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Recently, I've been digging into the early records of Montgomery Co., PA
made in 1784 from Philadelphia Co. for possible leads to where our Jacob
GRASS, Sr. of Augusta Co., VA by 1769 lived before he moved there.
My reason for this is the recent "find" that Jacob's son Peter GRASS md.
Mary HEIZER. Mary's mother md. William BURK(E) that area after her 1st
husband Valentin HEIZER was killed and then William and Mary and Mary's
children and their children moved to Augusta Co., VA ca. 1774.
In my research into the church records of Montgomery Co., PA, I found
the following record which I'm wondering "might possibly be" our Jacob
GRASS:
Friedrich, son of Jacob & Magdalena KRESS, was b. 27 Oct 1754, bp. 17
Dec 1754. Friedrich STAUT & wf. Christina were the "sponsors" at the
baptism.
(Augustus Evangelical Lutheran Congregation at Trappe, Pennsylvania (Perkiomen Valley) (Montgomery County)" by Julius Friedrich Sachse, "Schuylkill Roots" Researchers, published by Closson Press, 1935 Sampson Dr., Apollo,PA, January 2004: 41)
Further research proved that at least the STAUTS were "of Skippack" in what is now Montgomery Co., PA (but was then part of Philadelphia Co.).
What is interesting about the above record is that the only information
that we have for the birth year for Frederick GRASS, son of Jacob GRASS,
Sr. of Augusta Co., VA is from the affidavit that he made on 25 Mar 1822
to obtain a pension for his Rev. War service. At that time, he said
that he was 66 years old which would calculate to sometime between
1755-1756. He didn't give a month and day date for his birthdate. My
question is:
COULD THE FRIEDRICH KRESS IN THE PENNSYLVANIA BAPTISMAL RECORD BE THE SAME AS OUR FREDERICK GRASS OF AUGUSTA COUNTY, VIRGINIA?????
Although we'd like to believe that this is true and there are several interesting facts to goalong with the above information, we must be cautious about accepting this as truth.
Here are some interesting proven facts that we have that seem to point to this being our Jacob GRASS, Sr..
1. At the time of the above baptism, the minister of this church was Pastor Heinrich Melchior MUHLENBERG, whose son, Major General Peter MUHLENBERG of Rev. War fame, was also baptized here.
2. Pastor Heinrich M. MUHLENBERG married Valentin HEIZER and Ann HOW(E) there in 1747, recorded the following items in his records of the church:
The pages referred to in this book will be identified after the record with the author's (Meldrum) name and the page of the book given.
1747:
"Heiser, Valentin and Howin, Anna, md. May 4, 1747."
("Marriages & Deaths of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania - 1685-1800" by Charlotte Meldrum, Heritage Books, 2007. This book will henceforth be referred to as "Meldrum" with the page number where the record is to be found following.)
NOTE by DCR: In the old German records, an "in" was often added to the last name of women (both married and unmarried) so this would be Anna HOW.
1750:
(my abstract of this record)
Samuel, son of Valentin & Anna HEISER, b. 25 Oct 1749, bp. 3 Mar 1750. The parents were the sponsors.
("Augustus Evangelical Lutheran Congregation at Trappe, Pennsylvania, Perkiomen Valley, Montgomery County" by Julius Friedrich Sachse, Closson Press, Apollo, PA, second printing, 2004: 31) Henceforth references to this book will bbe biven as "Sachse" with the page no. of this book following.
1753:
The burial of Valentin HEIZER as 7 Aug 1753 "buried in Mennonite ground at Schippach" (also known as Skippack).
(If desired, please write to me and I'll give the reference for this item.)
1753:
"Burk, William and How, Anna, widow of Valentin Heizer, md. DDecember 20, 1753, by license dated Dec. 18."
(Meldrum: 88)
1754:
"Jacob Gross as widower and Schuberin, Maria Magdalena widow, md. February 19, 1754 at Skippach."
(Meldrum: 89)
NOTE by DCR: The second meeting house of the Mennonites was in Skippack and at least the GRASS of Jacob GRASS, Sr. of Augusta Co., VA who went to Illinois in 1833 attended the Mennonite churches. This branch changed the spelling of their names to CRESS when they moved to Illinois.
1754:
Friedrich, son of Jacob & Magdalena KRESS, was b. 27 Oct 1754, bp. 17 Dec 1754. Friedrich STAUT & wf. Christina were the "sponsors" at the baptism.
(Sachse: 41)
NOTE by DCR: I found out that the STAUTs also lived in Skippack.
AN ADDED TIDBIT:
1747:
Johannes, son of Johann Jacob & Luwisa KRESS. was b. 26 Feb 1747 and bp. 20 Mar 1747 with Johannes BRAUN & wf. Catharine as sonsors.
(Sachse: 22)
NOTE by DCR: Because the Germans often gave their sons the first name "Johannes" and then followed it by another given name...but they usually used the second name as their first name in future records....could this possibly be Jacob GRASS, Jr. of Augusta Co., VA----son of our Jacob GRASS, Sr.?????
OTHER KNOWN FACTS:
a. When William BURK md. Anna (HOWE) HEIZER, it is known that William may have had two sons (Edward and William) and Anna had two children (Samuel and Maria by Val. HEIZER) and a son (John HEIZER) of Valentin's 1st marriage. Anna was Val.'s 2nd wife. It is not certain that the sons Edward and William were by William BURK's first marriage as William called Ann(a) his "mother".
b. William BURK and wife Anna (HOWE-HEIZER) operated the tavern and inn in Skippack that Valentin HEIZER's wife and children inherited after his death. Valentin's children and William and Ann BURK(E) made a deed in 1774 selling this property, the year that they moved to Augusta Co., VA.(Philadelphia Co., PA Deed Bk. 5: 219)
c. William BURK purchased 271 acres of land in Augusta Co., VA in 1777 from Jacob and Dorothy SEILER. This land was close to the land owned by Jacob GRASS, Sr.. William later purchased more land in approximately the same vicinity.
NOTE by DCR: I also found the SEILER/SIELER, etc. name in the records of Rev. Muhlenberg....but not the first name JACOB.
d. Rev. Henrich MUHLENBERG's son, Peter was the General of the German Battalion, Continental Troups (also joined by the 8th VA Regt. of Foot (which was absorbed by the 4th & 12th VA Regts.) and, in his Regt. were the names:
Peter CREISE/CRICE/CRIEF/CRIES/CRIESE/GRICE/KREIS/KREISE/
KREITZ/KREIZ/KRETZ/KRISE---all appearing to be the same man, at least all served in the same unit and under the same Capts. and in the same muster rolls.
Jacob GRASS (no Jr. or Sr.) was listed as a Private in the roll of Capt. William HEYSER's Company of the German Regiment. Jacob's pay voucher indicates that he "deserted" soon after enlisting.
NOTE: We haven't connected this William HEYSER to the HEISER family of
Philadelphia/Montgomery Co., PA. Also in this German Regt., but serving
under different Captains were HENRY HAWK, PETER GRAFF (could this be GRASS????) and several other surnames later associated with Augusta Co., VA.
Capt. MICHAEL BAYER (BOYER) - a Augusta Co., VA man, was also in the German Regt., also Henry HAAG/HAGG/HAUCH/HAUCK/HAUGH/HAUGHT/
HAUK/HAUT(E)/HAWK(E).
(I gave up trying to get the previous sentence spaced correctly!!!!)
END OF KNOWN FACTS
All of the above is merely new information gleaned by this researcher and is NOT TO BE TAKEN AS THE GOSPEL TRUTH!!!! These records are merely offered as a "possibility" and they ALL NEED FURTHER RESEARCH to PROVE them!
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