Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The Moyer Clan

One of my main genealogical focuses has been the family branch to which I owe my name -- the Moyers.  According to Charles Roberts' History of Lehigh County Pennsylvania and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of its Families (Vol. 3, p. 930), the progenitor of this clan was Wilhelm Meyer, who owned land in the towns of Lowhill, Lynn, and Weisenberg in Pennsylvania.

NOTICE. IN the matter of the Inquisition upon the Real Estate of Peter Moyer, late of Lynn township, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania. In the Orphans' Court of Lehigh county, Penna. To Nathan Moyer, Leah Oswald, Joshua Oswald, Abigail Lynn, Jesse Lynn, Rachail Leiby, Lovina Sponsaler, Frederick Sponsaler, Elizabeth Moyer, Simon Moyer, Hester Salem, Catherine Hartz, Peter Hartz, William Moyer, Catharine Smith, Mary Gilbert, Lovina Baily, David Baily, Annie Wilson, Hamilton Wilson, Catharine Gilbert, Jonathan Gilbert, William A. Gilbert, Eli J. Gilbert the last two being minors having for their Guardians Jonathan Gilbert, _____ Gilbert, William Moyer, a minor having for his Guardian _____ Roosevelt, Peter Moyer, Nathan Moyer, Mary Moyer, minors having for their Guardians, Jesse Lynn, Jacob Moyer, Mary Witherstine, Jacob Witherstine, Polly Baker, Emanuel Baker, Rebecca Hunt, William Hunt, William Moyer, Daniel Moyer, Priscilla Moyer, Esther Moyer, Susan Moyer, Gideon Moyer, Matilda Moyer, Mary Moyer, Catharine Moyer, Catharine Snyder, Jonas Snyder, Mary Rau, Nathan Rau, Lydia Baily, Peter Baily, John Platt, Guardian of the minor children of Sarah Platt, deceased, Lovina Platt, George Platt, Elizabeth Durst, Lewis Durst, Elizabeth Sechler Benjamin Sechler, Daniel Moyer, Morton Goldner, Guardians of the issue of Nathan Moyer, deceased, Gideon Moyer, J. P. Moyer, Benneville Moyer, Owen Moyer, Nathan Moyer, Noah Moyer, the last two being minors and having Jonas Rabenold for their Guardian, Caroline Rabenold, Jonas Rabenold, Esther Fritzinger, Amelia Zellner, Solomon Zellner, Jonas Fry, Nathan Fry, Mary Knerr, Amos Knerr, Caroline Muhlhaus, David Muhlhaus, Catharine Heil, Benjamin Heil, Amelia Fenstermaker, Daniel Fenstermaker, Sarah Fry, Sarah Moyer, Sylvania Moyer, Susan Moyer, children, heirs and legal representatives of Peter Moyer, late of Lynn township, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, deceased. Take notice that in pursuance of a rule granted by the Orphans' Court of Lehigh county, you are required to appear at the said Court, on the third day of November, 1865, at 10 o'clock, A. M., of said day, accept or refuse to accept the several purparts of said real estate at the valuation thereof or show cause why the same should not be sold, otherwise an order for the sale of the same will be granted by the said Court [Seal.] By order of the Court. GEORGE W. HARTZELL, Clerk. October 11, 1865-4w
Wilhelm had at least one son -- Johann Peter Meyer -- and Johann Peter's large family left a great many descendants.  According to Roberts, most of the children moved to Ohio.  My own ancestor, Peter (Johann Peter's son), stayed behind in the Lehigh Valley.  My goal has been to track as many family lines as I can, but with at least 16 children, it's not easy.  Miraculously, I found much of the family carefully enumerated in a newspaper article.

The Library of Congress' Chronicling America website is a fantastic resource.  That's where I located an article from Ohio's Western Reserve Chronicle originally printed on 11 October 1865 (annotated at right).  The article is an announcement to heirs of Johann Peter, concerning his land.  Johann Peter's living children are listed first, followed by his grandchildren by his deceased children, grouped by family.  Below the fold is my attempt to make sense of each of the ninety-two names mentioned in the article.



Johann Peter's descendants are indicated in red.  In going through these names, I relied heavily on prior work by Nancy Rutman, compiled in this thread.

Johann Peter Moyer's children still living in 1865:
  1. Nathan Moyer
  2. Leah Oswald
  3. Joshua Oswald - Leah's husband
  4. Abigail Lynn
  5. Jesse Lynn - Abigail's huband
  6. Rachail Leiby
  7. Lovina Sponsaler - Roberts calls her "Sabina"
  8. Frederick Sponsaler - Lovina's husband
  9. Elizabeth Moyer
  10. Simon Moyer - Elizabeth's husband (coincidentally with the same surname)
  11. Hester Salem - "Esther" in other documents
  12. Catherine Hartz
  13. Peter Hartz - Catherine's husband
Family of Johann Peter's son, Johannes "John" Moyer (and wife, Barbara):
  1. William Moyer
  2. Catharine Smith
  3. Mary Gilbert
  4. Lovina Baily
  5. David Baily - Lovina's husband
  6. Annie Wilson
  7. Hamilton Wilson - Annie's husband
  8. Catharine Gilbert - I believe her name is actually Caroline
  9. Jonathan Gilbert - Caroline's husband
  10. William A. Gilbert - son of Caroline and Jonathan
  11. Eli J. Gilbert - son of Caroline and Jonathan
  12. Jonathan Gilbert - guardian of William and Eli; same as Jonathan above
  13. _____ Gilbert - not sure who this mystery Gilbert is
Family of Johann Peter's son, Jonathan Moyer (wife unknown):
  1. William Moyer
  2. _____ Roosevelt - guardian of William; not sure who this person is
  3. Peter Moyer
  4. Nathan Moyer
  5. Mary Moyer
  6. Jesse Lynn - guardian of Peter, Nathan, and Mary; same as Jesse Lynn above
Family of Johann Peter's son, Benjamin Moyer (and wife, Salome Loch):
  1. Jacob Moyer
  2. Mary Witherstine
  3. Jacob Witherstine - Mary's husband
  4. Polly Baker
  5. Emanuel Baker - Polly's husband
  6. Rebecca Hunt
  7. William Hunt - Rebecca's husband
Family of Johann Peter's son, Gideon Moyer (and wife, Susan): 
  1. William Moyer
  2. Daniel Moyer
  3. Priscilla Moyer
  4. Esther Moyer
  5. Susan Moyer
  6. Gideon Moyer
  7. Matilda Moyer
  8. Mary Moyer
  9. Catharine Moyer
Family of Johann Peter's son, Jacob Moyer (and wife, Sarah Catharine Bechtel):
  1. Catharine Snyder
  2. Jonas Snyder - Catharine's husband
  3. Mary Rau
  4. Nathan Rau - Mary's husband
  5. Lydia Baily
  6. Peter Baily - Lydia's husband
  7. John Platt - Sarah's husband, and guardian of their children
  8. Sarah Platt - daughter of John and Sarah
  9. Lovina Platt - daughter of John and Sarah
  10. George Platt - son of John and Sarah
  11. Elizabeth Durst
  12. Lewis Durst - Elizabeth's husband
  13. Elizabeth Sechler - I believe her name was actually Eliza
  14. Benjamin Sechler - Eliza's husband
  15. Daniel Moyer
  16. Morton Goldner - Nathan Moyer's wife's brother-in-law; guardian of his 3 daughters
  17. Nathan Moyer
Family of Johann Peter's son, Peter Moyer (and wife, Catharine Gerard):
  1. Gideon Moyer
  2. J. P. Moyer
  3. Benneville Moyer
  4. Owen Moyer
  5. Nathan Moyer - my great great grandfather
  6. Noah Moyer
  7. Jonas Rabenold - guardian of Nathan and Noah; same as Jonas, below
  8. Caroline Rabenold
  9. Jonas Rabenold - Caroline's husband
  10. Esther Fritzinger
  11. Amelia Zellner
  12. Solomon Zellner - Amelia's husband
Family of Johann Peter's daughter, Maria Magdalena Moyer (and husband, Michael Fry): 
  1. Jonas Fry
  2. Nathan Fry
  3. Mary Knerr
  4. Amos Knerr - Mary's husband
  5. Caroline Muhlhaus
  6. David Muhlhaus - Caroline's husband
  7. Catharine Heil
  8. Benjamin Heil - Catharine's husband
  9. Amelia Fenstermaker
  10. Daniel Fenstermaker - Amelia's husband
  11. Sarah Fry
Unknown, but presumably children of one (or more) of Johann Peter's sons: 
  1. Sarah Moyer
  2. Sylvania Moyer
  3. Susan Moyer
Roberts lists another child, Hannah Moyer (married to Jacob Kressley) who does not appear in this announcement.  Another possible child not included is Daniel Moyer (married to Magdalena Acker), although Roberts does not list him, and I'm not sure of the original source for that connection.



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