Maria Margaretha Lempert was born in 1743 in Wurttemberg, Germany. She married Michael Loy about 1762 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. They had 13 children who were all born in Greenwich Township of Berks County as follows:
1764 George Michael
1766 Anna Maria
1768 Maria Catherine
1770 Nicholas
1772 Maria Barbara
1774 Margaretha Sybilla
1776 John George
1777 Samuel
1782 Anna Eva (our ancestor)
1782 Susanna Eve
1783 Elizabeth
1786 John
1787 Michael
All of the children were baptized at the New Bethel Church in Greensville.
Margaretha died on 19 Jul 1823 in Tyrone Twp., Perry, PA and is buried at the Lebanon Church Cemetery in the town that is now called Loysville, Perry, PA, named after her husband.
It is with great pleasure that I am introducing you to an outstanding ancestor today. Because of the respect his community had for him, they honored Michael Loy by naming their town after him in 1834. While Michael was alive, it was called Andesville. Michael's neighbors renamed the town Loysville, as it stands today. Loysville is in Perry County, Pennsylvania.
Now, I will tell you where this fine man was born and some details of his life. Michael was born in Wurttemberg, Germany on the 21st of July in 1740. He and his family journeyed to Pennsylvania when Michael was quite young. He was sold to a farmer in Berks County, PA to pay for his passage. This farm was between Kutztown and Reading, PA. At age 19, Michael was confirmed in the Maxatawny church near Kutztown in 1759 by Rev. Daniel Schumacher. The Maxatawny Church is located about 1 mile east of Kutztown, and about 7 or 8 miles southeast of the Ley Homestead in Greenwich Twp., Berks, PA. And, it was in Greenwich that Michael met Maria Margaretha Lempert and married her in 1762. All of their 13 children were born in Greenwich. His father, Mathias Ley, was a tax collector in 1763. Perhaps he collected the taxes from his son Michael Loy who was taxed in 1765 for 100 acres of land, 15 acres of it clear, 2 horses, 2 cows, 2 sheep, 3 negroes, and 6 Quit-rents while residing in Greenwich Twp.
In the book, "Michael Loy: Revolutionary War Soldier" by Gerald E. Collins, it states that Michael served as a private in Captain Smith's Company, Pennsylvania Line of the Continental Army, 2nd Battallion, Berks, PA.
In October 1788, Michael purchased land in Andesville (originally called Red Hook) in Perry County, PA, when he was age 48. He built a barn 66 X 26 and a stable 28 X 26 on the west side of his property. In the 1798 Tax List he was taxed on 250 acres of land. Two of his neighbors were Adam Barnhisel and John Barnhisel, also our relatives. Also in 1798, Jacob Barnhisel died after a fall from his horse. Michael was the named executor of Jacob's will.
In 1800, Michael co-founded the Lebanon Lutheran Church. He and Martin Barnhisel donated the land for the church and churchyard cemetery.
Michael died on the 19th of July in 1823. He and his wife are buried in the Lebanon Churchyard Cemetery. Below is a partial transcript of Michael's Last Will and Testament, which he wrote in October 1815:
"The legacy coming to my daughter Margreat which
legacies shall be divided equally among her six children and it is also understood---that George, John and Michael Loy are to pay the above 61 pounds to said Nicholas Loy after the estate is equally divided.
And I do hereby constitute and appoint my son Nicholas Loy and my son George Loy Executors of this my last will and testament and I do hereby utterly revoke all former wills and legacies by me hereto left or made declaring and confirming this & no other to be my last will and testament.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 4th day of oct 1815. Signed Sealed published and declared by the within named Michael Loy, Sr. to be my last will and testament in present of us who subscribed and named in presence of the said testator and of each other."
Peter Scheibley
Isaiah Carl
Michael Loy (X his mark)
On 14 Oct 1823, before Abraham Fulweiler, Register, Isaah Carl was sworn as one of the witnesses, and, on same date, Henry Titzel, Esq, was sworn to prove the handwriting of Peter Sheibley deceased. (signed) Henry Titzel.
The Collins Book: Their Tombstones are inscribed in German as
follows----------
"Hier rhuhen die gebeine von Michael Lei, er ist gebohren im Jahr 1740, und ist gestorben im lahr 1823, deu 19, Julius, sein alter war 83 lahr?
and "Hier ruhen die gebeine von Margareta Lei, ehgaten von Michael Lei, sie ist gebohren im lahr 1743, und ist gestorben im lahr 1809, lhr alter war 66 lahr."
Catherine Bernitz was born in Germany around 1710. At age 19, she married Johannes Wiltensinn, about 1729. Their first child, Samuel, was born in Germany and accompanied Johannes and Catherine on their voyage to Philadelphia. Their three other children were born in Hanover in Lancaster County, now called York County, Pennsylvania:
Samuel born 6 May 1730
Georg Carl 6 Jan 1740
Catherine B. 28 Aug 1743
John Jacob 8 Apr 1747 (our ancestor)
After Johannes died, Catherine petitioned the provincial authorities to take up land on behalf of herself and her children which her late husband had settled on and made improvements. It was determined by the authorities that the family had been settled there by March 1, 1748; a general survey of the land was made and dated April 20, 1754. On Feb 19, 1756, Catherine made a down payment of 5 pounds toward the purchase price of the desired land; permission for final land surveys and warrants was given by John Penn (lieutenant governor and a grandson of William Penn) to Catherine on June 26, 1764, for 165 acres called Meadow Land and then on Apr 30, 1765, to George Carl for 163 acres called Chestnut Hill--total acreage being 328 acres and 140 perches. Both mother and son died within a year of each one's warrant. They were buried at the Wildasin Meeting House burial ground.
Catherine Bernitz
Born: abt 1710 , , Germany
Married: abt. 1729 Germany
Died: abt. 1764 Hanover, Lancaster, PA
Buried: Wildason's Meeting House Burial Ground
Sources: Pennsylvania German Pioneers, vol. 1 by Strassburger and Hinke, pages 252, 253, and 254, Johannes Wiltensinn, age 48.;Researcher, Sally J. Widasinn-Ward re Johannes Wiltensinn, http://genforum. genealogy.com/.
In 1689, the town of Alzey and the castle, under the French troops' scorched-earth policy, were burnt down, in the Nine Years' War, when Louis XIV's armies left numerous Rhine Valley areas conquered and ruined. Our ancestor, Johannes Wiltensinn was born one year later, near Alzey in Pfalz, Germany in 1690. Somehow the Wiltensinns eked out a living for a few years in this area but after Johannes married and started a family, he decided to seek a better life in Pennsylvania, where he had learned there was freedom of religion and beautiful land, rivers, and forests, unlike his devasted home land.
John Wiltensinn, at age 48, and his small family embarked late in 1738 from Rotterdam, Holland, on the ship Jamaica Galley, which carried a total of 320 passengers, and arrived in Philadelphia on February 7, 1739. "List 68B: Palatines imported in Ship Jamaica Galley, Robert Harrison, Commander, from Rotterdam, but last from Cowes in England. Qualified Feb 7, 1738/9" (Historians say that such voyages lasted from 7 to 12 weeks, sometimes longer.)
They went to the area of what is now Hanover, in York County, PA, but in those days was still a part of Lancaster County. Family legend says their arrival occurred during a blinding snow storm towards spring. The site they settled on was about a mile or so west of where St. Paul's (Dub's) Church now stands. (The above pictured map is marked with a red star, which is the Church location.) It was at this settlement that their first child in America was born on January 6, 1740--Georg Carl.
Johannes secured a sizable amount of acreage and enjoyed the beauty of his new country and the company of other German immigrants nearby. He was a farmer and a weaver and he and his family of three sons and one daughter attended the Lutheran services at the Wildasin's Meeting House. Members of two other denominations also held church services here, perhaps on alternating Sundays or weekdays.
(When Europeans first reached this land, it was the territory of Susquehannock Indians, a powerful tribe that controlled much of the land near the Susquehanna River. Wars and the push of settlers, most of which were German farmers, led to the demise of the Susquehannocks.)
And it was here that Johannes died, at age 64, around 1754, and later his wife, Catherina, and son, Georg Carl. All three are buried where Wildasin's Meeting House now stands. See the note below:
'Prior to 1829 there was located on a knoll along a private road or path, joining the present Hanover-Glen Rock Highway with the Black Rock Road, a private burial ground known as Wildasin's Graveyard. Since then a frame building has been erected and the area used for public school, worship and burial. The adjoining farm from which it gets its name was tenanted by Richard Bankert, a descendant of the original Wildasin family, until the existence of Codorus State Park. It was first used for a burial ground by George and Magdalena Wildasin." [George and Magdalena were probably Richard Bankert's direct ancestors.]
With all of these directions and names of places and buildings, perhaps my relatives, who live near Philadephia, would like to venture a trip to find this Meeting House and Wildasin burial ground. Give it a try, Tom and Deb...and your sons, too! Take photos for our family to see!
JOHANNES JACOB WILTENSINN
BORN: 1690 near Alzey, Pfalz, Germany
MARRIED: abt. 1729 Germany
DIED: abt. 1754 Hanover, York, PA, USA
SOURCES: Immigration/Passenger records of Philadelphia, PA;Stories from online Wildasin web pages; Wikipedia map and historical articles;
