Johannes Keim (abt. 1675 - abt. 1753)

Born about 1675 in Speyer, Kurfürstentum Pfalz, Heiliges Römisches Reich

Ancestors

Husband of Maria Elizabeth (Bollerin) Keim — married 25 Mar 1731 in Oley, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died about 2 Jun 1753 at about age 78 in Oley Township, Berks, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Johannes Keim has German Roots.

KEIM, JOHN, Oley. -- 1747. January 1, 1754. Mentions "that all mychildren from my first wife leave me soon as they comes to their age saying to me Father what you have you have occasion for your own self we will go and see to get our living for our self. Catherine, John, Stephen, Nicles, Elizabeth and Jacob, the youngest, followed their example in the month of October 1746." To each of abovenamed 6 children �10 and remainder including 200 acres of land to wife, Maria Elizabeth, and her 10 children [not named]. Exrs. wife, Maria Elizabeth and Casper CREAMER. Wit: John William POTT and Peter LOBACH.

Note: Johannes (John) (Hans) Keim was born about 1675 in Landau Speyer, Bavarian Palatinate (later called Rhineland Pfalz or Rhineland Palatinate), Germany. He was the son of Johann Keim. He came to America before 1730.

Rhineland-Palatinate is in the middle Rhine River valley in theest of Germany, bordering France and the state of Saarland to the south, Luxembourg and Belgium to the west, and the states of Nordrhein-Westfalen [North Rhine-Westphalia], Hesse and Baden-Wurttemberg to the north, east and southeast, respectively. The towns of Landau and Speyer lie in the southeast corner of Rhineland Palatinate. Speyer lies right along the Rhine River and Landau lies a little southwest of Speyer.

Johannes was ruined by the French invasion of the Palatinate during 1688-1697. It is believed he had a carpentry business. He visited Pennsylvania in America on a prospecting tour in 1698 during the lull that followed the peace of Ryswick (1697). He then returned toGermany about 1701 where he married 1) Bertha DeTurck probably the 15th of September 1706 in Landau Speyer, Bavaria, Germany. (Some question if she is his wife. They say his first wife was Katarina.) They were married 14 days before the Festival of St. Michael. She was born in about 1686 in Frankenthal, Germany, which lies north of Speyer in the Rhine Valley.

Johannes and Bertha Keim immigrated to Pennsylvania about 1707. Johannes was in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1707. They moved into the wilderness on Manatawny Creek in Oley Township, Philadelphia County, which is now Pleasantville, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA in 1708.

According to family tradition, Johannes found this spot on his earlier prospecting trip. He followed the Schuylkill River and Manatawny Creek until he came to a large grove of black walnut trees near a gushing spring rising from the ground. In German tradition, walnut trees were a sign of fertile land. Here they built a log cabin, cleared some land and planted their first seeds. His first tract of land was warranted in 1720.

The Keim family was probably originally French Huguenot, but in America Johannes became a follower of Pastorius, the Quaker. Johannes and Bertha had six children before Bertha died in about 1726. She maybe buried on the Gheer farm in Oley, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA.

The earliest autograph manuscript relating to the family of Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA Keim in America so far as known consists of two much-faded, time-worn and broken sheets of paper in German script by the hand of Johann (Hans) Keim, the founder of the name. Although exceedingly brief, it is in the nature of an autobiographic record. When it was written is not known, but it was about 1732, as it ends at that year. It was evidently drawn up by the patriarchal author for his fourth child and third son, Johannes Nicholas Keim. From the latter it passed into the hands of his son John. It is now held by the family of the late Daniel May Keim, of Bristol, Pa., who obtained it from his brother, Hon. George M. Keim, a zealous collector of the materials of family history.

The following is a translation in full of this treasured autograph contribution to the Berk-Keim genealogy.

"I Johannes Keim, was married in the year 1706, fourteen days before Michaels. And in the year 1708, on Michael's day, is my daughter Katarina born into the world. And in the year 1711, four weeks before Easter is my son Johannes born into the world. And in the year 1717, the 28th of March, is my son Stephen born into the world. And in the year 1719, on the 2nd day of April, is my son Hans Nickel born into the world. And in the year 1723, in February, is my daughter Elizabeth born into the world. And in the year 1724 in October is my son Jacob born. And in the year 1731, the first day of the year 1731, I married my second wife. And in the year 1732, the 27th of April, is my son Henrig to the world born.

Johannes married 2) Maria Elizabeth Bollerin the 1st of January, 1731 in Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA. She was born about 1713 in Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA. Johannes and Maria had ten children who were all born in Oley Township, Philadelphia County, which is now Pleasantville, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA. Johannes died in 1753 in Oley, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA. He is buried in the Schneider-Gheer Cemetery off Limekiln Road in Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA. His will was proved in 1754. In his will he mentions his first six children by name but only says "[his] 10 children with [his] 2nd wife" and does not name them. Maria died the 2nd of June, 1772 in Oley, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA.

It is believed that Johannes' son Jacob later owned part of the original Johannes Keim plantation, although the original part of the Jacob Keim plantation home was built by his father-in-law, Johannes (John) Hoch, in 1753 for Jacob and his wife Magdalena on 50 acres Jacob bought from John Hoch. Later Jacob's son, John Keim, made an addition to the home. It is located on Boyer Road near the intersection of Boyer Road and Lobachsville Road in Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA. 150 acres of old growth black walnut trees were cut into timber from the Jacob Keim plantation property in 1913 after the death of Elizabeth Keim in 1911 and the sale of the property in 1912. Some of the trees were said to be 4 to 5 feet across and 100 feet tall. Elizabeth was the last Keim to own the Jacob Keim plantation. George Keim, another son of Johannes, received 200 acres of the original Johannes Keim plantation in Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA in a quitclaim deed dated the 29th of April,1762, that listed the names of ten of Johannes' children. George Keim also obtained acreage from the Penn family by patent the 22nd of June 1807.

The oldest building now on his property was erected by a George Keim in 1835. It is located near Pikesville on Oysterdale Road just west of the Lobachville Road intersection in Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA.

(It is thought by some that the Keim family was closely related to the Bertolets, DeTurcks and Levans families before their arrival in America. Others question the research and authenticity of the artifacts linking Johannes to Ludwig Keim.)

Transcript of Will

John Keims his Last Will and Testament made pronounced and Sealed in the year 1747 Whereas I John Keim of Oly in the County of Bercks perceive that all my Children from my first Wife leave me as soon them comes to their age saying to me Father what you have you have comin for your own self We will go and See to get our Living for our Self and So did all my Six Children from my First Wife Catharina, John, Stephan, Nicles, Elisabeth & Jacob the Youngest followed their Exemple in the Month of October 1746 Then I John Keim resolv’d to make my Last Will and Testament and praise together my Whole Estate Well knowing what the said Estate is Worth My land and Plantation containing Two Houndert acres of Land shall be praised at the Sum of Two houndort & fifty Pounds Currant Money of Pensylv: with all the Buildings Corn in the Ground with the Whole Improvement And all the Moveables in the House and out the Dor Bras Pewter Iron Wodden and Earthen Things Waggon both Greath and Smal Plows and Irons belonging to item Iron Stoves Suma- all the Householdgods further the Creatures Hourses Mares Colts Cows and all the Cattle old and Young Sheeps old and Young item Swines and all the Guears belonging to the Horses and Waggons shall be at the Time of my Decease be rated and praised at the sum of Two houndret and Fifty Pounds Currant Lawfull Money of Pensylv: Now being uncertain of the Time of my Death or not being able to Speack and my Wife charged with Ten Small Children without any assistance I therfore Will and I do order that my Dearly beloved Wife Maria Elisabeth shall be My Sole Executrise of this my Last Will and Testament I likewise Constitute and make and ordain Caspar Creesmer of Oly in the County of Berks Yeoman to be Executor with my Wife all my Whole Estate Real and Personal Shall remain together in ther Hand until the Children of Her comes to their Ages And my Wife shall pay out of my Estate to the Six Children of my first Wife To each of them Ten pounds Currant Money of Pennsylv: and them who has received more shall restitute the same to be equal Parts I do further order when my Wife Maria Elisabeth my Children brought to their Ages until the Youngest of all the Children is in age Then She and my other Executor Shall praise all my whole Estate Creatures Household goods in Summa my Moveables Lands Except the Turner Tools shall not be praised my Wife Shall have the power to give the Same to who she thinks proper of my Children Then my Wife Maria Elisabeth Shall have Sixty Pounds Currant Money in Hand paid to her out of my Estate Item She shall have Yearly Six Pound in Money and the Chuses of the Cows one wich shall be feed with thereof, item the Bed as god we had it with Bedstad Curtins four Sheets wich she pleases Two Hand Toels two Table Cloaths ad her own chusing four pewter Plates four Pewter Dishes two Iron pots her Walnut Chest Spinning Wheel and the Side Sadle and at least The Seat in the House where I live in during her Life and if any of my Children then having the Possession of this my House and place should not like to live with her Then he or she the Children Shall build her another House Sufficient to live in Touching the Devise of my Land while my Children are all under age I therefore give full power to my Wife to give and devise the same to her Children wich She finds proper. And When them Comes to their Age when her portion is first Deducked Shall have equal parts § These have I John Keim by good Health and Perfect Memory Thanks God to be given therefore Writ with my own Hand and and I declare herewith these and and no other To be my Last Will and Testament done in the year 1747,

John Keim

Signed Sealed and pronounced in ye Presence of us by the said John Keim as his last Will and Testament William Pott Petter Lobach^[1]

Additional Notes from Merged Profile

Research Notes

A number of sources report the spouse of Johannes Keim is not Bertha Katarina DeTurk, but Katarina Moyer.^[2] It is suggested that Bertha/e DeTurk was the wife of Johannes' father or grandfather, who never left Germany. (The two Johannes' may have led to conflation of these couples, especially since early secondary sources seem to support Bertha as wife of Johannes, b. 1675). It is possible that Katarina was born Moyer and married a DeTurk who later died (or vice versa!). Unless a marriage or birth record is found, the first wife is undetermined. (Entrikin-5 03:10, 19 June 2023 (UTC))

NOTE: For many years, genealogy information has circulated claiming to show Johannes Keim's ancestors back for several generations. According to HUFFORD genealogist Barry Wood's words in January 2006, "A very astute researcher in Baltimore who regrettably is now deceased, studied the subject in great depth. He came to the conclusion that everything back of Johannes Keim (b. abt 1675) was pure fabrication... especially the part about 'Ludwig Hericourt Keim.'" ... Without proof to the contrary, I will accept Barry Wood's evaluation.

Sources

1. ↑ "Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G991-8VW9?cc=1999196&wc=9PMF-4WY%3A268499201%2C271392601 : 3 July 2014), Berks > Estates 1752-1799 Imler, Ludwig-Koch, Henry > image 643 of 2193; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.
2. ↑ Mackenzie, George Norbury, and Nelson Osgood Rhoades, editors. Colonial Families of the United States of America. p. 302 Ancestry Sharing Link
3. ↑ "Ahnentafel chart for Abraham Hufford"Electronic Media, Accessed by (~~~~)

See also:

• Ancestry.com. Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Original data: Mackenzie, George Norbury, and Nelson Osgood Rhoades, editors. Colonial Families of the United States of America: in Which is Given the History, Genealogy and Armorial Bearings of Colonial Families Who Settled in the American Colonies From the Time of the Settlement of Jamestown, 13th May, 1607, to the Battle of Lexington, 19th April, 1775. 7 volumes. 1912. Reprinted, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1966, 1995 Vol. IV, p. 302- 313. Ancestry Sharing Link
• A chronological study by The Keim and Allied Families in America and Europe, Vol. 1, 2 Reading, PA, September1900 - Harrisburg, PA No. 22.
• A monthly serial of History, Biography, Genealogy and Folklore, illustrating the causes, circumstances and consequences ofthe German, French and Swiss Emigrations to America from the 17th Century to the present time by William Miles Kime (Keim) of Pleasant Lodge, Allamance Co., N.C. This information was taken from film on loan from the Library of Congress.
• "The Keim & Allied Families in America & Europe," Dec. 1898 by DeB. Randolph Keim and from DAR Patriot Index 1966. This research was done by Virginia Pierce. Some information came from Fred Eggleston of Alexandria, VA. Compiled and written by Susan Kimes Burgess.