Caleb North was from Westmeath, in the Irish midlands. The North family of Westmeath is supposed to be related to the distinguished English North family, which included the prime minister under King George III, various barons of Guilford, and other notables. The prevalence of the given name Roger in both lines and the similarity in the coat of arms may have led to the tradition of a relationship.1

Caleb is supposed to be the son of Roger, who was in turn the son of John.2 The story is that John North, called “the Cromwellian”, went to Ireland in 1650 with Cromwell and stayed there. Although there is no direct evidence to place him in the English family, he could have been an illegitimate son or a scion of a minor branch.3

John North was part of a group of Cromwell’s officers who got land in Westmeath. According to John McCormack: “In the division of the lands of the Irish chiefs forty nine Cromwellian officers got no land – they rebelled and some of them later got land in Fartullagh. One of them was Mr. John North… The Norths lived in Newcastle until around 1780. They were very industrious and with the help of money from the English branch of the family they developed their land and soon there were Norths in Tyrrellspass, Clonfad, Whitewell and Guilford… They had large families and soon they were  too numerous for the available land. Many of them emigrated to the United States in the 18^th century.”4

McCormack added that the Barony of Fartullagh, Westmeath, was known as “Tyrrell’s country”, after the descendants of the Norman barons who owned it since 1173.5 The culmination of their power was in 1650, when they had five castles, at Newcastle, Kilbride, Gaybrook, Tyrrellspass and Castlelost. Because they were Irish chiefs who opposed Cromwell, all of these were seized by Cromwell after the war. All were destroyed except Tyrrellspass, which may have been spared because one of the Tyrrells supported Cromwell. Some of the North family lived at Kilbride Castle, probably in a house there, since the castle was in ruins.6 These places form a cluster, about ten miles across, centered on Kilbride. Tyrrellspass is south of it, as is Castlelost. Gaybrook is north.7 The civil parish was Newcastle. The barony (a larger subdivision) was Fartullagh. Trim, further northeast, where Roger North’s will was proved in 1701, was the former county town of Meath, later supplanted by Navan.

Little is known about John North except that he lived in Kilbride about 1660 and had two sons, Roger and John.8 The sons both married about 1680, but there are no surviving church records for them. Most of the family were Protestants, and many Church of Ireland records were lost in the 1922 fire in the Public Records Office in Dublin.

John’s son Roger “of Newcastle, West Meath”, married and had six known children. His will was proved in 1701 at Trim.9

Children of Roger and an unknown wife:10

Joseph, m. Mary Emor in 1705, will probated Aug 1729, children: Roger, Richard, Philip, Susanna, Emor, Joseph, Sarah, Mary, William, Michael, John, Anne.

Caleb of Newcastle, m. ?Jane, went to Pennsylvania, children: Roger, Caleb, Joshua, Ann, Catherine, Elizabeth, Sarah, Joseph. All of the children were born in Ireland, between 1704 and 1721.11

Elizabeth, immigrated to Maine, married there, Francis Cooper, died 1740.

Roger of Kilbride Castle12, died 1766, m. 1704 Mary Wade, children: William, Joseph13

Susanna, m. 28 Nov 1733 William Smith of County Wicklow

Mary North, ?died before 1748, m.  ab. 1710 Caleb Emerson. He died 1748 in Philadelphia.14 Children: Elizabeth, Joshua, Ann. Elizabeth and Ann went to Pennsylvania, while Joshua stayed in Ireland.15

Some of this generation are named in a three-lives lease in 1726.16 This was a lease from Joseph and Mary North of Newcastle, Westmeath, to Roger North of Dublin, gentleman, for land in Newcastle, for the lives of Richard, Mary, and Caleb North. Since Joseph’s father Roger supposedly died in 1701, this could not have been him. It was most likely Joseph’s son Roger. Richard was Roger’s brother. Mary and Caleb were his aunt and uncle.17 It is interesting that Joseph and Roger are both described as gentlemen in the lease, and that Roger was living in the city of Dublin. In 1736 his marriage settlement from his father-in-law described Roger as of Newcastle.18

Caleb North was born about 1678. He is said to have married Jane Eckersley, supposedly the daughter of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, but this is almost certainly a fraud. It was based on a genealogy by Harriet Bainbridge who made fraudulent claims for her American clients, sometimes involving faked noble ancestry.19 The tree that Bainbridge drew for her client James North of Augusta, Maine, seems to be accurate in the main, but suspect in this detail. The story passed down in the Pennsylvania North family is that Caleb eloped with his wife, making a runaway marriage.20 The Bomford site suggested that she may have been Jane Berkeley. John Berkeley was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for two years starting in 1670, but there is no sign of a daughter Jane in his known children.21 It is possible that Bainbridge simply invented the relationship.

In 1730 Caleb and Jane (if that was her name) moved to Pennsylvania with their children. The story was passed down that Caleb’s son Roger had been educated for the ministry but instead proposed to go to Pennsylvania. His father replied, “If you are determined upon that, Roger, we will all go.”22 A receipt for their passage, for 38 guineas, was saved in the family. It was dated May 1, 1729, from Cork, Ireland.23

They bought 69 acres from the Penn family at Gilbert Manor, Montgomery County, and settled there.24 The tax list of Philadephia County for 1734 shows the 69 acres in Providence (part of Gilbert Manor) as owned by Roger North. Perhaps Caleb died soon after their arrival. He apparently did not leave a will.

Children of Caleb and Jane: (all born in Ireland)

Roger, b. 1704, d. 1785, m. 1732 Ann Rambo, daughter of Peter and Magdalin. They lived in Providence Township, where Roger was a miller and tanner. Children: Sophie, Samuel, Sarah, Elizabeth, John, Joshua, William, Roger, Nancy, George, Caleb, Thomas, Hannah. The story is that eight of the sons served in the Revolution. Ann died in 1798.25

Caleb, did not marry.26

Joshua, m. Susanna Empson in 1754 at Old Swedes Church, Philadelphia.27

Ann, m. — Jansen

Catherine, m. 1731 James Snowden (b. 1711) at First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, had at least seven children.28

Elizabeth, m. 1749 George Plymm at Christ Church, Philadelphia. A George Plim died in 1773 leaving a wife Elizabeth and son George.29

Sarah, no further record

Joseph, b. 1721, d. 1810, m. Lydia Price; lived in Philadelphia, a tanner.

Hans Peter Umstead, the emigrant, was born about 1650, probably in Kriegsheim, in the Rheinland.1 He was the son of Nicholas Umstat, who lived in Kreigsheim. The father Nicholas was born about 1625. His name was on a register of inhabitants of Kriegsheim in 1661, with no religion listed. The same list included Peter Schuhmacher, Görg Schuhmacher, Gilles Cassel, and Arnold Schuhmacher, all described as Menists (Mennonites).2 Kriegsheim is a small town near Monsheim and Worms, about four miles west of the Rhine.3

A Bible was given to Nicholas in 1652 by his brother-in-law Matthias Wasselet or Wohlvelet, probably from Hohen-Sülzen, a small town near Kriegsheim.4 The exact relationship of Nicholas to Matthias is not known. There are hand-written notations in the Bible, some written by Nicholas and some by his son Hans Peter who inherited it after Nicholas’ death.

One notation said (in translation): “December 16, 1680, the comet star with a long tail was seen the first time.” This was the Great Comet of 1680, bright enough to be visible in the daytime and one of the brightest of the seventeenth century.5 Another said, “In the year 1658 the cold was so great that even the Rhine was frozen up. On the 31st of January so great a snow fell that it continued four days.”6

Other notations gave information about the family. “October 4, 1682, about 4 o’clock in the morning, our father Nicholas Umstat died.” He was about 57 years old. This was clearly written by Hans Peter. Unfortunately Nicholas did not record the births of his children in the Bible. Nicholas probably had another son, Johannes Nicolaus, born about 1647 to 1648. He was confirmed in the Monsheim Lutheran church on June 7, 1663 at age 15.7 Also Hans Peter did not record the death of his mother in the Bible, suggesting that she had died before he inherited it. Her name is unknown.

Hans Peter married a woman named Barbara around 1670. Her last name is not known. They had three known children, born between about 1670 to 1675. The religious affiliation of Nicholas and Hans Peter is unclear; they are “conspicuous by their absence” in the list of Mennonites of Kriegsheim.8 Although it has been suggested that Hans Peter became a Quaker, he does not appear in early Quaker records. Chris Hueneke speculated that “Han’s Peter’s wife Barbara was either a Quaker or a Mennonite and it is because of her religion that they left Kriegsheim.”9 A Mennonite historian assumes that Hans Peter Umstat was a Mennonite, along with the Van Bebbers, Peter Schumacher, Gerhard Hendricks, and others.10

Herr Schmal, a local official, wrote to his superiors about the Mennonites and Quakers; three of his letters have been preserved.11

The first one was sent in July 1684.

There are in Griesheim five households of Quakers who, not just in this town, as is well known, give much aggravation, but also cause much unrest and bother … not to mention that they now and then have given out some little tracts, printed in Holland and England, introducing their sect, and have also tried to teach their poison to others …

… they respect no authority, and throughout (your) gracious reign, have been unwilling to pay any protection money, or to pay tithes to the high-domed cathedral in Worms or to recognize the town pastors’ authority …

… it is difficult to get them to pay the Turkish War tax and they refuse to stand duty as night watchmen as do others in the community, and above all this, when [the authorities] confiscate some livestock or wine or fruit for back taxes or other unavoidable reasons, and sell them, they are not afraid to say that the goods were stolen from them or to accuse those who buy them of buying stolen property …

… then, here in this town, these goods are desirable and can’t [otherwise or normally] be bought with money …

… but these people, who own the most and the best, might better have listened to higher instructions, … that it might have been cheaper to instruct these people to be subject, like other faithful [citizens], or else to sell their belongings and leave the country.12

The next month Schmal wrote again, complaining that they refuse “to pay the assessment, the Turkish war tax, the protection money, the large and small tithes, or the church and school tax…They are a type of people who irritate many, and who respect and serve no one but themselves; therefore, for these reasons and many more, it is wished that they would trade their belongings to other people, those things being desirable in this town, and which can not be purchased with money, (and) that they would follow our desire and leave the area.”13

In another letter, in November 1684, Schmal listed some of the peculiarities of the sect: they were not willing to swear an oath or bear arms; they did not baptise children as infants; and they choose one of themselves to act as “Reminder” and remind the others to do good deeds. He admitted that their faith is similar to his, and that their catechism was based on the Heidelberg Catechism.

In the summer of 1685 Hans Peter and Barbara sought to immigrate to Pennsylvania. Along with Gerhard Hendricks and Peter Schumacher, Hans Peter submitted a request for passports.14

“We the undersigned, with this make it known to the office at Hochheim, under which jurisdiction we reside, as far as it can be allowed by the Amtsschaffner, and is not hindered by God, (our desire) to transport ourselves, along with our households, to Holland, and therefore it is our request of the official, that he grant us an attestation, that we might pass through customs unhindered; then, with a farewell from our neighbors and acquaintances, we would gladly leave. We also earnestly hope that we have good standing with them and them with us, that no one therefore would have any grievances, and we hope that this might be granted to us.” Kriegsheim 8 May 1685

They made their arrangements and probably sold their houses, but heard nothing, since they submitted a similar request in June. They probably received permission eventually, since it would have been difficult to travel without passports for the many border and customs checkpoints along the Rhine. In August they travelled down the Rhine to Rotterdam, where they met with Dirck Sipman to buy land.15 Dirck Sipman was a merchant of Krefeld who bought 5000 acres in 1682, subject to settling families on it. He sold land to Hendricks, Umstat and Schumacher, giving each one an identical deed for 200 acres and a lot in Germantown, to be laid out by Herman Isacks op den Graeff. They would make payment of two Rix dollars to Sipman as ground rent. The condition was they were to settle on the land with their families. He paid for their passage and they left with the “first good wind” for Pennsylvania.16 The next leg of the trip would take them to London, where they sailed on the Francis and Dorothy under the command of Richard Bridgeman.17 They arrived in Pennsylvania in October.

Hans Peter and Barbara sailed with their children John, Anna Margaretta and Eve.18 They settled in Germantown, where they would spend the rest of their lives. Hans Peter worked as a farmer and possibly as a wagon maker.19

In 1691 Hans Peter was naturalized in 1691. (His son Johannes was too young.) In 1692 Hans Peter bought more land in Germantown from Abraham op den Graeff and others.20 The same year he signed the petition against the tax bill, along with many Germantown residents.21 In second month 1692, when Henry Frey married Anna Catherine Levering,  many Germantown residents attended, including Hans Peter and Johannes Umstat. They signed the witness list, Johannes by mark. Hans Peter was evidently successful, as he paid one of the highest taxes in 1693 in Germantown.22 In 1694 Hans Peter transferred 25 acres of his Germantown land to Johannes. If Johannes was actually born in 1673, then this would be his coming-of-age portion.

In 1695 Hans Peter was fined, along with Peter Cleaver, for failing to appear as fence viewers. Johannes refused to serve the following year, claiming that he did not know the fences in his Quarter.23 Mennonites often refused to serve as fence viewers, feeling that it could lead to conflicts with their neighbors.

In 1696 Hans Peter made an entry in his Bible. “February 10, 1696, my daughter Anna Margaretta died.” The absence of a marriage record suggests that she died unmarried, at about 20 to 24 years of age. About 1697 Johannes married a woman named Mary. Once again the absence of a marriage record strongly suggests that they were Mennonite.

In 1699 Eve married Hendrick Pannebecker. An emigrant from the Rhineland, he had arrived in Germantown in September 1698. He was probably Reformed, not Mennonite, and since he and Eve would have most of their children baptized in Reformed Churches, it is clear that she followed his faith. They lived in Germantown at first, then moved up to Bebber’s Township, where Hendrick was a landowner, farmer, and surveyor.

Johannes, son of Hans Peter, married a woman named Mary. They were living in Germantown in 1701 when he served on a coroner’s jury. The verdict of the jury, in 4^th month 1701, was that the “cart and lime killed the man, the wheel wounded him and it killed him”.24 In 1704 he was on another jury. Abraham op den Graeff sued David Sherkes for slander after Sherkes said that no honest man would be in Abraham’s company. The jury found for Sherkes.25 By 1708 Johannes was in Bebber Township, further north in Philadelphia County, along with his brother-in-law Hendrick Pannebecker.26 Pennypacker suggested that Hendrick and  Johannes Umstat had a prior understanding with Matthias Van Bebber to settle on his land. It was fertile and well-watered, but far from Philadelphia.27

In 1702 Hans Peter made a final record in his Bible, “August 12, 1702, my wife Barbara died.”28 It is not known when Hans Peter died. In October 1710 he signed a deed conveying 50 acres in Germantown to George Adam Hogermood.29 Perhaps he went to live with one of his children after that.

Children of Hans and Barbara:

Anna Margaretta, b. ab. 1672, d. 1696, m. (?) Gerhard Rettinghaus. This marriage is widely cited, but there is no primary evidence for it. Anna Margaretta’s death in 1696 is noted in the Bible of her father Hans Peter, but he did not give a marriage record for her.30 Gerhard Rettinghaus was widowed about 1696, but the name of his wife is not known.

Johannes, b. about 1673, d. 1747, m. Mary, lived in Germantown, then in Bebber’s Township. It is often claimed that his wife was Mary Pannebaker, sister of Heinrich, but there is no primary evidence for this.31 One researcher suggested that Mary might be the daughter of Herman Bon, an early settler of Germantown, whose lot was close to the Umstead’s.32 They lived in Germantown at first, sold land there in 1704, then moved to Skippack. Johannes died in late 1747, leaving no will. On January 5, 1747/8 Mary renounced her right to administer.  Later that year Mary and the other heirs conveyed land to Henry Umstead, one of the heirs.33 Children: John, Peter, Henry, Jacob, Herman.

Eve, b. 1674, d. 1764, m. Heinrich Pannebecker, the 1698 emigrant. They lived in Germantown, then moved to Bebber’s Township on the Skippack around 1702. Heinrich became the largest landowner there and worked as surveyor. Children: Martha, Catherine, Oliffe, Peter, John, Barbara, Jacob, Henry.

Andreas Souplis is a bit of a mystery. It is often repeated that he was born in 1634, a native of Alsace, a Huguenot and an officer in the French army, that he left France in 1682 for Germany and married a German woman named Gertrude Stressinger.1 Unfortunately it appears that most, if not all, of this is false. Andreas was probably born at least twenty years after 1634, was almost certainly not an army officer, and was probably not even a Huguenot. The fact that his name is often written as Supplee is probably what suggested the French ancestry, but there is some evidence that he was Dutch.

The earliest known records for Andreas are from New York. In September 1685 he was admitted as a burger and citizen of New York, with freedom to buy land and to trade.2 An ambiguous record in New York at the same time suggests that he was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church there, if in fact it refers to him. A record in the membership list for December 1684 said, “Andries Souplÿ, j.m. met attestatie van Amsterd” (young man with a certificate from Amsterdam). In the margin was added, “afgevallen en Quaeckers geworden daar na gestorven.” A footnote gave the translation, “Fell off from the faith and became a Quaker, and afterwards died.”3 This very interesting record gives several pieces of information: that this Andries Souply arrived from Amsterdam, that he came with a certificate from a Reformed church there, that he became a Quaker, and “afterwards died”. If this is the Andres Souplis who appeared soon after in Germantown, we have to assume that the recorder of the Dutch church could not tell the difference between a Quaker and a member of another sect such as a Mennonite, and that Souplis did not actually die but simply left the colony of New York.4 The designation of Souply as a “j.m.” (young man) is problematic, since this would usually refer to an unmarried man and by December 1684 Andreas was married.5

On Sept 20, 1684, a baptism record at the Dutch church of New York shows a baptism of a son Bartholomew to parents Annetie Bartholomeus and Andries. Andries’ last name was not given. The sponsors were Marten Clock and his wife Lysbeth Abrahams.6 This is interesting for three reasons: the timing is right for Andreas Souplis’ known children; his wife’s name was known to be Anneke (a variant of Annetje); Andreas and Anneke named their first son Bartholomew. Marten and Lysbeth are not known to be related. It certainly falls within the time when Andreas is believed to be in New York.

Some time before 1682 Andreas married Anneke. Her last name is unknown. They could have married in Holland or in New York. In 1686 they bought 50 acres in Germantown from William and Maricke Streepers. Andries was naturalized there in 1691 and acted as sheriff of Germantown.7 His service as sheriff in Germantown does not imply, as some have suggested, that he was “held in high esteem” by William Penn. At the time Germantown was a self-governing borough and many of the adult men served as one of the many officers, such as burgess, sheriff, road viewer, or fence overseer. In 1693 Andreas was taxed in Germantown for his 50-acre holding.8  He worked as a weaver, like many early Germantown residents.9 In 1692 Garrett Hendricks apprenticed his son Lambert to Andrew, presumably to learn the weaver’s trade.10 The same year Andrew and “Anneckie” Supplee were witnesses at the marriage of Henry Fry and Anna Levering in Germantown. She signed by mark.11  Also in 1692 Andreas signed a petition (as Andrew Seeply) against a tax bill, along with many of his Germantown neighbors.12

Anneke died between 1692 and 1697. After Anneke’s death Andreas sold the Germantown land with its “three story stone messuage” and moved, with his unmarried children, to Kingsessing, Philadelphia County.13 He bought land there from Peter Petersson Yocum.14 By 1697 he was married to Gertrude Enochson. She was probably the daughter of Hans Månsson , who deeded land around 1673 to Garret Enochson, her first husband, with whom she had two children. After Garret’s death she married his brother Harman. He died about 1702 and she married Lasse Bartleson (also known as Lasse Parker), a Finn.15 After his death she married Andreas Souplis, as her fourth husband.16

Andreas died in March 1727 in “Kingsess”, leaving his wife Gertra and five children. In his will he named them all, along with two of his sons-in-law. He signed the will as “Andris Souplis”, in a clear hand. His “well beloved wife Gertra” was to have a third of his goods, along with the house and land for her lifetime. After her death it was to be sold and the proceeds divided among his children, along with the other two-thirds of the personal estate.17 The inventory of his estate was taken on the first day of March 1726/27. It included the usual household goods and farm implements, plus 22 sheep, which must have provided the wool for his weaving.18

Gertrude was assessed in 1734 for forty acres in Kingsessing. She died there in 1738. In her will she asked to be buried at Wiccoco Church (the Swedish church) with her late husband, presumably Andreas. She named several of her own children (David, Henry and Catherine) and several grandchildren.19 Her inventory was taken on December 14, 1738 by Nathan Gibson and her neighbor John Bartram. It included the usual furniture, household and farm implements, plus a weaving loom with gears and thirty sheep.20

The land that Andreas and Gertra owned in Kingsessing had a later history of its own. After Gertra died, her stepson Andrew sold the tract to the botanist John Bartram.21 It became part of his holdings on the Schuylkill, and is preserved as the “south meadow” there, part of the oldest botanical garden in the country.22

Children of Andries and Anneke:23

Margaret, b. ab. 1682, died after February 1744 in Germantown24, m. 1) in 1700 Peter Keyser, 2) Michael Eccard of Germantown. She first married Peter Keyser, who had emigrated with his father from Amsterdam. They lived in Germantown and had ten children: Dirck, Andries, Peter Dirck, Jacob, Abraham, Elizabeth, Anneke, Catelyntje, Johannes, Margaret. Peter died in 1724, leaving most of the children under age, and Margaret married Michael Eccard, who owned a small farm in the “back part” of Germantown. Eccard was a generous man, in his will of 1763 leaving £50 to the Lutheran Church in Germantown, and £20 for a hospital for the poor.25

Bartholomew, alive in 1724, possibly died about 1744, lived in Blockley Township26. There is no evidence that he married or left children.

Andrew, b. 1688, d. 1747, lived in Upper Merion, a maltster and merchant, m. Deborah Thomas.27 Buried at Norris City Cemetery, Norristown.28 His will, written and proved in 1747, named his wife Deborah, and his children Hance, Jonas, Andrew, John, Catherine, Sarah, Susannah.29

Ann, died in 1755, m. before 1724 Claes (Charles) Yocum.

Jacob, m. Elizabeth Enoch in 1720 at First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.30 Born Elizabeth Vansant, she was the widow of John Enoch, Gertrude Enoch’s grandson. Jacob was named in Gertrude’s will as Jacob Supplee.31 They lived in Upper Merion.

Peter Dirck Keyser was born in 1676 in Amsterdam and came to Pennsylvania with his father as a young boy.  He attended the evening school in Germantown. On Sept 4, 1700 he married Margaret Souplis, daughter of Andreas Souplis and his wife Anneke. Peter wrote in his Bible, “This is to certifiy that on the 4th of September, 1700, I married Margareth Sieplie, aged eighteen years. May the Lord grant us his blessing, and all which will be necessary for us in this world and in the world to come, and we will praise his holy name, now and forever. Amen.”1

Peter was a shoemaker. In 1705 he bought a three-acre tract in Germantown from Cornelis Clausen for £24 10s.2 In 1716 he bought 100 acres of land on the Skippack from John Roeloff van der Werfe in 1716, but he and Margaret and their family stayed in Germantown.  Peter was naturalized in 1709.3 (He had been too young for the 1691 naturalization.)

Peter died in 1724, at a relatively young age, leaving nine children, only two of whom were of age. He wrote his will in August 1724; it was proved in October of that year.4 He left to his “dear and loving wife Margaret” all his estate, unless she remarried, in which case she would get only one-third and the remaining two-thirds would be divided among the surviving children. He specified that if his son Peter “hath a mind to settle on the tract of land at Sippack”, he could have it, making yearly payments to Margaret in produce. Peter was the third son; the two oldest ones may have already had an inheritance portion.

In an interesting stipulation, Peter requested that his wife “shall take all possible care for my old mother-in-law Elizabeth, if she shall be helpless or want some assistance”. Peter’s mother Elizabeth and stepmother Johanna were both dead. Margaret’s mother Anneke was dead by then and her father had married a woman named Gertrude. This is one of the pieces of evidence that Peter’s father Dirck had entered a previously unknown marriage, with a woman named Elizabeth, after his arrival in Pennsylvania as a widower.

The executors were Margaret and her brother Andrew Souplis and Dirck, son of Peter and Margaret. In fact she did marry again, to Michael Eccard of Germantown, and outlived Peter by twenty years. The inventory of Peter’s estate shows that he was a farmer and shoemaker (or cordwainer). This trade was passed down to at least two of his sons. As Wolf put it, in her study of Germantown, “Some of the best established families in certain crafts did maintain themselves through, perhaps, one son. There is usually a … Keyser cordwainer to be found in the records. Yet, by the third generation there are also Keysers, for example, who are masons, house carpenters, yeomen, and just plain ‘laborers’.”5

The inventory included “Books and Book Dets, 10 pounds”, cash, clothes, furniture and kitchen ware , livestock, shoemaker’s and carpenter’s tools, farm implements, a plantation at Scheepack [Skippack], and one hundred acres of land in Germantown with a house on it.  The total came to £375, including £70 for the land in Skippack, £90 for his house and lot in Germantown, £110 for another 100 acres in Germantown.

Children of Peter and Margaret:6

Dirck, b. Sept 26, 1701, d. Jan 8, 1756, m. Alice Neus. Dirck was a cordwainer and tanner like his father. His estate included 370 hides, tanned and untanned, 17 dozen calf skins, and 19 dozen sheepskins.7 Children (named in his will): Alice, Hannah, Elizabeth, John, Peter, Dirck, Michael.8

Andrew, b. July 22, 1703, d. 1776, m. Hannah Lücken.9 He was a blacksmith. They lived in Germantown.10  Children: Jacob, Matthias, William, Mary.11

Peter Dirck, b. July 9, 1705, d. 1756, m. a woman named Susanna12. He was a tanner13. Children (named in his will): Peter, Andrew, Derick, Margaret, Hannah.14 In his will of 1756 he named his wife Susanna and five children.15

Jacob, b. July 1707, m. Margaret, he was a cordwainer. They lived in Germantown. Children: Jacob, Benjamin, Joseph, John.16 Jacob and Margaret were on a list of Mennonites 1770 to 1775.17 He apparently did not leave a will.

Johannes, b. June 25, 1709, d. 1711

Abraham, b. May 26, 1711, d. Dec 30, 1717

Elizabeth, b.  January 20, 1713/14,  d. 1796, m. 1733 Peter Pennepacker, son of Heinrich and Eve. According to Peter Dirck’s entry in the family Bible, she was named for his mother, grandmother, and grandmother-in-law.18 Peter was a miller and farmer; he and Elizabeth owned the property on the Skippack Creek now known as Pennypacker Mills. Children (named in his will): John, Henry, Jacob, William, Margaret, Catherine, Samuel, Elizabeth, Barbara.

Anneke, b. May 23, 1716, d. March 14, 1807, m. John Pennepacker, son of Heinrich and Eve. They lived in Providence township, where John was a miller. Children: Dirck, Henry, Margaret, Elizabeth, Jacob, Catherine, Hannah, Samuel.

Cateleynte, b. Oct 25, 1718, d. 1799, m. Ludovick Horning. They lived in Skippack township. Ludwig died in 1802, leaving a will naming his wife Catherine and eight children.19 Two of the sons, Peter and John, were Loyalists and moved to Ontario.20 Children (named in his will): Peter, Michael, Barbara, Elizabeth, Margaret, John, Elias, Jacob.

John, b. July 25, 1721, m. Barbara Funk; Children: John, Christian, Michael, Charles.21 He was a mason of Germantown.

Margaret, b. Oct 4, 1723, d. after 1744, m. Cornelius Conrads of Cresheim; he was a weaver.

Dirck Keyser was born in Amsterdam about 1635. He was the son of Dirck Gerritz Keyser and Cornelia van den Wyngaert. The father Dirck Gerritz was a morocco leather manufacturer, possibly a tanner or glover. Cornelia was the daughter of Tobias Govertz van den Wyngaert, a noted Flemish Mennonite who lived from 1587 to 1667. 1 Dirck had a sister and four brothers. All of them lived and died in Amsterdam: Anneken, Gerrit, Tobias, and another brother who was buried in 1655.2 It is possible that they were all Mennonites, given the strong tradition from their mother’s family.

Dirck, the oldest son, was a manufacturer of silk on the Printzen Graght.3 He first married in 1668, Elizabeth ter Himpel, daughter of Pieter ter Himpel Sr and Elizabeth van Singhel. The wedding intention said that they were married “in the church at Buicksloot, declared…the 22d day of November, 1668.”4 Pieter ter Himpel, was a woolen draper of Amsterdam; he died December 10, 1680. The mother Elizabeth van Singhel died in 1656; she had brothers Pieter Jr. and Aernaut.5

Dirck and Elizabeth had a daughter Elizabeth and two sons, Peter and Dirck. Elizabeth (the mother) died in May 1681, and the daughter Elizabeth died just a month later. Dirck married Johanna Harperts Snoeck in November 1682, again at Buiksloot, in the northern part of Amsterdam. The record said, “Dirk Keyser and Joanna Snoeck, upon their desire after three Sundays having been published at Amsterdam in all the churches, on the undersigned date in the church at Buiksloot, lawfully and in presence of the Lord’s congregation are married, declare I, the undersigned Secretary at Buiksloot, the 22d November, 1683.” It was signed by B. Vredenhuis, Secretary.6

Dirck and Johanna had a daughter Johanna together before the older Johanna died in 1686. As her funeral invitation said, “Johanna Harperts Snoeck, on Thursday, the 29th of August, 1686, was buried from his residence on the Printzen Graght in the Wester Kerk, in the thirty-eight year of her age.”7 Dirck left Amsterdam and traveled to New York in 1688, with his children Peter, Dirck Jr, and Johanna. From there they traveled overland to Philadelphia. Johanna died on the trip and was buried somewhere between New York and Philadelphia.8

Dirck settled in Germantown and bought land there. He had bought twenty-five acres from Cornelius Seivers (Soierts) in March 1688, before immigrating. He later bought another twenty-five acres in September 1689, from Dirck Sipman, through Sipman’s attorney Herman up de Graff.9 In 1693 Dirck was taxed in Germantown for 60 acres.10 He built a house on the main street in Germantown, at present-day 6205 Germantown Avenue. It is now gone but drawings show a two-story stone house, with a third gabled story and an addition behind.11 The initials D.K. were cut in a stone in front.12

As Charles Keyser said, “It seems to have been composed of two rooms front with a kitchen containing a bake-oven and smoke-house on the read end… on the first floor, with some sleeping-rooms above in the second story. The pent roof extending over the door and windows is still there… This house was a large one in its day, and appeared to be large enough for Dirck Keyser and his son Pieter, a boy of 12 years of age, and no doubt a housekeeper… A curious arrangement is that there are three cellars under the house without any communication with each other. With only one is there any direct communication to the upper floor, and this is by a set of solid stone steps going down from the entry … Alongside of this cellar the old well is found and is in most excellent order. It serves not only to give good water but to keep this part so cold that everything is preserved in summer without ice.”13

Dirck was a leader of the Germantown Mennonite congregation. A Dutch Reformed minister named Rudolph Varick travelled from Long Island to Germantown in 1690 and reported that “I then came to a Dutch village, near Philadelphia where, among others, I heard Jacob Telner, a Dutch Quaker, preach…The Lutherans, Mennonites and Papists, all of whom are much opposed to the Quakers, meet lovingly every Sunday, when a Mennonite, Dirck Keyser from Amsterdam, reads a sermon from a book by Joost Harmensen”.14 The Mennonite met in the house of Tunis Kunders until they built a log meeting house in 1708.15 The early congregation included the Keysers, William Rittenhouse and his wife, John Gorgas, the Kuster family, and the van Bebbers.16 Rittenhouse became the first official minister. 17 After Rittenhouse died suddenly in 1708, Dirck may have taken over the duties temporarily. In May 1710 he performed the marriage for Jacob Kolb and Sarah Van Sintern in the log meeting house.18

Dirck was active in the Germantown community. He served as a fence-viewer, was a witness in court, and subscribed to the school in Germantown.19 In 1691 he was an inspector of the roads, along with Peter Schumacher.20 He signed the petition against the tax bill in 1692. In 1691 he was naturalized as a citizen in 1691, along with his son Dirck Jr.21 A story has been passed down about Dirck and his neighbors. “He had been a silk merchant, and after he arrived here he wore a silk coat, which caused his neighbors some disgust. Some of the brethren calling to talk over his worldliness, found him in his garden. As he advanced to meet them he wiped his hands on his coat. They concluded on seeing this, that he did not value it unduly and so said nothing of the object of their visit.”22

In 1704 he was a witness, along with his son Dirck Jr, in a case of slander. The case was Abraham op den Graeff against David Sherkes for slander. (This was not the first time Abraham had been in trouble of this sort.) Sherkes said that no honest man would be in Abraham’s company. Dirck Keyser senior had put up bond for Sherkes. The witnesses were Dirck Keyser senior, Dirck Keyser junior, Arnold Van Vosen and Herman Dors. The jury found for the defendant (Sherkes). Abraham wanted to appeal, but when told that he must pay the charges of the court and give bond to prosecute, he did not.23 The same year, Dirck acted as fence viewer, and presented as insufficient the fences of Johannes Umstat and others. His son Peter was a viewer for his section, but was “removed”. Perhaps he resigned; some Mennonites refused to take an office that might pit them against their neighbors.24

Dirck married again, for the third time, to a woman named Elizabeth. There is no record of this marriage, but two pieces of evidence support it, both from probate records. When Dirck’s estate was probated on August 1, 1716, the bond was posted by Elizabeth Keyser of Germantown, widow, Peter Keyser of Germantown, cordwainer, and Ludowick Christian Sprogell of Philadelphia, dyer.25 Also, when the son Peter made his own will in 1724 he asked his wife Margaret to take care of his “old mother-in-law Elizabeth”. Peter’s mother Elizabeth was dead, as was Margaret’s mother Anneke. The only possibility is that he meant his stepmother, a previously unknown third marriage for his father Dirck. It is interesting that Dirck and his son Dirck Jr seem to have died in the same month, perhaps of some contagious disease.26 The inventory of the estate of Dirck Sr. was taken August 17, 1716 by Dirck Jansen and Anthony Klincken. It included his wearing apparel, beds and bedding, kitchen wares, spinning wheels, other furniture, low Dutch books, tobacco pipes, two cows and a heifer, two ewes and four lambs, fifty acres of land with a house and barn, for a total of £81.19.6. His wive Elizabeth survived him, and was still alive in 1724.

Dirck had five known children with his first two wives, only two of whom lived to marry: Dirck Jr and Peter Dirck. Peter Dirck had eleven children, but Dirck Jr was childless.

Children of Dirck and Elizabeth:

Dirck Jr, d. August 171627, naturalized in 1691, married a woman named Deborah. She is said to have been Deborah Op den Graeff, the widow of Herman Isaacs, but it is difficult to find proof of this.28 Dirck died without issue. His will, written in “Manahattwana”, Philadelphia County, named his wife Deborah and brother Peter.   Written in April 16, 1714, it was proved on  August 6, 1716.29 Manahattwana cannot be identified as a place; it may have been the name of his plantation or a small local settlement.  He was a cordwainer. His inventory included household goods, farm implements, tannery tools, twenty green hides, and “one mare in the woods if found”.30 It came to £57.

Elizabeth, b. 1673, d. June 1681, a month after the death of her mother Elizabeth and her aunt Anneken.

Peter Dirck, b. November 1676 in Amsterdam, d. September 1724 in Germantown, m. in 1700 Margaret Souplis, daughter of Andreas and Anneke. He was a shoemaker. Children: Dirck, Andries, Peter Dirck, Jacob, Abraham, Elizabeth, Anneke, Catelintje, Johannes, Margaret. Peter wrote his will a month before he died, left his “dear and loving wife” Margaret, all the estate, except one-third only if she remarried. Most of the children were under age. Margaret did remarry, to Michael Eccard. She died after February 1744, when she was named in a deed release.

Children of Dirck and Johanna:

Johanna, b. September 1683, d. September 1688 in New Jersey (between New York and Philadelphia)

Cornelia, b. April 1685, d. October 1686 in Amsterdam

 

Johan Henrich was born 1714 in Freinsheim, Germany, the son of Hieronymus and Christina. Although he was their only known child, he grew up with two older stepbrothers, Nicholas and Valentine, Christina’s sons from her first marriage to Alexander Krause.  Years later he may have named his first son after his stepbrother Valentine.

When Johan Henrich was not yet an adult, his family immigrated from the Palatinate to Pennsylvania, and settled in northern Montgomery County, where his father owned 250 acres in Limerick Township.

Henrich married a woman named Anna Elizabeth about 1739. Their first child, Johan Valentine, was born in 1740. They would go on to have seven known children, three of whom married into the Pannebecker family.

Johan Henrich was naturalized in 1740, along with his father. He was a member of the Trappe Lutheran Church, of which his father Hieronymus was an elder.

Henrich wrote his will in December 1750. It was written in German. His wife Anna Elizabeth was to have the entire real and personal estate, to maintain the children and to bring them up as Lutherans. If she remarried, then she was to have the estate only until the oldest child Johann Valentine was 21 (which would be around 1761). After that she would have only her thirds according to law. Johan Valentine was to have the land, 200 acres, making a payment for it, to be used for dower or shares for the others as they came of age. The Lutheran church at Trappe was to have a legacy of £3.1

He died in early 1750/51, and was buried at Trappe. The inventory was taken February 1751. It showed that he owned 200 acres of land. Since his father Hieronymus was taxed in 1734 for 250 acres, and owned 50 acres at the time his own will was written in 1760, the implication is that Hieronymus gave or sold 200 acres of his tract to his son. The account of Henrich’s estate, made by his executors John Schrack and Joseph Miller, mentions an agreement between Henrich and his father over a debt owed to the father, possibly payment for the land. The inventory included typical farm implements, livestock, and tools. The furniture and kitchenware seemed rather sparse: the family made do with three beds, a chest, a chair and table. The land was appraised at £400.0.0.

Henrich died young, leaving Anna with seven children under the age of ten, including a newborn. In 1757 the children of John “Haus” petitioned the Orphans Court for guardians for their affairs.2 Four of the children, Margaret, Mary, Analis, and Cronomus, were under 14 years, while Valentine, Henry and John  were old enough to choose their own guardians.

After Henrich died, Anna married Peter Puhl. She may have had a child Thomas with him.3 Years before, Henrick and Anna had been sponsors for the birth of Peter’s son Heinrich, and Peter’s wife Elizabeth was a sponsor for Heinrich and Anna’s daughter Anna Elizabeth.4 It is not known when Anna died.

Children of Johan Heinrich and Anna Elizabeth:5

Johan Valentine, b. Sept 6, 1740, m. ab. 1763, Catherine Pannebaker, dau. of Peter and Elizabeth.  Children: Henry, Valentine, Elizabeth Sarah Salome.6

Johan Heinrich, b. Nov 7, 1741, d. 1805, m. 1767 Elizabeth Pannebaker, dau. of Peter and Elizabeth, served in the Revolution,  died in Northumberland County in 1805. Children: Hannah and John Valentine.7

Johan George, b. Aug 6, 1743. He may have married a woman named Barbara and died in 1790.8

Elizabeth Margaretha, b. Apr 3, 1745, no further record

Anna Maria, known as Mary, b. Dec 25, 1746, d. 1800, m. 1767 William Pannebaker, son of Peter and Elizabeth, lived in Skippack, then in Pikeland, Chester County, had children Salome, Susanna, Jonas, Elizabeth, Jesse. Only Jonas, Elizabeth and Jesse lived to marry. Susanna was killed in an accident when she was five, at a time when the soldiers camped on the Perkiomen after the Battle of Germantown.

Anna Elizabeth, b. Oct 20, 1748, sounded like “Analis”, died before she was 21.9

Hieronymus, bapt Dec. 31, 1750, sounded like “Cronomus”, unmarried.10 The grandparents Hieronymus and Christina were sponsors.11

Hieronymus Haas was born about 1680, probably near Freinsheim, Germany, in the Rhineland Palatinate.1 There is no birth record known for him, so his birthdate is estimated from the baptism of his only known child in 1714.

Hieronymus was probably the son of Johann Heinrich Haas.2 When Hieronymus and his wife Christina had a son Johann Henrich baptized in 1714 at the Freinsheim Lutheran Church, one of the sponsors was Johann Eberhardt Haas, possibly a brother of Hieronymus. When Johann Eberhardt married Anna Catharine Seidemann in 1719, the marriage record said that he was the son of Johann Henrich Haas.3 It would be traditional for a brother to sponsor the birth of a nephew, especially if the nephew were named for his grandfather, who was probably deceased by then.

Around 1713 Hieronymus married the widow Christina Krause. She was first married to Alexander Krause, of Laumersheim, a town just north of Freinsheim. Christina and Alexander were married on October 22, 1698, in the Reformed Church in Freinsheim.4 Christina and Alexander had four known children, born between 1700 and 1709: Anna Barbara, Valentin, Niclas, and Catherina. After he married Christina, Hieronymus became a stepfather and later a step-grandfather.5

Hieronymus and Christina had a son Johann Henrich baptized on July 15, 1714 at Freinsheim Lutheran Church. The sponsors were Johann Eberhardt Haas and Anna Margaretha ?Männgin.6  Since Johann Eberhardt was not yet married to Anna Catharina Seidemann, Anna Margaretha may have been another relative (or a family friend).

Sometime between 1714 and 1727, Hieronymus emigrated to Pennsylvania, with his wife Christina, her sons Niclas and Valentine Krause, and their son Johann Henrich. They may have come with other Krause children of Christina’s as well, but only Niclas and Valentine left definite records in Pennsylvania.7

Hieronymus bought land in Limerick Township, in northern Montgomery County. In 1734 he was taxed there for 250 acres, a middling land holding in the township, the same number as Oliff Penybacker and Peter Umsted.8 He was a Lutheran, and one of the founders of Trappe Evangelical Church. A stone in the wall of the church building named him as one of six elders who erected it.9 In 1740 Hieronymus and his son Henrich were both naturalized as citizens. Henrich died in 1751, before his father.

Christina died before 1758, when Hieronymus married the widow Margaret Krohn. She and her first husband Martin Krohn, had a son, Jacob Lawrence Krohn, born about 1737, and another son Jacob Henrich, born in 1745.10 By this marriage Hieronymus gained two young stepsons. In 1758 Jacob Lawrence was confirmed at Trappe Church as the stepson of Hieronymus. Four years before, Catherine Krause, age 18, the daughter of Nicholas Kraus and granddaughter of Hieronymus, was confirmed there, with a note that she reads fairly well. The same year Christian Krause, son of Nicholas, was also confirmed, age 20, with a note that he cannot read fluently.11

Heronimas Hans wrote his will on October 21, 1760. In it he named his wife Margaret and seven grandchildren, all the known children of his late son Johan Henrich. He did not name any Krause or Krohn stepchildren. Anna Margaret was to have 50 acres of land in Limerick, “where I now live on”, along with all the household goods and one-third of the rent from the estate of their son Henry deceased. After Margaret’s death the land was to be sold and the proceeds shared among the seven grandchildren. He left a bequest of 20 shillings to the church of Providence, Limerick Township.

After Hieronymus died, there was a caveat against the will filed on behalf of the heirs, and Henry Vanderslice had to testify about the signing of the will. Vanderslice testified that Hieronymus said what he wanted, then Vanderslice read it to him and he approved it. He got out of bed to sign it, helped by his wife and a friend. When Vanderslice asked whether he knew what he was doing, Hieronymus said that “he thought he was of sound mind” and noticed that there was no ink in the pen, then signed it. Based on the testimony, the caveat was denied and the will was proved on April 10, 1761.12

The inventory was taken on December 21, 1760. It included the usual goods of a farmer of the time: his livestock, farming implements, kitchen goods, furniture, pork, apples, wheat and rye, and furniture,  plus bonds and book accounts for £44.5.0. The 50-acre plantation was assessed at £150.0.0.

A church record in 1777 said that “the old Mrs. Haas” was buried, age 75 years. This would have been Margaret.13

Child of Hieronymus and Christina:

Johann Henrich, bapt. 1714 at Freinsheim Lutheran Church, died 1751 in upper Montgomery County, married Anna Elizabeth, had seven children.

Children of Christina and Alexander Krauss: (surname Krauss)(step-children of Hieronymus)

Anna Barbara, bapt Jan. 1700

Valentin, bapt Nov. 1701, immigrated, a member of Trappe Church

Niclas, bapt April 1705, married and had known children Catherine and Christian

Catherina, bapt Jan. 1709

Andreas Guisbert immigrated to Pennsylvania before 1727, when he bought land there.1 The first definite record is when he bought 150 acres in 1727 in New Hanover from Jacob Fisher, as Andres Guisbert.2 His name sounds Dutch, with Guisbert as a patronymic. It appears in various records as Guisbert, Gisbert, Kusbary, Gisbus, and Gilbert.

He was taxed in 1734 in Hanover as Andreas Gisbus, with 100 acres.3 In early 1742, Andreas’ land adjoined that of Elias Affe and Mathew Hollebaugh (Hollenbach).4 In 1746 he sold 150 acres to Hollenbach.5 When Andrew died, he owned 100 acres in nearby Limerick.6

His wife was named Johanna or Hannah. She is sometimes said to be a Dotterer, but she is not in the Dotterer Family Genealogy.7 They were probably married about 1730 to 1735, and went on to have six known children. Andrew was naturalized in 1739, along with many other foreign-born men of Philadelphia County.8 He died in early 1757 in Limerick Township. He did not leave a will. Letters of administration were granted on January 24 to his widow Johanna. The sureties on the bond were Bernd and Philip Dodderer.9

The inventory of his state was taken on February 11, 1757 by John Koplin and Peter Panebecker. It included the usual clothing (“waren and baren”), household furniture, kitchenware, farm implements, lifestock. It included “a man 29 years of age”. Was this a slave or more likely an indentured servant? The plantation of 100 acres was valued at £200.20.0. The next largest items were debts due from Andrew Pall and Rineer Vanderslice. The total of over £366 and the long list of goods suggests some prosperity.10 After Johanna paid his debts, there was £147 to be shared by the heirs, plus the plantation.

On Sept. 1759 Hannah Guisbert came into the Philadelphia County Orphans Court to request that her account be settled, that his land in Limerick Township be valued for sale, and that guardians be appointed for the three youngest children. 11 Two of the daughters were married by then, Johanna and Paittin. The only son, Guisbert, wanted to buy the plantation. The court agreed to this on condition that he pay the shares of his mother and sisters.12 It is not known when Johanna died.

Children of Andreas and Johanna:13

Johanna, b. ab. 1735, married by 1756 Philip Dodderer (b. ab. 1729, d. 1790), buried at the Dodderer Burying Ground, Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Children: Johanna, Elizabeth, Abraham, Susanna, Catherine, Philip, Anna, Sarah, Mary, Magdalen.14 When Johanna (the first child) was baptized in 1756 at Falckner Swamp Reformed, the grandmother Johanna Gisbertin was the sponsor.15 When Abraham was baptized in 1760 at Germantown Reformed Church, the sponsors were Abraham Paul and Beeltje his wife. Beeltje (or Paittin) was Johanna’s sister.16

Guisbert, of age in 1759, wanted to buy the plantation after his father’s death. No further definite records.17

Paittin, b. ab. 1740, d. 1827, married by 1759, Abraham Paul (d. 1816), buried Market Square Presbyterian in Germantown, had children  Andrew, Susanna, Mary, Joseph, Abraham, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Hannah.18

Catharine, a minor in 1759, married David Paul of Limerick, she died 1822. Children: John, Elizabeth, David, William, Susannah, Hannah, Samuel, Daniel, and Henry.19 There was a David Paul in the 1786 tax list of Montgomery County.20

Susanna, a minor in 1759

Hannah, under 14 in 1759, confirmed in 1766 at Falckner Swamp Reformed Church, married in 1768 Samuel Pennebacker at Evangelical Lutheran Church at Trappe21. She died in 1837 and was buried at Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery.22 The house of Samuel and Hannah, inherited from his father Peter, was the center of activity for Washington’s army before and after the Battle of Germantown. Some relics and stories are preserved at the house, now called Pennypacker Mill.