Hans Meyer (abt. 1684 - abt. 1757)

Born about 1684 in Heiliges Römisches Reich

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about Dec 1757 at about age 73 in York Township, York, Pennsylvania

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John Meyer was a Palatine Migrant. Join: Palatine Migration Project Discuss: palatine_migration

Biography

Birth : John is assumed to be the man referenced in the Metzler Bible, and thus to have been born c.1684.^[1] His family is believed to have come originally from Switzerland. Further research is needed to confirm.

Marriage and children : John's wife is named in his will as Mary,^[2] but no evidence is located to confirm her last name at birth.

John and Mary were the parents of six children, all of whom are named in John's will (in the following order) :

1. Christian ^[2]
2. John ^[2]
3. Barbara m. Jacob Coffman ^[2]
4. Mary m. Peter Brillhart ^[2]
5. Catharine m. Jacob Beghtell ^[2]
6. Henry ^[2]

Immigration : Conflicting details are given of the family's arrival in Pennsylvania :

• One biography of Christian (believed to be the son of Hans), suggests that the family had been in the area since Christian's birth, i.e. c.1708.
• Another biography of Christian records that the family arrived in the country in 1724 and settled first in Strasburg, Lancaster.^[3]
• Jane Evans Best and Richard Warren Davis ^[4] identify John as one of the men who arrived in Philadelphia on 26 Sep 1737 aboard the St Andrew galley. (The list includes two parties with the Meyer surname : (i) Johannes Meyer, and (ii) Hans Meir, Christian Meyer and Johann Meyer.) ^[5] Only the names of men over the age of 16 were recorded on the passenger lists. However, assuming this identification to be correct, then the traveling party (ii) would be:

Hans Meyer-2841 / age 53)

(Maria Unknown-596424 / age 50)

Christian Meyer-2413 / age 29, unmarried)

John (Jr) Meyer-16508 / age 22, assumed unmarried)

(Henry Meyer-16509 / age 15)

(Barbara Meyer-16510 / age 13)

(Mary Meyer-2840 / age 11)

(Catharine Meyer-16511 / age 9)

Original passenger list images are available here.

Land records : John's movements between his arrival and his death in 1757 have not been traced. However, his will records that the land on which he lived, and which he bequeathed to his son Henry, "was surveyed and laid out by Thomas Armor Esquire".^[2]

Death : John died c.1757. It's believed that he was the man whose death was recorded by Christian Meyer in the family bible (now known as the Metzler Bible) : Anno 1757 my brother John Meier died. He lived in this world of sorrow 73 years. 3 weeks. 3 days.^[1]

Will : The will of John Myer of York Twp, York, Pennsylvania was made on 3 May 1756, witnessed by Thos. Armor, John Adlum Sr and John Adlum Jr, and probated on 2 Nov 1757. Letters testamentary were granted to John's son and executor, Henry Myer. John provides for his wife, leaves his land to his beloved son Henry, and distributes the remainder of his estate between his other children - named as Christian, John, Barbara the wife of Jacob Coaffman, Mary the wife of Peter Brillhart, Catharine the wife of Jacob Beghtell, and Henry - requiring them each to make a payment of 20 shillings to the Mennonite Meeting in the County of York.^[2][6][7]

Research Notes

Conflation : John has frequently been confused with :

• John Meyer (1684-1758) of Ephrata
• Johannes Myers (c.1680-1740) who emigrated from Pratteln, Basel, Switzerland to Orangeburg, SC.^[8]
• Hans Meyer (abt.1700-1760). The Kauffman-Coffman Families of North America book states that John's son Christian was "likely a son of Hans Moyer whose 262-acre tract bounded the Kauffman Erisman - Tuber grant". The "Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Mennonite Vital Records, 1750-2014" states the same on the card for Johannes, and is probably relying on the Kauffman-Coffman genealogy. However, this is incorrect, as that man's son named Christian married the daughter of a neighbouring farmer and remained in the area. See Adams, 1987 for a full explanation based on land records and transfers.^[9] (The Kauffman-Coffman Families of North America genealogy is known to contain errors and should not be relied upon.)

Birth and parents : Best and Davis,^[4][6] relying on the Metzler bible and assuming Hans to be the brother of Christian Meyer of Conestoga, place him as a descendant of Hans Meyer and his wife Anna Bauman of Rudelsheim. It's possible this is incorrect, since it's not certain that John was the man referred to in the Metzler bible. John had at least 4 adult children by 1756 (three married daughters, and Henry, to whom he left his land). These children were probably born no later than c.1730-1735, and so it's assumed John was born no later than c.1710 (and probably somewhat earlier).

Marriage and children : Mary is sometimes recorded in online trees as Maria Leonhardt, but this is probably a conflation with Mary Lenhardy (1700-1759), wife of a different Hans Meyer. As of 26 Mar 2021 the only documentation I (Eric Myers) have found about her is her husband's will, made in 1756, which identifies her as Mary.

Immigration : John is assumed to be the father of Christian b.1708, and is known from his will to have had a son named John. This is consistent with identifying them as the three men recorded on the 1737 passenger list for the St Andrew.^[5] Hans's signature on the passenger lists can be viewed here : https://archive.org/details/pennsylvaniagerm43stra/page/186/mode/2up

Land records : In 1752, Thomas Armor warranted 50 acres of land, adjoining lands of Peter Brillhart (Jr), in Shrewsbury Twp.^[10]

Will : Bittinger observes that John's will lists John as his first (and presumably oldest) son, who paid 800 pounds for his house and land.^[11] However, this is incorrect. John's will lists Christian first, and left his land to his son Henry. It's likely that this is a mistaken reference to the will of John's son, Christian Meyer (1708 - 1779), whose will dated 20 Mar 1777 left his house and lands to his son John / Hannes stipulating a purchase price of 800 pounds.

Baschi Meyer Project

If John is in your family tree, please consider joining the The Baschi Meyer Project: Descendants, Documentation, and DNA. Research goals include :

• Identifying any additional details linking this John Meyer to his children.
• Clear evidence of wife's identity; proof she is/isn't conflated with Mary Lenhardy (1700-1759).
• Y-DNA tests :
  • Given the challenging state of documentation from earlier generations, the Baschi Meyer Project is looking for male-line descendants willing to participate in Y-DNA testing to help figure out who is descended from whom.
  • A Y-DNA test from a descendant of one of John's sons will help determine his connection to other descendants.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Metzler, C. E. "The Bishop Metzler Bible," Pennsylvania German Folklore Society, Vol. 11, 1911. Viewed via HathiTrust. The Metzler Bible is named for Bishop Valentine Metzler, who purchased it in 27 April, 1767, following the death of Hans's nephew, Abraham Meyer, but the Bible was printed in 1571. It is unclear how long the bible had been in the Meyer family before it was sold. The Bible includes the note by Christian (1690-1760) : "Anno 1757 my brother John Meier died. He lived in this world of sorrow 73 years. 3 weeks. 3 days."
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8} Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994. Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. County courthouses, Pennsylvania. Will books 1749-1882 (Film # 005534481, images 103 and 104 of 647) viewed at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G99B-KCR8?i=102&cc=1999196 : Will of John Myer of York, PA, made on 3 May 1756 and proven on 2 Nov 1757, naming wife Mary and children John, Christian, Barbara (wife of Jacob Coffman), Mary (wife of Peter Brillhart), Catharine (wife of Jacob Beghtell), and Henry.
3. ↑ Ezra E. Eby, A Biographical History of Waterloo Township, Vol. 2 (1896), 84, at https://books.google.com.au/books?id=htQOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA84&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Richard Warren Davis, Emigrants, Refugees and Prisoners, Vol. 1, (Provo, UT: Author, 1995).
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Strassburger, Ralph Beaver (1934). Pennsylvania German pioneers ; a publication of the original lists of arrivals in the port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808, pp.179, 181 & 183. Pennsylvania German Society, Vol. XLII of the "Proceedings of the Society". Viewed at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000007109121&seq=257 (image 257/874) : Arrival of two parties with the Meyer surname : (i) Johannes Meyer, and (ii) Hans Mei[e]r, Christian Meyer and Johann Meyer
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Best, Jane Evans (1998). Meyer Families Update, Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, April 1998. [Identifier MC111]
7. ↑ Wills: Abstracts 1749-1819: Surnames L - O: York Co, PA, contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Thera
8. ↑ Orangeburg German-Swiss Genealogical Society, citing Faust Vol.II, pgs.91, 109 and 124, viewed at https://ogsgs.org/origin.htm
9. ↑ Adams, Dorothy. "Myers History: Some Descendants of Hans Meier of Pequea, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania", D.M.K. Adams, 1987.
10. ↑ Warrant Applications, 1733-1952. Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania State Archives. Land Warrants. Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, PA. Viewed at https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/2350/records/152400 : Warrant in 1752 by Thomas Armor, for 50 acres of land in Shrewsbury Twp, York, adjoining lands of Peter Brillhart Jr.
11. ↑ Bittinger, Emmert F. “Brethren Meyer / Myer Families of York and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania”, Mennonite Family History XIX no.1 (April 2000) : 15. Retrieved 15 May 2021 from https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/511653-mennonite-family-history-v-19-no-1-jan-2000

See also :

• Best, Jane Evans. Author states in later works that they "supersede all my previous accounts of this family."
  • "Swiss Emigrants from Albis, Part I: Stallikon", Mennonite Family History 8, Jan. 1989.
  • "Anabaptist Families from Canton Zurich to Lancaster County, 1633 to 1729: A Tour", Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage, Oct. 1994.
  • "The Groff Book, Vol. 2, A Continuing Saga", Groff History Associates, 1997.
• Notes by E. Q. Claim at http://www.friendsofallencounty.org/ellingham/getperson.php?personID=I74766&tree=Ellingham - Link no longer functioning

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Edward Nelson for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Edward and others.