Anna Catherine (Levering) Frey (1673 - 1754)

Born 15 Mar 1673 in Bruch, Dortmund, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Ancestors

Wife of Heinrich Frey — married 26 Apr 1692 (to 1734) in Germantown, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 17 Aug 1754 at age 81 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Colony of Pennsylvania, British Colonial America

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Robert Moody [send private message], Lamar Ross [send private message], and Ryan Myers [send private message]

Biography

N.B., Before removing the original biographical material and sources I copied them and placed them in a .pdf (portable document format), which can be seen by clicking here. Patricia Prickett Hickin, 2 January 2017.

For info removed from this profile on 28 March 2020, click here. For info removed from this profile on 6 May 2020, click here. For Sources removed on 6 May 2020, probably all duplicates. click here.

Anna (Levering) Frey has German Roots.

by Patricia Prickett Hickin, 24 December 2016

Anna Catherine Levering was born 15 Mar 1673 or 1676 at Mülheim an der Ruhr, Herzogtum Berg, Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation,^{[1] [2]}

She was one of twelve or thirteen children of John and Magdalena Boker Levring.

On 20 March 1685 her father made a written contract with the local agents at Wesel, Dr. Thomas Van Wylick and Johannes Le Brun, for transportation for himself and his family to Philadelphia. The translation reads, "We, the subscribers, do acknowledge and confess by these Presents, that we have contracted and agreed together, that Doctor Thomas Van Wylick and Johannes Le Brun, in behalf of the Pennsylvania Company, in which they, and other friends of Frankfort and other parts, are engaged, to except or receive me, Wigard Levering, old 36 or 37 years, and Magdalena Boeckers, old 36 years, and four children, Anna Catharine, William, Amelia, and Sibella, respectively ½, 2½, 5, and 9 years, to and for the service of the aforementioned Company, to transport by shipping out of Holland or England, to Pennsylvania, upon their cost," etc.^[3]

Meeting house where Heinrich and Catherine were married

On 25 April 1692, , she married Hans Heinrich Frey in Germantown, Pennsylvania. She bore him twelve children, seven sons and five daughters.

On 24-26 April 1692, about six weeks after she turned nineteen and about seven years after migrating to Pennsylvania, she married Heinrich (Henry) Frey "in the little log Mennonite meeting house and school house in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Francis Daniel Pastorius conducted the ceremony before a full congregation.

Actually, there is some confusion as to who, precisely, Heinrich was. Most say he was the son of Jacob Frey and Anna Hirtzeller, born June 17, 1663 in Altheim, Alsace, Germany;^[4]

The Pennsylvania historian Abraham H. Cassel says that Heinrich Frey and one Joseph Blatenbach were the first German emigrants who came to Pennsylvania, that they emigrated in 1680 and settled in Philadelphia. Another says Henry came to America as an adventurer before William Penn, probably as early as 1675. Then he applied for their daughter Catherina, as she was probably the only young woman then in the bailiwick of Germantown; and although she was of a marriageable age, the odds of their differing ages were so exceedingly great that it was feared objections might be filed against it. Therefore, their intention was publicly made known; it was also published in their meeting,^[5]

On the other hand, other researchers say that the bridegroom was the son of the immigrant; not the immigrant himself. In 1680, the son Heinrich must have been approximately 28 years old, and the date of birth of his alleged bride, Anna Catherine Levering, was 16. He certainly was a young man in 1681. But if we agree with other writers that the father was the bridegroom of 1692, he was therefore about 40 years old, a not improbable date for his marriage, although unusual for those days when people as a rule married early. (Since he is described as a “bachelor,” it seems to me it was the son and not the father. Patricia Prickett Hickin, 24 Dec 2016; on the other hand, evidence for an age of 40 or so makes it appear that it was the father who married Anna Catherine.)

In any case, their intention was publicly made known; it was also published in their meeting, and affixed on the Germantown meeting-house on the 24th of the month. And then, as no objections were filed against it, it was consummated, as the certificate says on the 26th day of the 2d month 1692

The certificate and notice which was posted on the door of the meeting-house reads as follows (quoted from the book of Col. John Levering, Levering Family History and Genealogy, pp 97-98):^[6]

Whereas, Henry Fry, of Altheim, in the province of Alsace, in High German, now inhabitant of Germantown, in the county of Philadelphia, bachelor, and Annie Catharine Levering, of the county of Bruick, likewise in High Germany, a young woman, after due consultation with their respective parents, have produced a sufficient certification of their clearness of all other engagements, under the hand of several credible personsm unto one of the Justices of the Peace, in the bailiwick of Germantown, and have published and affixed their intention of marriage in the meeting-house of the said town on the 24th of the first month past. As no objections were filed the ceremony was performed, and this certificate witnesseth that the said Henry Fry and Anna Catharine Levering have this day solemnized such their marriage by taking one another as husband and wife, according to the law of this country, and before and in the presence of us, whose names are hereunder written at Germantown, the 26th day of the second month, 1692. Francis Daniel Pastorus; Justice of Peace. Witnesses: Wigard Levering, Gerhard Levering, Magdalena Levering, Hans Peter Umstat, Arnold Cassel, Henrich Shellenberg, Jon Ponder, Andrew Supplee, Manigha May, Catein Tompkins, William Rittinghuysen, Henrich Zollern, Jacob Pfoutz, Henrich Bucholtz, Elias Tossen, Honnas Miller, Elizabeth Cassel, Herman Trapman, Sara Hendricks, Anecki Supplee, Maria Bonus and others. The source for this family history is Miss Sarah Fry, of Norristown, Pa. The Levering Family Book, Pennsylvania Archives, Fry Family Association Records, Dr. J.C. Culver of Norristown.

This was the first marriage in the Germantown Mennonite and Friends Meeting House, and among the first weddings to be contracted and solemnized in the province. Heinrich may have been 39 years when he married Catherine Levering. Catherina was just entering womanhood.

Henry and Anna Catherine Frey settled on a broad tract of land between what was to become Germantown and Roxborough, where Frey purchased one hundred acres of land from John Jennett by deed dated October 1, 1692. This tract adjoined a like area owned by Gerhard Levering, brother of John Wigard Levering.

Children:

1. Jacob Frey (1694-1766)
2. William Frey (1695-1768)
3. Benjamin Frey Sr, (Cir 1696-1753)
4. Elizabeth Catherine Fry (1697- )
5. Henry Frey (1698-1768)
6. Magdalena Fry (1699- )
7. Abraham Fry (1700- )
8. John Frey (1703-1766)
9. George Frey (1705- )
10. Amelia Frey (1717-1783)
11. Rebecca Frey (1718-1766)
12. Elizabeth Frey (1719-1758)

Henry Fry was the owner for many years of one hundred acres of land in Roxborough, adjoining the tract of a like area then owned by Gerhard Levering.

Miscellaneous manuscripts:
Indenture between Henry Frey and John Jannett, October 2, 1692, about a sale of one hundred acres of land, made during the reign of William and Mary. Remarkable handwriting; in good preservation, yet of venerable appearance.

Contract for sale of land between Henry Frey and Gerhard Levering, dated April 30, 1700; with the autographs of Johannes Kelpius, and Claus Rittinghuis (Nicholas Rittenhouse) as witnesses.^[7]

Since Frey was advanced in age when he married, by the time he was old and infirm and obliged to retire from all the active cares of life, he had several children who were still minors. Consequently he made an agreement with one of his older sons (Jacob), in which he consigned “all his real estate and personal property to him on very peculiar conditions concerning the support of [Anna and himself and their] minor children . . . ).”^[8]

Anna Catherine died on 17 Aug 1754 or 1764 in Zeiglerville, Towamencin Township, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. She is buried in Bertolet's Mennonite Cemetery, Frederick, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.^[9][10]

She and her husband are buried in Bertolet's Mennonite Cemetery, Frederick, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania -- part of their farm -- with several of their slaves. Recently the descendants of Heinrich and Cathrina enclosed this plot with a stone fence and erected a monument to their memory.

For a larger view of the gravestone, click here.

from Findagrave.com

Anna Catherine Levering Frey

Gravestone for Heinrich and Anna Catherine Levering Frey

Anna was born in Mulheim, on the Rhur, Prussia. She was the eldest child of John Wigard and Magdalena (Bokers) Levering and was brought to America by her parents at the age of nine. Anna married Henrich Frey (Frye) on April 26, 1692 in Germantown, Philadelphia before Francis Daniel Pastorius, Justice of the peace. She was just sixteen years of age.

Children; 1) Jacob b 1694 d 1785 m'd Margaret; 2) William, b. 1695; d. June 15, 1770, Veronica Markley; 3) Henry, b 1698, Roxborough, Philadelphia, Pa.; d. after 1769, Loudoun Co. Virginia; m. Christina Bache Tunis; 4) Abraham, b. 1700, Roxborough, Philadelphia Co. Pa; d. 1813, Washington Co. Pa; m. Hester Johnston; 5) Benjamine b. abt 1700; d. March 1753, "Frye Fort", Frederick Co., Va. m'd Caristena Ann; 6) John, b. 1703; d. October 23, 1766, m'd Mary Keisler; 7) George, b. 1705, Roxborough, Philadelphia, Pa.; d. 1750, Va.; m. Elizabeth Hechlerin, February 23, 1759; 8) Amelia "Elizabeth", b. 1719; d. June 05, 1781, m'd Frederick Leinbach; 9) Rebecca, b. 1718, Roxborough, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania. She was Unmarried in Oct 1732. Her History is unknown; 10) Elizabeth Fry, b. 1719; d. 1781 m'd Johannes Miller.

Family links: Parents: John Wigard Levering (1648 - 1745), Magdalena Bokers Levering (1650 - 1717); Spouse: Heinrich Frey (1653 - 1734); Children: Elizabeth Barbara Frey Miller (____ - 1758), Benjamin Frey (____ - 1753), Jacob Frey (1694 - ____), William Frey (1695 - 1770), Henry Frey (1698 - ____), Abraham Frey (1700 - 1768), John Frey (1703 - 1766), George Frey (1705 - 1750), Amelia Elizabeth Frey Leinbach (1717 - 1781), Elizabeth Frey Miller (1718 - 1758), Rebecca Frey (1718 - 1732); Siblings: Anna Sophia Levering (1675 - ____), Maria Elizabeth Levering (1677 - 1677), William Levering (1679 - 1746), Anna Sibella Levering Miller (1684 - 1764), Elizabeth Levering (1689 - 1703), Sidonia Levering DeHaven (1691 - 1736).

Burial: Bertolet’s Mennonite Church Cemetery, Frederick, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA.^[11]

"Anna Catherine Levering, dau. of Wigard Levering and Magdalena Boker. Anna was born 15 March 1676, Mulheim Westphalia, Germany; died 1754 in Zeiglerville (or Skippack) Philadelphia Co., PA. married Heinrich Frye 26 April 1692 in Germantown, Philadelphia Co., PA. Heinrich was born 17 June 1663 in Altheim, Province of Alsace-Loraine, Germany and died 1734 in Zeiglerville (or Skippack) Philadelphia Co., PA."

Sources

1. ↑ Jim Howard, “Willem Braviers [1585-1631]” Geni.com (Added on 3 May 2008), managed by Jeanette Carol Menaker (Kelley) and 3 others; Thor Kvande, “Anna Catherine Frey (Levering)” Geni.com (Added on 25 July 2007) also called "City on the River." The central city lies on both banks of the Ruhr river about 7 miles east of the mouth of the Ruhr where it empties into the Rhine.
2. ↑ Marie Taylor. “Re: anna catherine married a frey,” Levering Family GenForum #9, February 07, 2000 at 16:32:38). URL: http://genforum.genealogy.com/levering/messages/9.html.
3. ↑ Bill Cannon <billcannon53 -at- aol.com>. “e: Levering/Bokar/Frey,” Levering Family GenForum #27, 25 Aug 2000, URL: http://genforum.genealogy.com/levering/messages/27.html.
4. ↑ The historic village of Altheim, Alsace, Germany (now renamed 'Altenheim') is about twelve miles South and East of Strasbourg and forty-five miles distance from the capital city of Karlsruhe, Germany. (See 'Altenheim' on Google map, in the "Region of intolerance, oppression and war", as contrasted with Germantown, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania - Heartland in America of the Pennsylvania Dutch, where "Mer schwetze noch die Mudderschprooch".)
5. ↑ Janet Ariciu <monkey1946 -at- centurylink.net>. “Anna Catherina Levering,” Janet Ariciu family Bush (Entries: 81014 Updated: 2015-12-16 16:25:14 UTC (Wed). URL: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=monkeys&id=I12102. Accessed 19 Dec 2015 by Patricia Prickett Hickin, defunct as of 24 December 2016.
6. ↑ Col. John. Levering Family History and Genealogy, by Col. John Levering of Lafayette, Indiana, (Published by the Levering Historical Association).
7. ↑ Janet Ariciu <monkey1946 -at- centurylink.net>. “Anna Catherina Levering,” Janet Ariciu family Bush (Entries: 81014 Updated: 2015-12-16 16:25:14 UTC (Wed). URL: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=monkeys&id=I12102. Accessed 19 Dec 2015 by Patricia Prickett Hickin, defunct as of 24 December 2016.
8. ↑ Janet Ariciu <monkey1946 -at- centurylink.net>. “Anna Catherina Levering,” Janet Ariciu family Bush (Entries: 81014 Updated: 2015-12-16 16:25:14 UTC (Wed). URL: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=monkeys&id=I12102. Accessed 19 Dec 2015 by Patricia Prickett Hickin, defunct as of 24 December 2016.
9. ↑ Janet Ariciu. <monkey1946 -at- centurylink.net>. “Anna Catherina Levering,” Janet Ariciu family Bush (Entries: 81014 Updated: 2015-12-16 16:25:14 UTC (Wed). URL: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=monkeys&id=I12102. Accessed 19 Dec 2015 by Patricia Prickett Hickin, defunct as of 24 December 2016.
10. ↑ Craig Dice. <cdice -at- oak.edu> or <mlichten -at- oak.edu>). "Craig & Michelle's Genealogy" (Our Online Family History And Gedcom, Updated 3 November 1999.
11. ↑ KRW, "Anna Catherine Levering Frey," Findagrave.com Record added: Apr 23, 2006. URL: http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=frey&GSiman=1&GScid=2145599&GRid=14053311&. Accessed 24 December 2016 by Patricia Prickett Hickin

• Anon., "Sidonia Williams Bokers (born Braviers)," MyHeritage, © 2006-2007 URL: http://www.myheritage.com/person-1000007_464981_464981/sidonia-williams-bokers-born-braviers#!timeline Accessed 25 Mar 2020.

• Anon. [Heinrich Frey children];[Summary of Heinrich's Children] (No info). URL: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~edfrye/frey/summaryofheinrichschildren.htm.

• Anon. “Sidonia Williams Bokers (born Braviers)” Emery Family Website MyHeritage Copyright © 2006-2007). URL: http://www.myheritage.com/FP/individual.php?s=464981&indID=1000007&source=individuals.php&sn=2&sno=4).

• Ariciu, Janet <monkey1946 -at- centurylink.net>, "Anna Catherine Leverying, b1673," WC.Rootsweb.Ancestry.com. URL: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=monkeys&id=I12102 Accessed 28 Mar 2020.

• Ariciu, Janet <monkey1946 -at- centurylink.net>. “Anna Catherina Levering,” Janet Ariciu family Bush (Entries: 81014 Updated: 2015-12-16 16:25:14 UTC (Wed). URL: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=monkeys&id=I12102. Accessed 19 Dec 2015 by Patricia Prickett Hickin, defunct as of 24 December 2016.

• Ariciu, Janet <monkey1946 -at- centurylink.net>. “Frey Family.” URL: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~janet/Frey.html.

• Ariciu, Janet <monkey1946 -at- centurylink.net>. Janet Ariciu family Bush (Entries: 81014 Updated: 2015-12-16 16:25:14 UTC (Wed). Home Page: JANET'S FAMILY PAGE). Repository: wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com, URL: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=monkeys&id=I12102.

• Cannon, Bill, <billcannon53 -at- aol.com>, "Re: Levering/Bokar/Frey" Levering Family GenForum #27, Posted 25 Aug 2000. URL: https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/levering/27/ Accessed 27 Mar 2020.

• Dice, Craig <cdice -at- oak.edu>, Craig & Michelle's Genealogy Publication: Our Online Family History And Gedcom Updated 3 November 1999.

• Dudick, Linda J. <LDudick -at- Ancestrees.com> URL: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/COATES/2001-03/0985219412 Unable to access on 28 Mar 2020.

• Howard, Jim, Willem Braviers [1585-1631], Genicom. URL: http://www.geni.com 19 Dec 2015

• K <ksmith21 -at- dc.rr.com>. “Levering/Bokar/Frey,” Levering Family GenForum #25, Genealogy.com, 9 Apr 2000). URL: http://genforum.genealogy.com/levering/messages/25.html.

• KRW (46517473), “Anna Catherine Levering Frey,” Findagrave.com. Record added 23 Apr 2006. URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14053311/anna-catherine-frey. Accessed 28 March 2020.

• Levering, John. Levering family; history and genealogy ([Indianapolis?] Levering historical Association, 1897). URL: https://archive.org/stream/leveringfamilyhi00byuleve#page/n0/mode/2up. PDF URL: https://ia902608.us.archive.org/16/items/leveringfamilyhi00byuleve/leveringfamilyhi00byuleve_bw.pdf. Accessed 27 Mar 2020 by Patricia Prickett Hickin.

• Morris, Laurel Black <picolat -at- yahoo.com>, comp., Ancestry Studies: Black-McCoy Tillman-Rath [citing Ancestral Files]. Note: This source relies on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (TM), (June 1998 (c), data as of 5 JAN 1998). etc. and I think is basically very unreliable. Unable to locate on 28 Mar 2020.

• Parish, Timothy <timothy parish -at- aol.com>. Parish Family Tree Published via: Family Tree Legends). Gencircles.com, URL: http://www.gencircles.com/users/timothyparish/2/data/2403.

• Scott, Wendy <wendyscott -at- comcast.net>. The Scott Family Home -- Scott/Cauffman Family Database, This page was last updated on November 11, 2004). RootsWeb.ancestry.com. URL: Http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jjswbs&id=I03855.

• Smith, Kathryn <ksmith21 -at- dc.rr.com>, "Levering/Bokar/Frey," Levering Family GenForum #25 Genealogy.com Posted 9 Apr 2000 URL: https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/levering/25/ Accessed 28 Mar 2020.

• Taylor, Marie , "Re: anna catherine married a frey," Levering Family GenForum #9, Posted February 07, 2000. Genealogy.com. URL: https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/levering/9/ Accessed 25 Mar 2020.

Acknowledgments

• This person was created through the import of Glover.ged on 03 April 2011.

• WikiTree profile Levering-44 created through the import of ross20genancestors-children6-22-2011.ged on Jun 22, 2011 by Lamar Ross.

• WikiTree profile Levering-62 was created through the import of Lois for WikiTree.ged by Kay Haden on Oct 10, 2011.

• Patricia Prickett Hickin created Anna Catherine Levering (1673-1764). (Imported data from GEDCOM upload #156973, Person I8719) on 25 Mar 2020.