Person:Henry Mohler (2)

This is a retype of a report done in 1922 by Lawrence Brainerd (Genealogist). This report was obtained from the Studebaker Foundation. [Any corrections or comments by me are in brackets] ELCarson The Mohler Family (Note: All printed accounts of the Mohler Family of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, are sadly in error; even the starting point of this well-known Colonial family has been for generations incorrectly stated by local and family historians. True it is that Ludwig Mohler (1696-1754) came to America with his family in the ship "Thistle" from Glasgow in August 1730. (See: "A Collection of 30,000 of Germans, Swiss, Dutch and French Immigrants to Pennsylvania (1727-1776)", by Rupp). However, Ludwig Mohler was not the only immigrant ancestor of this name who arrived in America before 1736 and positively was not the father of Henry Mohler, Sen., who has been proved to be the ancestor of the greater number of Mohler descendants, resident in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pa. The proof of this correction lies in the following indisputable data: ---Henry Mohler, Sen., was granted 245 acres of land in Lancaster County, Pa., on Nov. 18, 1736, when Ludwig was but 40 years old, a hardly probable situation for a man of forty to have a son old enough to have this important and extensive grant made to him. That the supposed son was born much earlier than 1713, (granting that he was exactly 21 when the grant was made to him), is positively proved from the birth date of his (Henry's) son Henry who was born in January 1728. And this last named Henry was not the first born son of Henry, Sen. Henry Mohler, Sen., must of necessity have been born during the first half of the first decade of the Eighteenth Century 1701-1706, at the very latest, to have a second son born in 1728. There is not a thread of legal or land evidence to support the claim that Henry (the grantee of 1736) was the son of Ludwig, but there is chronological data, as shown above, which entirely disapproves this relationship. Henry, Sen., was in all probability a brother of Ludwig, as both settled in Lancaster County at the same time, and is provenly the father of Jacob, Henry, (Jr.), Martin, John, Elizabeth and Susanna. The only other members of this family which cannot be attributed to Henry, Sen., are George and Ludwig, (both admitted to full citizenship in 1761) and they were undoubtedly the sons of Ludwig, Sen. (1696-1754), though proof is lacking. ----Lawrence Brainerd).

I. Henry Mohler, Sen., the immigrant ancestor of the larger part of the Mohler Family resident in Lancaster County, Pa., (in the locality now established as Ephrata) was probably born in Switzerland about 1700-1704, and in all probability a brother of Ludwig Mohler who came to America in the ship "Thistle" in August 1730. The exact year of Henry's arrival is not known, but he was in Pennsylvania as early as 1736, (and most likely earlier) for on November 18th, 1736 he received a grant of 245 acres in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County. Philadelphia Patent Book, A, Vol. 6, p.349, Vol. 8, p. 98). Part of this land he sold in 1749/50 and by deed of gift conveyed another part in 1756 to his son Jacob and another part in 1763 to his son Henry, Jr. (See: Lancaster Deeds, at the end of this article, #1 and #2). He is styled yeoman in the local records of the township.

He and his family were Christian Brethren or "Dunkers" in religious faith, and his home, a fine example of the early 18th. Century architecture was situated a little east of the Mohler meeting house, about a mile and a half from the present village of Ephrata, Pa. In 1749 he acquired further lands by purchase from Michael Witmer (Witman). He became a very large landed proprietor and a man of much local consideration. The Baptismal Record of the Conestoga District shows that he and his wife were received into the Church in 1739 and the year before his brother Ludwig and wife were received into the same church. The family home already referred to was built in 1764 and is still owned by descendants of the immigrant Henry Mohler, Sen. The Christian Brethren Church was founded in Lancaster County about 1738-9 when there was a large exodus of Brethren from the vicinity of Germantown, Pa., to Lancaster County. Lancaster County was established as an independent county, May 10, 1729. It is interesting to note that "The Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pa." (1905) contains the following statement in regard to the Mohlers: "Three brothers, Ludwig, Henry and John Mohler all settled early in Lancaster County coming from Switzerland and belonged to the German Baptist Brethren." (p.773) This historian, the author of this work, evidently had authority for part of this statement at least, but who the third brother John was we are unable to state.

Henry Mohler, Sen., married before coming to this country Elizabeth , who was alive as late as Jan. 1763 (See Deed #1) and after her death married Barbara, who survived him. He died in Cocalico Township in August 1769 (See Will #1). His gravestone has not been discovered, if he had one.

Children of Henry, Sen., and Elizabeth Mohler:

Jacob Mohler, born about 1721; died June 1770, and by his will made his brother Henry, Jr., his executor, and left children, Jacob, Elizabeth & Susanna. [probably wrong Jacob, I think this one is Ludwigs,]

Elizabeth Mohler, born ; married John Landis

[This Eliz. is born too late to marry John Landis, Jr.]

Henry Mohler, Jr., born January 1728

Martin Mohler, born (under age in 1769, but of age in 1771) (probably born 1753)

(Lieut.) John Mohler, born _____; came into his share of his father's estate in 1776. He was an officer in the Revolutionary War. He died in 1815, leaving a wife Catherine and 8 children. (probably born 1755)

Susannah Mohler, born ________.

(AUTHORITIES: Will #1, Deeds #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, at the close of this article; History of Lanc. County, Pa., by Ellis and Evans, pp 833-4; Penna. Archives Vol. 2, p. 356).

(A warranty for land grant in 1751 styles Henry Mohler as "Hans Henry Mohler")

DEED: This Indenture made 8 Jan. 1763 between Henry Mohler, Sen., of Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Province of Pennsylvania, & Elizabeth, his wife, of the one Part and Henry Mohler,Jr., one of the sons of the said Henry Mohler, Sen., of the said township of the other Part ...... Whereas John Penn, Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, Esquires, True and Absolute Proprietors of the said Province by a certain Patent under the Hand of the said Thomas Penn and their Great Seal bearing the date, the 12th. day of June, A.D. 1734 for the Consideration therein mentioned with (other?) Land, grant and confirm unto one John White, a merchant in the city of Philadelphia in right of a certain Grant made by the late Proprietary William Penn, Esq., unto James, Joseph and Benjamin Crispen, Jane Eleanor, Elizabeth and Amy Crispen, the children of Capt. William Crispen, late of Kingsdale, in Ireland, deceased, by deed dates the 8 Aug. A.D. 1687. Now witness in a certain tract in Lancaster County, 1627 acres, the said John White (Pa. Patent Book, A. Vol. 6, pp. 349 etc., 1734, 2 June). And whereas the said John White by a certain Deed or Indenture of Lease and Release, bearing the date 18 Nov. 1736, Dith Grant bargain, and sell, Release and Confirm unto the said Henry Mohler, Senior, to his assigns and heirs forever, a part of the above mantioned Tract of land for the Consideration named also by the Bounds and Lines, 245 arces.

Now this Indenture witnesseth that the said Henry Mohler,Sen., & Elizabeth, his wife, as well for the Love and natural affection that they retain for their son Henry Mohler, Jr., as also for the Consideration of a sum of 20 shillings to their hand well and truly paid before the ensealing and delivery of these Presents, have granted, bargained sold unto the said Henry Mohler, Jr., a certain part of said land (boundaries mentioned) viz. 95 acres. -

Recorded July 12, 1768. (Vol. M., p. 397)

WILL: Henry Mohler, Sr., of Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Province of Pennsylvania, will dated 22 Aug. 1769, proved 2nd Sept. 1769. Executors named: John Landis and son Henry Mohler. Wife Barbara to receive L100, sons Jacob Mohler and Henry Mohler, L30 each, sons Martin and John (yet being under age), and daughters Elizabeth and Susanna (Lancaster Co. Probate Records, Book B.1, pp 637-8).

Headstone http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=57a43834-5ab6-4ef4-8c5e-1237dc1a3830&tid=1151858&pid=-1826058988