George Weber (1693 - 1772)

Born 1693 in Winterthur, Zürich, Switzerland

Ancestors

Husband of Barbara (Guth) Weber — married before 1726 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 1772 at about age 79 in Weaverland, East Earl, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Bob Weaver [send private message]

Biography

George was born 1693 in Winterthur, Canton Zürich, Switzerland. He was the third child and third son of Johann Anton Wäber (1658-1725) and Maria Margarethe Herr (1663-1725) ^[1] who between 1683 and 1698 had six children, five sons, John "Hans or Johannes" Weber (1683-1775), Jakob Weber (1688-1747), Henry “Heinrich” Weber (1690-1745), George Weber (1693-1772), Hans Weber (1698-1755) and one daughter Maria Weber Landis (1695-1787). All the children were born in Switzerland. There is a legend that they had another daughter Anna Weber Martin (1692-1727) who married David Martin (1691-1784) but she died in 1727 on board the ship Molly, while immigrating to Pennsylvania and was buried at sea. ^{[2] [3]} When the Weaver brothers moved to Weaverland they left a 500 acre tract of land, for their sister and brother-in-law, that was located between her brother Jakob's land and her brother Henry's land that David Martin took up upon his arrival in 1727 to Pennsylvania. ^[4]

The Webers, originally from Winterthur, Canton Zürich, had become involved in the anabaptist movement at an early date, but under the repressive measures taken against them by the Zürich government, they fled to the Canton of Schaffhausen, remaining there intermittently until their removal to Pennsylvania in 1711. George's parents Johann Anton Wäber (1658-1725) and Maria Margarethe Herr (1673-1725) and his older brother John,”Hans or Johannes” Weber (1683-1775) names do not appear in the 1710 Peqeau Colony record ^[5] but it is stated by Eshleman ^[6] that as soon as the winter of 1710-11 was over the group sent Martin Kendig back to the old country to bring on members of their families, who were left behind. Martin Kendig brought over on the second shipload of Mennonites settling in Pequea Colony. The return party included Jacob Weber. Rupp states ^[7] that between 1709 and 1730 Jacob Weber, Heinrich Weber, Johannes Weber and Georg Weber, all immigrated to Lancaster County.

The 1710 Pequea Colony received the original warrant for a tract of land in the Conestoga section of what was then Chester County, Pennsylvania Colony, granted by Edward Shippen, Griffith Owen and Thomas Story to this group of Swissers. ^[8] The warrant appeared to have very liberal terms, indicating that it was done on the explicit instructions of William Penn. The land agent for this transaction was Johann Rudolph Bundeli (Bondeli), whose name led all the others in the original warrant. Bondeli, a Swiss Bernese patrician, who worked as an agent for Franz Louis Michel von Schwertschwendi of Ritter & Company, on June 30, 1711 patented an additional 500 acre tract of land adjacent to and north of the colony for himself. Bondeli's 500 acre tract of land was part of his commission paid by Ritter for establishing the Swiss colonists in Conestoga. About a month later Johann Anton Weber, his sons and the sons of Jakob Guth, Sr. (d. 1730), executed an agreement of lease with Bundeli for this newly acquired land which adjoined the Pequea or Neu-Strassburg settlement. The Webers and the Guths agreed to use that land under a system of rents, which were to be collected at Bundeli's house in Philadelphia on the first day of each year.

Some time during the late summer of 1711, perhaps in September, the Weber family moved to Conestoga. Between 1711 and 1717 Johann Anton Weber directed his sons in establishing a small plantation on the Bondeli tract, which they had dubbed "Weizenthal", or wheat-land, a name still used in that area although no longer in reference to the Weber lands. From 1711 to 1712 several buildings were erected on the Weizenthal tract: a log house, a log barn and a stable, and a number of smaller farm structures. The larger and more complicated buildings were probably built under the direction of Jakob Guth, Sr. who had training as a house-carpenter, the closest profession in those days to what is now known as an architect.

Between 1717 and 1723 the three brothers, Jakob, Henry and George, moved south of the Conestoga Creek along Blue Ball Run. Like the lands at Weizenthal, the tract was timberless when the brothers arrived. The Welsh had been making improvements while the Swiss and Germans were settling in the area. Between 1717 and 1723 George and two of his brothers Jakob and Henry moved to and settled Weaverland, originally called "Weber's Thal," "Weaver's Dale," now Weaverland, originally called Chester County, now Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Weaverland is the name which has remained in use to this day. It was so called from the Webers or Weavers who took up between two and three thousand acres of land in 1723/4. George Weber and Hans Guth, brothers-in-law, and Jakob Weber and Henry Weber, all Swiss, were the first settlers, contiguous to the Welsh. The name "Guth'" became "Good." The Webers and Goods had settled in Lancaster County twelve or fifteen years earlier and lived near the present city of Lancaster. The Weaverland settlement became well-known during the 18th century as a center of fervent activity that attracted many devout and "newly-awakened" to the area. ^[9]

Early Weaverland Property Map

Sometime around or before 1726, George married Barbara Guth "Good". Between 1727 and 1738 they had seven children, four daughters and three sons: Magdalena Weaver (1727-?), Johannes "Hans" Weaver (1728-?), Anna Weaver (1729-?), Maria Weaver (1730-1791), Samuel Weaver (1732-?), Barbara Weaver (1734-?) and Heinrich "Henry" Weaver (1737-?) ^{[10] [11]}

George died 1772 at the age of 79, in Weaverland, East Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He is buried in Weaverland, East Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the Weber/Martin Cemetery, today known as Weberthal Cemetery. ^[12] The small field stones in front of the memorial were the original grave stones marked with the year of death and initials. ^[13]

George used the German spelling of Weber as seen on the smaller engraving but his descendants later changed to the English spelling of Weaver. George is one of the pioneers for whom the Weaverland Valley is named.

Sources

1. ↑ I. From Database of Brent L. Rodes at rootsweb.com 06/10 - Her last name being Herr and the daughter of Hans is speculative.
   
   II. Only one Maria is listed as the daughter of Hans Herr and Elizabeth Kendig in T.W Herr. That Maria married Benedict Brackbill. This Maria could be an unlisted daughter of Hans Herr. using "Margarethe" as the preferred name to distinguish between the two.Topchy-1 13:16, 18 March 2014 (EDT) Reference T.W. Herr, p.1
   
   III. Notes on Margaretha Sieber Herr - April 2013 by Jack Gilchrist - There is much speculation and genealogy records that suggest that Margaretha Sieber "Maria" Herr (b.1663, d.1725) and her sister Maria Herr (b.1673, d.1725) are in fact he same person. This is supported by the fact that currently they are both recorded to have died on 1 Dec 1725 in Strasburg, Lancaster Co., PA. The birth dates of Margaretha's children by John Weber (Johann Anton Weber) between 1683 & 1695 and those of her sister Maria between 1702 & 1704 in the same place with the father being Benedictus Brackbill (b.1665, d.1720) would have made this a possibility if Margaretha divorced John Weber (Johann Anton Weber) and remarried in 1701 to Benedictus Brackbill. However I have found nothing in the history of any of their of spring to suggest his happened. Combined with the fairly well documented fact that John Weber (Johann Anton Weber) lived until 1724 and divorce was rare in the Mennonite community I continue to believe Margaretha and Maria Her were two separate individuals.
2. ↑ JD Weaver Website Anna WEBER was born about 1700.19 She died in 1727 in at sea on Molly.19 She died at sea on the "Molly". According to family tradition, her share of the land in Weaverland was given to her husband David Martin. See Note on her marriage. Parents: Johann Anton WEBER and Maria Margaretha HERR. Spouse: David MARTIN. David MARTIN and Anna WEBER were married before 1727. Family tradition said that his (David Martin) first wife who died at sea on the Molly was Anna Weaver, sister of Henry , George, Jacob, and John Weber of Weber's Thal. However, Darvin Martin argues that this is highly unlikely. He argues in his article that the families probably never knew each other and that it is highly improbable that if he had a wife who was lost at sea, her name was Anna Weber. I would like to see more proof before I throw away this wonderful tale which M. G. Weaver quotes in his book. Jay Weaver.
3. ↑ Find A Grave index - Anna Weber Martin
4. ↑ J.D. Weaver Website another traditional narrative that his first wife, who died at sea, was a sister to the three Weber brothers, and the reason that they so thoughtfully provided for David Martin's future home was that they desired to give her the best of their pioneer homes, has not been proven authentically, yet we join in the belief that all circumstances point to the correctness of that sad narrative, and that the development of this section was followed as planned by the Webers, and that David Martin and his descendants never disputed the right nor the propriety of the name of the vale, to be given to those, who first chose the site of their settlement.
5. ↑ Mennonites of Pennsylvania The ship Maria Hope, arrived on September 23, 1710, in the City of Philadelphia, Colony of Pennsylvania.
6. ↑ HISTORIC BACKGROUND AND ANNALS OF THE SWISS AND GERMAN PIONEER SETTLERS OF SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, AND OF THEIR REMOTE ANCESTORS, FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE DARK AGES. DOWN TO THE TIME OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR BY H. FRANK ESHLEMAN, B. E., M. E.. LL B. - 1917, page 192 1711—Brethren Join the Pequea Colony of 1710. According to Rupp, it would seem that as soon as the winter of 1710-11 was passed, the Pequea colonists sent one of their members back to the Old Country, to bring on members of their family, who were left behind. Rupp described very vividly, pages 80 and 81, how this came about. Quoting from a source which he does not mention, he says, that before the ground brought forth its first crop, they made preparations to bring the balance of their families over — that after the lot fell to Hans Herr, it was decided that Martin Kendig should take his place and that he, accordingly, went abroad and brought a company of Swiss and Germans back with him. He tells us that the party consisted of the balance of families already here and of Peter Yordea, Jacob Miller, Hans Tchantz, Henry Funk, John Hauser, John Bachman, Jacob Weber and three others, whose Christian names are not given, Schlagel, Wenrich and Guildin. It would seem that Schlagel's name was Christopher, because in 1713, he had established himself on the Conestoga creek, and complained of the Cartledges interfering with his mill.
7. ↑ A collection of upwards of thirty thousand names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French and other immigrants in Pennsylvania from 1727 to 1776, by Rupp, I. Daniel (Israel Daniel), 1803-1878, Published 1876 page 437 Swiss and German Settlers in Lancaster County from 1709 to 1730 - Jacob Weber, Heinrich Weber, Johannes Weber, Georg Weber
8. ↑ Warrant issued 10 Oct 1710, in Survey Book B-23-216: Whereas we have agreed with John Rudolph Bundell, Martin Kendig, Jacob Miller, (Ha)ns Graeff, Hans Herr, Christian Herr, Martin Oberholzer, Hans Funk, Micael Oberholzer, and one Ba(um)an, Swissers, lately arrived in this Province for 10,000 acres of land situate on the northwesterly side of a hill about twenty miles easterly from Conestoga near the head of the Pequin creek, for which said land, they are to pay the sum of 500 pounds sterling money of Great Britain, in manner followng: That is to say, the sum of 100 pounds, part thereof in hands, at the issuing of these presents, the sum of 100 pounds more thereof (together with 48 pounds like money being the interest of 400 pounds for two years) at the end of two years and six monthe, from the time of the survey of the said lands (one half year's interest of the whole being abated); 118 pounds further, part thereof with interest included, within one year, then next after, 112 pounds (the interest being included) further part thereof within one year, next thereafter, the sum of 106 pounds, full residue thereof that of all interest for the same, within one year that next following, so that the said 500 pounds and interest, as aforesaid, is to be paid in six years next after the time of the survey and also that the said purchasers, their heirs and assigns shall pay unto the proprietory and governor, William Penn, his heirs and assigns, the sum of one shilling sterling aforesaid, quit rent yearly forever, for every 100 acres of the said 10,000 acres, and that said purchasers shall have said lands free of quit rent for the first two years next after the survey thereof, and the said purchasers, requesting of us a warrant for the location and survey of the said land aforesiad. These are, therefore, to authorize and require thee to survey or cause to be surveyed, unto said purchasers the full quantity of 10,000 acres of land (with reasonable allowance for roads and highways) in one entire tract at or near the place aforesaid and subdivide same (if they request it) into so many small tracts or parts as they shall agree or appoint to each of them his respective share to be holden by the purchasers, their heirs and assigns under the rents, payments and agreements aforesaid, subject to distress for the said rent in case of non-payment and of the transactions and doings in the premises, by virtue of these presents, thou art to make such returns unto the secretary's office, with all reasonable expetition. Given under our hands and seals of the Province the 10th day of the 8th month, at Philadelphia, 1710. Edward Shippen, Griffith Owen, Thomas Story. To jacob Taylor, surveyor general. [Ref: Brackbill Herr-Kendig p90]
9. ↑ Historic background and annals of the Swiss and German pioneer settlers of southeastern Pennsylvania, Page 219.
10. ↑ George Weber Family Bible translated from German - Romaine Stauffer - Find A Grave Index
11. ↑ RootsWeb Clemens Page
12. ↑ Weberthal Cemetery on Google Maps (Coordinates: 40°08'00.2"N 76°02'58.2"W)
13. ↑ Find A Grave Index

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