Isaac Brenneman (abt. 1746 - aft. 1800)

Born about 1746 in Conestoga, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Descendants

Died after 1800 after about age 54 in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, USA

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Biography

Married Anna Herr.

From The Brenneman History:^[1]
"b. in Conestoga Twp. Lancaster Co., Pa about 1746 d. in Huntingdon Co. Pa., sometime after 1800. m. (probably 1772 or 1773) Anna Herr Brenneman, widow of his first cousin, Christian Brenneman, Jr. of Conestoga. At the time he married her she was the mother of one son and three daughters by her first husband, and she bore Isaac four sons and one daughter. Isaac raised both families of children. He farmed first in Conestoga but sometime before 1779 he moved to a farm of 300 acres in Manchester Twp. York Co. Pa., which he secured from his cousin, Rev. Melchior Brenneman, of Donegal. This farm Rev. Melchior had purchased, 08-05-1761, from Adam Redd of Kennett Square, PA.; Adam Redd's father, George Redd, had received it as a patent from the Penns, 06-16-1750. There is no evidence of a sale of this farm from Rev. Melchior to Isaac, nor has the historian found any deed whatever between them; it is likely that Rev. Melchior transferred it to Isaac as part of the value of his brother Christian's estate, and Isaac held it in trust for his step-son, Christian's son John.

At any rate, Isaac lived on this farm from 1779 or earlier until 1795, and acquired other land in Newberry, Manchester and Fawn Townships. He seems to have resided for a short period on a farm of 216A, which he and his wife bought in Fawn Twp. from Samuel Buchanan on 02-11-1795. In the meanwhile he had transferred the homestead farm to John Brenneman. There are no deeds for this transaction either, but it seems to have been arranged satisfactorily to all parties, in conformance with the Mennonites' reluctance to take such matters before the courts.

About 1799 Isaac purchased a large estate of virgin land in Huntingdon Co., Pa., south of the Juniata River in Walker and Porter townships. He was living on this property in 1800. Before moving to Huntingdon County he had to wind up considerable business interests in eastern Pennsylvania. He had an interest in a fishery in the Susquehanna River with Conrad Beck, Michael Ettinger, Jacob Heidelbach and Jacob Forrey. He had secured on behalf of his five children an estate bequeathed them by their grandfather Rudolph Herr, late of Manor Twp. Lancaster Co. He had loaned considerable money to James Love, husband of his stepdaughter Anna Brenneman, which was probably never repaid. James Love and wife later moved to Huntingdon Co. to Isaac, and he assisted them in securing property in Williamsburg, a town then being laid out. This was probably in 1803 or 1804, and is the last definite information we have of Isaac. He probably died not long after and is buried in the Zentmeyer Cemetary near Alexandria, Pa.

His children were: Melchior, Jacob, Abraham, Rudolph, and Maria."

Sources

1. ↑ Gerberich, Albert H. The Brenneman History. Scottsdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing House, 1938. Page 599-600.

• Rybak, Kathryn M. Received May 2001.
• Find-a-grave #209577365