Research: Origins of George Weber
of Pennsylvania

Generation #0

Christian/George/Jacob Weaver of Pennsylvania (Conjecture)

1.    Christian Weber of Colebrookdale [Perkiomen and Skippack Twp] Philadelphia (now Montgomery) Co PA

Christian Weber was born in about 1700. This Christian Weber is not the one who immigrated 8/26/1735; nor is he a member of the Herr/Kendig/Bowman/Weber Family of Pequea Creek and Weber Thal in Lancaster Co PA.

Current research focuses on the Christian Weber who signed the Colebrookdale Petition on 5/10/1728. Colebrookdale is another name for the community which grew up at the headwaters of Perkiomen Creek in the vicinity of Boyertown, Philadelphia (now Montgomery) Co PA. Although the majority of Palatinates immigrated through the port of Philadelphia, an estimated 50% of Palatinate Immigrants to New York are believed to have migrated through the "back door" down the Delaware River from New York to the vicinity of Germantown PA.

A number of these New York Palatinates originally settled along Skippack Creek west of Germantown. Jost Hite, the Baron of the Shenandoah Valley, was one of these New York Palatinates as was Gerhardt Clemens, another Swiss Anabaptist:

"Lists of Germans from the Palatinate who came to England in 1709":
A list of all the poor Germans lately come over from the Palatinate to this kingdom taken in St. Catherine's the sixth May 1709. First Arrivals: 
Clemens, Gerhard , age 28; married and wife living; son age 5, son age 1 1/2; the family belonged to the Baptist Church. Listed under occupation 'husbandmen, weaver and vinedressers'
Emigrated from the Palatinate on the Rhine 1709 arriving in New York 1709, probably March.
From New York, Gerhardt and family moved on to Germantown, Philadelphia 10 Oct. 1709. A warrant granted Sept. 10, 1717 to David Powell, of Philadelphia, for 3000 acres of land, to be located between the ' Skepeck" and 'Parkyooman'. ...and from it 690 acres, located on the Northeast Branch, were sold to Gerhart Clemens on February 14th. 1718.

Perhaps because of cheaper land, many of these families packed up and moved to Perkiomen Creek, the next valley to the west. It is there that inhabitants from the immediate vicinity of Colebrookdale petitioned the government of the Pennsylvania Colony for relief from Indian attacks. In the petition, the locales of Falkners Swamp [New Hanover] and Coshapopin [Goshenhoppen/Salford] are mentioned. Falkners Swamp, located at the headwaters of Swamp Creek, and Goshenhoppen are only a few miles from Swenksville where Jost Hite had his mill..

In January of 1730, Jost Hite sold his holdings in Pennsylvania, using the proceeds to speculate in 140,000 acres of new land in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. One of the stipulations in his contract was to bring one new settler per thousand acres to his tract within two years. And in the Fall of 1731, Jost Hite in the company of sixteen families migrated south to Virginia. Did this Christian Weber or his descendants migrate in the company of Jost Hite to Orange Dist. (now Frederick Co) VA in 1731? 

By 1734, Christian Weber no longer appears in the Tax List for Colebrook Dale District, Philadelphia (now Montgomery) Co PA.

• Born c. 1700

• Married c. 1725 

• 5/10/1728 Petition for relief from Indian attacks

• Believed to have migrated c. 1731 to Orange Dist. (now Frederick Co) VA

• Died in Virginia

2.    John George Weber of Tulpehocken Twp Lancaster (now Berks) Co PA

JOHN M. BROWN.
Carlisle, Schoharie County, November 20, 1823
"Conradt Wiser after his return, soon persuaded a great many to leave Schoharie, and seek an asylum under the great William Penn. [1723] They marched from Schoharie, a southwest direction, for the Susquehannah, with an Indian guide, together with their cattle and families, where they arrived in a five day's journey, at a place called Cookhouse. There they made canoes, so navigated their families down by water: their cattle followed by land all along the shore, until they arrived in Pennsylvania, at a place called Tolpelrahen. There they all settled on a large brook, called in the German Muehlback, in the English Milbrook, where some of their descendants dwell unto this day. Here I must remark a curious instance, namely: twelve of their horses run away, and in 18 months after, ten of them arrived in good health and strength in Schoharie, a distance no less than 300 miles."

And in an even later work, Rev. Richards writes: "Before the erection of Berks County, in 1752, the township of Tulpehocken was a recognized division, being a part of Lancaster County in 1729. Because of its great size, in 1734, another township was laid off from it and erected, called "Heidelberg" to commemorate that part of the fatherland from whence many of the settlers came. The early inhabitants, therefore, of the old Townships of Heidelberg and Tulpehocken, were composed, mainly (though not entirely) of the immigrants from New York Province.

George Weaver
WEBER, JOHN GEORGE (Tulpe.) [Reading]
Weber, John Adam, b 01 14 1746; bap 02 16 1746, Spon. John Adam Weber & Barbara Jaeger  

Marriage - 1746 12 21 Weber, John Adam - Jaeger, Barbara (Tulpe.) 

3.    Jacob Weber of Lebanon Twp 

Jacob Weaver was born in 1678 in Switzerland

Finally, about the middle of October, the "Globe" was ready to cross the Atlantic with the first Palatine refugees on board, a voyage of no less consequence to the colonization of the future American Republic than that of the "Mayflower 88 years before.

On such a quest Kocherthal and his compatriots crossed the mighty ocean. For eleven long weeks the "Globe" was at the mercy of wind and wave. Yet the Palatines were comforted and encouraged by good Captain Congreve and their faithful pastor. The latter preached to them and administered the sacrament. He baptized the babies who were born on board ship. He counseled with Governor Lovelace concerning the administration of the future colony and the division of the land. In this official the Palatines possessed a warm friend.

At last the shores of America were sighted and the "Globe" sailed into the harbor of New York. Then, after casting anchor off Manhattan Island so that the new governor might land and attend to certain formalities the little ship entered the mouth of the river discovered by Hendrick Hudson a century before. For sixty miles the voyage continued up the lordly stream, the first signs of Winter already visible on both banks. With the close of the year their arduous sea journey also drew to its close. On New Year's Day, 1709, the vessel anchored at the confluence, of Quassaic Creek with the river, a pleasant site on the western shore. Here Kocherthal and 53 emigrants, including his wife, Sibylla Charlotta, and their three children, landed.

Immigrated 1/1/1709 at Newburgh NY

West Camp NY

Descendants migrated by 1766 to Lebanon Twp PA

Hans George Weber: Generation #1