From Morton Montgomery's History of Berks County, Pennsylvania, 1909 edition, pp. 16-20.
The first permanent settlement along the Delaware in Pennsylvania was effected by a small colony of Swedes in 1638. Ten years before this, the subject of encouraging Swedes to settle in Pennsylvania, for purposes of trade, had been discussed by the King of Sweden; but this warfare with the Germans about that time, and his sudden death, ended the matter, till it was reconsidered and revised by his lord chancellor under the patronage of his daughter, the young Swedish Queen Christina. The whole number of settlers then in the new country (which they called New Sweden) did not exceed fifty. The Swedes effected the most of their settlements on the western side of the Delaware river, and extended them along this river and its prominent tributary, the Schuylkill. In ten years, their number did not increase to one hundred. Notwithstanding, their success in carrying on trade, they could not establish such a firm hold upon the country as to continue their government a score of years. In 1655, their Governor surrendered to the Dutch, and this ended the rule of the Swedes in Pennsylvania. But those who had settled and taken up lands along the Delaware and Schuylkill did not abandon their settlements. Penn, upon his arrival nearly thirty years afterward, encouraged them to move toward the interior.
The English settlers multiplied rapidly after Penn had given a fixed government to the province, and toward the close of the seventeenth century the Swedes began to consider the propriety of accepting Penn's offer. A small colony, under the leadership of Andrew RUDMAN, found suitable land along the Schuylkill, several miles above the mouth of the Manatawny creek, and they in 1701 petitioned for ten thousand acres. Immediately afterward, in pursuance of warrants issued, certain tracts, aggregating 10,500 acres, were surveyed and laid off for them. The names of these Swedes were Andrew RUDMAN, Andrew BANKSON, Benjamin BURDEN, Peter BOON, Benjamin BOON, Mounce JONES, Justa JUSTASON, Mounce JUSTICE, John COCK, Peter COCK, Otto Ernest COCK, Jacob CULINN, Matthias HOLSTON, Morton MORTON, Richard ROADS, and Jonas YOCUM.
All of these, excepting RUDMAN, remained and made permanent settlements. A building erected by one of them, in 1716, is still standing though somewhat altered. It is the oldest building in the county. Descendants of some of them are still in the township (called Amity shortly afterward), notable the JONESES and YOCUMS. This was the only colony of Swedes which came into the county, and the only section of the county in which they took up lands; and they did not wander away, remaining in the township almost entirely.
They were the first settlers who erected a building for religious worship in this county. They were members of the Lutheran denomination, and they possessed admirable characteristics to take up and develop a new country. They remained more immediately together than any other subsequent class of settlers. The Indians must have appreciated their virtues in suffering them to remain unmolested before the land was released. Hence they were a peaceable people. There was amity between them, and so the township came to be named in 1720.
The German immigrants were the second the enter this section of territory The first settlement by them was effected in 1710, along the Manatawny, in Oley. Many arrived within the next decade. To the east of the Schuylkill river, they proceeded northwardly from Philadelphia. To the west, however, the first colony of Germans, before 1730m entered from the west, proceeding from New York southwardly and from the Susquehanna river eastwardly into Tulpehocken Valley. The total number of Germans who settled in the county previous to 1752 cannot be estimated, but they were certainly more numerous than all the other nationalities taken together. In 1747 Governor Thomas stated that the Germans of Pennsylvania comprised three-fifths of the whole population, or about one hundred and twenty thousand.
Many of them were redemptioners, or person who had bound themselves or one or more of their children to the masters of vessels, upon their arrival, for a term of years, to pay for their passage across the ocean. The usual terms of sale depended upon the age, strength, and health of the persons sold. Boys and girls generally served from five to ten years. Many parents were compelled to sell the service of their children to satisfy their passage-money, so that they might be released from the vessel upon which they were brought to this country. Children under five years of age could not be sold to service. They were disposed of gratuitously to persons who agreed to raise them and give them their freedom when they attained the age of twenty-one years. In this manner the redemptioners came to occupy a very humble position; but "from this class there have sprung some of the most reputable and wealthy inhabitants of the province."
Prior to 1727, most of them brought considerable means, but afterwards, many of them were poor, and they came to be redemptioners on that account. The years in which they arrived were 1728, 1729, 1737, 1741, 1750, and 1751. The principal part of them were farmers; but many were mechanics who brought with them a knowledge of those arts which are necessary and useful in all countries, comprising carpenters and builders, weavers, tailors, tanners, shoemakers (cordwainers), comb-makers, smiths of all kinds, butchers, paper-makers and clock-makers. They became perfect mechanics and workmen through a custom of "Peregrination" (Wanderschaft), which as young men, just after the close of their apprenticeship, they carried on for one or more years in order to make themselves more proficient in their several trades. This was required of young mechanics before they were permitted to set up for themselves. By this course, they were afforded opportunities of acquiring much useful knowledge which books could not supply, besides proficiency in their trade. They were called "Traveling Journeymen" (Handweks-Bursch).
This was the class of Germans which settled the country along the Schuylkill and its tributaries. They were a valuable acquisition to Penn and his sons in the development of their great province. They were just what a new country needed to start it grandly in the march of material progress. Their labor, economy, perseverance and stability added great and increasing wealth to the country. In this manner they prepared the way for the erection of a new county, and having thus fitted the settlements for a separate political organization they proceeded earnestly in behalf of its establishment.
The Germans were along every stream excepting the Wyomissing, Allegheny, and Hay creek in the southern section. They were in the valleys and on the hills rather than along the Schuylkill. This selection of localities was not accidental, for they found the best quality of land away from the Schuylkill. The best farms in productiveness and appearance are in the localities where they settled - in Oley, in Maxatawny, and in Heidelberg. And in these respective localities we still find the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the first German patentees.
And the Germans were extreme Revolutionists, having encouraged the war for Independence to the utmost of their ability. Their conduct was admirable through the whole trying period, and when the great struggle was successfully ended, with the acquisition of increased power to the people, they naturally asserted their rights and took elective offices to themselves.
Many of the earlier immigrants were Huguenots, who had been encouraged by Penn and the English government to emigrate to Pennsylvania and New York. In France, this name was used as a term of reproach for those who aimed at a reform of religion according to the principles enunciated by Calvin. The name attached itself to these reformers when they broke off all connection with Lutheranism and began to organize themselves both as a church and as a political body. Their churches sprang up with wonderful quickness during the middle of the sixteenth century; but they became very unpopular.
After the massacre of St. Bartholomew's day, in 1572, the subordination of their religious interests to their political interests became inevitable, and having become followers of Henry of Navarre, heir to the French crown, their subsequent discontent obtained from him, as King Henry IV, in 1598 (April 13th), the famous Edict of Nantes. But the provisions of this Edict were found as helpful for Catholics as Protestantism, and they were so codified a to show a decreasing favor of the Calvinists, who had dreamed of dominance, and had hoped for equality, but were put off with tolerance. This situation caused them to become dissatisfied with the Edict; and the King then determined to reduce them to nothing.
About 1590, the Huguenots carried on worship in about thirty-five hundred chateaux and two hundred towns,, which were situated chiefly in the south and west of France. When Louis IV took up his reign, the tranquility of the Huguenots began to pass away. In 1657, they were forbidden to hold colloquies, lest they might take to politics; and in 1659, they were told to hold no more synods. Soon the court went further and conversions were undertaken. Wherever a pastor could be bribed, converted or got rid of, his temple was torn down. Their worship then became almost impossible in town. As the Kind's conscience grew morbid, he became more eager to expiate his own crimes by punishing heretics. Within twenty years seven hundred churches were destroyed. Throughout that trying period, whilst thousands of them yielded to oppression or bribery, thousand of others fled the land. The emigration began in 1666, and continued for fifty years. It is probable that in 1660, there were over two millions of Huguenots who were regarded as the best and most thrifty citizens in that country; and of these it is said fully a million escaped from their inhospitable fatherland. At last, the Kind revoked the Edict of Nantes, because he thought that the Huguenots were suppressed. This was on Oct. 15, 1685, and it was the sentence of civil death on all Huguenots. It crushed more than half of the commercial and manufacturing industry of the kingdom.
Among the Huguenots, there were many settlers with French names, which may be found in the lists of the first taxables to the east of the Schuylkill. The spelling has been changed so much that they can hardly be recognized, this having been done by the assessors t conform to the English or the German pronunciation. Some of these names and changes will be enumerated: BARDO or BARTO was Bardeau; BUSHONG, Beauchamp; BUSHOUR, Boucher or Buchat; BERTOLET, Berthollet; BAST, Baste; DEISHER, Duchere; DETURCK, De Turcq; DIPPERY, Duprez; DILPLAIN, Delaplaine; LESSIG, Lesecq; LORAH, Larue; MONYER, Monnier; PLANK, De la Plank; SHARADIN, Giradin; SHAPPELL, Chappelle; SHOMO, Chaumont. Several of the unchanged names are BOYER, DELCAMP, DELONG, LEVAN.
The English entered this territory and took up lands before 1720. They were, accordingly, the third class of settlers. Their first families were the BOONES, ELLISES, and LEES in the eastern section =, along the Manatawny, and the BOONES and LINCOLNS in the central and western sections along the Monocacy and the Schuylkill. Within ten years after their permanent settlement, they established a meeting-house for religious worship. This was about 1726, at a point where the Exeter meeting-house stood until recently, in an elevated position near the northwestern limit of the Swede's tracts, then called Amity township.
Shortly after 1730, they also settled along and about Hay creek and Allegheny creek, to the west of the Schuylkill, and also farther north, along and about the Maiden creek, immediately after the Indians had released their rights to the territory. The first families in the former settlements were the EMBREES, LEWISES, HUMPHREYS, SCARLETS, HARRYS, PRICES, WEBBS, HUUGHES, MOORES, WILLIAMSES, and THOMASES; and in the latter settlements, the PARVINS, LIGHTFOOTS, HUTTONS, STARRS, DAVISES, PENROSES, PEARSONS, WILEYS, WRIGHTS, WILLITS, HARVEYS, AND REEDS; and these respective families also established meeting-houses in the midst of their settlements, about the year 1736 - the one at the cross-roads near the center of Robeson township, and the other near the center of Maiden-creek.
All these families were connected with the Friends. They exerted a strong influence in these three sections of the county. The numerous English names given to the townships east of the Schuylkill were suggested by them. George BOONE was particularly prominent in the lower section, and Benjamin LIGHTFOOT in the upper section, in respect to proceedings for setting apart new townships. They were surveyors and men of more than ordinary ability. And just as those two men were prominent in their branch of service, Anthony LEE and Francis PARVIN were equally, if not more, prominent in these respective sections as justices of the several courts of the county. Indeed, until the Revolution the Friends exerted the most influence in directing political affairs here notwithstanding their number was far less than the Germans. But during the Revolution and immediately afterward, the natural energy of the Germans carried them forward in political matters, just as it had carried them forward in agriculture and manufactures before it; and Independence having elevated them into political rights, they exercised these by placing themselves into power. So the Friends lost their official positions and consequently their public influence.
Before the Revolution, their number was strong and their religious meetings were active and successful, but since that time they have gradually decreased.
There were English people here besides the Friends. At first, between 1735 and 1740, before the erection of the county, they were in the southern and southeastern sections, the one body in Caernarvon township, and the other in Amity. They were members of the Established Church of England, here called Episcopalians. Afterward, when the county was erected, they also appeared in Reading, though without sufficient strength to cause the erection of a church for themselves until 1824.
Just as the Swedes settled in the county on the eastern bank of the Schuylkill, so the Welsh stetted in the county to the west of this river. They migrated through Chester county till they crossed the South Mountain, and though some of them reached a point beyond the mountain before the purchase of the territory from the Indians in 1732, yet the most of them entered this district immediately afterward. The Swedes did not have a township names after any of their places, but the Welsh were earnest in this behalf, having names three townships, Caernarvon, Cumru, and Brecknock.
The Welsh had purchased from Penn in England before 1700, a large body of land, aggregating 40,000 acres, to be selected in Pennsylvania; and these acres they located to the west of the Schuylkill. They settled the country so numerously that, before 1698, they had named six townships in the county of Chester. Rowland ELLIS was a prominent Welshman who induced a large emigration from Wales to this country., After having persuaded Thomas OWEN and his family to emigrate and settle in Chester county, he, himself, in 1686, embarked with 109 Welshmen. Some of these settlers were named Thomas EVANS, Robert EVANS, Cadwallader EVANS, William JONES, Robert JONES, Hugh GRIFFITH, Edward FOULKE and John HUMPHREY. The territory which lay to the south of the South Mountain and west of the Schuylkill was gradually settled by these Welsh people, and they migrated farther and farther up the river during the next fifty years. Before 1740, several hundred of them had settled in the district beyond this mountain. They were adherents of the Baptist denomination. Their lands were taken up mostly along and in the vicinity of the Wyomissing and Cacoosing creeks, and there they were most thickly settled, the many tracts they took aggregating 20,000 acres, before 1752. They were enterprising, having a gristmill along the Wyomissing before 1740. This flowing stream was appreciated by them for its superior water-power, and they accordingly erected different factories along its banks for the manufacture of gun barrels, files, etc. Agriculture was the principal employment. Like the Swedes, they remained in their first settlement, southward of the Schuylkill and Cacoosing. They co-operated earnestly with the Germans in obtaining a new county out of the upper sections of Lancaster and Philadelphia counties.
Persons of the Irish nationality did not settle in Pennsylvania for nearly forty years after Penn had obtained the province. Penn visited Germany in this behalf, kindling a strong interest in the province, but it would seem that he did not care for the Scotch or Irish, not having encouraged them to emigrate. Accordingly, neither of these came until after his death; and when they did arrive, they settled that portion of the province which lay mostly along the southern borders, adjoining Maryland. Though some of them followed the course of the Susquehanna and settled in Lancaster county, the great body of them migrated into the country which lay west of the river. Very few proceeded up the Schuylkill Valley.
Doubtless the German element in this direction was not agreeable to them. Hence they directed their way to the westward from Philadelphia, immediately after landing, rather than to the northward. No settlement was effected by them in any of the districts which are not included in Berks county.
The same can be said of the Hebrews in this respect. Their immigration was so limited and so quiet no notice was taken of them. Some of them have been in the county for many years, but almost entirely in Reading. A number of them settled along the headwaters of the Tulpehocken at or in the vicinity of Myerstown. Single individuals wandered to Womelsdorf, and even to Reading. In 1836 there were six of them at Reading - Abraham SPEIER, John SIEGEL, Mayer SIEGEL, Mayer ARNOLD, Alexander HEYMAN, and Bernard DREIFOOS.
The Hebrews here have been engaged almost exclusively in trading and used he German language amongst themselves for many years. Through their children and local education, however, the English language has become prevalent among them.
In 1864, the following were in Reading: Bernard DREIFOOS, Solomon HIRSCH, Abraham SPEIER, Mayer EINSTEIN, Aaron HENLEIN, Solomon WEIL, Marcus LYONS, Isaac MANN, Isaac HIRSCHLAND, Joseph LOEB, Jacob LEVY, Ralph AUSTRIAN, Abraham ARNOLD, Aaron EINSTEIN, and Isaac SCHWERIN.
The negro is also worthy of mention. Slavery existed here it a very limited extent. The slaves of which any notice was found were owned almost entirely by early ironmasters, but they were few in number. This condition of servitude was incompatible with the notions of our early settlers; hence it was not encouraged. The farmers had no slaves.
Pennsylvania instituted an early movement for the gradual abolition of slavery. An Act of Assembly was passed on March 1, 1780, to this end. The Act required the owner of slaves to file a statement in the Quarter Sessions' office, giving age, surname, etc. of each slave. A statement of this could not be found in the office.
Colored people were at Reading soon after it was founded. It was not, however, till after 1820 that they became sufficiently strong to form a society for religious purposes. Some of them owned real estate before 1800, and long before their enfranchisement in 1863, they were orderly, industrious, and progressive.
Descendant of many of the first settlers are still flourishing in numbers, industry, wealth and social, religious and political influence in the county, and they have continued persistently engaged in agriculture upon or in the vicinity of the original settlements. Some moved to other districts of the county; others to Reading. Many sons and daughters migrated to the West and settled particularly in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kansas and Colorado. Some of the sons turned to professions, and others to trades and manufactures, in which they realized rich rewards for their industry and well-directed energy. In tracing down all the pursuits of life carried on in the county, it is only occasionally that a complete stranger appears and identifies himself with her onward movement for any considerable length of time. This is especially the case in out politics. The names of old families are continually on the surface. Not particularly demonstrative, they are like expert swimmers in deep water and float on majestically in the great stream of time, their heads always visible, their endurance prevailing.
Contributed by Bonnie Blau.
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