Volume 13 , Issue 11

30,000 Names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French & Other Immigrants In Pennsylvania

This Collection of 30,000 Names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French & Other Immigrants In Pennsylvania, by Prof. I. Daniel Rupp, author of several historical works, is a statement of the names of ships, whence they sailed and the date of their arrival at Philadelphia. It is chronologically arranged, together with the necessary Historical and other notes. You can view the appendix containing lists of more than one thousand German and French names in New York prior to 1712. Parts are in German, but there is also a translation into English for those who do not read German.

On page 47, it begins with "Names of German, Swiss and other Immigrants" and states, "At a meeting of the Board of the Provincial Council, held at the Court House in Philadelphia, Sept. 21, 1727, one hundred and nine Palatines appeared, who, with their families, numbered about four hundred persons. These were imported into the Province in the ship William and Sarah, William Hill, Master, from Rotterdam, last from Dover, England, as by clearance from the officers of His Majesty's customs there. The said Master being asked if he had any license from the Court of Great Britain for transporting those people, and what their intentions were in coming hither, said that he had no license or allowance for their transportation other than the above clearance, and that he believed they designed to settle in this Province. -- Co. Rec. III. 283."

Immigrants were usually qualified at the Court House, occasionally elsewhere. October 15, 1766, at the dwelling house of John Lawrence, Mayor of Philadelphia. January 13, 1767, and October 6, 1767, at the Office of Thomas Willing, Esp. December 8, 1773, at the house of Peter Miller, Esq., in Philadelphia.

All male persons above the age of 16 years repeated and subscribed their names, or made their mark, to the following Declaration:

"We subscribers, natives and late inhabitants of the Palatinate upon the Rhine and places adjacent, having transported ourselves and families into this Province of Pennsylvania, a colony subject to the crown of Great Britain, in hopes and expectation of finding a retreat and peaceable settlement therein, Do solemnly promise and engage, that we will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His present Majesty, King George the Second, and His successors, kings of Great Britain, and will be faithful to the proprietor of this Province; and that we will demean ourselves peaceably to all His said Majesty's subjects, and strictly observe and conform to the Laws of England and of this Province, to the utmost of our power and the best of our understanding." What follows in the next pages are lists of the German and Swiss immigrants.

On page 420, there is an Addenda A that reads, "The Schwenckfelders are called after Caspar Schwenckfeld von Ossing, a Silesian Knight, and counselor to the Duke of Liegnitz, Prussia. Schwenckfeld was a contemporary with Luther, Zwingli and other Reformers, and had his adherents, who were tolerated by the German Emperors, in the arch-dukedom of Silesia, especially in the principalities of Taur and Liegnitz, for nearly two hundred years. They, like many others, had to endure persecutions in 1590, 1650, 1725, when they were compelled to seek shelter in Upper Lusatia, Saxony, under the protection of the Senate of Gorlitz, and also of Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf, who had them under his protection about eight years, when they resolved to emigrate and seek a home in Georgia; but on arriving in Holland they were persuaded to go to Pennsylvania. Some came over in 1733, but the greater part in 1734." (See pp. 90, 94, 95, 96).

On page 429, it gives names of first settlers at Germantown and vicinity, from 1683to 1710. Names having an asterisk(*) attached were naturalized by an Act of assembly, 1708-1709.

Francis Daniel Pastorius*, Isaac Dilbeck*, Jacob Schumacher, Tunes Kunders*, Georg Wertmuller, Arents Klincken. There is more lists of of Germantown settlers on page 430 of this same book.

On page 479 of this online ebook, there is an "Interprettion of Baptismal Names" occurring in the "Collection of Thrity Thousnad Names." Check out the link above to see if your ancestor is listed.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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