Michael Ullrich of York Co., Pa.
Life and Family of
Michael Ullrich
of York Co., Pa.
Among the Sep. 24, 1737 arrivals on the Virtuous
Grace, of Rotterdam disembarking at Philadelphia, were �Michael
Ulerich�, aged 37, and �Hans Michael Ulerich�, aged 30. Typically, two
men of the same name appearing on the same ship suggest relatives
immigrating together, but in this instance it does not appear to be the
case. In all three available lists, the order is consistent, and with
only a few exceptions, those with the same surname are listed together,
indicating that families were usually grouped. The �Ulerich� entries
were one of these exceptions. More importantly, while the transcript
of the list of immigrants calls both �Ulerich�, the lists
preserving signatures shows one of them
not to be an Ulrich at all, but instead he spelled his name �Ulbricht�. The
other passenger, who signs his name �Michell Ullrich�, would seem to be
the more likely candidate for the later
York County settler. However, this identification remains
tentative, since his age (he matches the 37 year old Michael Ulerich) is
somewhat old for a man who had only just become a father of his first child.
It would appear that one of these men (and if the difference in the name is
significant, it would be the older of the two, since the name in these records
appears as Michael Ullrich, just as in the Philadelphia signature) emigrated
from Allsheim, Rheinland, with America as his destination.1 While the passenger lists only name adult
males, Michael would have been accompanied by wife Anna Maria and daughter Catharine.
Following their arrival, their whereabouts are uncertain for the next fifteen
years. In 1752, Michael reappears. In that year, George Son of York County
drafted a letter in response to the accusation that he was opperating a public
house, and among those signing in support was Michel Ullrich. Two years later,
in 1754, six children of Michael and Anna Maria, ranging in age from 13 to 2,
were baptized by Rev. Jacob Lischy, (recorded as Vlrich) which suggests that
the couple had not been associated with an organized congregation prior to
this time, while the son born
after this date was baptized immediately following his birth. In
1760, on 26 Jul., Michael and Anna Maria served as baptismal sponsors for
Michael, son of Johann Peter and Sussanna Engels by Rev. Lischy. In the
tax assessment records of 1762, Michael appears in Codorus Township, along
with son-in-law John Heritter. This is the last record that has been
discovered of Michael Ulrich, although the first document relating to his
estate bears a much later date, 26 Jan. 1774, when an appraisement of his property was performed.
His estate was valued at just over �154, and mostly consisted of ordinary
household goods, but also loans due from sons Michael, Lorrence, John,
son-in-law John Hereter, and several unrelated neighbors. Son Michael was
appointed administrator of the estate, following petition
by Michael, John Hereter, and John Bayer (who owed the estate �90).
In the account which he prepared, out of the estate
came �28.6.5 for various small debts and fees, leaving just under �126 to be distributed among his widow and children, �42 going to the
widow, �17.13.6 to Michael, as oldest son, and �9.6.9 to the remaining children.
Michael�s widow, Anna Maria, survived him by at least until Nov. 1776, when she
sponsored the baptism of a granddaughter, but nothing further has been found. The
Ullrich family can be found in the area at least as late as 1783, also appearing in
tax records as Ulrich, Wuldrich, Wulrich, Olrich, Olerich and Ulric.
Michael Ullrich married Anna Maria about 1735, and had by her the following children:
- Catherine Ulrich, b. say
1736. On 20 Aug 1753, she married John Hereter (also appears
as Hereder, Herether, Herrether, Heeritter, Hoerritter, and Harader)
at St. Matthew�s Lutheran Church, Hanover, York Co. (He may be the
immigrant Johannes Heerreder who arrived at
Philadelphia on the Ranier on 26 Sep. 1749.) By 1779, he was
in Manheim Twp., where he owned 200
acres, as well as some livestock. Between 1782 and 1783, he had sold some of his
land, having 153 acres, and had seven people living with him. While this number
could include Anna Maria Ullrich (if still alive) or grandchildren, it suggests
that they had more than the two sons whose baptisms have been found. He may be
identical with the Johannes Harader who appears in Preston
Co., WV in 1795. The following children of John and Catharine have been identified:
- Andrew Hereter, b. 29 May, bap. 30 Jun. 1754, Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church.
- Jacob Hereter, b. 24 Mar. 1763, bap. Emanuel Reformed Church, Hanover, York Co., m.
Elisabeth, who was probably the Catharina Elisabeth born 1769 to Nicholas
and Catharina Elisabeth Neuman. They had (all bap. at Emanuel Reformed Church):
- Catharina Elisabeth Hereter, b. 19 Apr., bap. 20 May 1787,
sp: Johannes and Juliana Gros.
- Jacob Hereter, b. 14 Dec. 1788, bap 25 Jan. 1789, sp: Nicholas and
Elisabeth Schäfer, presumably d.y.
- Elisabeth Hereter, b. 6 May, bap. 4 Jul. 1790, sp: Barbara Neuman.
- Anna Maria Hereter, b. 10 Oct., bap. 16 Dec. 1792.
- Margaretha Hereter, b. 6, bap. 19 May 1797.
- Johann Jacob Hereter, b. 14 Sep., bap. 27 Nov. 1799, sp: David Neuman, single.
- Anna Maria Ulrich, b. 1740/1. Aged 13 on 26 May 1754 when she was baptized by
Rev. Lischy, her sponsor being Susanna Vogel. She married about 1760, Johann Peter
Willjard, b. 12 Jun. 1736, Lancaster Co., Pa., son of Hans Caspar and Maria Magdalena
(Fischer) Williard. By 1768, the were presumably in Maryland, where they had a son born,
an in 1770, John Peter his brother Frederick Williard had their property in York
confiscated. Some time after 1771, they went to Westmoreland Co., Pa., where at
Walthour�s Blockhouse, Johann Peter was killed in an attack by the Delawares in Apr. 1781.
Anna Maria was still living in 1802, when she sponsored the baptism of a grandchild.
They had:2
- John Peter Williard, b. Jun. 18, bap. 28 Jun. 1761, Christ Evangelical
Lutheran Church, York. Killed along with his father.
- Henry Williard, b. 26 Feb., bap. 4 Apr. 1763, First German Reformed Church,
York, settled in Hamilton Co., Ohio.
- Mary Williard, oldest daughter.
- Magdalena Williard, b. 26 Jun., bap. 30 Mar. 1766, First German Reformed Church,
apparently the daughter kidnapped and later killed in the attack in which her brother and
father were also killed.
- Jacob Williard, b. 12 May 1768, Maryland, settled in Kittanning Twp., Armstrong
Co., Pa.
- Elizabeth Williard, probably b. ca. 1770.
- Catharine Williard, b. 12 Feb., bap.18 Aug. 1771, Zion Reformed Church,
Hagerstown, Md.
- John Williard, b. aft. 1772, eventually settled in Dearborn Co., Ind.
- George Williard, b. aft. 1772.
- Susanna Williard, b. aft. 1772.
- Caspar Williard, prob. b. ca. 1779.
- Michael Ulrich, b. 1742/3. He was 11 in 1754 at his baptism,
his sponsor being Michael Vogel. In
1775, he, as eldest son, served as administrator of his father�s estate.
In 1779 and 1780, he was in Berwick Twp., York Co., but then disappears.
- Juliana Ulrich, b. 1744/5. She was 9 years old when baptized in
1754, her sponsored being Magdelena Haugin. She married by 1775 to John
Gitting.
- Johannes �John� Ulrich, b. 1746/7. He was aged 7 at his baptism
in 1754, sponsored by Michael Haug. He married Elizabeth _____. He
owned 50 acres and some livestock in Chanceford Twp., York Co. at least from
1779 to 1783, in that year having two people in his household, suggesting that
either his daughter or wife had died. Johna nd Elizabeth had:
- Anna Maria Ulrich, b. 23 Sep. 1776, bapt. 16 Nov. at the Emanuel
Reformed Church, her sponsor being Anna Maria �Ullrich�, her grandmother.
- Lorentz Ulrich, b. 1748/9. Aged 5 at his baptism in 1754, his
sponsor was Görg Meyer. He was called Lora in his father�s estate. He married
Margareth _____. They had, bap. at Emanuel Reformed Church:
- Catharine Ulrich, bap. 25 Feb. 1776, sp: Johannes and Catharina
Schmeltzer.
- Johannes Ulrich, bap. 25 Feb. 1776, sp: Johannes and Catharina Schmeltzer.
- Anna Margareth �Grete� Ulrich, b. 1751/2, and 2 years old at her 1754
baptism, her sponsor being Anna Maria Sprengel. By 1775, she had married Abraham
Bowser. He was in Paradise Twp., York Co. in 1779 and 1780, and by 1781 had bought
100 acres in Cumberland Twp., York Co. He also, at an undetermined date, served in Capt.
Zolingers Company, York Co. Militia. They had at least one child, baptized at Emanuel
Lutheran Church:
- Anna Margaretha Bowser, b. 23 Aug., bap. 13 Oct. 1776, sp: Michael and Anna Margaretha
Hauss (which may be an error for Michael and Anna Margaretha Haug, sponsors of Juliana
and John Ulrich).
- (Johann) Heinrich �Henry� Ulrich, bap. 19 May 1755, sponsored by Heinrich
and Anna Margaretta Eberhardt.
1. Werner Hacker, ed. Auswanderund aus der Rheinpfalz und dem Saarland.
2. Williard information from John D. Baldwin, III, Cleveland, OH, except order
taken from Distribution of the Estate of Peter Williard, which is consistant with ages of known children.
Passenger Lists of the Virtuous Grace
Appraisement of the Estate of Michael Ulry
Petition for the Administration of the Estate of Michael Ulrich
Account of the Administration of the Estate of Michael Ulerich
Distribution of the Estate of Michael Ulerich