We are researching the family of Hans Herr, born in Switzerland, and his son Abraham Herr, who died 1725 in Conestoga, Pennsylvania. These notes are for Christian Herr, brother of Abraham.
Research Notes:
c 1680 Christian Herr was born. [1]
1710 On 23 September, the ship Maria Hope, arrived in Philadelphia. Christian Herr has been named as being on the ship [2] [3].
1710 On 24 June, Christian Herr, and five others, wrote a letter thanking the Rotterdam brethren for help in reaching London from Amsterdam. [4]
1710 On 10 October, Christian Herr, perhaps this one, warranted 530 acres of land in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He patented the land on 30 June 1711. [5] The original house is still standing [6] [7].
Christian Herr built a house in the Conestoga settlement. Anna Bare was Christian's wife. [8] [9]
1718 Christian Heer 40 [pounds] £0.10.0 appeared on the tax list for Conestogoe Rate, Dutch Inhabitants, Chester County, Pennsylvania. [10]
1745 On 4 March, Christian Herr [Heer] granted land to his son John Heer, both yeoman of Lancaster County. The 125 acres of land were in Lampeter Twp, Lancaster County, and were part of the 500 acre tract granted to Christian on 28 October 1711 [11]. A ¾ acre burying ground was mentioned. Witnessed by Martin Mylen Junior and Jacob Yaiser. Christian Hare the elder and Abraham Newcommer appeared on 23 June 1760 to declare that the signatures of Christian Hare and Martin Mylen Junior were the signatures of the now deceased persons who had signed the deed and Frederick Yaiser declared the same about the signautre of Jacob Yaiser. [12]
1745 On 4 March, Christian Herr [Heer] granted land to his son Christian Heer Junior, both yeoman of Lancaster County. The 125 acres of land were in Lampeter Twp, Lancaster County, and were part of the 500 acre tract granted to Christian on 28 October 1711 [13]. A ¾ acre burying ground was mentioned. Witnessed by Martin Mylen Junior and Jacob Yaiser. Christian Hare the elder and Abraham Newcommer appeared on 23 June 1760 to testify as to the validity of the signatures of the deceased Christian Heer. [14]
1749/50 On 23 January, Christian Hare dated his will in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The will named wife Anna; Sons John, Christian, and Abraham; and daughters Anna married to Michael Graff, Anna married to Martin Mylin, Susanna married to George Graff, and Barbara married to John Miller. Son-in-law martin Mylin was named executor. [15]
Rev Christian Herr married Anna (no last name given). Born 1680, died about March. Will (I-192) probated 23 Jan 1750. Family bible at Hans Herr house. Wife Anna Bare, daughter of Martin Bare Jr and Elizabeth Herr. Christian and his sons built the house known as the 1719 Hans Herr house. [16] [17]
"Christian Herr was a minister of the Mennonite church, and was the first of the family in this country. He came with Martin Kendig, John Mylin, and others, in the year 1709. They were pleased with the country, and concluded to send for the rest of their friends. They therefore cast lots who should go, and the lot fell on Christian, their minister; they not wishing him to go, Martin Kendig offered to go, and in 1710 brought over the rest of the Herr family, and others. Christian built a house of sandstone in 1719, half a mile east of Willow Street, where it stands yet, with his name and the date upon it, now in possession of David Huber. Christian had three sons, John, Christian and Abraham." [18]
Born 1680. Mennonite minister. Signed London letter June 27, 1710. Warranted 350 acres in Strasburg Twp Oct 10, 1710. Buildt 1719 house. Signed Dortrecht confession 1725. Will dated 23 Jan 1749/50 in Lampeter Twp. [19]
[1] Richard Warren Davis, Mennosearch.com Family Notes, Herr, 23, [Website].
[2] Richard Warren Davis, "Swiss and German Mennonite Immigrants from the Palatine, 1704-1717," Mennonite Family History 13 (1994), 9-16, at 11.
[3] Richard Warren Davis, Mennosearch.com Family Notes, Herr, 23, [Website].
[4] Henry Frank Eshleman, Historic Background and Annals of the Swiss and German pioneer Settlers of Southeastern Pennsylvania (Lancaster, PA: 1917), 148, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[5] Pennsylvania Land Patent, A4-236, [PAPatentBookLinks].
[6] H. Frank Eshleman, A. K. Hostetter, Charles Steigerwalt, "Report on the True character, Time and Place of the first Regular Settlement in Lancaster County", Historical Papers and Addresses of the Lancaster County Historical Society 14 (1910), 21-71, 76 at 68, map at 76, [HathiTrust].
[7] Leo Schelbert, Swiss Migration to America: the Swiss Mennonites (1966), 174, citing Brackbill, Lancaster Historical Society 34, page 90, [GoogleBooks].
[8] Steve Friesen, A Modest Mennonite Home (1990), 41-51.
[9] Steven K. Freisen, "The Herr Plantation, Its Buildings, Land, and Inhabitants," Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 12 (October, 1989), 2-9.
[10] Chester County, Pennsylvania Tax Records, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[11] Pennsylvania Land Patent, A4-236, [PAPatentBookLinks].
[12] Recorder of Deeds, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book F, 50-53, [50], [51], [52], [53], [FHLCatalog].
[13] Pennsylvania Land Patent, A4-236, [PAPatentBookLinks].
[14] Recorder of Deeds, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book F, 53-56, [53], [54], [55], [56], [FHLCatalog].
[15] Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994, Lancaster, Will I-192, image 110, [FamilySearchImage].
[16] Theodore Herr, Genealogical Record of Rev. Hans Herr and his direct Lineal Descendants (1908), 1, [InternetArchive], [HathiTrust].
[17] Theodore Herr, Genealogical Record of Rev. Hans Herr and his direct Lineal Descendants, Revised (1980), 786, [GoogleBooks].
[18] Alexander Harris, A Biographical History of Lancaster County (1879), 281, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].
[19] Jane Evans Best, "Martin Kendig's Swiss Relatives," Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 15 (January, 1992), 2-18, at 15, person HH12.