Johann Georg Wendel (Silber) Silver Sr. (abt. 1731 - abt. 1785)

Born about 27 Jun 1731 in Denkendorf ,Neckarkreis, Württemberg, Germany

Ancestors

Husband of Elisabeth Margaretha (Schmieden) Silver — married 16 Feb 1752 in Evangelical Lutheran Augustus Church at Trappe, New Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died about 21 Oct 1785 at about age 54 in Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Keith Davis [send private message], Julie Silvers [send private message], and John Phillips [send private message]

Biography

Johann George was born about 1731. He passed away about 1785.

No primary source support dates and parents.

George Wendel Silber (George Silver Sr.) was born in Denkendorf, a small town in Neckarkreis, Wuerttemburg, Germany on June 27, 1731.^[1] He was a son of Hanss Wendel and Anna Maria Lebansff Silber. George was a descendant of well-known metal workers and tradesmen. The Silber men were considered masters of the art of wrought iron designing and blacksmithing.

* Research note: According to the baptism record he was the son of baker Hans Georg Silber and Agnes Maria. Smith Hans Wendel Silber was his godfather.

Checking an atlas, we find the area of Wuerttemburg that includes the Neckar River Valley, the location of Denkendorf, Neckarkreis, to lie some 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) south of Stuttgart, Germany. This is the southwest corner of Germany, bordered south by Switzerland and west by France.

It is not known exactly why young Wendel decided to journey to the English Colony in America. He had probably heard of William Penn’s earlier visit to Europe asking the German farmers and tradesmen to immigrate to Pennsylvania. Penn had promised free land and relief from famine and strife. Most of the young men had been drained by the constant wars in Europe. It could have been the lack of work or being able to care for oneself. Perhaps it was religion. The Lutherans had been persecuted for a century or more. It seems that George’s decision to emigrate to America presents us with an enigma for all times.

At any rate, George made his way down the Rhine River to the Dutch port of Rotterdam. Here he boarded a British ship, the “Speedwell,” a sister ship to the older “Mayflower.” Apparently, George had the funds to pay his passage and was not indentured as were the majority of the passengers. A representative of the Silber Museum in Denkendorf stated that George was from a well to do family and could well afford to pay his passage.

From Rotterdam, the Speedwell’s next stop would be at the port of Cowes in what today is Scotland. Cowes was the jumping off point for ships bound for the English Colonies in America and Canada. This stop was to clear customs and be checked for admission to the Colonies. At this point, Catholics were returned to Rotterdam. England wanted only Protestants in her colonies. Here, at Cowes, the ship would take on water in casks and victuals. One meal would be served every other day.

The conditions at the port of Cowes and other examination points were nothing less than horrible. There was a shortage of food and water. Sanitary conditions did not exist. The grounds were trampled and passengers waited in leaky tents (those that were fortunate to get a tent) for their ships. A large number of deaths occurred here among the weaker or sickly passengers before they were able to begin their passage.

The conditions aboard the ships were not much better. There was no privacy. Families, young and old shared the small, cramped, crowded space in the holds. A single toilet was shared by all. The water provided for drinking was often tainted and next to undrinkable, the food moldy and wormy. The water and food sometimes ran out and the passengers were reduced to starvation rations. Some, who managed to catch rats, ate better than did the others. The ships were stocked for the number of days calculated to reach their ports in America and not one day more. Many of the emigrants were buried at sea. It has been estimated that one of every nine passengers succumbed to some kind of disease during these voyages.

Some voyages were blown off course by hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles. Some ships were off course so badly that they made landfall in Brazil. One such ship actually had to land in India. When the ships reached port, the Captain was in charge of collecting passage fare from the immigrants. Those that were able to pay were allowed to disembark. Those families and individuals who had indentured themselves were allowed to depart as soon as their sponsor had paid their fares. Those who were not sponsored and could not pay their fares were auctioned off to the highest bidder. These buyer’s indentures could last from four to ten years and in some cases much longer. This amounted to slavery but was condoned by the British who looked on it with a blind eye. Needless to say, some families were torn asunder.

The main ports of entry in America were Philadelphia, Charleston and New Orleans. In Canada, the main port was Newfoundland. If a ship was off course and had to land at Charleston, the passengers bound for Philadelphia or other ports, had to make their way there as best as they could. As one can see, these were not pleasure cruises for our forebears.

All of the ships landing in Philadelphia, Charleston and New Orleans were filled with indentured families as well as young men and women. All male immigrants over the age of sixteen were required to take an “Oath of Allegiance,” to the Crown of Great Britain.

George’s arrival in Philadelphia on September 25, 1749, was announced in the Philadelphia papers as: “Foreigners from Wirtemberg, Alsace and Hanau, --- ship Speedwell, James Creagh, Captain, from Rotterdam, last of Cowes. --- 240 passengers.” As soon as George had paid his passage and had taken the oath, he moved westward a short distance to Berks County and later to Montgomery County. Both these counties lie a short distance from Philadelphia proper. Apparently, George had contacts and was able to settle in quickly.

On February 16, 1752, George married Elizabeth Margaretha “Sissy Market” Schmieden, a widow of Johann Heinrich Vogeding. They were married in the Augustus Lutheran Church located in Trappe, New Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. This Church is still standing and in excellent condition. It is the oldest original Lutheran Church in America. Little is known about Elizabeth but her maiden name of, “Schmieden” is well known in the area of Denkendorf and Neckar River Valley, the home of the Silber family.

In 1753, Elizabeth Margaretha gave birth to twins. Their names were Elizabeth Margaret and Johann Jurg Silber. We now refer to Johann as “George Silver Jr.” We have no date of birth for them but they were Christened on October 28, 1753 in the Augustus Lutheran Church in Trappe, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania. Elizabeth later gave birth to another child named Jacob. He was born in Rockland Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Jacob was baptized at Christ (Mertz’s) Lutheran Church, Rockland Township, on August 25, 1765. Jacob must have died at an early age since there is no other information on him.

George paid taxes on a horse and cow in 1764 in Rockland Township, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania. Apparently he had had some success at farming.

The Tax List of Berks County for the year of 1767 shows that George Silver paid taxes in Ruscomb Manor Township in Berks County, Pennsylvania for that year.

At some time in 1774 George patented land in Maryland. This “plantation” was located in western Maryland in Frederick County. It was described as being in the Littleworth Tract at the foot of Sugar Loaf Mountain just south of Fredericktown, now known as Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland. The plantation contained 240 acres.

George and his family farmed this plantation until his death on October 21, 1785. Elizabeth’s death date is unknown. Their burial plots must have been on their plantation since there is no trace of them being buried in a church cemetery or in any established cemetery.

Research Notes

There is a marriage date of 1752 for this couple. Son Hanns has a child born in 1731, so either dates are wrong with one or more profiles or he is not a son of this family.

Sources

1. ↑ Church book Denkendorf, Württemberg: Landeskirchliches Archiv Stuttgart > Dekanat Esslingen > Denkendorf > Mischbuch 1648-1770 Band 2 [1]

• Family search website
• Family records
• Transcript provided by Ms. Elizabeth Bryson, a direct descendent of Hans Jurg Silver, of San Diego, CA.