Peter Schell (1746 - 1797)

Born 15 Nov 1746 in Heidelberg Township, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Anna Maria (Wolf) Schell — married 2 Apr 1771 in Christ's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Stouchsburg, Marion Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 13 Feb 1797 at age 50 in Heidelberg Township, Berks, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Michael Schell [send private message]

Biography

Male haplogroup predicted to be J-M241, also known as j2b2

Note: Peter's older brother Herman died in 1776, and some of the Martin Schell land ended up in the possession of Peter, who became the oldest male heir upon the death of his older brother.

Occupation: weaver and farmer.

2 Apr 1771: Peter Schell married Anna Maria Wolf at Stouchsburg, Marion Township, Berks, Pennsylvania, United States^[1]

1790 census shows Peter Shell as head of household located in Heidelberg Township, Berks, Pennsylvania. The household consists of 2 males over 16, 3 males under 16, and 2 females. Notable neighbors on the same census sheet include the Widow Wolf (probable mother of Peter's wife Anna Maria Wolf), Henry Knopp, Tobias Pickle (AKA Bickel--both Tobias Bickel Sr and Tobias Bickel Jr), Henry Knopp, and various members of the Zerbe and Gruber families (known neighbors based on property records), George Stump, and Philip Moyer

Children of Peter Schell and Anna Maria Wolf:

1. Simon (1772- ) Baptized 1 Apr 1772 at Christ Little Tulpehocken Church. Sponsors Simon Borrar & wife.
2. Jacob (1774- ). Baptized 24 May 1774 at Christ Little Tulpehocken Church. Sponsors Jacob & Anna Catharine Knoll.
3. Johannes (1778-1836) b. 21 July 1778 m Maria Emerich.
4. Christian (~1780- ).
5. Peter (1783-1841). m Eva Rieth; 5 children.
6. Maria Catharina (1789- ) Baptized 14 April 1789 at Christ Little Tulpehocken Church. Sponsors Henrich & Maria Catharina Knob.

He died in 1797.

Buried: 1797 Christ Little Tulpehocken Church cemetery, Berks Contry Pennsylvania.

Will: 23 Mar 1797. Will of Peter Schell of Heidelberg, Berks administered by May Ann, his widow.

Estate: A petition filed by his son John Shell of Heidelberg Township in Berks County in February 1799 names his wife Maria Anna and five children: Simon, Christian, John, Peter and Catherine. John Schell's petition to be awarded his father's 116-acre farm in Heidelberg Township was granted. (Berks County Estate File HB11)^[2]

Research Notes

Mr Herbert Schell (1899-1994) found the grave of Peter Schell (1746-1797) in the old cemetery of Christ Little Tulpehocken (Lutheran) Church, about a mile and a half from Bernville, Berks, County Pa, and also that of his wife, Anna Marie Wolf Schell. Members of the next five generations are buried there in either the old or the new cemeteries. Mr Herbert Schell himself was confirmed in that church in 1916. He said it was the grave of this Peter that was his first evidence to dispell the printed lineage claiming our Schell line was descended from Michael Schell, a 1732 immigrant who settled in Montgomery County, PA.^[3]

This Peter Schell/Shell should not be confused men having similar names living in other locations in Berks county. That is, Peter Schell of Longswamp Township, Berks, Pennsylvania and Peter Schell/Shell of Tulpehocken Township, Berks, Pennsylvania

1758: A Peter Shell appears on the Heidelberg Township, Berks County Tax List, where he is recorded as paying 18 shillings^[4]But he cannot be the person represented by this profile (wrong age).

Event: Appointment of guardian for Peter. 13 MAY 1758. Berks County Orphans Court. Note: Petition sponsored by Martin's widow Maria Elizabeth Shell and her second husband Simon Bogenreif. Martin Shell left 7 children, one of whom, Martin Jr., died last winter (that is, late 1757). Hermanus (now age 17)- Harman Bartorf, guardian. Elizabeth, age 16, George Peter Bartorf, guardian. Mary-Margaret, age 13, Peter Schell and Christian Walborn, guardians. Peter, age 12, Peter Schell and Christian Walborn, guardians. Christian, age 5, Peter Schell and Christian Walborn, guardians.

16 Nov 1764: ^[5] Peter Shell makes a request to chose his guardian and he choses Peter Knop of Heidelberg Township as his Yeoman, and guardian of Peter's estate. Peter Knop is the Father-in-Law of Peter Shell's older brother Hermanus. Appointment of guardian for Peter.

16 Nov 1765: ^[6] Peter's guadianship is re-appointed to his eldest brother Hermanus, who is now of age and married to the daughter of Peter Knop.

26 Mar 1781: ^[7] This concerns 150 acres adjoining the lands of Jacob Knoll, Philip Himmelbergers and others. The document concerns how the land will be surveyed.

Quote: Your are therefore commanded that taking with you 12 honest and lawful men of your balliwick you go to the said message or tentament plantation and tract of 150 acres of land situated in Tulpehocken.

Will: 3 Mar 1797. Signed by widow Mary Ann Schell (x mark). Peter's wealth assessed as £183.

1 Apr 1797: Appraisal of Peter's wealth. The widow Maria (Mary Ann) Schell is administrator of the estate (signed with an X). Assessment made by George Lauks and Abraham Beyer. Largest asset is the bond of Simon Schell, the oldest son ( £50), who is apprenticed to Simon Sharff. Smaller debts for weaving services were collected from: George Mountz, Jacob Mayer, William Anderson, George Lauks, and George Zerbe.

From the Peter Schell estate, debts (about £223) were paid off to about 35 people including: John Lechnor, Adam Smith, Christian Albrecht, Jacob Lingel, Adam Sneider, John Miller, Willam Wood, George Fohrer, Georg Lauks, Jacob Waggoner, Henry Shell, Mathias Waggoner, George Sharff, George Waggoner, John Waggoner, Abraham Beyer, Christian Zerbe, Adam Kalbach, John Lechner. Since debts exceeded assets, two of the sons (Simon and Christian) became apprenticed to cover the remaining debts . A later document shows an additional bond for the younger son John to John Sharff and John Fengel.

May 1799: Peter's widow Maria petitions court to have guardians appointed for her two youngest children, Catharine and Peter.

28 Nov 1800: ^[8] Petition of John Shell, third son of Peter Shell, late of Heidelberg Township. It has been 2 years and 3 months since Peter died, leaving a widow Maria Ann and 5 children, to wit: Simon (who has released his right unto George Sharff), Christian, your petitioner (John), Peter, and Catharine--all minors. Much of this is difficult to read, but it appears that the Peter Schell lands were seized as payment for his remaining debts. John Schell asks that the land not be partitioned/divided but kept intact. The 116 acres of land (which I assume is the land originally owned by Peter's father Martin) is adjoined by the lands of: Joseph Hofs, Henry Hofs, Henry Knop, George Hawke, and others. A group of 12 men assessed the value of this land to be £400.

Sources

1. ↑ "Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Marriage Records, 1512-1989", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6CYF-H61D : Sun Mar 10 00:28:15 UTC 2024), Entry for Peter Schell and Martin Schell, 2 April 1771.
2. ↑ "Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G991-66MF?cc=1999196&wc=9PMN-BZS%3A268499201%2C273256501 : 3 July 2014), Berks > Estates 1752-1799 Sell, George-Smith, Nicholas > image 738 of 2186; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.
3. ↑ Chronicles of the Mountz-Teeters and allied families, p. 48 Full Text at Family Search
4. ↑ https://archive.org/details/notesquerieshist00unse_14/page/18/mode/2up?q=heidelberg
5. ↑ Berks County Orphans Court.
6. ↑ Berks County Orphans Court.
7. ↑ Berks County Orphans Court.
8. ↑ Berks County Orphans Court.

• Strausstown Roots Peter Schell
• "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKJ-9JM : accessed 15 August 2020), Peter Shell, Heidelberg, Berks, Pennsylvania, United States; citing p. 143, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 8; FHL microfilm 568,148.
• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKF-ZSSQ : 13 December 2015), Peter Schell, 1797; Burial, Bernville, Berks, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Christ Little Tulpehocken Cemetery; citing record Find A Grave: Memorial #42507811