Christoph Demuth (1689 - 1754)

Born 9 Nov 1689 in Karlov, Bohemia

Descendants

Died 5 Mar 1754 at age 64 in Nazareth, PA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ron Hallberg [send private message]

Palatine Immigrant

Biography

Christoph Demuth was brother of Tobias Demuth. He was a box-maker by trade, but later on served also as a minister. He was a very devout Christian and was the first of the Demuth family to leave for exile in Herrnhut (Ochranov), Lusatia (1725). A few weeks later, Christiph returned to Moravia for his wife and two children. On August 13, 1727, he and his wife, Anna Maria Schmidt, were the participants at the Brethren's public communion at Berthelsdorf, Lusatia, which gave birth to the renewed Unity of Brthren (Unitas fratrum), later known as Moravian Church.

In 1726, in the company of Christian David of Zenklava, Moravia, he went back to Moravia, remaining there for six months. During that time he visited numerous places, seeking devout members of the ancient Bohemian Uitas fratrum, the followers of John Hus and John Amos Comenius, often on concealment ("hidden seed"), in order to pursuade them to join the growing Brethren colony in Herrnhut. This was a dangerous undertaking because in case he was caught he would have been immediately jailed and severly punished for such illegal activities. Subsequently he lived in Herrnhut, where he suppoted his family by the labor of his hands. At the same time, however, he worked in various capacities for his Moravian Brethren Church. Thus in 1729, he went to Berlin and in 1732 to various places in Prussia. In 1730, in company of Frederick Boehnisch of Moravia, he went to Wurtemberg and subsequently brought out two young women to Herrnhut from Switzerand.

In 1743, he and his wife sailed together, with 120 other Moravian Brethren, on the vessel "Little Sttrength," arriving in New York on November 26, 1743. They settled in Bethlehem, A, becoming members of of the "Moravian Economy".

He then served as Moravian minister in various places, such as Muhlbach, Germantown and Frederickstown. He was an oustanding singer and when he preached he often proclaimed gospel in song which was impressive as his devout "preastly walk." Most of the time he made Nazaret his home. He died on March 5, 1754, at the age of 64 years and was buried in the Moravian graveyard at Nazareth, PA.

Sources

• Neisser, George, " A List of the Bohemian and Moravian Emigrants to Saxony," transactions of the Moravian historical Society, Vol 9, Partys 3 and 4.

• Rechcigl, Miloslav, Jr., Demuth Family Tree. A Moravian-Brethren Family from Moravia, Czech Republic, in: RootsWebb. See - https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mila&idhttps://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mila&id

• Rechcigl, Miloslav, Jr., Moravian Brethren from Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia: Their Arrival and Settlement in America, Bohemia, Vol. 32, No. 1 (1991), pp.152-165.

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180773806/christoph-demuth : accessed 03 September 2021), memorial page for Christoph Demuth (13 Nov 1689–5 Mar 1754), Find a Grave Memorial ID 180773806, citing Nazareth Moravian Cemetery, Nazareth, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Dead Ringer (contributor 46986571) .