AMERICA THE GREAT MELTING POT
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Direct descendant is highlighted in red
| Johan Stephanus Umbenhauer | Immigrant Ancestor | see FAMILY TREE |
| Born: 1698 | ||
| Married: 18 Oct 1718 Evangelisch, Frankenthal, Pfalz, Bavaria | ||
| Died: Bef. 09 July 1764 Bern Twp, Lancaster Co., PA |
FATHER
Georg Unbauhauen
WIFE
CHILDREN
1 Maria Elizabeth Umbenhaurer
bap.
22 Sep 1720 Frankenthal Evangelical Church
m. Abt. 1739
Johann Georg Kepplinger
d. Abt. 1749
2. Johann Matthaeus Umbenhaurer
bap. 28 Jun 1722 Frankenthal Evangelical Church
3. Anna Catharina Umbenhaurer
bap. 19 Apr 1724 Frankenthal Evangelical Church
m. 8 Jan
1749 to George Borden in Lebanon, PA
4. Bathazar Umbenhaurer
bap. 19 Feb 1730 Frankenthal Evangelical Church
m. 1750/51 to Maria Appolonia Brossman
d. Apr 1799 Berks
County, PA
5. Maria Barbara Umbenhauer
b. Abt. 1732
named in estate records of her father
Johann Stephen
Umbenhauer
by Susan Brooke
Jan 2021
Stephen was a member of the Tulehocken Church from 1743 through 1746. A list containing his name and the other parishioners can be seen in the link below. (4)
Stephen Unbahauer died intestate sometime before 9 Jul 1764 when his son Balthasar was making bond as administrator. (5) From these court records we learn that Balthasar was the "only son." Thus, his brother Matthaeus must have died sometime before the death of his father. There is also a payment made to Mary Barbara "one of the daughters" of the deceased.
Looking back at the baptismal records in Evangelisch, Frankenthal, Pfalz, Bavaria where Stephan married Anna Barbara, we find their daughter, Maria Elisabetha Unbehauen, being baptized on 22 Sep 1720 to Stephan Unbenhauen. She married Georg Kepplinger about 1739 and their first child, Catherine Elizabeth Keplinger, was baptized 7 Dec 1741 in Jefferson Township, Berks, PA. Another daughter, Anna Catharina Umbenhauren, was baptized 19 Apr 1724 in the same church. Her parents were listed as Johann Stephan Umbenhauren and Anna Barbara. On 8 Jan 1749 she married George Borden in Lebanon, PA. Thus, two daughters born to the couple Stephan Umbenhaue and Anna Barbara Bechtel, were baptized in the church where their parents married in Bavaria, and have records showing they lived near the Stephan Umbenhauer of Pennsylvania.
Sources
(1)
Married: 18 Oct 1718
Evangelisch, Frankenthal, Pfalz, Bavaria
film 488252
Johann Stephen
Unbehauen son of Georg Unbehauen of Brandenburg and Anna Barbara Bechtel of
Stephen Bechtel
(2) Fox, Cyrus T.,
Reading and Berks County, Pennsylvania, a history
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1925, 1315 pgs.
pg 263
"The name of Umbenhauer was originally spelled Umbehaake. Of Swiss descent, the
Umbenhauer family was established in America early in 1734. A grant of land was
given by Thomas and Richard Penn to Stephan Umbenhaake in 1737, and was for two
hundred acres in what was then Lancaster County, Pennsylvania."
(3) Reading Eagle, Dec 1894 transcribed by N D Scheidt
Findagrave Memorial
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Neil
Scheidt
Source: Reading Eagle-Dec 23 1894
"The large farm of William Umbenhauer adjoining the borough
of Bernville has been in the hands of the Umbenhauer family for 153 years and no
other people have ever lived there. The family history of the Umbenhauers is
full of interest.
About the year 1735 Stephen Umbenhauer, who then spelled
his name Umbenhawk, left his native country of Switzerland and sailed for
America in company with a brother considerably younger. They landed in New York
and after staying there a while went to Philadelphia and thence made their way
by foot near the present location of Stouchsburg. Here they took up a tract of
several hundred acres.
Stephen was married at the time, but his brother was
single and lived with him. The two brothers intended to clear and cultivate the
land in partnership. The land granted them near the present village of
Stouchasburg was surveyed in 1737 by William Parsons, deputy surveyor of the
province of Pennsylvania. The results of their labor at the above named place
were not very encouraging as they did not understand the cultivation of lime
stone soil of that region. In Switzerland they had meadow land. Stephen's
brother died, and was buried near the Lutheran church of tulpehocken. He was
still single. Stephen was now the only Umbenhauer in Switzerland or America.
When the brothers left their native country, all the rest of their family had
died out, and the two remaining members had barely enough money to take them to
the new world.
Shortly after his brother's death, Stephen abandoned his
claim near Stouchsburg, although a rude house and other buildings had been
constructed, and with his family drifted down the Tulpehocken valley in search
of a nice tract of tillable meadow land. Finally they saw a tree of great
height. It towered far above all the rest. great trees bespeak a fertile soil
and Mr Umbenauer knew this, so he shifted his course in the direction of the big
tree. He was confident of finding good land here, and when he finally reached
the spot, he was not disappointed. They arrived toward the close of winter of
1741. Mr Umbenauer immediately began the building of a house for his family and
on the 19th of July of the same year purchased a tract of 235 acres here.
Previous to this purchase he had to make several trips to Lancaster where the
land office was located. An old deed examined by the Eagle's traveling
correspondent says the tract is situated on North creek. This stream is now
known as Northkill, probably because it flows into the Tulpehocken from the
north. £15 and ten shillings was the amount paid for the land, which was then
included in Lancaster county instead of Berks.
In 1743 Mr Umbenhauer and his
family became members of the old Tulpehocken Lutheran church. This church was
about nine miles from the Umbenauer home, and was the nearest house of worship.
Mr Umbenhauer cleared the land as rapidly as possible and his farm was in a very
short time considered one of the most fertile in the valley.
Stephen
Umbenhauer died comparatively young, and on April 9, 1853, his son Balthaser,
who spelled his surname Umbenhacker, bought the farm for the sum of £200. After
Balthaser's death, his son Thomas, became the purchaser on Nov 8, 1794, for the
sum of £950. About the year 1817, Thomas Umbenhauer, who then spelled his name
Umbenhauer, laid out the village of Bernville, which was then entirely on his
land and was known as Umbenhauerstown for a number of years. The place of
course, was only a small fraction of the present enterprising borough of
Bernville.
Thomas Umbenhauer was one of the leading men of the county in his
time. he died aged about 70 years. At the time of his death the village had been
the means of reducing his farm to 133 acres. The farm now became the property of
his son Peter, who purchased additional tracts thus raising the acreage to about
160. Peter lived to be about 72 years of age. After his death his son William,
who is now 70 years of age, and still owns the property, purchased the land. The
farm has not been reduced in size, but greatly improved in every respect. A
large new barn was erected in 1839 and a substantial brick house took the place
of the old log home in 1870. It is one of the most fertile in Northern Berks.
Its appearance has changed greatly in the last 100 years. Both house and barn
used to be of logs. The old barn was over 100 feet in length.
Families such
as these are truly the representative people of old Berks."
(4) Members of Tulehocken Church from 1743-1746
(5)
Administration of the estate of Stephen Unbahauer
Balthasar Unbahauer, administrator. Bond
9 July 1764
"Know all Men by these Presents that We Balthasar Unbahauer, of Bern Township in
Berks County, Pennsylvania, yeoman, only son of Stephen Unbahauer, late of the
Said Township, Yeoman, Deceased; Michael Kahl of the same Township, yeoman, and
Henry Schepter of Tulpehoccon Township in the Said County, Miller.
Inventory Taken 21 July 1764
£119 10. 5
The Account of Balthasar Unbahauer Administrator of all and singular the Goods and chattels Rights and Credits which were of Stephen Unbehauer late of the Twonship of Bern in the County of Berks, Yeoman, deceased who dyed Intestate, to wit:
"For Cash paid to Mary Barbara one of the Daughters of the said Intestate according to the Agreement aforesaid."
Ballance in the Hands of this Account £205 19 3