The Friedensthal Mill, Northampton County, Pennsylvania

The Friedensthal Mill, Northampton County, Pennsylvania John T. Humphrey* REQUENTLY RESEARCHERS will find material in the estate r file of an ancestor of both historical and genealogical value beyond the individual under investigation. In the estate file of John Jacob Eyerly, 1757-1800, an early resident and state assemblyman from Northampton County, Pennsylvania, there were numerous documents, including a list entitled "Outstanding Debts in Mill Book as per annexed List B."' On close examination, this list provides a census or list of individuals living within several miles of the mill and is evidence of the role or the importance of the mill in the lives of eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century rural inhabitants. The need for the mill owner/operator to extend credit for a relatively small expenditure such as milling grain demonstrates that rural inhabitants in the late eighteenth century were living and working in an economy where cash was not plentiful. John Jacob Eyerly was born 6 January 1757 in the Moravian settlement of Nazareth in Northampton County, Pennsylvania.' He was the only known son of John Jacob Eyerly (1716-1796) and Christina Schwarz (1730-1818).3 John Jacob Eyerly, Sr., was born in Wurttemberg, Germany, and immigrated on a Moravian transport that arrived in New York in 1753.4 His wife Christina Schwarz was born in Bottinge in the Palatinate and arrived in Philadelphia in 1737 at the age of seven. According to information located in the Moravian Archives, both her parents died en route to Philadelphia. *Editor's Note: The author received a B.A. in government and public administration from The American University in Washington, D.C. For the past 18 years he has been actively engaged in genealogical research and has traced his descent from 37 original settlers of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, including a number of the early Moravian settlers of Nazareth and Bethlehem. He is presently completing two volumes, soon to be released, on these early Northampton Countyfamilies. 325 326 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine John Jacob Eyerly, Sr., and Christina Schwarz were married in the Bethlehem Moravian Churcjh on 25 August 1755.6 There is little question that as a young man John Jacob Eyerly, jr., was educated in one of the Moravian schools in either Nazareth or Bethlehem, and he learned the trade of blacksmith probably from his father, who was one of the early blacksmiths in Nazareth. 7 On 13 January 1786, at the age of 31, John Jacob Eyerly, jr., married Anna Maria Frey, daughter of Henry and Anna Maria (Berstler) Frey.' Anna Maria was born 8 April 1759 in the Moravian settlement of Lititz, Pennsylvania, where her father Henry Frey was the "master carpenter and miller.' Within a year of their marriage their first child, Elizabeth Eyerly, was born, on 15 December 1786. John Jacob Eyerly, jr., and Anna Maria were the parents of four additional children: Jacob, born 23 June 1789; Anna Maria, born 12 April 1792; Johannes, born 31 January 1794; and Susanna Theodora, born 17 December 1796.10 The Friedensthal mill was located just to the west of the present borough of Stockertown in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, which in 1800 was at the juncture of three townships: Forks, Nazareth, and Plainfield." The area where the mill was located is referred to by local residents and historical records as "Friedensthal" or "vale of Peace."' The name was given to the area by the Moravians who in 1750 built the first mill to occupy the site. According to Moravian records the Church purchased 324 acres on 3 January 1750, from William Allen of Philadelphia. The deed description describes the site as "on the branches of Lehietan in the Forks of the Delaware in Bucks County."' The deed notes the property was bounded by "a line of land late of Tatamy an Indian . by John LeFevor's land other land of William Allen ...land late of George Whitefield called or known by the name of Nazareth . vacant land ...thence by the land late of the said Tatamy the Indian.' On 13 January 1750 several Moravians from Bethlehem began clearing the site of trees, and by 21 August 1750 the mill was ready for operation. In the intervening seven months the Moravians had constructed a two-story limestone structure measuring 34 feet by 48 feet with an overshot water wheel and one run of stones.' The interior of the mill was divided into four rooms. Within a year a second structure, constructed of logs, was built as a home for the miller and other Moravians who occupied the site.' During these early years the Friedensthal mill not only provided the Moravians and other local settlers with a place to grind grain, The Friedensthal Mill 327 but it also became a place of refuge or safe haven during the French and Indian War. In the late fall of 1755 and winter of 1756, after a number of Indian attacks and massacres north of the Blue Mountain, many local settlers fled to Friedensthal for safety. By 29 January 1756 there were 75 refugees at the mill including:17 George Minier, his wife, and seven children Philip Bossert, his wife, and seven children Jacob Stechert, his wife, and seven children Michael Koster, his wife, and five children Adam Engler, his wife, and four children Leonard Beyer, his wife, and four children William Lerch, his wife, and three children Peter Schaefer, his wife, and three children Martin Windt, his wife, and three children Frederic Ziegler, his wife, and two children William Stuber, his wife, and two children Hans Michael Wakker, his wife, and two children George Webb and his wife Magdalena, the widow of Abraham Miller A council of Moravian church leaders and members was held at the mill on 9 March 1756, and it was decided the mill should be stockaded. By the end of March the entire mill was enclosed within a wooden stockade.' The mill property was owned by the Moravian Church; however, actual title to all church property including the Friedensthal mill was held in the names of various church leaders, including Henry Antes, Nathaniel Seidel, and Frederick Marshall. John Jacob Eyerly, jr., purchased the mill on 1 May 1794 from Frederick Marshall for £4000. The property description in Eyerly's deed notes that he purchased 600 acres 27 perches with buildings, edifices, outhouses and "...grist [mill] there on erected . . and all the mill gears and mill pond, mill dams and other buildings gardens, orchards mill races. ...,,2o According to the deed there was also a "messuage" or house.' A short time after Eyerly purchased the property he built a new mill, which was the mill occupying the site at the time of his death on 11 May 1800.22 328 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine John Jacob Eyerly was not a miller by trade or profession. As a young man he learned the trade of blacksmith, and when he died he was also the proprietor of a blacksmith shop. In the early 1790s he was elected to two terms in the Pennsylvania Assembly, and he was very active in the purchase and sale of real estate, i.e., he was a real estate speculator. There is evidence the actual operation of the Friedensthal mill was handled by professional millers. According to a baptismal entry in the Schoeneck Moravian Church records, Philip Woodring was employed as the miller in the fall of 1795." How long Woodring fulfilled this task is to date unknown. Another baptism in the same church record in the fall of 1797 suggests he was either replaced with or assisted by the miller John Lischer.24 John Jacob Eyerly, jr., must have known his death was imminent as he made his will 4 May 1800, only seven days before he died.' According to the terms of his will the executors were to keep the "Friedensthal Mill and rent it out to the best advantage until my youngest child is arrived at the age of 14 years."' There is no date given on the list of those owing money to the mill, but presumably it was either compiled shortly after Eyerly's death or was in existence at the time of his death. The list is copied here as it was found in the estate file. It is interesting to note the varying amounts owed the estate. For example, Peter Dreisbach owed the mill 5s Thd, while John Repsher owed the mill £10 5s 3d and Frederick Ziegler was in debt to the Eyerly estate for £86 6s W. The largest debt owed the estate according to the mill records was the debt of William Henry, the owner of a gun factory located about a mile from the mill on the Bushkin Creek. It is also interesting to note that every individual who owned property contiguous to the Friedensthal Mill as noted in Eyerly's deed for the property is on the list. They include: Nicholas Seyfried, Adam Strenger, John Rothrock, George Stocker, Martin Kind, Henry Stofflet, Matthias Stecker, Andreas Stocker, and Philip Diehl." The names of the individuals who took the inventory were not included in the estate papers. Presumably this list was compiled by Abraham Levering, Joseph Schweishoupt, and Nicholas Kraemer, the executors named in the will. In each entry the meaning or significance of the designation "fo." followed by a number is not proved, but conceivably each of these debts was listed on a separate "folio" in the mill account book, hence the "fo." used in the list in the estate file, and were entered in the order they were found. 329 The Friedensthal Mill List of outstanding Debts in Mill Book' Christian Blattenberger Christian Miksh Jacob Burstler John Steiner George Junker John Allebach George Stocker Jacob Snierk John Jag Abraham Shortz Ludwig Rumage John Shaw James Williamson Nichs. Sheuerman Obitz Widdow William Horsfield John Hoch Henry Shoener Balzer Shwarz Frederick Ziegler Philip Sholl John Ruth Revd. John Molther Ludwig Erb Peter Dreisbach David Shelly Daniel Rohn Frederick Herman John Edmonds Michael Bassler Valentine Santee John Rumage Henry Steiner Matthew Alloman Jacob Shnall Christian Sheibly Martin Meyer Frederick Koehler Abraham Metzger Christn. Henry Miller fo. 10 12 15 17 18 20 22 23 Of 25 If 26 27 28 IP 30 31 32 33 35 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 Pf 44 46 46 47 48 49 E s d 3.16. 6 15. 7. 6031 11. 7. 3 42. 5.10 4. 3 30. 3. 2 . 4. 6 9.14. 3 .15. 1. 2. 6 22. 4.10k .11. 3 3.11. 2 . 5. 7 3.15. 3 1.16. 8 . 9. 2. 5. . 9. 86. 3. 3)di 14.10. 1. 5. 6)i 1. 2. 6 3.18. . 5. 73ii .12. 6 1.13. 9 8. 6. 6 91. 4. 4)di 10. 8. 434 1.10.10 . 5. 18.17. 6 6. 3. 4 10.13. 83 .10. .11. 3 17.15. 1 .15. 1. 4. 330 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Henry Snyder (Easton) John Repsher Jacob Weigand Christian Correll Peter Stout Carried forward [end of column 1] brought forward William Lister George Nolf Philip Faas Conrad George John Shaffer (Plft.) Jost Shmidt David Mishler Henry Hess Jos. Demuth Jacob Doffert John Nicolaus John Ward Jacob Ahoy Jacob Weiss Jacob Rumage Andrew Stocker Martin Frey Nicolaus Shaffer Daniel Kreidler John Walter John Wolf Jacob Gasster Melchior Christ Jacob Best Peter Reder Michael Hering George Kern James Brown Jacob Blatteberger John Rumfeld Jerems. Hess 51 52 PI 53 fo. 54 Fr 55 II 56 57 n 60 61 64 65 66 67 69 70 71 74 •1 75 76 77 78 80 82 83 85 86 If 87 92 [i s d] 1.17. 6 10. 5. 3 5. 5. 9 1. 8. 134 2. 2. 459. 5. 1)t i s d 459. 5. 1M .17. 3 2.16. 3 2. 8. 9 . 9. 43L . 9. 4 . 2. 6 1. 2. 6 1.13. 1. 9. .14. 1 8. 6. 6 3.16.1 7. 5. 7. 1. 6 2.10. 8. . 9 12.11. 6 . 7. 1. 6. 3 1. 2. 6 2. 1. 23i .10. 19.10. 8 .11. 3 4. 8. 1 42.18. 8 8. 3. 3 19.12 • 5. 1. 2. 6 80. 6. 5 The Friedenstital Mill Nathi. Clewell Match. Krause Franz Clewell Michel Mixsell Adam Heckman William Barnet Adam Stenger Freidr. Kreidler Jonas Hartzell Adam Hauk Martin Kind Friedr. Biel Michael Stocker Carried forward [end of page 11 brought forward Christian Ernst Jacob Rudy Tobias Konig David Konig Christoph Bathe]) Franz Shall& John Beutel John Arnold Daniel Ziegler Conrad Rohn Abraham Horn Robert Frain Daniel Clewell Christn. Jacob Flutter John Clewell Peter Abel John Kremser John Heckman Philip Riser John Hartzell John Popplewell Jacob Good Abraham Heller 331 94 95 96 97 99 100 101 102 Pr 103 PP 104 fo. 106 107 108 110 fr 111 113 PP 114 116 117 118 121 123 ft 126 127 128 129 130 131 [Si s d] 4.13. 7 8. 7. 9 . 7. 6 10. 7. 6 36.17. 6 7. 4. 4 . 2. 6 . 8. 6 18. 1. 3 6. 9. 4 . 2. 9 15. 2. 7 . 6. 9 806. .10 s d 806. .103 2.19.10 5. 2. 4. 14. . 3. 9 . 6. 6 5.14. 8 6. 3. flt 1. 2. 6 3.10. 3 . 2. 6 15. 3.10 4. 5. 1. 2. 6 5. 5. 1. 1. 4 . 6. 6 14. 1. 7 .15. 3. 1. 8 .11. 3 .16. 6. 4. '7)g 1.19. 4 332 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine s Elias Hummel Christian Stout Conrad Ernst Jacob Hanke Peter Christ Nicholas Kramer Philip Seifried John Shneider John Eckel Frederick Dieter John Miller Adam Stecher Philip Wink Christn. Henry Beck Samuel Shneider Nils Tillofson Peter Kunkler Ludwig Hintz George Kiebler Solomon Dotterer Gottlieb Stauber Henry Ruth Henry Derr Philip Woodring Friedrich Shafer Leonard Engler harried forward 132 134 136 138 142 143 144 150 15 1 152 153 . 154 155 156 if 158 159 160 161 Pp 164 PI 165 1. . 7. 6 . 7. 6 1.19. 7. 6. 2 10. . 3 9.12. 8 . 5. '73t 2. 9. 7 .13. 6 1. 1. 4 . 5. 7 .10. 2.15. .18. 6. . 3. 9 1.12. 3 .19.10 9.18. 6 6. 7.10 . 8. 9 2.12. 6 2.12. 6 .18. 1.15. 6 968.19. 9 [end of column 1] brought forward Jacob Shaffer George Huber Gottlieb Demuth Henry Stoll:let Christian Paulus Elisabeth Giersh Dealing Widdow George Hahn Matths. Stecher Michael Brush fo. 166 167 168 169 171 174 177 178 180 s d 968.19. 9 2.16. 9 33.13. 3 . 5. 6 .13.10 . 2. 6 1. 6. 4 1.16. 3 8. 9.10 1.13. 9 2.12. 6 The Friedensthal Mill 333 s d] Peter Rippe' George Keller Nicholas Die Adam Stocker John Rehrig Doctor Sivily William Miller Paul Masser Joseph Levering Henry Miller John Craig Anna Strobel Ludwig Sherer Frederick Doely William Craig Philip Deily Conrad Shiffer Peter Meyer Jacob Bassler Abrm. Beutelman Jos. Shweishoupt George Gold William Hill George Brush Adolph Jorde John Rothrock William Henry Peter Stocker & Peter Rippel due by Contract on the purchase of a Tract of land Total 182 185 186 187 188 189 193 196 200 201 202 203 205 206 207 208 210 213 214 219 222 226 228 229 230 1. 2. 8. 3. 9. . 5. . 6.10M 3. 7. 6 3.16. 7 4.19. 9 .16. 6 . 2. 6 .15. 1.12. 6 . 2. 2.18. 1 6. .14. 6 .12. 9 21. 7. 2 1. 1. 8 1. 7.434 18. 3.11 1.13. 6 14.14. 5 20. 8.11 96. 3 218.17. 6 368. 3. 4 206. 2021. 2.113it Entered in General Inventory Notes 1. Estate file of John Jacob Eyerly, Register of Wills, Northampton Co., Easton, Pa., estate file #1994. 2. Record of Births of the Nazareth Moravian Congregation as also of those of the Affiliated Congregations of Genadenthal (sic), Friedensthal, and Nisky from 1743-1800 both Inclusive, unpublished manuscript with index, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 23. 334 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 3. Rev. William T. Kluge, "The Moravian Graveyards at Nazareth, Pa., 17441904," Transactions of the Moravian Historical Society, 7:117. 4. John W. Jordan, "Moravian Immigration to Pennsylvania, 1734-1767," Transactions of the Moravian Historical Society, 5:77. 5. Kluge, "Moravian Graveyards at Nazareth," 126. 6. Clarence E Beckel, ed., Marriage Records of the Bethlehem Moravian Congregation with Supplementary Biographical Material, 1742-1892, in Two Volumes, unpublished typescript, Bethlehem Public Library, Bethlehem, Pa., 1:28. 7. Two Centuries ofNazareth, 1740-1940 (Nazareth, Pa., 1940), 84. 8. "Marriage Register of the Moravian Church, Nazareth, 1742 1800," Record of Pennsylvania Marriages Prior to 1810 (Baltimore, 1968), 2:132. 9. Kluge, "Moravian Graveyards at Nazareth," 138. 10. Births of the Nazareth Moravian Congregation, 23. 11, Northampton Co. Deed Bk. B, 2:398.-401, Recorder of Deeds, Northampton Co., Easton, Pa., Note: Bushkill Twp., which is also near the site and was the home of many of the individuals on the list, did not become a township until 1813. Prior to 1813 the area which that later became Bushkin Twp, was part of Plainfield Twp. 12. Rev. William C. Reichel, Friedensthal and its Stockaded Mill: A Moravian Chronicle, 1749-1767 (Nazareth, Pa., 1877), 8. 13. Bucks Co. Deed Bk. 8:257-60, Recorder of Deeds, Bucks Co., Doylestown, Pa., Note: When the mill property was purchased and the mill built in 1750, Northampton Co. was still part of Bucks Co. 14. Ibid. 15. Reichel, Friedensthal and its Stockaded Mill, 7. 16. Ibid. 17. Ibid., 24. 18. Ibid. 19. Ibid., 27. 20. Northampton Co. Deed Bk. B, 2:399. 21. Ibid. 22. Reichel, Friedensthal and its Blockaded Mill, 35. 23. Charles M. Sandwick, Eighteenth Century Vital Records from the Early Registers of the Moravian Congregation at Schoeneck, unpublished typescript, Easton Area Public Library, Easton, Pa., 31. 24. Ibid., 32. 25. Will of John Jacob Eyerly, Northampton Co. Will Bk. 4:8-10, Register of Wills, Northampton Co., Easton, Pa. 26. Ibid. 27. Northampton Co. Deed Bk. B, 2:399. 28. Estate file of John Jacob Eyerly, Register of Wills, Northampton Co., Easton, Pa., file #1994.