Person:Johannes Leders (1)

Johannes Leder. Children: 1. Frederick Leder I, b 1691, Switz; emigrated 1720/28; m Anna Elizabeth ? (see next generation) Leathers Family from Switzerland to the US

Johannes Leder 1st generation

Johannes Leder. Children: 1. Frederick Leder I, b 1691, Switz; emigrated 1720/28; m Anna Elizabeth ? (see next generation) 2. Jacob Ledder, m Anna Margaret ?; died in York Co, Pa in 1766; children: . . . 2a) Margaret Leder, b 29 Dec 1759 . . . 2b) Catherine Leder, b 31 May 1761 . . . 2c) John Frederick Leder, 1763 The records of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, City of York, York Co., PA. which include 1733-1800, show John Frederick born at 2 am, Mar 4, 1763 in York Co, Pa. He was baptized March 6 and his father was Jacob Ledder & his mother was Anna Margaret.

Historical setting: Before 1871 Germany was not a country, but a number of separate states like, Wurttemberg, Prussia, Bavaria, Palatine, whose borders were constantly changing as a result of wars. In America the term Palatine was used to describe German-speaking immigrants. Often these immigrants did not come directly to America, but spent a few months (or even a few generations) in another country (Switzerland, England, Ireland, etc.) The Edict of Nantes, which gave equality under the law to Protestants and Catholics, was revoked in 1685. The Palatime Elector was one the strongest Protestant rulers and many Protestants from all over Germany began pouring into his area for protection. This strong Protestant presence caused much of the conflict to center in the Palatine After the War there was complete devastation. Estimates vary from 1/3 of the people being killed in the Palatine to almost no survivors left in the region. The French used a scorched-earth policy in their assaults there leaving the already poor people without food, farms and even houses. Many were reduced to living outside. In 1708 the Germans began a mass exodus. There was mass emigration of German, Swiss and even some Dutch Protestants in the early 1700s, and especially after 1726 when the German Catholic ruler, Karl Phillipp took over Palatine and began more repressive measures. There were over 3,000 emigrants a year coming into Rotterdam without a penny to their name, but desiring passage to America. Rotterdam was so overwhelmed that it closed its borders to the city from those who could not afford to embark immediately. There were fund raisers to help get the emigrants out of town and on their way, churches and even the city council contributed to purchasing tickets. Sometimes these destitute emigrants were forced to stay outside the city for up to 6 weeks without even a roof over their head while they waited for passage. The death rate was so great that the local churchyards soon filled up. Compounding the already desparate situation, in 1709 the winter was very severe, the Rhine River froze over for 5 weeks and the people were starving. Queen Anne in England saw this as an opportunity to strenghten Protestant influence in England. She advertised in the Palatinate that England would accept all German Protestant immigrants. (German Catholics who tried to emigrate were given 5 gilders and shipped back to Germany.) English ships picked up thousands of these German or Swiss Protestants in Rotterdam and ferried them to England, where they were assisted by the government in either staying or moving on to Ireland or America. Most of them chose to go to Pennsylvania. William Penn's mother was from Rotterdam, and he visited that city several times to promote Pennsylvania. In 1683 the first group of Germans left Rotterdam for Pennsylvania. In the summer of 1709 10,000 Germans fled the horrible conditions in Germany. Many went to England and Ireland and some to America. Tens of thousands of German and Swiss Lutherans (or Reformed) and Mennonites emigrated through Rotterdam to America. By 1729 10,000-15,000 had gone to Pennsylvania and by 1750 70,000-80,000 had gone. Since the German Catholic ruler was trying to stop these people from leaving, there was a type of underground railroad set up along the Rhine River made up of families who were willing to help these poor people escape to freedom. The Dutch Mennonites were especially involved in helping the Germans Protestants escape Germany and get to America. There were two refugee camps (tent cities) outside of London and one in Ireland for the emigrants. From here the English would ship the refugees to any one of their colonies throughout the world (some even where sent to Brazil). The voyage was unbearably difficult with not enough food or fresh water, overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. Since most of them were not paying customers they were not treated well by the captains. In one of these years over 2000 died on the trip. As most of these German and Swiss emigrants had no money for passage they were often sold as indentured servants when they arrived at their final port. (If a family member died on the passage, the family was still liable for the fare at the end.) Sometime family members were bought by different masters and families were separated. Once these Palatine emigrates got established in Pennsylvania, they began monitoring the ship arrivals and met the ones with Palatines on board. This way they were often able to pay for passage and buy them out of bondage. Occasionally these monitors were lucky enough to meet a boat that held one of their own lost family members. It was very common among these people to give all their sons the same first name.

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Frederick Leder I 2nd generation

FREDERICK LEDER I (Ledder/Leeder) was born about 1691 in Switzerland or Germany. Frederick immigrated to the United States in 1728. He apparently came alone (there was no one else on the ship by the same name) so it's possible that he got separated from his family in fleeing. (There are stories of one young man in another family who was fleeing the conditions there, was caught and put in prison, then later was able to escape and make his way to America.) Frederick's brother, John, also came to America and also settled in York Co, Pa. Perhaps he came on a different ship. [Pictured is Rotterdam in 1729 as Frederick would have seen it.] The passenger list doesn't specify his place of origin. After a long voyage from the Dutch port of Rotterdam, Holland that included one stop at the port of Deal on the southeast coast of England near the entrance to the English Channel, arriving at Philadelphia on the Mortonhouse, Aug 24, 1728 (on the same ship as Ulrich Schurch, great-grandfather of Barbara Shirk, wife of Frederick III). It took 3-6 weeks to cross the Atlantic at that time. Frederick was probably a Mennonite (as were several others on that ship) who was deported from Switzerland, along with the Shurch family. As eary as 1707 the Mennonites in Switzerland had commissioned Lewis Michelle to explore the interior of Pennsylvania for a settlement for them. In 1710 the first group of Swiss Mennonites established a settlement near what is now Lancaster, PA. [Some of the later Mennonites immigrants had spent a generation in Germany before they left Europe for America.] ?On August 24th 1728 eighty Palatines with their families, about 200 persons, imported in the ship Mortenhouse, John Coultas, Master, last from Deal, whence the ship sailed June 15. The list totaled 205 persons, including 80 males above 16 years of age, 69 women, and 56 children. Among the 80 males were, Frederick Leeder, Groug Bechtell, Wi Shurch, Martin Schaub and Schurch (2 Ulrich & 1 Johann). This was the sixth ship to land European immigrants in Philadelphia during the period from 1727 to 1776.?[Source: A collection of upwards of thirty thousand names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French and other immigrants in Pensylvania from 1727 to 1776 by Professor I. Daniel Rupp, first published in 1856, reprinted in 1971 by Genealogical Publishing Co, Inc of Baltimore.] Upon arrival in Philadelphia, the passengers had to sign an oath of allegiance to the King of England. In 1727 the Pennsylvania Governor had complained about the great numbers of German immigrants pouring into Philadelphia. Frederick married Agnes ? (named on early deed) and Anna Elizabeth ? (on estate settlement; she may have been a second wife). In 1728 Germans begin to settle in what is now York Co, Pa. (In 1729 Lancaster County was sectioned off out of Chester County, and then in 1749 York county was created out of Lancaster county.) Frederick is among the earliest settlers in Kreutz Valley. Then, he was among a group of settlers who were ?dispossessed? by Capt. Cresap on orders from the Maryland proprietors who claimed the land west of the Susquehanna. This is how it happened: Before 1736 all the land west of the Susquehanna River was the territory of the Iroquis (who had conquered the Susquehannocks in 1675). Settlers began in 1719 crossing the river and making settlements. Some of these "Maryland Intruders" were removed by the Pennsylvania government in 1728. Others settlers came the next year. In 1730 Thomas Cresap assumed right of land in an area under a Maryland warrant, and German families began moving into the area, with assurances from Maryland that they would be issued land grants. In 1733-34 the Pennsylvania authorities began issuing "licesnses to settle" (interim aggreements) to people who already were living west of the Susquehanna. (In essence, both states were claiming this land and the right to issue deeds.) In 1736 Frederick Leeder bought 250 acres on the west side of the Sesquehannah River receiving a Pennsylvania deed. (Some of those deeds & records show his wife as "Agnes") By 1736 the Maryland authorities were abducting German settlers and running them off their settlements, trying to replace them with Maryland settlers. Thomas Cresap was receiving arms from Annapolis to carry out these removals. This conflict between Maryland and Pennsylvania setters was known as "Cresap's War." In Oct. 1736 the Penns purchased the land west of the Susquehanna in a treaty with the Indians, and so it became part of Pennsylvania. In Dec. 1736, Cresap was arrested and the problems he caused ended. In 1739 Hellam Township was created, which included Kreutz Creek valley. In 1742 Thomas Penn ordered his land agent to not grant lots in York Roman Catholics because of their "destructive" beliefs. Frederick died in 1749 before June (age 55), Dover township, York Co, Pa. without a will. His children were in Orphan?s Court in Lancaster Co, Pa. June 6, 1749. York County became a separate county in Aug 1749.

Children:

1. FREDERICK LEATHERS II (3rd child), born 1732, Lancaster Co, Pa; lived with Martin Eichelberger after his father died in 1749 (he was 17); he also raised David Shirk (son of John); m 1st maybe ? Stribler?; m 2nd Jane Dill Lewis, 1794? (no children by her). Frederick died 1796, York Co, Pa. Children: . . . . 1a) Frederick Leathers III, b 1754, York Co, Pa; m 1775 Eve Barbara Shirk (daughter of John); d 1821, Ohio; ch: Frederick IV, Jacob L., Elizabeth, David, Samuel, Barbara, Mary, Christian, Daniel, Joseph . . . . 1b) Jacob Leathers, b 1756; m Mary W. Shirk (daug of John); d 1843, Pa.; ch: John, Jacob, Mary, Barbara, Elizabeth, Joseph, Daniel, Frederick . . . . 1c) John Leathers; m ? Bechtel . . . . 1d) Barbara Leathers; m Henry Bream . . . . 1e) Mary Leathers; b 1765; m 1st Richard Malone; m 2nd 1786 Joseph Shirk (son of John); Malone children: Frederick, Morgan; Shirk children: Elizabeth, Jacob, Joseph, John . . . . 1f) Susannah Leathers; b 1729, Lancaster co, Pa; m John Biegler . . . . 1g) Daniel Leathers, b abt 1774; m Fanny Fierchies . . . . 1h) Joseph Leathers

2. JACOB LEDDER, b 1734, Lancaster Co, Pa; ?He was an orphaned son of Frederick "Lether," deceased, at age 17 and chose Joseph Welchance of York Twp as guardian.? (He lived with Joseph Welshans after his father died in 1749 when he was 15); he m 1st Anna Margaret Welshans, before 1759; m 2nd Ursula Pantz, 1765; he was a gunsmith; d York Co, Pa (probably); guardian of Jacob Shirk, son of John. 6 children: . . . . 2a) Anna Marie Ledder, b May 6, 1783; m William Lanius, Oct. 6, 1776 . . . . 2b) Jacob Ledder, b June 8, 1785 . . . . 2c) George Ledder, b Oct 29, 1789 . . . . 2d) Lydia Ledder, b Oct 22, 1791 . . . . 2e) Henry Ledder, b Aug 12, 1794 . . . . 2f) Seremiam Ledder, b June 2, 1802

3. ELIZABETH LEATHERS, m Nicholas Opp

4. JOHN LEATHERS

5. DANIEL LEATHERS; owned a grist mill

6. JOSEPH LEATHERS; lived in York Co., Pa. where in 1784 he was appointed guardian of Joseph Shirk, age 19, son of John.

Note: All Shirks in this family above are brothers & sisters