NEWSLETTER MAY 1996
This is an important month coming up for the research in the MAURER and BRILL lines. At the time you receive this newsletter, Trudy Schenk, our researcher will be in Germany seeking more information on the Michael MAURER and Martin BRILL lines.
As an update let me review some items. The research is very firm that our Michael MAURER comes from the Goggenbach, Wuerttemberg, Germany area. Very likely he was born in Goggenbach about 1720. The problem we have here is that the records of the Goggenbach Church were burned in 1741 and thus research in the original records is very hard to do before that time.
There is much linking evidence that this is the area of our ancestors. Others who came on the ship with our ancestor, Michael MAURER, are identified as coming from this area.
The 1700's was a time of turmoil in Europe and particularly Germany. Economic times were difficult. Starvation, disease, political turmoil and social problems plagued the country. Pennsylvania was recently advertised as a haven for the German. Free land was offered if Germans would come and settle.
The opportunity to have your own farm, your own land, was irresistible. These were German peasants who had little hope of becoming more than a peasant. These German farmers responded to the hope offered in this distant land of America. During the early 1700's many thousands of Germans made their way to the Rhine River, sailed to Rotterdam and made preparations to sail to America.
The British colonies in America required at this time for immigrations to originate from England, so ships often sailed from Holland to England (Cowes) and then sailed to America. It was in the year of 1738 that our ancestor, Michael MAURER left his home in Wuerttemberg as an 18 year old boy ready for a new life in the free land of America. His parents probably did not come to America. We see that he sailed without them apparently. Perhaps he was the hope of the family as Germans often pooled their money and sent a son to America to prepare for later immigrations of relatives. We see no evidence in America that his parents came from Germany or lived near Michael. He very likely never saw his parents again. Imagine his thoughts at leaving his home, this young man. What an adventure.
We have identified two ships arriving in 1738 who may have carried our Michael MAURER. On 9 Sep 1738 the ship, Glasgow, arrived in Philadelphia with 349 "Palatines" on board. Listed was Michal MAURER age 24. We do not think this was our Michael because we have identified others on the Charming Nancy who came from the Doettingen / Goggenbach area of Germany.
On 9 Nov 1738 the ship, Charming Nancy, arrived with 200 Palatines on board. The ship came from Rotterdam via Cowes, England. A Johan Michael MAURER age 18 and a Hans Philip MAURER age 32 were on board. We have found evidence of Philip in Doettingen records.
FHL #20345 item 7 Keller's Union Church, Bedminster, Bucks, Pa page 90-116 Communion records. Mentioned are Michael Maurer and wife Elisabeth. Henry Emich and wife Catharine, Philip Emig, Henry Emig and many Diehls are found in this record. This is significant because German families moved together in America as they migrated from place to place. Since they usually spoke no English, they congregated with other Germans and attended German speaking Churches.
We have not identified the origins of John AMICK yet, but we believe he comes from the York Co., Pa AMICK family and this probably ties back into Henry EMICH who lived in Bucks County. That is another problem we will yet solve when we get to the point of finding the AMICK origins in a couple of years. First we must find the MAURER and BRILL families.
Soon after coming to America, Michael MAURER met Anna Elisabetha KOLB, a young girl from the Meckesheim, Baden, Germany area--- not all that far from Goggenbach. She and Michael married in the early 1740's. Exact date and marriage place are probably in non-surviving Church records of the era.
There were probably more children born before those we have identified. I suspect a Johannes MAURER and a Peter MAURER, but we have not located those records. They are probably in the same records lost which contain the marriage record for Michael and Anna Elisabetha.
The first child we have identified was Maria Catarina MAURER, christened in the Falkner Swamp Lutheran Church in New Hanover, Montgomery, Pa on 2 Jun 1745, daughter of Michael and Anna Elisabeth MAURER. Witness to the christening is Bernhard RENN and wife. We have identified Bernhard RENN who immigrated on the ship, Thistle of Glasgow on 29 Aug 1730. The ship carried Palatines. I suspect this daughter married a Frederick FUNK, but I have not been able to prove this, but I see them appearing in MAURER records where ever the MAURER family moved. This marriage and family needs to be studied.
The second child identified was Maria Elizabeth MAURER christened on 27 Mar 1748 FHL # 0933990 Augustus Evangelical Lutheran Church, Trappe, Montgomery, PA p. 63, daughter of Michael and Anna Elisabeth MAURER. Witness was Martin KALB and wife. We have identified a Martin CALB as immigrating to America on 4 Sep 1728 on the ship, Albany. Families on the ship were listed as Palatines. Pennsylvania German Church Records, vol. 2 page 229. I am working on this man and his family. I have him identified as coming from Mannheim, which is not far from Meckesheim. I believe him to be a cousin to Anna Elisabetha KOLB. We need to find the linking evidence between the KOLB family of Mannheim and the KOLB family in Meckesheim just a few miles away.
The next child of Michael MAURER we have identified is Anna Margaret MAURER (married Christopher BRILL) was christened on 19 Jan 1751 in the Augustus Evangelical Lutheran Church in Trappe Twp., Montgomery Co., Pa. Witness was Philip KRESLER's wife, Anna Maria. We have identified Philip KRESLER age 20, who immigrated on the 11 Oct 1732 on the ship, Pleasant. Listed on this ship were 42 Palatine families.
The last child we have identified is Andrew MAURER (this Andrew MOWER was the father of Michael MOWER, who was the father of Henry MOWER Sr.) and was christened 23 Apr 1753 in the Trinity Union Lutheran Union Church, in Springfield Twp., Bucks Co., Pa the son of Michael and Anna Elisabeth MAURER. Witness to the christening was Andrew KALB and Maria Salome KOHL, d/o Johan George KOHL. FHL #20354, Springfield Twp., Bucks Co., Pa: Trinity Union Lutheran Church 1751-1795 pg. 5.
I think this Andrew KALB is the son of Martin KOLB who witnessed Maria Elisabeth's christening. In a letter from Mennonite Heritage Center Library and Archives 7 Dec 1992: States in the Abram C. HUNSICKER Genealogical File is this information: Children of Martin KOLB are Adam, Andrew, John, Jacob, Barbara (found in Will). Also Catharine bn. 1751; Mary bn 1753; Anna Barbara 1754; Catharine Eliz. bn 1756; Maria Magdalena bn 1758; Anna Maria bn 1760.
Also an Andreas KOLB immigrated on the Duke of Bedford, 14 Sep 1751 from Rotterdam and last from Portsmouth. Also on this ship was Abraham KOLL, perhaps related to John George KOHL.
FHL #940443 Trinity Union Church 1751-1795 Lutheran Church Records, Springfield Twp., Bucks, Pa p. 5. Birth of Andrew Maurer recorded 14 Oct 1752; Pg. 2 lists Elizabeth as a communicant 13 Nov 1751. Martin Briel and Anna Maria in 1755. p. 8; Herman Briel p. 9 in 1756. So we see from this entry that the BRILL family was attending the same Church as the MAURER family in Bucks County during the 1750's. That is where Anna Margaret MAURER met Christopher BRILL I am sure and that led to the marriage which eventually led to the birth of a grand daughter, Anna Maria BRILL who married John AMICK.
1 Mar 1768 in Nockamixon Twp., Bucks, Pa: Christopher BRIEL, a son of Martin and Anna Maria, was married to Anna Margaret MAURER, daughter of Michael and Elisabeth. (Pennsylvania German Marriages: Marriages and Marriage Evidence in Pennsylvania German Churches, page 326)
Michael MAURER, our ancestor, probably died in Bucks County, Pa as he stopped showing up in the list of communicants about 1768. He obviously had been a religious man his whole life. He attended Church often and had his children attend Church.
Following the Revolutionary War in which Andrew MAURER (MOWER) served, the MAURER family and the BRILL family decided to leave Pennsylvania and migrate to the Maryland / Virginia area. They settled in a place where Andrew MOWER had seen action during the war and where he had survived an ambush.
Revolutionary War record found in The Pennsylvania German Society, pp 330-332 shows that Andrew MOURER was a private in the Northampton Volunteers and fought in the battle of Sugar Loaf on 11 Sept 1780 in Maryland. Sugar Loaf Mountain is not far from Berlin, Maryland. The information thus gathered leads one to believe that Andrew was born in Pennsylvania and lived there until after the Revolutionary War when he then moved his family to Loudoun Co. Virginia. In Pennsylvania he had 4 children---John Michael by wife Barbara, and 3 children by wife Margaret---Molly, Sarah, Jacob. It may be that Margaret and Barbara are the same person.
The Bucks County Tax Records 1693-1778, compiled by Bucks Co., Genealogical Society, page 90: 1778 Nockamixon Twp. lists John MOWER tax of 15 shillings; Andrew MOWER tax of 1 pound, Frederick FUNK, 1 pound 5 shillings. Frederick FUNK may have married Andrew's sister.
During the Revolutionary War in 1779 Andrew MOWER was listed as a resident of Berwick Twp., Adams Co., Pa. Listing of Inhabitants 1779 Adams Co., Pa, pg. 7 FHL 974.8 A1 No. 293.
Following the war during the period of time under which America was governed by the Articles of Confederation and the same year the Constitution was being written by Ben Franklin and the boys in Philadelphia, Andrew MOWER appears in the 1787 Census of Virginia living in Loudoun County listed near Peter MOWER: FHL 975.5 RrSn Vol. 1 page 30. This makes me believe Peter is a brother of whom we have found no birth record.
We found a land purchase for Andrew Mower in Frederick Co., Maryland Deeds 1742-1820 FHL # 013942-013960: Vol. 8 (WR) pg. 540--dated 15 Apr 1789 Rec: same. Leonard SMITH, planter of Frederick Co., to Andrew MOURER (MOWER) for the sum of F5 (specie) for lot #27 in the town of Berlin containing 1/4 acre. Also approved by Elizabeth SMITH, wife of Leonard. Wits: Wm. MAC GRUDER, Wm. LUCKETT.
In Virginia Andrew and Margaret had a son, Johann Conrad MAURER. This child was baptized in the St. James Church in Lovettsville, Va. About 1790. FHL #1428440 Item 5, St. James United Church of Christ Church Register, Loudoun County, Virginia page 4. Now we know this son was named after Andrew MOWER's grandfather, Johannes Conradus KOLB of Meckesheim, Baden, Germany. By 1790 Andrew moved to Frederick County, Maryland very close to Loudoun Co. Va. and Andrew appears on the 1790 Maryland Census. Listed in his home are 4 males under age 16, 1 male over 16 and 8 females.
His daughter, Anna Catharine MAURER was born 9 Aug 1791, while the family lived in Maryland but baptized 18 Sep 1791 in New Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lovettsville, Loudoun Co. Virginia FHL #538120. This is because the Lovettsville Church is just across the Virginia border.
2 more children---Phoebe, and Andrew, were assumed to be born in Maryland because they show up in Andrew's Will, but their actual birth dates and christenings have not been located. The evidence shows that Andrew Jr. was born between 1793-1799 because in 1813 following Andrew Sr.'s death, Margaret appeared in Orphan Court in Bedford with Andrew, a minor over the age of 14. (Bedford Orphan Court Records).
We see in 1792 that Andrew sold his Maryland property in preparation for another move to new property. Vol. 11 (WR) pg. 375 dated 22 Dec 1792 Rec: 7 Mar 1793 Leonard SMITH and wife Elizabeth to Andrew MOWER both of Frederick Co., Md. for F5 (current money) for lot 27 in Berlin. Wits: Wm. MAC GRUDER, Pat. Sim. SMITH.
This transaction is the remainder of the property they owned in Berlin, Maryland which they sold in 1793. Vol. 12 (WR) pg. 135 dated: 13 Nov 1793 Rec: 20 Dec 1793 Andrew MOWER, stone mason, of Frederick Co., Md. and wife, Margaret MOWER to Conrad SHAFER of Loudon Co., Va., weaver for F18 (c. m.) for lot 27 in Berlin. Wits: Wm. MAC GRUDER, Wm. LUCKETT.
We then find that FHL #1028695 Margaret MOUR requests to purchase 400 acres adjoining Andrew MOUR in the county of Bedford 8 May 1794. This probably indicated that Margaret MOWER, wife of Andrew, had inherited some money from the death of her father and with that money she purchased land. We do not know her maiden name, but it is very likely a will exits somewhere leaving daughter Margaret some money. This will is probably dated about 1790-1793 and might be in Maryland or Pennsylvania. If all wills were indexed for those states for that time period it might lead to the maiden name of Margaret, but I do not think they are all indexed. It would be an exhaustive search, but that might be the only way we could learn Margaret's name. Usually in a will she would be named daughter Margaret, wife of Andrew MOWER (MOUR) or whatever name he would be spelled as. The linking evidence might be found by searching wills. Anybody game to try reading many wills? Chances are the wills of Bucks and surrounding counties and or Frederick County Maryland for that time period might yield results.
I have a lot to report on research done on the internet which is bringing us many relatives, but that will have to wait for another newsletter. May we all concentrate on the work going on in Germany that we may be successful. Thanks to those who contributed $3500 so Trudy could go there for a couple of weeks. I really hope it is successful. This is the only way since the records are not here. Thanks all!!!