Switzerland to Hein-
rich Simler in Berne. John Jacob
Simler dates the letter about 1525;
and he says according to the manu
script or letter Bullinger writes, "In
order that you may not get into the
community of the society of Baptists,
etc.," which is conclusive that the
Baptists existed about Berne at this
early date. The letter also sets out,
"It has come to us through the com
mon report of many people, how with
those also at Berne the doctrine of
Anabaptists hag been introduced and

which renders me friendly to the ef
forts there, etc."
This item is of interest to the
people of Lancaster county because
Berne is the place from which the
first settlers of this county came two
hundred years ago — Swiss Mennonites
who were the descendants of those
Anabaptists spoken of in 1525 and de
scendants of similar believers in and
about Zurich.
1525 — More Zurich Anabaptists Ex
amined.
A very zealous stranger who had
come to Zurich was a man of peculiar
habits called Blaurock. He was to
be taken by ship with his wife to his
home in Chur and there he was to be
kept and if he came again about Zur
ich he was to be tortured into silence.
His doctrine was to be passed on by
three secular preachers and six mem
bers of Council at Zurich, among
whom were Hans Hager and Ulrich
Funk; and the two schoolmasters
were also to take part in examining
him. Bullinger reports that the Bap
tists in the disputation proved no
more than before. Zwingli appealed
to Graybill who behaved himself as
if the Savior was present. And others
tell of the testimony the Baptists gave
of the joy and relief they felt after
they were baptized over again, (Zur.,
p. 30).
1525 — The Graybill Anabaptists or
Mennonites of 1525.
The congregation of Anabaptists
had by 1525 had so far now become
established that they caused the
Council of Zurich to admit they were
beyond control. There were by this
tirrie thirteen different religious Re
formed bodies that had broken off the
Ca,tholic Church and nearly all em
braced some part of the Anabaptist
faith. One branch was called the free
or rude brethren who condemned in
fant baptism and baptized their ad-

20

GREAT SPREAD OF MENNONITISM

herents anew. Aside from these was
the party of Graybill Anabaptists
known as the quiet Baptists who kept
themselves aloof from the other Men
nonites or Anabaptists. But Zwingli
said he much feared in the end they
would combine. This was away back
in 1525, (Brons, p. 25).
1525 — Anabaptism Gaining from Luth-
eranism.
About 1525 when Anabaptism be
gan to spread whole town and coun
ties which did not adhere to Luther
began to flock to Anabaptism and
thousands who had been Lutherans
went over into their camps. They
showed an enthusiasm and a courage
to the death that had for its example
only that of the times of early Chris
tianity and its martyrs. This was the
condition throughout Germany, (Miil
ler, p. 14).
152.) — Eastward Spread of Anabap
tism or Mennonitism
Miiller tells us (p.93) that in. Zurich
the powers greatly reduced Anabap
tism by force which had in 1525 and 6
spread over Schauffhausen, Basil,
Wald and other parts of Switzerland,
from the neighboring Cantons. But
it found entrance into Swabia and in
the Tyrol in early times. Especially
when Zurich began to drown the Ana
baptists and when the fall of Wald
brought new threats to the itinerant
messengers of the Baptists who
looked for a new theatre. Blaurach
especially from Zurich turned to
Graubunden when he had established
a congregation of Anabaptists at
Manz; and . from there to Tyrol to
gather a flock for the Lord. Ruplin
and Sattler went to Alsace and on to
Swabia where they found the soil
ready by the Augsburgers (Luther
ans) labors— and in a short time
stood at the head of seven congrega
tions of Anabaptists or Mennonites.
Hatzler promulgated Anabaptism in

Nuremburg, Augsburg and along the
Rhine; Jacob Gross of Wald in Stras
burg, etc. In Passau, Regensburg
and Miinchen congregations of Ana
baptists arose who kept themselves in
communion with the brethren in
Swabia and Upper Rhine and press
ing forward to the Danube, estab
lished the same in Austria, Slazburg,
Spener, Lenz and Stein. Even Vi
enna had congregations of Anabap
tists. 1526 — Jacob Gross's Mennonit* Labors
in Strasburg.
For a time in Strasburg there was
a disposition not to incline either to
ward Wittenburg and Lutheranism or
to Zurich toward Reform Religion;
and this gave Mennonitism a chance.
And thus it was that Jacob Gross was
able to lead an Anabaptism movement
in that region. Gross' main doctrine
was that the Gospels teach there
should not be infant baptism but that
baptism should be given only to
grown persons as a seal of their
faith. He also taught that one must
not take an oath. Thus he was a
leader of the faith there. (Brons 408).
1526 — Graybill and Manz Give the
Reasons for Their Faith.
These Anabaptist leaders -were sev
eral times examined for their faith.
At one of the examinations in 1526
Graybill said that a careful study of
the scriptures had brought him to
.4.nabaptism. He held that no Chris
tian could defend by the sword. The
warlike Anabaptist, Blauroch from
his prison wrote that Graybill and
Blanz and himself were acknowledged
Anabaptists as early as 1526 and
that they were all ready to die for
their principles. He went so far as
to write that the Pope, the Lu
therans and Zwinglians and Judas
were all the same class, that is mur
derers of Christ. He said baptism of
children comes from the Evil One.
This same Blauroch time and again

VARIOUS ANABAPTIST REFORMERS

21

declared he wanted to debate with
Zwingli, and such a debate was ar
ranged but Egli says he departed a
confused man. (Zur. 54).
1526— Zurich Tries to Get the Ana
baptists Back to the Former
Faith.
Brons tells us (p. 47) that the Coun
cil of 200 tried in 1526 to bring the
deluded Anabaptists or Mennonites
back to the former faith because their
movement hurt the government, and
tended to the destruction of order,
and to bring this about they put sev
eral men and women to prison. Also
there was a proclamation issued that
nowhere in the land henceforth shall
any one presume to baptize again a
person who has once been baptized;
and any one who should violate this
decree was to be tried and drowned.
1526 — Advance and Growth of Ana
baptism in Netherlands.
Brons tells us (p. 60) that in 1526
about Zurich an announcement or
public proclamation was made in sub
stance that as many of the subjects
have been reading the writings of the
new Reformers in religion that now
no one shall secretly or publicly as
sent to the opinions in the books of
Luther, Romerani, Karlstadt, Melan-
thon, Lambert! or others, and that all
these books are to be gathered up
within three days anti be burnt.
(Brons 60).
1526 — Menno Simon Not Disturbed by
the Above Order.
Says Brons at the same page Menno
Simon did not suffer himself to be
disturbed in the least by this order;
and his fellow preachers also paid no
attention to it — but they all kept on
reading these interdicted writings and
especially in regard to baptism. And
it is laid down that Menno Simon said
"these men taught me that by means
of Baptism children were made clean
of hereditary and original sin. I test

ed it and found by the scripture that
such doctrine is contrary to the teach
ing of Christ. Afterwards he says I
went to Luther, and he said children
are to be baptized on their own faith.
This was wrong. Then I went to oth
ers and they said the child should be
baptized to make parents more care
ful. This Bucerrus told me. Then I
went to Bullingerus and he called my
attention to the old covenant of cir-
cumcism and said infant baptism was
to be used istead of that; but I found
this would not stand with the scrip
tures." Then Menno Simon took a
view different from all these and what
he felt accorded with the scriptures.
(Do.)
1526 — Some Other Mennonite Reform
ers at This Date.
Muller tells us (p. 194) that in 1526
when Reuplin, Gross, Sattler, Denck,
Haetzer and Kautz and finally Hoff
man in a united way were carrying
on Anabaptism in Strasburg and sur
rounding countries, there was in spite
of temporary banishment of former
leaders a good footing gained. This
kept on growing so that in 1555 there
was at Strasburg the first important
synod of the Baptists or Mennonites
held, which brought unanimity to the
leading spirits in the inflamed times
that were to follow.
After many more items on early
times we will hasten to the times
that more nearly concern America.
1527 — Anabaptism or Mennonitism
Among the High Germans.
About the year 1527 Baptist con
gregations had become established in
all the regions of the High German
language, and' the new religion had
become fixed in those places. There
was a network of small congregations
from Alsace to Breslau, and from
Kessen to Etchland. The center of
this region was Augsburg. Neither
in Germany or in Switzerland can the

22

BAPTIST OR MENNONITE FACTIONS

growth of this vigorous Mennonitism
be considered as growing from any
particular center — it grew from dif
ferent centers at the same time. In
cities it took hold and there was soon
intercourse from city to city by visit
ing brethren. The whole of Zurich
was at this time a center of Anabap
tism — and also were Basil — Zolloth-
urn, Berne, Freiburg and other cities
of Switzerland. Muller (20).
1527 — Hupmeier, Banished for His
Mennonite Faith.
Miiller tells us (p. 94) that Dr.
Hupmeier, now Hoofmeier or Hoff-
mier about 1527 was banished from
Zurich, on account of his faith and he
went to the wilds of Switzerlnad and
founded an asylum for those who
were determined to carry on the Evan
gelical or- Anabaptist religion. He
found that the opposition to him was
not so much from the Catholics as
from the Zwinglians or Reformed
people — and in Walshut the over
coming of the Rebellion party, led by
Blauroch and others who professed
the Mennanite faith, but still who
were "resistants" made it impossible
there.1527— A Primitive Anabaptist Synod
Begun by Sattler.
The same author quoted above (p.
10) says that at \wo small synods
held at Augsburg in 1526 and 7 the
Swiss took no part; but on the other
hand in 1527 at a meeting of the south
Germans, who were under the leader
ship of Sattler there were such gath
erings held at Schlott on the Rand
and at Strasburg, at which Swiss
Mennonites as well as Germans were
present.
1527— Lutheranism Rises Up Against
Mennonites or Baptists.
Shortly before the beginning of the
year 1527 Luther had a sermon print
ed in which he attacked the Baptists
says Brons (p. 411). In his eyes the

rise of these Baptists involved liberty
of conscience, the very thing he fought
for and yet he denied it to them. The
result of it was that at Strasburg an
order was issued against the Baptists
or Mennonites and they were exiled.
Their enemies of the town' of Stras
burg followed up Luther's lead by
publishing a document in which they
warned the people against Kautz, a
Mennonite leader. The title of the
book was "A Faithful Warning of the
Servants of God at Strasburg Against
the Sermons which Jacob Kautz, a
Preacher in Worms has Published."
Thus by this early date a fact almost
incredible appears, — that the different
branches of the new religion were at
odds with each other.
1527 — More Anabaptists Trouble
About Zurich.
We are told (Zur. 62) that at the
end of 1527 about 30 Baptists met at
Hein, and the report was spread their
next meeting would be in a church —
that they now had friends and funds
enough to own a church. When the
council of Zurich (Zur. 64) sent its
delegates in 1527 to the General As
sembly they were instructed to bring
up the subject of whether Christ's
teachings were not that all were sub
ject to the government, and whether
the Anabaptist movement was not
spiritually wrong. When it was found
that five Baptists known of old had
gone there too as delegates from Zol
likon it aroused suspicion and the
council of Zurich were doubly angry.
These Baptist delegates confessed
that they had themselves sent as
delegates so that they could know
whether their brethren were to be de
creed to be drowned, according to the
desire of the council, so that if that
was the decision reached they would
know it early and could go and visit
the brethren and comfort them so
that they should be firm, for Christ
had taught clearly that they should
visit the brethren in prison.

WORMS AND ZURICH IN UPROAR

23

The Council at Zurich now tried
suasion (Zur. 64). They Invited the
confederacy of Baptitsts-from Berne,
Basil, Schaffausen, Chur, Appenzel
and St. Gallen, all in Switzerland to
meet at Zurich, Monday after St. Law
rence day in 1527, stating that it could
be shown to them that their aim was
the destruction not only of true right
eousness and inner faith of the Chris
tian Religion but also the outward or
dinances of Christian and orderly gov
ernment, against brotherly love and
good morals. (Do. 65).
1527 — Zurich Decree Against Menno
nite Street Preaching.
In the latter part of 1527, (Zur., p.
70) a decree was sent out to the
Bailiffs or Sheriffs about Zurich,
dated the 16th of December, to spot
out all the Baptist or Mennonite
preachers who were preaching on the
corners of the streets and trying to
get the people to withdraw from the
Catholic Church. Some of these
preachers were foreigners from Hol
land and parts of Germany. The de
cree was that they were to be arrest
ed and taken to Wellenberg, but to be
dismissed on paying 5 Pound penalty.
Following this decree there were sev
eral arrests in the Lowlands. From
this we see a new difficulty arising
that often appears in the Baptist
movement in this that there was cor
ruption among the clergy; and these
Baptist preachers were accused of
some of this corruption. But the
truth is that the corruption was not
among them but that the established
Church needed stricter discipline.
Egli says at the same page that this
section of the country is the chief
hearth or location of the third period
of the Baptist movement, that is, in
and about Zurich.
1527 — Great Martyrdom of Anabap
tism About Worms.
In Brons' work, (p. 180) he tells us
that according to recent research

among the "Staats-Archivars", that
is, the Archives in charge of the gov
ernment, by Dr. Keller, that in Miin-
ster where a work on Anabaptism
came to light, that Hans Denck who
in Worms in 1527 sought refuge, was
perhaps the most important of the
teachers of the German Baptists of
that time. He further says that
Denck found here, as he had in Augs
burg enthusiastic adherents, who
recognized in the man there a gospel
messenger of genuine gold. One of
his adherents, a Lutheran preacher,
named Kautz, alHxed a series of theses
to the theological Cloister at Worms,
June 9, 1527. Challenged by this the
Lutherans aud Catholics arrayed
themselves against the Baptists and
the whole city went into uproar.
The Baptists in Worms were in
such large majority that Wolfgang
Capito, four days before the theses
were fixed, wrote to Zurich that the
City of Worms had by a public agree
ment seceded from the word of God,
that is, he meant there were so many
of these Anabaptists and Mennonites
about that it looked as if they were
about the only people in the district.
This Capito was not a Baptist; he
was a Lutheran, but in some ways
agreed with Denck.
Soon, however, the opponents of
the Baptists succeeded in stirring up
the Elector against them, which was
a hard task. All they had to do to
these defeiiseless people was to re
ward them as the same kind as the
Munzerites and the Zwickauerites,
who disregarded infant baptism and
so made it appear that these real Bap
tists belonged to the same class. We
remember these Miinzerites and oth
ers were not regarded as sincere and
were looked upon more as persons
who simply took a delight in making
trouble; Miinzer, their leader, was
always trying to quarrel; henceforth
the Baptists in the Palatinate were
persecuted by the united spiritual and
worldly powers in such a terrible man-

24

ANCIENT AUTHORITY ON BAPTISM

ner that in a short time 350 of these
harmless people were executed. This
aroused many who did not agree with
these Anabaptists or Mennonites but
who were impressed by the steadfast
ness and who had read many writings
of Hans Denck. Among these friends
of the Mennonites . was a preacher
named John Odeiibach and he wrote a
letter to the Judges and said, "Behold
with what great and patient love and
devotion these pious people died —
how knightly they withstood the world
and how they can not be vanquished
because o^ the truth. They have suf
fered violence but they prosper be
cause they are the holy martyrs of
God."
1527 — Ancient Authority of the Ana
baptists on Baptism.
The same author, last mentioned
(p. 44) tells us that the Anabaptists or
Mennonites' view of baptism as it was
in 1527 is expressed in an old work
as follows: "At his baptism by John
Christ called baptism a righteousness
and when the Publicans were baptiz
ed by John he called it a Council of
God, therefore, children are not to be
baptized because they need no repen
tance and know nothing of righteous
ness and Council of God; further
Christ says after his resurrection, he
who believes and is baptized shall be
saved but he who does not believe
will be dammed." Thus it is said by
this writer that no one could be bap
tized except those who understand
and believe and therefore children
can not be baptlzed.This work further
says for this reason children will not
be condemned and the Savior only
speaks of those who understand to
know good and evil shall be in danger
after they do the evil but as to the
rest he says they are simple minded
and must be aware that false prophets
do not lead them astray. So to them
baptism would only be an outer sign
and would not mean anything.

1527 — Death of the Mennonite Patriot
Manz.
We are told by Brons, (p. 40) that
when Felix Manz, of whom we have
spoken of before was taken out on the
ship to death by drowning "and when
he stood there ready to be martyred,
beneath him the fioods of the Lake of
Zurich — above him the blue sky —
around him the great mountains with
their sun-illumined summits — his
soul raised itself in sight of death
above these and when on one side a
preacher sympathetically spoke to
him that he should be converted to
the Catholic faith again, he scarcely
heard it; but he heard the voice of
his mother standing on the other side
and his brethren with her, who at the
same time prayed that he should re
main steadfast; and he sang when
they fettered him, with a loud voice
and said, 'Into thy hands, O Lord, I
cpmmit my spirit' and soon after the
waves covered him from sight." This
happened in January, 1527. Brons
gives us a very vivid picture of the
event, etc.
1527 — First German and Austrian
Mennonite Leaders.
The <jame author says (p. 412) that
in this year Sattler, Denck, and
Haetzler had gone from Worms to
preach the Anabaptist or Mennonite
doctrine. Sattler went to Rotenburg
in the Necker and the other two went
to Augsburg. Here they met Kautz,
Jacob Gross and Jacob Dascher and
Sigmund Salminger and other friends,
all important men, who asserted a
great influence on the congregations;
and all prepared to risk their lives
for their faith in the certainty that
that faith was according to the gen
uine spirit of the doctrine of Christ.
Christianity seemed to them a power
of God that rendered men capable to
be a follower of Christ as it had also
renedered the first Christian martyrs.
Therefore, they had courage to stand
up for their convictions in spite of

SECOND PERIOD OF MENNONITISM

25

disgrace and contumely — in spite of
torture and death. They were con
vinced that their affair was God's and
that they were the leaven for later
generations. This kept them stead
fast through the horrible events in
which they saw everywhere the breth
ren, singly and in groups, robbed, ex
pelled and tortured and killed women
as well as men.
In Austria they were smoked out of
the caves and camps, burnt as fast as
convicted and the officers who ar
rested them got their property. It
was horrible there. Haetzler was
overtaken too. In one of the old
manuscripts the death of Haetzler is
told. He was learned in several lan
guages and in holy scripture. At the
time of his departure he made a beau
tiful speech, which moved many to
tears, and he composed a song which
is still in use in Switzerland and other
places. In this we see some of the earliest
attempts to act as a group of minis
ters or a collective body to give the
new Anabaptist religion its organiza
tion.
1527 — King of Denmark favors a Men
nonite Leader.
The same author says, (p. 377) that
Hoffmeier about 1527 attracted the at
tention of the King of Denmark, who
examined his doctrine and made him
preacher in the province of Kiel; and
he soon had his own printing press,
which the King assisted him in secur
ing as he had no means himself but
it excited the envy of other preachers.
Brons tells us later, however, that
this Danish Mennonite let his fancy
and zeal carry him away. And when
ever he had time he got to reading
that part of the Bible which excited
his fancy and led him into hallucina
tions, viz: — the tabernacle of Moses,
the dress of Aaron, the Priest, the
Exodus of the Children of Egypt, etc.
From these he deduced the number
four as the sacred number, which dis

turbed his idea of the Trinity for a.
time. Thus he said we had the four
gospels. And he preached about the
four rivers — the four colors of silk —
the four horns of the Altar and the
four animals of Ezekiel — and these he
made more important than the gospel.
"So he got a little off." Hoffmeier
brought about much evil. His agree
ment with Luther was kept and
Luther, therefore did not bother about
him because he did not attack Luther
very much. Luther however, wrote
to Kiel to his friends there that Hoff
meier was not right and that they
should not heed his doctrine.
In this we see that there was dan
ger of the early zeal carrying the
early fathers away as well as in these
later days.
1527— The Second Stage of the Ana
baptist Religion and Its Leaders.
The history of Anabaptism in 1526
to 1528 enters into its second period
at Zurich. After the victory in Zurich
had been decided by the State and the
Baptists had been oppressed, the
stronger of the Baptist leaders bring
the Anabaptist religion into its second
period in which the defeated found as
leaders, and supporters such strong
men as Balthaser, Hoffmeier and Jo-
hann Denck, the recognized new lead
ers. At that time Sebastian Frank, Capi
to and Kessler in Saint Gallen recog
nized fully the difference between the
Swiss brethren and Anabaptists in
the narrower sense when in 1527 at
Signau in Northwest Moravia, the
difference came openly to light. The
type of the Swiss brethren is more
that of the early martyrs, whose val
iant stand for their new Christianity
was brought out more prominent by
persecution, (Miiller, p. 10).
It is shown us in this item that
there were really different branches of
Anabaptism or Mennonite faith in
early times. The preachers through
out Switzerland being the more re-

26

HANS SECKLER AND GEORGE WAGNER

liable and serious. In parts of Ger
many and in Denmark we have no
ticed that the leaders were inclined
to try to do something odd and create
excitement.
1527— Hans Seckler's Enunciation of
Principles.
During the year 1527, Hans Seck-
ler had come from Basel to Berne,
both in Switzerland. Hans Dreier
and Heinrich Seller were present at
the Baptists' meeting or convention of
1528, and were, according to a manu
script in the Berne Library, drowned
in the Berne Lake in 1535. A minute
of the hearing against these people is
set out in the old books and the main
points that Seckler insisted upon
were as follows: (1) Baptism of chil
dren is a bad practice and can not
serve any good purpose. (2) Though
we do not take part in Government
we ought to be subject to Govern
ment, and we are. (3) The word of
Christ must remain and govern all
things — we are not to swear at all —
what Govenrment commands we will
do as long as it is not against God.
(4) The heart belongs to G'od and not
to men (he was surely not a Social
ist). (5) Paying taxes is all that is
imposed upon us and this a Christian
will always do. (6) As to paying in
terest we hold it the same as paying
tithes; if interest is usury so is pay
ing the tithes. (7) As to having sev
eral wives, he said that more than
one wife is wrong, but that he knew
of some Anabaptists who had several
wives in common, but most of them
did not believe in this doctrine, and
now I believe that all who used to fol
low are very sorry for it and that it is
stamped out. (8) As to the mass and
pictures of the Virgin and as to why
they do not enter churches in which
there are these pictures and idols in
the church, he said, he does not com
plain about it and those who want to
do so, may; neither do we say that
the women should not go into the

Church. (9) Infant baptism has no
foundation in the gospel but it was
only begun by the Pope. This does
not make it a gospel rite; because no
Christian practice can exist that is
not planned and set up by God him
self, (Muller, p. 42).
1527— George Wagner's Execution;
Also Others Put to Death.
In Martyr's Mirror, (p. 401) is given
the following account of the execution
of George Wagner in 1527.
"George Wagner, of Emmerich, was
apprehended at Munich, in Bavaria,
on account of four articles of the
faith. First, That the priest can not
forgive sins. Secondly, That he does
not believe a man can bring down
God from heaven. Thirdly, That he
does not believe that God or Christ
is bodily in the bread which the priest
has upon the altar; but that it is the
body of the Lord. Fourthly, That he
did not hold to the belief that water
baptism possessed any saving power.
As he would not renounce these arti
cles, he was most severely tormented,
so that the prince felt great compas
sion for him, and personally came to
him in the prison, and earnestly ad-
minished him thereto, promising that
he would call him his friend all his
lifetime. Thus also, the tutor of the
prince, earnestly admonished him to
recant, and likewise made him many
promises. Ultimately his wife and
child were brought before him in pris
on in order, on this wise to move him
to recant. But neither was he to be
moved in this way; for he said that
though his wife and child were so dear
10 him that the prince could not buy
them with all his dominion, yet he
would not forsake his God and Lord
on their account. Many priests and
others also came to himflJ but he was
steadfast and immovable in that which
God had given him to know. Hence he
was finally sentenced to the fire and
death.

ZURICH MORE SEVflRE THAN BERNE

27

Having been delivered into the
hands of the executioner, and led in
to the middle of the city, he said: 'To
day I will confess my God before all
the world.' He had such joy in Christ
Jesus, that his face did not pale, nor
his eyes show fear; but he went smil
ingly to the fire, where the execution
er bound him on the ladder, aud tied
a little bag of powder to his neck, at
which he said: "Be it done in the name
of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost;" and having smilingly bidden
farewell to a Christian who was
there, he was thrust into the fire by
the executioner, and happily offered
up his spirit, on the eighth day of
February, A. D. 1527. The sheriff how
ever, surnamed Eisenreich von Lands-
berg, while returning home from the
place of execution, travelling on
horseback, purposing to apprehend
others of the brethren, died suddenly
in the night, and was found dead in
his bed in the morning having thus
been removed through the wrath of
God. Melchior Vet, who was a compan
ion of George Blaurock of whom we
have spoken before, was also burned
at the same time that Michael Salter
was executed. Leonhard Keyser, the
same year, was drowned for having
accepted the doctrine of the Aanbap-
tists, (Martyrs' Mirror, pp. 403 and
405). The same year, Thomas Her
man and 67 others, and also at the
Hague and at other places in Hol
land, about 150 more were executed,
(M. Mirror, 406-9.).
1527 — Berne Asks Zurich How They
Exterminate the Mennonites
There.
On the 14th of September, of this
year, the Berne authorities wrote to
Zurich and informed them that they
had published a decree against the
Anabaptists or Menncinites to the
effect that they must stop practicing
the faith or leave the country, and

warning them that if they went into
any other part of Switzerland and
keep on their doctrine, they would be
punished wherever they are.
About the same time Berne asked
information from Zurich how they
managed to reduce the Baptists to
such a small number so early, stating
thai they wish to follow the same
method. Zurich said the best method
they found was to kill them, (Miiller.
p. 28).
In this item we observe two points,
(1) that Zurich got through her per
secutions against the Mennonites
earlier than Berne did. It is likely
that many of them fled from Zurich
to Berne and into the Emmenthal or
valley Northwest of Berne; and (2)
we notice that Zurich was much more
severe than Berne in its treatment of
these people.
1527 — New Mennonite Strength in the
Emmenthal.
In 1527 Berchtold Haller, (likely to
day Heller, the common Lancaster
county name), the reformer from
Berne wrote to Zwingli that the val
ley of the Lower Zimmenthal is on
his side and further he also hears
that the subjects from the Emmen
thal and particularly about Langnau
and Ruederswell have turned for the
right, that is have become Anabap
tists and have given up the mass and
have petitioned the rulers of the
country tliat they should let them
practice their religion unmolested.
They ^aid also that they could show
by the scriptures that the mass was
a blasphemy. The Council agreed to
let these faithful people go without
observing the mass now until further
notice. This was the same also as to
the congregations of Bollingen and
Rohrbach, (Miiller, p. 23).

28

MENNONITISM IN SWITZERLAND

1527— Anabaptists Acted Unwisely at
Zolothurn, Switzerland.
The agitation, which was in 1527
carried to Berne in favor of Anabap
tism frightened the friends of the re
formation in not a little degree and it
was a year before the victory of the
reformation was known to the friends
at Berne. At this time there were
some restless and foolish dreamers
among the Anabaptists and this cre
ated disorders in Zurich and the
news spread to Berne and did there
cause much harm. Also in Germany
they caused trouble and now it was
carried to Berne and the Catholics
took a delight is this dilemma. Zeh-
ner in 1531 reports and says the re
formation movement at Zolothurn,
Switzerland, that the beginning was
so good that the whole reformation
should have grown very strong in
Christ, but he heard that everything
was spoiled by these Anabaptists,
who were tolerated with pleasure by
the Catholics, because they saw it
held the cause back and so the true
servants of the gospel are not now
counted anything in that section,
(Miiller, p. 25).
1527 — Mennonite Congregations Grow
ing in Different Parts of Switzer
land.
Doctor Hoopmeier, expelled from
Zurich found an asylum in Nickel-
burg, Switzerland, and there for a
long time he was not hindered in the
Anabaptism ' doctrine, which he be
lieved and which Zwingli prevented
in Zurich. Others came to this Asy
lum from St Gallen and the Upner
Mountainous regions of Switzerland.
They had the powerful protection of
County Llchtenstein and in a little
while 40 to 50 households had turned

to Anabaptism out of a population of
12,000. These formed the kernel of
the Baptist congregations in that sec
tion, known as the conservative Bap
tists or Mennonites. There were also
communities of Baptists there who
were very excitable and they were
called the enthusiastic Baptists. Then
there were also the Swabian Baptists
in the Upper Necker Valley, and they
agreed to seven articles of faith about
the year 1527, (Muller, page 94).
1528 — Reformation Movement i n
Switzerland Retarded by the
Mennonites.
A great discussion or debate was
held in January, 1528, in Berne for
the purpose of having the people de
cide which branch of the reformation
they would cling to, that is, whether
the reform under Zwingli or the Men
nonite or Anabaptist faith aud it was
to be decided according to the result
of this debate. Everyone could speak
out what he desired. But the Bishops
knew the" opinion in Berne and re
mained away. Whether the Baptists
would take part in it and defend their
views or whether they wanted to
take, advantage of the excitement
simply to push on their doctrine is
not known but it was soon found that
their appearance there would be
disastrous to the success of the dis
cussion and might have ended the de
bate because now all the strength of
the powers or Government were to be
held together to strike against Rome.
And it was feared that a debate in
stead of getting all the reform
preachers together, would just result
in splitting them up more. There
fore, the foreign Mennonites who had
come to attend this discussion were
kept back in a cloister until the dis-

MARTYRDOM IN SALSBURG AND BAVARIA

29

cussion was ended. Then when they
came up it was decided they could
say whatever they pleased. At this
time also a spirit commenced to arise
to punish any of those Anabaptists
or heretics as they called them, who
were sent out of the country and were
now beginning to come back. A
great effort was now to be made to
gather together all the reformers and
make a move against the Catholic
Church and because the Mennonites
and Anabaptists were splitting up
this reform movement by not accept
ing Zwingli and Luther views, the
Reformed and the Lutherans now
turned against them as fiercely as
possible, (Mtiller, p. 28).
152S — Martyrdom in Salsburg.
During this year 18 persons in one
part and many others were execuiod
for their Mennonite faith in Salsbiir,g.
Germany. The most reliable account
is as follows:
"These eighteen persons, besides
many others, were kindled with zeal
in the fear of God, and had turned to
God from the world and its idolatry,
and been baptized upon faith in
Christ, entering upon obedience to
wards his holy gospel. This the ad
versaries could not endure; these
eighteen were therefore apprehended,
and finally, as they, under many tor
tures, piously adhered to their faith,
were also sentenced to the fire, and
burned on the same day, at Salzburg,
about the year 1528." (See M. Mirror,
p. 411.)
All of these showed the greatest
readiness to die for the sake of their
faith and left inspiring tributes to
strengthen their brethren and sisters.
Speaking of the state churches, they
say they have hid the truth for
more than 500 years, seduced the

multitudes with false doctrines and
trampled the word under foot. ,
They then proceed and say that all
this has been witnessed at Salzburg
not a lamentable matter, viz.: — that
eighteen persons should be burned in
one day for the doctrine of Christ.
That they suffered a great deal before
they were burned, to wit. — they could
not buy or sell land nor own prop
erty, because they did not believe in
the State doctrine.
1528 — Seventy-one Persons Martyred
in the Valley of the Inn, Bavaria,
Germany.
In the year 1528, "Leonhard Schoe-
ner of Becklasburg was apprehended.
He was a minister of God, and was
well versed in the holy Scriptures,
and also in the Latin language. He
faithfully taught the true baptism of
Christ and his apostles, the true
Lord's Supper, and the articles of the
Christian faith; yea, the word of God.
He also testified against infant bap
tism, the abominable sacrament, and
other abominations of antichrist He
had originally been a barefoot friar
for about six years, but beholding the
impurity, wantonness, hypocrisy
(Matt. 7:15), and viciousness of the
monks and priests, and judging their
lives by the word of G'od, he left the
monastery at Judenburg, Austria, and
went to Nurenberg, learned the tai
lor's trade and then traveling about
as a journeyman tailor, he came to
Nulasberg, in Austria. There he
heard of Balthasar Huebmeier and his
baptism, and learned that a number
of the same faith formed a little so
ciety at Veyen. He sought them out,
came to them, heard them, and, led
thither by Oswald was baptized. Af
ter this he went to Steyen to work
at his trade; where he taught and

30

MENNONITISM AND BAPTISM

baptized, having been elected teacher
by them; and thus teaching and bap
tizing, he proceeded through Bavaria,
as far as Rothenburg, in the Valley of
the Inn, where he was apprehended
for his faith, disputed much with his
opposers, and was examined. Pre
vious to this he proposed: that, if
they regarded his faith and doctrine
as wrong and heretical, they should
produce learned persons, doctors,
monks and priests, to dispute with
him concerning the matter. Should
he, in dispute on true scriptural
grounds be found to be in the wrong,
they should punish him as unright
eous; and for still further confirma
tion of the truth, he offered, in order
to confirm his assertion and his writ
ings, that, if any of the learned could
convince him with the truth of the
word of God, that his doctrine was
not comformable to the holy scrip
tures, he should, as having been van
quished be severed limb from limb by
the executioner, and, when deprived
•of all his limbs, have the ribs torn
out of his body, until he should be
dead. But if he should not be able to
obtain and hearing and disputation,
and they should judge and put him to
death unheard, he asked all the wit
nesses of his death, and all those
standing by, that they be his witness
es before God, in His Judgment at the
last day. But by virtue of the man
date of the Emperor, and the edict of
the King of Hungary and Bohemia, he
was condemned, delivered to the exe
cutioner, beheaded, and burnt to
ashes on the 14th day of "January of
said year, at Rothenburg, for the tes
timony of Christ, from which he
would not depart. After the death of
this Leonhard, about seventy persons
bore witness with their blood in the
same place. Leonhard Schoener,

among others, left an admonition for
the consolation of all those who suf
fer for 1;he name of Christ." (See Mir
ror, p. 409.)
By this we can see that the re
ligious agitation was in great ferment
in the central part of Germany at this
time ; and that the Anabaptist or Men
nonite Church was slowly rising
through blood and turmoil to become
a great religious power in central
Europe.
1528— Hans Schlaefler and Leonhard
Frick Martyred in the TaUey of
the Inn, Bavaria, Germany.
"In the year 1528, Brother Hans
Schlaeffer, formerly a Roman Priest,
but afterwards a teacher of the word
and Gospel of Christ, a highly gifted
man, was apprehended at Schwartz,
in the Valley of the Inn, and with him
Brother Leonhard Frick. They tried
him greatly with many severe tor
tures, and disputed with him, through
the priests about infant baptism; but,
he orally as well as in writing,
showed them his defense, as it is com
manded, and as it will be found
throughout the entire New Testa
ment, namely: That the word of God
must first be taught, and that only
those who hear, understand, believe
and receive it, are to be baptized.
This is the true Christian baptism,
and no anabaptism. The Lord has
nowhere commanded to baptize in
fants; they are already the Lord's,
and as long as they are in their inno
cence and simplicity, they are not to
be condemned at all. The also asked
him, in what the foundation of these
anabaptistic sects did properly con
sist. To this he replied: 'Our faith,
practice and baptizing is founded on
nothing else than the command of
Christ: Go ye into all the world and

EXECUTION OF MENNONITES

31

preach the Gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized will
be saved' (Mark 16:16; Matt 28:19);
and many other Scriptures.
They also asked what design was
concealed under this baptism, since
they had thus exhorted them to raise
a new uproar and sedition. But he
replied that it never entered his
heart, to make an uproar; neither
had he ever approved of it in others;
yea, he had fled fom a house in which
they lived iii contention, which he
could prove by all with whom he had
ever lived. And there is no other de
sign concealed under it, than to
amend the life, and to forsake the
viscious ways of the world; so that
in the doctrine which he teaches, this
is not the least commandment that
we are in duty bound to be subject to
the authorities in all good things;
how, then, should he raise and pur
pose uproar and sedition?
Thus Hans Schlaeffer of Schaeffer
was asked what had caused and in
duced him to forsake his oflice and
priest. Concerning this he told them,
that he had done it for conscience's
sake, because he knew that he was
in a place of a prophet, and believed
that God had sent him.
They would also know of him, who
told him to go into Germany to plant
the evil seed of Anabaptism. He told
them, that no one had ordered him
thither; but that, since he had no
abiding place as yet, and had to go
about in misery, he came there to one
of his friends, with whom he stayed,
and thence came to Schwartz, where
he was apprehended, according to
and for the will of God. As to the
evil seed of which they spake, he
knew nothing at all; but he intended
nothing evil, but much rather the

pure divine truth." (M. Mirror, p.
410).
1528 — Other Executions of Menno
nites or Anabaptists.
During this same year Leopold
Schneider was beheaded at Augsburg
for his faith. He died with songs of
praise on his lips, (M. Mirror, p. 411).
Also Hans of Stotzingen was con
demned to death for the Evangelical
truth, in Zabern, Alsace, (M. Mirror,
p. 412). And the same as all the rest
he seemed to show no fear at all and
was glad to meet his torture and
death. The same year (Do.) two ministers
of the Evangelical gospel were de
stroyed in the city of Brueem, Mo
ravia. When they were being tried,
one of them said to the Council who
were trying them, to be tareful that
they do not shed innocent blood, when
one of the Council being pricked in
his heart named Thomas Petzer arose
and pretended he were washing his
hands, saying, 'Thus shall I wash my
hands in their blood and think to do
God service.' But a few days later he
was found dead in his bed, so that he
died and passed away before those
whom he helped to condemn. In the
same year Hans Feierer, (M. Mirror,
p. 412) and five of his believers were
condemned and burned at Munich, in
Bavaria, and in addition three sisters.
being wives of three of these men,
were drowned and all of them seemed
ready and willing to die for their
father. This name Feierer is much
like our Lancaster County Feree,
which at certain times spelled Fer-
ree, and may have later been changed
into Forry. And we also have the
name Fiero. All of these names seem
to come from the same stock and
these people may have come from

32

MENNONITE MIGRATION AND GROWTH

that part of Germany, bordering on
France. 1528— Growth of Mennonitism.
This year, according to Dr. Egli's
Ziiricher Wiedertaufer, Zwingli found
great difficulty in keeping his brethren
from leaving the Reformed church
and going over to the Mennonites or
Anabaptists. He remonstrated with
them but they did not heed and took
such means as they saw fit. Then the
Government came to his aid and com
pelled the people to follow Zwlngli's
teaching or suffer a penalty if they
joined the Anabaptists. In certain
places the Anabaptist strength grew
so that in one town there was only
one woman left in the Reformed
church, the rest of the neighborhood
having turned Mennonites and held
their meeting in a barn, (Zur., p. 80).
They now, however, began to have
difficulties among themselves and
this retarded the growth somewhat,
(Zur., p. 87).

1528 — First Migration of the Menno
nites into Germany.
The Anabaptists begged that their
opponents should examine the Baptist
faith more closely and their teachings
and they offered to submit them to
the Council of Berne but they were
refused. Council said they would not
accept any opinion the Anabaptists
had but their damned wrong teaching
about not baptizing until the children
were grown up must be rejected en
tirely and also their dotcrine of not
assisting the Government. They fur
ther said that the Anabaptist view
that no Government was necessary
was dangerous and the steps taken by
the officials to enforce the Anabap
tists to change their views so dis
gusted them with the fatherland, that

they began to migrate to other lands.
This migration was partly caused by
the reason that the great Mennonite
leaders, viz:— Greybill, Stumpf and
others were expelled — Hoffmeier was
taken captive by the Austrians and
burned at the stakte in Vienna, Ludwig
Haetzer of Kiisnitz and also Denck
were submitted to tortures; and thus
they began to move onward like
sheep without a shepherd. The Men
nonites from Schaffhausen may have
gone down the Rhine about this time.
Some went to the Netherlands, some
went to Alsace in the Pfaltz and
yet others to Hassen, (Brons, p. 47).
1528 — ^Debate on Mennonite Principles.
at Berne.
This year, according to Muller, (p.
45) the Anabaptists were invited to
come to Berne to discuss the religious
principles and to see whether those
who were imprisoned might have
their liberty again. After the regular
convention was held there was an in
formal discussion with these Ana
baptists who were present and there
again the Baptists re-asserted their
principles more strenuously than be
fore as is shown by an old book pub
lished in Zurich. The objections
brought against them were, they do
not say the "Ave Maria" — nor pay
taxes or tithes — and that it is a shame
that these "devilish, brazen Anabap
tists are not ashamed of thmselves
for refusing honor to Virgin Mary
since God himself, gave her honor by
making her the mother of the Savior
though she remained a Virgin." This
book goes on to say, "why will they
call themselves Christians, if they do
not give her the honor wh^ch the Arch
Angel Gabriel gave to her, saying,
'Hail, Mary, full of grace; thou shall
be the mother of the Savior,' etc. —

MENNONITE DEBATE— AUSTRIAN DECREE

33

yet these people do not give her
any honor."
It is related that the city clerk of
the Council was an Anabaptist and
he and his wife said something
against the Virgin and were heavily
fined; but he would not take absolu
tion from the Priests. The Anabap
tists or Mennonites were further ac
cused, because it was charged they
would not observe the Apostles' creed,
since that was not in the Scripture;
also they were charged with holding
that there should be no authority
exercised, except what was given in
the Bible, and the Bible says a sword
could be used, they claim that it can
or should not.
1528 — ^Imperial Austrian Decree
Against the Anabaptists.
Miiller says, (p. 32) that during this
year, there was pronounced an Imper
ial decree by Austria against the Ana
baptists; and in 1529 another. These
decrees made it the duty of every
citizen to exterminate the Anabaptist
movement. This movement went into
Germany and appeared in many
places there as communism and
looked to be detrimental to the State.
Therefore, they were much persecuted
about ths time ; their religious sincer
ity was not believed in and they were
looked upon as a new form of civil
government much like socialists be
cause of their peculiar views concern
ing Government. For this reason
Zurich, Berne, St. Gallen and many
other Cantons of Switzerland and
other places decreed that it must be
exterminated. The main question
they asked however was "how shall
these stubborn heretic people be ex
terminated?" Switzerland found that
question harder to answer than to
ask. By the middle of 1529, it is shown

by Muller, that this movement was
very strong all over Switzerland,
(Miiller, p. 30).
1528— Anabaptist Tortures in Switz
erland, Bavaria and Germany.
Miiller, (p. 17) tells us that in the
latter part of 1528, in Swabia (which
was anciently the Northern part of
Switzerland) they had 500 to 1000
horsemen to go all over the country
and without trial or judgment, kill
Taufers like wild beasts and take their
property. George Ausbach, who was
a friend of the Anabaptists, protected
them against this. Just as hard were
the persecutions in Bavaria. Here
Duke William gave the order that all
who do not repent must be burned
and their limbs be pulled out from
their bodies. Some were fried to
death on hot pillars of stone — some
were tortured with red hot tongs —
some were locked in houses and
burned with the houses — some burned
at the stake — some hung on trees —
and some died by sword and water —
some were gagged and taken to the
place of death and killed. But in spite
of all this they continued to grow.
1529 — Anabaptists Nearly Extermi
nated Near Groeningen.
In this year there was such a severe
measure in the district of Groeningen,
that only two small letters remind
us that the Anabaptists were not
wholly swept or wiped out. One de
cree was that the Sheriffs and their
Deputy Sheriffs were all compelled to
see to it that these Baptists went to
the Catholic Church; and those that
were not found there were condemned
as heretics. In spite of all this ^a
good many kept themselves hid and
did not appear at the Catholic church
for two years, (Zur., p. 83).

34 HANS MILLER'S LABORS— TAUFER GROWTH
1529— Pious Old Hans Miiller's Labors
and Troubles in Switzerland.

At the end of this year the authori
ties had new troubles on hand with
the Anabaptists. In the Aathal was
Hans Miiller of Medikon (Switzer
land). In this place he was put to
jail on account of debts but he was
also held on account of his Anabap
tist or Mennonite views. When the
promise given about going to church
was offered to him, he said he wanted
to have an Interview with his people
before he would answer, as he was
one of their leaders. The Council
were at the same time Judge and Jury
in important matters; and he seeing

Miiller made an effort to break out
of jail and his excuse -was very
simple and unsophisticated. He said,
"Beloved do not let this surprise you
that I wanted to break out from this
Castle or jail, because the hardship
here compels me to do it." Dr. Egli
goes on to say that if his supposition
is correct, this Hans Miiller of Medi
kon or Edikon is the same as the Miil
ler from the Aathal or Mathal, ac
cording to a letter of the Sheriff of
Gteoningen in the beginning of 1530,
who Interrupted the pastor in the
church, because he would proclaim
"Ave Maria." Edikon he says, is no
other place than Medikon in Aathal,
noticed as early as August, 1528, when

that their methods were unfair said i Sheriff Vogt Berger wrote and said

to them, what you want people to do
to you you must do to them. He pe
titioned the Council that they should
have fatherly mercy, that they should
not compel him to violate his con
science or make his persecutions un
bearable on account of his faith be
cause faith is a free gift of God, and
as everyone has not the same faith
which the scriptures tell about, they
ought all to be dealt with according
to their individual faith. He went on
to say that faith is not of the will of
the flesh but born of God and because
they have the spirit of God are the
children of God — that all that comes
from God is good — that the mysteries
of God are hidden like a treasure in
a field and no one can find them un
less God shows them to him, there
fore he said, "You servants of God, I
beg of you let me and my faith free."
In a similar manner he expressed
himself in a petition in which he asks
for patience until God gives him light
to decide and said he, faith is not to
be taken up as a stone but must first
be found.

that one, Hans Miiller has strong An
abaptist views but otherwise he was a
quiet and pious man, very willing to
be taught; and afterwards he said of
him, "He is a fine pious fellow." It
seems also that the title page of an
early Hymn Book used by the Early
Anabaptists contained some fine al
lusions to the good qualities of this
Hans Muller and Egli thinks that
Sheriff Berger copied them in praise
of Miiller: The title of the Hj-mn Book
is, "A Collection of Nice Christian
Hymns Composed in Prison of Passaw
and in the Castle by the Swiss Breth
ren and Other Righteous Christians."
Some of the hymns were composed by
Blauroch and Mans. And it is plain
that Hans Miiller copied them and
frequently quoted from them.
1529 — Estimate of the Number of
Mennonites at This Time.
Muller tells us (p. 17 that Sebastian
Frank, estimated the number of Men
nonites who were destroyed in two
years by sword, water and fire was
about 2000. In Tyrol there was about
1000 up to the year 1530. In Ensen-

LUTHER AND THE BAPTISTS

35

sheim in Austria, 600 — in Luitz, 73 — in
Bavaria and the Palatinate up to 1529
350. There were also others in Mu
nich and other sections. Among them
were Michael Sattler of Rotenburg,
whose tongue was cut out. So too
there -n-ere prominent people in other
sections. 1529 — Melchoir Hoft"mau's Debate On
the Lord's Supper.
This year as we are told (Brons, p.
381), Hoft'man declared that if the
Government of Holland does not yield
and allow the Anabaptists peace, they
will bring on bloodshed as they grow
stronger. This he said after the great
debate at Kiel, Germany, where today
the great war vessels are gathered.
Hoffman was looked upon as an
agitator rather than a harmless Men
nonite. His enemies tried to have the
ruler of Holland turn against him.
but he could not do so.
On the question of transubstantia
tion, Hoffman said, had Christ more
than one body? Was he not sitting at
the table when he said, "This is my
body?" He did not mean it in that
sense. Neither can priests make the
bread his body blessing it. No, said
Hoffman, "The bread is only a sym
bol." On this subject Luther and
Zwingli could not agree either; but
they did agree on all other points by
a special effort, (Do., p. 390).
1529 — Decree Against the Baptists.
In 1529 the Emperor of Austria de
cided that all Baptists, men and wo
men who have reached the age of un
derstanding and who are stubborn,
reproachful and inciting others not
to recognize any government, may be
put to death by fire and syvord with
out trial of any kind. This was call
ed the "blood edict" and it drove
many out of the country because at
this time there were a great many
Bohemians and Moravian Baptists go
ing over to Prussia. This edict was
hy the Emperor of Austria (Brons, p.
176).

I 1529— Early Holland Martyr Book.
These Baptists or Mennonites from
an early date distributed papers, books
and other writings to advance their
religion. These were later gathered
into a book. The Government began
to have them destroyed, when they
found the Baptists were making an ef
fort to save them. The book was fin
ished in 1562 and called the book of
the sacrifices for the Lord. Five years
later a second edition of the book
came out and the Spanish Govern
ment tried to destroy it. But it was
printed the third time and accounts of
many later persecutions added. The
first edition had only the persecutions
up to 1529. The next one those up to
1559 killed in Holland, (Brons, p.
236).
1529 — Luther Adopts Parts of Baptist
Catechism.
The Bohemian and Moravian
Waldenses, got up a little catechism
about this time and Luther studied it
and called attention to what he con
sidered their mistakes; and in answer
these Bohemians and Moravians tried
to prove that Luther was wrong.
Luther did not answer their attack;
but it seems he copied much of it,
changed it somewhat and published it
as his catechism in 1529, (Brons, p.
53). 1529— Torture of Hans Hut (now
Huth).
Brons, (p. 425) tells us of the tor
ture of a Baptist in 1529 who bore
what is now a familiar Lancaster
county name — Hans Hut or Huth. Hut
went to Augsburg in Bavaria and his
brother John to Wiirtenbug. He was
arrested there and taken to the tower.
He tried to escape by a rope but fell
off and lay as dead. A burning candle
set the straw of his bed on fire which
nearly suffocated him. In this half
dead condition they took him to Court.
He was condemned and burned, as
the author who first wrote the narra
tive says he heard from the victim's

36 "STAFF AND

'SWORD" AND "WEIDMAN" MENNONITE FACTIONS

own son. His offense was "free
speech." This Martyrdom of Hans
Hut is also found in Martyr's Mirror,
p. 417).
1529— The Weidman Faction of Men
nonites. (The Staff Mennonites
and the Sword Mennonites).
Brons tells us (p. 424) that in
Nickelsburg, there was a convention
in 1529 of teachers. Hoffmier was
chairman it seems. But there were
present also Hans Huth, Oswald Vlait,
Hans Pitmaier, Christian Rothmantel,
Hans Werner, Strahl Weidman, Jacob
Weidman and others. We see here
the forbears of Lancaster county
citizens. This convention was held
under protection of Lichenstein, a
Count of Germany, who had come
over to the Mennonite doctrine. They
discussed whether a Christian could
go to war, carry weapons, pay war tax
and similar subjects; but no conclu
sion was reached. Huth and Weid
man were against it. They differed
in opinion from Llchtenstein, who
thought patriotism made these things
necessary. Huth was captured be
cause he was against Llchtenstein,
but afterwards a friend helped him
and let him down on a rope and he es
caped. Llchtenstein wanted to bring
Huth to his way of thinking.
This debate brought about another
split and gave rise to two new parties
or factions of Baptists. One was of
the belief that weapons could be car
ried and that war taxes should be
paid and the other that it should not
be so. Those who split off, on the
doctrine that Christians should not
carry weapons, or pay taxes, followed
Jacob Weidman to the number of
about 200 to the great disgust of
Count Llchtenstein, the powerful
friend of the Mennonites and a be

liever in part of their doctrine. Still
Llchtenstein went with his dissenters
to his boundary line and gave them a
drink and let them go.
They went to the Count at Auster-
litz and begged him to take them and
help them and he said he would if
there were even a thousand of them,
and he did help them. This party
was called the "Staff" party or pilgrim
Baptists or Mennonites and the other
party the "Sword" party.
Men of power began to sympathize
with the Mennonite movement, espec
ially about the Wurtenburg in South
Germany where these events hap
pened. There was a midle party also who
were against war and carrying weap
ons and going to war but who were
willing to pay war duties. To this
latter party belong the Swiss Men
nonites. As the Baptists grew, the Catholics
Church complained more and more
and as a result the German emporer
commanded Llchtenstein and Hoff
meier to come to Vienna, the capital
of the German Empire, at that time.
As soon as Hoffmeier arrived he
and his wife were captured and taken
to the Castle Gravenstein and after-
V ards he gave out a statement that as
far as bearing arms was concerned,
he believed the same as Count Llch
tenstein. Later however, he regretted
yielding so far and said he was guilty
of not being firm enough in the faith
and wrote to the Nickelsburg congre
gation that he had become too weak
but that they should hold fast to the
faith? Soon afterwards the congre
gation received the sad news that their
dear teacher was burned to death and
that his wife was drowned. But it

HOFFMAN'S AND BLAUROCH'S MENNONITE LABORS

seems Llchtenstein escaped punish
ment. 1-J29 — Baptist Rally at Eiuden, iu Ger
many.
Brons tells us (p. 390) that, the fall
of this year some preachers came to
gether at Emden, most of whom were
Baptists. They tried to come to a de
finite view on the principal doctrines,
especially on the Lord's supper. But
by this time the Lutheran view of the
same had grown very strong. The
Baptists semed to become more divid
ed. They differed much from their
leaders, Hoffman and others too.They
said their views were right. They
were an extreme branch of Baptists
about Hanover, Germany.
Melchoir Hoffman baptized 300
people in 1529 about Emden. He was
a valiant worker. This was the only
place outside of the Roman Empire,
except the neighboring territory of
East Freidland in the Duchy of Al
brecht in Prussia where the Baptist
faith could feel any safety. Hoffman
came there and worked and baptized
all these people. Shortly after his ar
rival he baptized them in the Ancient
Church. They did not seem to be
quite settled. He came to this place
(Emden or Embden) in August, 1529.
He had two opponents against him,
(Brons, pp. 385 and 386). One spoke
against Hoffman from the pulpit and
another preacher Olmsdorf followed
his example. Also the preacher of
the Danish Crown prince was against
him. Hoffman challenged them all to
meet him in public debate but they
refused. At Keil in Northern Germany on
the Baltic Sea in the Gray Cloister,
Hoffman debated the Lord's Supper,
April 8, 1529. The whole place was
filled. After Burgenhagen, by order of

the King, had made the first speech,
the Crown Prince and all of the peo
ple present fell on their knees to
pray. Burgenhagen was the great
theologian of the Crown Prince,
(Brons, p. 379).
Six clerks were put on oath to take
the debate in writing correctly or lose
;heir souls. All the learned people
and the aristocrats took seats near the
Crown Prince, while those disputing
vvere standing.
Hoffman was asked why he called
all the preachers false prophets in his
books and he said because they all
preached a wrong view of the Lord's
supper. And then a long debate fol
lowed. fIoffm.in here alone against
the learned theologians of Northern
Germany, opposed the doctrine of
transubstantiation. This Bungen-
hagen was a great friend of Luther,
the same as Melanchthon. This part
of Denmark was, in those times part
of Germ3,ny, (Brons, p. 381).
1539 — The End of George Plauroch or
"Strong George'' — A Mennonite
Father.
Muller tells us (p. 30) that Blau
roch was the best known and best
loved in 1520 of all the leaders of the
Mennonite people. He labored in
Chur (Switzerland) and could bring
the doctrines down to the common
people's understanding better than
any other man. He labored in differ
ent places in Switzerland for the Bap
tist faith, and was driven out of Switz-
erlsnd February 2, 1529. He was a
reformer of Tyrol also, till August 30,
1529 and was then burned to death.
So ended the beloved "Strong George"
which was his lovable nickname by
the people of Tyrol and Switzerland.
He was a second Paul in the view of
'hese Baptists or Mennonites.

38

PENNSYLVANIA NAMES ABOUT ZURICH IN 1530

1530_Familiar Lancaster County
Names About Zurich.
In 1530, besides Miiller there were
the following Mennonites about lower
Switzerland, toward Basel: Balthaser
Stall and Hans Ruschacher (may be
now Ricksecker) the tile maker ol
Eglisan, north of Zurich — Gabrill, the
brickmaker of Tossriedun, near the
same place — Casper Killer, Hans
Nespler, Konrad Sewer (Sower), Ja
cob Schmidt, Burkhard Henry, Mar
garet and Ursula Myers, AppoUonie
Schnider and Ann Margaret and Julia
Wiener, all of Hiilach, a few miles al
most directly south of Eglisan — also
Musterlis Bub of Oberglatt, a few
miles south, slightly west of Biilach —
Hans Flumer of Wuningen, a few
miles northwest of Zurich — also Jorg
Stephen, Joder Ann and Eva Myers
and Margaret Melcher of Watwill,
near Keppel, far east of Zurich — Elsie
Muchli or Oberhasli, a few miles north
of Zurich — Margaret of MettenhhaslI,
Adelaide Schwarz (or Black) of Dalli-
kon, both near Oberhasli — Regula and
Verona Kern of Nussbaumen, south
west of Zurich and Ann Piirst of
Watt, north of Zurich. Working with
these were foreign Mennonites,
among them, Henry Spattig of Dotti-
kon, among the mountains of the
South; Hans of Horb in Wittenburg,
Germany; Ann Sittler of Zug and
several persons named Berkhald. Of
these whole families were imprisoned
— husbands and wives separated and
the sect in Zurich greatly reduced.
Dr. Egli also mentions with these,
Hans of John Bruppacher. Thus we
see that at this early period there
were living in the Canton of Zurich,
both in the lowlands north of the
City of Zurich and in the moun
tains to the south, the ancestor fami

lies of the Common Lancaster County
and eastern Pennsylvania names fa
miliar today, viz: — StoU, Ricksecker,
Keller, Sowers, Schmidt Burkhard,
Myers, Schneider, Weiner, Yoder,
Schwartz, Fiirst, Sittler, Burkholder
and Brubaker. I have set this item
out at such length because of this
fact, (Zur., p. 87 and 88).
1530— Conrad Winkler — Leader aud
Martyr.
There was also Conrad Winkler of
Wasserburg, southeast of Zurich
among the hills. Dr. Egli (p. 89)
tells us that Winkler was for several
years leader of the Anabaptists in the
lowlands, north of Zurich and came to
visit them from the mountains of the
South. He was drowned January 20,
1530 by the State authorities.
1530— Schwenkfeld, Working With
Hoffman.
Brons tells us (p. 392) that in Stras
burg, Germany, Casper Schwenkfeld
was in close touch with Hoffman.
Both of them asked to be allowed to
give a public debate on their princi
ples. They were accused of being
heretics and Schwenkfeld in his peti
tion asserts he is no heretic nor se
ducer and he wants protection. He
was against the State Church. He
was the father of the Schwenkfelders
of today and of the last nearly four
centuries. 1530 — Factions Cause Religious Ex
citement aud Fear of "End of
the World."
Brons tells us (p. 58) that in 1530
the Diet of Augsburg was opened to
! the Lutherans of Germany. At this
Diet the Anabaptists or Mennonites
were particularly, severely condemn
ed, because of opposition to infaiit

TAUFERS IN SWITZERLAND, GERMANY AND HOLLAND

39'

baptism. Under these conditions the
common people thought the "world
was coming to an end" and there were
all kinds of literature on the subject
Then Hoffman came out and wrote
that the revelations are being fulfilled,
and he explained how this was the
case. Hoffman was leader of the,
principle faction of the Mennonites, as
we have seen. He attacked Luther
and said Luther makes himself a new
God who can save or damn at will and
that he calls all who do not believe as
he does "Heretics.'
1530 — Morals of the Anabaptists Com
pared With Oflier Reformers.
In 1530 Muller (p. 2) Philip of Hes-
sen wrote, "I find these Baptist peo
ple who are called dreamers and here
tics are purer than those that are
Lutherans." This he stated in a let
ter dated February 18, 1530 to his sis
ter, Elizabeth of Saxony. Capito goes
further and says that the most of
these Anabaptists were in his opin
ion anything but bad — they possessed
fear of God and Holy Zeal. And he
considered them, as dear brethren,
even though he was not wholly one of
them, but was an Italian, partly pros
elyted.1530 — Anabaptist Movement Toward
Berne.
Muller tells us (p. 46) that about
1530, when these Anabaptists had
gained some freedom, they gathered
in great numbers and moved toward
Berne from the Zurich tortures. Berne
began to deplore the fact; for they
were now giving trouble there. Octo
ber 13, 1530, Pflster Meyer complain«d
to Baden that the Taufers or Anabap
tists were being badly used in the
new regions and they demanded pro
tection. But they received none, of

course. "Pfister" is a name met witlu
in Lancaster county today.
The growth was such now, that iiL
January, 1530, a general conference-
was held by delegates from Zuricn,.
Bern, Basil, St. Gallen and Constance,
and they unanimously held that the
Taufers or Anabaptists were becom
ing very dangerous and that there was
a great falling off noticed from the
true Christian Church — that is, the
Reformed Church. It was decided
that a report should be made, so that
at the next meeting they would know
how to go about curbing and break
ing up those "erring ones" by com
mon concerted action.
1531— Hoffman's Followers Proselyte
In Holland.
Brons tells us (p. 396) that this
year there were nine men proselyting
to the Anabaptist faith in Belgium
and Holland. They were taken fro.m-
their beds and put into the Hague
prison. Their main offense was re-
baptizing those baptized in infancy.
November 15th, they were beheaded
in Brussels. Thus it happened these
ambassadors of Hoffman were exe
cuted without accomplishing their de
sire.
1531_«Taufers" Go Into Prussian
Lands.
This year saw the beginning of the
Taufer or Anabaptist movement into
Prussia, where it was safe for them.
They began to go into East Friesland
also about this time. These parts of
Germany were asylums also for peo
ple from all sections, persecuted for
the sake of their religion, (Brons, p.
243).1531— Early Labors of Menno Simon.
This year a girl from near East
Friesland, about 12 years old was in

40

BERNE AND ZOLOTHURN REPRESS THE TAUFERS

a convent and she heard of people
being burned at the stake on accou.nt
of their religion and it made such an
impression on her that she secured a
Latin Bible to get a clear notion and
when she grew up her views became
known. She was pronounced a here
tic and imprisoned a year. Then other
nuns interceded for her and the Su
perior allowed her to escape disguis
ed as a milk maid and go to Leer.
Here she found a Mennonite Home
and she joined them. Then she went
to Linworden and associated with a
Mennonite woman named Hadein. She
was the widow of a man who at the
beheading of Siche Drerick Schnider,
beat drum so that his dying speech
could not be heard. This widow was
soon afterwards convinced of the
correctness of the new faith and was
one of the first ones baptized by
Meno Simon, (Brons, p. 109).
1531 — Mennonite and Reformed De
bate at Berne.
In April, 1531, there appeared in
print the report of a debate between
Pfister Myer and several Reformed
preachers on the subject of second
baptism — oaths — taking part in Gov
ernment and other Mennonite articles.
The report was called, "A Christian
Discussion Held at Bern, Between
Pfister Myer and the Reformed
Preachers. The report states that
Myer was compelled to disavow some
of his doctrine. This was the same
Pfister who was complained against
by the Bern authorities as being so
strong, (Miiller, p. 46).
1531— Bern Orders Zolothurn to Pun
ish the Anabaptists, (Mennonites).
Bern, which is west of Zurich, now
began to feel the influence of the Men

nonites coming from Zurich and the
east where they were driven. Reports
came in from the smaller towns,
and Bern ordered the authorities of
one of them named Zolothurn to pun
ish them, or if they were not able, to
allow the Bern authorities to do so.
These Mennonites were holding meet
ings. It was feared the new sect
would get a stronghold on the coun
try. Zolothurn answered that April
1st, all the Sheriffs were orderfed to
drive them out everywhere; and be
sides it was forbidden under a penalty
of 10 pounds fine, for anyone to give
them shelter. Zolothurn reported that
if the few leaders can be gotten hold
of, the movement will cease. And thus
said this town, there is no need that
Bern authorities should come and help
(Miiller, p. 32).
1531 — Death of Zwingli.
This year too, at the Battle of Kap
pel in Switzerland, Zwingli, the "Re
formed" leader, who was also chap
lain in the army at Zurich, was acci
dentally killed. He fell a martyr to
the dangers of war.
1531— The Name "Taufer" or "Men
nonite" Used Contemptuously.
So odious and yet so strong had
grown the Anabaptist or Wiedertau
fer or Mennonite cause at this time
in Switzerland, that whenever anyone
showed an extraordinary zeal in any
view different from the Lutheran doc
trine in Germany, he was called in de
rision a "Taufer" or an Arch-Taufer.
Weitzel in a letter dated 1531, tells us
this, (Miiller, p. 6). About the same
time Hans Ballinger of Zurich, a min
ister of the Reformed church, wrote a
book against the Mennonites calling it
the "Brazen Faced, Shameless, Wick
ed, Erring and False Teachings of the

MENNONITE PROGRESS IN BERNE— DECLINE IN ZURICH

41

Self-Sent Anabaptists." A second edi
tion was published in 1561, (Miiller, p.
o). 1561 — Close of the Reformation iu
Zurich.
The Battle of Kappel, October 11,
1531, closed the Reformation in Zu
rich, but for the next two years there
were a great many mandates and or
ders directed against Anabaptists,
(Zur., p. 90).
1532 — Mennonite Progress About
Berne.
The Anabaptists (Mennonites) now
continued to grow in the Canton of
Bern. August 17, 1532 the Baliiiff of
Sumiswald about twenty miles north
east of the city of Bern, reported that
these Baptists now continue in their
activity without letup and the Coun
cil went on to say they expected good
results from the printed reports of the
debates, in which they felt the Men
nonites could not and did not success
fully uphold their side. This little
book or report the authorities through
out the canton or State of Bern, or
dered to be read before the congrega
tions against the Taufers or Menno
nites. But during all this time the
council heard continual reports that
these Taufers or Baptists won their
case or debate at Sumiswald and the
people were beginning in great num
bers to believe in them and this gave
Council great uneasiness. In Zofin-
gen, about 35 miles northeast of Bern,
the Mennonites preached publicly
-without much fear, since they had
most of the people with them, (M'iil-
ler, p. 69).
The growth about the city of Bern
became so great, that orders were in
1532 also sent out to the Sheriff of
Aarburg, a town about three miles

I northwest of the last named town, to
check their growth in any way they
could. So the officials began to hunt
up and arrest them. In Solothurn, a
large town about 18 miles almost dir
ectly north of Bern City, the brother
hood was very strong. Haller wrote
to Ballinger (an enemv of the Tau
fers) that there these Mennonites had
the upper hand and they met openly
and freely. Therefore Berne sent or
ders to them to prevent it or allow
Berne to do so. Berne complained
that Solothurn seems to take no in
terest in trying to stop their growth,
(Muller, p. 72).
1532 — Spread of Anabaptism in Berne.
Miiller tells us (p. 72) that after
1532 the Taiifers (or Mennonites)
spread into and over the state or Can
ton of Berne very extensively. And
in August of that year, orders were
sent to the Sheriffs of Aarburg, 30
miles northeast of the city of Berne,
of Thun, 12 miles southeast of Berne
— of Unterseen, near the same place
— of Interlacken about the same
place — of Hasti six miles northeast
of Berne and to the Sheriffs of the
whole Upland — to the Sheriffs of
Trachseiwald, 10 miles almost direct
ly east of Berne, of Signau, also close
by — and in January, 1533 and in other
times during the year, to the Sheriffs
of Zolothurn, Summisvil and other
places all about Berne, commanding
all of them to bring these Anabaptists
into subjection, calling attention to
the fact that prior orders were not ef
fectively carried out.
1532— Extinction of the Taiifers or

Anabaptist Mennonites About
Zurich.
Dr. Egli in his work says (p. 91)
that after the battle of Kappel, Oc
tober 11, 1531, that the reform move
ment in that section closes, although
the next two years a good many or-

42 MENNONITES ABOUND IN PALESTINE, SWITZERLAND, AND BALTIC

ders and mandates were issued. But
a change had come, and the state did
not prosecute those that were left, so
hard as before.
He also says that these Taufers
were up to this time in three princi
pal centers — the Zurich district — the
Groeningen district 15 miles south
east and in the low country 25 miles
north of Zurich. And these were large
centers. But now they became broken
up into many smaller centers, and
small Anabaptist meetings were held
all around, over the whole country.
There were many small bodies of
them in the Knonow district, about 20
miles southwest of Zurich, where the
movement against them ended in
1533. These Baptists, it seems, in
both the parts of this country, got
new strength — new adherents sprang
up when the war was ended. But the
Catholic Church yet was their enemy;
but they did not do much of impor
tance against them, except cause two
executions. 1532— Early Baptist Doctrine in
Hymns.
In 1532, Otmar Rote or Roth of St.
Gallen, composed a fine hymn, which
is set forth by Brons, (p. 173). And
in this hymn the chief elements of
the Taufer or Mennonite belief of that
time is expressed. The substance of
this as shown in the hymn is, that we
must live true and right, that sin
brings pain, we must be righteous,
clean and humble. It declares that
we must not imitate the worldly ones
— that we must not talk about evil
nor become familiar with it — we must
be just — that no sin will be allowed
to be unpunished — we must fear God
— ask for grace early and late and
not repel by force, but submit, as the
Savior taught.
1532 — Bohemian Anabaptists or Taii
fers Preacli from Palestine and
Egypt to Switzerland and
Westward.
We are told that the Anabaptists ot

Bohemia and Moravia rejected infant
baptism— did not give their ministers
any salary, but furnished them food
and provisions — required that they
should all follow some trade and
make their living in that way so as
not to be paid for teaching God's word.
These Bohemian Anabaptist or Menno
nite preachers, traveled and preached
throughout Asia, in Palsetine and
Egypt and other places in Africa.
They also came into Switzerland and
other places to the West in Europe,
about 1532, (Miiller, p. 56).
1532 — Taiifers (Mennonites) Spread
to the Baltic.
By this date says Brons (p. 245),
quoting Duke Albrecht, very many
Anabaptists or Taiifers had reached
the Baltic region. Their spreading
had become a very serious matter.
The Duke did not understand their
mild nature and he feared the excess
es and boisterous conduct of that
branch of adventurers led by Munzer
some time before, farther South, who
were rebellious and warlike and hurt
the cause, would be repeated. Menno
Simon in his defense was very care
ful to impress upon the rulers the
fact that he never had any sympathy
with the Miinzerites, though he was
accused of it.
Duke Albrecht, therefore, wrote to
Luther and asked him what to do with
these masses of new religionists who
were now rising on the Baltic — these
Taiifers or Mennonites. He called
them a sect of factious and restless
spirits or sacramentarians. Luther
replied that the Duke need not espec
ially fear them for all adherents of
adult baptism are the same. He said
he was afraid the Lutheran interests
would suffer by too many divisions
among the Reform people. They
should all try to get together he said.

MENNONITES FIRST DEMAND SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE 43

as he still has serious war with Cath
olics. So, said Luther, "There will be
no end to dispute and discussions and
the best thing is not to irritate these
people but rather to shun them and
not interfere with them."
1532 — Hoffman's Writings Comfort
Holland Taiifers.
In 1532, Hoffman was again in
Strasburg and there he continued to
write. His writings reached Holland
and were a great comfort to the Taii
fers there in the Netherlands. They
took heart and hope again. Many of
them now were fugitives in the Neth
erlands and they were encouraged to
know Melchoir Hoffman, their leader,
was still fighting the cause. Holland
was early through with her persecu
tions and cooled off sooner than some
other countries. She became an asy
lum for persecuted Mennonites from
Germany and Switzerland toward the
end of the 16th century and remained
so (Brons, p. 396).
1532— Taiifer Debate at Soffingen.
Miiller tells us (p. 35) that from
July 1st to 9th, 1532, there was a big
debate at Soffingen, Switzerland on re
ligious matters, and also the same
year in St. Gallen Canton, Switzerland
another debate. Twenty-three Taufer
or Anabaptist debaters met all oppo
nents who desired to come. But when
it was found they were getting the
best of the arguments, they were kept
closed up in a barn.
Froschaur of Zurich had the pro
ceedings printed however, and they
are very full of interest. There were
many -more prominent Anabaptist de
bates too; and some of the principal
Mennonite or Taufer or Anabaptist de
baters named are Martin Weninger,
IHans Hock, Simon Lantz, Michael Utt

(the tailor or Schneider), Christian'
Brugger (Bricker).
The prominent debaters against the
Taiifers were Micahel Haller — Bech-
told Haller, Casper Megander, Sebas
tian Hoffmeister, George Stehle, Hein
rich Linkey (Lincki), Sutzer of Basil
and Henry Morider. The discussion
ended at a session at Aarian, where
the minutes were revised to print
them. The opponents told the chief debater
tor the Taiifers, Brugger or Bricker
that he shall declare whether he will
confess himself convinced they are
wrong and secede from them. And he
declared neither he nor any other of
them would do so. He was told then
they must all leave and if they come
back they would be "geschwlmmt"
that is, swimmed or drowned. He did
come back and his arrest was ordered,
and he was likely drowned.
1532 — Taiifer or Mennonite Demand
for Separation of Church and State.
Ernst Miiller, (p. 34) states that in
this year at Soffingen (Switzerland),
the Taiifers or Baptists held and sent
forth the demand that the state must
not interfere with matters of faith and
conscience — that the state has noth
ing to do with religion. They set
forth as the state had been so cruel tO'
them, they never found cause to be
enthusiastic about the Government
nor show any patriotism. They stat
ed that their ideas of justice were-
Evangelical and come from the scrip
tures. Their views of justice they
said were according to apostolic
models rather than those of the stat
utes and those enforced by the police,.
the inquisition, the dungeon, the gal
leys and the piles of fagots and fire.

44

THE SWENKFELDERS ARISE

1532— Taiifers or Mennonites Win the
People.
When the minutes of the debate of
1532 got into circulation, there was
trouble. Finally it was arranged that
printed reports of it were to be given
out to the sheriffs and officers. The
rumor became current that the Ana
baptists had gotten the better of the
argumeus and therefore the govern
ment sent out printed copies of the
debate much modifled to deny the
rumors, that the Taiifers had suc
ceeded. (Muller 70).
1532 — Casper Swenkfeldt and His Fol
lowers.
Casper Swenkfeldt moved to Stras
burg in Germany in 1532 and labored
for religion in that section. He wrote
from that place to Leo Juda, the Ana
baptist and to Hoffman that he does
not longer patronize them and their
doctrine except to that extent which
is consistent with the spirit of Christ,
according as he interpreted it. He
began therefore his new faith and
sect, which also have lived down to
our day. He seems however to have
had intimate spiritual intercourse
with Hoffman; and to have had a
quieting effect on him. They both
asked the established (Catholic)
church to have a debate with them.
Swenkfeldt was accused of being a
worse heretic than Hoffman, and thus
in his petition for a debate he avers
that he is not a heretic and challenges
all mankind to prove him one. A dis
cussion was held by Swenkfeldt and
Hoffman on June 11, 1533 jointly
against the Church of the State, which
seems to show that even at that date
Swenkfeldt had not split very far off
the Mennonite Church and faith.
Both these champions of non-resist
ing Christian religion had a hard

fate. Hoffman was condemned to pri
son for life and died there. Swenk
feldt did not fare so hard. He was
orderd out of town. Although he
split from Hoffman's faith, he had
deep sympathy for him, which he
showed in his letter to Leo Juda July
3, 1533. In the same letter he also
replied to his critics who accuse him
of denying both Christ and God and
shows that he is as orthodox as the
most fervent can be in that regard
(Brons 402).
Hoffman languished in jail several
years. In 1534 Swenkfeldt and Martin
Zell and Casper Medio visited him and
found him sick in body and in spirit.
He was badly treated and they asked
that he be treated more kindly; but it
seems that neither he nor his friends
made application to get him out of
jail. Their requests for kinder treat
ment of him were not heeded; and he
died after being in jail six years about
1540, rather than give up or even
change his religion one iota (Brons
405). I speak thus at large of Hoff
man, because his Is a common name
in our own county today.
1535 — Three Hundred Anabaptists Im
prisoned in Holland.
Miiller tells us (p. 159) that a group
of fugitives, 300 in number besides
women and children were barricaded
or imprisoned in a convent near Wit
marsum, the home of Menno Simon, in
Friesland, Holland, this year, after
they had been overwhelmed. Subse
quently they were tortured and the
women drowned, under the cruel edict
of Charles V of Spain and Emperor of
Germany, who ruled Holland as well.
1535— Charles V and the Miinsterites
— Enemy of Baptists.
Miiller tells us (p. 159) that in many
places aud particulars the "reform

COMPLETE CONVERSION OF MENNO SIMON

movement" was nipped in the bud by
the activity of Charles V against it.
Charles took advantage of any cir-
cumst\noe he could to condemn these
people, and especially any shortcom
ing or fault in the movement he was
ready to turn to its disadvantage.
Therefore great hurt was brought
about to the Anabaptists or Taiifers by
the rebellious followers of John Mat
thias and John Bockelsohn of Miinster.
These people, called Miinsterites were
rebellious, law-breaking and often of
immoral conduct and practice; and
they tried to malie it appear that they
were genuine Anabaptists and paraded
in the garb of the same, much to the
disgust of both the government and
the religious forces. Menno Simon
tried his influence with them, but it
only resulted in them trying to be
smirch him too. And in his history of
his life and works, he takes great
pains to inform the reader that he
never belonged to the Miinsterites al
though he says he was accused of it.
They were wild agitators and they
cruelly persecuted all others who did
not believe as they did. On their ban
ners they carred emblazoned all of the
warnings and dire threats of the Rev
elations (Muller 159).
1535 — A Nuremburg Translation of
the Bible.
This year says Muller (p. 68) a
translation of the Bible was made at
Nuremburg, at a great expense and
sacrifice by the descendants of the
Waldenses, which Waldensean doc
trine the Anabaptists or Taiifers or
Mennonites largely carried out and
-continued from early days. The trans
lation was into German.
1586 — Menno Simon Completely
Leaves Catholicism.
In 1536 Menno Simon severed his

connection with the Catholic church
and changed his care-free life for
poverty and distress and lived in the
fear of the Lord and sought out
people of like mind to associate with
him. By devoting himself to his
cause, he found peace, says Brons (p.
65). About a year later says the same
author, a body of men who were
Taiifers called upon him near Wit
marsum; his home, and said they
were disgusted with the different up
starts who ue^^ to lead them and that
therfore, they had now come to him
and they pleaded with him and
begged him that he should take to
heart the leaderless condition of the
Anabaptists or Tafifers and the hard
lot under which they suffered. They
complained that the men who assumed
to lead them were too mystical and
fantastic and were impracticable
idealists — they called them "Schwar-
mers" or rovers — they said these
leaders were constantly falling into
fanaticism and reveries and withdrew
themselves away from people and be
came monastic and did them no good.
Menno's heart was touched by this,
says Brons; but he said he doubted
his ability to meet the educated oppo
sition against the Anabaptists and also
that he was of so shy and modest a
nature he feared he was not the man
to lead them. He said he was too
"blodigkeit" or bashful and did not
have the "fahigkeiten" or capability
to do the work. He told them, how
ever, to be patient and he would con
sider the matter in prayer and if it
was God's will that he should lead
them he could no more refuse to
preach and teach than Paul who
said. "Woe unto me if I do not preach
the Gospel." And says Brons, he de
cided it was his duty to lead these

46

BERNE MENNONITES COMBINE TO HELP BRETHREN

.people; and from that time on they
stood as solid as a rock in the great
movement of reform, which was now
active all over Europe like the great
wakes and tides of the ocean. Then
numbers gathered around him and
they were rebaptized. He began now
to teach fearlessly and he sent many
encouraging doctrinal letters to many
places to help others.
The three events that made Menno
Simon the leader of the Holland
Wiedertaufers or Anabaptists were,
first, his meditations over the execu
tion of Sicke Snyder about 1528 be
cause he was re-baptized — then the
shutting up of 300 or more of these
Baptists in a prison-convent near
him, and the destruction of them for
their faith, and finally the request of
the Anabaptists we have just men
tioned to him, to lead them.
1536— Combined Action in All Switz
erland Against Anabaptists.
Miiller, tells us (p. 34) that a meet
ing of the oflicers and political
powers of the towns of Zurich, Bern,
Basel, Schoffhausen, St Gallen, Miihl-
hausen and Biel, all places in Switz
erland, was held at Basil in 1536 and
there they composed and worked out
a common form of confession, includ
ing several articles against second
baptism and against the Taufers or
Mennonites, etc. The 24th articles of
this was that there must be a common
proceedings or movement against
second baptism and the Wiedertauf
ers and declaring that all who sepa
rate from the Holy Church (Catholic)
must be punished as a duty to God,
by the high authorities of the Church
and the State and must be prevented
from polluting the people and poi
soning their minds with their doc
trines. Officers were then appointed

at this convention of the above chief
cities of Switezrland, to see that the
demand of the "Holy Church" was
carried out.
1536 — Bern Mennonites Flee to Mo
ravia and Russia.
Muller tells us (p. 93) that about
this time many of the oppressed
Weidentaufers of Bern in Switzerland
moved to Moravia and Russia. There
fore the Mennonite Church in Russia
is also very old. They found Moravia,
he says, a new Jerusalem and a ha
ven of peace and rest from their tor
ture. There they remained in peace
a long time. Then calamities arose
among them there from State and
Church, but they endured until 1622,
when they received a fatal blow,
which almost exterminated them,
from Russia. But during nearly all
this time Moravia was an asylum un
til suddenly in 1622 they received
there also the "todesstosb" or death
blow.
1536— The Berne Mennonites Go to
Help the French Huguenots.
In 1536 Harry Frantz Nageli (no
doubt a remote ancestor of the Neg-
leys of our county and State) at the
head of the Berne army of great mass
of Taiifers at Waadt conquered much
of the opposition against the sect.
November 29th, he in company with
a fellow christian named Yost, of
Diesbach were sent as messengers to
France to speak and plead for the
Huguenots and their religion. He la
bored to have persecution against
them cease. For these reasons Miil
ler speaks of Nageli as a leader of
aud at the head of the Bern Taiifers
or Mennonites at this time. Nageli
had difficultv to make the French
King understand as Naegli's lan
guage could not be understood in

BERNE EXECUTIONS AND TORTURES

47

France. But he did manage to ex
plain to the King the cause of the
rise and organization of the Taiifers
or Anabaptist Mennonites and espec
ially laid stress upon the point that
the priests and leaders of the Cath
olic church had become corrupt in
early days and also that the subject
of infant baptism also caused the se
cession, (Muller, p. 83).
1537 — Berne Executions (Lancaster
County and Pennsylvania Names)
About this time among others the
following people were executed for
their faith, in and abount Berne. In
1537 Bernard Walti (now Welty) —
John Sweitzer, Serf Hoffer, Ulrich
Bichsel (now Bixler) — Barbara Will-
her (now Weiler) — Catharine Fried-
ley, Berna Steli (now Sthely or
Staley). In 1538 Peter Sleeker, Ul
rich Huber, Hans Wilier or Weiler,
Elizabeth Rupser or Rupp, Peter Best-
miller, Stephen Ricksecker and Ru
dolph Staley. In 1539 Lawrence Ha-
berly, John Shumacker, Peter Unter
— in 1543 Christian Oberlin, John Un
ter and Waldi or Waldo Garber.
Nearly all of these we recognize to
be familiar Lancaster county and east
ern Pennsylvania names of people
living among us today ; and our neigh
bors are no doubt relatives of these
ancient martyrs for conscience sake.
This shows again what a large num
ber of our southeastern Pennsylvania
families came from ancestry who 400
years ago lived in the mountains of
Switzerland, before their later gen
erations moved down the Rhine into
the Palatinate, (Miiller, p. 78).
1537 — Berne Again Demands Solo
thurn Anabaptists to Be Crushed
Out
In 1537 says Muller (p. 73) mes
sengers were again sent from the

Council of Berne to the authorities of
Zolothurn and declared that at Et-
tigen and Lusbligen there are many
Anabaptists or Mennonites; and that
if the Zolothurn authorities do not
kill them according to orders, Berne
will take a hand in it. Zolothurn was
a center where the people were
shown favors and mercy. Those who
came from Zolothurn to Berne were
sent back to be disposed of. In the
early Waldensean times before the
days of the Reformation the Walden
seans had gained a foothold in Zolo
thurn and therefore we must remem
ber that even in 1737 this faith was
200 years old them. That is why they
had such strength there. There were
persons high in authority there who
were Anabaptists or now Mennonites,
whose ancestors going back several
generations planted the faith there.
This is why the State or Canton au
thorities at Berne were so anxious
about it Solothurn or Zolothurn is
a good sized city nearly equidistant
between Berne and Basil, being about
15 miles almost directly north of
Berne. 1538 — New Tortures in Berne and
BaseL
Right after the religious discussion
or debate in Berne which was held in
1538 the feeling against the Anabap
tists or Taufers reached its high
water mark. The debate was won by
these baptists. The authorities now
knew that all former means to sup
press them had failed. And the move
ment went on. So henceforth a for
cible extermination was decided on
and there were many executions of
which there are no public records. If
they were in prison every means was
used to make them give up and when
these failed they were killed. The or
der was if they do not yield to ordi-

48

HALDEMANS APPEAR— DEBATE AT SIGNAU

nary questioning, "You must inter
rogate them with a rope.'' But this
was not to include women. It was al
so ordered that the property of the
Baptists who have no children must
be taken by the State at the death of
the owner. In August 17, 1538 the
Catholic Bishop of Basel sent out an
order that no Anabaptists were to be
allowed in his bishopric at all. They
must leave or be killed, (Mtiler, p.
82). 1588— The Name "Halderaan" Ap
pears.
This year in Eggvil, Switzerland,
we find the name "Haldeman" so fa
miliar to us and so prominent in Lan
caster county and Eastern Pennsyl-
pania, used the first time. This is
about 375 years ago. Miiller tells us
(p. 75) that Thiiring Haldeman was
ordered this year to "walk the plank"
or be killed. That is, he was to go
on board a vessel and leave or suffer
death. 1538 — Houstten (or Hochtetten) and
Signau Demand Another Reli
gious Debate.
In February and March of 1538 says
Miiller (p. 79) a discussion on religion
was demanded by the above towns.
The attempt was made to prove the
Old Testament equal to the New.
This was an argument against the
Taufers, who largely avoided the Old.
At this debate Rappenstein and Pfeis-
ter Myer, the converted Baptists or
Taufers, who in Soffingen had done
good work, were present and entered
the debate. The minutes of this de-
cussion are still extant in two copies
in the State Archives in Berne.
Strange Baptists were present also
and some of them spoke a great deal.
Michael Utt (the tailor) — Matthias

Weiser — Henry Weninger of Schloff-
hausen. There were Hans Hatz, George
Trasser of Bavaria. Of these, Weiser,
Trasser and Hatz spoke most From
the Berne neighborhood, there were
John Vogt, and Hans Luthi who
spoke. There were also present from
Eggvil, Bernard Vergerter, Ulrich
Wenenschwander, Bernard Jenruy,
Christian Salzman — Waldi Gerber of
Rotherbach — Ulrich and Klaws Rupp
of Stauffen — Hans Schellenberg, John
Krahenbuhl (Graybill), Friedli Die-
boldswiler, all of Signau — Peter
Schwendimann and Felix Shumaker
of Big Hochstetten — Casper Kalb or
Kulp and Andrew Shindler or Shindle
of Thun — Casper Zugg, Frantz Ober-
ly and John Haslibach — Jos. Meis-
cher, Uli Flickinger, Christian Brick
er, Jacob Sutter, and Jacob Caspar of
Aarburg — Uli Hunsicker, Hans Gus-
per, Michael Zink, Hans Snyder and
Beit Herman, and others were pres
ent. Amongst these we find many
names today familiar in Eastern
Pennsylvania. All of which shows us
where our ancestors lived and moved
nearly 400 years ago and where they
were even before Columbus sailed on
his voyage of discovery.
The four presidents who managed
this debate (Muller, p. 80) had the
minutes compiled and reported to the
Council of Berne and it was ordered
that four copies be made and the
same be put in the library. The Men
nonites wanted a copy of the minutes
too but it was refused on the ground
that it was a report and not a discus
sion for the public. This explains how
those ancient books got into the lib
rary where they are today. They
would not allow extra copies to be
made for the Baptists.

THE EMMENTHAL FILLS UP WITH MENNONITES

49

1588 — Mennonites Drifting Into the
Emmenthal.
In 1538 a conference between Berne
and the Bishop of Basel at Miinster
was held. The inhabitants of Miins
ter were subjects of the Bishop of
Basel and since 1486 they were also
connected or had certain city rights
in Munster. Wattenbach and Ferrell
in Miinster introduced the Reforma
tion here and in the valley of the Em
menthal. This is important history,
especially to citizens of Lancaster
county, because it was to the valley
of the Emmenthal, northeast of Berne
a short distance, that the persecuted
Mennonites gathered, from whom and
from whose descendants, came from
that place, the first ten or twelve pio
neers who reached Amsterdam in
March, 1710 — London about May, re
maining to the end of June and finally
reached the Pequea, .now in Lancaster
county, in October, 1710.
The result of the conference at
Miinster was that both Berne and
Basel should contrive to wipe out
"this damned sect." Berne said to the
Bishop of Basel, "What shall we do
to wipe them out? The Sheriffs and
Officers lead such bad lives they can
not punish anyone." The answer was
get other sheriffs. But said Basil, "It
is your own question to deal with;
we do not want to interfere," (Miiller,
p. 235).
1538 — Herrs, Graafs, Mylins, Landises
and Others Become Mennonites.
Ezra E. Eby of Berlin, Out, in his
book on the Eby family says: The
Ebys belong to the Celts, an ancient
Asiatic race. During the early ages
lived in Northern part of Italy and
were brought from heathendom
through the Vandois (Waldenes).

From the 8th to the 11th Century
these Vandois became numerous. The
Church of Rome tried to exterminate
them. In 1453 the whole Valley of
Luzerne was laid under an interdict.
In 1487, Innocent the XIII began an
order of extermination against them;
a large number fled and went to the
Northern part of Switzerland. They
finally settled in Bern, Luzeren, Zur
ich and Schweyz. Among the Vandois
(Waldenes) who settled in these coun
tries were the "Ebees." These Swiss
Waldenes when Menno Simon founded
the Mennonite Church in 1538 joined
hm. Among those who joined were
the names of Herr, Graaf, Mylin,
Shank, Witmer, Landis, Eby and oth
ers. Some of these are of Teutonic
origin which proves the Waldenes had
accessions from that source, after ar
rival in Switzerland.
1538 — Offreus Greisinger Destroyed.
Greisinger is a common Eastern
Pennsylvania name, numerous in
Lancaster county. Thus I give this
item on his sufferings and death. The
Martyrs' Mirror, page 432, tells us
that, in 1538, a Greisinger resident of
Tyrol in Austria of the same stock as
the Swiss and Germans, after being
sought in mountain and valley was
caught, after a large reward was of
fered for him. He was a preacher
among the Taiufers and kept many of
them encouraged to hold on. They
tried to make him recant but he de
clared he would "endure all pain unto
death." Then they drew him up by a rope
about his neck, but quickly let him
down and threatened hm saying he
would be torn limb from limb. He
said, "I am in your hands." Eight
days later they drew him up again
and let him down but he would not

50 WEIDMAN AND SHUMAKER SUFFER— HAEUSER MENNONITES

recant. Eight days later they threat
ened him again but did nothing. Then
he was sentenced to death and placed
in the fire and burned to ashes, on
Halloween, 1538.
1538 — Michael Weidman's Sufferings
and Death.
The same book tells us, page 433,
that, "About this time also Brother
Michael Weidman or Beck was appre
hended at Ricten, in Allegan, togeth
er with some other persons, which
others persons, however were Jsent
home, while this brother was put in
prison for the faith. Many things
were resorted to with him, and he was
admonished to renounce, but he had a
good assurance of his faith in Christ,
and said: "When I was living with the
world in all unrighteousness, in sins
and wickedness, no one admonished
me to renounce, but I was considered
a good Christian before the world."
After being imprisoned almost half a
year, he was beheaded and burned.
Here we find another old German or
Swiss martyr of nearly four centuries
ago, whose surname is common here
in Lancaster county today.
1538 — Caspar Schumacher's Sufferings.
In the same book the sufferings of
another remote ancestor of a large
Lancaster county and Eastern Penn
sylvania family of today are given,,
page 433, as follows: "In the year
1538, the brethren Martin of Vilgraten,
and Caspar Schumacher, were both
apprehended for the divine truth, at
Michelsberg, in Priesterthal, and af
ter steadfastness, sentenced to death,
and executed with the sword, thus
manfully persevering in the faith un
to the end. They were of good cheer
in their bonds and tribulation and
held fast to the love of God, from

which they could not be separated
through tribulation, fear, persecution,
hunger, nakedness, or danger.
1538 — Our Mennonite Ancestors Suf
fered Also Under English Decrees.
In the Martyrs' Mirror, page 434, it
is stated: "After manifold tyranny,
persecution and putting to death,"
writes P. J. Twisck, "in various coun
tries and kingdoms, against the Chris
tian flock, also in England, a decree
was proclaimed December, to the or-
dianance of Christ. By ^artue of the
same, they, right in the face of cold
winter, were banished from the coun
try, and had to flee whithersover they
could. Thus it came, that some of
them fled for refuge to Holland, and
having come to Delft, they were there
spied out by their enemies, and fell
into the hands of the tyrants; and,
after manifold trials, and steadfast
ness in their faith, they were sen
tenced to death for the truth, at said
place, and, on the 7th of January, A.
D. 1539, put to death. Sixteen men
were beheaded with the sword, and
fifteen women drowned.
1539 — Hiiuser Mennonites in Stainer-
brunn, Austria.
A part of the Hauser Baptist who
went under Brother Hauser to Hun
gary were named accordingly Hauser
Baptists or Mennonites. They were
understood to make great and strong
profession. Some of them later went
to Prussia. A little party who came
from Stainerbruun, Austria, lived un
molested there until 1539. But when
they had grown to be a numerous con
gregation, then the Catholic Priests in
formed the King and they had oflScers
with armed men and on horseback
sent against them. December 6, 1539
some of the officers appeared before
the houses of the brethren and took
every one of the male members pris-

MENNONITES AS GALLET SLAVES

51

oners. The Catholic mob robbed what
ever they could. The main purpose of
the expedition was to get the treas
ures of these people. The overseer of
the congregation of Austerliz was
taken prisoner; and he with all the
others were taken to the Castle of
Falkenstein. This happened near
Stainerbruun in Austria as we have
said. They took 150 priosners and
among them were some who had not
been as yet baptized or taken up into
the congregation, (Brons, p. 431).
1539 — Taufers or Mennonites Buried
Paupers in Potter's Fields.
It was decided in 1539 in Berne that
the Baptists ex-communicated from
the Catholic church should not be
buried on holy ground. The theory
of the church was that whoever in
his life time was not in the church,
could not be buried in holy ground.
According to an order of 1539, they
were not allow to be burled in any of
the cemeteries, and this decree was in
force until 1695, (Miiller, p. 362).
1540 — Our Mennonite Ancestors as
Galley Slaves.
In the early times the maritime
nations had to have slaves in their
galleys to propel them before steam
engines were invented; and scores of
strong men were captured constantly
and chained to the oars of these war
vessels. They used to take all con
victs and people whose lives were of
no account and make them propel the
galleys. Some of the Swiss cantons
agreed with the Republic of Venice
and with Italy and France by treaties
to supply them with slaves for the
galleys. So they took these Menno
nites and sent them. This saved
Switzerland the trouble and expense
of their prisoners and the sea coun
tries were glad to get them. Venice
had great wars with Turkey and need
ed them. Her ambassadors requested
Swiss galley slaves and this made the

Swiss officers very active to do this
for them, particularly because it
would rid the country of these Bap
tists. The Swiss got their idea from
France. In this way France treated the
Huguenots. Berne furnished many
Mennonites for the galleys; it was de
cided that only these big mountain
Baptists were fit to go to the galleys.
As early as 1540 there were 90 of these
Mennonites bound to King Ferdinand
of Austria and taken to Trieste to be
sent to Venice. They escaped from
the Tower of Trieste but 20 were re
arrested and sent on. This began as
early as 1540. And as late as 1613
Hans Landis, and Galli Fuchs and
Stephen Zehnder or Zehner were sent
to the galleys by Zurich but they
escaped. Zurich tried to spread the
galley punishment to Basel and other
places; but it was condemned as too
severe and went out of use, (Muller,
p. 215).
1540 — Taufers or Mennonites in the
Principality of Basel.
The Taufers or Baptists now called
Mennonites, had for some time been
settling around the Emmenthal,
which is in Switzerland, northeast of
Berne. They became numerous there
and spread throughout the Valley.
They were very successful farmers
and were the leaders in that region
in agriculture and stock raising. But
in the Canton of Zolothurn they found
refuge first and then moved to the
Jura in the Emmenthal. Some came
to the section north of Biel and
settled in the valley of the Monto.
Some went to the great Munsterberg,
the entrance to the Jura and then
went west. About 100 years later they
went to Neuberg. Many of them
came from Bucheggberg. Among the
first of the emigrants that came from
Bucheggberg we find the family of
Gerber and Neusbaum and Tanner.
This happened between 1540 and 1570.
But the first Baptists in Jura on the
Emmenthal were not from the neigh-

MORAVIAN MENNONITES— TAEUFERS USE GUNS

52
borhood of Berne but came from the
north regions, in the neighborhood of
Staasb, from where they were chased.
There were about 4000 of them as
early as 1535, (Muller, p. 235).
Of these on the 4th of June, the
Berne authorities wrote to the Catho
lic Bishop that it must be known to
him what trouble these people are
making and that they must be pun
ished. That he should punish them —
these Taufers. It was also stated
that the treaty with the Miinsterites
would be renewed as they were ene
mies of the true Taufers. The Bishop
promised that he would punish and
exterminate them. Then the agree
ment was made that the Munsterltes
should help to get rid of the Taufers.
The Berne Reformed authorities and
the Catholic authorities were willing
to work together now to put the
Taufers or Mennonites out of the way,
(Miiller, p. 236).
The authorities of Thun, Switzer
land, some distance from Berne, sent
word that they are chasing these
Taufers day and night and that they
had the Sheriff of Signau to help
them, (Miiller, p. 82).
1540 — Mennonites in Moravia.
There were congregations of Swiss
brethren in Pppitz and Mahren; and
three brethren from congregations of
Thessa'onica appeared in these Mora
vian towns, hunting for other brethren
of whom they learned. They received
information in different parts of Mo
ravia in 1540 stating that these
brethren had been taken by the Turks
and sold as slaves. They did not find
the brethren of their same faith there
but they found these Swiss brethren
who had emigrated there. One was
Hans Pech. They could not speak to
him in Latin. They also learned that
Hans Fiihrman and twelve others had
been nine years in prison at Passau in
Bavaria, (Miiller, p. 101). The name
Fiihrman is familiar in Lancaster
county and other sections of Eastern

Pennsylvania and we call attention to
it to show the close relation between
Southeastern Pennsylvania and these
ancient lands.
1540— More About Hoffman.
Brons in his book, (p. 405) states
some of the hardships of Melchoir
Hoffman, of whom we have studied
before. He says that Hoffman was a
good man and that he had written
several religious works, some of which
he dedicated to his Christian brethren
in the Netherlands. He refers to a
Martin Butzer. Butzer was against
Hoffman. Their difference seemed to
be on the subject of infant baptism.
Butzer in a tract, after discussing
Hoffman, says, "Now you can see how
Hoffman is in the bonds of Satan." It
seems that both these men were of
the Baptist or Mennonite faith but
that Butzer told many untruths about
Hoffman. Hoffman was one of the
greatest powers the early church had.
He died in prison in 1540.
1541 — Taufers or Anabaptists Defend
With Guns.
An extract from a writing dated De
cember 20, 1541, cited by Miiller (p.
83) requests that' consideration shall
be shown to the Taufers who are
backsliders. It seems some of them
finding mild methods did not avail, de
fended themselves with guns and sent
word that if the Sheriff of Interlacken
was coming with force against them,
they would meet him with force, as
they had guns. Miiller also states
that in Stettler's Chronology under
the date of 15-45, it was stated that
in 1541 the Baptists should have sep
arate burial because in life they sep
arated themselves from other Christ
ians. Nagely, one of these Baptists,
had travelled to France and he learn
ed a great deal there. When he came
back in November, 1541, he spoke in
a manner to which the people were
not accustomed, that is in Latin. He
said the reason of the growth of the

MENNO SIMON— GERMANS FOUND VENEZUELA

53

Taufer sect was the low morals of the
different religious bodies. Those who
had resisted the government and were
then overcome were garrotted; but
as others promised to be good citizens
they were left go.
1541 — Thiiring Haldemau's Bravery.
In this year there was a mandate
condemning many Anabaptists to
death but Thurman Haldeman refused
to submit. He was one of the spokes
men and teachers of the people and
the most disobedient to the govern
ment. He was erratic and was ordered
beheaded. They told him that if he
would publicly swear an oath that he
would obey the order, he would be
left off. We can not find what hap
pened. In this and the preceding
articles we find again familiar Lan
caster county and Eastern Pennsylva
nia names, those of Butzer, Nagley,
Haldeman, and Stettler.
1541 — Menno Simon's Boldness and
Labors.
About this time the persecution
agai'-'-t Menno Simon became acute.
^'U edict against him personally was
passed in which all people are for
bidden under loss of life to hand him
anything or read anything that he
wrote. A reward of 100 guilders or
florins for his capture was offered. In
addition he had trouble with a false
brother in faith, who gave his perse
cutors track of him. But he escaped
to the town of Groeningen, a safe
place. This was a privileged town
under Charles V and later under his
son. The son was friendly to the
quiet Baptists. For this reason the
Catholic monks accused the Emperor's
son of being faithless to the church.
The Bishop of Utrecht was also toler
ant. In spite of this Menno Simon,
as the most prominent of his brethren,
was not safe — ^his life was in hourly
jeopardy. This curtailed his activity
in the Netherlands very much but he
did not leave; but he did go to Emb

den. From there to East Friesland.
Several of his faith had escaped and
gathered into a congregation. Countess
Anne was ruler of East Friesland and
she and her people about this time
went over to the Protestant faith and
they gave Menno Simon's people a
haven of rest, (Brons, p. 70).
1541 — Venezuela — First German Col
ony iu America.
In the year 1541 there was as ^ad
venturous journey from Germany and
Switzerland to America. An active
traffic for years existed between Ger
many and Spain, and it happened al
so that, frequently, German soldiers
were in Spain. The adventurous spirit
of the Spaniards began to fill the Ger
mans. Some of them, hearing the
stories of Spanish discoveries in
America also set out and arrived at
Venezuela, in 1541, which was the
first German settlement in America.
As they approached they saw an In
dian village on an island or on sev
eral islands near the coast and they
exclaimed "Venezuela" which means
Little Venice and so the mainland was
named Venezuela. A rich banker in
Augsburg in Bavaria had loaned
Charles V of Spain twelve "tons" of
gold and the repayment of this sum
was a hard task for the Emperor. The
banker Weltzer in lieu asked for Ven
ezuela and received it. Thus the coun
try of Venezuela was originally a pro
prietary province owned by a German
banker but under Spanish law. This
country Americus Vespucius discov
ered and in this way Spain became
entitled to the Government thereof in
1499. When Charles V began his arita-
tions and persecutions against Luther,
a lot of German followers of Luther
sailed to Venezuela, and began gold
hunting. In 1526 the first settlment
took place. This Weltzer Banking
and Merchant firm as owners of Ven
ezuela became more powerful than
the Castilian kings. While it was a

54

MYLINS, HUBERS, OBERLINS AND GERBERS APPEAR

hard matter for the Spanish govern
ment to furnish three small ships for
discovery, the Weltzers in a short
time built three good sized ones them
selves and in 1526 set sail with Am
brose Olfinger from Ulm in Witten
burg in command. They quickly built
a city and a fort and began trade with
South America. Later when their
trade had grown, the Weltzers sent
500 German soldiers to Venezuela, but
they became a pest and brought about
all manner of mischief and lost their
lives, (Loher, p. 15).
1542 — A Relic of Taufer or Mennonite
Persecution.
Miiller tells us, (p. 251), that there
is an old folio of the New Testament
or rather a comentary on the New
Testament by Christian Froschauer
in Zurich; and that a considerable
part of this book is perforated with a
bullet, a memento of the times when
Baptists or Taufer were being hunted
down for their lives. This book is in
Bion above Lachsfelden. These places
are in fme of the principalities of
Basel.1542— Cleaes Melias and Hans Huber
Destroyed.
In the Martyrs Mirror (pp. 448 and
449) an account is given of the death
of two Tiiufer of the same name as
many in modern eastern Pennsyl
vania. One is Dutch— Meliss,— which
may be the Dutch form of Meiley. The
Papists killed him and several com
panions in Holland in 1542.
The same year Hans Huber (a dis
tinct Lancaster County name) also
called Shumaker was imprisoned at
Waserburg in Bavaria. He was burned
to death.
1543— Christian Oberlin and Waldo
Garber Executed.
This year according to Muller (p.
78) the above mentioned persons, both
bearing well known Lancaster County
and eastern Pennsylvania names were

executed in Berne, on the 17th of
September. Also John Anken with
them. This gives new evidence of
how large a number of our ancestors
lived in and about Berne.
1543 A New Decree Against Menno
Simon and the Mennonites.
The Mirror (p. 449) citing an an
cient Dutch work says that this year
a dreadful decree was proclaimed
throughout West Friesland where
Menno Simon was taking refuge. By
its terms all malefactors and murder
ers were promised pardon for their
crimes, the favor of the Emperor and
100 Carl guilders if they would deliver
Menno Simon into the hands of the
tormentors and executioners. This
shows the extreme wickedness of the
west Friesian Regents. It made mur
derers superior to the devout Chris
tians. 1543— Dirk Philip's Taufer Writings.
This year Dirk Philips, who had
written a book or manuel of the
Christian doctrine (and which later
ran into five editions) had it trans
lated into French. He also issued a
work on Christian marriage, which
was highly praised, (Brons, p. 74).
1543 — Menno Simon's Learning and
Debating Abilitj-.
Brons tells us, at the same page
that Menno Simon was a consummate
Latin student, in 1543, and both wrote
and spoke Latin; and that as to his
knowledge of the Bible, none of his
opponents could surpass him. He
was therefore, in the latter part of
1513 requested to enter into a debate
or religious discussion at Embden
with several leaders, of the Catholic
Church at Francis Convent. It lasted
three or four days. Menno spoke for
the Taufer or Mennonites; and his
chief opponent was a man named A'-
Lasco. They discussed the two na
tures within us — Christian baptism —
original sin — ordination of preachers

THE NAME "MENNISTS"— MENNO'S KNOWLEDGE

55

— sanctification, etc. Both sides
claimed victory. And then Menno
promised at a future date he would
prove his side so that no one would
doubt He then withdrew to a quiet
place and went to work and there
composed several treatises.
1544 — Mennonite Leaders Print Many
Books.
This year as we are told in the
Mirror (p. 454) John Claess was con
demned to death in Amsterdam, for
the crime as the clerk read it, "That
he had caused to be printed at Ant
werp, six hundred books which he
had concluded with Menno Simon and
scattered abroad in this country con
taining strange opinions and sectar-
ranisms; and had kept school and
held meetings to introduce errors
among the people which is contrary
to the decree of our Emperor, and
our mother the holy church"
The same year certain Anabaptists
in Germany printed over fifteen hun
dred religious books and that
throughout Germany the sect in
creased greatly (Muller, p. 83).
1544 — Menno Simon's Followers First
Called Mennonites or "Mennists."
This year says Muller (p. 160) the
name "Mennonites" was first applied
to the followers of Menno Simon. Mr.
Smith in his new book says the name
was first used by Countess Ann of
East Friesland. Though the Menno
nites had to suffer, this did not retard
their growth. About this time there
was a discussion of several days be
tween the Netherland Mennonites and
the other Baptists. This and other
causes brought Charles V to begin a
counter reformation against the
Catholic Church. This fight, which
he as Emperor had against the Catho
lics, made times easier for the Men
nonites. 1544 — Menno Simon's Exegeses at
Emden.
In 1544 Menno Simon wrote "A Brief

and Clear Confession and Scriptural
Demonstration on the Incarnation and
Teachings of Christ to John A'Lasco
and his Fellow Laborers' at Emden.
(See Menno's Works part 2 p. 325 to
350).. This was written in East Fries
land in Holland. In this he refers to-
his debate with them at Emdent in
1543. Those to whom he wrote this
were his opponents. He discusses
the use of the sword and says only
spiritual weapons are allowable. He
then takes up a learned discussion of
the Incarnation. He says he wandered
about for days without food, ponder
ing and praying over this subject
He then answers the objections.
The second part of this treatise is
an admonition to A'Lasco, Arch-
Bishop at Emden, East Friesland and
to his brethren on how preachers
"should be minded". He rebukes them
as wordly — as sellers of the Word of
G'od — they are blamable in doctrine —
buried in "filthy lucre" — produce no
fruit of the spirit — have no fear of
God — no brotherly love — and finally
he says they are not the true mes
sengers of God. Therefore he says he
cannot hear nor attend their preach
ing or partake of their supper. Then
he follows up and tells the Catholic
Arch-Bishop what ails their Church,
etc. 1545 — Mennonites Wander Along
Northern Coasts.
From 1545 and during the next 5
years the Mennonites everywhere had
great difficulty to form congregations.
They were now chased and harassed.
They scattered through Danzig, Elb-
ing, Konegsberg, along the northern
coasts and the Weichsel river. There
fore, they only gathered in small
bodies of 2 or 3 and met in private
houses for worship — sometimes in
barns. Their plan at meeting was a
preacher behind a small table and on
each side of him the deacons and in
front the members, women on one
side and men on the other on bench
es, (Brons, p. 248).

56

MENNO DRIVEN TO THE BALTIC— OTHER HARDSHIPS

1546— Menno Simon and His People
Flee to Baltic Coast and Finland.
Menno Simon this year found a
haven of rest in Cologne in Prussia.
Under elector Herman of Wied, all
Mennonites were given refuge in the
principality until the Elector was de
feated by the Arch bishop under
Charles Vs. Counter Reformation.
(Miiller, 160.) But after these events
Menno and his sick wife had to flee
to the Baltic Coast and were overcome
in and around Cologne by the new
Catholic forces; and the Elector was
deposed by the Catholic Archbishop.
This was a blow for the new teach
ing. Strict Popery held sway again.
Menno in his wanderings on the Bal
tic came to Liefland where he found
many of his faith and he formed a
congregation there and baptized
many and administered the sacra
ments. This was in the region of
Finland and says Brons (p. 77) fruits
of Menno's work there 370 years ago
are still seen in the form of a large
Mennonite Settlement in territory,
whefe he had labored so long ago.
The followers of that faith have
existed there from that time to the
present. The next year Menno Siman was in
Wismar (1547) and a theological doc
tor opposed him with great animosity
— and said he would rather have a
hatful of Menno's blood than a hatful
of gold. This theologian Smedistedt,
by name, also induced the authorities
to compel the Baptists to get out of
the country, (Brons, p. 77).
1546— Local Hardships Of, and Pre
judice against Menno Simon.
In his complete work (p. S) pub
lished in Elkhart by Funk in 1871,
Menno Simon relates that in 1546, at
a place in Holland where it was
boasted the Evangelical Christians or
Baptists predominated, four dwellings
were confiscated because the owner
had rented one of them for a short

time to his (Menno's) sick wife andi
children. This severe persecution
compelled him to move to a place be
tween Hamburg and Lubeck, where
there was formely a large forest,
owned by a German who though cruel
otherwise was much inclined toward
the Holland martyrs. This he did in
defiance of the King. After Menno
settled there exiles from all sides
came there too and shortly there was
a large colony of them.
1546— Leonard Schneider and Dirk
Peters Executed.
This year these persons bearing
eastern Pennsylvania and Lancaster
County names were executed for their
faith, the former in Vienna and the
latter in Amsterdam. Peters we have
frequently referred to.
1547— The Diet of Augsburg.
This year says Brons (p. 88) it was
lucky for the Protestants that when
Charles V was successful over them
all, he at the same time had serious
difficulties with the Catholic Church.
We remember he, though a Catholic,
undertook to regenerate it To re
concile the difference of views he
called the Diet of Augsburg Septem
ber 1, 1547. Over the deliberations of
the Diet he had two Catholics and one
Protestant theologians as moderators
and they got a creed framed up; but
the Protestant was out-voted by the
Catholic. 1547— Lutheran Hatred of Menno
Simon.
This year says Brong, (p. 77) a
Lutheran Minister named Vincentius
appeard in Wismar and preached so
vehemently against Menno that he
was smitten by a stroke of apoplexy.
But Menno was not much disturbed
by it. He kept a steady home there.
1547— Menno Simon Tries to Consoli
date Reform Movement.
In 1547 Menno Simon went to Emb
den to have a talk with the elders and

PERSECUTIONS IN HOLLAND— NAME "BAIR" APPEARS

57

bishops of the Baptists — Obbe and
Dirk Philips, Gillius of Achen, Henry
of Vrenen, Antonius of Cologne and
others. In the meeting there were
two present named Adam Pastor and
Franz Cuyper, whose divergent views
disheartened Menno very much,
(Brons, p. 77).
1550 — Menno Simon Defines Separa
tion from the World.
In 1550 Menno Simon wrote a dis
cussion in the form of "Questions and
Answers" on doctrine. He concludes
that the regenerated must be separate
from others — or the world. And that
those who disobey this are to be ban
ned, and that this extends to mem
bers of the same family. Dealing'
with the banned should only be such
as necessity requires, he declares. He
then sets out who are the banned, ac
cording to Galations, Corinthians,
Ephesians, etc. What Menno advises
here is more nearly the "Reformed"
Mennonite doctrine than the "Old".
Its strict practice today would cause
much consternation, (Menno's Works,
part 2, pp. 276-8).
1550 — Inquisition Revived in Holland
and Belgium.
About this time the Romish clergy
became more bitter in Holland
against Mennonites and all evangeli
cals. They caused the Emperor to
revive the Inquisition there. Old au
thors cited in the Mirror say that,
though many persecutions were con
stantly inflicted in Holland earlier,
yet in 1550 the hatred and ill will of
the people increased to a dreadful de
gree and caused Emperor Charles V
at Brussels, April 29th, to revive an
inquisition by the church whose de
crees of death the government car
ried out. The decree was somewhat
modified later, but not before many
had fled to Brabant and Flanders,
(Mirror, p. 483).

1551 — John Bair, of Lichtenfels, Died
Here we have another familiar
Eastern Pennsylvania or Lancaster
County name. The Bair or Barr fam
ily is very numerous, there being in
Lancaster City, according to the Di
rectory of 1910, by count 103 Bair and
Barr heads of families and self sup
porting adults and in the county by
1910 directory 140 of them.
The Mirror tells us (p. 485) that
the above John Bair was imprisoned
23 years in a tower at Bamberg in
Franconia on account of his faith,
that is from 1528 to 1551 when he
died. In 1548 he wrote a letter as he
states in a dark dungeon at Bamberg.
He states that he has received six
pens, writing tablets, accounts of
the doctrine (religious tracts) but a
Bible he has not yet received. And
this after 20 years' imprisonment. In
the letter he pitiably begs for release
without being compelled to change
his belief. But it was not to be; and
he died three years later. Franconia
was an old dutchy, now the grand
duchies of Baden and Hesse and
Kingdoms of Saxony and Bavaria,Ger-
many, (Webster's Diet. Gaz.).
Menno Simon Writes His People's
Complaints.
This year Menno Simon wrote
what he called the "Complaint or
Apology of the Despised Christians
and Exiled Strangers, to All the
Theologians and Preachers of the
German Nations, Concerning the Bit
ter Falsehoods, Slanders and Abuses,
with which they Burden these suffer
ing Christians". In this he laments
(1) the falsehood of the accusations
(2) that the accusations are of capital
crimes— -(3) the accusations are
against nature and reason and (4) the
accusations are out of accord with the
spirit of Christ and are animated by
hate, etc. Finally he invites all to
come together in a friendly discus
sion. (Menno's Works, Part 2, p. 115).

58 MENNONITE DOCTRINE- STRASBURG TROUBLES— PALATINATE

1552— Menno Simon's Reply to Gel-
lius Faber.
This year Menno wrote his reply to
Faber. The reply is really a book of
115 pages, (See Part 2, pp. 1 to 115,
Menno's Works). He says that Gel-
lius in a publication slandered the
Christians and attempted to receive
them. He then takes up each posi
tion of Faber.
1552 — Menno Writes an Explanation
of the Mennonite Doctrine.
In the same work last cited, part 2,
from pp. 259 to 276, Menno Simon
this year wrote his "Fundamental and
Clear Confessions of the Poor and
Distressed Christians Concerning Jus
tification, The Preachers, Baptism,
The Lord's Supper and the Swearing
of Oaths, On account of which we are
so much Hated. Slandered and Belied.
Founded the Word of God".
In this work he takes up each of
tl.e last named subjects in an exposi
tion based on the Bible sxplainu t'lem.
He shows strong power of discussion
in the paper.
Two years later Menno wrote a
treatise on the causes and facts of
his conversion, (See His Works, p. 1).
In 1555 Menno also wrote a series of
letters, found in the same book, pp.
277-83.1555 — Great Religious Convention at
Strasburg, Germany
Brons tells us (p. 52) that this year
a great meeting of Menonites and
Evangelicals generally was held.
Some of the delegates traveled 150
miles. One delegate was present in
whose house Michael Sattler 30 years
before made an agreement on re
ligious subjects. Sattler was then an
active Anabaptist teacher. Another
delegate was present who stated that
he had been on the rack eleven
times, but escaped. But he reported
that many of his brethren died. There
were 50 delegates here, made up ot

elders and teachers, representing 600
members of different congregations.
Many were Swiss. Some descen
dants of the old Waldenseans were
here too.
1555 — Edict Inspired by Lutherans.
This year says Brons (p. 86) a new
edict in Germany, not only against
Mennonites but against all Reformed
bodies was promulgated. It seems
the edict was issued by the Lutherans
or at least the Lutherans of six large
towns advocated it; and the govern
ment followed their suggestion.
1555 — Mennonite Strengrth and Synod
at Strasburg, Germany.
In his chapter on Tanifers in Switz
erland, the Palatinate and adjoining
countries, Miiller says under the date
of 1555, that the Swiss through perse
cution were driven over the north
boundary of that country and found
asylum with their brethren in the
Palatinate. He says at the beginning
of the Reformation, the Mennonites
then known as Baptists or Anabap
tists were of nearly the same nu
merical strength as the Reformed.
They were both living in and about
Strasburg as early as 1526, when
the Baptist leader Reublin appeared
in Strasburg. Hoffman also helped
them there, and through him the
Baptists gained an equal foothold
there in spite of persecution. In 1555
in Strasburg, Germany, took place the
first important general synod of the
Mennonites as they were later caller,
(Miiller, p. 195).
1555 — Calvinism at Geneva.
This same year says Miiller, (p.
76), Zorkinden wrote a letter to Cal
vin that the differences between the
various branches of the "Reformers"
could never be wiped out. It seems
from this that Calvin, who began his
branch of the Reformation, (known as
Calvinism, later a form of Presbyter
ianism), about Geneva, hoped to have
his doctrine accepted by several

MENNO'S WORKS— BLOODY PHILIP II.

59

branches of the Reformation move
ment. He was a contemporary of
Zwingli and one of the great Swiss
religious powers.
1556 — Menno Simon Issues Several
Works.
This year Menno Simon issued a
series of letters (Menno's Works, pp.
277 to 284), — one to his followers in
Holland pointing out the errors of
papacy there — one of consolation to
the Amsterdam brethren — one to his
brethren in Friesland (Holland), re
buking them for their dissentions, and
one to the Church at Emden on the
subject and effect of separation in
families of the Christian members and
the "worldly" members, which doc
trine caused much grief, in many
homes. The same year he wrote a
wori on the Anti-Christ doctrine as
he called it, (Do., Part 2, pp. 351 to
422). This work is entitled, "A Very
Plain and Pointed Reply To the Anti
Christian Doctrine." This was a reply
to a false account given by Martin
Micron of the Discussion between
himself and Micron in 1553, on the
subject of the incarnation of Christ.
This is an interesting work,- written
with fairness; but it lacks the learn
ing which Menno shows in other
works. The same year he published a work
on the subject of Excommunication,
the Ban, Exclusion, etc. In this he
discusses fully "the separation from
the world" as the phrase is. Thf
same year he wrote a work on the
nature of the "Resurrection" (Do.,
Part I, p. 229), or the "Heavenly
Birth." In this he shows considerable
learning. The same year there came
out his "Fundamental Doctrine From
the Word of the Lord", exhorting all
to the "Heavenly Birth", etc. (Do., p.
165). In this he attempts to set peo
ple right, he says, from the discus
sion of learned men perverting the
truth. He attacks, of course, the ten
ets of practice of the Romish church

in these particulars. This treatise is
well worth reading by all. He also
wrote his dissertation on " True
Christian Faith" and his "Consoling
Admonition Concerning the Suffer
ings, and Persecutions of the Saints"
the same year, (Do., pp. 103 and 179).
1556 — Philip II of Spain, Imitating
Charles V, Issues Bloody Edicts.
This year says the Mirror (p. 530)
Philip II, son of Emperor Charles V,
following his father's footsteps,
caused all the former bloody edicts of
his father to be renewed against the
Anabaptists. The decree forbid all persons to
read or discuss the scriptures, es
pecially all doubtful points, except
theologians versed in divinity and
spiritual law. This was to apply to
all those who try to seduce persons
away from the holy mother church.
Those who do so teach were to be
punished as seditious persons, and be
executed, viz.: the men with the
sword and the women to be burned
alive and their property to be confis
cated. The decree recited that as es
pecially the Anabaptist violated all
decrees and moved about secretly,
none of the inhabitants of Holland
should be allowed into the territories
of Philip, except bringing a certifi
cate from the priest. All having
knowledge of Anabaptists were com
pelled to disclose them. The decree
forbid the Judges to mitigate the pun
ishment in any particular. The above
is cited from the Great Book of De
crees of Ghent, containing all the de
crees of Charles and Philip, collected
oy Y/:lliam I, Prince of Orange in
1560. Muller commenting on the same
wicked decree (p. 161), says, that af
ter Charles came, Philip as ruler of
Nttharlaims- and with the assistance
of his hangmen, during the Inquisi
tion, 1000 Evangelicals or Anabap-
ists were destroyed. Alone in Hol
land, outside of Friesland, in these
few years, one* hundred and eleven

€0

PERSECUTIONS BEGIN IN THE PALATINATE

Mrnnonites we-co executed. He also
executed the Calvinists, until the exe
cution of Duke of Egmout and Home.
Then a general religious war broke
out. In six years the Duke of Alba,
known as Philip's hangman, executed
18,000 people and then left for Neth
erlands. Goethe has written a tragedy
of Eggmount. It likely depicts this
awful time in Holland. Alba was to
Holland, what Weyler was to Cuba.
1557 — First Mennonite Gathering Into
the Palatinate.
Brons tells us (p. 181) that in 1557
the persecuted of Holand and espe
cially of Switzerland began going in
to the Palatinate, that is, the Rhine
country in Germany, then the prov
ince of Frederick II, Elector Palatine,
"Who was a protestant, (Rupp, p. 68).
They did this to escape their terrible
ordeals under Philip.
1557— Anabaptist Translations of the
Bible.
From 1525 onward to 1557 more
than 25 translations of the Bible ap
peared in Holland and the Menno
nites and Anabaptist genrally helped
to do most of it After 1557 the Ana
baptist helped in many more transla
tions. Up to 1723 there were over one
hundred editions of the Bible in dif-
fernt sizes issued, and made up from
Biestken's translation alone, whose
work was completed in 1560 at Em
den, (Broil'; p. 57).
1557 — Persecutions Begin in the
Palatinate.
This year there was a renewal of
persecution against the Mennonites
and Anabptists generally, and it ex
tended into the Palatinate. The dis
cussions of Menno Simon when he
was there in 1555 was the seed -which
a couple years later brought on the
fruit, (Brons, p. 93). The result was
that in 1557 sharp mandates against
the Mennonites were issued through
out the Palatinate. Elector Frederick

had a discussion at Pfeddersheim that
year with the Mennonite and Anabap
tist leaders and the edict was the re
sult, (Do., 185). We notice above the
striking similarity between the name
of the Paltinate town Pfeddersheim
and that of our well known Petf.r-
sheims in eastern Lancastor county,
adherants of the Amish Church. It is
likely their names are derived from
that of the ancient German town
where ancestors of the family may
have dwelt in olden times, ft was a
more or less general custom to name
citizens after the towns, as is in
stanced in the Oberholtzers, who
were first known in Oberholtz, a town
of the Wald in Switzerland.
1558 — Conrad Shumaker and Peter
Creamer Suffer.
This year Shumaker and Creamer,
names very commonly met with in
our county and state, were executed.
Shumaker was a Swabian, a section
anciently comprising northern Swit
zerland. He journeyed with his peo
ple toward the Danube and was taken
at Stein and imprisoned in • Vienna.
Here he suffered torture and hunger.
He was brought before Emperor Fer
dinand, who was attending a great
diet at Augsburg, and theratened with
execution before daylight so that the
people should not be excited in his
favor. He would not yield though
the executioner was by his side. He
was remanded and brought before the
Bishops and his monks and priests
three days later and threatened with
out avail. Then the Lutheran preach
ers of the King interceded and he was
released, (Mirror, p. 552).
Peter Creamer did not fare so well.
He lived in the Duchy of Berg, was
arested and brought to Winnick. He
was imprisoned a long time. When
brought to execution he appeared so
upright and pious that nearly every
one wept — the steward, the judges,
the deputy, the executioner and the
common people. The Steward begged

MENNO'S DEATH— GENEROUS ELECTOR FREDERICK

61

and begged him to come back to the
Romish church; but he refused. And
at last he was executed standing with
the Sword, (Do., 586).
1559 — Menno Simon's Last Works and
Death.
It would sem that this remarkable
man worked, and wrote expounding
and defending his faith and that of his
followers up until his death. Accord
ing to Funk, who published Menno's
complete works, Menno wrote and fi
nished on January 23, 1559 his "Thor
ough Answer to the Slanders, Defama
tion, Backbiting, Unseasoned and Bit
ter Words of Zyles and Lemmekes"
concerning the Mennonite doctrine,
especially on the subject of the "Ban
Separation or Shunning", (Menno's
Works, Part 2. pp. 283-295). This doc
trine of separation from and shunning
by the church, of those who are "of
the world" Is more or less strictly ad
hered to today by one branch of Men
nonites. They contend that they are
the only true followers of the doctrine
of the Bible .as explained by Menno
Simon. In this answer, carrying his
arguments to the point where parents
and children and even husband and
wife must be baned from and must
shun each other if one has accepted
the doctrine of Menno as he defines
it, and the other has not, his reason
ing leads to very cruel conclusions
and no end of family discord.
According to Brons, (p. 102), on the
same day Menno finished this thesis
he died — January 23, 1559, a true ex
ample of "faithful unto death". But
some writers say he died in 1561.
Brons says he was buried on his own
estate or farm, in Germany, known as
the "Wuestenfelds" or Wastefield, be
cause when he first acquired it the
place was a barren tract. He made it
fertile. The place of the grave is not
known. His followers, some time af
terwards, continued to resort to his
premises, and it seems, cultivate it
and use it making it very fertile, until

in the 30 years' war it was again de
vastated. The place is near Leibeck
a free city of Germany on the Baltic.
1559— Philip the Cniel aud Frederick
the Generous.
We remember that Charles V of
Spain abdicated in favor of his son
Philip II. He was very cruel to all
Anabaptists. But they (and especially
the Mennonites) had a friend in elec
tor Frederick; and he defended them
against Philip's hatred. March 7, 1559,
Philip writes that he has read Freder
ick's defense of these people but that
he still thinks most of them an anti
christ sect like those of Miinster, who
made trouble wherever they were
found. But he says there are some
good communities of them, who are a
plain peaceful people and not crazy
like the remainder. The Munsterltes
asserting themselves to be Mennonites
and yet full of war and rebellion and
sedition and not having Mennonite
principles at all, mislead the rulers
and make a hard road for Taufers or
Mennonites in all sections. Their cen
tral habitat was Munster. Philip then
said, "Those plain, harmless ones
should be tolerated, under cautious
surveillance; but as to all the active
and troublesome ones, take the sword
and slay them. As to the mild ones
they simply err in faith and efforts
should be made by reason and charity
to get them back. Listen to them and
argue. Put out and destroy their
teaching but you may as you desire
save their lives". Philip was now
King of Spain and as Spain was very
powerful at this time he also ruled
Holland, parts of Germany and adja
cent country; and thus Frederick the
elector, was under him.
1559— Margrave Albrecht of Prussia
Orders Banishment of Mennonites
and All Wiedertaufers.
"Wiedertaufers", w e remember
means, those who have received sec
ond baptism, on the belief that their

62

FIRST EMDEN BIBLE— TAUFERS IN PRUSSIA

baptism while infants was of no avail.
All who held this view, among whom"
most prominently were the Menno
nites, this year by edict were ordered
out of Prussia. But the persecution
was mild there and more tolerant and
the order was not obeyed, for 20 years
later the Mennonites petitioned the
authorities for free permission to set
tle in Koenegsburg and other places
in the Duchy, on the Baltic sea. The
same time they submitted their arti
cles of faith. This latter request in
1579 was again made as we shall see
later to Margrave George Frederick.
He said he was compelled to refuse
their request, as the Government
policy was that the peoplse since the
Reformation, that people should be all
Lutherans; but he told them this
kindly and as he said regretfully, for
he found them otherwise very good
people. 1560— The First Edition of the Blest-
kens Bible Issued at Emden.
Emden is a German city in the
province of Hanover on an arm of the
North Sea, on the line between Hol
land and the German Empire. Here
in 1560, says Brons, (p. 57) the first
Biestkens (Van Diest) Bible was is
sued. Brons introduces this chapter
by telling of the rise of Anabaptism in
Holland. She tells us that before the
Reformation the ground was prepared
by the early Evangelicals or Frater-
nals. These were followers of Waldo
— the Waldenseans. Some of the early
leaders were Thomas of Kempis, John
Wessel and the great Erasmus. Kem
pis wrote four books on the true Imi
tation of Christ. He was of Rhenish
Prussia — a priest or monk. But his
works extended into Holland. These
works are famous now in many lan
guages and libraries. The writings of
Luther followed and soon spread
everywhere, — in Germany, in Holland
and in Switzerland. Through this agi
tation the translations of the Bible
were very numerous, but of all places,
they were more numerous in Holland
than anywhere else. Aud so it hap

pened that a Hollander named Van
Diest in Emden, just across a little
gulf from the Holland line, issued the
Bible above referred to in 1560.
1560 — Beginning of Mennonites in
Prussia.
This year it became known that
there were three large Mennonite con
gregations in Prussia, Germany. It is
believed that Menno Simon and Dirk
Philip organized them. They were
the first known there. From that time
onward .there were many of them.
These three had one bishop and
formed the first conference district.
From that time a register was kept
there and it was complete at least
down until the time, Anna Brons of
Norden, wrote her work on "Taufge-
sinnten Oder Mennoniten" in 1884.
The first bishop was Hans Von Swin-
derin. Dirk Philip died near Emden.
The next bishop seems to have been
Quirin von der Meiilen in Dantzig. He
printed a Bible at his own expense,
called the Schotlandische Bible. Then
there was a bishop named Hiltze
Schmidt, (Brons, p. 251).
1560 — HoUand Mennonites Form Con
ference Districts.
Between 1560 and 66 the congrega
tions of four cities, viz: Harlingen,
Francker, Leeuworden and Sneek of
Friesland, now in Holland combined
into conference districts, etc., by a
compact of 19 articles, so that by the
efforts of all they might help those
who had fied to them from other
places, where they had been perse
cuted and robbed. A good many of
these refugees came from Flanders.
The compact did not last long, be
cause a large faction of them con
tended that Christ would not favor so
much organization and machinery in
the Church, (Brons, p. 133).
Here can be seen the early stages
of the Church simplicity and opposi
tion to anything which looks like self
aggrandizement, which simplicity

THE EBY OR EABY FAMILY— THE SCHWENKFELDERS

63

still shows itself today. These people
always had a zealous care that their
church government, form of worship
and church property should all be
simple and plain and not exalt their
manner of religion into a magnifi
cence and ceremony that would make
men forget their humility. They have
thus for more than three centuries
been called the "plain church".
1560 — Bollinger, Becomes a Menno
nite Historian.
We have written of Bollinger's ac
tivity for the Anabaptists or Menno
nites, of which he was a member. In
his now later and maturer life he
wrote a work on the origin of the
Mennonites, which he published this
year. In it he tells how Moravia had
become the New Jerusalem of the
persecuted brethren of Zurich and
Berne and Switzerland generally. Dr.
Hupmeier of Zurich was active in or
ganizing and founding an asylum
there, (Miiller, p. 94). Bollinger also
wrote up the Mennonites in 1531,
nearly 30 years earlier. Froschower
printed it for him, (Do., p. 3).
1560— The Eby or Eably Family Move
to Zurich.
In the History of the Eby Family,
written in 1889 by Ezra E. Eby, of
Berlin, Ontario, he says, "The Ebys
belong to the Celts, an ancient Asiatic
race. During early ages they lived
in the Northern Parts of Italy and
were converted from heathendom
through the Valdois or Waldenses,who
from the 8th to the 11th century be
came numerous. The Church of Rome
tried to exterminate them; and in
1453 the whole valley Luzerne was
laid under an edict. In 1560 a large
number of them fled and went to the
Northern part of Switzerland. Among
the Waldenses who settled there were
the Ebees. These Waldenses joined
Menno Simon in 1538".
1562- Death of Caspar Swenkfeld.
We have written before of the rise

of the Swenkfelders under Casper
Swenkfeld. This year he died at
Ulm. Ulm is in Wittenburg, on the
Danube and it is famous for having
the highest spire in Germany. The
first followers of Schwenkfeld were
in Silesia, Germany. Silesia is where
Schwenkfeldt was born. His followers
never had any relaton to the Sweden-
borg doctrine, as asserted by Lbher.
The capital city of Silesia is Breslau.
The Lutherans prosecuted the
Schwenkfelders severely. The Cath
olics tried also' to punish them and to
to get their children back to the
Catholic faith. They endured all pa
tiently without any signs of restless
ness, when suddenly iu 1725 the
Silesian colony departed by night for
Saxony and in 1734 came to America
leaving everything behind. They had
quietly made arrangement with Eng
land to land here, (Do.).
1562— The Swiss Catholics of Waadt
Want Anabaptists Suppressed.
The persecutions about Berne are
now beginning to be agitated. This
year the leading Catholic powers of
Waadt asked for severe rules on the
Mennonites to suppress them. They
asked to have Bollinger suppressed.
The fight was now on between the
State church (Catholic) and the Ana
baptists. Twenty-four Anabaptist
preachers left the neighborhood of
Waadt and emigrated toward Berne,
(Muller p. 49).
1564 — Berne Decree Against Emmen
thal Mennonites.
February 16, this year the Swiss
authorities in the Canton of the Em
menthal had a decree passed and
proclaimed from the Catholic pulpits
in Signau, Trachelwald, and Brandis
to the effect that all Mennonites are
to be fined ten pounds each if they do
not stop printing and reading books of
their own invention. They were ac
tive printers of their doctrines about

64

THE MYLINS AND KOCHS APPEAR— CALVINISM ARISES

the Emmenthal, (a locality in Switzer
land east of Berne) ever since 1551;
and the result was that the whole ter
ritory about Hoechstetten and the
Emmenthal showed a big increase iu
their growth. Soon a stricter order
was issued, to the effect if they con
tinue in their heresy they will be
punished in body and in possessions.
But the threat was not then carried
out. In 1566 the subject was brought
before the authorities again and a de
cree of banishment was passed. But
it was of no avail. They continued to
increase. 1564 — The Meiilens or Melius of
Ghent, Belgium.
There is an account in Martyr's
Mirror (p. 640) edtailing how Peiter
Von Der Meulen of Ghent for defend
ing his faith as an Aanbaptist, was
put to death. I speak of this only be
cause the name seems to have some
relation to the family so famous and
so numerous in eastern Pennsylvania
and in Lancaster County, — Meilin,
etc. A well known home of the an
cestors of our preseijt day Meilins
was Switzerland. The present item
may establish that there was an an
cient home in Belgium also.
1565— Conrad Koch of Berg Executed.
We now call attention to another
name quite common in Eastern Penn
sylvania and in Lancaster County, —
Koch. This man seemed to live in
Berg, Germany, in the region of the
Rhine river. The record shows that
when the light began to shine along
the Rhine, Conrad Koch embraced it
He lived in the little town of Hauf.
He was imprisoned in the Castle of
Loemenburg about a year and then
executed, (Mirror, p. 659).
1565— Fire of Calvanism Arouses Hol
land Against Papacy.
In 1565 the nobility of Holland got
together, on the question of abolish
ing the Spanish inquisition in Hol
land. Holland belonged to Spain at
this time. Charles V abdicated in

favor of Philip, his son. Charles had.
sympathy for the Netherlands, but
Philip did not. Charles was born
there. Philip, however, had not the
least interest in the Dutch people — he
was a Spaniard. When he was crown
ed in Brussels that sealed the doom
of thousands in Holland. So the in
quisition was introduced in Holland;
but in spite of all this the Menno
nites flourished greatly there, and
they were found in all places. Next
to them were the Calvinists. Their
preachers spoke on the street, in the
fields, and implored the people to des
ert papacy. They ridiculed the Catho
lic Church and its Pope; showed the
bad morals of the monks and priests
and worked the people up into a
frenzy so that the crosses along the
road sides and on buildings were de
molished and the graves of prominent
Catholics desecrated. In three days
300 churches were demolished when
Calvinism sta rted, • — ¦ Catholic
churches. This was the answer of
the people to the establishment of 14
new dioceses under the papacy of
Cardinal Granvella. But regent Mar
garet, wife of Philip was herself dis
satisfied and asked milder treatment
for the Mennonites and all dissenters.
But just the contrary resulted — the
Inquisition. Then in 1565 the nobility
got together and protested against its
further use and declared they would
stand together and if necessary lose
all they had to abolish the inquisition;
but it was of no avail, (Brons, p.
106). 1566 — Executions About Berne at This
Time.
The Mirror relates that up to this
time, in Berne, 42 persons were put
to death for their faith. The informa
tion is found in an extract of a docu
ment by H. Vlaming, a resident of
Amsterdam, citing a document drawn
up in ancient times by the elders of
Alsace. In it they say: As regards
the brethren who were executed for
their faith in the Berne Country, there
were executed from 1528 until 1566,

BERNE IMPATIENT OVER ZOLOTHURN: HANS HASLIBACH

65

forty-two persons, among whom were
eight women. We have in our pos
session a brief abstract of their
names and the year of death, (p.
675). Gruner relates that this year (1566)
too, a Mennonite was beheaded in
Berne, who was so invincible that he
vehemently declared with his last
breath that no one of his enemies
should pray for him. He declared he
was praying for himself. Of him
Zehnder says, he was the most prom
inent teacher of the Berne Menno
nites. He was executed July 30th. A
reward of 100 guilders was offered
for his arrest and thus he was cap
tured, (Miiller, p. 75).
1566— Mennonites Quit the Elbe Dis
trict.
Loher says, Mennonites and Quak
ers in the 17th century gathered about
Wastefield in Holland, of which we
have written before. The Mennonites
by the middle of the 16th century
were leaving the neighborhood of
Hamburg and the Elbe district. They
were going into Holland where
numefous congregations of Menno
nites found peace, as persecution with
the decline of Philip and the uprising
of the people ended there before 1570.
But in Switzerland their troubles were
never ended. Even in Holland, Men-
no's death had great effect His con
gregations divided and only a few re
mained on the Elbe , river. They
scattered into Denmark and Germany,
(Loher, p. 56).
1566 — Berne Drives Mennonites to
Zolothurn.
This year a company of Mennonites
came from" Zolothurn, about thirty
miles away, to Berne; but Berne sent
them back again. Zolothurn was
never so severe on them as Berne and
companies of them went to Berne for
the purpose of helping their brethren
there and adding to their strength by
securing conversions. Berne deter
mined to stamp this out, (Miiller, p.
73).

1568 — Moravian Mennonites Print a
Book.
This year (Brons, p. 77), the Men
nonites of Moravia and Bohemia is
sued a book called the Golden Portals
of Heaven, published by Gabriel
Ackerman of Neweustadt. In it is set
forth their doctrine, explaining why
they do not have any pictures of the
¦Virgin in their churches. They say
they are reproached for this omis
sion; but they count it only proper
not to worship the Virgin.
1569 — Great Slaughter of Anabaptists
in Belgium, Flanders, etc.
According to the Martyr's Mirror,.
(pp. 708 to 800) this year scores of
Mennonites or Anabaptists were slain
in Belgium, Flanders and parts of
Holland. None of the names is fa
miliar in Pennsylvania, except those
of Hssbo-urka and Dirk Williams.
Hasbourke is a New York name also.
1571 — Hans Hasel or Haslibach of
HasUbach.
October 20, this year, Hans Hasli
bach, teacher of a congregation in the
Sumiswald in Switzerland was killed.
He composed a famous hymn reciting
all about his trials, and reciting that
he had a vision in his sleep that as a
sign of God's anger over his death, as
soon as his head was cut off it would
leap into his hat and begin to smile,
the sun would turn red and the creek
nearby would flow with blood. The
Mirror recites page 851, the same
supernatural events upon the execu
tion of Hans Misel, which may be our
same Hans Hasel. The Haslibach
Hymn is one of the most famous
pieces of the old Swiss Religious
Poetry. It is found in the "Ausbund"
or ancient Song Book of the Menno
nites published about 1620, and also in
the Mirror (p. 1069). The hymn had
32 verses, detailing the incidents in
the capture, hardships and death of
Hans Haslibach or Hans of Haslibach.
He was to the Sumiswald, (a region
15 miles northeast of Berne), in a
religious sense, what William Tell

136

BERNE KEEPS MENNONITES FROM MORAVIA

was to another part of Switzerland in
a patriotic sense; and in many ways
the two were alike. Governor Penny-
packer in 1904 translated this hymn
and the same is found in the Menno
nite Year Book for 1911. About this
time there was a movement against
capital punishment. The putting to
death of these brave people; and their
bravery in meeting death had a won
derful effect in making the common
people believe in them. And many
were heard to remark that they
wished they were as sure of salvation
as the Mennonites. Thus capital
punishment was simply making more
adherents of the faith, (Miiller, p. 77).
Haslibach's death and the declared
fulfillment of what he predicted about
his head, the sun and the little river,
gave renewed belief in the Mennonite
faith.
1572 — Tortures Again Rage in Hol
land; United Netherlands Formed.
Philip and Duke Alba, known as
his executor or hangman, this year
alone in Holland executed a thousand
Evangelicals or Anabaptists, Menno
nites, etc. Holland was in an uproar.
Mennonites and Calvinists were mar
tyred until the execution of Eggmont
and the war for liberty broke out.
August 15, 1572 the foundation of the
United Netherlands was laid and the
Prince of Orange elected Governor. In
1573 Alba left Netherlands, having re
sided there six years, and in that time
murdered 18,000 people. The same
year the Prince of Orange joined the
Calvinists. Thus there are the Dutch
Reformed who followed Calvin and
the Swiss Reformed who followed
Zwingli, (Brons, 16).
1573 — Berne Prevents Mennonites
from Converting Moravians.
This year says Muller (p. 96) there
were three edicts from Berne to pre
vent her Mennonites from going into
Moravia as missionaries. Nor were
missionaries allowed to come to
Berne. Each year after "bread break
ing" these missionaries were sent.

1575— Bylers of Flanders, Tortured
in England.
This year several Mennonites from
Flanders fled to England because of
persecution and lived in simplicity
about London. Their religious ser
vices were spied out by a constable
and he drove them to South Fort on
the Mersey River. They were given
the alternative of subscribing to
transsubstantiation — to oaths — to in
fant baptism — to the bearing of public
offices, or being put to death. Some
they put on board ship for Gravesend
and some they killed, by burning
alive. One named Gerrett Byler, af
ter much misery, escaped.
Byler is a well known eastern Lan
caster County name as we know. He
tells of his ordeal in England this
year. 1576 — Zurich Issues New Decrees.
Zurich followed the example of
Berne in 1576. It was found that the
Mennonites and other Evangelicals
were quietly leaving with their wives,
as the result of the efforts of the "ex
citers from Moravia" as they were
called. Particularly from Aargau the
migration was felt. These Aargau citi
zens secretly sold their goods and
prepared to leave. They were ordered
watched and taken prisoners, (Miil
ler, p. 96).
1576- Mennonites of Zurich Fight
Against a State Church.
This year was published another
edict against the Mennonites about
Zurich, Switzerland and this brought
on in earnest the fight against a State
Church. Their congregations sepa
rated from the State Church and de
manded not to be interfered with.
Many congregations moved from Zur
ich into Moravia. But they fared no
better there, and came back having
lost all. The Sheriffs were to stamp
out the migration. But there were no
results; and in 1580 there was an
other Zurich decree stating they were

BENDERS APPEAR— HOLLAND LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE

67

getting more and more numerous;
that people were adhering to them;
and warning all that they should shun
them, (Brons, 192).
1576 — The Familiar Name "Bender''
Appears.
The Benders are prominent and nu
merous in Lancaster County and
Eastern Pennsylvania. About this
time Matthias Bender or Binder a
Mennonite minister of Wurtenburg in
Germany, was arrested and taken to
Stuttgart prison on account of his
faith, and later Imprisoned in chains.
He was examined and threatened by
the doctors of theology, the represen
tatives of the Prince and by the ab-
bott. He was then sent to the castle
of Hohenwithing and remained two
years, when in 1576 the Castle was
burned to the ground. He was then
released because of his brave conduct
about the fire, (Mirror, 973).
1577 — Liberty of Conscience Gains
Foothold in Holland.
King William I called William of
Nassau, January 26, 1577 at Middle-
burg (in the southwest corner of Hol
land on the North Sea) issued a let
ter of privilege to the Anabaptists or
Mennonites, reciting that these citi
zens complain their shops have been
closed by the magistrates, because
these people would not take oaths,
though they have always paid their
taxes, etc. This, the letter says is
against liberty of conscience and it has
Just been decided by the people of
Spain against their sovereign that
liberty of conscience must be allowed,
especially as these Hollanders helped
to gain liberty of conscience for others
deprived of it; that the oath is used as
a means to drive these good people
out of the. country, and not only those
residing in Middleburg, but those in
innnumerable other places in Holland
and Zealand. The letter then pro
ceeds and says these petitioners are

ready at all times to offer their tender
"Yea" in place of an oath and agree
that those who transgress the "Yea"
shall be punished as perjurers.
He then ordains that those people
shall be allowed to use their "Yea" in
place of an oath; but if they trans
gress, they shall be punished as per
jurers. This was a great sin by the
Mennonite Doctrine, (Mirror, 1000).
1577— Holland's Ruler Protects the
Mennonites.
This year a deputation of Reformed
preachers met at Dortrecht in Hol
land about ten miles southeast of
Rotterdam; and asked that the Men
nonites be restrained. But the Dutch
authorities now refused to interfere
longer with them. The Prince of
Orange said personally that they
should not be interfered with and
more than that, their "Yea" should be
acepted as an oath. This shows how
they were regarded as to truth tell
ing. The Prince further expressed
his dislike that the civil authorities
should assume to control matters of
conscience. He also said to the Re
formed Churchmen who made the
above demand that, they should re
member how the Catholics had abused
them and not, in turn abuse these
Mennonites in a similar way, (Brons,
117).
1579 — Mennonites Settle Among Lu
therans in Northeastern Prussia.
Brons tells us (p. 249) that this
year the Mennonites handed in a re
quest to settle about Koenigsburg in
northeastern Germany on the Baltic
Sea near the Gulf of Dantzig; and
handed over their articles of faith for
inspection. George Frederick, the
ruler and successor of Duke Albrecht
said reluctantly that the Constitution
of Prussia required all should be of
the Lutheran religion there, other
wise he would allow it. He ordered
them to go to the consistory and be
questioned about their faith and if
they did not want to join the Lutheran

68

MEI^NONITE MARRIAGES VOID— "NEGLEY AND KELLER"

church they should leave, in four
months. But the order was not car
ried out. The Mennonites remained
there and took deeper root. They
could feel that Frederick at heart was
favorable to them. Wherever they
settled they made the land very fer
tile. 1579 — Berne Declares Mennonite Mar
riages Void.
About 1567 it was decided in Berne
that if married couples do not go to
the state church they shall be consid
ered as living together illicitly as if
the marriage had never been per
formed; and their children should be
illegitimate — the right to inherit
should be denied to them. This re
mained an edict not carried out for 12
years; but in 1579 messengers were
sent among the Mennonite congrega
tions warning them that the old edict
was to be enforced and that those
who do not choose to obey shall leave
within three months or be punished
in their possessions and lives.
1581— At Berne, Negley a "Reformed "
Praises the Mennonites.
Muller tells us (p. 84) that in 1581
a large synod was held at Berne.
There Negley announced as a Re
formed adherent that the many ac
cusations against the Mennonites
were unjust. He said his own peo
ple, the Reformed, ought to study
their own faults. He showed that
great moral rottenness existed about
Berne, but not among the Mennonites.
He said that each individual of them
was pure and set an example for
others. He said that most of them
were poor and their preachers taught
without pay and did various work to
support themselves. We call atten
tion to the fact that the name Negley
is a common Lascaster County nnme.
1582— Prominent Norwegians Join
the Mennonites.
This year Anslo, a Norwegian, joined
the Mennonite church in Holland. He

founded a large cloth business and
his sons became prominent in it.
They were the head of the cloth
makers' guild. One of his sons, Cor
nelius Claes Anslo was a prominent
preacher of the Mennonites and his
portrait was painted by Rembrant,
and a poet named Von'del wrote some
complimentary poetry under it. It is
now in the gallery of the Lord Hol
land. Other great men about Amster
dam joined the Mennonites too, about
this time, (Brons, 158).
1584 — Wenish KeUer from Austria
Joins the Swiss Mennonites.
Austrian historians tell us that this
year seven brethren were sent out of
that country. They went to the
Swiss. One of them was Wenish Kel
ler. He labored about Berne nine
year and his death was reported in
1593, (Muller, 97).
1585 — Berne Mandate, Ordering Men
nonites Out
This year, says Muller (p. 182)
there was a mandate ordering the
Mennonites to get out of Berne or
suffer imprisonment or death. But
execution by the sword was not al
lowed as in the past. It provided that
those who were teachers should be
branded. Hans Stence and Mart
Berger were two of them. After a
long effort to cause them to recant
they were expelled. Stence returned
and was compelled to sign a cove
nant agreeing that if he came back
as-ain he should be beheaded. He was
then sent away again; and never
came back.
l.>8,'j — Moravian Missions Successful
in Switzerland.
So many people followed the Mora
vian missionaries in Switzerland that
they could hardly all be taken in. A
good part were accepted. In 1686
many Swiss joined the Moravian Men
nonites. Moravia had her trouble
nearly 100 years before Luther led by

EARLY ANABAPTIST STRICTNESS

69

Huss, who was burned at the stake in
Constance, beginner of the Moravians,
began his work. So here was an
asylum for the Mennonites, (Miiller,
p. 98).
1586 — Five Great German Mennonite
Congregations
By this time, in face of all edicts,
the Mennonite strength was amazing
In Germany and throughout central
Europe. The largest German congre
gations of Mennonites were at Mar
burg, at Niederulm or the Swamp of
Weichsel, at Thom, at Gradens and at
Danzig. They were the strongholds
there, in spite of the edict of Danzig
prohibiting any strangers there, by
Whitemtide, (Brons, p. 251).
1586 — Edict Against Anabaptists in
Prussia.
The great tortures infiioted by
Papists upon the Anabaptists of
various countries drove many of them
into Prussia, in the hope that these
Lutheran sections would be more
mild than the Catholic ones. This
hope was partly inspired by the fact
that Prussia boasted of her liberality.
But in this hope the Anabaptists or
Mennonites were sadly disappointed.
The (government of Prussia, Novem
ber 12, 1586 issued a decree that they
must all leave or be tortured, but not
killed. George Frederick, Margrave
of Brandenburg issued the chief edict,
(Mirror, 1006). The next year there
was a similar decree against all the
Baptists of Koenigsburg, (Do., 1007).
1588 — Severe Integrity of Early Ana-
" — ""ts or Mennonites.
A remarkable instance of Menno
nite discipline is shown in 1588. A
brother named Bintgens bought u
house from a neighbor for 700 guilders,
who was a spendthrift and a drunk
ard. The deed expressed 800 guilders.
The church found this out through a
deacon. He brought it before the
church as being a device that would
deceive the next purchaser as to its
value. The church also found out

that the drunkard should not have had
the money because his creditors were
entitled to a part of it They held
Bintgens should have protected the
creditors. Bintgens asked to purge
himself before the meeting. He said
that he was sorry and that he would
personally pay the creditors their
claims. Then some of the elders who
did not trust him went and asked his
wife whether he did it. She said her
husband did not act honestly. Then the
whole congregation was called to
gether for an opinion and the elders
of the surrounding congregations
were invited to join in the opinion.
This meeting divided the churches far
and near — some were for Bintgens
and some against him. Then his op
ponents felt injured and wanted him
to resign as teacher. Jan. 1589 there
was a big meeting of delegates from
churches far and near to talk it over.
The Amsterdam brethren asked Bint
gens again if it was true that there
were 100 guilders more expressed in
the deed than he paid. He said "Yes",
but that he paid the 100 guilders in
;men. Then a second meeting was
held and all the prominent Menno
nites to be found were pressed to be
present. It was urged that Bintgens
be expelled. Others wanted it decided
by a vote in all the congregations of
Holland. Others wanted delegates
called from all the congregations and
that they decide. Others wanted to
proceed according to I Timothy Ch. 5,
verses 19 and 20. July 3rd, there was"
a special meeting called to decide the
method of procedure only. Then the
churches of Holland divided on the
subject. The Haarlem churches led
one faction and the Amsterdam
churches the other. The Amsterdam
faction was against Bintgens. Then
the factions agreed to refer it to the
church authorities of the congrega
tions of Groeningen, Emden and Col
ogne. At a later meeting in Haarlem
this was done, and Bintgens was part
ly exonerated. Then the Amsterdam
enemies accused the Haarlem people
of covering up the facts. Bintgens

70

EARLY MENNONITE CONFESSION OF FAITH

had denied the Groeningen Menno
nites and East Frieslanders the right
to take part in his dispute. Bintgens
and his adherents then left. Then the
Haarlemites were put on trial by the
Amsterdamers. Haarlem appealed to
the whole Anabaptist or Mennonite
world to show they did wrong. And
so the matter ended in crimination
and recrimination.
The public result is the most inter
esting. It was that the Haarlemites
did act in underhand and inferior
ways toward the Amsterdamers; and
the latter gained in public esteem and
in the esteem of the King as well.
The Haarlemites gradually lost public
favor. In Groeningen and East Fries
land Bintgens people fell in favor and
were called "bankrupters" and "house
buyers" in odium and finally they lost
greatly in public favor. All this came
from Bintgens sharp trick, which in
nocent in itself was supposed by the
brethren to be meant to deceive. The
T-esult was he and his party were much
shattered for years throughout Hol
land. So the right won says Brons,
(p. 122).
1592— The Familiar Name "Myers"
Appears.
This year at Wier, in Baden, Mat
thias Myers was arrested through the
espionage of a priest. The priest had
a servant maid go to Myers and pre
tend she wanted to join the Anabap
tists. In this way they got evidence
against him. And thus they drowned
him in a most horrible way, putting
him under water for some time re
peatedly and drawing him out to in
duce him to recant, which he would
not do. He died steadfast, (Mirror,
p. 1032).
1595 — Lutherans and Reformed at
Odds.
This year at Emden, a house in
which the Lutherans held services
was closed by the Reformed. They
fought over the Lord's supper. Finally
the Reformed allowed the Lutherans

to preach at certain times but onl/
under governmental supervision and
under conditions. One condition was,
the collection was to be handed over
to the Reformed. To this, and to other
conditions they had to agree; and did
so in writing, signed by 108 persons.
Only under the Prussian government
did the Lutherans get permission to
build the Church that stands in Em
den today,
1599 — Berne Edict against Ana
baptists.
This year, March 10, there was a
mandate promulgated by Berne, de
manding that the Mennonites must
leave without their property. Their
real estate was confiscated to the
Government. If they sold it before
going, the purchaser would be com
pelled to pay it again. This was a
severe edict, (Muller, p. 131).
This ends the annals of the six
teenth century.
1600 — Ah Extensive Mennonite Con
fession of Faith.
About this year, says the author of
the Mirror (p. 360), a Mennonite con
fession of faith was/adopted, consist
ing of 33 articles. It contains the doc
trine as to the Father, Son and Holy
Ghost — the Creation — Fall — Restora
tion — Free Will — Election of Believ
ers — the law of Moses and the Gos
pels — Saving Faith — Regeneration —
Incarnation — Death and Resurrection
-Office of Christ— the Church— Ordi
nances of the Church — Baptism — the
Lord's Supper — Feet Washing — Gtood
Works — Marriage — Swearing and
Oaths — the Ban — Second Coming of
Christ and Kingdom of Heaven. Just
where this was adopted is not clear.
1601— Groeningen & Sneek Decree in
Holland against the Men
nonites.
The following decree was issued
by the Dutch authorities of Groenin
gen and Sneek by the Reformed

THE GRONINGEN AND SNEEK DECREE (HOLLAND)

71

Church authorities, who controlled
the government now, against the
Mennonites. The Reformed seem
now to have forgotten the fierce de
crees of the Catholics in former cen
turies against them and in turn they
now persecuted the Mennonites, who
differed from them. This decree is
found in Martyr's Mirror, (p. 1043)
and is as follows:
The burgomasters and the council
make known : Whereas it has come to
our certain knowledge that not only
many in the city and in the jurisdic
tion of the same presume to exercise
and practice, contrary to the treaty
sworn to and made with the city, A.
D. '94, another religion than the Re
formed, to the adulteration of the
word of God, to the misuse of his holy
sacraments, and to the offense and se
duction of many persons; but that al
so nearly all disorders and abuses in
and -without the marriage state, and
also others contrary to the Christian
church regulations established and
customary here, creep iu and are
practiced ; and we by virtue of our of--
fice recognize it our duty to meet and
check all this with proper penalties:
therefore, we have ordained, and do
ordain and decree by these presents,
as follows:
Firstly, that the exercise of all
other religions than the Reformed is
herewith again strictly prohibited.
And If any one be found to allow his
house or place to the Anabaptists,
contrary to the church regulations of
this city, for the purpose of preach
ing, of holding meetings therein, he
shall each time be fined ten dollars.
The preachers, as aforesaid, if found
to be preaching, shall for each of
fense be fined ten dollars, or be im
prisoned two weeks on water and
bread; and when detected in thus
preaching the third time, shall be ex
pelled from the city or the jurisdic
tion of the same.
And all that shall be found attend
ing such preaching or gatherings
shall each time be fined two dollars.

Whoever shall be found to have re-
baptized anyone, shall be fined twen
ty dollars; and when detected the sec
ond time, shall be imprisoned on
water and bread, and expelled as
aforesaid. Again, unbaptized children shall not
receive Inheritance, according to the
city statutes.
No one shall be admitted to any
administration or office, public or pri
vate, nor be accepted as a witness,
except he render the solemn oath re
quired for it.
And all that refuse such oath shall
be punished as is proper acording to
law. 1601— Calvinists Try To Destroy Ger-
man Catholics and Lutherans.
In the Mirror (p. 1044) under the
date of 1601 we are told that, "In the
year of our Lord sixteen hundred and
one it occurred that Johann von
Steyn, Count of Witgensteyn, Lord of
Hamburg, being a member of the Cal-
vinistic church, purposed to abolish
the Romish and Lutheran doctrine,
and at the same time laid his hands
on the defenseless sheep of Christ,
which were contemptuously called
Anabaptists, and put them into pris
on. Among these are mentioned by
name, Huybert op der Straten, Trijn-
ken, his wife, Pieter ten Hove, and
Lijsken te Linschoten, which latter,
as we have learned, was an aged
woman of over seventy years.
The first three mentioned were im
prisoned twelve weeks, the latter
seventeen days, she having been ap
prehended much later"
1601— Zurich Mennonites Migrate to
Moravia, Believing It "The
Promised Land".
Ernst Miiller in his excellent book
tells us, (p. 98), "Repeatedly we hear
complaints from the Canton of Zurich
concerning the Moravian emissaries,
who invited the people to emigrate.
The pastor of Wald even reports in

72

THE VOGTS AND BOLLINGERS APPEAR

the year 1601 that 25 Moravian Breth
ren are traveling about the country
two by two (Ottins, p. 192).
The tidings of the "Promised L^nd"
in Moravia and of the "New Jerusa
lem" at Nikolsburg even penetrated
to the prominent circles of the City of
Berne. On the 20th day of March,
1601 Samuel Oachselhofer and Jacob
Vogt are to pass over to the Treasurer
4000 pounds from the state of thnir
mother and sister-in-law, Agatha
Pfauderin and two children, who had
secretly left the country for Moravia,
this payment to be made to "His
Grace" for his rights of confiscation".
There are Vogts in Lancaster county.
Miiller then tells us more of these
banishments (p. 99), as follows: "If
ever one of these children was to re
turn, then its share would be given
back to it. (R. M.). Very soon there
after Elizabeth Oachselhofer, pre
sumably a near relation of the above
named Agatha, with her son removed
to Moravia as a Baptist, leaving be
hind a very considerable inventory,
which was taken on May 17, 1605, and
contained enumerated goods and chat
tels and the rich wardrobe of a lady
of the highest rank, (K. A., Vol. .SO,
No. 19).
This inventory was estimated to he
"worth- 8000 pounds and should revert
to "His Grace" But there is to be
kept an account in the interest of the
son, should he ever return.
1608— Reformed Swiss Church Op
presses the Mennonites.
Brons tells us (p. 132) that in "1603
a Reformed Synod resolved to request
of the government, the latter should
prohibit the bishops of the Menno
nites from traveling from one place to
another, preaching and baptizing; in
1001 a resolution was passed in like
manner that they (these bishops)
should be prohibited from educating
young preachers; 1605 the Calvinistic
predicants handed in a request that
the Mennonites be forbidden to build
churches. And thus it went on
through the whole Seventeenth cen
tury at 55 Reformed Synods"

1605— BoUinger or Bolsinger of Ba
varia Executed.
Under this date the Mirror contains
an account (p. 1044) of the execution
of Hans Bollinger or Bolsinger, while
traveling through Bavaria, Germany.
With him was Marcus Eder, too. I
use this item simply to show the Bol
linger home in Europe. It is well
known that there are several promi
nent families bearing that name in
Eastern Pennsylvania and in Lancas
ter county. They too, were strong in
their Mennonite Faith and died for it.
The Bollingers came to this country
about 1730. The now much paraded
name Ballinger may be a form of it.
1605 — Mennonites Tortured In
Hungary.
Many Mennonite people were in
Hungary, when in 1605, during the
Hungarian War, the ruffians were
raging in Hungary and Moravia, pil-
lagin-g and burning towns, torturing
to death the people. On May 4th, they
led 42 persons and on June 28th, 112
brethren and sisters, as slaves to the
heathen lands and to the galleys,
(Miiller, p. 99).
1607— Mennonite Church Re-Organ
ized in Strasburg.
There were certain rules and regu
lations for the conduct tf the Menno
nite church in Strasburg, Germany as
early as 1568. But in 1607 the con
gregation was re-organized and many
regulations passed, upon the duties ot
elders, ministers and bishops. In ad
dition to the regular church duties,
rules were laid down upon their du
ties to visit, console and comfort the
distressed and the bereaved and the
strangers. These missionaries en
dured many hardships (Muller p. 90).
1608 — Progress of the Mennonite
Church iu Holland.
The Holland Mennonite brethren
had taken vigorous possession of
Tlegenhof, had constructed dykes and

SWITZERLAND CONFISCATES MENNONITE PROPERTY

73

canals and had achieved such re
markable success that the proprie
tors made contracts with them for
forty years, which were thereafter
always renewed. Consequently their
numbers increased to such an extent
that the Bishop of Kuhn complained
in the year 1608, that the vicinity of
Marienburg was filled with Menno
nites and Samosatenes. Against this
the town governments of Daniz,
Thorn and Elbing protested, refer
ring to the Warsaw Confederation of
1585 approved by King Sigismund,
which says:
"We promise among us, for us and
for our posterity forever under oath
of our fidelity, honor and conscience,
that we, who differ in religion one
from another, will keep the peace
among ourselves, and on account of
the different creeds and the changes
in the churches, we will tolerate no
bloodshed, nor punish anyone by the
confiscation of his goods, injury to
his honor, i-mprisonment or banish
ment from the country, nor will we
assist any authority or official to do
such, etc." ,,
Here again the industrious charac
ter of our Mennonite forefathers is
shown. We also have here another
view of King Sigismund's ideas of
justice toward these people and his
faith in their willingness to abide by
the government. On this faith he
promised the protection which we
have stated, (Brons p. 255).
1610 — Switzerland Confiscation of
Mennonite Property.
Ernst Muller (p. 131) refers to the
confiscation of the possessions of the
Baptist or Mennonite brethren by
the State, viz: "If the Baptists who
have emigrated (from Switzerland)
had previously sold their possessions,
then such shall be taken from the
purchaser and be confiscated, and
the purchaser must look to the seller
for his rights." (Mandate of April
23, 1610). The hardships of the Men
nonites in Switzerland we see at this
time are still going on.

1610 — Berne Government Teaches
Auti-Mennonitism.
All through the 17th century the
authorities of Berne, Switzerland
continued to do anything in their
power to harass the Mennonites on
the one hand, and on the other hand
to encourage and give strength to
the Reformed religion. They held
meetings with those who believed in
Anabaptism or the Mennonite doc
trine to get the weaker ones by argu
ment, to turn away from that faith,
but they did not succeed to any great
extent. The Protestant authorities of
Berne, as the head of their church,
left no method untried in order to
guide and control the hearts and
minds of their subjects. Among
these methods was the censorship or
censure. Hans Jacob Poll, of Zofin-
gen, had written a tract, in which
the doctrine was defended that no
one should be prosecuted on ac
count of his faith or belief. This tract
was printed in 500 copies at Basle,
and therefore the authorities of Basle
were requested to confiscate this
edition, "for the sake of God and
His beloved Church." (Mis. January
31, 1610).
We have here another picture of
the continual harassing of these non-
resistant people in the Berne dis
trict. But the church kept on grow
ing there. We remember that it wa.s
the Ementhal, a little valley north
west of Berne, from which the Lan
caster County pioneers came in 1710.
Their ancestors in earlier days had
lived about Zurich, (Muller, p. 104).
1610— Switzerland Restrains Bap
tists from Going to Moravia.
Ernst Muller (p. 99) tells us that
this year means were taken to pre
vent our Mennonite forefathers from
getting out of the country of per
secution and going to Moravia.
Speaking of the instances of this he
says: "These cases were by no means
singular or exceptional. An order of

74

ELBING AND ALTONA MENNONITES— GERMANY

the Council to Seekelmeister and
Venner, which promulgated means
for the prevention of the secret re
moval of Baptists to Moravia, bears
date of April 3, 1610 (K. A.).
At page 18, Muller says, "Some
were (so writes the author of the
preface to the History of the Martyr-
ers of Christ, 1610) racked and pulled
or torn to pieces; some were burned
to powder and ashes; some burned to
a crisp at the stake; some torn with
red-hot tongs; some penned up in
houses and the whole burned down;
others were hanged on trees; some
were executed by the sword; others
were pushed into the water; many
had gags put into their mouths in or
der to prevent them from speaking,
and thus lead to their doom." This
is Ernst Muller's way of stating the
dreadful experiences of our Swiss
ancestry.
1610— Elbing (Prussia) Mennonites
Made Citizens.
Brons tells us (p. 255) that Elbing,
in Prussia near the Gulf of Danzig,
was a district where the Mennonite
people were required to exercise the
privileges and also to undergo the du
ties of citizens. As early as 1610 he
says they were given the franchise of
citizens and had to take upon them
selves the duties of citizens.
1611— Eldest Mennonite Deacon in
Altona, Germany.
Brons tells us (p. 263) that "a cer
tain Paul Rossen, who in 1611 had
come from Fresenberg to Altona be
fore the devastation of the place dur
ing the Thirty Years' War and the
scattering of the congregation there,
in whose midst Menno had spent his
last days, was eldest deacon of the
Mennonite Church or congregation at
that place, viz: Altona opposite Ham
burg in the province of Holstein,
Germany." 1618 — Swisser Hans Landis's
Troubles Begin.
Miiller tells us (p. 216) that "Zur
ich had in 1613 condemned Hans

Landis, Galli Fuchs and Stephen
Zehender to the galleys and led them
bound and fettered to the French
Ambassador at Solothurn, where with
the assistance of Brethren from
Berne they found the way out of pris
on (Ottins, p. 216). Hans Landis.was
beheaded September 29, 1614 at Zur
ich". We merely make a note of this
at this date. We shall have consider
able more to say about this prominent
old patriarch Hans Landis under the
year 1614.
1613 — ^Mennonite Colony in Elbing.
Brons tells us (p. 255) that at this
time there lived at EllDlng, sixteen
Mennonite families. This was appar
ently the extent of their growth in
that section at this date.
i 1614 — Mennonite Troubles in Zurich
and the History of the Martyrs.
Of the condition in Zurich we pos
sess extensive Baptist sources in the
chapters pertaining thereto In the
Martyr's Mirror of Tielman Van
Bracht. Here we find the history of
the martyrdom of the Baptists or Men
nonites; and a large number of tales
of sorrow and suffering in the perse
cution of Zurich at that time, etc.
(Miiller, p. 165).
The above work was published in
1615. The work is divided into three
books, of which the first closes with
the year 1566, the second with 1573,
and the third with 1614. The last
martyr recorded therein was the
Swiss Hans Landis, (Brons, p. 237).
1614— The Sufferings and Death of
Swisser Hans Landis.
An important teacher of the Bap
tist minded or Mennonites was Hans
Landis. who, against the prohibition
of the government preached before
large meetings in forest and fleld,
baptized and solemnized marriages.
He was, for that reason, taken pris
oner and as he would not promise to
cease such activities in the future,
condemned to six years' punishment

SUFFERINGS AND DEATH OP HANS LANDIS

75.

on the galleys. The Swiss authorities
made use of the gp.lleys of the Italian
Princes as penal institutions. On the
galleys he sawed his chains by means
of an instrument which the brethren
had smuggled to him, escaped and re
turned to his country, (Switzerland).
But soon after that he was again
taken into custody, whereupon he was
ordered to depart from the country;
but he refused stubbornly to obey the
orders, saying: "God favored me with
this land as well as all others and the
earth is the Lord's." Besides, he would
remain in his native country, as he
did not know where to go. Further
more he said he was now aged and
did not fear death. And, indeed, he
could verily say, he did not know
where to go to, for in the adjacent
Austrian countries the Baptistminded
or Mennonites were persecuted since
1601 unto death by Emperor Rudolph,
who had again put in force the de
crees of Ferdinand. In consequence
he (Landis) was condemned to death
by the Great Council of Zurich and
beheaded in 1614, (Brons, p. 200).
The Mirror (p. 1045) gives us the
following account of Hans Landis's
death :
This account states that Hans Lan
dis had gone up the river Rhine where
he had his place of residence, to feed
and refresh the people with the word
of God.
"When the Council of Zurich learn
ed of this, they instigated by the dis
position of the envious scribes and
Pharisees, could not tolerate this, but
instantly caused it to be forbidden
him, as though they had thought
thereby to hinder the true progress
of the word of the gospel. But he,
who knew with Peter, that we must
obey God's commands more than the
commandments of men, had such love
to the truth and to the young suck
ling's on Zion's breasts, that no hu
man threats could induce him to for
bear feeding them with the true food
of the soul. Hence the enviers of the
same apprehended him, and sent him
ironed from Zurich to Solothurn to

the papists, excepting that .he should
forthwith be sent to sea or upon the
galleys ; but through the help of good
hearted people he was there released;
but subsequently apprehended again
and taken to Zurich, where he was
rigorously examined concerning his
doctrine, and when he would in no
wise desist from his godly purpose or
from his faith, they showed In him,
that th^lr decree of eighty-four years
previous was not forgotten, neither
had the spirit of it died of old age;
for, according to the Import of the
same, they sentenced him from life to
death, and hence, in the month of
September of the aforesaid year,
1614, for the sake of the truth he was
beheaded as a true follower of Christ.
Which they nevertheless would not
acknowledge, but pretended and per
suaded the common people to deceive-
them, that he was not punished and
put to death for his religion, but for
his obstinacy and disobedience to the
authorities." The Mirror further states (p. 1046)
a certain letter dated July 29, 1659 at
Zurich, sets out that the writer was
present at the execution of Hans Lan
dis; and the following extracts are
made from the letter.
"Hattavier Salr, witnessed the be
heading of Hans Landis, which I also
still remember well, having seen it
myself in the Wolfsstadt, the whole
transaction being as fresh in my
recollection as though it had happen
ed but a few weeks ago.
Continuing, he speaks of his per
sonal appearance and the manner of
his death, saying.
"Hans Landis was a tall, stately
person with a long black and gray-
beard and a manful voice.
When he, cheerful and of good cour
age, was led out by a rope, to the-
Wolfsstadt (being the place made
ready for his execution), the execu
tioner, Mr. Paull Volmar dropped the
rope, and lifting up both of his hands
to heaven, spoke these words:
" 'O that God, to whom I make my
complaint, might have compassion;.

76

MANY LANCASTER COUNTY NAMES ABOUT BERNE

that you, Hans, have come into my
hands in this manner; forgive me, for
God's sake, that which I must do to
you.' "
Hans Landis comforted the execu
tioner, saying that he had already
forgiven him: God would forgive him,
too; he well knew that he had to
execute the order of the authorities;
he should not be afraid, and see that
there was no hindrance in his way.
Thereupon he was beheaded. After
his head had been struck off, the exe
cutioner asked: 'Lord Bailiff of the
Empire, have I executed this man
rightly according to imperial law and
sentence?' (Otherwise it was custo
mary to say: 'This poor fellow', etc.)
as though he believed he died saved
and rich.
The people were of the opinion that
the executioner by dropping the rope
meant to indicate to Hans that he
should run away, it was also generally
said; that if he had run away, no one
would have followed him. to stop him.
So far the aforementioned extract.
Further Statement. — It is also ap
propriate to give here what has been
stated to us through credible testi
mony, namely, that when the afore
mentioned Hans Landis was standing
in the place of execution, to be put to
death, his dear wife and children
came to him in mournful crying and
lamentation, to take a last and final
adieu and leave from him. But when
he saw them he requested them to go
away from him, in order that his good
resolution and tranquility of heart for
the death awaiting him might not be
disturbed or taken away by their
weeping and grief; which having
been done, and he having commended
his soul into the hands of God, the
quickly descending stroke of the
sword put an end to his life.''
1615 — Berne the Ancient Home of the
Shenks, Hoffers, Baumans, Etc.
A brother Stoffel Schenk of Rehogk
in Switzerland, died in the Lord this
year, says Miiller (p. 99). In Moravia

and other Austrian counties in these
early times there were many families
that had emigrated there from Berne
in Switzerland. Some of the names
in the Moravian-Mennonite communi
ties that could be traced to the Emen
thal near Berne, in Switzerland were
Gerber, Shenk, Hoffer, Schlechter,
Born, Amster, Bauman, and others.
Therefore as early as the year 1600
the Berne district of Switzerland was
the home of these well known now
Lancaster County and eastern Penn
sylvania families.
1615 — The HoUand Government Saves
the Mennonites from a Flanders
Decree.
This year at Aerdenborgh in Flan
ders the enemies of the Mennonites,
principally the Romish Church, began
a series of decrees and hardships
against the Taufers or Mennonites of
that place.
This sad beginning would to all ap
pearance, have culminated in greater
mischief to the aforesaid people, had
not their High Mightinesses, the
Lords States General of the United
Netherlands, who had received infor
mation of this, opposed it with a cer
tain mandate, whereby those who
were the cause of sad oppression
were prevented from proceeding with
the execution of their aforementioned
prohibiton, and on the other hand,
liberty of religion was granted to those
that were oppressed. The contents of
the aforementioned mandate are as
follows :
The States General, etc., to the Bailiff,
Burgomasters and Judges of Aer
denborgh.Honorable, etc.: We have learned
with surprise, that, contrary to our
order or resolution announced to
Your Honor by our order by the
clerk, Jan Bogaerd, you still hinder
the members of the community called
Anabaptists or Mennonites, residing
in Aerdenborgh and the parts under
its jurisdiction, in the freedom ot
their assembling and the exercise ot

HOLLAND GRANTS PROTECTION TO MENNONITES

77

their religion in Aerdenborgh, and
trouble and oppress them, by prohibi
ting their assembling, by arrests and
fines. Whereas we desire that the afore
said members of the community be
longing to the Anabaptist persuasion
be allowed to enjoy just as much
freedom, with all quiteness and
modesty, in their mind, conscience,
assembling, and exercise of their re
ligion, in Aerdenborgh as is the case
everywhere else in the provinces,
cities and places of the United Neth
erlands, without contradiction or re-
sistancej except that you may exer
cise an oversight over their gather
ings, as far as they deem it well, and
that they, to this end,^ may inform you
every time that they desire to as
semble. Hence we command you, to
govern yourselves precisely in ac
cordance with this, to the better
maintenance of tranquillity, peace and
unity in the aforesaid city; without
causing the apprehension or execution
of the aforesaid members for any fine
or contraventions, because of pre
vious gatherings. Upon this we shall
rely, and, etc. Given this first of May,
1615, (Mirror, p. 1046 and Muller, p.
187). In November 16, 1619, the Holland
Government was compelled to repeat
its orders to Aerdenberg, who had
not fully complied with the former
demands, (Miiller, p. 187).
1616 — Berne Renounces Condemna-
don to the Galleys.
Miiller states, (p. 216) that this
year the cities of Basle, Berne and
Schaffhausen, all prominent points
in Switzerland, sent protests to the
Zurich government against allowing
any Swiss citizens, Mennonites or any
others going to the Roman Galleys.
And Berne particularly came out and
said that the sending of the Menno
nites or Weidertaufers, as they called
them, to the galleys was a punishment
too severe and not to be longer al
lowed.

1617— Groningen (Dutch) Mennonite
Leaders Warn Their Flock
against Becoming 'Worldly''.
The old plain mode of living of the
Mennonites was gradually changed
to a more modern, finer way of living.
The ban had been mostly abolished to
ward the end of the seventeenth cen
tury. The ban compelled the Ana
baptists to shun those not of their
church and not hear any of their
preaching. Nevertheless care had to
be taken and watchfulness exercised
in order to curb at once any possible
derelictions; for instance, the presi
dency of the Groningen Society in the
year 1617 had published and printed a
warning against the "getting worldly"
(worldly mindedness) of the fiock,
and had the same sent to each con
gregation, (Brons, p. 149).
1617— About 70,000 Swiss and Other
Mennonites Crhshed Out of
Moravia.
Brons tells us (p. 178) that 10 years
prior to 1617, many Swiss brethren
had fled into Moravia; but, that
(quoting the Chronicler) though fully
70,000 Swiss and other Mennonites
were recently in Moravia, they were
by 1617 all exterminated there. Many
of them fled to Sylvania.
1619 — Moravian Mennonites Ravaged
in the Thirty Years' War.
Says Muller (p. 100), speaking of
1619 and onward, "The following
years brought levies of war and the
passing through the troops, and in
1619 the horrors of the thirty years'
war. First the soldiers of Dampierre
ranged in Moravia, with murder and
arson in their trial, and by them that
year 38 brethren were slain".
1619— Reformed Church Have
Trouble Over Their Confes
sion of Faith.
Within the confines of the declara
tion of faith of 1619 there began con-

MORAVIANS AND POLLOCKS BUTCHER MENNONITES

aiderable agitation among the Re
formed; parties were formed that
tried to break down these confines;
the minds became heated, and there
came a clash. Here there were Re
monstrants and Counter-Remon
strants, Labadists and Socinians, who
could not be held for the church and
who began to form their own con
gregations, (Brons, p. 133).
1620 — Moravians, Polocks, Etc.,
Butcher Menonites.
<Hans Gerber and Sharach Huber
Slain.)
In the year 1620 came the "Polocks"
and massacred under terrible tortures
72 brethren. And after the battle at
the White Mountain, the Baptists in
Moravia were without justice or pro
tection, a prey to their enemies. A
number of horrible massacres was the
sequel. According to the records,
there were killed on April 17th, at
Sabatisch, among others, a Hans
Gaerber and a Sadrach Huber. It
was altogether an awful, fearful, ter
rible time, yea, a time full of suffer
ing, anguish and evil, and neither
words nor pen can describe the cruel,
barbarous tyranny and devilishness in
this diabolical war, which were in
flicted on our country people, on men
¦and women folk, women in confine
ment, young boys and girls — by the
Spaniards, Neopolitans. Walloons,
Crabatians, Polocks and the like Im
perial war hordes. The Chronicle
enumerates 234 persons of the con
gregations of the Lord who were put
to death in these five years, (Muller,
p. 100).
We call special attention here to
the two now familiar Lancaster
County and eastern Pennsylvania
German or Swiss names, Huber and
Gerber or Garber.
1620— Deventer Edict against the
Mennonites.
In the Mirror, (p. 1047) the follow
ing edict is set forth -under the above
date:

"The magistrates of the city of
Deventer prohibit all citizens and
residents of their city; that no Men-
nonists, etc., shall hold any secret or
open assembly or meeting where
preaching  marriage, or any other
exercise of religion is practiced;
under whatever pretext the same may
be done; on pain that those who shall
be found to practice it shall forthwith
be banished from the country for
ever; and every person that shall be
found at such a place or in the
assembly, shall forfeit the upper gar
ment and twenty-five guilders in
money; the second time, the upper
garment and fifty guilders; the third
time to be punished arbitrarily. And
he that lends his house, for the pur
pose of holding such gatherings, for
feits a hundred guilders; the second
time two hundred guilders; and the
third time he shall be banished for
ever." 1620— Rudolph Philip Forrer (Forry).
Miiller (p. 18) gives us the first
knowledge of the Forry also called
Ferry, and at one time called Ferree
family of Lancaster County and
Eastern Pennsylvania. The early
records in the Recorder's Office as
well as Rupp the Historian, mention
the name as "Ferree." But the Re
corder's records twenty-five years
later spell the name Forrer. Whether
the two names are identical or not we
can not tell. The Ferrees were Hu
guenots; and the Ferrers were Bern
ese, in Switzerland. They may have
come from the same family stock.
The subject of the title of this sketch
was a Forrer, prominent in the Men
nonite ministry.
"Out of the atmosphere of the
dungeons, court rooms and council
chambers we wander into the verdant
Emmen Valley and stop in at the par
sonage of Langnau, the wooden struc
ture which at one time stood below
the church, and listen to the recitals
of the pastor with regard to his,

LANGNAU AND LANCASTER COUNTY NAMES

79

troubles with the Baptists. The pas
tor, Johann Rudolph Philip Forrer
was born in the year 1598, became in
1620 only twenty -two years old, pastor
in Langnau, etc. He showed a leni
ent forbearing spirit in his dealings
with the Baptists. His efforts to in
duce some of them to resume their
church visits and attendance at the
services were not without success."
(Muller, p. 18).
1621 — ^Mennonite Families of Lang
nau, Switzerland.-
Ernst Muller (p. 119) gives us the
following list of Mennonites living at
this time in and about Langnau. The
names of these Mennonite ancestors
of many of our present day Lancas
ter County and eastern Pennsylvania,
Swiss and German descendant families
were: Fredley Baumgardner from
Mulibach and his wife, to whom he
had been married ten years— also a
Baumgardner of Diirsrutti and his
wife but no small children; Oswald
Probst or Brobst and wife, married
six years; Fred. Moritz and wife;
Simon Bichsel or Bixler and wife;
Oswald Ruch or Reich; Michael Stud-
er, a powerful youth; Tschoffen Elsi;
Stinnis Gibbet's daughter living in the
family of Christian Yost; Hans Utzen-
berger's wife; Klaus Yost and wife;
Barbara Dellenbach; Benedict Rae-
ber's or Reber's wife; Anna Kreyen-
buel or Graybill; wife of Benjamin
Baumgardner; wife of Hans Gerber
or Garber and the wife of Uli or Eli
Rothlisperger. Among these it is not necessary to
do more than call attention to the
familiar eastern Pennsylvania Swiss
names we find viz: Baumgardner;
Probst or Brobst; Ruch, Yost, Raeber
or Reber, Kreyenbuel or Graybill,
Bixler, Gibbel and Garber. Muller,
the author, was himself a preacher in
Langnau as he states in his title page
of his book. Langnau is a city with
a population of 7,000 about 18 miles
directly east of Berne, in the Emmen

Valley, which valley extends from the
northeast to the southeast of Berne.
1621 — Bichsel or Bixler Above Named,
Gave His Reasons for Leaving the
Reformed Church.
Forrer or Ferry, asked Simon
Bichsel why he left his old Church and
came to the Taufer or Mennonite
Church this year. He answered that
this is a very bad world and many
people of the State Church in Langnau
are corrupt. He said that at the last
"Fair", there he saw these who called
themselves Christians and who were
members of these worldly churches, in
the upper tavern, clubbing each other
and cursing and swearing — even the
young boys — that the young people of
those churches dance and are gay, and
reckless and so are the older people
— that they "sauffen and fressen", that
is eat and drink to excess and are not
Godly minded. Forry then asked him,
"If God staid among sinners, why
i could your people not do it too?" This
he did not answer, (Miiller, p. 121).
1621 — Uli or Ulrich Baumgardner
Gives His Reasons for Being
a Mennonite.
Forry then tells us he asked Baum
gardner, also, why he is a Taufer. He
answered that the State Church is full
of wickedness. Baumgardner lived in
Dursrutti, in Switzerland and some of
the Baumgardners live there today;
but they belong to the State Church.
In March, 1621, Michael Miller, Daniel
Stroedel and Forry went on a journey
to make converts back to the State
Church, and took a New Testament
along so that if the Mennonites would
question them, they could answer by
Scripture. Miller was the best scholar
and he was sent to Baumgardner to
argue the religious stand that Baum
gardner took. Miller, Stroedel and
Forry belonged to the Reformed
Church. These men argued upon the
right way to be saved, but each held
his own opinion. Miller made some

80

HOLSTEIN MENNONITES GREAT FARMERS

converts away from the Mennonite
faith, but not many. Ulrich Baum
gardner was a very strong teacher
among the Mennonites, (Muller, 122).
1621 — Holstein Rulers Champion the
Mennonites.
In Frederickstadt in Holstein, the
ruler took up the Mennonite side
about 1621 A colony of Holland Men
nonites moved over to Holstein (Ger
many) and had permission to build a
town there and they called the town
Frederickstein. The town had a com
plete Holland appearance. These Men
nonites built a dyke to keep out the
sea about this town. They lived quiet
ly, attended to work and were good
citizens. They kept no writings,
(Brons, 265).
1621 — Holstein Mennonites Given Lib
erty of Conscience.
These Holstein Mennonites soon be
came famous cattle raisers. Many
others came to them, and soon they
were all granted liberty of conscience.
They were allowed to testify on "Yea"
and "Nay". And when this privilege
was once granted, every Duke there
after renewed it This was one of the
first places in the world where the
Mennonites were equal to every other
class. The Government ever recog
nized their preachers. Preachers came
to this congregation from Hamburg
and from other parts of the Palati
nate, (Brons, 265).
1621— John Philip Rudolph Ferry's
Efforts near Berne, Switzerland.
We have shown that Pastor Forry of
the Reformed Church at Langnau
about 16 miles east of Berne, was
exerting great zeal in 1620 (the time
the Mayflower reached Massachusetts)
to stop the Mennonite growth. His
arguments with them in the Langnau
debates in 1621 he had printed in a
work called, "What Was Discussed
Answering the Taufers in the Church
and Parish of Langnau in 1621". This
work may be found today in the Bapt.

Bible Archives of the Historical So
ciety of Canton, Berne, No. 12-2, (Miil
ler, p. 119).
The same author says at same page,
"Forrer, soon after his promotion to
the pastorate of Langnau, had heard
of the Baptists there "that they
through wrong and perverted zeal did
absent themselves from Christian
Church attendance and hearing the
sermons, and held themselves aloof".
He determined to seek an opportunity
to do his duty in this matter, because
the sect was increasing from day to
day, and had many secret adherents
and protectors, particularly because
"they are mightily connected among
each other"
He goes on and says with horror,
"Some of them are living together in
matrimony without attending church
as Christans should, and have big un
baptized children, and finally the
Fatherland, too is (in the great, dang
erous war expeditions of these times)
in danger, that the "enemy will beat
our head full"
Forrer, thereupon brought his re
quest under extensive or elaborate
reasoning in God's name to the atten
tion of the Church tribunal, February
21, 1621, with the plea, "no one should
attribute sinister motives to him, even
if it were to concern his own"
1625 — King Sigsmund Complains That
the Mennonites Do Not Take Oaths.
This year, Sigsmund, a petty king in
Germany or Poland, complained that
the Mennonites were given the privi
leges of subjects without taking oaths.
He insisted that, at least they should
make oath of allegiance to him. The
town of Ebling particularly contained
large numbers of Mennonites. But
his order had no effect The Menno
nites continued to prosper. In 1631
some of them got a privilege to begin
the silk business. Yost Van Kampen
carried it on. His father and grand
father had similarly done so before in
Elbing. Another Mennonite, Zachariah
Jonsen also obtained a license to

BAUMGARDNERS, MYERS, EGLES AND BENDERS APPEAR

81

carry on the wine business. These
were considered rare privileges to be
granted to persons who would not
take an oath of allegiance to the Gov-
renment (Brons. p. 255.)
1627 — Bohemian Mennonites Merge
with Reformed Church.
This year at a synod at Ostarz, the
Bohemian brethren or Mennonites
were swallowed up by the Reformed
Churchmen, who were very strong
there. So they united with them rath
er than to continue to struggle against
them. This ended their existence as
Bohemian Taufers. This happened
during the struggle of the 30 years
war lasting from 1618 to 1648, (Mul
ler. p. 65).
1629— More Trouble for Ulrich Baum
gardner of Langnau.
September 25th, of this year Ulrich
Baumgardner was arrested in the
evening aid taken to Trachtelwald and
held until the beginning of October.
Then October 6th, he was taken to
Brene. As they were taking him along
the road he told them God would send
a great punishment upon them and a
little later in the day, at sundown, a
great blazing and hissing meteor
shot through the air and all became
terrified; but nothing more happened.
December 2nd, he was put on the
rack because he would not divulge the
names of the Mennonite leaders of
the Langnau district. David Amman,
Herr Heinberg, Court Clerk, George
Langhams and Jacob Fenner of the
Reformed Church had charge of his
torture, and they quoted scriptures to
him to prove to him that the word of
God required him to disclose the
names. When that failed they used
the rack to convince him that he
should tell. But he refused.
About the same time a Benedict
Baumgardner composed a Mennonite
Hymn. It appeared in a few years in
three different versions and was a
pretty general use among the Swiss
Taufers, (Miiller, p. 123).
I set this out because the name

Baumgardner has played a large part
in the business world of Eastern
Pennsylvania, particularly in Lancas
ter, and Dauphin Counties, etc. We
find them here, at early dates.
1629 — Mennonite Exodus into Hun
gary.
We remember that in 1622 the Men
nonites were driven out of Moravia by
the Cardinal of Dietrichstein under
order from King Ferdinand II. In
October out of 24 villages began the
exodus. They went to Hungary and
Sylvania; but here also they were
harassed. The Turks and the Tartars
came and carried away 26 people,
among them a family of young girls
named Gerber. While in Hungary
they elected two ministers whose
names have come down to us and are
familiar today — George Gaul and
Hans or John Albrecht. These two
men were Swiss too, just the same as
most of the exiles who first went to
Moravia from Zurich and Berne and
other Swiss towns, and then went
from Moravia to Hungary. We may
pause her to note that Caesar speaks
of Gaul in his "Helvetian War"; and
thus it is not remarkable that "Gaul"
should be the surname of some Swiss
families. Here in Lancaster County
we have the Gtolls, the Galls and
others perhaps modifications of old
Swiss ancestral names, (Miiller, p.
101).
1682— Myers— Egli— Bender and Other
Swiss Names.
We have called attention to the
familiar names of Gerber, Gaul and
Albright, in their ancient evironments
of nearly 300 years ago. So too, now
other common eastern Pennsylvania
names were found in Switzerland and
the Countries that became asylums
for them about the same time— most
of them Mennonite leaders then and
likewise pillars of that church now
hear at home.
In 1632 there appear such Swiss as
Hans Myer and Hans Egli, mentioned
by Jacob Emsler — also Andreas Ben-

82

DORTRECHT (HOLLAND) CONFESSIONS OP FAITH

der, sicklemaker. They were elected
deacons and ministers of the early
Mennonites. They were found in
Hungary, too, refugees from Switzer
land. Between the kings and the people
and the Turks they had a hard life.
The Turkish War of 1665 nearly
wiped out entirely the congregations
of Mennonites in Hungary, (Muller, p.
101).
1632 — The Dortrecht and Earlier
Mennonite Confessions of Faith.
This was a jubilee year in the
history of the Mennpnite cult. Their
first great confession of Faith or
•Creed was completed and issued to
the world from Dortrecht, Holland on
April 21st.
This was not the first confession of
Faith of this people. At Amsterdam,
September 27, 1627, a code of "Spiri-
¦ tual Instruction" which was virtually
a primitive confession of faith, was
drawn up. It was more nearly a
primitive catechism — in the form of
questions and answers.
There was also another confession
drawn up at Amsterdam, October 7,
1630, taking up belief in God and the
proper manner of living. At the end
of this confession it is recited that it
was done by the "undersigned min
isters, teachers and elders of the
United Friesic and High German
Churches" for themselves, as well as
their fellow-brethren and strangers
assembled at Amsterdam — subscribed
to by the fourteen persons, heads of
the church for them and for all the
churches whom they were sent to
represent. The "Friesic" churches
wers those of Friesland, Holland.
Then came the Dortrecht confession
of 1632. This work takes up:
I. God and the Creation.
II. The Pall of Man. This sets
forth the belief that man by the "fall"
became ruined, separated and estrang
ed from God and that all would have
been eternally lost had not God made
provision otherwise.
III. The Restoration Through Christ.

Here is set forth a belief in the fore-
ordination of salvation through Christ
IV. The Coming of Christ. Here
they say that the word at the proper
time was made flesh.
V. The Law of Christ, i. e., the
Holy Gospel. Here It is confessed
that before ascension, Christ insti
tuted his New Testament and sealed
the same and left it to the disciples.
VI. Repentance and Reformation of
Life. Here it is declared that the
imaginations of all men's hearts are
evil and that faith and repentance are
necessary to all.
VII. Holy Baptism. Here they set
forth that there can be no effective
baptism, before years of understand
ing are reached. Only penitent be
lievers may be baptized. This was
one of the chief beliefs that brought
thousands and hundreds of thousands
of these people into torture and
death through perhaps 500 years.
VIII. The Church of Christ Here
is set forth, belief in the "visible
church," viz: those who repent and
are baptized. They alone are the
"chosen royal priesthood."
IX. Election and Office of Teach
ers, Deacons and Deaconesses. "Christ
instituted offices and ordinances and
gave himself as the chief shepherd
and bishop of our souls." He pro
vided ministers, apostles, evangelists,
pastors and teachers, whom through
the Holy Ghost he had chosen and
such he meant should be continued
successively. Also that honorable
aged widows should be chosen dea
conesses. X. The Holy Supper. This is an
ordinance in "remembrance of him."
It is not his actual body and blood.
XI. Washing of Feet This is ad
monished to be literally done, as a
mark of humility.
XII. The State of Matrimony. This
shall be only between free believing
persons. A churchman is not to marry
any one not zt the church.
XIII. Secular Authority of Officers,
Here it Is distinctly taught that seen-

THE DORTRECHT CONFESSION OF FAITH

83

lar authority and government and
civil officers are instituted by God
and are to be obeyed by all; that no
one must despise or revile officers of
government, but honor them; must
faithfully pay taxes and customs; all
must pray for them and for the pros
perity of the country.
This is important to notice because
a more or less false notion pervails
that these people oppose government
and decay it. This is not the fact.
Certain brances of them do not take
part in the operations of government;
but they all heed it and support it.
XrV. Revenge. It it admonished
there must be no retaliation.
XV. Swearing of Oaths. Here it
is required that swearing of oaths is
abolished by the Savior and that there
shall be no more than the sanction of
"Yea" and "Nay" to any statement.
XVI. Ecclesiastical Ban. Those
who violate the church law must be
separated from it and purged out of
it reproved before all. This is for
example to others. But on amend
ment they may be re-admitted.
XVII. Shunning the Separated.
Here it is argued that those who per
sist on being wicked separate them
selves from God and must be held
separate from God's people and must
be shunned. Yet if the shunned be
needy, thirsty, hungry and sick he
must be ministered unto. This shun
ning is without distinction and ex
tends to members of the famly.
XVIII. Resurrection and Last Judg
ment. Belief that all who have died
shall awaken at the last day is as
serted, and they with those who are
then living shall be changed in the
twinkling of an eye.
The confession is then concluded
by the statement that this was done
in the United Churches in the City of
Dortrecht, the 21st day of April, 1632.
It was signed by delegates, from,
Dortrecht, a city now of 33,00 people
about 30 miles southeast of the
famous Hague; delegates from Mid
dleburg, now \ city of 17,000 on the

almost extreme southwest corner of
Holland; delegates from Vlissingen,
now called Flushing, only a couple of
miles from the last place, a town of
13,000 people; delegates from Amster
dam now containging 400,000 people,
the great Dutch City on the Znyder
Zee, and among these delegates were
David ter Haer, Peter Singel, Tobias
Govertzs, Peter Moyer and Abraham
Dirks; delegates from Haerlem, a city
of 50,000, about 15 miles directly west
of Amsterdam; delegates from Bom-
mel, a small place; from Rotterdam,
a city of 200,000 people, about 20 miles
southwest of the Hague, among whose
delegates were Shoenmacher and
Michaels; delegates from the upper
parts of the County; from Krevelt
(Crefeld) in Westphalia, Germany,
near the Holland boundary, one of
whose delegates was the famous Her
man Updegroff; delegates from Zee-
land, among whom was Cornelius
Moir (Myers) ; delegates from Schie-
dan; from Leyden, Holland, 22 miles
southwest of Amsterdam; from Black-
ziel; from Ziericzee; from Gorcum;
from Aunhum and from Utrecht.
Utrecht has 40,000 people and is about
15 miles south of Amsterdam.
Most of these places are in Holland
and most of the Churches assembled
and represented were Holland Men
nonite Churches, but the western
borders of Germany were also rep
resented, (Mirror, p. 36).
The prominent fact is, however,
that at this time and at this gather
ing in Dortrecht, the Mennonite
Church took on its great constitution
and laid the general foundation of its
doctrine and has been, in the main, the
model of the church as in later years
it spread to other countries and grew
in strength and numbers, until this
day. There is only one thing of impor
tance to add to the above, and that
is that this Dortrecht confession of
Faith, as the foundation of the Men
nonite Church, was in 1727 translated
into German and English and adopted

84

THE PALATINATE RECEIVES MENNONITE REFUGEES

in America in 1727, by a conference of
15 Mennonite ministers of Skippack,
and Conestoga, here in Pennsylvania,
among whom were Hans Burkholder,
Christian Herr, Benedict Brackbill,
Martin Baer of our county and others.
And thus was planted here among us
almost a hundred years after its
adoption in Holland, the same con
fession of Mennonite faith that guided
the fathers for centuries, (Miiller,
369).
1632 — The Mennonites of Alsace Join
In Dortrecht Confession.
Soon after the Dortrecht confession
was signed, the faithful of other sec
tions joined in it also. Throughout
Alsace — Lorraine the churches ap
proved it. By 1660 thousands of the
Huguenots embraced it. The Palati
nate also received it both before and
after the great Swiss immigration of
1671. Among the prominent Swiss
who signed it there were Jacob Schne
beli and Rudolph Egli. So ,too, the
Schmidts, Scheiders, Pricks and others
signed, (Muller, p. 195).
1634— The Palatinate Comes into Re
ligious Prominence.
A writer about 1709 at the time of
the German Exodus into England,
said, "The poor Palatines who are ob
jects of our present charity inhabi-
tated lately a principality in Germany
called the Palatinate, which is divided
into the Upper and Lower Palati
nate. The Upper belongs to the Duke
of Bavaria and the Lower to Count
Palatine of the Rhine. It takes its
name from the Count Palatine, who
formerly owned the whole and admin
istered justice in the Emperor's name.
The city of Philipsburg was first the
chief city of the Palatinate. It was
in the upper part on the Rhine river.
It was taken six times; by the Imper
ialists in 1633; by the Swedes in
1634; by the Imperialists in 1636; by
the Prince of Conde in 1644; by the
Germans in 1676; and by the Dau-

phine in 1688; but it was restored to
the Empire by the Treaty of Rys-
wick." (Palatinate Refugees in Eng
land, p. 26). Into this Palatinate,
therefore, as early as 1634 and earlier
the persecuted Mennonites of Switzer
land flocked because the Count Pala
tine allowed much freedom of re
ligious thought and practice.
1635 — A New Persecution of Menno
nites about Zurich.
After the execution of Hans Landis
in 1614, the persecutions in Switzer
land died out for about 20 years. But
in 1635 the old hatred against the
non-resisting sect of Christians broke
out afresh from the Reformed Church,
and then the State Church in Switz
erland. This persecution led by the
Zwinglians was not new; because in
1525 Zwingli himself pronounced de
crees against them — over 100 years
before the persecutions of 1635.
The cause of the persecution was
the conversion of a rich and influen
tial citizen of Zurich named Henry
F  . He was chosen ensign and
requested to serve as an officer in the
army. But being a believer in the
Mennonite or Baptist faith he refused
to perform military duty and instead
entered the Baptist convent This
enraged the Government against the
Mennonites. A mandate was issued from Zurich
that all must attend the State Church
—the Reformed Church — or lose their
liberty. They refused and toward the
end of 1635 many of them were ar
rested and also imprisoned. Many
broke jail; but the prominent ones re
mained confined, Rudolph Egli, Uhli
Schmidt and Hans Miiller. They were
let out on a month's probation; but
not willing to yield their faith, were
put back again, (Mirror, p. 1049).
163(5 — Progress of tlie New Swiss
Persecutions.
This year in Augusi'- and September
and in the beginning of 1637, nearly
all the Taufer or Mennonite brethren

BRUBAKERS, LANDISES, EGLES, AND MYLINS IN JAIL

and sisters of Switzerland, but prin
cipally in Zurich, were summoned be
fore the political authorities as well
as before certain ecclesiastical au
thorities, whom the Government dele
gated for the purpose.
First they were summoned to the
Castles of Wadischwyl on Lake Zu
rich: of Knownau about twenty miles
south of Zurich; and of Groenigen, 20
miles east of Zurich, and compelled to
give their names, surnames, resi
dences, ages, ancestry, etc., so that
they could be watched.
A second time they were summoned
to the same place and ordered to at
tend the Reformed services.
They were next summoned to Zurich
(especially all leaders) and command
ed to give up their views and cease
teaching their beliefs as to infant bap
tism, the Lord's supper and the dis
cipline of ex-communication.
A fourth time they were compelled
to appear as under arrest and give
complete inventories of their proper
ties and estates, especially all mov
able property, and cautioned not to
dispose of any of it. After having all
their property registered they were
placed under arrest.
A fifth time they were sent for and
brought to the castles and given the
alternative of attending the Reformed
Church or being lodged in jail. They
begged permission to leave the coun
try with their goods. This was re
fused. (Mirror, p. 1050).
Miiller (p. 70) gives substantially
the same account, except that he tells
us that a commission of Reformed
Church-men rode about on horseback
to the various towns and sought out
the Mennonites and had them sent to
the Castles to be intimidated out of
their religion, etc.
1637 — Brubakers, Landises and Egles
in Zurich Jails.
In 1637 a perfect swarm of beadles,
bailiffs and sheriffs were sent
throughout all Zurich to spy out Men

nonites and apprehend them. The
fire of persecution was now raging.
Without ceremony they entered
houses of believers, took whatever
they wanted and abused women and
children. Scores of men they im
prisoned among criminals. A damp
prison at Othenbach was the worst
place. Of those captured were Jacob Rus-
terholtz and Peter Brubach or Bru-
bacher of Wadischwyl; also a Hans
Landis (the second) a minister of
the Church of Horgerburg and his
daughter Margaret Landis. She re
mained in Othenbach prison about 60
weeks. While they were in prison
the authorities sold all of their prop
erty for 7000 guilders.
Rudolph Egly was again imprisoned
at Zurich, his children driven out of
the house, the house destroyed and
everything confiscated to the Govern
ment, (Mirror, 1051).
These facts were written up by Mar
tin Meyli, a Mennonite historian, who
himself passed through these tortures
of 1635 to 1660 and wrote of personal
knowledge. He is quoted by the Mir
ror also.
1637— The Meylis, Mylins or Meilens
Suffer.
The ancient European home of the
Meilins now Mylins, seems, to have
been in the Canton of Zurich. Mr.
Schnebeli, a present day Swiss his
torian tells us this. There was a
Claes Meiliss in Holland in 1542 (Mir
ror, p. 448), and a Peter Von der
Mdiilin in Ghent in 1564 (Do., 640).
Whether they were the same family
as the Meilins, we can not tell.
Reliable history of the ancestry of
our present Lancaster County Swiss
Mylins exists from 1637. In the Kno
now Bailiwick in Switzerland the
persecution raged; and aged Hans
Meyli, a Mennonite minister was im
prisoned that year. They also took
his son Martin's wife. She was im
prisoned a long time at Ottembach,
about 8 miles southwest of Zurich

86

HANS HERR AND HANS MUELLER

and treated severely. They took all
of the elder Mylin's property. About
a year later they caught two of Hans
Meyli's sons, Martin and Hans, Jr.
and imprisoned them at Zurich where
they were held in chains and hand
cuffs. Their children (grandchildren of
Hans Meyli, Sr.) as poor forsaken or
phans were put out among strangers.
One of these, Martin by name, a son
of Hans Meyli, Jr. and a nephew of
Martin, the Swiss historian cited by
the Mirror was one of the band of pio
neer settlers of Lancaster County in
1710 on Pequea Creek, ( Mirror, p.
1052 and Rupp, p. 74).
1639 — Hans Herr, Lancaster County
Pioneer Bom.
This year, Hans Herr, leader of the
Pioneer band of Lancaster County,
which settled near Willow Street in
West Lampeter Township, Pennsyl
vania, was born on September 17,
near Zurich. He died in 1725 and
was buried in the Cemetery of the
Brick Mennonite Church just east of
Willow Street (Herr Genealogy, p.
1). Following the title page of the Herr
Genealogy occurs the statement:
"The race of Herr descended from
a very ancient family;— is free that is
to say , of noble origin; — likewise
from time immemorial its knights
were brave and worthy — possessing
in Schwaben vast and rich estate, the
name which was called and written,
Herr von Bilried. The father of the
race was called the Schwabish Knight
Hugo, the Herr or Lord of Bilried.
In the year 1009 flourished and was
known to all, the family from whom
that of Herr is descended. But in .the
fifteenth century several of the race
resigned their nobility and settled as
citizens. They, however, retained
their noble name and their coat of
arms, and in the year 1593 John Herr
as Lord of Bilried obtained from the
Emperor Ferdinand in Schwabish

Hall, a written testimonial proving
for his flourishing family their coat
of arms, their free and noble descent
and the possession of their race to
the latest generation; and the coat of
arms yet rightly belongs to the pres
ent living family of Herr. E. B. VIEN.
Recorded in the Register of Noble
Families, with their coat of Arms,
Book 5, page 258.
1639 — Barbara and Elizabeth Meylin
and Others Suffer for Their Faith.
The Mirror- (p. 1053) relates that
this year Barbara and Elizabeth My
lin and two other sisters in the faith,
Ottila Mulerin and Barbara Kolbin
suffered for their faith. They were
not executed, however, for they man
aged to escape from the prison of Ot-
tenbach, the location of which town
we have mentioned. They were also
relatives of the aged Hans Mylin.
1639— Another Hans Miiller of Can
ton Zurich, Suffers.
We have set out the troubles of a
Hans Muller of Medikon, Switzerland
under date of 1529 (See Supra., p. 34).
More than one hundred years later
the name Muller again comes into
prominence, through persecution in
cruel Switzerland. The sufferer again
is a 'Hans" Miiller.
The Mirror under date of 1635 (p.
1050) refers to this pillar of faith as
defending the "poor fund" of the
Church, which they tried to make
him give up. His home was in Griin-
ingen, about 12 miles southeast of
Zurich. He was released but 4 years
later was again imprisoned, viz: in
1639. He was a powerful factor in the
Mennonite Church and so zealous
were the officers to find him a second
time, that like ravening wolves they
ran through his neighbors' houses to
find him. He had escaped from his
house and when they came to it and
broke it open and found he was gone,
they broke open chests and drawers

THE SNYDERS, WEBERS, AMANS AND THE AMISH

87

and took all the property they could
get. They threatened his little chil
dren -with bare swords that ' they
would kill them if they did not re
veal his whereabouts. They took his
wife and put her bound in the loath
some Ottenbach prison. Then a pro
clamation was announced in the Re
formed churches of Zurich, that no
one would be allowed to lodge or give
food or drink to Hans Miiller, from
the Groeningen Bailiwick under se
vere penalty.
Then they deceived him and sent
abroad a proclamation that he would
be allowed a three weeks' safe con
duct to argue with him, if he came
forth. He trusted this and went to
the convent specified to discuss the
matter but as he was about to leave
he was arrested in breach of faith
and taken to Ottenbach; imprisoned
60 weeks, of which he spent 16 weeks
in chains. (Mirror, p. 1053).
As to the Miillers, Zurich always
had and now has many "Miiller" (Mil
lers). Mr. Schnebeli says a branch
of the Mullers came in the early times
from Zurich; but the Mullers were
early distributed in Berne and in
Germany and elsewhere. However,
he says the whole Canton of Zurich is
full of MKillers. Among the dead in
the battle of Kappel in Affaltern,
Canton of Zurich, where Zwingli was
killed on October 11, 1531, were found
nine Mullers, from Wipkengen, Zolli
kon, Kussnach, Thalvil, Affaltern.
Lzattiken, Hetlingen, Wetzekon and
GoUikon, all in Switzerland. Mr.
Schnebeli say that the Mullers have
always held prominent offices, did
valiant and distinguished services for
the state at home and abroad, and
produced many able statesmen, such
as Muller of Priedberg, of St Gallen,
and the historian Miiller, of Schaff
hausen. He says, also, that the Presi
dent of Switzerland in 1909 was a
Miiller. 1639^The Amans, Egles, Snyders,
Webers and Zehnders Suffer.
It is perhaps known to all that our
Amish brethren are so called because

they followed a dissenting Mennonite
named Aman, in Europe. In 1639 we
find that Burkhard Aman v^ho lived
by the border of Lake Zurich, was
arrested for his faith, taken to Zurich
and condemned and then taken to the
Ottenbach prison where so many
Mennonites suffered. But his year in
prison was so cruel that he became
ill and shortly after his release died.
The Amish abound in Lancaster
County and other southeastern Penn
sylvania sections, (Mirror, p. 1054).
The same year Jacob Egle of
Gruningen district, near Zurich as we
have before stated, was arrested and
after a short trial at Zurich was im
prisoned in the Ottenbach dungeon,
during a year and a half. He was so
miserably treated that he died in
prison, rather than give up his faith,
(Do.). The same year George Weber, an
old man of Kiburg, a city 15 miles
southeast of Zurich on a branch of
the Rhine, was arrested for his faith
and taken to Ottenbach dungeon and
fed on bread and water. He also be
came sick and died soon after his re
lease. Besides being imprisoned, both
Egli and Weber were sentenced to
pay 500 guilders annually as fine to
the authorities, which if not paid was
to be levied on their property until it
was all consumed; unless they gave
up their religion, (Do.).
Webers and the modern Weavers
are very numerous 1 n Lancaster
County. They first located here about
1711, just 200 years ago. Hans Weber
having bought the Rudolph Bundely
tract containing 530 acres, forming
the north-eastern section of the origi
nal settlement of 6400 acres in our
country, (See map following page 75,
Vol. XIV, Lancaster County Historical
Society, Reports or appendix, to said
volume). The same year UUi Snyder from
Wadischwyl, about ten miles south
east of Zurich on the south side of
Lake Zurich and four miles beyond
Horgen suffered imprisonment because
of his faith. They tortured him to

THE HESS FAMILY— HOLLAND INTERCESSIONS

compel him to embrace the Common
or Reformed mode of worship. He
died steadfast in jail, (Do., 1055).
The same year Stephen Zehnder of
the Mennonite Church at Knonow was
imprisoned in a damp cellar of the
Ottenbach jail and so treated that he
died of exposure and hardship, (Do.).
The above we all recognize as com
mon Lancaster, York, Berks and Leb
anon county names. The item seems
to show that while it is ordinarily
said that the forefathers of this sec
tion of Pennsylvania are of German
descent, that such tradition is not
strictly accurate. They are originally
Swiss. Many of our ancestors, how
ever, were pushed by prosecution from
Switzerland into Germany and par
ticularly into the Palatinate on the
Rhine and lived there some years,
migrating from that place to Eastern
Pennsylvania. 1639 — The Hess Family Appear in
History.
Here we have one of the earliest
notices of the Hess family also numer
ous in this county and in southeastern
Pennsylvania and from Pennsylvania
distributed far and wide — numerous in
the Virginias, in the middle West,
many of them in Chicago and in sec
tions beyond ^s well.
The Mirror (p. 1056) notes Hans or
John Jacob Hess in 1639 as a Minister
of the Mennonite Church in Switzer
land, and earlier. The account states
that he was arrested and imprisoned
three times, first in 1637. The third
imprisonment lasted 88 weeks. But
he, with ofhers escaped. The account
says that he was stripped and confined
in prison, in chains 16 weeks with
fellow prisoners. While he was in
jail they arrested and imprisoned his
wife for her religion, in the Ottenbach
dungeon. There she got consump
tion and died after 63 weeks incarcer
ation, (Do., 1056).
The account also states that the
property of Jacob Hess was seized and
sold by the authorities and sold for

4000 guilders without giving any of it
back. A guilder is worth 40 cents in
our money. Thus they took $1600
from this man. The exact home of
the Hess family mentioned is not
shown; but it was in the Canton of
Zurich somewhere.
1639— Netherland Intercedes for the
Swiss Menonnites.
It must not be concluded that the
Mennonites had no friends and helpers
during these awful days. The perse
cution against them in Holland whch
raged 100 years earlier had cooled and
they were held in favor there long
before 1639. In the Mennonite Ar
chives of Zurich there is an extract of
the event of church affairs from 1639
to 43; and also similar matter in the
Bern Archives. Casper Suter of the
Mennonite Church kept these records.
Holland sent a commission to Zurich
inquiring about these matters and
stated that reports in Holland were to
the effect that 20 people were being
cruelly treated and imprisoned in Ot
tenbach — that some of them are sup
posed to be subjects of Holland; and
that they remonstrate in a friendly
way for all of them; but insist on the
release of any Dutch subjects that
may be imprisoned. There are reports
by Ottibus also about these matters.
Other inquiries were made later by
Berne, of Zurich asking how they
treat Mennonites. We shall see, how
ever, that a little later Berne began a
series of persecutions as fierce as
those of Zurich, (Muller, p. 166).
1639 — Zuricli Tries to Explain aud
Apologize to the World for the
Treatment of the Menno
nites.
' This apology was Issued in 1639,
and was called out by the fact that the
cruelties inflicted by Zurich moved a
large part of Europe to protest Hol
land lead the protests. The Swiss
authorities, incited by "the so called
Reformed Church" to which the
officers of the government belonged.

MENNONITES ANSWER THE ZURICH MANIFESTO

89

gave as their chief excuses for tor
turing the Mennonites the following
reasons. That "they separated them
selves from the obedience which they
owed to the Christian Church"; that
they refused to allow baptism to be
performed upon little children which
endangered their salvation; that they
would not help defend the govern
ment against its enemies; and that
they were disobedient to the authori
ties, refusing to help support the
government and obey its laws. This
apology was intended to influence the
nations to believe that Zurich and in
deed the whole of Switzerland was
compelled to take the measures they
did, for the alleged reason that the
foundation of the government was en
dangered by these Taufers or Menno
nites and the established religion in
danger, (Mirror, 1056).
1639 — Reply of the Swiss Mennonites
to the Zurich Manifesto.
The Mennonites of Switzerland im
mediately made reply to the apologies
and explanations of the government
officials and Reformed churchmen
against them.
As to separation from the -Christian
Church, they said this is not a fact,
but that they adhere and always have
adhered to the pure Word of God, and
for this reason could not possibly be
members of the Reformed Church,
their chief persecutor now. They say
also that the original leaders of the
Reformed Church held the same
views as the Mennonites still hold,
when they were both persecuted by
the Catholic Church; but that now the
Reformed churchmen have entirely
drifted away from the old beliefs
while the Mennonites have still held
on to them.
They then take up the subject of
baptism and show that originally the
founders of the Reformed Church
held the same view the Anabaptists or
Mennonites now hold. They cited
Zwingli himself and Baltzer Hubmor

or Huffmeier, saying that at a confer
ence in the Graef in 1523 they, as
founders of the Reformed Church
declared that infants should not be
baptized; and that Zwingli made this
the 18th Canon in his Book of Articles.
The same, they say, was held by
Oecolampadius in a letter to said
Huffmeier or Hubmor. They declare
that Sebasitan Hoffmeyster, an early
Reformed Church preacher wrote to
Hupmeir and said that at a council
at Schaffhausen that infants must not
be baptized. These are all Reformed
founders. Schaffhausen is a city of
12000 population about 20 miles north
from Zurich.
They also cited that Christopher
Hogendorf, Cellarius, both Reformed
fathers, and the early Reformed
Church preachers at Strassburg, Ger
many; Wolfgang Gapito, Cester
Hedio, Mathew Zell and others agree
in this writing that originally there
was no infant baptism.
Concerning war or retaliation, they
say that Lutherans who in the begin
ning were Calvinistic Reformed and
the Reformed churchmen or Zwing
lians, in the beginning believed the
same as do the Mennonites. Among the
earliest were Andrew 'Carlstadt who
in his book dated 1924 wrote that war
is against God's law and must not be
entered upon. They also cited Luther
in the twenty-second article or a tract
written by him in 1520, explaining
why he burnt the "pope's books" as
follows: Because he (the pope)
teaches that it is right for a Christian
to defend himself with violence
against violence contrary to Matthew
5:40. They show that in a tract printed
at Wittenberg in 1522 it is set forth
that Luther taught opposition to all
war and against suits at law. They
concluded that Luther believed these
views until he was "Seduced to
another belief by the Jesuits even as
Sleydonus ( a Jesuit) testifles", (Mir
ror, 1056 to 58).

90

MENNONITE CODE OF ETHICS 1639

They go on to show that all the
foremost Reformers against Popery
in 1520— in 1530— in 1540 were op
posed to war and resistance and to
oaths and to infant baptism.
As to the charge that they do not
support the government they deny it
wholly. Thus they show that it was
not they, the Mennonites, who de
parted from the Christian Church and
its doctrines; but that the Reformed
and the Lutherans departed from
those first principles approved by all
who opposed the Catholic Church,
while the Mennonites have held on to
those principles to this day.
1689 — Charges against and Answers
of the Mennonites, Printed.
Miiller tells us (165) that the Bur-
gomeisters and the Great and Small
Council of Zurich called the Council
of 200 drew up formally the Menno
nite situation there in 1639 stating
the acts of Zurich against them, the
form of the judiciary by which they
tried them and the impartiality of the
justice visited upon them. The state
paper was printed by Dr. Humberger
the same year in Zurich. It is a
quarto volume of 71 pages. It is
found also in Leonard Meister's
'Helvetian Scenes of Visionariries," as
he calls it
1639— Holland Mennonites in Confer.
ence Adopt Ethical Rules.
Mrs. Brons in her book, which I
have often referred to says (p. 135)
that, this year there was a conference
held by the Mennonites of Holland to
formulate a code of moral rules for
daily guidance. A year or two earlier
there was a similar conference of the
Mennonites of four Holland cities;
but now the conference was general.
Peter Van Twisk seems to have
brought it about. The Friesland
churches led off. The principal meet
ing was on a day called the 'Lands-
dag"; and the elders who attended as
delegates were called the "Landsdie-

naren". The purpose was to organ
ize rules for the encouragement and
protection of the faithful. Moral rules
adopted to guide them. A society was
organized also to admonish all to the
performance of these rules, and to
keep before alj the necessity of living
pure lives and taking care of the
poor, of aiding the preachers, etc. The
society however did not keep any
minutes of its proceedings until 1694.
But there is plenty of evidence that it
existed as early as 1639; and as late
as 1716.
The 12 chief articles or rules
adopted by them which were to be
read in all the churches once a year
were as follows:
1. When a brother or sister mar
ries a second time mey should settle
on the children of the first marriage
an inheritance; and obey all the laws
of the land.
2. All costly and elaborate wed
dings must be avoided. All must be
moderate and in the fear of God,
after the example of Tobias so as not
to dishonor God.
3. Young men and women must
not be allowed too much freedom in
their association. They must not
"keep company" with each other nor
engage themselves to marry without
the consent of their parents or guar
dians; such a step must not be taken
without that serious consideration
which becomes a Christian.
4. Those who are about to marry
from another place or town shall be
required ot produce a good recom
mendation from the place in which
they dwell. This shall show whether
they are still free, also whether the
bans have been published. Under the
law of Switzerland at this same time,
bans were allowed to be published in
the Reformed church only; and no
other but Reformed ministers were
allowed to perform the marriage cere
mony.

CODE OP ETHICS— BERNE PERSECUTIONS

91

5. In trading and in doing business
all are to avoid taverns as much as
possible, because there one seldom
learns anything good, and is very
likely to become drunk.
6. No one must have business so
tangled up that he will not be able to
pay on the day and the hour when he
should. The word pledged in busi
ness, must be kept, otherwise a per
son gets a bad name and so does the
congregation. 7. No one is allowed to buy or
receive stolen goods. They who do
so, share the sin of stealing or rob
bing. 8. No one shall engage himself to
go on an armed vessel. As soon as
it is ascertained, it is armed the
Christian must get off. (This might
be pretty serious.)
9. No one should use tobacco un
necessarily, or make it a habit, for
time and money are wasted by it;
and it is offensve to others. This evil
is getting so great in Holland since
trade is open with America that in
stead of hymn books to edify, many
go for the tobacco pipe. (About this
time tobacco and wigs were intro
duced and the church said that they
were introduced by Satan.)
10. No ornaments are to be allowed
on or in houses or ships but all must
be made plain. By external orna
ments the internal ornaments of the
soul are spoiled.
11. If a brother or sister move to
another town they must get a recom
mendation qr a certificate of good
character from the place or congrega
tion from where he or she come, to
show that he or she is decent.
12. No one must neglect to talk to
and admonish the struggling brother
who is "going wrong". This must be
done in brotherly love and sincerity.
There must also be reprimand, but in
a loving way and by taking the
brother alone.
These, says Brons, were the 12 main
articles of conduct of the Friesian

Mennonites; and we can see what
fine lives they exacted from all be
lievers. Those who violated these
rules were "set back", and not al
lowed to participate in the rites of
the church until they repented. They
bear the caption "Twelve Articles
Promulgated in 1639 by the Confer
ence of the Congregations, and for the
Preservation of Good Morals among
Themselves". All I need add to the above is to-
call attention to the fact that our
Swiss, German and Holland ancestors
were not crude in thought, but re
fined. It was a more or less common
ly held opinion here in our country
for many years that, our ancient
stock of Eastern Pennsylvania Ger
mans were gross and voluptuous, and
not concerned about the appreciation
nor the practice of the delicate and
refined. This has been an injustice
to them and a slander. While their
taste has not always been standard,
they have always been, in reality,
sensitive and cultured.
1640 — Canton Berne Begins Persecu*
tion Anew.
Jan. 17 this year, the Berne author
ities in Switzerland sent out a man
date to Aarwangen Soffingen, Aarburg
Kiburg, Thun, Signau, Brandis and
Trachelswald that on Jan. 23 there
should be an inquisition upon the
Mennonites for the purpose of finding
heresy charges against them and vio
lations of the laws and customs of
Berne and the Reformed church. It
was decreed that the time had come
for severe measures because their su
perstitions, service and intolerable-
practice kept on prospering and their
sect kept on increasing, in spite of all
that had beaa^done against them thus
far (Muller 132). Most of the above
places are between 10 and 20 miles
east, northeast and southeast of the
city of Berne, in and near the famous
Emmenthal or Emmen Valley, the
particular location from which the

92

MANY LANCASTER COUNTY ANCESTORS SUFFER

pioneers came directly to the Pequea
and the Conestoga in 1710, and later.
About 1630 they had come into the
Emmenthal from the Zurich region.
1640 — More Eastern Pennsylvania An
cestry Suffer.
About this time and afterwards, the
following persons suffered throughout
Switzerland for their religion's sake.
Among them were Werner Phister of
Walischwyl who was imprisoned at
Othenbach; Gallus Snyder of the same
place, put in the same prison; also
Rudolph Bachman a very old man of
the same district who was bound to a
sled and dragged to the same prison,
where he was placed in chains until
his death; also Henry Schnebli (now
Suavely) of Knownow who was im
prisoned for his religious views with
criminals in Zurich; about the same
time Hans Rudolph Bauman (or Bow
man) of Horgerberg, imprisoned in
Zurich,after having been robbed by the
State church and the government of
his property worth over 3000 guilders;
about the same time Ulrich Miiller of
Kiborg first imprisoned at Zurich and,
then thrown into the dungeon of
Othenbach where he diwd; at the same
time also Oswald Landis who with his
wife and two daughters-in-lav/ were
imprisoned in the Othenbach dungeon;
also his son Jacob Landis, and his en
tire family, imprisoned in the same
place; about the same time Henry
Pricken and Hans Ring of the neigh
borhood of Knowow; a year or two
later Felix Landis of Horgerberg (son
of Hans Landis who was beheaded in
1614) who was imprisoned at Othen
bach and nearly starved to death after
robbing him of 5,000 guilders; in 1643
Elizabeth Bachman of Gruningen and
Verena, Landis also suffered threats
and Imprisonment; also at the same
time Barbara Neff and Barbara Ruff or
Rupp of the Knowow district; also
Martha Llndne and Anna Blau, (after-
¦wards married to Moneth Meylich with
¦whom she moved to the Palatinate),

were imprisoned. (Mirror 1059 tc
1062). All of the above names we recog
nize as quite common among the
generality of Eastern Pennsylvania
and especially Lancaster County pop
ulace today. These incidents are
meant to throw a clear light on the
particular location of the sturdy an
cestry of the neighborhood nearly 300
years ago. The places mentioned
above are, none of them, far distant
from the two main centers of tyranny
and torture — Berne and Zurich.
1641 — Amsterdam, Holland, Becoming
a Powerful Supporter of
Mennonites.
Muller relates (p. 166) that, this
year Amsterdam received news of the
persecution of Mennonite brethren by
Zurich and began another examina
tion. Zurich contended that the re
ports were exaggerated. The Amster
dam authorities sent Isaac Hataver,
an influential merchant of the Reform
ed or Lutheran church of Holland to
investigate. In the year 1642 Godfried
Hattonus who was pastor of the French
church at Amsterdam began the agita
tion for investigation, by writing to
Zurich about the terrible reports that
came to Hollan.d. He received an an
swer from Antistis Breitinger, telling
him the facts pretty fairly. Then
pamphlets were printed and circulat
ed in Holland calling public attention
to the furious conduct of Berne and
Zurich. A pamphlet was started, a
strong monograph came out against
the doctrines of the Baptists or Men
nonites, alleging it to be a heresy
calculated to overthrow the govern
ment by Petros Bontemps, minister of
the "Gallicana" in Harlem (Holland).
To this Yost Hendricks (perhaps an
ancestor of Laurens Hendricks whom
we shall mention later) made reply,
painting the Swiss persecution of the
Mennonites as black as night In
1643 Bontemps replied, in which he
made it appear there was no persecu-

DANZIG AND ELBING MENNONITES GOOD FARMERS

93

tion going on at all. Then three
strong pamphlets were issued by the
Mennonites of Amsterdam, Rotterdam
and Haarlem respectively, showing
that in truth the Swiss persecutions
were terrible. Several editions of
these were printed, and greedily read
until Holland was aflame wth Indiga-
tion against Switzerland. There were
other productions calling attention to
the suffering of the defenceless Chris
tians ; and this brought on the appeal
from the Holland government. Hol
land was a pov/er in those days, to
whose voice all European nations paid
attention.
1641 — Prominent Hamburgers Became
Mennonites.
On the extinction of the Shumberg
line the succeeding king. Christian
the IV of Denmark, who at the time
was Duke of Holstein became a friend
of the Mennonites; and the congrega
tion of Altona opposite Hamburg, and
in Hamburg also gained privileges. In
spite of the raillery of the Lutherans,
the Meimonites grew. Some of the
principal Hamburg families, namely
the Roosen and Goverts families who
had large warehouses, became Menno
nites. (Brons 256).
1642 — The Dantzig and Elbing Menno
nites of the Baltic Become the
Best Farmers of Europe.
Until 1642, the Mennonites of north
western Prussia were left in peace;
but then a new storm broke loose, es
pecially about Elbing in Prussia. The
Chamberlain of the king Bladislaus
the IV, namely Willibald of Hexburg
made the king of Prussia suspicious
about the Mennonites; and he got a
warrant or written authority from the
king, to drive the Mennonites out, be
cause they hurt the trade of the other
people in Dantzig and Elbing. This
paper allowed the officer to seize the
Mennonites' goods and to use them
for himself. He started to carry out
the instructions, and then arranged
that if they would give him a sum of

money instead, he would not interfere
with their goods. These Mennonites,
many of them, lived in the "Vaterns"
— that is, on islands on the delta of
the Vistula River or on swampy land;
and because they did not serve in the
army they were made to pay very
heavy fines or rents to the govern
ment, because of the false accusations
the chamberlain made against them.
They had to pay fifty gulden rent,
per hide. A hide is a small piece of
land, enough for two persons to live
on. The whole sum collected from
those who dwelt in the swamp land
was about fifty-thousand gulden; and
from Dantzig several thousand.
The Mennonites complained of this
suffering and the Land Court took it
up and relieved them from these griev
ances. The king of Prussia saw that
the chamberlain had deceived him.
and gave them new privileges. He al
so compelled his officer, the chamber
lain, to destroy the written authority
he had given to him. After that, their
condition was happy in the neighbor
hood of the Dantzig, and they took
new heart and built dykes, drained
the swampy land, and cultivated that
which was desolate. The govern
ment protected them iii their rights.
The king said that the dykes which
they built along the Drausees and the
Sogat Rivers were splendid examples
to posterity. These Mennonites lo
cated in the northeastern part of
Prussia when they were driven out of
Holland. The king also gave them ex
emption from war taxes forever.
(Brons p. 256).
1642 — Rupp's Account of Mennonite
Sufferings at This Date.
We have given in a prior item from
other sources the names of Lancaster
County ancestors, who suffered from
1640 onward. Rupp in his history of
Lancaster County (page 72) says that,
among those who suffered was Hans
Miller, Hans Jacob Hess, Rudolph
Bachman, Ulrich Miller. Oswald Lan-

94

MANDATES AND SUFFERINGS IN ZURICH

dis, Fanny Landis, Barbara Neff, Hans
Meylin and his two sons. He says
that these sufferings occurred about
1643. 1643 — Joost Hendrick's Account of
Suffering in Zurich.
This year, when thirty men and
women of the Mennonite faith were in
the Ottenbach prison of Switzerland,
a Christian man of Holland named
Joost Hendrick wrote about their suf
ferings. We have spoken before of
the series of pamphlets written upon
these hardships; but we now quote a
part of Hendrick's letter written to
Bontemps whom we have also men
tioned before. He says, upon the re
fusal to leave their lands, persecution
and imprisonment followed; and in a
short time these people were compell
ed to pay about eighty- thousand
Reichthalers. They were also im
prisoned in a horrible manner — so
horrible it cannot be described. About
Easter there were thirty of them im
prisoned in a small, dark dungeon.
Most of them were so sick that they
looked like dead. They even had wo
men fast in chains.
This is the condition about Zurich.
A man named Isaac Hattaver, a Men
nonite elder in Amsterdam, also states
they suffered, the greatest in Nether
land, and were in great excitement
and offered prayers for their Swiss
brethren daily. They are satisfied the
worst representations were the truth.
So they sent their brother Hattaver to
call on business friends in Zurich and
get the truth. He did so. He got a
letter to the prisoners; and admon
ished them to be mild; and they may
get permission to leave. He says
"They hope to come to Holland. We
can get about to $200.00 to help them.
Zurich claims that the Mennonites
were disobedient and must be treated
harsh. Our brethren say they did
make a hole in the wall and broke out
of jail ; it was so bad they could not
stay. They say the people are joining

the faith and this is why Zurich is
punishing them. Something must be
done to help these people."
This is what Hendricks wrote about
the condition at the very time the
suffering was going on. (Brons p.
201). 1644 — Another Futile Mandate from
Zurich.
This year a final mandate was is
sued against Mennonites preaching
throughout Switzerland. After this
mandate and its failure there was a
season of freedom allowed the Menno
nites. This edict demanded that there
should be no more Mennonite preach
ing — that no one should attend any
services the Mennonites attempted to
hold — nor should any person harbor
or give aid to any of them. All
judges and magistrates and sheriffs
and Reformed preachers and elders
and adherents and God-fearing people
were to help execute this edict under
penalty. A final effort was made to put the
former decrees of 1585 and 1597 into
execution, in 1644 because as they
said the Mennonite heresy was taking
deeper root than ever (Miiller 136).
Efforts were particularly directed
against the teachers and leaders.
The authorities were first to rea
son with the offenders and if that did
not bring the result to imprison them
confiscate their goods and do whatever
may be needed. Those arrested were
to be sent to Zurich. (Do. 134.)
1614 — The Prominent Swiss Names,
Stauffer, Zug and Neuhauser
Appear.
In an edict promulgated through
out the region of Berne April 11,
1044, a demand was made upon all
loyal adherents by the Reformed
Church to capture the leaders of the
Mennonite "heresy" throughout the
land. Among these the mandate or
dered particularly that Christian

GROWTH IN BERNE— GOCHNAUERS APPEAR

95

Stauffer, Uli Neuhus (or probably
now Neuhauser) and Uli Zuagg (like
ly now Zug or Zook) should be cap
tured at all hazards. Their names
we recognized as that of a numerous
progeny now throughout eastern
Pennsylvania and Lancaster County.
It was ordered that these were "se
ducers ' of the people should be sent
to Zurich. But their homes seem to
have been in the neighborhood of
Thun, Trachelswald and ' Soffingen,
places in the Berne district. (Muller
132 and 133. It was declared Oct.
26, 1644 that theretofore there had
been much "winking" at the man
dates; but now they were to be en
forced rigidly.
1644 — ^Mennonite Growth in the Berne
District
The Mennonites of Aarau and Lenz-
burg near Berne were becoming par
ticularly prosperous. Also' near
Zofingen or Soffingen. about half way
between Zurich and Berne on a
branch of the Rhine, there were many
of them. Of their principal ones
there were Hans Stentz, a teacher in
Ober-Culm, Rudolph Kunzli (now
Kunzler or Kinsley), also Hanz Yeagli
of Adra, Hanz Dester and Solomon
Yeagley (Miiller 105 and Ottins).
Three of the Aarau Mennonites,
when they heard of the new edict, de
clared they were ready to go and de
fend their religion. It was arranged
that they should be heard by the
clergy of the Reformed Church; and
were assured they would have safe
conduct granted them, to come to the
hearing and to go back again. But
no Zurich brethren would be allowed
to come and be present at the debate
and proceedings to hear whether they
made an able exposition or not. All
Zurich Mennonites must get out of
the country. But to allow the Berne
Mennonites to see their wrong, the
mandate would be suspended till May
27. 1644 and they could decide after

this examination was ended, what they
would do.
It appears that Yeagley and all the
other Mennonite leaders first above
mentioned were at this examination.
Their chief inquisitor was. Rev. Mark
Ruttimyer. The principal Mennonites
examined were Hanz Tester and Hans
Glur. They declared for themselves
and their followers that:
(1) They will persist in separation
because of the ungodly life of
the state church.
(2) Such separation is demanded
by Holy Writ and the state
church does not compel it.
Because of this stand taken by these
Mennonites their free and safe con
duct was violated; and Tester, Peyer
and Yeagley were all Imprisoned.
(Miiller 105).
1644 — Respite from Persecution in
Zurich
Says the Mirror (p. 1063) that from
1644 to 1654 persecution abated. And
in that time there is no record of any
having died in prison of bad treat
ment or bad food.
1644 — Gochnauers, Rubers and Baum-
gartners Suffer in Zurich
About this time, according to the
Mirror (p. 1064) Mennonites or Ana
baptists of Zurich of the names above
specified suffered for their religion at
the hands of the Government, which
was now in the charge of the Re
formed Church.
Jacob Gochnauer from Groeningen
Bailiwick about 10 miles southeast of
Zurich near the famous field of Greif
ensee was first driven out of the coun
try, his family separated, and all his
possessions sold. On his attempt to
return and find his children he was
caught and thrust into the horrible
prison of Ottenbach about 6 miles
southwest of Zurich on the Reuss
River, deprived of his clothes and
dressed in a gray coat and fastened
with chains. Hans Huber from

96

DAVID SHAAR'S EXCOMMUNICATION AND PARABLE

Horgerburg was also imprisoned in
the Ottenbach dungeon with eleven
other Mennonites and was fastened
with chains and his wife and sister
driven into exile.
Jacob Baumgartner an old man of
70 years had been imprisoned for his
faith 5 times and each time escaped,
but was now again apprehended and
thrown into Ottenbach prison. He
was fastened to chains, deprived of
his clothes and clad in a gray coat,
fed on bread and water, put in irons
and hand-cuffed and his property sold
for 500 gilders and the money taken
by the government.
These are all familiar names in
Eastern Pennsylvania and also in
other parts of the United States,
whence they have migrated viz.: to
Indiana, Illinois and Kansas; and al
so in Canada. I insert this article
in this series to show the ancient
home of the ancestors of our people
having the same name and now promi
nent in many sections and in many
v/alks of life.
1644— Interesting Letter From David
Shaar to Uli Zaugg or Zugg.
In the district of Diesbach, about 10
miles northeast of Berne lived Shaar
and Zaugg or Zugg, above named.
According to Miiller (p. 117) Shaar,
for some reason not revealed, was ex
communicated from the Mennonite
Church of Switzerland, and (it seems)
Zaugg was instrumental in having this
done. Shaar thereupon wrote him the
following letter:
"Dear Friendly Uli Zaugg:
For your treatment of me, I will
pass no invidious judgment for the
high arch-angel Michael did not dare
to judge any, only over Satan; but
I will tell you a parable and submit it
to your judgment There was a mas
ter who had bought a sheep, as he did
many times. It was not as fine as the
others, but he gave as much for it as
any of the others. He gave this one
to the charge of the hired man. And

the poor ignorant sheep went out af
ter its nourishment on the pasture
many years. After long time it was
hurt by a thorn and it bled a little.
This was noticed by the shepherd and
he cried out it shall hurry and come
to him. He set the time, the hours
and the day and said "if It did not
come, its injury might not be healed
at all." Now this poor sheep is old
and weak and the road is long and un
even and .it thought to itself "How
will it be if this shepherd does not
have the right salve to heal if you do
go to him; for many times before
when you were hurt and wounded
your Lord and master who had bought
you healed you himself". Consequent
ly he went to the Lord and found
some relief. Then the hired man cried
more and more that it should come to
him and his colaborers if it wants to
be healed. Now it did not want to
despise the undershepherd and gave
an account verbal and written of what
had happened to it; and how it got
hurt, but all was of no avail. The
undershepherd could not cure it. The
undershepherd then complained that
it stayed out too long; and he made
the injury seem so great and incur
able. He then resolved with them it
was not worth any more than that it
should be killed and its misery ended.
Therefore, the shepherd said, he does
not want anything more to do with
the sheep. But the poor sheep was
not content with this and could not
understand why it should be adjudged
that his life be forfeited.
When the master of this sheep shall
come and give these shepherds their
wages and when he asks of this shep
herd what he deserves, what do you
think, Uli, you would give him as pay
for what you did in this case? Now
I pray thee, you will be judge In an
impartial manner when appealed toby
the Lord over all, whose judgment you
will have to bear.
Herein I place you under the benign
protection of our Lord. And I, too.

ZUG AND SHAAJR APPEAR— THE RACK USED.

97

¦will stay with my Lord who has
bought me with his blood, and not
with gold or silver. Therefore I will
stay right with the universal church
whose head is Christ. At times I will
gladly go where the Holy Gospel is
read, taught and preached. But with
respect to unjust courts and judg
ments and power, which the people
st-metimes, adjudge to themselves or
usurp, to that my heart and con
science and my mind will never be
bound. Should the Almighty God —
the benevolent God, in Heaven will it,
he will give them all the wisdom to
do these things, that they may govern
with righteousness and justice, be
cause they do not only hold Court by
the people and account to them; but
they must account to God also, who
will finally be the judge of all of us.
May he be merciful to us all, through
Christ. Amen.
This, I, David Shaar wish to all
who are ingrafted in Jesus Christ not
only by baptism of water; but by a
true and living, simple and pure
faith. Herewith I will close, this
date — next Sat. before day of St
Margaret, this year 1644. God give us
his grace and his blessing for tempor
al and eternal life. Amen. David Shaar.
I quote the .letter in full, first, be
cause in it, Shaar tries to make Zaugg
feel that his church is as bad as the
churches of "the world" because it
exercised a cruel judgment upon poor
David; and secondly, because the
names Shaar and Zaugg or Zug are
both common in Eastern Pensylvania.
1644 — The Rack Used on Berne Men
nonites.
Muller tells us that there always
was a more or less strict censorship
of the Mennonite publications. But
now their enemies began to use the
rack. About Aarau the activity against
them became active now. This, says
Miiller, was because Mennonites were

very numerous now throughout the
Berne district, and especially in the
three counties of Aarau, Lenzburg
and Soffingen, (Muller 105).
1644 — The Berne Mandates Begin
In December of this year a mandate
was promulgated. It was ordered- to
be published particularly in Thun,
Burgdorf, Langenthal, Brugg and
other places. The authorities in these
places were compelled to make a list
of the children not baptized; and of
the marriages entered into and not
completed in the state church. It was-
decreed that all children of such mar
riages were illegitmate. To the un
der-sheriffs orders were issued to'
make an inventory of the possessions-
of all these Mennonite people; and to
arrest all obstreperous ones and brin-?
them to Berne to the jail and their
children to the Orphan Asylum (Miil
ler 167). It was also decreed that all
their teachers, preachers and leaders
were to be branded with a hot iron
(Do. 182).
Muller records (p. 128) that the day
the mandate was read in Berne and
throughout the land, and at the very
hour, a thunder storm raged all over
the country; and that in the church at
I Berne a great stone fell on the chair
of the Burgomaster and mashed it. So
God was on the Mennonite side they
said. This created such panic and
fear that for a few years persecution
ceased. But later when another fierce
decree was read a bountiful rain be
gan to fall and it rained a great deal
and saved the crops of the oppressors
which were drying up. So God seemed
to favor the oppressors this time.
This was in 1692. (Muller 182).
1645— Mart. Mylin and Jere Mangold
Chronicle Mennonite Troubles.
We simply call attention here to the
fact that the Mennonites had some
able writers among them. According
to Rupp (72 and Muller 165), Bracht

98

HAGEN, MEILY, STENTZ AND BURGER.

the writer of the Mirror got consider
able of his matter from Mangold and
Mylin, especially the record of the
sufferings in Othenbach prison.
Bracht shows this also by citations.
164o — Swiss Mennonites Call on Hol
land Brethren to Pray For
Their Deliierance.
The following statement is made by
the Miiror (p. 1062) of the despair of
our Swiss Ancestors in 1645.
"Now when some brethren and sis
ters in the Swiss dominations had died
in prison, of misery, want, hunger
and grief, but five still lived iu con
finement, the remaining ones who
were yet out of bonds, when they
were threatened, espEC-illy by thse
of Berne, that they should expel them
all from the country, and seize their
goods, and sell them, had recourse,
next to God, with an humble and
friendly letter, to their fellow be
lievers in Holland and elsewhere in
the Netherlands, requesting that th'ay
should everywhere fervently call up
on God the Lord in their behalf, for
comfort and grace, to the end that
they might patiently endure that
which might come upon them accord
ing to the flesh, for his holy name's
sake. The letter was written the 22nd of
July, old style, in the year of our
Lord 1645, and was signed by
Hans Duster, at Baltzen,
an elder In the word of
the Lord.
Ruth Kiinstel, at Miichem,
a minister in the word
of the Lord.
Ruth Ha-gen, an elder,
Hans Meily, a minister.
Hans Stuss, a minister.
What followed therefrom, and how
it subsequently went with those who
were imprisoned, can be seen in a
subsequent account, in a marginal
note, in connection with UUy Wag-
man."

From the
Berne
Jurisdiction

From the
Zurich
Jurisdiction

Here again we meet familiar names
in Eastern Pennsylvania today; par
ticularly, Hagen, Mulley (or Meiley)
and Wagman or Wagaman. Thus we
find they also came to the eastern
countries of Pennsylvania from that
numerous hive of Switzerland.
1645-8 — Hans Stentz and Martin
Burger Labor and Suffer For
the >'on-resistant Faith.
These two fathers of the faith came
into prominence, according to the
records by being thrown out of Berne
about the end of 1644. On account ot
their faith (Muller, 182). One was a
teacher and the other an exhorter. It
seems that for their proselyting
power they were expelled by the Gov
ernment under the Reformed Church.
They were compelled to take a solemn
oath that they would not return. If
they did, they would be executed as
perjurers. But about 1646 or 1647
they did return and had a discussion
with the State Church authorities;
and set forth tenets they would not re
tract. An old sheriff named Fresh-
ling (Do. 107) and a sheriff named
Marlott were deputed to watch them.
Two members of the State Church
named Venner and Hummel met them
and tried to win them back. The
sheriff and the last named Venner
and Hummel asked Stentz and Burger
to have a prayer with them, that God
would give them as light. Then they
began to interrogate them and the
two held to their faith.
In substance, Stentz said he was
born in Stezwyl and had a house at
Qulm — :that he was married and had
five children — that he was a farmer —
a member of the Mennonite Church
which he had joined a couple years
earlier — that he was called a teacher
by his people, a position which he
fills without pay, being called by lot
to it according to the will of God,
though he accepted it against his own
will be cause he felt unfitted for it

MENNONITES ACCUSED OF SOCINIANISM^SWISS INDEPENDENCE. 99

But he said if he took pay or refused
to teach after the call he would be
thrown out of the sect entirely.
Martin Burger said he was born in
Burg Castle — that he married at
Rynack and has six children — three
years before he joined the Mennonites
and a year before stopped going to
the State Church entirely and that he
was a farmer.
These men were given, in 1648, sev
eral questions to answer as an ulti
matum. If they answered these
favorably they "would be released;
otherwise not (Miiller 108). As to
why they separated from the State
Church they said, the immorality in
the established religion was the cause
— cheating, fraud, adultery, etc., were
common — that there was no spiritual
life or devotion in the church. On
doctrine, they said they do not live by
the Old Testament, as much as by the
New and have not read it as much.
As to infant baptism, they said it has
no power; but they say it does no
harm to do it. As to government they
said it is ordained of God, though
they take no part in it. Yet a Chris
tian may take part so far as it is not
inconsistent with God's will. All are
bound to pay taxes, but as to war. it
is wrrn?. As to o-ths, they say an
end shall not be made of things by
an oath : and nothing is justified but
"Yea, yea" and "nay. nay."
Jan. 15, 1648 (Miiller 115) it was
decided finally that Stentz and Burger
were unsafe and they were ordered to
be expelled, and to be sent to Venice
as galley slaves. But for a time they
were to be held in the Zurich jail to
try to convert their souls hack. They
broke jail and were caught and ex
pelled from the country. Stentz sairl
he. would gladly leave his country
rather than yield his faith. But says
M'iiller (p. 216) after these men were
in jail it was decided they sho'ul.i bs
banished to some island rather than
be sent to the galleys, as that was too |

! severe. And so they were banished
and nothing more was ever heard of
them. I write thus in extenso in this case
because "Burger" is a name of prom
inence in our county and city and in
eastern Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
Stentz is also a name more or less
familiar here.
I may add that about 1671 the ty
rants of Berne and other parts ot
Switzerland overcame their borrow of
sending Christians to the galleys, and
did it freely as we shall see later.
1648 — Mennonites Accused of Socin-

This year a new danger befell the
Mennonite faith. The doctrine of
Socinianism arose and many influen
tial men took to it. Socinianism was
the name of this doctrine after the
founder Socinian. It started in Po
land; and in connection with the
.4rian doctrine. It denied the Trinity,
Tiid dil much damage. Council ot
Nicae at Constantinople was held, in
300 A. D. and the Arians seceded from
the Catholic Church and led this
movement off. These Arians attracted
the Socinians to them. Some of the
Mennonites were suspected. It was held
that the Government should confiscate
¦yiennonite property the same as the
Socinian; but the King would not al
low it. This was largely in Poland
under King Kasimir.
1648 — Switzerland Declares Her In
dependence of the German Empire.
This year an important historical
event, vitally affecting Switzerland
occurred — her Dsclaration of Inde
pendence from the German Empire.
It vitally affected the Mennonites and
their worship, in that Switzerland
was now holly unrestrained in her
cruelty. We shall see that she began
a new series of persecutions hence
forth and continued them until these
defenseless Christians migrated, into

100

HOLLAND HELPS ME-NNONlTBS— PEASANT WAR.

the Palatinate and finally fled across
the Atlantic (Lippincott's Gazeteer).
1650 — Schaffhausen Edict Against
Anabaptists or Mennonites.
About this time the persecutions
that had been confined about Zurich
as a center, suddenly burst forth like
exploded powder from one place to
another. Principally in Schaffhausen,
a Canton on the extreme northern
boundry of Switzerland, about one-
sixth as large as Lancaster County,
containing about 40,000 people today,
whose chief city is also Schaffhausen,
located about 20 miles north of the
city of Zurich, — principally in this
canton — the persecutions now broke
out afresh. The non-resistants here,
were banished. (Mirror 1063). This
is the section where many of the
Millers, and the Herrs, Goods and
Hubers lived. A very large percen
tage of our Lancaster County ances
try came from there, moving first into
the Emmenthal, the Palatinate and
other sections (Rupp 72).
1650— Netherlands Puts Forth A New
Defense of the Swiss Mennonites.
At the time when all authorities
vied with each other in their persecu
tion of -Btie Baptists or Mennonites
and Emperor and Empire led the way
with mandates and 'persecutions, it
transpired about the m;ddle of the
seventeenth century, for the first
time that state and city auhorities of
ficially undertook the protection of the
persecuted; and strongly mediated in
their defense. The sorely tried peo
ple of the United Netherlands had
learned the value of freedom of creed
(or belief) at the time of the reign ot
terror under the Duke of Alba. She
had, by the blood ot her noblest citi
zens gained this freedom of belief, and
the joint sacrifice of the martyrs
blood, had reconciled the adherents of
Menno Simon and the followers of
Zwingli and Calvin, etc. It appears

that the congregation of Amsterdam
protested against the persecution of
the Bapists or Mennonites in Berne
and other places in Switzerland; but
without success. Thereupon, the
States General, of Netherlands and
the Magistrates of Amsterdam took
the matter in hand and remonstrated
with the Swiss authorities, asking of
them to allow the Baptist or Menno
nites unmolested to leave the co-antrj'
with their families and belongings,
etc. (Muller 164).
1653 — Mennonites Blamed for Inciting
the German Peasant War.
About this time it was thought that
the Mennonites had something to do
with the peasant war. This peasant
war broke out all over Germany —
and lasted a long whUe. Two generals
were ordered June 10, 1653, to take up
all Mennonites, and see whether they
had helped to bring on the war, as
they were against the authoriies. It
turned out that they had nothing to
do with it They always denied it;
because it was directly against their
doctrine of non-resistance.
The peasant war was a rebellion ol
the poor people of Germany which
broke out about this time against the
plutocratic land owners, who were
becoming rich at the expense of their
tenants. The Mennonites were sus
pected also, because they never show
ed any strong liking for those in pow
er, but on the other hand an aversion
against them. Muller 135).
1653- Hollanders Help the Perse
cuted Mennonites Who Fled
to the Palatinate.
Muller tells us that the first help
tor the Mennonites who fled into the
Upper Palatinate in and about Stras
burg came about this year from the
Netherland Authorities and Breth
ren, which country a century earlier
went through the same terrors. Miil
ler 206).

THE EaiMENTHAL SETTLEMENT— MYLINS AND BURKHOLDBRS. 101

1653 — The Neuberg Mandate Against
All Anabaptists.
This year those non-resistant chris
tians who were forced to flee from
Switzerland and established them
selves in the Principality of Neuberg,
Germany found that the Jesuit
authorities of that place succeeded in
turning their former friend Prince
William Wolfgang, against them and
in causing him to promulgate a se
vere decree against them .(Mirror
1063). 1653 — The Neuberg Victims Go to
HoUand.
According to Miiller (195) these
Mennonites whom v/e have just men
tioned of Guliche and Berge, about
Neuberg, when Wolfgang turned
against them, went to Cleve and
other places in the Netherlands to
live. They came as we have seen,
from Switzerland to Germany. Now
they go to Holland. Shortly after this
they formed their first Swiss Congre
gation in Holland. They were called
Pfaltzers in Holland because of their
temporary residence in the Palatinate
or Pfaltz. They kept up their Swiss
customs in Holland.
1654 — ^Eggwyl, First Mennonite Cen
ter in the Emmenthal.
In 1654 Venner Sturler reported to
the court of Berne that, there were in
Eggwyl. Mennonites, who as long as
there was preaching there, never have
been to a sermon in the Catholic or
Reformed Church. Among them are
Zaug — Lichten — Hinden — Wolfgang
and other Signau people. Berne asked
the predicant whether it is so that
none of them go to church. The per-
dicant investigated and sent a detailed
report in which he mentioned not less
than 40 Mennonites who did not at
tend Catholic or Reformed services,
and this report was handed to the
council of Eggwyl and was a hard
point to controvert.

Eggwyl is situated about 15 miles
southeast of Berne in the Emmenthal
about five miles south ot Langnau, the
home of Pastor Muller. This is right
in the heart of the Mennonite center
of western Switzerland, the first
place of refuge to which they fled
when driven out of Zurich by fire and
sword 50 years earlier. Zurich is
about 60 miles northeast of Berne.
The Emmenthal or Emmen Valley is
about 50 miles southwest of Zurich
and about 10 miles northeast of
Berne, the Emmen creek flowing from
southeast to northwest
Here then, about 1650 or earlier
congregated the Swiss forefathers of
Lancaster County and of eastern
Pennsylvania. At the early date of
1654 a group of 40 heads of families
of these lived there in the little town
of Eggwyl (Muller 338).
1658— Martin Mylin Publishes His
Mennonite History.
Miiller tells us (p. 165), that Martin
Mylin published this year his writ
ings. His chronicles extend over at
least 30 years. Many of them are
written from actual experience and
observation. Bracht, the writer of the
Mirror quotes freely from them. He
was the grandfather of the Martin My
lin who in 1710 came to Pequea in
Lancaster County (Mirror 1052).
1658 — Hans Burkholder Escapes
Arrest.
We now note the appearance of a
name of great extension in eastern
Pennsylvania — Burkholder. The Burk-
holders form one of the most numer
ous families in this section. Miiller
relates (191) that in 1658 Hans Burk
holder was arrested; but that he took
to his heels and escaped November 26.
He lived in Schneisingen about 10
miles northwest of Zurich. This is
the earliest mention of this name
known to us. In 1718 there were sev
eral Burkholders in Conestoga.

102
1659- In

SLABACH, BAUMGARTNER, PETERS AND OTHERS.

Zurich Mennonite Sufferings
Their New Home About
Berne and Emmenthal.
The Mirror tells us (p. 1065) the
little flock of Christ having fied from
Zurich to Berne, now found they must
undergo similar sufferings there.
Berne now imitated Zurich and made
especial efforts to capture the leaders
(Mirror 1065).
This year "seven of the teachers
and principal elders of the church
were apprehended, for whom special
prisons were prepared, namely: Uly,
Bogart, Anthony Hinnelberg, Jegley
Schlebach, Hans Zuag, Uly Baumgart
ner, Christian Christians, and Rhode
Petres. These were for a while kept very | tee or bureau made a report that
hard at work, and very poorly fed lenzburg particularly was a Menno
nite hot bed. Lenzburg is a city about
16 miles directly west of Zurich.

1659— Berne Now Organizes a Spec
ial Branch of Government to
Crush the Mennonites.
Jan. 4th of this year says Miiller
(p. 136) Berne organized a special
bureau to take full charge of sup
pressing the Mennonites. They were
to look into the question thoroughly
and do whatever was necessary.
They were to find particularly
whether the Mennonites gave sym
pathy and encouragement to the peas
ant war of Germany and Switzerland
The Mennonites were suspected of
this because, same as the peasants
they opposed power and monopoly;
and because the peasants showed
such a liking of the Mennonites and
joined them cordially. The commit-

with heavy food, spelt and rye. to
make good the expenses they caused;
besides much reproach, contumely and
¦vituperation was heaped upon them.
They were first told, that they
should be kept confined in this man
ner until the end of their life; in

Sixty Mennonite families were found
there. The council accordingly is
sued an edict punishing by a fine of
10 guilders any one who gave any
encouragement or aid or held any

which they patiently comforted and I communication with these Menno-
surrendered themselves to the grace ' n'tes. All people were ordered to re
of the Lord. However when they saw-

that there was no hope of dissuading
these people from their faith and re
ligion, they determined upon another
plan (according to what we have
been informed from Alsace) namely,
that they should have to choose one
of three things: (1) To go with them
to church; or (2) Be Perpetually
banished to the galleys; or (3 To
have to die by the hands of the exe
cutioner. This item is given prominent place,
because here we have in the Emmen
thal or in Berne, near it the familiar
names Slabach, Zuagg or Zugg, Baum
gardner and Peters, shov,ring where
the ancestors of these familiar Lan
caster County descendants lived and
suffered.

port any neglect to attend services of
the State Church. The edict was to
be proclaimed from all pulpits. The
motto adopted was Titus, 3:1. (Miil
ler 173).
1659 — Amsterdam Edition of Martyr's
Mirror Printed.
Brons tells us (p. 240) that, this
year a complete copy of the Martyr's
Mirror was printed at Amsterdam.
The author says that this book next
to the Bible was the most generally
used of all books by the Mennonites
of early days both in Switzerland and
in Conestoga.
The stories of the sufferings of the
Waldenses, of Menno Simon and the
death of Klaus and Jacob HoIIinger
and Graybill and Manz and Hupmier

BENEDICT BAUMGARDNER'S HYMN.

103

and Denck and Wagner and Miiller
and Hoffman and Hochstetter and
Blauroch and Hasel and Meylin and
others were familiar stories to the
children of our pious forefathers.
1659 — Bendict Baumgardner's Hymn
Muller tells us (p. 123) that this
year Benedict Baumgardner com
posed a hymn in which he relates his
troubles growing out of his persecu
tions and as well the sufferings of his
people for conscience sake. Some
samples of its verses freely trans
lated are as follows:
Lord, for thy grace, I, Thee, beseech
In chanting a new song.
Without thy grace naught we can
reach.
Help, God, my heart along.
Our Savior in the mountain taught.
In beatitude sublime;
So we the mount Dursrutti, sought.
In sixteen fifty nine (1659).
And we the doctrine there proclaimed,.
Which on the mount, the Lord
In holy lessons sweetly named.
From the beloved "Word."
And as our blessed meeting charmed,
There came into the room.
Stern men with dreadful weapons
armed.
And sealed our horrid doom.
One Simon, fierce and foremost came.
And with him many more;
And our poor Brethren, prisoned
them.
And vexed their hearts full sore.
Then horsemen and rough halbred-
ers.
Bared swords in every hand.
Rushed, cursed and swore; excited
fears
In all our Christian band.
Then ropes were brought, and in the
sight
Of children dear, and wives.

Two fiends named Shriner, left and'
right.
Bound brothers 'gainst their cries.
And then the teacher of the flock,
Who glad himself confessed
They took, and hastened to the blocfc
And threatened so, the rest.
So, UUy Baumgardner, the head.
Went lettered to his death;
'Fear not. Oh little flock, nor dread"
He said with parting breath.
To Trachseiwald they first were lead
Whose bailiff waiting stood;
And took them then, in fear and dread,
To Berne, to shed their blood.
And there in prisons, vile and foul.
With other brethren thrown;
Two ancient shepherds of the soul
Cheered all, their Lord to own.
The jailer sought to wean away
These Christian, from their faith;
But Ul'ly straight declared their stay
Was God, of Heaven and earth.
Cruel and false accused were they;
To strange lands driven far;
But yet by grace of God they pray;
His love their guiding star.
They trusted not in human aid;
But built right on the "Rock."
And crowns and scepters ne'er dis
mayed;
Nor e'en the headsman's shock.
Yet none of these their duties cease.
Imposts and tithes and taxes gave;
And served their country well in
peace;
-Prayed God, their rulers save.
1660— Holland Forms a Swiss Men
nonite Relief Committee.
In 1660 (Muller 206) a large num
ber of worthy people of the Nether
land cities of Dortrecht, Haarlem,
Leyden, Amsterdam and Rotterdam,
met and formed a committee to help

104 MENNONITE CHARITY AND EMIGRATION iCOMMITTBE FORMED.

the Swiss Mennonite cause. This
was a valuable aid to our suitering
forefathers. This committee did as
much toward settling Lancaster
County and eastern Pennsylvania as
any one of the three or four factors
producing that result. The commit
tee lived at least 75 years, and dur
ing the dreary time of the edicts of
1671 and 1690 and later, and the dark
days of the expulsion down the Rhine
into the Palatinate as late as 1700
and the days of embarkation to
America from 1707 to 1735 and later
the Amsterdam Mennonite . Charity
and Emigration Committee, gave
encouragement, made provisions with
monarchs and rulers and furnished
much of the moneys by which the
Swiss and German Mennonites found
relief in the New World. A remark
able fact is that while Holland w.is
more thickly settled than Switzerland
and Germany, few if any of the Hol
land Mennonites came to America.
The design of this item is to set out
conspicuously, the beginning of that
noble organization in Holland in
1660 which did so much during the
following three quarters of a century
to aid the oppressed and persecuted
forefathers, of the most numerous na
tionalities of our imperial county and
of eastern Pennsylvania.
1660 — List of Ancient Lancaster
County Ancestors in Berne Jail.
Under the year 1659, quoting from
the- Mirror p. 1055, we noticed that
the Mennonites driven from Zurich
migrated westward toward Berne, and
fell into affiictions there too. Miiller
(p. 179) now tells us that in the be
ginning of 1660, the Holland Commit
tee or Mennonite Relief in Switzer
land found a considerable number of
these Emmenthal Mennonites in
Berne jails.
The minutes of a meeting held by
the committee Jan. 20, 1660 reports
the following in jail:

1. Rudolph Wertz, from Lenzburg,
not yet an avowed and declared
Mennonite.
2. Anthony Himmelsburg, from the
Congregation of Wattenwyl.
3. Jacob Schlabach of Oberdiesbach.
4. Ulrich Baumgardner of Laupers
wyl.
5. Hans Zuagg of Signau.
6. Jacob Gut (Good) of Offtringen,
of the Soffingen Congergation.
7. Hans Jacob Mumprecht of Rueg-
san.
8. Peter Frider of Bigler.
9, Benedict Baumgardner of Lang
nau.
10. Christian Christians of Langnau.
11. Mathias Kauffman of Kriegstetten
in Zolathurn district.
We observe in this list the names of
Kauffman first appears — an ancestor.
no doubt of the prominent and famil
iar family of that name here now.
1660 — A Congregation of Swiss Men
nonites in Alsace.
Feb. 4, 1660 there was a Mennonite
congregation in Alsace, the leaders of
which had moved there from Switzer
land. On that day this congregation
assembled and signed the Dortrecht
Mennonite Confession of Faith — for
mulated and adopted originally at
Dortrecht. in Holland April 21, 1632.
Among the Alsace brethren signing
the same in 1660 were Jacob Schnebly
of Budlenheim — Rudy Egli in Kunen-
heim, Swissers and perhaps also
Schmidt, Schneider and Punck. Thus
before 1660 there was an immigration
into the Palatinate or upon its bor
ders. However the great inrush was
n 1671 (Muller 195).
1660— Walloons (of Belgium) Friends
of Mennonites.
From very early times there dwelt
in Belgium in the region of Luxem
bourg and parts of Brabant, a Roman-

AMSTERDAM INTERCBDElS FOR SWISS MENNONITES.

105

ic people. In and before 1660 they
showed a marked friendship for the
persecuted Mennonites. In 1660 one
of these Walloons wrote a book in
French, dated Feb. 29, (which year
must have been a leap year) inter
ceding for them, addressed to the op
ponents and persecutors of Menno
nites and to the pastors and other
. leaders of the French church, at
Berne. We cannot ascertain much
about the book — its name or con
tents (Muller 183).
1660 — Amsterdam Intercessory Letter
For the Mennonites.
Apr. 16, 1660 a certain Harry Flem
ing in Amsterdam wrote an letter of
nine pages, folio to William of Diesz-
bach interceding for the Mennonites
and for better treatment of them. He
bases the letter on passages from the
Gospels and on a historical presenta
tion of the manner in which freedom
of religion had won victory - in the
Netherlands and finally on the state
ment that wherever toleration gained
a foothold it brought blessings with it
and persecutions always brought mis
fortune to the persecutors (Miiller
179). June 7. 1660 an intercessory letter
of the cities of Amsterdam, Rotter
dam and by the Holland States Gener
al carried by Adolph de Vreed, was
porDoeutcd to the Berne persecutors,
and prmission was given to de Vreed
to meet the committee of the Swiss
Government (whom we have seen be
fore, had entire charge of the Menno
nite question in Switzerland) and
treat with them in the presence of the
great Council and Burgesses. In this
letter a beautiful testimony of noble
character is given the Mennonites.
They were declared to be a people
who had lived in the cities of Holland
and in the country, in perfect peace,
many years, under the government;
they always gladly contributed what
ever was demanded and levied of
them in support of the Republic of

Holland and fulfilled their duties as
citizens; they always showed an ex
traordinary beneficence toward the
Reformed Church in Holland though
not belonging to it; and they, short
ly before, on the recommendation of
the Holland Government collected
7000 pounds Holland money for the
persecuted Waldenses?
The letter then continues and says
"We durst therefore not, deny our
dear fellow citizens the favors of in-
K-rceding with you in favor of their
brethren in your country — Switzer
land, that if you cannot resolve to let
them live as we do here in the cities
and country of Holland, that it may
[ileaso you to treat them kindly after
the example of those of Schaffhausen
or even after that of the Roman Cath
olic prince of Neuberg, by giving
them time to depart with their fam
ilies and their goods. Dated at Am
sterdam and Rotterdam, HoUand,
June 7, 1660 (Muller 184).
This is a most extraordinary ex
ample on the part of one nation for
citizf; 1,-; <.f Linother, vbo were in no
way connected with the intercessory
nation except by the ties of common
humanity and of religion. It is an
example (238 years earlier) of what
the United States did toward the
Spanish butcheries in Cuba.
It is very strange that there should
be such a marked difference between
the Reformed Church of Holland and
the Reformed Church of Switzerland.
Holland evidently was without fear
and apprehension of any danger com
ing from the Mennonites at this date,
while Switzerland — particularly the
great canton of Berne — was full of
fear because of them.
1660 — Lancaster County Ancestors
Banished From Berne.
Quoting above from the Mirror
(1065) and from Muller (170) we cited
a list of Emmenthal Mennonites as
being in the Berne Jail in 1660.

106 BERNE DOMINATED BY THE STATE CHURCH (REPORMED).

Under the same date Miiller (p. 191)
mentions the same list with some
variation of names as being banished
Sept. 10, from Berne and taken to
Brug, Holland, in a ship. He men
tions Anthony Weber (Weaver) Jacob
Schlabach, Ulrich Baumgardner Ja
cob Gut, Hans Jacob Mumprecht.
Christian Christian, Rudolph Wertz,
Benedict Baumgardner, Hans Zaugg,
Peter Freider or Pridy, Mathias
Kauffman and Hans Wenger. He adds
that this was the first small emigra
tion to Holland, to which other Men
nonites afterwards joined themselves
(Miiller 191).
Muller adds (192) that the Holland
ers continued to care for the Berne
brethren continually. There existed
a regular correspondence between
them up to 1681 as a letter in native
Dutch on the subject shows.
1660 — Mennonites Pay Heavy Boun
ties in Lieu of Assisting in War.
During the wars of the middle of
the 17th century in Europe, heavy
drains were made on the public reve
nues and upon the men of Switzer
land, of Germany and of other coun
tries. Since the Mennonites would not
go to war, they were compelled to
make up large sums of money, and to
contribute that instead. The general
mass of Swiss Mennonites were poor.
They gave all they could possibly
gather up; but that was far short of
the demand on them, and for the shor
tage they were imprisoned. Their
friends in Holland contributed for the
Danzig Mennonites in 1660, for the
Poland Mennonites in 1663, for the
Moravians in 1665 and in 1678 for
those in the Palatinate. The whole
sum raised for the Palatinate, mainly
by Holland, in the last year was 30,-
000 guilden which was at least $12,-
000.00. The latter part of the same
year they raised 20,000 guilden more.
They also sent them several shiploads
of goods. The sense of obligation to

help the struggling brethren is shown.
here very beautifully (Miiller 162).
1660— Reply to the Holland Interces-
sions.
The authorities of Berne,, on June
15 of this year make reply to the re
quests of Holland complaining that
Switzerland should give the Menno
nites better treatment.
Berne says that rulers are bound to-
preserve good order and peace in the
nation and also to preserve and defend
the true Reformed Evanglical Reli
gion, pure and unadulterated; that the
disobedience of the Mennonites has-
given much offense to the government;
and ways and means must be devised
to root them out entirely now as
weeds, for they set bad examples; that
it was intended to do this with great
patience and good nature, but the evil
kept on growing and growing instead
of abating; that finally twelve of the
principal leaders and teachers have
been arrested and placed in confine
ment but not in jail, and that a room
has been furnished for them so that
the imprisonment shall not be too se
vere; that the government authoritiss,.
who are all sworn to support the Re
formed Faith held friendly discus
sions with these Mennonite leaders
and reasoned with them so that they
might be won back, but all this was of
no avail; that nothing is left but to
clear the land of them entirely, since
they are so stubborn; they cannot be
tolerated at all; that their goods and
possessions must be taken from them
because property is always a source
of power and so long as they have
property they can do harm; and be
sides, a just punishment for violating
the law is deprivation of property.
All this was decided upon, declare
the Swiss authorities; but as Holland
has so strongly intervened they de
clare they would modify the decision
somewhat and not absolutely confis
cate the Mennonite property; but only
take it and hold it for their use and

SWISS MENNONITES MORE STRICT THAN HOLLAND MENNONITES. lOT

give them the income for It, that was
left after expenses were taken out;
and at the death of the owner the
principal would be paid out to his
wife and children if they obey the
government and the religion of the
country. If not, then it should go to
such relations as did adhere to the
Reformed Religion (Do. 186).
1660 — Berne Withdraws Mennonite
Permit to Migrate.
At one time the Swiss Government
gave to Mennonites who migrated
from the country, certificates as to
their character, citizenship, etc. But
later this was stopped. Then the Hol
land authorities were satisfied with the
baptismal records given to the Men
nonite immigrants by their church
authorities. The Berne governme-at 'n
1660 ordered this to be stopped, so
that the Holland authorities should
deny entrance to the Mennonites. But
in spite of all this, Holland received
and comforted these persecuted S\\lss
brethren (Miiller 191).
1660 — Holland Mennonites Interest
Holland Government in the Swiss.
For some time the Mennonites of
Holland tried directly, to infiuence
Switzerland to be more mild to their
brethren, about Berne and Zurich.
But they would do very little. Then
they appealed to their own govern
ment (Holland) authorities to inter
vene. The Holland government then
appointed De Vreede as a special
agent of the government to intercede
in Switzerland. Amsterdam and Rot
terdam took a leading part in the
movement (Miiller 167).
June 21, Adolph De Vreede having
spent some time in Switzerland asked
to inspect the jail where the Menno
nites were imprisoned. He was shown
their sleeping apartments. They were
allowed to have a friendly conference
with him and he counselled them to
be patient and to trust to the Holy
Spirit for comfort (Do. 186).

1660— Holland Mennonites Not So
Strict as Swiss Mennonites.
Adolph De Vreede, as we have seen,
admonished his imprisoned Swiss
brethren to be patient He told them
also that they should not be obstre
perous; and that they should yield in
minor points, so that the Swiss gov
ernment officers (who were of the
Reformed Church) would -let them out
of prison. But while they greeted him
with friendly salutation, and in chris
tian fellowship, they would not yield
my of their principles, at all. De
Vreede, as was the case with Holland
Mennonites, generally, was quite lib
eral in his views. The Holland Men
nonites, by becoming liberal soon
found many favors and much protec
tion from their government. They
wanted the Swiss Mennonites to modi
fy their views also, and to compromise
with the government's request. De
Vreede told them that they should
give up a lot of their fogyism. But
they would not do so. They preferred
to suffer, rather than violate their
conscience. Rev. A. D. Wenger, who
visited the Mennonites of Switzerland,
of Germany and of Holland a few
years ago, says the Holland Menno
nites today are more liberal and
worldly than the Swiss and others
(Do. 186).
1660 — Concessions Demanded by Hol
land for Swiss Mennonites —
Swiss Answer.
De Vreede had with him six cer
tificates of concessions, granted to
.Mennonites by the Holland Govern
ment; and he urged that Switzerland
should grant the same to her Menno
nites. They were: (1) The ordinance
of Jan. 1577, by which the Mennonites
of Middleburg were relieved of all
forms of oaths, because that was a
matter of conscience; (2) A prohibi
tion by the Prince of Orange, Earl ot
Nassau, of July 1570, restraining all
persons from interfering with Menno
nites, in their trade, and freeing them
from all fines in pursuing trade; (3)

108

SWISS REBUKE HOLLAND-hMUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

An acknowledgment of the last named
concession, by Maurice of Orange, in
1593; (4) A reprimand by the States
General to the City of Aerdenburg
(Holland) May 1615 because that city
interfered with the Mennonites in the
exercise of their religion; (5) A repi-
tition the order of Nov. 16, 1619 grant
ing them freedom from interference
in trade; and (6) An order of the
States General of Aug. 1651, according
to which marriage contracts solem
nized by Mennonite ministers shall be
as valid and binding as if done by
¦State Church authority, which custom
was allowed Holland Mennonites over
-sixty years (Miiller 186).
Their demands for concessions after
being presented were heard by the in
ferior court or council. But instead
of deciding the matters they certified
them to the Superior Council in Berne
as the highest body, and they gave
opinion that:
1. No concession can be granted
until it is decided whether the govern
ment will modify its orders against
the Mennonites or not.
2. It is not advisable to modify the
edicts preventing Mennonites from
•emigrating to Holland. The orders
cannot now be revoked, taking away
the Mennonite property from them
(except a small interest) because the
Mennonites of the country of Leuz-
Tiurg and of Eggivyl are gaining every
¦day in numbers and they declare the
government is yielding.
3. The complaint that the Menno
nites are persecuted barbarously are
not true.
4. That Adolph De Vreede, while he
will be allowed to continue to con
verse with the Mennonites in the jail,
must first declare what and how he
wished to speak to them and must
speak only in the presence of the
'Swiss authorities.
This shows pretty clearly, the atti
tude of these two antipodally disposed

nations toward the Mennonites, about
1660. 1660— Elbing, (Prussia) and the Men
nonites.
Elbing is a city in West Prussia on
the Gulf of Danzig of 42000 people to
day. In this town, Mennonites flour
ished nearly 400 years ago. For over
100 years, or down to about 1660,
they were compelled to hold their
meetings secretly here, and in pri
vate families. They were at last al
lowed to build a church in 1660. The
same privilege was allowed to the
Friesian Mennonites, living on the
borders of Germany and Holland,
about the same time. They were also
allowed to build hospitals for the
poor and sick. Thus their privileges
began about this time (Brons 260).
1660 — Musical Instruments Not Al
lowed in Early Mennonite
Services.
Brons tells us (p. 260) that as the
early Mennonites held services se
cretly, they did hot have either in
strumental or vocal music as part of
their worship, since it would reveal
the congregation and endanger ar
rest. This writer also says that about
1660 when the Danzig, and the other
northern Mennonites were allowed to
build houses of worship, they omit
ted organs and instruments from
their -equipment partly because they
feared to make much noise in connec
tion with worship, and partly because
of a prejudice against instrumental
music in service from the long cus
tom of having omitted them. They
thought it wrong to have them. How
ever, soon after 1660 the Friesian
Mennonites installed a pipe organ in
their church. They were the flrst of
the European Mennonites to use or
gan music in their service. This in
novation was very offensive to the
Flemish Mennonites, who lived near
them in Flanders, who were more
strict Yet later the two congrega-

A SOCIETY TO ASSIST MENNONITE EMIGRATION.

109^

tions amalgamated into one.
We may perhaps, here have some
light upon the cause of the great
mass of the Mennonite church not
having musical instruments in their
churches today. The prejudice against
instruments of music must have been
very strong, when such great music
lovers as the Germans, would not al
low them to be used.
1671 — Renewed Intercessions By
Holland.
There is a letter dated Feb. 26. 1661
written by the Hollanders, thanking
the Swiss authorities for finally, al
lowing the persecuted Mennonites to
leave; but the letter, at the same
time, complains that the time given
them to go is entirely too short, s''nce
they cannot sell their property in that
time, except at great loss, not settle
their obligations. Thus they ask that
the time be extended.
These intercessions, were recorded
also by each of the six largest con
gregations of Holland, viz: those of
Dortrecht (where the Mennonite
Church really was born), Leyden,
Gouda, Haarlem, Amsterdam and
Rotterdam. The signers for Dortrecht were
William Broithhunsen, Thielem Van
Bracht (Author of the Great Mar
tyrs' Mirror) John Zorn Byghhoom.
Geisbert Rees. Cornelius Dirchson of
Soferyl and Klaus Cornel.
The signers for Leyden were Jaques
Van Gamerslagh, Anton David Kop.
Abraham Jackson of Limburgh, John
Bogl, Henrich Van der Doeck and
Ludwig Peter Caelvert.
The signers for Gouda were Hen-
rich Giesbach, Adrean Kahlor, John
Gillis, Cornelius Abrahamissen, Paul
Gillissen and Wouhert Daemen.
The signers for Haarlem were
Peter Marcus, Boudebin Doom, Isaac
Snep, Conrad Von Bollenborn, Lam
bert Colen and John Everson.
The signers for Amsterdam were

Tobias Wingert, Hubert Wlagrrt,
Isaac Van Limburg, Gerrett Kuysen
and Frans Stevens.
The signers for Rotterdire were
Andreas Jacobsen, Jean Boaues, Bas-
tian von Weehingen, Gull van der
Sluys, Mathias Miillen and Hendrick
Doeman of Reet.
I mention the names of these lead
ers of these six chief Mennonite con
gregations of Holland, because,
while scarcely any of them ^.re fa
miliar Lancaster County names, they
are the very men who and principally
whose sons, throughout Holland did
very great service frofj this time on
ward to 1710 and later, in gathering
money and means and in moiMding
the influences which enabled the per
secuted Mennonites of Sw'tzericind
and of the Palatinate, (Germany) to
get started to Pennsylvania and to
our county. Holland early formed an
emigration society to help our St\iss
and German ancestors to A-mtrica
(Miiller 192).
1666 — Mennonites Furnish HolTand
Money to Defend Groningen.
In the northern part of HollanO.on
the Reit Diep River is Groningei a
city of 56000 people. It was bom
barded in 1656, and the citizens lacked
money. The government called on
the Mennonites of Holland; and 12
small congregations raised in a 'ew
years 149,810 guilden toward a gov
ernment loan. A few years earlier
the town was bomdarded also by 2,-
4000 French with 60 cannon or mor
tars. The whole cost was 8 tons of
gold. The catholics were not allow
ed to take part in the defense. This
is the flrst time in history that such
mortars were known. Those that the
Dutch captured were exhibited in the
museum for money. (Brons 145).
1668— Differences Between Palatine,
Swiss and Mennonites.
This year, in the official conference
between Holland and Berne, a com-

110

BURKHOLDER, GINGRICH, EABY AND HALDEMAN.

parison is made between the Anabap-
titsts of the three countries. The
Berne authorities say to Holland that
the Holland Mennonites are different
from the Swiss branch. There in
Holland are well off and pay taxes
willingly and contribute to the Re
formed Churches as well as their own
and have farms, etc.; but the Swiss
Mennonites are of the poor classes
and exempt from taxes and do not
help to defend the Fatherland or
show anything of a public spirit at
all. In recent disturbances they were
not peaceable; but were carrying on
all manner of secret intrigue. Be
sides no pressure can be brought on
them so as to affect their conscience.
(Miiller 193).
1669 — Burkholder and Gingrich
Escape.
-This year Christian Gingrich and
Hans Burkholder escaped from the
jail of Berne. Miiller tells us (p. 146)
that the Berne jails were all full of
these people now, and that the watch
had become careless and there were
several escapes, among them the two
mentioned above. He says that they
even allowed some of them to go walk
ing and they were even known to go
out and preach alone. They came
back in the evenings.
Isaac Lefever, Lancaster County
Pioneer Born.
Rupp quotes approvingly, Mr. Cony-
ngham, that Isaac Lefever was born
this year (Rupp 97). The Penn Land
Commissioners confirmed to Isaac Le
fever 2000 acres of land in the Pe
quea in 1712, being a part of 10,000
acres first allowed to the original
colony of Mennonites who settled in
our county. Martin Kendig. who had
first right to it, asked it to be laid out
to Maria Warenbuer and she asked it
laid out to her son-in-law Isaac Le
fever and to Daniel Ferree. The Le-
fevers were French Huguenots, who
fled into the Palatinate from persecu

tion. They dwelt in the town of Stein-
weiler, Germany. Mr. Conyngham, in
an address delivered July 4, 1842, on
the early settlers of Pequea valley,
spoke eloquently of the good qualities
of the Lafevers and Ferrees. (Do.)
1670 — Doris Eby and Hans Haldeman
Condemned.
This year it was ordered by the au
thorities of Berne, that no one was to
visit the Mennonites in that Canton,
Ijarticularly those of Zofingen and
Canalsingen, under a penalty of 200
nounds. Two Mennonites who were
ordered banished, were particularly
to be shunned — Doris Eaby from
Trachseiwald and Hans Haldeman
man from Hotchiken. It was ordered
that if they are caught they are to be
branded with hot irons and be sent
a-way. This last punishment was or
dered by the mandate of November 5,
1670. There v/as also a mandate of
November 28, the same year. It was
ordered that the Mennonites who are
going about in the Swiss -country,
preaching should be found out, and a
'ist be made of them, so that they may
ill be arrested. They are to be pub
licly whipped and be expelled. If they
come back, they are to be burned with
Tons. Their teachers are to be de
livered to the dungeon. (Miiller 144).
The authorities of Berne declared,
the beginning of this year that the
former orders were not obeyed and
that this Mennonite faith was becom
ing a grat stumbling block and must
be removed (Do. 139). Several other
mandates were issued this same year
(Do. 137).
Doers Aeby is an early form of our
familiar name. Toris or Theodorus
Eby, earliest settler of upper Mill
Creek, Lancaster County where he
had a large mill. Hans Haldeman is
a representative of the numerous and
prominent family of that name in
Eastern Pennsylvania and elsewhere
today.

GREAT EXODUS INTO THE PALATINATE.

Ill

1671 — Poverty Stricken Condition of
Our Suffering Swiss Ancestors.
About this year the condition of the
nonresistants became unbearable in
Berne, which city now persecuted
them more severely than Zurich. This
was because Zurich had practically
exterminated them. We are told
(Brons 226) that both individuals and
whole congregations of Berne Menno
nites had to be assisted about this
time. This was so, especially, right
after the Armies of Louis XIV (who
reigned over France from 1643 to
1715) had devastated the Palatinate in
his fierce wars, which raged about
this time.
1671 — The Great Swiss Exodus Into
the Palatinate.
This year begins the last act of the
bloody drama of centuries, .which pre
pared our Swiss and Palatinate Ances
tors to come to Pennsylvania in 1710
and later.
This year (1671) the distress of the
Mennonites of western Switzerland
became so great that about 700 per
sons, young and old, men and women,
were compelled to turn their backs to
wards the "Fatherland". Some au
thorities say there were "700 families"
and not only 700 persons.
They migrated to the Palatinate —
that is the Rhine country — a region of
wide extent. A few of their brethren
had gone there as early as 1527, and
kept up a couple small congregations
there. This was at the beginning of
the Reformation, when Luther had set
the world afire and when Zwingli was
fanning the fiame and when Menno
Simon felt the cords, of the faith
which had hitherto bound him to the
Catholic snap, and give way.
In 1672 Van Bracht the chief Men
nonite historian and teacher of Dort
recht. visited the Berne Mennonites
and found their condition very poor
and miserable. He found the reports
even worse than they were reported

by Jacob Everling of Obersulzheim.
Copies of Everling's letters we will
give in a later item. (Muller 195).
1671 — Swiss Reformed Church's View
of Swiss Mennonites and of
Galley Torture.
In the year 1671 the Reformed
clergy again mediated and went be
fore the Council with a petition which
shows their view of the Anabaptists or
Mennonites, and which we reproduce
here in abstract.
"The great privilege accorded the
Baptists four years ago to leave the
country — free with goods and chattels,
has been an honor to the powers that
be, and has also shown how far the
spirit of the Reformed Church is re
moved from the spirit of the Anti
christ It is to be deplored that these
poor, erring people did not take this
benefaction suflficiently to heart, but
have returned to their native land
contrary to the orders of the authori
ties, partly for the love of home, and
partly for the honor of their doctrine.
For this they have deserved punish
ment. But as David asked of the Lord
that he might punish himself, and he
not be given over into the bonds of
his enemies, therefore we intercede
in behalf of these deluded persons
doomed to punishment that they may
not be delivered over to strangers (or
foreigners) and enemies of the justice
of Jesus Christ, viz: to the galleys,
and thereby be thrown not only in
great danger to lose their soul, but
also to suffer untold misery and pain
(since it is known what cruel methods
are employed on the galleys to make
these victims turn apostate). The
confessors of onr faith (the Reformed)
¦"ho have just been released from
uhese implements of torture can re
late plenty thereof. By the awful
vices and atrocities which are daily
perpetrated, not only before them, but
very often on them, practically in
Italy, all possiiblity for a true and

112 THE REFORMED CHURCH INTERCEDES FOR MENNONITES.

contrite Christian spirit is cut off. We
are not only concerned, on account of
these people, but also for your own
sake and for the sake of your other
subjects. You are by divine authority
given power over these people; but
God has limited this power. The door
to a penitent, returned for the re
demption of his soul may not be
closed against man, if the country is
to enjoy the blessings of God. It has
pleased an all-wise God to make these
erring people, so to say, a thorn in
the fiesh of our high authorities and
the clergy as a punishment ever since
the Reformation, which thorn could so
tar not be removed, no matter what
means were employed. Once before
the galley punishment was used in
spite of the intercession, at that time;
but God did not want to sanction this
method, ami the evil became even
greater, until lately when by the
clemency shown, the greater part ol
these peo'ple were removed from the
country. This method will have con
tinued success without using such
extreme measures, of which Reformed
institutions have such horror, that
they not only have abolished such
slavery among themselves, but have
never handed over any one for such
punishmnt. It is known, however, that the
enemies of truth use this as one of
the most powerful methods to force
the confessors of truth to a revoca
tion of their faith; what would we
have to bear from them if we were
to hand them over to such, who allege
a 'principium religionis' for their
obstinacy for torture?
What would be more pitiable than
if these poor people (should they be
sent thither, but which God in his
grace may prevent), be induced to
deny their faith, which, as we are
told, some of the others have done?
Should they, however, remain stead
fast and loyal, this would be a matter
of triumph to the others, and would

cause great defection among the
peasantry, who regard these Baptists
as poor people, anyway. Although
we are otherwise not so bold as to
interfere with your business, we
could not let this opportunity pass to
discharge our conscience in this mat
ter which is of such great importance
to the salvati.on of souls, and the
honor of' our church.
And although no one suffers more
from these people, separated from us
by error, and arrogant peculiar holi
ness, than the servants of the Re
formed church, we, nevertheless, will
not cease to minister to their salva
tion in a spirit ot impartial Christian
love, and to avert in the measure ot
our power all that may be harmful to
them, wherefore, we plead for a
change and modification of this galley
punishment inflicted upon them, for
the sake of the honor of God, and for
the salvation of their souls, as well
as for the good name of Jesus Christ
in whom we glory and after whom we
are named. Amen (D. E.)"
For this honorable and candid ex
pression the clergy received no lauda
tion and thanks from their strict
superiors; but a high official repri
mand was given them.
It thus seems that while the Re
formed church was now the state
church of Switzerland, and while the
rulers were Reformed churchmen,
yet the clergy of that church were
horror stricken that the government
should infiict galley torture upon the
Mennonites (Miiller 221).
1671 — Twelve Swiss Mennonites Con
demned to Venetian Galleys.
Muller states (p. 216) that, at a
conference of several Evangelical
cities and St. Gall, held at Aarau
April 5th to 7th, 1671, the honorary
ambassadors from Berne stated, for
what reasons they were compelled to
condemn 12 of your obstinate Baptists
to the galleys. Two of them had

MENNONITE SUFFERING IN BERNE.

113

promised obedience, four had de
clared their readiness to quit the
country. These six were not shipped,
but the other six, who had remained
stubborn and obstinate were fettered
and sent to Venice in charge of a
lieutenant and two mnskateers, with
the concession, however, that they
could change their mind en-route.
They were condemned to two years
and were to be kept together on the
galleys. (Pv. A.)
This method of punishment came
into use in the year 1671, when the
extermination of the sect was to be
carried out with full force, at the time
when the great expulsion into Alsace
took place; in the year when the
Council in Berne was occupied in
almost every meeting with the affairs
of the Baptists.
1671— Swiss Emigrants Into the Pala
tinate Support Those Following.
The numerous Swiss who had settl
ed about the year 1671 in the Palati
nate, and in Alsace were, in the fol
lowing years the support of all those
who, either voluntarily or by force
had left Switzerland. The Count of
Wied or New-weid also showed this
constant willingness to receive exiled
Baptistst or Mennonites. The Palati
nate and Alsace, too, were not far
distant from the old home. Thus
there were always communications
between the new abode and Switzer
land in person and by letter. A cer
tain Bingelli of Schwarzenburg, took
Mennonite children from there, as
well as from Pohleren and Blumen-
stein to the Palatinate for instruction
and afterwards called for them again
to take them home. (Miiller 206).
1671 — Jacob Everling of Obensuftzen
Describes Mennonite Suffering
in Berne.
Miiller (pp. 196 et seq). Rupp (p.
72 etc.) and the Mirror (p. 1066) all
give extract? from several letters

written by Jacob Everling from April
1671 to January 1672, describing the
condition and suffering of the Ana
baptists or Mennonite brethren about
that time in and about Berne, Switz
erland. In the first letter of April 7th among
other things he says: "As to the re
quest of the friends, concerning the
situation of our Swiss brethren in the
Berne dominion, the facts are, that
they are in a very sad condition, as
we have learned from the lips of the
fugitives that have arrived here, some
of whom are still in my house. They
say, that they are daily hunted by
constables, and, as many as they caiF
get, taken prisoners to the city of
Berne, so that about four weeks ago-
about forty, men and women, were in
confinement there. They have also'
scourged some, and banished therffl
from the country, one of whom has
arrived here. They also scourged a
minister in the word, and then con
ducted him out of the country, into
Burgundy, where, when they arrived
there, they first branded him, and let
him go among the Walloons. How
ever, as he could talk with no one,
he had to go about three days with
his burnt body, before his wounds
were dressed and he obtained some
refreshments; being in such a con-
diton, that when they undresed him
for the purpose of binding his wounds,
the matter ran down his back, as a
brother who helped dress his wounds
told me himself. This friend arrived
in Alsace together with two women
and a man, -who had also been
scourged and banished. Hence they
proceed very severely, and, as It
seems, will not desist from their pur
pose until they shall have utterly
banished from their country and ex
terminated this harmless people.
It also appears that nothing further
can be done in favor of these perse
cuted brethren; for besides that the
friends of Amsterdam and elsewhere

114

JACOB EVERLING AND MENNONITE SUFFERING.

labored for several years in the mat
ter, so that several favorable letters
of recommendation from the Lords
States of Holland, as also in particu
lar from the city of Amsterdam, and
also cf other persons of quality, were
sent thither to the magistrates; also,
in the year 1660, an Express named
Adolf de Vreede, was sent to them;
however, he did not effect much for
the benefit of our friends there.
Hence. I cannot see that the friends
at present will be able to effect any
thing that would tend to the relief ot
our persecuted brethren there. We
will have to await with patience the
deliverance which the Lord our Gol
may be pleased to grant them."
(Mirror 1066).
1671 — Letters of Jacob Everling of
Obersultzen, (continued)
In his letter of May 23d, he says:
"The persecution of our friends con
tinues as rigorous as before, go fliat
we are surprised, that they do not
make more speed in leaving the
country. Now and then one or two
come straggling down; but the most
of them stay above Strasburg, in Al
sace. Some go into the woods aud
chop wood; others go to the moun
tains and work in the vineyards, in
the hope, as^ it appears to me. thnt
by and by tranquility will be restored
and that they might be able with the
greater convenience to return to their
forsaken abodes; but I fear, that it
will not pass over so soon, and that
they will find themselves greatly de
ceived in their hope.
The magistrates at Berne caused
six of the prisoners, among whom
WFs a man with nine children, to be
fastened to a chain, and to be sold tor
the sea, to be used as galley slaves
between Milan and Malta; but as to
what they propose to do with the
other prisoners, cannot really be
learned. One of the prisoners, an old
man of about eighty years, died in

prison. May the Lord comfort them
in their sorrow, and strengthened
them in their weakness, so that they
may patiently bear the cross, and
strive faithfully unto the end, tor the
truth of the gospel, and thus be en
abled ultimately to obtain the prom's-
ed salvation and crown of life.
Amen. In his letter of October 13, to Henry
Backer or Baker he says, "Hendrick
de Backer, most esteemed friend and
beloved brother in Christ, I wish you
and yours much grace and peace
from God our Heavenly Father,
through our Lord Jesus Christ, as a
friendly greeting. Amen.
This is in reply to your request
touching the condition of our perse
cuted Swiss brethren. The facts are,
that on the 11th ult, it was resolved
in the full council at Berne, to send
the male prisoners that are yo-ang
and strong also upon the galleys,
even as they have before this done
to six of them; but the old aud feeble
they would either send elsewhere or
keep them in pereptual confinement
Learning of this resolution, and being
moved to compassion, a certain gen
tleman in Berne went to the magis
trates, and requested that they would
be pleased to postpone sending away
the prisoners until he cnuld go to
their fellow-believers, residing in Al
sace, and see whether they would be
responsible for the prisoners, by
promising that the latter, after leav
ing the country, should return no
more wthout consent? This he ob
tained, and coming into Alsace to
our friends, he presented the matter
to them, who, as soon as they had
heard it, forthwith acceptfd the con
ditions, and promised, in case the au
thorities at Berne should he pleased
to send the prisoners to them, thst
they would be responsible for them,
and aid them in obtaining other
abodes. This our friend, as I under
stand, promised this, gentleman (his

EVERLING'S REPORTS, CONTINUED.

115

name was Beatus), not only orally,
but also gave it to him in writing.
Thereupon he promised them again
to do his best with the authorities of
Berne, and hoped to obtain so much
from them, that they should bring the
prisoners as far as Basle, from where
the friends might take them a-,vay
with them. Hence, we long to meet
them, daily expecting to hear that
they have arrived in Alsace, or that
they shai; come over here to us.
At this moment there have arrived
at my house, four Swiss brethren
with their wives and children, who
say, that also many others are on the
way, since the persecution and search
are daily increasing. Concluding
herewith, I commend you, after a
Christian and brotherly greeting, to
the Most High, for your eternal sal
vation. Your affectionate friend and
brother in Christ. Jacob Everling."
In his letter of November 2, he says
"Concerning our Swiss friends, they
are now coming this way in large
parties, so that there already arrived
over two hundred persons, and among
them are many old, gray-headed peo
ple, both men and women, that have
reached seventy, eighty, yea. ninety
years; also a number that are crip
pled and lame; carrying their bundles
on their backs, with children on their
arms, some of good cheer: some also
with tearful eyes, particularly the old
and feeble persons, who now in their
great age are compelled to wander
about in misery, and go to strange
countries, and many of them hive
nothing on which to sleep by night, so
that I and others with me, have now
for about two weeks had to make it
our regular work, to provide shelter
and other necessaries for them.
We are also in daily expectation of
still more, so that we hope, that when
the people have mostly left the
country, the prisoners also will be re
leased. Farewell. (Mirror 1066).

Referring to their "coming this
way" means coming from Switzerland
around atiout Berne, toward Obersult
zen, which is a small town, where
Everling lived, about 10 miles north
west ot Manheim on the Lower Rhine
in the very heart of the Palatinate, in
to which the Swiss Mennonites were
now swarming.
1671 — Letters of Jacob Everlinig of
Obersultzen. — (Continued)
In his letter of Jan. 5th, 1672, he
says: "There has arrived in the re
gion above Heidelberg, a man being a
minister in the North, having twelve,
mostly very young chilidren, but hav
ing, as I understand, brought wi.h him
only four rix-dollars in money, aud a
very poor horse. Some others have
brought with them some money, but
many have nothing at all, so that after
close examination there was found
among two hundred and eighty-two
persons one thousand and forty-six
rix-dollars. And in the Alzey Bailii-
wick, there were found one hundred
and forty-four persons ; but as to what
their means are I have not learned;
but from appearances I judge them
to be most indigent. In short, we find
that their number consists of about
eighty full families, then further,
widows, single persons, and husbands
and wives that had to forsake their
companions, because the latter, being
attached to the Reformed religion,
could not make up their minds to
leave; in all, six hundred and forty-
one persons, whose funds amounts to
no more than the little sum already
stated; so that you can easily calcu
late, that considerable assistance will
be necessary. Besides these, we
understand, there are about one hun
dred persons more sojourning in
Alsace, whom we also expect by the
fore part of the year. Farewell."
Subsequently the brotherhoods re
siding in the provinces of the Unified
Netherlands, in March of the same

116

EVERLING ON THE EXODUS.

year, 1672, sent isome from their midst
to the Palatinate, who traveling
everywhere to the persecuted breth
ren and hearing and seeing them, not
only found the above related, to be
true, but also, -that already some of
the last mentioned had come over
from Alsace, who, bringing also, like
the others, no funds with them, were,
together with these, aided and com
forted by the common assistance of
the wealthy churches or brotherhoods
of the United Provinces.
Moreover, they learned from some
of the forty prisoners themselves that
they had all been released, and, ac
cording to the request of the above
mentioned gentlemen, been brought
to Basle, and there turned over to
their brethren, with whom they then
together removed. But when the
chiefest of them were asked why they
had not left sooner and sought such
places, where they might have lived
with more freedom according to their
conscience, seeing the author ties
had not prevented their leaving, they
gave different reasons for it, of which
the following ones were not the least.
1. They said that they say that the
churches greatly waxed and increased,
so that, though under the cross, they
nevertheless flo'urished as a rose
among thorns, and that further in
crease could daily be expected because
many persons manifested themselves,
who saw the light shine out of dark
ness, and began to love the same and
seek after it; that the ministers con
sidering this in their heart, found
themselves loth to leave the country,
fearinig that thereby this promising
harvest might be lost, and thus many
fall back from their good purpose;
and hence, they chose rather to suf
fer a .little than to leave in order that
they might yet rescue some souls from
perdition and bring them to Christ.
2. A second reason was, that they
could not so easily take their de
parture to other countries, because

there are among them many divided
families, of whom the husband or the
wife is in the church, while the com
panion still attended the public
church, in which case, if the latter
would not follow their persecuted
companions, also to forsake every
thing and leave the country, it
caused gr©.fit inconvenience and sor
row; -that there were even divers
ministers not exempt from this dif
ficulty, and there were also two
ministers there in the Palatinate, who
had wives that were not in the church,
and whom they (having secretly been
warned by a good friend), also had
had to leave by night, and take to
flight, without knowing as yet whether
their wives would follow them, or
whether they, loving their property
more than their husbands, should
remain there in the land, and forsake
their husbands. That such cases
created the more sorrow and difficulty,
because the authorities granted liberty
to such remaining persons, whether
women or men, to marry again and
seek other companions. These and
other reasons had prevented them
from departing uncompelled out ot
their earthly fatherland; but induced
them rather (as they had now done),
to wait until they should see that
they could no longer remain there and
preserve a good conscience." (Mirror
1067). ,
The only excuse for devoting so
much time and space to these letters
is that, the people of whom Everling
(now perhaps Eberly) writes, are the
ancestors of at least 90 per cent of
the German and Swiss descendants
forming the back bone of our country
today. 1671 — Berne Holds Mennonites as
Hostages.
Not only did the exodus into the
Palatinate suddenly grow to great
proportions during this year, but
Berne began the custom of compelling
the Mennonite congregations in that

SWITZERLAND PROHIBITS GALLEY TORTURE.

117

part of Switzerland, to send hostages
to compel the congregations to obey
the stringent rules laid down for these
brethren. Each congregation was com
pelled to send two or three prominent
men to-Berne whom Berne could tor
ture, send to the Venetian galleys or
kill, if the congregation disobeyed.
Three of these hostages were Andrew
Mowrer of Thun and Christian Oesch
and Peter Forney (Pahrni) (M-iiller
144. p. 339).
1671 — Mennonites' Friends Find Hos
pitals for Them.
Flamming, a friend of the Swiss
Mennonites this year wrote to Berne
expressing sympathy for them. But
the only effect was to offend the coun
cil of Berne. He was sent word that,
his interference was resented by the
Berne government and if he did not
stop it, complaints would be made to
his government, Holland.
Another friend, B. Fisher, however,
was allowed to gather sick Mennonites
together and bring them to an Orphan
House in Basle (Muller 198).
1671— Switzerland Prohibits Galley
Punishment
Miiller in Chapter 13, of his book (p.
215) sets out that -galley punishment
was useful to "men of war," that is
war vessels, for m,any years. Criminals
and those whose lives were considered
of little value were condemned to such
fate. Several of the cantons of Switz
erland had contracts with Venice to
supply her galley slaves for which
Venice paid a good price. Venice had
wars with Turkey and needed them.
As early as 1540 Mennonites of Switz
erland were sent to the galleys. In
1613 Galli Fuchs and Hans Landis
were so condemned. In 1648 Stentz
and Burger were also sent to the
galleys. But a couple years later the
government of Switzerland condemned
sending respectable Mennonites to
such fate. However under the pretext
of punishing criminals our ancestors

were so sent up to the time of the
exodus in 1671. March 6, 1671 an
edict was issued abolishing the galley
torture (Muller 215—219).
1671 — Galley Masters Show Kindness
to Mennonites.
Muller tells us that toward the last,
the galley Masters themselves showed
kindness to the Mennonites who were
sent to them to be chained to the gal
leys. They allowed them, as a distinct
favor, to keep their beards. They were
known as the bearded oarsmen, and
the cruel masters of Venice said of
them "Those bearded oarsmen we
need not keep constantly in. sight
They are conscientious. They prefer to
carry their fetters over the Alps to
us and suffer, on distant seas, than
deny their faith, of which their un
shorn beards in the midst of criminals
bear testimony. They are not crimi
nals, but good men" (Moiller 219).
1671 — The Mowrers, Oeschs and For
neys Appear.
As shown by the above item about
this year we flnd the above named
common Lancaster County family
names in and about Berne (M'iiller
339). Muller says that these men
were made 1;o suffer flnancially more
than bodily. It was announced that
if this does not make the Mennonites
go ,a great number of hostages would
be taken.
1671 — The Eggwyl Congregation To
Be Wiped Out
May 3, this year the bailiff of Sig
nau was instructed to tell the Men
nonite congregation of Eggwyl that
they, (who are well known to them),
were to be taken at once and be im
prisoned in the Orphan Asylum, -and
:f they do not come and surrender
themselves within 14 days, armed men
would be sent for them at the expense
of the congregation. But up to Sept.
26, nothing was done to deliver up
these Mennonites of Eggwyl.

118

SWITZERLAND TAKES MENNONITE HOSTAGES.

Then another method was tried,
which was effective in some places.
There were twelve of the wealthiest
people of the congregation to be sent
to Berne to be kept on the expense
of the congregation until the Menno
nites were either delivered up or quit
the country. Oct. 4 they were given
eight days more; and as to the 12
hostages, six were to be sent away to
exile or the galleys, and after eight
days the other six were to suffer.
These twelve were in addition to two,
prior ones who were to be executed,
because their congregation did not
obey. The result of this was that the
whole Eggwyl congregation took their
departure as is shown by the testi
mony of their minister. Then the hos
tages were discharged and their ex
penses were refunded to them as a
special favor. But the congregation
was compelled to pay some expenses.
, Hostages were also demanded about
the same time from the congregations
of Guggisberg and Schwarzenberg and
from Thun (Mtiller 339).
1671 — John Floss's Account of Swiss
Mennonite Suffering.
On December 19, the Mennonite con
gregation of Crefeld wrote a letter to
the congregation at Amsterdam, the
sense of which is as follows:
"Our brother John Floss informs us
that on October 21, coming from
Heidelberg he met about 20 brethren
at Mianheim in the Palatinate who had
arrived there the day before from
Berne; and they offered a pitiable
appearance. Mostly they were old
people of fifty, sixty and even seventy
years of age. Many were bare and
naked, and for more than a year they
had not had a night's rest in their
house. He says they told him their
distressing and pitiable condition
with bitter tears which was very sad
and touching. After they had received
his sympathy and alms, with tears in

their eyes they fell upon his neck and
showed their gratitude. They further
related that they could no longer re
main in Switzerland on account of the
strict and cruel mandates and the
anxiety that caused. They^ expect
about 40 more persons to arrive if
they have not been intercepted, as the
roads and passes are well guarded,
because the Swiss authorities do not
want to let them get out of the coun
try. Many were sent to the galleys,
and others were scourged and whipped
and burnt with branding irons. Among
them was -an exhorter who died a few
days after being branded. Others were
cast into prison where they suffered
misery and hunger. (Miiller 199.)
1671 — Palatines' Account of Similar
Sufferings.
This year an account was given by
the Mennonites who had reached the
Palatinate, of the suffering of their
brethren in Switzerland. The account
states that fully 100 families have fled.
The Palatinate was now overrun by
the refugees; and the brethren now in
the Palatinate are too few and poor
to help the fugitives verj' much. Many
who arrive, even in the cold winter
are nearly bare and naked. The
Palatinate brethren flnd themselves
under the severe necessity of calling
upon the well-to-do Amsterdam Men-
nite congregation and people to help
clothe and feed the Swiss sufferers
now flocking into the Palatinate.
(Miiller 199.)
1672 — List of Swiss Refugees Near the
Palatinate.
Miiller (200-204) gives the following
list of Swiss Mennonites near the
Palatinate in 1672 as found by Valen
tine Huetwol and Lichty between
Brehm and Bingen.
There were: George Lichty (or
Light — Hans Borchalter (Burkholder)
and his wife — Michael Oxenheim —
Adam Burkholder — Christian Immel —

FAMILIAR LANCASTER COUNTY NAMES IN THE PALATINATE. 119

Melchoir Brenneman — Margaret Boil
er — Babbie Schappe — Frona Engler —
Ulrich Enders — Barbara Reusser (Kis
ser) — Michael Schnebeli (Suavely) —
Daniel Snavely — Hans Van Giente —
Margaret Biery — Mary Ummel — Bab
bie Reauformet — Anna Reumschwang-
er — Hans Reuscher — Hans Eucher —
Daniel Reuscher — Frona Robel — May
Anthony — Christian Robel — Catherine
Dinzeler — Christian Reusommet —
Hans Reusommet — Christian Stauffer
— Peter Reigshoerer — Hans Matti
(Maili) — Ulrich Strom — Ulrich Bitner
— Christian Klari — Babbie Kingels-
becker — Magdalena Luthi — Peter
Walte — Mary Bauinan ¦ — Christian
Stauffer — Anna Stauffer — Daniel
Stauffert — Hans Stauffert — Barbara
Lehman — Ulrich Lehman — Ulrich
Kiiehner — Elizabeth Einsberger —
Michael Shenk — Hans Shenk — Babbie
Staller — Nicholas Kieffer — Hans
Jurien — Magdalena Krapf — Babbie
Weilman — Michael Miiller — Ulrich
Stauffer — Katharine Kuene (Kahni) —
Bets Bachman — Hans Miiller — Chris
tian Shenk — Ulrich Laabel — Babe
Burki (Burkey) — Hans Egmann —
Hans Egman (son) — Hans Roet (Rupp
or Roth) — Hans Schneider — Babe
Ruesser (Risser) — Christian Wenger
— Stephen Luechtie (Lichty or Light)
— Ulrich Lichty — Peter Boomgaert
(Baumgardner) — Maria Kraebel — Bar
bara Fredericks and Barbara Schenk.
All these persons were found in
1672 between the places mentioned
above, Brehm and Bingen, a territory
near the Palatinate, but somewhat
above it toward Switzerland. This
fact proves that our persecuted an
cestors at this time were migrating
slowly out of cruel Switzerland (and
away from Berne) toward the Palati
nate where in 1671 over 700 of their
brethren had gone.
This item is of interest to us because
in the list set out, appear many of
our present day numerous Lancaster
County and eastern Pennsylvania

names. Among these are Burkholder,
Breneman, Schup or Shoff. Stauffer,
-Maili, Strom, Bauman, Shenk, Miller,
Bachman, Snyder, Wenger, Kraebel,
Bauman and others.
1672 — Galley Punishment Generally
Fatal.
In the Amsterdam Arc-hives there is
a statement that the lot of the Men
nonites were on a certain galley ship
which had gone to the Island of
Corfu, and that it is supposed that
will be the last that will ever be seen
of them. They are hardly ever known
to come back. (Miiller 219).
1672— Swiss Refugees State Their
Own Miseries.
This same year the Swiss refugees
in one of their own petitions to Am
sterdam ask for help. They also had
prominent Amsterdam people approve
the petition and among them we find
the names of Valentine Hutewoll —
George Lichty — Jacob Gut — Christ.
Peters — Uly Seyler (now Saylor) and
Hands Loescher (now Lescher).
Lichty and Gut are Swiss names how
ever. The petition runs as follows:
"Beloved brethren and sisters in Hol
land and elsewhere and particularly
our friend Hans Flamming — We wish
bo report to you that our people here
are driven out of Berne and came to
the Palatinate where our brethren
were already there to receive us; and
we are staying with them, and they
are supplying us with food, clothes
and drink, but because there are so
many of us who have nothing, and our
brethren here are not well off, we are
a great burden to them — and too
heavy a load for them to carry. Wo
find ourselves compelled to write you
in the Netherlands, and there are so
many charitable people of our faith,
that we' ask them to give us alms
which we sorely need. No doubt
Jacob Everling has told of our condi
tions; and we therefore believe you

120

NUMBER OP MENNONITES IN THE PALATINATE.

will understand our petition, dated
January 1, 1672."
This petition was indorsed by
Everling, whose -home we have noticed
before was about eight miles north
west of Manheim. (Muller 205).
1672 — Everling Statistics of Menno
nites Residing about the Palatinate.
Muller (p. 205) states further the
statistics of Jacob Everling which he
sent from Darmsteiner County or con
ference district to the Netherlands,
detailing the Mennonites situated in
the Rhine valley, east of the Palati
nate, being near to it. He says that
in that year 1672, in Darmsteiner
section, the number of Mennonites,
counting the women and children was
144 — in Hilsbach round about Heidel
berg 250 — among whom there were 19
widows and unmarried women — of
women who left their husbands and
children and remained with the Re
formed religion 4 — in Manheim are
settled 11 making a total east of the
Rhine of four hundred twenty-eight.
In the congregation at Alzey, among
which are people of the Town of
Obersultzen, Chriesum, Osthoben and
other places, according to Huetwold's
register which places are west of the
Rhine, and in the upper part of the
Palatinate, there were 215 Mennonites.
This makes a total of six hundred
forty-three persons just above the
Palatinate and just east of it The
Swiss authorities compute that there
were about one hundred Mennonites
in Alsace at this time. Among these
latter, there were twelve teachers of
the faith. Henry Funk was one of
them. In the Amsterdam Archive?
there is an account of the moneys paid
for the relief of the Swiss settling
above the Rhine country, which state?
the sum to be 11,290 florin, which in
our money was about $4500.00. The
account is Number 1198 in the said
archives.

1674 — William Penn's Interest in the
Mennonites of Emden.
This year William Penn wrote a
letter to the Magistrates of Emden,
counselling them to kindness toward
the Mennonites and preaching the
Gospel of Peace. Brons says that he
also visited this section of Germany.
They were much impressed by him,
and some of them were the first to
come to the new world. Several let
ters of these people are in the Amster
dam Archives, in which letters they
plead for more toleration. One of
them is signed by a member of the
Mennonite congregation by the name
of Von Ravenstein. it was in conse
quence of these letters that William
Penn wrote to the magistrates. Penn's
letter was written partly in Latin and
partly in English; and was sent to a
business friend of his in Amsterdam
to have it translafed into German,
and then forwarded to the sufferers.
It seems that the original letter, in a
very bad condition, as well as a copy
of it, are printed and preserved in the
-Archives of the City Hall in Emden.
It is so classic that it is worth while
to rescue it from oblivion says Brons
(p. 223) ; and she has the letter com
plete in German in her book as a sup
plement, page 435. Emden is a city
of about fourteen thousand people in
the state of Hanover, Germany, bor
dering on Holland on an arm of the
Morth Sea.
1678 — Holland Helps the Mennonites
in the Palatinate.
This year the Holland Mennonites
furnished 30,000 florin and also sent
?hips up the Rhine toward Switzer
land to bring the distressed brethren
iown into the Palatinate and into Hol-
Innd where they would not be sub-
iected to such suffering as the Re
formed Church was heaping upon
'hem; and a short time later 20.000
-iiore were collected for the relief of
the hundreds that were lately come

TELNER AND THE MENNONITES.

121

into the Palatinate. This .shows in
what distress they were. (M-iiller
162). 167»— Jacob Telner Comes to the
Delaware.
Muller tells us (p. 364) that, this
year Jacob Telner came to America
from Crefeld, Germany. He had, for
some years been interesting himself
in the welfare of his brethren. The
outcome of his visit was that a little
later 13 families from Crefeld consist
ing of 33 persons followed him and
landed October 5, 1683. This was the
beginning of Germantown. Telner re
mained from 1678 to 1681, says Brons.
(p. 221). He bought 5000 acres of
land on Skippack Creek in 1682 and
the next year six more came; and
each bought 1000 acres.
1680 — Mennonite Alleged Secrets
Exposed.
This year Seyler wrote a work, the
purpose of which was to expose the
Mennonites, as he said, being an al
leged exposition of their secret rites.
He was of the Reformed Church, much
opposed to the Mennonites. He was
pastor at Basle, (Muller, 3).
1680— Jacob Telner and the Five
Hundred Tear Comet
The great comet whose appearance
occurs once very 500 years and which
appeared in the time of Caesar again
appeared in 1680. It is the most im
portant of all comets known to
astronomers. Jacob Telner was deep
ly moved by its appearance and con
cluded that it had appeared as a guid
ing star to lead the suffering of
Switzerland to freedom. And every
night as it hung in the West, he con
cluded that it beckoned them to
America. (Pennsypacker's Settlement
of Germantown, p. 126).
1682 — Early Germans Beg to be
Naturalized.
At a very early date these Palatines
felt their disadv-antage and on the 6th

of December, 1682, we find them to
gether with the Finns and Swedes
presenting a petition to the Assembly
asking that they may be made free as
the other members of the Province,
and that they might hold and enjoy
land and pass it to their children the
same as others; and that they might
be naturalized. The Assembly re
commended this (Vol. 1 of Votes of
.Assembly, Part 1, p. 3). These Pala
tines of course, were the pioneers of
Germantown and were not in Lancas
ter County at this early date. It was
the law, however, that no foreigner
could be naturalized unless he paid
taxes to the extent of 20 shllings; and
the Palatines complained very loudly
against this, for in those days it was
a large sum.
1682— "Lamliister' and "Sonnister"
Factions of the Mennonites.
About this time according to Muller
(p. 162), a large part of the Holland
Mennonites divided into two factions
over a doctrinal difference upon Christ
as the "Son of God" and Christ as the
"Lamb of God"; and the factions were
called the "Lambists" and the "Son-
ists." The question of the "Ban" or
separation from the world began to
cause more trouble. One party tried"
to tear down the meeting houses built
by the others. The separation grew
wider and there were all shades of
belief from the Strict Plammingers
to the liberal Frieseners and the more
liberal Waterlanders. The Holland
church has always been strong and
has 40,000 souls today. Her theolog
ical faculty is inter-denominational.
There are 120 preachers that are
University men, (Do.).
1683— Germantown: The First Per
manent Mennonite Settlement in
America.
In Kauffman's Mennonite History,
p. 126, it is stated that the first Men
nonite settlers made up of 13 families
reached America on October, 1683;

122

MENNONITES AND MILITIA— NEW CODE.

and that a few days after their ar
rival, fourteen divisions of land were
measured off to them, and they pro
ceeded to the cave of Pastorius, in
which he lived at this time, on the
banks of the Delaware and drew lots,
each family taking one lot, and the
fourteenth for Pastorius. They be
gan to dig cel'ars and build huts at
once. Some of the first ones were
Hendricks, Cassels, Rittenheisens,
Van Bebbers and Updegraffs. The
colony was so poor for a while that it
was named Armentown, which means
in the English, "Poor Town." This
custom of living in caves was one
which the old Swedes established
about forty years before. When trade
began to grow so that wharves were
needed along the Delaware river, the
people who had their caves built
a'ong it would not give them up. They
did aftei-w-ards give them up, and now
their descendants are living in very
elegant mansions on Spruce Street
and Pine Street in Philadelphia. These
Mennonite families came in the ship
"Concord." They did not mingle with
the Swiss Mennonites on the Pequea,
who came later. It seems that the
Germans and the Swiss being of dis
tinct nationalities, also kept their
settlement separate.
1684 — A Company of German Palatines
Arrive in Philadelphia.
This year a lot of German Palatines
who had a special invitation from
William Penn arrived in America, ac
cording to the statements set forth in
the petition of Johannes Koster found
in Vol. 2 of the Col. Rec, p. 241. This
petition is dated 1706 and in it, he
says that 22 years before many of his
German brethren encouraged by Wil
liam Penn came here and their in
dustry changed the uncultvated lands
into good settlements, and behaved
themselves well; and that they always
will be ready to do anything for the
welfare of Pennsylvania, that they
can.

1687 — Basel Mennonites Print a New
Testament
This year the Mennonites printed a
Sew Testament in Basel. It was -at
once denounced as false by the author
ities of the Government at Berne and
ordered to be suppressed. The mandate
also said that all of the Anabaptist or
.Mennonite meetings should be sup
pressed for the honor of God and His
church. However, as late as 1692 we
find the authorities trying to get rid
of this New Testament, (Muller, p.
104). 1688 — Mennonites Forced Into the
Militia.
One of the flrst instances of the
¦Anabaptists or Mennonites refusing to
serve in the army or do any sort of
military duty, occurred in 1688. This
enraged the Council of Berne. The
Government decided that there should
be militia musters several times a
year and that all men of the Canton
of Berne were compelled to wear a
short sword at their side to indicate
that they were loyal to the Govern
ment. The purpose in -this was to
flnd out who were Taufers or Menno
nites, and by the absence of this
sword this could be told, (MKiller, p.
132).1688— Mennonites' New Code of Re-
ligious Rules and Practice.
This year the ancient articles of
faith from those of -the times of Hans
Seckler about 1528 down to this date,
were gathered together and augment
ed and re-adopted at a meeting held
at Obersultzen, March 5th. Some of
the principal landmarks in this code
were the minutes of the meeting in
Starsburg in 1568 — the minutes of the
Strasburg meeting of 1667, and others.
This was not the real confession of
faith because the old Dortrecht con
fession was still in use; but this col
lection was rather a code of rules for
the moral welfare of the Mennonites.
Among the common directions given

MENNONITE RULES- OPPOSITION TO SLAVERY.

123

in them was that: the church should
follow only the practice laid down in
early Christian times by the apostles
— brethren and sisters should meet
three or four times a week and when
gathered they should read something
about the scriptures and explain it,
and they should read the Psalter daily
— all scandals should be suppressed —
that there should be separation from
the worldy — that servants, elders and
deacons should go through the dif
ferent congregations and find how
they fared spiritually and look after
the widows and the orphans. A rule
was enforced that the rich should edu
cate the poor — that, at the breaking
of bread all must kneel— that in part
ing the brotherly holy kiss of peace
should be given — that those who were
tailors or mechanics should not make
any fancy garments or articles of any
kind, for the brethren or any one else,
because it would help the worldliness
along — that money should be gath
ered up and given to the deacons and
elders to relieve suffering — that if any
one owed his brother or sister money,
they should demand it and set a time
for payment, but never enter any suit
or issue any execution for it — that in
villages where the Government com
pels people to be watchmen at night,
brothers should be willing to be
watchmen or sentries, but they should
not have any guns or weapons in their
hands, because they might hurt some-
bod.v — that the brother could hire a
substitute for watchman if he wished
to — and that money could be loaned
out at interest, but only in case ot
necessity should any interest be taken,
that is, if the party had needed his
interest to live on.
These were some of the main rules
that were re-adopted by the primative
brethren for their peaceful conduct
and life in early days. The main dif
ficulty was that being surrounded by
the wicked conditions, all manner of
advantage was taken of these breth

ren, so that they had not only the dis
pleasure of the Government but the-
disadvantage of being imposed upon
by the people, (Muller, p. 52).
1688— Jacob Telner's Continued Af-
forts on Skippack.
Muller devotes chapter 22 of his
book to the Swiss Mennonites in
North America, (p. 364). In this
chapter he states, after telling us
about the founding of Germantown in
1682, that Jacob Telner in 1688 from
Crefeld, became very much interested
in this place in America for the Men
nonites. Telner eventually got up a
colony of these brethren and landed
them on the Skippack creek, one of
the early Mennonite centers in Amer
ica, near the Schuylkill.
1688 — The Mennonites First Regular
Pracher in America.
This book on p. 127, Kauffman in
forms us that in 1688 William Ritten-
huisen was the first minister. He was
born in Holland in 1644 and died in
Pennsylvania in 1708. He moved to
New Amsterdam about 1678 and
reached Germantown in 1688 and be
gan preaching. In 1690 he built the
first paper mill in America at Rox-
borough near Germantown. He was
ordained the first Bishop of the
Church in 1701. His descendants are
still among the active workers ot
that church. Also see Miiller, p. 364.
1688— The Mennonites the First to
Protest Against Slavery.
Kauffman tells us in his 'book and
page 127 that in 1688 the Mennonites
of Germantown sent their protest
against slavery to the Friends quarter
ly meeting. This was the first known
public protest in America against
human slavery. It is not improper to
notice that in 1712 the Assembly of
Pennsylvania moved by a big petitioa
passed an Act against slavery, (See
Vol. 2 of the Votes of Assembly, p.
110) and also (Vol. 2 of the Statutes at

124

MENNONITE MARRIAGES VOID.

Large, p. 433). How different might
have been the history of America if
these early protests of the Mennonite
Brethren and the pious pioneers of
Pennsylvania had been heeded.
1689 — Sixty Mennonites Imprisoned at
Lensburg.
This year about 60 persons -were
persecuted by the Berne authorities
(who were Anabaptists or Menno
nites). The Sheriff of Lensburg was
ordered to make a register of all the
Anabaptists and to deliver the list to
the authorities at Berne, who deter
mined to make an effort to convert
them. Graffenreid mentions the list
of the persons found, but Miiller does
not give them, and we have not any
access to the Graffenreid list. (Miil
ler, 167).
1680 — ^Decree that All Mennonite Mar
riages are Void.
This year it was decided in Berne
that Anabaptist or Mennonite mar
riages are ajbsolutely void — that -their
children shall not inherit — that the
inheritance shall fall to the authori-
'ties — that the property coming to
those who were minors should be held
by guardians appointed by the Govern
ment until it would be found out
which way these -minors would lean
and what church they would embrace
when they became of age — and that
If they joined the Mennonites the
property should not belong to them,
(MHiller, p. 135).
1691 — Mennonites Declared Enemies
of the Government
This year complaint was made
against the Mennonites throughout
Switzerland, that they refused to
swear fealty to the Government, and
are therefore, dangerous and must be
considered as enemies of the Govern
ment. This was a revival of the old
mandate of 1671. It was further
charged that they make a practice ot
-condemning the authorities — that they

refuse all military exercise which is
necessary to protect the fatherland
from its enemies — that they are a
detriment to the public and that they
must all be driven out This mandate
the different Sheriffs are ordered to
execute, (Miiller, p. 145).
1691 — Daniel Grimm of Langnau De-
clared a Special Enemy.
Muller tells us (Do, p. 145) that this
year- Daniel G'rimm of Langnau, liv
ing in the village of Geibel, was de
clared a special enemy ot Switzerland
because of his strong Mennonitism,
and the Sheriff of Langnau and the
authorities of Trachelswald were
given strict orders to watch him and
arrest him upon the least proof of his
violating the ordinances.
1691 — Berne Complains against Men.
nonite Growth.
Miiller tells us at the page last men
tioned, that this year Berne and other
parts of Switzerland, lamented the
fact that the Mennonites had increased
greatly and especially that their big
congregations in the district of Konol-
ftngen; and that they are so disloyal
that the Government must reform
them, and that they are so numerous
that it is impossible to get any militia
company together in that neighbor
hood, because those who are not Men
nonites take their part and refuse to
do military duty.
1691 — Division of the Confiscated
Mennonite Property.
This year on the 17th day of No
vember, there was issued a mandate
decreeing that the fines, the forfei
tures and all moneys raised by penal
ties upon the Mennonites or Anabap
tists should be divided into three
parts, viz: one-third to be given to
the Government authorities for sup
port of the poor — one-third to the
expenses of the special court that was
created to take charge of the Menno
nite violations of law — and one-third

MENNONITES LOOKING FOR LAND ON SUSQUEHANNA.

125

to the judges and officers who tried
the cases against the Mennonites. This
was a provision very well calculated
to make the propaganda against the
Mennonites effective and the officers
zealous and active, (Muller, p. 132).
1691— The Palatines Promise Allegi
ance to the King and Fidelity
to Penn.
The petition of Joannes Koster
states that on the 7th of May, 1691,
over 60 of these German Mennonites
had in open Court at one time promis
ed allegiance to King William and
Queen Mary and fidelity to William
Penn; and that many others have done
the same since and that all are will
ing and ready to do so, (Vol. 2 of
Col. Rec, p. 241). Those items give
us a hint of the difficulties under
which the early Mennonites labored,
and make their patience, loyalty and
industry all the more commendable
to us. Living as we do when liberty
is universally enjoyed this discrimina
tion against th-e.m seems very unjust
indeed as in reality it was.
1691— An Early MennoTiite Father
Secures Land on Susquehanna.
In the Second Series of the Penna.
Archives, Vol. 19, p. 72, it is set forth
that William Penn on the 16th day of
July, 1691, granted 375 acres of land
toward the Susquehanna River to
Henry Maydock of Holmholl in the
County of Chester (Lancaster County
having been originally a part of
Chester County) and that he could
take up the land at once. Afterwards
his son, Mordecai Maydock got a
patent for it.
1691— The Dutch Minister Desires to
Move from Long Island to This
Province.
On the 28th of November of this
year De Lavall and Albertus Brantam
reported to William Penn's commis
sioners of property that the Dutch
minister of Flatbrush upon Long

Island desires to settle himself in
Pennsylvania and that there would be
about two hundred families with him,
and that they would like to have 40,000
acres of land. He stated that if they
could not be accommodated in Penn
sylvania they would go to New Castle
in Delaware or to Maryland. It was
represented that the colony were all
sober and industrious. The authorities
answered that they would be glad to
have these German people come and
that they would look for a tract for
them, and report to them in two days.
Accordingly on the 30th the Commis
sioners of Property gave a report in
writing to De Lavall and Brant, that
Pennsylvania would encourage their
people to come and that they had sev
eral tracts that would accommodate
them, -and also that they should come
and view the tracts, (See Series of the
Penna. Archives, Vol. 19, pp. 78 and
79). On the 26th of December the
Dutch Minister wrote and asked what
would be the lowest price for the land
and how far from Philadelphia they
could settle -and how far from a navig
able creek. The Commissioners re
plied that they wish the German
settlers would send some one to view
the land, that there were several
tracts and different prices, but that
they could have it all near the Schuyl
kill River if they wished, (Do., p. 80).
I can not flnd any further record of
this proposal so that it does not seem
likely that the Germany colony settled
here. 1692— Incidents of Mennonite Faith
Preserved at Langnau.
In the collection of Baptist or Men
nonite m-anuscripts at Langnau (which
is a town in the Western part of
Switzerland near Berne), dated 1692,
we find the following items jotted
down by Johannes Mozart, the Re
formed minister at that place, giving
the following facts as to the attitude

126 INCIDENTS OP EARLY MENNONITE FAITH AND CONVERSION.

of the recently converted Mennonites
toward the Reformed Church.
He states that he often visited Ully
Krieg (now Krick), a recent convert
and that he was very strong.
Of Hans Snyder of Trub, he says
that Snyder became stubborn about
the baptism'of his child and said that
there are so many views about bap
tising children that his child will not
be baptized until it grows up.
Of Michael Burkholder, he says that
Michael was an old Baptist or Men
nonite and so was his wife — and that
they lived at Maettenberg. She had
been a member of the Mennonite
Church forty years. Michael said that
it was God's will that they should not
any longer go to the Reformed
Church; but that his son Jacob goes
and as his father, he (Michael) did no;
have anything against that, if Jacob
wanted to go.
Ully Fisher, he says was an Ana
baptist or Mennonite at Signau and
when he asked him why he stopped
going to the Reformed Church, Ully
said, "What will I do in that grand
stone pile?" He also sa'd, "Why do
the people say 'My Lord' to you? Only
God should be called 'Lord'; and
priests should not be called 'Patl-er'
either. Your grand stone pile is too
full of pride. We must be humble."
Mozart said he talked to Fisher's
sister and she said, "Yea, verily, I
would join the Anabaptists but I am
not worthy to be one of them — they
would not accept me because they are
a holy people. My brother, Ully
Fisher was formerly a Godless man
when he was in the stylish church.
but since he is a Mennonite it is alto
gether different with h'm, like when
Paul was converted and enlightened."
Mozart siys she did join later and so
did her mother and sister Magdalena:
and he says that when he asked Mag
dalena about falling off from the Stite
Church, she said that she is going to
try to live a righteous life, and -that

G'od does not dwell in temples made
by hands.
Mozart says that he reasoned with
Dan Grimm and Hans Burkholder;
they said, "We object to the Church
because you preach that we must
honor people and rulers and that doc
trine we have renounced." Mozart
says further that- Grimm was one of
the leaders in the peasant war in
younger days.
In Mooshad, Mozart talked with an
Anabaptist preacher and showed him
a spiritual hymn he had composed;
the Mennonite or Anabaptist said it
had some good in it but "you should
see what I composed." Mo-?art asked
him what he and the other Anabap
tists thought of the state church and
he answered, "You are with the
world." Christian Wahley said to Mozart
that since he became a Mennonite he
could not go to the Lord's Supper in
the state church, because the mem
bers are too careless in their habits
and that they drink and have frolics,
and such persons must not put their
lips to the Lord's cup.
Ullv Steiner's wife said that since
she became an Anabaptist or Menno
nite, she had found a short cut to
Heaven: that she is sure she is on a
direct way now.
Michael Gerber, one of the same
sect from Wannethal said that he
would rather suffer death than go
back to the State Church. Mozart
asked him what would become ot those
Anabaptists that do go back again to
the Reformed Church. He said, "God
have pity on them, they will find out
what will become of them."
Mozart further says that this year
(1692) there were in Langnau. 28
known Anabaptist or Mennonite fam
ilies, and that nearly everybody was
well disposed toward them. In fact
he says thev had such influence there
at that time that even our own mem
bers do not want to hear us preaching

LIST OF MENNONITES DRIVEN OUT OF LANGNAU.

127

anything against them, and that the
public opinion was- with them, the
prominent people being very sorry to
see them moving away. He says sev
eral of them left but the most of them
had to be driven out by force. They
were first sold out as bankrupts and
then driven out, (Miiller, p. 125).
1692 — List of Mennonites Driven Out
of Langnau.
Miiller tells us at the page last cited,
that the following Mennonites among
others were driven out of the Langnau
district, because of their religion
about this time.
1. Ully Gerber and his wife, Kath
arine of Wissenhollen; and a son
Peter and daughter Elizabeth.
2. Michael Gerber's son Michael of
Wannethal. 3. Oswald Bracher's wife Barbara
CSterchi) and himself of Frittenbach.
4. Jacob Wissler of Eyschachen and
his four children. Christian, Peter.
Katharine, Levi, and his wife Magda
lena. 5. Michael Burkhalter, the shoe
maker of Maettenberg, an old man,
and his wife, who had been a Menno
nite for forty years.
6. Dan Grimm of Geibel and Hans
Burki, his neighbor, the flrst of whom
before he became converted to the
Mennonite Church was a petty Judge
and the latter, a Poor Warden.
7. Jacob Schwartz, in Moss and his
wife, Elizabeth Schenk Schwartz and
their son Ully; also Peter Schenks
and Barbara, the sister of Elizabeth.
8. Also the old flsh woman, Eliza
beth Aesc-hman and her two daughters,
Magdalena and Elsa.
9. Ully Brasers' wife and Christian
Tanner's wife, both from Wallistolen.
These last two have permitted them
selves to be persuaded to the Menno
nite faith by their brother Ully Fisher,
a very dangerous Anabaptist of Sig
nau. — in fact one of the worst of
them.

10. Ully Aeschlimann's wife Magda
lena (Herman) of Rigenen.
11. Ully BJeris's wife of Katzbach,
who was Maria Hoffer. She became a
Mennonite or Aanabaptist in Trub and
came with her husband to Langnau in
1692. 12. Ully Steiner's wife. She went at
one time in distress to Caspar Luethl,
a minister of the Mennonite Church at
Langnau, and he proselyted her to
that faith.
13. Anna Blaser Miiller, wife of
Michael Miiller. Her husband ran
away but she stayed.
14. Anna Gysler, whose maiden
name was Miilten.
15. Young Hans Gerber of Yngey,
who was a son-in-law of Caspar
Luethl. These are among the list who were
banished from the region of Berne
and Langnau and perhaps a larger
section of Eastern Switzerland in
1692 for their faith. The people said
that God would punish Switzerland
for doing this and as it did not rain
for a couple of months, the people
said, "Now God is punishing this cruel
country for what it has done," (Miil
ler, p. 125). We will all observe here
that nearly all of these ancient Swiss
names are also present prominent
Lancaster County names.
1693 — Local Surnames in Thun, Ober-
hoften and Burgdorf, (Switzerland).
It was now decreed that all sales,
transactions and obligations of the
\nabaptists or Mennonites, were to be
void — that in the said districts, the
whole military force must come out
and register, that is, all the males
from fourteen and over — that all must
take the oath of allegiance, and that
all who refuse will be considered
4.nabaptists or Taufers. The payment
provided for apprehending an Ana
baptist teacher was $25.00 if a resi
dent, and $50.00 if he was a foreign
teacher.

128

FAMILIAR NAMES— ORIGIN OF THE AMISH.

There was a mandate a few weeks
later, in May, declaring that these
Anabaptist or Mennonites (who went
to church Saturday night, and would
often be compelled to wait until Sun
day night to go home, so as not to be
caught) should be closely hunted
about Berne, and all suspicious per
sons be arrested, (Miiller, p. 157).
Following these instructions there
were discovered in the towns of Thun,
Oberhoften and Bergdorf, a large
number of these people. The follow
ing aged people were excused by the
authorities: From Thun, Christian Schneider —
Anna Neuwhouss — Christian Muller —
Hans Kropf — Michael Muller — Abram
Stayman — Anton Kropf and Jacob
Neushousen. Prom Oberhoften, Hans Wolf and
Madaline Ammon.
From Bergdorf, Hans' Kohler — Jacob
Schuppack (Shaubach) — Christian
Yawh — Adam Reist — Barbara Sterchi
(Stirk) — Oswald Bracher — Elizabeth
Schank — Michael Burkholder — Ita
Ross — Kaspar Luethl (an old teacher)
— Peter Weidmer (Witmer) and Chris
tian Walti.
I have mentioned these names be
cause we recognize again in them,
ancestors of our Eastern Pennsylvania
Swi'ss-deiscendant families of today,
(Miuller, Do).
1693 — Origin of the Amish Menno
nites.
This year there was a division
among the congregations of Menno
nites in Berne. A faction of them fol
lowed Jacob Ammon, and the remain
der remained under the leadership of
Hans Reist. The factions were known
as the Amish and Reist factions. The
parting was quite bitter: each party
putting the other under the ban. The
division was deep and painful.
The Reist party were the Emmen-
thalers — that is, their stronghold was
In the Thai or valley of the Emmen

creek, which lies a short distance
northeast of Berne. They held that
there should be no emigration or al
any rate that they should neither emi
grate nor mix with the Amish, who
were the "Oberlanders" — that is, they
lived on the Ober or upland regions
in Switzerland, This split was not on
fundamental doctrines; but upon the
question of strictness versus liber
ality of rules. It really had its origin
in Holland where a discussion arose
upon the question of discipline and
behavior, especially with reference
to worldliness and association with
the worldly. When the same question
was taken up by these brethren in
Switzerland, the feeling became more
intense than it was in Holland, and
resulted in those who believed in
strict literal adherence and severe
unworldliness following Jacob Am
mon, -and those who took the some
what more literal view, following
Hans Reist.
The Dutch Ambassador, Runckel,
reasoned with the Amish but they
would not be convinced. The Reist
Mennonites claimed that they were the
old original Mennonites and became as
bitter against the Amish as the Amish
lid against them, and for a time took
the stand that if the Amish migrated
out of Switzerland, they would not
follow them. Nevertheless, it was the
Reist Mennonites who first reached the
Pequea valley here in Pennsylvania.
They also tried to get others to break
away from the "Oberlanders,'' as they
called them, that is, the Amish. It
seems that when the Amish were sent
down the Rhine, some of the Reist
Mennonites were forced into the ship
with them, but they left the ship near
Alsace and Upper Palatinate and did
not go on to Holland.
This division was carried from
Switzerland into Alsace and into the
Palatinate, aud also to America where
it is preserved today.

ORIGIN OF THE AMISH MENNONITES

129

There are manuscripts upon the di
vision and the discussion resulting
from it at the time, in the library of
the Reist Mennonites in the Emmen
thal or valley. These documents
among others, consist of:
1. The separation letter or history
of the division, by Christian Blanck.
2. A report of the said division or
schism, by Peter Geiger, dated 1693.
3. A confession of faith of the
Amish, gotten up by Jacob Ammon and
written into form by Hans Gut in the
Palatinate. 4. A letter to the Swiss brethren
written from Markirch in the Palati
nate, December 13, 1697, by Hans
Rudy Nagele (Negley) — Christian
Pleam — Rudolph Husser — Peter Lee-
mann and Christopjiel Dohltan.
5. A report of the happenings in the
division movement during the year
1694. 6. A letter by Hans Rudy Nagele
of May 6, 1694, to Jacob Ammon and
hi'S adherants.
7. A letter to the same by Jonas
Lohr from Alsace, dated September
28, 1695.
8. A letter by Gerhart Rossen in
Hamburg, dated December 2, 1697, .to
the Alsace Mennonites.
9. A letter dated October 19, 1699,
by Jacob Gut (Good), in the name of
all the congregations of the Upper
Palatinate to Rudy Husser — Peter
Leman — Christian Dollam — Hans Mei
er — Christian Neuoomet (Newcomer)
— ^Hans Rudy Negele — Rudy Blotchan,
Reist Mennonites in the lower Palati
nate; and to Peter Hapegger (Ha-
becker) — Peter Geiger and Hans Bur
ki, of the Emmenthal in Switzerland.
10. A declaration by the servants,
elders and deacons from the Palati
nate and from Switzerland, who ad
hered to the Reist faction and who
called themselves, "such as can not be
in accord with Jacob Ammon, and
therefore, his opponents," containing

conisderable doctrinal controversy.
This is signed by those Reist Menno
nites who are mentioned in No. 9
above, and also by Hans Reist — ^Ulrich
Kolb — - Nichlaus Baltzli — - Doerse
Rohrer — Jacob Schwartz — Dan Grimm
and Ulrich Baltzli, from the Emmen
thal; and by Jacob and Hans Gut —
Peter Zolfinger — Benedict Mellinger
and Hans Henrich Bar, from the
Palatinate. 11. A letter of the 26th of February,
1711, by Hans Bachman and others in.
the Palatinate.
12. A letter of the 23rd of December,
1697, by Peter Lemann and Rudy Hus
ser (Houser) from Manheim.
13 to 15. Treatises on the subject of
feet washing and smoking tobacco.
During the year 1693, Jacob Am
mon, while this subject of separation
was uppermost in his mind, with
several other believers in Switzerland
went from congregation to congrega
tion to get converts. By what author
ity he did this is not shown; but the
proceedings, as we have said before
were generally believed to have gotten
impulse from the Netherlands, where
the Mennonites were discussing for
many years, the question of strictness
-and liberality. Ammon considered
himself the head of what he called,
"The Real Christian Order." He said
that he would not have his followers
build temples either grand or modest,
but they would worship God in the
old way as did Abraham and the patri
archs and the early disciples, that is,
in the homestead. He also said that
the Bible compels him to introduce
keeping aloof from the world by being
strict. Therefore, he held that all former
members who were expelled should be
avoided — if, of a married couple, one
was under the ban, the other must
separate from him or her — and mem
bers of his family must not be allowed
to eat with other members that are
under the ban.

130 LOCAL GIBRMAN-SWISS POLITICALLY OPPOSE THE QUAKERS

Muller tells us that a few years
after this separation, feet washing
was first introduced by the Amish;
and later practiced by the Reist Men
nonites, who did not do so before. He
says that the Reist party objected to
the ban because it was too sharp and
strict a law, was not Christian and
would cause masery in, and breat up
families, separating husbands and
Tvives, parents and -children. MSiller
says further that, Ammon got most of
.Ms followers in the beginning from
the Berner Oberland; but that he had
one strong leader in the Emmenthal,
and that was Isaac Kauffmian, (Mtil
ler, p. 315).
We find here again the location of
the ancestors of our Lancaster County
and Eastern Pennsylvania families.
J693— The Germans Adhere to Fletch
er; and Do Not Side With the
Quakers.
Because the Quakers would not
heed the demands from Great Britain
to organize a military in 1692, William
Penn's Government was taken out of
his hands and Benjamin Fletcher of
New York was made military Governor
of Pennsylvania. While the German-s
were against anything warlike -as well
as the Quakers, they were glad of an
opportunity to take sides against the
Quakers when they had a chance, be
cause the Quakers put them to much
inconvenience and expense on account
of being foreigners. This year -they
sent a paper to Fletcher promising
him to adhere to him and his require
ments and to rebuke the Quakers for
their opposition to him. (Vol. 1 of
Votes of AS'Sembily, p. 71.) However,
John De Lavall with seven Quaker
members of the Council sent an ad
dress to Fletcher protesting against
his rule in Pennsylvania; De Lavall,
we remember, was a German. (Vol. 1
Col. Rec, p. 370.) Francis Daniel Pas
torius, the leader of the German colo
ny, accepted the office of Justice otthe

Peace and showed his willingness to
break away from -the Quakers and
help -Fletcher. (Do., p. 371.)
These and other events show that
the Germans took the opportunity of
Fletcher's presence to show their
dissatisfaction with the Quakers.
1691— Plockhoy, Sole Survivor of the
Ill-Fated Mennonite Colony on
Delaware, Reaches the Village
of Germanto-wn.
In'Cassel's History of the Menno
nites, p. 88, it is stateo that, in the
j'-ear 1694 an old blind man and his
wife came to Germantown. His mis
erable, condition brought much sym
pathy from the Mennonites there.
They got him naturalized free of
charge and gave him a plot of ground
to build a little house on and make a
gar-den, which he could use as long as
he lived. They planted a tree In front
of it and the minister took up a col
lection to build him a house. He was
Peter Plockhoy, leader of the Dutch
Mennonite colony of 1662, who after
thirty^one years of wandering from
the South, where it seems he was sold
into silavery, reached a resting place
with his brethren at Germantown.
1696 — Hans Graff Arrives in GJerman-
to-wB.
The famous Hans Graff, one of the
founders of the Lancaster County set-
tlement,first appeared in Pennsylvania
in 1695 or 1696 and joined the German
colony at Germantown. He remained
there for some time and joined the
German-Swiss settlement in the neigh
borhood of Strasburg about 1709.
(Lyle's History of Lancaster County,
p. 63.)
1698 — Henry Zimmerman Arrives in
Germantown.
Rupp in his history says on p. 126
that another old father of the Church
by the name of Henry Zimmerman (or
Carpenter) arrived this year and in-

GERMAN MENNONITES NEAR SUSQUEHANNA

131

spected the brethren at Germantown.
He then went back to Europe for his
family and brought them over in 1706
and settled first in Germantown and
then removed within the bounds of
Lancaster County in 1717. His de
scendants are especially numerous
and respectable.
1701 — Cornelius Empson's Colony.
This year Cornelius Empson applied
for 20,000 acres of land along the
Octoraro. An account of it may be
found in the Sec. Series of the Penna.
Archives, Vol. 19, p. 245. Empson
seems to have been a minister or at
least he was acting for twenty families
who desired to settle together. On p.
280 it is stated that he renewed his
request, and the names of the people
are given. They do not seem to be
German, however, but some of -them
seem to be Huguenots, whether they
were M-ennonites or not I can not tell.
The method, however, of applying for
land was very much like that im
pressed by Mennonite leaders for their
people. 1701 — Mennonite School Started.
This year a school was started in
Germantown with Pastorius for
teacher. Some time later Christopher
Dock commenced his celebrated
school on Skippack. Further particu
lars about these events may be found
in Kauffman's Book, p. 129.
1701 — The Germans Petition to be
Free From Taxes about Phila.
This Franois Daniel Pastorius, the
leader of the Germans, by a petition
signed by himself in behalf of the
whole German population in German-
town, -asked the Council of Pennsyl
vania to exempt the Germans from
paying any taxes, for the reason that
they were a corporation of their own,
that is that they were chartered as
the Germantown Colony. He sets forth
for his brethren that, William Penn
had especially requested his German

people to come here; and also that
they are now conducting the affairs
of Germantown without any help
from the rest of the County. The
Charter of Germantown was then sent
for and it was soon seen that the
Germantown people had full power of
holding their own Courts and trying
all their cases but had no right to
have anyone represent them in the
Assembly. And they objected to tax
ation without representation. The
Council however said that they had
the right to choose members as well
as the rest of the county and they
ought to bear their part of the taxes;
and that they enjoy the roads and
bridges built around them, and must
help to support them. They answered
that -they had their own roads and
bridges to build and the rest of the
county was enjoying their roads. The
question was not solved at this time
but was to be taken up at another
time. However, no further action
seems to be shown. (Vol. 2 Coil. Rec,
p. 13.)1701 — Hans Binggeli (Binkley) a
Teacher.
This year a man by the name of
Binggeli or Binkley appeared in
Schwarzenberg. Miiller in an item (p.
207) says -that he took the children
from Schwarzenberg and from Phol-
eren and Blumenstein to the Palati
nate for instructions in the Mennonite
doctrine. He left them there for a
term and then brought them back
again to their homes. He seems to
have been conducting a school to ad
vance Mennonite principles, similar to
the modem Mennonite Sunday School.
1701— Some Germans May Have Locat
ed Near Susquehanna Temporarily
At This Time.
In the Treaty made the 23rd of April,
1701, with the Susquehanna and Con
estoga Indians there are references to
the conduct that the Indians should

132

MENNONITES PRINT THE NEW TESTAMENT

observe tbwards the Christians inhab
iting near or among those Indians.
But it is not likely that there were any
Germans Iving here then but that the
provision was to be made fo-r the Ger
mans that were about to come. (Vol.
2 of Col. Rec, p. 15.)
1702— Haus Burkholder, Mennonite
Teacher.
In Geraldsheim in 1702 there was a
Hans Burkholder, a teacher among
the Mennonites. He taught several
years, and about 1710 we find him
begging the Holland authorities for
500 gulders for the family of Christian
Wenger, impoverished through cattle
diseases. He also states that the Men
nonite congregation at Geraldsheim
had been subject to an extra contribu
tion of the 1000 guldar for the corona
tion of the new elector and that taxes
ranging from six to ten gulden a head
were levied upon the Mennonite breth
ren (Muller, p. 208). It will be ob
served here that the familiar names of
Burkholder and Wenger are mention
ed, giving us some knowledge of the
locality from which they came.
1702 — Skippack Settlement Begins.
Quoting from Pennypacker's Settle
ment of Germantown, we observe that
he states (page 140) -the Skippack
Mennonite settlement began in 1702, in
the present Perki-omen Township in
Montgomery County. Some of the
Skippack pioneers were William and
Cornelius Dewees, Hermanns Keister,
Christian Zimmerman, and others.
1702 — New Testament Printed by Men
nonites in Basle.
This year a New Testament was
printed by Yohon Jacob Gevoth in
Basle in octavo form and it was con
sidered dangerous by the State
Church. These New Testaments were
discovered at a book-binder's shop in
Bergdorf. They were ordered to be
seized and sent to the Court of Switz
erland having charge of Mennonite

matters or Baptist affairs. It was
found that Peter Geishbiiihler was the
binder and had six of these books.
Finally in 1705 Basle was given orders
to suppress the work (Mtiller, p. 353).
1702 — A Mennonite Hunt Throughout
the Emmenthal.
The edicts against Mennonites in the
Emmenthal did not have the desired
result. The people sympathized with
them and gave them warning by vari
ous signals when any officers were
about Ully Dummersmuth for a long
time harbored baptists and gave them
room in his building for their meet
ings, though he was not a Mennonite
himself. He lived in Rotachen. Anna
Wenger, and the two brothers. Chris
tian and Hans Dummersmuth were
caught and imprisoned twenty-four
hours for being obstreperous against
the officers. Ully had to pay 159
pounds and the costs of the chase and
capture and work in the work house.
He gave battle to the chasers. One of
the men who was employed and hired
to hunt down and chase these Men
nonite brethren and harass them was
Christian Rupp. He later came under
suspicion of blackmail by the Swiss
Government, extorting large sums of
money from these Mennonites and
then letting them go. There was some
testimony that he pointed a gun at the
brethren or at the breast of some of
them and threatened their lives if they
did not pay (Muller, p. 341).
1702— The First German Tract of Land
Located.
It seems that about this time some
of the German Mennonites contracted
for land about Conestoga or some
where in the Conestoga or Pequea val
leys because it is stated in Vol. 1 of
the Penn and Logan Correspondence,
pp. 148 and 149, that there is a fear
that the Indians would disturb the re
mote settlers, such as the "New Ger
man Tract" which they say has not
been purchased from them by the

FUNK'S SERMON BEFORE KING CHARLES XII.

133

white people. I can not .say where
this new German Tract was located as
early as 1702 but the Indians referred
to are the Conestogas and it is so
stated. So that at this time it is cer
tain that a German Tract was decided
upon and contracted for with Penn's
authorities, even though the Germans
themselves had not actually located
on it.
1702— The Skippack Mennonite Settle
ment Again.
Kauffman says in his book, p. 129,
that this settlement was an extension
of Germantown. It is in Montgomery
County and it began by Matthias Van
Bebber securing 6000 acres of land
there which he imimediately began to
colonize with Mennonites. The prin
cipal families were the Kolbs, Zim-
mermans, Pannebeckers, Jansons,
Zieglers, and others.
1703 — Swiss Suffer and Perish Cross
ing the Ocean.
Our ancestors in the beginning of
the century suffered with what was
known as Palatine fever. It is s-aid
that the children under seven years of
age rarely lived. Mittelberger says he
saw -no less than thirty-two children
thus dying and being thrown into the
sea (Kuhn, p. 71).
1703 — Swiss Baptist Property Con
fiscated.
This year in Switzerland the farms
of a lot of Mennonites who had been
banished were sold -at auction. We
have no record of how many there
were, but at least quite a number.
They brought 5576 pounds. Of this
money 220 pounds went to the Judge
of the Court and the balance was di-
¦pided among the Mayors of the towns
off Steffisburg, Schw-arzenegg, Ober-
Neiderstachten, Blumenstein, Bals-
ringen, Ruegsau, Trachelswald, Trub,
Lauperswyl, Scbangnau, Hutwyl,
Criswyl, Hasli, Schofftland, Diesbach
and other towns, whose officers were
to hold the same in trust and pay the

interest to the heirs of the exiled
'Mennonites. But as generally the
children went with the parents-, the
principal fell to the Governments
(Muller, page 358).
1703— Stephen Funk Preaches Before
King Charles Xll of Sweden,
at Thorn.
Many Baptists -or Mennonites at this
time lived in Poland in the town of
Thom. They were, compelled to fur
nish supplies to Charles XII in his
wars. Among them was a leader
named Stephen Funk from Moravia.
King Charles XII's chaplain on one
occasion held services and Funk was
present and listened attentively to the
chaplain's sermon -and took notes. This
was brought to the attention of the
authorities and State Church digni
taries and Punk was asked why he
took notes. The author was brought
before the King and he asked Funk
who he was and why he took notes of
the sermon. He said to see if it were
correctly spoken. The King said for
that act Punk must preach a sermon
to him, the King, and- asked, "When
can you do it?" Punk said, "In four
teen days, but you must keep me safe
from harm." The King promised. The
day oame and Funk appeared and
went to the tent of the King. T-hti
provost and generals, prominent and
petty, were present. The King told
all that he had -ordered the sermon
to be preached and that all should
give attention. At the conclusion,
none had any objections to offer. The
King said to Punk, "You have proved
your position in all points except you
should not condemn war." Funk
said, "War can not be upheld by any
thing in the Bible." The King said,
"Is there no permission given at all
in the Bible for war?" Funk replied,
"If a King should be attacked in his
country he could defend by war, but
he must never go to another country
and devastate it." This ended the

134

LANCASTER COUNTY GERMAN-SWISS PIONEERS

matter. This w.as King Charles of
Sweden. He compelled the Mennonites
to furnish supplies to ©arry on his
wars. This happened in Thorn, no^
in Prussia; or formerly in Poland
(Brons, 330).
1703 — Jacob Telner and Skippack
Mennonites.
Telner at this time was zealous in
the Skippack project. He was on the
ground and spent part of his time in
Philadelphia. Penn in a letter to
Logan, the 6th of June, 1703, writes,
"I have been much pressed by Jacob
Telner about Rebecca Shippen's busi
ness in the town. I desire that truth
and righteousness may take place" (1
Penn and Logan Corr., 189). Penny-
packer says that Telner -had a right
to five thousand acres and took up the
bulk of it on Skippack Creek. It
comprised a township.
1704 — Germans Not Allowed to Own
Land Absolutely.
Without naturalization the Germans
oould not pass the -land which they
lived on, to their children by will or
obherw-ise even though -they improved
it by buildings and tilled it. In order
to have the same right -as the English
people they complained to the Assem
bly asking that their titles should be
as good as anybody else's. Their first
petition seems to have been. filed in
1704. (Vol. 1 of Notes of Assembly,
Part 2, p. 26.)
1704— Theodorus Eby Moved to the
Palatinate.
This year an old patriarch, ancestor
of a large Lancaster County family,
Theodorus Eby, who was born in
Zurich on the 25th day of April, 1665,
moved to the Palatinate and resided
there until 1715, when he came to
Philadelphia and thence to Eby's Mill
on Mill Creek, afterwards Roland's
Mill, south of New Holland on the line
between Earl and Leacock -townships.
(History ot Eby Family, p. 5.)

1704 — The Lancaster County Menno
nite Pioneer.
Rupp in his history, pp. 54, 55 and
70, says that this year Louis Michelle,
a Swiss .miner, was in America look
ing for a convenient tract to settle a
colony of his people on. He was among
the Indians near Conestoga about
1706 and 1707 in search of mineral
ore. It is thought that he built a fort
several miles above Conestoga. These
performances do not look much like
the Mennonite actions, especially the
building of warlike defenses, yet in
those days a defense of that kind was
as needful as an ordinary house just
now. It is safe to say he was inter
ested in the Swiss Mennonites be
cause the statement that he wanted a
tract to settle the "colony of his
people on" indicates that he was act
ing for his distressed brethren.
1705 — The German Palatines Apply
for Naturalization.
This year several Germans filed a
petition in the Assem^bly asking that
they might be naturalized, not only so
that they oould hold their lands, but
have all the other privileges of other
citizens in Pennsylvania. (Vol. 1
Votes of Assembly, Part 2, p. 47.)
1705 — Frederich de Redegelt, a Ger
man Palatine, Takes Land on the
Susquehanna.
This year it is stated in the Sec.
Series of the Penna. Archives, Vol. 19,
p. 468, that John Henrich Kursten
showed a deed translated by Daniel
Pastorius, from Frederick de Rede
gelt, for 750 acres of land, part of the
10,000 purchased of William Penn in
England by Redegelt, to be taken up,
rent free for seven years, near Sus
quehanna. So it appears from this
that this friend of old Pastorius and
likely member of his church had
secured land about Susquehanna at
this early date.

GERMAN-SWISS PIONEIBRS BECOME NATURALIZED

135

1705 — Swiss Prepare to Settle in Lan
caster County.
In a letter written by William Penn
to Logan, the 16th of February, 1705,
he says, "I -have a hundred German
families preparing for you. They buy
30,000 or 40,000 acres; and no longer
than yesterday Sir Charles Hedges
discoursed me upon a Swiss Colony
intended thither (eo Pennsylvania)
by request of our en-voy in the (Jan-
tons; but keep this close for many
reasons" (1 Penn & Logan Corr., p.
352). Thus we see that this year
preparations were taking shape to
people the section which afterwards
became Lancaster County.
1705 — Some Toleration by the Re
formed Toward the Mennonites
in Switzerland.
By this time the Swiss Reformed
Church began to allow toleration to
the Mennonites; but even this year a
legacy left by a member of the Men
nonite congregation to the congrega
tion for its benefit was confiscated by
the Government authorities and State
Church. By this we see that tolera
tion had not made much headway in
Switzerland around Berne.
1706 — Familiar Names at Skippack.
Among the Mennonite land buyers
of the Skippack settlement is to be
found under the date of 1706 the name
of Edward Beer (Bear). Among the
preachers a little later were found
two Hunseckers, two Landises, a
George Detweiler, a Christian Huns-
berger and a Hans Witmer, (Brons, p.
369).
1706 — German Palatines Petition again
for Naturalization.
This year Johannes Koster and about
150 other High and Low Germans pre
sented a petition, stating that though
they came over here by Penn's invita
tion and many more had also done the
like, they feel insecure in their estates.

as they are considered as foreigners;
and they beg that a law -may be passed
to naturalize all the Germans that
come, and to give them the right to
hold and enjoy land and to sell it or
pass it to their children, and to give
them the right of voting and of being
elected to serve in Assembly or other
offices. They also set forth that they
are Mennonists and that they as well
as their predecessors for over 150
years past could not on account of
conscience take an oath. And they
ask that they -should have the same
rights as the Quakers about this mat
ter, as the Quakers are not required
to take an oath. (Vol. 2 of Col. Rec,
p. 241.) The Assembly thought this
was perfectly reasonable and that
these good people ought to be secured
in their estates and titles and have the
other rights they ask for. And the
Attorney General was instructed to
draw up the proper act of Assembly
to be 'passed.
But these poor Mennonites had to
wait three years before the Act got
through Assembly, when finally on the
17th of August, 1709, some of them
appeared with an act drawn by the
Attorney General and begged the
Council would urge the Assembly to
pass it into a law; and the Council
agreed that they would request the
Assembly to act on it (Vol. 2 Col.
Rec, p. 480.) From this we see that
matters moved very slowly towards
giving these German Palatines any
well-deserved relief. The matter was
now dragging along, and on the 31st
of August the Council -decided that this
bill of these Germans required di
spatch, and the Council read it and re
turned it to the Assernbly and in
structed the messenger that the As
sembly is requested to consider care
fully whether it is safe to make this
naturalization so extensive. (Do., p.
488.) But finally it was passed.

136

SETTLEMENTS AT SKIPPACK, PA., AND NEW BERNE, N. C.

1707— Swiss Settlers Come to Pennsyl
vania.
This year it seems there were Ger
mans or Swiss who oame into Pennsyl
vania "under a particular agreement
with the Honorable Proprietor at Lon
don"; and took up lands under him,
and a couple of years later moved up
to Lancaster County. They had not fol
lowed the formalities necessary on the
part of foreigners to get complete
title, and thus on the 16th of June,
1730, they asked the Government, who
called them "several Germans now in
habitants of the County of Lancaster"
for the rights and privileges of British
subjects. The Governor says they are
all of so good a character for honesty
and industry as deserves the esteem
of this Government. (3 Col. Rec, p.
374— Old Style p. 397.)
1707 — First Germans in Jersey.
One of the first settlements of Pala
tines in New Jersey was that in what
was named German Valley, in the
Counties -of Sussex, Passaic, Essex and
others. These Germans intended to go
to New York, but the ship leaked, and
they stopped in the beautiful valley of
a little river in Jersey. They were,
however, a. Reformed congregation
from Germany. In the year 1705 they
got to Neuwyl on the Rhine, from
which they went to Holland, hired
themselves for Dutch settlement in
New York and were sent over in 1707.
(Loher, p. 70.)
1707 — Swiss Mennonites Secure Natur
alization in Germany and Threaten
Swiss Authorities.
In the year 1707 Mennonites were
permitted to leave Switzerland on pay
ment of a fee. Some left and went to
other lands, became naturalized in
those countries, and then came back
as citizens ot other countries and
made trouble for Switzerland. (Miil
ler, p. 349.)

1707 — Swiss Mennonites Not Allowed
To Be Employed.
Some of the Cantons of Switzerland,
by a mandate of June 29, this year,
gave the Swiss Mennonites until No
vember 20th to leave the country. It
was also enacted that a fine of fifty
pounds would be inflicted on anyone
who hired a Mennonite as a servant
or leased any land to Mennonites as
tenant farmers, except such as could
show a certificate from the Judge that
they were honest, law-abiding citizens
and obedient to the authorities of the
country -and had made an oath of al
legiance. Whoever did not have cer
tificates were given orders by the
Government to leave and were de
ported if they did not leave volun
tarily. (Muller, p. 349.)
1708 — Accession to Skippack and
Grermantown.
About this time some of the prin
cipal leaders of the Germantown
colony arrived In Germantown and at
Skippack. By the 23rd of May, this
year, there were 43 members in the
Germantown and Skippack congrega
tions. Among them were Herman Kas-
dorp and Martin Kolb, who were
chosen their preachers. (Pennypacker,
p. 174.)
1708 — Swiss Settle Newborn, N. C^ and
Are Destroyed.
In 1708 a colony of Swiss went to
North Carolina and founded Newbern.
Others came to the colony a little later
from Pennsylvania. Most of them
were Mennonites and were induced to
go to colonize that neighborhood by
Michelle and Graffenreid. They cut
down the forests to make their -settle
ment. The Indians allowed them to
build their huts and to build a fort in
their midst. Graffenreid purchased
15,000 acres there for them. He was
also kindly treated by the Indians for
a time. Later they captured him irp
the Neuse river and decreed that he

DUNKARDS ORGANIZED— FIRST MMWONITE CHURCH IN AMERICA 137

should be burnt. The chiefs sat in two
rows in front of him, and behind him
the savages were dancing the death
dance. Graffenreid told them fairy
tales and tried the expedients of Cap
tain John Smith upon the savages, and
they let him go; but Lawson, his part
ner, they burned to death. Graffen
reid then left his colony for five
weeks, and when he came back it was
all destroyed by the Indians. (Loher,
p. 51.) 1708 — ^Dunkards Secede from the
.Mennonites.
This year Alexander Mack, of
Schwarzennau, in Westphalia, founded
the Dunkard denomination. (Kuhn, p.
179.) About twenty families of them
in 1719 came to Germantown, Skip-
pack. Oley and to the Conestoga.
Their leader was Peter Baker. It
would seem from the similarity of
their creeds that they were formerly
Mennonites. 1708— Kocherthal Colony of Palatines.
On the 28th day of April, 1708, a
number of the German Palatines were
sent under Kocherthal in a colony
from New York on a Government ves
sel, accompanied by Lord Lovelace,
the newly-appointed Governor. ("Die
deutsohen im Staate N. Y." by Kolb.)
I cite this from Diffenderffer's Ger
man Exodus, page 7, in which he also
says that the Board of Trade records
(Appendix B.) state there were ten
men, ten women and twenty-one chil
dren in this colony.
1708 — Mennonites Granted Permission
to Leave the Palatinate.
By a paper dated March 10, 1708—
set forth in Rupp's History, p. 93 — it
is provided that the several Menno
nites mentioned in it, with the view
of improving their conditions, wish to
reside in "The Island of Pennsyl
vania." It is further stated that they

have requested a certificate of the
authorities to set forth that they are
free and not subject to vassalage and
have paid all their debts, and that
they have behaved themselves piously
and honestly. It then states that they
have the permission of the Council or
of the Palatinate to leave and go to
the New Country. The same day, as
shown on p. 95 of the same book, they
also got the permission of their
Church and a certificate that they
were Christians and had the record
of the baptism of their children. So,
with these blessings they departed for
America. This company went to New York,
but their religious customs not being
approved th^ere they finally drifted
across into Pennsylvania. They were
some of the first fruits of Mennonite
migration. 1708 — First Mennonite Church in
America.
Mr. Kauffman says in his book that
the Mennonites held their services in
private houses or in the open air until
1708, when a log house was erected
for public worship in Germantown.
He says that Christopher Dock, the
Mennonite preacher, taught school in
this house for several years. He also
tells us that it was rebuilt in 1770 and
is today the oldest meeting house in
America.1709— A Lot of the Palatines Natural
ized.
The petition we spoke ol before was
finally passed SeiJitemher 29, 1709, and
by virtue of it 82 of the Palatines of
Philadelphia County and one of Bucks
County were naturalized. Among
them were Pastorius, the Conrads,
Shuemakers, Vanbibbers, Gattschalks,
Stolls, Kesselberrys, Hoffs, Smiths,
Scholls and others. (2 Col. Rec, p.
493.)

138 SWITZERLAND DETERMINED TO SEND MENNONITES TO AMERICA

1709 — New Attempt to Banish the Ana
baptists or Mennonites From
Berne.
The- Berne authorities again en
deavored to get rid of the objectionable
Anabaptists (all other means and
measures having failed) by shipping
them to America; since it became
known that the Queen of England was
desirous of obtaining colonists for her
transatlajitic possessions. There ap
peared at Berne about this time a for
warding merchant, or agent, named
Ritter, with some associates, who was
about to e-mibark if-or America. They
declared themselves willing to take
with them "poor families" and capable
persons of the Anabaptist religion,
who were to be -deported from the
country. Negotiations were opened
with this Mr. Ritter, by the authori
ties; and it was decided that he was
to receive for the 101 persons to be
deported 500 Thaler (Dollars) ; and
for the Anabaptists 45 Thaler per per
son actually landed in America. The
Anabaptists were to pay for their own
transportation, the money to be taken
from the funds obtained by confisca
tion of their possessions. Return to
the fatherland was prohibited on pain
of death.
The Swiss Ambassador at The
Hague, Holland, Francois Louis Pes-
ine, Seignueuer de Saint Saphorin, in
terested himself in Ritter's undertak
ing by asking the Dutch authorities to
be watchful lest some of these deport
ed Anabaptists might make good their
escape while en route through Holland
or at their re^ship-ment at Rotterdam.
The Anabaptists of Holland had re
ceived word of their Swiss brethrens'
plight; and as they were infiuential
and were held in high esteem in that
country, they were determined to
have them set free as soon as -they
arrived in Holland. There had been
several conferences with the Ambas
sador, Saint Saphorin, by the Dutch

authorities, the Ambassador of Eng
land, Mylord Townshend, and a num
ber oif Brethren and friends of the de
ported Swiss. These friends sent word
to their brethren in Rotterdam to
have a watchful eye, lest the deported
Swiss be secretly shipped over to Eng
land. As the efforts of the Swiss Ambas
sador at The Hague to secure passage
for Ritter's expedition had become
known, letters were written by Messrs.
Hendrik Toren and Jan von Gent
(good fellow-believers in Amsterdam)
to the Burgomaster, von der Pool in
Briel; to the passenger lists of the
packet boat at Hellevoet, and to Mr.
James Dayrolle, Secretary of the
Queen of Egnland at The Hague, ask
ing to inform them, should anything
about the prisoners be reported from
England. Mr. Torne (who reported
this on March 31st, to Mr. Vosterman
in Amsterdam), also told Vosterman
of a certain Mr.Machielse, who appear
ed to be a servant of the Swiss Ambas
sador. This is very likely the hereto
fore-mentioned Mr. Michelle, who was
in Lancaster County, in 1705. Prepara
tions were made to go to Nimewegen,
to meet there the Swiss prisoners,
and to furnish them, if possible, with
a ship for their transportation over
to England. (Miiller, p. 269.)
1709 — Mennonites Prepare to Come to
Pequea Valley, Lancaster County.
Rupp tells us (p. 71) that a lot of
Mennonites reached Pennsylvania and
also some. North Carolina in Decem
ber, 1709. He says that "a respectful
number of Mennonites left Strasburg,
in Germany, where they had come
overland, and sailed for America."
Page 74, he also tells us that they
first made a bargain with William
Penn, that is the Swiss Mennonites,
and then came to Lancaster County,
reaching it in 1709. He quotes this
from Benjamin Eby's "Geschchten
Der Mennoniten," p. 151; and the'

LANCASTER COUNTY'S FIRST SWISS SETTLEMENT

139

statement Rupp sets forth from that
book is that in the year 1709 the flrst
families from the Pfalz reached Lan
caster County. Rupp also bases this
date on papers belonging to the
ancient Herrs and Mylins.
Rupp says the tradition is that
these Mennonites made improvements
and cleared land here in Lancaster
County before they got their first
warrant for land, that they felled trees
and made cabins. Their warrant was
dated October 10, 1710 (Rupp, p. 76).
He says that the warrant last men
tioned in 1710 would prove that they
came and settled early because it
states on its face that these different
families had lately arrived and had
settled and selected land twenty miles
easterly from the Conestoga, near the
head of Pequea Creek. Then on p. 96
he says that they reached America in
1709. He also sets forth Letters Patent,
dated 1708 by Queen Anne, to the an
cestors of the Mennonites of Eastern
Lancaster County and shows that they
arrived and registered in New York
the 10th of August, 1709.
On p. 97, he sets forth an extract
from an address by Redmond Con
yngham on "The Early Settlement of
Pequea Valley." This address was de
livered July 4, 1842. Conyngham was
a very famous historian and can be
thoroughly relied on. He tells in the
address of the wanderings of Issac
Lefever, the head of the Mennonites
in that section of our county.
Much that is highly interesting
could be said here upon the begin
nings of this fist colonly in the
Pequea Valley, but that must be re
served for our discussion under date
of 1710, which we will shortly enter
upon. 1709 — Important Swiss and Palatinate
Item of 1709.
The Ferrees, now Ferrys and Forrys
who reached Lancaster County in 1711

and 12, according to Rupp (p. 91 to
101) reached New York in 1709, and
were very Godly people.
Rupp also tells us that some of the
Pequea Colony of 1710 (the first set
tlement in Lancaster County) lived in
Germantown before coming here.
They lived there in 1709. He does
not mention the names of those who
did live there and I do not believe
the fact can be established. The Ger
mantown and Skippack pioneers al
ways seemed to live separate from
those of Pequea — they were Germans.
The Pequea settlers were Swiss. A
letter written in London in 1710 by
our Pequea ancestors proves they
were not in Germantown in 1709 nor
in 1710 either, any considerable time.
(Rupp's' 30,000 Names.)
In 1709 the Germans of German-
town who had come over a couple of
years before were naturalized. We
find no Lancaster County names
among them. (2 Col. Rec, p. 480-483.)
Indeed they had made application
to be naturalized in 1706, and the
matter was delayed three, years (2 C.
R. 241).
Bishop Benjamin Eby, who about
1805, moved from Lancaster county
to Canada, in his "Gesohicten der
Mennoniten" p. 150 and 151, says that
in the year 1709, there moved several
Swiss families from the Palatinate
and settled in Lancaster County.
(Rupp 74.) We will show, by many
evidences, that the date of their ar
rival was 1710.
1709 — Berne Mennonites Write Com-
plaint to Holland of Swiss State
Church Persecutions.
The following letter written in 1709
by one of the Mennonite elders de
scribes the condition in Switzerland
at that time. Switzerland, June 22, 1709.
"To the Brethren of Holland:
We greet you most friendly in the
Lord, and return thanks to you in

140

SEVERE EDICT AGAINST SWISS MENNONITES

general for all the fidelity and love
which you have showed to our -breth
ren in the faith, in the Palatinate and
in other places. The Lord will re
ward you in time and eternity. We
as ministers and elders in Switzer
land wish this to you. First we make
known to you that we are all in
mourning because of how the govern
ment treats us. In the year 1708 they
sent hostages to Berne ¦ out of the
parishes, in which we lived, that had
to be maintained at the expense of
the parish, in order that they might
help to hate and expel us; and gave
council that even children must re
port their parents; and the brother
report against his brother that he is
a Mennonite. Friends and neighbors,
such were their commands, must ex
pel each other out of the bailiwick of
Berne and of the whole government,
and must then bring report and testi
mony to the government that they are
quite gone. Among others, they have
carried away to prison on a oart, poor
old people who could travel with dif
ficulty. The sick and the faint were
brought prisoners to Berne. Some
were compelled to leave family and
all else back. They had to give pro
mise they would not come back again.
If they came again, they had to keep
themselves concealed. The govern
ment sent out men to search all the
houses, and with their swords, they
thrust into the hay cooks and hit the
minister of the congregation, who had
concealed himself in it and he came
out with another brother; they
brought them both to Berne. The
minister had a chain put upon his
feet in the severe cold; and he is still
a prisoner with others. It also hap
pened that where there was any pro
perty, they divided it among the chil
dren, who joined the State Church
and the portion which would come to
the Mennonite children was paid to
the Reformed Church. From some
who had no children, they took every

thing aud made large bills of cost, in
favor of the Court House officials,
who carried out their work. This was
paid out of the Mennonite property."
This edict is a renewal of one
issued fifteen years before, which
commanded that all persons must go
to the court of Sagnau and make a
promise that if any one should see a
Mennonite, they must bring him to
the bailif, or the officer of the court
to deliver him into the hands of the
government; and those who harbored
them, if found out, must leave the
country. Where the husband goes to
the State Church and the wife to the
Mennonite, or vice versa, the one that
is Mennonite was to be called before
the court, known as the Mennonite
Chamber, where he or she -would be
punished. It happened that where a
man harbored his own wife, who was
a Mennonite and he was not, that she
was ordered to leave the country, and
had to pay 300 pounds fine; and a
father for harboring his Mennonite
son was ordered by the ilennonite
Chamber to pay 500 pounds fine.
This simple letter is sent to you to
make known to the congregations in
all Holland to stand by us your ser
vants and elders in Switzerland.
We pray to God that He may be
counsel to you that your labors may
succeed for us, according to that
which seems good to Him. You know
better than we can write, how to in-
terecede so that the government may
treat us a little milder, which would
be happy news to our breasts. It
seems too, my brothers and sisters
that it would be better if we were at
peace with each other and there were
no divisions and our government
would have no reason to accuse us of
trouble among ourselves. I believe
that if the ministers and elders would
come together, as they -did long ago,
at Strasburg, much division would
be stayed and we would be reunited.
Oh, that the dear God might grant us

FRANKE.XTHAL ADDITION TO SKIPPACK

141

his grace that this should happen.
(Mtiller 255.) Amen.
1709 — The Frankenthal Mennonite
Addition to Skippack aud
Vicinity.
The error of some historians in stat
ing that the first Lancaster County
seatlement arrived in 1709, arises
from confusing the Skippack German
Mennonite Colony of 1709 with the
Swiss Lancaster County Colony of
1710. A settlement of German Mennonites
came to Skippack on the Schuylkill in
1709, as an accretion to an earlier
colony there. They may have been a
branch of the great German Exodus
of 1709. (Kuhn 26.) But this is not
certain. They were Strasburg people.
(Rupp 71 and 79.) But they may have
come by way of London. Those of
the Exodus left from London for
America. These Strasburg people
went to Skippack.
April 8, 1709, a letter coming from
the committee on Foreign Needs at
Amsterdam, states that nine or ten
poor families from Worms had come
to Rotterdam, asking for help to be
transferred to Pennsylvania; but the
committee advised them not to go (Pa.
Mag. of Hist and Biog., Vol. 2).
August 6, 1709, Jacob Telner wrote
of them from London , that eight
families had gone to Pennsylvania
and that there were six more Menno
nite families in London, too poor to
pay passage. He asks the brethren in
Rotterdam to come to their assistance.
And this year also the yearly meeting
of the Quakers at London voted fifty
pounds to help Mennonites to go to
America (See Smith's Mennonite His
tory 145).
It is these people no doubt, sajys
Prof. Smith, of whom Penn wrote to
Logan as having gone to Pennsyl
vania. The letter is -dated 26th ot
fourth month (June) 1709; and in it

Penn says "Herewith come the Pala
tines whom use with tenderness and
love and fix them so that they may
send over -an agreeable character for
they are a sober people — divers Men
nonites and will neither swear nor
fight. See that Guy uses them well.
(P. & L. Cor. vol. 2, p. 354).
Prof Smith says "They re-ached
America and located on Skippack."
(p. 146.)
The Telner letter about them of
August 6, 1709, addressed to Amster
dam is in part as follows:
"Eight families have gone to Penn
sylvania from here; the English
friends called Quakers helped them.
The truth is many thousand persons,
young and old, men and women, have
arrived here in the hope and expecta
tion of going to Pennsylvania, but the
poor men are mislead in the matter.
If they could transport themselves by
any means, they might go when it
pleased them, but because of inability,
they cannot do it, and must go where
they are ordered. Now as there are
among all this multitude, six families
of our own brethren and fellow be
lievers — I mean German Mennonites
— ^who ought to go to Pennsylvania,
the brethren in Holland should extend
to them the hand of love and charity,
for they are poor and needy. I trust
and believe, however, that they are
honest and God fearing. It would be
a great comfort and consolation to
the poor sheep if the rich brothers and
sisters from their superfluity, would
satisfy their wants and let some
crumbs fall from their tables to these
poor Lazuruses.'' (Vol. 2, Pa. Mag., p.
122.) Telner by speaking of "all the mul
titude" refers to the great German
Exodus of 1709- in England, of which
we shall presently speak. Only six
families of Mennonites were, so he
says, in that Exodus. These six fam
ilies and perhaps a few more with
them, came from Worms and Franken-

142

FRANKENTHAL AND SKIPPACK SETTLEMENT

thai and reached Skippack. They
were Germans: not Swiss. The Lan
caster County pioneers were Swiss.
Pennypacker in his "Settlement of
Germantown" also notices this settle
ment (p. 126.)
1709 — Dr. Hoop Scheffer's Views on
the German Mennonite Emigration
to Pennsylvania in 1709.
"Dr. J. G. De Hoop Scheffer, of
Amsterdam Mennonite College, in an
article on Mennonite Emigration to
Pennsylvania, writ-ten in 1869, vol. 2
Pa. Mag. p. 117, says (inter alia p.
120) on this subject:
One of the oldest communities, if
not the oldest of all in Pennsylvania,
was that at Scheeback or German-
town. The elder of their two preach
ers, Wm. Rittenhouse, died in 1708,
and two new ones were chosen. The
emigration of the other brethren
from the Palatinate with Peter Kolb,
were men enabled to make the jour
ney by the aid of the Netherlands and
gave a favorable prospect of growth.
Financially, however, the circum
stances of the community left much
to be desired. In a letter written to
Amsterdam, dated September 3, 1708,
from which these particulars are de
rived and which was signed by Jacob
Godschalk, Herman Kaasdorp, Martin
Kolb, Isaac Van Santern, Conradt Jan-
sen, they presented a long and friend
ly request for some catechisms for
the children, and some little Testa
ments for the young.''
It is no wonder -that half a year
later, April of 1709, the Mennonite
Committee on Foreign Needs cher
ished few hopes concerning the colony.
They felt, however, for nine or ten
families who had come to Rotterdam,
according to information from thence,
under date of April 8, 1709, from the
neighborhood of Worms and Franken
thal, in order to emigrate and whom
they earnestly sought to dissuade
from making the journey. They were
(said the letter from Rotterdam), al

together very poor men, who intended
to seek a better place of abode in
Pennsylvania. Much has been ex
pended upon them heretofore, freely,
and these people bring with them
scarce anything that is necessary in
the way of raiment and shoes, much
less the money that must be -spent for
fare from here to England and from
there on the great journey, before
they can settle in that foreign land."
The committee who considered the
matter useless and entirely unadvis-
able, refused to dispose in this way of
the funds entrusted to them." The
Palatines understood the situation
well. If they could only reach Hol
land without troubling themselves
about the letters the committee would
end by helping them on their way to
Pennsylvania. The emigrants in April,
1709, accomplished their object;
though it appears through the assis
tance of others. At all events, I think
they are the ones referred to by
Jacob Telner a Netherlands Menno
nite, dwelling at London, who wrote
August 6, 1709, to Amsterdam and
Haarlem." 1709— The Great Palatinate Exodus
into England.
This year a great number of pov
erty stricken Germans from the
Palatinate (also -Swiss, who earlier
had moved into the Palatinate) rushed
like madmen into England. There
were several causes for it. First:
Queen Anne of England had issued a
glowing prospectus of the great op
portunities in Pennsylvania and in
vited the Palatines to go there and
take up the rich farm lands. Second:
there was great hardship and poverty
in the Palatinate, resulting from its
over-crowded condition (but the people
who fiocked into England in this
Exodus were not suffering any serious
religious prosecution, because they
were Catholics, Lutherans and Re-
fo.rmed, who were not the people per-

GREAT PALATINATE EXODUS OF 1709

143

secuted for their religion). The num
ber in the exodus has been stated at
various amounts, from 14,000 to 33,000.
Their ultimate object was Pennsyl
vania. But when they fiocked into
England they learned that there were
neither money nor ships to take them
there. The most authentic account of it is
given in a report made to the House
of Commons in 1711. The report in
part states: "In the Spring of 1709,
. great numbers came down the Rhine
and did not stop until reaching Rot
terdam, Holland. Their destination
was England. By June, the number in
England reached over 10,000 and the
Queen's government became alarmed.
Orders were sent to the English min
ister at the Hague to check it. Ad
vertisements were put into the Dutch
Gazettes, that no more would be al
lowed to land. But three thousand
more came. England issued a pro
clamation in December, that all would
be sent back; some were sent to the
West Indies and Ireland; but those
coming after October were sent back.
Holland also tried to stop the tide.
The English Board of Trade and
Plantations met twenty times to con
sider the matter, in May, June and
August Queen Anne ordered help to them
and 19,838 pounds were provided.
They were lodged in ware houses,
etc. — on the commons — in large build
ings of business men — and fed.
The Commons Committee says that
most of them were farmers and vine
dressers, but many had trades.
Finally, 3,800 were sent to Ireland
In August, 1709, and February, 1710,
there were 800 more sent — 600 were
finally lodged on Black Heath, 650
were sent to North Carolina (to New
Bern), where Michelle and Graffen
reid had bought 10,000 acres of land —
800 (those who were Swiss) were in
duced to go back to Switzerland —

3,200 were taken by Col. Hunter to
New York, in May, 1710.
The whole subject is written up in
a masterly way by Dr. P. R. Diffen-
derfer in his "German Exodus of
1709"; and is entrancingly interesting.
The great bulk of them were Luth
erans and Reformed ¦ Their Lutheran
minister took 3,548 of them back to
Germany and 1,600 also went back,
who were to go to Scisily Islands;
and 746, who -were ordered to go to
Ireland, went back to Germany; and
800 who had gone to Ireland, came
back and returned to Germany, mak
ing nearly 7,000 in all going back. The
elector Palatinate protested against
the report that religious persecution
drove these people to England. He
says they were not persecuted.
My only excuse for writing at such
length on this subject is to show that
while all of these 14,000 or more, poor
Palatinates intended in 1709, to come
to Pennsylvania, the only ones who
did arrive here were the few who
reached Skippack in 1709. And none
of our Lancaster County pioneers
came here from the Exodus. The
British government ordered the Luth
eran and other ministers, in England,
to take an accurate census of the
hordes in England, and make a record
of their religious faiths. This was
done to the number of about 6,520.
The record has been recently copied
in England, brought to America, and
printed by the New York Genealogical
Society. Before the record was print
ed the writer went to New York and
tabulated the list. It was found that
1,784 were Lutherans, 2,257 were Re
formed, 44 were Catholics, 10 were
Baptists, only six were Mennonites;
and the remainder were of various
faiths. Our Lancastr -County pioneers were
Mennonites. Beside, of all the 7,000
names, not more than a -dozen or
twenty are fanniliar Lancaster County
names (See N. Y. Gen. Rec. Vols. 40 &

144

DUTCH AMBASSADOR HELPS SWISS SUFFERERS

41). It is indeed, most remarkable
that out of 14,000 to 17,000 persons
intending to come to Pennsylvania in
1709, having accomplished their jour
ney to England, only a little handful
reached the province of Pennsylvania
and none at al 1 reached Lancaster
County, though they were of the Swiss
and German stock, who, the next year,
began to settle here and who, in the
next ten years, had settled here to the
number of many thousands.
1710 — German Colony in Ireland.
In our article on the Exodus from
the Palatinate to England, we noted
that a large number of the refugees
were sent to Ireland, Dr. Mitchel,
who visited the Palatines in Ireland
in 1840, says that it is very odd to
find the names Baker, Miller, Ludwig,
Madler, Pyfer, Strine, and Shirk in
that section of the world, where all
those about them are full blood Irish,
About 1895 or 6 an article in the
Philadelphia Record also dwelt on
this situation. (Diffenderffer on the
Exodus 81.)
1710 — Dutch Ambassador Runckel at
Berne. Tells of the Mennonite
Conditions There.
A letter written by ambassador
Runckel to J. Beets in Hoorn (Hol
land) January 22, 1710, explains it
self. It is as follows: "Your letter
of Oct, last year has come to me. I
have not been able to answer sooner,
because I have been detained to the
present time in Lyons and Geneva
and other places in Italy. Yesterday
I came back here again and have in
formed myself as far as possible. I
have heard, with compassion, that the
so called Mennonites are persecuted
so severely as has not been the case
for years; and that since one named
Willading has become Mayor of
Berne, who is a Godless man and an
enemy to all the pious, has that been
the fact. However, there are yet some

good men in the Council who did not
want to approve this persecution.
But on the other hand, the unspiritual
clerics have mightily supported the
Mayor. Also, one of these Godless
preachers has not been ashamed to
tell him that one should cut off the
heads of some of them, then the
others might come to their senses. In
the meantime, the Council has writ
ten to Zurich in order to ascertain
how they got rid of the Mennonites
there. Whereupon, they answered
that they had ordered some to be
killed; and after that they had thrown
as many as they could, into prison.
Some have been transplated forcibly
into the war in France. Others had
been sold to the galleys — others had
been banished and forbidden to re
turn. Of these latter, some had re
turned and have given their persecu
tors occasion to let their wrath loose
against them, so that they are now
persecuted more than ever and are
hunted down in every possible way
and thrown into dire imprisonment
They pay money to informers, where
by a large number have come to
prison. How many and who, I cannot
tell but hope soon to do so. Although
it is strictly forbidden to let any one
visit them in their prison, yet I hope
through the aid of good friends to be
able to speak to them myself. In the
meantime, it is reported they are very
patient under this affliction, edifying
one another, and have increased their
friends greatly through this persecu
tion. Within the last month, two ol
the best teachers were caught whom
they could not get before, until two
prisoners who were in jail, because of
thieving, promised to bring them to
jail, if they would obtain their liberty
tor doing so. This bold purpose they
carried out in delivering up these two
good men, whereupon, they received
$200 in specie, as a reward. But that
some of those had died in prison I
cannot tell. They say that of those

RITTER'S PROJECT OF DEPORTATION TO AMERICA

145

now in prison some are to be sent to
Pennsylvania. Now there was in Berne a Mr.
Spezieria Ritter, and fellow associate,
who were of a mind, soon to take
their journey into America; and of
fered of the very poor families here
and those Mennonite people, who
were of good reputation to be gotten
out of the country, to take them
along. Arrangements were made with
this Ritter that he was to receive for
101 persons who were to go along
with this expedition $500; and for the
Mennonites $45 a person actually
landed in America, The Mennonites
were to pay the transportation by
wagon themselves, to the boat which
was to be taken out of the Mennonite
property of the congregation to
which they belonged. Return to the
fatherland was prohibited on penalty
of death. Ritter was to accompany
them to Carolina. This was made in
1709; and supplemented the following
year, to the effect that Ritter obtain
ed some advance payment and the
town Council provided for good ships
themselves. These Mennonites were
required by the Queen of Great Bri
tain for the peopling of their Amer
ican islands and colonies. There
must therefore have been agreements
and transactions with Great Britain;
and passes were provided from there
also. Everything was ready for the
departure on the 18th of March, 1710.
In the last hour, a French Ambassa
dor, Counte Du Luc, asked for a pass.
The Imperial Ambassador, Herrn
Feontianmansdorf, also asked for a
free pass and passage on the Rhine
and the places along the same.
(Minutes 11th March.) The Council
and authorities of Basle, were asked
to appoint a walled place situated
not far from the Rhine for the pas
sengers (Min. 15th March). They
had their thoughts wholly set on get
ting free pasage through the Nether
lands and necessary passes for em

barkation to America. March 12, 1710,
was set for the departure from Berne.
Shortly before that date, a letter
from th Chancellor to the Bernese
Ambassador in Holland, Mr. De St
Saphorin, announced that the French
and English passes had been given to
Mr. Ritter in order to secure safe
transport of the people from their
plight (So they did not need to fiee.)
Now St. Saphorin took care that the
States will impart to the police
officers the necessary directions along
the route, in order that not only free
foreign passage -but also the neces
sary assistance be given to the leader
of the expedition against any acci
dental escape at the embarkation of
the Mennonites at Rotterdam. The
necessary writing together with in
structions, St. Sapharin is to send to
Ritter in Cologne, to the address of"
Mr. Deitrich Kaester, export mer
chant. He is also to get into com
munication with the authorities in
Rotterdam. St. Sapharin is a perfect
diplomat, in the true sense of his
time; and one of the finest and most.
skillful of men."
1710 — Swiss and Holland Correspond
ence on Mennonite Persecution in
Berne.
In the item just cited, found in Miil
ler 257-259, we set forth the Dutch
Ambassador Runckel's letter.
We now give the substance of fur
ther correspondence on the same sub
ject between the two nations.
May 13, 1710, the Swiss authorities
wrote to Holland saying:
We do not doubt that if your High
ness were acquainted with the condi
tion of our Canton, you would approve
of our proceedings in this matter and
find, with us, that, this kind of people
cannot be tolerated in our land, with
out danger. All the more because we,
as a case of necessity, must arm our
subjects, and unlike some other of
the federated nations, have no foreign

146 ST. SAPHORIN HELPING THE MENNONITES TO AMERICA

troops in our pay. This we must do
to keep, the treaties made by the con
federation." (Muller 264.)
Another letter is noteworthy. It is
the reply of the Dutch Ambassador to
the re-quest of the Berne authorities,
-asking the Dutch to take an Interest
in banishing Mennonites to America.
The reply dated March 22, 1710, is in
part as follows:
"In religion, freedom must be al
lowed to every man to believe and
profess that which in his judgment is
necessary to his salvation. No one
may be persecuted and punished for
such faith and such profession,if his
life and doctrines do not tend to the
injuring of the state.
And as to these Mennonites, it is
well known that they have at all
times conducted themselves as good
inhabitants and subjects. Therefore,
the Holland authorities cannot in any
way, lend a hand to the forcible trans
portation and banishment -of Menno
nites to America; nor do anything
whereby they might give color of ap
proving even indirectly, such pro
ceedings as have been infiicted upon
the Mennonites in the Canton of
Berne." (Miiller 265.)
1710 — St. Saphorin, the Mennonites'
Friend Still Assists Them.
Obstacles arose and largely pre
vented Ritter's project from realizing
any important results. Louis Michelle
(who before, had been to America,
both in what is now Lancaster County,
Pa., and in what is now the region
of New Berne, North Carolina), was
assisting Ritter in the project of tak
ing the Mennonites down the Rhine
and It fell to him to tell them that
there was no home in Holland for
them and no funds to take them on
to America. It thus became neces
sary to persuade those who were In
Holland to flnd means to go on to
America and also those who were
coming on to Holland to do the same.

St Saphorin then succeeded as he
says In a communication, dated March
28, 1710, in arranging for a temporary
stay for them in Holland where Hol
land Mennonites were prevailed on to
take care of them, for he says "they
cannot be expected to go back to
Berne and be killed." March 29, 1710,
St. Saphorin wrote to the English
Ambasador at Hague (Holland) Lord
Townsend to win him over. Muller
says, the manner in which he presents
the project does him great credit as
a diplomat. He says among other things "Some
private individuals of good family of
Berne, have purchased from the
Queen of Great Britain a considerable
portion of land in North Carolina and
seven thousand acres in Pennsylvania
in order to found colonies there under
the mild government of the Queen.
More than eighty families belonging
to a religion, according to their
consciences from the Canton of Berne
are on the way there. Besides these,
there are fifty Anabaptists or Menno
nites who are In prison because they
will bear no arms for the defence ot
the Fatherland — ^will not obey the
sovereign nor recognize him — and
who have been given their liberty on
the condition that they bind them
selves to settle in America where
their sect is tolerated. And on the
condition that they go to America,
they have been allowed to sell their
goods. And favorable contracts have
been made with the owners of the
land; and the state of Berne has as
sumed to pay all expenses from Berne
to America. All this was carried on
with Mr. de Stanln the Ambassador
of the Queen of Great Britain. It will
be of great advantage to the kingdom
of Great Britain if the American col
onies became populated with these
people, in part, as both the families
of these brethren in faith, who are
going thither from Switzerland and
all Mennonites are very good farmers

MENNONITES PLEAD FOR HELP TO GO TO AMERICA

147

and industrious people. And as in
large part they are provided with
money, they will be brought into the
colonies without cost to Great Bri
tain. Thus all will be of great ad
vantage to her."
"My lord Townsend," he says, "is
therefore requested to intervene with
their high mightiness the Holland
states general, that they grant to all
those who are in Holland a free pas
sage who hope to emigrate from
Switzerland to America." (Miiller
266.) The Mennonites, seeing the transac
tions of Berne simply religious per
secution by which they meant to send
their subjects to America by force
just as they previously sent them to
the galleys of Venice, were about to
alarm their brethren in faith then
in England, to interest the Queen in
the cause of their Swiss brethren,
when St Saphorin took up their case
as above. (Do. 267.)
1710 — Hans Funk Leads a Colony Out
of Switzerland.
There is a brief note in Mililler (p.
206) stating that about 1710, appar
ently, Hendrick Funk led a colony of
12 exiled Mennonite families out of
Switzerland. 1710— Burkholder, Zellers, Brackbill,
Rupp and Donens at Amsterdam,
Plead for Help to Transport
Swiss Mennonites to
America.
This year, according to Dr. Schef
fer of the Mennonite College at Am
sterdam (Holland) in his article on
Mennonite Bmigration to Pennsyl
vania in Vol. 2 of Pa. Mag. of Hist.
and Biog. pp. 117-126, five Swiss
Mennonite leaders, Hans Burchi or
Burghalter, Melchoir Zeller, Benedict
Brechtbuhl, Hans Rupp and Peter
Donens were in Amsterdam pleading
for their people in Switzerland. The

majority desired to live in the Palati
nate but found great difficulty in ac
complishing it. The Palatinate com
munity were generally poor and much
hardshdp they endured there for want
of religious liberty. They were sub
ject to the humors of the elector, or
worse, of his officers. For nearly
seven years they waited, often sup
ported by the Netherland brethren,
always hoping for -better times.
Finally, at a meeting of the Elders at
Manheim, in the Palatinate, held Feb.
1717, it was decided to call upon the
Mennonite brethren of -Netherlands
for help in carrying out the project
of going to Pennsylvania, which they
had long contemplated, and which at
last came to maturity. And the very
land to which in 1710, they were to be
forcibly exiled, they adopted in 1717,
viz. Pennsylvania — ^particularly the
Pequea and Conestoga Valleys.
The actual numbers coming here in
1717 we will treat of under that year.
I may note here too, that this same
Hans Burchi, or as Dr. Scheffer calls
him Burghalter in 1727, was a Menno
nite preacher at Conestoga. Also ac
cording to Rupp, Brechbuhl trans
lated the Wanderland Seele into the
German from the Dutch.
1710— Swiss Mennonites the First
Settlers in Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania.
We now enter upon a most inter
esting item, locally — the first settle
ment in the Imperial County of Lan
caster. This settlement was the Men
nonite colony on Pequea Creek near
Willow Street in 1710.
Miiller says (p. 365) that among the
emigrant Palatinates to Pennsylvania,
there were a large number of exiled
Bernese. Bernese emigrated not only
out of the Palatinate(where many had
prviously settled) in 1710 to America
but also directly out of the Emmen
thal. They were f-wo months on the

148 JOURNEY OF FIRST SWISS SETTLERS TO LANCASTER COUNTS

ocean and experienced all the hard
ships of first settlers.
Muller says further "Bernese Men
nonites are mentioned in a letter
written by Toren van Gent in Rotter
dam to Jacob Porsterman In Amster
dam, dated March 31, 1710, which
Mennonites had gone to England on
their way to Pennsylvania and whom
the Rotterdam brethren had helped
with money to reach London. And
says MXiller (p. 366) they are likely
the same six Swiss Mennonites, who
on the 27th of June, 1710, wrote from
London to their brethren in the faith
in Amsterdam.
That letter quoted in full by Muller,
p. 366, is as follows:
"Worthy and Beloved Friends:
"Besides wishing you all temporal
and eternal welfare we have wanted
to inform you how that we have
received that financial aid which the
dear friends out of their great kind-^
ness of heart have given toward our
journey. And this kind contribution
came very opportunely to us, because
the journey cost more than we had
imagined. God bless the worthy
friends in time and eternity; and
whatever may be of good for the body
and wholesome for the soul may the
merciful God give them and contin
ually be and remain their rewarder.
But of our journey we re-port that we
were detained almost ten weeks, be
fore we were put on board ship; but
then we actually entered into the
ship on the 24th, were well lodged
and well cared for, and we have been
informed we will set sail from here
next Saturday or Sunday from
Gravesend, and wait there for the
Russian convoy. God be with us, and
bring us to land in America as hap
pily as here in England. Herewith
we commend you to the merciful
God; and, should we not see one
another in this life, may God permit
us to see one another in eternity.

Wherewith we commend you al I to
the merciful God (together with
courteous greetings from us all) and
remain your true friends. London,
the 24th of June, 1710.
JACOB MILLER,
MARTIN OBBRHOLTZBR,
MAKTIN MAILY,
CHRISTIAN HERR,
HANS HERR,
MARTIN KINDIG."
These six pioneers came from Lon
don in the Mary Hope, a small ship
having ninety-four passengers on
board (one of whonf was the famous
Quaker preacher, Thomas Chalkley),
with John Annis, master, and left
London early Friday, June 29, 1710,
in the morning, and later the same
day left Gravesend for America and
reached the Delaware in September.
We base our belief on Chalkley's
Journal, page 74, where he says: "I
took passage in the Mary Hope, John
Annis master, bound for Philadelphia;
and on the 29th of the 4th month
(June), 1710, at Gravesend, we set sail
and overtook the Russian fleet at
Harwich and joined them and sailed
with them as far as Shetland, north
ward to the Isle of Orkney. We were
two weeks with the fleet, and then
left them and sailed to the westward
for America. In this time we had
rough seas, which made divers of us
sea sick. After we left Shetland we
were seven weeks and four days at
sea before we saw the land of Amer
ica. We had sweet and solemn meet
ings on the flrst and flfth days; had
one meeting with the Germans, or
Palatines, on the ship's decks and a
person who understood both lan
guages interpreted for me. The people
were tender and wrought upon, be
haved sober and were well satisfied."
He also says the ship was small and
was well loaded, with ninety-four on
board; and all were brought well and
safe to Philadelphia in September,
1710; and that the Palatines were

LANCASTER COUNTY'S FIRST SWISS COLONY

149

wonderfully pleased with the coun
try, mlghUly admiring the pleasant
ness and fertility of It"
It is not known that in the fall of
1710 any other Palatines than these
who signed the London Letter, came
to Philadelphia. Chalkleyls ship left
Gravesend, and was under convoy of
the Russian fleet, just as the Menno
nite letter says they expected to do;
it had Mennonites on board; It left
Gravesend (which is fifteen -miles
from London) on Friday, June 29, al
most the day the Palatines wrote they
expected to leave. They expected to
go Saturday, the 30th, but to catch
the Russian fieet, they had to sail a
day earlier. We find that the 29th of
June, 1710, was Friday, because in 2
Col. Rec. p. 533, June 16, 1711, was
said to be Tuesday, and the 25th was
thus, Tuesday, and the 25th of June,
1710, therefore, Monday, which made
the 29th on Friday.
This traces up these six pioneers
of Lancaster County settlement from
Amsterdam (where prior to March 31,
1710, there were gathered), to their
arrival in Philadelphia in September,
1710. Other fragmentary evidence
makes it fairly clear that, in the win
ter of 1709 and 10 they fied out of the
Emmenthal near Berne and went to
Holland to collect means, etc, from
wealthy Mennonites there and make
arrangements to go to Pennsylvania.
Lancaster County thus owes a debt of
thanks to Holland for helping the
opening up of this county and for
helping so good and God-loving a
class of early settlers here.
We shall next trace the movements
of this handful of settlers from Phil
adelphia to Pequea Creek, their steps
to acquire land there and bring it
under their dominion. While only six
are signers of the letter quoted, it is
certain that several more were in the
colony. I

1710— The Pioneer Swiss Colony Se
cures Land on Pequea Creek,
Lancaster County, Pa.
Shortly after arriving in Philadel
phia in September, 1710, the Colony
just mentioned secured the right to
take up land on Pequea Creek.
They procured for themselves the
following warrant, which is No. 572 .
of the Taylor Papers, in the Histori
cal Society Building at Philadelphia.
Phil. ber 16, 1710.
By a warrant from dated
the 8th day of Oct. Lord, one
thousand seven hundred and is
authorized and required to survey
and lay out to Rodolph
Bundely and company ten
thousand acres of land with reason
able allowances for roads and high
ways on the northwest side of a hill,
about twenty miles easterly from
Conestoga and near the head of
Pequea Creek, and thereof
with my office. JACOB TAYLOR.
To Isaac Taylor Surveyor
of the County of Chester."
The blanks above are occasioned
by reason of the fact that the original
paper has partly crumbled to pieces
because of age. There is no full
copy of it.
In Vol. 19, Sec Series of Penna.
Archives, p. 529, may be found cer
tain minutes of Penn's Commission
ers of Property of their meeting held
Sept. 10, 1712, making reference to
the same tract. It is there stated
that, the Commissioners granted ten
thousand acres of land to the Pala
tines, by warrant dated  ber, 1710
and that part of it (2000 acres) was
laid .out to Martin Kendig.
Rupp, in his history of Lancaster
County (p. 90) quoting the same min
utes says, the warrant was dated -the
6th of October 1710. The copy which
I give above of the original, found

150 PACTS ABOUT ORIGINAL SETTLEMENT IN LANCASTER COUNTY

in the Taylor Papers seems to be
dated the 8th of October as I state;
but the date is so indistinct that the
6th may be correct.
Rupp (p. 85) sets out another
paper, apparently not in the archives,
stated to be a document signed by
former commissioners, which states
that those former commissioners by
a warrant bearing date the 10th of
October 1710, granted unto John Ru
dolph Bundely, Hans Herr, and divers
other Germans, late inhabitants in or
near the Palatinate of the Rhine,
10,000 acres to be laid out on the
north side of a hill, about twenty
miles easterly of Conestoga, near the
head of Pequea Creek" etc.
Thus we have the 6th — the 8th and
the 10th of October, declared as the
date of this first title of land in Lan
caster County by our Swiss-German
ancestors. There is an order to survey accord
ing to the Taylor Papers (No. 573)
dated October 16, 1710, which sets out
that by a warrant dated 11th day of
eighth month (October) 1710, there
was given to John Rudolph Bundely
500 acres of land adjoining the 10,000
located or to be laid out to the Pala
tine Company.
Thus the true date is not later than
October 1710.
These pioneers at once journeyed
to the head of Pequea Creek but did
not find that point to meet their de
sires and journeyed down the stream
until they arrived at a point on the
creek directly east of present Willow
Street and there took up, on both
sides of the creek 6,400 acres of this
land and had it surveyed Oct 23,
1710 and divided the 27th of April,
1711. This may be found in a map
called "Plot of Original Tract of Old
Rights in Lancaster County" in the
Office of Internal Affairs at Harris-
burg. The remainder was divided
later. (See Mennonites of America
by C. Henry Smith, p. 146,)

The division was as follows: Be
ginning on the west Martin Kendig
530 acres — ^Martin Mylin 265 acres —
Christian Herr 530 acres — Martin
Kendig 264 acres — -John Herr 530
acres — John Bundely 500 acres —
Christian Franciscus 530 acres — Ja
cob Miller 1,008 acres — John Punk
530 acres — Martin Kendig 1,060 acres.
The tracts extend nearly north and
south and are of regular parallel
form, the whole plot reaching from
West Willow on the west to Stras
burg on the east.
Upon this tract also are the remains
of the original settlers in the private
grave yards on the same — one on the
bank of Pequea Creek, known as
Tchantz's Graveyard, afterwards
called Musser's, where are found
tombstones (practically intact today)
oyer the resting places of the Mylins
and Millers — one adjoining the brick
Mennonite Willow Street Church,
where lie the Herrs — and one just
east of Willow Street, where repose
the Kendigs and some of the Mylins.
The division lines of the old origi
nal farms, determined the public
road of today of that whole section
of ten square miles, five miles from
east to west and two miles or more
from north to south; these roads 'be
ing located precisely on the old
property lines. Much of the original
tract is today owned and occupied by
descendants of the original owners.
1710 — Record of Subdivision of
Pequea Tract.
In the record of warrants at Har
rishurg the subdivision of the great
tract mentioned above may be found.
Among other facts, it is set out that
"Martin Kendig late an inhabitant of
Switzerland, had surveyed to him
1060 acres of land in Strasburg town
ship, bounded by Mylin. Herr and
Punk — another of 530 acres and an
other of 265 acres. Recorded Sept.
1711.

ANCIENT HOilE OP OUR COUNTY PIONEERS

151

Likewise Christopher Franciscus of
Switzerland 530 acres bounded by
Miller, Bowman and Bundely — in 1710
Punk had 530 acres founded by Ken
dig and Miller, surveyed Feb. 28,
1711. Bundely of Switzerland had 500
acres bounded by Bowman, surveyed
in 1710 and Mart Mylin 265 acres —
Christian Herr 530 acres and John
Herr 530 acres — all recorded July 3,
1711; Wendell Bowman 530 acres re
corded July 7, 1711. Warrants for all
of these are dated 1710. (See Rupp
79.) 1710 — ^Membership and First Steps of
Pequea Colony.
We have mentioned above six of the
members of the Pequea Colony — those
signing the London Letter. Rupp
says that in addition to them, Hans
Mylin, Michael Oberholtzer and
others (whom he does not name),
were in the Colony. (Rupp 75.) He
says their warrant was recorded and
the land surveyed Oct. 23, 1710; and
that April 27, 1711, the surveyor-
general, at their request subdivided
it; "into so many parts as they had
previously agreed upon."
In warrant book 1700-1714 p. 229,
Shippen, Griffith Owen and Thomas
under date of Oct. 10. 1710, Edward
Story — Penn's land commissioners —
order Jacob Taylor, Surveyor General,
to survey to those named above the
full quantity of ten thousand acres,
with allowances for highways into as
many small tracts as they (the pur
chasers) shall agree or appoint -to
each of them his respective share to
be holden by the purchasers, their
heirs and assigns under the rents re
served, of one shilling Sterling yearly
for every hundred acres. They were
to pay 500 pounds Sterling for the
land — one hundred pounds each year
so that in six years they should pay
principal and interest in full. (See
Rupp 75.)

1710 — Lancaster County Ancestors
Banished From Berne This
Tear.
Prof. Kuhns (p. 46) in his "German
and -Swiss settlements of Pennsyl
vania" states that, in 1710 among
those banished out of Berne were the
names of Brechbuhl, Baumgartner,
Rupp, Pahrni, Aeschliman. Maurer,
Ebersold and others and that as
surely as these are of Bernese origin,
the names of Landis, Brubacher,
Meiley, Engli, Ringer, Gut, Gochenor
and Frick are from Zurich.
The particular Swiss, home of the
pioneers of Lancaster County may
claim our brief attention in this item.
The ancient Herr home we have
discussed before.
Martin Meiley and his ancestors,
says Mr. Schnebeli of Obfelden, came
from the Canton of Zurich. And he
says the ancient home of Meileys
was at Hedingon in Canton Zurich;
and that there are doctors and pro
fessors of that name there now.
Of the Kendigs, Oberholtzers and
Millers, this same authority also says
they were from Zurich. He says too
that, the name 'Miiller is most numer
ous there (as it is here) of them all.
In Canton Glarus there are many
Herrs and Tschudys.
Mr. Schnebeli says that "It is prob
able that two of the six signers of
the London letter were from Zurich
Oberland (that is southeast part of
the Canton — mountainous part). They
are Martin Kendig and Martin Ober
holtzer. Jacob Muller was from Zurich, for
a certainty. There were nine dead
Miillers on the battle field of Keppel
where Zwingli met his death Oct. 11,
1531. The Mullers are most promi
nent in Switzerland.
They have been statesmen, domes
tic and foreign. The president of
Switzerland in 1909 was a M.uller.

152 ATTEMPT TO PO-RCE MENNONITES INTO PESTILENTIAL SWAMPS

A branch of the Oberholtzers came
from a village called Oberholtz near
Wald. There are families of that
name there today.
Speaking again of the Mileys, Mr.
Schnebeli says, there was a Colonel
Meiley in late years. There is today
a Rev. Meiley and a Dr. Meiley there
too. Other now familiar Lancaster
County names are found in the
County of Obfeldon and says Mr.
Schnebeli, "At the .beginning of the
18th century several Obfeldo-n resi
dents moved to Pennsylvania, such as
Huber, Landis. Ringger, Gut, Punk,
-and others."
He concludes by saying that the
"best authority on these subjects is
Dr. Weber, the High Librarian of
Canton Zurich.
1710 — Projected Lithuanian Colony
of Swiss Mennonites in
Prussia.
As early as 1526 there -were Menno-
-nites in Marienberg, Prussia, asd thus
that section of the German Empire
was not a new country to them. When
this nation had become depopulated
by pestilence and what Miiller calls
the northern war (Miiller 329) King
Frederick of Prussia, in 1710 asked
Berne to send a colony of the perse
cuted Mennonites there. The Prus
sian Ambassador Von Bundeli was
consulted by Berne as to the matter.
The Prussian King also opened the
matter with the Ambassadors at the
Hague and at Hamburg and reported
that the Dutch and the Hamburg
Mennonites thought this would be a
good place to locate some of the per
secuted. But these Dutch and German
brethren advised that by all means a
committee of Mennonites should go
and view the land to see whether
their Swiss brethren would like the
place. King Frederick thought well of the
project and told his Berne Ambassa

dor, Von Bun-deli, to give all the aid
he could and report to the leaders of
the Swiss Mennonites that they would
have religious freedom there and be
exempt from war. The States Gen
eral of Holland told . their Ambassa
dor at Berne to help the project also.
The letters which passed between
Berne and King Frederick's officers
are said to be very interesting, but
we do not have copies of them. They
are dated July 31, 1710^Sept 26, 1710
and Nov. 14, 1710. They may be
found says Miiller 330 in Schaerers
History, etc.
Miiller, however, goes on to tell us
that from the correspondence, it is
plain that the following conditions
were laid down by Prussia:
1. That Berne should allow the
Mennonites full freedom to depart
with their goods.
2. They should be brought free —
that is without expense to the Prus
sian boundary.
3. That before they came, a comimit-
tee of Mennonites of Germany and
Holland were to be allowed to ex
amine all the conditions of the coun
try and see whether it would be
satisfactory to and suited to the needs
of the -brethren.
Berne agreed Nov. 14, 1710, to the
projects in the following manner:
1. That ten per cent, of the estates
which the Mennonites took .with them
was to be given up to be applied to
the expense especially to the expense
of the needy ones; and that all who
went were to forfeit Swiss citizen
ship. 2. Berne undertook to see that
those who were paupers should be
landed at Frankfort.
3. Berne would not have a commit
tee of Swiss Mennonites go to view
the land — the Holland and Prussian
Mennonits should do that.
4. Berne expressed the hope that
the Mennonites would find a comfort-

BRACKBILL'S SERVICES FOR HIS BRETHREN

153

able place there so that none of them
would attempt to come back.
The particular place in Prussia
where these Mennonites were to be
settled was in a district on the east
ern border of Germany called Lith
uania. This is a former grand-duchy,
later sub-'divided between Russia and
Prussia. This colony of Mennonites was to
be made up of a considerable number
of Swiss Mennonites who had been
banished from Berne and were now
in Holland with the brethren there
and of a lot more stUl in Switberland
around Berne, who had not yet been
sent out.
The project failed. A few Menno
nites from the Palatinate went but as
wars were numerous in those sections
then, they found that their principle
of non resistence was not respected
and that while they were not com
pelled to bear arms, they were com
pelled to pay large sums of money as
the price of exemption. Then the
Mennonites in Switzerland were not
willing to go to a place which war
and pestilence had once made deso
late. The Swiss Mennonites in Hol
land were too well pleased with the
happy condition of the Dutch Menno
nites with whom they were living as
servants, etc. (and with prospects of
getting to Pennsylvania) to leave and
go back east again. (Miiller 329 and
330.)
1710— Benedict Brackbill's Valuable
Services for His Swiss Brethren.
One of the finest and foremost
characters in the Mennonite troubles
of the beginning of the 18th century
in Switzerland was Benedict Brack-
bill or (Brechbuhl) ancestor of our
Strasburg Township and other east
ern Pennsylvania Brackbill's of today
— one of the best and most numeorus
of the families of the great county of
Lancaster.

According to Brons 215 and Miiller
329, etc., Brackbill and two other
church brethren Zahler (Zellers) and
Burchi (Burgholder) March 22, 1710,
appeared before the authorities of
Amsterdam (Holland) to request Hol
land to prevent the Swiss Mennonites,
whom Berne was now forcibly throw
ing out of Switzerland, from crossing
Holland to the ocean. There three
patriots found out that a ship-load ot
fifty-seven of these Swiss brethren
(of whom we have spoken of before)
mostly old people and in -many cases
husbands separate from wives, etc.,
were taken out of the jails about
Berne and were being sent down the
Rhine. They were sick and half
starved in their imprisonment and
were not fit to travel at all. By the
time the vessel reached Manheim,
thirty-two had to be taken off the ship
or they would have died. They were
left to the mercies of Manheim. They
were all to be sent to America. (In
a later item, see page 159, we give
their names, which on inspection will
nearly all be found to be our common
Lancaster county names of today.)
Brackbill and his two fellow labor
ers agreed that these people were too
weak to try to reach America and that
they would all die on the trip. The
Holland authorities agreed to what he
asked. And thus when St. Saphorin,
the Swiss Ambassador in Holland,
asked for freedom of the Swiss emi
grants to go on, he was refused by
Holland. St. Saphorin was a great
friend of the Swiss Mennonite suffer
ers. When the ship containing the re
mainder of the fifty-seven reached
Holland at Nimwegan, they knew
that Switzerland could not harm them
and they disembarked. They found
Brackbill, Zellers and Burgholder
waiting for them and they brought
them before the Dutch Mennonite
Congregation there for comfort etc. ,
There too, they gave testimony of

154

SENDING SWISS MENNONITES DOWN THE RHINE

their suffering and treatment as we
have set out before. (Brons 215).
There it was too, that Benedict
Brackbill got Holland interested in
trying to get them to settle in Lith
uania; and it seems he had -been in
that -place of proposed settlement to
examine conditions too. (Muller 330.)
Brackbill also did another service
for his -Swiss brethren, when he
visited Holland's capital in March,
1710. They were represented by
Berne as bad people and enemies of
government and this was beginning
to poison the Dutch against them.
Brackbill explained their faith in all
points and satisfied them that the
Swiss Mennonites were the same good
Christians as were the Holland Men
nonites. The circumstances leading up to the
jail delivery in Berne resulting in the
fifty-seven brethren having been sent
down the Rhine are harrowing and
horrible. In February, 1710, Berne decided
that the government must get rid of
the imprisoned Mennonites, as their
imprisonment excited sympathy and
kept the cause alive. The Council
acted on the matter and a large num
ber of the body held out for executing
them all; but the majority carried
through a vote to send them to Amer
ica. Then the Holland Mennonites
determined to help them all they
could and gathered up a fund of
50,000 guilden for the cause. A
guilden is worth forty cents. The
government of Holland too was favor
able to them. All this again shows the
gratitude Lancaster County and all
southeastern Pennsylvania owe to
Holland (Brons 215).
1710— Preparations to Send the Swiss
Mennonites Down tlic Rhine.
The negotiations between the Swiss
and Holland Government with Mr.
Ritter, deporting agent, of which we
have spoken before, finally bore fruit.

Holland, arranged so that the journey
might be acoomplished. They asked
for a promise on the part of the States
Gieneral, that the prisoners upon their
arrival dn the country would be in due
form declared free, so that they might
go unhindered to tlheir brethren, who
would take care of them. This request
was granted -by Holland on April 3rd,
with the advice not to allow them to
return to (their fatherland; for in such
an event a further protection would be
impossible. At last the important information
was received that the Swiss ship had
arrived at Nimiwegen, where the pris
oners were set free by the authority of
the Holland Government. Their soon-
to-be-expected arrival 'had been her
alded from Neuwied, by the teacher of
said -congregation. Tielman Rupp, in
a letter by his son, Lieubard Rupp to
Jacob Hendriks in Amsterdam, dated
April 6th. Originally (the writer
states) there had embarked at Berne
56 persons, who were shipped down
the Rhine, among theon Brechbuhl,
Zahler and Burki, ancestors of famous
Eastern Pemisylvania families today.
Of these 2S were -by reason of sick
ness and infirmities incapable of
travelling further; and upon urgent
entreaties the officer released tlhem on
the 29th of .March at Mannheim. The
other 28 were transported -further. At
Neuwied, an effort had been made to
land them (which place was passed
April 3rd, at three o'clock in the after
noon), but the attempt was frustrated
by two officers and fifteen men of the
guard. In the letter of Tieleman Rupp
the Hollanders are irequ-ested to pur
chase their liberty. Alhough the
Messrs. Von Bent and Jan Prederiksen
hurried from Rotterdam to Nime
wegen, on the strength of this letter,
it was impossible to reach Nimewegen
in time, the ship having arrived there
April 6th. The banished travelers
had been apprised that there existed
a congregatiin of Anabaptists or

SWISS MENNONITES RESCUED AT NIMEWEGEN

155

Mennonites in this port, and asked
leape that some of them, ever under
escort of a guard, be permitted to
visit their brethren of the faith. Mr.
Ritter placed no obstacles in their
way. They sought out and found the
place 'Of meeting and the teacher,
Hendrick Laurens, residing there. We
will now let this Hendrik Laurens tell
his own story of the arrival, as he
wrote it to the brethren at Amster
dam. "It was on the 6th of April that they
arrived here at Nimrwegen. As soon
as they had 'heajrd that fellow-believers
resided here, one of them oame to me,
guarded by two soldiers; but the sol
diers went away and let the -man re
main with me. After I had spoken
about this matter to other servants of
our congregation, we went together to
the vessel, and there found our Swiss
brethren. We had a talk with the
officer of the guard, and soon saw that
some refreshments ought to be sup
plied to these people, as they had spent
twenty days on the water in great dis
tress and misery; whereupon we
brought them into the town. Now we
said to our captive brethren: 'The sol
diers will not get you out of here
easily, for if they should use force, we
will make complaint to the States
General.' But nothing of the kind
happened. Now they were free, over
which we felt great joy, and we show
ed them all token of friendship and
love, to their great delight and happi
ness. After we spent some time hap
pily together, and they regaled them
selves, with great enjoyment, they left
the following day. But they could
only walk with difficulty, for by reason
of their long imprisonment they had
become quite stiff; some of them had
been confined for almost two years
amid much suffering, and particularly
last winter during the intense cold,
when their feet were shackled with
fetters. I went with them for an hour
and a haJf outside of the town. Then

with tears of joy and cheerful minds
we embraced each other and parted
with a kiss of peace. Thereupon they
returned to the Palatinate, to seek out
their wives and children, who were
scattered there, as well as in Switzer
land, and in Alsace, not knowing
whither they had gone. They were
quite confident and of good cheer in
their misery, although all their world
ly goods had been taken from them.
There were among them a preacher
and two teach-erB. They were by nature
a very stuirdy, hardened -people, caip-
able of enduring great privations and
hardships, with long unshorn beardis,
wearing disordered clothing, -heavy
shoes, made all the -more clumsy by
horseshoes on the heels and great
nails being driven into them. They
were very assiduous to serve God with
prayer, reading and other works, were
very plain in all their actions, like
lambs and doves. They asked me how
the congregation was conducted here
whi-cih I told them; and they seemed
to be very well pleased. But we could
converse with them only with dif
ficulty, owing to the fact that in
Switzerland they had dwelled in the
mountains 'far from -viillages and cities,
and had little intercourse with other
people. Their language was quite
coarse, awkward and uncouth; and
they could hardily understand anyone
who did not speak their language. Two
of them went to Deventer in order to
see vrtiether they oo-uld make a living
in this country." Such is the letter of
their host Laurens. (Muller, p. 170.)
1710— Brechbuehl, Zahler (Zellers) &
Burki and Their Neighbors, Swiss
Mennonites Tell of Berne's
Cruelty.
The Swiss sufferers, Brechbuehl,
Zahler, Burki and others, before men
tioned as being at Nimewegen, after
wards went to Cleve, there to await
the result of the negotiations of their
brethren in Holland, of which thy had

156

DEPORTATION OF 1710 DOWN THE RHINE

no knowledge; and then to wander
further South.
When about twenty of them had ar
rived there (one, Bendicht Brechbuhl,
upon leaving the ship had preceded
them to Crefeld, by way of Cleve),
they repaired to the teacher for the
congregation at Cleve, Isak Vrauken.
Here the emotion and pity of the
liberated brethren were great. In a
trice their arrival was known; one of
the deacons asked the privilege of car
ing for half of them. The other breth
ren also came around, and each one
asked for his portion, in order to exer
cise hospitality. Consequently no
one could entertain more than two
himself; for a teacher and a deacon
remained with Vrauken. Whoever re
ceived no guest, brought clothing.
These strangers could not be persuad
ed to lie in bed; but preferred to sleep
on straw, as most of them had sub
sisted for one or two years on nothing
but bread and water. Meats and other
nutritive foods did not agree with
them. They made no other request
than to be taken as soon as possible to
Mannheim, where their fellow-prison
ers, as we have seen before, 28 in num
ber, were left behind. When asked
about the state of their purses, they
refused to accept anything, saying
they had partaken of more than they
could ever recompense. But Isak
Vrauken collected hurriedly 9 florins
of Cleve money and slipped them into
their hands, whilst Vice Chancellor
Heine procured for them a good pass
port and 30 floirns, in the bargain. So
they remained a few days longer at
Cleve, principally upon the suggestion
of some brethren at Emmerich, to
await tidings from Holland which
were soon expected, as two delegates
had left Rotterdam on April 11th, to
come to their aid with good advice.
As Sunday had arrived, Vrauken's
guest occupied in his stead the pulpit
of the congregation of Cleve. Albeit
the brethren of Cleve did not under

stand the sermon, it nevertheless did
not likely fail to create a deep im
pression. ~~
Isak Vrauken writes to the Commit
tee at Amsterdam, he has found that
these people are well versed in the
Holy Scriptures, that they are very
humble without any hypocrisy or de
ceitful show of character. Of the
twenty, seventeen were married. They
had a heartfelt longing for wife and
children after such a long and grie
vous separation. None of them had a
desire to return to Switzerland. They
preferred rather to settle down in the
Palatinate, at Mannheim or elsewhere.
On May 2, 1710, the Committee of
Amsterdam transmitted the sum of
1200 florins to the congregations in
the vicinity of Mannheim, who were
not able to care for the Swiss who had
remained there, and for those who had
just returned there from Nimwegen.
The Committee of the Mennonites at
Amsterdam had asked some of the
Swiss, freed at Nimewegen, to come
before them in order thoroughly to
learn the conditions in Switzerland. In
their meeting at Amsterdam on April
25, 1710, twenty-four questions were
submitted to them to be answered. Ot
four of these questions written, an
swers were requested, viz: How and
by whom were they taken prisoner?
How long and where were they im
prisoned? How were they treated
then? Whether an investigation had
been conducted and by whom? These
Swiss were, Benedicht Brechbuhl of
Trachseiwald, teacher and elder at
Mannheim; Hans Burki, of Langnau,
deacon, and Melchoir Zahler, deacon
of Frutigen, Brechbuhl had once be
fore been exipelled from the Bernese
territory and gone thence to Mann
heim. Returning to fetch his wife and
children, he was taken prisoner and
in that way got among the deported.
Upon his liberation at Nimwegen, he
at once traveled toward Mannheim and
was then recalled to Holland. Three

BURKI'S AND BRECHBUHL'S REPORT AT NIMEWEGEN

157

of these Swiss sufferers made reports
in writing of their treatment.
1710— Hans Burki's Report.
For the remembrance of my descen
dants and of all my fellow-'believers,
L Hans Burki, of Langnau, want to
relate what happened to me. I had
gone to the mountain called Blutten-
ried (Community of Langnau), in
company with my wife and two sons.
There a poor man came to us to whom
we gave something to eat; this man
subsequently went to Harvag to the
authorities and told them that he saw
me. Thereupon the Bailiff of Trach
seiwald sent the traitor with a few
others to take me prisoner. They came
quite early in the morning to my hut,
in which I stood unawares of any evil,
and when I noticed the man before
the door I had him supplied with
something to eat Then I was made
a captive and they took me away from
my wife and twelve children and led
me to Castle Trachseiwald and placed
me into a prison or dungeon, for four
days, during which time I was taken
sick. Then the bailiff with two pro
vosts brought me on a cart into the
city of Berne. There they placed me.
sick as I was, in the prison, called
Ahur. After two days the gentlemen
called and questioned me, whereupon
I confessed my faith. Then they lock
ed me up alone in a separate hole in
the Ahur, and there I lay sick about
five weeks, and altogther 17 weeks, in
solitary confinement. Thereupon they
led me into another prison, named the
Island. There I lay during the whole
long and cold winter with an un
healthy body, and suffered very much
from the intense cold. For a long time
I was watched so closely that none of
my family or anyone else oould come
to me, so that my friends did not
know whether I was living or dead.
Thereupon, at the beginning of the
month of May, 1709, I was brought
with all the other prisoners to the
hospital, and there, too, I was kept in

such close surveillance that only very
few persons oould speak to us. We
were compelled to work on wool from
early morning until late at night, viz:
from four o'clock in the morning until
eight o'clock at night, and we got
nothing to eat and drink but bread
and water. This lasted about thirty-
five " weeks. Thereafter ten more
weeks we were treated less severely.
Then the authorities had us conveyed
to the ship, viz: on March 18, 1710,
with the design of having us taken to
America. The authorities told us that
if any time and by any means we
were to return to their country, they
would infiict the death penalty on us.
Thus the merciful Father has by his
strong hand and through the medium
of our brethren and friends in Hol
land, delivered us from our oppres
sors, as we arrived at Nimewegen,
and came to the town where they had
to release us. For this we thank the
Almighty God and Father of all
mercy, who will not forsake all those
who place their confidence in him,
but will cause them to prosper. The
whole time of my imprisonment has
been about 21 months, for in the month
of July, 1708 I was taken captive, and
on the 18th of March, 1710, I was led
away from Berne. Will come to a
close here. Brechbuhl's Report.
It was in the year 1709, on the 12th
of January, that the authorities of
Berne sent seven provosts with a con
stable, early in the morning to my
house, whereby we were greatly
frightened so that my wife and my
self tried to hide ourselves. I con
cealed myself under -a haystack. They
searched my house in every nook and
corner. Finally they came to the hay
stack and thrust their swords in it,
so that they struck me and were made
aware that some one was hiding
therein. Thereupon I crept out and
they seized me, asked my name and
whether I was a preacher, which I

158

MELCHIOR ZELLERS REPORT AT NIMEWEGEN

told them and acknowledged it Then
they led me into my room; there the
constable gave me a box on the ear
and tied my hands on my back and
led me out of my house. Thereupon
my children began to lament and cried
so piteously that, as the saying is, a
heart of stone would have been touch
ed thereby. But the pTOVosts were in
great glee that they ihad succeeded in
catching me. They led me hence to
the city of Berne in company with two
other brethren, and put us in impris
onment and that too, in the very long
and cold winter, there we lay as pris
oners. If we W'anted anything warm,
we had to pay dearly for wood. After
six or seven days they brought me In
another jail. There they put iron
shackles on me. In the mean time the
authorities had given those who cap
tured me 100 Thaler, which my family
had to reimburse out of my estate.
After two days they -again brought me
in the tower and set me in a separate
hole and fastened me to an iron chain.
There I laid about 18 weeks. After
that they led me with all the other
prisoners to the hospital. There we
were compelled to work from four
o'clock in the morning to eight o'clock
in the evening in wool and they fed
us with bread and water, but supplied
these in sufficient quantity. This last
ed about 35 weeks. The remaining
ten weeks the work was easier. So
the whole time of my imprisonment at
Berne was one year, 7 months and 7
days. This happened in the 44th and
45th years of my age.
Benedicht Brechbuhl, a Native of
the Emmenthal.
1710 — Melchior Zahler's Statement.
In the year 1709, about the month
of March, the authorities of Berne had
issued a commandment and a strict
mandate, which they had announced
from the pulpit in all their territory
against the so-called Anabaptists or
Mennonites, wherein all their subjects

were forbidden by pain of loss of their
possessions, privileges and expulsion
from the country, to harbor any one
of us and to give them food or drink;
furthermore it was ordained that if
anyone would discover or see any
Anabaptist or Mennonite, he was to
inform the pastor or bailiff of such
fact A reward was set, a liberal sum
of money, for some 50, for others 100
Thaler of the realm, and they had
their subjects make oath, that if they
can get hold of any of us, be it in the
houses or on the roads, or elsewhere,
they should bind us and lead us all
into captivity, so that the same hap
pened about this time to myself. For
when I was about to get some bread
and wine for my sick and pregnant
wife, now deceased, which was about
between 10 and 11 o'clock at night, I
was asked whether I was not a Bap
tist. And when I did not deny this,
they told me they had to be true to
their solemn promise and would not
perjure themselves on my account, or
they would not do this injury. There
upon they led me part ways with
much cursing and swearing. But at
the same time I was released by a
gO'Od friend.
After that the gentlemen of Berne
had caused to be sent to the city of
Berne, from all parishes wherein it
was presumed that some Anabaptists
dwelled, two, three or more persons;
these people had to remain there for
several weeks at great expense to the
people of their respective parishes, so
that by such loss and detriment we
were to be made all the more obnox
ious and hated by the peasantry,
whereupon many of our people re
moved about that time' from the coun
try to Alsace, Mompelgard and Neuen-
burg, whereby the oppressed fugitives
and banished, suffered great distress
and poverty, since everything was
taken and robbed from the most of
them, so tliat nothing was left to
them; and all this against all rights

NAMES OP THOSE DEPORTED DOWN THE RHINE IN 1710

159

and justice and against their own
mandate. At the same time, I, Melchior Zah
ler, also went to dwell in the territory
of Neuenburg. Thereafter some time,
my brother-in-law with a friend well
known to me by the name of Hans
Germann, both Reformed, requested
me by word of mouth through a con
fidant, to come back to my possessions
in the Bernese District. Thereupon I
went to this well known friend, who
showed me all love and friendship,
and who wanted to give over to me
my two children in order that I might
maintain and clothe them. Then I
wanted at one time to visit my brother
and sister and my other children, and
while I was with my brother and sister
and other children, he went to the
Reformed pastor and betrayed me. He
divulged everything, the time, the
night when I returned into the coun
try; and of the clothing, etc. All this
he told the pastor. Thereupon this
pastor sent three provosts on the same
evening, who took me prisoner, bound
me and took me to the pastor who
questioned me concerning my creed,
about Infant baptism, swearing of an
oath, about the regulation of the ban,
about the carrying of arms, about the
institutios of the authorities, etc. And
he ordered them to again bind me
and transport me to Berne, which was
subsequently done on February 27,
1710. Once before, in the year 1706, I had
been imprisoned for three weeks, and
now at Berne in the hospital six
weeks my right hand shackled and
locked ,and fed on bread and water,
whereby I was afflicted during this
time with much anguish, sadness and
misery, for the reason that they had
betrayed me so falsely, and that they
had robbed me of all my children and
worldly goods.
They also took away tfom. me, be
sides my five children, more than

15,000 florins; furthermore banished
me from my estate and ties of blood,
and transported me with the following
company to be sent to America with
out giving me a penny for the jour
ney, viz:
Hans Burki, who was captured July,
1708 — Christian Sattler, captured and
made prisoner July, 1708 — Isaac
Baumgartner, taken prisoner the first
time  ; 1709 the second time —
Benedicht Brechbuhl, a teaoher, -on
January 12, 1709 — Jacob Ulrich —
Peter Zalfanger — Kaspar Bieri — Chris
tian Janthauser — Christian Berger of
Laupersville — Dan. Moser (Musser) —
Ulrich Schmied of Langnau — Nicklaus
Blaser of Lauperswyl — Peter Hofer of
Schoenek — Peter Hofer of Laupers
wyl — Christian Grahenbiihl — ^Samuel
Reber; this Samuel Reber, according
to a letter of Runkel, of January 17,
1711 (A. A. No. 1301), came back and
was sentenced to imprisonment for
life — -Ulrich Ellenberger — Peter Koh
ler — ^Henrich Wenger of Moglenberg —
Christian Steiner, a deacon — iH-ans
Jacob of Ue'tendorf — ^Jacob Schwander
— Peter Thonen of~Reutigen — ^Hans
Gasser, a teacher — 'Hans Stubet (Sto-
ber), a deacon — Hans Rupp of Sigris-
wyl — ^Hans Murdt (Maurer) of Nieder-
hunigen — Niklaus Hager of Nieder-
hunig-en — Ulrich Fahrni of Schwarzen-
egg — Hans Ramseier — Yost Kopfier —
Hans Engle of Rothenbach — Durs
Rohrer a deacon — Rudolph Stettler, a
teacher — Michael Aeschlimann, a dea
con— <Niklaus Baltzer — ^Melchior Zah
ler taken prisoner February 27, 1710,
and once before in May, 1706 — ^Mathias
Grahenbiihl — Benedict Muster (Mus
ser) of Diesbach — Benedicht Maurer —
Hans Berain — ^Niklaus Moser, a teach
er, who died in prison — Benedicht
Nusbaum — -Peter Mutrich of Trub and
Niklaus Luthi — and the women folks
are Katharina Ebersole — Elizabeth
Gerber — Elizabeth Gerber of Signau —
Elizabeth Krieg (Krick) of Hettings-
hem — ^Elizabeth Steiner of Nurzenburg

160

SUMMARY OF SWISS SENT TO THE GALLEYS

— Anna Schenk of Diesbach — ^Barbara
Fahrni — Margaretha Engel of Dies
bach — 'Magrith Aeschlimann — Katha
rina Ellenberger of Eggiwyl and Bar
bara Prutiger, who escaped from the
Basle district.
The above named women and men
folk were on March 18, 1710, trans
ported from Berne in a ship after en
during much persecution and oppres
sion and severe imprisonment; of
these people 32 were liberated at
Mannheim on the following 28th of
March in consideration of the fact that
they were old -and feeble people, and
some of them very sick. The other
26 were somewhat stronger, were
taken to Nimwegen, where, on April
9, they were set free through the in
tercession (or intervention) of the
high and mighty gentlemen of the
States General and the Dutch Breth
ren and friends, which happened by
divine will or decree."
At the close of the whole episode
we enter once more the residence of
the Ambassador, St. Saphorin, at The
Hague, and find him busily engaged
with the Messrs. Ritter and Isott,
which, of course, ended to -the disad
vantage of that firm. In consequence
thereof there remained for the master
of the ship, Schinder, 12 Thaler of the
money which he had received at
Berne for the maintenance ot the ser
geant and the soldiers. As he could
not enter upon the home journey with
this small amount St. Saphorin paid
over to Schinder for this purpose 130
Thaler, taking a proper receipt there
for. On April 26th, the Ambassador also
received a well merited testimonial
from his government for his exeer-
tions. 1710— Brief Summary of Galley
Torture
We have several times given items
upon the persecution of our ancient
ancestors by means of the galleys,
Berne sending them to Venice and

-other Mediterranean icountries. Miiller
in his Chapter No. 13, page 215, dis
cusses the whole subject. Wars with
Turkey made strong galley-men
necessary. Switzerland was glad to
send our Mennonite ancestors to this
torture. As early as 1540 ninety
Anabaptists or Mennonites were taken
out of the dungeons in Austria, to be
handed over to the great king of
Venice for galley-service; but they
escaped from the torture at Trieste.
Twenty were -afterwards captured and
transferred to the galleys. When they
arrived a receipt was given by the of
ficer who took. them and an agree
ment that after two years, they would
be released. It was also agreed that
they were to be used in one ship and
not be separated. Any that would re
pent their religion before reaching
the galley could go back.
In 1671 George Orell was in Venice
collecting payments due to Zurich and
Berne for the hiring of our Menno
nite brethren as galley-servants. (Do.
216). He reports that Venice was
greatly pleased with, these people
There are works devoted entirely to
the subject of galley-punishment
The great emigration in 1711 Berne
thought, would rid Switzerland of the
Mennonites (Muller 220) ; but it was
found there were many of them still
in Switzerland and that many more
came back from Holland, refusing to
be banished. This caused a split in
the Mennonite religion. Jacob Am
mon headed the stricter party and
Hans Reist the milder party. The
Ammon people, that is the Amish,
were willing to go; but the Reist
wing were not, and were put under
the ban by the Amish. Berne now de
termined to send the obstinate Reist
people to the galleys, because they
came back, from Holland; and thus it
happened that this year about fifty-
two were sent.
.Berne now selected from those who
were expelled in 1710 and 1711, (and

ATTEaiPTED DEPORTATION TO AMEKICA.

161

had returned), six of the most promi
nent, to be sent to the galleys — to be
sold to the king of Sicily, but only
four were found fit to go, the other
two were too old. They were Hans
Luithi, Nicholas Bumgardner, Peter
Weitrich, and Joseph Brobst. These
were of Trub. Much influence was
brought to try to have the govern
ment re-consider; but to no avail.
They were strong men about fifty
years old and had to go (Miiller 220).
They were to be ifettered with irons.
Some time in 1711, Jacob Schnebeli
(Snavely) of Manheim wrote to Jacob
Frey and others at Amsterdam and
stated that he had news of these de
ported from Turin by letters — that
they were to remain there over win
ter — that they were kept in a vault to
gether with ninety criminals, who
had been sold to a man named Hack-
brett for their crimes — that they were
daily taken out to do some hard
work. Schnebeli further wrote that
by Spring they would go on the high
seas to the galley. They presented a
petition to the Duke of Savoy to re
lease them. The Duke said he was
satisfied but it was all in the hands of
the officers at Berne. When at Turin
the prisoners received some aid from
their Mennonite brethren in Holland.
A little later Berne agreed to release
the prisoners, provided they would
not return to Switzerland.
The original letter from these gal
ley-slaves, dated at Balermo, Septem
ber 16, 1715, signed by Christian
Liebe, Peter Whitrick and Joseph
Brobst is found in the archives of the
Mennonites or Baptists at Amster
dam (Muller 226).
In this letter they complain of great
tribulation and distress and that one
of them died that year, another one
the year before, at Turin, so that only
three were now left. These were
Nicholas Bumgardner and Hans
Luthi. A little later the king of Sicily
ordered them released (Do. 230). The

king agreed to transfer the men free
to Nice. An influential Swiss friend
named Frey of Torren, succeeded in
getting them liberated and he gave
them money and clothing and con
ducted them back to Switzerland
(Muller 231 and 232). They had the
shackles taken off of their feet, and
they started to walk to Turin but got
very sore feet. From Turin they pro
ceeded through Savoy and Geneva to
Neuenburg. They were met by the
bishop of Pruntret, in whose neigh
borhood some Mennonite friends had
settled and got together a small con
gregation. Here, they were given
earnest advice not to go back to
Berne. All of them but Christian
Liebi (Levy) remained there; but he
went lOn alone to the Palatinate.
1710 — Scattered Items on Attempted
Deportation to America.
Muller devotes Chapter 15, page
252, to an attempted deportation to
America. Much of this we have al
ready discussed. The question be
fore Berne was, "What shall be done
with these Mennonites?" All orders
had been partly futile. Whenever the
Mennonites were forced over the
Swiss boundaries, they were sure to
return. This was made worse about
1710 by a famine that had broken out
in Alsace, where some had been sent.
So they went back to Switzerland.
Many were in the jails and were a
burden. The galleys were too dread
ful. Many were old and weak.
The idea of deportation to distant
countries began about 1699; and on
the 17th of May, that year, the East
India Company at Amsterdam were
requested to take ship-loads of them
away. (Muller 253.) The city of
Berne sent a long communication to
the company, stating how obstinate
these people were; that measures
harsh and mild were of no avail, and
that nothing would do but to send
them to a far-off land. Thus Berne

162

FIRST SETTLEMENT IN LANCASTER COUNTY.

urged the Bast India Company to
take a lot of them to the Islands of
East India.
One of the foremost leaders was
Isaac Kauffman; and it was arranged
that he should be taken to the Com
pany at Amsterdam and be sent to
India. The company paid no heed to
this. The idea of deportation soon again
was taken up as the number of pris
oners was increasing in Switzerland.
This time the Court, erected to take
charge of the Mennonite matters,
known as the "Baptists Chamber"
was informed of the affairs in April
17, 1709 and directed to start vigor
ously to clean them all out of the
country. So vigorously did this Court
take hold of its work that shortly,
more than five hundred were driven
out of the country and it was hoped
that soon they would all be gone. It
seems that two places where the
Mennonites had been imprisoned
were in the "Upper Jail" -and on the
"Island." Among those mentioned
are Benjamin Brackbill of Troxel-
wald. Christian Krayenbiihl Of Nor-
ben, Hans Wager (Wenger) a weaver
of Wattenweil, Peter Thouen of Reut-
igen, Jacob Neueuschwanger (News-
wanger) of Stocken, Hans Burki of
Gibel, Christian Steiner of GTafen-
biihl, Blsbeth Steiner, his sister Catri.
Aebersold, Anna Shenk, Hans Ger
ber's wife; a baby, Catrina Leuen-
berger of Wytigen, Peter Rubeli's
wife of Aesehlen; Elsbeth Gerber,
Peter Gerber's wife of Zimmerzey;
Christian Danzler, an old bedfast man,
Babi Forni, an old woman quite deaf.
To the Baptists Incarcerated on the
Island were added Rudolph Stettler
of Stettlen; Durse Rohrer of Ittigen
and Hans Rupp of Gunten. (Miiller
253.) These and others were people not
able to do galley-service, and there
fore, Berne asked the Baptist Cham
ber to see that they were sent to the

East or West Indies and Pennsyl
vania. The other steps In this attempted
deportation to Pennsylvania we have
already had in former items and I
have simply added this at this time
because it was omitted heretofore.
We recall that the principal step
taken to deport to Ameirca was that
in 1710, when fifty-seven were put in
a boat and sent down, the Rhine, of
whom three gave their story and tes
timony to the Dutch Mennonite
preacher, Hendrick Laurens, at
Nimewegen. We have also heretofore
given the names of them.
1711 — The Pequea Swiss Tract Sub-
divided.
We have stated in a prior item that
in 1711 the tract of 6,400 acres (part
of the 10,000 acres taken up) was
sub-divided among the different
owners. This happened on the 27Ui
of April ; and the surveyor general at
the request of the purchasers made
the actual division I hope to append
a map of this subdivision to these
annals which will show the particular
lines dividing the large tract (Rupp
75.) 1711— First Swiss Birth in the Settle
ment.
According to Rupp 83, on the 22nd
of January this year, Samuel Miller
was born on the Pequea, son of Jacob
Miller, a pioneer. He was the first
child born to our Swiss ancestors in
this county.
1711"Interesting Conference Between
the Governor of Pennsylvania and
the Pioneer Colony of Lan
caster County.
In the Colonial Records. Vol. 2.
page 533, there is an interesting ac
count of a treaty at Conestoga on the
13th of June, 1711. The Governor of
Pennsylvania, together with four of
his most noted members of Council

NEW BERNE SEyTTLEMENT— .REIST AND AMMAN FACTIONS. 163

were present at this treaty. It took
place at the fork of the Little Cone
stoga and Big Conestoga Creeks. As
far as it relates to the German-Swiss
settlement of this county, we simply
note that under date of Tuesday the
18th, in the forenoon, the Governor
in his speech to the Indians says
that he intends to present five belts
of Wampum to the Five Nations and
with them the Conestoga Indians, he
required their friendship to the
"Palatines settled on Pequea." This
is conclusive proof to show that the
Pequea settlement of the Swiss was
in existence at that time. To this the
Indians made answer "As to the
Palatines, they are in our opinion
safely seated." This gives us some
little side light upon the conditions
in which our fore-fathers lived.
1711 — Palatine Colony of New Berne
Eflled.
According to Rupp in his 30,000
names of Swiss and Germans coming
to Elastem Pennsylvania he says.
page 3, that in 1709 a considerable
number went and found New Berne,
N. C, about 150 families; and that
Sept 22, 1711, one hundred of them
were killed by the Tusoaroras. The
New Berne Colony do not appear to
have been Mennonites. New Berne
exists today.
1711 — Condition and Size of the
Pequea Colony.
Jacob Taylor, surveyor for Penn,
in a letter to James Logan, the 2()th
of the 5th month (which was July)
1711, concerning the Pequea CJolony of
Swiss writes "Many people are de
sirous to go backwards to settle land.
Six or seven families of Palatines are
settled at Pequea; and more desire to
go there next winter." In another
part of the letter he says that there
is "a great want of commissions to
sell the proprietor's land and that
many people desire to go back to

settle." (Taylor Papers No. 2'796.)
We state this Item simply to 'Show
the condition of the first colony,
toward the end of its first year of
residence in this county; and we can
gather from Taylor's letters that it
consisted only of a few families. But
that many more families were Inter
ested- in coming there to settle. And
that generally they were prosperous,
is also evident.
1711 — The Reist and Amman Factions
of Mennonites on Emigration.
We have before stated that Jacob
Amman led off a branch of Menno
nites from the regular church on the
doctrine that they were not strict
enough. When the question of suffer
ing, persecution or emigrating to
America came up, it seems that the
Amman faction were more willing to
emigrate than the Reisi faction. At
least we are told by Muller (page
220 and 221) that the Reist people re
sisted being sent to America and
either remained at home or left the
ships wherever they could to return
home and join their brethren in faith
in the Palatinate. Therefore, the
wrath of the authorities was more
fierce against the Reist people than
against the Amish. The Berne Gov
ernment called them "the most con
trary people known." The govern
ment also declared that all those who
were banished and came back would
be sent to the galleys or imprisoned
for life. Among those sent to the
galleys was Hans Gerber.
1711— HoUand Mennonites Take Up
Berne Mennonite Cause Before
Berne Ambassador in
Holland.
About this time a deputation of
eight leaders of the Holland Menno
nites, who had brought with them
four Berne or Swiss Mennonites, one
of them a preacher, came to try to
induce the Berne ambassador in Hoi-

1G4 BERNE'S AMBASSADOR AT AMSTERDAM CRITICIZES HOLLAND.

land to new efforts, to influence
Berne. The Bernese Ambassador to
Holland tried to thwart this. The four
Bernese Mennonites were taken be
fore him. The Holland Mennonites
said that they regretted, that Berne
was again imprisoning their Brethren
and that the wives and children of
those banished, had been kept back.
(Miiller 281.) They represented that
these Brethren do not hinder the
state In any w,ay and only ask the
right to serve God, according to the
dictate of their own consciences.
St. Saphorin relates as follows: I
deemed it proper to answer ,the Hol
land Mennonites with asperity. I
told them "I am astounded to hear
you speak in such a manner after
you had yourselves an opportunity to
know the Bernese Baptists. These
people had the permission to sell
their possessions, but only upon the
provision not to enter any more upon
the territory of their Excellencies in
Switzerland from which they had
been banished. Not only did they re
turn to the land but they also tried
to convert to their notions as many
of the inhabitants as they were able
which under the Constitution of our
State would lead to nothing less
than the annihilation of its defences.
They oould have been punished with
the severity which the law prescribes
against thbse who break their banish
ment; but ihstead arrangements had
been made with the minister of Eng
land by which they were to be re
ceived in America under the mild
dominion of her Majesty, the Queen,
with the same privileges enjoyed by
the other subjects of their Excellen
cies who emigrate thence on their
own -accord, or volimtarily — only with
this for their advantages — that those
who profess the religion of their
sovereign must go -there on their
own expense, while the Anabaptists
are sent 'there at the expense of -their

Excellencies, the Swiss government.
With profuse thanks they had accept
ed this, glad that a punishment had
been meted out so little commensur
ate with their disobedience.
While not all could emigrate to
America — although such was stipu
lated — yet it would have been quite
proper for some who have neither
wives or children to show by the
journey, their compliance; but none
would give in, to the admonitions of
the gentlemen here who are so
solicitous of their welfare. Instead,
they have remained in Holland
to complain of Switzerland, their
Country and Sovereign. Although
there is only one religion prevalent
in all reformed Cantons in Switzei^
land, it is nevertheless not the re
ligious dogmas which impels the in
tolerance of the Anabaptists or Men
nonites in the territory or the domin
ion of their Excellencies; but because
their creed contains certain things
which are diametrically opposed to
the State Constitution. No power
can reprove us if their Excellencies
(who maintain no standing army, and
who impose no other burdens on
their subjects, than the duty of de
fending the Fatherland), cannot tol
erate a religion which tends to over
throw the only foundation of their
security. As to the intercessions of
so many different powers such as
Holland, England, etc., their Excel
lencies know full well that all these
powers have too just an opinion, as
to disapprove what Switzerland de
mands, when they expect of their
subjects the defense of the Father
land. Besides, their Excellencies are
not bound to render an account of
their doings to any one; nor do they
expect from any other an account of
their actions. I declare that all
movements by which you cause a
disapproval of the attitude of their
Excellencies will only have a tend
ency to embitter the public mind in

SWITZERLAND DENIES HOLLAND'S REJQ'UESTS.

165

Switzerland, and to make the condi
tion of your brethren in the faith all
the harder."
This action of St. Saphorin defines
the Bernese standpoint The military
view takes precedence of all others.
The military duty is the most promi
nent affair of honor of the citizen;
and in the storms which sometimes
swept through Europe, it was not an
easy matter to guard the neutrality
of the country which, in addition to
other duties, had to defend the Re
formed F'aith against the Catholic,
making it a country with weapon in
hand; and one whose best forces
were hired to foreign countries as
mercenary soldiers. The speech did
not fall to have effect.
1711 — HoUand Mennonites Arranging
to Help Swiss Brethren Out of the
Country to America and
Elsewhere.
After St Saphorin had delivered
his lecture to the delegation of Dutch
Mennonites and their Swiss brethren
present, just set out, the delegation
made the following requests:
1. For the free departure of the
wives and children of those who were
banished and are being banished to
America, so they may join them.
2. For milder treatment of, and
liberation of, those recently impris
oned so that they can emigrate out of
Switzerland too.
3. To stop the horrible practise
of Mennonite-hunting and rewards
for their capture, so they can come
out of hiding, collect their possessions
and leave too.
St Saphorin replied that the first
request would be granted, on condi
tion these families -would not settle
down near the boundary line of
Switzerland; and that Holland should
see to it that none of the ship-load
sent down the Rhine in 1710, of fifty-
seven persons of whom thirty were
put off at Manheim and twenty-seven

at Nimewegen, Holland, should re
turn to Switzerland as they threat
ened to return; and that a bond be
given to guarantee this. If this be
done, the detained wives and chil
dren may go to them. The delegates
also state that as to the property of
these divided families, they be allow
ed to turn it all into money and take
the money with them ; but the Ambais-
s-ador said all he could do was to see
that the wives' dowry rights were re
spected, as the husbands' share had
already been forfeited.
As to the milder treatment of and
liberation of the Mennonites, then in
Berne jail, all -St. Saphorin would say
was that, the act of the first ship-load,
violating their agreement to go on to
America, and instead of that getting
on the ship at Nimewegen as soon as
they were in the free soil of Holland
was responsible for the rough treat
ment of those then in jail and for
refusal to liberate them and send
them away free of charge; and that
future severity of Switzerland would
depend on whether the first ship-load
sent out, would stay out or come
back. The delegation then gave bond
guaranteeing that this would be ob
served — that they would never more
set foot on their native land. St.
Saphorin also said he heard from
what passed between prominent
Dutch and .Swiss Mennonite repre
sentatives and Lord Townsend, Bng-
lands Ambassador in Holland, that
the Mennonites are full of hope that
their religion, having been born in
the Reformation, the same as the
State Church of Switzerland (the Re
formed Church), it will not be exter
minated by Switzerland. He told the
delegation they must give up all
hope as to this, as the country was
determined to crush it out entirely;
and that if they had any love for
their Swiss brethren, they should in
duce them all to get out of Switzer
land as soon as possible.

166

HOLLAND'S HELP. ST. SAPHORIN'S EFFORTS.

They aroused surprise and admira
tion in Ambassador Saphorin's breast
by saying that since the charge
against them was that they were not
patriots and would not help to defend
Switzerland, they would try to get
their Holland friends and the govern
ment too, to guarantee that they
would raise money instead of troops,
and thus do their duty to their native
land. But he said, Switzerland does
not keep up her defenses by bounty
and substitutes, but by her own sol
diers alone.
This ended the conference on the
three subjects. (Muller 281-3.)
1711 — Holland's Help to Persecuted
Swiss Mennonites.
The final determination to deport
the Mennonites to America brought
affairs to a crisis. (Miiller 279.) These
Mennonites could not see extradition
as in any sense, a favor to them. The
Netherlands being in close sympathy
with the oppressed Mennonites kept
themselves advised on all these mat
ters, and all that the Holland Menno
nites did for the Berne Mennonites,
the Holland government approved.
The Holland Mennonites did every
thing that diplomacy could bring
about. The great help that Holland
gave the cause has never been ac
knowledged publicly, or at all by
Switzerland. As soon as the Bernese Mennonites
who were sent -down the Rhine in
1710 were liberated at Nimewegen,
the crisis came. St. Saphorin, the
Swiss ambassador at the Hague im
mediately took up 'the matter, with
the English throne and the Menno
nites also tried to get Lord Townsend
to intercede with Britain to help
them. Saphorin represented to Eng
land that Holland's help to the Men
nonites instead of speeding them on
to America made them more stubborn
to return, and caused many of them
to return to the Palatinate. He said

they are determined to maintain their
sect In Switzerland. Saphorin, while
anxious to help the Mennonites to
America, was against them in all
other respects. He deprecated (to
the British Government) any further
efforts by Holland to help them, and
especially that the Mennonites were
trying to have Holland interfere with
Berne. These complaints he made to
what is called the "Pensioner," who
seems to have been an officer with
funds to help the Mennonites;
whether English or Dutch is uncer
tain. A conference was arranged with St.
Saphorin and other powers of the
Berne government; and the "Pen
sioner" demanded that the banished
be allowed to take their goods with
them, saying they could get rii of
them quicker by so doing.
1711 — St Saphorin Announces
Berne's Final DecisioH.
The deputies mentioned in an
earlier item, it seems, were also the
representatives of Holland. They
tried again this year to intercede
with Berne. But St. Saphorin thwart
ed it. Again and again these Menno
nites tried to get favorable action
from St Saphorin and hoped that
Secretary Runckel, who was going
to Berne could secure favor at the
home office. These Dutch friends
tried to persuade Berne that they
were trying to find settlements for
the Swiss brethren. St. Saphorin
praised them highly for the love and
sacrifice they showed and said he was
glad only five hundred were left In
Switzerland, since they must suffer
so severely there. He said finally he
would recommend the Swiss govern
ment to give them sufficient time to
go. He represented to this govern
ment that the Swiss Mennonite ques
tion is stirring the whole Protestant
world.

HOLLAND DEX3LARES VIRTUES OP MENNONISTS.

167

He told the deputies that Berne is
about to resort to severe torture
upon those who refuse to go and he
was compelled to exact a bond from
the Dutch Mennonites that the Swiss
would go and not return. (Miiller
284.) 1711 — Holland Declares the Good
Character of the Mennonites.
The Dutch brethren became active,
and to get all the information they
could, three of the Nimewegen re
fugees came before them as we have
seen before, April 25, 1710, at a meet
ing at Amsterdam. They learned the
condition in Switzerland, by submit
ting to them twenty-four questions.
It seems from Amsterdam, the Hol
land authorities took Brackbill, Burki
and Zellers to the Hague and con
fronted St Saphorin with them and
from the answers made by the Swiss
Mennonites, for their brethren and
all else learned about them, the Hol
land officials and deputies entered in
thei^ "Great Memorial" on record.
Vol. IX, page 106, and published in
French, this defense of the Swiss
Mennonite cause, in answer to all the
reproaches against them.
"We, the Burgess and Council of
the city of Amsterdam, make known
to everyone whom it may concern
and declare according to the truth
that, there appeared before us Hans
Burki, Benedikt Brechtbuhl and Mel
chior Zahler, teacher and elders of
the Mennonite Congregation in the
honorable canton of Berne, Switzer
land, who declare that they came Into
our city and were cognlziant of the
fact that they were accused upon
three points of their Christian Doc
trine, namely: that they denied the
authorities were ordained by God,
that they refuse to take an oath, and
they refuse to defend the Fatherland
with weapons. They, therefore, de
sire to make a solemn declaration of
their faith, before the magistracy of

this city, which would prove clearly
that the above accusations originated
from erroneous notions, inasmuch as
their creed and that of their brethren
in the faith was not properly under
stood, as to the three points in ques
tion. Whereupon the 'aforenamed
Benedikt Brechtbiihl, Hans Burki and
Melchior Zahler, each one for him
self, have before us, burgess and
council of this city, publicly attested
and declared that the creed after
which they had lived in the Canton
of Berne, in regard to the above
named three points consisted of:
1st. That they believe and proclaim
that the authorities were ordained by
God the Almighty, to punish the
wicked and protect the righteous, and
that therefore every Christian Is in
duty bound to acknowledge it as a
servant of God; and dare not resist
it, so that one may be enab'ed under
its government, to lead 'a quiet peace
ful life, and that, therefore, one must
render that which he owes — toll to
whom toll is due, fear to whom fear
is due and honor to whom honor is
due. 2nd. They believe that, according
to the teachings of Christ (Matthew
5), it is not incumbent upon them to
swear an oath, but yea whatever is
yea -and nay whatever is nay; and
that by this they feel themselves as
strictly bound as all others who take
an oath, and that they, when they
break their word are just as amen
able to the punishment of the author
ities as a perjurer.
3rd. That they are ready to pay
to the authorities taxes on imports
for their protection and safe-guard,
as much as may be levied against
them, according to their means, and
which they may be able to render,
and that in times of distress they
would be willing in lieu of military
service to participate in the works of
defense, as much as lay in their
power.

168

BENEDICT -BRACKBILL'S VALUABLE SERVICES.

4th. The deponents humbly pray
that we might register this, their
public declaration in order to serve
as a testimony for all times, when-
¦ever it would be necessary.
"To this document we have affixed
our city seal and have had it signed
by our secretary." (Muller 285.)
1711 — Brackbuhl's Further Services
For His Swiss Brethren.
After numerous conferences and
visits to Holland as we have seen
before, the three Bernese Mennonites,
Breckbuhl, Zellers and Burki, -took
their leave -on June 6, 1710, with a
Christian and brotherly farewell, and
supplied with a present of fifty fiorins
as traveling money, returned to Man
heim. Brechbuhl was there again
active as elder in his congregation, as
we now show. He was the mediator
and confidential agent between the
Mennonites of Berne and Holland and
in many cases, rendered his brethren
in the faith -many services in those
years. He writes under date of Jan
uary 4, 1711, from Manheim to Hol
land: "Report to the friends that some
time since I received a letter from
servants and elder in Switzerland
with reference to their exodus to
Prussia; they write me that they do
not wish to go there; but want to
await the mercy of God, and wish to
remain in their land as long as they
can. They who were in the ship
thank you most friendly and cordial
ly for all the great love and fidelity
shown to them. I understand also
from their letter that, the 'brother
hood in Switzerland do not deem it
well that I, because of fear of men,
do not help foster the small fiock of
Christ; and express the opinion that
I should not 'forsake their people.
But until now, I have not deemed it
feasible, however, to help more than
I am. In the Springtime I mean to
undertake the trip up, to fetch my

children. For this reason I had
written some time ago to the Canton,
Berne to have them show me the
grace and privilege of receiving me
with favor, or at least to grant me a
pass'port so that I might return for
some time to the country, since I
have made the promise in the past
Spring to the friends of the com
mittee, while we were at the Hague,
that I would not travel up to Switzer
land without their knowledge and
consent. Therefore I will try to get
the government to release me of my
promise; for I cannot very well have
my children and other things brought
out (or called for) by some one else.
It is my friendly request to the
friends to write me whatever may be
your pleasure In the matter. Fur
thermore, I report that, I am able to
earn my board and keep, 'by my
hands; consequently, I am well con
tent. But, as yet I know of no place
where I can dwell with my people. I
trust to the Lord, however, that he
will not -forsake his people .(for
whoever does His will the Lord will
not forsake), but will furnish me with
a place of abode.
I have also received word a short
time since that, the authorities of
Bern© have promised those who
were made prisoners that, if they
would promise to appear whenever
they were wanted, they would be re
leased; but when this would be, only
time will tell.
As to the two morasses (swampy
tracts in Luthania where the German
King wanted to induce them to settle
in Germany, vacant because of pesti
lence), I would report that I have
heard from good authority that it
would entail an almost impossible
expense to -make them fertile, or pro
ductive, therefore, I know not what
further to write on this subject. Al
though I would like to write much on
account of the unbroken love for the
friends with which I am imbued. But

EJFPORTS TO COLONIZE SWISS ME'NNONISTS.

169

as I have nothing further in particu
lar to relate, I will let this short
intelligence suffice, and commend the
friends, together with their whole
families to the gracious protection of
the Almighty, remaining herewith
.i.'our affectionate friend and brother
in Christ. •BENEiDICHT BRACHTBUHL."
Oh May 17, 1711, Benedicht Bracht-
biihl writes to John Willink, that his
three children have arrived hale and
hearty from Switzerland, that they,
however, have brought the word -that
the congregations there are so great
ly eager to have him come that he in
tends to yield to them, and requests
a speedy release from his promise or
vow. (Muller 286 et seq.)
This letter, so full of love and trust
in the Iiord under the difficulties he
details, ought to put to shame the
dissatisfaction we so often feel and
the mistrust of God we show when
ever the affairs of our lives do not
wear the rosy tint we unreasonably
expect. It may be found in the Men
nonite Archives at Amsterdam, No.
1299. The project to send the small
company of Mennonites at this time
left about Berne, to the bogs of
northern Germany to a place where
war and pestilence had destroyed all
the inhaibtants, and the powerful in
fluences behind the project ought to
make us appreciate how narrowly the
ancestors of many of us here in Lan
caster County, escaped being sent to
another section of the world, from
which they never would have reached
Pennsylvania. By a similarly nar
row margin, we remember they also
escaped being taken to the East
Indies by the East India Company.
Benedict Brackbiiihl was a strong
factor in preventing both of these
fates Orf our people. Isaac Kauffman
also rendered ser-vice to prevent the
East India project.

The oppressed Mennonites of
Switzerland and the Palatinate turned
to the Quakers of England, through
the advice of their Holland brethren,
to have them intercede with the Eng
lish government; but, the queen's
authorities refused to interfere with
Swiss affairs.
They then turned to the king of
Prussia in a petition : -and he gave it
as his opinion that there would be no
help for them unless they all leave
Switzerland. In a letter dated July 5,
1710, the king wrote that -these -Swiss
sufferers should settle themselves in
the district of Brandenburg, at such
places where extensive dairies could
be operated, or in Prussia, where
there were good chances of success.
In Prussia, the raging epidemic com
pletely depopulated many villages in
the most fruitful region; but houses
and cattle and agricultural imple
ments were still there ready for peo
ple to use them, said the king. 11
the new settlers come at once they
would profit from the rich harvest,
as the former settlers had died after
planting the crops. The king pro
mised further, that everything that
would help these good people would
be done (Hjiizinga, page 25).
This act on the part of the king ot
Prussia was hailed by the "Amster
dam Courant" of August 9, 1710, with
delight and it spread the news that
the king had already written to the
canton of Berne, that he would re
ceive these people. Baptists or Men
nonites, without any exception and
would help them to make a living.
(Muller 288.)
Miiller further says that, even -a
narrative of the Amsterdam commit
tee's acts in 'behalf of their Swiss
brethren in faith would be too long to
recite complete. A recital of all the
Journeys from Amsterdam and Rot
terdam to the Hague; and the numer
ous conferences, with infiuential dele
gates -and the letters sent make up a

170

SWISS MENNONISTS INVITED TO HOLLAND.

large catalogue in the Mennonite
library at Ams'terdam.
The Holland Ambassador at Berne,
Runckel, used all means with the
Berne government to have the hard
measures against the Mennonites
stopped; and • to secure freedom of
worship for them at home. His next
plan was, if this was not allowed, to
secure a few years chance for these
Mennonites to sell their goods and
land. But Runckel had a hard
struggle in this effort; and July 12,
1710, from Berne, he wrote to the
comtnittee in Amsterdam, that though
he had no further orders from Hol
land to assist the Mennonites, yet
that of his own accord, he had in
quired carefully into the condition of
them; and in this inquiry he states
that he found in Switzerland some
people who felt that the Swiss gov
ernment was entirely t-oo severe; and
who were full of pity for the poor
Mennonites. (Miiller 289.) But he
says for every one of these, there are
two or three who wish them all the
pains the government has given them
and no remonstrance can infiuence
them. He states that the government
especially makes it -a point of honor
that all they have done was right and
for the welfare of the government
and the glory of God. He says it is
most certain the Berne officials have
no idea what kind of people these
Mennonites are and what difference
there is between them and the
Munster Anabaptists, who stirred up
trouble for the government in earlier
times. These people believe ©very-
thing true that is charged against the
Mennonites, he says; and that he
knows no way to overcome it, unless
the pamphlets that have been printed
in their faith In Holland, and their
creed, be translated Into High-Ger-
m'an and be printed, and especially
that a -great lot of such pamphlets be
scattered throughout Berne. He says
that the more he things of the subject,

the more he is concerned that theae
poor people must be helped to escape
the heavy storm which is hovering
over their heads and seek a home
somewhere else until the wrath hag
subsid'ed. He concludes his letter in
part as follows — "I believe, therefore,
the greatest act of love -which oould be
done for these people will be to seek
out some place of abode for them and
that they should completely lea-ve
Berne. The princess of Nassau and
the count of Newweid are willing to
receive some of them — such as are
artisans and mechanics; but as these
people are mostly farmers and stock-
raisers, the above offer was of no
value, as Holland has enough far
mers. By the last mail, I have re
ported to Amsterdam that more than
twenty of these poor people are again
in prison and the rest were scattered
and chased into the neighboring
countries. I will endeavor to talk
with these poor prisoners myself and
to comfort them as much as possible
in their bondage. (Miiller 290.)
Joahn Ludwig Runckel."
1711— Further Plans to Deport Men
nonites — Holland the Final
Asylum.
In Muller (page 290), may be
found a list of the prisoners (men
tioned in a letter from Alsace), who
were in the jail of Berne, July 27.
1710, consisting of twenty-three
brethren and seven sisters, of the
Anabaptist or Mennonite faith. They
are as follows: Peter Gerber, a ser
vant in the Word of God, — lies in
chains. Prom the dominion of Trachsei
wald: Peter Blaser, Hans Wisler,
Hans Schneider, Clauss Baumgartner,
Ulli Bear, Peter Hertig, Peter Leuti.
Ulll Brachbul, Hans Grasser, Joseph
Probst, Daniel Rotenbuler, Hans
Zahn. From the dominion Sumiswald:
Ulli Triissel, UlU Schurch.

PROJECTS TO COLONIZE IMENNONISTS.

171

From the dominion Brandiss: Hans
Flflckinger. From the dominion Signau: Martin
Stramm, Christian Gouman, the
younger, Hans Holtzer, Leupersweil
(bail wick of Schnottweil) ; district of
Solothurn. Hans Kuoubuler from the
dominion of Diessbach. Hans Pru
tiger from the dominion of Thun.
Niclauss Haberli of Buohsi.
The .sisters imprisoned are: Verena
Aeschlimann, Catrina Bieri, Christina
Trussel, Margret Scher, Margret
Oberll, Anna Brentzighoffer, Anna
Moseri. There is a letter in existence stat
ing that these thirty prisoners were
also to be sent down the Rhine to
Holland, in a ship, the same as a
former party were. The letter is as
follows: Cunonheim in Alsace, July
26, 1710. "Have received a letter
from Switzerland, and understand
from it that twenty-three brethren
and seven sisters are imprisoned at
Berne, and that they are willing to
take them down the Rhine on a ship,
therefore, we, the undersigned dea
cons and elders in Alsace beg of
your deacons and elders in the
Palatinate, namely, Tillman Kolb and
Hans Jacob Schnebeli, very friendly
to pay attention and see to it, when
the ship arrives at Breisach. But we
may not know when they will arrive.
We are willing, however, to send
people to Breisach who will let us
know as soon as they arrive there.
We ask of you kindly if it be your
pleasure that you will write to the
friends in Holland. We are afraid if
they have a further passport from the
king, we can hardly accomplish any
thing. In haste MARTIN EGLI.
HANSS BLITMM,
CHRISTIAN RUPP."
A. A. 1269.
On all sides, it was agreed that

emigration was necessary. But where
should these people be sent to? They
would be received with open arms In
Prussia. The Mennonite committee,
therefore, requested Benedict Brech
buhl in Manheim on July 18, 1710, to
use his efforts to persuade his coun
trymen to accept this offer; and that
they, as obedient subjects, submit to
the demand of the authorities to quit
the country. Brechbiihl replied on
August 27th that he communicated
this suggestion to the brethren in
Switzerland and that those residing
in Manheim were too well pleased
with their condition there to think of
such a thing.
As the Baptists or Mennonites in
Switzerland could not be enthused
over the emigration to Prussia, it
seems, Runckel on August 30, 1710,
broached another subject to the Com
mittee at Amsterdam. The Baptists
or Mennonites might be colonized on
Bernese territory on the two great
marshes, which could be drained and
by cultivation, would make excellent
land for tilling and grazing pur
poses. As a recompense for making
these morasses -arable, th© Bernese
government should grant freedom ot
religion. But much money would be
needed for this enterprise, which the
Holland and Hamburg Mennonites
would have to furnish. Brechbiihl,
being interrogated by the commission
on this subject, on September 26th,
held the project of the great morass
to be absolutely unacceptable.
Runckell wanted to consult with an
engineer on the matter.
He did so and October 4 he secured
the opinion of engineer Bodurer in
Amsoldingen that was unfavorable.
Then this project was dropped. The
engineer, however, informed Runckel
that between Romainmotier and
Romont, on the boundary of Bur
gundy, a great tract ot unfilled land
was 'in possession of Berne, which
would be used as a place of abode for

172

-SWISS MENNONIST BXODUS INTO HOLLAND.

the Mennonites. He hoped to be able
to submit a chart and an estimate of
the cost by October 25th. Such well-
meant but impracticable plans were
soon discarded; and it became
clearer and clearer that the Nether
lands must be the haven of refuge for
the 'Swiss brethren. To this end
preparations in Holland were now
made to receive them. (Do. 292.)
1711 — Joyous Swiss Mennonite Exo
dus Into Holland.
Holland now became the goal. To
transport the suffering Mennonitef
there, a new collection of money was
needed, the same as in the year?
1642, 1660, 1G71 and 1694; and now
greater sacrifices were demanded. Of
the 20,000 fiorins which were collected
in the last named year for the- fugi"
fives in the Palatinate, nothing was
left. For the balance, namely; 1200
florins, Brechbuhl, on May 2. 1710,
gave his receipt at Manheim. There
fore, the Committees at Amsterdam
on August 12, 1710, dispatched a cir
cular to all Mennonite or Baptist
Congregations in the Netherlands.
This appeal was signed by the Am
sterdam brethren Willem von Maurlk,
Harmanus Schijn, Jan Willink Jansz,
Adr, Jacob Fries, Jacob Vorsterman,
Frans von Aken and Cornelis Beets.
A general assembly was held on No
vember 5, 1710, at which detailed re
ports were made by the thirty-seven
brethren present. The Committee
received power of attorney to dispose
of the money to be received at their
discretion. In important questions
the commission should be augmented
by two delegates, each of the cities of
Zaaudam, Haarleh, Leiden and Rot
terdam. Then the various projects
for' the rescue of the Swiss were
thoroughly discussed, and further in
formation requested of Mr. Runckel.
Of the Swiss liberated at Nime
wegen, two, Hans Rupp and Peter
T^nne (Thonen) had gone from there

to Deventer, and were now brought
by -S. A. Cremer to the assembly. They
reported to the meeting, in detail,
everything which they and their
brethren in Switzerland had to suf
fer innocently; and that of thom all
(as badly as they were treated), only
one, Niklaus Rugen, had apostatized
his Mennonite faith. They related
that their split into two parties: viz. —
that of Hans Reist and that of Jacob
Ammon, largely concerned the "Ban";
that they could not 'calculate the
number of their church members, but
one faction estimated them at 600, the
other at more than a thousand.
The report of Vorsterman contains,
under date of December 2, 1710, a
touching letter of consolation by the
Committee at Amsterdam to the bre
thren and sisters imprisoned at
Berne, and as an answer thereto
dated January 8, 1711, from Peter
Blaser in the name of his fifty-two
fellow prisoners.
Of the condition of these prisoners,
Runckel writes from Berne to the
Committee at Amsterdam under date
of October 1, 1710, as follows:
"The day before yesterday, Sep
tember 29th, I, at last, found an op
portunity to visit the prisoners and to
console them in their sorrow as much
as lay in my power, and to encourage
them to submit to God's will and obey
the authorities in calmness of Spirit.
In this, two local citizens, Messrs.
Knoll and Wagner, have given me
much assistance. (Muller 293.) In the
so-called 'Island' prison, I found
eleven men and six women, but with
out chains or fetters. Among the first
named, three sick. The men are
idle, the women spin hemp and flaxto
while away the time. In the upper
hospital are sixteen men and fourteen
women, among whom are also some
sick and weak. The men are all
penned up together in one room, but
without any fetters or chains. These
must earn their bread by carding or

BXODUS INTO HOLLAND (Continued).

^3

•comb-ng wool or by other trade with
which they are familiar. The women,
too, are in a separate compartment,
but not alone; and by reason thereof
not confined as strictly as the men.
They must in conjunction with other
women who are imprisoned for other
causes, pass their time by spinning
wool. As much as I could observe,
they are permitted to read the Bible
and some other books, and, as I am
informed, there is no lack of food and
drink, though of course, everything,
as well as th© sleeping places, are
very poor.
Among all these prisoners, there
are very few who have any means,
and even if they once had anything, it
is to be feared that the costs of the
prison and other things connected
therewith, have already consumed
that Those who associate with these
poor people declare, too, that there
are (generally speaking) not as many
wealthy among them as among those
sent away a year ago. I spent more
than three hours with them, and con
versed with them. I heard from them
that they are willing to leave their
fatherland and go away, but that they
are not able to forget it at once, and
to take leave forever. Besides It is
very much to be feared that they will
raise difficulties when they learn that
His Royal Majesty of Prussia wants
to settle them in a county bereft of
its inhabitans, caused by a terrible
pestilence. When I hinted this, they
protested most energetically against
such a proposition, and earnestly re
quested to be spared from it. They
would rather be sent to some other
place, which scruples, I and the
above-named affectionate God-fearing
citizens endeavored to remove to the
best of our ability; and will use
©very endeavor in the future to re
move. A list of the prisoners Incar
cerated on September 29, 1710, con
tains the following names:

In the upper hospital, men: Peter
Hertig, Hans Gasser, Peter Luthei,
Ulrich Trussel. Daniel Rothenbiihler,
Peter Gerber, Hans Zahn, Hans
Schonauer, Hans Prutiger, Heinrich
Schilt, Uli Brechbiihl, Daniel Neu-
komet, Hans Wissler, Michael Riis-
ser, Hans Kreybuhl, Bauman the
Younger. (Do. 294.)
The women are: Gertrud Riigseg-
ger, Barbara Riiugsegger. Margrlt
Gerber, Elsi Brast? (Graf?), Barbara
Steiner, Luzia Wymann, Barbara
Rohrer, Margret Schiirch, Elisabeth
Aebersold, Gertrud Parli, Vreni
Aeschlimann, Stini Triissel, Anna
Salzmann. Anna Moser.
On the "Island," men: Hans Schenl-
der, Uli Bear, Joseph Brobst, Claus
Baumgatrner, Christian Gaumanh,
Christian Gaiimann the Younger,
Martin Strahm, Peter Blaser, Bene
dict Lehmann, Ulrich Schiirch, and
Hans Fliickiger.
Women: Anna Brenzikoffer. Anna
Habegger, Vreni Rubin, E. Heimann,
Anna Bear, and Margret Oberll. (AA)
1711 — Joyous Swiss Mennonite Exo-
dns into HoUand — Continued.
Runckel took upon himself the fur
ther task of ascertaining the number
of Mennonites set at liberty out of the
jails, and their residences, in order
to induce them to emigrate. Of
course, this was no easy undertaking,
since they all kept themselves in hid
ing as much as possible. The only
sources from which anything could
be learned, were the prisoners at
Berne. But these, too, showed them
selves distrustful. He (Runckel)
secured the services of Messrs. Kuoll
(or Kuoff) and Wagner to mediate;
but they, too, failed to induce the
prisoners to make any disclosures.
So Mr. Runckel had -to try the thing
personally, being accompanied by
the aforesaid two men. He con
vinced them of his intentions, and

174

EXODUS INTO HOLLAND (Continued).

upon his promise to observe their
urgent request for secrecy, he re
ceived on November 17, 1710, the de
sired information that there were at
present in the Bernese lands about
295 men and women, not including
the husbands and wives and children
who must still be counted with the
Reformed. This is reported under
date of November 19, to the Commit
tee at Amsterdam. By the aid of con
fidential messengers he procured, as
nearly as possible, the lists of all
participants. Runckel learned and communicated
to the Committee, under date of De
cember 3, 1711 (A. A. No. 1290) that
the Burgess Willading of Berne, for
merly a bitter enemy of the Menno
nites, was now engaged in an effort
to effect their speedy departure. He
directed (December 10th) a memor
ial to the Bernese authorities. Based
on the proposal of the King of
Prussia and the Netherland Menno
nites, he now submitted, in the name
of the latter the following request:
(1) The Swiss are to have the privi
lege of making a choice between the
two offers. (2) A general amnesty is
to be published so that all Menno
nites, who have heretofore secreted
themselves, may without danger to
themselves, appear openly and sell
their possessions. (3) That they be
permitted to name some one who
shall have the right to dispose of
their possessions for their benefit,
even- after their departure. (4) That
those who are still imprisoned be
liberated at once. (5) That the Re
formed who are wedded to Menno
nites, be permitted to emigrate with
their spouses and also to take their
children with them, and (6) That
they may be exempt from the fee
exacted until now, as a tax on emi
gration, when they leave the coun
try. Of this proposition, Mr. Runckel
informed the Chancellor of 'the States

General, Mr. Fogel, whereupon the
States General by resolution of De
cember 30, 1710, empowered Mr.
Runckel to urge also in their name,
the granting of the demands ot the
Mennonites. The matter was considered. But
Runckel writes on December 17th,
with indignation, the exhortations
were met with many fines and penal
ties, so that the Bernese government
seems to act as it they wanted to re
tard the departure of the Mennonites,
because of these requests. In the
meantime, the desire to emigrate
grew stronger. To Prussia, they did
not want to go, as they feared the
pestilence and had an aversion
against the system ot serfdom still
in vogue there.
On January 7, 1711, the delegates
met at Amsterdam. They deliberated
about the places where the Swiss
might be taken; passed resolutions to
the effect to bring further pressure
upon the Bernese government in
favor of the wishes already submit
ted to it; and remitted to Mr.
Runckel, in addition to the 300
Reichstdalern, which he had at his
disposal for the brethren, 1000
florins more. At last. Information was
given out that the amount ot the
collection now had reached a total of
50,000 florins, as per detailed state
ment (in Hulzinga, page 99).
What transpired in the meantime
in Switzerland on the subject, Mr. W.
J. Willink in Amsterdam, wrote on
March 6, 1711, to Mr. H. Toren in
Rotterdam, as follows:
"After much vexation, at last thirty-
six of our brethren in the faith in
Berne have already been set tree
from the prison nnder ball, and we
hope to hear before long that the
fifteen still in prison will be liber
ated too. Further, that the procla
mation of amnesty will soon be pro
mulgated. In such manner that all
will receive permission to sell their

HOLLAND'S HELP FOR SWISS MENNONISTS.

175

estates by the end of June and to
leave the country with the proceeds
thereof, together with the concession
that, whatever they, themselves can
not accomplish in that time, they can
have attended to by their authorized
agents, to which end, it is hoped,
there will be granted them a term of
one year. We now deem it necessary
to consult with the committees out
side ot our city, and to find ways and
means to transport and settle down
these poor dqwn-trodden people. For
a place of settlement, the King of
Prussia is making very generous pro
posals, such as we cannot offer. He
places all his various provinces at
the disposal of the oppressed, they to
choose whichever they want. He
agrees to furnish them there at once
with comfortable houses, cattle and
supplies, hired help, utensils and im
plements, and whatever else may be
necessary for their calling, without
great expense, so that they may be
installed in their new places without
delay. He even agrees to grant them
great privileges in preference to the
natives. But he wants also the rich
as well as the poor." (Miiller 296).
The King had a suspicion that the
Hollanders wanted to keep the rich
¦with them and to saddle the poor
upon Prussia. Mr. Runckel endeav
ored to set the King's too great ex
pectations about the wealth of the
Swiss Mennonites aright, by mention
ing the tact that according to his in
vestigation they mostly belonged to
the lower order.
1711— HoUand Doing Everything Pos
sible for the Mennonites.
There is a long list of documents
in the Archives of Amsterdam show
ing what trouble and expense Holland
expended to help -our ancestors to
flee from the wrath of Berne. Am
bassador Runckel led off in the task.
In Runckel's letter of Jan. 3, 1711,
he speaks of the repeated return of

the Baptists or Mennonites who had
been deported the previous year. This
made their condition worse. Among
those returning was Samuel Rebar,
75 years old. He was imprisoned for
life, or so condemned. Alao Hans
Burki. Through Holland's continued inter
cession however an amnesty procla
mation was made Feb. 11, 1711, by
Berne. It set forth that, as all past efforts
to rid the land of the Baptists had
failed, and the sect increased — and
as they will not take the oath ot
allegiance — nor bear arms — and as
they did not take advantage of the
right to depart because as they say
no fixed place has been provided for
them to go to, where they could en
joy what they call "liberty ot con
science," that, the government of
Berne has finally made arrangements
with the government of Prussia by
its consul Bundeli, and with the Gov
ernment ot Holland, by their Secre
tary, M. Runckel, to take over these
persons. They are therefore allowed
now to go to Holland or Prussia it
they do not return ; except they must
not go into Neuenburg or Valeudis.
But those already condemned are not
at liberty to thus depart Those in
prison will be at liberty to go too it
they furnish bail. They are allowed
to the end of June, 1711, to go, but
not after — and no fee tor departure
will be exacted. Th© journey is to
be at their own expense. Wives, chil
dren and husbands of these Menno
nites or Baptists, who belong to the
Reformed Church may go too if they
desire. But all will lose their citizen
ship. Whatever is not reported to the
Baptist or Mennonite Chamber in
time will be confiscated. In the mean
time all Mennonite meetings are pro
hibited under penalty. All who leave
will be severely punished if they re
turn. Runckel reported that by Feb.

176

SWISS ME'NNONISTS INVITED TO HOLLAND.

14th at least 18 Mennonites secured
release from prison by giving bail,
and departed out of the Canton Berne
under this amnesty. They went to
Holland. Thirty others wer-e promised
freedom. March 18, at Amsterdam, the condi
tions of this amnesty were discussed
in a meeting held under government
authority. Runckel was given a vote
of thanks for his good work; and he
was given general charge by Holland
of the departure, etc.
At the meeting Dr. Herman Schijn
read the draft Of a letter, he favored
sending out. It was approved and
ordered translated into German, and
to be sent to Runckel to be distributed
throughout Switzerland. This letter
urged Mennonites everywhere to take
advantage of the permission to de
part, and end their misery. They
were to come to Holland.
The King of Prussia, too, soon
after, Feb. 1711, granted special priv
ileges to these people and v/elcomed
them. Agents ot the King, Steven
Creamer and Alia Dirks, invited them
to come; but the meeting deuded it
best to wait until the Swiss arrived —
and then let them select whether they
would take Holland or Germany to
live in.
Runckel complains In his letters
that it is very hard to find among
these Swiss men who can be of much
help to him in arranging for their
advantage, and their departure. Dan.
Reichen he says seems to be the only
man who can help much. He com
plains that there is a good deal of
distrust among the Mennonites. He
says arrangements are made that lists
of those who will take advantage and
depart, and the names shall be sent
in at once or by Feb. 20, 1711. An
nouncement is to be made in all pul
pits. Berne promulgatea a mandate
April 17, 1711, that everything is to
be done to assist these people to de
part. There was a mandate of April

29, 1711, that all people of Berne In
whom the Mennonites have confi
dence, whether Reformed or other
wise, who will assist the departure
shall receive instructions and the
thanks of the government. (Miiller
296-7.) 1711— Exodus Into Holland (Con
tinued).
Now that the movement into Hol
land was to become a fact, a list was
to be made of the property and
possessions of these Mennonites. But
toward the beginning of Summer ia
1711, these people had not yet made
a statement to the authorities; and
the Berne government now began to
feel that they would be accused of
embezzling the estates of the op
pressed. The authorities, therefore, decided
that heavy penalties must be inflicted,
and did so, by mandate ot the 11th Of
May. requiring the statements. On
the second of June the mandate was
repeated. June 22, 1711, there was a mandate
issued by Berne that the wives, hus
bands and children of Mennonites or
Baptists, who belonged to the Re
formed Church and who are going to
Holland with the Mennonites, should
lose their Swiss citizenship. Ana
tnose who are not members of the
Baptist or Mennonite families, should
pay, in addition, ten per cent, of the
"departure money." Mandate of
June 24.
Ten thousand florins of the moneys
collected by the Dutch for the Swiss
were now put at the disposal of their
needs. July 15, a meeting was held by the
government at Amsterdam and the
Dutch Mennonites, as the Swiss were
soon expected to arrive there, at
which meeting full report was made
of everything that had transpired dur
ing the last few weeks. Mr. Runckel

SWISS MENNONIST DEiPAiRTURE FOR HOLLAND.

17T

reported that with the consent of the
committee he had persuaded Mr. G.
Ritter from Berne, who managed the
expedition of 1710, to take charge of
the transportation of this expedition
of 1711 that his first duty as arranged,
was to provide five vessels for con
veyance of about five hundred per
sons (the number estimated who
would migrate) that the vessels were
built in Berne — that the cost of them
with all necessary furnishings
amounted to one thousand six hun
dred and fifty-six reichsthalers (or
dollars of the realm).
Upon the advice of Runckel, the
committee secured the intercession ot
the States General — that is the gov
erning officers of Holland — whereby
the migrants are to be accorded at
Vasal, Treves, Cologne, Hesse-Oassel
and Prussia, unhindered passage on
the Rhine and exemption from toll
or duty. They also had instructions
issued to Runckel to continue his stay
at Berne. Runckel reported that the
crews of the ships demanded higher
wages than they did in 1710; and
that the cost of the crews and the
board and expenses would reach
about three thousand two hundred
and fifteen reichsthalers.
It was reported that there would
be hardly five hundred members, be
cause the faction of the Mennonites
• led by Hans Reist decided that they
would not go, because Switzerland
was their home and no one had a
right to drive them out But the fac
tion led by Jacob Ammon (that is
the Amish Mennonites) were likely
all to go. Runckel reasoned with the
Reist Mennonites a great deal but
they had not yet made up their minds.
(Miiller 299). Runckel further re
ported that he felt quite indignant at
this resolve, as he had done every
thing he could for these people. He
was disgusted further because, he
said old Hans Burki, disregarding all
danger, had come back to the coun

try, after having promised not to do
so, and had brought a company ot
brethren back with him and they
were all again thrown in jail and a
dark future in sight for everybody.
The Mennonite committee in Hol
land extended their thanks to the
Swiss Ambassador at the Hague (M,
iJt. Saphorim) and also to the King
of Prussia for the interest they took
in these oppressed Swiss Brethren.
The King was so interested that he
visited the Holland authorities and
leading Mennonites at Amsterdam on
the 16th of June, 1711, to learn more
fully what he could do ror them.
1711 — Mennonites Depart for Hol
land.
The departure of the emigrants
was fixed to take place on the 13th of
July. Runckel had given informa
tion that according to the latest esti
mates, the number who would go was
307, together with fifty-two, who had
been imprisoned. But it was not
known -whether any members of their
family would accompany them or not
It was recommended that, it be earn
estly Insisted on departing, that
they must -obligate themselves as
the Berne government wishes, never
again to return to their country. It
was arranged that they should not
disembark until they reached Am
sterdam. The necessary instructions
were to be handed by Abraham
Portgens, the pastor or teacher of the
Mennonite congregation at Ehnmerich
to Mr. Ritter, who had charge of
these Christians. The place they
were to settle when they landed was
to be referred to a meeting to be held
a few days prior to their expected
arrival in Amsterdam. By that time
minute information about colonizing
in Prussia was expected to be avail
able. The committee had sent, early
in July, three Swiss Mennonite ex
perts, Benedict Brackbuhl, Hans
Ramseier and Uly Bauer to the dif-

178

FINANCING SWISS MENNONISTS IN HOLLAND.

ferent places from which so many
reports and good prospects had been
held forth, to investigate -and see the
condition with their own eyes, and
make report. It was also reported
at the meeting by the delegate from
Freisland, the northern province ot
Holland on the North Sea, that Mr.
G. von Aylva, a notary or Court
Officer at Bakkoveen (a town in Hol
land twenty miles southwest -of the
town of Groningen in the swamp
country, about 'fifteen miles from the
north coast of Holland), was willing
to place part of his lands, on which
peat or soft coal could be dug for
two hundred years, at the -disposal of
these Swiss Mennonite members and
to all others of them who should
come, for the sum of two thousand
florins. Others reported in favor of
colonizing in the Groningen country,
the north eastern province of Hol
land, on the North Sea. The inves
tigation of these proposed sites pro
gressed some time but the flnal de
cision was not to be rendered until
th© Swiss did actually arrive. (Mul
ler 299.)
1711 — Exodus Into Holland (Contin
ued).
We now glance again at the events
transpiring in Switzerland. Berne
agreed, though unwillingly, upon
pressure being brought against her
by Prussia and Holland, to grant
amnesty to the persecuted Anabap
tists or Mennonites; but did so only
upon payment of twenty-five reich
thalers, expense money for every one
released from prison. Berne also in
sisted that -these payments should
not be taken out of the charity funds
collected in Holland. (Muller 300.)
The ships of which we spoke before,
were ready to sail, but now it ap
peared that the emigrants delayed
making preparations for the journey,
though they had given in their names
and the names of their children and

wives to be placed on the list that
were being made out under Runckel's
orders, after great difficulty. They
had no confidence in the promise of
the government; they felt suspicious
about whether their teachers and
leaders would be included in the am
nesty — -about whether their children
could be taken along or whether the
government would keep them back
and train thc'm up in the State re
ligion. The Hans Reist people, since
they split from the Amish people
were quite stubborn about going. A
great deal of trouble arose about
separating the goods and property of
families, between the members who
would go and those who would stay.
A great deal of time was necessary
to make the sales and transfers of
property. The notice was really too
short. And the tact that such an
emigration could be accomplished at
all is evidence of the sacrifices that
the people were ready to make for
their religion and how hard the intol
erance which they suffered, bore upon
them. We may add that, without the
great ingenuity and services of
Runckel, the exodus 'to Holland in
1711 could not have been possible.
Nor must we forget the great services
which George Ritter and Daniel
Richen rendered Runckel m this
matter. Richen was in banishment
in Neuenberg at the time, and only
on the 23rd of May, 1711, by the earn
est efforts of Runckel, was he given
permission to return to S'witzerland,
on the first of July.
Runckel received from the Ana
baptist or Mennonite Chamber all
the moneys of the emigrants who
were to go to Holland and transmit
ted the same by a draft to the Men
nonite Committee in Holland. The
sum he remitted w-as twenty-eight
thousand five hundred fiorins, which
on the 17th of August was receipted
for by Jacob Vorsterman and John
Honnore at Amsterdam, to be repaid

SWISS BXODUS INTO HOLLAND (Continued).

179

by them later to the proper owners
on presentation of obligation which
these owners held and which had
been issued to them as an evidence
of what sums they were entitled to.
The sum paid to each owner 'was the
same that he had been required to
pay in, upon entering the ship, so
that it would be impossible for him
to turn back with his money. These
receipted obligations are still on file
in their original completeness in the
Archives of Amsterdam.
In addition to this, the sums of
money which the Swiss themselves
carried with them 'in drafts and in
cash, according to Runckel, amounted
to six or seven thousand reichthalers.
Zehnder estimates the amount of
capital taken out of Switzerland up
to this time by departing Mennonites
was alvout six hundred thousand
pounds. The whole sum which
Runckel received for the aid of the
Swiss and for which he rendered an
account on March 29, 1713, in Am
sterdam amounted to thirty-eight
thousand one hundred and thirty-
three (38,133) florins or fifteen thou
sand two hundred and thirty-three
(15,233) reichthalers.
By the beginning of June, the dif
ficulties and hindrances had become
so great that it seemed to Runckel,
as well as to the Committee, that the
enterprise would be impossible. Tn
the second week of July, the five
ships (four of which had been con
structed at Berne) were all ready.
As the five hundred emigrants oould
not be gathered together, other pas
sengers were accepted (Do. 301).
Finally embarkation took place
July 13th in Neunberg, as well as in
Berne. The S'hips joined one another at
Wangen. Here one of the former
prisoners, Henrich Schilt, of Scbang
nau, absented himself, contrary to
his vow. On the 14th the journey was
continued to Lafenburg; and on the

16th, all arrived safely at Basel.
Runckel had reached this place a day
before by a land route. The open
vesisels were here furnished with
awnings and the necessary supplies
were put on board — additional pas
sengers were taken on board here.
Shortly before the departure from
Basel, on the 17th of July, two Men
nonites, Hans Burki (or Burkholder)
and Samuel Reber, were released
from imprisonment and brought by
the government of Berne to Basel
and put upon the ships. These men
had been condemned to severe pun
ishment because they sneaked or
stole back into Switzerland. Through
the efforts of Rnnckel they were al
lowed to board the ships at the last
moment. 1711 — Exodus Into Holland (Con
tinued).
The Baptist or Mennonite teacher,
Daniel Grimna, had been arrested at
Langnau with Hans Burki (or Burk
holder), and was to have 'been trans
ported to America the previous year.
But, upon his liberation in Holland,
he became one of the three trustees or
men of confidence of the Mennonites
in the Netherlands, though he had, as
We have just stated, violated his
pledge and returned to Switzerland.
Burkholder's action -caused great dif
ficulties; and the more so because
all of his children, in company with
Uli Gerber, his hired man, as well as
the ten sons of three other Menno
nites, Peter and Daniel Gtimm and
Christian Neuenschwender, armed
themselves with pitch forks, sticks
and clubs and made a stubborn re
sistance to either being thrown out of
Switzerland or being arrested. (R.
M. July 9, 1711.) Upon this opposi
tion to the authorities, proceedings
to punish them were instituted. Burki
and Grimm particularly angered -the
government of 'Switzerland because
they endeavored to dissuade the

180

RUNCKEL'S GREAT SERVICE FOR SWISS SUFFERERS.

Mennonites in the mother country
from going to Holland. (R. M. June
10, 1711.)
At Basel it was plain that the
travelers could be transported in
four ships. Therefore, the fifth ves
sel was left behind here to be usei,
perhaps, later for similar purposes.
After it had lain there for a year, the
people of Basel had it dismembered
and removed, though it was the prop
erty of the friends of the Mennonites
and was worth at least one hundred
florins. The command over the flotilla was
confided ,to George Ritter and his two
superintendents, Gruner and Haller.
He was also to be advised in import
ant matters by two prominent Men
nonite Brethren, Daniel Richen and
Christian Gauman, the elder, who had
been appointed for this purpose. Be
sides this there were on the ships a
few brethren entrusted with the su
pervision and care of the emigrants —
Hans Burki, Jacob Richen, Ehnanuel
Lartscher, Michael Lusser, Hans
Meier and Peter Zehnder. (Muller
302.) Each vessel had its experienced
helmsman or pilot, and the necessaiV
crew from the brethren, of whom
twenty reported as experienced oars
men. Experienced pilots were taken
along from one place to another ac
cording as they were familiar with
the river at different points.
The embarkation took place in good
order. Runckel tells us in a letter,
however, of July 18, 1711, which hb
wrote from Basel to the Committee, of
the trouble he had with Hans Burki
and Samuel Reber, who said they
positively would not go along to Hol
land. He said they had the rudeness,
in company with a number of others
whom he names, all ot whom had
been imprisoned and whom he had
gotten out ot prison with great dif
ficulty — that they had the rudeness to
Inquire of him in a public place in the

presence ot Mr. Ritter and other
prominent men, whether he (Runckel)
intended to take them away ag pris
oners or free men. He answered them
that they were certainly to go as free
men but the order was, thev m-st go
on to Holland, where, full liberty
would be granted them. Burkholder
reported that the Burgees of Berne,
when he delivered him up to the ship
merely told him that he must keep
away from the Be-ne territory in the
future and did not say that he must
go to Holland. He now insisted that
here at Basel, he was outside of
Berne territory and was at liberty to
go wherever he plea-ed; and further
that he did not intend to go into the
ship again; but savs Kuncl^el, Bu
ho'der finally submitted, after be:
informed that he (Runckel) wo
get the a'd of the Basel governnii
to order him locked in irons and
be taken to Holland in that maun
if he would not go willingly, acco
ing to his vow and pledge. Rune
says further, that he lectured Bu:
holder very severely for his oppr
tion to all that was being done
his and others' best interest
energetic action, Runckel says he
nipped great difficulties in the bud
which later could not have been pre
vented or overcome. Some ot the
emigrants subsequently m-'de theii
escape from the ships in order to g(
back to Switzerland and were a-jaiu
arrested and locked -cp. And after
having now broken their promise sev
eral times nothing could liberate
them. Runckel inspected every ship anu
mad© a careful and correct list of
those who undertook the journev;
issued the necessary orders; en
trusted the care of the who'e expedi
tion to Mr. Ritter; and af'er the de
parture of the ships, returned tc
Schaffhausen. (Muller 303.)

EXPENSES OF DEPORTATION OF 1711.

181

1711-Exodus Into HoUand (Contin
ued).
The following items of expense,
taken from Runckel's account which
he rendered on November 30, 1711,
from Schaffhausen to the Committee
at Amsterdam, throws considerable
light on the expedition:
1710
Oct. 6 — To Maid Jenner, prison-
keeper at Berne, for necessaries and
habiliments for the Baptists who had
been imprisoned on the Island, on
account; twenty ducats or 25
Reichsthaler. Oct. 6 — To Mister
Bombard Wagner tor the same pur
pose for the prisoners contained in
the upper hospital, thirty-five ducats
or 26 Reichsthaler and 18 batzen or
cents, of which he had used only
twenty-six. Oct. 20 — Journey to Am
soldingen to Mister Boduer, to con
sult with him in reference to placing
the poor Baiitists on the bogs ot Aau-
burg, Yoerdon and Orbe, spent in
three days with an hired man and
two horses, 7 Reichsthaler and 25
batzen (cents). Feb. 4, 1711 — To the
poor Baptists on the Island for their
necessities, 10 Reichsthaler. Do. —
Gave separately to Samuel Reber
who had recently been re-arrested 3
Reichsthaler. Do. — To the so-oalled "Schnecke-
muttzer" (snail mother) who had at
tended to the wants of these Baptists,
and who had usually opened the pri
son doors to us, as a tip, two dol
lars. Do. — To the poor Baptists in
the upper hospital for their necessi
ties, 62 dollars. Do. — To the so-called
"Spinnmutter" (spinning mother)
who had attended to the wants of
these Baptists and who had usually
opened the prison doors to us, as a
tip, 2 dollars. Feb. 5 — To the mes
senger ot the Chancery who had de
livered to me the decision for the
liberation of the above mentioned
Baptists, tip, 15 batzen or cents.

March 5 — Paid to the Baptist Cham
ber at Berne for prison expenses one
hundred Reichsthaler. Of these were
refunded by:
Niklaus Haberli 16 Reichsthaler
Elsbeth Aebersold 15 "
Barbara Rohrer 15 "
Katharine Balli 15 61
Leaving a balance on account of
thirty-nine Reichdollars.
March 11th, paid further to the Bap
tist Chamber for prison expenses for
Heinrich Schilt of Schangnau, 25 dol
lars; Hans Kuenbuhler of Diessbach,
25 dollars. March 12 — To Mrs.
Langhaus, attendant at the Baptist
Chamber, for various services on ac~
count -of the imprisoned Baptists;
particularly at the time of their re
lease, by request of the Baptists, 1
Louisdor, 3 dollars and 24 cents.
(Muller 304)— March 30, To Peter
Blaser of Lauperswyl, who was sent
into the judicial districts ot Trach
seiwald and Sumiswald, in order to
induce the Baptists residing there to
emigrate, as travelling expenses, 1
dollar and 15 cents. — ^May 13, To
Peter Shenk of Trub, a member of
the Reformed Church but who was
kindly disposed towards the Baptists,
and who distributed the printed cir
culars in the Emmenthal, a gratuity
for his trouble, 1 dollar. — May 18, Mr.
Bernhard Wagper, who was sent into
the Emmenthal to persuade the Bap
tists residing there for Heaven's sake
to get themselves in readiness for
departure and for this purpose to
have their names written down, since
he refused absolutely to charge any
thing for his trouble and expense, a
gratuity of four Louisdor paid him,
15 dollars and 6 cents. — June 15, To
Samuel Reber, preparation for the
Journey, 25 dollars. — June 13, To the
four provosts, who had brought Sam
uel Reber and Hans Burki from the

182

SWISS EXODUS INTO HOLLAND (Continued).

jail to the ship, 2 Reichdollars — July
14, On the journey to Basel, nights
lodging in Wangen for Mr. Bernhard
Wagner's postillion and horse, 1 dol
lar and 16 cents. — July 16, To printer
Thurneisen in Basel, for the printing
of seven hundred copies of that cir
cular, 9 good florins, 4 dollars and 12
cents.— July 19, Paid in Basel for
board and lodging for Mr. Wagner's
'Postillion and horse for 3 days, 8
dollars and 16 cents. — For his return
home, 12 dollars and 15 ecnts.
1711— Exodus Into Holland (Con
tinued).
Various writers have described
how the exiled protestants of Salz
burg, bearing their scant effects,
journeyed over the mountains of their
country, and with tearful eyes, cast
a last glance upon the valleys ot their
native land. It has been related too,
how the columns of French emigrants
wandered toward the boundary line
of their fatherland, singing psalms.
Ot our exiles from the Emmenthal
and from the highlands of Switzer
land, no countrymen of theirs has
made mention in sympathy and sor
row, none have described the feelings
of these pople when they set their
eyes for the last time on the spires
of the cathedral of Basel, and the
wooded crests of the Jura and saw
their native country recede from
view. On the boxes and bundles piled
up on the deck of the ship, old men,
the weak and inflrm are seated. In
other parts of the ships, the young
and strong are standing together and
looking with wondrous eyes on the
shores, as the ships glide along.
Sometimes hopeful, sometimes full ot
anxiety, they glance to the North, and
then again and again to the South to
their home country, which they were
compelled to give up, the country,
which had driven them so cruelly in
to exile — but whose verdant hills and
silver-crested mountains, they never

theless could not forget. And (their
hearts, heavy with sorrow) they in
tonated a hymn which gave them so
lace:"O Lord, we Thee implore.
Guide well our hearts and minds
According to Thy Holy Word,
Through Thy great mercy kind."
Kindle in our hearts
A fervent love to Thee.
Watch o'er us and defend us;
Or sund©red we shall be.
Who loves his life shall lose it;
But who for Him leaves wife anil
child.
And home and friends and country.
Gains Christ and Heaven mild!
The winds are blowing tempests:
The flowing streams swell high;
Yet these we freely brave.
And to God, our Savior cry.
Whoe'er avows the truth;
And keeps his soul from sin;
Though haunted down and seized.
Has joy and peace within.
The Lord two groups will form.
On the stern judgment day,
Come blessed of my Father,
To the righteous he will say.
Ye suffered taunts and outrage;
Left home and Pathei'land of old,
He gains who struggles wage,
A hundred thousand told.
No man can speak it out.
No bond can it portray.
What God will give his own.
On the great Judgment Day."
Hans Burki took the first opportun
ity to leave the ship at Breisach, tak
ing with him twelve companions; and
when Mennheim hove into view, the
haven of refuge of so many friends
and acquaintances, Samuel Reber;)

SWISS EXODUS INTO HOLLAND (Continued).

183

and thirty others too, decamped.
Mayence, Coblenz, Cologne, Diissel-
dorf and Wessel were passed. At
Emmerich, Abram Fortgens brought
all greetings of welcome, #nd in
formed them on behalf of the Com
mittee that, Amsterdam was to be the
end of the journey. Now the boun
dary line ot Holland had been reach
ed. Utrecht was ijassed, and at Nul-
den, the ships were docked. Prom
Utrecht on, two envoys from Amster
dam accompanied the transports. In
Amsterdam Jan Frederlksen on Au
gust 2nd, gave notice of the arrival
at Utrecht. In Nuiden they were bid
a cordial welcome by a number of
gentlemen of Amsterdam.
On the same day, (the third of Au
gust, 1711) Mr. Honnore gave a glow
ing report of the arrival ot the Swiss
at Nuiden, to his friend Bennings at
Rotterdam, saying they would b© in
Amsterdam by evening, and adding
the information that, their number
was three hundred and forty, among
whom were on© hundred and fifty
children, eighty to ninety men and
ninety to one hundred women.
1711 — Exodus Into Holland (Con
tinued).
The Swiss, who actually did arrive
on the evening of the third of August
at Amsterdam, were given quarters
for the night in th© large rooms of
the warehouses on the "Zaudlock,"
which was part of the malting plant,
and which had been placed at their
disposal by one of the gentlemen.
This building had been transfo-rme-d
within th© last few days into huge
barracks and had been suppiied with
the necessary bedding, blankets, uten
sils, victuals and beverages. Every
thing that was needed was brought in
large quantities, and the sick and in
firm reoeived special attention. It
was a hospitable reception in every
sense. Great was the love and oor-di-
ality mutually exhibited. And the

citizens of Amsterdam came in such
great throngs that it became neces
sary to put the entrances to th© quar
ters under police protection. The
boxes placed at the doors contained
charitable offerings to the amount of
one thousand and forty-five florins.
For two weeks, the -Swiss were here
the guests of their brethren in the
faith. It was indeed an arduous time
for the Committees at Amsterdam.
The best we can do m the way of be
lated thanks, is 'to present the name
of the Holland leaders for future per-
petuati-on. The members -of the relief
committee were William van Maurlk,
Hermanus Sohy-n, Jan Willink, Abra
ham Jacob Fries, Job Sieuwerts,
Jacob Vorsterman, Jan Honnore and
Cornelis Beets.
The most accurate knowledig© ot the
doings of the relief committee is -ob
tained by examining the account of
Messrs. Vorsterman and Honnore. We
find therin the entire totail daily con
sumption of the emigrants, the fur
nishing of the barracks, th© service,
the gifts and money. We learn, too,
the names of all who furnished sup
plies. (Muller 307; The entire ac
count is con'taiined in Huizinga, pages
100 to 102. The orphans wer© placed
in homes and their board paid. A
young Christian was admitted into the
Orphanage of the Baptist congrega
tion for seventy-five florins annually.
The fugitives who had arrived at
Amsterdam were most part members
of the Amman faction, that is the
Amish. The adherents of Reist had
nearly all decamped en route.
In the "Emmenthaler" ship most of
the prisoners had been placed. The
Overseers wer© Hans Burki, Christen
Gaumann the Elder and Jacob Rich-
ener. ,
Martin Strahm, of Hohsteten, left
the ship at Breisach; so did Hans
Burki of L^.ngnau, Peter Hartig of
Lauperswyl; Peter Gerber and wife

184

DEPORTATION OF SWISS IN 1711.

and Verena Aeschlimann of Langnau;
Joseph Propst ot Lauperswyl; Daniel
Roth©nbubl©r of Lauperswyl escaped
at Mannheim; so did Hans Schwarz-
©mtrub of Trub; Ulrich Beer of Trub
escaped at Breisach; so did Hans
Gasser, teacher and his wife, Katrina
Stauffer, and a young son of Laupers
wyl, Hans Zann escaped at Mann
heim; so did Hans Plucklu'ger of
Lutzelfluch and Niklaus Baumgartner
of Trub, and Niklaus Haberli of
Liichsee, and Ulrich Trussel and his
daughter Kath-erina of Sumiswald.
Chr. Gau-mann the elder and his wife,
Anna Brenzikoffer of Hoctstetten.
Chr. Gaumann th© younger and his
wife, Katharina Streit, with two sons,
flve and eleven years of age, respec
tively, and two daughters of six and
three years of age respectively, of
Hochstetten, arrived 'at Amsterdam.
Daniel Neukomm, of Eggwyl, escaped:
at Mannheim. Hans Wisler of Lang
nau escaped at Breisach. Verena
Kohler and daughter of Rothenbach,
escaped at Mannheim, Hans Schon
auer 'and his wife Elsbeth Aeb©r&old
of Hochstetten, Hans Snyder of Trub,
and Samuel Reber -of Trub, escaped at
Mannheim. Ulrich Schurch 'and his
wife, Barbara Grunbacher, with three
sons and one daughter, of Sumiswald,
Katharina Haldiinann, ot Hochstet
ten and Katrina Galbi of Hochstetten,
and Lucia Weinmann, forty years old,
weaver of Hochstetten, arrived. (Mtil
ler 308.) Barbara Rohrer, forty years
of age, her husband, and Velt Sagi-
mann, of the Reformed Church, -and a
son twenty years of age, not a mem
ber ot the congregation of Bolligon,
arrived. She died shortly after the
arrival at Amsterdam. Marg. Schurch,
widow, and a daughter twenty years
of age (not a member) of Lutzelfluh,
arrived.

r 1711 — Exodns Into HoUand (Contin
ued).
Marg. Oberll, of Ruderwyl, escaped;
so did Kath Bieri of Trub; and Many
Kling of Trub; and Anna Habegger of
Trub ; and Hans Shellenberger and his
wife, Elsbeth Neuensohwander of
Trub. Among the expedition were
Daniel Becker, Ulrich Hugo, student
and Andreas Jeggli a tanner. Besides
these th© following voluntary travel
ers had been placed on the ship: Ru
dolf Stettler and his wife, Elsbeth
Widmer, with two young sons, thir
teen and fifteen years of age respect
ively, a weaver of Stettlen, who went
through to Amsterdam. But Jacolb
Richeuer and his wife belonging to
the Reformed Ghuroh, with five chil
dren eleven years down to five weeks
old, respectively, of Ruppertswyl,
escaped 'at Mannheim. Hans Kohler.
thirty-nine years old, and his wife, a
member ot the Reformed Church, re
spectively, stonecutter of Wimmingen,
arrived at Amsterdam. So did Madg.
Gisler. 'widow, with two children, aged
ten and six years respectively, seam
stress forty-six years old ot Sumis
wald; and Ester Bohlen. single wo
man, weaver of Rueggis'berg; and
Barbara Shar. widow, with two chil
dren, eleven and eight years old re
spectively, of Sumiswald; and Bar
bara Joost, with a daughter, of the
Reformed faith, twenty years ot age.
of Sumiswald; and Katharine MJiiller,
single woman, torty-'tour years of
age, of Melc'huan; and Anna Heiniger.
single woman, thirty-five years old, of
Duenroth; and Kathrine Heiniger.
thirty-two years of age; Magd. Hein
iger, twenty-eight years of age; and
Elsbeth Heiniger, thirty-four years ot
age, of Dunenroth; and Elsbeth Som-
ner, single woman, thirty years ot
age, ot Sumiswald; and Elsbeth
Kaner, single -woman, twenty-two
¦years of age, straw hat maker of
Dunenroth; and Elsbeth Althouse,

DEPORTATION OF SWISS IN 1711.

185

-widow, fifty-six years of age. and
daughter, twenty-three years old, not
a member ot Sumiswald; and Christ
Brand, an orphan, eleven years old.
of Sumiswald; and Elsbeth Kupfers-
dhusied, of -Sumiswald. In th© "Em-
enthaler" ship, there were altogether
about eighty-nine persons. (M'iiller
309.) On another list there are the fol
lowing names and tacts: Hans Ogl
and wife, thirty-four years old and
daughter five years old farmer, ar
rived at Amsterdam; so did Hans
Schallenberg, of Neunberg, and his
wife, Marg. Riohen, and four daugh
ters. Ohristian Kroff, ibis wife and
three sons, aged ten, two and one
years respectively, shoemaker, ar
rived; and Hans Hauri, weaver, wife
and two sons, from the judicial dls-
trist ot Leuzburg; arrived. Hans
Lang, weaver, thirty-five years old,
his wife. Barb Gerber, twenty-seven
years old and one child, arrived. Hans
German, farmer, his wife, Magd.
Sohallenberger, and two children
died. Ulrich Roth, miller, fifty-five
years of age, his wife Elsbeth Steiner,
a son ot fifteen years, and three
daughters and Anna Mhiller (or
Moser) widow, sixty-six years of age,
lame, arrived, and so did Daniel
Gerfber, husbandman, and wife, Magd.
Richen, forty-six years old. In the
ship, "Oberlander" (people from up
the country), there were: Overseers —
Daniel Richen, inspector general, and
Bm-anuel Lortscher; and Emanuel
Lortsdher, husbandman, of Erlenbach,
-his wife, Anna Andres, and four chil
dren, from six years to six months of
age, respectively, who reached Am
sterdam; and Anna and Du'Ohtly
Teuseher, forty years old, single
women, weavers; and Marg. Kallen,
of FYutigen, seventy years of age,
lame, a'nd daughter, itwenty years old.
Reformed (her husband stayed be
hind); and Magd. Schmied, fifty-four
years old, Baptls't, of Latterbaoh, and

eight children, Jobam, Abraham,
Jakob, Is'aac, David, Hans Rudolf,
Susanna, Salome, all by the -name of
Lortscher, and all children ot the
Reformed faith; and Hans Thonen,
fifty years of age, husbandman, of
Frutigen, Reformed, and wife, Kath.
Reichen, with three sons and six
daughters, from twenty to three years
of age, respectively, and Hans
Schmied, Reformed, and wife. Baptist,
with one son and one daughter, nine
and seven years of age respectively,
ot Frutigen; and Ohr. iSchlapbaoh,
Reformed, of Frutigen, his wife,
Kath. Bo'hner, and four children,
eight and two years of age, respec
tively; and Anna Schmied, single
woman, thirty years old, of Frutigen.
They all arrived at Amsterdam. Magd.
Schmeid, single woman of Frutigen,
was the only one to join the party en
route. Melchoir Kratzen, husband
man, of Aeschi, forty years of age.
Reformed, (his wife) Elsb. Graf.
(Baptist) who had been imprisoned
with tour sons 'and three daughters,
fourteen years to six months of age,
arrived at Amsterdam. So did Verena
Banben, single -woman, thirty years of
age, of iSpiez, seamstress; and Kung-
gold Kropfli, of Spiez, with one son
and one daughter, 12 and 10 years of
age, respectively. (Miiller 310.)
1711— Exodns Into Holland (Con-
tinned)
Christ Stutzwann, farmer, ot SpIez,
thirty-four years of age, and wife,
Magd. Stuck, thirty-seven years ot
age( he a member of the Reformed
faith, and she a Baptist) ; and Barb
Gerber of Thun, escaped at Manheim,
but Els.beth Wenger, ot Phierachem,
single woman, thirty-eight years old,
arrived at Ampterdam. So did Maria
Bogll, ot Herzogenbuchsee, single
woman, twenty-five years old; -and
Dan Richen, teacher and hus'band-
man, ot Frutigen, thirty years old,
and his wife, Anna Blank, three son*

186

DEPORTATION OP SWISS IN 1711.

and one daughter, aged from six to
one year, respectively. According to
this list, there were in the ship
"Oberlander" sixty-eight persons.
The following names appear in an
other list: Christ Neuhauser, hus
bandman, thirty years of age, and his
wife, Marg. Plank, with one child,
who arrived at Amsterdam.
In the Thun ship were overseers —
Mi.hael Reusser, Hans Meier; — also
passengers — Hans Meier, tailor, of
Sigriswyl, forty-one years old, his
wife, Dorothy Prutiger, thirty-four
years of age, two sons and two daugh
ters, from seven to six years of age
respectively; also Ulrich Prutiger,
husbandman, sixty-eight years old.
Deformed, his wife, and on© daughter
of thirty-six years, who are Baptists;
also Hans Prutiger, farmer, of Sigris
wyl, forty-four years ot age, his wife,
Maria Konlg, forty-seven years of
age, three sons and one daughter of
thirteen y©ars to six years respective
ly; also Hans Ruff (Ruff or Rufener)
vinegrower ot Sigriswyl, forty-five
years of age. Baptist, his wife, Elsb.
Thommen, thirty-nine years old (Re
formed), three sons and four daugh
ters, sixteen to three years respec
tively; a' so Christen Ruff, farmer, of
Sigriswyl, thirty-nine years of age,
his wife, Magd. Konig, thirty-nine
years of age, and one child -of four
years; also Stephen Reusser, ot Hil-
trfin-ren, seventy-six years of age,
his wife, Anna Buhler, thirty-eig'ht
years old, and one son of twelve
years, still Reformed; also Michael
Russer, twenty-seven years old,
teacher, son of Stephen Reusser (who
had ben a prisoner), these all arrived
at Amsterdam; also Vereva Ritschard,
single woman, thirty years of age, of
Hilterfingen; also Ulrich Bryner,
forty-two years of age, his wife,
M-ria Ruff, one son and one daugh
ter, four and two years of age re
spectively; also Blaslus Sorg, of

Schaffhausen, his wife Magd. Meier
of Hilterfingen, a son and a daughter,
of three years and six months ot age
respectively; also Anna Jenni, ot
Hi terfingen, thirty years of age,
widow, with one daughter, one year
old; also Hans iSchlappach, farmer,
ot Briz in the judicial district of
Thun, fifty years of age. Reformed,
his wife, Verena Duchti, forty-two
years old, tour sons and four daugh
ters, from two to eighteen years of
age respectively; also Elsb. Eicher;
of S:hwarzenburg, country servant,
twenty-six years of age; also Christ
Ste'ner, farmer, ot Diesbach, deacon,
sixty years of age, and his wife, fifty
years of age; also Hans Krenbuhl,...
hired man, of Diesbach, who had
been imprisoned; also Anna Kuenzi,
called Seller, of Diesbach, single
woman, twenty two years old; also
Pet'r Krahenbuhl, of Diesbach, thirty
seven years of age, Reformed, his
wife, Anna Wenger, thirty-eight years
old. Baptist, and three sons from
six to three years of age respectively.
All these arrived at Amsterdam.
Anna Rubeli, of Diesbach, escaped
at Mannheim; Barbara Ruegsegger,
of D'.es'bach, who had been impris
oned, escaped at Breisach; Kath,
Ruegsegger, of Diesbach, who had
been Imprisoned, escaped at Bries-
b^ch. Anna Aeschbacher, widow,
thirty years of age, of Barbers, of the
judicial district of Schwarzenburg,
with two sons and two daughters,
from fourteen to five years of age,
arrived at Amsterdam; also Christ
Stockli, husbandman, fifty years -of'
age, unmarried; also Barb Gerber,
twenty-five y©ars ot age, single wo
man, lame; also Elsb. Huber, forty
years of age, of Frutigen, widow, with
a son six years old; also Els'b Tsih-
bald. of Steffinburg, widow, fifty years
of age, a son of sixteen years and a
daughter of twenty years. These last
reached Amsterdam.

DEPORTATION OF SWISS IN 1711.

187

Although in the ship "Thuner"
there were seventy-one persons. On
another list are th© following names,
etc: — ^Hans Buhler tailor, thirty-nine
years of age, who arrived at Amster
dam; also Peter Streit, widower, rope
maker, thirty-four years ot age; also
Adam Gautschi, shoemaker, seventy-
two years of age. and his wife, sixty
years old; also Hans Gautschi, thirty
two years of age, his wife, Barbara
Hatele. twenty-six years old, and two
children; also Jakob Peter, carpen
ter, forty years old. Reformed, his
wife. Maria Stadler, thirty-eight years
old and three children. All reached
Amsterdam. In the ship "Neuenburger" were
Hans Anken, husbandman, teacher
and elder, of Spiez, thirty-seven years
ot age, his wife thirty years old, one
son and two daughters, who arrived
at Amsterdam; also Peter Lehner.
husbandman, of Oberhofen, thirty-
tour years of age, and wife; and Ul
rich Roth, his wife, two daughters
and one son, of Diesbach; and Nik
laus Gerber, husbandman, ot Thun.
thirty-tour years of age, his wife,
Magd. Yenger, twenty-four years old,
and two sons; also (Mtiller 312)
Peter Wenger, husbandman, ot Blu
menstein, seventy-nine years old, and
his wife, Kath. Wyler, seventy years
old; and Melch Zahler, deacon, hus
bandman, of Frutigen, forty-one years
old, and his wife, Anna Richen, thirty
years old; and Mathys Aeschbacher,
husbandman, of Diessbach, seventy-
five years of age, and his wife seventy
years old; also Math. Aeschbacher,
Jr., wine grower, twenty-six years of
age, his wife, forty years old, and one
daughter; also Peter Krebs, glazier,
ot Reutigen, thirty-two years old, his
wife, twenty-four years old, and one
daughter; also Martin Richer, hus
bandman, of Frutigen, thirty-four
years ot age, his wife, Barbara Turn
er, twenty-five years old, and one
son; also Peter Thonen, shoemaker,

of Reutigen, twenty-five years old-;
also Hans Krebs, husbandman, of
Reutigen, thirty-two years old, and
his wife twenty -two years old;. Peter-
Krebs, Jr., husbandman, ot Reutigen,
twenty-four years old, and Barfb.
Ru'bi, eighteen years old; and Steflen
Sirhon, husbandman, of Reutigen,
thirty-nine years of age, his wife,
Ursel Fahrni, and a daughter; and
Peter Aeschbacher, farmer, of Lau
perswyl, widower, thirty-nine years
of age, and three children; also Abr.
Lauffer, tailor, ot Zofingen, twenty-
four years of age, his wife, Kath.
Richen, a son and two daughters; and
Hans Schallenberg, of Erlenbach,
and his wife and four daughters; and
Hans Gasser, husbandman, of
Schawrzenburg, seventy-five years of
age, his wife, fifty years old and three
children; also Jakob Stahli, husband
man, thirty-five years of age, of Hil
terfingen, his wife, thirty-five years
of age and one daughter; also Bevd.
Stockli, forty-two years of age, of
Schwarzenburg, his wife, Anna Glaus,
forty-four years of age, a son and one
daughter; also Hans Purer, forty-five
years old of Oberhofen, his wife,
Magd. Kampt, a son and four daugh
ters ; also Hans von Gunten, of Sigris
wyl, fifty-five years of age, his wife,
Kath. Isler, thirty years old, two
sons and one daughter; also Hans
Bauer, vine grower, of Oberhofen,
forty-one years old. Reformed, his
wife, Anna Willener, thirty-four years
old, two sons and two daughters;
and (Muller 313) Kath. Rubi, of Fru
tigen, sixty-seven years old, and a
daughter, Magdalena, twenty-six years
old ; also David Lauffer, tailor, of
Zofingen, seventeen years of age;
also Peter Maier, shoemaker, of Sie-
benthal, thirty-eight years of age.
Reformed; also Peter Tschageler; (?)
husbandman, ot Barometer (?) in the
judicial district Thun, twenty-five
years of age. Reformed; also Nikl.
Hoffman, cooper, of Affoltern, thirty ¦

n

DEPORTATION OP SWISS IN 1711.

years of age. Reformed; als Hans
Zurcher, forty years ot age, cripple,
of Frutigen, and his mother Barb.
Germann, widow, seventy years old,
knitter; also Anna Trachsel, of Fruti
gen, thirty-four years of age, for
saken; also Verena Kallen, country
servant, of Frutigen, twenty-nine
years of age, single woman; also
Christina Kallen, country servant, of
Frutigen, thirty-two years of age,
single woman; also Anna Bucher, of
Reichenibach, weaver, thirty years of
age, single woman; Barb. Frei, of
Hilterfingen, country servant, thirty-
nine years of age; and Elsb. Binggeli,
of Schwarzenburg, thirty-eight years
of age. Reformed; Hans Lortscher,
wine grower, of Hilterfingen, unmar
ried, thirty years of age; and Hans
Aeschbacher, husbandman, of Lau
perswyl, twenty-three years of age.
All these arrived at the end ot the
journey. On another list is recorded Hans
Schmied, Reformed, thirty years of
age, Elsb. Schmied and two children,
who arrived at Amsterdam. There had
departed, therefore, altogether:
67 men among them 14 Reformed
76 men " 2
21 single men " 2 "
35 single women " 3 "
147 children " "

346 persons

21

Of these, who had been imiprisoned,
there escaped at Basel, Ulrich Brech
buhl and Peter Blaser, of Lauperswyl,
Peter Luthi, Anna Einmann, the wife
of Smaule Roth, from the parish of
Diessbach, with her Reformed hus
band Heinrich Schilt had already de
camped at Wengen, making a total of
six. Two women returned to Switzerland
to their husbands — Katharine Moser
and Barbara Steiner. With the per
mission of the authorities ot Berne,
two of the prisoners remained in the

county on account of old age; Chris
ten Dubach and Benedict Lehmann.
There is a record of forty-nine names
ot persons who had reported them
selves willing to emigrate, but who
failed to appear. On the other hand,
twenty-three went along who had not
been advised, or reported, and who
are enumerated in the foregoing re
gister. At Breisach, thirty more per
sons embarked. These are in part
the same who are mentioned as being
recorded on one of tne lists above
mentioned. The complete record is undersigned
"Schaffhausen, the 23rd ot July, 1711.
Johann Ludwig Runckel."
(A. A. No. 1396, Huizinga page 113,
etc.) 1711— Goal of the Emigrants to
Holland.
The emigrants to Holland intended
to push on to America. A large num
ber of them never reached America,
however. (Muller 319.)
We remember many of them were
housed in the Daudhoek near Amster
dam. They, as well as others in Hol
land, were looking tor a place in
Prussia; but as we have seen before,
the persons sent to view the land, re
ported against them going. Richen,
Anken and Zahler were asked their
opinion, as representatives of the
Swiss, but they said the country
would not suit A landholder of
Groningen offered to take twenty
families of about one hundred per
sons and see that they got a suitable
place. Abraham Cremer undertook to
find a place tor the rest at Kampen
and Deventer, till the following May
at least How to maintain these
Swiss Mennonites tor the winter was
a question. The deputies ot Friesland
(Holland) said they would take a
number of them tor the winter. Mr.
Ritter was voted two hundred reich
thalers for what he did.

DISTRIBUTION OF HOLLAND EXODUS.

18»

On the 20th of August, the vessels
left their mooring in the presence of
a large crowd (who were deeply
moved at their departure) and car
ried the Swiss out on the angry
waves of the Zuider Zee, to distribute
them. Twenty-one went to Harlingen
— one hundred and twenty-six to
Groningen — eighty-seven to Kampen
and one hundred and sixteen to De
venter. total 356 persons. It is ob
served that this distribution was made
by water — some 'of the Swiss being
landed at the first coast point to
these towns, and then escorted to the
town. The expense of those who went to
Groningen was taken care of by the
committee, largely of the elders ot
the old Flanlnger congregation and
of the Vaterlander congregation. They
rendered a detailed account on the
30th of March 1712. In it they show
that the board and lodging amounted
tor the first few days to five thousand
seven hundred and eleven fiorins, in
Groningen. (MiQller 320.)
Authorities ot the town had very
little information when the Swiss ar
rived, and called upon Runckel to
explain all about the causes of this
emigration and the kind of people
these were. Runckel praised them
highly and succeeded in having con
ditions all favorable to them in the
town. The price ot land there was
low, because the crops had failed in
1709. but there was demand for labor
now. Lists of names and accounts are
still In existence, from which we get
a good idea of the settlement. Names
and numbers of families are given.
and the expense of the trip. Also
the points they touched on the road —
the amount of money brought along
by each — the allowance granted to
each out of the general fund.
The full details would be too long
but the names of the heads of families

and some of the individual persona
may be given with profit
1711 — Swiss Leave Holland's Shelter.
The names of th© heads of families
and individual persons referred to
above are; the families of Peter Leh
ner, Ulrich Roth, Jacob Stahli, Christ
Stutzman, Niklaus Teuseher, Hans
Tschabold, Peter Krahenbuhl, Hans
Bauer, — and the single, Elsbeth Tsch
abold, settled at Saperneer. In Hoog-
kerk, also near Groningen are the
families of Emanuel Lortcher, Hans
Purxer, Hans von Gunten. In Helpen,
the widow Magdelena Schmidt, with
her family, purchased an estate; In
Vinklaus, Steffon Simon, with his fam
ily was located — the rest ot the people
were in and about Groningen, name
ly, the families of Hans Meier, of Ul
rich Prutiger, who in December 1711,
lost his wife in Groningen; Anna
Eesclebacher; of Kringold Kroffll;
Matheys Aeschebacher; Christ Stucki,
Christ Schilling, Elsbeth Rubin, Peter
Krebs, and Peter Thonin. The other
unmarried persons are, Niklaus Hoff
man, Vreni Barber, Hans Knenbuhl,
Hans Aeschbacher, Peter Tschaggel-
er, Hans Lortscher, Anna and TilUe
Tuscher, Anna Kunzi, Elsbeth Bing
geli, Elsbeth Wenger, Barbara Frei.
Katharina Schmied.
In the year 1721, the information
wias sent from Groningen to the com
mittees -at Amsterdam, that none of
Swiss were in need 'of any further as
sistance. Some of these in later years
emigrated to Pennsylvania.
To Kampen came thirty-five children,
three widows and seven children, and
eight single persons, with a total
amount of ten thousand nln© hundred
and seventy-eight fiorins. These were
domiciled in the same manner as
those of Groningen by Steven Cremer
of Deventer, who bought the rights of
citizenship in Kampen for six famil
ies, for one hundred and forty florins
each, which carried with it the prlvi-

¦J90

PROM HOLLAND TO NORTHiEJRN GERMANY.

lege of pasture for six cows and two
horses each. They are th© families of
teacher Michael Reusser, Stephen
Reusser, Melchior Zahler, Hans Long,
Hans Jacob Burki, Hans Gerwanni
Hans Ogi, Hans Schmied, Hans Surer
(?), Hans Buhler, Hans Gautschi,
Peter Aeschbacher, Benedict Stockli,
Hans Grasser, Blasins Sorg, Anna
Muller, Marg, Galli, Chr. Schlappach,
Daniel -Gerwanni, Adam Gautschli, Ja
cob Petri, Chr. Stockli, Peter Meier,
Peter -Streit, Math. Aeschbacher.
The above named brought one hun
dred and six persons to Deventer,
namely, the families of th© teacher
Daniel Richen, Martin Richen, Peter
Richen, Hans and Peter Krebs, Abra
ham Lauffer, Hans SchellenbBrger,
Hans Thonen, Chr. Neuhauser, Ulrich
Bryner, Elsbeth Althaus, Daniel Ger
ber, Peter Wenger, Chr. Krebs, Mar
gret Giseler, Barbara Sohar, Kath. Ru
bin, Elsbeth Kufferschmied, Anna,
Elsbeth,- and Margaret Heiniger, David
Laufer, Anna Bruger, Verena aift
Christian Galli, Marie Bogll, Peter
Thonen, Blsbeth Koner, Kath Muller,
Esther Benli, Barbara Gerber, and
student Daniel Becker.
The Swiss experts, who, headed by
Benedict Brechbuhl, were to investi
gate and pass on the Prussian offers,
wrote under date of August 12, 1711,
from Danzig to Amsterdam. They
gave a description ot their -experiences
in Luthania, praised the remarkable
fertility of the soil, the favorable in
ducements of the king, -and the great
love and affections which were shown
them by their brethren in the faith,
in Danzig and Elbing. The houses,very
naturally, did not suit them, but they
had the royal promise of the permis
sion to fell the needed lumber from
the forests of the domain tree of cost,
There were to be had 62 farms ot 30
acres each. These journeys and a visit
to Berlin, where they went upon invi
tation of the king, delayed their return

to Amsterdam, until the 8th of Sept
ember. By that time the Swiss had
already gone to their new places of
abode in Ireland, and there was a
question whether, on the strength of
the favorable reports of Brechbuhl,
they could again be induced to wan
der to another place. For that reason
three delegates to their brethren in
Kampen; but neither there nor in
Groningen and Deventer did they find
a willingness again to emigrate, inas
much as there was a prejudice against
the plague, which had a short time
before decimated those countries.
Brechbuhl reported on September 20,
1711, from Deventer in like manner as
two days later Russer, Anken, Richen.
Steiner and Zahler, who gave the as
surance that they would no longer be
a burden to the commission, but
would endeavor to earn their bread.
Br&chbuhl was quite enthusiastic
over the colonization in Prussia, and
no doubt, through his efforts, there
were in later years, founded Swiss
congregations there, which, howveer,
in 1720, and particularly in 1730, be
came greatly distressed and later on
mostly emigrated to Germany, the
Netherlands and North America.
1711 — Wanderings of a Portion of the
Exodus.
Prom the year 1711 on, more emi
grants followed almost annually, since
the persecutions did not cease, and
which found renewed expression in
the proclamation ot March 24, 1714.
In this year 'there emigrated from
Goutenschwyl near Lenzberg to Hol
land — Hans (Jeutschi, his wife, Bar
bara Hatele and his daughter, Jacob
Peters and his wife, Marie Stodler;
Samuel Peter and Barbara Frei; Rudi
Peter and Anna Erisman; Samuel
Peter StuHzer and his wife; Samuel
Leutswyler, single; Rudolph Peter and
Verena Aeschbach and Rudolph Wurg-
ler.

THE HOLLAND SWISS REACH LANOASTBR COUNTY.

191

Samuel Peter and Barbara Frei were
called Neuhauser from their estate
Waihaus, near Goutenschwyl, and are
the ancestors of the very large and
flourishing Neuhuizen, whose family
tree Huizinga has worked out in great
detail. Very likely they were Induced
by relatives who were among those
who settled in Groningen, to make
this the destination of their journey,
and they remained in Kalkivyk at
Hoogezand, near Groningen. At Sap-
peneer and Groningen, small indepen
dent Swiss emigrations were formed.
Prior to 1671, fugitives of Swiss orign
(M. 323) had -come from the P-alati-
nate into the country about Groningen,
and were called Pfalzer (inhabitants
of the Palatinate). This was applied
to the arrivals of 1671, as they amal
gamated into a congregation whidh
held their services in a house in the
"Achterunner'' in Groningen. As
founder of this congregation, their
first teacher, Hans Anken, may be re
garded as principal; soon thereafter,
assisted by Daniel Richen and Abra
ham Stauffer. It would have been
considered too good a fortune if these
Swiss could have been without dissen
sions in their new place of abode!
Hans Anken had bought a house for
himself, called the "great cloister."
Abraham Lauffen deemed th© style of
architecture too vain, and insinuated
.to the owner to change the same.
Anken did not take kindly to this sug
gestion, and this difference of opin
ion was sufficient cause for a split in
the congregations into "Old" and
"New" Swiss.
1711 — Mennonite Division Into Old
and New 8-wiss Factions
The heads of one congregation of
Dbrty to fifty members were Hans and
Peter Kreb, the heads of the other
congregation of fifty to sixty members
were Danieil -Rlcihen and Abraham

Lauffer. This split lasted from the
year 1720 to -the last quarter of -the
century, and extended to the congre
gation at Sappeneer. The stylish house
of Anken's led as supposed to this
split. It is very likely that the showy
or oonspicious house which Anken had
bought was 'Only a pretended motive
to bring to a focus a deeper rotted dif
ference — a -difference which ever and
ever shows itself among the Baptists,
between the strict and severe and the
less strict.
1711 — Emigrants of 1711 Exodns
Beach Lancaster County
Eventually.
We have in a previous artidle given
a description of the transportation of
the Berne Mennonites down the
Rhine in 1711. Kuhns in his work
(page 46), oalls attention to the fact
that the names of many of those Swiss
emigrants are identical with our Lan
caster County names and th-ose who
went down the Rhine in 1710 are iden
tical with our Lancaster County prom
inent names also. Among them he
mentioned Gerber, Gaumann, Schurch,
Galli, Haldiman, Burki, Rohrer, Schal-
lenberger, Oberli, Jeggli, Wisler,
Hauri, Graf, Wenger, Neukomm,
Fluckinger, Rubeli, Ruegsegger, Kra
henbuhl, Huber, Buhler, Kuenzi,
Stahli, Rubi, Zurcher, Bucher, Strahm.
Among those -exiled in 1710 were the
names of Brechbuhl, Baumgartner,
Rupp, Pahrni, Aeschlimann, Maurer,
Ebersold and others. All these names
— which, more or less changed, -are
common throughout the State and
country today — are of Bernese origin.
The Landis, Brubacher, Meili, Egli,
Ringer, Gut, Gochnauer and Prick
families came from Zurich.
This would argue that (while Mifililer
does not trace any of these emigrants
of 1711 to Lancaster County) many of
them eventually reached this county.

192

PBRSBCUl'ED SWISS REACH LANCASTER COUNTY.

1711 — Brethren Join the Pequea
Colony of 1710.
According to Rupp, it would seem
that as soon as the winter of 1710-11
was passed, the Pequea colonists sent
one ot their members back to the Old
Country, to bring on members of their
family, who were left behind.
Rupp described very vividly, pages
80 and 81, how this came about.
Quoting from a source which he does
not mention, he says, that before the |
ground brought forth its flrst crop,
they made preparations to bring the
balance ot their families over — that
after the lot fell to Hans Herr, it W'as
decided that Mart Kendig should -take
his place and that he, accordingly,
went abroad and brought a company
of -Swiss and Germans back with him.
He tells us that the party consisted
of the balance of families already
here and of Peter Yordea, Jacob Mfil-
ler, Hans Tchantz, Henry Punk, John
Hauser, John Bachman, Jacob Weber
and three others, whose Christian
names are not given, Schllagel, Wen-
rich and Guildin. It would seem that
Schlagel's name was Christopher, be
cause in 1713, he had established
himself 'On the Conestoga creek, and
complained -of the Oartledges interfer
ing with his mini.
1712 — Large Palatine Possessions in
Lancaster County.
This year -a tract of 3330 -acres in
Strasburg Township was ordered to
be surveyed to Amos Strettle, for the
occupation of Swiss Mennonites. It
adjoins 'the original Herr tract ot
1710 on the east The warrant Is
dated the 5th ot July 1712, and the
survey was made November 1st, the
same year. This tract was divided
during the next twenty years among
the following holders, viz.: Henry
Shank, Ulrich Brackbill, Augustine
Widower, Alexander Frldley, Martin

Miller, George Snavely, Christian
Musser, Andrew Shultz, John Poutz,
Jacob Stein, John Hickman, John
Bowman, Valentine Miller,Jacob Hain,
John Herr, Henry Carpenter, Daniel
Ferree, Isaac Lefevre, Christian
Stoner, John Beiers, Hans Lein, Ab
raham Smith, John Jacob Hoover,
Septimus Robinson, Samuel Hess,
Samuel Boyer, John Musgrove.
It is intended a little whUe later
t3 make a map of the original tract
and show the .present sub-divisions
thereupon, setting forth the name of
the owners of the present farms
carved out of the same. Mention ot
this tract is made in Rupp, page 77.
1712 — Poor Sagged Palatines in
England.
Ralph Thoresly in his diary under
date of June 1712, published in 2 vol
umes in London in 1830 says that on
his return to Hyde Park, he saw a
number of Palatines in England and
that they were the most poor and
ragged creatures that he ever beheld.
(Diffenderfer's Exodus 86.)
1712 — Gxowth of German Skippack
Colony.
We are told that by this year, on
April 6th, the Mennonites of Skippack
numbered 99. They had additions in
1708 and '09. (Pennypacker's German-
town 169.)
1712 — Ferree and Lefevre^ennonites,
Take 2000 Acres of Land in Con
estoga Valley.
In the minutes of 'the Pennsylvania
Board of Property, under date of
September 10, 1712, It is stated th-at
"at a meeting of the commissioners
that day held— the late commissioners
having granted 10,000 acres ot land to
the Palatines, by their warrant, dated
6th of 8th month, 1710, in pursuance
thereof there was laid out to Martin
Kendig, besides the 2,000 acres already

ADDITIONS TO SWISS SETTLEMENT.

193

confirmed and paid for, the like quan
tity of 2,000 acres, towards Susque
hanna, of which the General Surveyor
has made a return. Th© said Martin
Kendig now appearing desirous that
the said land may be granted and con
firmed to Maria Warenbuer, for whom
the same was taken up. But upon
further consideration ot the matter, it
is agreed among 'themselves that the
said land shall be confirmed to Daniel
Flerre and Isaac Lefevre, two ot the
said widow's sons, and the considera
tion money, viz £140 at £7 per 100
acres, by agreement having been for
some time due, but is now to be paid
down in one sum. 'Tis agreed -they
shall only pay £10 for interest, thait
is £150 for the whole. (2nd Series Pa.
Arc., Vol 19, p. 259 and Rupp, page 90.)
This is the large section lying north
ot the Herr and Strettle -tracts ; partly
in East Lampeter Township and partly
in Strasburg Township. The Fierres
are the ancestors of the present
Ferry or Porry family. Neither the
Lefevres nor Forrys were pure Swiss,
as there was French extraction in
their race. This tract was subsequent
ly divided among the following per
sons — -Henry A. Carpenter, Porre
Brinton, John C. Lefevre, Joseph L.
Lefevre, Jacob Hershey, Christian Le
man, Henry and Jacob Brackbill,
Theo. Shertz, John Shertz, P. S. Bur
rows, D. Lefevre. (Rupp 102.) I hope
to have a map of the sub-divisions of
this tract also.
That It- lay partly in Strasburg
Township is shown by the fact that
Maria Warenburger, mother-in-law ot
Isaac Lefevre paid a quit rent on 2,000
acres in Strasburg Township, the
same year. (Rupp 107.) Ferrees and
Lefevres came from Steinmerster into
the Palatinate. (Rupp 85.)
1712— German-Swiss Beach the Con
estoga TaUey.
It appears that, this year, th© Ger
man-Swiss immigrants in Lancaster

County reached Conestoga in their
settlement for under the name of the
"Dutch" it is stated in First Pa. Arch.,
Vol. 1, p. 338, that they had been liv
ing at Conestoga during the past 20
years. The date of the letter is 1732.
In some of the proceedings of th©
Conestoga Road, as it was laid out
from time to time, there is a reference
to "The road up to the Dutch settle
ment on the Susquehanna" in 1712.
This makes it plain that there was a
settlement that year, including road
improvements up to the River. This
refers to a road "that leads from
Philadelphiia to the Dutch settlements
at Coneetoga" found in Volume one of
the original road papers in Chester
County, p. 50. The public are indebt
ed to the industry of Gilbert Cope in
Chester County for the compilation of
these road papers.
1712 — Further Swiss Additions about
This Tear.
According to Rupp, in his "Thirty
Thousand Names," about 1712, addi
tional tracts of land were bought by
Pequea settlers. The settlers living in
the Pequea Valley at that time (1712)
he gives as follows: Johan Rudolph
Budeli, Martin Kendig, Jacob Miil
ler, Hans Groff, Hans Herr, Martin
Oberholz, Wendel Bauman, Martin
Meylin, Samu©l Gulden, John Rudolf,
Daniel Herman, John George Truil-
berger, Hans Mayer, Hans Hagy,
Christian Hereby, Hans Pupather,
Heinrich Bar, Peter Lehman, Melcher
Brennen, Heinrich Punck, Michael
Schenck, Johannes Landis, Alrich
HonenCh, Emanuel Herr, Abraham
Herr, Melchoir Erisman, Michael
Miiller and Christopher Schleagel.
1713 — Bapid Additions to the Menno
nite Colony.
This year Isaac Lefever purchased
300 acres of land adjoining the other
settlements made by his countrymen
near Conestoga and received a war-

194

FIRST SWISS GRIST MILL ON CONESTOGA.

rant for it. And Samuel Guilden, who
had lately come from Berne, in
Switzerland as a minister to the
SW'itzers, desired 800 acres in Stras
burg with the rest of his countrymen
and a warrant was signed to him for
the price of ten pounds per 100 acres,
Pennsylvania money, 80 pounds or 60
pounds of English money. (2d Ser. Pa.
Arch., V. 19, p. 669.)
1713— The Mennonites Build Their
First Girist Mill on the Conestoga.
This year we have an account of a
remarkable German Mennonite on the
Conestoga. In Vol. 19 of the Sec.
Series of the Penna. Arch., p. 569, it
was stated at a meeting of the Land
Commissioners, held -on the 8th of
October that, Christopher Schleagel,
late of Saxony, being -desirous to
settle near the Palatines about Con
estoga and build a -mill -on a run, run
ning into the Conestoga Creek, wishes
to take up 1000 acres of land there
and build such a mill for the accom
modation of his neighboring inhabi
tants; and it was agreed that he could
have the 1000 acres for 100 Pounds.
And if he built the mill immediately 20
Pounds were to be thrown off. He
did build the mill, because a year
later I shall show he made complaint
that people were interefering with
his mill race.
Schleagel had some trouble about
his land and at a meeting held on the
18th of March, 1718, Edmnnd Capt-
lidge claimed to own it by having pur
chased from Schleagel, the right to a
tract of land and an ordinary grist
mill on a branch of the Conestoga;
and it 'is stated that Schleagel did
not comply with the terms, when he
first bought, he lost his right. It is,
however, set forth that Oartlidge has
since built a good mill on the same
land and he desires 400 acres to be
laid out to him, including his build
ings and improvements. A warrant

was accordingly given him, (Do. 644).
Rupp also notices that Christopher
Schleagel in 1712 took up this land to
build a mill and he finds the place not
far away from the land granted to the
Palatines, (Rupp, 115).
113 — The EngUsh are Moving in
Among the German Mennonites
We have just noticed that Edmund
Cartlidge, th© Indian agent, seated
himself on Christopher Schleagel's
land and in addition to this, we have
the account that a patent was given
in 1713 to Thomas -Story near a set
tlement of the Palatines at Conestoga,
and that he had a right to it as early
as 1711, (Vol. 19 of Sec. Series of Pa.
Arch., p. 572). There are also signed
the same year, a patent to John Mar-
low for 260 acres on Pequea in the
rights of Gilbert Mace. These last
are English names and show that the
English were interested also in set
tlements in this section.
1714 — Scheagel's Mill is Now Serving
the Mennonites
The mill which Christopher Schleagel
said he was about to build he evi
dently erected as may be seen In the
Taylor papers. No. 2827. Schleagel
went to Philadelphia, and made com
plaint about the English olaiming his
mill ; and James Steele gave him a let
ter dated the 24th of September, 1714,
¦which Schleagel carried to Isaac Tay
lor, surveyor for the Penns, who was
surveying at Conestoga. In this let
ter, Steele states that Schleagel com
plains that a certain person has
seated himself near the mill he hath
lately built at Conestoga, by whose
means the Indians that are there
about are likely to be troublesome and
dangerous to him. This letter then
further states that Isaac Taylor shall
order the people there interfering with
Schleagel's mill to remove and that
300 acres belonging to the mill

FORCIBLE DEPORTATION OF SWISS TO PENNSYLVANIA.

195

should be in quiet possession of
Schleagel.
1714 — George Leonard Takes Land in
Octorara.
A patent for 300 acres on the Octo
rara Creek, dated ISth of September,
was also executed to George Leon
ard. (Do. 572.1
1714 — .idditional Settlers Come to
Pequea Colony.
In Rupp's "Thirty Thousand Names,"
page 10. he sets forth a statement by
Johnathon Dickinson, under date of
1719, in which Dickinson says: "We
are dally expecting ships from London
which will bring Palatines, in num
ber, about six thousand to seven thous
and. We had a -parcel that came over
five years ago, who purchased land
about 60 miles west of Philadelphia,
and proved quite industrious." Refer
ence may also be found to this addi
tion in Colonial Records, Vol. 3, p. 29
and 228.
1714 — More German-Swiss Locaite in
Our County.
This year the following order for
passes to deport some of our ances
tors was Issued, "We, the M'ayor and
Council, of the City of Berne, here
with notify you that we, being the
persons in authority and especially
appointed for this purpose, having
power and com-mand to transport five
stubborn Mennonites and one cele
brated thief out of the country to
Lausanne, under guard, with all
necessary secrecy, on the 10th day of
August, to be deliverdid to our Chief
of Police, do command you and all
people to allow them to pass safely
through, and unhindered, and to give
all aid to our State Officers convey
ing the said Mennonites, that lies
within your power." (IVWiller 224.)
These Mennonites (who were called
stubborn) to be sent to Lausanne, ac

cording to Smith, were to be sent to
the galleys.
1714 — Benedict BrackbiU's Letter to
Fries.
In Miiller, p. 224, the following let
ter written by Benedict Brackbill in
Manheim to Jacob Fries of Amster
dam appears: —
"Some time ago, a brother -came
from -Switzerland and told me the
present condition of the Swiss breth
ren. The government still keeps up
its persecution against our people.
They have given their police power
anew to take our people to prison,
and on one day about fourteen per
sons were taken and conveyed to
prison, whose names, as well as I
know, are Casper Ammann, of Reugan
— Benedict Mowrer, who was previ
ously a prisoner with me and who
also was gotten free with me at Nim
wegen, three years ago. At present
he is in prison without his wife.
Babbie Steiner. They have robbed
him of everything that they were able
to find. They also imprisoned a
poor H  R  ot Signau, and
Oswald Otzerberger of Hochstetten —
Christian Wagsel (Wochtel) -from
Eggwyl, also Has -Luthi and his son-
in-law — also Elizabeth Zeuricher
from Lauperswyl — and Barbara Yost
from Landau, and three of the Amish
side or branch. They are in -a city
situated far from us, in Savoy, hired
out as slaves. One of them died on
th© way, by the name of Niklaus
Baumgartner. At the end ot the year
they -are to be set free. Some say
they are to be set free and to be
given some money." Dated Nov. 14,
1714. (Muller 224.)
Muller goes an to say that Brackbill
made a mistake here, because the
fourteen prisoners were not taken
away to Turin, which he called Savoy,
as can be shown.

196

ANABAPTIST OR MENNONIST TORTURE 'RENEWED.

1714— Another Brackbill Letter.
The substance of another letter
written by Brackbill, this year, is as
follows: "Under date of February 6. 1714.
Brackbill reported to Holland that
conditions in the Palatinate were most
deplorable, owing to the war. The
gift of 400 florins was received with
pleasure. Many are fleeing back to
Switzerland, and are there again taken
into captivity; others have gone into
Alsace and to Zweibrucken." (Muller
207.) This shows again the interest that
Brackbill displayed for his people. In
the Historical Society at Philadelphia,
among a lot of letters called "Dutch
Copies" are several in German, writ
ten by Brackbill.
1714 — S-wiss Mandate against Menno
nites.
The attitude of the Swiss govern
ment toward the Anabaptists found
expression in the Great Mandate of
May 24, 1714. It provided that those
who were then in captivity, some of
them teachers, and those who had
been expelled under pain of punish
ment, corporal and capital, and who
in spite of their oath, nevertheless
came back, who were fit for work
should all be sent to the galleys, for
life, as they have well deserved it.
Others were to be confined in Berne,
in imprisonment forever. (Miiller 221.)
1714 — Christian Leiby or Liebeek
Tortured.
Miiller gives the following account:
Christian Liebi (R. M, "Lie-begg") who
came from the Palatinate under the
dominion of my liege lords, and ad
mitted that he had intended to visit
Mennonites in Bern© here, to console
and comfort teachers, and if chance
presents itself, to baptize several of
them; who declared that the inhibi
tions of the authorities were known

to him, was condemned with no less
punishment 'than the native teachers,
and, therefore, he was sent to l&e
galleys, in company with the teachers
already sentenced and as a terror to
other Strang© teachers. ('R. M. June 6,
1714.) (MJiiller 228.)
Jacob Schnebelfs Testimony on Men
nonite Torture.
Information was given by Hans
Jacob Schnebeli in Mannheim to
Abram Jacob Fries and Company in
Amsterdam, he learned by the de
ported Mennonites at Turin that they
must remain there during the winter.
They were confined in a vault, in
company with 90 miscreants and
good-tor-notihings, who were sold on
account of their wickedness to a cer
tain man named Hackbrett, of Turin.
They were daily taken out -to hard
work, "I tear," writes Schnebeli,
"that by springjune, they will be sent
to th© galleys on the high seas." A
petition had been presented by cei^
tain persons to the Duke of Savoy, to
which answer was given that the Duke
would be willing to grant their re
lease, but that this matter was wholly
a concern of the gentlemen of
Berne. (A. A. No. 1371. December 1,
1714.) (Miiller 225.)
As we notice above, this letter is
still preserved in the Amsterdam Ar
chives, and is number 1371. It was
written by Jacob Snavely.
1714 — ^Further Light on Brackbill's
Letter.
In a former item, Bennedict Bract
bill's letter of Nov. 26, 1714, is set
out. Muller states (p. 225) that
Brackbill relates one of the brethren
died on the way to a distant city in
Savoy — Nicholas Baumgartner. This
letter is preserved in Amsiterdam and
is No. 1371 of the Amsterdam Archives.
It is stated that Brackbill got the
prisoners and the deported confused.

MIGRATION TOWARD PENNSYLVANIA.

197

because these prisoners were never
taken to Turin in Savoy.
17H^Reformed Clergy Sympathize
with Mennonites.
IVSuUer relates (p. 223) that under
date of July 19, 1714, the olergy of the
State Church, criticized the govern
ment tor the cruel treatmemt of the
Mennonites. They uttered very com
mendable and honorable sentiments.
But the government severely repri
manded them. The govern-menit of
ficials said that the sentences Imposed
are no concern of the Church, and that
these Anabaptlists are so stubborn,
that sentences must be severe.
1714— Persecution On the Deported of
1710 and '11 who Eeturned.
W© have noticed above that an
edict was issued by Berne to send to
the galleys, such of the Mennonites,
who were deported in 1710 and '11, as
returned to Switzerland. Some of
these who were deported in 1710 and
'11, reached Lancaster County. The
edict, condemning to galley punish
ment required that until they should
be sent to the galleys, they should be
put in the jail of Titligen. It seems
that on account ot their age and
weakness, only tour were found fit
for galley service. They were Hans
Luthi, the teacher of Schaufelbuhl,
54 years old — ^Nicholas Bumgartner of
Trub, forty years old — Peter Wiith-
rich of Trub, fifty years old and
Joseph Brobst of Trub, fifty years old.
These were to be given over to Col.
Hackbrett, who was to force them on
to Silioia.
1714— .4 >ew Flood of Swiss Emi
grants Moving Toward Pennsyl
vania.
Muller tells us (page 322) that, be
ginning in the year 1711, with the
exodus of tour shiploads of Menno
nites down the Rhine there followed

emigrations every year, west into the
Palatinate and into Holland, intend
ing to reach America; but he says a
new impulse was given by the man-
daite of 1714; and that the severity of
that mandate sent an eimigration that
year from Goutnschwyl, near Lens
burg, to Holland; among others,
Hans Goutchi and wife, ' Barbara
Hafeli, and daughter — Jacob Peters
and wife, Maria Stattler — Samuel
Peters and his wife, Barbara Pry —
Rudy Peters and his wife, Anna
Erisman — ^Samuel Peter Stultzen and
his wife — 'Samuel Lentzwyler, single
— Verena Aeschbach and Rudolph
Wiirgler. It will be noticed that the
maiden names of the wives are given
here. That seems to have -been the
custom. We may notice also, that
Samuel Peters and wife are ancestors
of a very large family in Neihuizen,
and also of Groningen.
1714 — The Means of Baptist Persecu
tion.
Muller inquires, (page 352) "With
what means had the campaign against
the Baptists to be carried out?" He
then answers, before 1714, "the state
church was blamed," that is, the
Reformed Church. An effort was then
made to inculcate the Orthodox doc
trine into the minds of the young,
through the land, so they would grow
up in the State Church and not em
brace the faith of their Mennonite
ancestors, who were tortured and
suffered all manner of penalty; and
the government and the State Church
tried to secure teachers throughout
the land to do this.
1714 — Another View of the Edict of
this Tear.
The efforts to deport in 1710 and '11
and help to get these Mennonites out
of Switzerland and to America, did
not have the result Switzerland ex
pected. They hoped that these Men-

198

THE PERSECUTION OF 1714.

nonites in America would draw all
the others over to them, but there
still remained many powerful mem
bers of that church in Switzerland,
who refused 'to go. The amnesty
offered by Switzerland in 1711, to all
who would go, did not have the re
sult intended. Therefore, this severe
edict of 1714, imposing life imprison
ment and galley service for life, was
issued.1714— A Battle Growing Out of the
Edict of 1714.
Muller relates (page 344) how the
officers trying to carry out the edict
of 1714, were very roughly handled
near Sumiswald, a town of now
6,000 people, about 15 miles northeast
of Berne. He relates that several
Baptists or Mennonites had been ar
rested there, 'but that a party of 60
or 70 neighbors rescued the prison
ers from the officers. In this strug
gle, these Mennonite hunters were
handled roughly and beaten in a
bloody way. The government pun
ished some of the perpetrators and a
hunt was made for -all the others
who beat the constables. -Several
were arrested and they had to pay the
expense of the officers sent to catch
Mennonites, and fines to the ex
tent of $100, for each one. Andreas
Sommer in the Ntiienwatte, was the
chief- leader of this rescue. He was
ordered to pay $100 or be banished.
This banishment was annuled in 1715,
by him furnishing bail. There was
another Peter Sommer, a horse doc
tor, that harbored Mennonites. He
was sent, tor a year, to one of the
French provinces. Benedict Widmer
(Witmer), the school master, who
was in the fight, was sent for a year
and a half 'to Brassu in -Romainmais-
ter — Benedict Risser in the Lengen-
walt, who sent his two sons with
bludgeons to this fight, was banished
until the next November to St. Croix,

and the two sons were fined heavily.
Peter Sommers, the son of the horse
doctor, was banished a year to St
Cerge, and Jacob Christen, the hired
man, who had a hand in this fight,
was sentenced to eight days im-
prisoniment. His term was made
short because he had a large family.
Some of those condemned had be
haved themselves obstinately and
were impudent before the Court and
were to be kept under the eye of the
'Sheriff. Some were sent to the gal
leys. One of them. Christian Waohsel,
was pardoned.
1715 — X Few More Warrants Given
to the Mennonites.
In Vol. 19 of the Sec. Series ot the
Pa. Arch., p. 597, under this date, it is
set forth at a meeting of the Land
Commissioners at the end of the year
that several warrants were signed at
sundry times at ten Pounds a 100
acres and One Shilling, sterling quit
rent, all in Chester County. The
whole is 2800 acres but the only
Mennonites among the number were
Hans Graeff. 200 acres— Benedictus
Venerick, 200 acres — and Joseph
Hains, 100 acres. At the same time
there were 250 acres laid out to John
Punk at Strasburg, (Do) and 1000
acres to Herman Richman in Stras
burg. 1715 — Ambassador Runckel's Letter.
Miiller recites (p. 360) that under
the date of March 7, 1715, Runckel
wrote to Holland about the destitute
condition of the prisoners and the
rest of the Mennonites whose deter
mination to stay in the country,
brought upon them. They are losing
friends by it. H© says he does not
feel satisfied that Holland owes them
much more sympathy and assistance.
1715— Disposition of Fines on Menno
nites.
Miiller (p. 356) informs us that the
fines collected from the Mennonites,

GALLEY TORTURE RENEWED IN 1715.

199

and the moneys raised from their con
fiscated property, was divided up;
and that one-third of it went to the
Court or Mennonite Chamber, one-
third to the Lords of the land and one-
third to the Sheriff for his activit;y
and vigilance in 'the matter.
1715 — Efforts to Release Mennonites
from the Galleys.
Muller (p. 288) recites the petition
of the mother of Christian Liebe (or
Liebeek) for the release of h©r son,
who had been sentenced to the gal
leys. The petition was received by
the authorities but nothing particu
larly was done on the subject. On
the subject of galley torture, infor
mation was sent, 15th of October,
1716 (Muller 229) of the release otthe
Swiss Mennonites from the galleys,,
under a proviso that they would not
go bach to the Bern© t©rritory. At
the same time, attempts were made
to secure the release of 40 prisoners,
who were being prepared to send on
to Venetian galleys, provided they
would promise to leave the country
and never come back. It was further
reported that if money was needed,
there was an English Arch-Bishop,
ready to place a large sum at their
disposal. 1715 — ^More Condemnations to the
Galleys.
About the same time, Daniel Knopf,
in Berne, sent word to Mennonite
friends at Amsterdam, that a friend
of the Mennonites named Freytor-
rens, at Berne, offered his services
and had a plan to raise moneys and
send to the prisoners, now at the
galleys. He stated that the Swiss au
thorities would b© willing to do this,
if pledges were made that when re
leased, these people would forever
leave the country. ¦ There were sub
sequent letters on this same point.
One proposed that the petition be

submitted to the king, in the nsim© ot
the authorities ot Berne, asking for
the release of all 'prisoners. There
was also a letter from the Burgess
and Council of Berne to the king, giv
ing their views upon this subject.
Muller recites (p. 232) that at a
meeting of -th© com-mitt©© on the
welfare of Mennonites at Amsterdam,
it was stated that four prisoners had
been condemned by the Government
of Berne, to th© galleys; and 40 more
had been imprisoned. The aid ot the
Holland Government was invoked;
and th© Holland officers took up the
matter with Switzerland, and secured
full freedom for all of them. Former
efforts to the sajme purpose were with
out avail.
1715 — More Galley Torture and
Trouble.
Miiller sets forth, (p. 226) that even
in Turin, these prisoners, ready for
the galleys, were aided financially by
the Dutch. Goosen Goyen, in Kre-
teld, wrote to Van Woorst, that he had
received moneys for these Mennonites
and had forwarded the sa'me. He also
wrote that Freytorrens (a man re
ferred to in the proceeding article, p.
229) was a fanatic or Mennonite, and
that he was interfering too much with
affairs at Berne. He also says that
he has false doctrines on religious
matters, and was supposed to be the
author of a shameful tract or treatise,
on religious subjects. Finally he
was placed under arrest. His politi
cal aotivities were to be looked into.
He states that it is expected that he
will be banished from the country as
an undesirable foreigner, if some one
pays the cost of his release. MJiiller
continues and says that his noble
efforts on the part ot the oppressed
Mennonites who wer© suffering galley
torture, was looked upon with jealous
eyes.

200

SETTLEMENT AT SUSQUEHANNA AND STRASBURG.

At another place Muller recites
that there are original letters in Am
sterdam, written by Christian Liebe,
Peter Wetrich, and Joseph Brobst,
dated at Palermo, September 16, 1715,
relating to the efforts made for their
release, in which they promise that
if they are released from the galleys,
they will never go back to Swiss ter
ritory again.
The same page, Mliiller tells us
again ot the efforts of Gabriel of
Wattenwyl, to get these people out of
prison. He also states that if some
one would be willing to go to Turin
to intercede for the release of the
prisoners sent there, Berne is ready
to give a written pledge that they
will take up mediation on the part of
the friends of these people, provided
they would never oome back to the
old home.
1715 — Eby Family Come to Lancaster
County.
The Eby family is numerous in
this section, and the original home
seems to be on Mill Creek, at -a point
known as Eby's Mill. Theodorus Eby
was the -ancestor. According to
Bishop Benjamin Eby's records, found
in the "Eby Family," pages 2 and 3,
Theodorus Eby was -a son of Jacob
Eby, and came to America in 1715.
Peter Eby, a nephew of Theodorus,
came in 1720; also Nicholas Eby.
These are all Swiss. But it is said
that earlier generations ot the family
came into Switzerland from Northern
Italy. Menno Eby, a young lad living
near Terre Hill, is the 9th genera
tion descendant of Theodorus Eby.
1715 — Land Taken I^p on the Susque
hanna.
In the 2d Ser. Pa. Arch., Vol. 19,
p. 602, there is an account of a war
rant being issued to John Salkeld for
400 acres ot land. This is made up of
375 acres formerly granted to Rich

ard Hyde and 25 acres new land. It
was warranted on the Susquehanna.
(See also p. 575.)
Page 594 -of the same book, there
is an account setting forth that the
land commissioners of Pa. had an ap
plication for 1,000 acres of land in
Strasburg from Harmon Richman,
late of Hamburg, Germany, and that
the commissioners have decided to
give him a part of that land which
was first laid out to John Bundeli in
Strasburg. The account states also
that he wants 100 acres more and the
same was assured to him by a war
rant dated Oct 22. 1715. This same
year, the commissioners of property
signed .a partent to George Pierce for
600 acres in Sadsbury Twp., dated
May 24, 1715, in right of John Hen
nery. In Harris's History will be
found an interesting record of Stras
burg land purchased in 1691. If this
is a fact, it seems to be the earliest
land taken up in the present county.
In th© same volume of the Arch., page
600, there is a record ot 650 acres ot
land on a branch of the Pequea Creek,
applied for by Richard Cloud, for
which he is to pay 78 iiounds, and also
300 acres to Wm. Cloud. (See p. 597.)
This year, 1715, there was also an
account of several other warrants,
one to Robert Hodgen and James
Hendricks, for 3,500 acres at Con
estoga, ten pounds per 100 acres (see
p. 595) and a warrant to Henry Wor-
ley for 600 acres on a branch ot a
creek, whose name is not given, tor
erecting a mill. (Do. 595.) And one
to Francis Worley for 1,000 acres in
Conestoga. (Do. 602.)
1714 — Land Laid Out at Strasburg.
In the second series of the Pa.
Arch., Vol. 19, page 587, it Is recorded
that a patent tor 350 acres at Stras
burg, was signed to Isaac Lefever, at
10 pounds per 100 acres, dated Sept.
25, 1714.

THE GERMAX-SW-ISS TAKE LANCASTER COUNTY L.\ND.

201

The same year a warrant tor 1,000
acres to James Hendricks, near
Strasburg, at the same price, dated
December 28, 1714 (See page 591) was
granted. Also the same year and
same date, a warrant to Peter Bellas
at Strasburg, for 200 acres at the
same price, was granted; and also,
the same year and date, 1,000 acres to
Thomas Reichman, of Strasburg.
Rupp states that the land taken up
by Peter Bellas was in the neighbor
hood of Smoketown, that is near Blrd-
in-Hand, and that Daniel Harmon,
William Evans and James Smith were
neighbors, (p. 116.)
1716 — German-Swiss Take Up Some
Land in Lancaster County.
In the second series of the Pa.
Arch., Vol. 19, page 607, it is set forth
that in 1716, a warranj was issued to
Anthony Pretter for 300 acres ot land
in Conestoga, dated November 16th —
and page 608, a warrant dated Decem
ber 9, 1716, was set forth as being
issued to John Gardner for 500 acres
of land on the Conestoga Riv©r — ^and
page 608 there is a patent, dated De
cember 10, 1716, to Thomas Dawson
for 300 acres, near Conestoga. On the
same page, tracts amounting to 12,871
acres, were granted to John Estauch,
near Conestoga — and page 609, a
tract to Columbus McNair, for 200
acres in Conestoga. In Pequea, in the
year 1716 (See same book, page 609)
there is a record of Daniel Pierre
(now Perry or Forry) applying for
flOO acres of land near Pequea, for
which he was to pay in three months,
10 pounds for 100 acres. A warrant
was signed October 4th for the same.
Also note here that in 1713 (See
same book, ipage 574) Samuel Guilden
of Berne, the Mennonite Minister,
asked for 800 acres in Strasburg, with
the rest of his brethren. The warrant
was granted January 1, 1714. We will
notice this again under date of 1718,

when it was patented to Martin Ken
dig. This same year, a warrant was exe
cuted to Isaac Lefever, dated October
10th for 300 acres, at Strasburg, and
Rupp says, page 116, that this same
year, Jacob Greider or Kreider, Jacob
Hostetter, Hans Frantz, Shenks and
others, settled on the banks ot the
Oinestoga. He also says that Kreider
and Hostetter arrived in America
earlier than 1716, visited their breth
ren in faith at Pequea, and then
settled on the north side of the Con
estoga, two miles south of the pres
ent site of Lancaster, and that here,
they took up the 800 acres above re
ferred to. He recites that their first
tent was covered with tow-cloth,
which they brought along with them,
and that during the winter, the In
dians came to secure shelter with
them and sleep by th©ir fire. Rupp
does not quote his authority.
1717 — A Few More Mennonite Addi
tions This Tear.
This year a patent was signed to
Hans Moyer at Strasburg for 700
acres (Rupp 624). A considerable
tract was also surveyed near the head
of Pequea Creek, inculding th© old
Shawanna Town by Mathias Vanbib-
ber for some Germans to -settle. This
year also, says Rupp, Hans Zimmer
man came to Lancaste Crounty (Rupp
126) and Hans Graeff settled in Earl
(Rupp 133).
1717— The First Ship-loads of Men
nonites.
Under this date, we are giv©n knowl
edge of the first ship lists of Menno
nites, who wer© coming to Pennsyl
vania, and up into the Susquehanna
Valley. In Vol. 3, Ool. Bee, p. 29, it
is stated that Captain Richard, Cap
tain Tower and Captain Ey-er&(Ayers)
waited on the Council ot Pennsylvania
with a list of Palatines or Mennonites

202

CONESTOGA VALLEY PILLING UP.

they had brought over in their ships
from London. The names are not
given, but th© record states that
Richards had 164, Tower 91 and
Byeris 108; this makes a total of 363
persons. This throws some light
upon how rapidly our Swiss ancestors
•were coming to this section. We be
lieve that nearly 'all of these settled
in Lancaster County, because in the
year 1717, all who came over wer©
coming up to this region. In 1739, a
list of 178 Lancaster County German-
Swiss were naturalized -and likely,
many of these were among the list.
(4 St. L. 326.)
1717— Slow Progress of the Mennonite
Colonies.
The Mennonite colonies in Lancas
ter C!ounty seem to have made very
little progress. There is a record of
only a few -additional land grants.
The principal one seems to be the one
given to Martin Kendig and Hans
Herr of 5,000 acres, to be taken up in
s©v©ral parcels about Con©stoga and
Pequea Creeks at 10 Pounds per 100
acres. The Penna. Pound was worth
$3.24 and, therefore, this would have
been $32.40 for 100 -acres or 32 cents
an acre. In addition to this, there
was the usual quit rent to pay. The
record of this grant of land is found
in Vol. 19 of th© Sec. Series of th© Pa.
Arch., p. 622, and it states -that these
two men took up the 5,000 acres tor
settlements for several of their coun
trymen, lately arrived. Th© warrant
was dated the 22nd of November, 1717.
In addition to this tract, the same
date, warrants were signed for 15
other persons about Conestoga tor
land, making a total of 6,675 acres,
but this land may have been practi
cally the same that Kendig and Herr
had applied for. The warrants are
set forth as follows : To Hans Moyer,
500 acres — ^Hans Kaiggey, 100 acres —
Christian Hearsey (Hershey), and

Hans Pupather, 1000 acres — ^Michael
Shenk and Henry Pare (Barr), 400
acres — ^another to Hans Pupather for
700 acres — another to Peter Leaman
for 300 acres — another to Molker
Preneman (Brenneman) for 500 acres
— another to Henry and John Funk,
550 acres^nother to Christopher
Panciscus for 150 acres — another to
Michael Shenk for 200 acres — another
to Jacob Landis and Ulrlck Harvey,
150 acres — one to Emanuel Heer
(Herr) for 500 acres — one to Abram
Herr for 600 acres — one to Hans
Tub©r, Isaac Kauffman and Melker-
man, 675 acres and one to Michael
Miller for 500 acres.
We will see later that these were
settled practically in a colony, neigji-
bors to one another. It will b© also
noticed that the authorities were not
slow in laying the assessment upon
these newcomers, and under the year
of 1718 w© find the first assessment
list of Conestoga sets forth these
names and we hav© noticed that they
have just arrived about this time.
Christopher Franciscus was more than
an ordinary man and we will notice
later his activity and his encounters
with panthers and wild animals about
his home.
1717— The governor Advised the Pro
vince to Protect Itself Against
the Mennonites
In Vol. 2 of the Votes ot Assembly,
p. 217, Governor Keith in his address
to the Assembly under the date of
1717, wiarns the province to protect
itself against the -great number ot for
eign German Palatines now arriving.
Keith says to the Assembly on the
13th of October, "I must recommend
to you in particular not to lose any
time in securing yourselves and all
the people of this colony from the in
conveniences which may possibly
arise by the unlimited number of for
eigners that without any license from

THE GOVERNMENT ALARMED OVER (3ERMAN-SWISS INFLUX. 203

the King, or leave of this Government,
have been transported hither of late,
and to provide some discrete regula
tions to allay the apprehensions we
are under, of greater numbers, which
I am informed are to be daily expect
ed from Europe." We can plainly un
derstand that he meant the Menno
nites, because Englishmen, Irishmen,
Scotchmen and Welchmen were not
foreigners and the only other persons
coming were these German Menno
nites. It will be a pleasure to notice
that Governor Keith a few years later
changed his opinion very much about
these good people.
1717 — Great Increase of the Menno
nite Colony Alarms the Gov-
eamment at Philadelphia.
On the 17th of September of this
year. Governor Keith brought before
his Council the -fact that a greater
number of Germans have lately come
into the province and that many of
them are Mennonites, and therefore
will not take the oath of allegiance,
and that there may be some danger
in allowing them to come. He gives
the matter to the attention of Coun
cil in the following words:
"The Governor observed to the
Board that great numbers of foreign
ers from G©rmany, strangers to our
Language and Constitutions, having
lately been imported into this pro
vince daily dispers-ed themselves im
mediately after landing, without pro
ducing any certificates, from whence
they came and what they are; and as
they seem to have first landed in Bri
tain and afterwards to have left it
without any License, from the Gov
ernment, or so much as their knowl
edge, so in the -same manner they be
haved here, without making the least
application to himself or to any ot
the Magistrates; that as this practice
might be of very dangerous conse
quence, since by the same method any
number ot foreigners from any na
tion whatever, as well enemies as
friends, might throw themselves upon

us; The Governor, therefore, thought
it -requisite that this matter should be
considered by the Board, and accord
ingly it was considered, and it was
ordered thereupon, that all the mas
ters of vessels who hav© lately im
ported any of these -foreigners be
summoned to appear at this Board,
to render an account of the numbers
and characters of their passengers
respectively, from Britain; that all
those who are already landed be re
quired by a proclamation, to be issued
for that purpose; to repair within the
space of one month to some Magis
trate, particularly to the Recorder of
this City, to take such oaths appoint
ed by law as are necessary to give
assurances of their being well affect
ed to his M'ajesty and his Govern
ment; But because some of these for
eigners are said to be Mennonites,
who can not for -conscience sake, take
an oath, that those persons be admit
ted upon their giving any equivalent
assurances in their own way and
manner and that the Naval Officer of
this Port ibe required not to admit
any inward bound vessel to an entry,
until the master shall first give an
exact list."
In this we see that very few of our
Mennonite forefathers came over and
joined the Colony of 1710 until about
the year 1717. They are now coming
rapidly -as this extract from the re
cords tells us.
An important regulation in the
Mennonite migration started from this
incident, that is, it was now mad© the
law that hereafter every ship must
give an exact list of the Palatines im
ported by them before they will be
allowed to land. Prom this action by
the Governor and Council, we have
today the complete records of the
coming of these Mennonites, including
the times, the numbers, the ships in
which they came and the names.
1717 — Lands Taken Up By German
Swiss This Tear.
According to the Penna. Archives
(Vol. 19 of Series 2) Dan Morris re
ceived a warrant for 1,000 acres of

204

GERMAN-SWISS COMPLAIN OF OUR LAWS.

land at Conestoga, dated Oct. 12, 1717
(p. 621) — Mart Kendjig and Hans
Herr, for 5,000 acres in several par
cels about Conestoga and Pequea
Creek, for settlements for several of
their countrymen "lately arrived"
dated Nov. 22, 1717, the total ot
which, however, reached 6,675 acres —
viz. Hans Moyer 350— Hans Haiggy
lOO^Christ Hearsey and Hans Pru-
pacher 700— Peter Lehman 300— Mel-
ker Preneman 500 — ^Henry and John
Punk 500 — Christopher Franciscus
150 — Michael Shenk 200 — Jacob Lun-
des and Ulrich Harvey 150 — Abram
Herr 600 — Emanuel Herr 500— Hans
Tuber, Isaac Kauffman and Milker-
man 675 and Michael Miiller 500
acres (p. 622). These foreigners were
informed they should be "naturalized
if they expect their children to be
able to flail heir to this land. (p..
624.)
1718— Our Swiss Ancestors Complain
That They Must Obey Laws They
Have Jfo Part in Making.
In a letter to Wm. Penn, dated May
20, 1718, the same year he died, our
Swiss (Amish) ancestors complain
that they are to be subject to laws in
which they have no share in making,
and which they do not want, or avail
themselves of. In lit they say "We are
subject to the laws of God — you to
the laws of men. We do not go to
the elections — we do not go to your
Courts of Justice — we hold no offices,
neither civil -or military — we do not
refuse to pay tor our land, but we re
gard it as a subject for complaint
that we should be subjest to ai-vil and
military domination. We oame to
Penhaylvania to enjoy the freedom -of
our opinions and of our bodies, and
expect no other prescriptions ot the
laws than such as God has command
ed. Because we make no debts and
need no laws to collect such, we
ought not be comi>elled to pay for the

support of other criminals in jails.
We respect your rights — do you also,
respect our customs. We demand
nothing from you -beyond what the
word of Gbd justifies."
-Since their American freedom of
that day and the laws were not sat
isfactory to them, we can easily un
derstand how odious their attitude
must have been at home in Berne. In
the face of their partial dissatisfac
tion here, they prospered and grew,
so that in 1883, they had 3,500 bap
tized members — 41 churches — 47
preachers and eight bishops in Lan
caster County alone. (MJiiller, pp.
367 and 8.)
1718— William Penn, Jr, Was a
Friend to the Mennonites.
In Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec., pp. 63
and 64, there is a letter dated in
which he first recites (p. 63) the
views of his father and then says, "I
profess myself to be a minister of the
Church of England and recommend to
be careful of her interest and protect
th© clergy; but also protect in their
possessions such 'strangers' as are
settled among us,, for the public faith
is concerned in it." We readily see
by the last clause here that the
Junior Penn referred to the Menno
nites as the strangers and he shows
that, while his father was a Quaker,
he was a member of the Church ot
England. 1718— The First Assessment List
In the first assessment list of Con
estoga, which included all of Lancas
ter County from Strasburg to the
River, and as far North as what is
now Manheim, the names of the Men
nonite families living her© in that
year (1718) are as follows:
Martin Kundig, Martin Milan, Chris
tian Heer, John Haer, Wendall Bow
man, Jacob Miller, Joseph Steman,
Daniel Harmer, John Miller, John

CONESTOGA'S FIRST ASSESSMENT LIST— 1718.

205

Funk, Henry Carpenture, Henry
Hayne, Christopher Franciscus, Peter
Bellar, Benedictus Venrick, Daniel
Ferre, John Ferre, Philip Perre, Isaac
Lefevre, Richard Davis, Thomas Palk-
ner, John Milen, Hans Haure, John
Taylor, Martyn Berr, Imanuel Heer,
Henry Kundic & Son, Jacob Moyer,
Hans Steff, Hans Keague, Jacob Gri-
ter, Jacob Highstetter, John Widwer,
Andrew Koffman, John Broakpather,
Junior, John Broakpather, Jacob
Broakpather, Peter Swaor, Abraham
Heer, Melchior Arisman, Christopher
Hearse & Son, John Toup, Henry
Heer, Michael Bowman, Hance Bug-
holder, Hans Neicomer, Melchior
Prenamon, George Kendrick, John
Natts, Junr,, Michael Shank, Junr.,
Jorn Natts, Senr., Henry Funk, Ben
jamin Wilmer, Jacob -Lundus, Hance
Henry Neff, Michael Miller, Felix
Lundus, Jacob Kundrick, Junr., John
Frame, Charley Christopher Woolrick
Howry, Stoffal Prenaman, Jacob
Hoober, Christian Stone, Isaac Fred
erick & Son, Jacob Kundrick, Jacob
Lundus, Junr., Martin Boyer, Hance
Boyer, John Bowman, Benedictus
Brackbill, Christian Shank, Michael
Shank, Senr., Rudey Moyer, Hance
Brand, Hans Graff, Junr., Hans Graff,
Senr., Peter Yorte, Torey Ebys, Hans
Currick Moyer, Christian Shank, Hans
Weaver, Woolrick Hource, Peter La-
man. The original of this assessment list
is in the .possession of Gilbert Cope
of West Chester. As may be seen
from the above spelling, the German-
Siwiss names wer© not well de
ciphered. In addition to these Dutch
men, as they were called, there were
43 Englishmen settling or owning
property there.
1718 — The Amish Protest Against
Penn's Laws.
In a previous article we set forth
the protest of certain Amish brethren,

against th© laws of Penn, concerning
land, inheritance, etc. We simply
call attention here to the fact that
the same protest is found in volume
7 of Hazard's Register, page 151,
where, however, it appears in some
what different language.
1718 — The Assembly Take Action on
the Growth of Our Swiss Ancestry.
In answer to the Governoir'^
speech, the Assembly in an address
drawri up by David Lloyd, say to the
Governor that the Assembly feel a
great concern at the coming of so
many foreigners and that the Royal
Charter seems to b© taken against
them, especially unless they take the
proper tests to show that they are
not his enemies. The Assembly went
on further and suggested that it
would be well for the Governor to
appoint a Committee of the Council
to join a Committee of th© Assembly
and plan proper methods to remove
jealousies already raised in the
minds of the inhabitants concerning
these foreigners; and also to prevent
the inconveniences which may arise
from their settlement in one place or
some of them settling promiscuously
among the Indians.
This conclusion left the Menno
nites very little choice. They were
not to be allowed to settle in one
place and they were not -allowed to
settle promiscuously among the In
dians. The Governor replied to this
on the 10th of January, two days later
and said -that he approved of the ap
pointing of a Committee to confer
about these foreigners lately trans
ported here; but that h© would delay
action at present because he had
written home to England to find out
the King's desire upon the matter.
The upshot of it was that the As
sembly proceeded to introduce a law
that th© sum of 1 'pence per pound
and four shillings a head should b©

206

ACTIVE GERMAN-SWISS INFLUX— 1718.

laid upon all those Palatines that are
taxable. This, however, was doing
nothing more than putting the same
tax on them as th© other subjects
were taxed. (See Votes of Assembly
January 10, 1718.)
1718— Large Additions to the Menno
nite Colony in Lancaster County.
This year, according to the records,
a considerable addition was made to
the number of Mennonites in our
county; but I can not find any men
tion of a church built by them at this
date. It is likely they held their ser
vices in the different homes before
they built their church, the whole
body gathering Sunday after Sunday
at these different places. There is no
doubt that they had services because
their minister was usually the leading
man of the Colony from the beginning.
This year, -as shown in volume 19
of the Second Series of the Pa. Arch.,
p. 626, there is considerable set forth
showing the activity of these Menno
nite forefathers. It is stated that the
late -siettlements on and near the Con
estoga Creek have made it necessary
that the Indian fields about the town
should -be -enclosed by a good fence
to secure the Indians' corn from the
horses, cattle and hogs of 'the new
settlers. A patent was also granted
to Isaac Lefever for 300 acres at
Strasburg. And Pupather, Hershey,
Shenk -and Henry Pare were given
patents for the land which they took
up last year (p. 628). Matrin Kendig
was given a patent for his 800 acres.
Wendell Bowman also got a deed or
patent this year for his part of the
-Mennonite tract which he first took
up in 1710; and so did Hans Moyer,
Melker Prenem-an, Jacob Hochstater,
Jacob Kr-aytor and Christopher Fran
ciscus, the land being ail about Stras
burg. According tio Rupp, these par
ties all joined one another and lived
in and about the neighborhood of

Strasburg. The same year land was
also taken up by Theodorus Eby at
Conestoga. His land it seems, was
located on Mill Creek, and when the
road was laid out from the junction of
the Oocalico and the Conestoga, down
to what is now Dowingtown in 1726,
it speaks of th© same running by
Dorus Eby's mill on Mill Creek, (Do.
p. 632). Later in the year 171S,
patents were granted to Hans Graeff
and -Christopher Franciscus, (Do. p.
639). Abram Herr also got his deed
or patent — -Henry Pare got bis deed
for 300 acres at Conestoga and Hans
Shenk took up 200 acres at the same
place, (Do. p. 640).
This same year, Hans Graeff took
up 1100 acres m-or© near Strasburg by
a new warrant, (Do. p. 642). The
same year Michael Danager, late of
Germany, was given a warrant tor 300
acres of land n©ar Pequea, Joseph
Stehm-an 100 acres near Conestoga
and Christian Stone 100 acres, (Do.
p. 650). This is the record as tar as
the Land Commissioners' books show
the state of th© land taken by our
Mennonite forefathers at this time.
We notice at this time that a con
siderable number got their warrant
or rights to land in 1710, nearly all
about the neighborhood of Strasburg
and a few about the same time along
the Conestoga, near where the Little
Conestoga and Big Constoga come to
gether, which is in the neighborhood
of Rock Hal ; and no patents or deeds
were given, with perhaps a very few
exceptions, until 1718, in which year
the patents or deeds were signed and
delivered, and we find many of them so
recited in our records in the Record
er's Office; and also that in this lat
ter year of 1718, a new lot ot appli
cations for land were made and a new
lot of warrants given. This shows
that there was a second incoming ot
Palatines in 1717, and between the
two dates, there is no record ot very

EMANUEJL ZIMMERMAN'S GREAT CAREER.

207

many having come. The Colonial
Records do not contain accounts ot
any arriving between these two dates.
Those who took up their land in 1717
did not get their deeds or patents
until about 1734.
As to the Mennonite population in
Lancaster County in 1718, there is no
record except the assessment list of
Conestoga Township, which I have
found in charge of Gilbert Cope at
West Chester. This list contains 86'
Dutchmen and 43 Englishmen, as
being assessed in Conestoga at this
time. Therefore, averaging these early
Mennonite families at six in a family,
including parents, it would seem as if
there were fully 500 Mennonites in
Conestoga, at this date. As Conestoga,
at that time, included what is now
Strasburg and Pequea, we may -say
that it included all of the settled part
ot Lancaster County. Thus in the first
eight years, from 1710 to 1718, the
Mennonite population of Lancaster
County reached perhaps the neigh
borhood of 600 persons. There were
practically no other inhabitants in
the Conestoga and Pequea Creek
valleys at 'this time, as the Scotch-
Irish had not yet come up to the
Donegals. So that Lancaster County,
at that time, was wholly a Mennonite
settlement.1718 — Emanuel Zimmerman — A Won
derful Amish-Mennonite Boy.
The great concensus ot opinion is
to the effect -that Hams Herr and
Martin Mylin, Dr. Hans Neff and a
few others were th© leading spirits
ot the early Mennonites In Lancaster
County and there is no doubt that
these elderly fathers were the very
back bone of the first Meninonlte set
tlers; they managed the spiritual,
financial and business affairs for their
brethren. But In 1717 there appeared
within what is now the bounds of

Lancaster County, an Amish-Menno
nite boy, 15 years of. age, who was
gifted with a wonderful intellect, re
ligious spirit and strong constitution.
At the early age of 16, in the year ot
1718, it is asserted he drew the
memorial we have just referred to, tor
his brethren, addressed to William
Penn. He lived to be seventy-eight
years of age, dying in 1780, after hav
ing served as Justice of the Peace,
Judge and Member of Assembly many
years. Mr. Conyngham has the fol
lowing to say of -him, as may be seen
in Vol. 7 of Haz. Reg., p. 152:
"Henry Zimmerman arrived in
Pennsylvania in the year 1698, and
returned afterwards to Europe for his
family, whom he brought out in 1706;
and settled first in Germantown, and
removed within the 'present bounds of
Lancaster County (then Chester
County) in 1717.
Emanuel Zimmerman, son of Henry,
was the most distinguished of all the
early settlers. He possessed from na
ture, an ardent love for liberty in
every form, zealous and active in
every pursuit. His mind was finely
organized; and he enjoyed an un
bounded infiuence over the whole set
tlement. Tunkers, Aymenish, Luth
erans, Calvanists, and Mennonites, all
applied to him in any emergency. He
possessed as strong a constitution as
intellect. He was born in Switzer
land in the year 1702, and died in the
year 1780. He lived beloved, and died
lamented, by all denominations. He
was in every sense an honest man —
always just, liberal and tolerant. He
was arbiter in 'all matters of dispute
among his neighbors; and from his
decisions, they never appealed; such
was the confidence in his integrity.
The memorial of the Aymenish and
Mennonites, breathes the spirit of a
William Tell. It was written -prob
ably by Emanuel Zimmerman, as his

208

AMISH SETTLEMENTS IN LANCASTER COUNTY.

nam© is attached to it, on behalf of
the Mennonites; Amish, etc.
The memorial is dated May 20,
1718. William Penn died on the 30th
of July of the same year, in England.
Sir William Keith -was deputy gov
ernor; and it does not appear, from
any record that I can trace, that he
ever a-cted upon the memorial." The
later services of Emanuel Zimmer
man I will mention under later
dates.
1718— Danger from the Wild Beasts
in the Mennonite Country
In the -same book and page last
spoken of, the following appears from
the pen of Conyngham:
When the Amish Mennonites first
settled on the Pequea, its woods were
infested by wolves and panthers.
These animals committed great depre
dations, especially among the sheep.
The hunters would laugh at the
Amish, because they would not at
tempt to destroy them. The Amish
said in justification, "That they con
sidered it a crime to deprive any of
God's creatures of life, except those
which God gave us for our use; and
that to instruct youth in the use of
firearms, would be to lead them to
eternal ruin." "You," said an old
Amish to a hunter, "pursue the deer,
the fox and the squirrel, and neglect
not only your farm, but your family.
We give your children -bread, when
you leave them destitute. You are
improvident — we are provident Your
race will be short — ours will be long.
In the eye of the Almighty, who dis
charges his duty? You or I?"
1718— Customs of Early Amish- Men-
nites.
Mr. Conymgham in Vol. 7 of Haz.
Reg., p. 150, speaks thus of the early
dress of the people saying that the

long beards ot the men and the short
petticoats of the females, just cover
ing the knee, attracts the attention of
the English settlers. He further
says, "The men wore long red caps on
their heads; the women had neither
bonnets, hats or caps, but merely a
string passing around their head to
keep the hair from the face. The
dress of both male and female was
domestic, quite plain, mode of a
coarse material, after an old fashion
of their own.
Soon after their arrival in Philadel
phia, they took a westerly cours© in
pursuit of a location, where they
could all live in one vicinity. They
selected a rich limestone country,
beautifully adorned with sugar maple,
hickory, and black and white walnut
on the border of a delightful stream,
abounding in the finest trout — here
they raised their humble cabins. The
water of the Pequea was clear, cold
and transparent, and the grape -vines
and clematis, intertwininig among the
lofty branches of the majestic button-
wood, formed a pleasant retreat from
the noon beams of a summer sun.
These emigrants were neither stim
ulated by the desire of distinction, or
the love of wealth. They approved of
an equalization of rank and property.
All they required was sufficient land,
from .which -by their own industry,
they could raise produce for the sup
port of their respective families. Tea,
coffee. West India sugar, and spiritu
ous liquors, were not considered by
them, either as useful or necessary.
The sugar tree supplied them with
sugar and molasses. Th«y had, there
fore, no -want but what they could
gratify. As land was easily' acquired, it was
in the power of each individual to he
a large proprietor but this neither
agreed with their professions arid
practises."

EARLY FOR-MS OP BAPTIS.Al AND SaCRA.MENT.

209

1718— Earliest Form of Administer
ing Sacrament, Baptism, etc.
Mr. Conyngham in the some book
last referred to, p. 131, gives this as
the early form ot baptism, which he
says they had brought over from the
old country, "In administering the
right of baptism the following rule
was observed: The person to be bap
tised being an adult kneels; a
[jreacher holds his hand over him or
her while the deacon pours water into
the bands of the preacher, which runs
on the head of the person to be bap
tised, after which prayer accompanied
by the imjwsition of hands closes the
ceremony." Conyngham then goes on and gives
the form that another sect practised
on the same page, as follows: "One
of the Mennonist sect baptise after
this fashion; the person to be bap
tised is accompanied to a stream of
water by a large number of people,
attended by persons playing on vari
ous instruments of music and some
singing. The preacher stands on the
t>ank and pours water on the head of
the person, who is in the stream, say
ing "I baptise thee in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost."
What sect of them followed this
custom, I can not tell. As to the
early mode of sacrament, the form
was this, says Conyngham, on the
sime page: "The -principal ancient
Kennonists pursue -the mode pointed
out in the New Testament, in admin
istering the sacrament. See the
eighteenth verse of the twenty-sixth
chapter of St. Ma'tthew. The preacher
sends a message to a member — "Make
ready for the passover." In the even
ing the congregation collect; and on
a table are placed small loaves 'Of
bread and a pitcher of w-ine, and -as
they eat, the preacher blesses the
bread (see the twenty-sixth verse)

and breaks it, then hands it around
the table saying "Take, eat, this is
my body;" then taking up the pitcher,
he returns thanks to God, then hand
ing the pitcher to the congregation,
he says "Drink ye all ot it." The peo
ple partake of the Holy sacrament
whilst walking around the table, talk-
Inig with each other sociably; and
after having finished the bread and
wine, sing a hymn and then return to
their respective dwellings."
1718 — The Mennonite Settlement, the
Thickest Settlement in the Inter
ior of the Province.
In Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec, p. 37, un
der the date of the 13th of Pebrnary,
1718, Governor Keith acquainted the
Board of certain dangers at Conestoga
by Maryland people and he says that
they were surveying land not far
from Conestoga, "near 'the thickest of
our settlements" to the great disturb
ance of the neighborhood there. I
sim'ply quote this item to show that
the Governor called 'this the thickest
of our interior settlements.
1718 — Swiss and Germans Who Came
to Lancaster County Prior
to This Date.
In Vol. 4 of the Statutes at Large
(p. 147) there is a list of persons W'ho
came from Switzerland and the Palat
inate to Lancaster County, prior to
1718. The list in part is the same as
the assessment list of Conestoga
Township of 1718, which we have
given; but there are the following
najmes in addition to those appearing
on that list:
Martyn Mylin, Jacob Punk, Fran
ciscus Neiff, Sr., Franciscus Neiff, Jr.,
Abraiham Burkholder, Michael BO'h-
man, John Frederic, Martin Harnist,
Michael Mire, Henry Bare, Peter
Bumgartner, Melcor Brishman, Jacob
Goot, John Woolslegle, Jacob Mire„

210

GERMAN-SWISS IMMIGRATION AN'D LAND GRANTS.

Christopher Somers, Joseph Stone-
man, Daniel Ashleman, Christopher
Peelman, Abrahaim Hare, Jacob
Biere, Peter Yordea, Peter -Leaman,
John Jacob Snevely, Isaac Ooffman,
Andrew Coffman, Woolrich Rodte,
Roody Mire, Jacob Bheme, John Coff
man, Michael Doneder, Andrew
Shults, Christian Preniman, Mathias
Slare-maker, big John Shank, Jacob
Churts, John Croyder, John Leeghte,
John Hamipher, Peter Newcomat,
David Longnicker, Abraham Mire,
Woolrich Houser, John Mire, Henry
Mussleman, Peter Aybe, Hans Goot,
Christian Staner, John Jacob Light,
William Loughman, Frederic -Stay,
John Line, John Shoope, Bastian
Royer, Jonas Lerow, -Simeon King,
Joyn Aybe -and Evi&rard Ream. Con
es-toga 'Was a large section in those
times. This list includes residents ot
the 'Whole county.
1718 — Land Grants and Warrants
This Year on the Conestoga.
Vol. 19 of -the Sec. Ser. of -the Pa.
Arch, sets forth the following W'ar-
rants for or grants of land in 1718 in
Lancaster County. The list for Con
estoga consists of 200 acres to Moses
Comb, a brother-in-law -of Pater Bi-
zalion (p. 625) — ^patent to Hans Pupa
ther, 700 acres — 'bo Pupather and Her
shey, 1000 'acres — to Daniel Herm'an
450 acres — to Michael Shenk and
Henry Pare, 400 acres (p. 628) — war
rant to Theodorus Baby, 300 acres (p.
637) --patent to Thos. Baldwin, 200
acres, stated as a part of the tract
laid out to James Hendricks — warrant
to Henry Pare, 300 acres — warrant to
Hans Shenk, 200 aces, (,all p. 640) —
warrant to Robert Wilkins 150 acres,
above Conestoga (p. 641) — warrant to
Thos. Morgan, on branch -of the Con
estoga Creek — w-arrant to Gabriel
Davis, 450 acres, sanne place — W'arrant
to Hugh Hughes, 500 acres same place
(all page 642) — warrant to William

Hews, 400 acres near CJonestoga, (p.
648) — warrant to Richard Carter, Con
estoga 200 acres (p. 649)^grant to
Joseph Steman, 100 acres near Con
estoga — warrant to Christian Stone or
Steman, 100 acres near Conestoga
(both page 650).
We may say in reference to the
tract of Theodorus Baby that it was a
grant on Mill Creek, at the point
where the Old Peters Road today
crosses that creek, known as the Ress-
ler Mill. This mill ot Theodorus
Eaby is referred to in the laying out
of a road in 1726, (the records ot
which are in Chester County), ex
tending fromi near Downingtown, orig
inally, to the junction ot the Cocali-
co and Conestoga Creeks.
We note also that it became neces
sary at this time for Penn's land com
missioners to order James Steele, the
surveyor general, to -prevent Mary
land from surveying lands about Con
estoga, among our Germans. (Do 625).
1718— The German Cattle and the In-
dian Com Fields at Conestoga.
Vol. 19, of the Sec. Ser. of the Pa.
Arch, sets forth that the late settle
ments on or near Conestoga Creek
miake necessary that the Indian fields
about the town should be closed by
a good fence to secure the Indians'
corn from the horses, cattle and hogs
may fence in 200 acres more for con
venience of pasturage; 300 acres were
of the new settlers; and the govern
ment, therefore, ordered that the
fences should be made and that James
Logan should pay for the same out of
public fun-dS', not over 20,000 -pounds.
1718 — John Cartlidge at Conestoga
Allowed to Fence Off Pasturage.
In the same -book, page 644, it is
stated that at a meeting of the land
commissioners, held Jan. 18th, this
year, John Cartlidge, having seated
himself between Conestoga Creek and

SETTLEMENTS ABOUT CONESTOGA.

211

the Susquehanna River, desires a j
grant of 300 acres, amd also that he ;
granted to him at ten pounds per
hundredweight and one shilling sterl- -
ing quit rent. The 200 acres he is
permitted to fence in and hold tor j
pasturage for the term of fourteen [
years, in consideration of th© good ;
services he has done among the new |
settlers of those parts as w-ell -as to i
the Indians, whose town is very near
to his dwelling. A warrant for said
grant is signed dated Dec. 11, 1716, for
300 acres, and for 200 acres. i1
1718— Christian Schlegel's Old Mill
Site Granted to Edmund Cartlidge. |
In the same book (p. 644) we find
Edmund Cartlidge having purchased
a pretended right of Christoipher
Schlegle to a tract of land and ordi
nary grist mill on a -oranch of the
Conestoga, which the said Christopher
by not complying with the terms on
which it was granted, became void.
But the said Edmund having since
built and erected a good mill on the
same land, the grant of 400 acres to
be laid out to him, including his
buildings and improvements for 10
pounds 100 acres and 1 shilling quit
rent and was signed Oct. 1, 1717, for
400 acres.
1718— Ifathaniel Christopher's Tract
Above Conestoga, Granted to
Peter Bizalion.
In the same -volume of the Archives
it is stated that Peter Bizalion, hav
ing puTohased a small improvement
made by Nathaniel Christopher, on
the Susquehanna River above Con
estoga, desires to purchase 700 acres
of land. to include the said improve
ment, the whole ibeing for Nathaniel
and his 'wife, daughter of John Comb,
late of Philadelphia. It is agreed that
700 acres be laid out to said Martha,
the wife of said Peter Bizalion, in the
place aforesaid, in a regular tract

fronting on said river, and to include
the said improvement; to extend as
far back into the woods as the place
will bear, for which said Peter agrees
to give 70 -pounds and 1 shilling
yearly, sterling, quit rent to Christo
pher. Warrant signed Jan. 25, 1719,
for 700 acres.
1718 — Maryland Encroaches on Our.
German Land.
In the Sec. Ser. of the Penna. Air-oh.
Vol. 19 (p. 625) it is recorded that,
Mathias Van Bebber from Maryland.
taking with him Henry Hollingsworth
surveyed a considerable tract near
head of Pequea, including in same
old Sawannah town, by virtue of war
rants from Maryland and offered the
people settled there under this gov-
ernmnt to sell lands in right of
Maryland and make good titles. An
dres issued proceedings to dispossess
them and ten pounds reward to any
one apprehending the surveyor.
James Steel was ordered to Cones
toga to present like orders there.
At the same 'time 500 -acres near the
Old Sawannah Town on the Pequea
Creek was surveyed to Col. French.
for the interest he took in keeping
Maryland people from taking up land
in the Pequea Valley, that was in
tended for our Germans. These oper
ations took place evidently near the
head of the Pequea Creek in Salisbury
townS'hip. There was such a town
there. It wias the town of the
Sha-wianee Indians. There as also
one of their towns on the Octorara.
near Christiana, and another at the
mouth ot Pequea called Sequehan.
1718 — A Few Peqnea Settlements.
This year, according to the same
book, there were additional w-arrants
for land on the Pequea, some to the
Swiss and some to the English.
Thre was a patent to Ezekial Kennett
for 200 acres (p, 625)— one to Wil-

212

SUSQUEHANNA, PEQUEA AND STRASBURG ADDITIONS.

liam Middleton for 100 acres, (p. 640)
— ^warrants to Owen O'Neil, John
Blake and David Jones each 100
acres (p. 621) — and, also, (p. 650),
there is a record of a warrant to
Michael Donnager for 300 acres, near
Pequea Creek, -and he was to pay one
shilling sterling per 100 acres year
ly, quit rent. The same year a war
rant was given to Thomas Edwrad for
250 acres "back in the county of
Chester" (p. 651) . There is a fur
ther record about the John Fre-ncn
tract, (p. 681) the same year.
1718— Land Taken About Strasburg
This Tear.
In the same book (p. 628) three
hundred acres were granted to Isaac
Lefever at Stras'burg anl the patent
was granted to Hans Hawry (HO'wry)
tor 300 acres at Strasburg -and fifty
acres land (p. 632) — and at the same
page, there is a record of a patent to
Wendell Bowman for 250 acres at
Strasburg, and it stated to -be "parr, of
the land granted to the Palatines in
1710" — at ths same page also are re
corded a patent to Hans Moyer at
Strasburg for 350 acres — one to
Melker Prenneman for 500 acres and
a warrant to Jacob Hockstatter for
250 acres at the same -place and also
a warrant to Jacob Kryter for 250
acres, (p. 633) — a -warrant for 200
acres to Christopher Franciscus — {p.
639) a patent to 'Hans Graeff for 300
acres — one to Christopher Franciscus
for 150 acres and one to Hans Snyder
for 200 acres, all at Strasburg and (p.
640) there is recorded a patent to
Abram Herr for 600 acres at -Stras
burg; and (at p. 642) a w-arant to
Hans Line, Strasburg, for 900 acres;
and also a warrant to Hans Graeff for
1100 acres at -Strasburg. All these
warrants and patents in and about
Strasburg were granted by Penn's
land authorities, in the year 1718.

We remember that this year, or
perhaps the later part of the previous
year, there was the first big migra
tion of Swiss and Germans to our
county, after the first colony came in
1710 and 1711 and perhaps, 1712, be
tween which two settlements, there
was five years of a recess.
1718 — Lands Taken Up at Susque
hanna This Year.
Turning in the same book to Sus
quehanna, we find that a warrant was
granted this year to lay out to Peter
Carterer, 300 acres on the Susque
hanna "where his father had settled,
at his father's request" and (p. 634)
a warrant to John Henry Henisonfor
laying out 100 acres at Susquehanna,
part of 10,000 acres sold to Redegeldt
by his land commissioners, a part of
which Redelgeldt transferred to Heni-
son. 1719— Mart Mylin's Gun Factory.
Rupp tells us that Martin Mylin,
who landed here in 1710, built a gun
factory on Mylin's run in Lampeter
Township in 1719. (Rupp, p. 74.) It
is well known that the gun factory
industry was begun in this section
very early. In the time of the Revo
lutionary War, there was a gun fac
tory in the neighborhood of Smithville
on a run of water there, and in other
parts of the county.
1719 — Dunkards in Pequea, or Con
estoga.
Kuhns tells us that this year the
Dunkards were founded. Alexander
Mack of Schwarzenau in Westtalia, be
gan the foundation of that faith as
early as 1708. Though they became
perfected as an organization about
1719 and on or about the same year
twenty ot those famileis came and
settled in Germantown — on the Ski-p-
pach, Montgomery County — at Oley,
Berks County, and on the Conestoga,
Lancaster County. (Kuhns, 179.)

MILL CREEK GERMAN -SWISS SETTLEMENTS.

ns

1719 — German-Swiss Properties at
Conestoga.
This year, according to the records
of Penn's land commissioners, David
Powell agreed to take 3,000 acres ot
vacant land back ot the late survey,
upon which he had settled divers
families of Palatines, to whom he sold
the whole 3,000 acres. This was for
300 pounds. (Second Series of the
Pa. Arch. Vol 19, p. 663.) William
Grimpson, "who dwells on the road
going to Conestoga," is to have 100
acres that belonged to John Hendricks
(p. 690). Hans Weaver was given 500
acres on the Conestoga Creek, four
miles above Hans Groff's. James Le-
tort who had taken up land between
the Conestoga and the Pacstang on
the east side of the Susquehanna
River, at a convenient place to trade
with the Indians, desired 500 acres
more laid out, fronting on the river,
and a warrant dated Jan. 25, 1719, was
granted to him. The price was 50
pounds and 15 shillings quit rent.
1719— New Strasburg Laid Out.
In th© same book (p, 652) under
this date, it is stated that Edward
Ream is given 200 acres of land near
New Strasburg, at 20 pounds and 1
shilling quit rent. Just where this is,
is difficult to tell. It is well known
that Everhard Ream, about 1724, was
given the first grant ot land, which is
now Reamstown.
1719— A Law to be Drawn in Favor of
the Mennonites.
On the 11th of February of this
year a motion was made in the As
sembly that leave be granted to bring
in a bill to settle and confirm the for
eigners in their possessions and to
make firm all the sales heretofore
made by them. The Assembly ordered
that leave be granted to bring in such
a bill and David Lloyd should draw

up the same (2 votes of Assembly, p.
253). 1719— Mill Creek Mennonite Settle
ment Begun.
Conyngham in Vol. 7 of Hazard's
Reg,, p, 124, says that the word
"Tunkers" was a name given to the
sect that broke off from the Baptists
in Philadelphia and moved up the
country. In the year 1719, about
twenty families came to Philadelphia,
some settled at Pequea, some at Ger
mantown, some at Skippack, etc. In
the year 1729, more than thirty fami
lies arrived within the province, be
longing to the original church of
Schwardzenau. The Tunkers were
originally Calvanists and were bap
tized in the river Eder by Schwardze
nau. The words, Tunkers in German
— Baptists in Greek — and Dippers in
English, have all the same significa
tion. Persecution drove some to Hol
land, and some to Crefeldt The orig
inal congregation removed from
Schwardzenau to Sornstervin in Friez-
land, and from thence to Pennsylvania
i.. 1719,
1720— Lands Taken Up in Conestoga
and Strasburg by Swiss and
Germans.
This year 600 acres of land were
warranted to David Lewis on a branch
of the Conestoga- — ^in two parcels (2nd
Ser. Pa. Arch., Vol. 19, p. 707). The
same year Walter Walters and others
examined the country back in the
Conestoga branches to find a place to
settle themselves and y-tcir families,
where they desired 2,000 acres, above
the lands of Evan Jones and others.
They were allowed 1,000 acres. This
v/as on the head waters of Conestoga
(Do. 708). There were settlements
the same year on Oc:oraro — to James
Cotton, 200 acres near Nottingham
and to John Matthews, near Mus-
grove's 200 acres (Do. 704-708).

214

MENNONIST CHILDREN AND INDIAN PLAYMATES.

About the same time, Hans Qeo.
Shutz and Mathias Reuger were given
5(K) acres of land including the old
plantation, where Peter P. Bizalion
lived (Do. 626) and Thomas Edwards
was given 250 acres "back in the
County of Chester" v/iu-ch was the
name of this section before Lancaster
County was erected (Do. 651).
¦Page 289 of same book, it is stated
that a tract of 30,000 acres in the up
per part of Chester County was laid
out soon after it was first purchased
in 1686.
We may also note th.at, in 1686, by
Act of Assembly, 20,000 acres of land
on the Conestoga were vested in Chas.
Reed and others in trust. This, later
deeds show, included -practically the
whole peninsula, between Pequea and
Conestoga creeks, from the Susque
hanna River, many miles up said
creeks. (Recorder's Office of Lancas
ter Co., Book B, p. 213, etc.)
1720— Mennonite Children Play With
the Indians.
A very interesting topic in the life
of the Mennonite families in the early
times is shown in 7 Haz. Reg., p. 163,
i'n an account given by th© ancient
Amish-Mennonite of those early times,
as follows:
"An aged member of the Amish or
Ommish faith relates, that he often
heard his grandfather say, that his
f.amily was one of the first of the
Europeans who settled west of the
Conestoga. That the Indians lived
near them; and that 'the German and
Indian children would frequently
play together in the neighbouring
wigwam. Some times you would see
them engaged in conests of foot race ;
in which the Indian lads would excel
al-though the German lads would dis
card their clothes, to put them on an
equality ot the naked savages. Some
times with the bow and arrow, but
here the little Indians -would all show ]
their superiority in skill, and accuracy I

ot aim. In wrestling, and in most of
their exercises, the Indian boys ex
celled; but in the mechanical arts the
little emigrants had the advantage. I
have often seen the chiefs reclining
on the ground leaning on the arm,
looking at the diversions and amuse
ments of the children; and when the
little Indian would excel, they would
laugh very heartily.
It would not unfrequently happen,
that the little Germans would show
som© degree of anger, when they were
unsuccessful, by giving a blow, and
taking up a stone and unceremoni
ously hurl it at the head of a competi
tor, which th© little Indians would
receive with the utmost complacency.
I was one day amused by seeing a
struggle between an Indian and a
German, the former was younger, but
more active than the latter, and the
little son of the forest was evidently
playing -with the strength of his ad
versary; the German became heated,
and exerting all his strength, en
deavored to throw his adversary with
some force upon the ground, but the
wily Indian gave a sudden trip, whi-eh
caused the German to fall beneath;
who, rising angrily, seized a stone
and levelled his opponent to the
earth. The chiefs who were near
laughed very heartily, for the little
white faces did not stay to see the
result, but ran hastily homewards,
dreading the severe catigation. In all
and every transaction, we had with
the Indians, we found them mild and
peaceable; and as just related, not
disposed to revenge, when the act ap
peared to be a momentary burst of
passion. I have often seen the little
Brennemans, children ot a Mennonist
emigrant, playing in the most sportive
and Innocent manner with the little
red faces, and I never knew or heard
of one little white face receiving an
Injury from their red brethren; thst
is, no intentional injury.

QERJIAN^SWISS ACTIVITIES HERE.

215

1720— Arrival of a Ship-Load of Ger
mans and Swiss Immigrants Xot
Officially Becorded.
In the American Weekly Mercury,
under date of September 1, 1720, there
is an item stating that "the shiip
Laurel, John Cappel from Liverpool,
with 240 odd Palatines, who came here
to settle" just arrived
This is the only place where a re
cord of this shipload of these people
is to be found. It is not in "Rupp's
Thirty Thousand Names," nor in any
of the ship registers. Pennypacker in
his preface to the reprinted first vol
ume of the Mercury says that this is
the only place any knowledge of this
particular shipment of Immigrants is
to be found. The "American Weekly
Mercury," which began publication on
the 22nd ot December, 1719, in Phila
delphia, was the third newspaper in
United States, in point of time. The
first was a newspaper called "Public
Occurances," first issued September
25, 1690, in Boston, then the "Boston
News Letter," first issued in 1704 —
then the "Mercury." There was a
paper known as the "Boston Gazette,"
issued on the 21st ot December, 1719,
but as that was the only issue, we
may say it died the day it began, and
thus, could hardly 'be called a news
paper.1720— The Absence of Avarice in
Early German-Swiss Life.
We are told in an article in Vol. 7
ot Haz. Reg., p. 150, of a reply made
by a Mennonite in 1720 upon an offer
ot 1000 acres ot land granted to him
In the year 1720, a thousand acres
were offered to an influential member
of the Amish faith by the proprietary
agent, but he refused the grant saying
"It is beyond my desire, also my abil
ity to clear; it clear beyond my power
to cultivate; if cultivated, it would
yield more than my family could con

sume; and as the rules of our Society
forbid the disposal of the surplus, I
can not accept your liberal offer; but
you may divide it among my married
children, who at present reside with
me." This individual is supposed to
have been a man named Kurtz.
1720 — ^Conrad Beissel Beaches
America This Tear.
According to Harris' Biographical
History ot Lancaster County, p. 44,
Conrad Beissel arrived in America in
1720, and settled at Millport, in Lan
caster County in 1729; where he and
a companion built a house. His ser
vices to the early colonists in arrang
ing Indian matters, is one of the
greatest instances of life devoted to
betterment of conditions to be found.
About 1759, as I recollect it, there
was an attempt to burn his house.
Bundles of straws were laid about the
doors and windows and ignited, but
the fire was extinguished. It is a re
markable fact that nearly 150 years
later, a similar attempt to burn that
same house resulted in its destruction
about 1909 or '10. This Millport, how
ever, is now in Berks County, but was
in 1729 part ot Lancaster County.
1721— German-Swiss Object to Bear
ing Arms.
In Vol. 2 of the Votes of Assembly,
p. 297, it is stated that on the 12th of
October of that year a petition of a
considerable number ot Swiss- Pala
tines, setting forth the reason for
removing themselves or their families
into this province, and praying leave
to bring in a bill for their naturaliza
tion and to be exempt from swearing
and bearing arms was presented to
the House and read. The Assembly
ordered the bills to lie on the table so
as to 'be examined by the members ot
the House afterwards for action upon
it. This would be an interesting doc
ument of these good people and the

21G

CONESTO'GA HIGHWAYS TO P'HILADELPHIA.

early times if it could be found. I
cannot find any act passed to relieve
them from bearing arms but they
were frequently naturalized from
time to time as they applied. I am in
clined to believe that they could be
relieved from military service only by
paying a bounty as has been the law
in some later days.
1731— Mennonist Outlet to Pbiladel-
phia.
"This year we find there was a pro
ceeding to improve the road which led
from the Mennonite Colony about
Conestoga to Philadelphia. The re
cord is set forth in Vol. 3 of the Col.
Tlec, p. 142. The petitioners state that
the Judges of the Courts of Chester
County lately directed a road to be
laid out in the highway to Conestoga,
which road runs through uninhabited
land quite up to the Mennonite settle
ment on this side of Conestoga and
they think that the change that is
asked for here is not a good one.
These good people had a road of some
inferior character as early as 1714 and
in a petition filed in the Quarter -Ses
sions of Lancaster County in 1734, to
improve it, they speak of having used
it for 20 years before that date. It
was also proposed to make a King's
Highway out of it as early as May,
1718, and the Mennonite people around
Conestoga were the leaders in trying
to get this improvement, for which
they signed a petition that same year.
This may be seen in Vol. 3 of the Col.
Rec, p. 43. This road was what is
now known as the Long Lane, passing
through Conestoga, Pequea and other
townships to the East, beginning at
Rock Hill and going through Stras
burg. It was the earliest outlet to
Philadelphia that these ancient peo
ple had.
1721— The Conestoga Palatines Assist
in the Indian Treaty of Tliis Tear.
In Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec, p. 121, it

is set forth, under date of July 5ith,
that year, that the Governor arrived
at Conestoga at noon and in the even
ing went to Captain Civility's cabin.
The Governor held part of the treaty
at the cabins of the different Chiefs'
and then adjourned to the house of
John Cartlidge and continued the
treaty on the 8th of July. It appeared
that large numbers of the Swiss Pala
tines were present at this treaty and
the Indians told the Governor that
they would take very good care that
these settlers were not interfered
with, and the Governor refers to the
town of Conestoga, that is, the Indian
town. We are to notice here that the In
dians' dwellings are referred to as
cabins and not tents; so they likely
built small houses here. Some light
on this treaty and the conditions about
Conestoga is given in a small book
published on Neath Street, Dublin, in
1723. The publisher there goes on to
say that the Indian Village of Con
estoga lies 70 miles directly west of
Philadelphia, and that the land there
is very rich and is "now surrounded
with divers fine plantations or farms,
where they raise quantities of wheat,
barley, fiax and hemp, without the
help of any dung." I merely quote
this so as to give a picture ot the for
wardness of agriculture by our Men
nonite ancestors at this early date of
1723. We must remember that they
had only reached this section five or
six years before, and thus, that they
were good farmers is clearly shown.
This was in the neighborhood of what
is now Indiantown, in the central part
of Manor Township. Th© account fur
ther goes on to state that the Gov
ernor was attended by between 70 and
80 horsemen well armed and that
when they arrived there, great
amounts of provisions were provided.
Thus, we see that our ancestors were

GBRiilAX-SWlSS COXTINl^E TO FLOCK TO CONESTOGA.

217

ready to co-operate with the projects
of Pennsylvania.
1721— The Taking Up of Land in
Conestoga.
In the Taylor Papers, No. 3323,
there is a paper indorsed "lands in
Chester County" and on one of the
first pages, this heading, "lands on
Pequea and Conestoga, 58937 acres."
I cannot tell how early this account
was set forth of lands surveyed in
Conestoga, for our Mennonite ances
tors; but it is as early as 1721 and
perhaps earlier. This shows that -at
that time, the immense sum of nearly
100 square miles ot land was sur
veyed and taken up. In paper 3349, a
surveyor renders a bill for surveying
Conestoga Manor, which is now Manor
Township 16,500 acres. And about the
same time, a survey on Chickies is set
forth. Taylor sets forth his authority
for all of this. I cite this simply to
show the activity among our ances
tors at this time and in fact, from 1714
onward, in the Taylor Papers, there
are letters upon letters, showing the
extreme anxiety for land on the Con
estoga. About this time complaint
was made that nearly all the back
lands were taken up and there is very
little more to sell.
1721— Ores Discovered in Conestoga.
Under the date of the 17th of Feb
ruary, 1721, No. 2-22 Taylor, Paper
No. 2975, the following letter is found:
'Isaac Taylor, Esteemed Friend: —
These inform thee yt there has come
into this province from New England
a gentleman named John McNeal and
he hath been with me and hath view
ed ye iron ore and matter yt we laid
out. I suppose yt I will sell to them
as I have advised him to note how
we shall ye most easy way come at
ye land, if we conclude with business
for if any old rights can be had, I in
cline most to make a purchase yt

way; however thy opinion in yt mat
ter is what is desired by me, and a
line or two from thy hand to advise,
till an opportunity present a conver
sation and consultation yt best mea
sures further about ye same, which
is all at present. Respectfully from
the true and loving friend, John Car
tlidge." The sense of the above let
ter is that ore was found about Con
estoga, and John Cartlidge wanted to
find out whether he could buy some
of the land that contained the ore de
posits. 1721— The Boad From Philadelphia
to Conestoga, Spoken Of.
In 3 -Col. Rec. p. 142, is given some
light on how the country was devel
oping around Conestoga. In a petit
ion signed by a considerable number
of those people, setting forth that a
new road was lately laid out ana
cleared in the highway to Conesto
ga; which "runs all along through
uninhabited and unsettled lands,
quite up to the Palatine settlements
on this side of Conestoga"; and they
then go on and ask to have certain
changes made on this road and view
ers are appointed etc., for that pur
pose. I quote this simply to show the
activity of that time.
1721— Palatines Tell Why they Left
the Palatinate.
In Vol. 2, Votes ot Assembly, p.
297, under this date, the Palatines
set forth that for religious reasons
and financial difficulties, etc., they
left the Rhine valley and came to Co
nestoga Country, where greater lib
erty of conscience was allowed them.
1722 — Activity on the Conestoga
Eiver
In Vol. 9 of the Penna. Arch., p.
714, there is a record of 200 acres
granted near Stephen Atkinson above
Conestoga Manor to Edna Dougherty

218

GERMAN-SWISS GENEROSITY TO INDIAN'S.

and (at p. 718) a return made ot an
additional grant. Page 720 "Casper
the Smith" having desired a tract of
land, is given 100 acres" where some
Indians settled on Conestoga Creek,
this y©ar, asked for 200 acres, two
near Atkinson's mill." On the same
page it is recorded that "Stephen
Atkinson requests the grant ot a par
cel of land lying in the barrens be
hind his plantation for erecting a
mill and that "Logan has writ to
Isaac Taylor about it; Vide book of
letters." The land was given to him.
1722— Settlement Activity on Ooto-
raro
In the same book, p. 714, John As-
ler or Hassler, a tailor, is recorded
as having made a settlement near
Arthur Park on a branch of Octoraro
-about the same time John Seager
asks for a tract (p . 710), — also on
the Susquehanna, Gordon Howard,
two miles from Garlbseath's Mill to
the northward and about four miles
back of Susquehanna River (p. 713)
— also Pat Cammel wants land on
the Suspuehanna River (p. 715).

1722— ^Mlennonite Hospitality and '
Charity towards Indians.
In Vol. 3, Col. Rec. p. 153, we find
it recorded that this year the Pala
tines undertook to bring corn to the
Indians at Conestoga as their stock
seemed to be exhausted. It seems,
however, there was to be a small
payment for the same. This was the
season of hard times — the first panic
in Pennsylvania. We are told also in
the same book, p. 179 and 180, that
there was great scarcity of bread at
Conestoga and the Governor went up
to that country to find out how pres
sing the need was, (p. 181).
1723— Conestoga Township Divided.
The good old German-'Swiss region
of Lancaster County, known as Con

estoga originally, included all the re
gion from the Susquehanna River
almost to the Octorara — particularly
all of the great middle belt ot our
County. It extended south to presrait
Drumore, east to the Gap, Including
the Earls, Leacocks, etc. In 1720,
Salisbury and Gap and adjacent sec
tions were organized into Pequea
Township. Our present Pequea Town
ship is no part of old Pequea Town
ship. The inhabitants were the
Davises, Powells, Gaits, Clarks, Mor
gans, Cooksins, Collins, and others.
The Letevers and Ferrees are also
mentioned; but they lived farther
north than we now think. (Cope and
Puthey.) This section was not really
a part of old Conestoga proper.
But the northwest section ot West
Conestoga included what is now Don
egal, Conoy, Mount Joy, Rapho, etc.
In 1723, this section was cut off from
the old Township.
Most of the inhabitants in the new
section were Scotch-Irish; but a few
Germans were also in that section, —
Bphraim Moor, Jos. Woork, John.
Gardner and others.
1723 — John Meylin Joins Ephrata
Community.

Rupp (74) makes a simple note of
I the fact of John Meylin joining the
I Sieben Taeger (Seventh Day) fratern
ity at Ephrata and assuming the name
I "Amos" or "Bruder Amos." There
j does not seem, at the present day, to
I be any branch of the Meylin family so
connected.
: 1723 — German Palatines ot New York
I Come to Pennsylvania.
In the great Gennan Exodus ot 1709,
of which we have spoken before, Gtov-
ernor Hunter brought 3,000 of those
Palatines (who were landed and
stranded in England in the Exodus)
to New York. They camped or lived
I in New York till the tall of 1710, and

POVERTY OP THE P.'^LAT'INE IMMIGRANTS.

219

then the Queen ot England provided
for their transportation to a wilder
ness near Schoharie, New York, where
it seems one of the chiefs of th© Five
Nations gave a tract of land, because
this chief and several of his tribe (who
were in England to get England to
send a force to reduce the French in
Canada), saw the destitute condition
ot these Germans, while they lay in
England in their poverty and misery.
The laws of New York did not suit
the Germans — and therefore, in 1723,
they asked permission to come to
Pennsylvania. They were allowed to
do so, and settled on Tulpehocken and
Swatara Creeks — becoming the foun
dation of some of the best Germajn
stock of Upper Lancaster, Dauphin and
Montgomery Counties. Conrad Weiser
descended from them. (Rupp 183 and
4.) The petition of these people for
permission to come to Pennsylvania
is also found in the Colonial Records.
1723 — ^Mary Ditcher and Palatines.
According to Hazard (See Register
Vol. 9, p. 113) the first proprietor of
the western end ot the Hempfields,
was a peculiar old German woman
named Mary Ditcher. Rupp also
quotes Hazard (p. 189) and says that
"the land back from the River was
settled principally by Germans — 'For
rys, Stricklers, Sherricks, Garbers,
etc." Their first purchase was from
an old woman, who used to go through
the country making what was then
called "improvements" — a few sticks
piled together — a fire kindled and a
pot hung over it This constituted a
first right Those who could pay for
the land had first choice; but these
"improvements" were generally
bought for a trifle. Mary Ditcher is
described as wandering through the
woods, leading an old horse, her only
property, with her knitting in her
hand; and clad in a garment chiefly
of sheep skin. This was called Hemp-

field because ot the great quantities o:
hemp raised.
1723— Weavers Take Up Weber-Tha!.
Rupp says (p. 191) that while the
Welsh were making improvements,
some Swiss and Germans settled in
Weber-Thai, south of Conestoga
Creek, so called from the Webers or
Weavers who took up between two
and three thousand acres of land in
1723 or 4. George Weber and Hans
Guth, brothers-in-law, and Jacob
Weber and Henry Weber, all Swiss,
were the first settlers, contiguous to
the Welsh. The name "Guth" became
"Good." The Webers and Goods had
settled in Lancaster County twelve or
fifteen years earlier and lived near
the present city of Lancaster. A
good account ot their early move
ments and connections is contained in
a record owned in 1842 by Samuel
Weaver. 1723 — Our Poor Palatine Ancestors
Cannot Pay Passage.
There is a notice in the American
Weekly Mercury of January 15, 1723,
calling on the Mennonists of Con
estoga to pay the passage money of
their brethren who were then coming
to the Susquehanna Valley and advis
ing them that if the passage money
was not paid, the delinquents would
be sold into servitude. Therefore,
before any of us -became overbearing
or haughty, we had better look into
these ancient names and annals.
The notice is as follows:
"These are to give notice that the
Palatines who were advertised to be
at th© head of Elk River in Maryland,
are now come up to Philadelphia and
will rbe disposed of for five years each,
to any one paying their pass-age money
at 10 £ per head. If any of their
friends, the Dutch at Conestoga, have
a mind to clear any of them, they may
see them at this Port"

220

GERMAN-SWISS BEGIN REAMSTOWN AND SALUNGA.

1723— A Hitherto Unknown Shipload i
of Palatines.
In the Mercury of June 6th, this
year, we find a brief article stating
that the Brigantine that came out
with the Beaver bound to Philadelphia
was not Captain Lee's, but Captain
Lee's Brigantine sailed out of the
River a tide before Captain Fitch,
being bound to Holland, to take in
Palatines for Pennsylvania.
I note this item only for the purpose
of recording the name of the vessel
and of its captain interested in bring
ing our Mennonite ancestors here, as
the records from official sources are
not yet complete. Frequently, our
people today, try to trace their family
history back to the ship in which they
arrived. 1724 — Everhard Beam Begins Beams-
town.
Rupp (p. 190) relates that this year.
Ream, whose descendants still reside
in the village called after him, began
the settlement of the northeastern
part of present Lancaster County. He
states that Ream journeyed to the
spot with his wagon, into the woods
thereabout and unloaded his "fixtures
and furniture" under an oak tree and
lived there until he built a small hut
on what is now known as (or was in
1843) the Lesher farm. He gives as
Ream's earliest neighbors, the Buch-
ers, Hubers, Walters, Kellers, Lead
ers, Schwarwalders, Schneiders, Kil-
lians, Docks, Forneys, Rupps, Bal-
mers, Mays, Mayers, Hahn-s, Resslers,
Boyers, Leets, Schlotts, Groffs, Wolfs,
Peiersteins, Weidmans and others. He
does not tell us the source of his in
formation. In the Second Series ot the Penna.
Archives, Vol. 19, p. 725, there is re
corded a minute that "Bberhard Ream
ot Conestoga requests a grant ot about

200 acres of land on -a branch of that
creek including a small Indi-in settle
ment called Cocalioo. He had the
Indians "consent to settle and can
pay the purchase money down."
This is very definite. It shows that
Conestoga was recognized as extend
ing up to the region of Adamstown,
etc., and this lay entirely across the
present county, following up the Con
estoga Creek, almost to its source. It
also definitely locates a small Indian
village; and shows his fair dealing
and that he had means.
1724 — Our Swiss Mennonite Ancestors
Begin the Settlement of Salunga
and Chickies.
In the book last mentioned (p. 724)
we find that this year, Michael Shank
requested and was allowed 250 acres
of land near Checosolungas. Jacob
Graeff requested the same amount
near that place. Henry Work and
John Garrett were also given tracts
of land (the size not specified) at this
time "near Conestoga or Shecossolun-
gus." "'Shecossolungus" is our Chick
ies Creek.
1724 — Additional German-Swiss Set
tlements at Conestoga.
In the Second Series of the Pennsyl
vania Archives (p. 721) it is recorded
that Mart Mayley desires a grant of
100 acres in the "Point" in a fork ot
Conestoga Creek, near the land called
"William Willis's," to make tiles and
bricks. At p. 724, there is a request
by Christian Herr for 50 acres ot ordi
nary land in Conestoga, joining his
other land. And p, 726, it is recorded
that James Als Couradt, rector, re
quests the grant ot a piece ot land
near Conestoga, adjoining to Freder-
ickful. Just what and where "Fred-
erickful" is, we cannot tell.

GERMAN-SWISS AGITATE THEIR NATURALIZATION

221

1724— Earliest Known Tile and Brick
Yard in Lancaster County.
Referring to the last named item,
we may call attention to the fact that
Mart Mayley (or Mylin), very likely,
made the first tiles and brick in this
county. We know there were tiled
houses here very early. Mart Mylin
was evidently a genius. Rupp tells us
(p. 74) that in 1719, he erected a Bor
ing Mill on Mylin's Run, in West Lam
peter Township, and that he was also
the first gunsmith in our county.
1724 — Our Swiss Mennonist Brethren
Apply for Naturalization.
Rupp (p. 194) notices the efforts
that our Swiss ancestors were com
pelled to make in order to be natural
ized, to hold land and pass it on to
their childreUi at their death; for
without naturalization, they could not
do so. He states that as early as 1721,
they began to petition for naturaliza
tion, but it was not until 1724 that they
were given permission to bring a bill
before the Assembly, to naturalize
them. It could only be done then,
provided each German or Swiss would
obtain from a Justice of the Peace, a
certificate of the value of his prop
erty, the nature of his religious faith,
etc. The proceedings in 1724, for natural
ization came up in April, and in Vol.
2, Votes of Assembly, (p. 388) it is
related that a petition of a great num
ber of persons who were born under
the allegiance of the Emperor of Ger
many, setting forth that they have
moved themselves into this , province
and their families, and have purchased
lands which they are not capable to
hold for them and their heirs, and
therefore, they pray that they may be
enabled by a law, to buy and hold
lands and enjoy the same benefits as
the rest of the inhabitants — was filed.
The Assembly ordered it to lay on the

table. The next day it was read again
and debated, and it was resolved that
as many of these petitioners as shall
bring certificates from the Justices of
the Courts, signifying the lands they
hold and of what conversation they
are reputed; and also have taken the
oath or affirmation and declaration of
fidelity and allegiance, and set forth
the profession of their religious be
lief as the law directs, shall have
leave to bring in a bill; but the As
sembly orders that the Justices shall
examine this matter very closely.
It seems that there was still more
difficulty for our ancestors because
the Register General now began to
stir up strife against them, and to
make it appear that they were sus
picious characters, (2 Votes 391).
However, they were finally naturalized
in 1727. Two, however, Casper Wis-
ter and John Cartho, under the al
legiance of the Emperor of Germany,
were naturalized this year (Vol. 3,
Statutes at Large, p. 424) ; and a great
many others later.
172-5— The Swiss Take Up Land in the
Susquehanna Valley.
In Vol. 2 of 'he Penna. Arch., p. 734,
we flnd that in 1725, Mathias Stauffer
recommended by Christian Herr, re
quests the grant of a piece of land
on the Checosolangas ; and the same
year, according to the -same book (p.
729) Jacob Funk requested the grant
of 50 acres adjoining his other tract
in Conestoga. The same year several
tracts were granted on the Octorara
—one of 300 acres to John Devour
near John Musgrave's (p. 726)— one
to Robert Durd, 100 acres near the
place called Horse Hook, formerly of
Cornelius Empson (127) — one to
George Carr at the head of the Octo
rara, where he wished to carry on
tanning (p. 723) one to Hugh Morri
son, Thomas Paxton, Hugh Robinson
and Lawrence Small, near the same

222

GERMAN-SWISS NATURALIZATION CONDITIONS.

place (p. 734) — one to James Harlan
(p. 734) between the Octorara Creek
and the Susquehanna River and one
requested by Mrs. Mus'grave for John
Cohalan, As these are not Germ,an
Swiss people, but rather English, we
will say no more about them and only
metion them -for the -sake of regular
ity. The same year lands were taken up
in Pequea; but we must remember
th-at Pequea was the region about the
tiead of the Pequea Creek, north of the
Gap, and we find in the same book (p.
729) that Robert Eyes, a cooper, was
given a tract of land 'and (p. 734) that
William and James Johnson his son,
requested a tract on a branch of the
Pequea Creek called Cat Tail.
172,} — Governor Keith, a Friend of
Our Mennonite Ancestors.
About the year 1725, the Governor
of Pennsylvania began to realize that
our English laws discriminated too
severely against the Germans and
Swiss. In that year Governor Keith,
In the message to -the Assembly, found
in Vol. 2, Votes of Assembly, (p. 442),
among other things, states that as to
the "Palatine Bill," as he called it, he
is of the same opinion he was the
year before — that the producing of
certificates is not a proper method ot
securing the allegiance of these peo
ple to the king 'and this government,
but that it is not agreeable to English
liberty or to the proprietor's declara
tion for encouraging settlement of the
colony and much less to the freedom
of conscience, so much professed
here, to demand other qualifications to
settle any man to the right of an Eng
lish subject, than what we have pre
scribed by law, namely, affirmation of
allegiance. The pixivislon made in this
intended law to prevent these persons
from enjoying privileges of this gov
ernment, unless they go and take a
legal qualification, is not only the

best but the most justifiable method
(and that we have many precedents
in England) ; but he says that to de
mand a strict inquiry into private
conversion and the religious faith of
these people, other than what the law
directs, and especially to pry into the
circu-mstances ot their private estate,
would be contrary to natural and
equal justice and a dangerous preced
ent, and would injure our reputation
as a free country. The Governor,
'herefore, hoped that they would have
a particular regard against being
drawn into propositions and new
emthods inconsistent with liberty. He
goes on to say 'that he thinks it is a
very hard case to deny a stranger who
has purchased land in this province,
the right to transmit those lands to
his children; therefore, he approves
of the bill, only so far as it requires a
qualification to be made, but he does
not approve inquiring into the re
ligious beliefs and private estate of
these people. A few days later he
goes on to say that he congratulates
them on passing a liberal law for the
ease of conscience, and that he ex
pects them to use their best endeavors
among the people to convince them of
the peace and quiet we enjoy. He
then says that he wants to impress
upon them the bill which lies still be
fore them, not acted upon, in behalf
of some "protestants from the Palati
nate and other parts of Germany,"
who have a great desire for the bless
ing of the English Gbvernment. He
also says that they have seen him
personally and in the humblest man
ner have besought him that he should
liave extended to them the same terms
of naturalization, granted in England
to foreign protestants,
172.>— Our G.erman Swiss .Ancestors
Very Grateful to the Governor;
and They Stand by Him.
It seems that a very stern struggle

NATURALIZATION PROGRESSING.

223

was before our Mennonite forefathers
here to secure their right to make
wills and deed land over or to have it
pass to their children, on their death,
unless they made certain affirmations.
On the 25th of November this year,
there was a petition of 237 ot these
people setting forth the tender care
and kindness ot the present Governor
and the many advantages ot the re
ligious and civil rights of the people
that have been granted by him and
especially by the creation of paper
money, which is very much appreciat
ed by them. They go on in this peti
tion and state that they are his friends
and that they know that he is grossly
misrepresented in the province of
Pennsylvania to the proprietor for his
enterprising stand taken and that
there may probably be a change in
the government by a new governor
being sent. They pray the house in
this petition and the governor, that
a3 they are faithful people, that their
needs be recognized and that the true
state ot affairs concerning the bless
ing paper money has been to the peo
ple here shall be sent to the proprie
tor at home, so that their friend, the
governor, may be saved from removal
by his enemies and by the misrepre
sentations made concerning him. This
petition they filed in the House of
Representatives and begged the rep
resentatives to stand up for the gov
ernor and not let him be scandalized.
Paper money was opposed by Eng
land. 172.5 — A Large Number of Our Ger
man-Swiss Bretliren Desire to be
Fatnralized.
The records of the Assembly Nov.
24, 1725, show that the petition ot high
and low Germans on taking and sub
scribing the qualification required by
law, that they may have a bill passed,
to enable them to hold and enjoy
lands and to engage in trade and mer

chandise was laid before the house.
This simply means that they applied
for naturalization.
172,)— The Early Mennonist Ministers,
Because Aliens, Were "Sot Allowed
to Perform a Marriage
Ceremony.
There was a law in the early days
of Pennsylvania that only the minis
ters of the State Church could perform
marriage ceremonies. Rev. Anthony
Hinkle was arrested for marrying a
pair. This was because he was an
alien minister, there being a law
against an alien minister joining par
ties in matrimony. (Vol. 2, Votes of
Assembly, p. 465.) We can readily
see, therefore, that so long as minis
ters ot our Mennonite ancestors were
not naturalized, they were aliens, and
could not perform the marriage cere
mony. These are some of the hard
ships in early Pennsylvania, that peo
ple hardly dream of as existing.
1726 — Mennonist Neighbors at
Donegal.
This year James Anderson, a Pres
byterian Minister, who formerly lived
at New Castle, desired to settle among
the people at Donegal and asked a
grant of 300 acres there, he being a
person of good repute at New C-astel.
The Land Commissioners thought he
would be ot great service in this
neighborhood and Secretary Logan
also desired that the land be granted
him. (Sec. Ser. Pa. Arch., Vol. 19, p.
745.)
1726— Mennonist Neigliljors along the
Susquehanna and Octorara.
This year there -was granted to M'Or-
decai Maydock 375 acres of land on
the Susquehanna, which his father,
Henry Maydock, had the right to, by
a writing from William Penn, dated
May 6, 1691. Peter Risk was also

224

CONESTOGA AND PEQUEA GERMAN-SWISS ADDITIONS.

given 400 acres at the same time; and
this year, Elisah Gatchell and others
were given three tracts of land, "on
the running water of Conowingo,"
where there was a vacancy; and
Emanuel Grubb was given 100 ocres
on the same place, on the northeast
side of his former tract. James Dan
iel and Robert Mackell were given
land by request of the Minister Craig
head. James King and Charles Allen
and Josiah were given land on the
Octorara — also John Kirkpatrick and
Moses Ross and William Evans and
Thomas Jackson and James Buchan-
nan and Alexander Allison and Alex
ander Montgomery. Jackson and
Buchannan were given 200 acres each
— Evans 60 acres and the size of the
others are not mentioned. (See the
book last mentioned pp. 729-740-742-
744 two grants — 745 two grants and
743 three different grants.)
1726— More Swiss Brethren Buy Land
on Conestoga.
According to Vol. 19, Sec. Ser. Pa.
Arch., this year Ulrich Burkhold, Hans
Krow, and Hans Leaman requested
land through Christian Herr, among
the Swiss Colonists near Conestoga
(Vide p. 742).
The same year Henry Zimmerman
or Carpenter set forth that Henry
Vinger (Wenger), who had some years
ago settled on a piece of 'land of Henry
Richmann formerly, and that Wenger
died, leaving a widow and three sons.
But that John Musgrove's son has set
tled on the land. He desires the same
(200 acres) to be turned over to Wi
dow Wenger (or Vinger), see p. 743.
The same year Henry Zimmerman
requested a grant of 600 acres of land
on a branch of the Conestoga (Do).
The same year John Eby requested
a grant of a vacant piece of land on a
branch of Conestoga Creek to build a
grist mill upon as -a convenience to
the neighborhood (Vide 745).

This is no doubt the origin of Eby's
Mill on Mill Creek, a branch ot the
Conestoga, because in 1728, when the
old Peter's Road was recornized and
first laid out by law as appears in the
Road Records of Chester County,
(which I have personally examined),
one of the courses surveyed extends
to Torus or Dorus Eby's Mill, this
being a contraction of Theodorus
Eby. Likely Theodorus was a son of
John, the original applicant for land.
The same year Hans Hess of Con
estoga requested 75 acres of land for
his son Jacob, between a branch of
Conestoga and land of Hans Ulrich,
adjoining his own tract (Do. 746).
And Thos. Honenger and Phil Shong
requested the grant of land for two
settlements on a branch of Conestoga,
the same year (Do. 746) — Also Hans
Miller for 100 acres on Little Cone
stoga — recommended by Christopher
Franciscus (Do) — also 'Sebastian,
Beyer and Geo. Goodman requested
the grant of a parcel of land; each
near Conestoga (Do).
1726— Pequea Additions.
In the book last noted (p. 743) we
find that this date, 200 acres of land
were granted to Wm. Richardson and
a like amount granted to Samuel Rob
inson, both located on Pequea.
1726^German.Swiss Beginning to
Take Part in Public Affairs.
In Vol. 3, Votes of Assembly, p. 4,
there is mention that Ludwig Sprogle
was a member of Assembly. He was
active on a committee to induce Eng
land to allow salt to be imported.
1726 — Our German Ancestors Again
Petition for Eight to Pass Land
to Their Sons.
It is stated Vol. 2, Votes of As
sembly, p. 461, that a large number
of high and low G'ermans have pre
sented a petition asking that upon
their qualifying, according to law,

ROBBERIES, UPON THE GERMAN-SWISS AT CONESTOGA. 225

they may be empowered to hold and
transmit land and enjoy trade, etc.
(See also 3 Col. Rec. 241). The As
sembly replied by proposing to tax
them three pounds each and then they
are to be allowed same privilege in
holding land as others, (2 Votes of
Assembly, p. 467).
1726— Another German Minister Pun
ished for Performing a Marriage.
Anthony Hinkle, a German minister
of the Gospel, who was fined tor per
forming a marriage tor two people,
refused to pay the fine and costs and
was committed to prison, (2 Votes of
Assembly 470).
1726 — Our German-Swiss Ancestors a
Mark for Vagrancy.
In Vol. 2, Votes ot Assembly, p. 466,
we find a complaint made this year
about vagrants and horse thieves on
the Susquehanna, preying upon the
thrifty Germans and Swiss. The As
sembly took note that a great number
of convicts and some Irish servants
of low character had arrived and a
great many more were expected; and
it was decided that there should be a
fine of five pounds a head put upon all
ot them. This condition is noticed in
the petition to create Lancaster Coun
ty, which sets forth that along the
Susquehanna, the people not having
local government, are very great vic
tims ot robbers -and 'horse thieves and
vagabonds. On the 19th of June, 1726,
a petition was signed by the citizens
of Conestoga setting forth that many '
vagabonds resorted to that neighbor
hood, praying that the law be provid
ed to suppress them. (Vol. 2, Votes of
Assembly 468). In a little while the
newspapers began to notice this un
lawful condition and in the Pa. Gaz.
of April 12, 1729, the following item
occurs: "We hear that there are as
sociated together -a company of Irish
robbers, the chief of whom are said
to be one Bennet, whom they call

their captain, and one Lynch, whom
they call their lieutenant, with Dobbs,
Wiggins and many others, who sulk
about this and neighboring provinces;
their villianles being to steal the best
horses and load them with the best
goods, and carry them off before the
people's faces, which they have done
lately in and about Conestoga. It
seems their usual practice has been
to steal horses from this province and
carry them to sell into Maryland, Vir
ginia and North Carolina. It is said
that they begin to grow more numer
ous and have a place ot rendezvous
where they meet to consult how to
perpetrate their rogueries and en
tertain all like themselves." This
last note is three years later than
1726, but it is inti-mately connected
with this subject, and I, therefore, in
sert it -at this place.
1726— Trouble to Collect Taxes Among
Our Ancestors on Conestoga.
In Vol. 2, Votes of Assembly, p. 491,,
we find it set forth that the people on
Conestoga began to neglect and re
fused to pay their excises and other
taxes to the province in their sense
of immunity from being so far away
from the officers of the law — the
county seat being at Old Chester, 100
miles distant. It is hard to say at this
ti'me whether this complaint was made
against our German-Swiss brethren
or the people generally, but we can
readily understand that in the face of
the hardships, the German-Swiss were
undergoing, 'because they were not al
lowed to hold and transmit land, they
being foreigners, that they might very
readily feel like retaliating, by with
holding the tax upon lands which they
were not certain whether they had a
good title to or not.
1726— The Law to Naturalize Ger
mans.
In Vol. 4, Statutes 'at Large, p. 457,
we find set forth a law to naturalize

226

GERMAN-SWISS TAKING UP LAND.

several Germans who had moved to
this province. They do not seem to
be Lancaster County names, -as their
names are not familiar here ; and there
are only a few of them. They are
Bernard Van Lear, Arent Hassert,
Michael Smiths, Wm. Selliger, Arnolt
Bambarger, Wm. Hilligart and Ulrich
Haggeman. The Statute states that
they are born under the allegiance of
the Emperor of Germ-any.
1727— 'More Lands Taken Up By Our
German-Swiss Brethren in the
Susquehanna Valley.
Benjamin Roads, recommended by
sundry inhabitants of Conestoga, was
granted 100 acres near a branch of
Conestoga this year. (Vol. 19, 3rd Ser.
Pa. Arch., p. 748.) Henry Bear was
given 100 -acres, adjoining his other
land on Little Conestoga, (Do. 751).
Joseph Hickenbolten and Joseph Ster-
man requested a piece -of vacant land
lying between their 'plantations near
the Conestoga Creek's mouth, (Do.).
Anthony Breller requested a piece ot
land near his own settlement, "near
the Dutch Mill" (Do.). Killian Law
requested a piece on Mill Creek (Do.).
Jacob Rife, Ulrlck Sauck, Rudolph
Bear, Jacob Lintner, John Snevely,
Jacob Snevely, John Long, Casper
Hoorn, Derrick Miller and Christian
Graybill were recommended by several
old settlers to have land to settle
upon at Conestoga, (Do). Richard
Carter in behalf of his kinsman, Henry
Noland, requested 200 acres on the
east side of Lewis Lewis', under the
barren hills some distance from Con
estoga, (Do.). William Cloud re
quested 300 acres of vacant surveyed
land on the Conestoga. Nathan Evans
requested 100 acres east of his other
land to erect a mill, (Do. 753). John
Burkholder requested a grant of 200
acres adjoining Benjamin Hershey's
land on Little Conestoga, and it is
stated that he is ready to pay cash for
it, (Do. 755). All of these persons re

ceived the land which they asked for
very shortly after their request.
1727 — More Neighbors on Octorara.
This year Hugh Morrison requested
land on the Octorara, (Do. 745). Al
bert Edwards requested 200 acres ad
joining the old settlement that Fran
cis Warley owned, (Do. p. 747). John
Musgrove obtained 300 acres but sold
his right to Roger Dyer and George
Legerd, (Do. 748). Abraham Emmett
requested lands for three settlements
on the Octorara, (Do. p. 750). Robert
Wright requested land on Octorara,
(Do. 750). John Tinner, from Ireland,
requested land on the Octorara (Do.
751). John Creswell, for himself and
Robert Stewart, requested the same,
(Do.). Robert Evans requested 250
acres on the west branch ot the Octo-
raa, (Do. 752). Robert Love requested
a parcel near Octorara, (Do. 754).
Hugh Berkely and George Patterson
requested land on Octorara, (Do. 754).
All these requests were made in 1727,
and in every case the land was granted
a little later.
1727 — ^Neighbors on Pequea.
John Barnett desired 200 acres near
Joseph Hinkman, (Do. 750) and Pallso
Friends (a very odd name) who
dwelt with Daniel Ferree, desired a
tract -of vacant land on the south side
of Pequea, (Do. 756) and Peter Ba-
zillion requested 200 acres of land ad
joining other lands where he dwells,
100 acres at each end of his tract,(Do.
747). These requests were made in
1727 and were granted.
1727 — Grants on Snsquehanna.
The Commissioners by their warrant
of June 2, 1718, had granted to Peter
Chartier 300 acres on Susquehanna,
which he afterwards sold to Stephen
Atkinson, and in 1727, Penn's land
commissioners confirmed Atkinson's
title tor these 300 acres, (Do. 749).
The same year James Moore re
quested land on the Susquehanna,

LANDS TAKEN UP— NEW HOLLAND POUNDED.

227

(Do. 750) — and William Brackin re
quested land on Fishing Creek near
Susquehanna, (Do. 754). Nathaniel
Newlin and Joseph Cloud requested
500 acres on the Susquehanna, (Do.).
And near Susquehanna, on Chickies,
John McNile requested land and has
sent another letter that an order be
made out to him, which was done,
(Do. 747). The commissioners hav
ing prior, by two warrants, granted to
Thomas Griffith the right of 1500 acres
which On Chickies Creek, Thos. Grif
fith, in 1724, transferred his right to
Isaac Norris and in 1727 Isaac Norris
was given a deed from the commis
sioners dated April 15th for the same,
he to pay 100 pounds, (Do. 749)— and
also on Susquehanna near Donegal,
this same year, Richard Allison re
quested a tract above Donegal, called
"Cornish's Plains," (Do. 750) — and
Jonas Davenport, having purchased
certain im'provements of Leonard
Millborn, an inhabitant of Donegal,
requested a deed for 200 acers made to
him which was done, (Do. 750). He
also requested 300 acres more on the
upper side of the mouth of Swatara
Creek, (Do. 750)— and John Galbreta
requested 200 acres at the same place ;
and William Alexander, recommended
by James Anderson, requested land to
settle about Donegal on the Susque
hanna. These requests were all made
in 1727 and were granted.
1727— Origin of the Hans Graeff Hold
ings.
In the Volume last set out above, p.
746, we find under the date of 1727
that Hans Graeff requested the grant
of a piece of land on the Cocalico
Greek, a branch of the Conestoga, to
build a grist mill for the accommoda
tion of his neighbors. It was granted
to him.
1727— Gennan- Swiss Begin to Kegis-
ter About This Tear.
The law was fast requiring ship
owners to take a list of all the Ger

mans and Swiss that they bring over.
These lists were carefully kept and
preserved and may be found in the
Colonial Records from time to time.
They have been collected from Rupp
in his "Thirty Thousand Names."
This resulted from the fact that the
government authorities became
frightened at the inrush of so many
foreigners. Rupp stated that of course
they meant these Non-Resistant Ger
mans and Swiss. Rupp also says that
in the year 1727 about a thousand Pal
atines arrived in this province, (Do.
p. 193) and we have observed in the
items proceeding that -a lot of them
were coming, which is shown by the
land which was taken up.
1727 — Pioneers ot New Holland.
According to Rupp, about this year
the Diffenderfer Brothers, Alexander
and John, tailed from Rotterdam in
the ship William and Sarah and ar
rived here in 'the Pall. John settled
at SaeueSchwamm, (now New Hol
land) in the woods. His grandson
David, who was a son of Michael
Diffenderfer, lived to be high in the
nineties, and he personally informed
Rupp that his grandfather's house
hold goods were brought from Phila
delphia by a brother in the faith, by
the name of Martin, who unloaded
them under an oak tree, but a cabin
or hut -was built by the aid of the
neighbors in a few days, and thus,
settlement began in that comfortable
and wealthy section, now known as
New Holland, (Do. p. 193).
1727— Copy of the Declaration that the
German-Swiss Were Eequired
to Sign.
In Vol. 3, Col. Rec, p. 283, (new
series) the paper is set forth which
had been agreed upon and was drawn
up by the authorities of Pennsylvania,
which all the Palatines (and this in
cluded the Swiss as well as the -Ger
mans of the Palatinate) were required

228

DORTRECHT CONFESSION OP FAITH IN CONESTOGA.

to sign, if ithey came v/ith the inten
tion of settling in the province. The
paper is in these -words: — "We, -Sub
scribers, Natives and late Inhabitants
of the Palatinate upon the Rhine and
desiring to transport ourselves and
families into this province of Penn
sylvania, a Colony subject to the
Crown of Great Britain, in hopes and
Expectations of flnding a Retreat &
peaceable settlement therein. Do Sol
emnly promise & Engage, that We will
be faithful and bear true Allegiance
to his present MAJESTY KING
GEORGE THE SECOND, and his Suc
cessors Kings of Great Britain, and
will be faithful to the proprietor of
this province; And that we will de
mean ourselves peaceably to all His
said Majesties Subjects, and strictly
observe and conform to the Laws of
England and of this Province,- to the
utmost of our Power and best of our
understanding." This shows what
these good people were required to
do; 'and we may mention here that
because they and all their successors
were required to sign a similar paper
that it explains in a large part the
reason why there was opposition
among them in the Revolutionary War
to ¦ fight against the mother country,
England. It must be remembered
that the other settlers in these pro
vinces did not take any such oath or
affirmation or -make any such similar
promise to stand by 'the British gov
ernment.1727— Conestoga Accepts Dortrecht
Confession of Faith.
This year the Dortrecht Mennonist
Oonfession of Faith (promulgated at
Dortrcht, Holland, in 1632) was adopt-
2d in Am-erica by formal action. The
atteen Mennonist ministers of Ameri
ca in Conference, signed an Article of
its approval and adoption here.Among
;hese ministers, so signing and thus
binding themselves and their congre
gations to that confession of faith

were Hans Burkholder, Christian
Herr, Benedict Hearshey, and Martin
Baer (Bar) of Conestoga — Daniel
Longanecker from Manatony. These
are all of Berne ancestry. There was
also a Henry Hunsecker and other of
the Germantown Congregation.
1727 — Comment on the Dortrecht Con
fession.
In a previous article, we noticed
how the Mennonists of Conestoga this
year accepted the ancient Dortrecht
confession of faith, adopted in 1632. A
writer of note says that the Menno
nists and Aymenists refer for their
principle and usages to their confes
sion of faith, published in Philadel
phia in 1727. This writer makes note
of the fact that this year, to wit, 1727,
they changed the method ot 'baptism
from immersion to affusion and that
thereafter they were no longer known
as Baptists or Anna-Baptists. It is
not known generally that before that
date the Mennonists believed only in
immersion as the efficient form of
baptism. This writer goes on to say
that Aymenists or -bearded Mennonists
are the Amish of today (7 Haz. Reg.
124.) He also says that the Menno
nists used later another confession ot
faith, one composed by Cornelius
Riss, which was published in Hamburg
in 1726 (do. 129). He gives a succinct
history of the rise of the Mennonists
at the page last mentioned and states
that it arose largely out of opposition
to infant baptism — that their main in
crease was along the Rhine and West
phalia, Holstein and the Netherlands.
He tells of their rising and complete
control of Munster, the capital ot
Westphalia. He speaks of the twenty-
six missionaries sent out and notes
that Melchior Hoffman was one of the
strongest of them. He also says that
in early days in Moravia, these peo
ple divided into three branches; one-
called the "buttoners" because they

GERMAN-SWISS IMMIGRATION TO SUSQUEHANNA.

229

wore buttons; one called the "pin- ¦
ners" because they used wire pins and
another the "hookers" because they
wore hooks and eyes to fasten their ¦
clothes. He also mentions two or
three other classes.
1727 — German Swiss Immigration into
Pennsylvania This Year.
In the year 1727, as we have already
stated, the German and Swiss were
pouring in so rapidly that the Gtov-
ernment determined that they should
be put under an oath or promise ot
allegiance. Ship owners were re
quired to make accurate lists of all of
these people who came over to Penn
sylvania. Many came before 1727 as
the County was pretty largely filled
up before that time. But accurate and
reliable information as to just how
many there were, is to some extent
wanting; but from 1727 onward we
have reliable information. The Colo
nial Records show, that in 1727, five
ship loads of these people came mak
ing a total of about 1,000 persons of
whom 270 were male heads of fami
lies (3 Colonial Records 284, 287, 288,
290). The names of the most familiar
families that came over during this
year are: 2 Martins — 4 Bowmans — 2
Bairs — 2 Graybills — 5 Hoffmans — 2
Hiestands— -4 Leamans — 10 Millers — 3
Sieglers— 2 Siegrists— 2 Stauffers— 2
Snavelys — 2 Swartzes and 2 Zuggs.
In addition to that, there were one of
each of the following prominent Lan
caster County families in this^ year:
Bixler — Diffenderfer — Frey — Punk
— Gross — Good -^ Habecker — Host
ler — Keener — Kendig — Longe-
necker — - Landis — Oberholtzer —
Swabb — Seitz — Shertz — Snyder —
Strickler — Shultz — Schaeffer —
Wolf — Weaver and Zimmerman.
As to the ages of these people noth
ing is set forth in the Pennsylvania
Archives (Vol. 17, 2nd. -Series Pa.

Archives), and none except the names
of the men are given — that is only 272
of the 1,000 persons. Beginning about
1730 we frequently find the ages
given, names of women and children
also and from the ages given in the
lists, that are set -out in full, we find
that a great many of them were be
tween 20 and 40 years old; but a great
many of them were very young chil
dren also.
1728 — German Swiss Immigration into
Pennsylvania This Tear.
In the year 1728 there was consid
erable falling off of German Swiss
who came into our province. Only
three ship loads are mentioned in the
records in the Archives (3 Colonial,
327, 328, 331, also Vol. 17, 2nd. Series
Pa. Archives, pp. 12 to 15). The num
ber of the heads of families was only
152; including women and children
the total number was 390. Among
them occurred the following promi
nent names: 3 Dinkelbergs — 2 Den-
lingers— 3 Grosses — 2 Groffs— 2 Keel-
ers— 4 Millers — 2 Myers — 2 Mussers —
2 Shirks— 3 Stauffers— 2 Engels— 2
Schmidts (Smiths) and also one each
of the following representative fami
lies: Bair — - Bixler — Dumbach —
Ebersole — Eshleman — Prey — Hen-
sel — Hoffer — Newcomer — Porrey
— Hellar — Neff — Pheffiey — Ritter
— Strickler — Sellers — Schumaker
and Ranch. Nothing is known of the
ages of these immigrants.
1728— German-Swiss Arrivals in Lan
caster County.
This year Johannes Kitzmiller of
Germany, having purchased the con
sent of Nathaniel Evans, was given a
license to build a mill on a vacant
piece of land on the Little Conestoga
Creek, and he was granted 400 acrer.
there (Sec. Ser. Arch. Vol. 19, p. 757),
and Jacob Huver reported 150 acres
of vacant land on the west side of the
Conestoga Creek, which be desired

230

GERMAN-SWISS LAND OCCUPATION.

and it was granted to him (Do. 760). I
The same year Hans Hess was given
50 acres additional to his settlement
near Conestoga (Do.); — and John
Burkholder was given 200 acres ad
joining Ben Burkholder's land on the
Little Conestoga (Do. 755). We find in
these names the beginnings of the
Burkholder and Hess and Hoover
families, who now inhabit the Con
estoga locality so numerously. Kitz
miller is not so numerous a name at
present; but the name is found fre
quently in Berks and adjacent coun
ties. Pequea, in the region adjacent
to New Holland, received some addi
tional settlers this year, as well as did
the Strasburg section; and on the Sus
quehanna. George Stewart obtained j
200 acres, being a part of the land !
owned by Isaac Taylor, between lands '
of John Gardner and Robert Wilkins \
(Do. 759). About the same time, |
Joseph Jones was given the right to I
settle on the Conowingo Creek.
1728 — England Opposed to Further
Swiss Settlement Here.
We have noticed that the proprietor
of Pennsylvania and the English in
habitants and owners of the province
of Pennsylvania, several times became
frightened less the Germans should
completely crowd them out. The fear
seemed to have reached England this
year, because this year governor Gor
don stated to the House of Repre
sentatives of Pennsylvania, in his ad
dress to them, that Great Britain de
manded these people S'hould not be
allowed to oome into Pennsylvania
hereafter. Part of his message on this
subject is as follows: "I must make
use of this Opportunity to acquaint
you, that I have now positive Orders
from Great Britain to provide by a
proper Law, against these crowds of
Foreigners who are yearly pour'd in
upon us, of which the 'late Assembly
took notice in a message to mc of the

18th of April last Nor does this
arise, as I conceive, from any Dislike
to the People themselves, many ot
whom we know are peaceable, indus
trious and well affected, but it seems
principally intended to prevent an
English Plantation -from being turned
into a Colony of Aliens. It may also
require our Thoughts to prevent the
Importation of Irish Papists and Con
victs, of whom some of th© most no
torious I am credibly informed, have
of late been landed in this River." (3
Col. Rec. 342.) It is rather annoying
at this late day to have the ancestors
of our good German-Swiss people of
this county classed with criminals or
convicts. The growth of Papacy we
can here also see was struck at in
these earlier times. All these obstruc
tions put in the way of the earUer
settlers add additional luster and
glory to their pluck in continuing to
c-oime and settle the land.
1728— German-Swiss Actively Trading
With Philadelphia.
It is interesting to note the extent
of the commercial and industrial ax;-
tivity at different stages of our local
historical development. The year
1728 was the year before Lancaster
County was f-omied, and according to
Witham Marsih, was the year that the
first house was built in the location,
which is now Lancaster. Samuel
Blunston, who lived on the Susque
hanna, in writing a letter to James
Logan, dated the 12th ot M'ay 1728,
among« other things, states that "there
are a great many wagons going down
this week to Philadelphia, and It is
needless now to engage any more for
you may have your choice." He also
states that provisions were very
scarce in this section. (1 Pa. Arch.
216.) The reason I mentioned the
extracts from this letter is that it
shows the activity of our German-
Swiss ancestors in trading with Phil-

PEAR OF GERMAN-SWISS INFLUX.

231

adelphia. So many wagons moying at
that time between Philadelphia and
the Conestoga Creek was to give, as
he says, in his letter, any 'one a choice
of going down by one of the several
wagons continually on the move.
1728— Swiss Brethren Again Ask Hol
land's Aid.
This year the Swiss brethren suf
fering for religious sake and desiring
to emigrate to America, asked Hol
land again to aid them. There was
great poverty among these suffering
people at this time. But they were
not all -honest in their poverty — not
only beggars; but also impostors. A
certain Rudolph Agh, a teacher in the
non-resistant church was deposed
from his office for imposing on the
charitably inclined. A Daniel Landes
was found making collections without
warrant authority, also. He operated
in Germany and Holland. In Gerold-
sheim a Hans Burkholder, a teaoher
since 1702, was found soliciting from
the Holland commissioners, a hun
dred guilders and then five hundred
for the family of Christian Wenger,
impoverished as he said, by reason of
the cattle disease. The need was
found to be genuine. He asserted
that the Mennonist congregation at
Geroldsheim were subject to an extra
assessment or contribution of 1500
guilders toward the expense ot the
coronation of the new elector. Com
plaint was made against this by the
brethren who felt that Burkholder
was urging the 'government to extract
this from his own people, for profit to
himself. Numerous complaints were
made about this by the -brethren, also
against the poll tax upon them which
was doubled about this time per capi
ta. (Muller 208.)

1728— Swiss and German Brethren
Allowed to Come Into Penna.
from New York.
This year a number of the non-re
sistant brethren, who in the Exodus
from Germany and Switzerland unto
England in 1709 succeeded in reach
ing New York with the assistance of
Governor Hunter, were allowed to
settle on Tulpyhocken Creek in Mont
gomery County and surrounding
country. There were 3,000 of them
who came to New York, where they
lived 19 years and then finding the
New York policy not to their advant
age, prayed permission to move to
Pennsylvania, which they were al
lowed to do. (3 Col. Rec. 325.)
1728 — General Excitement and Alarm
Continues in Penna. from the
German-Swiss Influx.
The large numbers of our German
Swiss ancestors now continually
coming to us, increased the general
alarm which had excited the people
tor some time. The Assembly noted
that "thousands- of Palatines" are now
coming and held strongly that they
"refused to obey" our laws. (3 Votes
of Assembly 42.) It is claimed they
were unlawfully on Tulpyhocken
Creek. This was false (3 Col. Rec.
325). They were complained against
for owning and conveying land, con
trary to law, without being natural
ized. (3 Votes- of Assembly 42.) Many
applied to be naturalized but were
long delayed. (3 Votes of Assembly
43 and 45.) Reports officially made
on their citizenship and behavior were
good. (Do.) The government of Penn
sylvania appointed a committee with
full charge and control of the Menno
nist or Palatinate question. (3 Votes
of Assembly 46.) Governor Keith was
their friend, however. (3 Col. Rec.
325-325.) More petitions- to be allowed
to hold land were filed by them— but
the delay continued. (3 Votes of As-

232

NATURALIZATION OP GERMAN-SWISS.

sembly 435-436.) The subject of the
treatment of our German-Swiss an
cestors as to holding of land is com
prehensively treated in Mr. Sache's
Works- and a succinct write-up of the
same may be found in the Philadelphia
Bulletin of Jan. 31, 1910, under "Men
and Things."
1729 — German Swiss Immigration into
Pennsylvania This Year.
This is the year that Lancaster
County was created out of Chester
County. The German Swiss immi
grants this year consisted, as lar as
the oath of allegiance is concerned, of
only 2 ship loads containing 134 heads
ot families or a total list of 306 (3
Colonial Record 367, 368, also Vol 17,
2nd. Series of Archives, pp. 15 and
18). The ages are not given; but the
names of the female passengers who
were on the last ship load are given,
however. ' Turning to the names we
find that there were 2 Preys — 3 Mil
lers — -^ Moores — 4 Macks — 2 Bossarts
— 3 Snyders and 2 Weavers in the list
and one each of the following: Bow
man — Bumgardner — Christ — Esh
leman — Hoffer — Killheffer — Long-
enecker — Ranch — Rote and Snavely.
1729 — Naturalization of our German
Swiss Ancestors.
As we have written before, the sub-
pect of naturalization was a grievance
which was continually affecting our
ancestors. A great leader in all steps
for the -advancement of these brethren
was Martin Mylin (Rupp 75). He was
continually looking out for their wel
fare. This year a large number of
these people were naturalized (Rupp
121). The complete act of naturaliza
tion is found in Vol. 4, Statutes at
Large, page 147; and, it seems that the
original document itself, which Mar
tin Mylin so ably helped to secure,
was in the possession of himself and
his descendants for many years. Rupp

states that 114 years it was in the
possession of the Mylin fa-mily; and
when he wrote his history of the
county, Abraham Mylin of West Lam
peter Township near Willow Street
had the original naturalization act and
showed it to him. The act as set
forth in the Statutes at Large, omit
ting such parts as are repetitions is
as follows: "An act for the better
enabling divers inhabitants of the
province of Pennsylvania to hold
lands, and to invest them with the
privileges of natural-born subjects of
the said province.
Whereas by the encoura'gement
given by the Honorable William Penn,
Esquire, late proprietary and gov
ernor of 'the province of Pennsylvania,
and by the permission of his late
Majesty, King George the First, of
blessed memory, -and his predecessors,
Kings and Queens of England, etc.,
divers Protestants who were subjects
to the Emperor of Germany, a prince
in amity with the Crown of Great
Britain, transported themselves and
estates into the province of Pennsyl
vania between the years one thousand
seven hundred and one thousand seven
hundred and eighteen, and since they
came hither have contributed to the
enlargement of the British Empire
and to the raising and improving
sundry commodities fit -for the mar
kets of Europe, and have always be
haved themselves religiously and
peaceably, and have paid a due regard
and obedience to the laws and gov
ernment of thi-s province 
(Section 1.) Be it enacted by the
Honorable Patrick Gordon, Esquire,
(Lieutenant) Governor ot the Pro
vince of Pennsylvania, etc., by and
with the advice and consent of the
freemen of the said Province in Gen
eral Assembly met, and by the author
ity ot the same. That Martyn Mylin,
Hans Graaf, Christian Stonemen,
Jacob Funk, Francis Neiff, Junior;

EARLY LANCASTER COUNTIANS NATURALIZED.

233

George Kindick, John Burkholder,
John Burkholder, Junior; Abraham
Burkholder, Michael Bohman, John
Hess, John Frederick, Christopher
Preniman, Martin Harnist, Joseph
Buckwalter, Felix Landas, Junior;
Adam Preniman, John Funk, John
Bohman, John Taylor, Henry Neiff,
Michael Mire, Henry Bare, Peter
Bumgamer, Melcor Hufford, Melcor
Erishman, John Brubaker, Jacob
Xisley, Jacob Snevely, Jacob Goot,
John Woolslegle, Jacob Mire, Christo
pher Sowers, Joseph Stoneman, Dan
iel Ashleman,Christlan Peelman, John
Henry Neiff, John Henry Neiff, Junior;
Abraham Hare, John Perie, Jacob
Biere, Peter Yordea, Peter Leamon,
John Jacob Snevely, Isaac Coffman,
Andrew Coffman, Woolrick Rodte,
Henry Punk, Roody Mire, John Mylin,
Jacob Bheme, John Coffman, Michael
Doneder, Charles Christopher, An
dres Shults, John Howser, Christian
Preniman, Jacob Miller, black; Henry
Carpenter, Emanuel Carpenter, Ga
briel Carpenter, Daniel Herm'an,
Christian Herman, Philip Fiere,
Mathias Slaremaker, big John Shenk,
Jacob Churts, Jacob Snevely, Junior;
John Woolrick Houver, John Croyder,
John Leeghte, Martin (5Taaf, Peter
Smith, Peter Newcomat, Jacob Bare,
Junior; John Henry Bare, Jacob
Weaver, Henry Weaver, John Weaver,
David Longanickar, George Weaver,
Abraham Mire, Woolrick Houser, John
Mire, Henry Musselman, Michael
Shank, Jacob Miller, Jacob Miller,
Junior; Martin Miller, Peter Aybe,
Hans Goot, Christian Staner, John
Jacob Light, Adam Brand, Christopher
Franciscus, Caspar Loughman, Fred
erick Stay, John Line, John Shwope,
Bastian Royer, Jonas Lerow, Simeon
King, John Ay-be, Everard Ream, all
of Lancaster County and John Negley,
Bernard Ressor, John Wister, John
Frederick Ax, John Philip Bohm,
Anthony Yerkhas and Herman Yerk-

has, ot Phil. County, be and shall be
to all intents and purposes deem-ed,
taken and esteemed His Majesty's
natural-born subjects ot this provlnc-j
ot Pennsylvania as if they and each
of them had -been born within the said
province, and shall and may and
every of them shall and may within
this province take, receive, enjoy and
be entitled to all rights, privileges
and advantages of natural-born sub
jects as fully to all intents, construc
tions and purposes whatsoever as any
of His Majesty's naturaPborn sub
jects -of this province can, do or ought
to enjoy by virtue of their being His
Majesty's natural-born -subjects of
His Majesty in said province of Penn
sylvania." (Passed February 14, 1729-
30.) Apparently never considered by
the Crown, but allowed to become a
law by lapse of time, in accordance
with the proprietary charter.)
We observe in this tbat nearly all
of these are Lancaster County per
sons, and the -act of naturalization, in
addition to giving them the right to
hold land, givej us an accurate his
tory of the time when they oame to
this country, as we observe that the
preamble to the act states that they
oame -between 1700 and 1718. In this,
therefore, many persons today may
ascertain that their first ancestor in
this country arrived here before the
year 1718.
1729— Robbers Harass Our Early Ger
man-Swiss Ancestors.
A picture of the dangers which our
early German-Swiss ancestors here
were exposed to (in addition to dan
gers from Indians) is painted in an
article found in the Gazette of April
12, 1729, as follows:
"We hear there are associated to
gether a company of Irish robbers,
the chief ot whom are said to be. one
Bennet, whom they call their captain;
and one Lynch, whom they call their

234

THE EXO'DUS OP GERMAN-SWISS TO AMERICA.

lieutenant, with Dobbs, Wiggins and
many others who skulk -about this and
the neighboring provinces; their vil
lianles being to steal the best horses
and load them with the 'best goods,
and carry them off -before people's
faces, 'Which they have lately done in
or about Conestoga. It seems their
usual practice , has been to steal
horses from this province and the
Jerseys and carry them to sell in
Maryland, Virginia and North Caro
lina. It is said they began to grow
more numerous and have a place of
rendezvous where they meet to con
sult how to perpetuate their roguer
ies and to entertain all like them
selves." This makes it clear that there were
many drawbacks in the "good old
times" and that the pathway was far
from a sunny one with continual fear
of savages and robbers and wild
beasts uppermost in the minds of all.
1729— Complete Registry Kept of Ger
man-Swiss Immigrants of Penna.
Prom about the year 1726 onward it
was the law that all immigrants into
Penna. who were not subject to Great
Britain and Ireland were compelled
to be registered and their names, dates
of. arrivals and the ships in which
they arrived were all taken down and
preserved. TTius we have a list of
about tliirty thousand or more of the
names of our German Swiss ances
tors largely -of this county, but con
taining some of adjoining counties.
And in the Colonial Records these
names may be found. Rupp's "Thirty
Thousand Names" was made up from
these ship lists. By this means,
thousands of people today in Lancas
ter County can find the names of the
original members of their family who
arrived here. They nearly all came
from Rotterdam but the ships touched
at Cowes or other points in England,
on the way to America. The names

ot these immigrants and the ships on
which they came are entirely too
numerous to set forth in this work
as they constitute a complete book in
themselves. 1729— Temporary Falling Off of Ger
man-Swiss Immigrants.
The real exodus of German-Swiss
immigrants into this section occurred
a few years after 1729. In the year
1728 the immigration was only 152
families, making up 390 persons. In
1729, 243 persons came and yet this
number caused the English govern
ment to be mu'cih afraid of them. Dur
ing 1729 there were 267 Welsh immi
grants, 43 Scotch, 1155 Irish and only
243 German-Swiss Palatines; and the
same year by way of New Castle
there was 4500 Irish immigrants. So
we can see that the number ot Ger
man-Swiss that were coming at that
time compared to the Irish was very
small. Later, however, the German-
Swiss came by thousands. (Rupp
195-196.) Among the Irish there were some
Iris'h noblemen, as appears in the
Penna. Gazette of April 12th this year.
An account of the coming about this
time of our ancestors is also found in
(7 Haz. Reg. 150).
1729— Conrad Beissel, the German's
Great Friend, Arrives.
About 1720 there arrived in America
a German native of great usefulness
and power. He settled at Millport,
Lancaster County, in 1729, where he
and a companion built themselves a
, house. He gave his attention to re
ligious matters almost entirely. He
was the first in America to insist that
Saturday was the true Sabbath. He
contended, therefore, that the 7th day
was the Sabbath. Before he moved to
Millport he had published a tract on
the subject which caused a great deal
of excitement throughout this region.
(Harris 44.)

WILD BEASTS AND DANGERS AT CONESTOGA.

235

1730— Wild Beasts— The Neighbors of
Our Early Ancestors.
A graphic picture of the wild ani
mals living plentifully about the resi
dences of our German Swiss ances
tors is given in the American Weekly
Mercury of Jan. 14, 1729, and ot Jan.
27, 1729. The first is a picture of a
panther that was killed near Cones
toga. The article states that he had
been among some of the swine in the
night and the owner hearing a noise
went out with a couple of dogs to
drive him away. The animal had got
ten up into a large tree. The farmer
did not know what kind of an animal
it was. He made a fire under the
tree and left the women of his house
hold to watch it, while he went to a
neighbor for a gun. They fired at the
animal twice and the second shot
broke his fore legs. The infuriated
animal made a great desperate leap
and fell to the ground near the peo
ple who just managed to get out of his
way. The dogs seized him and after
another shot he was killed. The sec
ond item is also about Conestoga and
this item sets forth that at Conestoga
the beginning of January, Christopher
Franciscus was wakened up in the
night by a disturbance among his
sheep and he arose and went out and
found that a wolf had been in the
sheep pen but that in jumping over
the fence one of his legs was caught
and he could not get away. Francis-
¦ cus took a strong grasp upon the
wolf's neck and held his leg by his
other hand; then he threw him on the
ground and forced his knee on his
body and called tor his daughter, who
came with a large knife and ripped
him open, letting out his entrails. I
put this under the date of 1730 be
cause in the olden times, January and
February were the last two months
of the year instead of the first two—
the flrst month being March. When
the calendar was re-arranged about

1750, January and February fell' in
the following year, so that it was
really 1730 in this case.
1730— Indians at Conestoga Disap
prove the G'reat Inrush of Ger
man-Swiss
This year Captain Civility, a chief of
the Conestogas, wrote a letter to Gov
ernor Gordon saying that when he was
at Lancaster a short time before he
heard much talk about the crowds of
"Dutch" who were going to settle on
the Susquehanna and that the Indian
lands were being surveyed there to be
sold to the Dutch. This he said gave
his tribe much trouble and uneasiness.
The Indians' road for hunting would
be shut off, he said. The letter is dated
September 28, 1730. (1 Pa. Archives
271.) 1730 — Our German-Swiss Ancestors
Not to Be Drawn as Jurors.
According to Hazard (7 Haz. Reg.
150) the sheriffs ot Pennsylvania were
ordered this year, by Gov. Gordon, not
to summon any of the Mennonist peo
ple nor the other non-resistant sect
as jurors. This, he says, was done be
cause they held God only could punish
man and that the Courts had no right
to deprive any one of liberty or life at
all. Besides this, -an oath was re
quired of a juror and these people
would not so qualify (Do. 152). One
of the finest characters and purest
minds in Pennsylvania, Emanuel Zim
merman or Carpenter, this year,
framed and pushed to adoption a me
morial for the Amish and Mennonists
and -all plain sects, asking the legisla
ture to provide by a law passed that
these -people might take an affirmation
istead of an oath.
1730 — Our Ancestors' G^od Character
Certified.
In January this year the governor
of Pennsylvania came out and certified

236

IMMIGRATION TAX— CHURCHES AND SCHOOL HOUSE.

to the sterling qualities of the early
Germans and Swiss here on the Sus
quehanna in a message to the Assem
bly. All sorts of rumors had been
afioat as to them for several years — to
the effect that they were an unpatrio
tic and disloyal people. Thus when
they petitioned for naturalization he
made a careful investigation into their
-character, customs, etc. And on this
point he says to the assembly: "Upon
application made to me in behalf of
several Germans, now inhabitants ot
the County of Lancaster, that they
may enjoy the Rights & Privileges of
English Subjects, & for that End pray
ing to be naturalized; I have made
Enquiry & flnd that those whose
names are subjoyned to a Petition that
will be laid before your House are
principally such who many years
since have come into this province
under a particular agreement with our
late Honourable Proprietor at London
& have regularly taken up lands under
him. It likewise appears to me by
good Information, that they have hith
erto behaved themselves well, and
have generally so good a Character
for Honesty and Industry as deserves
the Esteem of this Government, & a
Mark of its Regard for them. I am
therefore inclined from these Consid
erations to favour their Request, &
hope you will joyn with me in passing
a Bill for their Naturalization."
1730— Our Ancestors Pray that Immi
gration Tax Against Them Be
Eemoved.
In Vol 3 Votes of Assembly, p. 99,
there is a minute account of the peti
tion and application presented by our
German-Swiss ancestors to have the
immigration tax removal which dis
criminated against them. They tailed
in this, however, as the English gov
ernment felt a jealousy against Ger
many and Switzerland on account ot
the strong and infiuential foothold

they were cecuring in the English ,
government in America, especially in
Pennsylvania.
1730 — G,erman Swiss Immigration into
Pennsylvania This Tear.
In 1730 the list of immigrants was
small, there being only three ship
loads -consisting of 147 persons or 440
all told (3 Colonial Records, 385, 386,
289, Vol. 17 Pennsylvania Archives,
2nd. Series, pp. 20 and 22). The names
of the women and children are given
in the last ship load and the ages of
the entire lot. The oldest person was
Christian' Miller, 60 years old. There
was another Mike Shever 50 years old
and Margaret Miller 50 years old. The
ages of the others would average
about 20 or 22 years. The greater
number by far of them being between
20 and 35 years. This shows that
they were mostly the middle aged peo
ple that were coming across at this
time. Among the prominent families
that came this year we find 3 Bairs—
2 Burgers — 3 Hoffmans — 3 Hesses — 2
Hartmans — 3 Hertzlers- 6 Millers^
Myers.— 4 Schaeffers and 2 Smiths.
There were also one each of the fol
lowing prominent families: Ammon
— Gtood — Gross — Kellar — Kep-
linger — Leaman — Minnich — Ober
holtzer — Shultz — Bitner and Bricker.
1731 — Our German-Swiss Ancestors
Succeed in the Eight To Hold and
Transfer Land.
After a hard struggle lasting through
several years, our German-Swiss an
cestors succeeded in having a law
passed allowing them rights in real
estate the same as other people. The
law was passed Feb. 6, 1731 (4 St L.
208). The Act sets out that at their
own cost they purchased small pieces
of land in Pennsylvania and erected
churches and other houses of religious
worship and school houses and alms
houses thereon, and enclosed burying

PARTICULAR LOCATION OP OUR ANCESTORS IN THE PALTINATE. 237

grounds. It then -goes on and allows j
them the rights they prayed for. It j
also allowed their religious societies
to hold property for religious, educa- 1
tional and charitable purposes.
1731— Our German-S-fflss Ancestors
Build Many Churches and School
Houses.
The Act of Assembly last referred to
shows plainly that our German-Swiss
forebears built churches and schools
as soon as they arrived.
1731— Eesidence of Our Swiss Ances
tors in the Palatinate at
This Time.
Miiller (p. 209-212) gives us an
adequate idea of where the Swiss
(who came to the Rhine Valley
earlier) lived in that Valley at this
time. He says there were in the con
gregation at BYiedelsheim (about
eight miles from Neustadt) forty
families. The ministers were Hanz
Tchantz (Johns) and Hans Jacob
Schneider. In the congregation six
miles south of Worms 40 families,
whose ministers were Hans Burk
holder, Christian Burkholder, Chris
tian Stauffer, — the last named a dea
con of Ober Sultzheim. Of the con
gregation of Ibersheim near Worms,
the minister was Hans Jacob Heist-
and and the deacon Abram Burk
holder. In the Tribbach congregation,
John Neff was minister and Hans
¦Longanecker deacon. Altogether,
says Muller, there were in the Palati
nate (or Rhine Valley) 458 families
ot Swiss below Manheim and 160
families above Manheim — in all 618
families.
1731 — Names of Swiss Mennonites in
Upper Rhine VaUey This Tear.
Muller (page 209 et seq.) give the
following persons as those constitut
ing the Swiss Mennonite congrega

tions above Manheim in the Palatinate
in the year 1731:
(1) The congregation on the Zieh-
merhot one hour (4 miles) from th©
city of Wimpfen on the Neckar, to the
northwest. The heads of the family
are Ulrich Steckley, Nich. Schnep-ach,
Hans Loscher, Hans Wittmer, Jacob
Lehmann's widow, Chr. Hodel, Jacob
Kauffman, Hans Wittmer, Hans Bloet-
scher, Peter Gran's widow, Ulrich
Gletler, Nich. Neukomn, Nich. Ploet-
scher. Minister of the congregation:
— Ulrich Neukomm of Griembach,—
Markus Frantz, and Hans Baechtel
Deacons. (2) The congregation on the Buech-
elhoff two and one half hours
from Wimpfen on the Neckar to the
northwest: Christian, Hans and Dan
iel Neukomm, Peter and Jacob Kraeh-
enbuehl, Henry Engersten's widow,
Nich Wagner, Hans Horsch, Peter
Brand, Hans Kuendig, Tob. Hodel.
Minister of the Congregation Samuel
Boechtel at Unter-Gambfer, Nich
Krahenbuhl,— deacon at Dreschkilng-
en. (3) The congregation at Hassel-
bach one hour from Bischofsheim to
the South Kaspar Rasy, Hans Hecht,
Hans and Peter Witmer, Melchoir
Bauman, Melchoir Huersch, Henry Vol
Welters (VoUen Veider's) widow,Hans
and Jacob Schenk, Oswald Hotstetter,
Samuel Lierstein, and Samuel bier-
stein's widow, Hans Ringstbacher's
(Rindlisbacher), Chr. Gaumann, David
Kauffman, Peter Rasch's widow. Min
ister of the congregation: — Abr. Zer-
sert on the Rauhof, Valantine Wagner,
— deacon at Haselbach,
(4) The congregation at Halmstad
one hour from Bischofsheim to the
north, Ulrich Iseli, Henry and Hans
Wagner, Christian Kleh, Andr. Diter,
Andr. Schmits, Peter Neuensohwan
der, Peter Aebi, Nichlaus Strahm, Val.
Schmitz. Minister of the congrega-

PARTICULAR HOME OF OUR PALATINE ANCESTORS.

tion: Hans Schmitz at Haelmstad and
Chr. -Schmitz of the same place.
(5). The congregation of the Bok-
schaft two hours from Ebingen to the
northwest: Hans Landis, Hans and
Chr. Brand, Hans Dierstein Peter
Moser, David Kobel, Ulrich Burkhal
ter, Chr. Martin, Hans Schaerer's
widow, Samuel Nysli, Samuel Hess,
Samuel and Martin Meyer, Hans Hu
ber, two Hans Schaerer, Hans Graf,
Chr. Shenk, Chr. Kraitter, Chr. Ober
holtzer, Peter -Graf. Minister of the
congregation: Heinrich Kuendig in
Grambach. Martin Kreiter, deacon in
Zetlingen. (6) The congregation on the Strei-
genberg, one hour from Ebingen east
ward: Heinrich Beer, Samuel Funk,
two Hans Frei, Hans Baehr, Pr.
Rohrer, Hans Hodel, Hans Punk, Jost
Glnecki, Hans Mueller. Ministers of
the congregation, Chr. Janw. on Strei-
genberg, Hans Punk in Richen, Hans
Heinrich, Mueller, — deacon in Ebin
gen; Peter Plaettle, deacon in Strei-
genberg. (7) The congregation in Wesingen
two hours from Durlack eastward,
Hans Chr. Ruth (Rupp?), Samuel
Kraehenbuehl, Nich. Hassler, Hans
Eschbacher, Hans Gut, Hans Bauman,
Phil. Schneider. Minister of the con
gre.gation; Chr. Eschbacher in Wes
ingen, Ulrich Schneider, — deacon in
Kraetzingen, (Rupp 209.)
(8) The congregation in Meeke-
sheim, two hours from Neckarsmond,
southward: Samuel Ploetscher, Jas.
Huersch, Nich. Brand, Peter and Hans
Bueller, Hans and Jacob Zety, Hans
Rohrer, Nich. Myer's widow, Benj.
Nich. and two Hans Musselman (Mos-
imann?), Hans Jacob and Hans
Kauffman. Minister of the congrega
tion: David Kauffman in Dasbach,
Hans Bresler in Langzael, Hch. Lan
dis, deacon in Zutzenhausen.

(9) The congregation on the high
Bckerhot -one hour from Wersloch
eastward. Jacob Shallenberger, Chr.
Wenger's widow, Hans Gleller, Peter
Allenbach, Nicholaus Gutzler, Jost
Gutzler's widow, Chr. Fuchs, Nich.
Bachtel, Daniel Hattel, Hans Pallman,
Nat. Schenk's widow. Minister ot the
congregation : Christian Bachman, in
Wersloch, Hans Meyer in convent
Logefield, Hans Plaetcher, deacon in
Mechersheim. (10) The congregation on the
Haschlof one hour from Neustadt,
northward. Peter Schneider, Chr.
Frantz, Andreas Moeselmann, Peter
Kunzi, Daniel Gran, Ulrich Neukomn.
Minister of the congregation: Chr.
and Nath. Moeselmann.
(11) The congregation on the Im-
melthaeuserhof, one hour from Sintz-
helm, southward, Chr. Buenkeli,
(Binggeli) -Samuel Frei, Hans Baehr,
Hans Brand, Heinrich Mueller, Hein
rich Schab, Peter Gut Claus Gerber,
Hans Lienhard, Jacob and Samuel
Schneider, Martin and Jacob Ober
holtzer, Chr. Huber. Minister of the
congregation: Chr. Eicher on the Im
melhaenserhof, Rudolph Linhard at
Rohrbach, Peter Moser, deacon in
Logefield, Hans Plaetcher, deacon in
Mechersheim. (12) The congregation in Thern-
heim, one half hour from Sintzheim
south westward: Jacob Meyer, Chr.
Herr, Rudolph Plaetscher, Peter
Brand, Hans Wisler, Hans Pfaeffli,
¦Hans Herr, Nich. Kratter, Nich.
Meii, Hans Jacob Santer, Bend. Wiss
ler. Minister of the congregation:
Rundolp Linhard ot Rohrbach, Sam
uel Meyer, — deacon at Dirhheim.
(13) The congregation on the
Rohrhof, two hours from Mannheim
eastwards, Hans Schwarz, Wolfgang
Hall, Hans Rudolph Schneebeli, Hans
Jnerg Bachstel, Hans Meyer's widow,
Hans Bachman, Melch. Hanri, Hans

CONESTOGA FOREST FIRES.

239

Wegner, Peter Burchdalff, Hans Jacob
Schneider, Hans Saurer, Greg. Stoe-
ger's widow. Ministers of the congre
gation: Jost. Eschbacher, in Oelbel-
lenheim, Melchoir Foelmann in
Bruchhausen, Chr. Neukommer, — dea
con In the Rohrhof making together
160 house fathers or families.
1731 — Additional German Swiss Set
tlements In Our County.
Rupp says, page 78, Mart Kendig
built a walnut log house on his large
tract of 1060 acres. This tract, as we
have seen before, included all the
land between Willow Street pike and
the West Willow road on the east and
west and extended from the property
ot William G. Mellinger to John Rush
on the north and south.
According to the Colonial records.
Volume 3, page 381, seven shiploads
of German-Swiss arrived at Philadel
phia this year and nearly all came to
the Conestoga Valley, (See page 417).
Several Acts of Assembly were passed
concerning these people. They laid a
duty or tax upon them because they
were foreigners, (See 4 Statute at
large, 135). Laws were also passed
naturalizing them and enabling them
to hold land. (See same book, page
20). The discussion concerning this
right to hold land, as it took place in
the Assembly of Pennsylvania may be
found in Vol. 3 votes of Assembly,
page 131. Many of them were
naturalized by a later act, this same
year. The naturalization is found in
4 Statutes at Large 147. We have
discussed under the date of 1729.
Those naturalized under the act 1731
(Page 219) were German Swiss who
settled in Philadelphia County and
city and Bucks County and Chester
County. Some of the names promi
nent in the list are: Ziegler, Detweil
er, Hunsecker, Zimmerman, Schmidt,
Mayer, Bowman, Swartz, Andrews,
Levand, Kauffman, Shenkel, Hoff-

nagel, Cressman, Funk, Schrack,
Seltzer, Pennypacker, Hollanbiak,
Reiff, Peters, Kline, Snyder, Kosdort,
I Sander, Bauchman, Roth and Acker.
I None appear in the list as Lancaster
County settlers.
1731 — Early Forest Fires and Other
Items.
j In the American Weekly Mercury
I under the date of April 15, this year
the following items appear, "Last
i Monday (April 12) a number of wa-
j gons, coming from Conestoga to the
i city of Philadelphia laden with fiour
j and hemp, etc., were set afire by burn-
j ing bushes along the road. The hemp
j burned with such violence, that it was
j with great difficulty that they saved
! the wagon. They lost all their hemp,
four bags of flour and six bags of pro
vender." This item shows that there was a
trade between Conestoga and Phila
delphia, in the hemp and fiour busi
ness. The mills on the Conestoga and
other Lancaster County places were
manufacturing flour for Philadelphia
and growing hemp. Hemp» raising
was so general, among our Germans,
that in fact, Hempfield Township was
named from it. Another thing made
plain is that there were evidently,
much wood and underbrush along the
road in these early times, nearly 183
years ago or more.
From the Pennsylvania Gazette,
under the date of May 6, 1731, there is
an item reported as follows: "From
Lancaster County, we hear that on
the 18th past the woods being afire
some people fearing that their fences
would be burned, went out to save
them, when a child following them
wandered along the rails and being
surrounded by fire the flames seized
her clothes and she was burned to
death." This is not an unusual item
especially; but it gives some light

240

THE ESHLEMAN FAMILY (SWISS).

upon the early condition in and about
Lancaster. Another item of early German Swiss
days, of Lancaster County, is that,
surrounding the name ot Mary Ditch
er, in Volume 9 of Hazzar's Register,
page 119. Mr. Conynghgam, proflcient
writer, states that, land back to the
Susquehanna river, was settled in the
Neighborhood of Columbia, by Par-
ricks, Strickler, Garbers, and others;
and that they purchased their flrst
right from Mary Ditcher, an old Ger
man woman who went about making
what she called, improvements. This
consisted of a few sticks put together
and a fire kindled and a kettle hung
over it, which constituted her claim.
She would sell out her claim for a
trifle and then move and take up an
other claim. The article continues
and says that she wandered through
woods leading her horse, which was
her only property, with her knitting
in her hand and clad in sheep skin.
The writer gives a good description
of the founding of Columbia, also. '
1731— The Eshleman Family.
The foUo-wiing receipt is found in
Rupp page 75, "Received September
29, 1731 of Martin Mylin, 8 pounds, 11
shilling and 8 pence for passage and
head money of John Eschellman.
Signed Thomas La-wrence."
This suggests that an item on the
Eshleman Family might properly be
entered at this point.
The Eshlemans arrived in America
and in the Susquehanna Valley, much
earlier' than 1731; and perhaps the
chronology of these annals would be
better preserved, by this item having
been entered under the earliest date
of any Eshleman arrival here. But as
that was omitted, this item may -as
properly be entered now as at any
other time.
The earliest arrival of -an Eshleman
in what is now Lancaster County ot

whom -there is reliable proof, is that
ot Daniel Ashleman, who came be
fore 1718, as set fort'h in the Act of
naturalization which embraced him,
recorded in Vol. 4 St. L. 147. He is
stated there as one of those who oame
before 1718 and as a native of Lan
caster County. (See also Rupp 125.)
John Eshleman, above named, ar
rived in Philadelphia as one of a ship
load of 269 Palatines, (Swiss Pala
tines) from Rotterdam by way of Lon
don and Cowes on September 21, 1731,
in the ship Brittania and signed the
declaration of fldelity to the Govern
ment ot Pennsylvania that day. (3
Col. Rec. 414 and 415.) He lost no
time in reaching Lancaster, for as we
have stated, 8 days later Martin Mylin
settled his passage and head money.
Mylin lived on Pequea Creek near
Willow Street. According to the same
record page 367 and 368, Jacob Eshle
man arrived about Aug. 19, 1729, with
a ship load of Palatine Swiss ot 180
persons in the ship Mortonhouse, from
Rotterdam by way of Deal; and sign
ed the promise of fldelity, etc.
And Hendrick Eshleman (Ishelman)
arrived about Aug. 24, 1728, in the
ship Mortonhouse from Rotterdam by
way of Deal, with a ship load ot 200
Palatine Swiss immigrants (See Do.
327 & 328). It is evident, therefore,
that the pioneers of the family here,
go back to the days of the first open
ing up of civilization in our Susque
hanna Valley — near year 1710.
There were also Peter Eshleman,
Aug. 28, 1733, in ship Hope; Barbara
Eshleman, and Jacob Eshleman, the
same time — and several more in early
years. (See Vol. 17 2nd Ser. Pa. Ar
chives pages 13, 16, 17, 29, 30, 85, 86,
88, 90, 2S2, 284, 433, 439, 440 and 494.
But mention is made in European
records, ot Eshlemans on the move
toward Philadelphia and the Susque
hanna Valley much earlier than the
above dates.

THE ESHLEMAN FAMILY (SWISS).

241

In the account given by Melchoir 1
Zahler (Zeller) in 1710 of those who !
were being deported for America in '
the ship sent down the Rhine that
year, he mentions Michael Eshleman,
a Mennonist deacon and Margrith
Eshleman. (See Ante 159 & 160.) They
did not proceed farther than Nimewe
gen in Holland, however.
As to the old Swiss home and an
cestry of the family, it appears from
Ernest Muller of Langnau, Switzer
land (a noted historian) that about
1550 the Eshlemans were first known
in the Langnau district — a short dis
tance southwest of Berne. In the list
of Mennonites driven out of Langnau
in 1692 occurs the name Elizabeth
Eshleman the old fish woman and her
two daughters — ^Magdalena and Elsa
and also Bly Eshleman's wife Magda
lena. (See Ante 127.) According to
Kuhns in a letter written to Cyrus H.
Eshleman of Grand Haven, Michigan,
a tew years ago, an infant Peter Esh
leman, son of Benedict Eshleman, was
baptized in Langnau in 1556. He
states that there are few, if any,
earlier Eshleman records in Switzer
land than this. The Consul of the
United States, at Berne states that
there are 20 or more Eshleman fami
lies in Berne; and that the family may
be of Bernese origin — that is in
western Switzerland.
1731— The Eshleman Family.
(Continued.)
But the Eshlemans are numerous
throughout the Emmenthal too, which
is a short distance northeast of Berne.
They are found in Trachseiwald,
Summiswald and Burgdorf as well as
in Langnau. It seems that the family
lived earlier than 1550 in the Emmen
thal and embraced the Baptist or Men
nonite faith during the migration of
the Zurich refugees into the Emmen
thal about 1530.

The origin of the Eshleman name is
not clearly established. Imobersteg
who published a work on the Emmen
thal in 1876 says that the Aeschli
mann (Eshleman) family originates
from Aesehlen in "Gemeinde" (con
gregation) ot Diesbach, in the Emmen
thal. And a certain Michael Aeschli
mann, nicknamed "der Bergmichael"
or mountain Michael Eshleman was
one' of the leaders of the peasant war
against the industrial tyranny and
landed tyranny ot Switzerland, about
Berne, in 1653. This I cite on the
authority of Cyrus H. Eshleman of
Grand Haven, above referred to. He
has a copy of Imobersteg's book.
Authorities give two or more deri
vations of the name "Eshleman." It
is said by them that the name may
mean one who came from the village
of Aesehlen or Aeschi -or Aeschli, re
ceiving the name Aeschlimann to de
signate them after they removed to-
another town to denote their original
home. Another theory is that an.
Aeschlimann was one who was an
overseer of an Aesch, a section of cul
tivated land extending around a small
town. In the old towns in Switzer
land the land round about them wasi
called the Aesch and the ten-ants lived
in the center in a small cluster of
houses. The overseer tor the noble
man (owner of all the land the vil
lage was built on and extending some
distance about it in all directions)
w-as the Aesch-man. And the "11" is
said to be a Swiss looal-ism 'whose use
made the name of the overseer the
Aesch-li-mann. Authors in the "Pennsylvania Ger
man" at different places give inter
esting -history relative to the Eshle
man family. In the number for June
1910, page 373, Kuhns, commenting on
Imobersteg, says that Aeschlimann
comes from the parish of Aeschli in
Diessbach — he -also says in number
for Oct. 1906, page 311, that there are

^42

THE ESHLEMAN FAMILY— IMMIGRATION OF 1731.

¦-many Eshlemans in Langnau to this
day— under Oct. 1906, page 610 , he
says he found Aesohlimanns also in
the district of Meilin in Canton Zur
ich, etc. But the name does not ap
pear in the Lexicon of Leu (Switzer
land). There is an Eshleman family coat-
of-arms too. Ernest Muller, of Lang
nau, Switzerland, has considerable
knowledge upon it The description
of the coat-of-arms given, is as fol
lows: There is shown upon it a man
and -an Bschbaum (ash tree) ; but it
seems that in other instances there is
described a man and a fish "Aeschi."
The name, however, seems to be older
than the coat-of-arms. The Eshleman
family hold family reunions annually.
Mrs. John Plaharty, of Plains, Lu
zerne County, Pennsylvania is the
Secretary of the association.
Hon. W. U. Hensel, of Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, states that, heading the
list of' those who died in the old
Switzerland wars, in long columns on
tablets on Mem-orial buildings in
Berne, the names of several Aeschll-
manns stand at the top ot the lists.
In the County of Lancaster there
are 180 of Eshleman adults and heads
of families noted, and in the city di
rectory 53 heads -and adults, total 233.
In America at large today there are
perhaps four or five thousand of
them. They are found, according to
Cyrus H. Eshleman, ot 'Grand Haven,
Michigan, in the following large
American cities: Boston, New York,
Rochester, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh,
Baltimore, Memphis, Washington, D.
C, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland,
Toledo, Detroit, Minneapolis, Chica
go, Springfield, St. Louis, St. Joseph,
Kansas City, Indianapolis, Sioux City,
Seattle and Los Angeles, etc.

1731 — German Swiss Immigration into
Pennsylvania This Tear.
According to the Colonial Records
and other records this year, 4 ship
loads ot the German-Swiss or Pala
tine-Swiss reached Pennsylvania. (3
Col. Rec. 410-13-14-16.) The number
of male heads of families of these four
shop loads was 235; and the total
number of immigrants was 638. Ot
the most general families residing in
Lancaster County we flnd the follow
ing: 2 Huberts — 2 Leamens — 3 Kee-
seys — 2 Ritters and 6 Smiths.
One representative ot each of the
following families were among these
immigrants : Albert — - Bumgartner —
Bauman — - Bender • — Cramer — Die-
trick — Eshleman — Frey — Prieman
— Fisher — Hiestand — Myers —
Metzgar — Roth — • Rohr — Seyler —
Shultz — Snyder — Vogell — Wana-
maker and Wald.
The women and children's names
are given in most instances and fre
quently there were more women than
men. In the ship-load of the vessel
called "Pennsylvania Merchant" qual-
ifled at Philadelphia Sept 11, 1731,
there were 56 women above 16 and
58 children under 16. (Second Series
Pa. Archives, Vol. 17, page 25.) In
the ship load coming in the ship Brit
tania Sept. 21, this year, the ages are
given and they average about 22 years,
women, men and children. One child,
only 5 weeks old, is reported. It
was born in passage. Another child
landed 15 days old. That is about all
that we can collect of interest in the
immigration at 1731.
1732 — German Swiss Immigration into
Pennsylvania Tlus Tear.
The year 1732 records the beginning
of a new inrush into Pennsylvania, of
German Swiss or Palatines. Accord
ing to Colonial Records, (3 Col. Rec.
429, 31, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58. 65 and
66) eleven vessels of these people ar-

IMMIGRANTS OF 1732 TO SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY.

243

rived this year, making a total of 762
heads of families and a total cargo of
about 1950 persons. The first vessel
arrived on May 4, this year — the sec
ond in August — the next seven in Sep
tember and the last one in October.
Turning to the names we flnd the
following persons of familiar names
in the list: 16 Albrights — 4 Breckleys
— 5 Bairs (Bears) — 3 Bumgartners — 5
Bergers — 3 Brickers — 5 Benders — 4
Brandts — 7 Brackbills — 2 Balmers — 2
Berntheisels — 4 Burkholders — 2 Bol
lingers — 2 Buchers — 3 Basslers — 6
Beavers — 7 Cramers — 12 Crlsts — 6
Ebermans — 3 Preys — 11 Frantzes — 6
Fishers — 3 Gerlachs- 3 Groffs — 9 Hoff
mans — 4 Hartmans — 7 Hostetters — 8
Kieffers — 2 Kreiders — 2 Harniches — 2
Hoaks — 2 Hoffers — 2 Keeseys — 4 Kel-
lars — 2 Keplingers — -2 Kolbs — 7 Kuhns
— 2 Kauffmans — 4 Klings — 3 Longs —
18 Myers — 7 Mumaws — 48 Millers — 24
Mussers — 4 Peters — 2 Pickels — 2 Ack
ers — 2 Andrews — 2 Abels — 4 Rupps — 2
Ritters — 6 Seylers— 10 Stauffers — 3
Snyders — 8 Steinmans — 2 Sanders — 4
Saddlers — 3 Schuymeyer — 3 Strauss —
2 Schlaughs — 2 Spanglers — 6 Schocks
— 2 Sigmans — 3 Wolfs — 6 Weavers and
Webers — 7 Wagners — 17 Zimmermans
and 4 Zieglers.
There also appears one each of the
following families : Sprecher — Schu-
man — Shaub — Shilling — Berger —
Gochenaur — Gterhart — Gable —
Kleinhous — Keeler — Kline — Mose-
man — Byerly — Brenner — Bechtold
— Reinhart — Shearer — Landis —
Pellman — Albert — Hostetter —
Frank — Brackbill — Gerlach — Her
man — Kreider — Moseman — Burk
holder — Kellar — Kolb — Lehman —
Zircher — Meek — Oberholtzer —
Rohrer — Smith — Snyder — Schuyl
er — Wendel — Weaver — Ziegler —
Crist — Capp and Christian.
A large number of women and chil
dren came with the immigrants on the
ships that arrived in the fall. There

were not many old people, as far as
ages are given, among these immi
grants. The ages of the men average
28 years — that of the women 27 years
and ot the children 7 and one-halt
years. In some of the earlier immigrations
i the people that came were older per
sons; but it seems that in later years
the spirit ot immigration, into the
Susquehanna Valley, was ta'ken up by
the younger people as the above de
tails seem to show.
1732 — Hardsliips of Our German-
Swiss Ancestors on the Sea,
In the Pennsylvania Gazette, the
fourth newspaper published in Amer
ica (which was begun by Benjamin
Franklin in 1728, and which exists to
this day in the form of the Saturday
Evening Post) there are set forth the
following accounts of hardships en
dured by our early German Swiss
local ancestors in coming across the
sea. The flrst item is found in the issue
of February- 8, 1732, and is as follows:
"There is a letter in town from
some Palatines who em'barked at Rot
terdam In June last in a ship bound
for this place, but instead arrived at
Martha's Vineyard, an island on the
coast ot New England — containing an
account that the ship, being four and
twenty weeks in her passage, their
provisions fell short, and in the last
eight weeks they had no bread; but a
pint of grouts was all the allowance
for flve persons per day. They ate all
the rats and mice they could catch,
and the price of a rat was 18d. and
of a mouse 6d. and water 6d. a
quart. That seven persons died of
hunger and thirst in one night; and
of 150 passengers, which came on
board at Rotterdam, over 100 were
miserably starved to death. When at
length it pleased God that a sloop
should meet them and conducted the

244

HORRORS OF SEA VOYAGES OP OUR ANCESTORS.

ship into Homes-Hole, a harbor of the
above named island. In the first
three days after their arrival fifteen
more died, who had been reduced so
low by famine that it was impossible
to recover them. They write further
that they think if they had continued
at sea three days longer, they should
all have died, no one being able to
hand another drop of water. But the
good 'people of the island are very
charitable to them and do everything
in their power to refresh them; so
that many who were famished and
near death began to revive, but none
are yet strong enough to travel."
What was done for their relief ap
pears in an article in the same paper,
dated February 22. It is as follows:
"Governor Gordon -has been pleased
to write a letter to the Governor of
Boston, in behalf of the distressed
Palatines on Martha's Vineyard as
follows: " 'Sir — ^On the application of several
Germans and others from the Pala
tinate, now inhabiting this province,- 1
am to address you on behalf of their
unhappy countrymen, who, after a
passage of twenty-four weeks from
Rotterdam, are lately arrived at a port
in your government, near R. I., as I
suppose. The enclosed being an
exact translation of a letter from
them to a Dutch Minister here, sets
forth fully their calamitous circum
stances, and the horrid barbarity with
which they have been treated by
Loh'b, the master of the vessel, who
seems to have formed a design to de
stroy them, in order to posses himelf
of their effects, which are said to have
been very considerable, when they
embarked. A gentleman ot your
goodness and humanity cannot but be
moved with pity, for the miserable
conditions of these poor wretches, and
with a just indignation against the
author of their misfortunes. And as
it will be an act of great charity to

relieve and protect the first, it will
be no less a necessary act of justice
to call the last to strict account That
if he cannot acquit himself of what
is laid to his charge, he may reap the
just reward of his oppression and
cruelty. " 'I am with much respect, sir, etc.
" 'Philadelphia, February 9, 1732.' "
And in the issue of May 18th we
have a brief account of the slow
progress ot these suffering people on
their toilsome journey from Boston to
their flnal home with their brethren
here in this land of Pequea and Con
estoga. It is as follows:
"Philadelphia, May 18. — Saturday
last arrived here 34 Dutch passengers,
being those who came into Martha's
Vineyard half starved in December
last. T'hey have since been in Bos
ton, where they say the people took
them into their houses and used them
very kindly, so that many of them
were at no charge, all the while they
waited for passage; and, moreover, a
collection was made among the in
habitants for their relief, by which
200 pounds was gathered and given to
them. The Captain who brought them
from Holland was prosecuted there
on their account; but the accusations
against him were not made good and
he was acquitted and has since ar
rested those flve who signed the let
ter for damages, and they are forced
to remain behind to answer his ac
tion. 'Tis said the people who arriv
ed here complain almost as much ot
being abused by those flve, who were
the chief persons among them, as
they in their letter did of the Cap
tain." It may be that some ot our town
ancestors were among that desolate
body ot men and women, fleeing to
this land to escape persecution and
poverty at home in Europe.

MORE SUFFERING UPON SEA VOYAGES.

245

1732— Another Picture of Suffering
and Hardships.
Another picture ot the dreadful ex
periences which ignorant Palatines
subjected themselves to in their tedi
ous journey to our land is shown in
an item of the same paper of October
19, 1732. It is as follows:
"Sunday last arrived here Captain
Tymberton, in 17 weeks from Rotter
dam, with 220 Palatines — 44 died in
their passage. About three weeks
ago, the passengers dissatisfied with
the length ot the voyage, were so im
prudent as to make a mutiny, and,
being the stronger party, have ever
since had the government of the ves
sel, giving orders from among them
selves to the captain -and sailors, who
were threatened with death in case ot
disobedience. Thus, having sight ot
land, they carried the vessel twice
backwards and forwards -between our
capes and Virginia, looking for a
place to go ashore, they knew not
where. At length they compelled the
sailors to cast the anchor near Cape
May, and eight ot them took the boat
by force and went ashore; from
whence they have been five days com
ing up by land to this place, where
they found the ship arrived. Those
concerned in taking the boat are com
mitted to prison."
Those indeed were times that tried
men's souls.
This ship was the "John and Wil
liam" which reached Philadelphia
October 17, 1732, under Captain Tym
berton from Rotterdam according to
Vol. 17, Sec. Series of Pennsylvania
Archives, page 72.
Turning to the list ot passengers on
that ship we find Martin Lorenz,
George Albright, Jacob and Benedict
and Hans Peter Brackbill, and John
Peter Reinhart, and John Martin
Schaeffer, and Jacob Weber and Gid
eon Hoffer, and Jacob Henrich and
John George Sprecher, and John

Nicholas Boshung -and Philip Mel
choir Meyer and John Peter Appel,
and Laurens Kieffer, and Baltzer
Gerlach, and Stephen Matz and John
George Martin, and Ludwig John Herr
and Sebastian Druckmiller, and John
Shock and Conrad Getz and Mathias
Musser and John Vogel and John
Michael Hoffman, and John Jacob
Scherr and Joseph Houbley and Mi
chael Miller and Mathias Mentzer
among the list.
We recognize all of these as com
mon Lancaster County names. It is
indeed interesting to contemplate that
these persons (ancestors no doubt ot
present families of the same name
now in our county) suffered such a
discouraging experience on their
journey here. What a fascinating
story they must have told their chil
dren and grandchildren of their des
perate 'plight, at sea. No wonder they
mutinied! Ordinairly ,10 to 12 weeks
were quite sufficient to make the pas
sage. -But these people saw no land
after 12, 13, yea 14 weeks -of -patient
sailing. Then they became frightened
—horror stricken. They felt that they
were lost — lost on the great Atlantic
Ocean, with no land in sight any
where. Tliey threaten the master and
seamen and take charge ot the ship.
This they did at the end of 14 weeks
or as the account states, about 3
weeks before landing.
Think of the scene on that ship
from another point. According to the
record there were 98 women and chil
dren on the vessel when it landed in
addition to about the same number ot
men. What terror they must have
experienced and how the children
must have cried in terror. How des
perately in despair were the mothers.
How helpless all of them! Think too
of the deaths — 44 deaths that voyage.
That Is, one each third day dies and
is sunk in the sea.

246 BROTHERLY COMMUNICATIONS OF T-HB EARLY CHRISTIANS.

It took brave souls indeed in those
days to cross the ocean and found a
new land. This was, no doubt, one of
many similar fated ships. And ac
cording to the preceding item, that
vessel had a much more terrifying
experience. These people were surely
persons of grim determination ; and it
is not a great wonder that they suc
ceeded in establishing themselves
comfortably in a little while after they
reached their new home here on the
Jonestoga.1732— Ministers and Members in the
Palatinate.
The name Landis appearing in the
ship records of this year suggests to
us that an important item, that is
dated 1709, was omitted. We, there
fore, insert it at this place. It is a
greeting and communication from the
brethren in Switzerland to the breth
ren in Holland, and it is as follows:
March 3, 1709.
We the ministers and elders of the
IVIennonite congregations here wish
all ministers and elders ot the Ana
baptist (Taufesinden) congregation in
the Netherlands, much grace, peace
and blessing from God, the Father of
all Grace, through the comfort and
blessing of the Holy Spirit, in Christ
Jesus, Amen.
It pleased, God the Lord, by his Al
mighty hand to call our brother \
Christian Phlein from this world, and |
thus close his earthly career. Since
then his accounts, and some errors
and discrepencies have been discov
ered, and this fact has had rather a
wide circulation among the people and
caused much unpleasant gossip; sev
eral have been gone so far as to enter
complaint against us with you, which
might cause you sadness.
That this might be avoided and that
you may be correctly informed, we
the undersigned have mutually agreed
and thought it well to send several ot

our ministers and elders to you. For
this purpose Peter Kolb of Knights-
theim (Kriegsheim) was appointed,
and Hans Bechtel from here, an or
dained Deacon, has been appointed to
accompany him on his journey. It is
with much love that we send them to
visit you and many other places. For
the love and great good you have
shown by your brotherly love to us
and those in needy circumstances, we
desire hereby to express our grati
tude. Our wish and hope is that the
Lord, by his holy angels, may guide
them to you and back again in health.
That the above may carry more
weight we have with our own hands
subscribed thereto.
Jacob Landis,
Samuel Meyer,
Christian Bath,
Jacob Giit,
Hans Heinrich Ber,
Pieter Bladtli,
Michel Meir,
Samuel Meyer,
Ulrich Neiwkomme,
Hantz Chenstsy.
We the ministers and elders of the
Palatinate, assembled acknowledge
the foregoing to be proper and advis
able, and bear testimony to the same
by subscribing to it with our hands.
Ubersheimerhoff, March 13, 1709.
Hantz Miller,
Hantz Mayer,
Oasper Giit,
Tielman Kolg,
Peter Leman,
Heinrich Hiestant,
Hanz Buszhaler,
Hanz Jacob Schutbly,
Jacob Miller,
Christian Siekommel,
Henrich Priedt,
Valentine Gutwohl,
Christian Swustut,
Hansz Brubaker,
Christian Kruntz,
Hansz Schimmer.

POVERTY OP MANY OP THE EARLY GERMAN-SWISS.

247

In these signatures we see a large
number of Lancaster County names
of today. This will serve to show
where they lived 200 years ago — in
what sections our forefathers inhab
ited.1732— Naturalization of the Palatines
Under the Year 1718. (See
Ante 209.)
We made note of a large number of
Palatines, principally from Lancaster
County, who came to the County be
fore 1718 and who were naturalized.
We now make note of a company of
them who were naturalized about this
year. (4 St L. 219.) The preamble
of the naturalization act states that
divers protestants, subjects of Ger- J
many under encouragement given by
William Penn, transported themselves
to Pennsylvania and have contributed
very materially to the enlargement of
the British Empire and have always
behaved themselves religiously and
peaceably, and as they desire natural
ization they are now to be natural
ized. Most of them were set down as res
idents of Philadelphia County and a
few of the city; a few of Bucks ounty
and Chester County; but no Lancas
ter County residents are mentioned
among them. There are about 100
mentioned in the list. Among them
are such names as are now in and
about Philadelphia as Kolb, Ziegler,
Detweiler, Zimmerman, Bowman, Le
vand, Shenkel, Longenecker, Penny-
packer, Reiff and others.
1732 Poverty of Some German Swiss
Immigrants.
While some of the immigrants from
the heart of Europe had means to en
able them to come to this country, yet
a great many ot them were miserably
poor. In the American Weekly Mer
cury, December 26, 1732, there is the
following notice:

"This is to give notice to all Pala
tines, who came in the ship Mary,

John Grey commander, who have
never paid their passage nor given
security for the same; that they are
hereby required to come to said John
Grey or to Benjajnin Shumaker in
Philadelphia, and there pay the pas
sage money or give security, or they
will be proceeded against according
to law."
A similar notice is inserted as to
the Palatines who came in the ship
Pleasant. The law which is referred to is the
Statute passed by early Pennsylvania
giving authority to the ship masters
to sell the 'persons, who did not pay
their passage, into servitude to make
up the money to pay their passage.
According to Colonial Records (3
Col. Records 457) there were 61 Pala
tines on that ship Mary, John Grey
commander, and of the common Lan
caster County names we find: Mike
and John Bberman, Conrad Miller,
Christian Klenn, John Mazer, Henry,
George, John and Heinrich Shissler,
John Adam Miller, Andrew Mazer,
Kasper Meyers, Jacob Walter, George
Pickle and others. No one can tell at
this late date, whether any of these
were among the persons who found
such great difficulty and hardship in
coming over, whether they paid their
passage or not.
It is not, however, to their discredit
that the hand of poverty was so heavy
upon them; but rather a compliment
to their pluck and determination that
they would face all these difficulties
tor the sake of religious and political
freedom. On the ship Pleasant, record ot
which is found in the same book, page
4&5, we find there were 42 heads of
families and among them, Balzer and
Henry Spangler, John Kellar, George
Peters, George Bair, Fred Bassler,
Henry Eckert, Jacob Hornberger,
John Slckman, Punk Miller, John
Tauber, Isaac Reidenbaugh, John Mi-

248

A CASE OF GERMAN-SWISS LAPSE OF MORALS.

chael Hoffman, Conrad Book and
others. These all sound like Lancaster
County names and it is highly prob
able that the ancestors of our Ger
man Swiss people, here in the County
today, were among those poverty
stricken sufferers, who were mention
ed in the article in the Mercury as
having such an unfortunate financial
ending of their voyage. The holdings
of their descendants, round about us
today, very forcibly teach us that they
have overcome the obstacle of poverty
against which they struggled, in those
early times.
1732 — Occasional Instances of Low
Morals.
In the Colonial Records, Volume 3,
page 429 and 430, there is set forth a
record which gives us a melancholy
picture and the fact that human weak
ness was a factor among other Ger
man Swiss ancestors, then as now.
In fact, it would not be compli
mentary to civilization at all if we
could not point to advancement and a
rising of the moral plane, as the re
sult of years of effort and culture.
We do not believe, that by any means,
all of the ancestors of whom we have
been speaking, were clean and godly
for there are many accounts to the
contrary. The item which we are now
about to give, while it shows the
weakness of one individual and her
sin, on the other hand, shows that the
spirit of charity and humanity filled
the breasts of her neighbors.
At a meeting of the Council ot
Pennsylvania, (which corresponds to
our Senate and the Governor Cabinet
combined today) a report ot the Jus
tice of Lancaster County was re
ceived, setting forth, that at the Oyer
and Terminer Court, held at Lancas
ter, Margaret Sheets was convicted of
concealing the birth and burial of her
child, born to her, she being a single
woman, and upon being so found she I

was sentenced to death, according to
law. But, it appearing to the Judges
that there was great doubt concern
ing the mother's injuring the child
and, therefore, the Judges themselves
ask the Council to relieve her from
the death sentence.
In addition to this a petition, signed
by 63 German neighbors of Margaret
Sheets, in which they ask mercy to
this woman, was presented. Taking
all these facts into consideration, the
board decided that this woman should
not be hanged; but be given a much
littler punishment. The names of the
persons petitioning for this mercy
are not given.
1732 — A German Fore-Father Discov
ers a Gap Nickel Mine.
In Volume 2, of the Pa. Archives,
page 311, under the date of 1755,
there is a letter from Governor Morris
to Thomas Penn in which he states
that certain persons concerned in the
"Gap Mine," in which Penn is inter
ested, are inclined to go to work on
it again. He says, that it may be
worked to advantage by the help of a
fire engine similar to the one that
Schuylers have erected at their mine.
He also says, that the vitrei which he
is told the mine abounds in should be
turned to account. He further goes
on to say, that if Thomas Penn is sat
isfied that he, Morris, will buy or
lease Penn's whole share.
A note at the bottom of 312 goes
on to say, that this mine is near Gap,
in Lancaster County, and was first
discovered by a German named Ter-
sey in or before 1732, and that a grant
of land, made by John Penn to Gov
ernor Hamilton an account of a cou
ple springs later discovered, was re
ported to the Philosophical Society ot
London. I simply quote this item to
show that the Germans were on the
lookout for ore as well as for rich
ground.

GERMANS OF EPHRATA— IMMIGRATION OP 1733.

249

Some time earlier than 1732, in fact
I think about 15 years earlier, there
was considerable excitement, as the
ancient records show, concerning an
"Ore Mine at Conestoga."
1732— The Germans Start tlie Ephrata
Monastic Society.
In Volume 15, of Hazard's Regis
ter, page 161, there is a historical
sketch of Ephrata by Mr. M. Fahne-
stock. In it he says, that in the year
1732, the solitary life of Ephrata was
changed into a Conventical one and
Monastic Society was established.
The first buildings erected tor that
purpose were finished in May 1732.
The dress of the White Friars was
adopted. The writer goes on to say that this
grew out ot the Dunker movement
which originated in Europe and ex
tended to America in 1719, namely, to
Germantown, Skippack, Oley, Con
estoga and elsewhere.
He goes into the account much
deeper than these annals contemplate.
Harris in his biographical history
ot Lancaster County discusses the
same solitary life under his sketch ot
Conrad Beisel.
1733 — German Immigration.
The records that we have mentioned
above, 3 Col. Records, pp. 515 to 524,
show that there were 7 shiploads of
these German Swiss immigrants who
arrived at the port ot Philadelphia,
during this year making a total of 444
heads of families or a total list for
the year ot 1183 persons.
Among the prominent Lancaster
County names we find 4 Adams — 4
Amdts — 6 Brocks — 3 Becks —
Burkharts — 2 Beyers — 5 Bergers — 6
Burkholders — 3 Bowmans — 4 Christs
— 5 Eshlemans — 19 Preys — 6 Fishers
13 Fegleys— 10 Fousts— 5 Hoffs— 8
Hallers— 10 Hetricks— 3 Hoffmans— 7
Isemans— 11 Kuhns — 7 Kemps — 8 Mil
lers — 7 Moores — 2 Mosemans — 11

Roots — 7 Rushers — 5 Reeds — 3 Richt-
ers— 2 Reinharts- 20 Smiths— 9 Stein
mans — 3 Straubs — 10 Schaeffers — 8
Snavelys — 3 Sanders — 5 Taylors — 8
Trouts — 15 Whitmans.
Besides these there are a large num
ber of other common Lancaster
County names of which there are one
single representative. It will be ob
served that among these immigrants
the greater number are still Swiss.
The pure G'erman names have not yet
appeared in these ship lists.
1733 — More Hardships and Perils on
the Ocean.
Prom the Pa. Gazette, of Mar. 22,
1733, we cull the following item: "We
hear from New York, that last week
arrived there the Snow, 'B.xperiment'
with about 80 or 90 Palatines. She
came from Dover about the middle of
October, beat 8 weeks upon the coast
and then put away for Bermuda, in
which time the master and many of
the passengers died. She set out with
180 on board and brought not more
than the above 80 or 90 to shore."
This vessel is not among those regis
tered as arriving at Philadelphia dur
ing the year; but, we think that the
name does appear in earlier or later
years. This particular trip of 1733,
was to New York.
1733— German Swiss Settlers De
ceived by Maryland.
In Vol. 4, of Colonial Records, page
64, there is a petition set forth, by
our German-Swiss under the date of
1736, complaining that 3 or 4 years
earlier, they having just newly ar
rived in Pennsylvania and not know
ing the boundary between Pennsyl
vania and Maryland, were deceived
into believing that the Susquehanna
River was the division and that all
lands west ot the Susquehanna were
Maryland lands. Therefore, they took
up lands there and made settlements
with the Government of Maryland;

250

OUR EARLY GERMANS CLASH WITH MARYLAND.

but, they found that the usage and
treatment ot them was so different
from the rest ot the Government and
that the small substance they had was
stolen from them. They also state,
that they complained, frequently to
Maryland authorities but received no
redress; except, that they were told
that they were worse than negroes
for they had no master and were not
under the protection of any laws; and
they were finally told that the Sus
quehanna River was not the bound
ary. They also state, that they no
ticed people living east of the river,
further south than they do, were liv
ing in peace and without any disturb
ance. They also say, that they now
see they were imposed upon, to
answer some object ot the Govern
ment of Maryland; and now, con
scious of the wrong that was done
them and wrong they have done to
Pennsylvania by living on land and
not paying acknowledgement to Penn
sylvania or its laws, they have re
solved to show to Pennsylvania their
loyalty and spirit and ask the author
ities that they should not hold against
them what they did in ignorance. The
Board or Council read the petition
and sent a letter to the Justices and
the High Sheriff of Lancaster County,
in which they state they are apprized
ot a warlike proposition in Maryland
and that, therefore, the Sheriff of the
County should go to the west side of
the Susquehanna River and protect
our people living there. This shows
some additional hardships and perils
under which our people suffered in
those early days.
1733— More Petitions for Naturaliza
tion,
In Vol. 3 of the Votes of Assembly,
page 197-199, mention is made of the
fact that many of the Palatines, are
petitioning for naturalization; and
their naturalization was accordingly,
taken up.

1733 — Oldest German Swiss Cemetery
in Lancaster County.
Soon after our first settlers arrived
here, and took up their home in
Pequea, in the fall of 1710, cemeter
ies ot course, became important The
oldest one, as far as records show,
was known anciently as "Tchantz
Grave Yard" later as "Musser's Cem
etery" on the west bank of the Pequea
Creek just south of Lampeter, being
on the Jacob Miller ancient tract or
farm of 1008 acres — ^now being on the
farm owned by Mrs. McAllister near
Neff's Mill. In that cemetery is the
tomb stone yet standing of Jacob Mil
ler, who was one of the first settlers
that came in 1710 and who was one
of the signers of a letter when in
London on June 24, 1710, in which he
and others state they "are now about
to set sail for America." Right south
of his grave and stone are those of
his wife, Magdalena and Samuel,
likely a son; next north of Jacob
Miller's grave is 'that ot Martin My
lin, Jr. ; and north of his Hans My
lin; and north ot his Barbara Mylin's.
These persons all died at a very early
age. Martin Mylin in 1732 — Barbara
-Mylin in 1742— Samuel Miller in 1743
— Jacob Miller in 1739 — Hanz Mylin in
1733. Another cemetery, quite likely as
ancient as this one, is that of the
Herr cemetery, connected with the old
brick Mennonite Church just east of
Willow Street.
1733 — Swiss and German Palatine Im'
migi-ants This Year.
According to Vol. 3 of the Colonial
records pages 515-524 there were 8
ship loads ot these people who ar
rived at Philadelphia in the year
1733. They constitute 400 heads of
families, making a total ot 1252, and
among the common Lancaster County
names are the following-: 4 Adams— 4
.^rndts- 5 Brocks— 3 Becks— 8 Burk-

GREAT STORMS AT CONESTOGA— HOT WEATHER.

251

harts — 6 Burkholders — 5 Burgers — 4
Christs — 5 Eshlemans — 20 Preys — 5
Fishers — 13 Fegleys — 10 Fausts — 5
Hoffs— 8 Hellars— 10 Hetricks — 7 Ise
mans — 1 1 Kuhns — 7 , Kemps — 9 Klines
—4 Kautz— 14 Longs— 6 Lutz— 8 Mil
lers — 7 Moores — 4 Peters — 5 Reeds —
11 Roots— 5 Rhodes— 3 Richters — 23
Smiths — 9 Steinmans — 3 Straubs^lO
Schaeffers — 8 Snavelys — 3 Sanders — 3
Stricklers — 9 Shermans — 5 Taylors —
8 Trouts— 8 Wises — 5 Wagners— 7
Whitemans — 9 Whitmans and one
each of many other common Lancas
ter County names. The ships in which
these people came are the "Samuel ot
London" of which Hugh Percy was
master — "Eliza" Edward Lee master —
"Hope' David Reed master — "Richard
and Elizabeth" Christopher Cline
master — -"Mary of Dublin" James
Benn master — and the "Charming Bet
ty" John Ball master. All of these
came from Rotterdam, except the last
one seems to have left from London;
and they came by way of Diehl,
Dover, Cowes, Plymouth — some of
them going one way and some of them
another.1734 — Great Suffering in Conestoga
from Heat This Summer.
In the Pennsylvania Gazette ot July
11, 1734, it is stated, that the weather
has been so exceedingly hot tor a
week that a great number ot people
have fainted and fallen into convul
sions and died — and "we also hear,
that a great number of harvest peo
ple fainted in the fields and in some
places a multitude of birds were
found dead. Since the hot summer 7
years ago, such intense heat has not
been known in this country."
1734— Great Storm at Conestoga.
In the same paper, under the date
of September 25, it is stated that "last
Sunday, between 7 and 8 in the even
ing, we had the most terrible gust of
wind and rain, accompanied with

thunder and lightning, that can be re
membered in these parts. It blew
down several stacks of chimneys, un
covered several houses, some wholly
and others in part, and demolished
some weak buildings. The wind was
so violent that we have heard of it
going from Conestoga to the Bay in
one-half an hour."
1734 — Michael Welfare, German of
Conestoga, Preaches in Phila
delphia.
In the Pa. Gazette under Septem
ber 25, 1734, it is stated that "yester
day morning, Michael Welfare one of
the Christian philosophers of Con
estoga appeared in full market in
Philadelphia, in the habit and dress
of a Pilgrim, his hat of linen, his
beard full length, and a long staff in
his hand. He declared himself sent
by Almighty God to denounce ven-
gence against the wickedness of the
inhabitants of Philadelphia and to
preach speedy repentance. His dis
course continued about one-quarter
of an hour and the importance of
what he delivered commanded tlie at
tention of a multitude of people; but
when he finished he went away un
molested." Welfare, later, was one of those who
joined the Ephrata community, in the
days when they lived in monastaries
and withdrew themselves from the
world and felt themselves called upon
to denounce all manner of worldli
ness everywhere. 1734 — Baltzer Hubmier.
We have, at an earlier place in these
annals (see pages 22, 25, 28, 29 and
103) referred to Hubmier and his
work. We made note of his name, be
cause the name Huffmier is frequent
ly met with in our county, and it
seems to be related to the ancient
Hubmier. At this time, we refer again
to him, only in form of a brief note.

252 GERMAN BELIEF IN WITCHCRAFT- ACCOUNT OF HUPMEIER.

A rather extended account may be
found in the Mennonite Year Book and
Almanac, for the year 1914, page 38.
This publication was gotten up by
Bishop N. B, Grubb of the Mennonite
Church in Germantown, and contains
a lot ot historical matter which re
lates to the German-Swiss people in
America and Europe.
Bishop Gl-ubb's article tells of
Hubmier's -debates with Zwingli and
his various arguments made, concern
ing the non-resistant faith. For a
time Hubmier believed with Zwingli,
yet eventually he differed with him
on the subject of infant baptism and
was finally firmly established in the
belief, that only adult baptism can
avail anything. This belief he finally
held to through the preachings ot
Reublin. He also stMed, that Hub
mier introduced feet washing, imitat
ing Christ's method. For a long time
he was rather uncertain about infant
baptism; but eventually he renounced
it. He was a thorough scholar and
wrote many strong pamphlets. Pro
fessor Wedel, who has written an ex
cellent history of the Mennonites,
says about Hubmier, that "We may
justly place him by the side of Peter
Waldo.. Bishop Reesner, George Blau
rock, Michael Settler, Hans Denk,
Menno Simon and other leaders of our
faith."
1734— Belief in Witchcraft Among the
Early German-Swiss.
In the American Weekly Mercury, i
we have, under issue of January 22, j
1733-34, the following account: I
"The following letter was sent us
by an unknown correspondent with a j
desire that it might be published just
as it is, viz: —
"James -Swafort, of Lancaster
County, at Octorara, the 29th of De
cember, 1733, had some hands helping
him dre.ss fiax in one end of his
dwelling house, and by some means
the fiax or tow took fire, and there

being some quantity above stairs,
which soon took fire so that in an
instant it was past putting out In
the company, there was an old woman
who had been spinning there and was
helping to get some things out of the
fire before they 'were burnt, and be
thinking herself of some of her own
clothes that were above stairs, said
hastily, I'll go save my clothes if I
lose my life tor it. So running up
stairs, she threw them out and they
were saved; but the fire was so
vehement that she could not return
but fell upon a bed and was there
burnt. It is somewhat surprising, the
fire beginning at night, there was
such a violent whirl-wind about the
place where she lay burning that it
raised the flames to such a height
that it gave light above a mile. An
other thing added to the surprise of
the spectators; there suddenly gath
ered out of the darkness a company
of dogs, some thought near 20 about
the flre who were so flerce about the
place where she lay burning that it
was thought they would have leaped
into the fire had they not been hind
ered." The imputation here is, that the
great flame shooting around where
this old woman lay burning, was due
to the tact that she was a witch. Also
the tact that there appeared a pack ot
about 20 dogs, out of the darkness
trying to get where this old woman
lay, was also a tact which the
witches brought about.
1734 — Swiss and German Palatine
Immigration This Year.
According to Vol. 3, of the Colonial
Records, pages 568-570, there were
two ship loads of these people who
arrived at Philadelphia in the year
1734. They constitute 89 heads of
families, making a total of 261 per
sons, and among the common Lan
caster County names are the follow
ing: 2 Preys— 2 Housers— 6 Hoffmans

IMMIGRANTS OP 1734— THRIFTY ANDREW FERREE.

253

—2 Lesher s — 2 Millers — 3 Meisters— 4 1
Nobles- 3 Naumans — 3 Reshs — 2 Rein- |
walds— 5 Shultz — 5 Smiths — 3 Shu-
berts — 2 Stein ers — 7 Wagners — 7
Youngs and 2 Zimmermans. And one
each of the following: Andes, Al
brecht, Bowman, Cameron, Camel,
Carter, Hilderbrand, Johns, MaGee,
Richter, Reynold, Ruth, Reinhold,
Weber, Yager, and others. The ships
in which these people came, are the
"St Andrew" of which John Stedman
was Master — and the "Hope" of which
Daniel Reid was Master. All of these
came from Rotterdam.
1735— The Large Estate of a Thrifty
German-Swiss Ancestor.
In Rupp's history of Lancaster
County, p. 103, there is set forth an
inventory ot the estate of one of our
thrifty French-Swiss ancestors, An
drew Ferree, who died that year. The
name now is Ferry or Forry, and is
quite common among us.
The inventory is as follows:
To wheat in the stack at 8
lb. — wheat and rye in
the ground at 5 pounds. Lb. 14 0 0
To great wagon. Lb. 12 —
little wagon Lb. 5  1.7 0 0
To a plow and two i>airs
ot irons  1 10 0
To 2 mauls and 3 iron
wedges, 9s — to four old
weeding hoes, 4s  0 13 0
To a spade and shovel, 8s
— to a matock and 3
dung forks, 10s  0 18 0
To 2 broad axes, 12 s — to
joyner's axe and adze, 7s 0 19 0
To Sundry carpenter
tools, 1 lb. — sundry joy
ner's tools, 2 Lb. 5s  3 5 0
To 7 Duch sythes  0 12 0
To 4 stock bands, 2 pair
hinges, sundry old iron. 0 14 0
To a hand saw. Lb. 2^to
5 sickles and 2 old hooks 0 11 0
To a cutting box, 2 knives.

Lb. 1— to 22 bags. Lb. 2,
10s 
'i'o 2 pair chains, 14s, 2
hackles, Lb. 1 10— to 5
beles, 12s 
To 4 small chains and
other horse geers at....
To other horse geers at
Lb. . 1 10 — to a man's
saddle at Lb. 1 10 
To 3 felling axes at 10s—
two fowling pieces at
Lb. 2 
To a large By ble 
To 2 feather beds at Lb.
6 — to wearing cloaths.
Lb. 7 
To sundry pewter. Lb. s 8
— to a box iron, 4s 
To sundry wooden ware at
Lb. 1 — to two iron pot-
racks. Lb. 1 
To sundry iron ware. Lb.
2 — to a watering pot 6s
To 4 working horses. Lb.
24 — ^to a mare and 2
colts. Lb. 11 
To 6 grown cows at Lb.
15 — to 10 head of young
cattle. Lb. 13 10 
To 11 sheep. Lb. 3 17— to
swine. Lb. 1 10 
To 2 chests, 15s — to a
spinning wheel, 8s 
To sley, 6s — to cash re
ceived ot Samuel Taylor
To cash received for a
servant girles time 

3 10 0
2 16 0-
14 0
3 0 0

2 10

0

2 0

0

13 0

0

2 12

0

2 0

0

2 6

0

35 0

0

28 10

0

5 7

0

1 3

0

2 8

0

3 0

0

152 8 6

A hundred pounds was "big money"
in those days. But besides this the
man owned a fine farna also. One is
attracted too by the variety of the
articles. Where did he get these
wagons and plows and carpenter's
tools, etc.? There were certainly very
few mechanics here then. He may
have brought some of them with him

254

GERMAN-SWISS IN THE BOUNDARY TROUBLES.

and bought some ot them in Philadel
phia. We notice that 4 working
horses were worth 24 pounds — or 6
pounds per head. He thus had the
equivalent or value of 25 horses as
his 152 pounds of personal property
and that would be equal to $4,000 to
day as horses are 'Worth $150 to $200
a head.
1735 — German Swiss Between Two
Mill Stones in Border War.
It is known, that during the first
few years after Lancaster County
was organized, Maryland made un
reasonable claims against Pennsyl
vania concerning the line. An ac
count of this is set forth in 4 Colonial
Records, '63, stating that from Lan
caster County certain information
was received, to the effect that, after
the Sheriff of the county and some of
the people were gathered near the
river, the Sheriff and 200 men under
-officers of Maryland, met just across
the Susquehanna with drums and
trumpets. Then they went to the
house of John Wright, where 300 in
habitants were assembled and de
manded the Dutch who were in the
house. The Lancaster County Sheriff
asked, why they came in such a hos
tile manner after these Dutch. They
appointed a tirhe to discuss the bound
ary matter; but while this was going
on, about 5 o'clock Sunday evening,
multitudes of Maryland started to
show a warlike disposition and they
demanded, that these Dutch had come
over there and settled on their lands
and now they owe obedience to Mary
land. Pennsylvania, of course, claim
ed that they were inhabitants of
Pennsylvania.
1735 — German-Swiss Refuse to Pay
Penn's Quit-rents.
In the Pa. Gazette of December 30,
1735, "this notice is given, that as the
people have not done their duty that

they are now given further notice
that the subscribers, that is the Re
ceiver general, is appointed to attend
his Office at the town of Lancaster,
for County ot Lancaster from the
26th to 31st, of March, for the recov
ering of the arrears of quit-rent due
there; at which place persons in
arrears of quit rent are requested to
pay the same, and if they refuse to
pay the same, measures will be pur
sued against them." J. Steel Receiver
appointed. Of course, there were other parts
of the State subject to quit-rent,
which gave much trouble also; but
our Conestoga citizens felt very much
aggrieved by being compelled to pay
these rents.
1735 — Swiss and German Palatine Im
migration This Year.
According to Volume 3 Colonial
Records, pages 593 to 607, there are
three ship loads of these people, who
arrived at Philadelphia, in the year
1735. They consititute 85 heads of
families, making a total of 260 per
sons, and among the common Lan
caster County names are the follow
ing: 3 Brunners — 8 Buchers— 2 Eber-
harts — 4 Preys — 2 Hallers^3 Hubers
— 2 Kellars- 2 Millers— 2 Meyers— 1
Smiths — 8 Wises — 7 Witmers — 7
Weidmans — 3 Wingers — 2 Shellen-
bergs. And one head of the following
names: Albrecht, Appel, Eberly,
Kline, Oswald, Peters, Weber, Sweitz
er, and Schwab, and many other com
mon Lancaster County names. The
ships in which these people came, are
the "Ship Mercury" of which William
Wilson was Master — and the "Brig
Mary" of which James Marshall was
Master, and the "Billander Oliver" of
which Samuel Merchant was Master,
from South Carolina. All ot these
came from Rotterdam.

GERMAN-SWISS BEGIN SOLITARY MONASTIC LIFE. 255

1735 — The Solitary Germans at Con
estoga.
In Volume 16 ot Hazzard's Register,
page 255, we are given one of the
original letters of Peter Miller. Peter
Miller was one of the early patrons
or founders, at least, of the Ephrata
community, of which the old cloister
buildings are still land marks.
After stating that he published the
Chronicon Ephratense, he goes on to
say, that in August 1730, he arrived
in Philadelphia and at the end of the
year, upon order ot the Scotch Synod,
was ordained in the old Presbyterian
meeting hoifee by three eminent min
isters, Tennant, Andrews and Boyd.
He then says, that he visited among
the Germans for several years and
quitted the ministry and turned his
attention to the monastic ideas. In
his company he says was a School
Master, 3 Elders, one ot them Conrad
Wiser, 5 families and some single
persons, who had raised a fermenta
tion in the Presbyterian Church.
Then he says, that they had sep
arated and incorporated with the con
gregation at Ephrata in May 1735.
He further says, that at that time,
the solitary brethren and sisters lived
in the wilderness and caves, as her
mits. "And I following in the same
way, set up my hermitage in Tulpe
hocken and laid foundations for soli
tary and religious life."
He then says that after about one
halt a year "a camp was laid out for
all solitary persons at the very spot
where Ephrata now stands and where
then, the President lived with some
hermits." He says, at this time charity had
been their chief occupation— that Con
estoga was a great wilderness and
began to be settled by poor Germans,
who desired assistance in building
houses tor them, which kept them
employed several summers in hard
carpenter work and also increased

their poverty. At times he says the
necessaries of life were wanting.
Then to make things worse, a con
stable came into the community and
demanded the single man to pay
taxes. Some paid and some refused.
But the Constable summoned six of
these Brethren to prison in Lancaster
for 10 days. But a Magistrate set
them at liberty. A very venerable old
Justice of the Peace, Tobias Hendrick,
offered himself for their bail. He
said when Court came on, the fear ot
God came on the gentlemen who were
their Judges. When they saw these 6
men before them in the prime of life
and reduced to skeletons, the Judge
decided that since they were so thin,
that the whole lot of them could be
taxed as one family. This taxation
remained in force for over 50 years;
that is, all the brethren of Ephrata
community were just taxed as one
person. He says further, that they erected
grist mills— one of three sets of
stones — paper mill — oil mill — had
three wagons, printing office; and
then money commenced to come in.
They also gave alms to the Indians,
Mohawks and others. This is about
the substance of this interesting let
ter. 1735— Conestoga Manor Parceled
Out.
Conestoga Manor was surveyed in
the year 1718, and the warrant to
survey may be found in the Taylor
papers. It is also set forth in Rupp's
history of Lancaster County (pags
130), as follows: —
These are  March 1, 1717 to 1718.
While the Manor was laid out and
surveyed, it was not divided among
purchasers until afterwards. It
seems that no patents were granted
until 1723 and from that time on until
1774, different patents were issued to
various Germans.

25'6 CONESTOGA MANOR (NOW MANOR TOWNSHIP) PARCELLED OUT.

As the patenting to different owners
was at its height, about the year 1735,
we are placing the list of patents un
der this year. It is better that they
should be together in one paper, than
to be distributed through these an
nals. The principal ones are as follows: —
Israel Pemberton held 300 acres, date
of this patent is October 1, 1723. The
Messrs. Wrights own 1500 acres — date
of patent, December 13, 1735— sold
afterwards in smaller parcels to John
Herr, Andrew Stineman, Daniel Lint
ner, Jacob Kilhaver, Rudy Herr, Jr.,
John Kilhaver, Jacob Frantz, Godfrey
Klugh, Mathew Oberholtzer, Christian
Hershey, Andrew Kauffman — James
Pattison 107 acres, November 21,
173, James Logan 700 acres, patent
dated July 15, 1737, afterwards held
by George Brenner, Philip Brenner,
Christian Stouffer, Casper Souter,
Adam Fisher, Valentine Rummel,
Lawrence Cliffer, Christian Stake —
Michael Baughman 489, Michael May-
.er 131 acres, both same date February
20, 1738, Michael Mayer, sen., 217
acres, patent dated October 16, 1737,
Abraham Steiner 63 acres May 3, 1740,
John Wistler 167 acres July 3, 1741,
Jacob Kuntz 166, Anna Ottila Betty
Koffee, 166, Jacob Hostetter 475, John
Shank 197 acres, patent dated July 30,
1741, Edward Smout 113 acres June
21, 1743, Michael Baughman 339, May
28, 1752, Abraham Hare 424 April 22,
1751, Jacob Wistler 125. Valentine
Miller 140, both May 25, 1756, Martin
Punk, 237, December 18, 1758, Jacob
Wistler 202, Jacob Shuck 185, August
18, 1759, Abraham and John Miller
89, Valentine Haith 29, Robert Beatty
226 February 1760, Samuel Herr 247,
John Keagy 188, Henry Funk 150,
Jacob Wistler 173, Ludwich and Fred
rick Ziegler 209 June 1760, John Wit
mer 77, Abraham Miller 204, Rudolph
Herr 176, Jacob Witmer 77, November
1761, James M'Master, 247, April

1761, John Keagy 159; Henry Punk
177, David Hare 195, John Miller 150,
George Adam Dustier 112, John Cor-
rell 209, Christian Stoner 244, all
dated 1761, Michael Kauffman 116,
John Kauffman 118, Jacob Kauffman
167, Christian Kauffman 163, Michael
Kauffman 118, Abraham Steiner 200,
John Wormley 115, Jacob Wistler 19,
John Kreemer 184, Bartholomew Butt
40, John Graff 136, all dated 1762,
Philip Ulweiler 39, Benjamin Miller
220, David Hare, Jr., 94, Peter Snyder
86, Henry Atkinson and Adam Big-
ging 49, Peter Witmer 132, dated 1763,
John Miller 60, January 1^, 1764, John
Newcomer 109, Joseph Nelson 109,
Jacob Wistler 178, Mary Wright 119,
dated 1767, John Kendrick 558, James
Pratt 232, 1768, Henry Buckley 150,
1769, William Wright 257, 1770, Ulrich
Rebur 232, John Manning 165 1772,
Jacob Ashleman 340 1774, Indian
Town 414, Blue Rock 800 acres. We
omitted fractions of acres.
Thomas Penn estimated the value
of Conestoga Manor being 65 miles
from the City of Philadelphia, 13,400
acres, 40 pounds per hundred acres,
5,360 pounds, Pennsylvania currency.
There is no date to the paper from
which the extract is made. See
Sparks' Franklin Volume 3, page 535.
All can be found in Rupp, page 131,
132.German Swiss Distressed by Bound
ary Troubles.
About the year 1736 the troubles
between Maryland and Pennsylvania
boundary became very acute, and our
German Swiss were really between
two mill stones — if they sided with
Pennsylvania, Maryland oppressed
them, and if they sided with Mary
land, Pennsylvania oppressed them—
they were non-resistants and there
fore, did not take up arms to defend
themselves. Maryland had asserted
that the Susquehanna River was-

GERM-A.N-SWISS AND THE PA.-MARYLAND BOUNDARY TROUBLES. 257

the boundary between Pennsylvania
and Maryland. This was contested
for 60 or 70 years before being finally
settled by the Mason and Dixon Line.
Sixty families of our German-Swiss
ancestors, living west of the Susque
hanna River, and holding their al
legiance to Pennsylvania and their
titles from Pennsylvania, this year
were forcibly disposed of their land,
and driven out of their homes and
compelled to flee to the other side of
the river. Thrilling accounts of this
can be found in Vol. 4 Col. Rec. 149
and also Vol. 3, Votes of Assembly,
page 2SS.
Cresap "a free hooter" ot Maryland,
was encouraged by the Maryland au
thorities, to harass the German-Swiss
because he had a great deal of the
character of an outlaw, and he was
very rough to our ancestors. And
through a rough character by the
name of Higgenbottom some of these
Germans being intimidated, acknowl
edged the right of Maryland to gov
ern them. Afterwards they found
their mistake and then acknowledged
Pennsylvania was their lawful au
thority. (Vol. 4 Col. Rec. 56.)
The 60 German-Swiss, who were
dispossessed, sent a pitiful letter as
to their troubles to the authorities at
Philadelphia, renouncing their al
legiance to Maryland and announcing
their cleavage to Pennsylvania. (Vol.
4 Col. Rec. 57.) In fact, matters be
came so serious, that a particular
Justice of the Peace was appointed,
by the authorities of Pennsylvania, to
protect these defenseless Germans or
German-Swiss in this region. (Vol. 4
Col. Rec. 58.)
Maryland, among her other cruel
ties, sent a letter to the 60 families,
threatening thenf anew with ven
geance, if they did not acknowledge
Maryland's right to rule them.
In Vol. 4 Col. Rec. page 60, there is
set forth, a letter from the Lieutenant

Governor of Maryland to the Gov
ernor of Pennsylvania in which he
enclosed the letter signed by the 60',
Germans, who he said, asked the
Maryland authorities and the Govern
ment, for lands there, and that the
Maryland Government empowered
them to settle, which he claimed to be
in Maryland, and that these people
resolved, by this enclosed letter, as a
combination or association, to dis
own their allegiance to Maryland; and
transfer themselves to the Govern
ment of Pennsylvania.
The letter which the Governor of
Maryland refers to, signed by these
60 people, is in substance as follows:
(page 61.)
That they met with oppression and
ill-usage from Maryland, very differ
ent from the treatment in Pennsyl
vania, and that they believe that they
are not settled in Maryland at all; but
in the bounds of Pennsylvania; that
,their troubles are so unjustifiable and
so grievous that they finally fled. They
concluded by saying that they, the
subscribers, with many of their
neighbors are truly sensible of the
wrong that they have done Pennsyl
vania in settling on lands that are in
Pennsylvania, and at the same time,
paying allegiance to Maryland. They
decided therefore, to do their duty
and live under the laws of Pennsyl
vania and the Government of Penn
sylvania, and that they will unani
mously adhere to this till a legal de
cision of the disputed boundary is
had.
German Swiss Distressed by Bound
ary Troubles. (Continued.)
The communication is dated to be
on the 11th day of August 1736; and
in addition to this letter, depositions
were taken of Francis Kipp to the ef
fect that he met the' Master of the
Sloop "Bachelor Hall," a vessel now
lying in Susquehanna River. He said

258 GERMAN-SWISS AND THE PA.-MARYLAND BOUNDARY TROUBLES,

that a large number of men from Bal
timore County with guns and on
horseback, came out along the River,
passing near by him. He asked the
Colonel at the head of the column, if
he was going to flght? But the Colonel
said, that he was going on on peace
able terms. He later learned, that the
Hall went up with these soldiers and
crossed the Susquehanna River near
the Northeast Iron Works in Cecil
County, and was going up to join
Cresap and get possession of certain
lands the German Swiss had posession
of. The same year there was a petition
of 48 of these Germans, sent to James
Logan, and members of Council, stat
ing that they are inhabitants on the
west side of the Susquehanna River,
apposite to Hempfleld, in the County
of Lancaster. In this petition they
state, that three years before, many
of them just newly arrived in Amer
ica, were by fair promises of the
Maryland authorities told to settle
west of the Susquehanna River and
were promised and told that the Sus
quehanna River was the division be
tween two provinces. They state that
they soon found the whole usage was
-different from the usage in Pennsyl
vania; and also, without any cause,
they were told that they were worse
than negroes, that they had no Mas
ter and that they were not under the
protection ot any laws. They later
learned that the Susquehanna River
was not the boundary of Pennsyl
vania. They also noticed that their
neighbors living on the east side of
the River, further down than they
lived, were enjoying the blessings of
Penn's government. Therefore, they
promised obedience to Pennsylvania,
if Pennsylvania would take care of
them. On receiving this, letters were sent
to the Justices along the River, to
protect these people against Cresap

and other Maryland rogues. Vol. i
Col. Rec. 65-67.
But things went worse. , The follow
ing report was sent concerning the
affairs. That a man named Tanner
tried to get some of these Germans
into ambush. This report was made
to the Sheriff of Lancaster County. It
was stated, that on Tuesday morning,
a certain person went about six miles
back from the River and there the
Maryland people were plundering the
Dutch people's houses. They were
taking out of windows, cloth and other
things that they oould get their hands
on, informing the Dutch that this was
a public tax and that they owed Mary
land money. They stated that these
Dutch people did not pay the Govern
ment and tor this reason they had the
right to do this. They threatened to
burn the houses. When they were
asked why, they retorted, because the
Dutch people had revolted against
Maryland. Then they told the Dutch,
if they would come back and obey
Maryland law, these taxes would not
be collected until they had money.
One of these intruders got a leader of
the Dutch to get the neighbors to
gether and ask them, if they agreed
to go back to the Maryland govern
ment, and if they would sign a paper.
They all refused. Then these intrud
ers said that they would not do any
thing more to molest them now; but
at the end of two weeks if they did
not comply with the Government of
Maryland that they would come up,
with an assembly ot men, and put
them out of their houses and put peo
ple in, who would be true to Mary
land. These troubles lasted for a
good many years. (Vol. 4 Col. Rec.
69.) In the same book,* (page 70), James
Logan writes a letter to Mr. Blunston,
one of the Justices along the river, in
which he states among other things,
"You may let the Dutch people know

GERMAN-SWISS TROUBLES UNDER NAVIGATION ACTS.

259

that the Susquehanna River is a part
ot Pennsylvania; but it is hard to
keep up a large force to protect
them." But he states that Pennsyl
vania is going to stand by them.
There were petitions sent in by the
Maryland people to the Maryland Gov
ernment. One of these is found in
the same book page 101. In this peti
tion the subscribers who complain,
state that they hear there is some
vacant land near the Susquehanna
River that the Dutch families settled
on. They also state that these Dutch
people are disloyal to Maryland and
loyal to Pennsylvania and, therefore.
they asked if Maryland will allow
them to go and settle on these lands
and throw the Dutch out.
A great deal more on the contro
versy may be found in Col. Rec. Vol.
4, pages 90 to 120.
All this tends to show, that great
difficulty was had and great hardships
were endured by our German Swiss
ancestors, in those dark early days.
1736 — Our German-Swiss Ancestors
Suffer Under the Navigation Acts.
A new view of the difficulties and
the burdens, under which our German-
Swiss ancestors labored, in the Sus
quehanna Valley, and southeastern
Pennsylvania generally, is shown by
the following item, which appears in
Vol. 4 Col. Rec. page 171: —
"A petition of Durst Thome, of
Philadelphia, in behalf of himself and
others, was presented to the Board,
and read in these words:
To the Honorable, the President and
Council of the Province of Pennsyl
vania :
The humble petition of Durst Thome,
of Philadelphia, in behalf of himself
and others, whose names are men
tioned in a schedule hereunto an
nexed, being owners of the household
goods and utensils in an inventory

j likewise hereunto annexed, humbly
! showeth: That being protestants and subjects
to the Emperor of Germany, and en
couraged by the accounts that they
had received from others of their
countrymen in the province of Penn
sylvania, ot the great blessings of
peace and liberty of conscience, en
joyed in the said province, under the
protection ot that gracious and mighty
Prince, King George the second. King
of Great Britain and Elector of Han
over, they thereupon, in the year of
our Lord, One thousand seven hun
dred and thirty six, did transport
themselves, with their families into
this province; and having disposed of
their old household goods and uten
sils, which were very bulky, at their
coming down the Rhine, for very
small quantity of new ones of the
same kind, they were laden on board
the ship Princess Augusta at Rotter
dam. And when the said ship made
report ot her lading at the port of
Cowes, in Great Britain, the said
household goods, utensils and other
things belonging to your petitioners
were freely exposed to the view of
the Officers of that Port, who suf
fered them to pass without molesta
tion or requiring any rates, duty or
customs for the same, they being for
the proper use of your petitioners
and not for sale. But so it is, may it
please your Honors, that upon the ar
rival of your petitioners in the said
ship at Philadelphia she, together
with the goods and utensils aforesaid
was seized by the collector and Naval
Officer of this Port, or one of them,
by which and the severity of the said
Officers, your petitioners were re
duced to very great straits. And not
withstanding the said ship, upon a
full hearing in the Court ot Admiral
ty of this Province, before Charles
Read, Esq., then Judge of the said
Court; but since deceased, was legally

260

GERMAN-SWISS TROUBLES UNDER NAVIGATION ACTS.

acquitted, yet the said goods were con
demned as forfeited; which sentence,
as to the condemnation of the said
goods and utensils, your petitioners
being advised could not be warranted
by law. They thereupon, petitioned
the said Court of Admiralty for a re
hearing of the said sentence as to the
household goods and utensils, in
which petition they humbly conceive
they have sufficiently shown that the
said sentence was altogether null and
void; and that the same (were the
Judge of the said Court stil living)
could not be put in execution, as by a
true copy of the said petition herewith
exhibited, and to which your peti
tioners for greater certainty beg leave
to refer themselves, your petitioners
humbly conceive' will manifestly ap
pear; and as they are so unfortunate
as to be deprived of having the sen
tence re-heard in that Court, by rea
son of the Death of the Judge, they do
most humbly pray, as your honors are
interested in the forfeiture ot the said
goods and utensils if they had been
legally condemned, that you will in
compassion to the unhappy circum
stances of your poor petitioners, be
pleased to grant them such relief as
you, in your wisdom shall think fit.
And your petitioners, as in duty
bound, shall ever pray. DURST THOME.
It will be observed that these af
flicted German Swiss ancestors said
that they arrived in the Ship Princess
Augusta in 1736. Upon making a
search of the list of those who came
in this vessel, which list is found in
Second Series of Pennsylvania Ar
chives Vol. 17, page 126 and also in
Vol. 4, Col. Rec. page 72 — we flnd
among them the following general
Lancaster County names. George and
Jacob Myers, Jacob Miller. Jacob
Bair, John Bumgardner, Philip Gard
ner, Charles Smith, William Huber,

Lawrence Simon, John Dubbs, Hans
and Thomas Kerr, John Jacob Busch,
John George Graeff (Groff), Christian
Snavely (Sneiblein), Tollman Her-
shel, Fred Greir, John Jacob Kellar,
John Rudolph Erb, John Jacob Krei
der, John J. Dubbs, Fredrick Gardner,
Sebastian Groff, Walter Bowman
(Baumann), Melchoir Detweiler, Hans
Zwalley, Peter and John Binkley, Ru
dolph Bumgardner, Jacob Christman,
Jacob Lawrence, Nicholas Faree
(Free), George Mowrer, Christian
Shibley and Joseph Newell and
others. We may, perhaps, infer from this
fact, that many of these people who
suffered these hardships came to the
Susquehanna Valley to settle. One
thing is certain, if they did come up
here, they came without their goods,
for as we shall see in the next item,
their goods were forfeited to the Gov
ernment and sold. A list of their
goods will appear in the next item.
1737 — List of Our German-Swiss An-
cestors' Forfeited Goods and Dis
posal of the Same.
The following petition (4 Col. Rec.
173) and the added items show how
our ancestors fared in the difficulties
mentioned in the preceding item.
"To the Honorable Charles Read, Esq.,
Judge of the Court of Vice Admiral
ty ot the Province of Pennsylvania.
The humble petition ot Nicholas
Tainy, Benedict Youghly, Bastian
Graffts and George Graffts, passen
gers, in the plea ot the aforesaid
Samuel Marchant, mentioned on be
half of themselves and others, the
passengers aforesaid, humbly show
eth: That the said petitioners and others,
the passengers aforesaid whose names
are contained in a schedule hereunto
annexed, were owners and now claim
property in Thirty Stoves, in the in-

GERMAN-SWISS AND NAVIGATION ACTS.

261

formation exhibited, called Chimney
backs, five hundred and ninety-six
Syths, One hundred" and three large
Iron Instruments called Straw-
knives, Fourteen Iron Instruments
called drawing knives. Twenty seven
Iron stew pans, eighty one Iron
Ladles, Five dozen and three Iron
Shovels, Twenty-seven Iron pot lids.
Twelve Iron dripping pans and fry
ing pans. Thirteen axes and one
hatchet, three small and one large
crosscut saws, one gross of Shoemak
ers' and two of Saddlers' awls, six
box Irons and six Chissels, Six Iron
baking stove pans. Twenty three
dozen ot Clasp-knives, One dozen of
Steels, One dozen of Plyers and Ham
mers, Six Iron Lamps, Six Trowels,
One spade. One cask of nails and a
smith's Vice, Fourten copper kettles.
Five copper stills. Two dozen scissors,
one packet of sleeve buttons and
Studs, four Umbrellas, Pour dozen
and one halt ot Worsted Caps, Two
dozen ot printed linen Caps, Six pair
of worsted stockings. Four pieces of
striped cotton Handkerchiefs, Twenty
five pieces of Tape, Two dozen black
Girdles, One piece of black Crepe, One
piece of striped Cotton, Nineteen
pieces of Bedtick, Two pieces of
brown Linen, One piece of blue and
white Linen, Two dozen of ivory
Combs, Two dozen and one halt of
tobacco Pipes with brass covers and
a brass box. Two dozen of Ivory
needle cases. Three handbrushes.
Three dozen of Pewter Spoons, Three
dozen of Spectacles, Eight looking
Glasses, Eight Blutes, Six wooden
Clocks, and one dozen ot brlarhook
Sickles, in the information aforesaid
mentioned; that to them they belong
and were imported for their own
private use, and not for sale ; And say
they are advised and hope to prove
that the sentence against the Goods,
Wares, and Merchandise aforesaid
ought not to be put in execution, for

that the proceedings in the cause
aforesaid against the said goods are
Null, void, invalid, and of no force
and effect in the law, for the several
causes following, viz: for that it ap
pears by the plea ot the said Samuel
Marchant the goods aforesaid were
the goods of those Claimants, and
therefore, ought not to have been
condemned without a hearing first
given them. And also an opportunity
ot examining witnesses, by which it
might have appeared to the Court
here that the said goods were not
liable to be condemned as forfeited;
also, for that by the practice of this
Court and Law in such cases, at least
a third proclamation ought to have
been made before the goods afore
said could legally be condemned; also
for that the information aforesaid is
altogether uncertain and illegal,
which has rendered the sentence
grounded thereupon, altogether null
and void; the said information being
exhibited on behalf of the Governor
or President, whereas, at the time of
the exhibiting of that information, the
Government, by the death of the late
Lieutenant Governor and the laws ot
this province, devolves upon and Still
continues in the President and Coun
cil and not in the President only, and
therefor the information aforesaid
ought to have been in the name of
the President and Council ot the
Province of Pennsylvania (in whom
the power and authority of a Gov
ernor of this Province, by the death
of the said late Lieutenant Gov
ernor, Patrick Gordon, Esq., deceased,
is vested) and the sentence ought to
have been pronounced accordingly.
And even had this been done, as your
Honor is a member of that very
Council, and consequently interested
in the event of the forfeiture, if any
be. They submit It to your Honor
whether it be consistent with the
rules of Justice and Equity that any

262

SHIP RECORDS— MICHAEL WELFARE'S PREACHING.

sentence should be given in the
premises at this time and in this
Court. For which reasons they humbly
pray, that the said sentence may be
reviewed, reheard, and not put in ex
ecution; but that the proceedings for
the causes aforesaid may be declared
Invalid, null and void, and that the
goods, wares, and merchandise afore
said be restored to their owners. And
they, as in duty bound shall pray.
NICHOLAS TAINY
BENEDICT YOUGHLY
BASTIAN GRAFFTS
GEORGE GRAFFTS.
A schedule or list was likewise an
nexed to the foregoing petition, con
taining the names of One hundred and
sixteen foreigners. Which petition
and papers annexed, are contained un
der consideration."
Other steps taken by these unfor
tunate foreigners, concerning their
goods, are found in the same book,
page 22'6, where it is made plain, that
all these goods were condemned and
sold and the moneys given to the use
ot the English Government.
Prom these we observe, that since
these German Swiss were not English
and not naturalized, the goods which
they attempted to bring to this coun
try and start their life here with,
were liable to seizure as the English
law did not allow any goods from any
other country except England, to be
imported into the colonies of Ameri
ca. It seems that under a certain
taxation and restriction, certain
amount of clothing and household
goods could be brought over. But
they fared very badly in the incident
referred to above.
1737— Ship Hecords of the Preceding
Year,
The records of immigrants, coming
to Pennsylvania in 1736, may be found
in the item setting forth, the unfortu

nate company who arrived in the
Princess Augusta, set forth (ante) in
these annals.
The only other ship arriving during
that year was the Perth Amboy, ac
count of which is found in 2nd. Series
of the Pa. Archives, Vol. 17, page 130.
The immigrants arriving in this ship
are as follows, common in Lancaster
County :
Frantz — Hellar — Lambert — Stei-
ger — Herr — Bberhart — Shultz —
Haas — - Rausch and Smith.
There are others arriving in this
ship; but these are those of Lancas
ter County's common names.
1736 — Michael Welfare a German
Baptist Preacher from Ephrata.
Tlie Germans in and about Ephrata
who followed a monastic religious
life, produced several peculiar char
acters and a great many religious
writings. One of these characters was
Michael Welfare.
In the Pa. Gazette, in the issue of
January 6, 1737, there is a notice of a
book published by Welfare called,
"The wisdom of God crying and call
ing to the sons and daughters of men
for repentance."
The notice states, that this is really
a sermon or testimony delivered to
the people of Philadelphia Market
September 1734 by Michael Welfare;
together with some additional re
marks on the present state of affairs
concerning Christianity in Pennsyl
vania. To be sold by Benjamin
Franklin. About the same time the
testimony was delivered, a notice ap
peared in Franklin's newspaper un'ler
the date of September 25, 1734.
This may be found under that date
in the preceding item of these annals,
1737— Ship Eecords For This Year.
During this year we find 7 ship
loads of these German Swiss people.

HORRORS OF THE BORDER WARFARE.

263

Among the common Lancaster County
names we find the following:
Four Alberts — 2 Arnolds — 2 Beck
ers — 6 Bowmans — 2 Fishers — 2
Prantzs — 2 Palcks — 4 Groves — 2 Gar
bers — 6 Habeckers— 2 Kauffmans^4
Longs — 3 Leamans — 8 Millers — 2 Mey
ers — 2 ilinnichs — 2 Rotes — 2 Reigels
—2 Smiths — 4 Stouts— 3 Wolfes— 3
Wises — 2 Wagners — 2 Welches — 2
Zieglers — 3 Stricklers — 5 Shantzs and
3 Shrivers.
We find one each of the following:
Appel — Bishop — Bumgardner —
Christ — Bberhart — Engel — Poust
— Pink — Frederick — Grim — HoI
Iinger ^ Gardner — Kline — Krauss
— Melchoir — • Thomas — Snyder —
Ritter — Ruth — Vogel — Weber —
Wetzel — Spangler — Shober —
Shank — Slegel and Springer.
These German Swiss people came
in the Ship "Samuel" Hugh Percy
master — "Snow Molly" John Howell
master — "Virtuous Grace" John Bull
master — "St. Andrew Galley" John
Stedman master — "Bilander Towns-
head" Thomas Thompson master —
"Charming Nancy of London" Charles
Stedman master and the Ship "Wil
liam" John Carter master.
1737— Horror and Suffering of the
Early Germans in the Lancaster
County Border Warfares.
The Colonial Records, particularly
Volume 4, contains a great many let
ters upon the suffering of our Ger
man ancestors by reason ot the con
tention ot Maryland along the Sus
quehanna River.
In that book, page 159, and con
tinuing for several pages, there ap
pears a letter drawn up by the Presi
dent and Counsel of Pennsylvania to
the Maryland Governor, on the state
ot affairs. And contains, among
others, the following extracts, made
from it:

"But what must the world judge, or
yourself say, of the last transactions
begun about the time of the date of
your letter, and since continued by
your new Captain Higginbotham and
his crew, the seizing and taking at
one time half a dozen quiet and
peaceable German men from the
human office of digging a grave to
bury the dead of a neighbor's family,
hurry them through the woods in the
most rigorously cold season that has
been for some years known, about a
hundred miles on foot, and there
committing them in the like weather
to a narrow noisome gaol without
any other subsistance than a pint of
Indian corn boiled in water for the
whole twenty four hours, for which
pint of the value of about a half
penny each man is charged by the
Sheriff twenty pounds of tobacco for
each day, and no fire or any other
lodging than the bare floor allowed
them further than as the distressed
people could procure them from the
humanity of others, or borrow money
to purchase them. And again others
of the same people yet more barbar
ously treated, for instance your Cap
tain and his gang, breaking down the
window flred in upon the family at
one man's house, then violently
breaking; up both his doors then
cruely beat him and his wife with
their guns, until they broke two of
them, and then took the man; an
other they took from his threshing,
and being at the work very thinly
clothed, his wife following him to
carry his coat to him, they flred at
the woman and obliged her to re
turn; they cut down the door of the
third and took the man; at another
who. had fled on horseback to escape
them, they fired two shots; at an
other's house they cut down two
doors and took the man; at another's
they cut down three doors, two at
his house and one at his mill, and

264

NAMES OP LOCAL GERMAN-SWISS IMMICiRANTS.

took him; and then took two others
who went to them with the intention
to have those unhappy prisoners
freed; and all these, when thus taken,
they hurried down in the same man
ner to Annapolis and committed
them as they had the others before.
They have also since taken Joshua
Minshal, a frequent sufferer in your
gaols, for no other reason formerly
than acknowledging the jurisdiction
he lives under, and now for none that
we can learn besides their own will
and pleasure. Nor do we find any
thing is or can be alleged against
those Dutchmen or Germans, more
than that being from their own ob
servation convinced (for they were
never that we can discover, solicited
or persuaded to it by any of this
Government) that the place they
lived in could not be in Maryland but
in Pennsylvania, and therefore, they
thought themselves obliged in con
science to acknowledge their right
ful proprietors and accordingly let
you know this, a proceeding that, on
their application to some of our
M-agistrates of Lancaster, they were
advised to as the most candid and
in genuous means they could use on
their return to us, which they had of
themselves proposed and were de
termined in before."
This is simply a summing up of
what our German-Swiss ancestors
had to endure along the Susquehanna
River in 1737 and before. And it is
set forth as a mirror, which our peo
ple ot the present day can see re
flected, some ot the conditions of the
so-called "good old times." This took
place in both Manor and W. Hemp-
field townships and also along the
west side of the river.
This extract was found in Vol. 4,
Col. Rec, p. 160.
1738— Ship Eecords For This Year.
During this year we find 16 ship
loads of these German Swiss people.

Among the common Lancaster County
names we find the following:
3 Beyers — 4 Bowmans — 2 Benders—
2 Burns — 2 Punks — 3 PuUmers — 2
Fritzs — 2 Hellars — 8 Hoffmans — 4
Halls — 2 Hesses — 4 Jacobs— 2 Klines
—3 Lites— 3 Longs— 18 Millers— 9 My
ers — 3 Nagles — 2 Palmers — 3 Reeses —
11 Smiths — 13 Snyders — 2 Shoemakers
— 3 Sharps — 2 Shaeffers — 2 Thomases
—8 Wagners— 2 Walters— 2 Wolfs— 3
Zieglers and 3 Webern.
We also find, one each of the tol-
lov>ring: Arnold, Abel, Burkhart, Brock,
Bernhart, Bricker, Beck, Daniel,
Dlehl, Engle, Fisher, Punk, Fehl,
Gable, Goodman, Huppart, Hartman,
Hoover, Hellar, Kinzer, Haller, Kauff
man, Leanord, Mitchell, Mosser,
Moore, Peters, Roth, Rhode, Stout,
Ruth, Shenk, Shoop, Shultz, Starr,
Slegel, Strauss, Stein, Shearer,
Swartz, Tshudy, Zimmerman, Weaver,
Wenger, Wise, Walker, Wanamaker
and others.
These German and Swiss people
came in the Ship "Bringantine Cath
erine" Jacob Philips Master — "Winter
Galley" Edward Paynter Master—
"Glascow" Walter Sterling Master—
"-Snow Sisters" James Marshall Mas-
ter- "Robert and Alice of Dublin"
Walter Goodman Master — "Queen
Elizabeth" Alexander Hope Master—
"Thistle" John Wilson, Master —
"Nancy" William Wallace, Master —
"Friendship" Henry Buch, Master—
"Snow Fox" Charles Ware, Master—
"Davy" William Patton, Master— "St,
Andrew" John Stedmans, Master—
"Bilander Thistle" George Houston,
Master— "Elizabeth" George Hodgson,
Master — "Charming Nancy" Chas,
Stedman ,Master and "Snow Enter
prise," Lynell Wood, Master,
1738— Unsanitary Accommodations in
Our Ancestors' Ships.
From time to time the ancient rec-

CONTAGIOUS DISEASES AMONG IMMIGRANTS.

265

ords make reference to the sick and
deceased conditions of the poorer im
migrants and of the necessity for hos
pitals and lazarettos. In Vol. 4, Col.
Rec, page 306, necessity for quaran
tine is again brought up.
It is there stated, that Dr. Thomas
Graeme, who was appointed the of
ficial visitor on all ships arriving in
Philadelphia made a report concern
ing four ships that had just come
from Rotterdam and Amsterdam. It
was particularly pointed out, that the
passengers on the ship Nancy and
Friendship should not land, as such
landing might prove dangerous to the
health of the inhabitants of the prov
ince. And, it was therefore ordered,
that the Masters ot these ships should
be taken into custody for contempt in
not obeying the Governor's order,
which required, that all ships must
remain one mile away from the City,
until they give security not to land
any ' ot the passengers, baggage or
goods until the passengers have been
examined and until the ships have a
license to do so.
It seems that Philadelphia was
afraid of small pox and other con
tagious diseases.
On turning to the records ot those
who arrived in the Nancy and Friend
ship, we find persons bearing our
Lancaster County names, such as
Hoffman, Myer, Beck, Reese, Rhode,
Young, Hoover, Miller, Shoop, Smith
and many others.
1738— The Progress of Our County
Largely Due to the German-Swiss.
Turning again to Col. Rec, Vol. 4,
page 315, we find, that at this same
time, the Governor made an address
to the Assembly, In which he gave
his views upon the subject of the
German Swiss people and their con
dition in this county up until that
time. Among other things he says: "This

Province has been for some time the
asylum of the distressed Protestants
of the Palatinate, and other parts ot
Germany, and 1 believe it may with
truth be said that the present fiour-
ishing condition of it is in a great
measure owing to the industry of
those people; and should any discour
agement divert them from coming
hither, it may well be apprehended
that the value ot your lands will fall,
and your advances to wealth be much
slower; for it is not altogether the
goodness of the soil, but the number
and industry of the people that make
a fiourishing country. The condition
indeed of such as arrived here lately
has given a very just alarm; but had
you been provided with a Pest House
or Hospital in a proper situation the
evils which have been apprehended
might under God have been entirely
prevented. The law to prevent sickly
vessels from coming into this Gov
ernment has been strictly put in ex
ecution by me. A physician has been
appointed to visit those vessels and
the Masters obliged to land such of
the passengers as were sick at a dis
tance from the City, and to convey
them, at their own expense, to houses
in the Country convenient for their
reception. More could not have been
done without inhumanly exposing
great numbers to perish on board the
ships that brought them."
1738— Another Lot of German Swiss
Ancestors Naturalized.
During this session of the Legisla
ture the following persons were nat
uralized, among those, we recognize
many names of our Lancaster County
people of the present day, Michael
Albert, William Albert, Leanord Ben
der, George Miller, John Bushong,
Nicholas Candle, John Hagey, Charles
Kellar, Stephen Leiberger, Ludowick
Dettenburn, John Peter Ccoher, Mi
chael Becker, Kaspar Stump, Jacob

266

NATURALIZATION— MORE IMMIGRANTS COME.

Becker, Bartholomew Shaver, Tobias
Pickle, Peter Rutt, George Klein,
Paul Tittenhoffer, Mathias Tise,
George Ludowick Horst, Sebastian
Graeff, John Henry Bassler, Mathias
Yung, Jacob Schlough, Henry Michael
Immel, Felix Miller, Martin Wey-
brecht, Frederick Eigelberger, Sebas
tian Pink, Hans Adam Shreiner,
Christian Lang, Caspar Pillar, An
thony Bretter, Hans Graff, Theophilus
Hartman, Jr., Benjamin Witmer,
Abraham Witmer, Johannes Binkley,
Turst Buckwalter, Henry Neat, Jr.,
Valentine Hergelrat, Henry Bassler,
John Stettler, Leonhard Romler,
Leonhard Heyer, Peter Schell, John
Nohaker, Michael Knoppenheffer,
Christian Leman, George Unrook,
Jacob Sheffer, Valentine Keffer, Jacob
Etshberger, Herman Walburn, Casper
Reed, Christian Ley, Jacob Lower,
Hans Moor, Johannes Blum, George
Steitz, Erasmus Bluckenmeyer,George
Graff; "being all ot the Protestant or
Reformed religion, and subjects of the
Emperor of Germany, and other
provinces now in amity with the King
of Great Britain; every one of them
was by this Act declared citizens, and
all the immunities enjoyed by nat
ural liege subjects, were to be enjoyed
by them." (Rupp 271.)
1738— Another Small Influx of Ger
mans.
Rupp, in his history of Lancaster
County, page 273, says that about this
year, many immigrants from the
Palatinate settled in Brecknock
Township. Among these were Jacob
Guth, who erected the first grist mill;
John Mussleman and Francis Diller,
who erected the first distillery in
Brecknock; Jacob Schneder, and
Francis Eckert, Herman Deis, Chris
topher Waldhauer, William Morris
and some others. This marks the
opening of the northeast section of
Lancaster County settlements, name

ly, old Brecknock Township. The
number of taxables about this time
were 2560, in Lancaster County.
1738— Settling of Another Lot of
Palatines.
In the Pa. Gazette ot Oct 26, 1738,
contains this item. "Last Saturday
arrived here, the ship Davy from Hol
land with Palatines.
The Captain with both mates and
one hundred and sixty passengers
died on the passage and the Carpenter
brought in the vessel. Most of the
ships which bring Dutch passengers
this year, have been visited with a
sickness that has carried away a great
number of Swiss.
We see by this, why a pest house or
a similar method of quarantine was
so badly needed. This ship had to be
brought in by the Carpenter and ap
parently very few passengers were
left Turning to Volume 17, Second Ser.
of Pa. Archives, page 169, we find that
this ship "Davy" was not Dutch, but
German; and came from Amsterdam.
The list of passengers given in the
records number 94.
We observe that two-thirds of the
number died on the passage.
Among the ordinary county names
in this ship we find such as Kunzler,
Long, Shearer, Thomas Sober, Myers,
Stein, Kellar, Frey, Wise, Fehl,Shrum,
Kinzer, Subert, Khehr, Snyder, Moore,
Reichert Hoffman, Beck, Lantsinger,
Wetzel, Lantz, -Stoltz and others.
We see, therefor, that the sufferers
mentioned in this item were ances
tors of people actually living in this
county today.
1738 — Great Percentage of German
Swiss Immigrants Died En Eoute.
Prom the records we have shown of
the several ships names, whose ca
tastrophes we were able to describe,

ONE-THIRD OF SHIP PASSENGERS DIE AT SEA.

267

because, of the meager accounts ot
ancient newspapers, still on file, we
are able to calculate how many thou
sands of those who started for
America from Amsterdam and Rotter
dam between the years 1700 and 1750
never reached America: but died at
sea and were buried in its waters.
We cited the case ot the ship that
had 150 on board and arrived here
with only 50 persons: and another
case where one-half of the crew were
lost and one-half of the passengers
died; and of the ship Davy, just men
tioned in which, out of 254, fully 160
were lost and only 94 reached shore.
There were many others, no doubt,
in which 50 to 100 died on the voyage
and no note was ever made of them.
It is therefore safe to say, that the
30,000 German Swiss immigrants who
arrived here from the year 1700 until
the times reaching up to the Revolu
tionary War may not have been more
than two-thirds or three-fourths of
those who started to reach America.
That is to say, it is wholly likely that
out of nearly 45,000 or 50,000 immi
grants who set sail for America in
that time, 15,000 to 20,000 of them
died On the voyage by diseases, hard
ships and exposure. And perhaps,
many entire ship loads of them went
down, of which we have no record in
America at all. Those 30,000 who ar
rived here during that time, may
simply be survivors of a list of nearly
50.000 who started.
1739— Ship Eecords for This Year.
During this year, we find 8 ship
loads of these German Swiss people.
Among the common Lancaster County
names we find the following:
2 Adams — 3 Beckers — 2 Bachmans
—3 Diehls— 2 Gables— 4 Hoffmans— 3
Klines— 8 Millers— 2 Smiths— 4 Sny
ders— 2 Swenks — 2 Stouts — 2 Thom
ases— 2 Wolfes- 2 Webers and 2
Weidmans.

We also find one each of the follow
ing: Albert, Burkhart, Brenner, Barr,
Cook, Christian, Dorwart, Engle,
Fisher, Frey, Fox, Gerhart, Good,
Hess, Kramer, Moore, Martin, Neff,
Roth, Reisser, Ream, Schaeffer,
Shearer, Swartz, Strauss, Weaver,
Welchans, Wolpert and Zimmerman.
These German-Swiss people came in
the Ship "Bilander London" — John
Pipon Commander; "Jamaica Galley"
— Robert Harrison, Commander;
"Snow Betsy" — Richard Buden, Com
mander; "Samuel" — ^Hugli Percy,
Commander; 'Robert and Alice" —
Walter Goodman, Commander;
"Friendship" — William Vittery, Com
mander; "Loyal Judith" — Edward
Painter, Commander, and "Lydia" —
James Allen, Commander.
1739 — Many Inhabitants of Lancaster
and Philadelphia Petition to be
Naturalized.
In Vol. 3, Votes of Assembly, p.
334, a large number ot our ancestors
set forth their desire tor naturaliza
tion and this action as well as the
general situation in Pennsylvania on
the subject of German Swiss immigra
tion the Assembly represented to
Hon. Thomas Penn as follows:
To the Honorable Thomas Penn:
The address of Representative of
Freeman of said province showeth:
That we have received sundry peti
tions from a great number of inhabi
tants of Philadelphia and Lancaster
Counties, which we take the liberty to
lay before the Proprietor setting forth
the great straits they and their fami
lies will be reduced to and the incon-
veniency that will arise to many
others though not under their cir
cumstances, if those poor people
should be removed from their present
habitations at the time limited by the
proprietor's advertisement of Novem
ber 23 last:

268

LANCASTER COUNTY GERMAN-SWISS NATURALIZED.

Though some of these people have i
most unwarrantably possessed them
selves ot your lands and others ot
them very much failed in their duty
in complying with their contracts, yet
we hope the Proprietor will be
pleased to have compassion upon
their present circumstances and
rather impute their falling short in
that justice which they owe to your
Honorable family, to their necessities
and want of knowledge and due con
sideration, rather than a disregard
and contempt of your right or author
ity. And as we are of the opinion that
the greatest part of these people, un
der the circumstances mentioned in
said advertisements, may in time be
come useful inhabitants,— We humbly
request our Proprietor to take their
unhappy condition into his considera
tion, and allow them such further
time, under such limitations as the
Proprietor shall judge reasonable, in
order to pay tor and get their titles
to their lands confirmed; and this
house, will in a proper time, readily
join with the Governor in any Act that
may be judged necessary, as well as
for protecting the property of the
Proprietor and others from such un
just intrusions in the future, and tor
the preservation of the Peace of the
¦Government, as for guarding against
the danger which may arise from the
great and frequent importation of
foreigners; and by these means we
hope the Proprietor's interest will be
much advanced and the poor people
Tuuch relieved.
We shall see that the wish of these
people was gratified.
1739 — Lancaster County Ancestors
Naturalized.
May 19, of this year, the following
residents of Lancaster County were
naturalized, Michael Albert, William
Albert, Leonhart Bender, George Mil

ler, John Bushong, Nicholas Camile,
John Hagey, Charles Kellar, Stephen
Remsberger, Ludowick Dettenburn,
Jacob Bair, Jr., John Leiberger, Bar
tholomew Shaver, Caspar Stump,
Jacob Becker, Tobias Pickle, Peter
Rutt, George Kline, Paul Tittenhof
fer, Mathias Tise, George Ludowick,
Sebastian Graff, John Henry Basse-
ler, Mattheas Yung, Jacob Shloug,
Henry Michael Immel, Felix Miller,
Martin Weybrecht, Fredrick Eigel
berger, Sebastian Fink, Hans Adam
Shreiner, Christian Long, Caspar Til
ler, Anthony Bretter, Leonhart BU-
maker, Andreas Bersinger, Hans
Graff, Jacob Hartman, Theopolis
Hartman, Jr., Benjamin Witmer,Adam
Witmer, Johannes Binkley, Turst
Buckwalter, Henry Neaff, Jr., Valen
tine Heargelrat, Henry Basseler,
Johan Stetler, Leonhart Romler,
Leonhart Heyer, Peter Shell, Johan
Nohaker, Nicholas Miller, Johan Hock,
Thomas Koppenheffer, Christian Lee-
man, George Unrook, Jacob Shaffer,
Valentine Keefer, Jacob Etshberger,
Herman W.alburn, Caspar Reed,
Christian Manusmith, Nicholas Cutts,
George Weyrick, Christopher Ley,
Jacob Lower, Hans Moor, John Blum,
George Steitz, Erasmus Buckenmeyer,
and George Groff. These 78 names
are all familiar ones down to this day.
It is quite a satisfaction to know the
date when they were thus granted
full citizenship. They are spoken ot
in the record as of the Protestant or
Reformed religion and are stated to
have been subjects of the Emperor
of Germany and other princes in
amity with Great Britain.
At the same time a long list of
Germans or Swiss of Philadelphia
were naturalized. They are as fol
lows: Johannes Dylander, Christian
Grassold, Henry Shocklier, Michael
Jansen Hailing, Daniel Steinmetz,
Johannes Smith, David Deshler, Hans
George Passage, David Seesholtz,

PHILADELPHIA NATURALIZATIONS— POVERTY OF IMMIGRANTS 269

Stephen Greiff, Hans George Hickner,
Sebastian Mirry, Rudolph Bonner,
Baltzazae Ressler, Jr., Joannes Zach-
arias, Charles Benzel, Jr., Daniel
Macjnd, Jr., Justis Reeb-Camp,
Charles Reeb-Camp, Jacob Gallete,
Anthony Hinkle, Peter Righter, Wil
liam Rerig, Henry Stouz, Christopher
Roab, Caspar Singer, Ludowick
Knauss, William Hauke, Leonhart
Hartline, Michawl Kline, Leonhart
Kristler, Johannes Wilhelm, Ludo
wick Cirkel, Ludowick Hinnige,
George Cressman, Fredrick Gotshall,
Andreas Trombourger, Jacob Troum-
berger, Hartman Detterman, Philip
Enghert, Jacob Coob, Henry Deinig,
Johan Ditterig Bauman, Johan Kleim,
Fredrick Marstaller, Mathias Koplin,
Johannes Bender, Henry Deeringer,
Adam Moser, Peter Jarger, Jacob
Aister, Samuel Gooldin, Hans George
Jarger, Andreas Kepler, Jacob Frey,
Christopher Witman, Andreas Geis-
berts, Benedictus Muntz, John Eigs-
ter, Michael Herger, Philip Frederick
Hillengas, Philip Labar, Michael
Knappenberger, Michael Dotterer,
George Hubner, Herman Fisher, Con
rad Kolb, George Philip Dotterer,
Johan Miller, Jacob Freeh, Henry
Smith, Leonhart Smith, Rowland
Smith, Michael Kraus, Daniel Kreest-
man, Abraham Beyer, Michael Good,
George Good, Henry Snyder, Adam
Reed, Christopher Ottinger, Anthony
Jager, Nicolaus Jager, John Henry
Weeber, Johan Jacob Roth, Johannes
Geldbaugh, and Christian Gondy.
No .doubt many of these are the
ancestors of the great flourishing
Mennonite Church of the City of Phil
adelphia, which is (among others)
under the jurisdiction of that enter
prising and learned father of the
faith. Bishop N. B. Grubb. (See rec
ord ot this naturalization in Vol. 4/,
St L., p. 326.) This is the fruit of
the petition set forth in the preceding
item.

173i( — German Swiss Ancestors Not
Able To Pay Their Passage.
We have noticed in prior articles,
that some of our German Sv/iss ances
tors were held occasionally for their
passage money. This difficulty they
seemed to encounter continually. In
the Pa. Gazette of April 19, 1739, it is
stated, that "Whereas sundry Pala
tines are indebted for their freights
in the under mentioned ships and
sundry others have given their notes
and bonds which have long been due;
they are desired to take notice that it
they do any longer neglect to come
and pay their respective debts unto
Benjamin Shoemaker living in High
Street they may expect to be prose
cuted according to law.
The ships are as follows:
The Ship Hope, Daniel Reed com
mander — Ship Samuel, Hugh Percy
commander — Ship Mercury, William
Wilson commander — Ship Princess
Augusta, Samuel Marchant command
er — Ship Virtuous Grace, John Bull
commander — Ship Harle, Ralph Har-
le commander — Ship Winter Galley,
Edward Painter commander — Ship
Queen Elizabeth, Alexander Hope
commander — Ship Glascow, Walter
Sterling commander and the Ship
Friendship, Henry Beroh commander.
We can easily gather from this, that
poverty was pretty generally the com
mon lot of the earliest forefathers of
Lancaster County. Ot course, they
had opportunity ahead for making
money and did make money; but they
began in face pinching poverty.
1739 — The Dangers of Wagoning to
Phihladelphia.
In the Pa. Gazette of October 25,
1739, there is an account as follows:
"On the 20th inst. as onei Willmouth
Brackbill, a Palatine, was driving a
team on the Conestoga Road, he
stepped out of the tore part of the

270

SHIP RECORDS— NATURALIZATION.

wagon, his foot slipping the wheels
went over him and he was killed."
There is nothing of importance in
this item, except that undoubtedly the
road ways were in a bad condition
between Lancaster and Philadelphia
and they had many dangers. The
traveling between the two places was
quite numerous and many accidents
occurred. It will be remembered, we
learned that commodities of all kinds
¦were taken to Philadelphia in wagons.
Harris in his Biographical History
of Lancaster County contains notes of
this death also. (P. 5.) Where he
speaks of him as Ulrich Brackbill. It
may be that it was Ulrich Brackbill
that was killed. As Harris says,
Ulrich Brackbill was one of the most
prominent of our early ancestors. He
was, I am quite positive, a son of
Benedict Brackbill mentioned in a
previous item ot these annals. Bene
dict Brackbill was very instrumental
in preventing the first ship load of
Palatines from being sent by Switzer
land to the East Indies. He interced
ed with Holland not to allow such a
shipment to be sent across the Hol
land dominion down the Rhine and,
therefore, the project was abandoned
and some of the same people after
wards came to Lancaster County.
1739 — Lancaster County Reformed
Germans Naturalized.
In 4th Statutes at Large p. 327, will
be found a list of what are called.
Reformed Lancaster County Germans
naturalized. This is the same list we
gave in a previous item, although in
that item, we did not refer to them as
being ot Reformed faith. It is made
clear that they are not of Mennonite
faith. At the Court of St. James, May
12, 1740, an Act for naturalizing these
Germans came before the King's
Council, and on recommendation of
the Lords Commissioners tor Trade
and ot the Privy Council the Act for
naturalizing was approved.

1740— Ship Eecords For This Year.
During this year we find 6 ship
loads ot these German Swiss people.
Among the common Lancaster County
names we find the following:
2 Beckers — 2 Preys— 2 Hellars— 8
Millers— 3 Myers— 8 Smiths— 13 Sny
ders — 4 Shoemakers — 2 Walters and 3
Wolfes. We also find one each of the follow
ing: Arnold — Beyer — Beck — Brosius
— Berger — Cramer — Casper — Cook
— Fisher — Fink — Frantz — Green-
await — Hoffman — Hall — Hersh —
Hart — Kress — King — Moore —
Marks — Oster — Rhode — Reinhart
— Reissner ¦ — Rupp — Schaeffer —
Stein — Saylor — Shaeffer — Weber
— Wacker and Werner.
Tliese German Swiss people came in
the Ship "Friendship," William Vit
tery master — "Lydia," James Allen
master — "Samuel and Elizabeth,"
William Chilton master — "Loyal Jud
ith,'- Lovell Painter master — "Robert
and Alice," Walter Goodman master,
and "Samuel," Hugh Mercy master.
1740— Taxation Without Bepresenta-
tion.
In Vol. 16 of Hazard's Register,
page 253, there is an article showing
the original letters of Peter Miller,
who was a prominent figure in the
Ephrata settlement Peter Miller
writing about the events in his letter
of 1790 says, "that 50 years earlier,
which would have been 1740, the sub
ject of taxes came up and they were
all very poor at that time." He fur
ther states, that at that time, a Con
stable entered their Camp, for they
lived in the form of a Camp then, and
demanded a single man's tax from
each one of the single men. The
Brethren differed among themselves
in opinion, some paid, some refused
and claimed a personal Immunity, on
the ground that, in the eastern coun-

EPHRATA DUNKERS AND TAXES— G'ER.MAN-QUAKER COALITION. 271

tries the Monks and hermits were not
subject to taxes, they simply collected
every harvest by their labor so much
grain as was needed for the yearly
supply and have also supplied all the
prisons and helped the poor and,
therefore, the old Roman Emperor
freed them from any taxes. They
claimed these early brethren were not
inferior to those ot ancient times.
The result was, that six of these
brethren were taken to jail at Lan
caster and were imprisoned 10 days
but were set free, and a veneral old
Justice of the Court offered himself
for bail for them. His name was
Tobias Hendricks.
When the Court came on and the
brethren appeared before the Board,
the Judges became greatly impressed
with the tear of God; because these
6 men had been reduced to skeletons,
and finally, the Court decided they
could go and be free; but, they should
pay the tax as one family, that is the
same as one head of a family would
pay instead ot each man paying a tax.
You can readily see, that the only
excuse the brethren had, was that as
they did not labor for gain and lay
up estates; but spent their time in
helping the poor and in teaching re
ligion, they should be freed of taxes.
1740— Historical Ephrata.
In Volume 15, of Hazard's Register,
page 161, there Is a historical sketch
ot our early German ancestors at
Ephrata, stating that they came to
America about 1719 and settled at
Germantown, Skippack, Oley, Con
estoga and elsewhere. They formed
a church at Germantown in 1723 and
established a church at Muehlbach;
and the account details, how they
grew from time to time. It is too
large an account for these annals.
1740 — German Migration into the
Cumberland VaUey.
It seems, that about this time, the

low wall of mountain ridges between
lower Susquehanna and the settle
ments following to the southwest into
the Potomac and other valleys, no
longer formed the western boundary
of our German population.
It is stated in Vol. 5, of the Colonial
Records, page 445, that about 1740,
Fredrick Starr, a German, with two
or three more of his countrymen
made a small settlement in what is
now called the Cumberland Valley.
It seems that the Delawares roamed
in these parts of Pennsylvania and
that they considered it a breach of
treatj-, for white people to come into
that section. They complained to the
Governor and the Governor said that
he would see that they were thrown
back over the mountains again.
We simply note this item as it
seems to be the beginning of the Cum
berland settlements.
1740 — Germans Support the Quaicers
in Opposing Gov. Thomas's War
Spirit.
We all know that in 1740 Governor
Thomas ot Pennsylvania was very
zealous in this Province, in gathering
up soldiers to take part in King
George's War — and he made no scru
ples of causing servants to leave
their masters (who had paid for their
services for a term of years), and
entering the army. The Quakers op
posed this; and John Wright the pre
siding judge of our local courts (also
a member of the Assembly) was
strong in denouncing the governor.
The governor refused to continue him
longer as a judge and dropped him.
He was a Quaker.
Gov. Thomas found himself opposed
and overcome by the Quakers in the
Assembly, and the Quaker members
held their seats by the German vot
ers, who also opposed war measures.
The governor complained of this to
England at last. In his communica-

272

GERMAA'-SWISS FIRST TASTE OF POLITICS.

tion to the English Government Oct.
20, 1740 (Vol. 4 St L. p. 468) he says
in explanation of why he does not
succeed better, that the Quakers and
Germans, "entered into consultation
and came to a resolution to exert
their whole power to secure a con
siderable majority of their own per
suasion to be chosen to assembly to
oppose all expense on warlike prep
arations as they call it." That this
was not secret but publicly openly
avowed. Again p. 470 he says,
"There is little reason to expect pro
vision for defense of the Province —
as the same people at their yearly
meeting which is now designed to
direct the civil affairs of the govern
ment, instead of regulating religious
affairs, were so strong that out of 30
members of the Assembly there are
only 3 that are not Quakers. He then
complains that "This could not have
been effected had not the votes of the
Germans (who are very numerous
here) been engaged, by deceiving
them into a belief that- a militia will
bring them under as severe a bondage
to governors as they were formerly
under their princes in Germany; that
the expense would empoverish them,
and that if any others than Quakers
were chosen upon the Assembly they
would be dragged down from their
farms and be obliged to build forts as
a tribute for their being admitted to
settle in this Province. Many other
falsehoods were spread among them
in printed papers one of which fall
ing into my hands I have enclosed
with as good a translation of it as I
could procure."
Further on he says that "This pro
vince is become very populous from
the great numbers that have for many
years past come into it from England,
Ireland and Germany — and there is
now 10,000 pounds interest in the
bank from the interest of paper
money, etc."

He also says that though only one
third of the people are Quakers yet
by electioneering and using the Ger
man vote they elected all but 3
Quakers to the Assembly out of 30.
This article shows us several facts:
— that our early German and Swiss
non resistant ancestors took an active
part in elections, which in some
branches is not exercised today — that
they were however, not independent
in politics as in religion, but were
used by Quaker politicians — that they
were fearful of expense and extrava
gance — that they were numerous —
that they were for peace, and fearful
of arbitrary power — and that they
could easily be frighte.ned, because ot
their ignorance of the constitution
under which they lived. The translat
ed paper above referred to is not pre
served nor set forth.
1740— Earliest German-Swiss in
Western Pennsylvania.
About this time or a little earlier,
our Germans and Swiss found new
homes in "western Pennsylvania." In
Vol. 4 Votes of Assembly p. 140 it is
noticed that some Germans were then
settled in western Pennsylvania and
were getting into trouble among the
Six Nations ot that place. Thus we
see that at this early date, the coun
try toward the east was filled up and
the new comers were obliged to seek
homes farther west. We remember
that by 1730 the whole country east
of the Susquehanna River was filled
up, and the migration into what is
now York County began. We thus
can trace the rate of growth and mi
gration westward, of these German-
Swiss ancestors.
1740 — Our Germans and King
George's War.
This year, war having been de
clared against Spain by England
which later (in 1744) included France

ARTHUR ANNESLEY AMONG THE GERMANS.

and became known as King Georg's
War, the Governor of Pennsylvania
ordered notice to be given to all per
sons in Pennsylvania, that they are
invited to join Pennsylvania's expedi
tion against the Spanish West Indies;
and that the persons to receive their
enlistment in Lancaster County, were
Dan Cookson, Andrew Galbraith,
Thomas Edwards and Samuel Smith
the late sheriff. The notice further
set forth that these gentlemen were
not permitted to give out any per
son's name who would join; but to
keep it secret.
This notice was published in both
German and English in the papers
and was designed to attract the
"Dutch servants" of the Lancaster
County people. See American Weekly
Mercury date Apr. 17, 1740, in the
Historical Society Library of Penn
sylvania at Philadelphia, where old
newspapers are on file.
The design of not giving out any
body's names was to prevent the own
ers of servants from making claim
and from obtaining knowledge ot
where their servants were.
\ The fact that German servants and
free Germans were enlisting is shown
by the names of some ot them who
deserted the army, who were from
Lancaster County and also by the
following article:
"Notice is hereby given to all mas
ters of servants in the Counties ot
Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester and Lan
caster who may have in any manner
suffered by the late enlisting of serv
ants, that they immediately make
known their several grievances to the
constables of their respective town
ships, who have orders to transmit
the same to Philadelphia, to the com
mittee of grievances appointed by the
i'ssembly." See Pa. Gazette, Aug. 14,
1740. Though names cannot be ascer
tained yet there were a great many
it our German-Swiss ancestors in the

military operations between England,
Spain and France, of these early
days. We were loyal Englishmen then
and fought tor mother Britain against
her European foes. But later we com
pelled her to acknowledge our inde
pendence.1710 — A Lancaster County German
Had a Genuine English Lord as
a Servant.
Lord Altham, whose -name was
Arthur Annesley, and who was mar
ried to the daughter of the Earl of
Buckingham in 1715 had a son James
by her the next year. Then he had a
difference with his wife and separat
ed — soon afterwards, she died and the
father became intimate with a Miss
Gergory. She expected to marry the
lord, and did all she could to alienate
the father's affection for his son. The
son was placed in a Dublin school,
and in a few years the father died.
Then his brother, uncle of James, to
possess his brother's estate, enticed
the boy on board a vessel for America
in 1728. He was landed at Philadel
phia a redemptioner that tall, at the
age of 13 years, sold as a redemption
er, and served 12 years 'here in our
county in rough farm labor. In 1740
when he was about 25 years of age
two Irishmen found him, working for
an old German, in the eastern part of
Lancaster County near the "40-mile"
stone on the Lancaster road. The two
Irishmen found that they and the boy
were all from the same locality in
Ireland and they agreed to go back
with him and testify to his identity
and prove his lordship; and did so.
In England, James was tried for kill
ing a man, which he accidentally did
soon after arriving, and his uncle
tried to have him convicted. But he
was acquitted. The great estate was
given to the boy, but he did not live
long, when his uncle again became
entitled to it; but he also died soon
after coming to it — a finished villian

274

SETTLEMENTS ON PEQUEA AND CONESTOGA.

and an Irish nobleman. (See Vol. 9
Haz. Rec 145.)
This is perhaps the only case in
which a plain German Lancaster
County farmer had a member of the
British nobility as a farm hand; al
beit, many Americans have had scores
of fool British nobility sons-in-law
since.1740— An Echo From the First Set
tlement.
Among the first settlers on Pequea
in 1710, there was one named Martin
Mylin. T'hirty years later his son
Martin Mylin erected on the Mylin
tract just east of what is now Willow
Street, a fine large stone house of
imposing proportions. Rupp tells us,
pp. 286 and 287, that the house, com
pared with the modest dwellings of
the times was so much a mansion
that the settlement who were prac
tically all unassuming Mennonists,
were greatly excited and felt it their
duty to take him seriously to task
tor such violations of the principles
of humility which were fundamental
in their faith. Therefore, they called
a meeting and protested against such
ambitious building on the ground
that it would seriously affect the
peace and harmony of the community
and offend their central tenet of
humility. Brother Mylin, however,
mollified the brethren; and with a
sober and friendly admonition against
further grandeur and display the mat
ter was dropped. The house was en
during and substantial as well as
palatial and stood until a few years
ago. 1740— Land Transactions of This
Year.
This year Jos. Shippen and wife
sold by deed of December 6, 1740, a
tract of 94 and 2-3 acres of land on
the Conestoga Creek, and also a tract
ot 100 acres adjoining it by deed
dated December 9, 1740, to Oswald

Hostetter. (See Recorder's Office,
Lancaster, Book A, pp. 25 & 29,)
These deeds recite that, William Penn
on September 27, 1681, granted to
Charles Jones, Sr., and Charles Jones,
Jr., soap boilers of Bristol, England,
2000 acres of land in Pennsylvania to
be surveyed. Prom the Joneses it
passed Nov. 4, 1711, to Esther Ship-
pen, wife of Edward Shippen and
from them to their grand-son Joseph
Shippen by will August 4, 1724,
Michael -Shank paid 35 pounds for
his 194 and 2-3 acres.
It is described as a tract on a
branch of the Conestoga "and extends
130 perches or nearly half a mfie
north and south and 123 perches or
about three-eighth of a mile east and
west. The Hostetter tract lies by it
There was a conveyance this same
year on November 22, for 192 acres
of land in Sadsbury Township from
James Musgrove to Daniel McCon-
nell. (Same book p. 27.)
I cite this transaction on Conestoga
Creek to show the state of German-
Swiss settlement at this date. And I
give the history of the transaction to
show the fact that the early land
titles of this county run back far be
yond the first deeds. In this case 60
years elapsed before a deed was given
and 16 years between the warrant
and the deed.
Penn made many sales of land in
Pennsylvania in 1681 and 1682 which
land was not taken up and settled
until 1720-1725 and later.
1741— Ship Eecords For This Year.
During this year we find 9 ship
loads of these German Swiss people.
Among the common Lancaster
County names we find the following:
2 Bernharts— 2 Kocks— 2 Millers-^2
Myers — 2 Martins — 2 Welshes and 2
Kieffers. We also find one each of the fol
lowing:

NAilES OP GERiMAN-SWISS IMMIGRANTS.

275

Arnold — Becker • — Bitner — Bieg-
ler — Berger — Frey — Hess — Hu
ber — Henry — Hertzog — Hoffman
— Keiper — Kemper — Kapp —
Reese — Ruth — Kapp — Smith —
Snyder — Stout — Wagner and Wolfe.
These German Swiss people came
in the ship "Frances & Ann," Thomas
Coalman master — "St. ilark," Thomas
Wilson master — "Lydia,'' James Allen
master — "Marlborough," Thomas Bell
master — 'St. Andrew," Chas. Sted
man master — "Friendship," Alexander
Thomas master — "Snow ilolly," John
Cranch master — "Snow Thane," Wil
liam Weems master and "Europa,"
Lumnsdaine, master.
1741 — Contagious Diseases on Ship
Board.
The question of contagious diseases
among the German Swiss immigrants
for some time had caused a great
deal of excitement and trouble; but
about 1740 and 1741 measures began
to be passed to guarantee protection
against the spread of the diseases.
The Government appointed Dr.
(Jraeme to make a report and investi
gation on the condition and upon the
necessity of erecting a lazaretto or
quarantine. What he did on the mat
ter will be found in Vol. 4, Col. Rec,
page 515.
The German Swiss about this time
began to feel that they were quite
disfavored in Pennsylvania; and in
tact they had great reasons to feel
that way; because every Legislature
had something to say against them.
They were looked upon suspiciously.
This was partly because of them
being aliens and partly because they
began to take positions in political
affairs in the Province. At least
those who were naturalized. (See
Rupp page 286 and Lyle's history
page 126. A few years later they be
gan to be very zealous politicians.
Now that these contagious diseases

were breaking out afnong them on
ship, they were suspected of bringing
over foreign fevers and foreign ail
ments. They themselves asked for
quarantine. (4 Col. Rec. 507.) In
sloops which had been landing it was
reported that great fear seemed to be
rising in Pennsylvania, because they
were afraid of the spread of small
pox and other sicknesses. (See 4 Col.
Rec. pps. 496 and 498.)
The province of Pennsylvania passed
a law for the protection of them
selves as well as of the Province in
general, from the diseases which were
being founded. (See Vol. 4 Col. Rec.
p. 475.) The Governor was glad that
the Assem'bly could agree to some
thing favorable to these people, and
he expressed himself favorably to
them. (See Vol. 4 Col. Rec. p. 511.)
These German Swiss people felt
that these new troubles were very
likely to cause more intolerance to be
exercised towards them, and there
fore, that began to seek toleration.
Some of their troubles can be seen in
Vol. 3 Votes of Assembly, p. 347.
1741 — Tremendous Snow Storm and
Cold Winter in Lancaster.
In the Penna. Gazette, under the
date of April 9, 1741, we are given a
picture of some of the suffering of
these German Swiss in the Conestoga
settlement, at that early date.
The article is as follows:
"We hear from Lancaster County,
that during the continuance of the
great snow, which in general was
more than three feet deep, great num
bers of the back inhabitants suffered
much for want of bread; that many
families of the new settlers for some
time had little else to subsist them
but the carcasses of deer they found
dead or dying in the swamps or runs
about their houses. And although they
had given all their grain to their cat
tle many horses and cows are dead,

276 LOCAL GERMAN-SWISS AND THE ELECTION RIOT OF 1742.

and the greatest part of the gangs in
the woods -are dead, that the deer
which could not struggle through the
snow to the springs are believed to
be all dead, and many of those which
did get into the Savannahs are also
dead, ten, twelve' or fifteen being
found in the compass ot a few acres
of land. The Indians fear the winter
has been fatal to the deer, turkeys,
etc., in these northern parts — that
they will be scarce for many years.
We also hear, that a young woman
in Derry Township attempting to get
home about one mile, as soon as she
came within sight of her father's
home turned out the horse which she
had borrowed of her neighbor, as he
directed her, but not being able to
make her way through the snow, she
threw off her clothes and attempted
to return in the horse's tooting, but
after much struggle as appeared by
her tracks froze to death."
Therefore, we have here another
evidence that our early ancestors had
a very rugged existence in this new
country.
1742 — Amish Mennonites Petition As
sembly.
Hazard's Register (Vol. 5, page 21)
informs us that in 1742 a number of
Germans stated to the General As
sembly that "They had emigrated
from Europe by an invitation from
the Proprietaries; they had been
brought up, and were attached to the
Amish Doctrines, and were conscien
tiously scrupulous against taking
oaths — they therefore, cannot be nat
uralized agreeably to the existing
law." To remedy this a law was passed
allowing them to be naturalized.
These people followed the leader
ship of Jacob Aman, originally, sep
arating themselves from the main
Mennonite Church to which they had
belonged. The factions were then

known as the Reist and Amman
branches of the church. They be
lieved in a more primitive form ot
worship and in "foot-washing" as the
form of sacrament. This subject is
discussed in these annals under date
of 1693, page 128, ante.
1742 — Germans and the Election Eiot
of 1742.
In the fall of 1742 there was a
serious election riot, between what
was known as the "country party"
and the "city party" in Philadelphia.
The city party secured a lot of toughs
and dare-devil sailors to appear at
the election and with clubs and mis
siles terrorize the Quakers and Ger
mans as they came to vote. The city
party asserted that the country party
in recent years imported Germans
from Lancaster county and other
places to help swell their Philadelphia
vote, and alleged that many of such
persons were present at this election.
At any rate, an ugly fight ensued. The
matter came before the Governor and
Council and also before the Assembly.
The petition ot the country party is
found in Vol. 4, Col. Rec 620. The
proceedings in Assembly are found in
Vol. 3, Votes of Assembly page 498
and also pages 564 to 575.
Some of the witnesses tor the coun
try party were Hugh Roberts who
said the mayor refused to quell the
sailor rowdies and to call the con
stables together. John Dellyn also
testified and said the mayor simply
said the sailors "have as much right
at the election as the 'Dutchmen' you
had to meet at Reese Meredith's last
night." Thomas Lloyd said about 50 sailors
led the fight He reported it to the
city Recorder and that officer said he
heard that 300 unnaturalized Dutch
men (Germans) had come down to the
city armed with clubs and stated the
sailors had as much right as those-
Dutchmen.

LOCAL GERMAN-SWISS AND FIDELITY TO THE PROVINCE. 277

Jos. Wharton in his testimony said
there wjis a riot like this two years
before and that there are only 400
naturalized Dutch in the county and
many more were at the poll.s (p. 568),
Another witness said that one of the
officers declared he would not stop
the rioting sailors as they had as
much right there "as the Dutch that
you have brought down to vote" (do.
56S). A witness said that every year
they had trouble to dissuade the un
naturalized Dutch from voting and
arming themselves with clubs. John
Rynell (p. 571) testified that the Re
corder when asked to restore order
said "the sailors have as much right
at the election as the unnaturalized
Palatines many ot whom have come
down to the city to vote." A witness
(Samuel Maris) said Captain Mitchell
was drinking with the sailors and
when spoken to, that he said it was
agreed that these sailors and others
should be there too, with clubs as the
country party intended to have a lot
of unnaturalized Dutch on hand to
vote. Another witness Jo Hitchcock
said he heard a gang of rough sailors
going from the wharf to the Court
House with sticks and asked them
where they were going and they said
"to knock down the broad brims." (p.
575). John Mitchell said he heard
sailors say "Damm it, let us go down
and knock those Dutch s — s ot b — s
off the steps." (p. 578). Another wit
ness heard the city party call the
country party "Broad-brims and
Dutch dogs." Another witness said
the City Recorder said "There are
only 400 naturalized Dutch in the
county and you have over 1000 of
them here" (p. 586).
The Assembly having heard all this
testimony decided to draw up a
"humble petition" to the Governor
setting forth that a pre-meditated de
sign of disturbing the public peace of
the province and terrorizing elections

had been formed and that the magis
trates did not try to suppress it and
that the origin ot the plot must be
found and all concerned in it must be
punished. (Do. p. 501).
This will suffice to show us that the
early Germans here were subjects
upon which politicians could draw to
further their ends and also that many
ot those Germans and Swiss were
zealously interested in the political
affairs and in the Government of the
Province; and I fear it is true that
some of the unnaturalized (who did
not have the right to vote) could be
induced and frequently were induced
to vote. We shall see that this was
so, not only in Philadelphia, but in
Lancaster County also. I do not
know whether any of the Germans or
Swiss engaged in the Philadelphia
riot were from Lancaster County or
not. The statement that they were
"brought down" to vote may mean
were brought down from Germantown
to Philadelphia proper. Some may
have come from other counties. But
the chief grievance was that they tried
to vote and did vote though unnat
uralized. The riot at any rate did not suc
ceed in defeating the German and
Quaker vote, because a large Quaker
assembly wa,s elected helped by the
votes of their German friends. The
action of the new assembly in resolv
ing to punish the rioters, studiously
avoids any reference to Germans votr
ing illegally. This is ignored as if
there is nothing in it.
1742 — German-Swiss Ancestors Ee-
Assure the Government.
Our unpopular German-Swiss local
ancestors were now being continually
accused of lack of love for the Gov
ernment in Pennsylvania. But in
every instance they proved that they
were wrongly suspected. Excitement
ran high against them. To allay the
feeling and prejudice they held a

278

SUSPICION UPON THE GERMAN-SWISS.

meeting and made a representation
to the Governor and assembly in 1741
in part in the following words:
"Who they are that look with jeal
ous eyes at the Germans, but the
Governor has not been pleased to in
form us, nor do we know. Nothing
of the kind can be justly attributed to
us, or any preceding Assembly, to our
knowledge. The Legislature of this
province has generally, on applica
tion made to them, admitted the Ger
mans to partake of the privileges
enjoyed by the King's natural sub
jects; and as we look upon them to
be a laborious, industrious people,
we shall cheerfully perform what can
be expected from us for their benefit,
and for those who may hereafter ar
rive." To allay unfounded prejudices, the
Mennonites gave a decided proof
thereof in 1742, in convoking a church
council, consisting of elders, preach
ers and the bishop, and meeting at
the house of Martin Meylin, in Lam
peter Township.
Martin Meylin, grandfather of Mar
tin Meylin, Jacob Meylin, John Mey
lin and Abraham Meylin, all at pres
ent residing in West Lampeter town
ship, built what was then called a
palace, of sandstone. It was, in 1742
one of the most stately mansions in
the country; and as the Mennonites
were a plain people, and Martin Mey
lin an active member, the house was
not only considered too palace-like,
but the appearance of it might, as
they reasoned, strengthen their ene
mies in prejudicing the Government
against them — they had been virtually
charged with disloyalty — "determined
not to obey the lawful authority of
government— that they were disposed
to organize a government of their
own." The bishop, Hans Tschantz, with
his elders and assistance, having re
paired to the humble log cottage hard

by the "stately mansion" and organ
ized the meeting, himself presiding
over the deliberations of the assem
bled. Martin was first questioned,
upon conscience, to openly declare
what his intentions were in erecting
so large, so gorgeous a dwelling-
reminding him of the rumor some
twelve or thirteen years ago; and
lately, of the prejudices excited
against the Germans. He stated, he
consulted only his comfort, and that
he had no sinister views. Next he
was reminded that, in their view, the
house was rather too showy for a
Mennonite. The question was,wheth-
er he deserved severe censure, it not
suspension from church privileges,
for this oversight. After some con
cessions, and mutual forbearance, by
the parties, it was resolved' that Mar
tin be kindly reprimanded; to which
he submitted — thus the matter ended,
and all parted as brethren. (Rupp
286 and 7.)
We cannot tell at this date whether
the meeting was held for the purpose
of re-assuring the Government that
they were a humble people and not
ambitious for political po-n'er; or
whether it was held for the purpose
of cautioning brother Mylin that he
was in danger of violating the rules
ot the church,
1742 The Case of Jealousy Against
the German Swiss (Continued).
Governor Thomas in his address to
the Assembly, concerning the suspic
ions that the German Swiss settlers
had inspired among the early political
powers of Pennsylvania, says, in Vol.
4 Col. Rec, pages 507 and 508, "Sev
eral of the most substantial Germans,
now inhabitants of this province, have
joined in a petition to me, setting
forth in substance, that for want of
a convenient house for the reception
of such ot their countrymen as, on
their arrival here, laboured under

GOVERNOR DEFENDS CHARACTER OP THE SWISS.

279

diseases contracted in a long voyage
they were obliged to continue on
board the ships which brought them,
where they could not get either at
tendance or conveniences suitable to
their condition from whence many
have lost their lives; and praying
that I would recommend to the As
sembly the erecting of a proper build
ing at the public expense, not only to
accommodate such as shall arrive
hereafter under the same circum
stances, but to prevent the future
importation of diseases into this City,
which has more than once felt the
fatal effects of them.
The numbers of people which I ob
served came into this province from
Ireland and Germany, pointed out to
me the necessity of an hospital or
pest-house, soon after my arrival
here; and in 1738 I recommended it
to the Assembly of that year, who
seemed so far from disapproving it
that they gave me hopes ot building j
one so soon as the circumstances of
the province should admit. I very
heartily wish for the sake of such
families, inhabitants of this City, as
suffered in the late mortality by the
loss ot some who were their chief
support, and will therefore feel it for
years to come, and on account of the
Irish and German strangers, that it
had indeed been done so soon as the
circumstances of the province did ad
mit of it. But as it can profit nothing
to bewail evils past, I hope you will
now make the -proper use of them by
doing all in your power to prevent the
like tor the time to come.
I am not insensible that some look
with jealous eyes upon the yearly
concourse ot Germans to this prov
ince, but the Parliament of Great
Britain see it in a different light, and
have therefore given great encourage
ment 'by the late act to all such for
eign Protestants as shall settle in his
majesty's dominions ; and indeed every

man who well considers this matter
must allow that every industrious
labourer from Europe is a real addi
tion to the wealth of this province,
and that the labour of every foreign
er in particular is almost so much
clear gain to our Mother country."
In this we see very plainly that
while some of the English inhabitants
settled here and holding offices were
jealous of the growing power of the
German Swiss people, that the Gov
ernor of the province was favorable
to them. More than that it is evi
dent, from what he says, that the Par
liament of Great Britain had great
faith in them, as a proper people to
develop the resources of this prov
ince. The Assembly in their answer
to the Governor, state, that a great
many of these Germans and Irish are
affiicted with the contagious diseases,
that that is a cause to make us more
cautious, and that it makes a quaran
tine building a great necessity.
In the last pargrap'h, the Assem'bly
also tried to make it appear that they
are also favorable to the Germans, for
as we said in the former item, that
the Governor did not tell them who
the people are that are jealous of
them; and further, that they, the As
sembly, look favorably upon them.
This will suffice to show, that while
at present the line ot jealous powers
of the two nationalities in this coun
ty and in southeastern Pennsylvania,
has died out, that in early times there
was great danger of friction. We shall
trace up this growing power of the
German Swiss people in southeastern
Pennsylvania as these articles pro
ceed. These proceedings may also be
found in Vol. 2, Votes of Assembly,
pages 48-49 etseq.
1743 — The Governor and Assembly
Divide On the German Question.
The feeling against the German
Swiss coming into Pennsylvania grew

280

QUARANTINE FOR SICK GERMAN-SWISS.

stronger in the Government of the
province about this time. Turning %o
Vol. 4, Col. Rec, pages 526-27, we
find, that a committee of Assembly
really made charges against the Gov
ernor and the Council.
The Assembly ask the Governor
why, if he has full power to employ
a Doctor to examine the condition of
the sickly palatines that arrive — why
he asks help of them. They charge
that the governor is not vigilant
enough concerning these people in
restraining the ships from landing
for they will spread unhealthy dis
eases over the City.
The Assembly 'also discharged the
quarantine doctor, so that the Gov
ernor had no physician to examine
these passengers. The Governor
complained that without examining
these passengers and 'proving them
dangerous, he would admit them. The
'Governor -also observes, that the As
sem'bly ti-y to accuse him of arbitrary
power; but he states, that the law
.gives him the authority to examine
these vessels and he has the right to
employ physicians to see whether any
disease is found in them or not. He
complains that they refused to pay
the doctor he employed.
Further on, the Governor proceeds
to consider what he calls the facts
and says on page 529, that doctors
appointed to examine these Germans
acted diligently and that in 1738 there
was a Palatine vessel with sick pas
sengers arrived and the Assembly
spread the fear that dangerous epi
demic diseases were being brought
but the doctor found nothing more
than a common ship distemper among
them. Afterwards it turned out that
they had a very malignant disease.
The Governor here says that he
acted as diligently as was needed and
the Assembly publicly thanked him
tor the care he took. In this manner,
the contention kept on during several
years. The same subject may be

found in Vol. 3, Votes of Assembly
451-2-2 ; also the same Volume, pages
472-500 and 501 and other places in
Vol. 4 Col. Records.
1743 — Further Naturalization of Ger
man and Sfviss.
One of the results ot landing a for
eigner, was that such person still in
Pennsylvania, could not will their
land to their heirs, the same as nat
ural born subjects could. For this
and for other purposes, it was made
necessary to naturalize them and
this subject came up again in 1743.
(See Vol. 4 Col. Rec, page 627.)
The proceedings to have the law
passed also appear in 3 Votes of As
sembly, page 505. A law was passed
also enabling these people to devise
their real estate to make wills, etc.
(See 3 Votes ot Assembly, page 514-
15.)1743 — Law Passed to Establish Hos
pitals for German and Swiss
Immigrants.
This same year a law was passed
to establish hospitals for the sick im
migrants. It is found in Vol. 4 Stat
utes at Large, page 382, the law
states that as there had been a law
before not allowing vessels with sick
ly immigrants to come nearer than
one mile of any town or port, with
out a bill ot health; but that noplace
was provided tor the sick passengers
that were on these vessels, and there
fore, they started to land them se
cretly and they got into Philadelphia
and spread diseases.
Therefore, Fisher's Island in the
Delaware River was to -be henceforth
called Province Island, containing
340 acres, with buildings erected, and
that this island together with the
buildings should be under trustees to
be used as a quarantine or hospital
for these sick people. The buildings
should be put on it for these pur
poses and that the buildings and

PARLIA.MENT PROVIDES MEANS OP NATURALIZATION.

281

fences and other improvements on it
shall always be kept in repair; and
that the Governor or two Justices of
the Peace shall have the right to or
der and direct all persons brought
into this province, who have infec-
tuous diseases to go to that island
and remain there until the physician
says that they are free of disease.
Their nursing and maintenance must
be paid by the master of the vessel,
that the sick people were brought in
and the expenses of the master was
put to, must be repaid out of the
goods and property of the passengers,
it they had any.
And for this purpose, the Justice
of the Peace have the right to send
for the master of the vessels and
oblige them to give a bond that they
will find proper food and nursing for
the sick people, before they could
land them. The law further pro
vides, that a book must be kept in
which the persons' names are en
tered, as sick persons. It is also pro
vided that after the persons have re
covered, they could be discharged
only under the seal and certificate of
two Justices.
It is further provided that no inn
keeper or other inhabitants shall re
ceive in their house, any of these
persons who are known to be afflict
ed with any of these contagious dis
eases, until after discharged. A fine
of ten pounds is provided for such
persons. Therefore, we can readily see that
there were many difficulties to be en
countered.
1743. — Xn Unusual Naturalization of
Germans.
We have heretofore seen, that the
Germans and Swiss in Pennsylvania,
were naturalized by virtue of acts
passed by the Assembly and the Gov
ernor of Pennsylvania, but finally.
Great Britain herself passed an Act
ot Parliament to naturalize our Ger

mans in Pennsylvania and in other
parts of America. The complete act
is found in a pamphlet known as the
General Magazine and Historical
Chronicle, a monthly periodical, pub
lished by Benjamin Franklin about
1740. The January number of 1741, con
tains this Act of Parliament. This
shows another event of Benjamin
Franklin's activity. The pamphlet
may be found in the Philadelphia His
torical numbered Api. 228.
In conformity with that act of Par
liament, the Pennsylvania Gazette re
ports, under the date of April 14,
1743, that "at the Supreme Court held
here (Philadelphia) on Monday, Tues
day and Wednesday last, 304 Germans
Protestants were naturalized by vir
tue of a late act of Parliament, hav
ing resided in this province upwards
of seven years." It would be inter
esting to know the names of these
G'ermans who were naturalized; but
there seems to be no list in exist
ence. There is no record in the
Statutes at Large of such naturaliza
tion about this date. But there is,
however, in the Statutes at Large,
Vol. 4, page 391, an. act passed in
February 1743, allowing Protestants
settled in Pennsylvania, not Quakers,
to be naturalized on an affirmation
Instead of oath. And the introduction
at the act recites, that there was an
act of Parliament passed, in the 13th
year of King George II, which is
likely. The one above referred to,
for naturalizing Protestants, states
that after June flrst, 1740, all persons
who have resided for seven years or
more in American colonies, and shall
not have been absent more than two
months at a time, and should take an
oath and repeat the declaration of al
legiance and subscribe and set forth
their Christian belief before the
Judges, shall be -adjudged to be the
same as his Majesty's natural born
subjects.

GERMAN NEWSPAPER— ENABLING ACTS.

This Act goes on to say, that any
foreigners who were not Quakers; but
who conscientiously refused to take
an oath, desired to be naturalized,
a-ad therefore, this Act allows them
to be naturalized on an affirmation
instead of an oath, it they have lived
here seven years. But it further pro
vides, that after the affirmation is ad
ministered, and entered in the Secre
tary's Office, the names ot these per
sons naturalized must be transmitted
to the Commissioners for trade and
plantations in England yearly, in the
same manner as the Act of Parlia
ment is directed.
1743. — A German Paper Began Publi
cation.
In the Pennsylvania Gazette, on the
June 2, there is 'a notice as follows:
"WHEREAS, the Subscriber has be
gun to publish a weekly newspaper
in the German language for the car
rying out of which he has received
good encouragement from his coun
try men, the Germans, in all parts of
the province. So if all merchants who
want ads inserted, send them to the
subscriber or David Doshler, they
will be faithfully translated and in
serted. Signed, J. CRELLIUS."
This was no doubt a Philadelphia
publication; but at any rate, it is
pretty early and deserves mention, as
one of the marks of German enter
prise in an English Colonial history.
1743.— German Quarantine .-igain.
In Vol. 4 Statutes at Large, (3S2)
the final steps, as to the G'erman
Quarantine building is taken. This is
in the shape of an Act of Assembly to
secure the title of Province Island
and the buildings thereon, for a hos
pital for the sick passengers, to pre
vent the spread of contagious dis
eases.

As it was said before, this Island
is situate "on the southerly side of
the mouth of the Schuylkill River in
the County of Philadelphia, adjoining
on Delaware river, before known as
Fisher's Island ; but afterwards known.
as Province Island. Containing 342
acres ot land and buildings," etc. Full
provisions are made in the Statutes.
at Large, for the maintenance and
regulations of the hospital. The act
was passed February 3, 1743.
1743. — Act to Enable Germans To
Make Wills and Give Legacies.
We have seen before that these
Germans and Swiss, until they were-
naturalized, could not make wills, de
vising their lands to their descend
ants. Further it was (not apparently
until 1743) lawful for any person to
whom a legacy in money or goods
was given to sue and prosecute an
action to recover the legacy in Court
Therefore, particularly to assist the
Germans and Swiss, an act was
passed, to enable them to get prop
erty by will, and to accept it.
1743.— Crash Over Conflicting Land
Grants.
In Vol. 4, Col. Rec, page 648, we
have another picture of the trouble
our German Swiss had to encounter,
concerning their lands along the Sus
quehanna River, This time the In
dians were mixed in the difficulty,
and one of the chiefs of the flve na
tions, made a speech to the Governor
of Pennsylvania, and said that "the
Dutchmen settled on southeastern
Pennsylvania lands, claimed the right
to the land simply because he gave a
little victuals to the warriors of the
Indian- tribe, who were very often in
need of it. The Indian then went on
in his speech and said, this string of
wampum serves to take the Dutch
men by the arm and throw them over
the big mountains beyond the bor-

INDIANS AND LAND TITLES— SHIP RECORDS.

2S3

ders. The Indian chief also said, that
they had given these valleys over to
their cousins the Delaware Indians
and to their brothers the Shawanese,
and reserved some rights there to
live themselves. Therefore, he re
peated that the Indians will demand
the Governor of Pennsylvania to re
move immediately by force, all of
those Dutchmen that are living on
their lands. It appears, however,
that this concerns lands further up
the Susquehanna River, in the neigh
borhood of the Juniata River.
However as it is the same question
of the Germans looking for further
settlement, and coming in contact
with the native tribes, this item has
a place in this article.
This orator then goes ,on to say
that he now lives on the River Ohio,
harmless as a child. He could do
nothing and is weak and does not in
tend any mischief; but that he looks
for the Governor to have charge of
this. He, therefore, went on to say,
that the place where he lived, is over
shadowed by a great cloud, that he
looked with pitiful eye on the poor
women and children, and then looked
on the ground all along for sorrow;
because of these poor women and
children. He states further, that the 'people
were given to lies and raise false
stories, and they asked the Governor
to stop up their mouths, as he could
do it with one word.
1743— Ship Eecords of 1743.
During this year we find eight ship
loads of these German Swiss people.
Among the common Lancaster
County names, we find the following:
3 Benders — 3 Bakers — 2 Good
mans — 2 Gilberts — 2 Harts — 4
Kauffmans — 2 Hermans • — 2 Krafts
— 4 Kleins — 4 Kellars — 4 Myers —
13 Millers — 2 Snyders — 4 Smiths
— 2 Stamms — 4 Swartz — 2 Shaubs

— 2 Wagners — 2 Webers — 2 Hel
lars — 2 Youngs.
We also find one each of the follow
ing: Albright — Appel — Bumgardner —
Beyer — ¦ Brunner — Burkhart — Cas
par — Eckert — Bberhart — Fisher
— Prey — Good — Garber — Huber
— Hellar — Kuhn — Koch — Krei
der — Leinbach — Lehman — Lan
dis — Neffs — Root — Sherts —
Soutter — - Shoemaker — Walters —
Wolf — Wise -and Zimmerman.
These German Swiss people came
in the ship "Francis and Elizabeth,"
George North master — "Snow Char
lotte," John Mason master — "Lydia,"
James Abercrombie master — "Rosan-
na," James Reason master — "Phoe
nix," William Wilson master — "Rob
ert and Alice," Martley Cusack mas
ter — "St. Andrews," Robert Brown
master — and ''Snow Endeavor,"
Thomas Andrews master.
1744 — Lancaster and Its Germans
This Year.
Lancaster was an English town — it
was founded by the English. It be
gan to be built about 1728, according
to Witham Marsh (Marsh's Diary),
there was a sprinkling of German
Swiss in the town, from its begin
ning; but they resided most numer
ously in the rural sections. An old
geography of 1816 calls this, Lancas
ter the "biggest inland town in
United States," which it was at that
time (Jedidiah Morse's D. D. geogra
phy, published by Thomas and An
drews, Boston, in 1816, p. 171). The
County of Lancaster at this date, was
given a population ot 58,927. But to
come back to German Swiss element,
in the little Lancaster town, which in
1744, the date of which we are now
writing was 16 years old. William
Marsh in his diary says, "the town
was begun about 16 years earlier and
has one main street." He says the
"inhabitants are high Dutch, Scotch

284

MARSH'S VIEW OF "DUTCH" LANCASTER.

Irish and English, and some unbe
lieving Israelites, who dwell very
considerably in this place." Marsh
proceeds to say, "that the spirit of
cleanliness, has not yet, in the least
troubled the major part of the peo
ple; for they are in general very
great s...s and slovens. When they
clean their houses, which is very sel
dom, they are not willing to remove
the filth away from themselves, for
they place it near to their doors,
which in the summer time breeds
quantities of bugs, fieas and vermin."
We believe that Marsh was very
much prejudiced and was telling
falsehoods in making these state
ments. The German Swiss who lived
here were industrious and were also
scrupulously clean, as to the scrub
bing brush and broom and mop,
which were almost constantly in
their hands.
The leading German churchmen,
who lived here, according to Marsh,
at this time, were the sect of Luth
erans. He also says the IJutch church
was flourishing here, which is to be
understood to be the German Re
formed. Evidently in his opinion, the
Lutherans were much more prosper
ous in their religious advancement,
than the German Reformed people.
The houses of which he called this
Dutch town, he says are mostly built
with and covered with wood, except a
few are stone and brick. He also
tells us that he was stopping at War-
rail's Hotel, which was the ancient
Cross Keys, and when he went to bed
he was "attacked by legions of Dutch
fleas and bugs which were ready to
devour both himself and the minister
that he was sleeping with."
He also gives us the description of
a dance held in the Court House, dur
ing which the Governor of Pennsyl
vania got too much wine and got very
merry. He says "during the merri
ment two Germans happened to pass
by the Court House with harp and

addle and played tor some time un
der the window." Then he says, "the
Governor ordered them to come in
and amuse us, which they did; but
not with the harmony of their music,
for it was very uncouth and displeas
ing; that they played a tune of some
sort to some young Indian who
danced a jig with Andrew Hamilton."
He says that the Dutch girls (which
he would call females, not ladies)
danced wilder than the Indians, that
the dancers in the party consisted of
Germans, Scotch Irish and some
Jewesses, and that the Jewesses were
the best dancers. Finally he says,
that after the Indian treaty, which he
was attending was ended, he and his
people mounted their horses and
went away from this filthy Dutch
town, to a very kind landlord at Not
tingham, by the Gap road. (See Lan
caster County Indians P. 346.)
We believe that this man Marsh,
an Englishman from Maryland, was
entirely unfair to the German Swiss
people living In this town; and it is
likely this feeling arose from the fact
that Maryland and Pennsylvania, had
for a dozen years prior to Marsh's
visit, been in grevious dispute, about
the boundary line, and the German
Swiss people living on the western
side of the Susquehanna, as we have
shown earlier in these items, were
the bone of contention between the
two provinces, Maryland, in a very
greedy fashion, claimed the Susque
hanna River her northern boundary.
1744 — Our Grerman-Swiss Are Victims
of Privateers.
In the Pa. Gazette of December 25,
1744, the following item appears:
"That Friday last, arrived at Phila
delphia, Captain Duraell, from Holr
land, but the last from Poole, witb
Palatines after a passage of thirteen
weeks. Admiral Davis,^ with the
squadron for the West Indies was at
Spit Head when he sailed, and waste

GERMAN-SWISS BIMIGRANTS AND PIRATES.

2Sr.

sail in a few days. In his passage,
twelve leagues to the west of Sicilly,
he was chased by a French Privateer,
designed tor Philadelphia with Pala
tines, as he sailed from Cowes, the
day before he left Poole. But his
vessel going very well, he got clear of
the Privateer." This article is not
very clearly stated in the Gazette,
nevertheless serves to show us, that
the Palatines, that is our German-
Swiss ancestors, had a great deal to
contend with besides the rough
storms at sea, which frequently
lengthened their voyage from 10 or
11 weeks to 17 and 18 weeks and per
haps 20 weeks. We are here given
one of these difficulties, namely:
"being chased by privateers." The
privateers evidently found profit in
robbing these poor people of what lit
tle substance they had.
1744 — Conrad Weiser.
The most influential German, out
side ot those who lived at German-
town during the first half ot the
eighteenth century in Pennsylvania,
was Conrad Weiser. His labors ex
tend over a long series of years, until
he died in 1760. He was the leading
spirit in all of the treaties held with
the Indians of Pennsylvania, and at
the great treaty in 1744. He was the
chief interpreter and was implicitly
relied upon, by the Indians, in all
matters. He made a journey to Sha
mokin at the instance of the Province
of Pennsylvania, in 1744 (See 4 Col.
Rec. 680), to investigate the murder
of James Armstrong by the Indians.
Among his many activities, from
about the year 1730, was his leading
of the Indians to Philadelphia — his
interpreting at Philadelphia — his en
tertaining the Governors at his house
— his conferences with the Indians of
Ohio — his dealing with the 6 nations
—his work in the Cumberland Dis
tricts — his interest in missionaries
for the Indians — his conferences with

Governor Clinton — his labors among
the Mohawks — his opinions and activ
ities in the Connecticut dispute — his
services at the Albany treaty — his
purchase of provisions for the In
dians — his history of the Owandot
Indians — ^his controversy with Sowers
concerning some newspaper notoriety
— his efforts to discourage scalping,
and his trading business. All of
these activities are found in Vol. 3
onward, of the Col. Rec.
In the first to the fourth series of
the Pa. Archives are found a large
number of his letters, his journals,
accounts ot his dealing in wampum,
accounts of the transactions with the
Indians, in buying and selling horses
and dealing in their goods, etc., all
of which are illuminating and show
the wide range of activities ot this
man. 1744— Ship Eecords for This Year.
During this year we find 5 ship
loads ot these German-Swiss people.
We find a total of 1080 people.
Among the common Lancaster
County names, we find the following:
2 Bergers — 2 Benders — 2 Engles — 2
Groffs — 2 Harts — 5 Klines— 3 Kings
— 8 Myers — 7 Millers — 2 Michaels — 2
Moores — 4 Snyders — 3 Smiths — 3
Schaeffers — 4 Wagners — 6 Webers — 2
Wises and 4 Youngs.
We also find one each ot the fol
lowing: Albright — Baker — Baer — Brown
— Bernhart — Bauman — Doebler ¦ —
Herman — Hartman — Huber —
Kautz — Kurtz — Long • — Lobach —
Lintner — Metzler — Morgan —
Mosser — Mussleman — Roth —
Reith — Stein — Thomas — Werner
— Witmer and Steinmetz.
These German-Swiss people came
over in the ship "Aurora," Robert
Pickeman master — "Phoenix," Wil
liam Wilson master — -"Friendship,"
John Mason master — "Carteret," 
Stevenson master — and "Muscliffe
Galley," George Durell master.

286

GERMAN-SWISS ACTIVITIES.

1744 — Indians at Lancaster Bark
Trees for the Germans.
One of the results, incidentally hap
pening, in connection with the Indian
treaty of 1744 at Lancaster, was the
depredation by Indians, upon the prop
erty of citizens. Among those injured
was John Musser near Lancaster. July
31st, of this yoar, he made a com
plaint to the Assembly ot Pennsyl
vania, that at the late Indian treaty
he had considerable trouble and loss,
by the Indians breaking several ot his
walnut trees, which they wanted to
"bark" their cabins, and that he was
told not to differ or interfere with
them about it, but to hand in his bill
to the Assembly, and that he now
does so, and claims six pounds dam
age. August 2nd, the Assembly al
lowed him flve pounds. (See 3 Votes!
of Assembly 555 & 6.)
Our German-Swiss ancestors also
suffered by reason of the traders and
others carrying rum to the Indians
and then cheating them when drunk.
When they became sober, these In
dians were inclined to be savage and
threatening to the peaceful Germans
among them, even though they were
innocent. (Do. p. 549.)
1744 — Praise for Lancaster County
Germans Agriculture.
A traveller in Lancaster County
states "We have been accustomed to
hear the population of Pennsylvania,
sneered at and continued as vulgar
and ignorant; and our Germans
branded as animals. But by their
fruits ye shall know them. Thus
tested, they are not surpassed by any
population in any country. They are
intelligent and honest; they under
stand perfectly the business that be
longs to them— tliey do all that they
have to do in the best manner and
with best results. There is no agri
culture in the United States like that
of the Germans of Pennsylvania-

there is none superior anywhere. I
have known farms on which other
occupiers have starved and have been
finally ejected by the Sheriff, andihen
they were succeeded by Germans,
who, in a few years, covered the bar
ren flelds with rich crops and became
prosperous and wealthy." (6 Haz. Reg.
69.) 1744 — G<ermans Oppose War With
France.
This year England declared war
against France and the colonies in
America became involved too. Our
Germans were having a great deal of
trouble with their servants, running
away to war, whose time these own
ers had paid in advance from three to
seven years. As many persons came
to Pennsylvania not having money to
imy the expense of their passage, our
German farmers constantly bought
these persons who were sold for a
term of years to pay those expenses. .
Thus when war was declared and
these servants found they could ob
tain ready cash for their services in
the army, they joined the ranks. A
great storm of opposition to the ef
fect ot war on the servant question
arose in Lancaster County and
throughout the Province. The trou
ble had existed some years, and John
Wright, Judge of our Courts, was
dismissed by Governor Thomas, be
cause of his opposition to the War
Governor in 1741. Then later came
this new trouble. (Pa. Gazette June
14, 1744, etc)
1744— Attempt to Bum the House of
Conrad Weiser By His Enemies.
In the Penna. Gazette of December
6, 1744, the following appears: "By
order of the Governor — WHEREAS
some evil minded person or persons,
did in the night between the 15th and
16th, inst, attempt to burn the dwell
ing house of Conrad Weiser in Tulpy
hocken in the County of Lancaster,

ATTEMPT TO BURN CONRAD WEISER'S HOUSE.

287

by means of a large bundle of straw,
which was purposely laid and set on
fire, upon the roof of a low building
joining the house, and at the same
time fastened the door of the house,
on the outside, with the intent to con
fine the family so that they might be
unable to help themselves and perish
in the fiames. But the same w-as hap
pily prevented, through some of the
family being awakened from the
flames and great quantities ot smoke
from the straw, and the shingles
beating on the root, into the room
where they lay, and alarming the rest
of the family. Then with difficulty
they broke open the door, which had
been fastened by a strong rope, and
they extinguished the fire. (This at
tempt did not succeed; but a few
years later this house was burned to
the ground, as we shall note.)
And whereas, one Adam Haines, a
vile, profiigate young man, in the
neighborhood of the said Weiser, hav
ing committed a crime, which coming
to the cognizance of the said Weiser,
he as the next Magistrate, was by the
duty of his office, obliged to bind him
over to the Court ot Quarter Sessions
ot Lancaster County. And refusing to
accept a bribe of the said Haines,
which he solicited him very much to
take to suppress and keep back the
recognizance, and for that and other
reasons, the said Weiser having good
reasons to suspect Haines and other
of his accomplices, supposed to be of
the same family, to have been guilty
ot that villanous attempt to destroy
him and his family, he caused the
said Haines to be apprehended by the
Constable; but Haines made his
escape and fied from the Constable
and now absconds.
These are therefore, to give notice
that if any person or persons will
discover and find out, the said Haines,
so that he may be retaken and com
mitted to some of the common jails
of this Province, in order to undergo

a legal prosecution, in the premises,
all such persons who shall cause the
said Adam Haines to be apprehended
and secured, shall be handsomely re
warded. And by his Honor, the Gov
ernor, special command is hereby
given, that it any one ot the accom
plices in the said crime shall give to
the Secretary of this province, the
names of the rest, so they may be per
secuted, and brovight to condign pun
ishment for the same, he shall secure
his pardon."
It is to be observed in this article,
that this good old German friend, ad
visor and counsellor, of the infant
provinces of Pa. had his enemies for
conscientiously doing his duty. Not
only were there rascals among the
younger people of this German Swiss
ancestors here; but also among other
nationalities. Adam Haines, referred to above,
seems to be a rascal. He was con
victed in Quarter Sessions Court of
Lancaster County, February 5th, 1745,
of stealing a cow, and being found
guilty August following, was sen
tenced to pay 50 shillings, the price
of the cow, 50 shillings fine, and the
cost of the suit, and to have 21
las'hes, the next day, across his bare
back, at the public whipping post at
Lancaster. George Haines was prosecuted tor
stealing a ram and a ewe — and Adam
Haines was also convicted ot being
the father of a bastard child, and
sentenced to pay a fine of ten pounds
and costs, and the woman received
the same sentence.
1744 — Suffering in Switzerland and
Holland from Oppression, Disease
and Famine.
In Earnest Miiller's Anabaptist
History, p. 208, he states, that in 1744
one of the old fathers, by the name
of Burkholder, wrote, that he and his
people were suffering indescribably,
because they were compelled by Eng-

288

HANS BURKHOLDER'S EFFORTS FOR HIS PEOPLE.

land. Prance and Austria to furnish
supplies for them in their wars, and
to quarter the troops of soldiers and
take care of them and feed them. He
states that these soldiers became un
bearable in their manner, insulting
and threatening to the families of
these non-resistant people, and often
they had to support and quarter as
many as flve or seven soldiers, for a
considerable time. Besides this they
suffered from failing crops, and fam
ine. There were also epidemics
among their cattle, and thousands of
their young cattle died. Some of the
brethren lost every head of stock they
had. And to make matters all the
worse, they were now living the best
they could, since they were compelled
to flee from Switzerland, when they
began to take measures to expel all
these Anabaptists or Mennonites.
Now they began to turn their at
tention towards emigrating towards
Pennsylvania, as their Brethren in
distress, had done more than thirty
years earlier. Therefore, we see from
this, that the difficulties and persecu
tions, both in Switzerland and in the
Palatinate along the Rhine, were con
tinuing.
1744 — John Armstrong an Early Eesi-
dent Killed by Indians.
In the Pa. Gazette of April 26th,
1744, it is stated, that news from Lan
caster reports, that John Armstrong,
an Indian trader, and two servants,
were murdered by three Indians, who
waylaid them as they were going with
goods to Allegheny. The chief of the
murderers was taken to the Lancaster
jail. He confessed the fact with all
the circumstances. The Indians are
of the Delaware tribe. It is stated
that there had been some differences
and difficulties, between the deceased
and the Indian, that was taken to
jail. And in the same news appears, un
der May 10th, it is stated that the

Indian who killed Armstrong tells his
side of the trouble, and says, it was
about a horse. The Indian gave, his
horse and three belts of wampum, for
goods, and found that he was cheat
ed; and when he went to get his
goods back, Armstrong would not give
them up, but got mad and hit the In
dian -with a stick. The Indian then
killed him with a tomahawk. The
Indians then buried Armstrong by the
side of the Juniata Creek, and threw
the bodies of the two German serv
ants into the creek. The corpses of
these two fellows were found by
the crows and a bald eagle, hovering
over them.
1744 — Swiss Mennonite Patriarch Hans
Burkholder's Letters From Germany.
Among the most active of the early
Swiss Mennonites, was Hans Burk
holder, who nearly all his lite, was a
leader in everything that pertained to
the welfare of our Swiss ancestors.
There are records of his activities be
fore the year 1700, and these records
continue down to the time ot his
death. We are fortunate in being able
to present a translation ot two let
ters, written by him, a very short
time before he died in the year 1744,
from Heroltzheim in Palatinate, giv
ing us again, a picture of the renewal
of the difficulties that had arisen tor
these non-resistant followers ot Men-
no Simon, in the heart of Europe.
Switzerland had driven the most of
them out by this time, and they were
strangers living in the valley of the
Rhine, that is, in the Palatinate. The
later difficulties seem to be famine
and the necessity of furnishing quar
ter, for soldiers, while the regular
run ot difficulties that grew out of
their religion, while religion in the
heart of Europe generally was a State
matter, controlled by the State, etc.
These letters are translations from
a collection of what he called the
"Dutch copies" in the Historical So-

LETTERS PROM HEROLTZHELM.

289

ciety at Philadelphia, and are here in
serted for the purpose of giving a
picture ot the difficulties in the ancient
home of our ancestors, from the
mouth of one who was going through
the difficulties himself; and one who
is an ancestor of the great family ot
Burkholders, of our County and
Pennsylvania, and other parts of the
United States. These letters are
written to Johannes Deknatel who
was an official somewhere in Hol
land, likely one of the officials of that
Government, who was friendly to
these Mennonites; and perhaps, a
member of the Swiss Mennonite com
mission or Chamber of Holland's
Government, kept up for the sake of
helping the Swiss and Mennonites, to
better their condition and to go to
Pennsylvania, and to America in gen
eral. The first letter is No. 1495 and is as
follows : Heroltzheim, Jan. 4, 1744.
Bartholomens von Lowenig togeth
er with other fellow-servants of our
Tautgesindten (Mennonite congrega
tion) in Amsterdam — May (E. L.)
Your Honors be blessed.
Very dear and worthy friend *and
brother in Christ Jesus, we cannot
well omit giving you word. Your
Honors, about our sorrowful condition
and of how we have found this past
summer. So you must know that the
BYench have oppressed us with many
and great burdens, compelling us to
give supplies which we can hardly
accomplish. To comfort us, we are
told that everything shall be paid, but
we have not, as yet, received a single
Stuber (silver coin). And besides we
have been loaded with so much com
pulsory service (villainage Frohn-
drenst), that it is no longer possible
to bear it. If one comes home at
night, one must go away again in the
morning. Besides these the English
have also come" and for four long
weeks remained, only two hours dis

tant from us, with a great army so
that we must again, do compulsory
service that can no longer be en
dured. After this, the army broke
camp and went to Weyer. Then we
have had the headquarters of the
Austrians twice among us, so that
YouV Honors can well see how things
have gone with us, and that we passed
this summer in great cares and under
unbearable burdens.
Now dear friend, these troubles
have come to an end; but the great
God has visited us with another pun
ishment, a contagious disease and
death have come among the horned-
cattle so that many thousands of
them have fallen and many of our
brethren have not a single one left so
that the poverty is very great among
the friends and many know not how
to help themselves. Besides the lord
ly (Herrschaftllch) oppressions are
very great and no remission to be
hoped for.
Now dearest friend, we must make
known to Your Honors, yet another
gloomy situation. On the death ot
our most gracious .Elector and lord,
we have, as at all times proper, made
application in a moral moving peti
tion, to the present reigning illustri
ous Elector, regarding the confirma
tion of our Confession. So far we
have received no answer and have
also little hopes that we shall receive
a favorable one, for a command has
gone forth from the the high govern
ment of 'all bailiwicks regarding the
burial of our dead that they shall no
longer be buried in the churchyards;
which seems to us very hard and
burdensome. I have, myself spoken
about it to several gentlemen of' the
Government who said to me that we
must have patience and first see what
protection we receive from our grac
ious Elector. I have been myself to
five of the most eminent ministers
and have also spoken with them.
They gave good ans-srers,- but as yet

290

MORE HANS BURKHOLDER LETTERS.

we know nothing about how the mat
ter will end.
We beg dearest friend. Your Hon
ors will in this give us good counsel
how the matter may best be brought
to a close, for we are so embarrassed
in the matter. It has almost the look
as if they would drive us from out of
the land. The great God will have
pity on us. So much tor desired
news ot us and we hope for an agree
able answer from you. Your Honors.
Wherewith I close for the present
and remain with friendly greeting
and recommendation to -the divine
protection, your Honor's affectionate
friend and brother in Christ Jesus. In
the name of the other fellow workers
of our Mennonite Congregation, I
liave written this Adieu.
HANS BURKHOLDER.
Hans Burkholder Letters continued
No. 1496.
"Heroltzheim, February 17, 1744.
Johannes Deknatel:
Dear and worthy friend and brother
in Christ Jesus. May you be blessed.
Dear and worthy friend and brother
your (B. L.'s) Excellency's agreeable
letter of the twenty-fourth of Janu
ary has -been duly received, wherein
we perceive with love, that you also
have duly received our letter ot Jan
uary fourth, the which we were
pleased to know. We have also seen
by your (E. L.) Honor's letter, that
you are very sorry for our afflicted
condition, but for this time can give
us no advice, regarding our letter of
protection (safe conduct). You should
be informed that so far, we have as
yet received no answer to our letter
and request, which surprises us, as
we were given favorable information
by word of mouth. Also we as yet
know nothing, dear and worthy
friend, how it will go with us. We
have to give so many promises be
fore the Muljwaltung to the eminent
minister (or So many promises of

painstaking care to the eminent Min
ister) that we do not know well how
to accomplish them, since we have
suffered so much damage by the war
and the death of the horned cattle,
and besides, had to advance the large
sum of money so that we do not
know how to help ourselves while the
poverty is so great here in the land,
and yet no understanding or sym
pathy is to be expected, so that we do
not know what we should do. Dear
friend and brother, it is the wish and
intention of some of our friends, to
travel to Pennsylvania. We cannot
very well advise them against it since
we dwell so uncertainly ourselves and
do not yet know how we shall be sus
tained. But we do not wish to bur
den and trouble your (E. L.) Excel
lency, in the matter. We hope that
they may be able to cross and thus
not trouble your (E. L.) Excellency;
but we would like very much to know
your advice and opinion, if indeed you
could advise to go there. Dear and
worthy friend, we have judged from
your letter, that you would like fur
ther information of where there is the
greatest poverty and need, on account
of 'the x>attle. They might each one
try to help himself as much as possi
ble, so we advise you that we do not
wish to trouble you much in the mat
ter outside ot three or four families
that cannot help themselves. It your
(E. L.) Honor, seem inclined to help
them according to your pleasure and
as you deem proper, it would be very
kind and agi'eeable. So far for de
sired news.
Dear friend, I am growing old and
infirm and travelliug grows tiresome
to me. When however, we have any
thing to do for the Master and Mis
tress (Hunschaften) the other serv
ants always think that I should take
precedence. Because I am an old
man and have a white head, they
think that my words are worth more
than theirs, which I have also discov-

HANS BURKHOLDER LETTERS (Continued).

291

ered, myself, but my sight and hear
ing are tailing me fast.
(E. L.) Your Honor, you are how
ever, by me, most cordially greeted
and committed to God's good care,
with which we then close for the
present and remain v/ith friendly
greeting and recommendation to the
protection of God, your affectionate
brothers in Christ.
HANS BURKHOLDER,
CHRISTIAN ST.AUPPER,
JACOB HIRSCHLER."
The second is number 1499 and is
as follows: "Heroltzheim, ilarch 6, 1744.
Johannes Deknatel:
Very worthy and in Christ beloved
friend and brother. May your (E. L.)
Excellency be blessed here in time
and hereafter in the blessed eternity
— a friendly and brotherly greeting in
the Lord, Amen.
Worthy friend, the cause ot this
writing to you, your (E. L.) Honor,
is this, that some friends and broth
ers of our congregation are thinking
ot going to Pennsylvania, as I in
formed you in my former letter, and
as we have found from the news
paper, and also otherwise, that it is
very unsafe on the ocean on account
ot pirates and not very promising for
the journey, we desire in the most
cordial and friendly manner, to beg
your advice and opinion, regarding
this journey and whether you approve
of it, and whether it is also safe to
start or not. If your (E. L.) Honor
does not approve, the friends will re
main here. They have sold their
things and prepared themselves for
the journey, but will not further
trouble your (E. L.) Excellency, than
to know of the safety on the sea.
Please, dearest friend, be not dis
pleased that I write to you; and
write to me at once your (E. L.)
Excellency, your advice and opinion

that they may govern themselves -ac
cordingly. Concerning our letter of protection,
we have yet no news. I have been,
myself, a short time ago at Manheim
and have, myself, spoken with the
president. He has given me very
good news — all shall go well. So
much for desired news.
I await a speedy answer from your
(E. L.) Excellency, with which I
close at present and remain with cor
dial greeting and commending you to
the divine protection your (E. L.'s)
Honor's affectionate friend and broth
er in Christ Jesus,
HANS BURKHOLDER."
I call your attention to the fact
that, in connection with these letters,
the sufferers could find no apparent
relief from their distress, except to
migrate to Pennsylvania, which many
hundreds ot them did about this time,
although the greatest flood of immi
gration was over. We observe too,
the danger from pirates that existed
in those days, as discussed in these
letters. 1744 — Our Germans and the Indian
Treatment.
Leber in his book (p. 104) says:
That from 1744 to 1748, while King
George's War was going on here, the
Germans had a hard lot of it — things
were so war-like here that a fort was
built in the neighborhood of Lancas
ter he says. Further he states, that
the white traders used the Indians
badly and cheated them, and the In
dians were very likely to take revenge
on the peaceful Germans that settled
in Pennsylvania and Carolina, who
were innocent of this kind of conduct
towards the Indians. Also he states,
that in South Carolina the Mennonites
who had drifted down there had to
bear the burden of a great deal they
were not guilty of; and further he
states, that it became worse when the
French began to flght the Indians.

292

MEIHUISEN'S LETTER, ON HARDSHIP.

The situation was made all the worse,
because the young, strong and hearty
ones, to a certain extent, were taken
away from their homes and left the
homes unprotected; and besides this,
a good many German servants ran
away from their masters and joined
the army. To show the extent of
military operations, he says, there
were fifteen companies of soldiers
that were raised throughout Lancas
ter County, for these French and In
dian Wars.
1745 — Samuel Peter Meihuisen's Let
ter on the Conditions and Treat
ment in Switzerland.
Muller, page 328, gives the sub
stance of a letter which a Swiss
father, wrote July 5th, 1745, giving ac
count of his son's trials on a trip
back to Switzerland in' 1745, a good
many years after the father was
driven out He writes from Nooge-
land in the Palatinate to his brother
and sister in Gautenschwyl ; and a
copy of the letter is found in Huiz
inga, a historian of those times and
events. In this letter, Samuel Peter Mei-
huisen praises the country as a great
place to produce milk and butter and
cheese and meats; but he states that
so much misery and unrest and an
guish exists because of the wars and
the rumors of wars, and the cattle
epidemic, and that it is very destruc
tive. He alone lost 19 head ot cattle.
But it extends all over the country.
It made many people poor. This epi
demic came from Italy, was intro
duced into Holland and from there to
Switzerland. It was all the people
could do to endure it There is no
land here, too good for pasturage he
says. He also has 30 sheep and
young horses and cattle in the pas
ture. He means that pasturage is the
best use land could be put to; and
not good enough for farming, at that
particular place. Then further in his

letter he states family news and news
of friends. He then admonishes all
to seek the Lord.
Among other things that he says in
his letter, he states, that his son Mel
choir intended to see his fatherland
(Switzerland) as they were now in
Holland. It seems, that it was not
possible for him to see his friends,
which he would like to have done.
Later he went to see them with one
of his chums. While in Berne, they
were in the great church (Cathedral).
As the Apostle Peter had said
"Prove everything and hold on to the
thing which is good." Here he refers
to the experience of his son, that is
the boys wished to hear the services
and learn how much good was in it.
They heard the whole worship, and
kept what they thought was goodw
Further he says his son and his friend
were taken prisoners in Berne and
put in the big dungeon in the Tower.
Then he adds, that the Lord had said,
that the child should not bear its
father's sins. It was not right for
this boy to bear the sin of his father,
because his father fled from Switzer
land years before. Whoever sins
should bear the punishment himself.
They must determine tor themselves
whether this act was Christian or not
We leave it to you to consider. Clos
ing he exclaims, "Oh my dear father
land that I loved so well and wish
well always" (Switzerland). Miiller
says that Huizln.ga thinks their boys
had not got to Switzerland and that
the other writers are mistaken. But
the Manual of the Star Chamber or
the Mennonite Court, contains a rec
ord that two Baptists came from Hol
land and were again expelled. But
these probably were other persons, he
thinks. 1745 — Swiss Wandering in Germany
and France.
Earnest Miiller in his book (p. 248)
I states, that about this date, Jonas

SWISS WANDERING IX GERM.ANY.

293

Stiegler of Schutzigen near Zurich, I I cite this item to show the con-
and Nicholas Knor of Goszwyl in j tinual drifting ot our persecuted fore-

Buckeberg lived near Prance. Also he
states in Paterlen about 1745 there
lived Peter Lichty of Biglen, and
Elizabeth Yobs of Bechigan, and Cath
erine Berger ot Lauperville and Jacob
Sprunger and his wife Elizabeth
Schmedly who came from Tannegg
were ot similar faith, from which the
other Anabaptist families that went
to America, for causes growing out
ot the Reformation and to escape
their sufferings.
At the bottom ot p. 247 he says
also, speaking of the year 1745, that
on the 22nd of February in Perry,
which seems to be a toWn in the
Palatinate near the French border,
there were fifteen Swiss families at
that time, who had migrated from
Switzerland. Among others were
Michael aud John Sieger who came
from Rothenbach, and Michael Long-
negger (Longenecker) formerly from
Trub, John Burkholder, John Henry
Turner, Jacob Marti, Peter Beck, Ul
rich Lerch, John Gauler of Sumis
wald, Michael Burky of Diesbach,
Barbra Hertig, Michael Witmer of
Lauperville, John Burky of Biglen,
Christian Burkholder of Langnau,
Peter Burkhart, and Witley Grenhen-
buhl (Graybill )of Trauschenwald,
Ulrich Burkholder ot Luderswyl,
Joseph Wenger of Amsoldinger. These
towns, from which he says these peo
ple came are towns in Switzerland.
But the place he says they were found
this year, as we have stated above,
are in Germany near the French bor
der. He adds in this paragraph, that in
1724 there were 16 of these Taufer
families, consisting of 50 members
from Sumiswald, Hockstetter and
Langnau and other places. About 1738
five other families came. Among
others were Burkharts, Burkholders,
Brobsts, Millers, etc.

fathers from Switzerland into the
Palatinate, and their further migra
tion to America. Prom this place, ad
ditional settlers in this county, were
continually coming.
Miiller also states (p. 248), that in
1745 there were in Peri La Hutt, near
Sonzeboz — Christian Swartz who came
from Langnau, Anna Myers from
Rothenbach, Durs Rohr of Solligen —
Benedict Gauman and Christian
Schnegg of Hochstetten, Nicholas
Strohm and John Engle of Rochen-
bach, John Lichty of Biglen, John
Bumgardner of Lauperville, Abram
Newswenger of Bggville, Peter Lugin-
buhl ot Runkhofen, Peter Sommers of
Sumiswald. And that as early as
1724 there were also Catherine Berg
er, Andrew Bechtol or Bichsel, Eli
Lehman all from Langnau. All this
Miiller recites under his chapter on
"Im Piirstbistum Basel" (p. 233)— or
the Anabaptists from Switzerland in
and about the Principality of Basle.
This item will show us the line of mi
gration out of Switzerland into Ger
many and the Alsace, and later on to
¦America. He also says p. 248, "Welter thalaut-
wartz folgt Gorgemont mit der gros-
ten ein-wanderung des St. Immerthals
Oder Brguel." And that in 1745, were
found here the families — Christian
Weldner who came from Sumiswald —
Ulrich Engel of Rothenbach, Joseph
Bumgardner and John Steiner of
Langnau, Peter Brobst and John New
comer of Bggville, Christian Gauman
from Great-Hostetten — Samuel and
lames Geiser ot Langenthal — Ulrich
Berger of Signau — Magdalena Burger
and Elizabeth Dreier of Truh; Simon
Siegenthal and David Ingold of Lau
perville. And that in 1729 there were
Peter Siegenthaler, Ulrich Newcomer,
Nicholas Luthi, Abram Bomgardner,
Abram Grier, Ulrich Zolner, Hans
Burky, Christian Jacob and Peter

294

SWISSERS IN THE HEART OP GERMANY.

Brobst David Swartz and Andrew
Bichsel all of Langnau — and J. Schon
auer of Hochstetten, Ulrich Berger of
Signau, Nicholas Konig of Bucksee,
Simon Seigenthaler, Barb Schild, and
Nicholas Brb of Rothenberg and Jacob
Kommer of Jurich there. In 1738 he
finds the families of Joseph Bumgard
ner, Christian Berger, Barbara KuUer,
Nicholas Imhoff, Peter Brobst, Peter
Newswenger, David Bomgardner,
Christian Widmer, Elizabeth Gerber,
Benedict Gauman there. And that in
all there were 103 eingewanderte, -or
"in-wandering" persons or settlers
from Switzerland, of whom 40 were
Mennonites or Taufers.
Page 249 Miiller says that in Tram-
elan in 1745 there were Barbara Ger
ber from Langnau — Nicholas Maurer
of Desbach. And p. 328, he says about
this date the Lotsher (Lesher) family
and the Gerbers were numerous about
Groningen. 1745— Early Execution of a Woman in
Lancaster County.
It is stated in the Pennsylvania Ga
zette of October 24, 1745, that Rebec
ca Moss of Conestoga Township was
executed at Lancaster for the murder
of her child. There was another in
stance of a similar killing of a nat
ural born child by its mother in Con-,
estoga; but as the evidence was not
conclusive a great number of the
German friends of the women peti
tioned that her life be spared and this
was done. There was a great deal ot
capital punishment in Pennsylvania
from about 1725 onward during 30
years or more, including punishment
for burglary and many other crimes.
This came about because of a reign
of terror and lawlessness and the
killing of a couiile of judges, about
1718, which excited the people to en
act a very severe law.

1745 — German Lutheran and Moravian
Controversy in Lancaster County.
This year the German Pastor of the
Lutheran Church united a portion ol
his congregation with the Moravians.
A great ferment was excited among
the Lutherans. They carried their
trouble to the Governor and repre-
I sented to him that they were com-
I pelled to hear a doctrine which they
did not . approve or resign their
church. But the Governor told them
he could not interfere; "that the law
however, would protect them in their
rights." (5 Haz. Reg. 22).
1745 — Hans Burkholder's Labors
We have noticed Hans Burkholder's
letters in a preceding part of these
annals. We insert here another let
ter from him to the influential Gov
ernmental friends of his people in
Holland. It is No. 1489 of the "Dutch
Copies" in the Penna. Historical So
ciety at Philadelphia. He writes from
Geraldsheim and addresses Barthole-
mew Von Leivening and other religi
ous friends in Holland. After religi
ous greetings he says: "I cannot re
frain from writing to you as I wrote
February 27, 1742. I do not know
whether you received the same."
Then he says that he gave the money
which the friends sent to him to the
most needy of the Mennonite Brethren
of the congregation and states that he
set out the names and amounts.
Then he states that he heard early
in 1742 that some of their brethren
in the Palatinate near Heilbrom were
thinking of going to Pennsylvania.
He heard this from Henrick Kendig
the pastor of the congregation. He
says he inquired whether these peo
ple were provided with necessary
means, but that the pastor said they
vvere not. Then he asked how they
could go in such dangerous times.
The minister told him they had
friends In Pennsylvania who would
pay their passage on landing and set

HANS BURKHOLDER'S LETTERS ON GRIEVA.N'CES.

29,>

them free. Burkholder then says that
it is against his advice that these peo
ple go without ready money to pay
their own way.
Then he continues in his letter: "I
have word from the minister of the
so-called Amish congregation of
Friesland, that some of his people are
determined to go to Pennsylvania, too.
I asked him if they had the money
and he said they had and also had
letters from Holland which told them
to come and they would see that they
landed sate. This seems strange to
me because your friends in Holland
encourage them and discourage our
people. Those people (Amish) make
no common cause with us; they do
not associate with us, when we are
in trouble. They try to bring us in
to dispute. They belong to the bet
ter classes. They consider them
selves the best and finest people.
They are very prominent. As far as
I am concerned I would not ridicule
anyone; but they ridicule us.
Conditions are very hard among
us here in the Palatinate. Our
young men cannot be received as
congregation men by the authorities
here. To get a letter of protection
we must pay 50 florins. This is
double what others pay for safe con
duct. We cannot endure this much
longer. We have no civil protection.
Besides this, the oppression of the
"herrschoft" or local magistrates is
already too great — and the taxes
provided by court are too heavy. We
cannot provide them; let alone the
money for bounty for our young men
to escape army service.
I have tried to help others in my
liou.sehold; but I must give up house
teeping and seek provision for my
self elsewhere. I must get rid of my
burdens because my bodily powers
ire failing me as I am getting so old
ind on account of my sight a*id

hearing failing, I must be relieved of
all burdens as I cannot hold out.
Wishing all, God's Grace, etc. — •
HANS BURKHOLDER."
1746 — Interesting Landes Letter of
This Date.
The zeal of Bishop N. B. Grubb, of
Philadelphia, in gathering up and
translating information and letters
¦from the original sources, concerning
our German-Swiss ancestors, has put
in form some interesting matter con
cerning the Landeses. In the Men
nonite year book for 1914, page 38, he
giv.3s, verbatim, a copy of a letter
written by Elizabetha Landes ot Ger
mantown in 1746, which letter in Ger
man, is the property of J. M. Landes.
And in connection with the letter
there is shown an excellent sketch ot
the Landes homestead in Switzerland,
located at Hirzel erected in 1488.
The letter written by Mrs. Landes
is addressed to her friends and rela
tives and especially to the children ot
the late Caspar Landes. She sets
forth the following facts concerning
the Landes family, and the following
events that happened in the family:
"I, Elizabetha, the widow of Hein
rich Landes, a brother to your father,
Caspar Landes, a barber in Richters-
wil, but again married to Heinrich
End, desire to inform you as follows:
When my former husband, Heinrich
Landes, left Switzerland for the first
time with his father, he entrusted to
his brother Caspar a certain sum of
money without taking from him any
thing in writing because he had ab
solute confidence in his brother's
honesty; and had not the least doubt
at all, that everything would be right
Twice he had received some of the
amount, so that now there is a bal
ance of about 300 Rix Dollars (about
$210.00) remaining unpaid; as my
dear husband Heinrich Landes, so
often informed and assured me. Since

296

AN OLD LANDES SWISS HOMESTEAD.

then, my husband Heinrich Landes,
entered orderly and publicly into the
bonds of matrimony with me, Eliza
betha Hirt, born in Mark-Kirch, in
Elsass, the daughter ot Jacob Hirt,
ot the same place. This was in 1709.
After having resided for ten years in
different places in Germany, we final
ly, twenty-two years ago, came to
Pennsylvania, fully intending again at
some time to visit you, as he had,
promised his brother Caspar he
would, and then -bringing the balance
of his money home with him. From
this he was however prevented by my
frequent solicitation and entreaty not
to go until the year 1727 when he
died, leaving me a widow with four
children namely, one son and three
daughters. In addition she states that she has
four children living, Elizabetha, Bar
bara, Henry and Dorothea. She also
states that the money about which she
is writing could be transferred to Dr.
HoIIinger, the Reformed Minister in
Heidelberg, who is a native .of Zurich,
and by him can be sent, through cer
tain other persons to Philadelphia, ad
dressed to certain party in German-
town by which it can be transferred
to the proper owners. It is signed
Aunt Elizabetha Landes, German-
town, Pennsylvania, 20th Nov. 1746. It
is addressed to be delivered to the
surviving children of Casper Landes
(barber) at Richtersvil, three hours
from Zurich.
She states that she and her hus
band after living for 10 years in dif
ferent places in Germany, came to
Pennsylvania in 1724.
The cut of the old Landes Home
stead at Hirzel plainly shows it to be
long and low, one story high with an
attic, about one-halt story high at the
eaves. It seems to be of stone plas
tered on the exterior and stands on
the side of a Commons, at least the
side of an unfenced road. Just im

mediately to the left of it stands an
other building somewhat in the gen
eral shape of the buildings erected by
the Amish of Lancaster County, con--
sisting of a main house and an at
tachment which seems to be "shed--
rooted." And then to the left of it-
stands a frame or externally-plas
tered church, with a high steeple
which appears to be hexagon in
shape, standing upon a high square
tower. It is likely a Reformed
Church. In the background there are
undulating hills, dotted with a great
many trees, and the whole picture is
distinctively agricultural.
I find from the maps, that Hirzel is
about 9 miles southeast from Zurich,
on the south side of Lake Zurich.
1746 — Gjermans Along the Susquehan
na W'ant Maryland Line Dispute
Settled.
The dispute between Maryland and
Pennsylvania, over the line between
them still continued. It had now de
stroyed the tranquility between the
two provinces many years.
Certain phases of the dispute are
set forth in Vol. 1, of the Pa. Ar
chives pp. 692 et seq. From these
records, the following condition ap
pears: In August 1746 the Governor
of Maryland wrote to the Governor ot
Pennsylvania, enclosing a letter from
Virginia. A man opposite Conewago
named Diggs, claiming that section to
be Maryland, complained that the
Pennsylvanians used him badly. The
Governor ot Maryland says allowance
must be made for Diggs, because he
is a Catholic and is opposed to the
Government Diggs replying to the
charge, that he is a troublesome per
son says, that by a Maryland warrant
dated 1727, he has settled on a tract
called Diggs' choice, opposite the
Susquehanna and received a patent
in 1735. That he had his land sur-
vayed and the Dutch objected to this,

GERMAN-SWISS, IN THE PENNSYLVANIA-MARYLAND DISPUTE.

297

and he had them arrested for tres
pass. And since then a survey was
made including his land, by officers
of Pennsylvania, defying the Govern
ment ot Maryland. That a man
named Kittsmiller and others, threat
ened to shoot and kill Diggs it he did
not move away. Another witness de
clared that he heard this land was
laid out tor John Lemon, David
Young, Adam Messier, Adam Miller
and others of Pennsylvania.
Another witness declared that when
Diggs came tor his land, he found
some Germans plowing on it, Nich
olas and Adam Furney, who claimed
they owned it. Furney said he would
pay no attention to Maryland officers,
and went on plowing. Adam Furney
said that Mr. Cookson told him, if any
land officers of Maryland came, to
bind them and take them to Lancas
ter. These friends of Furney spoke
Dutch to them. The upshot was, that
Furney and his friends began to beat
and club Diggs and the Maryland of
ficers, and one of the Maryland of
ficers attempted to draw his "banger"
and Furney ran to the house to get
his gun. It seems that then the Lan
caster County authorities took an ax
and tried to use it on the Diggs
party. The battle finally ended by
the Maryland parties taking their
band spikes and giving the Pennsyl
vania party a chase.
On the other side Herman Upde-
graff, being a Quaker, said that 5
years ago he tried to buy a piece ot
land from Diggs' at Conewago. He
said the tract lay north of the Penn
sylvania line. Then too the deposi
tion of Adam Furney was taken on
the dispute. He lived at Conewago,
and he said that he and several other
Germans had agreed to purchase
some land of John Diggs, lying at
Conewago, and they found that Diggs
land was of great extent there, that
Diggs claimed he had 14,000 acres

there. This excited the Germans as
they knew it included their land.
Page 709 of the above stated rec
ord, the case between the Germans
and Diggs at Conewago is set out
showing the difficulties of our people
at that place. It there appears that
the temporary Pennsylvania-Maryland
line was furnished in May 1739, and
as soon as it was run many Germans
took out warrants for land, from the
Pennsylvania authorities, lying north
of that line at the Little Conewago,
over the Susquehanna, adjoining the
tract claimed by Diggs. This Diggs
tract was found to be wholly in Penn
sylvania and surrounded by lands
these Germans took up and paid for.
These' Germans did not interfere
with Diggs; but asked him to mark
his line so they could locate their
land, and then he threatened them
not to come near his place, etc. He
warned them that their surveys were
not good, as all that was Maryland
property, etc. Then in 1743 Diggs
applied to Pennsylvania to get as
much land as would make his tract a
regular square, and that this would
take 1,000 acres. He was told he
could have land at the same price the
Germans were paying; but he could
not interfere with their land. But he
disregarded this and asserted title
right over the German's land. See
these confiicts fully discussed in Vol.
1, Pennsylvania Archives pp. 692 to
713. 174G_Ship Records of This Year.
During this year we find two ship
loads of these German-Swiss people.
Among the common Lancaster
County names we find the following:
Three Bohns — 2 Kauffmans — 2
Reinharts — 2 Zimmermans and 2 Mil
lers. We find one each of the following:
Beck, Herman, Pieffer, Reith, Sny
der, Thomas and Wagner.

298

HANS BURKHOLDER'S LETTERS AND LABORS.

These people oame over in the -Ship
"Ann Galley," William Wilson Master
— Ship "Neptune," Thomas Wilkinson
Master. 1747 — More Labors of Hans Burk
holder.
Among the "Dutch Copies" in the
Pennsylvania Historical Society at
Philadelphia is a letter ot Hans Burk
holder, which is No. 1510 among the
said paper, and is as follows:
Heroltzheim, March 16, 1747.
Johannes Deknatel:
Much loved and worthy friend and
brother in Christ Jesus, together with
other fellow workers of our congre
gation in Amsterdam. May your
Honor be blessed now in time and
hereafter in the blessed eternity.
Amen. Very dear friend. I cannot in Chris
tian love refrain from once more
making known to you our hard con
dition regarding the marriage of our
children, as also concerning the
burial of the dead. We are not per
mitted to bury them in certain
places without great expense. But
we do not wish to make too much of
this as we desire to attend to our own
burials when it can be done elsewhere
and so do not make much more of
this. But concerning the marriage of
our children that is very trying for
us that no one will accept any one
from a common or middle class fam
ily as they do not wish to increase
the number of poor grave lots.
When, however, the parents have
died or the housekeeping has been
broken up (as I also have done my
self) a boy can be brought into the
father's place only with great labor
and expense; for then a certificate
must be procured from the mayor
and other proper officials with which
one enters on the office and duties of
a father. And then the subordinate
office directs one to the superior

bailiwick, who directs the person to
the high electoral government which
sends him to the exchequer to a
clergyman of the church, who must
pass his judgment about it, and so he
all the time has his hand in his
pocket and by the time he has fin
ished it costs much money as well as
labor, and often it is a quarter of a
year or even a half a year, before he
can come to the end. Now if your
honor could give us good advice in
this matter, we would be very glad.
Among those who cannot help them
selves the poverty is very great. If
things cannot be changed, we fear a
falling off in the congregation among
the young people. God will, however,
cause all this to work for good and
graciously assist us.
As concerns myself, I grow from
time to time more decrepit and infirm
in my body with tremblings and
weakness and my calling and service
become more and more a burden and
yet at Easter I administered to five
congregations, the Holy Communion,
and had to travel three or tour hours,
which was very fatiguing to me. I
hope with Paul, soon to lay down this
tabernacle and to obtain a better,
which I greatly desire. If, your
Honor, is not fully opposed to me as
heretofore seen, I hope your Honor
will pity me, and grant me graciously,
your Christian support and contribu
tion, as you deem proper, and be to
me a cordial friend in my old days. I
hope the great God will again richly
recompense you for^all. Wherewith I
close for the present and .remain with
friendly greeting and recommenda
tion to God's protection, your affec
tionate friend and brother in Christ
Jesus, HANS BURKHOLDER.
Beloved and worthy friend, I have
just learned with great astonishment
that some of our friends from Ober-
Ptalz (in the Palatinate) wish, in

DISEASE AND HORRORS ON SHIPBOARD.

299'

these dangerous and difficult times, to
set out on the journey to Pennsyl
vania. " If your Honor would only give
us your advice as to what is to be
done under the circumstances about
this journey we would thank you. I
await an early answer. Adieu.
HANS BURKHOLDER.
1747 — Infected Germans AVere Com
pelled to Submit to Examination
Before a Ship Doctor.
This year, the ship Vernon, from
Rotterdam, arrived in Philadelphia
with foreigners from Switzerland and
the Palatinate. Captain Ricks, com
mander, reported he had on board a
great number of these people, and
asked an order to be given to two
doctors to examine the health of his
passengers. The ship landed quite a
distance below Philadelphia. It could
not come up to the city, and unload
passengers in the city, until the exam
ination w-as made. The Council sent
Dr. Graeme and Dr. Bond to examine
them; and gave them authority to de
cide whether they should be allowed
to land or not (See Vol. 5. Col. Rec.
p. 100).
¦When- we turn to the list of passen
gers who came in this ship, (p. 256
of the Sec. Ser. of Pa. Vol. 17), we
find among the names, Christopher
Barr, Jacob Lesher, Abram Punk,
Samuel Witmer, Rudolph Huber, Fred
Wertz, Michael Eiselman, Jacob
Shavely, Peter Bowman and Henry
George Schar and others. This en
ables us to determine that they were
likely persons who were destined to
settle in Lancaster County.
1747— Ship Records of This Year.
During this year we find five ship
loads of these German Swiss people
coming into this country.
¦Among the common Lancaster
County names we find the following:
Two Arnolds — 3 Beyers — 2 Becks —
2 Eberhards— 2 Freys — 3 Prantzs — 3

Hoffmans— 4 Hermans— 2 Hubers — 2
Kaspars — 2 Lantzs— 3 Myers — 2 Mil
lers — 2 Rohrers— 3 Snyders — 4 Smiths
—4 Wagners— 2 Wises and 2 Wengers.
We also find one each of the fol
lowing: Adams, Alleman, Bowman, Bau
man, Buck, Fox, Hahn, Kline, Kurtz,
Kauffman, Lesher, Lutz, Mosser, Pief
fer, Roth, Reith, Roop, Reese, Shaef
fer, Steinmetz, Streiker, Wolfe, Weid-
ner, Witmer, Young and Ziegler.
They oame in the ship "Billander,"
Thomas Ricks master — "Lydia," Wil
liam Tiffin master — "Restauration,"
James Hall master — "Two Brothers,"
Thomas Arnott master, and  .
This last ship seems to be unknown.
1748— Ship Records of This Year.
During this year we find six ship
loads of these German Swiss people
coming to this country.
Among the common Lancaster
County names we find the following:
Three Adams — 3 Diehls— 3 Myers—
2 Millers— 2 Smiths— 4 Steins and 2
Wagners. Also one each of the following:
Antes, Brown, Eberhard, Foltz, Ger
hart, Gtove, Hoffman, Hartman, Hel
ler, HoIIinger, Keller, Hensel, Kline,
Metzler, Mann, Moore, Shoemaker,
Stauffer, Stout, Weber and Wolf.
They came in the ship "Edinburgh,"
James Russell master — "Hampshire,"
Thomas Cheeseman master — "Mary
Galley," George Lawson master —
"Two Brothers," Thomas Arnatt mas
ter — "Patience," John Brown master
— "Patience and Margaret," John
Povan, master.
1748— Crowds of These German Swiss
People Emigrating, Taxes Holland's
Resources.
It is related by Muller (p. 365) that
the number of emigrants coming from
the Palatinate, (but originally from
Switzerland and other sections), has
greatly increased in late years. A

300

SHIP RECORDS AND SHIP PASSAGE HORRORS.

commission ot the Mennonite breth
ren in or near Amsterdam, was doing
all they possibly could to aid these
emigrants to Pennsylvania. As these
emigrants became more numerous
the commission was compelled to
cease its financial aid. About 1732
there had arrived at Rotterdam more
than 3000 inhabitants of the Palati
nate, amon.g whom, of course, there
were some Reformed and some Luth
erans. A portion of these founded
the congregation lat Skippack (Sche-
bach), Montgomery County, Pennsyl
vania. By the year 1748 they had
thrived so far in their new home, as
to own a paper mill and printing of
fice. Miiller also tells us (p. 369) that
this year some of these people who
had emigrated, had settled at Hill-
town, in Pennsylvania, and among
them were Christian Lederich who
came in 1747 and Valentine Hun
secker in 1748.
1748— Horrors of Overloading These
Poor Germans and Swiss Settlers
in Small Vessels.
As the rush of the Germans to
Pennsylvania became more numerous
about this time, the owners of the
vessels began packing them away in
places entirely unfit for them, so that
a great deal of sickness broke out. We
shall see that in a year or two, a law
was passed to prevent this. Henry P.
Pairchild has written up this subject
in a thorough manner, in a work
called "Immigration in the Early
Days." It was published by McMillan
& Co. and gives a great deal of infor
mation concerning the horrible con
dition that existed.
Not only had these Germans be
come so numerous as to be the main
¦civilizing factor In Pennsylvania
shortly before and about 1750; but we
must remember that as Barclay says,
of George Fox, the founder of the
Quakers, "We, are compelled to view
him as the unconscious exponent of

the doctrine, practice and discipline
I of the ancient and stricter party of
the Dutch Mennonites." (See Barc
lay's Religious Societies ot the Com
monwealth p. 77).
To this thought, ex-Governor Pen
nypacker adds that "To the spread ot
Mennonite preachings in England, we
therefore owe the origin of the
Quaker and the settlement of Pennsyl
vania.'' (See Pennypacker's Settle
ment of Germantown, p. 66).
It is no small honor to the Menno
nite to have the credit of being the
real founder of the province (and
now the great Commonwealth) of
Pennsylvania back of William Penn,
whose lives and characters, as Penn
viewed them, when he visited them
along the Rhine Valley, which gave
rise in his mind to the "Holy Experi
ment" and made him the father ot
Pennsylvania, that he was, and is held
to be, to this date. As William Penn
made Pennsylvania, so the ancient
Mennonite Brethren in reality, made
William Penn.
1748— Martyr's Mirror Published at
Ephrata.
About this year, the German Breth
ren in and about Ephrata, who about
25 years ago, had left the Conestoga
settlement and became a religious
sect of their own (existing down to
this day, and known as the Seventh
Day Baptists), had attained such pro
ficiency and skill, and such intellec
tual ability, so as to be able to pub
lish Tielman, Van Braght's Book of
Martyrs or Martyr's Mirror in Ger
man, being a work of about 1400
pages, according to the type of that
time, A large edition was published
running into the hundreds at least
This shows not so much the intellec
tual advancement to which the
"brethren" had attained at that time
(even though the book had to be
translated from Dutch to German),
but more particularly the mechanical

GERMAN-SWISS GO INTO POLITICS.

301

skill and the ingenuity attained, by |
these people, in making presses and
in procuring type of a superior char
acter, so as to print that great work.
ilany copies of the Mirror, which they
printed, still extant, attest the early
capacity and skill of these people.
Inasmuch as the "Chronicon Eph
ratense" gives a minute detail of the
lives and ways ot these people and
their history, I will not insert any of
it in these annals. According to
Kuhns, it took 15 men three years to
complete this task.
1749 — German-Swiss First Political
Efforts in Lancaster County
As soon as King George's War was
ended, there was leisure in the Brit
ish Empire for attention to local poli
tics again. Factional contests began
in earnest in Lancaster County and
were made more intense, because the
German-Swiss-Quaker alliance against
the Scotch-Irish was now an estab
lished condition here. The German-
Swiss now took part in earnest.
There was a keen flght tor Assem
blyman in 1749 in Lancaster County,
between James Webb and Peter Wor-
rall. Worrall was the popular hotel
keeper on West King Street in Lan
caster Borough and Webb a promi
nent politician in Lancaster Township
(See 3rd Series Penna. Arch. Vol. 17,
pp. 83, 170 and 346). Both were mem
bers of the Assembly in 1748. Webb
was English ; had just flnished build
ing the stone work of the new jail and
was close to the English and Scotch-
Irish Lancaster County politicians.
Peter Worrall was "Dutch" (German)
very widely known and very popular
as the principal hotel man in the
county. So the "Dutch" or Germans threw
their strength to Worrall and re
elected him. Webb was defeated and
charged fraud and contested Wor-
rall's election 'before the Assembly.

Webb in his petition to the Assem
bly set forth that at the late election
there were gross frauds whereby he,
was not elected; that the good people-
thereby are defeated ot their privi
lege. Many ot the voters in the Coun
ty also joined in a petition setting
forth that at the late election the peo
ple crowded in a body and that they
stuck their tickets in the end of
cloven sticks, and committed other
frauds; that tickets were put in by
boys; that many voted several times;
that the number of votes received
was more than double the number of
the people who were present; that the
officers did not put any on oath or call
for any tests. By reason of all this
they pray the election to be declared
void. (4 Votes of Assembly pp. 117-
18). November 22, the Assembly took
the case up and heard many wit
nesses. The testimony was that the
election was tumultuous, that no reg
ular list could be taken of the voters'
names; that votes by proxy were al
lowed; that illegal votes were re
ceived by inspectors especially by
Christian Herr an inspector; votes
from minors received that persons-
not legally chosen inspectors re
ceived votes as inspectors, that many
people voted three, four, flve and even
ten times; that one of the candidates
(Worrall) who is returned as elected
encouraged giving in more than one
vote by the same person, that the-
number of voters attending did not
exceed 1000, though the tickets found
in the box were more than 2300 (4 V..
p. 122 and Rupp p. 299).
Counsel tor the petitioners exam
ined more witnesses the next day.
Then Counsel for the Sheriff and in
spectors examined witnesses. These
are objected to because they are in
terested witnesses.
The defense was that only two
tickets were taken by proxy, by the
owners of the tickets were in view,.

302 GERMAN-SWISS AND LANCASTER CO. ELECTION TUMULT OP 1749.

that tickets were taken from minors
to get rid ot them, but they were not
put in the box, that those elected in
spectors soon after starting in were
pulled away from their tables and
that the number of voters present -was
as great as the number of votes cast
(4 V. p. 123). The case went over to
1750, and Jan. 2nd the Assembly re
sumed considering it (4 V. p. 126).
Several witnesses were heard the next
day and the list of taxables of Lan
caster County was produced showing
there were 4598 to show there was no
duplication in voting or repeating (4
V. p. 126). The next day the case was
up again and the representative who
was charged with encouraging plural
ity of votes in favor of himself on his
oath purged himself and also by wit
nesses supported the same (Do. p.
127). .January 5th, a vote was taken on
the question of issuing a writ for a
new election because the other one
was fraud; but it was voted down and
the, election was adjudged good and
regular (Do, 127).
The next day Jan. 6th the Sheriff
of Lancaster County was called in and
admonished that though the proofs
were not sufficient to throw out the
members returned the method of
managing the election in Lancaster
County was very irregular and he was
warned that hereafter the names of
those for Assembly must be on one
ballot, those for Sheriff on another
and those for Coroner on another,
those tor Assessors on another and
those for Commissioners on another,
and not all on one ballot as has been
the custom in Lancaster County; that
inspectors must be more particular in
the choice of clerks and choose only
such as excessive drinking will not,
as heretofore, disable them from act
ing; that the Sheriff must hereafter
call for the list of voters and have the
tally taken and preserve the tallies;

care must be taken to prevent tumult
and disorders by placing constables
at the doors; that the fraud of re
peating must be suppressed (4 V. pp.
127 and 128). After all this the Sheriff
had the "cheek" to present a bill of
£20 for his expenses in defending his
suspicious and crooked proceeding,
(4 V. p. 142).
No comment is necessary upon the
extraordinary election of 1749 in the
County, except to notice that Chris
tian Herr being appointed out as one
of the chief defiers of the law, it may
be reasonably inferred that the Ger
mans had control of the election and
that their friends the Quakers coun
selled them.
We may conclude too that they
knew their case would not suffer in
review before the Assembly in the
hands of their friends in that body, a
large majority of whom were Quak
ers. 1749— Ship Records of This Year.
During this year we have twenty-
one ship loads of these German-Swiss
people. Among these ship loads of German-
Swiss^ people, we find the common
Lancaster County names:
2- Adams — 5 Appels — 2 Bernharts —
5 Brunners — 6 Becks — 12 Beckers—
3 Bauers — 4 Benders — 2 Browns — 2
Burkharts — 4 Benners — 8 Conrads— z
Diehls — 6 Eckerts — 6 Fishers — 2
Frant— 2 Franks — 5 Foxes— 16 Hoff
mans — 2 Hertzlers — 4 Hasslers — 7
Hubers — 3 ¦ Hausers — 2 Hellars — 5
Hartmans — 4 Hasses — 14 Hesses— 4
Hahns — 2 Hagers — 4 Isemans — 2 ,Ta-
cobys — 13 Klines — 3 Konigs — 7 Kel
lers — 2 Kramers — 4 Kaucmans — 3
Kuhns — 3 Kurtzes — 5 Longs — 2 Len-
liarts— 9 Lutzes— 9 jfarkles- 2 Mess-
ners— 41 Millers — 12 Meyers— 2 Ma-
gees — 22 Schaeffers— 25 Snyders— 2
Stauffers— 2 Shumakers— 2 Snavelys—
2 Shumans— 5 Schieds— 3 Sprengers—

SHIP RECORDS OP 1749.

303

4 Shermans — 4 Smeltzes — 2 Steiger-
walts — 6 Wolfes — 31 Wagners — 19
Webers — 10 Wises — 2 Wanamakers —
2 Workmans — 10 Weitzels — 2 Yosts—
2 Yaegets — 11 Youngs — 3 Zieglers and
4 Zimmermans. Also one each of the following Lan
caster County names :
Arndt — Albert — Albright — Berg
er — Brant — ¦ Baer — Barr — Bow
man — Buchman — Christian — Care
— Detweiler — Dellinger — Derr —
Dietz -<- Eshleman — Erb — Bberhart
— Ernst — Eckman — Fritz — Foltz
— Frantz — Frey — - Hummel — Hersh
— Herr — Herman — Herman —
Hetrick — Kiehl — Kessler — Kern
— Kramer — Kieffer — Kraus —
Krantz — Lambert — Lehman —
Lanyz — Ludwig — Morris — Martin
— Mann — Marshall — Pieffer —
Pfoutz — Peters — Rohrh — Roth —
Richer — Reinhart — Schwartz —
Simon — ¦ Schaeffer — Switzer —
Singer — Stump — Steiger — Smeltz
— Stein — Steinmetz — Seitz —
Stauffer — Shock — Spangler —
Thomas — Tshudy — Vogel — Wiss-
ner — Waters — Witmer — Widmyer
— Walker — Warfel — Weidner —
Walters — Zertoss and Zwally.
They came over in the ship "Elliot"
James Adams master — "Chesterfield"
Thomas Coatam master — ¦ "Albany"
Robert Brown master — "St. Andrew"
James Abercrombie master — "Priscil-
la" Wm. Muir master — "Christian"
Thomas Brady master — "Two Broth
ers" — Thomas Arndt master — "Edin-
burg" James Russell master — "Phoe
nix" John Mason master — "Patience"
Hugh Steele master — "Speedwell"
James Creagh master — "Ranier" Hen
ry Browning master — ¦ "Dragon"
George Spencer master — "Isaac" Rob
ert Mitchell master — "Ann" John
Spurrier master — "Jacob" Adolph
DeGrove master — "Leslie" J. Ballen-
dine master — "Lydia" John Randolph
master — "Dragon" Daniel Nicholas

master — "Pane" Wm. Hyndman mas
ter and "Show Good Intent" with Ben
jamin Boswell as master.
It will be observed from the above
records, that these Germans were
coming in great hordes now. They
were nearly all poor Germans at this
time. The Swiss immigration had
practically been ended a few years
earlier. This is a period when the
Germans began to push to the front,
as leaders in other lines, besides agri
culture in the County of Lancaster,
and we shall observe from now on,
(true to their nature), having once
become accustomed to these matters,
have never ceased, but paid every In
creasing attention to the subject. In
the last preceding item their political
activity fully appears.
1749 — More Contagious Disease Among
German Immigrants — Its Treatment.
At a Council held Sept. 11, this year
at Philadelphia, the subject of con
tagion among our German ancestors
was discussed again. The minutes (5
Col. Rec. 410) of the discussion, are
as follows:
"The Governor having order'd Doc
tor Groeme and Doctor Thomas Bond
to visit the Ship Francis and Eliza
beth, arriv'd in the Cove below the
City with Palatines on board from
Rotterdam, and they having reported
that she was an unhealthy Vessel,
several ot the Passengers labouring
under an eruptive fever which they
were of opinion was infectious, he had
order'd the Trustees of the Province
Island to attend the Council to be in-
form'd of the Condition of the Pest
House and what conveniences there
were or might soon be made for the
reception and care of the Sick; and
the Trustees accordingly attending,
together with the Doctors, it appear'd
on examination that the Place was in
great Disorder, and that tor want -of
room. Household Furniture, and suit-

304

LAW TO PREVENT CROWDING PALATINE SHIPS.

able Apartments, the Sick cou'd be
but indifferently taken care of, yet
there being a necessity of immediate
ly landing the infected the Trustees
promis'd to put the Rooms into the
best order they cou'd and to build
some slight out Houses that might
serve the present Occasion; where
upon the Captain of the Ship Francis
and Elizabeth was serv'd with an or
der from the Governor to remove his
Vessel to the Mouth of Schuylkill, as
near to the Pest House as he cou'd
conveniently lye, to send there all the
sick and keep the well on board, and
not to suffer any Persons to go near
them except the Doctors, Necessary
Nurses, and Servants."
1750 — Law to Prevent Crowding Ger
man Immigrants in Unhealthy
Ships.
In prior articles, we have noticed,
that the greedy ship owners, began
to overcrowd immigrants into their
ships for the purpose of making
money. This became so bad that the
Philadelphia merchants began to ob
ject to these passengers being treat
ed in this way and exposed to dis
ease and, they brought it to the at
tention of the Assembly in 1749, as
may be seen in Vol. 4 Votes of As
sembly, p. 121. Conditions became so
bad, that citizens began to petition
the Assembly to prevent sick and
diseased passengers from being im
ported. (Do. 178).
It was further contended, when
the reason for this condition be
came known that not more than a
certain number of these immigrants,
depending upon the size of the ves
sel, shall be put on a vessel, and a
bill was drawn for that purpose (Do.
132). This bill was granted in the
Assembly (Do. 133). The Council of
Pennsylvania, the higher legislative
body in the Province, also took a
hand in the matter. The Governor

also became interested. Among other
things, he said that the provisions of
the new bill ought to make consid
erable amendment, while the law
should be stronger to prevent these
evils. While the Council was debat
ing it, the Assembly agreed to cer
tain amendments and asked a joint
committee on the subject, so that the
Act be sufficiently strong. (5 Col.
Rec. 427). The result was that on
Jan. 27th, 1750, the Statute was
passed, which is found in Vol. 5
Statutes at Large, p. 94, which sets
forth that it has been the practice
for masters and owners of the ves
sels, trading in this province, to im
port so great a number of Germans
in one vessel, that through want of
room and accommodations they con
tracted mortal and contagious dis
eases, which have caused not only
the death of great numbers ot pas
sengers; but infected those that have
arrived, who when they landed,
spread the disease. The Act then
provided, that no vessel bound to
Philadelphia or elsewhere in this
province, shall import into Delaware
River, or any port in the Province ot
Pennsylvania, a greater number ot
passengers in a vessel, than such as
may be well provided with good
wholesome meat and drink and nec
essaries; and have room for single
passengers of the age of over 14
years, 6 ft. in length and 1 ft. 6 in.
in width, and if under 14, to contain
the same length and width for every
two passengers. Upon failure to
comply with this Act, the parties
were to be fined 10 pounds tor each
violation. Further, the Act provided, that the
ship owners must know the condition
and circumstances ot all the passen
gers, and inquire whether the officers
of the ship have provided them with
such room and necessaries, as this
.4.ct provides. The law further pro-

MITTELBERGER, ON SEA VOYAGE HORRORS.

305

vided, that if master or officer ot the
ship, had passengers that die on the
way, leaving goods behind, that the
vessel within twenty days after ar
rival, or after the death, should pre
sent a true inventory of the goods,
out of which the costs of passage
were to be taken, and the remainder
should be given to some person for
the benefit ot the wife or children of
the deceased. This Act the Govern
ment of Great Britain approved May
13th, 1751.
1750 — Gottlieb Mittelberger Tells of
the Sufferings of These Germans.
We have another authority upon
the condition under which these Ger
mans had to live while crossing the
ocean, in the writings of Gottlieb
Mittelberger, who journeyed to
Pennsylvania in 1750, and knew and
experienced personally some of these
conditions. His writings contain his
experience in coming over and of his
visit through this section of Pennsyl
vania. This we find in a small book
in the Historical Society of Pennsyl
vania at Philadelphia, marked Vg. 33.
Among other things he relates the
state and unfortunate conditions of
these Germans who immigrated.
Mittelberger was the organist at
the Lutheran Church at Trappe. He
says May 1, 1750, he set out from
Enzwehingen, Vaihingen Co., for
Heilbronn, where an organ was
ready to be shipped to Pennsylvania
—that he sailed with the organ
down the Necker and Rhine to Rot
terdam, with 400 persons, Wurten-
bergs (Durlach) Palatines, and
Swiss to Cowes in England. Finally
he landed at Philadelphia, Oct. 10,
1750. He then says the reason for
publishing this book is the grevious
conditions of those who traveled
from Germany, and the outrageous
proceedings of the "Dutch Man Deal
ers" and other man dealing emissar

ies — that the journey from Germany
to Pennsylvania is 1700 trench miles,
and that you pass 36 custom houses
going down the Rhine. He proceeds
and says, that it takes 6 weeks to go
down the Rhine alone — that if a
woman should die in child birth, that
the dead mother and the living child
are both thrown into the sea to
gether — that 32 children died on the
ship that he was on — that every year
20 to 25 ship loads ot Germans and
Swiss come to Pennsylvania — that in
the last 4 years, 25,000 people came —
that on his way to America a large
shark was caught and when he was
brought on the vessel and cut open,
a whole man was found in him with
boots and silver buckles on. He says
that a trip from Durloch to Holland
in open sea, takes 200 hours and
often from May to October to cross
the ocean — that sickness on board
the vessels is horrible and terrible
stench is present all the time — that
people vomit continually — suffer
from dysentery, headache, scurvey,
cancer, mouth rot, the latter coming
from old sharply salted food and foul
water — that besides that, they are af
fiicted with damp, heat, hunger and
want — that the lice are so thick they
can be scraped off — that when a gale
rages for two or three nights, misery
is at its height, people cry and pray
most pitiously — the healthy ones get
cruel and curse and some time kill
one another — ^that a woman in child
birth (because of no physician pres
ent, it was thought she would die),
was pushed right into the sea — ^that
children from 1 to 7 years nearly all
died from hunger and thirst and itch.
1750 — Gottlieb Mittelberger's De
scription of the German Suffer
ings (Continued).
As to the food he says it is dirty
and that the passengers get warm
food only three times" a week — that

306

MITTELBERGER, ON SEA VOYAGE HORRORS (Continued) .

the water is black and full of worms
— the biscuits are full of red worms
and spiders' nests, and finally, that
when the passengers land, they are
barely able to walk and just creep
from the deck, and when they reach
the ground they weep for joy and
pray and praise God.
He goes on to say that when the
cargo is landed at Philadelphia, only
those who can pay their passage can
leave the ship^ — the others are sold —
they often stay two or three weeks
before any one will buy them and
during this time, a good many die.
As to the cost of the journey from
Rotterdam to Philadelphia he says it
is 10 pounds or 60 fiorins — children
5 to 10 years old go at one-half price
— cost from his home to Rotterdam,
40 florins.
He then tells about how the pas
sengers are sold, and tells that it
begins in a market on board the ship.
That every day the English, Dutch
and the High Germans come from
the city of Philadelphia and other
places, 20, 30 or 40 hours away, (1
hour means 4 miles) and go on
board the ship and select and bar
gain, the adults agreeing to serve
three, four or flve years for the
amount that is due; but young chil
dren serve ten to 15 years until they
are 21 as a rule. He says that many
parents must sell and trade their
children like cattle, for this will
free them of their passage money. A
woman must stand good for her hus
band's passage, if he should arrive
sick. If the passenger dies when he
is half way over, or more than half,
the other members of his family
must pay for him; but If he dies less
than half way, he goes free.
Mittelberger then tells of some of
the customs in his day in Pennsyl
vania among the Germans and what
he learned g,bout Philadelphia. As
to Philadelphia in 1750 he says. It

takes 1 day to walk around the town
— that there are 300 new houses
built every year — that there are 8
churches, three English, 3 German, 1
Swede and 1 Quaker — ^that the lan
guage is German and English. Then
as to Pennsylvania he says (p. 57)
that this is a very populous prov
ince inhabited far and wide — that
there are new towns here, such as
Germantown, Lancaster, Rittengs-
town (Reading). As to country wed
dings and funerals, as many as 400
and 500 come on horseback — neigh
bors give warning as far as 50 miles
In 24 hours and give notice to peo
ple to come to funerals — that while
coming in, good cake is handed all
and a goblet ot hot West India rum
punch into which lemon, sugar and
juniper berries are put— and sweet
cider is drunk — that the coffins are
made of walnut stained brown and
varnished — 4 brass handles are on
them — and if a young man dies, 4
maidens carry him, and it a maiden
dies, 4 unmarried men carry her. He
said that the German Lutheran
preacher in Lancaster at that time
was Mr. Garack — there are no beg
gars in Pennsylvania — that on the
first Sunday of May all make merry,
those born in America deck them
selves like Indians and no one else
is allowed to do that. He states at
that time there were pipe organs in
Pennsylvania, namely in Philadel
phia, Germantown, Providence and
New Hanover and Tulpehocken and
Lancaster, — and that they were all
shipped into this country in the last
4 years. Speaking about the people he says
an English servant woman in Phila
delphia is as elegantly dressed as an
aristocratic lady in Germany — Eng
lish ladles are very beautiful and
wear their hair cut short or frizzled.
Speaking of the development of
the country he says: in one day's

GERJIAN-SWISS POLITICAL ACTIVITY.

307

journeying from Philadelphia, you
come into wild, uncleared land; but
there are three great roads — one
from Philadelphia to Delaware and
Frankfort, one to Germantown and
Reading; and one to Lancaster.
This ancient minister and musician
says considerable more in his book;
but we have quite enough to give us
a general idea of the conditions of
the German sections of Pennsylvania
at this time.
1750 — G.erman-Swiss in Political .Vf-
fairs.
In Vol. 4, Votes of Assembly, p.
153, it is stated that this year a great
multitude of people, mostly Germans,
came upon the regular election of
ficers at York and with sticks and
billets of wood, drove them away, and
broke the windows about the place of
holding the election; threw brick
bats and took the ballot box away
and held the election themselves.
This seems to indicate that the Ger
mans were determined that they
would see that justice was done at
the elections and they employed the
methods of getting control, that were
used by all parties during these
times, brute force. There was a sim
ilar clash somewhat earlier in Penn
sylvania. Account of this appears in
a prior article of these annals. It
appears that this was a regular elec
tion riot between the Irish and Eng
lish and the Germans. The case
came up before the authorities and
among others, Benjamin Swope gave
his deposition, which appears in Vol.
two, 1st ser. of Pa. Archives, p. 51. His
deposition is in substance as follows:
That the election was begun and car
ried on by the Sheriff, in a peaceable
manner, about one hour and one-half,
and then the riot began and the Sher
iff went out and quieted the people
and then he returned. Then five or
six men ot the neighborhood ot
Marsh Creek came with clubs and

another riot happened and the Sher
iff tried to quell it; but he was afraid
of getting hurt — that there was fight
ing among the people, several were
knocked down— but at last the Dutch
prevailed and came in a body to the
number of 150 all around the house
where the election was held, and the
Sheriff went out the third time to
quell the tumult — the election was
stopped and the ballot box was
locked up by the Sheriff before he
went out. When the Sheriff returned
the box was put on a table and he
was asked whether he would not go
on with the election. He said when
the tumult was over a little he would
go on but not at present The Sheriff
told the people if they would be quiet
the election would be opened by him;
but the people behaved in a disorder
ly manner and threatened in the Ger
man language, if their tickets were
not taken immediately, they would
break open the door. The Sheriff all
this time was walking about the
house in great fear and his friends
advised him to go on with the elec
tion at once, or otherwise the people
would break in. The Sheriff said he
would not go -on with the election
that night. Then Benjamin Swope
went and told the people in Dutch
language that they might as well go
home, there would be no election that
night. The Dutch answered, that they
had as good a right to vote as the
others that voted, and they would
vote and they began to tear down the
windows, broke down the door and
behaved disorderly. Then Swope
tried to get the Sheriff to go on with
the election, that he would surely be
killed it he refused; but he said he
would take the box into a private
room and count the ballot Swope
said he would not be present at the
reading of these tickets; because
there was only one-half of the tickets
taken in that were there ready to be
voted. -Swope went out to quell the

308

RIOTOUS GERMANS AT ELECTION OP 1750.

people and when he came back the
Sheriff was gone. Then the Coroner
got up on the table and sat on the
box, which was locked, and proposed
to go on with the election; but it was
decided the Sheriff must be sent for.
By the time they sent for the Sheriff
he was seen coming through the
woods; but the people would not let
him come in. Then two of the com
pany went to get the Sheriff and he
said he would not come. Then a man
by the name of Nicholas Ryland said
he would go on with the election and
they got another ballot box and three
more Judges and two Clerks were
sworn in. Then the election went on
and was carried on until dark of the
evening, and it was again proposed to
send for the Sheriff and read the
tickets in his presence ; 'but the party
that went for him said he was tired
and he went home. Finally they
started in reading the tickets and
found the ticket box was in the hands
of three parties, not regular officers
and none of the inspectors were pres
ent. They read the tickets in both
the boxes.
This gives us again a pretty good
idea of the manner in which the elec
tions were held in those early days.
That is, they were not always tu
multuous like the one just mentioned.
They were quite frequently disorder
ly, drink was sold and a good many
persons got drunk. There was a
great deal of fighting and intimida
tion. We close this incident by saying
that not only did the Germans who
v/ere refused, cast their vote, but they
succeeded and won at the election.
These outrageous proceedings are
also reported in 5 Col. Rec, -p. 468,
where it is set forth that Hans Ham
ilton, Sheriff of York Co., instead of
presenting a return of election, pre
sented a petition, to the Council for
the Province, setting forth in sub
stance, that he was by violence.

driven from the place of election and
prevented from returning and it was
not within his power to preside and
do his duty; therefore, he could make
no return of the election. He had
several of his neighbors with him at
Philadelphia, where the Council sat,
and they were called in and exam
ined and gave their testimony con
cerning this matter, and Council ad
journed the case until Monday and
heard some witnesses. Just what de
termination the Council came to is
not shown.
The proceedings are also noted in
5 Haz. Reg., p. 114, and there it is set
forth that the Sheriff had 6 of the
free holders give their testimony as
to the persons that voted during the
elections, and drew up a certificate
which they signed.
The Germans gave the following
explanation of their conduct to the
Governor, as appears in Haz. Reg.
namely: The Sheriff did not open the
polls until 2 o'clock, at which time
the Marsh people assembled armed,
surrounded the windows and would
not let the Dutch people vote — ^that
thereupon the Dutch people, being
the most numerous, broke into the
Court House and the Sheriff and the
regular inspectors escaped out of the
back window — that they invited the
Sheriff to come back and he refused
— that the Coroner took the Sheriff's
place and proceeded to take their
tickets — that when the election was
over, the Sheriff was invited to come
back to the place, and he refused, and
therefore, the election went on with
out him.
1750 — German Politics in Lancaster
Borough.
About the year 1750, according to
Hon. W. U. Hensel's address made at
the time of the celebration of a cen
tennial event in connection with the
Old Trinity Church in 1911, (which
address appears in the New Bra of
May 18th, 1911), the Germans took a

GER.MAN INFLUENCE IN LANCASTER BOROUGH GOVERNMENT.

309

lively part in political affairs in the
Management of our Borough. Hen
sel said among other things, "160
years ago, the conduct of political
cam'paigns and political elections
were attended with debauchery and
controlled by demoralization, which
no party today could stand for."
About the time Handchuh's preaching
was most effective, and 250 persons
attended his Communions, there was
a considerable political revolution in
the town. Adam Simon Kuhn of this
church entered upon six year's ten
ure of the office of Chief Burgess.
Another Lutheran, Jacob Schlough,
was elected Under-Burgess, and still
another Chief Constable; four mem
bers were chosen assessors at the
same election, "more quiet and or
derly" than ever before known in the
history of the town. The pastor in
his joy over the prospect of a new
and more efficient civil administra
tion forgot the fever with which he
was breaking down. I am not pre
pared to admit, however, that the
only issue in that memorable early
municipal campaign was one of pri
vate or public morals for I flnd it
recorded by Handschuh in the "Hall-
ische Nachrichsten" that "many of
the Reformed, all of the Moravians,
all the Mennonites without excep
tion and even five or six Lutherans
who were afraid of proper town or
der and discipline, voted on the other
side. On the other side, the Episco
palians, many of the Presbyterians
and Irish Catholics, some refined
Quakers and all the Lutherans." I
apprehend it would be difficult to
make municipal platforms or select
candidates here today for or against
whom there -could be such allignment
of the voters. Adam S. Kuhn began
his term as Chief Burgess ot Lancas
ter Borough in 1750-1. He also served
1752-4 and 1755-6.

1750— Germans Intended for Halifax.
In the Pa. Gazette of May 24th,
1750, there is a news item to the ef
fect that a Boston dispatch says that
"They have advices from London
that a Regiment of Soldiers and 600
English settlers with 1500 German
settlers would be sent over this sum
mer: and that they would have a
Man of War and two ships stationed
at Halifax to protect them."
We are not able to say whether the
emigrants who were thus expected
to arrive, landed or not. The item
is interesting however; because it
shows us in addition to the natural
perils of the sea voyage, these peo
ple were compelled to run the risk
of being captured or interfered with
by military enemies of Great Britain.
1750 — Bunkers in Virginia.
According to Vol. 5 of the Colonial
Records, p. 531, there were at this
time "Dunker" settlements in that
part of Virginia now known as West
Virginia. These people were a part
of the migration of Germans and
German-Swiss into the Shenandoah
Valley from Lancaster County. In
the book and at the page stated, it
is set forth that a "Dunker" from the
colony of Virginia came to Logs-
town in the central part of Pennsyl
vania and required liberty of these
people, to settle on the Youghiougan-
ny, a branch of the Ohio in Pennsyl
vania. The Indians answered it was
not in their power to dispose of
land; that he must appeal to the
Great Council at Onandago and fur
ther that he should first be recom
mended by the Governor of Pennsyl
vania with whom all such business
must be transacted.
This gives us an idea of the early
existence of that branch, of the non
resistant German-Swiss Christian or
Mennonite that have since become so
strong and influential in our state.

310

SHIP RECORDS. GERMAN-SWISS TROUBLES.

1750 — Mueller's Discussion of Hard
ships on the Ocean.
In the historical - work, which we
have heretofore quoted of Earnest
Muellpr, p. 245, he discusses in con
siderably lengthy statements the
hardships of the German-Swiss peo
ple, in -coming across the ocean.
Taking these facts in addition to the
ones given by Mittelberger, it makes
a very interesting chapter. Mueller
gives us a pretty fair idea of why it
became such a distressing situation
and how to correct it
1750— Ship Becords of This Year.
During this year we have 14 ship
loads of German Swiss people, and
we flnd among them the following
Lancaster County names:
2 Ackermans — 2 Albrights — 2 Becks
— 2 Burkharts — 2 Bauers — 4 Beyers —
2 Bendets — 4 Beckers — 2 Bergers — 2
Conrads — 5 Poxes — 3 Preys — 3 Fish
ers — 3 Grors — 4 Gilberts — 2 Hogmans
— 5 Jacobys — 2 Jacobs — 3 Kellers — 2
Kings— 2 Longs — 22 Millers — 2 Mar
tins — 3 Meyers — 5 Peters — 5 Rein
harts— 2 Roths — 3 Rohrers— 16 Smiths
—2 Sanders— 2 Shaeffers— 11 Snyders
—2 Shultzes— 2 Steins— 3 Wolfes— 4
Wagners — 7 Wises — 5 Webers — and 8
Youngs. Also one each of the following
Lancaster County names:
Arnold — Benner — Bumgardner
— Bernhart — Bassler — Bricker —
Cooper — Dietrich — Eckert — Eb
erly — Fritz — Foltz -— Palck —
Gerlach — Gardner — Houser —
Hess — Herr — - Herman — Hensel
— Kramer — - Leinbach — - Leaman —
Lutz — Metzgar — Mast — Oberly —
Spangler — Shaffner — Shoop —
Werner — Walters — Yaegar ^ Zieg
ler and Zimmerman.
They came over in the ship "Pa
tience," Hugh Steele master — "Ben
net Galley," Wm. Wadham master —
"Edinburgh," James Russell master
— "Royal Union," Clement Nicholson

master — "Anderson," Hugh Campbell
master — "Brothers," Muir master —
"Two Brothers," Thos. Arndt master
— "Phoenix," John Mason master —
"Nancy," Thos. Cantom master —
"Prescilla," Wm. Wilson master —
"Brigantine Sally," Wm. Hassleton
master — "Osgood," Wm. Wilkle mas
ter — "Brotherhood," John Thompson
master — and "Sandwich," Hazlewood
master. 1750— Mueller on Origin of Weaver-
land District.
Earnest Mueller, historian, whom
we have mentioned so frequently,
seemed to have kept track of the
movement of the Mennonite Church
in America, and seems to have stud
ied the history of it carefully. Page
360 in his book he says in the Weav-
erland District, Christian Burkhold
er was in 1750, the flrst Bishop; and
we also flnd Martins, Zimmermans,
Webers, Wanners, Goods, Newsweng-
ers (Neiensch wander), HoIIinger,
Nornings, Gerhmann (Gaumann),
Baumans, Wengers, Liechtys, Metz-
lers, Rissers, Ebersoles, Lehmans,
Stauffers, Stricklers, Snyders,
Schipes, Kreybills (Krahenbiihl),
also among the pioneers ot that dis
trict Christian Burkholder may have
been a son or other descendant of
Hans Burkholder, whom we have
mentioned before, — a father in the
Mennonite Church in Switzerland,—
who died in 1752.
1750 — New Movement to Expel Sfl-iss
Mennonite Tenants.
Miieller in his history, p. 245, un
der the date of 1750, refers to the
movement which was inaugurated in
1730-3, to expel these "Baptists" or
non-resistents or Mennonites, from
the vicinity ot Munster (in Alsace);
but he says the movement was op
posed by the "Congregation Court,"
where about 20 of these non-resist-

SWISS EXPULSION OP NON-RESISTANTS IN 1750.

311

ent religious families lived. Then he
recites that this conflict, however,
went on and it is summed up in the
statement made to the Prince Bishop
under the date of January 17th, 1750,
which statement or representation,
was signed and joined in by leading
citizens and especially by the pastors
of the Reformed Church of St. Im-
men and of Pery. The petition or
statement recites, that the movement
to expel these people, known then as
Anabaptists, began about 20 years
ago, by those who through wanton
ness and litigousness or barretry had
been reduced in circumstances (be
came impoverished), and who hoped
by the expulsion of the Baptists to
get tenantry of the places themselves.
To counteract this, a representation
was made by the land owners to the
Prince Bishop Johann Kourad which
was favorably received. But the dis
turbance and the petition against
these people did not cease until his
Highness, in the interest of peace
finally yielded. This measure did not
benefit the petitioners; who thought
that by continually complaining to
the Bishop that the Baptists would
be expelled. But it was found that
when the Baptists or Mennonites had
gone away other tenants took their
places who were also Anabaptists or
non-resistents. ,
Then this statement made to the
Bishop (whether this means Bishop
Kourad or not, is not very plain)
proceeds and says "that now in 1750,
this same movement to expel these
people, is being undertaken again,
and it will appear as is generally the
fact, that it will affect mostly the
poor people." These petitioners, who
are urging this statement to the
Bishop, to interfere tor their sake,
want this to be prevented by a coun
ter movement. These petitioners.
then, go on to state, that the Baptists
are of great benefit to the country
and they set forth the following, as

the reasons for that opinion: In 1724
James Als Couradt (Rector) applied
for land on Conestoga near Mill
Creek (Pa. Arch., 2d Ser., Vol. 19, p.
726). "By reason ot their constant indus
try and thrift tilling the soil as well
as pursuing trades, principally as
weavers, by their simple mode of
living, by their complete avoidance
of luxury, their shunning of the
tavern and ot litigation (staying out
of Court), they are enabled to pay a
much higher rental than others."
Should the owners be compelled to
employ as tenants the people who
have squandered their own posses
sions? Can it be expected that these
would take better care of property
belonging to others than of their
own? In consequence of such a state
of affairs, the owners would have to
sell their lands to strangers. Among
those who are protesting against
strange tenants, are such who them
selves are tenants, who sell their
harvested crops to the strangers,
even to Baptists, and thereby are at
tracting them. The statement that
those to the manor born, would plant
more corn than the strange tenants,
whereby the title of the bishop
would be increased, is sophistry.
For since the great felling of trees
in the woods on the Chasseral oy
which arable lands are to be gained,
much colder weather manifested It
self on the mountains opposite, that
almost every year there are killing
frosts, ofttimes only the seed being
sowed. In spite of all these draw
backs, it has been proven that the
tithe has been increased since the
presence of the Baptists (P. A.).
And, indeed, we now hear no more
of that peculiar social policy of the
congregation (or communities).
From this we can see that these
non-resistant people did not need to
flght their battles alone ; but that they
had also good and influential friends

312

SHIP RECORDS. CHRISTIAN BURKHOLDER'S LETTER.

in other churches, and among people
who did not belong to their faith.
This gives us the information, that
while the extreme measure of torture
we have noted as happening in
earlier days in these annals, were
past; yet the non-resistent. Anabap
tists, were compelled continually to
look out for their interests and to
make every effort by all possible
means, that they could, to secure
anything like even the meagerest
personal liberty.
1751— Ship Eecords of This Year.
In the year 1751 we have flfteen
(15) ship records of these early set
tlers, coming into United States.
Among the common Lancaster
County names we have the following:
Two Arnolds — 2 Adams — 2 Becks —
3 Benders — 3 Bernharts — 3 Burkharts
— 2 Baumans — 3 Ehrharts — 3 Bber-
harts — 5 Poxes — 4 Fishers — 2 Frantzes
—4 Flicks- 2 Groffs— 2 Gerharts- 7
Hoffmans — - 2 Hubers — 3 Hesses — 3
Haases — 7 Klines — 4 Kings — 3 Longs
— 12 Millers— 6 Martins — 11 Meyers —
2 Peters— 4 Reinharts— 2 Roths— 16
Smiths — 6 Shaeffers — 11 Snyders — 2
Steins — 2 Straubs - — 3 Steigers — 3
Steinmetzs — 10 Wolfs — 12 Wagners —
2 Walters — 6 Wises — 8 Webers — 4
Youngs — 2 Zimmermans.
Also one each of the following Lan
caster County names:
Albright — Brant — Becker —
Bucher — - Decker — Eckert — Eck
man — Fritz — Prank — Herman —
Heller — Hahn — Hirsh — Hartman
— - Kauffman — Lintner — Messner —
Stauffer — Sprecher — Werner and
Weidner.They came in the Ship "Anderson,"
Hugh Campbell master — Ship "Shir
ley" with James Allen master — Ship
"Patience" with Hugh Steele master
— Ship "St Andrew," James Aber
crombie master — Ship "Duke of Bed
ford," Richard Jefferson master —
Ship "Edinburgh" with James Russell

master — Ship "Nancy," Thomas Coat-
am master — - Ship "Brothers" with
William Muir as master — Ship "Two
Brothers" with Thomas Arnot as mas
ter — Ship "Neptune" with James Weir
as master — Ship "Neptune" with John
Mason as master — Ship "Phoenix"
with John Spurrier as master — Ship
"Queen of Denmark" with George .
Parish as master — Ship "Janet" with
William Cunningham as master, and
the Ship "Duke of Wlrtenberg" with
Montpelier as master.
1751 — Great German Wheat Crop.
This year and that of 1752 produced
for Lancaster County's German farm
ers tremendous wheat and other crops.
The Chron. Ephratense, p. 190, tells
us that these mercies were not thank
fully received and appreciated. They
led men into excesses. Many in their
wantoness destroyed this rich store
of provisions and fattened their hogs
on wheat. Others in various parts of
the county erected distilleries and
thus consumed the wheat by convert
ing it into a poison and thereby
brought great evil upon the commun
ity. See also Rupp 299.
1752 — Another Christian Burkholder
Letter.
Among the "Dutch Copies" in the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Library, is one written by Christian
Burkholder, April 4th, 1752, from his
Palatinate home. It is No. 1521.
The introducing paragraphs are ot
religious character.
Then he says, "I want news of
Nova Scotia of England, etc., for this
year many of our families want to
take the journey to America, for they
are promised much freedom there. I
want your advice, whether our mem
bers shall go or not. Concerning the
journey to Pennsylvania this year he
says, there are many ot those who
would like to go but have no oppor
tunity. They want to go and I feel

BURKHOLDER'S DEATH. SHIP RECORDS.

313

that we must allow and assist them
to go. I hope your honors will not
object nor make difficult the journey.
Unless they are supported by a cer
tificate from me, under my hand, I do
not advise you to encourage them.
That is as much assistance as I can
expect of you. Do not be displeased
with my frequent entreaty. I send
my cordial thanks for your condescen
sion toward our people and hope the
Lord will reward you.
It your lordship will allow a little
aid, there are six orphans in our con
gregation ot whom three are under
age — very young. Three can earn
their bread. They all need money for
support. There is nothing left ot
their parents' property by the time
the debts and expenses which their
oppressors have put upon them are
paid. We leave it all to you; but any
money your honors give for these
purposes will be well spent. May we
expect an answer by next post.
CHRISTIAN BURKHOLDER.
To His Honor
De Knotel of Gerroldshein.
1752— Death of Hans Burkholder.
Early this year (Miieller 213) Hans
Burkholder died, at a great age, after
47 years of activity as teacher ot the
Congregation ot Geroldsheim, having
gone through many extremely severe
trials, and having served his congre
gation with loyalty and fldelity.
Burkholder was a name of great
worth in Germany and Switzerland in
early days. He may have been the
father or uncle or perhaps a cousin
of Christian Burkholder spoken of
above. 1752— Germans Settle at Halifax.
An item in the Pennsylvania Gazette
of April 2, 1752, informs us that "By
a letter from Halifax dated 21st of
last m'onth, 700 Germans are going to
settle at Mallagash Harbor, twelve
leagues to the westward of Halifax

early this spring. It is also said the
700 men will be put on the "Kings
Works" at Halifax some time this
month." This item shows us that the Ger
man ancestors of that great horde ot
descendants which now so powerfully
influence America, were quick to gain
a foothold in all climes and quarters
of this land, as soon as they had re
liable knowledge ot conditions and
prospects here.
1752— Ship Records of This Year.
During the year 1752 we have 18
ship loads of these German Swiss
people. Among the common Lancaster
County names we flnd the following;
Three Albrights — 5 Becks — 6 Bern
harts — 6 Beckers — 2 Baumans — 3 Con
rads — 4 Dietricks — 6 Bberlys — 2
Fishers— 2 Gehrharts— 11 Hoffmans—
4 Hubers — 2 Hesses— 7 Hermans — 2
Hartmans — 3 Kleins — 6 Kings — 3
Kautzs — 6 Longs — 2 Ludwigs — 30
Millers — 14 Meyers — 6 Roths — 21
Smiths — 4 Shaeffers — 11 Snyders— 2
Shumakers— 3 Wolfes— 3 Walters— 6
Webers— 2 Wagners— 4 Zimmermans
— 3 Youngs.
There were one each of the follow
ing: Arnold — Beyer — Berger — Cra
mer — Eberhart — Herr — HoIIing
er — Keller — Metzgar — Neff —
Reinhart — Straub — Shaub — Snav
ely — . Weidner — Weidman.
They came over in the Ship "Two
Brothers," Thomas Arnot, master—
"Edinburgh," James Russel, master
— "Brothers," Wm. Muir, master —
"Halifax," Thomas Coatam, master —
"St. Andrew," James Abercrombie,
master— "Ann Galley," Charles Ken-
neway, master — "Richard & Mary,"
John Moore, master — "Anderson,'
Hugh Campbell, master— "President,"
Captain Dunlop as master— "Nancy, "
John Ewing, master — "Forest," Pat
rick Ouchterlony, master — "Snow Ket-

314

PALATINES ARRIVE CONTINUOUSLY. SHIP RECORDS.

tey,'' Theopolis Barnes, master —
"Duke of Wurtemberg," Daniel Mont
pelier, master — "Bawley," John Grove,
master — "Phoenix," John Spurrier,
master — "Queen of Denmark," George
Parish, master — "Louisa," .lohn Pit-
cairn, master — and ship "Phoenix"
with Reuben Honor as master.
1752 — Germans and Lancaster Town.
In 1752 the town of Lancaster, ac
cording to Hazard's Register (Vol. 5,
p. 115) had 311 taxables — that is
about 1800 souls. We remember then
in 1744 Witham Marshe in his journal
or diary called it a filthy Dutch town.
It was no doubt most largely made up
of German people both in 1744 and in
1752. ¦ But at neither dates was it
physically unclean. The scrub and
mop were too constantly in evidence
to allow slovenliness.
1753 — Continuous Arrival of Palatines.
Immigration of Palatines continued
to be a subject ot live interest in and
about Philadelphia at this date (as it
had been for many years). In the
Pennsylvania Gazette of September
20th, this year, it is stated: "Since
our last, the Captains Russel Still,
Moore & Lickty arrived here with
Palatines, and the following are daily
expected: Arnott — Mason — Coolan
— Muir — - Pitcalrn — Abercrombie
and Lyon from Hamburgh, Captain
Brown from Maryland and Captain
Crawford from New York both with
Palatines sailed before Captain Rus
sel. 1753 — Burkholder's Further Advice.
Prom Gerroldsheim on Nov. 20th,
1753, Christian Burkholder writes to
De Knatel again, and after sending
Christian greetings and expressing
surprise that former letters are not
answered, says, he thanks all friends
for helping the projected colony in
Nova Scotia. He also thanks them
for kindnesses, shown to his father
during his life. The great need drives

him to ask further favors ot aid. He
says their people do not have even
enough of bread. He then says "I
inform you I am greatly troubled to
feel that you think the money is for
myself. We need what we ask, for
the help of oihers. It is Christlike to
help others. He hopes that those in
power will take "our part" when we
are assailed, or when any speak evil
against "us." He then concludes and
says "Our congregation has been pro
ceeded against again — another decree
has been made against us — the Lord
will turn it all to great good."
CHRISTIAN BURKHOLDER.
1753— Ship Records of This Year.
During the year 1753 we have 8
shiploads of these early German-
Swiss people.
Among the common Lancaster
County names we have the following:
Two Bakers — 3 Bausmans — 3 Cram
ers — 3 Longs — 3 Leanords — 3 Bashers
— 3 Hartmans — 5 Hoffmans — 5 Millers
—2 Kuhns— 6 Browns — 7 Snyders— 3
Wagners — 12 Smiths — 3 Klines and 5
Webers. Also one each of the following:
Arnold — Adams — Bernhart —
Brenner — Engel — Prey ¦ — Gerhart
— Jacoby — Hellar — - Metzgar —
Bollinger — Kast — - Schied — Ru
dolf — Wise — Young and Ziegler.
They came in the Ship "Two Broth
ers" with Thomas Arnot as master —
"St. Michael," Thos. Ellis as master—
"Buelah," with Captain Richey as
master — "Queen of Denmark," with
George Parish as master — "Edin
burgh," with James Russell as mas
ter — "Patience," with Hugh Steel as
master — "Richard and Mary" with
John Moore as master — "Leamley"
with John Lackley as master.
1754 — Palatines Again Contract Ship
Diseases.
This year a report was made by the
surgeons employed at Philadelphia to
enforce the quarantine against "Sick-

INFECTIOUS DISEASE AMONG PALATINES. BURIALS.

315

ly vessels," arriving in that city. (6
0)1. Rec. 173-5). The following ac
count of conditions is given by them.
They say all passengers are liable in
crowded vessels to fevers from foul
air — ^fevers from contact with others
in small rooms — fevers from infec
tious matters brought on board. The
steam of bilge water and the breath
ot great numbers between decks made
the air putrid and produces poisons.
Animal putrefaction is added to this
and also uncleanliness. The sickness
caused makes the victims rage in de
lirium. The poisons stay in the ships
after the people land.
This year (1754) we have had these
fevers again, the same as in 1741. It
spread from the ships to the wharves
and over large areas in Philadelphia.
Vessels that bring convicts and serv
ants are the worst. Among the poor
Germans it is so bad that often half
ot them perish. But not all by the
fevers breaking out about the wharf
came from the Palatines. But that
their numerous arrival in such con
ditions do add "fresh fever" is prob
able. It is true that too often the
state of Palatine ships is concealed
from the physicians who visit them
in such a manner, that it is impossi
ble to discover It, from anything they
can see on board.
Thus we see that in spite of the
"humane" law of a few years prior,
requiring more space and greater
sanitation to be provided by ship
owners, for poor passengers, great
epidemics of sickness were prevalent
in this ocean travel.
1754 — German Immigrants Buried in
Strange Burjing Grounds at
PhUndelphia.
Thomas Greene and Thomas Bond,
medical inspectors for the Province
of Pennsylvania, gave an account of
the deaths, occurring largely from the
contagious diseases, in a report to the
(Governor, this year. The subject

seemed to have claimed the attention
of the early Government of Pennsyl
vania, and in 6 Col. Rec, p. 168 to p.
176, a considerable amount ot infor
mation on the subject may be found.
Among other things, in their report,
these surgeons state (p. 173) that they
inspected the different contagious dis
eases on these ships, and have given
their view of the cause of the same.
On page 175 they state the number of
Palatines who recently died from the
fevers and were buried, to be 253 dur
ing the year 1754. They were buried
in what was known as the "Strangers
Burying Ground." They state that
Alexander Stedman reports 62, Henry
Keppely 39, Benjamin Shumaker 57,
Daniel Benezet 87, Michael Hilligas 8.
This gives us an idea of the contin
ued difficulties under which these
people suffered.
1754 — Petitions of the Germans in
Fliiladelphia.
This year the Germans who had
newly arrived and who were dis
persed throughout the City of Phila
delphia and its neighborhood, in a
penniless, sick and other unfortunate
condition, had their friends draw up
a petition for them, and set forth
some ot the evils they were compelled
to undergo, etc.
The petition was read in Council,
Dec. 21, 1754. by Richard Wistar, and
is found in the second Volume of the
Pa. Archives, p. 217, as follows:
"It's humbly requested that the
Governor would please to take the
present unhappy situation of ye poor
Germans dispersed thro' this City and
the neighborhood under his consider
ation. Our complaint is not so much of
such as are called sick houses, that
is houses hired by the merchants for
the reception of their sick, tho' we
have reason to fear that there is not
such sufficient provision of food,
clothing and fuel made for the sick,
even in those houses as their weak

316 SICKNESS AND POVERTY AMONG PALATINES IN PHILADELPHIA.

condition and the severity of the
weather requires.
But our chief complaint is on the
behalf of such as the Importers don't
look upon as under their care, hav
ing as they term it, discharged them
selves of them. These are people in
years, others with very small chil
dren, and especially widows with
small children, who not being able to
pay their passages nor fit to be bound
out as servants, the merchants have
discharged them upon their own se
curity, or after interchangeab'ly bind
ing them one for another, generally
keeping their chests which contain
their cloathes, tools, fee, Sc often
best bedding as a farther security,
many of these are now dispersed as
lodgers in many houses in town, in
the outskirts and in the small plan
tations near it, generally destitute of
necessaries, not only to restore them
to health, but even to keep them
alive; such as are able to go abegging
to the terror and danger of the inhab
itants, who from the smell of their
cloathes when brought near a fire and
infectious disorder which many of
them are not free from, apprehend
themselves in great danger. And
those who are not able to beg must
inevitably perish of misery and want,
as it's believed that scores if not
hundreds have already done this fall.
It's therefore earnestly requested that
the Governour would please to direct
that a particular inquiry may be made
in this melancholy case."
1754 — Address of the Philadelphia
German Protestants to the
Governor.
This year according to Vol. 2, of
the Pa. Archives, p. 200, the German
Protestants of Philadelphia and the
vicinity, delivered an address to the
Governor of Pa., the following were
the subjects, after first setting forth
that they were of various religious
denominations:

1. That they appreciated the excel
lent government under which they
live, where the best privileges in the
known world are established.
2. They praise the government of
Pennsylvania for the "inestimable
liberty ot conscience" and adminis
tration of laws, resulting from the
plan laid down by Wm. Penn of im
mortal memory."
3. They have great affection towards
the King; and are thankful for the
continued succession of the Protestant
rulers on the British throne; and they
have very great respect for the gov
ernors, that have been sent from time
to time, though they have not public
ly said so, heretofore, because of their
people living so far apart over7 the
province, and because they were
modest and feared it would be looked
upon as audacious.
4. They remind the government
that in the past they were accused
publicly in England, of being against
the government; but they say no
single instance can be pointed to.
5. That this address is the name
of all classes of Protestant people,
(except a few ignorant unmannerly
people, who lately came among
them) and these same people were
always inclined to submit themselves
under Romish slavery.
6. They firmly stand with the King
ot Britain and Parliament in their
effort to o\erthrow the designs ot
the French King, who are tryii^g to
disturb our peace.
Finally they say that being confi
dent, that the Government of Penn
sylvania and of the King ot Great
Britain and Parliament will not be
moved by the various defamations
made against them, and believing in
the love of justice, to Great Britain,
they now do this to deface unjust
clamors at home, and in England,
against them and promise to prove hy
their loyal behavior, their affection

GERMAN-SWISS DECLARE LOYALTY. GERMANS IN LANCASTER CO. 317

tor this government. They then sign
their names as follows:
Michael Schlatter
George Hitner
Marcus Kuhl
Christian Schneyders
Henry Keppele
Jacob Peinerz
David Susholtz
Rudolph Buner
Friedrich Mauss
Ernest Kurtz
Henrich Bassler
Johannes Gamber
Mathias Cline
Mattias Abell
Jacob Keanke
Jacob Kopp
Henry Antes
George Hubner
Christopher Sholtze
Peter Pennebacker
Henry Keck
Henry Muhlenberg
Michael Walther
Mathias HoUenbach
Christophe Rabe
John Schrack
Philip Lidick
Peter Brunnholtz
Mathias Helnzelmann
George Graff
Johann Caspar Rubel
The exact trouble or cause, made
against them is not made very plain;
but it is likely it was similar to the
accusations made so many years
against them, that they were not loyal
to the government. See Vol. 2, Pa.
Archives, p. 200.
1754 — Germans and Others in Lancas
ter This Year.
It will be remembered that we gave
a brief picture of Lancaster at least
as far as the German-Swiss element
was concerned, under the date of
1744, at the time Witham Marshe
wrote in his diary the impression he
received while visiting here.

Ten years later in 1754, (6 Haz.
Reg. 28-29) Governor Pownall visited
this section and he has written what
he saw. I make a note of this here,
because at that time, the buildings,
and the improvements on property,
etc., were more largely carried on by
the Germans and Swiss who lived
here, than by the Irish, English and
Scotch Irish. He says "Lancaster is
a growing town and making money —
manufacturing saddles and pack-sad
dles and guns — it is a stage town —
500 houses — 2000 population. Between
Lancaster and Wright's Perry I saw
the finest farms any one could possi
bly see. It belonged to a Switzer.
Here it was I saw the method of
watering the meadows by cutting a
trough in the side of the hill, for the
springs to run in. The water would
run over the sides and water the
whole of the ground. If the plan be
used in England, I never saw it."
A town called Ephrata lies near
Lancaster, settled by people called
Donkers, Doopers, Dimplers ; they are,
I think, a queer set of protestant
regulars. Captain Gustavus Cunningham has
given this picture of Lancaster, which
he drew as an inference from Gov
ernor Pownall's Journal, "When Gov
ernor Pownall visited Lancaster there
was not one good house in the town.
The houses were chiefly of frame,
fllled in with stone — of logs and a
few of stone. When Lancaster was
laid out it was the desire of the pro
prietor to raise an annual revenue
from the lots; no lots were therefore
sold of any large amount; but settlers
were encouraged to build and receive
a lot, paying an annual sum of ground
rent — hence the large number of poor
persons in indigent circumstances
who were induced to settle in Lan
caster. The Lancaster town was
therefore too large at an early period
in proportion to the population of the
surrounding country, and its inhabi-

318

SHIP RECORDS AND DATA.

tants suffered much from want of
employment as from its local situa
tion remote from water, it was not
or could it ever possibly become a
place of business. The proprietor
was therefore, wrong in forcing the
building and settlement of Lancaster.
The town outgrew its strength and
looks dull and gloomy in conse
quence. 1753— Ship Becords.
The following is an Additional list
of ships for this year: Ship Peggy,
James Abercrombie, master, qualified
Sept . 24 — Ship Brothers, Wm. Muir,
waster, qualified Sept. 26 — Ship Wind
sor, Sept 7, John Good, master — Ship
Halifax, Capt, Co'atam, master, quali
fied Sept, 27— Ship Two Brothers, Capt.
Thomas Arnot, master, qualified Sept.
28 — Ship Rowand, Arthur Tran, mas
ter, qualified Sept. 28 — Ship Edinburgh,
Capt. Lyons, master, Sept. 29 — Ship
Louisa, Capt, John Pitcalrn, master,
qualified Oct. 2 — ^Ship Eastern Branch,
Capt. James Nevin, master, qualified
Oct. 3. There ships all came from
Amsterdam. The Ship Good Hope, John Trump,
master, qualified Oct. 1 — Ship Friend
ship, James Seix, master, qualified
Nov. 19. These two ships came from
Hamburg. This makes a list of eleven ships,
and 931 passengers.
On these ships, in which the ages
are given, the average age of the im
migrants is: 27 years, the oldest
being 50 years and the youngest
being 15 years.
On the ship Peggy, the average age
in the men's list is 29 years, the old
est being 54 years and the youngest
being 17 years. On the ship Brothers
the average age being 25 years, the
oldest being 31 years and the young
est being 20 years. On the ship Hali
fax the average age being 26 years,
the oldest being 50 years, and the
youngest being 15 years.
In the men's list on the ship Edin

burgh the average age is 27 years, the
oldest being 48 years, and the young
est being 16 years — on the ship
Louisa, the average being 26 years,
the oldest being 41 years and the
youngest being 17 years — on the ship
Friendship, the average age being 30
years, the oldest being 44 years and
the youngest being 17 years.
The names which appear most
numerously among these passengers,
which are common Lancaster County
names are the following: Wagner,
Lintner, Berger, Brown, Arnold, Mil
ler, Martin, Smith, etc.
It will appear from these figures
that these were mostly young peo
ple. 1754 — Sliip Records of This Year.
The ships arriving at Philadelphia,
in 1754, with Palatines, that is Ger
mans and German-Swiss immigrants,
this year, were:
Neptune, with John Mason as mas
ter, qualified Sept. 24, 1754 — Nancy,
Captain John Ewing as master, who
took the oath Sept. 14, 1754 (inhabi
tants of Loraine) — ship Barclay, John
Brown as master, who took the oath
Sept 14, 1754 — Brothers, Capt Muir
as master, qualified Sept. 30, 1754—
ship Edinburgh, with James Russell
as master, qualified Sept. 30, 1754—
ship Neptune, Capt. Ware as master,
qualified Sept. 30, 1754 — ship Phoenix,
Capt Spurrier as master, Oct. 1, 1754
—ship Peggy, with Capt. Abercrombie
as master, qualified Oct. 16, 1754 —
ship Henrietta with John Ross as
master, qualified Oct. 22, 1754— ship
Halifax with Thomas Coatam as mas
ter, qualified Oct. 22, 1754 — ship Mary,
Capt. Moore as master, qualified
Sept. 30, 1754. All these came from
Rotterdam. We have the following from Am
sterdam :
Friendship, with Charles Ross as
master, qualified Oct 21, 1754— ship
Banister with John Dyles as master,
qualified Oct. 31, 1754— Mary and

IRISH AND GERMANS TO SEPARATE.

319

Sarah, with Capt. Broderick as mas
ter, qualified Oct. 26, 1754 — John and
Elizabeth, with Peter Ham as master,
qualified Nov. 7, 1754.
We have the following from Ham
burg: Neptune, with Wm. Wallace as mas
ter, qualified Dec 31, 1754 — ship Ad
venture, with Jos. Jackson as mas
ter, qualified Sept. 25, 1754.
This makes a list ot 17 ships, and
in all we have 1778 passengers.
Some ot the well known Lancaster
County names are: Hartman, Shaef
fer, Miller, Brubaker, Kauffman, Long,
Smith, Conrad, etc. The names that
occur most numerous are: Miller,
Hartman, Smith, Weber, etc.
175.5 — Irish to Leave Lancaster Coun
ty to Germans.
Immediately after the Indian treaty
of 1755, the proprietors of Pennsylva
nia told their agents that "In all sales
made by them, that they should take
particular pains to encourage emigra
tion into Cumberland County, from
Lancaster County, as serious disturb
ances had arisen in consequence ot
dispute between the Irish and the
Germans at election. The proprie
taries desired that York be settled by
Germans, and Cumberland by Irish."
This is cited in 15, Hazard's Regis
ter, p. 81, but the source of the
knowledge is not set forth. We have
noticed heretofore that the Scotch-
Irish and the Germans ever since
1742, had election conflicts; and we
remember in 1749-50 and 51 that those
election fights were particularly bit
ter in Lancaster and York counties.
This gave the Government sufficient
cause to desire the separation ot
these two nationalities, that "would
not mix."
17.55— Massachusetts Invites the Ger
mans and Swiss.
This year Dr. Jonathan Mayhew
who preached election sermons in

Massachusetts, to his congregation
(just as many other ministers of the
New England States did to their con
gregations), stated in his sermon, be
fore the Governor and members of the
Legislature of Massachusetts, that
though Pennsylvania will have some
inconvenience from too many unas-
slmilated Germans coming among the
people, yet the growth and prosperity
of the province ot Pennsylvania, has
become a fact, largely because of the
great number of German and Swiss
people, inhabiting there. He further
said, that Massachusetts had too
many English now to be hurt by the
ad-mixture of these foreign races, and
that he advocated all proper meas
ures to be used to encourage the im
migration of foreigners from the
Palatinate. (See election sermons for
1754, pp. 30 to 48, and Fairchild on
"Immigration," p. 46.)
Indeed, not only Massachusetts, but
other provinces invited the German-
Swiss to settle among them. As early
as 1726 Governor Clarke, of New York,
sent a circular advertisement to Ger
many, which was distributed far and
wide, offering to give free, 500 acres
to each of the first 200 families from
the Palatinate that would come to
New York. The invitation did not
meet with any great success. This
may be partly from the fact that the
Germans who went to New York with
Governor Hunter 1709, (about 3000 of
them), soon found the laws there not
favorable to them, and about 1722
they nearly all left and came to
Pennsylvania, and settled on the Per-
kiomen Creek. (See Doc. Col. Hist. N.
Y. Vol. 6, p. 60.)
Additional light upon the influence
and effect of the Germans in Penn
sylvania can be found in Watson's
Annals, Vol. 2, pp. 266 and 267.
1755 — Crowding Germans on Ships
Again Causes Trouble.
We have noticed in several prior
articles, efforts were being made to

320

MORE HORROR IN CROWDING PALATINES ON SHIPBOARD.

prevent crowding poor Germans and
Swiss on ships. In Vol. 6, Col. Rec,
p. 225, a bill was entered to prevent
importation of Germans in too great
numbers, on vessels, and was deliv
ered to the Governor, and he gave the
Assembly a message upon the same.
The Governor stated, several parts of
the bill were against the principles of
humanity — that more power was given
to the magistrates than was consist
ent with justice — that in other sec
tions they were excluded from exer
cising rights which belonged to them
and in general the bill they intended
to have passed into a law, amounted
to an absolute prohibition of Germans
being "immigrated," and this he said,
would meet with disfavor in England,
as England was now convinced these
people were a great help in develop
ing this Province.
This German bill, as it was called,
came up later, and the Assembly laid
another answer before the Governor.
(See p. 243.) They said that, they
consider the bill to prevent immigra
tion of Germans, to be of utmost im
portance to the health of the people,
and because trouble is arising from
this, they ask the Governor to make
this a law, as nearly like the proposed
act as possible. The Assembly fur
ther explain, that they were attempt
ing to strike at the owners of the ves
sels, who were making a business of
importing these people, in the same
manner as you would import com
modities for sale and merchandise —
that is, carrying on a kind of slave
trade. They insist that these are im
portant matters on the bill; but in
other respects, if the Governor
wishes to amend it, they are satisfled.
The matter dragged along until
about April, 1755, and then a copy of
the proposed act was laid before the
Council (p. 345). This copy says, in
order to prevent spreading contagious
diseases, it is found necessary to add
to the Insufficient laws; because dis

eases have spread all over the prov
ince. The Act then goes on to pro
vide that no commander of any ship,
having on board more than 50 per
sons, including mariners and all,
shall bring his ship nearer than 3
miles from Philadelphia, land any
goods or passengers, until the health
officers and physicians examine it
and the license from the Governor al
lows the landing. A penalty of 150
pounds is attached.
Prom this point on a large number
of amendments and changes ot more
or less importance were made in the
bill — the subject occupying about ten
pages in Colonial Records. It then
appeared to be in proper shape, but
when the Governor sent it to the As
sembly, they returned it and com
plained of the personal amendments
that the Assembly demanded, the Gov
ernor refused to carry out.
1755 — Emanuel Zimmerman's Politi
cal Career.
One of the greatest flgures in Penn
sylvania, before the Revolution, was
that of Emanuel Zimmerman, the Eng
lish equivalent of whose name is
Emanuel Carpenter. He began his
political career in 1755. He was a
member of the Assembly of Pennsyl
vania seventaen consecutive years, up
to and including 1771. Many times, he
requested his fellow citizens to cease
voting him into office; but they would
not do it. In spite of his protests,
year after year, they elected him by
great majorities. When the end of
his career came, a large meeting of
citizens gathered together in 1772,
and passed resolutions, thanking him
for his great services. We shall try
to give a complete account of this, at
the proper date.
Besides, being a member of the Leg
islature, he was Justice of the Peace,
President Judge of our Courts, which
position he held up to his death in
1780. He shed as much luster on the

GERMANS NOW ARRIVING INFERIOR TO EARLY I.MMIGRANTS. 321

early history ot our county, as George
Ross and some other great flgures
(Harris 129).
An interesting biographical sketch
ot his career will be found also in
Vol. 7 Haz. Register, p. 152. The
writer of the Register says, he was
the most distinguished of the early
settlers. He possessed an ardent love
for liberty in every form — his mind
was finely organized, and his infiu
ence was powerfuU alike, over all the
non-resistant religious sects, as well
as over the Lutherans and Calvinists;
and they all appealed to him for ad
vice in every measure. He was born
in Switzerland, in 1702 — he flrst be
came presiding Justice of the Com
mon Pleas Court in 1760 and re
mained on the bench for 20 years, un
til his death. He was also a historian
and gathered up such history of the
non-resistant people as he could
From his race an illustrious line has
descended. 1755— The Quality of the German-
Swiss Xow Arriving Has
Become Low.
From the debate, between the As
sembly and the Governor and Coun
cil, we are shown, the German-Swiss
immigrants who were now coming,
were very different from those who
came to Pennsylvania 25 years ear
lier. This appears in the contest on
the bill, which was attempted to be
passed improving the condition of
shipping, and to prevent undesirous
Germans from coming.
This German bill was again con
sidered May 14th, 1755 (See 6 Col.
Rec. 382). At that time the reply to
the Assembly's answer was given by
the Council to the Assembly. The
Governor and the Council still insist
on their amendments or most of them.
The Assembly sent another message
to the Government, later the same
day, which is found p. 3.84. In this
message they say they are anxious to

make proper provisions to prevent the
spreading of diseases in the future,
and that the bill they flrst suggested
was a fair one — that many of thesf
immigrants were perishing for want
of change of clothes, room and neces
sities on the ship — that the Governor
and the Assembly could get along
very well in enacting legislation; but
the Council are interfering too much
and this obstructs legislation. The
Assembly then go on and state that
the Germans now coming are ot en
tirely different grade from those who
flrst came. They state that at first
and for a considerable time, the fam
ilies were persons of substance, in
dustrious, sober people, who brought
with them, chests of wearing apparel,
and other necessaries; but that for
some time past, the passengers who
are thus fortunate, are sent on other
vessels, so as to leave more room for
crowding in the miserable Germans
in greater numbers, who are now
coming. They also complain, that in
order to be secure for the fare, of
those who died on the vessels, which
was the case lately, they hold the
passengers' trunks, and they are-
crowded in the ships without any
change of clothes or any means of
keeping themselves clean. They com
plain that the Governor has cut out
ot the bill, the provision the Assembly
desired to change this for the better.
They also state that ' they tried to
provide for pure air which the Gov
ernor cut out.
The Assembly then proceeds and
says the immigration of the Germans
for some time, past, are composed of
a great number of the refugees of
their people, and that the jails supply
some ot them. Therefore, the Assem
bly think it reasonable to prevent all
such coming — to prevent the ship
owners from exacting grevious bonds
or security, but the Governor cut this
out. The Assembly say that from the
late immigration, many numbers of

322

GERMANS AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY— GERMAN BURGESS.

these Germans are beggars from door
to door, and that many of them who
have bound themselves out for serv
ice, have loathesome diseases and are
unfit for service. The Governor has
struck this out. The result is, the
matter ended in a dead-lock for a
long time, and the bill failed of pas
sage for a considerable time.
1755 — Christopher Sauer's Joy in
Pennsylvania Religious Liberty
Our early local ancestors were
careful to send back to their old
home the good news of religious
liberty enjoyed here. In 1711 the
first settlers of Lancaster County did
so, the very first Spring they lived
here. After that many glad tidings
went back to the old home. One of
the most prominent of the en
thusiasts over the good things to
live here, was Christopher Sauer. He
was learned and influential. In 1756
he wrote to Governor Denny: "When
I came to this province and found
everything to the contrary from
where I came from, I wrote largely
to all my friends and acquaintances
of the Civil and Religious liberty,
privileges, etc., and of the goodness
I have heard and seen; and my let
ters were printed and reprinted and
provoked many thousand people to
come to this province ( and many
thanked the Lord for it and desired
their friends also to come here."
(Brumbaugh's History of the Breth
ren).
1755 — ^A German is Chief Burgess of
Lancaster Boro.
We have noticed before that the
Germans began (about 1750) to take
an active political interest in our
local affairs. After this lesson was
learned they kept on holding "fast
to that which" was "good." In 1750-1
and in 1752-4 and in 1755-6 Adam
Simon Kuhn was selected Ohief-
Burgess of Lancaster borough, then a

good sized and flourishing town.
Jacob Schlauch was under-burgess
and also another German was elect
ed Constable. (See Hensel's Ad
dress, New Era, May 18, 1911).
1755 — The Governor Complains
Against Efforts to Dis-
affect the Germans.
In Vol. 6 Col. Rec. p. 621, we have
the following complaint in Governor
Morris's message to the Assembly:^
"You have in the Message now be
fore you, and in several other, taken
great pains to infuse into the minds
of the people particularly the Ger
mans, that the Government have de
signs to abridge them of their
Privileges and to reduce them to a
State of Slavery. This may and will
alienate their affections from his
Majesty's Government, destroy that
Confldence in the Crown and its
Delegates, which at this time is par
ticularly necessary, and render all
the Foreigners among us very indif
ferent as to the success of the French
attempts upon this Continent, as
they cannot be in worse Circum
stances under them than you have
taught them to expect from the
King's Government."
"This you may with your usual
Confidence call Duty, Loyalty, and
affection to his Majesty, but I am
convinced it will not be esteemed
such by his Majesty and his Mmis-
ter, before whom all these matters
must be laid, and 'how the innocent
people -of this Province may be af
fected thereby Time will show."
And in the same book p. 631 the
Assembly reply and say the Gover
nor knows that his charges against
them of trying to turn the Germans
against the Government is false and
that he does not believe the charges
himself and knows that no one else
believes them.

MENNONITE CHURCHES IN CONESTOGA AND PEQUEA VALLEYS. 323

1755— Primitive Church Properties
of Conestoga and Pequea Se
cured by Our Early Men
nonite Fathers.
In the Recorder's Office at Lan
caster in Deed Book D. Page 296
there is recorded a Deed dated July
1, 1755, between Stephen Prlnnaman
& Margaret his wife and John Burg
holder all of Conestoga, in the
County of Lancaster and Province of
Pa, of one part and John Hare,
Charles Christopher and Jacob Beam
each of them elders and Trustees of
the Mennonist or Baptist Congrega
tion in Conestoga in the County of
Lancaster, in which the Grantors sell
to the second parties their heirs and
successors etc., for ten pounds in trust
for the said Mennonist Congregation a
certain lot ot ground in Conestoga
Township. BEGINNING at a stone in line of
lands of Stephen Prlnnaman and ex
tending by the same North 16 perches
to a stone; thence by same land and
by land of John Burgholder East Ten
perches to another corner stone;
thence by said John Burgholder's
land South sixteen perches to another
corner stone, thence by same and
lands of Stephen Prlnnaman West ten
perches to the place of BEGINNING.
CONTAINING ONE ACRE.
Being part of the land (viz. part of
two tracts) — one of which was granted
in tee to Melchor Prlnnaman by the
late Commissioners of property under
William Penn, by Patent dated 30th
Nov. 1717 and Recorded in Patent
Book A. Vol 5 P. 295 and Melchor and
his wife by deed of March 16, 1730
conveyed a part of it to Stephen
Prlnnaman; and the other a part of a
tract granted to Martin Kendig by
the said properties by a patent 31st
Day of December 1714 entered in
Patent Book A. Vol 5 P. 264 and Mar
tin Kendig and wife Elizabeth by
Deed May 2, 1729 granted and con

veyed on interest to John Burgholder
who with his wife Catherine by Deed
29th May 1733 granted and conveyed
the same to their son John Burghold
er and to hold the same tor the Con
gregation "in common whole undi
vided and never to be divided prop
erty forever."
This Deed was acknowledged be
fore Robert Thompson, a Magistrate
of Lancaster County. It is witnessed
by him and by Geo. Gibson; and was
Recorded Sept. 24, 1755.
This is the church property known
as the New Danville Old Mennonite
Church. It has since been enlarged
by additional purchases of land.
The Mennonite Congregation in
Conestoga Township at "River Cor
ner," secured their first burying
ground and place of worship, about
this same year from Benedict Eshle
man which appears In the Recorder's
Office in Book S S pages 110 and 112.
The Mennonite Congregation atBoy-
erland formerly in Conestoga Town
ship (but now in Pequea Township)
secured their burying ground and
place of worship from Samuel Boyer
or Hans Boyer about the same time.
Hence it was called "Boyerland." See
same office in Book R. Vol. 3 P. 549
and also in B. Vol 3 P. 153.
The Willow Street Mennonite Con
gregation now in Pequea Township,
formerly in Conestoga Township, se
cured their church property very
early, in fact shortly after 1710, from
Christion Herr, son of Hans Herr, an
original pioneer.
1755— Ship Eecords of This Year.
The ships arriving at Philadelphia
this year with Palatines were the
"Neptune," George Smith, captain,
from Rotterdam, Oct 3, 1755, and the
ship "Pennsylvania," Captain Lyons,
Nov. 1, 1755. This indicates that the
rush had fallen off. The land was
pretty generally taken up now, 'and a
feverish war condition existed in

324

"DUTCH" GRAIN PANS INVENTED— BOEHM SECEDES.

America at the time. This cause may
have -had the effect ot checking the
immigration. The number of immigrants in 1755
arriving here was. 106 — 90 on the first
named vessel and 16 on the second.
Among -the common Lancaster
County names we flnd the following:
Acker, Barr, Bausman, Bauman,
Bertch, Buch, Dietz, Deitrich, Funk,
Fisher, Gast, Henckel, Klinger, King,
Keller, Kraus, Kauffman, Leity,
Moser, Metz, Mayer, Miller, Messner,
Reingier, Schaeffer, Shock, Schneider,
Steinman, Shaub, Seitz, Scheldt,
Schmidt, Schindel, Ulrich, Weise,
Weninger, Wertz and Weber.
1756— "Dutch" Grain Fans First
Manufactured Here.
In the Pennsylvania Gazette of July
8, 1756, the following appears:
"Notice is given that Adam Acker
makes all kinds of Dutch Pans for
cleaning wheat, rye and other grains.
It will take cockle, etc., cut -and clean
200 bushels a day."
The grain tan or cleaning-mill
here referred to was the kind used in
Switzerland long ago. Thus we see it
was introduced among us 160 years
ago. The type is still in use, though
they are made much lighter now. And
besides fans are attached to thresh
ers now. In earlier times these fans
were heavy to turn and it took fully
grown up men to do it. One could
hear them running whole days in the
barns. In some sections even these
heavy fanning mills were not known
75 years ago, not even 50 years ago;
but men threw up the grain by shovels
and let the air clean out the chaff,
etc. Now all this is changed.
1756— Ship Records of This Year.
Only one vessel of Palatines is re
corded as arriving in Philadelphia
this year, the "Chance," under Cap
tain Lawrence, Nov. 10, 1756. Only 42
heads of Palatine families were on

board. Amons the common Lancas
ter County names were: Conrad,
Derr, Bernhart, Klunck, Hengel, Miil
ler, Schmidt, Schoff, Haas, Wagner,
Pulweiler, Kamp, Dall, Eberle, Kuhn,
Weytzel, Karner, Weber, Zimmerman
and Eplinger.
After this date (1756) there are no
vessels carrying Palatines or Ger
mans recorded as entering for five
years, viz: until 1761. The German
and Swiss immigration had truly be
come slack at this time.
1757— Martin Boehm Secedes from
Mennonists.
This year according to Harris (in
his biographical history of our coun
try, page 49) Martin Boehm, a father
of the Mennonist faith, left that sec
tion; and in conjunction with other
strong religious characters laid the
foundation of the United Brethren
Church. Later, says Harris (page 50),
Boehm's son helped to found the first
Methodist Church in Lancaster Coun
ty, that of Boehm's Methodist Church
in Pequea Township near Baumgard
ner's Station, which simple but solid
stone building is still standing.
1758 — Lancaster County Mennonites
Sponsor the Cause of Their Vir
ginia Brethren, in an Appeal
to Holland.
Among the "Dutch Copies," before
referred to, is a letter dated Sept 7,
1758, in which representatives of the
Mennonist Colony in Virginia de
scribed their sad condition and hard
ships because of Indian slaughter;
and ask Holland for help. They send
John Schneider to Holland for help;
and the Lancaster County brethren
appoint Martin Punck one of their
ministers to go with him. A very
lovely lesson in service for others is
here shown.
The letter, for which I am deeply
indebted to Bishop N. B. Grubb, of
Philadelphia (as well as for Holland's

LANCASTER COUNTY ilENNONITES ASSIST VIRGINIA BRETHREN. 325

response, both of which he translated),
is as follows:
"The grace of God and the love and
peace ot Jesus Christ, is our wish to
all God-loving souls and especially to
our brethren in the faith in Holland
or Netherlands.
Greeting : —
Today, the 7th of September, 1758.
Herewith we authorize our brother
and co-fellow in the faith, Johannes
Schneyder, who until now has been a
good friend to the poor, and who con
templates a journey to the friends and
brethren in Holland on account ot the
dark times in which we find ourselves
at this time, owing to the tyrannical
or barbarous Indians who have al
ready killed so many people, and have
taken many prisoners and carried
them away; others were driven from
their homes and lands, so that many
people are now in great poverty and
distress. We were thirty-nine Mennonite
families living together in Virginia.
One family was murdered and the re
maining of us and many other fam
ilies were obliged to flee for our
lives, leaving our all and go empty-
handed. Last May the Indians have mur
dered over flfty persons and more
than two hundred families were driven
away and made homeless.
We come, therefore, with a prayer
to you, brethren and co-fellows in
the faith tor help, by way of chari
table aid, it your love will persuade
you to show mercy to us, so that we
may with God's help, and the aid of
good friends, be guided through this
Valley of Grief; the dear Lord will
reward you for it, here in this lite
and finally in eternity for what you
will do for us.
Further, I do not deem it neces
sary to write much, as our friend and

brother 'Will give you a better report
than I could in my simple and imper
fect writing, for, -he too, had been in
danger of his life with his wife and
four children, and was compelled to
flee and leave his all behind. He had
been so situated that he could make
a comfortable living. He had a nice
little farm, and besides he had begun
the distilling ot  and turpentine
oil. He was always a good friend to
the distressed in times of need.
Further we request you -to remem
ber us in your prayers, as we are
likeminded toward you, that we may
have the comfort of good old Tobias,
with which he comforted his son,
when he said, "Even -though we are
poor, but if we fear God, we shall re
ceive much good.
P. S. This our friend desired a
traveling companion from the con
gregation to accompany him on his
journey, as he deems it best not to
go alone. Upon our advice and with
our Best Wishes, our minister and
elder, Martin Punck, has consented
to go. Until now he was found true
and honest in all things by all. He
is, however, still a single man, and
by occupation a miller. He, too, was
compelled to flee and leave all he had
behind. This man was found by the
grace and help of God, and will be a
true traveling companion to our
brother, Johannes Schneyder, on his
journey to Holland.
Further, in my simple-heartedness,
I do not know what more to write,
only to greetings from us all to all
the brethren and congregation in
Holland. Signed by us and many others,
Michael Kauffman, Jacob Borner,
Samuel Bohm, Daniel Stauffer.
Written by Benedict Hirsche, one
mile from Lancaster town, Mennist
Minister."

326 HOLLAND'S FRIENDLINESS TO VIRGINIA MENNONITE SUFFERERS.

1758 — Holland's Answer to tlie Appeal
of the Virginia Mennonists, Which
the Lancaster County Breth.
ren Sponsored.
"Amsterdam, Holland,
December 27, 1758.
Michael Kauffman, Jacob Borner,
Samuel Bohn, Daniel Stauffer:
Dear Friends: We have received
your letter dated September 7th, but
without denomination of the place
out of 'Which it is written, by the
hands of your deputies, Johannes
Schnyder and Martin Punck, who
have given us an ample account ot
the calamities you had suffered, which
moved our hearts with due compas
sion, and since we do not doubt but
their narration of your troubles were
true and faithful, we have opened our
hands to your assistance with fifty
pounds English Sterling which ac
cording to the value of your money
amounted to the sum of seventy-eight
pounds, eleven shillings and five
pence, Philadelphia money, which you
may receive upon the enclosed Cred-
itive from Messrs. Benjamin & Sam
Shoemaker in Philadelphia.
We hope that this sum will be suf
ficient to help and assist you until it
pleases the God of Peace to restore
the desired peace in America, as well
as in Europe; and that you get resti
tution at the hands and properities
you are driven out and enjoy there
the same prosperities as before for
ye sustentation of your families and
the assistance of the Poor, which the
Almighty will grant you out of his all
sufficient Grace!
In the meanwhile we recommend
you highly to keep fast the confes
sion of your Holy Faith in our Sav-
ious Jesus Christ, and be always
thankful for the Goodness of God be
stowed upon you by our compassion
ate hands and hearts: for as we were
unknown to you, it was only the good

God who makes this impression on
our bowels and gave us the power to
assist you.
We hope the bearers of these, the
above mentioned Deputies, will return
soon and in good health to you, and
find you and the other friends in a
good condition. We have provided
them all the necessities here and for
their return "till London.
We leave you to the Almighty Prov
idence ot God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ, and we are with tenderest
affection. Dear Friends,
Your well-wish, in F'riends,
The committee of ye Baptist
Congregation in Holland.
P. S. When occasion offers we de
sire your ansiwer that we may be sure
that you have duly received the above
mentioned money, and please to di
rect your letter to Mr. Hendrick Kops,
Amsterdam."
1758 — Miiller's Observation on the Tir-
ginia Situation.
In Miiller's "Wiedertaufer," etc,
page 365, he gives us the following
account of the Virginia Mennonists'
troubles and the sympathy of their
Lancaster County brethren:
"In Virginia to which colony the
Mennonite colonization had extended,
nineteen families were attacked and
ransacked by the Indians, and re
turned in flight to their Brethren in
Pennsylvania; but here, too, the In
dians surprised and attacked the col
onies. Two hundred families were
robbed of their possessions, and fifty
people were killed. In consequence
thereof, two envoys, Johannes Schnei
der and Martin Funk, arrived in Am
sterdam December 8, 1758, and pre
sented to the Commission for Foreign
Aid a request for assistance which
was undersigned by Michael Kauff
man, Jacob Borner, Samuel Bohm,
and Daniel Stauffer. It may be as
sumed with certainty that among the

GERJIAN-SWISS AND FRENCH AND- INDIAN WAR.

inhabitants of the Palatinate who had
emigrated to Pennsylvania were a
large number of brethren expelled
from Berne.
At this time, about the middle of
the last century, brethren of Berne
did not only emigrate from the Palati
nate to America, but also from the
Jura and Emmenthal direct. After a
sea voyage of two months they ex
perienced all the discomforts and
dangers of the flrst settlers. Ulrich
Fugel, Christian Brechbuhl and Isaac
Neueuschwander write under date of
December 7, 1755, from "Donigall" in
Pennsylvania that Hans Jacob Konig,
or the dyer from Souceboz, had left
his wife and the younger children
with a certain Abraham Herr in
"Canenstogen," but that he himself
with son and daughter and "Odina of
Dramlingen" went up as a hired man,
and together with several other
households (or families) settled down
on the borders of the savages, at a
place called "Schamogen" (now pre
sumably Shamokin in Northumber
land County)."
175*— German-Swiss Suffer from In
dian Attacks.
The sufferings of the Mennonist
Communities spoken of in prior items,
are further illustrated in the follow
ing news items from the Pennsylva
nia Gazette of June 29, of this year.
"Advice from Swatara, in Lancaster
County, is to the effect that on Tues
day 20th a Dutchman was shot and
scalped by Indians; and that the next
day a man named Samuel Robinson
was also killed by them.
Also "A letter from Port Henry in
Bucks County dated 19th giving an
account of the wife of John Frantz
and their children being carried off
by Indians. The woman was found
murdered. A son ot Jacob Snavely
was also killed."
The non-resistant sects being least
ready to defend themselves were more

frequently the victims of these out
rages than they would have been, had
they been always armed and ready.
1758 — Sydss Settlers Help in French
and Indian War.
It is stated by Rupp (p. 87) that
Colonel Bouquet, a Swiss, in the em
ploy of the English during the French
and Indian War, visited Daniel Zim
merman in 1758, while his detach
ment of men was quartered at Lan
caster. This visit was made at or near Big
Springs near "Lampeter Square," the
ancient "capital" of West Lampeter
Township. Zimmerman bought ot
Christopher Franciscus, who was one
of those original Swiss-Mennonite
Colony who took up '6400 acres in 11
big farms, near Pequea Creek, in the
fall of 1710, their combined tracts
reaching from West William to Stras
burg, 5 miles from east to west and
being about two miles in- width, north
to south.
1758 — Mennonists of Pennsylvania
First Opposes of Slavery.
In his "Mennonite Year Book for
1914" Bishop N. B. Grubb quotes the
following article from our our de
ceased mutual friend, James M.
Swank: "Lucy Foney Birttinger copies the
following incident from the journal ot
John Woolman, in 1758, which illus
trates the continued aversion of ' the
Mennonites to negro slavery: "A
friend gave me some account of a re
ligious society among the Dutch,
called Mennonists, and among other
things related a passage in substance
as follows: One of the Mennonists
having acquaintance with a man of
another society at a considerable
distance, and night coming on, he had
thoughts of putting up with him, but
passing by his fields, and observing
the distressed appearance of his
slaves, he kindled a fire in the woods
hard by and lay there that night. His

328

GERMAN-SWISS ALLOWED TO MAKE WILLS.

said acquaintance, hearing where he
had lodged, and afterward meeting
the Mennonist, told him of it, adding
that he would have been heartily wel
come at his home, and from their ac
quaintance in former times wondered
at his conduct in that case. The Men
nonist replied, "Ever since I have
lodged by thy field I have wanted an
opportunity to speak with -thee. I had
intended to come to thy house for en
tertainment, but seeing thy slaves at
work, and observing the manner of
their dress, I had no liking to come
and partake with thee." He then ad
monished him to use them with more
humanity, and added: "As I lay by
the fire that night I thought .that, as
I am a man of substance, thou wouldst
-have received me freely; but if I had
been as poor as one ot thy slaves,
and had no power to help myself, I
should have received at thy hands no
kinder usage than they." — James M.
Swank on "Negro Slavery in Penna."
1759— Efforts Made to Allow German-
Swiss to Make Wills.
We have seen that the law of Penn
sylvania did not allow the German-
Swiss, who were foreigners, to will
any real estate at their deaths to any
one, nor if such persons died inte
state, would lands be allowed to go
to the children of such foreigners. Of
course -if these persons were natural
ized, then they could so dispose of
their lands. Several acts were passed
to naturalize them. It always re
quired a special act in each case. In
1759 such an act was passed by our
assembly. It is found in Vol. 5 of the
Statutes at Large, page 444; and it
provides that as it has happened that
these people born outside of the Brit
ish Empire were induced to come to
Pennsylvania and here purchased
lands, and died without being natural
ized, therefore further provided that
If they died without being natural
ized, yet if any deed or will made by

them in the presence of two wit
nesses were so executed, such deeds,
wills, etc., should be good and valid,
same as in case of natural-born cit
izens; and further if any such un
naturalized foreigner purchase such
lands and die without a will the
lands should go to his heirs the same
as naturalized or native born cit
izens. The King in Council however re
pealed the act, so that what Penn
sylvania lawmakers did, the King
undone. This he did September 2,
1760. The King's objections are found in
Vol. 5 St L. 669 and are in substance
as follows: "This act is the most in
famous attempt to cast a refiection
upon the proprietors that ever was
invented. It supposes that the heirs
and devisees of persons dying unnat
uralized have suffered for the want of
such act — for though estates of per
sons dying unnaturalized do by law
escheat to the proprietors yet there
is no instance found where the pro
prietors have refused to grant the
lands to the heirs or devisees, and
this is the constant well-known cus
tom in Pennsylvania. It is therefore
abominable in the assembly to at
tempt to take away a right in the pro
prietors, and is an evidence that they
are so desirous of stripping the pro
prietors of every legal power and au
thority whatever, that they would
debar him from the power of doing
good." "The proprietors are ' determined,
strenuously, to oppose the law, but
would consent to an act for this pur
pose, imitating the Legislature ot
England who confined naturalization
to Protestants, whereas this will be
an encouragement to Papists to set
tle in Pennsylvania in hopes of sim
ilar acts."
This sentiment, which was ad
vanced by the proprietors, was ap
proved by the King's Council and the

GROWTH AND PROGRESS OP GERMANS IN SOUTH EAST PENNA. 329

act failed. Today, with the wicked
ness and greed there is extant in high
places, we would not be any more
content than our humble ancestors, to
have a dangerous and impoverishing
engine of power hanging over us,
simply upon the excuse that while it
could be used, it never would be used.
We have learned too well the lesson
of the need of placing an effective
check on every dangerous official
power. 1760— Growth and Progress of Ger
man and Other Counties Com
pared.
In Volume 5 of Votes ot Assembly,
page 120, may be found a table show
ing the progress of Pennsylvania by
counties in acres of cleared land,
taxables and amount ot taxes paid, in
1760. The table is as follo-n-s:
Acres of No. of
Counties Land Taxables
Philadelphia Co  315,805 5687
Philadelphia City ...  2634
Chester  399,674 4761
Bucks  287,868 3148
Lancaster  '. 436,346 5635
York  256,561 3302
Berks  208,925 3016
Cumberland  179,185 1501
Northampton  189,173 1989

2,273,537 31,673
Rate of Land
Counties Taxable Valuation
£ s. d. £ s. d.
Philadelphia Co. . . . 1- 3-0 6,540- 1-0
Philadelphia City . . 2- 3-0 5,926-10-0
Chester  1- 2-0 5,237- 2-0
Bucks  1- 1-0 3,305- 8-0
Lancaster  1-2-0 6,198-10-0
York  0-16-0 2,641-12-0
Berks  0-16-0 2,412-16-0
Cumberland  0-16-0 1,200-16-0
Northampton  0-14-0 1,392- 6-0
Total amount  34,855- 9-0

Note. — The above is the Report of a
Committee appointed at the last sit
ting of the Assembly, to apportion
the sums to be paid annually by each
county for sinking the several late
grants from the Province to the King.
It will be seen that the total as
sessed value of Pennsylvania was
34,855 pounds at that time; and that
Lancaster County was worth more
than one-sixth of the whole province;
and outside of Philadelphia County
and City its land was valued at more
than one-fourth of the province. We
had 1760 as many people in Lancas
ter County as Philadelphia County
and over twice as many as the City
of Philadelphia. In fact as figures
given in the tables are the number
ot taxpayers, we had, likely,' three
times as many people as Philadel
phia City because our families were
larger. The taxables of Pennsylvania in
1760 numbered 31,673. The popula
tion from this was perhaps 6 to 7
times that number, or about 200,000
people. It will be noticed that the
average tax was slightly over one
pound — $2.66 if a Pennsylvania pound
or $4.86 if an English pound.
It will be noted that the rate per
head in the City of Philadelphia and
in the older counties was higher
than in the new counties.
I am indebted to Mr. Morris K.
Turner of the University of Penn
sylvania for this table, from the Votes
of Assembly.
1760 — Emanuel Zimmerman Appointed
President Judge of Lancaster Co.
In Vol. 7 Hazard's Register, page
152, note is made that Zimmerman
was appointed presiding judge of our
court this year. The following sketch
of his lite which is seen on the same
page :
"Henry Zimmerman arrived in
Pennsylvania in the year 1698, and
returned afterwards to Europe for his

330

GERMAN-SWISS FAMILIES SCATTERED.

family, whom he brought out in 1706;
and settled first in Germantown, and
removed within the present bounds of
Lancaster County (then Chester
County) in 1717. Emanuel Zimmer
man, son of Henry, was the most dis
tinguished of all the early settlers.
He possessed from nature an ardent
love for liberty in every form — zeal
ous and active in every pursuit. His
mind was finely organized; and he' en
joyed an unbounded influence over
the whole settlement. Tunkers,
Aymenish, Lutherans, Calvinists, .and
Mennonists, all applied to him on any
emergency. He possessed as strong
a constitution as intellect. He was
born in Switzerland, in the year 1702,
and died in the year 1780. He lived
beloved, and died lamented, by all
denominations. He was in every
sense an honest man — always just,
liberal, and tolerant. He was arbiter
in all matters of dispute among his
neighbours; and from his decisions
they never appealed, such was the
confldence in his integrity.
The memorial of the Aymenish and
Mennonists, breathes the spirit of a
William Tell. It was written prob
ably by Emanuel Zimmerman, as his
name is attached to it, on behalf of
the Amish, Mennonists, etc."
1760— Newspaper in Lancaster.
In Vol. 6 of the Register, page 137,
we have an item stating that in 1760
there were five newspapers in Penn
sylvania, all weekly, three in Phila
delphia, one in Germantown and one
in Lancaster. We may state that
Lancaster had a paper several years
before that, the Lancaster Gazette,
which was put out about 1754 and ran
in two years. It contains interesting
items concerning the early fairs
which were held in May and October
each year for the purpose of selling
goods; and also items about the
schools at that time. Also in the
Pennsylvania Gazette on November

27th of this year there is an item
stating that:
"WHEREAS in June 1759, a wag
oner who lives near Reading ac
quainted the subscriber that he had
about Christmas before, lost several
bars of steel on the road between
Philadelphia and Reading, and the
same being advertised in the Dutch
News was procured by the subscriber
for the owner, who has not since been
heard of, notice is hereby given the
steel will be sold to defray the
charge." (Signed) Geo. Absentz.
1760 — German-Swiss Families Scat-
tered By Being Bound Out.
The result of binding out the chil
dren of the poor German-Swiss fam
ilies who came over to this country
in the early days is shown by an ar
ticle in the Pennsylvania Gazette
Oct. 30, 1760, which is as follows:
"WHEREAS Rudolph Miller & Bar
bara Miller came over from Switzer
land to this Province with their father
Jacob Miller, since deceased, and
their sister Regina; and the saijd
Rudolph and Barbara were then
bound out as apprentices; and the
said Regina has never since heard of
her said brother and sister; she
therefore desires them or either of
them, if they hear of this advertise
ment to direct a letter to her or to
her husband Daniel Kohn living at
Conestoga Perry near Lancaster."
This is similar no doubt to many
cases that happened in those early
days. One would think that when
there were so few people it would
not be hard to find the relations of
one another; but it must not be for
gotten that there were no railroads
nor modern conveniences and that
travel was very difficult. Thus it
happened people living thirty or forty
miles apart did not get to see one
another as often as people living 1000'
miles apart visit one another now.

GERMANS AND LAND PURCHASES— WOOD TRUST.

;;',t

1760— London Company's Lands Go to
the German-Swiss.
In Pennsylvania Gazette December
11, 1760, there is an advertisement
announcing the sale of the land of the
London Company which consisted of
15 tracts. This land was In Philadel
phia County — Bucks County — Lancas
ter County — and other sections of
Pennsylvania. The sale was adver
tised for April 2, 1761; but the Gazette
of that year does not give any ac
count of the sale.
From the description of the land in
Lancaster County which are tracts
number 12 and 13 it is seen that at
this time this land was surrounded
by German settlers. There is no
doubt that these same Germans also
bought up the land. The German-
Swiss descendants occupy it today as
the Germans have done in previous
years. Tracts 12 and 13 are described as
follows :
1 2. Tract (2500 acres) in Lampeter
and Manheim township, and partly on
Conestoga Creek and on the road
from the city to Lancaster and ex
tends within a mile of that town,
containing upwards of 2500 acres, laid
out in plantations, now in the pos
session of John Kirk, David Craw
ford, Andrew Baisinger, James Pat
terson, John Rorer, Christian Stover,
Widow McPilly, Mart Mosser,

Rudisball and others, and is bounded
by land of Sebastian Grove, Michael
Immel dec'd, Melchor Snyder, Leon
ard Bender, John & Wm. Bond, Jacob
Hartman, Darns Buckwalter and
others and is intended to be sold in
parcels. 13. Tract (1874 acres) Strasburg
Twp., on a branch of Pequea contain
ing 1874 acres bounded by land of
John & Isaac Ferree, John McCauley,
John Elliott, John Huston, Matthias
Slayermackers and others. It now
consists of five plantations in posses
sion of Mathias, Daniel and Henry

Slayermackers, Robert Smith, John
Huston, Wm. White, Isaac Taylor and
others and is intended to be sold in
as many parcels.
1760— High Price of Wood in German
Valleys.
It seems that the German-Swiss
soon learned that the good heavy tim
ber in the rich lime stone lands which
they owned was very valuable and'
that they had the best grade ot it
found anywhere. Thus as time went
on they began to ask and got high
prices for it. Of course hauling it
was an item of expense.
In the Pennsylvania Gazette of
January 10, 1760, the situation is set
forth as follows:
"Help! help! help! Wood at 3
pounds and 10 shillings a cord, — a
price never before heard of. The
country men say we have wood
enough. The boatman says he can-
bring two loads while he is bringing
and unloading one. The merchants
complain that the boatmen can bring
wood at the same time they are bring
ing sugar. The woman hears a noise
in her yard, rises from her bed at
midnight and from her window sees
a thief and she asks him what he is
doing. He answers, that he must
have wood. In the morning she views
her small pile and laments the loss
of half a cord. The rich engross,
while perhaps 200 families have not
a stick to burn. And thus it is at the
very moment, that at one house two
persons lie dead of small-pox.
Should not the fathers of the city
do something in this extremity? Can
not our magistrates appoint an of
ficer or officers to inspect every boat
— and to agree on a price of the whole
— make them distribute their wood in
small quantites at a price agreed on —
restrain the carmen from every other
service and compel them to attend to
the boats until they are unloaded? If
this or something to the same pur-

CONDITION OP PALATINES AT THIS DATE.

pose be not done, what may be the
condition of this city before the be
ginning of next February?"
Here was a wood famine. We are
beginning, in this 20th century, to
notice that a question is rising as to
coal becoming harder to get and
going higher and higher in price. We
are not as far on yet, in the pinch
ing stage of the coal question, as our
ancestors were in 1760 in the wood
question. Thus we see that the same
difficulties come round again and
again. There evidently was a great
deal of the mean monopolistic spirit
then as now. Old King "Selfishness"
would crush and destroy others for
his own gluttonous self then, as now.
1761 — Conditions in the Palatinate at
This Time.
Mr. John C. Egly ot Philadelphia
has a letter written in Manheim, in
the Palatinate, in 1761 by John Jacob
Hackman to a relative or friend in
Holstein inquiring concerning rela
tives there, a short sketch of his re
lationship and also giving something
of the religious conditions and liberty
there at that time. It required 8
years for this letter to reach its des
tination — the addressee acknowledges
that he received it in 1769. The dis
tance was only a couple hundred
miles. It is remarkable that such
delay ensued. We give below the
sense of the first part ot it; but the
part concerning conditions in the
Palatinate is given in full. Those In
terested may see the whole letter in
the Mennonite Year Book of 1914,
page 35.
In the letter Hackman says that he
has relatives in Holstein, near Fred
erickstadt — his mother's brother Con
rad Egly, who was born in the Palati
nate. He states that during the late
war the Palatines moved to Holstein,
temporarily, most of them returning
after the war; but that Conrad Egly
and Conrad Strickler did not return.

He says his father corresponded with
this Egly and his children some
years; but not of late. He also says
he Is the only child of Ulrich Hack-
man and Maria Egly Hackman and
lives in Manheim, the capital of the
elector,- — that he has eight nephews
and nieces (brother's children) and
that four of them have gone to Penn
sylvania in America.
The -balance of his letter is as fol
lows: "As for me and our congregation
here in Mannheim, we number seven
teen families and are contentd in our
condition. Thank God, we have not
had any great burden on account of
the war. We have a gracious lord
ship and reasonable liberty and cit
izens' right to do business for a liv
ing. I distil whiskey as my means" ot
livelihood. In our worship we are
not disturbed. The meetings are held
in my house. As far as our country
men are concerned, they have some
what heavier burdens to bear because
of the war and winter quarters and
forage tor the army. Still we fare
better than the people who have to
provide quarters for the soldiers both
summer and winter. This we have
not had to do here in the Palatinate,
for which we cannot be sufficiently
grateful to the Lord. Everything is,
of course, dear — food and other neces
sities. For the French army is sta
tioned only eight miles away and is
lying in winter quarters only two
miles away. I do not intend to write
much more now about the circum
stances of our country.
You will already have understood
our situation. I pray, therefor, dear
brother, not to think hard ot me for
thus troubling you in taking the lib
erty of writing to you.
If I can otherwise be ot service to
you, I shall do so with pleasure. It
you wish to reply to my letter, ad
dress me Jacob Hackman, at the
Schwarzen Lamme, Mannheim. God

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT OP GERMANS— THEIR FINANCES.

bless you, and greetings and the pro
tection of the Most High to all who
read this. Commending all friends
and brethren in Christ to God's care,
I remain. Your faithful servant,
JOHANN JACOB HACKMAN."
This shows again the conditions
even in 1761 which made it hard'tor
our German-Swiss ancestors to live
their peaceful religious lives in
Europe. The reasons are very plain
why they came to the Susquehanna
and Conestoga.
1761— Ship Records of this Year.
The Col. Rec. (Vol. 17, second series,
page 454) record only one vessel ar
riving in Philadelphia carrying Ger
man Palatines this year. It was
named the "Squirrel," and carried
only thirty heads of families. There
may have been many wives and chil
dren on board. Her master was "John
Benn" and she came from Rotterdam
by way of Portsmouth and arrived in
Philadelphia Oct. 21, 1761.
The names of the men on board
were: Peter Mischler, Christophel Bom-
berg, Andreas Graff, Daniel Schaab,
Valentin Anwoldt, Johann Wilhelm
Serger, Joh. Nickel Hertzog, Nicolaus
Schweitzer, Wilhelm Becker, Henrich
Holtzapfel, Friederich Probst, John
Henry Diessinger, Johann Friederich
Diehl, Johan Ludwig Probst, Johann
Dietrich Taub, Eberhart Disinger,
Johannes Beyerele, Stephan Danner,
Friederich Lieberknecht, Casper Kno-
baluch, Johan Simon Mayer, Johann
Conrad Serger, Johan Nickel Becker,
George Vogelgesang, Hans Eckardt,
Joh. Jacob Vogelgesang, Georg Fried
erich Rohrer, Johann Jacob Hackman,
Johann Nicolaus Diehl, Johan Jacob
Probst. Among them we notice many com
mon Lancaster County names, viz:
Mishler, Bomberger, Groff, Schweitzer,
Becker, Brobst, Disinger, Byerly, Dan

ner, Mayer, Zercher, Eckert Rohrer,
Hackman and others. In 1762, no re
corded ships arrived at all.
1762— Early Executions in Lancaster
County.
It frequently happened that capital
punishment was infiicted upon crim
inals in early colonial times. The
German-Swiss in southeastern Penn
sylvania figured frequently in crimes
so severely punished. We have re
ferred to crimes that were not uncom
mon to the more ignorant German
women's weaknesses.
We now set forth the predicament of
two more Germans who were sen
tenced to death. Their felony was
burglary. For this they were con
demned to die. The record states that
Anthony Miller, John Heller and Cor
nelius Dougherty were convicted of
burglary in Lancaster County on No
vember 1st, 1762. No application was
made to the council for a substitute
for the death penalty and thus on
November 11th, 1762, it was ordered
that the sheriff of Lancaster County
execute them by hanging, Saturday,
November 20th. Apparently they were
hanged that day.
The horror of capital punishment
shocks the senses today; but in those
days it was inflicted even for burglary
because people lived widely separated;
and burglary was more serious than
now and often resulted in death. The
victims could not ' secure help. The
swiftness with which sentence and
execution followed the verdict is a
noticeable fact. The "hangings" were
carried out on Saturday because it was
a day when hundreds could be present
to witness the entertainment. See this
record in Vol. 9 Col. Rec. 5.
1762 — Financial Standing of Germans
and English in Lancaster at
This Date.
This year a law was passed provid
ing for a night watch for Lancaster

¦334

SHIP RECORDS OP IMMIG'RANTS.

Borough. The people, living on the
outskirts of the town, petitioned to
have a law passed for the repeal of the
law on the ground of its expense. This
led a large number of the citizens who
lived in the heart of the town to op
pose the repeal. These citizens say
that those who want the law repealed
"are possessed of little property and
liable to bear very little tax" and that
the greater part of the taxes fall on
those who desire the law to remain.
Complaint is also made that those
who want the repeal acted in a secret
manner. The petitioners there con-
¦clude as follows:
"Your petitioners beg to observe that
without the aid of the law or one sim
ilar the borough will be exposed to
the greatest disorders by reason of
the near situation of houses therein to
•each other — that the chief intent in
applying for a law was to furnish
themselves with a sufficient quantity
¦¦of water, lodged in public parts of the
borough to prevent fire which expense
is too much for subscription; and that
the useful design ot the several fire
companies of the borough purchasing
¦engines, etc., buckets at great cost is
frustrated by the want of water. Your
petitioners beseech your honors not to
assent to the law to repeal; and fur
ther that the house reconsider the bill
and pass one which will allow the levy
of a tax for the purpose of supplying
a quantity of water in case of fire."
The signers are:
"James Burd (Chief Burgess) — Isaac
Whitlock — A. Hubley — John Pellman —
Caster Shaffer — Lodewick Stone — Geo.
Moyer — Wm. Henry — Stofel Franciscus
— Casper Shaffner (Town Clerk) —
Friendship Pire Co. — Thos. Barton^
Miller Albertson — Wm. White — Jacob
Jeller — David Trissler — John Miller —
Jas. Marchall ^ — Philip Prank — John
Grassel — Nicolas Stoner — Stofel Mar
tin — Fred Shadel — Mary Louman — Se
bastian Graff — ^Jocob Clefs — John Mus
ser— Ludwig Louman — Jos. Chalye —

Andrew Graff — James Sanderson — Wm.
Jevon — John Ceary — Michael Diffen
derfer — Wm. Montgomery — Jas. Solo-
man — Ulrich Reigart — Geo. Peters—
Lowerntz Margert — Royer Connor —
Union Fire Co. — ^Edw. Shippen — Adom
Simon Kuhn — Christian Crawford —
John Hopson — Rudy Stoner — Geo.
Graeff — Christian Voght — Frederick
Dombrey — Thomas Boyd — Anthony
Snyder — Adam Reigart — Christ Rei
gart — Lenhart Kleis — John Eberman —
Henry Dchoff — Balzer Keller— Math
ias Slough — Jos. Simon — Nls Miller-
Sun Fire Company — Martin Quay-
Michael Gross — Paul Wentzel — Christ
Wentz — Casper Singer — Christ Mend-
enball — Wm. Bausman — Christian
Hayne — John Spoore — Philip Bush —
John Henry — Wm. Lasch — Chely Lint
ner — Christian Stone — Bernard Hubly
— Philip Beakler — John Epple— John
Barr — ¦ Michael Pordner — John Ham-
bright — Michael Job — Jawb Weaver —
Daniel May — Simon Schnyder — Henry
Hutlenstein — Christian Knerscheldt—
Peter Gonder and Michael Garther."
From this list it will be seen by
going over the above names that about
half these petitioners (who say they
are the chief men ot substance in the
town) are English and half are Ger
man-Swiss. The original petition and
list of signers may be found in a vol
ume of manuscripts in the library of
the Pennsylvania Historical Society at
Philadelphia known as Miscellaneous
Papers ot Lancaster County (1724-
1772) on page 157.
1763— Ship Records of This Year.
Pour vessels carrying Palatines ar
rived in Philadelphia harbor this year:
The Richmond under Capt. Chas. Y.
Husband from Rotterdam via Ports
mouth Oct. 5; The Chance, under Opt
Chas. Smith from same place via
Cowes Nov. 1; The Success under
Capt. Wm. Marshall from same place
Nov. 25, 1763; and the Pallas, under
Richard Milner from same place via

GERMANS .AGAINST PAXTON MURDER— CLEARING LAND,

335

Porismouth Nov. 25. The total num
ber of heads of families, or male
adults reported in them was 248. This
list may represent perhaps 800 to
1000 persons.
Among the familiar southeastern
Pennsylvania names in the list are:
Alsbach — Shellenberger — Kessler —
Hauch — Becker — Wolf — Arnold —
Schmidt — Huber — ¦ Johns — ¦ Hauser
— Schwabb — Zeiner — Ebersohl —
Hoffman — Behr — Miller — Weiler
— Gill — Bernhart — Manges —
Christ — Speilman — Hedrick —
Christman — Helm — Bauman —
Moyer — Kuhnete — Wagner — Schoff
— Wendell — Flick — Blum — Ham
mer — Scherer — Keiser — Pieffer —
Groff — Rohrig — Burkholder —
Schweitzer — • Sehner — Seitz and
Schreiber. In some instances there are several
ot the same name in the list. These
names are almost wholly sure Swiss
though there is a percentage of Ger
mans among them. (See series 2 of
Pa. Arch. Vol. 17 page 455, etc.)
1763— German Tries To Stop Paxton
Murder.
From the manuscript journal of the
great-granddaughter of Robert Bar
ber, one of the three pioneer settlers
of Columbia; it is stated by Arthur B.
Bradford in Vol. 9 Haz. Reg. P. P. 114
and 115 that "On a snowy morning in
December, 1763, a German neighbour
came to Robert Barber's house, and
requested him to go with him in pur
suit ot some ones who had been at his
house the night before, and whom he
called robbers. They had behaved in
a very disorderly manner, such as
melting the pewter spoons on the
stove, etc. Mr. Barber, supposing it
had been some persons in a frolic, ad
vised his friend to take no notice of it.
He had scarcely left the house, when
five or six men came in, very cold,
their great coats covered with snow
and wet. They left their guns stand

ing outside. Mr. Barber was not per
sonally acquainted with them, though
he knew from what part of the coun
try they came. He made up a flre to
warm, and treated them to the cus
tomary morning refreshments. While
they warmed themselves, they in
quired why the Indians were suffered
to live peaceably here. Mr. Barber
said they were entirely inoffensive,
being on their own lands, and injur
ing no one. They asked what would
be the consequence if they were all
destroyed? Mr. Barber said he thought
they would be as liable to punishment
as if they had destroyed so many white
men. They said, they were of a dif
ferent opinion, and in a few minutes
went out. In the mean time, however,
two sons of Mr. B. about 10 or 12 years
old, went out to look at the strangers'
horses, which were hitched at a little
distance from the house. After the
men went, the boys came in and said
they (the men) had tomahawks, tied
to their saddles, which were all
bloody, and that they had Christy's
gun, (Christy was a little Indian boy
about their own age — they were much
attached to him, as he was their play
mate, and made their bows and ar
rows, and other means of amuse
ment.) While the family all wondered
what it oould mean, a messenger came
from Herr, giving information of the
dreadful deed. Mr. Barber and some
others went down to see the extent of
the massacre. Shocking indeed was
the sight !¦ — the dead bodies of four
teen poor Indians lay among the rub
bish of their burnt cabins, like half
consumed logs! Mr. Barber after
some trouble, procured their bodies to
administer to them the rights of
sepulchre."
1763— German-Swiss' Strenuous Clear
ing of Land.
Hazard in Vol. 5 of this register,
page 22, says under date of 1763 : "The
rapid growth of the county by large

336

MENNONITES KIND TO INDIANS.

and extensive clearings, made each
year by enterprising emigrants from
Germany, Holland, and Ireland, in
duced also many of the worthless, idle,
and dissolute to follow, and therefore
compelled the honest settlers to build
a House of Correction for the punish
ment of the vicious. A large number
of the Scotch-Irish, in consequence of
the limestone land being liable to
frost and heavily wooded, seated them
selves along the northern line of the
counties of Chester and Lancaster,
well known at an early period by the
ijame of the "Chestnut Glade." The
Germans purchased their little im
provements, and were not intimidat
ed either by the difficulty of clearing,
the want of water, and the liability to
frost which at this period was experi
enced every month in the year. Sev
eral valuable mills were built, but
altho' very necessary for the settle
ment, they became a subject of much
irritation among the farmers on the
waters of the Conestoga, as appears
from a petition presented to the Gen
eral Assembly, stating, "that Michael
Garber, Sebastian Graff, and Hans
Christy, erected three large dams on
Conestoga Creek, to the great injury
and detriment of the settlers on its
banks ; that said Creek flows about
thirty miles through a woody and fer
tile country, of a width about 250 feet,
well calculated for boats and rafts, of
wood; that the price of wood in Lan
caster is raised to 10s. a load for oak
and 15s. for hickory; that before the
dams were built, wood was lower, and
they had an abundant supply; before
any dams were built shad, salmon, and
rock fish were in abundance, and in
the tributary streams plenty of trout;
before the water was dammed up, the
country was free from pestilential
fevers and from diseases of every
kind; that in consequence ot the dam
ming ot the water, the country along
the Conestoga is visited by an autum
nal fever, and that .which was formerly

healthy is now become unhealthy:
They, therefore, pray that the Assem
bly pass a Law requiring the Sheriff
to remove said dams, as there would
be left no less than ten good Grist
Mills, all in the distance of five miles
from the town of Lancaster."
Note. — The owners of said dams
altered them so as to remove many of
the causes of complaint.
1763 — ^Mennonists Help Indian
Victims.
In the Pennsylvania Gazette of Aug.
4, 1763, the following item dated Lan
caster, July 28, occurs:
There are certain accounts that In
dians have passed the South Mountain
and are gone into York County, and
that some of them have assuredly
been near Carlisle. The wants of the
distressed refuges have been greatly
relieved by sums of money collected
in the different congregations in Lan
caster County. The Quakers and Men
nonists have been very liberal on this
occasion, having raised a considerable
sum and having hired men to assist
the poor people in gathering in as
much of their harvest as possible—
and we are told that several large
parties have again attempted to go
over the mountains for this necessary
and laudable purpose, but the risk
they run is so great we cannot think
of them without dread."
While this Item mainly shows the
Indian situation in southeastern Penn
sylvania at this date, it also shows
that the German-Swiss people were
liberal in helping to relieve distress
and gives us a picture of the "good
old times" in which they lived.
1764— Mennonists Kind to Indians till
Extinction.
In the Annals of the Suskuehan-
nocks, etc, page 386, published by the
present compiler in 1909, the follow
ing item showing the kindness of the
German-Swiss toward the Indians ot
lower Susquehanna Valley occurs:

GERMAN-SWISS IMMIGRANTS AT THIS DATE.

:;:i7

"In a lonely spot in one of the back
pasture fields of this Homestead (The
Old Hershey Homestead) the visitors
found four stone markers set securely
In the ground within whose enclosure
lie the remains of "Michael and
.Mary," the last two Indians of Lan
caster County. These Indians were
friendly and during their declining
years were cared for by Christian
Hershey, who then owned the home
stead. The following document was
read by Mr. Hershey at this spot, after
prayer over the remains ot these last
Children of the Forest, by Rev. Her
shey. 'Protection tor Two Friendly Indians
In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
By Ho'ble John Penn, Esq., &c..
To Whom It May Concern:
Greeting: 'Whereas, I am given too
understand that the Bearers Michael
and Mary his wife are friendly Indians
who formerly resided with other In
dians in the Conestoga Manor, and
have tor upwards ot fifteen months
past lived with Christian Hershey,
at his plantation in Warwick Town
ship, Lancaster Co., Pa., during which
time they have constantly behaved in
the most friendly and peaceable man
ner to all his Majesty's subjects, I do
hereby grant the said Michael and
Mary my protection and do enjoin and
require all officers, civil and Military,
as well as all other persons whatso
ever within this Government to suffer
to pass and repass on their lawful
business without the least molestation
or interruption, and they are hereby
also desired to treat the said Indians
with Civility and to afford them all
necessary assistance.
Given under my Hand and Seal at
Arms at Philadelphia, the 17th Aug.,
1764.' JOHN PENN.
'By his Honour's Command.
JOHN SHIPPEN, Secretary.

Thus it will be noticed that the Her
shey family is honored with decently
burying the last Indians of Lancaster
County and suitably marking their
graves." 1764— Ship Records of This Year.
The vessels importing Gtrman-Swiss
Palatines to Pennsylvania in 1764
were: The Ship "Polly," Captain Robert
Porter, from Rotterdam by the way of
Cowes, September 19, 1764, carrying
56 passengers; among the familiar
names in the list are: Beck — ^Galle —
Mann — Bergman — Wenger — Konig
— Eulman — Holleback — Strass —
Schwaab — Grebiel — Dietrich — ¦
Moser — Wenger — Graff — Schmidt
— Strass — Heibst — Bauer — Welte
— Hoffman. The Ship "Sarah," Cap
tain Ftancis Stantell, from Rotterdam
by the way of Portsmouth, September
20, 1764, carrying 100 passengers;
among the familiar names in the list
are: Bischoff — Lehman '— Frick —
Lichtenfeld — Keyser — Eich — Hoch
— AUspach — VoUprecht — Welte —
Betz — Weber — Kaufman — ¦ Hu-
bacher — Dorr — Gass — Bintz —
Lohr — Punck — Scheffer — Schaub
— Strack — Thran — Hoff — Schuster
— Kuhn — Sheets — ¦ Hitz — Otter-
shelt — Hartman — Kuhn — Raque.
The Ship "Brittania," Captain Thomas
Arnot, from Rotterdam, September 26,
1764, carrying 108 passengers; among
the familiar names in the list are:
Heger — Weber — Roth — ¦ Lamphardt
— Wolker — Wiser — Schaffer — Mil
ler — Bruckert — Ott — Pautzler — •
Ersterger — Weibel — Stettler —
Lombach — Weiss — Gift — Reiff —
Krombach — Ran — Jager — Rup —
Preiberger — Nieder — Helidz —
Spitzer — Lampart — Michel — Buh
ler — Kaintz — Menges — Fishier.
The Ship "King of Prussia,'' Capt.
James Robinson, from London, Octo
ber 3, 1764, carrying 48 passengers;
among the familiar names in the list

338

LANCASTER COUNTY GERMANS AND HEMP CULTURE.

are: Muller — Apffel — Haffner —
Deisert — - Dippel — Mattes — ¦ Suder
— Schell — Horst — Stutz — Specht
— Breszler — Steinmetz — Reinhold
— Fischer — Kilb — Hart — Gantz —
Koster — Wagner. The Ship "Rich
mond," Capt. Chas. Younghusband,
from Rotterdam, October 20, -764, car
rying 106 passengers; among the
familiar names in the list are: Jacoby
— Gulcher — Kuhn — Staufftr —
Schott — Seitz — Jacob — - Haffner
Bardon — Kamerer — Gerhard —
Rupert — Bockle — Runckel — Heiser
— Gluck — Reiner — Satzler — Mul
ler — Minger — - Peikert — Thiol —
Mayer — Henrich — Beckel — Ham
— Muller — Knoblauch — Kolb —
Pfeiffer — Henrich — Heiss. The
Ship "Hero," Captain Ralph Porsttr,
from Rotterdam, October 27, 1764, car
rying 180 passengers; among the
familiar names in the list are: Hufer
— Weiss — Wolff — Muller — Lud
wig — Durr — - Walter — Klein —
Berg ^ Hass — Btter — Will — Honlg
— Gross — Durr Bauer — Schiff —
Sellheim — Wittig — Daniel — Bren-
nemann — ¦ Lutz — Schantz — Weiden-
meyer — Frietsch — Baum — • Schad
— Beck — • Seybtrth — Brubacher —
Bruchauhser — Becker — Weber —
Volck — Hess — Nagel — Weiss —
Peter — Buch — Unangst. The Ship
"Jeneffer," Capt. George Kerr, from
Rotterdarn, November 5, 1764, carry
ing 86 passengers; among the familiar
names in the list are: Kromm — ¦
Strunck — Frantz — Decker — Miller
— Gruck — Reyman — Frantz — Lan
des — Meisset — Reutch — Klein.
The Ship "Prince ot Wales," Capt.
James Edgar, from Rotterdam, Novem
ber 5, 1764, carrying 68 passengers;
among the familiar names in the list
are: Becher — Muth — Booss — Hap-
pel — Hessler — Orth — - Mattheis —
Haerberger — Schneider — Umstatt
— Duckel. The Ship "Boston," Capt.
Matthew Carr, from Rotterdam, No
vember 10, 1764, carrying 62 passen

gers ; among the familiar names in the
list are: Bertsch — Wentz — Schaff
er — Lampart — Wentz — - Scheffer
— Bausmann — Hartman — Klein —
Kessler — Bernhardt. The Ship "Snow
Tryall," Capt. John Clapp, from Am
sterdam, December 4, 1764, carrying
23 passengers; among the familiar
names in the list are: Bender — Stein
— Stauffer — Gross — Enck. The
Ship "Chance," Capt. Charles Smith,
from Rotterdam, Aug. 8, 1764, carry
ing 90 passengers; among the familiar
names in the list are : Bender — Metz
gar — Wanner — Grosh — Ammann
— Geiger — Tandt — Vogt — Scholl
— Hes — Muller — Beck — Mayer —
Kemper — Scherer — Schaffer — Blum
Huber — Ringer — Strein — Descher
— Hoffman — Weinberger — Schmidt
— Haass — Druckenbrodt — Gebhardt
— Grob — Chasseur — Wilhelm —
Weniger — Zimmerman.
The total number of passengers im
ported on these ships were 927.
1765 — Lancaster County Germans in
the Hemp Industry.
The German-Swiss who crowded the
valleys of the Susquehanna, the Con
estoga, the Pequea and other adjacent
regions, became very active near the
Susquehanna in raising hemp.
Many prizes were offered by Phila-
delphians for the best water-rotted
hemp and the best hemp prepared by
other means. The ancient newspapers
frequently offered such prizes for the
Lancaster County product The Phil
adelphia merchants were also very
eager to advertise Lancaster County
hemp seed. Among these an adver
tisement is found in the Pennsylvania
Gazette of May 9, 1765, setting out
that, "Lancaster County hemp seed is
to be had at very reasonable prices at
Daniel Wissler's store on Market
Street." Lancaster County red clover
seed was also advertised as a special
seller by Philadelphia merchants.

SUPPLEMENT TO GERMAN-SWISS SHIPPING LAW.

339

1765 — German. Swiss Misfortune in the
Susquehanna Valley.
In the Pennsylvania Gazette of the
issue of April 4, it is set out that the
property of the late John Stoner is to
be sold by virtue ot an execution on
April 6, in Conestoga Township, Lan
caster County ; on it is erected a com
plete mill with two pairs ot stones fit
for merchant and country business
and a complete saw mill excellently
situated on Pequea Creek. There is
plenty ot water and 200 acres of land.
It is set forth that the title is good
and that it is likely a copper mine can
be opened on it as there is supposed
to be plenty of ore there. It might
be added here that up to this date 150
years later the copper has not been
found. 1765— The Palatines SOU Come.
In the Pennsylvania Gazette of
August 29 this year It is set forth that
on Saturday last Captain Porter ar
rived at Philadelphia from Rotterdam
with 240 palatines all in good health.
This is good news because usually the
Palatines ships had a great deal ot
sickness on board, a large number of
the other ships cleared from Philadel
phia about the same time.
176.5— Nightly Watch Established in
Lancaster.
The growth of the people in the
Lancaster County region made it nec
essary tor better police protection. To
meet this necessity a law was pre
pared September 20, 1765, found in
Vol. 6 Statutes at Large 441. The law
provides that the people of the bor
ough may elect such night watchman;
and provided the manner in which the
money can be raised for the purpose.
This item is inserted for the purpose
of showing the continual growth ot
this section.

1765 — Supplement to the Gennan Ship
ping Bin.
In the same Law Book mentioned in
the above item there is set forth an
act that was passed May 18, this year,
to better protect the Germans, that
came over in crowded ships. This act
sets forth that to protect these people
and at the same time to enable the
ship owners to recover their fares,
that certain regulations must be
made. Among these regulations it is
set out that there must be room for
each passenger, and that these rooms
must be three feet nine inches high in
the forepart and two feet nine inches
in the cabin and steerage, and that no
more than two passengers shall be
put together in one 'bedstead except if
the father and mother want their chil
dren in the same bedstead with them
they may do so. These berths were
18 inches wide and six feet long. The
act further provides that these ships
carrying German passengers must have
a well recommended surgeon and a
complete chest of medicine — that the
medicine must be given to the passen
gers free — that twice a week the ves
sel must be smoked with burning tar
between the decks and that it should
be well washed with vinegar twice a
week. It is also said that neither the
purser nor other persons shall sell to
passengers at a greater price than
50% profit on first cost, any wine,
brandy, rum, beer, cider or other
liquor or any spices or necessaries for
sick persons — that no person shall
carry any liquor or other things more
than 30 shillings worth. The act also
provides that the officer in Philadel
phia appointed to carry out this law
shall take with him a reputable Ger
man inhabitant of Philadelphia to in
terpret into English the statements of
the German passengers. It is also
provided that the interpreter in aloud
voice shall declare in German that
the duties required by this act will be
read to them in German and that they

340

LANCASTER COUNTY AND SWISS FARMING.

may inquire about any matter they
may wish to know. It is also pro
vided that the master of the ship
must give each person a bill of lading
mentioning the trunks, crates, chests,
bales or packages belonging to every
passenger except of such goods they
may want to keep in their own pos
session. It is also provided that the
ship owner must declare when start
ing out what goods the Germans will
not be allowed to bring from their
home to America, and that if they
have such goods he shall declare what
taxes or duties they must pay on the
same, so that they will not lose them.
The act provided that the fares must
be fixed and certain, and that it the
German passengers offer that sum the
ship master must take it and dare not
hold their goods to compel them to
pay higher prices.
Many other provisions were made
in the act; but all with the same end
in view to prevent these Ignorant peo
ple from being robbed.
1765— Ship Records of This Year.
The vessels importing German-
Swiss Palatines to Pennsylvania in
1765 were:
The Ship "Polly," Captain Robert
Porter, from Rotterdam by the way of
Cowes, August 24, 1765, carrying 81
passengers. Among the familiar names
ih the list are: Werner — Schneck
— Muller — Rhein — Dietrich —
Bender — Kohler — Obermiller —
Heintz — Gram — - Schultz — Schwenck
— Schmidt — Dietrich — Kauffmann
— • Mayer — Fischer.
The Ship "Chance," Captain Charles
Smith, from Rotterdam by the way ot
Cowes, September 9, 1765, carrying 77
passengers. Among the familiar names
in the list are: Grim — Roth — Haf-
ferstock — Meyers — Muller — Mayer
— Weber — Keller — Frantz — Rit
ter — Schmidt — Schissler — Metzger
— Kurtz — Hoyer — Franck.

The Ship "Betsy," Captain John Os-
man, from Rotterdam by the way of
Cowes, September 19, 1765, carrying
85 passengers. Among the familiar
names in the list are: Gabriel —
Schaffer — Betz — - Zweigart — Garth-
ner — Hiller — Gottschall — Litcht
— Pfeiffer — Becker — Schaffer —
Schneider — Wolff — Strauss — Os-
tertag — Metzger — Weiler.
The Ship Myrtilla," Captain James
Caton, from London, September 21,
1765, carrying 33 passengers. Among
the familiar names in the list are:
Schmidt — - Dieterlch — Prey — Nau-
mann — Burgholdter — Keller —
Meyer — Wissler — Christian.
The Ship "Countess of Sussex,"
Captain Thomas Gray, from Rotter
dam, October 7, 1765, carrying 23 pas
sengers. Among the familiar names
in the list are: Hacker — Metzler —
Sghultz — Vohl — Hubert — Bender.
The total number of passengers im
ported on these ships were 299.
1766 — Lancaster County a Modem
S-jvitzerland.
In Switzerland there are many tab
lets containing lists of names of those
who fought and died in the various
Swiss wars. These lists are numer
ous. They are found attached to pub
lic buildings, churches, ancient resi
dences, boulders, monuments, and on
other permanent bases throughout
Switzerland. They contain the names
of Swiss patriots from 1766 onward,
and the names of some prior to 1766.
The names are particularly numerous
of those who fell in the Napoleonic
wars. Hon. W. U. Hensel, who died early
in 1915, while visiting Switzerland
made note of many of these above
named tablets ; and stated to the com
piler of the annals that if the sur
roundings did not prove to you that
you were in Switzerland you would
conclusively presume that you were
reading the names taken from the as-

GERMAN-SWISS AND CHURCH LOTTERIES.

341

sessments lists of the central, north
and eastern parts of Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania. The names are exactly
the same, both the surnames and
christian names, and the proportions
of persons of one family name com
pared with those of other family names
are identical with the proportion in
Lancaster County. That is the family
names which are most numerous in
Lancaster County are the ones that
are the most numerous there, such as
Millers — Herrs — Weavers — Stauf
fers — Harnishs — Millans — Ken
digs — Eshlemans — Hubers and
others. 1766— Ship Records of Tlvis Year.
Five vessels carrying Palatines ar
rived in Philadelphia harbor this
year: The Ship "Chance" under Capt.
Charles Smith from Rotterdam Sept
ember 23, 1766 with 106 passengers.
The Ship "Betsy" under Capt. John
Osman from Rotterdam October 13,
with 84 passengers. The Ship "CuU-
odian" under Master Richard Hunter
from Lisbon October 15, with 12 pas
sengers. The ship " Polly " under
Master Robert Porter fom Rotter
dam October 18, with 53 passengers.
The ship "Sally" under Master John
Davidson from Rotterdam November
4, with 7 passengers.
The total number of passengers
were 263.
Among the familiar Southeastern
Pennsylvania names in the list are:
Muller, Weitzel, Arnold, Locher.
Schaffer, Weber, Kehl, Meister, Lantz,
Hasler, Becker, Weingartner, Lipp,
Gross, Conrad, Locher, Weber, Flick,
Frey, Martin, Sand, Zimmerma-Ott,
Shffer, Singer, Hoffman, Wolff, Mos
ser, Keller, Volmer, Benner, Kauff
man, Wagner, Miller, Frantz, Zieg
ler, Eckert, Oberlander, Fisher,
Meyer, Stoltzfus, Muller, Walter,
Herman, Donner, Schmidt, Jacob,
Schreiner, Henninger and Amecker.

1767 — German-Swiss Improved Agri
cultural Implements.
It is shown from some early re
cords that the German-Swiss did not
lag behind in certain Improved meth
ods of conducting their affairs. Those
before referred to show that the Ger
man Lancaster County Clover Seed
had gained great reputation in early
days. These farmers of the Susque
hanna Valley made efforts to turn
out high grade products. The clean
ing of the grains was an important
matter to them.
In the Pennsylvania Gazette April
9, 1767 there appears among the ad
vertisements the following •-
"Dutch Pans & Screens made and
sold by Richard Truman at James
Truman's place Elbow Lane near the
Harp & Crown Tavern at Third
Street, Philadelphia, also various
wire work for cleaning grain and
fiax." Accompanying this advertise
ment there is a picture of the Dutch
Fan; and it shows the fan to be simi
lar to those in use about here for
cleaning grains just before the com
bined trasher and seperator took
their place.
This article is cited to show the
progress made among these people at
this date in the processes of agricul
ture. 1767- Lottery for Church Improve
ment.
Among not only the early Germans
but among all nationalities of early
settlers in southeastern Pennsyl
vania and elsewhere the lottery be
came a favorite method of raising
money for laudable improvements.
We have given items on this before.
Another item on the same subject
is found in the Pennsylvaia Gazette
of October 22, this year and is as fol
lows: "The Managers of The German
Lutheran Church Lottery In Earl

342

GERMAN-SWISS AS POLITICAL LEADERS.

Township Lancasetr County are
obliged to postpone the drawing till
the 4th of January next. And as
there are but few tickets on hand
those who desire to become adven
turers are requested to be speedy in
applying tor the same."
1767— The German-Swiss As Political
Leaders.
In the Gazette of October 8, 1767 it
is reported that those elected to the
assembly for Lancaster County were
Emanuel Carpenter, James Wright,
Jacob Carpenter & James Webb. And
those elected for sheriff were James
Webb Jr. and Fred Stone and for
Coroner Mathias Slough and Adam
Reigart. The Governor had the right
to select the sheriff and coroner out
of the two persons for each of these
offices elected by the people.
1767— More Light On the Above Ger
man Lottery.
To show that lotteries in days past
were perfectly legal and did not par
take of the criminal nature which now
brands them as public evils, I cite an
act of assembly passed (7 St. L. 133)
authorizing the same. The circum
stances justifying the resort to lottery
are set forth in the act as follows:
"Whereas it hath been represented
to the assembly of this province by
the Church wardens and elders of the
German Lutheran Church lately built
in Earl Township that not-with-stand-
ing the subscriptions heretofore made
towards raising a sum of money for
the erecting and finishing ot said
church there yet remains a consider
able sum of money due for the work
already done, and a further sum - be
sides what has been hitherto raised
by contributions among themselves
will be wanted to complete the same
and to erect a school house near the
said church for the education of
youth; Therefore it is enacted, etc.,
that Edward Hughes, Michael Tieten-

derfer, Philip Martsteller, John Shultz,
Charles Miller, George Rine, George
Stohley and Henry Rockey of Lancas
ter County shall be and are appointed
managers and directors of the lottery
hereby instituted and to be drawn and
to attend to the drawing of the lots,
etc., and they shall cause proper books
to be prepared in which each leaf
shall be divided into three columns,
on the first column shall be printed
4444 tickets, numbered from 1 to 4444;
on the middle column shall be printed
4444 tickets same as first column and
likewise numbered; in the extreme
column a third rank or series of tick
ets of the same number as those of the
other two columns, which shall be
joined with oblique lines and in addi
tion to the date, each ticket shall have
printed on it:
This ticket entitles the holder to
such prize as may be drawn against
its number, if demanded in nine
months after the drawing is flnished
subject to such deductions as is men
tioned in the scheme."
And the managers are empowered to
sell the tickets in the extreme or last
column at 15 shillings each to be cut
out through the oblique line or device
indentwise and delivered so as to
secure his interest in the ticket. When
all tickets ot the column are sold the
managers shall cause the tickets of
the middle column to be rolled up and
fastened with thread or silk the same
being cut out of the books indentwise
(by a waving or saw tooth line)
through the oblique lines and put
them into a box marked with letter A
and to be sealed, till the tickets are
to be drawn; and the first column
shall remain in the book to discover
any mistake.
And another book of tickets in two
columns of 4444, tickets in each col
umn shall be prepared with oblique
lines across; and 1519 of the tickets
of the outer column shall be called
fortunate tickets and on one shall be

GERJIAN-SWISS CHURCH LOTTERIES.

343

written 112 pounds 10 shillings — on
two '.of them 37 pounds and 10 shill
ings — on four of them 18 pounds and
15 shillings — upon 10 of them 11
pounds and 5 shillings — on 20 of them
7 pounds 10 shillings — on 50 of them
3 pounds and 15 shillings — on 100 of
them 3 pounds — on 400 of them 2
pounds and 5 shillings — on 932 of
them 1 pound 10 shillings, and a
premium of 9 pounds 7 shillings ad
ditional to the first fortunate drawn
ticket and the same to the last one
makes 3333 pounds. Out of these prizes
the managers are to deduct ratably
15% amounting to 490 pounds and 19
shillings the sum needed for the
school and church. And the outside
column of these tickets shall be rolled
up and put in a box marked "B" and
sealed, and the boxes shall be taken
to a public place and the managers
shall publicly cause the boxes to be
unsealed and the tickets well shaken
and mixed in each box. And a disin
terested person shall draw out one by
one the numbered tickets and another
person draw out one by one tickets
not numbered from other box among
which are the 1519 fortunate tickets,
the other 2925 being blank. If the one
drawn at same time a numbered one
is drawn is a blank, they shall be put
on one flle; if a "fortunate one a clerk
shall record the number and amount
drawn and so on till the 1519 fortu
nate ones are drawn.
The result was to be published In
the Pennsylvania Gazette and a de
duction ot 15 per cent made and bal
ance went as prizes. Then when the
expense of the lottery was taken out
of the 15% or 490 pounds the balance
went to the church and school house.
What fun these German Brethren of
Earl had in drawing the lottery! One
can see in the plan a provision to ease
the conscience of the projectors and
to salve the disappointment of those
drawing the blanks — viz. that the
lucky ones had to shave off 15% of

the prizes drawn to make up the
amount to be raised. It was an at
tractive plan indeed — 4444 persons
paid in the 3333 pounds, each one pay
ing 15 shillings for his ticket or (15
shillings for each ticket he bought)
% pound and then 1519 persons fall
ing into the luck of getting the 3333
pounds in prizes and each one giving
up 15% of the prize secured by him
for the object intended and expenses.
To add zeal to and to whet the inter
est in the plan one capital prize and
8 or 10 other very large ones were
offered. Who would not have nibbled
at such bait even today, in spite of
the plan being illegal? It would al
most be strong enough to divert our
credulous inventors in gold mining
stock, etc., from their favorite haz
ards, to a scheme at home where the
chance of winning was more certain.
This plan from another angle is in
teresting. The man who drew the
112% pounds by paying % pound
cleared up all the money that 150
others paid in. 1519 lucky ones gath
ered in all the money that the 4444
put down. This operation affecting
4444 persons and involving 3333
pounds (about $15,000) had to be re
sorted to and employed to raise about
450 pounds or $2,200 for the laudable
purpose desired. It is small wonder
that the legality ot the lottery has
been struck down.
Of course what I have said is no
condemnation of the people who held
this particular lottery. All grades
and nationalities and religions and
sects as well as the public itself, em
ployed the lottery.
1767- Ship Records of This Year.
Seven vessels carrying Palatines ar
rived in Philadelphia harbor this year:
The Ship "Juno" under Capt. John
Robertson, from Rotterdam, January
13, 12 passengers. The Ship "Sally"
under Capt. John Osman, from Rotter
dam, October 5, 116 passengers. The

344

PETER MILLER AND THE EPHRATA COMMUNITY.

Ship "Hamilton" under Capt. Charles
Smith, from Rotterdam, October 6,
with 134 passengers. The Ship "Brit-
tainia" under Capt. Alexander Hardy,
from Rotterdam, October 26, with 39
passengers. The Ship "Brigantine
Grampus" under Commander Henry
Robinson, from Rotterdam, November
4, with 7 passengers. The Ship "Min
erva" under Capt. John Spurrier, from
Rotterdam, November 9, with 88 pas
sengers. The Ship "Sally" under Capt,
Patrick Brown, from Rotterdam, No
vember 10, with 36 passengers.
The total number of passengers
were 432.
Among the familiar Southeastern
Pennsylvania names in the list are:
Hirsh — Huber — Sommer — Adam
— Bernhardt — - Detweiler — Bast —
Muller — Weber — Acker — - Miller —
Ziegler — Hartman — Diehl — Dietz
— Fischer — Beyer — Lechler — Lutz
— Hoffriian — Buchman — - Keffer —
Zeller — Kuntz — Smith — Schneider
— Gramm — Butz — Smith — Hart
man — Beck — Wagner — Schmidt —
Putter — Hirsch — Dietrich — Steig-
erwalt — Nauman — Herr — Stahl —
Schaffer — Fischer — - Kauffman —
Blankenburg — Schmidt — Pfeiffer —
Dieterlch — Roth — Schaub.
1767— Peter Miller's Presidency and
Difficulties.
Peter Miller, at one time a prior or
president of the Ephrata community,
in letters, tells of his labors and dif
ficulties. In Vol. 16, Haz. Reg. 256,
speaking of the beginning of his pres
idency he says he followed a learned
man in that position. He also says
(p. 254) that soon after he arrived in
Philadelphia in 1730 he was ordained
in the old Presbyterian meetinghouse
by Tenant, Andrew and Boyd. Then
he served among the Germans several
years and he quitted the ministry and
returned to private life.
He continues his story saying that
charity was their chief occupation.
"Conestogues was then a great wil

derness," he says, "and began to be
settled by poor Germans who desired
our assistance in building homes for
them; which not only kept us em
ployed several summers, at hard car
penter's work but also increased our
poverty so much that we needed the
necessaries of life." Then he says,
tax troubles arose and that '"The con
stable entered the camp and demanded
a single man's tax; some of the
brethren paid and some refused and
claimed each a monk's immunity. But
the constable summoned some wicked
neighbors and delivered 6 of the breth
ren to prison at Lancaster for 10 days.
But the venerable magistrate set them
at liberty and offered himself as bail.
His name was Tobias Hendricks. At
court, when the brethren appeared, the
fear of God came on the gentlemen
who were to judge them when they
saw the six men before them reduced
to skeletons by their charitable labors
and privations though they were in
prime of lite, and the judges granted
them their freedom under the agree
ment, that the whole number ot the
brethren should be taxed as one fam
ily." He says that in the French and In
dian War a Marquis from Milan in
Italy lodged a night in the convent or
Cloister; and that he presented to him
the former president's sermon and
writing on the "Pall of Man" published
in Edinburgh Magazine and requested
it to be given to the Pope. The Pope
greatly appreciated it.
1768— Ship Records of This Year.
Four vessels carrying Palatines ar
rived in Philadelphia harbor this year:
The Ship "Pennsylvania Packet" un
der Robert Gill from London, October
3, with 19 passengers. The Ship "Min
erva" under Thomas Arnott from
Portsmouth, October 10, with 109 pas
sengers. The Ship "Crawford" under
Charles Smith from Rotterdam, Octo
ber 26, with 85 passengers. The Ship

GER.MAN FIELDS DESTROYED BY HAIL.

345

"Betsy' under Capt. Samuel Hawk
from Rotterdam, October 26. with 102
passengers. The total number of passengers
were 315.
Among the familiar Southeastern
Pennsylvania names in the list are:
Linder — Brenner — - Hoffman —
Engel — Frauenfelder — ¦ Wagner —
Huber — Wolff — Decker — • Herr —
Koch — Holland — Strecker — Weber
— Zimmerman — Fisher — Dietrich
— Meyer — Schmidt — - Hartman —
Keller — Becker — Heller — Dietz —
Giehl — Fries — Diehl — Anthony —
Sieber — Muller — Kuntz — Dupont
— Bernhart — Huber — Gerhart.
1768 — German Fields Destroyed by
Han.
A writer in the Pennsylvania Chron
icle ot 1768 as reported in Vol. 8, Haz
ard's Register, page 124, under the
title of "Hailstorm in Lancaster Coun
ty" says:
"I now sit down, under the shade of
a friendly oak in the country, in order
to give you some account of the late
dreadful storm here, the effects of
which I have taken pains to examine,
having rid several miles for that pur
pose. "On Friday, the 17th inst, about two
o'clock P. M. the sky was overspread
with flying clouds, apparently charged
with heavy rain. The wind blew
pretty fresh from the S. E. and thick
ened the clouds in the opposite quar
ter; so that about 4 o'clock there was
"darkness visible" in the N. W. at
tended with a distant rumbling thun
der, and now and then a small gleam
ot lightning, without any explosions.
The clouds deepened more and more
in the N. W. and there seemed to make
a stand, being opposed by the wind
from the opposite points. At halt
after four, they assumed a frightful
appearance, and at last formed a large
crescent, with its concave sides to the
wind, and its inner edges tinged with
a dusky violet colour. About 5 the

wind veered about to the N. W. which
immediately gave motion to the
clouds, and discharged a most dread
ful and destructive volley of hail. The
storm then proceeded in a S. E. direc
tion, at the rate of about twelve miles
in an hour, attended with a most
dreadful noise, something like the
sounds ot cannon, drums and bells
mingled together. The hall stones
were of various dimensions, shapes
and forms. Some measured nine
inches in circumference, some seven,
whilst others were no larger than peas.
As to their forms, some were globu
lar, some spheroidical, surrounded
with small excresences or knobs ; some
elliptical, and some irregular and
smooth, like pieces of broken ice.
Such as were globular, were endued
with so much elasticity, that they re
bounded from the ground like a tennis
ball. This storm divided into several
branches or veins, (if I may use such
terms) all which kept the same course,
but bent their fury most towards the
mountains, hills and highlands. At
Susquehannah the bail was as large
as pigeon's eggs. At Lancaster about
the size of peas; at Dunkertown, and
in the Valley, between the Welch and
Reading Hills, they were as large as
turkey's eggs; in some other places
still larger; and at Reading no hall
appeared. The damage done by this
storm is very great; the county of
Lancaster alone, it is thought, has
suffered several thousand pounds. In
many places there is not a single ear
of wheat, rye, barley, &c., but what is
cut off; and nothing left but the green
straw, bruised and beat to pieces. It
is melancholy to see flne plantations,
and extensive flelds, which, a few days
ago waved with luxuriant crops, now
lying waste. Many able farmers, who
expected to carry several hundred
bushels of grain to market, will be
obliged to buy bread for their fam
ilies; and many of the poorer kind
will be ruined, and reduced to beg-

346

GERMANS AND THE CONNECTICUT CLAIM.

gary. All these people are now mow
ing their late promising and rich
crops, as fodder for their cattle. Their
distress is truly moving and alarming.
At Dunkertown, it is said (with what
truth I 'cannot say) that cattle were
killed by the hall; but certain it is,
that about Muddy Creek, in this
county, calves, pigs, fowls, etc., were
killed in that settlement; the ground
in the woods, is as thick covered with
green foliage, beaten from the trees,
as It is with the fallen leaves in the
month of October; and in many places
the birds are found dead in woods and
orchards. The N. W. side of the fruit
trees are barked, and all the glass
windows on that side, that were not
secured by shutters, are demolished;
and even the rails of fences visibly
show the impressions ot the hail upon
them. In short, this storm threw
every person, who saw it, into the
most dreadful consternation; for the
oldest man here never saw, or heard
anything like it."
1769— Ship Records of This Year.
Pour vessels carrying Palatines ar
rived in Philadelphia harbor this year :
The Ship "Nancy and Sueky" under
Capt. William Keys from London, Sep
tember 1, with 13 passengers. The
Ship "London Racquet" under Capt.
James Cook, from London, September
29, with 15 passengers. The Ship
"Minerva" under Capt. Thomas Arnott,
from Rotterdam, October 13, with 92
passengers. The Ship "Crawford" un
der Capt. (^has. Smith, from Rotter
dam, October 24, with 18 passengers.
The total number of passengers
were 138.
Among the familiar Southeastern
Pennsylvania names in the list are:
Roth — Miller — Mellinger — Weiler
— Bentz — Dobler — Weber — Fritz
— Neff — Becker — Hess — Jacob —
Weber — Schaffer — Arnold — Stumph
— Ziegler — Frey — Jacob — Hinokel
— Hoffman — Flick and Miller.

1770— Ship Records of This Year.
Seven vessels carrying Palatines ar
rived in Philadelphia harbor this year:
The Ship "In The Snow Neptune" un
der Thomas Edward Wallis from Lis
bon, Portugal, July 27, with 8 pas
sengers. The Ship "The Brig Dolphin"
under Capt. Geo. Stephanson, from
London, August 29, with 9 passengers.
The Ship "Snow Rose" under George
Ord, from Lisbon, Portugal, Sept 10,
with 7 passengers. The Ship "Min
erva" under Thomas Arnott, from Rot
terdam, October 1, with 89 passen
gers. The Ship "Brittannia" under
Richard Eyres, from Lisbon, Portu
gal, October 3, with 6 passengers. The
Ship "Sally" under John Osmond, from
Rotterdam, October 29, with 79 pas
sengers. The Ship "Crawford" under
Chas. Smith, from Rotterdam, Novem
ber 23, with 26 passengers.
The total number of passengers
were 224.
Among the familiar Southeastern
Pennsylvania names in the list are:
Alison — Miller — Dore — Kuntz —
Hess — Wolff — Schmidt — Weber —
Shultz — Marx — Becker — Heintz —
Zimmerman — Wager — Stein —
Klein — Dietz — Wagner — Petersen
— Bauman — Stauffer — Gramm —
Diehl — Rohrer — Hartmann — Seitz.
1770— Germans and the Connecticut
Claim.
An item appearing in Vol. 9, ot Col.
Rec. 663 gives us information ot the
early life of our ancestral German-
Swiss people in Wyoming Valley, of
the traitorous conduct of brother Ger
mans under Connecticut Yankees.
This is the region in which massa
cres occurred later, perpetrated by the
Indians, and the region in which dur
ing the gloom of the Revolutionary
War General Hand led an expedition
exterminating the Indians.
The item is a report made to the
Colonial Council and is as follows:

INDUSTRY OF PIONEER GERMAN WO.MEN.

:;i7

"Mr. Tlghman communicated to the
Board a Letter -he had just received by
Express from Charles Stewart
Esquire, dated at Easton, the 2d In
stant, which informs him that on
Wednesday the 28th of last month,
the New England Men, accompanied
by a number of Germans, appeared
before the Houses at Wyoming, pos
sessed People under the Proprietaries,
whooping, Yelling, and Swearing they
would have the Prisoners which had
been taken from them, and after ex
pressing much abusive Language they
began to Fire upon the People in the
Houses, who immediately returned the
Fire, by which one of the Germans
was shot Dead, and thereupon the New
England Men, etc., returned to the
Fort, etc.
The said Letter contains several
other particulars relating to the Con
duct of the Connecticut People at
Wyoming. (Vide Letter and its in-
closures.) The Board taking into Considera
tion the best Measures to be pursued
on this Occasion, advised the Governor
to write a letter to General Gage in
forming him of the riotous Conduct
of the Connecticut People in taking
possession of the Proprietary Lands
at Wyoming, and of the Legal Meas
ures used by this Government to re
move them and prevent further Dis
turbances, and also requesting the Aid
of the King's Troops to support the
Civil Government in the Execution of
its legal Authority on any future
Exigency. This was one of the raids made by
the Connecticut people and some Ger
man sympathizers with them, trying
to enforce the famous Connecticut
claim. The claim made was that a
part of northern and northeastern
Pennsylvania belonged to New Eng
land Colonies. Connecticut was the
leader."

1770 — Spinning and Weaving of the
Industrial German Women ot
Lancaster.
"In 1770 and before, an elaborate
textile manufacture was carried on
here by our industrious German
mothers, God bless them. In the year
May 1, 1769, to May 1, 1770, cotton,
woolen and linen goods, consisting of
clothing, bed clothing, curtains, etc.,
of thirteen varieties, made by the
women of Lancaster, reached 28,()0O
yards reported, with materials in the
looms for 8,000 yards more and many
more not reported at all, as the Ger
mans feared it was sought for taxa
tion. One good mother alone, while
at the same time she was proprietor
of one of the principal hotels in the
town wove 600 yards herself (Pa. Gaz.,
June 14, 1770).
1771— Ship Records of This Year.
Nine vessels carrying Palatines ar
rived in Philadelphia harbor this year:
The Ship "Pennsylvania Packet" un
der Peter Osborne, from London, June
17, with 7 passengers. The Ship "Brig
America/-' under William Copeland,
Lattimore, from London, July 27, with
12 passengers. The Ship 'Minerva"
under Thomas Arnott, from Rotter
dam, September 17, with 98 passen
gers. The Ship "London Packet" un
der Capt. Cook, from Lisbon, Portu
gal, Sept. 19, with 9 passengers. The
Ship "Brigantine Recovery" under
 Bull, from Rotterdam, Oct. 31,

with 51 passengers. The Ship "Tiger"'
under George Johnston, from Rotter
dam, Nov. 19, with 108 passengers. The
Ship "Crawford" under Charles Smith,
from Rotterdam, Nov. 25, with 8 pas
sengers. The Ship "Brig Betsy" un
der Andrew Bryson, from London;
Dec 1, with 38 passengers. The Ship
"General Wolfe" under Richard Hun
ter, from Lisbon, Dec 10, with 10 pas
sengers. The total aumber of passengers
were 341.

348 GERMANS AND SILK PRODUCTION ON SUSQUEHANNA.

Among the familiar Southeastern
Penna, names in the list are: Bach
man — Rohrer — Eckman — Stahl —
Hepp — Miller — Schaffer — Wentz
— Kuntz — Oster — North — Wag
ner — Heiss — Kurtz — Wenger —
Straub — Schmidt — Berger — Ack
erman — Weber — Benner — Thomas
— Becker — Schneider — Wagner —
Apple — Beyer — Steinbecker —
Martin — Marx — Weill — Zimmer
man — Trexler — Wolff — Herr —
Smith and Berger.
1771 — Sillt Production in Lancaster
County This Year.
In Vol. 1 Haz. Reg., page 63, there
is an account of cocoons (or silk
balls") purchased in Philadelphia and
among them there is mention of cer
tain of them which came from Lan
caster. Among these Lancaster pro
ducers were Samuel Davis who pro
duced seven pounds and 8 ounces — ¦
John Ashbridge who produced 39
pounds and 8 ounces — Caleb Johnson
44 pounds and 4 ounces — William
Heny 16 pounds and Isaac Whitlock;
as it took a great many cocoons to
make a pound, their yield as stated
above was quite considerably large.
1772— Ship Records of This Year.
Eight vessels carrying Palatines ar
rived in Philadelphia harbor this year:
The Ship "Hope" under John Roberts,
from London, Feb. 24, with 23 passen
gers. The Ship "Minerva" under James
Johnston, from Rotterdam, Sept. 30,
with 39 passengers. The Ship "Craw
ford" under Charles Smith, from Rot
terdam, Oct. 16, with 94 passengers.
The Ship "Catharine" under 

Sutton, from Rotterdam, Oct. 19, with
19 passengers. The Ship "Phoebe"
under Castle, from London, Oct. 19,
with 6 passengers. The Ship "Sally"
under John Osmond, from Rotterdam,
Nov. 3, with 53 passengers. The Ship
"Hope" under George Johnston, from
Rotterdam, Dec. 3, with 40 passengers.

The Ship "Bright Morning Star" under
Georg Demster, from Rotterdam, Dec.
24, with 44 passengers. The total
number of passengers were 318.
Among the familiar Southeastern
Pennsylvania names in the list are:
Vast — Wohler — Jacob — Ziegler —
Hartmann — Beck — Miller — Bentz
— Kessler — Hoffman — Zimmerman
— Ziegler — Beyer — Rupp — Mul
ler — Winter — Stauffer — Eberly —
Smith — Stump — Hess — Vogel —
Lindeman — Wertz — Paul — Kock
— Lehman — Ostertag — Dieterich
— Meyer — Hoover — Ptautz — Hentz
— Richards — Hoffmann — Turner.
1722— Great Silt Production in Lan
caster County.
Our German women took great pride
in the textile industry, in early times.
They were very industrious. In secur
ing clothing tor the family, they were
compelled to do in those times a great
deal that is done by machinery and in
great mills now.
In silk production in 1722 in Penn
sylvania for the greatest number ot
cocoons and best reeled silk, Lancas
ter County led the entire state, (Phil
adelphia city included) in quantities
and quality. Widow Stoner herself
having raised 72,800 cocoons, Caspar
Falkney 22,845 cocoons, and Catharme
Steiner 21,800 cocoons. All ot these
producers were Germans living in this
county. Chester and Philadelphia
counties and city fell far behind. (Pa.
Gaz., March 17, 1773.)
1772— Banking and Agricultural Com
merce of Our Local German-Swiss.
We are given a picture in the Pa.
Gaz. ot January 2, of this year of the
manner ot doing banking business and
ot marketing farm products. It is
stated that "Henry Punk of Manor
Township on Dec. 19, sent his wagon
with flour to Newport and gave the
wagoner Philip Jacobs an order to
I bring 40 pounds or 50 pounds in cash

GERilAN REDEMPTIONARIBS AND PASSAGE .MONEY.

349'

from James Latlmore and a neighbor
Jacob Center likewise gave him an
order to bring for himself and others
100 pounds from James Latlmore and
Jacob having received the cash bought
a horse at Newport left his wagon 5
miles on this side of the town and
went off. He is 30 years old "Dutch"
4% feet high sandy hair and copper
red face, white eye brows, gray eyes,
large teeth and one crooked leg. Had
on a blanket coat, a blue great coat
leather breeches, crown boots, yarn
stockings. Ten pounds reward and
charges." In this we also see that the agricul
tural products of the Susquehanna
valley were sent by wagon to distant
points — in this case to Newport on the
seashore; and that long wagon trips
were a common thing in those days.
We also see the dishonesty of the
times. 1772— ^'Poverty of Some of the Ger
man-Swiss Immigrants."
In the Gazette of January 23, this
year (1772) there is a notice dated at
Philadelphia, Jan. 20, 1772, stating
that "There still remain several Ger
man families on board the ship
"Tyger," George Johnston, Master,
lying in the Bird-in-hand Wharf whose
freight are to be paid to Willing &
Morris. These families are willing to
serve a reasonable time for their
freight money and credit will be given
to those that want it on giving bonds
bearing interest." In this item we
see again the extreme poverty of
many of the German-Swiss immigrants
who came to Pennsylvania and settled
in the Schuylkill and Susquehanna
valleys. When we turn to this ship we find
that it landed Nov. 19, 1771 (Vol. 17
Second Series Penna. Archives, p. 497)
and that it carried 118 male passen
gers. There is no list of the number
of females ; and we are not able to tell
whether the names stated in the rec

ords include only adults or children
and infants also. It is certain that
there were a number of females on
board; but likely not as many as
males. The following is a list as given
in the record.
The names are as follows:
John Kreble — Nicholaus Scheuerman
— Ludwig Schneider — Hans Georg Ben
ner — Sebastian Willie — Nicholas Grun--
enwald — Peter Wagner — H. Jacob Wag
ner — Johannes Muller — Johann Jacob
Beyerle — Dominicus Heyrom — Johann
Lautenschlager — Peter Wasser — Henry
Apple — Anthony Klein — ¦ Johnaanes
Heigle — Caspar Beyer — Nicklaus Koh
ler — Jacob Burg — George Hann — Jonas
Bleech — Gustavus Muller — Peter Od-
ern — Wilhelm Kumpf — Johannes Ihrig
— Henrich Ricker — George Eissenring
— Joh. Gottlieb Steinbecker — Johann
Adam Low — Johan Caspas Lorentz —
Johan Wilhelm Schneider — Johann
.Vickel Martin — Johann Ludwig Starck
— Johan Conard G'erman — Johannes
Peter Reusch — Johannes Schott — Joh
annes Nitzel — Georg Volck — Peter
Kessler — Johannes Benner — Jacob
Marx — Peter Trexler — • Jacob Kessler
— George Michael Weiss — Jacob Sam
uel Golde — Johann Michael Beltz — ¦
George Mich Raffenberger — Johann
Wilhelm Fleck — Hen. Jac. Rauben-
heimer — Joh. Hen. Lautenschlager —
George Henrich Kindle — ¦ Johannes
Waltman — Johann Christ Jager — Joh
ann Peter Weill — Johann Daniel Cleiss
— Lewis Noy — Sebastian Unacht — Mar
tin Eberts — Adam Steiner — Henry
Webber — ¦ Nicholas Jost — Matheis
Fauth — Johannes Motte — Friederich
Foltz — Jacob Hoffman — Nicholas Hoff
man — Jacob Ihrig — Johannes Lupp —
Chritoph Storner — Henrich Mulberger
— Martin Grahn — Johann Freiderich
Dorr — Johann Peter Schrig — Johann
Georg Horn — John Bernard Leyer —
Hans Heinrich Zimmerman — Gottfried
Kuhner — Johannes Leonhardt Henn —
Tohann Adam Dracker — Johann Leon
hard Ragel — Coard Meyer — Johannes

350

BMA-NUEL ZIMMERMAN'S PROMINENCE.

Muller — Leonard Kessler — Johannes
Schneider— Carle Benner— Martin Ben
ner— Adam Grossbart- Michael Trex
ler — Conrad Haasee — Joh. Daniel
Schwanfelder — Johann Nicolas Fuchs
—John Le Port — Hans Georg Acker-
mann — Georg Simon Grun — Johannes
Wucherer — Johannes Willmann— Nicl-
aus Samuel Golde— George Friederich
Kuchle — Wilhelm Schmidt — Johan
'Georg Scheuermann — Johann Michael
Ihrig — John Noy — Johannes Schletzer
—John Jorts — Jacob Scheibly— Adam
Als— Johannes Reusch — Johann Jacob
Menges— Johannes Kiebel— Hans Mich
Lautenschlag — Anton Bberhardt —
Philip Egle — Christ Jeremias Schmidt
— Conrad Radman — Jacob Sanner —
Johan Georg Lautenschlager — Conrad
Von Halt — Andreas Ehmer.
Many of the above German-Swiss
descendants are living today and in
affiuence and have not the slightest
idea of the poverty of those days.
1772 — Emmanuel Zimmerman Fore
most Local German-Swiss.
In the Penna. Gazette of October 14,
1772, we find that, unlike most men,
Emmanuel Zimmerman was elected to
office again and again against his
will; and begged his constituents
many times to release him from fur
ther holding political office. But his
reputation and character and the re
sults which he obtained for his com
munity and state were so great that
the people would not heed his request
to be released but kept on electing
him. Finally ' in 1772 he came to a
positive resolution not to hold office
any longer. This flnal decision the
pedple accepted but not without pass
ing a, resolution of their respect for
him. He was a citizen of Lancaster Bor
ough and the whole Borough in its
corporate capacity passed the resolu
tion and sent it to him. His attitude
toward public office and the manner
In which he discharged his duty are a

beautiful and splendid example to
modern office-holders and servants of
the public. The resolution is found in
the Pa. Gaz. Oct. 14, 1772, and also in
Harris' History of Lancaster County,
page 130, and is as follows: —
"To Emmanuel Carpenter, Esq., late
one of the Representatives in the As
sembly for the County of Lancaster:
Sir: The burgesses, assistants, etc.,
of the borough of Lancaster met this
day, at the request of a number otthe
reputable inhabitants ot the borough,
and being sensible of your services as
one of the Representatives for the
county of Lancaster in the General
Assembly ot the Province, these sev
enteen years past, have directed that
the thanks of the corporation be of
fered to you, with the assurance of
their approbation of your steady and
uniform conduct in that station. And
as you have declined serving your
country in that capacity, I am charged
to mention, that it is the earnest wish
of the inhabitants ot Lancaster that
you may be continued in the commis
sion of the peace and a judge in our
country, where you have so long pre
sided, and deservedly acquired and
supported the character of an upright
and impartial magistrate, &c.
By order of the Burgesses and As
sistants, Casper Shaffner, Town Clerk.
(Signed)
Lancaster, October 3, 1772."
To which Emmanuel Carpenter made
answer as follows:
"To the Burgess of Lancaster County:
The appreciation you express of my
conduct as a representative and mag
istrate tor this County gives me great
satisfaction. I hope to continue to
deserve your great opinion by en
deavoring to discharge any trust re
posed in me with impartiability and
fldelity. Fmmanuel Carpenter."

PHILADELPHIA AND BALTIMORE BID FOR GERMAN TRADE. 351

A similar resolution of respect and
confidence was passed at the same
time in compliment to George Ross;
and appears Jn the same issue ot the
Penna. Gaz.; but as he is not a Ger
man-Swiss but of English extraction
the article does not properly fall into
these annals.
1773— Lancaster County Clover Seed
Again Commended.
In the Penna. Gaz. April 14, 1773,
appears the following Item: —
Lancaster County Red clover seed
of the last year's growth to be sold
by Benjamin PauUey at the sign and
"Crown of the Anvil" on Market
Street above Fourth and opposite to
the sign of the Conestoga wagon. This
shows that at that time the German-
Swiss farmers of Lancaster County
were producing a very superior article.
1773 — German-S-wJss Redemptioners.
In the Penna. Gaz. of Sept. 22, 1773,
the following notice is inserted with
special reference to Lancaster County
farmers calling attention to the num
ber ot young German-Swiss passen
gers who are willing to bind them
selves, out for several years to pay
for their passage: —
"Lancaster Co.
German Passengers:
, Just arrived in the Ship Brittenna,
Johnes Peters master a number of
healthy German passengers chiefly
young people whose freight are to be
paid to Johannes Fisher and Sons or
to the master on board ship lying off
draw bridge."
This gives us a view of the hard
ships and difficulties of the remote
ancestors of Lancaster County.
1773— Establishment of Glass Factory
by a German.
The Pennsylvania Gazette of Mar.
17, 1773, contains the notice that:
"The proprietor of the American
Flint Glass Manufactory at Manheim

Lancaster County with the advice of
many gentlemen of Philadelphia City
has offered a scheme of lottery to the
patronage of the public to enable him
to carry on a manufactory of public
advantage and to raise a sum of
money for that and other beneficent
purposes, in the scheme mentioned."
This was the Stiegel factory, which
though It had been in operation some
years needed more capital than it then
could command. Stiegel the famous
German of whom we all know, and
other early German-Swiss people
whom he -had associated with him
made a very superior line of glass
ware in Lancaster County at that
time.1773 — Philadelphia and Baltimore Riv
als for German Trade and Produce
of Susquehanna Valley
In the Gazette of April 7, 1773, it is
stated that:
"There are many anonymous hand
bills of great complaints about the
badness of the Lancaster Road by rea
son of which the writer says we will
lose the western trade. The inhabi
tants of Lancaster, York and Cumber
land counties carry a great part of
their produce to the landings on
Christiana Creek, Elk River, and Bal
timore. Christiana Creek has always
been a near and safe way to transport
the produce of the Counties of Chester
and Lancaster to the markets of Phil
adelphia and always will be. This
trade was early encourged by some of
the ablest and best merchants of the
Province. The people who are most
alert in keeping good roads to Christi
ana landing deserve the hearty thanks
of the public.
You will find that there is but one
main road from the back counties to
Baltimore and thereby the inhabitants
'are able to keep it In good repair.
On the other hand by several roads
being laid out from Susquehanna to
Philadelphia they are all very bad and

352

STATE OP GERMAN-SWISS IMMIGRATION.

spoil trade. And the new one now to
be opened and ordered by the Gov
ernor and council is laid out in sight
of the old one and very erroneously
laid out by those who wish to in
crease their land to sell. It is laid
out on the worst and swampiest
ground all the way to the "Ship
Tavern.'' Our predecessors formerly judged
very right in laying out the public
roads to Lancaster. They looked for
the highest and best ground and made
it central to the inhabitants whose in
terest it is to go to the "landings"
and to Conestoga and Tulpehocken
settlements. Let us repair the old
road. It will cost only one-tenth as
much as to make a new one." — A
Friend of Liberty."
In this we see early road politics —
also the deep concern with which Phil
adelphia viewed Baltimore as a rival
for the Susquehanna trade. Then too
we see that considerable ot the Ger
man-Swiss rural development and
progress in Susquehanna Valley de
pended on the highways to the big

dam Sept. 27, 97 passengers. The Ship
"Hope" under George Johnson Oct 1,
from Rotterdam, 75 passengers. The
Ship "Charming Molly" under Robert
Gill from Rotterdam Oct 22, 60 pas
sengers. The Ship "Crawford" under
Charles Smith from Rotterdam Oct 25,
68 passengers. The Ship "Snow Nep
tune" under Thomas Edward Wallace,
from Lisbon Nov. 23, 5 passengers.
The Ship "Fame" under James Dun
can from Lisbon, Nov. 24, 3 passen
gers. The Ship "Clementina" under
Patrick Brown from Lisbon Dec. 7, 7
passengers. The Ship "Montague" un
der Wm. Pickels from Lisbon, 36 pas
sengers. 1774— Ship Eecords of This Year.
Six vessels carrying Palatines ar
rived in Philadelphia harbor this year:
The Ship "Snow Sally" under Capt
Stephen Jones, Aug. 15, 8 passengers.
The Ship "Brigantine Nancy" under
Thomas Armstrong from Hamburg,
June 21, 7 -passengers. The Ship
"Charming Molly" under Robert Gill
from London, Sept. 29, 14 passengers.

business centers of Philadelphia and The Ship "Union" under Andrew Bry-
Baltimorc | son from Rotterdam, Sept 30, 108 pas
sengers. The Ship "Patty and Peggy"

1773— Ship Records of This Year.
Fourteen vessels carrying Palatines
arrived in Philadelphia harbor this
year: The Ship "Pennsylvania" un
der Peter Osborne from London April
30, 22 passengers. The Ship "Cath
arine •  Sutton" under (name not
given) April 30, 18 passengers. The
Ship "Brigantine Dolphin" under Ar
thur Hill from London May 31, 36 pas
sengers. The Ship "Carolina" under
Benj. Loxley Jr. from London June 4,
8 passengers. The Ship "Sally" under
John Osmond from Rotterdam Aug. 23,
114 passengers. The Ship "Brittannia"
under James Peter from Rotterdam
Sept. 18, 118 passengers. The Ship
"Catharine" under James Sutton, Sept
21, 14 passengers. The S'hip "Union"
under Andrew Bryson from Rotter-

under Robert Hardie from Lisbon, Oct
29, 12 passengers. The Ship "Sally"
under John Osmond from Rotterdam,
Oct. 31, 52 passengers.
1774 — Local German-Swiss and tlic
Revolution.
All readers of local history know
that, beginning with 1774, the County
of Lancaster in common with other
counties and sections of the Province
of Pennsylvania held patriotic meet
ings protesting against Great Britain's
treatment of us and also held meet
ings to draw up resolutions upon the
sufferings of Boston and New England
in general. Among the persons who
attended the meetings there was al
ways a considerable number of our
patriotic G'erman-Swiss people; they

AMISH MENNONITES— GUN MAKING.

53

did their part nobly In that struggle
as well as others.
1775 — Ship Records of This Year.
Just two vessels carrying Palatines
arrived in Philadelphia harbor this
year: The Ship "Catharine" under
John Baron from London, Jan. 16, 7
passengers. The Ship "King of Prus
sia" under William Potts from Rotter
dam, Oct 9, 68 passengers.
1775 — Amish Mennonite Immigrants.
In Vol. 7, Haz. Reg. 150 may be
found a monograph called "History of
the Amish, etc."; it is only a sketch
however. Among a number of other
things^the author speaks of these men
wearing long red capes; and the
women wearing neither bonnet, hat
nor capes but a string is tied around
the head so the hair Is kept from fall
ing in their faces. He says that they
lived in a limestone country and near
the Pequea, whose water was clear
and cold. As to worldly possessions
he says that they desired very little
and gives an instance of a brother of
the faith being offered 1000 acres of
land by the Penns tree, to gain this
infiuential man's favor and thereby
stimulate purchase ot land in that
neighborhood. The writer states that
the old churchman refused it saying
that it was against the church as they
did not believe nor approve ot a man
owning more land than he could cul
tivate. In the same article a petition is set
forth addressed by these people to
William Penn or his son dated 1718
which is quite interesting and which
we have mentioned in its proper place
in these annals.
1775 — Joseph Ferree Begins Gunmak-
ing for the War.
In 10 Col. Rec, page 290, under the
date of July 22, there was a resolu
tion passed by the Committee of Safety
as follows:

"RESOLVED That a messenger be
sent to Joseph Ferree, of Lancaster
County with a letter from this Com
mittee requesting him to complete the
guns wrote for as patterns, and to
know how many he can furnish of
the same kind and at what price."
This little item is sufficient to show
us that Lancaster County and its Ger
man-Swiss had a prominent position
in the time of the Revolutionary War.
There were others besides Joseph
Ferree making guns in the towns of
Lancaster. 1776 — Mennonites Confession of Faith.
We have stated at a prior place in
these annals something of the" Dor
trecht Confession of faith under the
date of 1632 and of the first confession
of faith in the new world at Con
estoga about 1721. '
We now notice that the Mennonites
revised their confession of faith in the
European countries about 1776. In
Vol. 7, Haz. Reg. 129 it is stated that
the Mennonites followed a confession
of faith about that date composed by
Cornelius Riss, preacher, and which
was published that year at Hamburg.
He goes on to say that this gave them
new life in Europe and that they
launched out on education; and erect
ed the Mennonite College at Amster
dam. Considerable more is set forth
in the article just mentioned.
1776— German-Swiss in the Bevolu-
tionary War.
Vol. 4, Penna. Arch. 774 we are told
of the formation of the German Bat
talions for the War. Not only is this
so but there were several German
regiments in the War. One of the Ger
man regiments was very largely made
up of Lancaster County Germans.
1777 — G'ermans Against Military Laws.
In Vol. 5, Penna. Arch., page 343, we
find set forth that the local German-
Swiss people were very much opposed

3-j4

GERMANS AND THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

to methods which would make a mili
tary nation of America; and again on
page 504 they voiced their opposition
to military proceedings in very cer
tain and positive tones. In the same
book, page 396, it is recorded they re
fused to sell their produce for military
purposes believing that the country
was taking a wrong course. In the
same Vol., p. 427, we find these breth
ren meeting and passing remonstrances
against military action. About the
same time In the same Vol., page 576,
we find these same brethren taking a
positive stand and resorting to stren
uous actions at York. A similar ac
count of other proceedings may be
found, 'page 414; and page 768 another
stand against militarism in Pennsyl
vania is recorded as being taken. The
leaders of these Germans were wide
readers and thoughtful students and
their newspaper was highly respected
and was subscribed for by the Govern
ment so that the authorities might be
able to keep in touch with German-
Swiss thought and action. Col. Rec
11, page 409. The paper however was
discontinued the next year. Col. Rec.
11, p, 573.
1778— "Dutch" Disaffection.
In . the Pennsylvania Magazine of
History and Biography, Vol. of 1715,
page 233, there can be found an article
upon what the writer terms to be the
disaffection of the German-Swiss for
the stand this country was taking
against Great Britain. However this
may be, these people did valiant serv
ice in that struggle. They did how
ever renew their complaint against the
oath which was attempted to be urged
upon them. Vol. 6 Penna. Arch. 572.
1780— German-Swiss and Bevolntion-
ary War Taxes.
It seems that about this time Ger
mans became discouraged with the
long dreary war which was in prog
ress more than four years and felt that

the struggle would be lost and their
treatment from Great Britain would
be harder than ever. This led them
to refuse to sell cattle for war pur
poses; (Pa. Arch. Vol. 8, page 329)
and also to oppose the payment of war
taxes. Do. 330. The result was a
large number of them were impris
oned for this matter of conscience. 8
Do., page 343.
1780— German Society for Relief of
Germans.
This year as may be seen in Vol. 10
St. L. 355 the suffering of the German-
Swiss people of Pennsylvania caused
a law to be passed to incorporate a
German Society for contributing relief
to the distressed Germans in Pennsyl
vania. The act says that the Germans
by their numerous settlements in Penn
sylvania have greatly contributed to
the wealth and strength of the State;
and that it is necessary to furnish re
lief to those who need assistance here,
and teach their children the English
and German languages, thereby allow
ing these children to finish their stud
ies at the University at Philadelphia
and to have means of creating a
library. A society for these purposes
was needed. The act then goes on to
set forth the organization of the so
ciety and to mention its purposes, and
give the names ot original founders.
This shows that they were enterpris
ing for an education and general wel
fare. 1782 — The German-Swiss Disregard the
Prohibiting of Trade With
Great Britain.
In Vol. 13 Col. Rec, pages 317 and
328, it is set forth that some of the
German-Swiss people began selling,
buying and dealing in British goods;
in spite ot the fact that the Colonies
had determined not to deal in British
trade in any manner whatever. Those
who did so were severely punished as
referred to in this book. Vol. 15 Col.

JACOB PRIES' TREASON TRIAL.

355

Rec, page 546, there is an account ot
the seizure of some ot these goods
that were dealt in by some of their
people in defiance of what the patriots
had decided upon. This clashing of
views between those who felt it their
Christian duty to live a lite ot non-
resistance and to obey the oaths to
support the British government they
had taken when they were permitted
to enter Pennsylvania on one hand, and
the patriots on the other hand (who
were determined to break the bands
which bound them to British author
ity') caused many bold, open out
breaks. One of the most noted ot
these was that of the action ot Jacob
Fries who refused to pay Revolution
ary War taxes and defied the United
States Government to such an extent
that he was tried for treason. The
full particulars of the trial may be
found in Vol. 18 of the proceedings of
the Lancaster County Historical So
ciety, page 87. There is a document
connected with this trial; namely a
petition signed by some of the Ger
man sympathizers of Jacob Fries ask
ing release from these burdensome
conditions, in the library of the Lan
caster County Historical Society.
On the comer of the document are
the initials of the President of the
United States, Thomas Jefferson. Other
particulars concerning the trial are
found in the paper of Lewis Richards

in the proceedings of the Pennsylvania
State Bar Association held at Erie,
1914. It is interesting to note that
Judge Chase was impeached for cer
tain acts occurring in these treason
proceedings. It was our intention to bring these
annals down to the time of the Revo
lutionary War. Having done so, we
now conclude the series. The items
set forth in the latter part ot this
work are simply specimen Items illus
trating the trend of the life of these
people and their general policy: It is
not pretended that all of their doings
are here chronicled, but only a few of
them. Many thousand items that might
have been written concerning them
from 1750 onward are not taken in the
scope of this work. Many of the
items of this volume have been gath
ered from rare sources and translat
ed from the Dutch and German lan
guages; in which languages the orig
inal manuscript which we have con
sulted were written.
We feel that the estimate we gave
in the opening paragraph of this work
is justified by the material included
within these covers.
Our task is now at an end and we
leave it to the consideration and judg
ment of those who shall read the his
tory which, we feel that, herein we
have helped to preserve.
H. FRANK ESHLEMAN.

356

INDEX OF ITEMS
Note: It is probable that some items are inadvertently omitted from
this index.

Anabaptists, see Mennonites
Alsace Anabaptists  104
" Mennonites in  114
Altham - Lord - Servant of German
Parmer  273
Agriculture and Mennonites  341
Amsterdam Library, "Mennonite". 15
Supports Anabaptists. 92
Interceded for Ana
baptists  105
Amish Mennonites Origin  128
" Mennonites Documents.... 128
Documents on Faith, 1693. 129
America, Attempted Banishment to,
1710  159
Deportation to, 1710  161
Amish Protest Against Penn's Law 205
Mennonites' Early Customs 208
" Protest Against Laws  204
" Mennonites Petition for Re
lief  276
" . Immigrants  353
Armstrong, John, Killed by Indians 288
Anabaptsm and Bohemia  11
Anabaptism's Rise in Berne  12
" Rise in Zurich  13
Early Spread in Ne
therland  18
Attack by Rival
Creeds  18
" Triumph Over Luth
erans  20
Annesley, Arthur, an Irish Lord.. 273
Austrian Decree Against Anabap
tism  33
" Anabaptists  50
Augsburg Diet of  56
Avarice, Absence of  215
Background (European)  1
Bavarian Prominence  5
Baptism (Early Anabaptist View) 24
Bavaria and Anabaptism  29, 30
Baptists, see "Anabaptists"  35
Basel, Tortures in  47, 51
Bair (John) A Mennonite Father,
1551  57
of Lichtenfels  57
Baltic Anabaptists  93
Banishment Divides Families o f
Mennonites  116
Banishment of 1710 to America.,, 159
Baptism, Earliest Form ot  209

Banking and Financiering of Ger
man-Swiss  348
Baltimore Wants Germans' Pro
duce  351
Beghinen, Rise of  6
Berne and Walderseans, 1522  12
Berne, Migration of Anabaptists to 39
Orders Extermination  40
Berne's Decree Against Emmen
thal  63
Belgiurn Mennonites, 1564  64
Berne Executions  64
Government Teaches Against
Anabaptism  73
(Growth of. In  94
Jail Roll  104
Decrees, 68, 91, 92, 97, 100, 102,
105. 107, 110, 116, 124
Banishment of Mennonites. 138
and Runkle  144
Banishments of 1710  151
Beissel's Labors and Achievements 215
Bearing Arms, Objection to  215
Bible, Nuremburg Translation  25
Anabaptist Translation  60
Biestkin's Bible. First Edition 1560 62
Bible, Biestkin's Translation, 1560 62
Emden Edition  62
Bixler Leaves the Reform Church 79
Bible Testament Printed at Basel. 122
Bingelli's Colony  131
Birth (First in Lancaster County) 162
Bizalion and His Labors  211
Blauroch's Death  37
Bloody Edicts of Charles and Philip 59
Bohemia and Mennonite Faith  11
" and Anabaptism  11
Bollinger; Mennonite Father and
Historian  63
Bounties, Anabaptists Pay to
Escape War Service  105
Bounties in Leiu of Military Serv
ice  106
Bound Out, German Boys  330
Boehm Secedes  324
Boyerland Church  323
Brackbill's Services  153
Diary  155
Report of 1710 Exodus 157
Friendly Services, 168, 169
Benedict's Letters 195, 196

INDEX OF ITEMS.

357

Brickmaking Among Palatines.... 221
Bumgardner, Ulrich. Reasons tor
Anabaptism  79, 81
Burkholder (Hans') Escapes Arrest 101
Bumgardner's Hymn  103
Burki's Report of 1710 Exodus  157
Burkholder, Letters of Hans  2SS
Burkholder's Labors and Letters. . 294
" Letters and Labors.. 298
Letters and Labors. . 312
(Hans) Death  313
Burial a t Philadelphia o f Dead
German Immigrants  315
Burglary and Punishment  333
Calvinism at Geneva  58
vs. Papacy  64
Calvinists vs. Lutherans  71
Cartledge and Conestoga  210
Capital Punishment in Pa. (Earlv) 333
Cemeterj-, Oldest in Lancaster Co. 250
Children in Church  16
Church and the Children  16
and State, Separation of . . 43
and State, Separation of
1532  44
Charles Fifth and Anabaptists. ... 44
Chronicles of Anabaptists' Torture 97
Church. First Mennonite, in Amer
ica  137
Churches, First Mennonite  323
Mennonite, Earliest in
Lancaster County.... 323
Chalkley's Account  148
Chickies and Salunga Settlement. 220
Clover Seed. Germans Produce It. 351
Comet, The Great and Telner  121
Confession ot Faith, Mennonites, 15, 353
" of Faith, Anabaptist. . . 70
Conflscation of Property by Swiss 73
Confession of Faith in Reformed
Church  77
of Faith (Dortrecht) . . 82
Conflscated Property of Anabap
tists  124
Conestoga Valley Settlement in 1712 192, 193
More Settlements.. 200, 201
Assessment of 1718  204
Land Grants  210
and Strasburg Additions 213
The Great Road  217
Additions  220
and Collection of Taxes 225
" and Dortrecht Confes
sion  228
and Wild Beasts  235
Suffering  251

Conestoga Manor Sub-divided  255
Confiscations of Mennonite Goods 260
Confiscation, Mennonite Goods, 259, 260
Commerce between Philadelphia
and Lancaster  269
Contagious Disease on Shipboard. 275
Ship Diseases  315
Contagion on Ship Board, Crowd
ing, etc  319
and Quarantine  339
"Corner" in Fire Wood  331
Con.gre.gations in Palatinate, 1671 332
Connecticut Claim and Our Ger
many  346
Cumberland Valley Migration  271
Denmark Favors Anabaptism  25
Debate on Anabaptism  32
Deventer Edict vs. Anabaptists... 78
Delaware Mennonite Colony  130
Deportation to America  161
of Mennonites 1711,
List from Berne Jail 170
to Holland, 170, 171, 172
Departure Money of the Banished 176
Deportation, 28,500 Florins Col
lected tor  178
Death in Ocean Travel  275
Ditcher, Mary, and the Palatines. 219
Disease, Contagion on S'nip  321
Disaffection of Germans  322
of "Dutch"  354
Dortrecht Confession of Faith  82
Donegal, Mennonite Neighbors at. 223
Dortrecht Confession of Faith in
Conestoga  228
Dry Goods of Early Times  261
Dunkards Secede  137
" In Pequea and Cones
toga  212
Dunkers in Virginia  309
Dutch Grain Pans Invented  324
Dunkers' Troubles at Ephrata  344
"Dutch" Disaffection  354
Eggvyl Anabaptist Colony in Em
menthal  101
Eggvyl Congregation to be De
stroyed  117
Elbe, Anabaptists Flee from  65
Elbing Anabaptists  108
Election Riots of 1742 and the Ger-
• man  276
Funds of 1749  301
Emmenthal, Earliest Anabaptists ot 27
Drift Into, 1538  49
Suffering  102
Empson's Colony on Octoraro.... 131
Emmenthal Hunt  132

358

INDEX O'F ITEMS.

Emigration Tax Opposed by Men
nonites  236
" to Lancaster Co. of
1717  203
" to Pennsylvania Op
posed  230
" to Pennsylvania Cre
ates New Alarms. . . 231
to Lancaster, 1731... 239
"End of World" Scare  38
English Decrees Against Anabap
tists  50
England and Poor Palatines  192
Ephrata Monastic Society Begun.. 249
Community Solitary Life 255
Community Historical
Note  271
Dunkers' Troubles  344
Eshleman Family  240, 241, 242
Ethical Rules of Anabaptists  90
European Background  1
Evangelical Doctrine, The Rise of 5
Everling's Letters  114, 115
Statistics of 1672  120
Executions of Anabaptists at Mun
ich  31
Exodus to England of 1709  ... 142
on Rhine in 1710  154
" Hymn (Exodus into Hol
land)  182
of 1711  190
" of 1711 Reach Lancaster
County  191
Executions in Lancaster County. . 333
Farmers, Anabaptists Excel as ... . 93
Faith and Conversion of Anabap
tist Fathers  125, 126
Fares and Expenses of Immigrat
ing  269
Families Separated  330
Feierer as a Mennonite Father,
1528  31
"Foot Washing" Among Amish... 276
Finland. Anabaptists Flee to  56
Fines, Disposal of  198
File Making Among Palatines. . . . 221
Filthy Condition of Ships  269
Financial Progress of Germans... 333
Flanders Decree. Holland Inter
venes  76
Forrer (Forry) Philip Appears... 78
Forest Fires, 1731  239
Frankenthal Colony and 'Skippack 141
French & Indian War, German-
Swiss Oppose  286
Fries, Jacob. Tried for Treason.. 355
Fraud at Election of 1749  301

Funk Preaches before Charles XII
of Sweden  133
Stephen and Charles XII.. 133
Galley Slaves (Anabaptist)  51
" Torture, Berne Renounces 77
Torture and Reformed
Church  Ill
Torture in 1671  112
" Torture of Mennonites, 1671 114
Torture Prohibited  117
" Masters Show Kindness... 117
" Punishment Fatal  119
Torture Summed Up  160
" Torture on Mennonites  199
Germans (High) and Anajbaptism. 21
Germany, Migration Into, Anabap
tists  32
Geneva. Birthplace of Calvinism,
1555  58
German Peasant War. Anabaptists
Accused of  100
Germans Adhere to Fletcher  130
German First Settlement  132
Reform Exodus to Eng
land in 1709  143
Swiss Trading with Phil
adelphia  230
Swiss Victims of Robbers 233
Swiss Thrift and Industry 265
S-wiss Emigrants, Poverty
of  269
Reformed Christians Seek
Naturalization  270
Swiss on the Election
Riots of 1742  276
" Swiss Supporters of the
Government  277
" Swiss Newspaper In Penn. 282
" Swiss in Lancaster in 1744 283
Swiss and Indian Depre
dations  286
Swiss Agriculture Very
Successful  286
Swiss and the Indians... 291
" Svidss Mennonites ilur-
dering  292
" Swiss Woman Executed
for murder  294
Swiss and the Quaran
tine  299
" Swiss and Politics  307
" Swiss Politics in Lancas
ter County  308
" Immigrants Poor and
Needy  315
Germans and Irish to be Separated 319

INDEX OF ITEMS.

359

German Swiss Limited to Massa
chusetts  319
Swiss in Politics  320
Swiss Quality Declines... 321
Swiss Disaffection  322
" Swiss Help French and
Indian War  327
Germantown Brethren Oppose
Slavery  327
Germans as Aliens  328
German-Swiss Increase in Penna. 329
Germans Get London Company
Land  331
" Oppose Paxton Murder. 335
and Last Two Indians . . 337
German Mills Sold by Sheriff  339
" Swiss and Lotteries  341
" Lutheran Church Lottery 341, 342
" Swiss Political Leaders.. 342
Crops Destroyed by Hail 345
" and Connecticut Claims. . 346
Germans and Glass" Making  351
German Produce, Baltimore and
Philadelphia Customers 351
Swiss Gunmakers  353
Society for Relief of Ger
mans  354
Germans Disregard Navigation
Acts  354
Glass Making Among Our Germans 351
Gun Making in Lancaster County. 353
Grain Fans. "Dutch" Invented  324
Graft in Stove Wood  331
Good's Account ot Suffering Men
nonites in 1672  119
Government Declares Mennonites
Enemies  124
Golden Book (Queen Anne's)  143
Greybill, Munzer and Manz as Men
nonite Fathers, 1524  17
Graybill Mennonites  19
Gross. Jacob, as a Mennonite Fa
ther, 1525  20
(Jroeninger Attempts Extermina
tion  33
Greisinger, a Mennonite Father,
1538  49
Greisinger's Death  49
Graef (Hans) Arrival  130
Graffenried's Expedition with Men
nonites  143
Grist Mill (First in Conestoga') . . 194
Gun Factory. Mylin's  212
"Haldemann" and "Hochtetter".. . 48
Haldeman as a Mennonite Father,
1538  48

Hauser a Mennonite Father, 1539. 50
Haslibach, the Hymnist  65
Hambergers Turn Anabaptists  93
Hamburg Mennonites, 1641  93
Hardships ot Sea Voyage  243
of Sea Travel, 17 weeks 245
" on Ocean  249
Halifax, German-Swiss Intended
for  309
Hardships of Ocean Travel  310
Halifax. Mennonites at  313
"Hangings," a Public Event  333
Hail Storm in Lancaster County.. 345
Hershey's (Benedict) Letters  325
Hemp Industry and Mennonites... 338
Herr as a Mennonite Father, 1538 49
Hendricks' Account of Suffering.. 94
Hendricks, Jacob, Dutch Preacher,
Diary of Rhine Expeditions .... 154
Heat, Great Heat in Conestoga,
1734  251
Hempfleld, Its Hemp  338
History of Anabaptists Published 101
Holland Mennonite Refuge  9
Mennonite Faith in 1520.. 11
HoIIinger, Jacob and Klaus, Men
nonite Leaders, 1523  14
Hoffman, Melchoir, as a Mennonite
Father, 1529  35
Hoffman's Followers in Holland.. 39
Houstetter as a Mennonite Father,
1538  48
Holland Refunds Anabaptists  67
" Anabaptist Progress In.. 72
Holstein Anabaptists of  80
Holland Helps Anabaptists  100
Relief Organized  103
" Anabaptists Not Strict. . . 105
" Anabaptists Help Swiss
Brethren  107
" Intercession  109
Hostages, Berne Holds Anabaptists 116
Hospitals for Anabaptists  117
Holland Helps Palatine Anabap
tists  120
Persecutions  139
Holland's Friendship  145
Holland at Nimewegin Rescues De
parted Mennonites  155
" Brethren Care for Rhine
" Expedition Refugees... 156
" Mennonites Befriend Their
Brethren.. 163, 164, 165, 166
Exodus, List from Berne
Jail  170
Holland's Valuable Help  175

360

INDEX OF ITEMS.

Holland Migration Divides Fami
lies  176
Exodus Into (Names of
People)  185
" Exodus, Those on Board
Ship Thun  186
" Another List of Exodants
Into  186
Exodus To, 172, 173, 176, 177,
178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183,
184, 185, 186, 187, 188
Exodus, Those in Ship
"Neumburger"  187
Exodus, List Summed Up 188
" Exodus, List of Heads of
Families  189
" Mennonites Leave  189
is Asked for Aid  231
Horse Stealing Mennonite Victims 233
Household and Farming Utensils
of Early Times  261
Hospitals for Contagious Diseases
Among German Swiss  280
Holland Oppresses Mennonites.... 287
" Overtaxed i n Exporting
German Mennonites  299
Horrors of Ocean Travel  304
Holland Helps Virginia  324, 326
Hupmeier as a Mennonite Father,
1577  22
Hut (or Huth) as a Mennonite Fa
ther. 1529  35
Huguenots, Anabaptists Aid  46
Huber as a Mennonite Father,
1542  54
Hungarian Mennonites in 1629.,.. 81
Hungary, Exodus Into  81
Huguenot Mennonites (Lefever)
1669  Ill
Hunter (Colonel) Cargo of Menno
nites to N. Y  143
Immigration of 1729  142
Floods Towards Penn
sylvania  197
and Contagious Dis
eases  303
and Crowding of Ships 319
Infant Baptism, Revolt Against... 17
Inn, Valley of. Martyrdom  29
Inquisition in Holland  57
Integrity of Anabaptists  69
Indian Treaty and Mennonites, . . . 216
Inheritance Law Favoring Menno
nites  224
Industry and Thrift of Our Ances
tors  265

Indians Among German-Swiss.... 286
Attack Mennonites  327
Inheritance, Germans Allowed.... 328
Indians Helped by Mennonites  336
Irish Palatine  143, 144
and Germans to be Separted 319
Jails in Early Times  263
Jealousy Against the German-
Swiss  278, 279
Jefferson, Friend of Germans  355
President, and Jacob
Pries' Trial  355
Jersey, First German in  136
Jury Duty and Mennonites  235
Judge Zimmerman Appointed  329
Keith. Governor, a FViend of Men
nonites  222
King, Fidelity to, by Anabaptists. . 125
George's War and the Men
nonites  272
Kocherthal Colony  137
Lancaster County^ Names in Zurich 38
" County Names (Berne
Executions)  47
Landis', Hans, Suffering and Death 74
Lan.gnan Colony of Anabaptists... 79
"Lamb" and "Son" Anabaptists... 121
Langnau Expulsions of Anabap
tists, 1692  127
List of Mennonites Ex
pelled from 1692  127
Land Ownership  134
Lancaster County First Settlement 147
County Pioneer's Graves 149
County Palatine Acces
sions  192
County Additions  193
Land, The Right to Hold  236
Lancaster Trade With Philadelphia 269
County's Great Snow
Storm of 1741  275
County Election Riot,
1742  276
Land Grants, Conflicts Over  282
Lancaster in 1744  283
Landis Letter  296
Lancaster County Germans and
Politics  301
Town and Germans  314
Germans in 1754, etc... 317
County to Send Irish to
Cumberland  319
German Burgess  322
County, Acres of Tilled
Land  329
Land Cleared and Tilled in Penn
sylvania  329

INDEX OF ITEMS.

361

Land Valuation in Pennsylvania. . 329
Lancaster Newspaper  330
" County Like Switzerland 340
Land Clearing by Germans  335
Liberty of Consciene. Rise of.... 67
Lithuanian Colony of 1710  152
List of Those on First Rhine Ex
pedition of 1710  159
Liberty Reigns in Pennsylvania.. 322
Lord's Supper, Debate On  35
Long Island, Mennonites il o v e
From  125
London Company Lands  331
Letter  148
Low Morals Rare in German Pio
neers  248
Lotteries and German-Swiss  341
and the Church  340, 341
Loyalty to Government Pledged by
German-Swiss  316
to Government Pledged by
Mennonites  316
" of Germans to America.. 352
Lutheranism. Rise of  8
Lutheran-Mennonite Differences.. 16
Lutherans Try to Crush Anabap
tists  22
Lutheran Hatred of Anabaptists. . 56
" Exodus t o England in
1709  143
" and Moravian Contro
versy  294
Martyrs, Lancaster County Names 5
" The Burning of  5
Martyr Manuscripts  15
Manz, Greybill and Munzer as
Mennonite Fathers, 1524  17
Martyr's Mirror, Beginnings ot. . . 17
Martyrdom ot Wagner  26
Marriages, Anabaptists Void  68
Mangold, a Mennonite Historian. . 97
Martyr's Mirror, Amsterdam Edi
tion  102
Manheim-Rhine Expedition Halted 154
Maryland Encroachments  211
Border War  254
Boundary Troubles. 256, 257
" Boundary Oppressions. 257
Border Struggle  263
" Line Dispute  296
Martyr's Mirror Published  300
Massachusetts Invites German-
Swiss There  319
Manheim Glass Works  351
Mennonites, See "Anabaptists"
" Descendants of Wal
denseans  5

Jlennonite Faith in Bohemia, 1519 11
Faith in Holland  11
" Doctrine's Early Foot
hold, 1522  12
Fathers and Founders, 13,
14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,
24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 34,
35, 36, 37, 38, 42, 48, 49,
50, 52, 56, 57, 60
First Confession of
Faith  15
" Library. Amsterdam... 15
Mennonites, Early Torture  19
Graybill Paction  19
" Reformers  21
ilenno Simon, the Mennonite
Founder, 1526... 21
Persecuted  21
.Mennonites' Synod  22
Mennonites and Hupmier  22
Mennonitism, Second Stage of  25
Mennonites, Attempt t o Extermi
nate   27
Retard Reformation.. 28
Number of, in 1529... 34
Catechism  35
Rally at Emden  37
Success in Berne  41
Extinction in Zurich. 41
Menno Simon Renounces Catholi
cism  45
Mennonites (Berne) Flee to Rus
sia  46
(Berne) Help French
Huguenots  46
To Be Crushed  47
" Executions  54
"Mennonists" First Appearance.. 55
Menno Simon's Death  61
Mennonite and Reformed Merger. 81
Mennonites as Vine Dressers, 1671 114
Mennonite Refugees' Poverty and
Suffering  115
Mennonites, Early. Large Families 115
Mennonite Refugees (Statistics) of
in 1672  120
Mennonites (Swiss) Number in
the Palatinate  120
First Settlement i n
America  121
Enemies o f Govern
ment  124
Mennonite Marriages Void  124
Mennonites and Fletcher  130
" Not Friendly to Quak
ers  130
Mennonite School at Germantown 131

362

INDEX OF ITEMS.

Mennonites Beg to Escape Taxes. 131
Mennonite Leaders, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20,
22, 24, 25, 30, 34, 35, 36,
49, 52, 60
Teachers  132
" First Church in Ame
rica  137
Mennonites Banished from Berne
in 1709  138
" in Exodus to England
in 1709  143
Sent to Ireland, 1709 143
" Banishments from
Berne  151
" Good Character  167
" Rescued from Berne
Jail  174
" Old and New Swiss
Pactions  191
" Large Shiploads Ar
rive  201
Mennonite Colony o f Lancaster
County  206
" Emigrants Prior to
1718  209
Mennonites Pranchised  213
Mennonite Children and Indian
Children  214
Mennonites Assist Indian Treaty. 216
Pond of Keith  222
Victims of Vagrants. . 225
and Taxes  225
Victims of Robbers... 233
Mennonite Emigration Palling Off,
1729  234
Mennonites and Jury Duty  235
High Character Cer
tified  235
" Oppose Emigration
Tax  236
" Names of, in Rhine
Valley, 1731  237
Mennonite Immigrants Poverty... 247
Mennonites Deceived by Maryland
Government  249
" Goods Confiscated 259, 260
Mennonite Household Utensils,
List of  261
" Migration Into the
Cumberland  271
Mennonites Friendly With Quak
ers  271
" and King George's
War  272
and the Election Riot
of 1742  276

Mennonites Industrial Prosperity
Oppose French and
Indian War 
Mennonite Swiss Wandering in
Germany 
Mennonites Treatment of, in Switz
erland 
in Maryland Line Dis
pute 
" and Ship Travel Hor
rors 
and Political Activity
and Political Affairs..
Mennonite Tenants 
" Wheat Growers 
Mennonites and Lancaster Town.
and Ship Diseases...
" Petition Governor to
Trust Thun 
Pledge Loyalty to Gov
ernment of Penna..
in Lancaster in 1754.
Invited to Settle in
Massachusetts 
" Primitive Churches...
Boehm Secedes 
Virginia Despair ....
and Indians 
Oppose Slavery 
Clear Land 
Befriend Indians 
¦' Raise Hemp 
and Agriculture 
and Silk Rais-ing 
Poor Immigrants 
Clover Seed Producers
and Revolutionary
War 
New Confession o f
Faith 
and the Military 
" and Window Taxes...
Mill, First, On Conestoga 
" Creek Settlement 
Mills. Mennonites' Right to ilake .
Migration Into Cumberland Valley
to Western Pennsylva
nia 
Mittelberger Tells of Ocean T.''ravel
Horrors 
Mills. German. Sold by Sheriff...
Miller, Peter, Dunker's Troubles..
Military Laws and Local Germans
Morals of Anabaptists 
Moravia, Taufers in 
Moravian Religious Printers 

279

292 292
296 300
301 307 310
312314314316316
317 319323324324326327 335336338 341
348 349
351 352353
353 355 194
213224271 272 305
339 343353 3952 65

INDEX OF ITEMS.

363

Moravia, Restrain from  73
Migration  71
70,000 Crushed Out of. . . 77
Morals, Code of  90
Slip of. Among Palatines. 248
Occasional Slip of  248
Mortality in Sea Voyages  266
Moravian and Lutheran Contro
versy  294
Munzer, Graybill and Manz as Men
nonite Fathers, 1524  17
Against Anabaptism  18
Muller as a Mennonite Father,1529 34
Hans, Labors and Troubles 34
Musical Instruments Not Allowed 108
Mylin as a ilennonite Father  49
the Chronicler  97
Mylin's Gun Factory  212
Naturalization in Pennsylvania
(Anabaptists)... 121
Palatines  134
Navigation Laws and Palatines... 259
Naturalization of Germans, 135, 136,
137, 221, 223, 225, 232, 247, 249
Navigation Act Injuries  259
Naturalization 265, 267, 268, 270, 280, 281
Navigation Acts and Mennonites.. 354
Netherland Anabaptist Growth  18
Intercedes  88
" Defends Swiss Ana
baptists  100
Neuberg Mandate  101
Neubern Settlement  136
New Berne Colony Destroyed  163
" Mennonites Formed  191
" York Palatines Come to Penn
sylvania  218
" Holland Pioneers  227
" Danville Original Church  323
Newspaper in Lancaster  330
Nimewegen, Reception ot, Departi-
tion Down Rhine, 1710  154
Nickel Discovered in Lancaster Co. 248
NightWatch Among Germans  339
Non-Resistants, Troubles  3
" Persecutions of . . 7
Growth i n Bohe
mia  7
Northern Coast Anabaptists  55
Norwegians and Anabaptists  68
Non-Resistant Friends  98
Oaths, Taking of  80
Ocean Perils  133
Octoraro Settlements  218
" Mennonite Neighbors at. 223

Ocean Voyage Horrors  305
" Travel, Hardships of  310
Travel, Horrors of Crowd
ing and Disease  319
Ores Discovered at Conestoga  217
Papal Tithes Demanded  15
Palatinate, Swiss Migration  60
Persecutions in  60
Religious Prominence. 84
Palatine Swiss Not in Accord  109
Palatinate Migration, 1761  113
Poverty of Mennonites,
in 1672  119
Exodus to England in
1709  142
Exodus of 1709  142
Palatines, English Settling Among 194
Declaration of Fidelity. 227
Palatinate Mennonites in 1731  237
Palatines Leave New York  218
Condition in Palatinate.. 246
Thrift of  253
Decendents' Inventory.. 253
Refuse to Pay Quit
Rents  254
and Navigation Acts  259
Palatinate, Condition in 1761  332
Paxton Murder, Germans Try to
Stop  335
Palatines, Law to Protect Our Ship 339
Pennsylvania Names (Earliest Ap
pearance')  2
Persecutions, New Swiss  84
Peters Dirk, Execution 1546  56
Peasant War, Anabaptist Accused
of  100
Penn, Wm. and Anabaptists  120
Pequea Valley Settlement, Prepa
rations for... 138, 147, 149, 150, 151
Penn's Conference With First Col
ony  162
Pequea Colony, Size of  163
Colony, Additions to  192
" Additions  195
Pennsylvania Fearful ot Menno
nites  202
Penn's Friendship to Mennonites. 204
Pennsylvania's Goverment Fearful
of Mennonites  205
Pequea Additions  211
Pennsylvania, Western Part Set
tled  272
" Government and the
German Swiss 277,278
Maryland Line Dis
pute  296

364

INDEX OP ITEMS.

Philip II and Charles V  59
" (Cruel) and Frederick (Gen
erous)  61
Philadelphia, Outlet to  216
Pirates Rob German Emigrants.. 284
Plauroch as a Mennonite Father,
1529  37
Plockhoy, Sole -Survivor  130
Political Contest of 1749  301
Affairs and German Swiss 307
Politics and German Swiss  308
and German Swiss  342
Poverty of Some German Immi
grants  349
Political Career of Zimmerman
Endorsed  350
Poems. Early Mennonite  17
"Potter's Field" for Anabaptists.. 51
Poverty of Immigrants  247
of German Swiss Emi
grants  , . 269
Poor German Immigrants  315
Printing and Books (by Anabap
tists)  55
Prussian Margrave Banishes Ana
baptists  62
" Anabaptists  62
Preacher, Anabaptist, First in
America  123
Prussian Migration  152
Privateers Prey Upon German Em
igrants  284
Quakers Friends of Mennonites. . . 271
Quarantine Against Ship Diseases 280
Against Ship Diseases 282
of the German Swiss. 299
and Contagious Dis
eases  303
Rack Used on Berne Anabaptists. 97
Reformed Church, Rise of  3
Religious Struggles, 13th Century 4
Reformed and Anabaptists  9
Reublin a Mennonite Father, 1523 . 14
"Resistance" and "Non Resist
ance," 1541  52
"Reformed" vs. Anabaptists  72
Religious Rules and Code of 1688. 122
Redegelt on Susquehanna  134
Reformed and Mennonites Com
promise Matters  135
Reist and Amman Mennonites.... 163
Reform Church Sympathizes With
Mennonites  197
Redemptioners Among Palatines. 219
Reamstown Laid Out by Everhard
Ream  220

Redemptioners, List of  260
and Transporta
tion Pares  269i
Registration on German Emi
grants  227
Repeating at Election of 174,9  301
Religious Liberty in Penna  322
Redemptioners (Poor)  330
German and Swiss 351
Revolutionary War Taxes and Ger
mans  354
Rhine, Expedition Down That
River  145
Deportation of 56 Menno
nites, 1710  154
Expedition of 1710, List of
Members  159
Attempt ed Deportation
Down, in 1711  170
Five Vessels to Carry Ref
ugees  177
Down Rhine, 28500 Florins
Passage Money Collected 178
" Valley, Mennonites in  237
Rittenhouse, Great Mennonite
Preacher, Germantown  142
Ritter and The North Carolina
Project  145
Ritter's Expedition With Menno
nites  145
" Expedition  145
"River Corner" Church  323
Romish Church (Desertions)  2
Roman Church (Reformed Spirit) 3
Rote or Roth as Mennonite Fa
ther. 1532  42
Robbers Play Upon ilennonites.. . 233
Roads in Early Times  269
Russia, Anabaptists In  46
Runkle, Ambassador at Berne.... 144
Saltier, Michael as a Mennonite
Father, 1525  19
Sattler Aids Anabaptism  19
Salsburg and Martyrdom  29
Sacrament, Earliest Form of the
Ministry  209
of Baptism, Earliest
Form of  209
Salunga and Chickies Settlement. 220
Sauer, Christopher, on Liberty in
Penna  322
Schaeffer as a Mennonite Father,
1528  30
Schneider as a Mennonite Father,
1528  31
Schwenkfelders' Origin  38, 44

INDEX OF ITEMS.

365

Schumacher, a Mennonite Father,
1538  50
Schneider a Mennonite Father,
1546  56
Scheffer's (Dr. Hoop) View of Im
migration  142
Schnebli On Torture  196
Schlegel's Mill  194
Schlegel and His Mill  211
Seckler as a Mennonite Father,
1527  26
Seckler's Religious Principals.... ?6
"Separation Prom World" Defined 57
Sea Voyages, Extreme Hardships. 243
26 Weeks  243
" " Death Rate in Transit 266
Servants Leave German Masters
and Enter Army  272, 273
Sea Travel. Horrors of  300
Shumacher's Death  53
Sharr David to Zugg  96
Ship Records of German Bmigra
tion  227
Ships, Filthy Condition  264
Filthy and Contagious Dis
eases  275
Horrors on Board  300
Ship Diseases and Germans  303
" Loading Law Regulating  304
¦' Diseases ot Palatines  314
" Horrors, Crowding and Dis
eases  319
Shipping Regulations  321
Ship Travel Horrors  339
Simon's, Menno, Works  59
Silk Production 'in Lancaster Co. 348
Skippack Colony (Telner)  123
Settlement  132
Slavery and Anabaptists (Menno
nites)  123
Mennonites Oppose  327
Small Pox Infection  266
Snow Storm,' Great of 1741  275
Socinianism, Anabaptists Accused
of  99
Spinning and Weaving Among Ger
mans  347
Staff and Sword, Anabaptists  36
Strasburg Religious Convention.. 58
St. Saphorin's Friendship  145, 146
 166
Strasburg Laid Out  200
Additions  212
Storm, Great, at Conestoga  251
Stiegel's Glass Factory  351
Susquehanna, Mennonite Lands On 125
Subdivision of Pequea Track  150

Susquehanna, Additional Settle
ments  200
Valley Additions... 221
Land Grants  226
Switzerland (Sixth Century)  2
Migrations from Italy 3
Swiss Anabaptists Flee  12
Swabia and the Mennonite Faith,
1528  33
"Sword" Mennonites. 1529  36
Swiss, All Combined Against Ana
baptists  46
Swenkfeld's Death  63
Swiss Anabaptists Pray for Hol
land's Help  98
Independence  99
Anabaptist Relief Organized 103
Exodus Into Palatinate, 1671 111
" Refugees (1672') List of. . . 118
Refugees Tale of Misery... 119
First Settlement  135
" Persecution  197
Edict of 1711 and 1714. .197, 198
Switzerland, Destitution of Men
nonites  287
Swiss Mennonite Tenants  310
Switzerland and Lancaster County 340
Synod, First Mennonite, 1527  22
"Taufers," Rise of  14
A Name o f Reproach
(1531)  39
Migration Into Prussia 39
" A Contemptuous Term. 40
On the Baltic  42
Taylor's Survey  149
Taxation Without Representation
Among Mennonites. . . 204
" of Mennonites  225
" Without Representation 270
and Taxes Raised  329
Telner, Jacob, Comes to the Dela
ware  121
Telner's Skippack Colony  123
Telner and the Skippack Settle
ment  134
Thrift and Industry of Our Ances
tors  265
Thomas, Governor, Friend of Men
nonites  271
Tortures in Flanders and Zurich. . 66
Transportation Pleaded For  147
Trade Between Philadelphia and
Lancaster  269
Treason. Jacob Pries Tried for... 355
Venezuela (First Germans in Ame
rica)  53
Venice and the Galleys  112

366

INDEX OP ITEMS.

Virginia and Dunkers  309
" Mennonites Despair  324
Mennonites. Holland Aids 325
Brethren Helped by Hol
land  326
Muller's Account  326
Waldenses, Origin of  3
Waldensean Translation  4
Waldensees, Origin ot Mennonites 5
Wagner as a Mennonite Father,
1527  26
Wagner's Execution  26
War Weapons and Taufers  52
Walloons Help Anabaptists  104
Wagoning Between Philadelphia
and Lancaster  269
Walnut Groves in Early Lancaster
County  286
War, French and Indian  327
Weidman as a Mennonite Father,
1529  36
Weidman's Death  50
"Weidertaufers," Origin of, 1559.. 61
Welfare, Michael, Preaches in Phil
adelphia  251
Michael's Wanderings and
Preachings  262
Western Pennsylvania, Mennonite
Migration to  272
Weiser, Conrad's Great Labors... 285
Conrad, Attempted to Burn
His House  286
Weaving Among German-Swiss. . . 347
Wheatfield Battle  263
Wheat Crop. Great German.  312
Winkler as a Mennonite Father,
1530  38

Wild Beast Ravages  208
Beast Depredations  235
Witchcraft Believed In Among
Palatines  252
Wills and Legacies, Law Allowing 282
German-Swiss Right to Make 328
Willow Street Church  323
"Window Tax" and the Menno
nites  355
Worms Persecutes Anabaptists... 23
"Worldliness" Warned Against. . . 77
Wood Famine in Eastern Penna. . 331
Wyckliffe and Waldenseans  6
Zeller's Account of 1710 Expul
sion  155, 158
Zimmerman (Henry) Arrives  130
Emmanuel, A Great
Leader  207
Zimmerman's (Emanuel) Political
Career  320
Zimmerman Appointed Judge  329
Emanuel, The Ger
man Leader  350
Zolothurn and Anabaptists  28
Zurich's Wickedness  10
Zurich and Mennonite Faith (1523) 13
Zurich's Friendliness  13
Zurich Proselytes Anabaptists  21
Apologizes for Anabaptists'
Torture  88, 89
Zurich's Decrees Against Anabap
tists, 22, 23, 66, 84, 86, 92, 94, 95, 102
Zwingli and Romish Church  10
Zwinglians, Decrees Against, 1521 11
and Anabaptists Con
demned  11
Zwinglism and Oflacials  14

367

"INDEX OF PERSONAL NAMES'

Note : It is probable that some names are omitted, by oversight, from-
this index.

Abel  243, 264
Abell  317
Abercrombie. 283, 303, 312, 313. 314, 318
Abrahamissen  109
Acker  243
Ackers  243
Ackerman  65, 310
Adams  249, 250, 269, 267, 299, 302,
303, 312, 314
249, 269, 267, 299, 302, 303, 312, 314
Adr  172
Aebersold  162, 173, 181, 184
Aebi  237
Aeschbach  190, 197
Aeschbacher 186, 187, 188, 190, 189, 239
Aeschman  127, 151, 160
Aeschlimann 127, 159, 171, 173, 184, 191, 210
Aister  269
Aken  172
Albert 24^' 243, '263, 265, 26-?,' 268, 303
Albrecht  61, 81, 253
Albright  242, 245. 254, 283, 285, 303
310, 312, 313
Alexander  27
Allenberg  2
Allen  224, 267, 270, 275, 312
Allison  224, 227
Allenbach  238
Alleman  299
Althouse  184, 190
Alba  100
Aman  276
Amman.. 81, 87, 128, 129, 163, 195, 237
Amos  ;  218
Amster  76
Ammon  172, 177
Andrews  239, 243,255, 283
Andres  185
Anderson  223, 227
Andes  253
Anken  187, 188, 190, 191
Annis  148
Annesley  273
Antes  299, 317
Antonius  57
Anthony  119
Anslo  68
Ansbach  ¦ . • . 33

Andiere  344
Appel  245, 254, 263, 283, 302
Arisman  20&
Arnold  263, 264, 270, 275, 299, 310
313, 314, 318
Arndt  249, 250, 303, 310
Armstrong  285, 288-
Arnott  299, 314
Arnatt  299
Arnot  312, 313, 314, 318
Athleridge  348-
Atkinson  217, 218, 226, 256
Ausbach  33
Ax  233
Aybe  210, 233
Baer  84, 226, 228, 229, 233, 236, 238
247, 260. 285, 303
Basle  4
Balthaser  25
Bausmans  76, 119, 260, 314
Baumgardner  79, 81, 95, 102, 103,
104, 106, 119, 151, 159, 161, 170, 173,
184, 191, 195, 196, 197, 232, 209, 233,
242, 243, 260, 263
Barell  5, 195, 196, 205, 243, 245
Bassler  243
Bachman 92, 93, 119, 129, 192,238, 267
Barber  189
Balmer  220, 253
Baldwin  210
Baltzli  129
Bar  129, 193, 267
Baker  137, 144, 283, 285, 314
Bauman  92, 173, 193, 242
Bauer  177, 187, 189
Balli  181
Barber  '.  185, 335
Bare  209
Barnett  226
Bazillion  226
Baeschtold  237.
Bachtel  238
Bair  57, 243, 268
Balzer  247
Ball  251
Baughman  256
Bassler  266, 268, 310, 317
Basseler  268
Ballendine  303
Barnes  314
Barr  299, 303

368

INDEX OF PERSONAL NAMES.

Bauer . . .

302

310

Baker . . .

144
Beisinger .
331
Beatus . . .
115
Bestmiller
47
Berve ....
41
Bender. . .
269, 283,
Beck  4£
302, 310,
Beaver .. .
67, 81, 82
285, 302,
, 266, 267
312, 313
, 243
312
, 270
, 268
293
242,
297,
264,299, 243
Benli 
190
Beiers . . .
192
Bellas . . .
201
Bellar . . .
204
Berr ....
205
246
Beisel . , .
249
Bebber .. .
211
Bennings
182
Bebber ., .
133
Beer ....
134
184
Benedict •
167
Bear 
170172,
265,
313 270,
318 215,
249,
173
Beets 
183
Becker. . . .
268, 270,
Berger 
285, 293,
Beissel . . .
.184, 190,
275, 302,
.159, 243,
294, 303,
263,
310, 249,
310,
266,
312, 251,
312,
267,275, 233
Beyer ....
Berkley . .
224,
264226
Bennett ..
233
Berntheisel
243
Bechtold .,
243,
246
Bern 
251
Beattv . . ,
-256
Bersinger
268
Bell 
275
Bechtol or
Benzel . . .
Bichsel . .
293,
294 269
Benners . .
302,
310
Bendets . .
310
Berch 
269
Bernharts 274,
Benezet . .
285, 302,
310,
312,
313,
314 315
Beyer ....
Beiler ....
269, 270,
283,
299,
310,
313119
Bent 
154
Beam ....
Bheme . . .
323,
324,
325
233
Bitner . . .
Biegler . . .
275,
119,
236
275
Bixler . . .
. . 4^
, 79,
229
127
Bieri 
Bizalion .
159,
210,
171,211,
184
214
Binkley  131, 268, 238, 266, 260
Bieri  119, 159, 210, 233'
Biniggeli  131, 188, 189
Birk  249, 251, 264, 265
Bigging  256
Bishop  263
Bintgens  69
Bittinger  327
Blum  268, 266
Blaurock  19, 27, 252
Blaker  212
Blau-ck  129
Blaser  159, 170, 172, 173, 181, 188
Blank  185
Blumm  171
Blumston  230, 259
Bloetscher  237
Blath  246
Bluckenmeyer  266
Blau  92
Bohemia  4
Bollinger  63, 72, 243
Born  76
Bogart  76, 102
Boyer  192, 205, 220
Bohm  233, 324, 325
Bo.gli  109, 185, 190
Bowman  192, 204, 205, 200, 209, 212,
229, 231. 233, 237, 238, 239, 247, 249,
253, 263, 264
Bodeur  '.  181
Bohlen  184
Bohner  185
Bomberger  226
Bossart  232
Book  248
Boyd  255, 344
Bohn  297
Bomgardner  293, 294
Bond  299, 303, 315
Bonner  269
Boswell  303
Bowman  299, 303
Bontemps  92
BoUenbom  109
Boenes  109
Borchalder  US
Boyer  323
Boener  325
Bouquet  327
Broithausen  10^
Bracher  127, 128
Brackbill  84, 147, 151, 153, 154, 155,
156, 157, 158, 159, 162, 167, 168, 169,
170, 171, 172, 173, 177, 192, 193, 269,
270, 327
Brandenburg  3
INDEX OF PERSONAL NAMES.

369

Br.incht  5, 74, 97, 101, 109, 111
Brubacker  38, 151
Bruner  12, 254
Brigger  43
Bruker  4S
Brons. 57, 61. 62, 64. 74, 77, 7S. Ill, 121
Brubaker  S5, S6. 191, 233, 246, 319
Brobst  79, 161, 173, 197
Broithhunsen  109
Brenneman  IIS, 202, 323
Brantam  125
Brechbuhl  151, ISS, 190, 191
Brinton  193
Broadpather  205
Brand  205, 233, 185, 237, 238, 243
Bretzighoffer  171
Brast  173
Brenzikoffer  173, 184
Bremen  193
Bruger  190
Bryner  186, 190
Breller  226
Brackin  227
Bricker  236, 264, 243
Breckley  243
Brenner  243
Brock  249, 251, 264
Bretter  266, 268
Brady  303
Braghts  109, 300
Brant  303, 312
Brenner  314
Brobsts  79, 293, 294
Bricker  310
Broderick  319
Browning  303
Brown. 283, 285, 299, 302, 303, 314, 318
Brosius  270
Brunner  283, 302
Brunnholtz  317
Breitinger  92
Bradford  335
Bub  38
Bullinger  19, 40, 41
Burkhalter. 127. 228, 229, 237, 238, 243
Burkard  38, 249, 264, 267
Butzer  52, 53
Burkholder  84, 101, 110, 118, 128,
131. 132, 147, 153. 155, 179, 180, 206,
224, 226, 236, 233, 249, 250, 287, 288,
290. 293 294, 295, 298, 299, 310, 312,
313, 314, 323
Bundely. 87, 149, 150, 152, 156, 157, 200
Burger  98, 99, 236, 293

I Burkey  119. 147, 155. 162, 167, 168,
I 175, 177, 179, 180, 181, 183, 190, 191,
292. 293
Burrows  193
Bundeli  193
Bu.gholder  205
Bucher  188,191, 220, 243, 254
Buhler  1S6, 187, 190, 192, 238
Burd  221
Buchanan  224
Buckwalter  233, 266, 268
Burchdolph  239
Bushong  245, 265
Buth  246
Buszhaler  246
Butt  256
Buckley  256
Busch  260
Bull  263, 269
Buch  264
Buden  267
Bushong  268
Buner  317
Buckenmeyer  268
Bumgardner  283, 293, 294, 310
Burkhart  283, 293, 302, 310, 312
Buck  299
Buchman  303
Bucher  312
Burki  157, 159
Byler  66
Byghhoom  109
Byerly  243
|Cpipel  215
Carterer  212
Carpenter 130, 192, 193, 204, 224, 233, 350
Cartlidge  194, 216, 210, 211, 217
Carr  221
Calvin  100
Cassel  5
Capito (Wiltong)  23, 25
Caspar  48, 218
Carter  210, 226,253, 263
Catton  213
Cameron  253
Cammel  218, 253
Cartho  , 221
Capp  243
Candle  265
Camile  268,
Campbell  310, 312, 313'
Cantom  310
Casper  270, 283
Carpenter  320, 342
Care  303
Carlstadt  89

370

INDEX OP PERSONAL NAMES.

Carnell  109
Calbert  109
Chenstsy  246
-Christians.. 102, 104, 106, 243, 267, 303
Christopher  211, 233, 323
Charles  5, 11, 44
¦Christen  198
Churts  210, 233
Christ  232, 242, 250, 249, 263
Chartier  226
Christman  260
Cheeseman  299
-Chilton  270
Chalkley  148
Christy  336
Chase  355
Civility  216
Cirkel  269
Oloud  200, 226, 227
Clark  218
Clists  243
•Cliffer  256
Clinton  285
Clarke  319
Cline  317
Coffman  210, 233
Coningham.llO, 139, 207, 208, 209, 239
•Conrad  137
Cope  193, 205, 207, 218
Comb  210, 211
Conradt  220
Cooksin  218
Cohalan  222
Cooher  265
Cook  267
¦Coatman  275
Coatam  303, 312, 313, 318
Coob  269
Cook  270
Cookson  270, 297
Cooper  310
Coolan  314
Conrads  302, 310, 313, 319
Conradt  311
Coller  109
Croyden  210, 233
¦Cremer  172, 188, 189
Creamer  60, 176, 242, 243
Craighead  224
Cresswell  226
Cressman  232, 269
Cresap  257, 252
¦Cramer  270, 313, 314
Cranch  275
Crawford  314
Creagh  303
¦Crellius  2S2

Crawford  331
Cuyper  57
Cunningham  312, 317
Cusack  283
Cutts  268
Daemen  109
Dasbach  238
Dayrolle  138
Danzler  162
Daesher  24
Dawson  201
Davis  205, 210, 218, 284, 348
Danager  206
Daniel  224, 264
Davenport  227
Dennmark  2
Denlingers  229
Denck .... 21, 23, 24, 25, 103, 16, 252
De Vreede  107, 114
Devour  221
Detwiller  135, 239, 247, 260
Dewees  132
Dellenbach  79
Detchar  240
Dettenbern  265, 268
Deis  266
Dellinger  303
Dellyn  276
Deer  303
Deeringer  269
DeGrove  303
Decker  312
Deinig  269
Deknatel  289, 298
Deshler  268
Detterman  269
Detweiler  303
Diter  237
Diehl  264, 267
Ditcher  219
Dinkleberg  229
Dickinson  195
Diffenderfer  143, 227, 229, 342
Dieboldswiler  48
Dirks  83, 176
Dirckson  109
Dinzler  119
Dierstein  237, 238
Dietrick  242
Diller  266
Diggs  296, 297
Dietz  303
Dietrich  310, 313
Diffenderfer  143
Dobbs  225, 233
Dougherty  217, 333
Doom  108, 109

INDEX OF PERSONAL NAMES.

371

Dock  137
Donens  147
Doneder  210, 233
Donnager  211
Dohltan  129
Dock  220
Dorwart  267
Doebler  285
Dotterer  269
Doeck  109
Doemen  109
Dreier  26, 293
Druckmiller  145
Duster  98
Dumbach  229
Dummersmuth  132
Duchti  186
Dubach  188
Dustier  256
Dubbs  260
Dunlap  313
Duraell  284
Durell  285
DuLuc  145
Dyer  226
Dylander  268
Dyles  318
Ebersoles  310
Eberly  254, 310, 313
Eby. . . .3. 49, 63, 110, 134, 139, 200, 205,
206, 210, 224
Ebersole  162, 173, 181, 184, 191, 229
Eberman  243, 247
Eberhard  299
Eberhart 283, 303, 312, 313, 254, 262, 263
Eckert  5, 247, 266, 283, 302, 310, 312
Eckman  303, 312
Edwards  214, 226, 270
Eder  72
Egli  81, 84, 85, 87, 104, 171, 191, 332
Einsberger  119
Eicher  186, 238
Einmann  188
Eigelberger  266, 268
Eigster  269
Eiselman  299
Elsi  79
Ellenberger  159, 160
Elsbeth  190
Ellmaker  268
Ellis  314
Emsler  81
Emmett  226
Empson  13, 221
Engle  160, 229, 263, 264, 267
Engerston  237

End  295
Enghert  269
Engles  285, 293, 314
Engler  119
Enders  119
Erisman  190, 193, 197, 209, 233
Bramus  62
Erb  260, 294, 303
Ernst  303
Eshleman  127, 159, 229, 232, 240,
241, 242, 249. 251, 303
Estauch  201
Eschbacher  238
Etshberger  268, 266
Everling  3, 113, 119, 120
Evans  224, 226, 229
Everson  109
Ewing  313, 318
Byers  201, 202, 222
Falkner  205
Pahnestock  249
Fauck  25
Fautz  249, 251
Pallman  238, 239
Parricks 240
Pairchild  300
Falck  310
Farrick  25
Fahrm  151, 160, 187, 191
Falkney  348
Ferie  233
Fexersteins  220
Ferrell  48
Fenner  81
Ferree. .110, 191, 205, 218, 226, 253, 260
Fegley  249, 251
Fehl  264, 266
Fearer  31
Pontainmansdorf  145
Fierre  193, 201, 353
Fierer  31
Fisher  242, 243, 249, 250, 263, 264,
267, 269, 270, 283, 302, 310 312, 313,
314
Fink  263, 268, 266, 270
Fillar  266
Flamming  119
Flumer  38
Flickinger  48, 171, 191
Floss  118
Plickiger  173, 184
Plaharty  242
Fletcher  130
Flicks  312
Forry  78, 80, 229, 253, 193, 219
Forney  117, 162
Poutz  192

372

INDEX OP PERSONAL NAMES.

Fortgens  177
Fogel  174
Porsterman  148
Foltz  299, 303, 310
Fox  267, 299, 300, 302, 310, 312
Frantz  201, 236, 238, 243, 256, 263
150, 202, 204, 205, 206, 212, 224, 233
Prick  151, 191
Preytorren  199
Prixilly  192
Fries  172, 182, 195
Pridy  106
Frider  104
Proshour  43
Freidley  47
Frederick  62, 69, 205, 263
Pricks  84
Fredericks  119, 233
Prey  161, 188, 189, 190, 191, 197,
229, 231, 238, 242, 243, 249, 251, 252,
254, 266, 267, 269, 270, 274. 283, 299,
303, -310, 314
Pritzer  264
Franklin  243, 262, 281
Frieman  242
Prank  243, 25, 302, 312
Priedt  246
Frame  21
Prutinger  171, 186
Prutiger  173
Frant  302
Frantz  270, 299, 3,03, 312
Freeh  269
Fritz  303, 310, 132
Freeh  269
Fritz  303, 310, 312
Froschauer  54
Priedley  ,  79
Pricken  92
Fredericksen  154
Pries  355
Furst  38
Fuchs  51 74, 238
Puhrman  52
Punk  56, 119, 133, 147, 150, 152, 192,
193, 198, 202, 204, 205. 208, 220, 221,
229, 232, 233, 238, 239, 250, 264, 299,
326. 348
Fullmers  264
Puthey  218
Purer  187
Purxer  189
Furney  297
Furst  38
Pugee  327
Gamerslaugh  109

Gattschalks  137
Gasser  173, 184, 187
Gaumann  173, 180, 183, 184, 191
Galbi  184
Gautschi  187, 190
Gardner.... 210, 218, 230, 260, 263, 310
Gait  218
Galbreti  227
Galli  190, 191
Garber 47, 48, 54, 219, 220, 263, 283, 336
Gaul  81
Gatschell  224
Garret  220
Garlbseath  218
Gauman  237, 293, 294
Gable  243, 267 ,264
Gabrill  38
Galbraith  270
Gamber  317
Garack  306
Gallete  269
Gauler  293
Gabito  89
Gevotli  132
Geishbuchler  132
Gerfer  76, 81. 126, 127, 159, 162, 163,
170, 173, 179, 183, 185, 186, 187, 190,
191, 238
Geibel  127
Geiger  129
German  185, 188
Gerwanni  190
Gehrhart  243, 267
Gerlach  243, 245
George  247
Geldbaugh  269
Geisberts  269
Gergory  273
Geiser  293
Gerber  48, 51, 76, 294
Gerhart  299, 312, 313, 314
Gerlach  310
Gerhmann  310
Center  349
Gilleser  109
Gilles  109
Gillius  57
Gingrich  110
Gilbert  79
Gissler  184
Giseler  190
Gilberts  283, 310
Gierbach  109
Glaus  187
Gletler  237
Glerecki  238

INDEX OF PERSONAL NAME'S.

373

Gleller  238
Golthe  •  60
Gonertzs  83
Gochnauer  95, 151, 191, 243
Good  100, 209, 210, 229, 233, 237,
238, 246. 267
Goyen  199
Gontchi  197
Godschalk  142
(Jouman  171
Gordman  224
Gordon  230, 232, 233, 244, 261
Godfrey  256
Goodman  264, 267
Gotshall  269
Goervertz  83
Graff  49, 130, 205, 206, 220, 232, 238,
256, 260, 268, 317, 336
Graffenreid  136, 137
Grasser  170
Grauser  6
Graybill 17, 18, 19, 20, 38, 79, 103, 226, 229
Gross  220, 229, 237, 21
Graaf  49
Greisinger  49
Graf  185, 191
Gruner  65
Gran  237, 238
Griffith  227
Graeff  198, 210, 212, 227, 266
Grubb  224, 252
Grimpson  213
GrIter  205
Grleb  159
Grimn  124, 179, 263
Grilden  201
Grasser  190
Gruner  180
Grunbacher  184
Groff  193, 213, 220, 229
Greider  200
Grey  247
Greir  260
Graffts  260, 262
Grove  263
Graenu  265
Greybill  17, 18, 34
Graubunden  20
Graybill  20, 293
Graeme  275, 299
Grassold  268
Greene  315
Grenhenbuhl  293
Greenawalt  270
Greiff  268
Groff  268, 285, 312

Grier  293
Grove  299, 314
Groeme  303
Grors  310
Grubb  269, 295
Gusper  48
Gut, 104, 119. 151, 104, 106, 129, 152, 191
Guth  219
Gulden  193
Guildin  191, 194
Gutzler  238
Gutwohl  246
Guth  266
Gysler  127
Hafele  187, 190
Hauri  185, 191, 205
Hackbrett  161, 196, 197
Haer  83, 204
Haldeman  48, 53, 110, 184, 191
Hager  5, 302
Hain  192
Haller  43, 254,27, 180, 249, 264
Hammerlin  6
Harvey  202, 204
Hatzler  20, 24, 25
Hatz  48
Haslibach  48, 65
Hattauer  92, 94
Hauser  192, 252, 250
Hagen  98
Harnish  209, 233, 243
Hassler  218, 238
Hapegger  129
Habegger  173, 184
Hagy  193, 265, 268
Hafeli  197
Haiggy  204
Harman  204
Hayne  204
Hare  210, 233, 256, 323
Hampher  210
Haas  262, 312
Harlan  24
Hassert  226
Hahns  220
Haggeman  226, 333
Hartman  236, 243, 264, 266, 268, 285,
299, 302, 312, 131, 314, 319
Hattel  238
Hamilton  247
Haith  256
Ha becker  263
Harrison  267
Hasel  65
Haberly  47
Hahn  299, 302, 312
Haines  286

374

INDEX OP PERSONAL NAMES.

Haldeman  48
Hall  270, 299
Hailing  268
Hamp  318
Hamilton  284
Hamburgh  314
Harle  269
Hart  270, 283, 285
Harris  270
Hartline  269
Haslibach  48
Hassler  302
Hass  302
Hasselton  310
Hazlewood  310
Hanke  269
Hauser  302
Haer  83
Hallonius  92
Hagen  98
Hackman  333
Herr  2, 6, 7, 49, 84. 86 ,100, 39, 148,
150, 192, 193. 202, 203, 204, 206, 207,
224, 228, 238, 245, 262, 212, 220, 256,
205, 301, 302, 303, 310, 313
Herman  48, 56, 193, 210, 233, 243
Henry  57, 238, 275
Hershey 913, 202, 206, 226, 228, 256, 337
Heinberg  81
Hess  88, 93, 192, 224, 230, 232, 236,
238, 264, 267
Hendricks  94, 122, 201, 210, 213
Hertig  170, 173, 183
Heimann  173
Heiniger  184, 190
Hearsey  204
Hearse  205
Hereby  193
Hews  210
Henison  221
Henry  348
Hensel  '  229, 242, 340
Hellar 239, 251, 264, 270, 283, 299, 312, 314
Hertzler  236, 302
Hersh  237, 238
Henrick  94, 245, 344
Hetrick  249, 251, 303
Hendrick  92, 154, 255, 271, 344
Hershel  260
Hergebrat  266
Heyer  266, 268
Heargelrat  268
Herger  269
Hersh  270, 303
Hertzog  275

Hermans 283, 285, 297, 299, 303, 310, 312, 313
Hess  275, 302, 310, 312, 313
Hertig  293
Hensel  299, 308, 309, 310
Heller  302, 333
Helnzelmann  317
Hedia  89
Hinkle  224, 222, 269
Hinden  101
Hinnelberg  102, 104
Hickman  192, 226
Highstetter  205
Hilligart  226
Hickenbolten  226
Hiestand  229, 242, 246, 237
Hicht  237
Hildebrand  253
Higgenbottom  257, 263
Hickner  269
Hilligas  315
Hillengas  269
Hinnige  269
Hirsh  312
Hirschler  291
Hirt  296
Hitchock  277
Hitner  317
Hirsche  325
Hoberly  47
Hoffmeister  43
Hoffman  13, 35, 36, 37, 43, 52, 103,
187, 228. 229, 236, 243, 248, 252, 264,
265, 266, 267. 270, 275, 299, 302, 312,
313, 314
HoIIinger 14, 103, 263, 296, 299, 310, 313
Hock  43, 268
Hoffer  47, 76
Hove  71
Hochstetter  103, 206, 212
Honenck  193
Hollingsworth  211
Hostetter  201, 243, 256
Hodgen  200
Hodgson  264
Hoover  192, 230, 264, 265
Hoffman  189, 249
Hoffs  137
Hoffer .... 159, 229, 231, 243, 245, 47
Holtzer  171
Homnore  178, 182, 183
Hoober  205
Hource  205
Houser  210, 233, 310
Hoff  251
Howry  204, 212

INDEX OF PERSONAL NAMES.

375

Howard  218
Honenger  224
Hoorn  144, 226
Hostler  229
Hodel  237
Hotstetter  237
Hodel  238
Hoffnagel  239
Hollenbaik  239
Hoak  243
Hostetter  243, 274
Honbley  245
Hornberger  247
Howell  263
Hope  264
Houston  264
Horst  266
Hoffmeier  25, 32
HoUenbach  317
Hogmans  310
Honor  314
Hope  269
Hogendorf  89
Hubner  269, 317
Hull  238, 264
Huber  47, 76, 95. 100, 152, 186, 191,
220, 229, 238, 254, 260, 275, 283, 285,
299, 302, 312. 313
Hupmeier  22, 25, 28, 29, 103
Hubmier  251, 252
Huss  6
Hunsecker  48, 135, 228
Humberger  90
Huetwold  120
Hunsberger  35
Husser  129
Hunter  143, 218, 231
Hugo  184
Hughes  210
Hufford  233
Huberts  242
Huppart  264
Huebmeier  29, 88
Hummel  303
Hunter  319
Hut  35
Hyndman  303
Huth  36
Hunsicker  48
Hughes  342
Hyde  200
Imhoff  294
Immel  118, 119, 266, 268
Ingold  293
Iseman  249, 251, 302
Isott  160
Iseli  237

Jansons  133
Jansen  142
Janthauser  159
Jansz  172
Jackson  109, 224
Jacobs  264
Jacob  293, 310, 348
Jacoby  302, 310, 314
Jackson  319
Jager  269
Jarger  269
Jacobson  109
Jefferson  312, 355
Jenruy  48
Jennie  186
Jerome  6
Jenner  181
Jeggli  184, 191
Johns  253
Jonsen  80
Joost  184
Jones  211, 213, 230, 274
Johnson  222, 348
Kahlor  109
Kalonford  16
Kampen  80
Kauffman  104, 106, 121, 123, 137,
162, 202, 204, 237, 238, 239, 243, 256,
263. 264, 283, 297, 299, 312, 319, 325
Kasdorp  136, 142, 239
Kaester  145
Kaner  184
Kautz  21, 22, 124, 250, 285, 313
Kallen  185, 188
Kampf  187
Kaiggey  202
Kalb  48
Kapp  275
Kasper  299
Kast  314
Kancmans  302
Keister  132
Kern  38, 303
Keller  23, 68, 220, 254, 260, 266, 268,
'283, 299, 302, 310, 313, 38
Kemp  249, 251
Kempis  62
Kendig  102, 110, 149, 191, 192, 193,
202, 204, 206, 229, 237, 238, 239, 294
Keelers  229
Keener  229
Kennett  *.  211
Keague  205
Keith  202, 213, 208, 209, 222, 231
Kesselberrys  137
Kellar  237, 243, 217, 265
Keplinger  237, 243

376

INDEX OF PERSONAL NAMES.

Keagy  256
Kendrick  256
Kerr  260
Keffer  266, 268
Kepler  269
Keiper  275
Kemper  275
Kessler  303
Kenneway  313
Keppely  315
Keppele  317
Keanke  317
Keck  317
Khehr  266
Kissler  25
Killer  38
Kingels'becker  119
Kieffer  119, 243, 245, 274, 303
Kitzmiller  229, 230, 297
Kirkpatrick  224
Killian  220
King 210 224, 233, 270, 285, 310, 312, 313
Kilheffer  232
Kindig  148, 205, 232
Kilhaver  256
Kipp  257
Kinzer  264, 266
Kiehl  303
Kirk  331
Klare  119
Kline  184, 243
Klugh  256
Kleh  237
Kline  239, 243, 254, 263, 264, 266,
267, 268, 269. 285, 299, 302, 312, 314
Klinehons  243
Klein  247, 269, 283, 313
Klaws  48
Kmidlich  232
Knauss  269
Knappenberger  269
Knor  293
Knopf  199
Knoubuler  171
Knoll  172
Knenbuhal  189
Knoppenheffer  266
Koch  ;  64
Koster  122, 134
Kohler  -  28, 159, 184
Kolb 129, 133, 136, 142, 171, 243, 245, 147
Koffman  205
Koner  190
Kocherthal  137
Konig  186, 294, 302

Kobel  238
Kolg  246
Koftee  256
Kocks  274, 283
Kolb  269
Koppenheffer  268
Koplin  269
Kommer  294
Konard  311
Kopp  109, 317
Kohn  330
Krayton  206
Krahenbuhl  48, 189, 191, 237
Krutzen  185
Kraebel  119
Krick  126
Kraymbuhl  162, 186
Kropf  128
Kreybuhl  173
Krenbuhl  186, 238
Krebs  187, 139, 190, 191
Kreider  201, 238, 243, 260
Kryter  212
Kroff  185
Kropfli  185, 189
Krow  224
Kraetzingen  238
Kresey  242, 243
Kruntz  246
Kriemer  256
Kraws  263
Kramer  267, 302, 303, 310
Krantz  803
Kraus  269, 303
Krafts  283
Krees  270
Kreestman  269
Kreider  283
Kreybill  310
Kristler  269
Kulp  48
Kuene  119
Kunstel  98
Kursten  134
Kuenbuhler  181
Kurtz  215, 285, 299, 302, 317
Kuhns  212, 213, 251, 191, 249
Kuenzi  186, 89, 191, 238
Kuoff  173
Kupperschuised  185, 190
Kuntz  256
Kunzler  266
Kuller  294
Kulp  48
Kuhl  317
Kuhn... 73, 283, 301, 302, 309, 314, 322
Kuysen  109

INDEX OF PERSONAL NAMES.

377

Law  226
Lang  185, 266
Lartscher  ISO
Laurens  154, 162
Lavall  130
Landis  5, 49, 51, 74, 75, 76, 85, 92,
93. 94. 135, 151, 152, 191, 193 202,
229, 231, 233, 238, 243, 246
Landuno  5
Lantz  43, 266, 299
Langhams  81
Lauhel  119
Lauenberger  162
Lauffer  187, 190,, 191
Lauffen  191
Laman  205, 266
Lagerd  226
Lawrence  240, 267
Lambert  262, 303
Labar  269
Lackley  314
Landes  295, 296
Lanyz  303
Lawson  299
Latlmore  349
Lescher  119
Lefever. 110, 192, 193, 200, 201, 205, 218
Leiby  196
Lemmeker  61
Lehmann  173, 188, 193, 204
Lehner  187, 189
Lewis  226, 213
Leets  220
Leadus  230
Lee  219, 220, 251
Letort  213
Leeghti  210, 233
Leemann  129, 224
Lefever  139, 206
Lenti  170
Lents-wyler  190, 197
Lein  192
Leman  193, 246
Leonard  195, 264, 239, 247, 314
Leaman  202, 210, 229, 233, 237, 242,
243, 263, 310
Lerow  210, 233
Lesher  220, 237, 252, 294, 299
Ley  266
Lemon  297
Leeman  268
Leinbach  283, 310
Lehman  283, 293, 303, 310
Leivening  294
Lederich  300
Lerch  293
Lenhart  302

Ley  ,  268
Llchtenstein  28, 36, 37
Linki  43
Linschoten  71
Lichten  101
Lichty  118, 119, 293
Liebe  161
Line  233, 210, 212
Light  210, 233
Lierstein  237
Lintner  256, 226, 285, 312, 318
Lites  264
Lieberger  265, 268
Lickty  314
Liechty's  310
Lidick  317
Linkey  43
Linde  92
Limberger  109
Lloyd  205, 213
Loffer  5
Loher  65, 129
Logan.. 163, 210, 218, 223, 230, 256, 258
Lortsches  185, 188, 189
Long... 190, 226, 243, 251, 263, 264, 268
Longnicker  210, 232, 237
Longhmane  210, 233
Love  226
Longnecker  228, 229, 233, 247
Lorenz  245
Lower  266
Luther  8, 62, 68, 111, 15, 35, 39
Luthi. . . .48, 119, 128, 159, 161, 173, 188,
195, 197, 293
Ludwig  144, 268, 303, 313
Lundes  204, 205
Lusser  180
Lutzenfllick  184
Luiehart  238
Lutz  251, 299, 302, 310
Luginbuhl  293
Lummsdaine  275
Ludwig  144
Lyonites  3
Lynch  225, 233
Mace  -  194
Madler  144
Mack  137, 212, 232
Maydock  125, 223
Mangold  97
Martin... 85, 86, 227, 229, 238, 267, 274,
303, 310, 312, 318
Manz  17, 18, 20, 25, 103
Marpurg  4
Margrave  69
Marsh  230
Matti  119

378

INDEX OP PERSONAL NAMES.

Mackell  224
Mail-  148
Maurlk  172, 182
Maier  187
Maurer  191
Mayer  193, 220, 256
Marlow  194
Mathews  213
Mayley  220, 221
Mays  220
Magee  253
Marshall  254, 264
Matz  245
Mazer  2, 217
M_anning  256
Macjnd  269
Magee  302
Mauss  317
Mann .  299, 303
Manusmith  268
Marshe  314, 317
Mason  312, 314, 318
Mast  310
Markle  302
Marchant  269
Marsh  283, 284, 308
Marshall  303
Matthias  45
Marti  293
Marstaller  269
Marks  270
Mason  283, 285, 303, 310
Maurer  294
Mayhew  319
Mangold  97
Marcus  109
Madler  144
Marsteller  342
Merchaiet  254, 260, 261
Megonder  43
Melchoir  38, 245, 263
Melanchlhon  21
Mettenbasle  38
Meyer  39, 233, 245, 246, 265
Media  44
Meisiher  48
Meulen  64
Meyli  85, 86, 98, 191
Meil  238
Meier  129, 186, 189, 190, 209, ll6
Mellinger  129, 239
Meylin  193
Melkerman  202, 204
Meek  243
Metzgar  242, 310, 313, 314
Melbrin .:  1
Mentzer  245

Meister  25^
Mehring  4
Meliss  54
Mercy  270
Meredith's ...'  276
Metzler  285, 299, 310
Meylin  278
Meihuisen  292
Messier . . .'  297
Messner  302, 312
Meyer  302, 310, 312, 313
Melcher  38
Megander  '  43
Meylich  92
Millinus  3
Michel  6
M'iller  34, 65, 66, 69, 70, 73, 74, 79,
81, 82, 84, 89, 91, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99,
100, 103, 107, 117, 127, 128, 144, 148.
162, 169, 184, 185, 190, 192, 195, 196,
197, 198, 199, 200, 202, 204, 224, 226,
229, 232, 236, 240, 243, 245, 246, 247,
249, 250, 251, 253, 254, 255, 256, 260,
263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 26S, 330, 333,
342, 344
Minnich  236, 263
Middleton  212
Mittelberger  133, 305, 306, 310
Michelle  136, 138, 146
Milan  204
Milen  205
Mitchell  264, 277, 303, 337
Michel  6, 144
Misel  65
Michaels  285, 337
Mirry  269
Miley  148
Moritz  79
Morider  43
Mowrers  117
Moyer  83, 201, 202, 204, 205, 212
Mozart  125, 126
Montgomery  224
Moseri  171
Moser  159, 173, 188. 238, 269
Mowrer  195, 260
Morris  203, 247, 266, 303
Morgan  210, 218
Moor  218, 231, 251, 264, 266, 268
Morrison  221, 226
Moore  236, 249. 266 267, 270, 285,
299, 313, 314, 318
Moseman  243. 249
Mosser  159, 264, 285. 299, 381
Montpelier  312, 314
Moss  294
Muchli  38

INDEX OP PERSONAL NAMEiS.

379

Munzer  17, 18, 23
Munster . . :  61
Mumprecht  104, 106
Mueller  238, 310
Mutrich  159
Musser  159, 192, 229, 243, 24S, 250
Musgrove  192, 274
Mussleman  210, 233, 238, 266, 2S5
Musgraves  221, 222, 224, 226
Mumaw  243
Muller... 3, 4, 5, 19, 20, 34, 37, 92, 151
Muchli  38
Muir  303, 310, 312, 313, 314, 318
Muller's  287, 292, 293
Muntz  269
Muhlenberg  317
Muller  109
Mvlin  49, 85. 94. 97, 101, 139, 150,
207, 208, 212, 220, 232, 250, 280, 274
Myers  38, 70, 81, 180, 229, 236, 238,
239, 242. 243, 247, 254, 260, 263, 264,
266, 270. 274, 283, 285, 293, 299
McNair  201
McNeal  217
McMaster  256
McNile  227
McAllister  250
McConnell  274
McMillan  300
McPilley  331
Natts  205
Nagle  '  264
Nauman  253
Nagley  53, 68
Newell  261
Neiff  209, 232, 233
Newcomer  129, 229, 239, 256, 293
Neff  92, 94, 205, 237, 250
Negeli  46, 68, 129
Nespler  38
Newhauser  94, 128, 186, 190
Newswanger  162, 293, 294, 310
Neukomet  173
Neuenschwender  179, 184, 237, 327
Neukomm  184, 191, 237
Neicomer  205
Neweomat  210, 233
Neff  229, 266, 267
Negley  233
Neuivkomme  246
Nelson  256
Neaff  268
Neffs  283, 313
Nevin  318
Newlin  226
Nissleey  ^33
Nicholas  303

Nickolson  310
Noble  253
Noland  226
Norris  227
Noaker  266
Nohaker  268
Nornings  310
North  283
Nusbaum  51, 159
-Nysti  238
Oachselhofer  72
Oberlin  54, 47
Oberhasli  38
Oberly  48. 171, 173, 184, 191, 310, 48
Oberholtzers  60, 61, 148, 229, 236,
238, 243, 256
Oberholtz  193
Odenbach  24
Ogi  185, 190
Oberhoften  128
Olfinger  54, 55
O'Neil  211
Orell  160
Oswold  29, 254
Oster  270
Ottinger  269
Otzerberger  195
Ouchterlony  313
Orenheira  118
Painter  269, 270, 267
Parish  312, 314
Passage-  268
Park  '  218
Pare  206, 210
Pastor  57
Pastorius  130, 131, 134, 137
Pannebecker  133
Parli  173
Paxton  221
Patterson  226, 331
Palmers  26
Pattison  256
Paynter  264
Patton  264
Paulley  350
Peters  243, 251, 254, 264, 56, 102,
119, 187. 190, 191, 197, 247, 303, 310,
312, 351
Percy  251, 263, 267, 269
Penn  120, 204, 207, 208, 223, 248,
257, 267, 300, 316, 337
Pech  52
Petri  190
Pennypacker 66, 121, 142, 215, 239, 247, 300, 317
Peelman  233, 210, 243
Petersheims  SO

380

INDEX OP PERSONAL NAMES.

Peinerz  317
Pfoutz  303
Pfauderin  72
Phlein  246
PhelHey  229, 238
Phiester Myer  48, 92, 93
Phillips  57, 264, 54, 57, 62
Pierce  200
Pickel  243, 247, 268
Pickle  266
Pipson  267
Pickeman  285
Pieffer  297, 299, 303
Pitcalrn  314, 318
Pitmaier  36
Pleam  129
Plank  186
Ploetscher  237, 238
Plaettle  238
Plockhoy  130
Poll  73
Powell  212, 218
Povan  299
Pownall  317
Porter  339
Prenamon  205, 233
Pretter  201
Pratorius  16
Preneman  203, 205, 206, 210, 212
Prupacher  204, 206
Probs  170, 184
Pratt  256
Pupather  193, 202, 205, 210
Pyfer  144
Rappenstein  48
Ramseier  159, 177
Ranch  232
Rasy  237
Ranck  229
Rausch  262
Rabe  317
Randolph  303
Raeber  79
Reist  128, 129, 160, 172, 177, 178
Reublin  14, 58
Reich  79
Reher  79, 175, 179, 180, 181, 184
Reauformet  119
Reumschwenger  119
Reuscher  119
Reusommet  119
Reigshoerer  119
Reittenheisens  122
Reichert  266, 342
Reichen  176, 1S3
Reusser  186, 190, 267
Ream  213

Reiff  239, 247
Ressler  220
Reed... 214, 249, 251, 253, 258, 260, 266
Reuger  213
Redelgeldt  211
Ream  210, 219, 220, 233, 267
Reese  109, 264, 265
Reichman  201
Ressor  233
Reinhart  245, 249, 270
Reidenbach  247
Reublin  252
Reisner  252
Reinwald  253
Reinholdt  253
Reuplin  21
Reason  283
Reinharts  297, 303, 310, 312, 313
Reese  275, 299
Reed  268
Reeb-Camp  269
Reissner  270
Ressler  269
Reith  285, 297, 299
Rerig  269
Reusser  119
Rockey  342
Rhode  264, 270
Ries  18, 109, 228
Rictisecker  47
Risser  119. 198, 310
Ricker  187
Richardson  224
Richard  201, 202, 243
Richman  198, 200, 224
Rife  226
Ritschard  186
Rittenhouse  142
Ritter  138, 145, 154, 160, 167, 177,
178, 180, 188, 229, 242, 243, 263
Ringer  152, 191
Richen. 178, 180, 185, 187, 188, 190, 191
Richeuer  183
Richeuer  184
Risk  223
Ringstbacher  237
Richter  251, 253
Riegel  263
Ricksecher  38, 47
Ricks  299
Richer  303
Richey  314
Righter  269
Ring  92
Rine  342
Richards  355

INDEX OP PERSONAL NAMES.

381

Riss  355
Robel  119
Rouplin  13, 14, 20
Rothlisperger  79
Rossen  74, 129
Roades  226, 251, 265
Ross  224
Rodte  210
Roth... .185. 187, 188, 189, 239, 242, 264,
267. 269. 285, 299, 303, 310, 312, 313
Rothenbubler  184
Rotenbuler  170
Rohrer  162, 173, 181, 184, 191, 238,
242. 243, 299, 310
Rothenbubler  173
Robinson  192, 221
Royer  210, 233, 331
Rote  232, 233, 263
Rohrbach  238
Root  249, 251
Romler  266, 268
Roab  269
Roberts  276
Rohr  293
Root  283
Roop  299
Rohr  303
Rothmantel  36
Ross  318
Rorer  331
Rummel  256
Ruth  253, 263, 264
Rupo  47, 48, 132, 171, 191, 206, 220,
232, 255, 257
Rusbacher  38
Rusterholtz  85
Rubeli  162, 186, 190
Rupp  5, 93, 97, 100. 110, 119, 147,
149. 150, 154, 162, 172, 201, 238, 243
Rust  9
Rudolph  150, 193
Runckel  166, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174,
175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 188,
189
Rugen  172
Russer  173, 186
Rugsegger  173, 186, 191
Ruff  92, 186
Rubi  187, 191
Rubin  :  173, 189, 19()
Rush  239
Rusher  249
Rutt  266, 268
Runsberger  268
Rupe  5
Ruplin  17
Rubel  317

Rudolf  314
Rupser  47
Rupp  47, 48, 270
Ruth  275
Russel. 299, 303, 310, 312, 313, 314, 318
Ruschacher  38
Ruch  79
Ruttimyer  95
Rudisill  331
Ryland  308
Rynell  277
Salzman  48, 173
Salmunger  24
Sattler... 19, 24, 15, 58, 159, 21, 22, 35
Saphorin 145, 164, 165, 166, 167, 177, 205
Savanaiolo  8
Saylor  125, 243
Sa.gimann  184
Salkeld  200
Sauck  226
Saches . '.  231
Sauter  238, 256
Sauer  239
Sander  239, 243, 249, 251
Saddler  159, 243
Salzman  48
Saylor  270
Sander  310
Savanarola  8
Salr  75
Sattler  159
Sauer  322
Schwenkfeld  38, 44, 63
Schwartz  38, 127, 229, 238, 239
Schneider  31, 38, 56, 128, 266
Schnebeli  67, 84, 87, 119, 151, 152,
161, 171, 196
Schlecta  11
Schwarzenberg  4
Schoener  29, 30
Schaeffer  30, 142, 147
Schmidt 38, 84, 104, 189, 229, 237, 238, 239
Schwartzentrub  184
Schellenberg  48, 254
Schwendimann  48
Schlechter  76
Scheider 184, 104, 170, 173, 220, 237, 238, 239
Schnebly  92, 104, 229, 233
Schappe  119
Schilling  189
Schlagel  192, 193, 194, 210, 263
Schangnua  179
Schallenberg  185, 187, 191
Schlapbach  185

382

INDEX OF PERSONAL NAMES.

Schlappach  186, 190
Schar  190
Schmied  185, 188, 189, 190
Schenk  76, 160, 181, 201, 202, 204,
206, 210, 237
Scher  171, 245
Schin  172, 176
Schilt  173, 179, 181, 188
Schyn  183
Schallenberg  185
Scholls  137
Schurch  170, 173, 184, 191
Schonauer  173, 184
Schwarwalders  220
Schotts  .'  220
Schnepach  237
Schaerer  23S, 243, 264
Schrack  239
Schuymeyer  243
Sphuyler  243
Schutbly  246
Schwab  254
Schell  266
Schearer  266, 267
Schumacher  50
Schellenberg  48
Schaeffer  270, 285, 302, 303
Schar  299
Schieds  302, 314
Schild  '. . 294
Schlough  309
Schonauer  294
Schipes  310
Schlatter  317
Schmedly  283
Schneyders  317
Schneider  38, 56
Schnegg  293
Schrack  317
Schwartz  303, 38
Schw-arz  38
Schwendimann  48
Schmeid . . . .'  159
Seckler  26
Seller  26
Sewer  38
Seager  218
Sellinger  226
Seitz  229
Sellers  229
Seltzer  239
Seyler  242
Sekimmer  246
Seber  266
Seeshotlz  268
Seigenthaler  294
Seitz  303

Seix  318
Seiger  293
Shaubach  128
Shaeruaker  47, 83
Shumaker  48, 50, 302, 313, 315
Shindler  48
Shank  49. 128, 162, 220, 233, 76, 119,
192, 205, 210, 263, 264, 274
Shaar  96
Shultz  192, 210, 229, 233, 236, 242,
253, 262. 267
Shertz  193, 229
Shar  184
Shellenberger  184, 190, 238
Shirk  144, 229
Shenck  193, 233, 238
Shoope  210, 264, 265
Shultz  214
Sherricks  219
Shong  224
Shaffer 229, 243, 249, 251, 264, 266, 267
Shwope  233 ,
Shever  236
Sheetz  248
Shantz  263
Shenckel  239, 247
Shocks  243
Shuman  243, 302
Shaub  243, 283, 313
Shilling  243
Shissler  247
Sherman  251
Shubert  253
Shriver  263
Shober  263
Sharp  264
Shaver  266, 268
Shreiner  266, 268
Shrum  266
Shlong  268
Shell  268
Shaffner  310, 350
Shaeffer 268, 270, 299, 310, 312, 313, 319
Shavely  299
Shawanese  283
Sherts  283
Sherman  303
Shock  ¦  303
Shocklier  268
Shoemakers  270, 283, 269, 299
Sholtze  317
Shoop  310
Shuemaker..60, 137, 185, 229, 247, 264
Shippen  337
Shultz  342

INDEX OF PERSONAL NAMES.

383

Simon  14, 21, 44, 45, 46, 55, 56, 57,
58, 59, 260, S, 53, 61, 62, 100, 303
Simon (Menno). 8, 21, 1S7, 252, 53, 54
Simler  19
Sittler  38, 252, 38
Singel  83
Sieinverts  183
Siegler  229
Siegrist  229
Sigman  243
Siekommel  246
Slckman  247
Siegenthaler  293
Singer  303, 269
Siegenthal  293
Sleeker  47
Slabach  102, 104, 106
Slaremaker  210, 233
Slough  243, 266, 342
Sleydonlus  89
Sluys  109
Smith  137, 141, 150, 192, 195, 218,
226, 233, 236, 242, 243, 249, 251, 253,
254, 260, 262, 263, 264, 265, 267, 268,
269. 270, 275, 283, 285, 299, 310, 312,
313
Small  221
Smeltz  303
Snyder  48, 87. 92, 126, 184, 212, 229,
232, 242, 243, 251, 263, 264. 266, 267,
269, 270, 275, 283, 285, 297, 299, 302,
310, 312, 313, 314, 326
Snavely  119, 192. 210, 226, 249, 251,
302. 313
Snep  109
Sommer  184, 210, 198
Sowers  233, 285, 38
Soutter  285
Spattig  38
Sprogle  224
Spangler  243, 247, 26'3
Sprecher  243, 245, 312
Springer  263
Spurrier  303, 312, 314, 318
Spangler  303, 310
Sprenger  302
Sprunger  293
Spencer  303
Stayman  128
Stephen  38
Stoll  38
Stuck  185
Strassburg  4
Stehli  43, 47, 187, 189, 191
Stumpf  13, 265, 268
Steitz  266
Stettler  53, 162, 184, 266

Straten  71
Steyn  71
Studer  79
Stroedel  79-
Stauffer  94, 119, 184, 191, 229, 237,
243, 256, 291, 299, 302, 303, 310, 312,
325
Stuss  98
Strom  119
Steiner  126, 162, 185, 253, 256
Stramm  171, 113, 183
Stutzman  189-
Stoner  192, 256, 339, 348
Steele  194, 210, 254
Stehman  204, 206, 210
Strettle  193, 53
Stein  192, 26fr
Strahm  191
Stone  205, 206, 210, 339, 342
Steiner 159, 173, 188, 195, 256, 186, 190-
Strine  144
Strict  184, 187, 190
Stucki  189
Stadler  187, 190
Stockli  186, 187, 190
Stutzw-arm  185
Stolls  137
Stattler  197
Stultzen  197
Stein  264
Steff  205-
Stoneman  210, 232
Staner  210, 348
Stay  210, 233
Starr  264
Sterman  226
Stewart  226, 230
Staner  233
Steiger  262, 302, 312
Steckley  237
Stoeger  239
Steinman  243, 249, 251, 256
Strauss  243, 264, 267
Straub  249, 251, 312, 313
Stedman  253, 263, 264, 275, 315
Stake  255
Stout  263, 264, 267
Sterling  264, 269
Stoltz  266
Stetler  268
Starr  271
Stamms  283
Steli  47
Stehle  43
Steitz  268
Steinmetz  268, 285, 299, 303, 312

384

I-ND'EX O'F PERlSO'NAL NAMES.

Stein  270, 285, 299, 303, 310, 312
Stiegler  293
Steigerwalt  302
Steele  303, 310, 312
Still  314
Steiner  293, 348
Stevenson  285
Stout  275, 299
Steutz  98
Stohley  342
Stewart  347
Stour  269
Steel  314
Stall  38
Streiker  299
Strohm  292
Strickler  310
Sleeker  47
Stump  303
Stumpf  32
Staley  47
Stulzer  190
Studer  79
Stuss  98
Sturler  101
Stevens  109
Stanin  146
Stover  331
Sutzer  43
Sutter  48
Surer  190
Sultzheim  237
Subert  266
Susholtz  317
Suter  88
Sweitzer  47, 254
Swobia  2
Swinderin  62
Swisser  104
Swaor  205
Swustut  246
Swafort  252
Swartz  262, 267, 283, 293, 294
Swenk  267
Swenkfeld  63, 44
Switzer  303
Swope  307
Taylor  149, 163, 194, 205, 217, 218,
230, 233, 249, 251
Tauber  247
Tainey  260, 262
Tannegg  293
Tanner  51
Tell  207
Tenant  255, 344
Teuseher  185, 189
Telner ....  121, 123, 134, 141, 412

Teme  172
Tersey  248
Tester  95
Thabor  18
Thoresly  192
Thomas  62, 263, 264, 267, 271, 275,
285, 297, 303
Thouen  162, 185, 187, 189, 190
Thommen  186
Thome  258, 260
Thompson  263, 310
Timmer  26
Tiller  268
Tittenhoffer  266, 268
Tise  266, 268
Tiffin  299
Tieffenderfer  342
Tilghman  347
Tower  201, 202
Toup  205
Toren  138, 174
Torne  138
Townsend  147, 165, 166
Tran  318
Trombourger  269
Trump  318
Trachsel  188
Trasser  48
Trussel  184, 170, 171, 173
Trulberger  193
Trout  249, 251
TsibJsald  186
Tschageler  187, 189
Tschdbold  189
Tschantz  192, 237, 278
Tshudy  151, 264, 303
Tuber  202, 204
Turner  187, 293
Tuscher  189
Twisk  50, 90
Ulait  36
Ulrich  48, 159, 47
Ulweiler  256
Ummel  119
Unrook  266, 268
Unter  47
Updegraffi  83, 297, 122
Utt  43, 48
Utzenberger  79
Van Leer  226
Vanbibber  201, 137
Van Webber  191, 220
Van Suitern  142
Van Giente  119
Venerick  196, 205
Vet  27
Vergetter  48

INDEX OP PBR-SONAL NAMEIS.

385

Vergerter  48
Vittery  267
Vitery  270
Vlaming  64
Vogel  303
Vo.gt  48, 72
Vogel  242, 245, 263
Vollen Veiders  237
Von Ravenstein  120
Vorsterman  172, 17S, 183
Von Aylva  178
Von Guten  1S7, 189
Vondel  68
VoUmer  75
Vrauken  156
WalU  47
Wallace  319
Ware  318
Wacker  270
Walther  317
Wadham  310
Wanners  310
Walburn  268, 283
Walters  270, 303, 310, 312, 313
Walker  303, 264
Waters  303
Wattenbach  49
Wanamaker  303, 242, 264
Warfel  303
Wagner  26, 103, 172, 173, 181, 182,
237, 243, 251, 253, 263, 264, 275, 283,
285, 297, 299, 303, 310, 312, 313, 314,
318
Wagsel  195
Waldo>  3, 252
Walte  119
Wahley  126
Waldenseans  44
Walti  47
Wagman  98
Wattenbach  49
Warenbuer  116, 193
Warenburger  110, 193
Wachsel  198
Wattenwyl  210
Walters  213, 247, 264, 220
Warley  226
Wald  242
Wallace  264
Ware  264
Walburn  266
Waldhauer  266
Weehingen  109
Wertz  104, 106
Weinmann  184
Weitzel  263, 266, 40
Weiner  38

Weiler  47
Wesel  7, 62
Wenger  106, 107, 132, 162, 185, 187,
190, 224, 264
Weninger  43, 48
Weiser  48
Wenenschwander  48
Weher 87, 192, 243, 245, 253, 254, 263, 267
Weaver  87, 104, 106, 205, 213, 219,
229, 232, 233, 243, 264, 267
Wenger  119, 186, 189, 191, 231, 238
Weitrich  161
Welch  263
Wenrich  192
Weber  219, 264
Wendel  243
Welfare  251, 263
Weybrecht  266, 268
Welchans  267
Weidman  36, 49, 128, 220, 254, 267
Webb  342
Whitlock  161, 348
Whitman  248, 251
Widower  192
Willading  174
Wissler  127, 170, 173, 191, 184, 238
Wilier  47
Witmer. .49, 135, 237, 254, 256, 266, 268
Willink  169, 174, 182
Williner  187
Widner  198
Widwer  205
Wilmer  205
Wilkins  210, 230
Willis  220
Wister  221
Wiggins  225, 233
Wislor  233, 338
Wise  251, 254, 263, 264, 266
Win.ger  254
Wilson 254, 264, 310, 269, 275, 283, 285, 298
Wiser  255
Wistler  256
Wickliffe  6
Wilier  47
Widmer  294
Widmyer  303
Wilki  310
Wises  303, 310, 312
Wissner  303
Wistar  315
Winkler  38
Witmer  49, 285. 293, 299, 303
Wilkinson  298
Wilhelon  269

386

INDEX OF PERSONAL NAMES.

Witman  269
Wise  283, 285, 299, 314
Wingert  109
Wolfgong  100
Wolf.. 218, 220, 229, 243, 263, 264, 267
Worley  200
Wooklegh  209
Woork  218
Wook  220
Woolslegh  233
Wormley  256
Wood  264
Wolpert  267
Wolfes  270, 283, 313
Wolfe  275, 299, 310
Wolf  299, 303, 312
Worrall  301
Workman  303
Woolman  327
Wright  226, 256, 271, 286, 342
Wurgler  190, 197
Wuthrich  197
Wyler  187
Wyckliffe  6
Wymann  173
Yawh  128
Yeager  303, 310
Yerkes  233
Yeager  253
Yenger  187
Yeaglev  95
Yost  79, 195, 303
Yordea  192, 210, 233
Yorte  205
Youne  253. 265, 266, 268, 283, 285,
297, 299, 303, 310, 312, 313, 314

Yanghley  260, 262
Yobes  293
Yoder  38
Zahler  156, 167, 187, 188, 190
Zalfanger  159
Zahn  170, 173
Zann  184
Zaug  101, 102, 104, 106
Zacharisas  269
Zerfoss  303
Zetz  238
Zehner  51
Zellers  147, 153, 155, 158, 159, 167,
168, 240
Zehnder  74, 179, 180
Zenricher  195
Zell  44, 89
Zehnyder  87, 88
Zink  48
Ziegler  133, 239. 256, 247, 263, 264,
243, 299, 302, 310, 314
Zimmerman  130, 132, 133, 201, 207,
208, 224, 229. 239. 243, 247, 253, 264,
267, 283, 297. 302, 310, 312, 313, 320,
329, 350
Zolner  293
Zolothurn  40
Zolfinger  129
Zorn  109
Zuge  48, 94, 95. 96, 229
Zurcher  188, 191
Zurich  21
Zwingle  8, 10, 14, 84, 100, 111, 151,
252, 16, 19, 20, 35. 40
Zwally  260, 303
Zyles  61

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