Madtis Conders (1679 - 1726)

Born 25 Nov 1679 in Krefeld Formerly Crefeld, Rheinland, Germany

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 2 Apr 1726 at age 46 in Germantown, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, British America

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Biography

Madtis was a Friend (Quaker)

Name

Most commonly expressed as Madtis Conders. Sometimes anglicised to Mathias.^[1][2]

His father was Thones Kunders from Rheinland-Pfalz or Nordrhein-Westfalen who probably spoke a variety of Low German close to Dutch, and whose own name has been expressed in multiple different forms in the historical record. Madtis was called out in his father's will as Mathias Cunrads. ^[3] . His descendants most commonly use the name "Conard", while descendants of Thones's other male children prefer "Conrad" or "Cunard".

Birth

Madtis was born on 25th November 1679 ^[4] in Krefeld, Rheinland, Germany^[5][6]

Immigration

Mathias Cunrad with his parents and two siblings immigrated to the New World, landing in Philadelphia, aboard the "Concord", which departed from London July 24, 1683. ^[3]

Historical Context: Thones Kunders and several other Low German Mennonite families were living in Krefeld, Rheinland (a town near the Dutch border and governed by the tolerant Dutch Royal House) during the 1670s, at a time when George Fox and William Penn visited the region espousing the benefits of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and offering the prospect of a society where religious freedom would be paramount. Many of the Mennonites of Krefeld and the surrounding towns converted.^[7] Through their Quaker connections they learned of the Pennsylvania project. Six businessmen bought an initial 18000 acres of land from Penn in 1682, others approached Franz Pastorius, a Quaker lawyer from Frankfurt to act as their agent in securing land they could settle in the new province (repurchased or sublet from the investors). He was already involved in purchasing land for a group of investors from Frankfurt, and was largely responsible for arranging with Penn for one combined German-speaking settlement to be created at what would become Germantown. Pastorius himself sailed for Philadelphia in June 1683 but had arranged passage on the schooner "Concord" chartered by James Claypoole for the first group of settlers from Krefeld. 33 individuals (13 adult men, their womenfolk and children) from Krefeld, all but two of them Quakers, were the first party to travel but would be followed by many more over the subsequent years.^[8]

Madtis married: Barbara Tyson in Germantown on 5th month 29th, 1706 ^[9][10]

Death

Madtis passed away in 1726^[11] in Germantown, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (modern day Philadelphia). ^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ Ancestry Family Trees Text: Online publication - Ancestry.com. OneWorldTree [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc. https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/6676093/person/-1250176284/facts
2. ↑ Page: Ancestry Family Trees Text: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/6676093/person/-1250176284/facts
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Conrad: Thones Kunders and his children p. 10.
4. ↑ probably Julian: note the Gregorian calendar was not adopted in Rheinland until 1700)
5. ↑ Source: Ancestry family trees Text: Online publication - Ancestry.com. OneWorldTree [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc. https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/6676093/person/-1250176284/facts
6. ↑ Alternative birth date: 25 JAN 1680 (?Gregorian)
7. ↑ The argument they fled Krefeld to escape persecution because Quakers were mistrusted, and that Krefeld welcomed Mennonites because of their weaving skill may be a little simplistic and contrived.
8. ↑ William I. Hull: William Penn and the Dutch Quaker Migration to Pennsylvania (2018); H. Naaman: History of Old Germantown (1907) page 20.
9. ↑ Source:Conrad p. 14.
10. ↑ corresponds to a date of 29 July 1706 (?Gregorian)
11. ↑ Source:Conrad p. 14.
12. ↑ Source: Ancestry family trees Text: Online publication - Ancestry.com. OneWorldTree [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc. https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/6676093/person/-1250176284/facts

• Will: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9B2-P3F6-R

GEDCOM

This person was created through the import of Weaver.ged on 03 January 2011.