Hans Meyer (abt. 1695 - abt. 1740)

Ancestors

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gina Meyers [send private message]

Biography

Davis^[1] and Best^[2] identify Hans as the son of the Mennonite Michael Meyer of Lobenfeld. Hans Meyer is recorded as living next door to Michael in Lobenfeld in 1724. Later, in 1731 and 1738, Hans Meyer is recorded as a Mennonite minister living at Eschelbronn, and Best suggests this is the same person. In 1743, the widow of Hans Meyer was living at Lobenfeld with 3 sons and 2 daughters, and so it is assumed that Hans died between 1738 and 1743.

Notes

Davis^[1] identifies Hans as the father of the Meyer brothers who settled in Springfield, Bucks Co., PA. This is disputed and it seems likely that Davis is in error.

• Hans's widow is recorded with three sons in 1743, but there are reported to have been four Springfield brothers born between 1721 and 1733, who travelled together to Pennsylvania.
• Davis later suggests that there were five sons - three who were old enough to be "counted" on the passenger lists for the "Muscliffe Galley" in 1744, and two who were too young.
• Davis records Jacob as being two years older than Peter, but Fretz records that Peter was the oldest of the four Springfield brothers.^[3]
• John Moyer, descendant of the Springfield brothers, makes a case for claiming the father of the Springfield brothers instead as Hans (Peter) Meyer.

The children identified by Davis are :

1. Michael (b.c.1718 Lobenfeld and d.1756 Northampton, PA)
2. Jacob (c.1721 - 1790)
3. Peter (c.1723 - c.1793)
4. William (c.1724 - c.1771)
5. Henry (c.1733 - 1809)

... and two unnamed daughters

For the moment, in the absence of any compelling evidence to the contrary, it is assumed that Hans was not the father of the Springfield brothers. Evidence is sought to clarify or confirm, and to identify the three sons who were in Lobenfeld in 1743.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Davis, Richard Warren (1995) Emigrants, Refugees and Prisoners Vol.2 pp. 287-288
2. ↑ Best, Jane Evans. "Meyer Families Update". Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, April 1998. (Hans Meyer identifier : MS3351)
3. ↑ Fretz, Abraham James. "A Genealogical Record of the Descendants of Christian and Hans Meyer and Other Pioneers: Together with Historical and Biographical Sketches, Illustrated with Eighty-seven Portraits and Other Illustrations" pp.520-521. Harleysville, Pennsylvania: News Printing House, 1896. (Available online at Google Books.)