Moyer (Meyer) Family
Among the early settlers of Lowhill township was Wilhelm Meyer, who lived in the southwest corner of that township and it appears some of his land extended into Lynn and Weisenberg townships. William P. Moyer, a prominent citizen of Allentown, Pennsylvania, has among his cherished heirlooms, a parchment deed, which was given on the sixteenth day of June, 1764, by John Penn, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania, to his great-great-grandfather above named, for 53 acres of land situated on the east side of Weisenberg township, but this pioneer had already owned land before this time, as his name appears among the taxables of Lowhill in 1762.
On March 17, 1765, the records of the Ebenezer church at New Tripoli, Pa., mention the baptism of Johann Peter, son of Wilhelm and Barbara Elizabeth Meyer, born Dec. 19 1764.Church Records
William's son Johann Peter was my 4th great-grandfather. I have not located that baptism record myself. However the baptism records of Weisenberg Church contain some intriguing entries:
- Wilhelm Meyer, an adult, Lowhill, baptized 9 October 1761; parents Johannes Meyer, Maria Elisabeth; witnesses Andreas Riess, elder of Lutheran congregation & wife Barbara [Andreas Riess' wife was named Barbara, so this is likely his wife and not William's]
- Johannes, 8 weeks old, baptized 9 October 1761; parents Wilhelm Meyer, Elisabeth, Lowhill; witnesses Johannes Meyer, Maria Elisabeth
- Susanna, born 22 February 1765, baptized 14 April 1765; parents Wilhelm Meyer, Elisabeth; witness Dorothea Winck, Grandmother
- Andreas, born 19 September 1767, baptized 18 October 1767; parents Wilhelm Meyer, Elisabeth; witnesses Andreas Meyer, Catharine Hartmann, single
What we might have here are the baptisms of William himself and several more of his children. At first this seems unlikely since Susanna was born early in 1765 and, according to Roberts, Johann Peter was born in late 1764. However Johann Peter's tombstone gives a date of 1763, so it's possible Roberts mis-read the dates. I don't have a copy of the original record, so I don't know.
If this is William and family, then some interesting facts jump out: William's parents were Johannes and Maria Elisabeth; William's wife's last name was Winck and her mother was Dorothea; and the witness Andreas Meyer could have been a brother of William. Furthermore, son Johannes' birth date puts an upper limit on William's own, around 1741.
In addition, William and Elisabeth were sponsors for:
Tax Records
Here are all the mentions of William I could locate in tax records:
In addition, William and Elisabeth were sponsors for:
- Elisabeth, 2 years old, baptized 9 October 1761; parents Christian Kneip, Agnes, Lowhill
- Elisabeth, Lowhill, born 16 October 1765, baptized 3 November 1765; parents Andreas Sintell, Anna Maria
If we cast a slightly wider net, there are some records from the Jordan Reformed Parish in South Whitehall that might be pertinent:
Tax Records
Here are all the mentions of William I could locate in tax records:
| Year | Town | land | horses | cows | Other Meyers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1762 | Lynn | None | Roberts, p. 1463 | |||
| 1762 | Lowhill | None | Roberts, p. 1464 | |||
| 1772 | Lynn | 80 | Andrew, Engel, Peter | Ancestry | ||
| 1781 | Lynn | Andrew, Engel, Charles | Ancestry | |||
| 1781 | Lynn | Andrew, Engel, Carl | Ancestry | |||
| 1785 | Lynn | 260 | 3 | 2 | Andreas, Daniel (single) | Ancestry |
| 1786 | Lynn | 260 | 2 | 4 | Andrew, Daniel (single) | Ancestry |
| 1787 | Lynn | 160 | 2 | 4 | Andrew, Daniel | Ancestry |
| 1789 | Lynn | 260 | 1 | 5 | Andrew | Ancestry |
| 1789 | Weisenberg | 300 | 1 | 1 | John | Ancestry |
| 1790 | Lynn | Andrew | Ancestry |
William does not show up in later tax lists (e.g. 1798, 1800).
Census Records
Census data for William is sparse. A 1786 septennial census of Lynn Township lists William and Andrew Meyer. The 1800 Federal Census for Lynn lists a William Meyer (1 male age 10-16, 1 male over age 45, 1 female over age 45). That census also lists Andrew Meyer and Peter Meyer. William is not enumerated in the 1800 septennial Lynn census, but Andrew and Peter are. It's possible that this is because he died that year, but that's just a hypothesis. Certainly it seems that 1800 is the last time William shows up in any documentation of any kind.
Land Records
I found a land deed on Ancestry reading, "November 28th 1766 William Meyer 100 acres adjoyning the Proprietor's mannor, Mark Wannemacker, Philip Westman, Jacob Beel, and Mathias Schutz in Lynn Township Northampton County, Including his Improvement."
Military Records
In 1777 Pennsylvania passed a law requiring "all white men between the ages of 18 and 53 capable of bearing arms to serve two months of militia duty on a rotating basis." The 3rd (1777) and 6th (1780, 1783) Battalions of the Northampton County Militia were made up mostly of men from what is today western Lehigh County.
Thomas Lynch Montgomery's Muster Rolls, etc., 1743-1787, lists the name William Meyer quite a few times in the Northampton militia. There are two distinct men. The first is a captain and unlikely to be my ancestor. The other is a private and a much more likely candidate. The towns from which men were called are generally known, and the private William Meyer was drawn from Lynn.
Final Caution
I've pulled all these records together and talked about them as though they all refer to the same man. This is certainly possible. But it is also possible that the lives of two or more William Meyers are reflected above. It pays to be cognizant of others nearby who could be getting mixed up.
For starters, there was another William Meyer living in Penn Township, just north of Lynn. He is in the septennial census in 1786 and 1800. and in the tax records for 1773, 1779, and 1784. He's also in the Federal census in 1790, but had apparently moved on by 1800. I think it's possible that this might also be Captain William Meyer, previously mentioned, in charge of the 2nd Company of the 3rd/6th Battalions of the Northampton Militia, drawn from Penn Township.
And while it appears that, just before the turn of the 19th century, there was a single William Meyer living in Lynn, the case might have been different in the 1760s. There could have been two—one who fathered my ancestor Johann Peter, and one who fathered Johannes, Susanna, and Andreas. Certainly there is some evidence for that: different churches, possibly overlapping dates, and a wife named Elisabeth vs. Barbara Elisabeth.
Census Records
Census data for William is sparse. A 1786 septennial census of Lynn Township lists William and Andrew Meyer. The 1800 Federal Census for Lynn lists a William Meyer (1 male age 10-16, 1 male over age 45, 1 female over age 45). That census also lists Andrew Meyer and Peter Meyer. William is not enumerated in the 1800 septennial Lynn census, but Andrew and Peter are. It's possible that this is because he died that year, but that's just a hypothesis. Certainly it seems that 1800 is the last time William shows up in any documentation of any kind.
Wills
The will of John Hartman (1777) "mentions William MEYER's place in Lowhill and Heidelberg Twns." According to the Strieby Genealogy and History site, "Conrad Riedy and William Meyer were two of the acting administrators of the Michael Strieby [of Lynn Twp.] estate, the final settlement being exhibited Sept. 13, 1791."
The will of John Hartman (1777) "mentions William MEYER's place in Lowhill and Heidelberg Twns." According to the Strieby Genealogy and History site, "Conrad Riedy and William Meyer were two of the acting administrators of the Michael Strieby [of Lynn Twp.] estate, the final settlement being exhibited Sept. 13, 1791."
Land Records
I found a land deed on Ancestry reading, "November 28th 1766 William Meyer 100 acres adjoyning the Proprietor's mannor, Mark Wannemacker, Philip Westman, Jacob Beel, and Mathias Schutz in Lynn Township Northampton County, Including his Improvement."
Military Records
In 1777 Pennsylvania passed a law requiring "all white men between the ages of 18 and 53 capable of bearing arms to serve two months of militia duty on a rotating basis." The 3rd (1777) and 6th (1780, 1783) Battalions of the Northampton County Militia were made up mostly of men from what is today western Lehigh County.
Thomas Lynch Montgomery's Muster Rolls, etc., 1743-1787, lists the name William Meyer quite a few times in the Northampton militia. There are two distinct men. The first is a captain and unlikely to be my ancestor. The other is a private and a much more likely candidate. The towns from which men were called are generally known, and the private William Meyer was drawn from Lynn.
| Name | Bn. | Co. | Town | Rank | Class | Date | Notes | p. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Mayer | 3rd | 1st | Lynn | private | 4th | 1778 | muster roll | 228 |
| W'm Moyer | 6th | 1st | Lynn | private | 4th | 1780 Oct 26 | muster roll | 443 |
| William Meyer | 6th | 5th1 | Heidelberg | private | 1780 | pay roll | 459 | |
| William Meyer | 6th | 1st2 | Lynn | private | 4th | 1782 Jul 27 | willing to march | 499 |
| William Meyer | 6th | 1st3 | Lynn | private | 4th | 1782 Jul 27 | muster roll | 501 |
| Will'm Meyer | 6th | 1st | Lynn | private | 4th | 1782 | muster roll | 503 |
- William is mentioned as being on the "pay roll of Capt. Conrad Reders company on the frontiers ag't the Indians being the 6th Battalion of Northampton Co. Militia." Captain Reader was in charge of the 5th Company, drawn from Heidelberg. This is despite William being on the muster roll of the 1st Company under Captain Adam Stahler, out of Lynn, that same year.
- William is "willing" to march with "Capt. Staler Companiey" (Stahler being in charge of 1st Company). The list also notes, "For Captain to march is Henry Greeklow. Lynn Township."
- William is on a list of those mustered in Captain Henry Kregloh's Company in the 4th class of the 6th Battalion. Kregloh is certainly the same as Greeklow, above. A note under the list says, "Penn Township, 28th September 1782, then mustered the above Company." Under the column "Substitutes" is listed William Krämer.
Final Caution
I've pulled all these records together and talked about them as though they all refer to the same man. This is certainly possible. But it is also possible that the lives of two or more William Meyers are reflected above. It pays to be cognizant of others nearby who could be getting mixed up.
For starters, there was another William Meyer living in Penn Township, just north of Lynn. He is in the septennial census in 1786 and 1800. and in the tax records for 1773, 1779, and 1784. He's also in the Federal census in 1790, but had apparently moved on by 1800. I think it's possible that this might also be Captain William Meyer, previously mentioned, in charge of the 2nd Company of the 3rd/6th Battalions of the Northampton Militia, drawn from Penn Township.
And while it appears that, just before the turn of the 19th century, there was a single William Meyer living in Lynn, the case might have been different in the 1760s. There could have been two—one who fathered my ancestor Johann Peter, and one who fathered Johannes, Susanna, and Andreas. Certainly there is some evidence for that: different churches, possibly overlapping dates, and a wife named Elisabeth vs. Barbara Elisabeth.
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