Philip Jacob Lehmann (abt. 1715 - bef. 1783)

Born about 1715 in Hunspach, Northern Alsace, Germany

Husband of Anna Barbara (Zimmerman) Lehman — married 18 Apr 1741 in Hunspach, Nothern Alsace, Germany

Descendants

Died before 29 Nov 1783 before about age 68 in Frederick County, Maryland

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Loretta Layman [send private message] and Claudia Breland [send private message]

Biography

PHILIP JACOB LEHMAN - Progenitor of the Layman Family in Maryland

Family

Philip Jacob Lehman was born to Nicklaus Lehemann in the Alsace roughly about 1710. It's unclear whether he was born in Hunspach, where he later married, or in Niederhorbach, where Nicklaus lived sometime prior to the marriage. Niederhorbach is 15 miles north-northeast of Hunspach. The Alsace is now part of France, while Niederhorbach is in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. As was often the custom in Germany, Philip was called by his middle name, Jacob.

Marriage

The Lehmann family lived in Niederhorbach, as shown in Jacob's marriage record: Philip Jacob Lehemann, son of the late Nicklaus Lehemann from Niederhorbach was married April 18, 1741 to Anna Barbara, daughter of the late Bernhardt Zimmerman. In the Hunspach Reformed Church, Jacob and Barbara had three children baptized: Maria Salome born April 11, 1742, baptized 15 Apr 1742; Johann Adam born May 18, 1744, baptized May 20, 1744; and Johann Bernhardt born January 21, 1747, baptized January 22, 1747. According to an old German custom still in use at the time, many families gave all their sons the same first name and all their daughters the same first name. Philip Jacob Lehmann followed this custom for his sons, but as yet there is no evidence he did so for his daughters.

Migration and Life in America

In 1752, Jacob left Hunspach for America, as recorded on the Zweibrucken Manumissions Protocoll, for Clee- and Catharinenburg. He brought with him his wife and three children. As noted in Jacob's marriage record, his father had died in Hunspach.

Settling in Frederick, Maryland, Jacob and Barbara had three more children baptized, these in the Frederick Reformed Church: Susanna baptized 1753 (sponsored by Johan and Susanna Neef, birth date not listed); Clara born 1759 and baptized October 21, 1759 (sponsored by Friedrich and Clara Holtzmann); and Jacob born March 21, 1764, baptized April 22, 1764 (sponsored by Jacob Froschauer and wife).

On September 28, 1762, Jacob was naturalized as an American citizen, listed on that occasion as Jacob Leahman of Frederick County, German, and a member of the Reformed Church of Fredericktown [now the City of Frederick]. Philip Jacob Lehman served a short time in the American Revolution, Martin's "Genealogical Index Frederick county, MD showing him as a Private in Capt. Ramsburg's company of militia.

According to Samuel Lehman's family history, the family had migrated south to Pennsylvania from New York and then over into Maryland. This apparently was not the case with Philip Jacob Lehman, who left Hunspach in 1752 and had a daughter baptized in Frederick, Maryland in 1753. Since the ocean voyage in that day required a matter of months, it is almost certain that he came directly to Maryland.

The other interesting thing we learn is that there were not two Jacobs to follow him, as Samuel Lehman had recorded. He was the Jacob, Sr. of Samuel’s record.

Will

Jackie (Lehman) Davidson, granddaughter of Samuel, provided a copy of the will of Philip Jacob Lehman "of Frederick County, farmer", dated 23 November 1782. It reads as follows:

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us. I, Philips Jacob Layman of Frederick County and the State of Maryland, farmer, being weak in body but of a sound memory blessed by God, do this day, which is the twenty third day of November in the year of our Lord, one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-two, make and publish this, my Last Will and Testament, in the manner following. That is to say:

"I give unto my son, JACOB LAYMAN, my plantation in Frederick County of the state of Maryland, adjoining Adam Lydy on the one side and Jacob Frushour on the other side, for during his Natural life and for his heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns, which plantation contains one hundred and twenty acres of land, but my son JACOB LAYMAN shall pay one hundred and fifty pounds specie among my three daughters: That is to say my son Jacob shall pay from this Date hereof to my daughter Salome, fifty pounds like money aforesaid, which payment shall be in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-seven at or upon the 23rd day of November. Also my son JACOB LAYMAN shall pay to my daughter Susannah fifty pounds like money aforesaid at or upon the same date and in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-eight. Likewise my Son JACOB LAYMAN shall pay to my daughter Clara fifty pounds like money aforesaid which payment is to be paid at or upon the same date above mentioned and in the year one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-nine. Moreover all my moveable goods are to be sold upon a publick vendue and my daughter Clara shall have twenty pounds specie exhernery (?) out of that vendue money, but the rest of the money is to be divided in four equal parts and therefore I, Philips Jacob Layman, have chosen my son-in-law, Philip Price, to be executor of my estate to take care and see the same performed according to my true intent and meaning."

In witness whereof I, the said, Philips Jacob Layman, have to this my Last Will and Testament set my hand and seal the day and year above written.

Philips Jacob Layman {Sealed} his mark

Signed, sealed and delivered by the said, Philips Jacob Layman, as and for his Last Will and Testament in the presence of us who were present at the signing and sending thereof:

Witnesses: David Rhinehart Christian Cassel Valentine Creager

Will recorded: December 17, 1762, Frederick County, Maryland, Volume GM1, line 256

Death

Jacob died sometime before November 29, 1783, the final account of his estate being filed on that date. Martin's "Genealogical index to Frederick County, MD" shows a Philip who died in 1791 at the age of 90; considering the 1783 accounting, that index likely reflects a typographical error.

Sources

• Samuel A. Lehman, Short History of the Lehman Family in Maryland, Baltimore, MD (1935), p. 9.
• Annette Kunselman Burgert,Eighteenth Century Emigrants from the Northern Alsace to America, Maryland (1992), pp. 325, 333-334 [a copy of which is located in the Frederick Historical Society on Church Street].
• Jeffrey A. Wyand and Florence L. Wyand, Colonial Maryland Naturalizations (1975), p. 41.
• 1764 Baptismal Record (Frederick's Evangelical Lutheran Church: Philip Jacob Lehman and his wife Barbara had a son Johann Jacob Lehman baptized on 22 Apr 1764).
• Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, MD: Microfilm of original baptismal records of Frederick's Evangelical Lutheran and Evangelical Reformed Churches.
• John Stanwood Martin, Genealogical Index to Frederick County, MD: The First Hundred Years, MD (1992). (pp34 - 36)
• Frederick County, MD Probate Administration Accounts, Liber GM-1, p. 256.
• Martin, Op. cit.