Journal of the Commission - 1756
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January 9.th 1756
Present the same Members as at y.e last Meeting.
It was recommended to the Committee to take Care that our Orphan Children be properly be bound to the Congregation, to prevent their being taken away by the Relations of their deceased Parents. Also that if any of our Brethren & Sisters die without a Will proper Persons be appointed to Administer, if they leave any Estate behind them, & to be Guardians of their Children, if they leave any. This bro.t us to mention the Necessity of again reminding our Brethren & Sisters to make their Wills in due Time.
Some Children proper to be bound were mentioned e.g.
The Daughter of our late Br. Katermeyer
The 2 Sons of our Late Br. Gotlieb Anders
The Son of our late Br. Martin Nitschman Persons who were kill’d
& burnt by the Indians on the Mahony.
Jan. 11th
Present the same Members as above.
Hearing that Father Lšscher, who had liv’d on our Land a good Number of Years, was minded, upon the Invitation of his Children, to go & live with them at or near Philadelphia, It was thought proper he sho.d be sent for & spoke with ab.t it. Being come & ask’d his Reasons for so doing, He declared that he’d received nothing but Love & much Kindness at y.e Hand of y.e Congregation, but he & his Wife being now both very old it wo.d not do for them to live so alone any longer, especially since these Troubles with the Indians had happen’d, & that therefore he would rather move to his Children. We told him to consider well Ê what he was doing, for ^if he sho.d have a Mind to return again, we co.d not promise him that he would find the same Conveniency again. To which he made Answer, that he sho.d never require it. ÐÐIt was told him that as he had many Dealings with us it would be proper that he sign’d a kind of General Release of all Demands, which he willingly comply’d with & so was dismiss’d with wishing him well.
May 24, 1756
| Present | Bechtel | Hide | Okely |
| Bentzien | Schrop | Weber |
Being informed by Br. Gottlieb Petzold that Christian
Bailey, a Single Man sent hither from England, had attempted to seduce,
one of our single Brethren to go with him to Philadelphia, & was otherwise
so situated that he co.d not be permitted to stay any longer in Bethlehem.
Agreed that he should be spoke with about it. but previous to it, that
the Br. he had attempted to seduce (ÐÐ Worabast) sho.d be sent for & inform
us of the Particulars. Which done
Bailey was sent for & charged therewith: He denied his having any Intention
to Seduce Worabast, & only spoke of going to Philadelphia in Way of Jest;
Own’d however his having said he himself was no Brother, & that his
staying here was of no Signification to him. Here upon it was told him
that as he had therein judg’d himself, it wo.d be better he acted
accordingly & left Bethlehem, the Door being at all Times open. He charged
the Commitee with being Quick in their Judgement, & desired he might be
allow’d Time Ê to speak with some one else, e’re he determined
in this Point. & it was accordingly granted him.
May 25th
The Matter having been discussed in a Conference, Br.
Joseph in the Presence of the Members thereof, desired that Bailey might
be told (for Reasons he co.d not then explain himself ab.t) he could not
be suffered to stay any longer in Bethlehem.
Accordingly being sent for, he was acquainted; that we were altogether
ignorant of the Cause (which perhaps wo.d best known to himself) but we
had reced Orders to tell him he could not be permitted on any Account
to stay longer in Bethlehem. He express’d himself sorry & declared
it was quite against his Inclination to go. He was ask’d if he had
any Thing to object ag.t or demand of any Brother? To which he replied,
No. And he hoped that it never sho.d be said of him, that he either had
or sho.d speak any Thing to their Detriment. Being proposed to him to
sign a Discharge to the Brethren he did it accordingly. And was dismissed.
June 1st 1756
Present the same Members as at the last Meetings.
Mary Jones, the Daughter of Fra.s Jones of lower Smithfield Township Township in the County of Northampton, aged ab.t 18 Years, having obtain’d Leave to live in Bethlehem, was sent for & the usual Questions being put to her, she answer’d them satisfactorily, and She together with Rebecca Langley who had been heretofore spoken with, sign’d the the Writing customary at any ones Admittance.
Agreed, That as the Committee stands in Need of a Serv.t
Golckowsky sho.d be proposed for that End.
2nd That Br. Weber sho.d speak with the Elders of the
Single Men ab.t Baltzbach’s Continuance in Bethlehem.
4. Ab.t the binding Colver’s Boys.
Henry Strauss who last Year obtain’d Leave to live in Christian’s-Brun, but since gone away, being return’d obtain’d Leave to live in Bethlehem & was spoke with accordingly.
June 16th. 1756
| Present | Bechtel | Hide | Okely |
| Bentzien | Schrop | Weber |
It having been concluded, that John Adam Huth, a Servant
Boy belonging to our Br. Bšmper whose Arm was shot off by the Indians,
should be taken into the single Breth:ns House as an Object of Charity,
He was accordingly sent for & told that he had Permission to live here
with his Masters Consent & Approbation.
It was Agreed, at the Instance of Br. Petzold, that we sho.d defer the
binding of Baltzbach, till we could better see how it would turn out with
him.
It was also agreed, that Culver’s Children should be bound to the
Brethren & Indenture’s made for them. Likewise for Geo: LŠsch’s
Children & for Stšhrs & Holders
2 Boys.
13th September 1756
| Present | Bechtel | Weber | Okely |
| Mathew Schrop |
Having been inform’d that Martin Rohleder had misbehaved in Striking our Br. David Dejohn, rashly on some trifling Occasion It was thought mete to examine into the Matter, & having heard Br. Schober & Hirschberger, who were Eye Witnesses of it, Rohleder was sent for, & the Matter with its evil Tendency & Consequences being laid before him, he confess’d his Fault, was truly sorry for his Rashness & Promised to ask Dejohn’s Pardon, which he also did in our Presence upon his being sent for.
Indentures to be Made for Charles Volcks 2 Children.
Ðfor Stephen Nicholas
Ðfor the Orphan Children whose Parents were kill’d on the Mahoney.
A Lease to be made of the Rose Tavern, near Nazareth being Let to our Br. Hartman Verdrees.
Mary Pennrey to sign the usual Declaration concerning her Admittance into the Congregation.
4th October 1756
Present Betchtel, Hide, Schropp, Okely
Anna Felicitas Grosch, aged 19 Years, came here with the Consent & Approbation of her Parents, & having leave to stay in Bethlehem, was spoke with by us, & the Questions usual on such Occasions being put to her, she answered them to our Satisfaction.
In like Manner Elizabeth Holder, aged 19 Years & upwards. Upon being asked, if she was engaged or promised to any Person, She answer’d that she had formerly promised herself in Marriage to one John Custard, but that they had mutually released each other therefrom, & produced a Certificate, to that effect, under said Custard’s Hand.
Nov. 29.th 1756
Present Bechtel, Schropp, Weber, Okely
Being inform’d that Sev.l Brethren had transgress’d
the Congregation Rules, in going out a Hunting & Fishing particularly
Sundays & Sabbaths, among others
John Scheffler was called, & seriously exhorted by us to be cautious not
to offend therein for the Time to come.
He pleaded Guilty, confess’d his Weakness in that Point, but promised
Amendment for the Future.
Joseph Policheck was also called, & the Matter laid close to him, but
he seemed not altogether Willing to yield & give up the Point.
Nov.r 30th.
Present, Hide, Okely, Weber.
Br. Transen was called before us on the same Acc:t as the above. He pleaded his Ignorance of the Prohibition & promised to leave it.
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