The commissioners have taken the liberty to prepare WE have been favoured by JOHN F. WATSON, Esq. and herewith submit the draft of a law, embracing the with the use of a small MS. volume, containing notes of ideas suggested by the resolution of the senate, so as that the present system should be adapted to and model- information respecting Germantown as collected by him led on the plan contemplated by the legislature, in the from various sources, principally from aged persons in erection of the penitentiary near Philadelphia, and also that town, either descendants of early settlers; or others a system of rules and regulations for the government of who had opportunities of ascertaining the facts commuthe prison. These rules are of a general character, as nicated. These notes written by Mr. Watson, as the it must be left to the wisdom of the inspectors to enact such particular rules to carry them into effect as expe- information was received, we have endeavoured to arrience may suggest. The number of inspectors should range in some regular order. We hope the example not be large. Small bodies are most effective and renow presented by Mr. Watson will be imitated, by persponsible. Their duties will be merely ministerial, and five judicious, intelligent and respectable men will main-sons in all the old towns in the state. The opportunity tain a better government than a numerous body. The at present, afforded by ancient persons being still alive, office of an inspector should not be a lucrative one. who can communicate anecdotes and facts, ought to be

The distribution of the lands was made as follows:

Germantown (proper) contained
Cresheim
Sommerhausen
Crefelt

2750 acres

884 do.

900 do.

1166 do.

5700 do.

embraced for obtaining them; as in a very few years, the old generation will have passed away; and even the few facilities we now have of acquiring information of the characters, manners, and habits of the settlers, and the circumstances attending their early settlement of those towns be forever removed. From this small example we may see, how much information may be acquired by a single person, with Mr. Watson's industry and applicaGermantown was incorporated as a borough town by tion to inquiries of this nature; and these notes form a patent from Wm. Penn, executed in England in 1689. but a very small portion of what he has amassed respect- Francis Daniel Pastorius Civilian, was made first Bailiff; and Jacob Tellner, Dirk Isaacs op den Graff and Hering the early history and incidents of this city, which we man op den Graff, three Burghers, to act ex-officio as hope at some future period he may be induced to pre-town Magistrates, and eight yeomen; the whole to form sent to the public. Persons residing in towns of later settlement, should be careful to improve the opportunities afforded by that circumstance, to record for the benefit of posterity, those incidents and anecdotes, and difficulties more or less interesting, which must always occur, in the formation of towns or cities. Our pages will always be open to communications of this sort, and we respectfully invite them.

The Germantown settlement was first taken up by Francis Danl. Pastorius, the 12th of the 8th month, 1683, by a purchase from William Penn, and was surveyed and laid out by the Surveyor General 2d of 3d month, 1684; under a grant to him for himself and others for 6000 acres. It proved, however, to contain but 5700 acres.

It was a part of Springetbury Manor, and was distributed among the proprietaries as follows, viz. 200 acres to Fran. D. Pastorius himself, on Chesnut Hill,

150 do. 5350 do.

5700 do.

to Jurian Hartsfielder (the same who in 1676
owned all Campington,)
to Pastorius as agent to German and Dutch

owners.

Pastorius and Hartsfielder were to pay yearly 18. per 100 acres, quit rent: and all the others at the rate of 18. per 1000 acres, ("they having bought off the quit rents,") for ever to Wm. Penn and heirs.

The patent for all the preceding land from Penn is executed by Wm. Markham, Secretary for Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, the 3d April, 1689, and it therein specifies the purchases," as follows, viz.

The Purchasers of Francfort in Germany, viz. Jacobus Vandewall

Johann Jacob Sheetz

535

428

acres

do.

a general court to sit once a month. They made laws and laid taxes.

officers not being found willing to serve; somewhere The town lost its charter for want of a due election, about 1704. In a letter from Pastorius to Wm. Penn, dated in 1701-2, he states his concern that he shall not be able to get men to serve in the general court for "conscience sake;" and he trusts for a remedy to an expected arrival of emigrants. This difficulty probably arose from the oaths used in court proceedings.

All the settlers in Cresheim, (or Cresum) built on the Cresum road, before settling a house on the Germantown Road through Cresheim. There is an old map, made in 1700, in which all their residences and barns at that time are marked.

The Germantown town lots (55) were located in 1687, and were drawn for by lot in 1689, being 27 lots on each side of the road. Their side lots up town began from Abingdon lane, (at Samuel Johnsons) and went up to the foot of the hill by Leibert's board yard. The original price of the township of Germantown was 1s. per acre.

The original of the following curious paper is in the hands of John Johnson, Esqr.

"We whose names are to these presents subscribed, do hereby certify unto all whom it may concern, that soon after our arrival in this province of Pennsylvania, in October, 1683, to our certain knowledge, Herman op den Graff, Dirk op den Graff, and Abraham op den Graff, as well as we ourselves, in the Cave of Francis Daniel Pastorius, at Philadelphia, did cast lots for the respective lots which they and we then began to settle in Germantown; and the said Graffs (three Brothers) have sold their several lots, each by himself, no less than if a division in writing had been made by them. Witness our hands this 29 Nov. A. D. 1709.

The Frankfort Land Company gave titles to much of the lands on each side of Germantown township. The 356 2-3 do. company at first consisted of ten gentlemen living in Francfort, on the Mayne in Germany; their articles were executed in that city on the 24th Nov. 1686.— They seem to have been men of note by the use of each his separate seal. Their names were G. Van Mastrick, Thomas V. Wylick, John Le Bran, F. Dan. Pastorius, John J. Schiitz, Daniel Behagel, Jacobus Van Dewallen, John Wm. Peterson, Johannes Kimber, Balthasur Jowest. They bought 25000 acres of land from William Penn. The Germantown patent for 5350, and the Manatauney patent was for 22,377 acres. F. D. Pastorius was appointed the attorney for the company, and after his resignation Dan. Faulkner was in 1708, made attorney.

do.

989 acres
275 do.

588 do.
161 do.

501 do.

161 do.

Old stile of Building.

Most of the old houses in Germantown are plaistered 2675 do. on the inside with clay and straw mixed, and over it is laid a finishing coat of thin lime plaister; some old

houses seem to be made with log frames, and the insterstices filled with wattles, river rushes, and clay intermixed. In a house of 90 years age taken down, the grass in the clay appeared as green as when cut. Probably 20 houses now remain of the primitive population. They are of but one story, so low that a man six feet high can readily touch the eves of the roof. Their gable ends are to the street. The ground story is of stone or of logsor sometimes the front room is of stone and the back room is of logs, and thus they have generally one room behind the other. The roof is high and mostly hipped, and forms a low bed chamber, and the ends of the houses above the first story is of boards or sometimes of shingles with a small chamber window at each end. Many roofs were then tiled.

In modern times, those houses made of logs have been lathed and plastered over, so as to look like stone houses; the doors all divide in the middle, so as to have an upper and lower door: and in some houses the upper door folds. The windows are two doors, opening inwards, and were at first set in leaden frames with outside frames of wood.

Early Settlers.

The Germans who originally came, came for conscience sake to this land, and they were a very religious community. They were usually called Palatines, because they came from a Palatinate, called Cresheim and Crefelt. Many of the German friends had been convinced by Wm. Penn in Germany. Soon after their settlement in 1683, some of them who were yet in Philadelphia, having lately arrived there, suffered considerably by a fire, and were then publicly assisted by the friends.

The original passports of the first inhabitants coming from Germany to Germantown, were written with golden ink on parchment, and were very elegant.

Wishert Levering, a first settler, lived to the age of 109, and died at Roxborough in 1744.

Jacob Snyder lived to be 97.

Francis Daniel Pastorius was a chief among the first settlers; he was a scholar, and wrote Latin in a good hand, and left a curious manuscript work called "The Bee," containing a beautiful collection of writing, and various curious incidents of his time. He once owned all Chesnut Hill on both sides of the road. He was a member of Assembly in 1687; and was attorney for the Francfort Land Company. He died about the year 1720.

Arents Klincken, came from Holland with Wm. Penn in his first voyage in 1682. He had seen and known Penn in Holland. He built the first two story house ever raised in Germantown; and Penn was present and ❘ partook of the raising dinner. He died at the age of 80. He left a son, whose name was

281

of killing them for amusement as fast as he could load. He was born about the year 1677, and died about 1759; aged about 82 years.

As early as 1700, there were four hermits living near Germantown-John Seelig, Kelpius, Bony, and Conrad Mathias, they lived near Wissahiccon and the Ridge: and Benjamin Lay lived in a cave near the York Road. John Kelpius the hermit was a German of Sieburgen or Transylvania, of an eminent family, (tradition says he was noble) and a student of Dr. John Fabritius at Helmstadt-He was also a correspondent at Macken, chaplain to the Prince of Denmark in London. He came to this country in 1694 with John Seelig, Bernard Kuster (Coster,) Daniel Falkener and about 42 others, being generally men of education and learning, to devote themselves for piety's sake, to a solitary or single life; and receiving the appellation of the "society of the woman in the wilderness." They first arrived among the Germans at Germantown, where they shone awhile as a peculiar light," but they settled chiefly "in the Ridge," then a wilderness. In 1708, Kelpius who was regarded as their leader, died, "in the midst of his days," (said to be 35)-after his death the members began to fall in with the world around them, and some of them to break their avowed religious intentions by marrying. Thus the society lost its distinctive character and died away-but previous to their dispersion they were joined about the year 1704 by some others, among whom were Conrad Mathias (the last of the Ridge hermits) a Switzer, and by Christopher Witt (sometimes called Doctor De Witt of Germantown) a professor of medicine and a "magus" or diviner.

66

After the death of Kelpius, the faith was continued in the person of John Seelig who had been his companion and was also a scholar.-Seelig lived many years after him as a hermit, and was remarkable for resisting the offers of the world and for wearing a coarse garment like that of Kelpius. This Seelig records the death of his friend Kelpius in 1708, in a MS. Hymn Book of Kelpius (set to music) which I have seen-saying he died in his garden, and attended by all his children (spiritual ones and children whom he taught gratis) weeping as for the loss of a father. That Kelpius was a man of learning is tested by some of his writings; a very small written book of 100 pages, is now in my possession, it contains his writings in Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German and English: and this last (which is very remarkable, he being a foreigner) is very free and pure. The journal of his voyage to this country in 16 pages is all in Latin-some of his letters (of which there are several in German, and two in English) are in Latin; they are all on religious topics, and saving his peculiar religious opinions, reason very acutely and soberly. From venturing with the thousands of his day to give spiritual interpretations to scripture, where it was not so intended, he fell upon a scheme of religion which drove him and other students from the Anthony Klincken, a great hunter, who spent a long Universities of Germany: and under the name of Pietists life in such exercises. He used to have the garret of &c. to seek for some immediate and strange revelations. the house filled in winter with wild game, and had it He and his friends therefore expected the millenium marked with the date when he killed it, so as to eat it year was close at hand-so near that he told the first in due succession as an epicure. He even purchased a Alex. Mack (the first of the Germantown Tunkers) that German Yager, celebrated for shooting, to aid him in he should not die till he saw it! He believed also that his field sports, and he had iron prickers to the hands "the woman in the wilderness" mentioned in the Reveand feet to aid in climbing lofty trees for crows scalps, lations, was prefigurative of the great deliverance that which bore a premium. He used to wade the Wissa- was then soon to be displayed for the Church of Christ. hiccon in the depth of winter, and finally contracted As she was "to come up from the wilderness leaning on rheumatism and gout, which so ossified the flesh of his her beloved," so the beloved in the wilderness, laying knuckles, that he could scrape chalk from them when aside all other engagements (i. e. being hermits and trimold! He never went to Philadelphia without taking ming their lamps and adorning themselves with holiness, his gun with him in the spring and fall, and never came that they may be prepared to meet the same with joy.) home without several geese or ducks which he had kill-"Therefore they did well to observe the signs of the ed in a spatter dock pond, then at the corner of Fourth times, and every new phenomenon (whether moral or and High street! and he called it the best game pond preternatural) of meteors, stars, or colours of the skies, any where to be found. This was probably about the if peradventure the harbinger may appear." He argued years 1700 to 1710. He also used to speak with wonder too that there was, a three-fold wilderness of progression of seeing hundreds of rats in the flats among the spat-in spiritual holiness: to wit. "the barren, the fruitful and terdocks at Pools's bridge, and that he was in the habit the wilderness state of the elect of God." In the last state

No. 18.

Places of Worship, and Religious Societies. Friends.-Their first meetings were held at Dennis Conrad's house (then spelled Tennis Kundert) as early as 1683, part of the walls of that ancient house may now (1823) be seen on the N. W. end of the two houses rebuilt and occupied by Lesher as an Inn. On the site where Dr. George Bensell's house now stands, there was an ancient house, pulled down by Dr. B., in which William Penn preached; it was low and built of frame work and filled in with bricks.

after which he was seeking, as a highest degree of holiness, he believed it very essential to attain it by dwelling in solitude or in the wilderness: therefore he argues Moses's holiness by being prepared 40 years in the wilderness-Christ's being tempted 40 days in the wilderness as an epitome of the other. John the Baptist coming from the wilderness, &c. He thought it thus proved that holy men might be thus qualified to come forth among men again, to convert whole cities, and to work signs and wonders. He was much visited by religious persons. Kelpius professed love and charity with all- In 1705, the Friends built a Meeting-house of stone, but desired to live without a name or sect. The name in their present grave yard on the street, it has been they obtained was given by others. There are two of taken down. From the original subscription and acKelpius' MS. Hymn Books still extant in Germantown, count book it appears, that they bought 50 acres for one of his own composing, in German is called elegant, £60, raised by subscription of individuals and other they are curious too because they are all translated into meetings, in sums of from 20s. to £10 4s. In PhiladelEnglish poetry (line for line) by Doctor C. Witt the di-phia 130 persons of that meeting gave £12 7s. 8d. 18 viner or magus. The titles of some of them may exhi- Friends in Frankford contributed £22 8s. In Abington bit the mind of the author: 37 persons gave £21 6s. chiefly in wheat at 4s. Byberry Meeting gave 40 bushels of wheat, £8 3s. The prices of labour were then 3s. 6d., apples 1s. 6d. per malt

"Of the Wilderness—or Virgin Cross love." "The contentment of the God-loving soul."

"Of the power of the new virgin-body wherein the bushel, boards 10s. per c., lime 14d., oats 2s. 6d., Lord revealeth his mysteries.'

66

A loving moan of the disconsolate soul." "Colloqium of the soul with itself."

"Upon Rest after he had been wearied with Labour

in the wilderness."

4s. 6d., bricks 22s. per m., linseed oil 8s., nails 1s. 2d., shingles 10s. per m., timber 6s. per ton, sawing 10s. per c.

Although he looked for a qualification to go forth and convert towns and cities in the name of the Lord, it is manifest, that neither he nor his companions were enthusiastic enough to go into the world without such endowment. They often held religious meetings in their Hermitage with people who solicited to come to them for the purpose. Kelpius's hut or house stood on the hill where the widow Phobe Riter now lives. Her log house has now stood more than 40 years on the cellar foundation which was his-it is on a steep descending grassy hill, well exposed to the sun for warmth in win-town." The stone Church in the same premises was ter, and has a spring of the hermit's making half down the hill shaded by a very stout cedar tree-after Kelpius's hut went down, the hares used to burrow in his cellar, he called the place, the "Burrow of Rocks or Rocksburrow"-now Roxborough.

Holland emigrated to Pennsylvania, and settled first at Tunkers.-In 1709, the Tunkards from Germany and Germantown. Their first collected meetings were held in the log-house in front of their present stone Church in Beggarstown. Alex. Mack was then their principal leader. He was a very rich miller in Cresheim, and gave all his property in common, and came with 8 or 10 to Germantown in 1708; he died old, and his son Alexander lived to be near 91 years of age. That log-house was built in 1731, by John Pettikoffer, for his dwelling, who procured his funds, by asking gifts therefor from the inhabitants. Because it was the first house in the place and procured by begging, it was called "Beggarsbuilt in 1770. Alex. Mack junr. succeeded his father as minister, and Peter Baker had been their minister as early as 1723. The original Tunkers here from Ephrata, used to dress alike and without hats, and covered their heads with the hoods of their coats, which were a kind of grey surtout, like the Dominican friars. Old persons now living remember when 40 or 50 of them would come thus attired on a religious visit from Ephrata near Lancaster, to Germantown, walking silently in Indian file and with long beards, also girt about the

The German Presbyterians erected their first Meetinghouse (now standing) opposite to the market-house, about the year 1733. It is the front half part of the present building, the back part was added in 1762.

The Lutheran Church.--It is not accurately known

Doctor Christopher Witt, was born in England (in Wiltshire) in 1675: came to this country in 1704, and died in 1765 aged 90-he was a skilful physician and a learned man; he was reputed a magus or diviner, or in grosser terms a conjuror he was a student and a believer in all the learned absurdities and marvellous preten-waist, and bare-footed or with sandals. tentions of the Rosic Crucian philosophy.-The Germans The Mennonists' first Meeting-house was built here in of that day and indeed many of the English practised 1708, and was a log-house, in the same lot where their the casting of Nativities-and as this required mathe-present stone house (built in 1770) now stands. The matical and astronomical learning, it often followed, that log-house was also a school-house, kept by Christopher such a competent scholar was called "a fortune teller." Duck in 1740. Doct. Witt" cast nativities" and was called a conjuror: While Charles Lehman who was a scholar and friend of Witt's, and could cast nativities, and did them for all of his own nine children, but never for hire, was called a notary public, and a surveyor and a gentleman. Benjamin Lay, the hermit, called also the "Pythago-when this was built, but it had an addition of its front rean Cynical Christian Philosopher, dwelt in a cave on part made to it in 1746. It is certain too, that there was the York Road, near Doctor De Benevilles-he left it in a Church in Germantown, before the first one in Phila the year 1741 and went to reside with John Phipps, delphia, which was erected in 1743. The first ordained near Friend's Meeting-house at Abington. He was sud- minister Dr. H. M. Muhlenburg came to Philadelphia in denly taken ill when from home, and desired he might 1742, and of course before that time their service in be taken to the dwelling of his friend Joshua Morris, Germantown was conducted by their schoolmaster, as is about a mile from Phipp's where he died on the 3d their practice in similar cases. In 1754 a lottery of 5000 of February, 1759, aged 82 years. He was the first tickets at $2 each was drawn in Philadelphia, to net public declaimer against the iniquities of holding slaves. £562 to purchase a messuage and lot of ground in Ger He was in communion with the Germantown Friends.mantown for the minister of the Lutheran Church and It is to the honour of the German Friends of German-school-house, &c. for the benefit of the poor of the socitown, that as early as 1688 they addressed the Philadel-ety, the minister to instruct the poor children. In 1761 phia Yearly Meeting at Burlington, "protesting against the Lutheran Church at Barren-hill was also built by a the buying, selling, and holding men in slavery, and declaring it in their opinion an act irreconcileable with the precepts of the Christian Religion."

lottery.

Nothing but German was preached in the Lutheran and German Churches till of late years, and the present

There were numerous scholars here in the German school 50 years ago; now there are none taught. The public school now called the academy, was first commenced in building in 1760, by a subscription chiefly raised in Philadelphia, but it not being likely to be finished thereby, in 1761 they made a lottery to draw in Philadelphia of 6667 tickets at $3, to raise $3000 at 15 per cent. to finish it. In 1821, the legislature granted $1000 to help it out of debt. Their first teacher was distinguished in Philadelphia as a scholar, and he had considerable fame as a satirical poet in political controversies. He used to send a committee of boys with a lantern and candle in day time ringing a bell to find ahsent scholars and bring them with shame to school, his It was instituted in 1814, with a right to a capital of