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Johannes Steiner (anglicized John Stoner Sr.) was born about 1701 in Bern, Switzerland to Johannes Steiner and Barbara Meister. He was originally an Anabaptist. Swiss persecution in the late 17th century had driven many Anabaptists from Switzerland down Europe's Rhine River to Germany's Palatinate and/or France's Alsace region, from which some migrated from Europe to America. John migrated sometime before 1727 (which is the year that Philadelphia's port finally began keeping immigration records steadily) from Germany via Rotterdam to America, and family traditions allege that he was among 3-5 brothers who did so, although this is currently unconfirmed. His name often appears as John Stoner in subsequent American records, although he continued to sign his name as Johannes Steiner throughout the remainder of his life. John was married during the mid-1720s, either in Europe or America, to Catharine Benneman.
John and Catherine settled in Pennsylvania's Philadelphia County (in a portion that would become Montgomery County in 1784) at Whitemarsh Township, along with various other Germanic immigrants. Some of their Whitemarsh neighbors were part of the relatively-new Church of the Brethren (or "Dunkers") who were performing their church's first baptisms in America; their converts included John and Catherine---if not at this time in Whitemarsh, then definitely within the following 15 years. As "Dunkers," they baptized by immersion, grew long beards, dressed and spoke plainly, refused to take oaths, refused to serve as jurors, refused to fight (even in self-defense), and anointed their sick with oil, among other beliefs/practices. John worked at Whitemarsh as both a farmer and a miller while starting to raise his family.
Dunkards including Alexander Mack, Jr., were naturalized on 11-13 April 1743 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.[3]
They relocated in 1728 from Whitemarsh Township to Pennsylvania's Chester County at Coventry Township alongside the Schuylkill River across from present-day Pottstown. In this place, John bought 175 acres of land on 1728 Dec 01 from John Sickler (which he later patented on 1734 Dec 31) and then resided there with his family. His land neighbored the land of Martin Urner, who had immigrated from France's Alsace region to become a major pioneer leader in the Church of the Brethren, founding the church's second American congregation at Coventry Township. This Pennsylvania deed record in 1728 ends the unclear portion of John's life and marks the start of a long trail of public records in which John appears. He is listed repeatedly in Coventry Township tax lists between 1729 and 1740 as either John Stiner or John Stone. John surveyed 169 acres of land adjacent to his own Coventry Township land in 1740, which he submitted on 1740 May 31 and patented on 1743 Aug 24. He was naturalized in 1743 Apr sometime between the 11th and 13th during a Supreme Court session, along with many fellow "Dunkers" from Pennsylvania's Chester County, and they all conscientiously refused to swear an oath in accordance with their religious principles. (Please note that a second John Stoner appears in the Coventry Township area between 1747 and 1753, and was apparently naturalized in 1750, but this other John was a Mennonite not a "Dunker.")
John and Catherine relocated again in 1743 to Pennsylvania's Lancaster County near Waynesboro (and near Pennsylvania's border with Maryland) with their growing family. While there, they seem to have temporarily associated with a two-decade-old Brethren offshoot known as the Seventh-Day Baptists (which sponsored a notable monastery known as the Ephrata Cloister), but they soon returned to the "mainstream" church. John received a warrant for 200 acres of land (eventually named "Belfast") on 1744 May 23 in Pennsylvania's Lancaster County straddling Antietam Creek, which was surveyed on both 1745 Oct 05 and 1748 Apr 01, on which he farmed and built Stoner's Mill, and taught his sons John Jr. and Jacob and David Sr. the trade of miller. This land became part of newly-created York County in 1749, followed by newly-created Cumberland County in 1750. While living here in this area, John bought-and-sold some land in nearby Maryland's Frederick County, as well, which apparently helped him to develop personal contacts in Maryland's Annapolis region.
John and Catherine relocated yet again in 1754 to Maryland's Anne Arundel County near present-day Severn, leaving Stoner's Mill in the custody of their son David. John obtained a warrant for land in Maryland's Anne Arundel County on 1754 May 22, which was renewed on both 1754 Nov 16 and 1755 May 10; he surveyed a tract of land on the west side of Severn Run named "Stoner's Delight" on 1755 Nov 03, patented it on 1756 Mar 02, and lived on it with his family. His Germanic family might have felt a bit out-of-place in Anne Arundel County among their very-English neighbors, but they were seemingly trying to avoid the impending violence of the French & Indian War, which officially lasted from 1756 to 1763, and included many Native American massacres of American settlers on the frontier, including members of the Church of the Brethren whose religious principles forbade them from defending themselves. While waiting out the war, John built a new Stoner's Mill on his new land, which became a local landmark in its day; its remains are now found about one mile east of Fort Meade between Severn and Odenton at the intersection of both Old Mill Road and Telegraph Road. Also during this time, John bought-and-sold many additional tracts of land in Maryland's Anne Arundel County, as well as in Maryland's Frederick County near his former home. Many of these transactions involved a wealthy Marylander named Charles Carroll II, whose son Charles Carroll III would become one the signers of the U. S. Declaration of Independence, and the Carrolls mention the Stoners in some of their personal correspondence. As the French and Indian War neared its end, John advertised on 1762 Feb 18 in the "Maryland Gazette" that he was intending to relocate to Maryland's Frederick County and, as such, he intended to sell his plantation on 1762 Mar 01, which then included 400 acres of land, 30 acres of newly-sown wheat and rye, a house, a barn, a saw-mill, a grist-mill, a spring-house, a 60-gallon still, three pairs of working oxen, six cows, a few hogs, some horses, two wagons, and some utensils. It appears that this sale didn't go as planned, as "Stoner's Delight" would eventually be inherited by John's son Jacob.
John (with or without Catherine) returned to Pennsylvania's Lancaster County sometime between 1764 Oct 06 and 1766 Dec 17, according to Maryland deed records, where he resumed living on their "Belfast" tract. The notable absence of Catherine's name on the latter deed suggests that she had died sometime between these two dates. John died on 1769 May 28 in Pennsylvania's Cumberland County near Waynesboro, as recorded by Brother Kenan of the nearby Ephrata Cloister. John was buried n what became known as the Stoner Cemetery. This cemetery, along with John's land, would become part of newly-created Franklin County in 1784, and it has since remained part of that county. John did not record any last will and testament, it seems, so Pennsylvania's Cumberland County granted "letters of administration" on 1769 Aug 17 to his sons David and Abraham to handle his estate. His estate was appraised, as recorded on 1769 Sep 09 in Maryland's Cumberland County, and this appraisal shows that John died with 750 acres of land in Pennsylvania, 1350 acres of land in Maryland, a still, one slave, and other chattel. Records indicate that his children included Catherine, Mary, John Jr., Jacob, David Sr., Agnes, and Abraham Sr. Some FamilySearch users have included additional children without citing any sources.
Richard R. Weber meticulously researched much of this information summarized above (and more), and published it in 1993 as a book entitled "Stoner Brethren."
Birth date: February 20, 1701 Birthplace: Berne, Bern, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
Death: Died May 28, 1769 in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States Place of
Burial: Waynesboro, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Son of Johannes Hans Steiner and Barbara Meister
In 1730 he received a 700 acre tract from his father-in-law. "A tract of 150 acres was near the present village of New Danville." Many of the present-day Stoner descendants in Lancaster Co., except in the vicinity of Ephrata [are] descended from this couple. Through the years, this has been the most important Stoner line in Lancaster Co., PA. Source: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/t/o/Scott-S-Stoner/GENE1-0025.html# CHILD 67633412
Half-brother of: Katharina Bachman; Henry A. Stoner; Jacob Steiner; Christian Steiner; John Stoner; Veronica Steiner Leib (1706-1769; Abraham Steiner; Magdalena Steiner; Anna Steiner.
The Carpenter's House, an early structure at Ephrata Cloister. Photograph from www.ephratacloister.org. |
The Brenneman History by Al;bert H. Gerberich 1938 page 396 gives the family of Catharine Brenneman who married John Steiner. Gerberich indicates that John died at Conestoga 1750 and that his estate was administered 1756.
John's death date and location along with inheritance from Brenneman, distinguish this John from John Stoner-301. Children originally in this profile that do not match to John and Catharine Brenneman Stoner are, in general transfered to Stoner-301. In most cases, the geography, for them fits better in Maryland.
This original WikiTree profile gave 17 children as shown below. Matches to Gerberich (and to the Mennonite Vital Records below) are marked with *. Matches to John Stoner's estate record are marked with +.
Mention in John Stoner estate record marked with + Mention in Brenneman Genealogy marked with *
Notes On Children Listed Above:
Menonite Vital Records show: John Steiner, 1705-1750 (son of John) married Catharine Brenneman dau of Pre. Melchoir Brenneman and Elizabeth.
Children were (per Brenneman Gen p. 396.)
See Also:
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S > Steiner | S > Stoner > Johann (Steiner) Stoner
Categories: Swiss-German and Mennonite Immigrants to Pennsylvania | German Baptist Immigrants to Pennsylvania | Ephrata Cloister, Ephrata, Pennsylvania | Palatine Migrants | German Roots
Steiner-2071 matches Stoner-301 with Same father, birth and death dates, wife is not connected to Steiner-2071, but is mentioned and is connected to daughter Eva. Profiles have similar information, although Steiner-2071 has no sources.
Steiner-2071 matches Stoner-301 with Same father, birth and death dates, wife is not connected to Steiner-2071, but is mentioned and is connected to daughter Eva. Profiles have similar information, although Steiner-2071 has no sources.
BIRTH 1705 Verwaltungskreis Bern-Mittelland, Bern, Switzerland DEATH 28 May 1769 (aged 63–64) Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA BURIAL Stoner Cemetery, Waynesboro, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA MEMORIAL ID Find A Grave: Memorial #15065753
Please merge
Per new info (12/23/19) this is incorrect and a rejected merge has been created. Do NOT merge Stoner-120 and Stoner-301!
edited by R Prior