Person:Jacob Leiter (28)

- Jacob Leiter, from whom the Leiter family of Leitersburg is descended, was born in Europe. In his will the orthography of the name is "Lyder"; other variant forms are "Leidro", "Lighter", and Lider".
- Jacob Leiter probably emigrated to America about the middle of the last century.
- In 1762 Jacob Leiter purchased from George Poe 362 acres of land, embracing the present site of Leitersburg. This land was part of the Resurvey of Well Taught, and a second resurvey was pending at the time of his purchase; he completed the title to this, and on the 19th of April 1763 secured a patent for the Resurvey of Poe's Part of Well taught, a tract of 1294 acres, embracing many of the finest farms in the central part of the District.
- Jacob Leiter died in February 1764, leaving a widow, Elizabeth, who was his second wife, and seven children: John , Christian; Abraham; Jacob; Peter; Barbara, and Anna, wife of Peter Good. One daughter, Fronika, died before her father, leaving two children.

Birth: 1706
Death: Feb., 1764, Leitersburg, Washington County, Maryland, USA
Burial: Leiter Family Cemetery, Leitersburg, Washington County, Maryland, USA

Children: Jacob Leiter (1749 - 1814)

Three generations of the Leiter family are buried in the Leiter Family Cemetery. Many burials are marked only by plain field stones. The burials were recorded by Samuel Webster Piper in the mid 1930's. The original books, located in the Washington County, Free Library, Hagerstown, MD. Another good source for graveyard locations are the National Geological Survey Maps.

- Jacob Leiter was born 1706 or earlier, was Swiss or of Swiss descent.
- Jacob Leiter came from Holland about 1716. (An application of Joseph Leiter-A5E3-C2 to the publishers of the Compendium of American Genealogy. No evidence was submitted. If this is actual date of immigration, he would have come with his father, or else his date of birth is earlier.)
- In 1727 Jacob Leiter was one of a group recommended by several old settlers for land at Conestoga [PA]. Also in the group were Jacob Ryfe, Ulrich Sawk, Rudolph Bear, John Snevely, Casper Horn, John Long, Derrick Miller and Christian Graybill. (PA Arch. 3rd Ser, Vol 19, p. 751; Eshleman, p. 226). He must then have been 21.
- A patent was granted for 200 acres [in Conestoga, PA], 22 December 1735, which was surveyed March 6, 1744 and found to contain 368 acres; recorded in Patent Book A-12, p. 201:
From John, Thomas and Richard Penn, New Castel, Kent and Sussex on the Delaware, by virtue of Warrant dated Dec. 22, 1735, Survey March 17, 1744, Jacob Lighter was granted a certain tract of land on the Cheekasalungo Creek, Manor Conestoga, Lancaster County.
The metes and bounds give the names of his neighbors: Francis Sipes, Peter Rusht, Ulrich Kingries, James Logan, Hans Adam Hover, Jacob Good.
- Jacob was a Mennonite until he went to Maryland. Recently a copy of an original lost from the archives of the Moravian Church has been found of the journal of George Hantsch of his "missionary" work among the Mennonites. The list of visits places Jacob Leidert at White Oak, in Warwick Township. He said: "On Wednesday, June 22 [1748] I went to Jacob Leidert's, who had no time, he was building a new house." He mentions his neighbors Ulrich Junrich and Hannes Reiffs. (Pennsylvania Dutchman, Nov. 1, 1951)
- Jacob was taxed in Warwick Township in 1756 and 1759, the name then spelled Leytert (Nat. Gen. Soc. Quarterly). There is no further record of him in Pennsylvania. There is no doubt that he then moved to Washington County, Maryland.
- In Washington County, Maryland. A patent was issued to Jacob Lighter on "Burkhead's Dispute", near Antietam, 2 February 1762; and on 23 September 1762 he was deeded 362 acres, part of the Resurvey of "Well Taught". from George Poe, and 116 acres of the same, from William Hall. In 1763 he secured a patent on 1294 acres of "Well Taught". (History of the Leitersburg District, 1898, Herbert C. Bell; and records of Frederick County, MD)
- Jacob Leiter's will, with name spelled Lyder, was made 8 February 1764, probated 22 February. It gave 100 pounds to his second wife, mother of his two youngest sons, and for whom he must have built the new house in 1748. She died before 1776. He left to his oldest son John, who had remained in Pennsylvania, only ten shillings "money of Pennsylvania". Small tracts of land were left to his son Christian. The "place on which I live", 362 acres, was left to the youngest sons, Jacob and Peter. Other land went to his son-in-law Peter Good. The executors, John Rife and Andrew Hoover, were also to convey by agreement land to: his son Christian, Jacob Good, John Rife, Jacob Riller, Philip Renick and Henry Ford. Some of these names appear in the recommendation and patent in Pennsylvania. Jacob Good moved from Lancaster County to the Leitersburg District in 1765 and was a Mennonite.

Warrant Year : 1735 (Image 61 of 328 on Ancestry.com)
No. 101, dated 22 Dec 1735, Lancaster County, 200 acres, for Jacob Lighter
"At the Request of Jacob Lighter of the County of Lancaster that We would grant him to take up Two hundred Acres of Land near Cheekaselunga Creek (whereon He has several years settled) and adjoining to James Logan's land . . ."
for 15£ 10s per 100 acres, and an annual Quit-rent of one Half-penny per acre
Returned 8 March 1744

Note: Cheekaselunga Creek is now known as Chiques Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna in Lancaster County, just north of Columbia. (Georgraphic Names Information System, ID 1171772) It passes through Rapho Township, and is joined by Donnegal Creek just before emptying into the Susquehanna.
---------------------------------------------
Warrent Year : 1745
No. 178, dated 22 May 1745, Lancaster County, 25 acres, for John Lamon, Rudy Behme and Jacob Lighter
. . . John Lemon, Rudy Behme and Jacob Lighter of Lancaster request grant of 25 acres for the use of the Menonists [sic] Congregation Situate in Rapho Township . . .
Returned 17 Jan 1754

Jacob Lyder of Frederick County, Province of Maryland, Farmer
- To my son John Lyder 10 shillings money of Pennsylvania and 1 shilling Sterling
- To my two youngest sons Jacob Lyder and Peter Lyder the place of Land whereon I now live containing 362 acres more or less
- To my youngest sons Jacob and Peter Lyder 100£ current Pennsylvania money as the portion of their mother my second wife, after land is appraised by six men to divide the land
- After the appraisement of the land, to my children Christian Lyder, Abraham Lyder, Jacob Lyder, Peter Lyder, Barbara Lyder, the two children of my deceased daughter Fronika, my daughter Anna Good and equal share of the valuation of the said land
- To my son Christian Lyder a Tract of land called Spruce Bottem containing 30 acres and he is to give 30 acres to his brother Jacob and Peter from the Warrant of Resurvey purchased from George Poe deceased called Burketts Dispute containing 50 acres for which he is to allow or discount 30£ Pennsylvania money
- My personal estate to be divided equally among my children except my son John and not in wise defeating the written contract with my present wife Elizabeth
- My children who have received as much as the rest of my oldest children are to have as much in money as may make them equivalent with the first or oldest
- If any of my estate shall be destroyed or carried away by the enemy my Executors shall not be subject to loss thereof
- My executors to give to Peter Good my son-in-law 50 acres of land out of Perrys Retirement and also 160 acres of land from a Tract called Well-Taught conveyed to my by William Hall.
- My Executors to convey to the hereafter named all that Tract of Land assigned to me by George Poe according to the agreement and compact between the Parties viz: Christian Lyder, Jacob Good, John Rife, Jacob Ritter, Philip Reinell, Henry Ford
- Executors John Rife, Andrew Hover
Signed 8 Feb 1764, Jacob IL his mark Lyder
Witnesses Joseph Perry, Christopher Burgett, Peter Long[apaker?]
Entered into Probate 22 Feb 1764 on oaths of Joseph Perry and Christopher Burgett
---------------

pp. ix, viii, xxviii
The Provincial Council of Pennsylvania passed a law that all immigrants from continental Europe entering Pennsylvania through the port of Philadelphia were required to swear an Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown, while ship’s Masters were to supply a list of passengers. The two have been used for some time to provide a list of immigrants to Pennsylvania for the period from 1727 th1776, but both are incomplete. In 1729 new immigrants were also required to swear oaths of abjuration and fidelity to the proprietor and laws of Pennsylvania. When the three lists are combined, they are considered complete through October 1775.
------------
pp. 7-154
for the period from 18 September 1727 through 26 August 1735, no Jacob Leiter, Jacob Leütert, or even vaguely similar person was recorded as immigrating to Pennsylvania.

1751 - Jacob Letler (?)
1752, 1753 records missing
1754 - Jacob Lighter
1756 - Jacob Lyetert, 150 acres, 10 winter wheat, 1 horse and 1 mare, 2 horned cattle, 4 sheep (appears to be one of more prosperous in close vicinity)
1757 - Jacob Lytert/Lyter
1758 - Jacob Leider, 260 acres land, 90 clear, 17 grain, 3 horses, 9 sheep, 8 horned cattle
1759 - Jacob Lyder
1760-1768 records missing

Minute Book "I", 23 7b'r [September] 1727, Entered by J.L., Cons't
"Jacob Ryfe, Ulrick Sawk, Rudolf Bane, Jacob Lighter, Jno Snevelly and Jacob Snevelly and John Long and Casp'r Hoorn, Derrick Miller and Christian Craybill, recommended by sveral old Settlers."

"Jacob Leidert" was one of the Mennonites visited by missionary George Hantsch in White Oak, but Jacob did not have time to visit as he was building a new house. Others in the community included Ulrich Jünrich, Johannes Reiff, Johannes Lehman (preacher) and Johannes Lehman, Jr.