Eva Elizabeth Spyker
F, b. 31 October 1788, d. 16 March 1790
| Father* | Colonel John Henry Spyker b. 29 Aug 1753, d. 1 Jul 1817 |
| Mother* | Anna Maria Weiser b. 1 Apr 1754, d. 11 Oct 1829 |
Reverand Simon Dreisbach
M, b. 4 March 1802, d. 12 March 1867
| Father* | Martin Dreisbach b. 22 Mar 1776, d. 25 Sep 1850 |
| Mother* | Lydia Spyker b. 30 Jun 1777, d. 12 Jun 1811 |
Children of Reverand Simon Dreisbach and Frances Bowman
- Regina Dreisbach b. 20 Jun 1830
- John Martin Dreisbach b. 29 Nov 1832, d. 19 Sep 1895
- Henry Spyker Dreisbach b. 8 May 1835
- Mary Elizabeth Dreisbach b. 27 Jul 1838
- William Otterbine Dreisbach b. 24 Jul 1842
- Lydia Ann Dreisbach b. 1 Jun 1845
- Thomas Ephriam Dreisbach b. 21 Nov 1850
Citations
- [S249] U.S. Federal Census 1850 U.S. Federal Census, by Ancestry.com, Stamp 395. Dwelling 129.
Frances Bowman
F, b. 30 December 1809, d. 25 June 1895
| Father* | John Bowman |
| Mother* | Catherine Wolff |
Children of Frances Bowman and Reverand Simon Dreisbach
- Regina Dreisbach b. 20 Jun 1830
- John Martin Dreisbach b. 29 Nov 1832, d. 19 Sep 1895
- Henry Spyker Dreisbach b. 8 May 1835
- Mary Elizabeth Dreisbach b. 27 Jul 1838
- William Otterbine Dreisbach b. 24 Jul 1842
- Lydia Ann Dreisbach b. 1 Jun 1845
- Thomas Ephriam Dreisbach b. 21 Nov 1850
Citations
- [S249] U.S. Federal Census 1850 U.S. Federal Census, by Ancestry.com, Stamp 395. Dwelling 129.
John Bowman
M
Child of John Bowman and Catherine Wolff
- Frances Bowman+ b. 30 Dec 1809, d. 25 Jun 1895
Catherine Wolff
F
Child of Catherine Wolff and John Bowman
- Frances Bowman+ b. 30 Dec 1809, d. 25 Jun 1895
Johannes Peter Spyker
M, b. circa 1685, d. February 1762
- In 1729 The Spykers, Crists, Kadermans, &c., came over with Conrad Weiser to New York, in 1710, from a place called Herrenburg, in Wurtemberg, Germany. In 1729, they all removed together to Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
- Johannes Peter Spyker and Peter Spyker immigrated on 14 September 1737 to Southern Germany to Philadephia, then to, Tulpehocken, Berks, Pennsylvania, Another progenitor of the Speicher line is John Spyker Sr. who came to America on the ship St. Andrew on September 4, 1737 to Philadelphia. The Speicher name is thus spelled Speicher, Spicher, Spyker, and Spiker.************* Also reported as 30th of Aug. 1737.
Speicher-Spicker-Spyker family reunion - 10 Aug 1964 Lebanon Daily News (Lebanon, PA) - In 1898 Excerpt from "Notes and Queries: Historical, Biographical and Genealogical":
NOTES ON THE SPYKER FAMILY One of the earliest and most prominent families in the Tulpehocken region of Berks county were the Spykers. From the fact that they lived among and intermarried with the families that came to Tulpehocken overland from Schoharie New York in 1723 and 1727 it was erroneously supposed that the Spykers had also been members of the New York colony and is so given in several histories. An examination of the list of Germans on Livingston Manor NY and other places in 1710-12 however fails to disclose the Spyker family among them. By a reference to vol xvii Pennsylvania Archives it will be seen that John sr, John jr and Peter Spyker arrived in the ship St Andrew and were qualified September 14, 1737. John, Peter and Benjamin (who being under 16 years were not named) being sons. The Spykers settled upon their arrival in Tulpehocken then Philadelphia but afterwards Berks county. The Spykers were a very intelligent and progressive people and we find them occupying responsible positions soon after their arrival. Both Benjamin and Peter were justices of the peace for many years, the former as early as 1752. They were both equally good in writing and speaking the English as well as the German language. Peter rose to great distinction, and was president of the courts of Berks county in 1780, and took a very prominent part in the colonial affairs. He was born October 27, 1711 and was marired to Maria Margaretha Seidel of Tulpehocken (b March 21, 1721) on December 2, 1742. Peter and Maria Margaretha Spyker had children as follows:
i Philip Baltzer b Oct 17 1743 d July 25 1748
ii John Peter b Oct 24 1745 d May 30 1747
iii Benjamin b March 16 1747 baptized April 26 by Rev Henry Muehlenberg founder of the Lutheran Church in America
iv Catharine b Dec 20 1750 d March 20, 1758
v Maria Barbel b Dec, 29 1752
vi John Henry b Aug, 29 1753
vii George Peter b Nov, 26 1756
viii Still bom son Dec, 30 1758
ix John b Jan 8, 1761
Judge Peter Spyker died in 1789. His will is very lengthy and elaborate. In it he mentions his sons Benjamin, Henry, Peter, and John and son in law Phil Gardner. Benjamin resided in Lebanon in 1790 Perhaps the best known of any member of the Spyker family was Colonel Henry Spyker of the Revolution He was (as above) the sixth child of Judge Peter. At the early age of 23 years he was in 1776 Adjutant of Col Patton's regiment of Pennsylvania militia, and was on duty in New Jersey, when he heard, as he records in his journal thunder, of battle. He was afterwards colonel of the Sixth battalion. On August 26, 1777, he was commissioned paymaster of the Berks county militia, a position which he occupied until July 27, 1785. During this time his services to the State were simply invaluable. Amid the clamoring of the poorly paid troops he was compelled to exhaust every means of procuring the necessary funds, sometimes supplying the money from his own individual resources. His receipt book covering this long period is a model of neatness and correctness. He expended (British Pounds) 122,847 7s 6d (over $614,235) and accounted accurately for every penny. At the close of the Revolution he engaged in the mercantile business in his native place, besides taking a deep interest in public affairs. In 1784 Mr Spyker was elected to the State Legislature, a position which he filled for three successive terms. In 1795 he erected the first brick house in the newly laid out town of Lewisburg. In 1797 he closed out his interests in Berks county and removed to Lewisburg, then in Northumberland, now in Union county, and the county seat, ten miles above Sunlxiry on the Susquehanna River. At Lewisburg he again engaged in the mercantile business. Soon after his removal to this place he was commissioned a justice of the peace in which capacity he did a vast amount of business until the period of his death, which occurred on July 1, 1817. His wife Maria Weiser Spyker born 1754 died October 11, 1829. Both are buried at Lewisburg where their graves may be seen in the cemetery. They left a number of children.
A STAPLETON Lewisburg, Pa.
.jpg)
Children of Johannes Peter Spyker and unknown (?)
- Peter Spyker+ b. 27 Oct 1711, d. 13 Jul 1789
- John Benjamin Spyker+ b. 30 Sep 1723, d. 31 Aug 1802
Children of Johannes Peter Spyker and Regina (?)
- Margaret Barbara Spyker b. 13 Jul 1749
- Peter Spyker+ b. 20 Feb 1752
unknown (?)
F, b. circa 1685
Children of unknown (?) and Johannes Peter Spyker
- Peter Spyker+ b. 27 Oct 1711, d. 13 Jul 1789
- John Benjamin Spyker+ b. 30 Sep 1723, d. 31 Aug 1802
John Benjamin Spyker
M, b. 30 September 1723, d. 31 August 1802
| Father* | Johannes Peter Spyker b. c 1685, d. Feb 1762 |
| Mother* | unknown (?) b. c 1685 |
Benjamin Spyker signature circa 1783
- Benjamin Spyker was born in the Palatinate about the year 1723. His father, John Peter Spyker, emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1738, landing at Philadelphia and proceeding thence shortly afterward to Tulpehocken township, where he took up a large tract of land and effected a permanent residence. In 1744, he was licensed to carry on the business of an Indian trader; and subsequently, he enlisted in the French and India War, his business having been destroyed by the rupture between the settlers and the Indians. During this trying period, he wrote a number of important letters in reference to the cruelties of the Indians and the sufferings of the people. He was a neighbor and intimate associate of Conrad Weiser, and was a saddler by occupation. At the beginning of the Revolution, he assisted in organizing the Associators of the county and preparing them for active military service. In 1776, he represented the county in the Provincial Conference and also in the Constitutional Convention. He officiated as a justice of the peace for many years in Tulpehocken township, his district comprising the western section of the county; and there he commanded a strong social and political influence. He died in September, 1802, aged nearly 80 years. He was a brother of Peter Spyker, Judge of the County Courts.1
History of Berks County in the Revolution 1774-1783 - Spyker, Benjamin - Excerpt from "The Pennsylvania-German in the Revolutionary War":
Benjamin Spyker - Born in the Palatinate about 1723. His father John Peter Spyker emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1738 and settled in Tulpehocken township of Berks county. During the French and Indian War he was a close neighbor to Col. Conrad Weiser, and actively aided him in his efforts of defense against the savages, especially in the early part of that war, when his home was, on various occasions, used as a place of rendezvous. At the beginning of the Revolution he assisted in organizing the Associators of the county and preparing them for active military service. He represented Berks county in the Provincial Conference of June 18, 1776 and in the Constitutional Convention of July 15, 1776. He served as a justice of the peace for many years. His death occurred in September 1802. - Excerpt from "The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography":
SPYKER BENJAMIN of Berks County a native of the Palatinate was born about 1723. His father, John Peter Spyker, came to Pennsylvania in 1738, arriving at Philadelphia in September of that year. He settled in Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, and took up a large tract of land. The first we hear of the son Benjamin is in 1744, when he was licensed as an Indian trader. He served as an officer in the Provincial service during the French and Indian wars and at the beginning of the Revolution assisted in organizing the Associators in his county. He was a member of the Provincial Conference of June 18, 1776 and of the Convention of the 15th of July following. For many years prior to his death in September 1802, Capt Spyker served as a justice of the peace for his neighborhood. His son Henry, who was commissioned paymaster of the Berks County militia August 26, 1777, was also a justice of the peace. In 1799 he removed to East Buffalo Township, Union County, where he died about 1813. - John Benjamin Spyker immigrated with Peter Spyker and Johannes Peter Spyker on 14 September 1737 at Southern Germany to Philadephia, then to, Tulpehocken, Berks, Pennsylvania; Another progenitor of the Speicher line is John Spyker Sr. who came to America on the ship St. Andrew on September 4, 1737 to Philadelphia. The Speicher name is thus spelled Speicher, Spicher, Spyker, and Spiker.************* Also reported as 30th of Aug. 1737.
- John Benjamin Spyker was listed on the tax roll in 1768 at Tulpehocken, Berks, Pennsylvania, includes two Peter Spycker (Spyker) and Benjamin Spycker (Spyker); lists acres of land, acres cleared of trees, and acres sewed with grain, and count of horses, cattle and sheep.
1768 tax roll for Tulpehocken, Berks, PA incl two Peter Spycker (Spyker) and Benjamin Spycker (Spyker) - He was listed on the tax roll in 1789 at Tulpehocken, Berks, Pennsylvania, inclusing Peter Spyger (Spyker), Peter Spicker Esq (Spyker) and Benjamin Spicker (Spyker).
1789 tax roll for Tulpehocken, Berks, PA incl Peter Spyger (Spyker), Peter Spicker Esq (Spyker) and Benjamin Spicker (Spyker)
-and-benjamin-spycker-(spyker).jpg)
,-peter-spicker-esq-(spyker)-and-benjamin-spicker-(spyker).jpg)
Child of John Benjamin Spyker and Margaretha Barbara Yeiser
- Henry Spyker d. c 1813
Citations
- [S345] Pennsylvania, History of Berks County in the Revolution 1774-83, page 274-275.
Margaretha Barbara Yeiser
F, b. 18 June 1715, d. 2 July 1806
Child of Margaretha Barbara Yeiser and John Benjamin Spyker
- Henry Spyker d. c 1813
Regina (?)
F, b. circa 1695
Children of Regina (?) and Johannes Peter Spyker
- Margaret Barbara Spyker b. 13 Jul 1749
- Peter Spyker+ b. 20 Feb 1752
Margaret Barbara Spyker
F, b. 13 July 1749
| Father* | Johannes Peter Spyker b. c 1685, d. Feb 1762 |
| Mother* | Regina (?) b. c 1695 |
Peter Spyker
M, b. 20 February 1752
| Father* | Johannes Peter Spyker b. c 1685, d. Feb 1762 |
| Mother* | Regina (?) b. c 1695 |
Children of Peter Spyker and Anna Maria Buhler
- Johannes Spyker b. 1775
- Johan Jacob Spyker b. 1780
- Johanna Regina Spyker b. 1782
Anna Maria Buhler
F, b. circa 1752
Children of Anna Maria Buhler and Peter Spyker
- Johannes Spyker b. 1775
- Johan Jacob Spyker b. 1780
- Johanna Regina Spyker b. 1782
Johanna Regina Spyker
F, b. 1782
| Father* | Peter Spyker b. 20 Feb 1752 |
| Mother* | Anna Maria Buhler b. c 1752 |
John Conrad Weiser
M, b. 29 September 1725, d. September 1775
| Father* | Christopher Frederick Weiser b. 24 Feb 1699, d. 6 Jun 1768 |
| Mother* | Elizabeth Breidenbach b. 25 Dec 1702, d. 29 Jul 1760 |
| Life Event | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | 29 September 1725 | John Conrad Weiser was born on 29 September 1725 at Berks, Pennsylvania. |
| He was the son of Christopher Frederick Weiser and Elizabeth Breidenbach. | ||
| Marriage | 29 January 1749 | John Conrad Weiser married Maria Margaret Batdorf, daughter of Johannes Martin Batdorf and Margaretha Elisabetha Walborn, on 29 January 1749 at Christ Lutheran Church, Stouchsburg, Berks, Pennsylvania, also reported as Lancaster county, PA. |
| Marriage | 3 February 1774 | John Conrad Weiser married Elizabeth Preiss on 3 February 1774. |
| Death | September 1775 | John Conrad Weiser died in September 1775 at Heidelberg, Berks, Pennsylvania. |
| Probate | 3 October 1775 | His estate was probated on 3 October 1775 at Berks, Pennsylvania, Probate record for John Weiser by his wife Elizabeth Weiser asking for eldest son Martin to be executor. Probate record for John Weiser by his wife Elizabeth Weiser 03 Oct 1775 asking for eldest son Martin to be executor |
- Known as Johannes Weiser, perhaps to distinguish him from his uncle, John Conrad, the Indian diplomat.
- Profile in The Weiser family-a genealogy of the family of John Conrad Weiser, the elder.
The Weiser family-a genealogy of the family of John Conrad Weiser, the elder - page 787 - John Conrad Weiser family - John Conrad Weiser was confirmed circa 1748 at Christ Tulpehocken Lutheran Church, Tulpehocken, Berks, Pennsylvania, age 22.
- In Christopher Frederick Weiser's will dated 27 April 1768 at Salisbury, Northampton, Pennsylvania, John Conrad Weiser was named as an heir and executor; listing 7 living children, all from his first wife.
Children of John Conrad Weiser and Maria Margaret Batdorf
- Catharina Elisabeth Weiser b. 23 Jan 1750, d. 5 Aug 1825
- Martin Weiser b. 15 Oct 1751, d. 3 Nov 1822
- John Weiser b. 31 Mar 1754
- Anna Maria Weiser+ b. 1 Apr 1754, d. 11 Oct 1829
- Christopher Weiser b. 9 Apr 1756, d. 30 Mar 1818
- Anna Eva Weiser b. 15 Sep 1758, d. b 1761
- Anna Eva Weiser b. 12 Feb 1761
- John Conrad Weiser Jr.+ b. 15 Dec 1762, d. 1842
- Samuel Weiser b. 16 May 1765, d. 15 Jan 1838
- Elizabeth Weiser+ b. 6 Sep 1767, d. 10 Feb 1826
- Christina Elizabeth Weiser b. 8 Jan 1770
Child of John Conrad Weiser and Elizabeth Preiss
- Mary Weiser b. Feb 1775
Christopher Frederick Weiser
M, b. 24 February 1699, d. 6 June 1768
| Father* | Corporal John Conrad Weiser b. 1662, d. 13 Jul 1746 |
| Mother* | Anna Magdalena Uebele b. 1668, d. Apr 1709 |
| Life Event | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Baptism | 24 February 1699 | Christopher Frederick Weiser was baptized on 24 February 1699 at Evangelische, Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany, Baptism record of Christoph Friedrich Weiser.1 Baptism record of Christoph Friedrich Weiser 24 Feb 1699 Evangelische, Grossaspach, Württemberg, Germany |
| Birth | 24 February 1699 | He was born on 24 February 1699 at Großaspach (Gross Aspach), Backnang, Wurttemberg, Germany. |
| He was the son of Corporal John Conrad Weiser and Anna Magdalena Uebele. | ||
| Marriage | 1721 | Christopher Frederick Weiser married Elizabeth Breidenbach in 1721 at 2nd marriage for her also reported as 1724. |
| Marriage | 29 July 1762 | Christopher Frederick Weiser married Maria Catherine Roeder, daughter of John Adam Roeder and Catharine Tauber, on 29 July 1762 at Moravian Church, Emmaus, Northampton, Pennsylvania, 2nd marriage for both. |
| Death | 6 June 1768 | Christopher Frederick Weiser died on 6 June 1768 at Emmaus, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, at age 69. |
| Burial | 16 June 1768 | He was buried on 16 June 1768 at Gods Acre, Emmaus, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, also reported as Old Moravian Cemetery, first burial ground of the Morovian Brethren of Emmaus. |
| Probate | 6 July 1768 | His estate was probated on 6 July 1768 at Northampton, Pennsylvania, from Will Book, Vol 1-3, 1752-1800. |
- Profile in The Weiser family-a genealogy of the family of John Conrad Weiser, the elder.
The Weiser family-a genealogy of the family of John Conrad Weiser, the elder - page 786 - Christopher Frederick Weiser family - Christopher Frederick Weiser immigrated with Corporal John Conrad Weiser on 13 June 1710 at London to, New York, New York; left for America June 24, 1709; John Conrad sold his property to his already-married eldest daughter and took the surviving eight children to London, from which they embarked several months later. The ships floated around in various English harbors from December 1709 until April 1710, when 3 warships and Robert Hunter, NY governor, joined the group and began the crossing. Conditions were dreadful and many died. Their vessel, ship named "The Lyon", landed at New York on June 13, 1710, with nine other vessels full with 800 other families, who had fled down the Rhine valley to Rotterdam, and then across to London to escape the ravages and persecutions of Louis XIV, the Catholic, had let loose on Protestant Germany after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. The poor of London had come to resent them deeply, and that's why many of the immigrants were rushed off to New York to serve as a buffer against the French, a Protestant buffer, and as suppliers of naval stores.
There, about 2400 souls of the original 4000 who started the trip made it to quarantine on Governor's Island in Manhattan. About 250 more people died there, and were buried on Governor's Island. The English insisted that older children be indentured to settled residents, so John Conrad's two children George Frederick and Christopher Frederick were bound out by the governor to Long Island. The remaining Palatine immigrants were bound to produce tar from the pitch of pine trees at camps near the Hudson River, about 100 miles north of New York City. Eventually, there came to be the East Camps (really four small villages of Annesbury, Queensbury, Haysbury and Hunterstown, with a joint population of 1189), and the West Camps (614 people in 3 villages). It is doubtful if there are that many people there today, according to Elaine B Liepshutz, in The Palatine Camps of 1710! The settlers were divided into five villages at first, and John Conrad was the head of Queensbury. As such, he voiced the complaints of his fellowmen before Governor Robert Hunter, who was caught in an impossible situation: the trees could produce no tar, the overseer of the Palatines (Robert Livingston) was a scoundrel, and the Germans expected better conditions-- plenty of food (all provisions were issued from Manor warehouses) and land of their own. Even children walked the three miles to the pine forests to work, picking up fallen knots from trees. - In 1729 The Spykers, Crists, Kadermans, &c., came over with Conrad Weiser to New York, in 1710, from a place called Herrenburg, in Wurtemberg, Germany. In 1729, they all removed together to Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
- Christopher Frederick Weiser and Elizabeth Breidenbach lived in 1745 at Tulpehocken, Berks, Pennsylvania.
- Christopher Frederick Weiser left a will on 27 April 1768 at Salisbury, Northampton, Pennsylvania, listing 7 living children, all from his first wife.
Will of Christopher Weiser 27 April 1768 Salisbury, Northampton, PA - page 1
Will of Christopher Weiser 27 April 1768 Salisbury, Northampton, PA - page 2
Will of Christopher Weiser 27 April 1768 Salisbury, Northampton, PA - page 3
Children of Christopher Frederick Weiser and Elizabeth Breidenbach
- John Conrad Weiser+ b. 29 Sep 1725, d. Sep 1775
- Margaret Weiser b. 28 Sep 1728
- Elizabeth Weiser+ b. 10 May 1731, d. 11 May 1789
- Christopher Weiser b. 18 Nov 1731, d. 1754
- Maria Catherine Weiser b. 29 Jan 1733, d. 1789
- Jacob Weiser+ b. 22 Sep 1736, d. 1 Jan 1808
- Anna Weiser b. 9 Apr 1738
- Benjamin Weiser+ b. 8 Mar 1740, d. 24 Nov 1782
- Jabez Weiser b. 4 Aug 1742, d. b 1768
- George Frederick Weiser b. 22 May 1746
- Margaret Weiser b. 1749, d. 1751
Citations
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Grab u Großaspach Familienbuch, Taufen, Heiraten, Tote u Pfarrliste 1598-1975. Page 13.
Corporal John Conrad Weiser
M, b. 1662, d. 13 July 1746
| Father* | Jacob II Weiser b. 1625, d. 1694 |
| Mother* | Anna Tretz b. 1628, d. 7 Apr 1696 |
- Service: Captain of the Queensbury Co. of Palatines Expedition against Montreal.
- They had sixteen children. After his wife, Anna's, death, he came to America with eight children, arriving in New York on 13 June 1710. In the Spring of 1711, he had married Anna Margaret Miller, and with her he had three children. However, nothing is known of their life together. They came from the Palatinate to East Camp, Dutchess County. It is generally believed that Johann Conrad Weiser was buried at Zion or Reed's Churchyard in Stouchburg, Pennsylvania; however there are some grounds for assuming he found his last resting place at the Weiser farm, now Weiser Park, in Womeldorf. Weiser Family, Phalzische Familien und Wappenkunde Vol. Five No. 10 (1966). Translated January 1973; JDBaldwin): Among the leaders of the German colonists who settled in America in 1710 (the majority came from the Pfalz so they were generally called Pfalzer, or Palatines) were two Schwabians, Johann Conrad Weiser Sr. born about 1662 in Grossaspaach, Wuerttember, died 1746 in Tulpehocken, Berks Co, Penna., and his son Johann Conrad Weiser Jr. born in Kueppingen bei Affstaett, Wuerttemberg, Nov 2, 1696, died in Tulpehocken July 13, 1760. Johann Conrad Sr. first entered into marriage with Anna Magdalena Ubelen (?-Ubele), daughter of Hans Ubelen. The couple had fifteen children, the names of thirteen of which are known. Johann Conrad was corporal the Wuerttemberg "Blue Dragoons" as he wrote down in his family record. He must have concluded his service in the troop about 1700, for at that time he first appears in the records as a baker, an occupation which he pursued up to his emigration for America in 1709. During fifteenth confinement, Anna Maria died suddenly on May 1, 1709, following convulsions. Johann Conrad left Grossaspach (probably from dissatisfaction with living conditions there) on June 24, 1709. His oldest daughter, already married, bought his property, and he took his eight remaining living children with him. They went to London, from where they sailed for America a month later. Their ship "The Lyon" landed in New York June 13, 1710. Then began an unaccustomed career for the German emigrant who up to this time had led a harsh life in Wuerttemberg. As soon as Johann Conrad came into association with the other German immigrants, he became more and more their leader. In New York, Palatine immigrants were undertaking production of tar from the rosin of the sprucewood. They lived in an encampment in the vicinity of Hudson, about 100 miles north of New York City. Next, the colonists were divided among five villages. Johann Conrad was the administrator of one of these villages. In this position he represented the interests of the settlers before Governor Robert Hunter in facing the most impossible problems. No more tar could be produced from the trees, the overseer of the Palatines, Robert Livingston, was a villain, and the Germans needed better living conditions, above all better nutrition and some land. During the military campaign of 1711, the difficulties reached their highpoint. Johann Conrad was one of the leaders of the Palatine troop contingents. As the soldiers returned from an unsuccessful battle in the north of New York and recognized that their families were on the edge of hunger, Weiser brought the grievances of the Palatines before the governor. This event ended with Hunter becoming enraged against the Palatines and ordered their disarmament. Nevertheless, the following year he guaranteed them complete freedom in the selection of their settlements. Johann Conrad was one of the men who were subsequently selected by the German immigrants to seek land at Schoharie, about fifty miles west of Albany. Soon after, a small village known as Weiserdorf was established there. This place is known as Middleburg today. The living conditions were wretched, however through hard work, they created a new home for themselves in this wilderness.
The Weiser family-a genealogy of the family of John Conrad Weiser, the elder - page 5 - children of John Conrad Weiser - Johann Conrad Weiser was born in 1662 in Großaspach, Württemberg, Holy Roman Empire to Jacob Weiser, an innkeeper, and his wife, Anna Trefz. Weiser married Anna Magdalena Uebele and they had a total of fifteen children. He served as a corporal in the army of the Holy Roman Empire, and fought in the Nine Years' War of 1688 to 1697 between a coalition of European powers and France. He was a member of the Württemberg Blue Dragoons, and was stationed at Affstätt, Herrenberg, Württemberg in the 1690s. Soon after the birth of Conrad Jr., the Weisers moved back to their ancestral home of Großspach. Afterwards, he followed the trade of a baker. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Conrad_Weiser_Sr.).
- The German origins of the Weisers -Hans Conrad Weiser.
The German origins of the Weisers - pages 14-15 - Hans Conrad Weiser - Corporal John Conrad Weiser witnessed the baptism of Maria Sabina Weiser on 7 May 1694 at Evangelische Kirche, Großheppach, Württemberg, Germany; surname listed as Weisser.1
- Circa 1697 Family record of Corporal Hans Conrad Weiser - Evangelische, Grossaspach, Württemberg, Germany.
Family record of Corporal Hans Conrad Weiser - circa 1697 - Evangelische, Grossaspach, Württemberg, Germany - Corporal John Conrad Weiser, the father of Christopher Frederick Weiser, presented him for baptism on 24 February 1699 at Evangelische, Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany; Baptism record of Christoph Friedrich Weiser.2
- Corporal John Conrad Weiser witnessed the baptism of Anna Barbara Weiser on 17 October 1700 at Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany.3
- Corporal John Conrad Weiser witnessed the baptism of Rebecca Weiser on 6 June 1703 at Evangelische, Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany.4
- Corporal John Conrad Weiser witnessed the baptism of Johann Friedrich Weiser on 25 June 1703 at Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany.4
- Corporal John Conrad Weiser witnessed the baptism of John Frederick Weiser on 27 February 1705 at Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany.5
- Corporal John Conrad Weiser migrated on 24 June 1709 at Grossapach, Germany to London, England, Migration from Germany to America with the Weiser Company (led by John Conrad Weiser).
Bloomington (IL) Weekly Leader April 7, 1881 - Migration from Germany to America with the Weiser Company (led by John Conrad Weiser) - He immigrated on 13 June 1710 to London to, New York, New York, left for America June 24, 1709; John Conrad sold his property to his already-married eldest daughter and took the surviving eight children to London, from which they embarked several months later. The ships floated around in various English harbors from December 1709 until April 1710, when 3 warships and Robert Hunter, NY governor, joined the group and began the crossing. Conditions were dreadful and many died. Their vessel, ship named "The Lyon", landed at New York on June 13, 1710, with nine other vessels full with 800 other families, who had fled down the Rhine valley to Rotterdam, and then across to London to escape the ravages and persecutions of Louis XIV, the Catholic, had let loose on Protestant Germany after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. The poor of London had come to resent them deeply, and that's why many of the immigrants were rushed off to New York to serve as a buffer against the French, a Protestant buffer, and as suppliers of naval stores.
There, about 2400 souls of the original 4000 who started the trip made it to quarantine on Governor's Island in Manhattan. About 250 more people died there, and were buried on Governor's Island. The English insisted that older children be indentured to settled residents, so John Conrad's two children George Frederick and Christopher Frederick were bound out by the governor to Long Island. The remaining Palatine immigrants were bound to produce tar from the pitch of pine trees at camps near the Hudson River, about 100 miles north of New York City. Eventually, there came to be the East Camps (really four small villages of Annesbury, Queensbury, Haysbury and Hunterstown, with a joint population of 1189), and the West Camps (614 people in 3 villages). It is doubtful if there are that many people there today, according to Elaine B Liepshutz, in The Palatine Camps of 1710! The settlers were divided into five villages at first, and John Conrad was the head of Queensbury. As such, he voiced the complaints of his fellowmen before Governor Robert Hunter, who was caught in an impossible situation: the trees could produce no tar, the overseer of the Palatines (Robert Livingston) was a scoundrel, and the Germans expected better conditions-- plenty of food (all provisions were issued from Manor warehouses) and land of their own. Even children walked the three miles to the pine forests to work, picking up fallen knots from trees. - In 1729 The Spykers, Crists, Kadermans, &c., came over with Conrad Weiser to New York, in 1710, from a place called Herrenburg, in Wurtemberg, Germany. In 1729, they all removed together to Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
-weekly-leader-april-7,-1881---migration-from-germany-to-america-with-the-weiser-company-(led-by-john-conrad-weiser).jpg)
Children of Corporal John Conrad Weiser and Anna Magdalena Uebele
- Maria Catharina Weiser b. 1686, d. 26 Feb 1761
- Anna Margarete Weiser b. 1689, d. Sep 1748
- Anna Magdalena Weiser b. 1692
- Maria Sabina Weiser b. 7 May 1694
- Colonel John Conrad Weiser+ b. 2 Nov 1696, d. 13 Jul 1760
- George Frederick Weiser+ b. 1697, d. 1764
- Christopher Frederick Weiser+ b. 24 Feb 1699, d. 6 Jun 1768
- Anna Barbara Weiser+ b. 17 Oct 1700, d. 1748
- Rebecca Weiser b. 6 Jun 1703, d. 8 Jun 1704
- Johann Friedrich Weiser b. 25 Jun 1703, d. 2 Jul 1703
- John Frederick Weiser b. 27 Feb 1705, d. Dec 1711
- Erhard Frederick Weiser b. 11 Jun 1706, d. 29 Nov 1707
- Rebecca Weiser b. 11 Jun 1706, d. 1709
Children of Corporal John Conrad Weiser and Anna Margaret Miller
- Jacob Weiser b. bt 1711 - 1713
- Rebecca Weiser b. bt 1711 - 1713
- John Frederick Weiser b. 14 Nov 1714, d. 2 Sep 1769
Citations
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Großheppach Taufen, Heiraten u Tote 1558-1808. Page 493.
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Grab u Großaspach Familienbuch, Taufen, Heiraten, Tote u Pfarrliste 1598-1975. Page 13.
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Grab u Großaspach Familienbuch, Taufen, Heiraten, Tote u Pfarrliste 1598-1975. Page 14.
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Grab u Großaspach Familienbuch, Taufen, Heiraten, Tote u Pfarrliste 1598-1975. Page 17.
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Grab u Großaspach Familienbuch, Taufen, Heiraten, Tote u Pfarrliste 1598-1975. Page 19.
Anna Magdalena Uebele
F, b. 1668, d. April 1709
| Father* | Hans Johannas Uebele b. 1640, d. Dec 1693 |
| Mother* | Anna Catherine (?) b. 1644 |
| Life Event | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | 1668 | Anna Magdalena Uebele was born in 1668 at Großaspach, Rems-Murr-Kreis, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, also reported as 1666. |
| She was the daughter of Hans Johannas Uebele and Anna Catherine (?). | ||
| Marriage | circa 1686 | Anna Magdalena Uebele married Corporal John Conrad Weiser, son of Jacob II Weiser and Anna Tretz, circa 1686 at Germany. |
| Death | April 1709 | Anna Magdalena Uebele died in April 1709 at Großaspach, Rems-Murr-Kreis, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, Anna Magdalena, widow of Johann Conrad Weisser... was bur. 1 May 1709, aged 43 yrs - pregnant with her 15th child. |
| Burial | 1 May 1709 | She was buried on 1 May 1709 at St. Juliana Church Cemetery, Gross Aspach, Afstadt, Herrenberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Tombstone in German: Zum gedenken in to the memory of Anna Magdalena Weiser geb Ueble +1709 Frau von Joh Konrad Weiser, den 1710 nach amerika ausgewandert ist. wife of John Konrad Weiser Translation: In memory of Anna Magdalena Weiser, Ueble +1709 wife of Joh Konrad Weiser, who emigrated to America in 1710 First wife of John Konrad Weiser.1 -weisser-01-may-1709-grosaspach,-wurttemberg,-germany.jpg) Burial record of Anna Magdalena (Uebele) Weisser 01 May 1709 Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany |
- Anna Magdalena Uebele witnessed the baptism of Maria Sabina Weiser on 7 May 1694 at Evangelische Kirche, Großheppach, Württemberg, Germany; surname listed as Weisser.2
- Circa 1697 Family record of Corporal Hans Conrad Weiser - Evangelische, Grossaspach, Württemberg, Germany.Family record of Corporal Hans Conrad Weiser - circa 1697 - Evangelische, Grossaspach, Württemberg, Germany
- Anna Magdalena Uebele, the mother of Christopher Frederick Weiser, presented him for baptism on 24 February 1699 at Evangelische, Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany; Baptism record of Christoph Friedrich Weiser.3
- Anna Magdalena Uebele witnessed the baptism of Anna Barbara Weiser on 17 October 1700 at Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany.4
- Anna Magdalena Uebele witnessed the baptism of Rebecca Weiser on 6 June 1703 at Evangelische, Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany.5
- Anna Magdalena Uebele witnessed the baptism of Johann Friedrich Weiser on 25 June 1703 at Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany.5
- Anna Magdalena Uebele witnessed the baptism of John Frederick Weiser on 27 February 1705 at Großaspach, Württemberg, Germany.6
Children of Anna Magdalena Uebele and Corporal John Conrad Weiser
- Maria Catharina Weiser b. 1686, d. 26 Feb 1761
- Anna Margarete Weiser b. 1689, d. Sep 1748
- Anna Magdalena Weiser b. 1692
- Maria Sabina Weiser b. 7 May 1694
- Colonel John Conrad Weiser+ b. 2 Nov 1696, d. 13 Jul 1760
- George Frederick Weiser+ b. 1697, d. 1764
- Christopher Frederick Weiser+ b. 24 Feb 1699, d. 6 Jun 1768
- Anna Barbara Weiser+ b. 17 Oct 1700, d. 1748
- Rebecca Weiser b. 6 Jun 1703, d. 8 Jun 1704
- Johann Friedrich Weiser b. 25 Jun 1703, d. 2 Jul 1703
- John Frederick Weiser b. 27 Feb 1705, d. Dec 1711
- Erhard Frederick Weiser b. 11 Jun 1706, d. 29 Nov 1707
- Rebecca Weiser b. 11 Jun 1706, d. 1709
Citations
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Grab u Großaspach Familienbuch, Taufen, Heiraten, Tote u Pfarrliste 1598-1975. Page 279.
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Großheppach Taufen, Heiraten u Tote 1558-1808. Page 493.
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Grab u Großaspach Familienbuch, Taufen, Heiraten, Tote u Pfarrliste 1598-1975. Page 13.
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Grab u Großaspach Familienbuch, Taufen, Heiraten, Tote u Pfarrliste 1598-1975. Page 14.
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Grab u Großaspach Familienbuch, Taufen, Heiraten, Tote u Pfarrliste 1598-1975. Page 17.
- [S415] Lutheran Church, Württemberg, Germany Lutheran Church Records 1500-1985, Grab u Großaspach Familienbuch, Taufen, Heiraten, Tote u Pfarrliste 1598-1975. Page 19.
Colonel John Conrad Weiser
M, b. 2 November 1696, d. 13 July 1760
| Father* | Corporal John Conrad Weiser b. 1662, d. 13 Jul 1746 |
| Mother* | Anna Magdalena Uebele b. 1668, d. Apr 1709 |
Conrad Weiser
Conrad Weiser
| Life Event | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | 2 November 1696 | Colonel John Conrad Weiser was born on 2 November 1696 at Herrenberg, Württemberg, Germany, also reported as Grossaspach, Germany. |
| He was the son of Corporal John Conrad Weiser and Anna Magdalena Uebele. | ||
| Baptism | 12 November 1696 | Colonel John Conrad Weiser was baptized on 12 November 1696 at Kueppingen, Wurttemberg, Germany. |
| Marriage | 22 November 1720 | He married Anna Eva Feck, daughter of Johann Peter Feg and Anna Maria Risch, on 22 November 1720 at Weiser's Dorf, Schoharie Valley, (now) Middleburgh, New York, conducted by the reformed clergyman Rev. John Frederick Hager. |
| Death | 13 July 1760 | Colonel John Conrad Weiser died on 13 July 1760 at Womelsdorf, Berks, Pennsylvania, at age 63 Conrad died 7/13/1760 on his farm at Womelsdorf PA, where he is buried. A sandstone slab marks the spot of his final journey with the inscription "Dieses ist die Ruhe Staette des weyl Ehren geachten M Conradt Weiser. der Selbige gebohren 1696 d 2 November in Astaet im Amt Herrenberg im wittenberger Lande und gestorben 1760 d 13 Julius ist alt worden 64 Jahr 3M 3 wch" or "This is the resting place of the greatly honored respected M Conradt Weiser, the same born...".jpg) 110th anniversary of Conrad Weiser's death - 13 July 1870 Reading Times (Reading, PA) |
| Burial | after 13 July 1760 | He was buried after 13 July 1760 at Conrad Weiser Homestead and Memorial Park, Womelsdorf, Berks, Pennsylvania. |
- Colonel Conrad Weiser, of Berks County, a lieutenant-colonel in the French and Indian War, and later head of the Indian Bureau of the Province of Pennsylvania.
- Conrad Weiser was the most prominent historical character in the county of Berks previous to his death in 1760. His great prominence arose from his intimate connection with the provencial government of Pennsylvania for thirty years. He was the principal judge of Berks County from 1752 to 1760. He was born November 2, 1696, at Afstaedt, a small village in the County of Herrenberg, in Wurtemberg, Germany, and there he acquired a general education, which included the principles of the Christian religion according to the catechism of Martin Luther. Whilst still in his fourteenth year he emigrated with his father and famiy (which included himself and seven other children) to New York, landing June 17, 1710. At that time several thousand Germans were sent to America by Queen Anne. Shortly after thier arrival they were removed to Livingston Manor by the Governor of New York, to burn tar and cultivate hemp to defray the expenses incurred by Queen Anne in conveying them from Holland to England and from England to America. They labored till 1713 in this employment under the direction of commissioners: then, finding that they were existing under a form of bondage, they protested against the treatment and this effected their release. About 150 families of them including the Weiser famiy, removed to Schoharie, forty miles west of Albany. Whilst spending the winter of 1713-1714 at Schenectady, the elder Weiser was frequently visited by an Indian chief of the Mohawk tribe, and during one of these proposed to Conrad to visit the Mohawk country and learn the language of that tribe. This proposition was agreed to. Conrad Weiser was in his eighteenth year when he went to live with the Indians. He was a strong young man, but all of his strength was necessary to endure the sufferings which he was compelled to undergo whilst living with them. He had scarely clothing sufficient to cover his body during the winter of that trying year. Besides much suffering, he was frequently threatened with death by the Indians during a state of intoxication. In July, 1714, he returned to his father's home at Schoharie. In Mohawk language, and while at home, he increased this knowledge by acting as interpreter between the German settlers of that vicinity and the Mohawk Indians. The settlers having been disturbed in their possessions, Conrad Weiser's father and a number of others migrated to Pennsylvania. They located in Tulpehocken in the spring on 1723, in the midst of the Indians: and there they also commenced the improvement of the land without permission from the land commissioners. The Indians complained but the settlers were not disturbed. Subsequently the Indians released their rights and about 1733 they moved beyond the Blue Moutains. Conrad Weiser was married to a young woman of Schoharie in 1720. He continued at that place till 1729,when with his wife and five children he removed to the Tulpehocken settlement, locating on a tract of land near the present borough of Womelsdorf. Shortly after his arrival, his ability and sucess as an Indian interpreter became known to the Provencial government, and the Governor employed him in negotiation with the Indians. His first services in this capacity were performed in 1731, and from that time for nearly thirty years he was almost constantly engaged in this important work. He assisted at numerous treaties, and in the published proceedings of these treaties his name appears prominently. His integrity was particularly recognized and publicly complimented. He was one of the most prominent men in the French and Indian War. His numerous letters indicate his zeal, courage and patriotism. He served in the war as a colonel, and his services were of great value to the government and to the people of Berks county. The first proceedings for the erection of Berks county were instituted in 1738. In this behalf, Mr. Weiser was very active, and he continued active till the county was established in 1752. The town of Reading was laid out by the Penns in 1748, and in the ale of the town lots Mr. Weiser acted as one of the commissioners. He was prominently identified with the first movements in building up the town, and in developing the business interests of the place. The Governor of the Province, in 1741, appointed him as a justice of the peace, and he filled this office for a number of years. When the county was erected
in 1752, he was appointed one of the first judges. He acted as president judge of the courts till his decease in 1760. He lived at Reading mostly during the latter part of his life. Conrad Weiser died on his Heidleberg farm July 13, 1760, and his remains were buried in a private burying ground on the place, where they have remained
since. He left a widow and seven children: five sons, Phillip, Frederick, Peter, Samuel and Benjamin; and two daughters, Maria (m. Rev. Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg) and Margaret (m. a Finker). He was possessed of a large estate, consisting of properties at Reading, and lands in Heidleberg township and in the region of country beyond the Blue Mountains. In heidleberg, he owned a
tract which included the privilege of a "Court-Baron", granted to him in 1743, the tract having originally contained 5,165 acres as granted to John Page in 1735, and having then been erected into a manor, called the "Manor of Plumton". At Reading one of his properties was business stand, and it has continued to be a prominent business location from that time till now, a period embracing over 150 years. - The eldest son of John Conrad and Anna Magdelena (Uebele) Weiser was given his father's names at his birth 2 November 1696. By his own statement, his birth took place at Affstaett about twenty miles southeast of Stuttgart, where it is assumed some of all of his father's military unit lay in winter quarters. One farm in the village, the "Powder Farm" is said to have been used for this purpose. Conrad may well have been born there. He became known generally as Conrad Weiser. Although Conrad's statement exists that he was baptized at Kuppingen, a village nearby, there is no entry in its records of this fact. Perhaps this was an oversight of the pastor, an explanation especially conceivable when it is realized that there are gaps in the parochial registers. Perhaps as a child of a member of the military not from the area, Conrad's baptism was not considered by the pastor appropriate to enter.
Conrad emigrated to America in 1710 with his father, a shortly thereafter was placed in the hands of the Mohawks. From them he acquired the knowledge of Indian words and ways which launched him on the career that has made his name known in the annals of Pennsylvania and national history of the colonial era... - Conrad Weiser was born in the German principality of Württemberg on November 2, 1696. But shortly after his birth, Conrad's father heeded Queen Anne of England's invitation to migrate to England and the British Colonies in America. Eventually, the Weiser family settled in New York. By the age of 15, young Weiser had developed a keen sense of language and a genuine interest in the local Iroquois Indian population. He applied his linguistic abilities to learn their language, with hopes of improving treaty negotiations between the English settlers and the Indians. He was generally concerned with stabilizing relations between the two parties. Once he learned their language, it didn't take long for him to understand their religion and customs. Eventually, he grew to appreciate Indian culture as much as his native German and adopted English heritages. The Indians learned to trust and love him as one of their own. They appreciated the talents of Weiser even more so than the English.
While living in New York, Weiser met Shiekilammy, Chief of the Oneidas, from the powerful Six Nations (the Iroquois Confederacy). They met in the woods of New York where Weiser was hunting. According to legend, Shiekilammy was so pleased to meet a white man who spoke his language that they became friends almost immediately. Weiser and Shiekilammy formed an effective partnership--the white man and the Indian--determined to establish good relations between the foreign settlers and the native Indians.
Soon after his marriage--Weiser had married young and proceeded to have 17 children, only 7 of whom lived to adulthood--Conrad Weiser packed up and moved from the Mohawk valley of New York to the Tulpehocken Valley in Pennsylvania. With Chief Shiekilammy and James Logan, Provincial Secretary for Pennsylvania, he then authored the Commonwealth's Indian Policy. Using his intimate knowledge of the Indian way of life, Weiser created a policy that strengthened the Six Nations by giving them sovereignty over all other Indians in Pennsylvania. This policy also strengthened the position of the English, since allowed the Six Nations to deal with other Indian tribes that were opposed to their plans. Because Weiser was respected by both parties to these negotiations, few objected to the policy he had crafted. He is commemorated in the Alle-Kiski area of Armstrong County for his early diplomacy on behalf of the colonial government in 1748.
Even if Weiser had not developed Indian policies or authored treaties, he would still be remembered as a model citizen who was a significant player in the expansion of Pennsylvania. In 1749, he helped found the city of Reading, and he played a role in the creation of Berks County in 1752. In Conrad Weiser's Account book, he revealed that he paid for the writing and copies of the petition, filing fees, and surveys for the proposed county.
Early Western Journals is the first official record of the English settlers' trips into the Indian country west of the Alleghenies. In it, Weiser writes that his main purpose on the trip was to carry and deliver a present to the Indians from the Pennsylvania and Virginia authorities. Some of these journals are now available online at the Library of Congress. In his later life, Conrad Weiser applied the skills and experience he had gained from his early years as a translator and interpreter to a series of more practical, and profitable, enterprises. He was a very successful farmer, tanner, and shop owner. But at the age of 64, Weiser's health rapidly deteriorated and he passed away. Upon his death, an Iroquois Indian observed, "We are at a great loss and sit in darkness...as since his death we cannot so well understand one another."
His name is currently preserved by the school district centered on Robesonia in Berks County. - Biography of Conrad Weiser - Perhaps the most fitting accolade bestowed on Conrad Weiser was by an Iroquois, who, speaking to white men upon the death of Weiser in 1760, lamented, "We are at a great loss and sit in darkness...as since his death we cannot so well understand one another."
Who was this man who had such far-reaching influence on relations between Pennsylvania and the Iroquois Confederacy; who had access to provincial governors and sachems alike; who interpreted and negotiated treaties; who was commissioned an officer during the War for Empire; but who also sat as a country judge, served as lay minister, and prospered as a farmer, tanner, and storekeeper?
Conrad Weiser was born November 2, 1696, in the German principality of Wurttemberg. By 1709, his father, Johann Conrad Weiser, had decided to heed Queen Anne's invitation to inhabitants of the Rhine Valley to migrate to England and to the British colonies in America.
The Weiser family settled on the New York frontier and in the winter and spring of 1712-1713, young Conrad resided with neighboring Mohawks to learn the language of the Iroquois and serve as a go-between for the German community.
During his years in New York, Weiser acquired a keen knowledge of the language, customs and statesmanship of the Iroquois Confederacy (or Six Nations), consisting of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, Senecas and Tuscaroras.
By 1723, Germans from the Mohawk Valley had begun the overland trek 400 miles, following the Susquehanna river to settle the Tulpehocken Valley in what is now Berks and Lebanon Counties, Pennsylvania. In 1729, Weiser brought his German-born wife, Anna Eve, and their children to the Tulpehocken region, settling on 200 acres near the present town of Womelsdorf.
Over the next 31 years Weiser became a major land-holder, farmer, tanner and businessman. He and Anna Eve raised 14 children (seven of whom lived to adulthood).
By the early 1730's, Weiser had become known in government circles in Philadelphia for his knowledge of the Iroquois. Provincial Secretary James Logan hired him to guide the new Pennsylvania Indian policy recognizing Iroquois dominance over the indigenous Lenni Lenape and guaranteeing a stable and safe frontier.
Over the next two decades Weiser was constantly directing and implementing this policy through treaty negotiations, land purchases, and journeys to the Iroquois homeland. He worked closely with Shikellamy, who had been appointed by the Confederacy to embody Iroquois authority over the Lenni Lenape.
It was through Weiser and Shikellamy that the Pennsylvania frontier remained stable and peaceful until mid-century.
By 1755, however, growing competition between Britain and France had ignited a full-blown "War for Empire." Diplomacy was put aside as the Six Nations divided over which side to join.
Meanwhile, the French established an alliance with the Lenni Lenape and other Native American peoples and launched raids against the eastern Pennsylvania settlements along the Blue Mountain line.
Pennsylvania responded by forming provincial militia and building a line of outposts. In 1756, Weiser received a commission of Lieutenant Colonel with command of the 1st Battalion, Pennsylvania Regimen responsible for manning the line between the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. He held this post until 1758. In that same year an expedition to western Pennsylvania by General John Forbes resulted in the eviction of the French and an end to the fighting in eastern Pennsylvania.
Throughout his life, Weiser was active in local affairs. He served as a magistrate for Lancaster County, helped found and lay out the town of Reading in 1748, helped to establish Berks County in 1752, and was its President Judge until his death.
Though a Lutheran, Weiser joined the monastic community of Ephrata Cloister between 1735 and 1741. He lived intermittently as a celibate brother, withdrawing from family and political life until becoming disenchanted with the Cloister's leader Conrad Beissel.
Weiser, returning to the Lutheran Church, in which he had served as a lay minister, became a founder of Trinity Church in Reading. His daughter Maria married Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg, "patriarch" of the Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania.
At this death on July 13, 1760, Weiser owned several thousand acres, in addition to his farm, tannery and the store in Reading.
Movements to honor Weiser's considerable accomplishments culminated in the establishment of the Conrad Weiser Memorial Park by the Conrad Weiser Memorial Park Association in 1928. The nationally known Olmsted Brothers landscape firm designed the park.
Owned now by the Commonwealth, the Conrad Weiser Homestead is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which preserves the restored Weiser structures, graveyard and landscaped park, in addition to interpreting Weiser's life. - Conrad Weiser, Pennsylvania's Indian ambassador, was one of the world's great originals, a hotheaded, true-hearted, whimsical Jack-of-all-trades; a farmer and owner of a tannery, one of the founders of Reading, Pennsylvania, a colonel during the French and Indian War, the first President judge of Berks County, a monk at Ephrata Cloisters, a pillar of the Lutheran Church, a promoter of Moravian missions, a rebel in New York and prisoner in an Albany jail, a hymn-writer, traveler, statesman, linguist, diplomat, woodsman and most notably an Indian agent.
His career introduces us to the whole colonial scene from New York to the Carolinas, taking in the seacoast towns, the frontier settlements, the forests of the Alleghenies, and the long houses and cabins of the Indians on the Hudson, Mohawk, Delaware, Susquehanna, and Ohio Rivers. He bought books from Benjamin Franklin and taught him what he knew about the Iroquois. He corresponded with Thomas Lee, the "President of Virginia." He quarreled with Gov. Denny of Pennsylvania, and in the conduct of Indian affairs, he was the rival of George Washington and Sir William Johnson. He introduced Count Zinzindorf to the Shawnees and saved his life in the Wyoming valley. He was advisor to Thomas Penn, General Forbes, and countless other notables. In his day, everyone knew him. Governors, churchmen, and Indian chiefs all relied on his advise. The Iroquois named him Tarachiawagon, "He Who Holds The Heavens." He was at home on Society Hill in Philadelphia as well as at John Harris' Ferry on the western frontier. He knew the Shamokin Trail like a village street and visited all the distant Indian towns from Onandaga to Logstown. He went everywhere, saw everyone, did everything and recorded in his journals, the most important information of his day. There was never any man like him, and never will be. He was as vital to the Pennsylvania frontier as George Washington was to Valley Forge. Yet, through all the excitement of his public life, he remained a common man who, above all else, always longed for his wife, his children and the little Tulpehocken home to which he came back finally to die. - At Berks, Pennsylvania, Relationship between Conrad Weiser and Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg.
Relationship between Conrad Weiser and Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg - The Tulpehocken bi-centennial - Colonel John Conrad Weiser immigrated in 1709 to New York In the spring of 1709 thousands of Palatines left their families and homelands, boarded small boats on the Rhine River, and traveled to Rotterdam, Holland. From there the journey for one of those refugees ended this way: "Early in the morning of June 13, 1710, the ship Lyon drew into New York harbor. . . . On board the Lyon were 402 ‘poor Palatines,' among them thirteen-year-old Conrad Weiser."10 Weiser wrote in his autobiography:
In . . . 1709 my Father moved away from Great Aspach on the 24th of June, and took eight children with him. My eldest sister, Catrina, remained there with her husband, Conrad Boss, with whom she had two children. My father sold them his house, fields, meadows, vineyard and garden, but they could only pay him 75 gulden. . . so it was made a present to them. In about two months we reached London in England, along with several thousand Germans whom Queen Ann, of glorious remembrance, had taken in charge, and was furnishing with food. About Christmas day we embarked, and ten shiploads with about 4,000 souls were sent to America. - He immigrated with Corporal John Conrad Weiser on 13 June 1710 at London to, New York, New York; left for America June 24, 1709; John Conrad sold his property to his already-married eldest daughter and took the surviving eight children to London, from which they embarked several months later. The ships floated around in various English harbors from December 1709 until April 1710, when 3 warships and Robert Hunter, NY governor, joined the group and began the crossing. Conditions were dreadful and many died. Their vessel, ship named "The Lyon", landed at New York on June 13, 1710, with nine other vessels full with 800 other families, who had fled down the Rhine valley to Rotterdam, and then across to London to escape the ravages and persecutions of Louis XIV, the Catholic, had let loose on Protestant Germany after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. The poor of London had come to resent them deeply, and that's why many of the immigrants were rushed off to New York to serve as a buffer against the French, a Protestant buffer, and as suppliers of naval stores.
There, about 2400 souls of the original 4000 who started the trip made it to quarantine on Governor's Island in Manhattan. About 250 more people died there, and were buried on Governor's Island. The English insisted that older children be indentured to settled residents, so John Conrad's two children George Frederick and Christopher Frederick were bound out by the governor to Long Island. The remaining Palatine immigrants were bound to produce tar from the pitch of pine trees at camps near the Hudson River, about 100 miles north of New York City. Eventually, there came to be the East Camps (really four small villages of Annesbury, Queensbury, Haysbury and Hunterstown, with a joint population of 1189), and the West Camps (614 people in 3 villages). It is doubtful if there are that many people there today, according to Elaine B Liepshutz, in The Palatine Camps of 1710! The settlers were divided into five villages at first, and John Conrad was the head of Queensbury. As such, he voiced the complaints of his fellowmen before Governor Robert Hunter, who was caught in an impossible situation: the trees could produce no tar, the overseer of the Palatines (Robert Livingston) was a scoundrel, and the Germans expected better conditions-- plenty of food (all provisions were issued from Manor warehouses) and land of their own. Even children walked the three miles to the pine forests to work, picking up fallen knots from trees. - In 1729 The Spykers, Crists, Kadermans, &c., came over with Conrad Weiser to New York, in 1710, from a place called Herrenburg, in Wurtemberg, Germany. In 1729, they all removed together to Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
- Colonel John Conrad Weiser purchased land on 24 September 1735 at Tulpehocken, Berks, Pennsylvania, 100 acres of land given after his service with the indians as interpreter during treaty negotiations.
100 acres of land given to John Conrad Weiser after his service with the indians as interpreter 24 Sep 1735 Tulpehocken, Berks, PA - He sold land in December 1750 at Stoever's Mill, Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
Lebanon (PA) Daily News December 18, 1919 - Deed executed by Conrad and Eve Weiser in 1750 - He left a will on 24 November 1759 at Reading, Berks, Pennsylvania.
- On 17 August 1844 Henry A Muhlenberg biography - reference to father-in-law Col. Conrad Weiser.
Henry A Muhlenberg biography - reference to father-in-law Col. Conrad Weiser 17 Aug 1844 Sunbury American (Sunbury, PA) - On 5 April 1856 John Conrad Weiser biography.
John Conrad Weiser biography 05 Apr 1856 Sunbury American (Sunbury, PA) - On 9 November 1861 John Conrad Weiser family article and will.
John Conrad Weiser family article 09 Nov 1861 Reading Times (Reading, PA)
John Conrad Weiser will 09 Nov 1861 Reading Times (Reading, PA) - In 1876 The life of (John) Conrad Weiser the German pioneer, patriot, and patron of two races.
Published 1876 by D. Miller in Reading, Pa .
Written by Rev C Z Weiser.
NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT
https://archive.org/details/lifeofjohnconrad00weiser
https://openlibrary.org/books/OL23312843M/The_life_of_(John)_Conrad_Weiser. - On 2 January 1898 at Pennsylvania Conrad Weiser profile and descendant Mrs Daniel Wolff (Sevilla Fasig).
Philadelphia Times January 2, 1898 - Conrad Weiser profile and descendant Mrs Daniel Wolff (Sevilla Fasig) - In January 1901 Article on Conrad Weiser, The Germans in Pennsylvania in Colonial Times.
Philadelphia Times January 20, 1901 - Article on Conrad Weiser, The Germans in Pennsylvania in Colonial Times - In March 1902 article: Berks county will honor memory of Conrad Weiser.
Philadelphia Inquirer March 6, 1902 - Berks county will honor memory of Conrad Weiser
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Children of Colonel John Conrad Weiser and Anna Eva Feck
- Phillip Weiser+ b. 7 Sep 1722, d. 27 Mar 1761
- Anna Madlina Weiser b. 13 Jan 1725, d. 16 Mar 1742
- Anna Maria Weiser+ b. 24 Jun 1727, d. 23 Aug 1802
- Frederick Weiser+ b. 24 Dec 1728, d. 1790
- Peter Weiser b. 27 Feb 1730
- Christopher Weiser b. 15 Feb 1731
- Jacob Weiser b. 15 Feb 1731, d. May 1731
- Elizabeth Weiser b. 19 Jun 1732, d. 1736
- Margaret Weiser b. 28 Jan 1734
- Samuel Weiser b. 23 Apr 1735
- Benjamin Weiser b. 18 Jul 1736, d. Oct 1736
- Jabez Weiser b. 11 Aug 1740, d. 28 Aug 1740
- Hannah Weiser b. 27 Feb 1742, d. 11 Aug 1742
- Benjamin Weiser b. 12 Aug 1744
Maria Margaret Batdorf
F, b. 10 October 1729, d. 22 December 1772
| Father* | Johannes Martin Batdorf b. Sep 1698, d. 20 Feb 1782 |
| Mother* | Margaretha Elisabetha Walborn b. 25 Oct 1696, d. 1796 |
- Profile in The Weiser family-a genealogy of the family of John Conrad Weiser, the elder.The Weiser family-a genealogy of the family of John Conrad Weiser, the elder - page 787 - John Conrad Weiser family
Children of Maria Margaret Batdorf and John Conrad Weiser
- Catharina Elisabeth Weiser b. 23 Jan 1750, d. 5 Aug 1825
- Martin Weiser b. 15 Oct 1751, d. 3 Nov 1822
- John Weiser b. 31 Mar 1754
- Anna Maria Weiser+ b. 1 Apr 1754, d. 11 Oct 1829
- Christopher Weiser b. 9 Apr 1756, d. 30 Mar 1818
- Anna Eva Weiser b. 15 Sep 1758, d. b 1761
- Anna Eva Weiser b. 12 Feb 1761
- John Conrad Weiser Jr.+ b. 15 Dec 1762, d. 1842
- Samuel Weiser b. 16 May 1765, d. 15 Jan 1838
- Elizabeth Weiser+ b. 6 Sep 1767, d. 10 Feb 1826
- Christina Elizabeth Weiser b. 8 Jan 1770
Elizabeth Breidenbach
F, b. 25 December 1702, d. 29 July 1760
Children of Elizabeth Breidenbach and Christopher Frederick Weiser
- John Conrad Weiser+ b. 29 Sep 1725, d. Sep 1775
- Margaret Weiser b. 28 Sep 1728
- Elizabeth Weiser+ b. 10 May 1731, d. 11 May 1789
- Christopher Weiser b. 18 Nov 1731, d. 1754
- Maria Catherine Weiser b. 29 Jan 1733, d. 1789
- Jacob Weiser+ b. 22 Sep 1736, d. 1 Jan 1808
- Anna Weiser b. 9 Apr 1738
- Benjamin Weiser+ b. 8 Mar 1740, d. 24 Nov 1782
- Jabez Weiser b. 4 Aug 1742, d. b 1768
- George Frederick Weiser b. 22 May 1746
- Margaret Weiser b. 1749, d. 1751
Anna Eva Feck
F, b. 25 January 1700, d. 11 June 1781
| Father* | Johann Peter Feg b. 17 Nov 1672, d. 5 Dec 1744 |
| Mother* | Anna Maria Risch b. 15 May 1681 |
- Anna Eva Feck immigrated with Johann Peter Feg in 1710 at New York, New York, then on to Pennsylvania; Arrival Place: New York, New York
Primary Immigrant: Faeg, Johann Peter
Family Members: Wife Anna Maria Risch; Daughter Anna Catharina; Daughter Anna Eva; Daughter Eva Elisabeth; Daughter Elisabeth. - Anna Eva Feck sold land in December 1750 at Stoever's Mill, Lebanon, Pennsylvania.Lebanon (PA) Daily News December 18, 1919 - Deed executed by Conrad and Eve Weiser in 1750
Children of Anna Eva Feck and Colonel John Conrad Weiser
- Phillip Weiser+ b. 7 Sep 1722, d. 27 Mar 1761
- Anna Madlina Weiser b. 13 Jan 1725, d. 16 Mar 1742
- Anna Maria Weiser+ b. 24 Jun 1727, d. 23 Aug 1802
- Frederick Weiser+ b. 24 Dec 1728, d. 1790
- Peter Weiser b. 27 Feb 1730
- Christopher Weiser b. 15 Feb 1731
- Jacob Weiser b. 15 Feb 1731, d. May 1731
- Elizabeth Weiser b. 19 Jun 1732, d. 1736
- Margaret Weiser b. 28 Jan 1734
- Samuel Weiser b. 23 Apr 1735
- Benjamin Weiser b. 18 Jul 1736, d. Oct 1736
- Jabez Weiser b. 11 Aug 1740, d. 28 Aug 1740
- Hannah Weiser b. 27 Feb 1742, d. 11 Aug 1742
- Benjamin Weiser b. 12 Aug 1744
Anna Maria Weiser
F, b. 24 June 1727, d. 23 August 1802
| Father* | Colonel John Conrad Weiser b. 2 Nov 1696, d. 13 Jul 1760 |
| Mother* | Anna Eva Feck b. 25 Jan 1700, d. 11 Jun 1781 |
Child of Anna Maria Weiser and Reverand Henry Melchior Muhlenberg
- Maria Salome Muhlenberg b. 1766, d. 1827
Reverand Henry Melchior Muhlenberg
M, b. 6 September 1711, d. 7 October 1787
| Father* | Nicholas M. Muhlenberg |
- At Berks, Pennsylvania, Relationship between Conrad Weiser and Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg.Relationship between Conrad Weiser and Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg - The Tulpehocken bi-centennial
- Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, D. D., considered the Patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America, was the founder of the Muhlenberg family in this country to which he had come from Germany in 1742. He first went to Georgia, but soon afterwards came to Pennsylvania where he settled at The Trappe, now in Montgomery County, living there until his death in 1787 and establishing a high reputation for learning. He was the father of three sons, all of whom became eminent leaders in the affairs of their country: Major General Peter Muhlenberg, one of President Washington's generals throughout the entire Revolutionary War, a member of Congress while Washington was President, and later United States Senator from Pennsylvania; Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, a member of the Continental Congress, Speaker of the House during the First and Third congresses of the United States, and twice candidate of the Federal party for governor of Pennsylvania; Henry Ernest Muhlenberg, D. D., eminent naturalist and Lutheran clergyman. The descendants of these three eminent men, as well as those of their four sisters, all achieved much distinction in the many different fields of human endeavor to which they devoted themselves.
- Reverand Henry Melchior Muhlenberg immigrated in 1742.
- On 17 August 1844 Henry A Muhlenberg biography.
Henry A Muhlenberg biography 17 Aug 1844 Sunbury American (Sunbury, PA)
Henry A Muhlenberg biography - part 2 - 17 Aug 1844 Sunbury American (Sunbury, PA)
Henry A Muhlenberg biography - part 3 - 17 Aug 1844 Sunbury American (Sunbury, PA)
Henry A Muhlenberg obituary - 17 Aug 1844 Sunbury American (Sunbury, PA)
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Child of Reverand Henry Melchior Muhlenberg and Anna Maria Weiser
- Maria Salome Muhlenberg b. 1766, d. 1827
Maria Salome Muhlenberg
F, b. 1766, d. 1827
| Father* | Reverand Henry Melchior Muhlenberg b. 6 Sep 1711, d. 7 Oct 1787 |
| Mother* | Anna Maria Weiser b. 24 Jun 1727, d. 23 Aug 1802 |