History: Family: The BAUER (BOWER) Family: Philadelphia (now Berks) Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Thera. tsh@harborside.com USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ ____________________________________________________ The following is from "The Strassburger Family and Allied Families of Pennsylvania," by Ralph Beaver Strassburger, 1922, pp. 316-327. THE BAUER (BOWER) FAMILY Hans BAUER, a native of Switzerland, emigrated to Pennsylvania between the years 1708 and 1717. He was a Mennonite, and, like many others of that faith, fled from the old country to escape persecution. He settled in what is now Berks, then a part of Philadelphia County, where he acquired two tracts of land lying in what is now Hereford Township, Berks County, but was then Colebrookdale, Philadelphia County. In 1728, a public road was laid out from Skippack to Colebrookdale, though this district had been settled prior to that date, but it was then far out on the fronier and in constant danger of attack from the Indians. On May 10 of the last-named year the people living in this region becoming alarmed at rumors that hostile bands of savages were in the neighborhood, sent the following petition to Governor Gordon at Philadelphia: To the Honorable Patrick Gordon, Esq., Governor of the Province of Pennsilvania [sic] The Petition of the Frontier Inhabitants of ye County of Philadelphia, humbly Sheweth: WHEREAS, Your Petitioners are at Present so Alarmed by a Nois of Indians That Several Families have Left their Plantations with what Effects they Could Possibly Carry away; Women in Child bed being forced To Expose themselves To Coldness of ye air, whereby Their Lives are in Danger: We, Your Petitioners, Therefore humbly Pray That Your Honor would Be Pleased To Take or use Such Measures with ye Indians That Your Petitioners may be freed from These alarms, for yet we are Informed That The Indians are Consulting Measures against us. We hope your Honor will Comply With our Humble Request, To prevent as well our fears as Danger, and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound shall Ever pray, &c. We do not have the list of those who signed this petition, so it is not known if Hans Bauer had located here as early as 1728. According to I. Daniel Rupp, the historian, there were four hundred and sixty-five German, Dutch and French inhabitants in Philadelphia County who owned land and paid quit rent prior to 1734. Among the eighteen land owners mentioned as residing in Colebrookdale Township were Hans Bauer and Michael Bauer. The first record we have concerning Hans Bauer is a warrant, dated January 29, 1734, for a tract of land containing one hundred and fifty acres, situated on the Perkiomen, near the Goshenhoppen Creek, which was surveyed and laid out to him on March 18 of the same year. A patent was granted to him by the Proprietors of the Commonwealth March 30, 1736 (Patent Book A, No. 7, p. 548. Department of Internal Affairs. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.) This land was part of the Great Manatawny tract owned by the Frankfort Land Company. On November 30, 1742, Hans Bauer, or John Bower, as he appears in this record, secured by patent another tract of about 105 acres situated in the valley know as "Butter-tahl" in Colebrookdale Township. He purchased of Thomas Hopkinson, trustee for the heirs of Humphrey Hill, March 14, 1743, one hundred and thirty-four acres, part of a tract at that time described as Douglass Manor, which was also on a branch of the Perkiomen Creek (see Commission Book P-1, p. 179, Reading Pennsylvania.) These last two farms lay within the old limits of Colebrookdale, but fell into Hereford when that township was erected in 1753. These two townships were settled by a colony of Mennonites who soon erected a meeting house, 1743-4, which still stands. It is a low wooden structure, little larger than the ordinary schoolhouse, with joists extending far across the walls and the roof resting upon the same. It is known as the Hereford and Colebrookdale Mennonite Meeting House, and has a cemetery in which many of the old settlers were buried. Hans Bauer made a will, written in German, which he signed on October 27, 1748, wherein he devised to his sons, Samuel, Abraham and Michael, all of his lands. He had given to his son, Hans, part of his Colebrookdale farm, but Hans died in the spring of 1747, leaving a widow, Magdalena, and two small children, Abraham and Anna Barbara. Hans, senior, also bequeathed this farm to his two sons Abraham and Michael on condition that they pay to the widow and two minor children of their deceased brother a sum equal to the value of the land. (Will Book H, p. 77 and p. 253. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.) The will was proved at Philadelphia the 7th day of March, 1749, so that Hans Bauer, Senior, died some time between the 27th day of October, 1748, and the 7th day of March, 1749, and was no doubt buried in the graveyard of the Hereford Mennonite Church. His wife, Anne, surname unknown, was living at the time of his decease, but nothing further is known concerning her. In his will he bequeathed to his sons, Abraham and Michael, all the homestead plantation on condition that they care and provide for her in a suitable manner. Children of Hans and Anne Bauer: 1. Samuel Bauer. His father bequeathed to him a tract of land which was patented to Samuel, February 1749. 2. Hans Bauer, married Magdalena _______. He died in the spring of 1747, leaving two small children, Abraham and Anna Barbara. 3. Abraham Bauer, married Anna _______. Received from his father one-half of the homestead farm in Colebrookdale. Removed in 1752 to Huntingdon County, Pa. 4. Michael Bauer, married about 1744-5, Veronica (Fronica) Landis. 5. Barbara Bauer. 6. Susannah Bauer. Michael BAUER, or BOWER, son of Hans Bauer, was born circa 1720-1722, and married, about 1744, Veronica (or Fronica) Landis, daughter of Johannes Landis, of Bucks County, Pa. His father by will bequeathed to him one-half of the farm upon which he resided, the other half being given to his brother Abraham. George Schultz, executor of the will of Hans Bauer, Sr., by a deed of April 6, 1749, transferred to the two brothers the one hundred and fifty acres comprising the homestead farm, the widow of Hans Bauer, Junior, deceased, and Samuel, the eldest brother, releasing their right to the land, which all lay within the confines of Colebrookdale. In 1753, a petition was presented to the Court of Philadelphia asking for the erection of a new township to be bounded and described as follows: "Beginning at a heap of stones on land of Adam Trump, being chief corner or Philadelphia County in the line of Northampton County, bounded by Colebrookdale Township, etc., to be named Hereford." The petition was signed by seventeen inhabitants: Adam Bauer Samuel Bauer Melchior Schultz Christopher Schultz Benedict Strohm Jacob Stauffer Michael Bauer and others. Among the Hereford taxables for 1758 are Abraham Bauer and Michael Bauer. And in 1759 we find Michael Bauer paying taxes on fourteen acres; Samuel Bauer on thirteen acres, and Widow Bauer on twelve acres. Michael Bauer died between June 17 and November 8, 1784. His will, recorded at Reading, Pennsylvania, was written in German. (Will Book No. 3, p. 50. Register of Wills, Reading, Pennsylvania.) Anna, daughter of Michael and Fronica Landis Bauer, married Christian Moyer or Meyer. On July 7, 1784, Michael and his wife made over to Christian Moyer and his wife, Anna, for 175 pounds, the seventy-five acres which was his share of the homestead tract. The next day, July 8, Christian Meyer assigned to Michael and his wife, Fronica, an annuity, or yearly rent charge, of 100 pounds, issuing out of two houses and plantations in Hereford Township, evidently the personal property of Christian, the agreement being that Michael and Fronica would reside in the "new dwelling now being erected" on one of the farms. It is probable that both Michael Bauer and his wife Veronica (Fronica) are buried in the graveyard at Hereford Mennonite Meething House. In his will mention seems to be made of but one child, a daughter, Anna, wife of Christian Moyer (Meyer). It appears, however, that an arrangement was made between Michael and his wife Anna, that the daughter, Anna, and her husband were to care for her ageing [sic] parents in consideration of which they would receive, upon Michael's death, the homestead farm. Children of Michael Bauer and Veronica (Fronica) Landis: 1. Samuel Bauer, born August 6, 1746, died November 18, 1822; married March 10, 1766, Elizabeth Ziegler. He was a farmer of Douglas Township, Berks County, and buried at Hereford Mennonite Meeting House. 2. Fronica Bauer, born April 10, 1756, died September 13, 1840; in 1779, married Abraham M. Schwenk, born 24 May 1759, d. 6 Aug 1843, son of George Schwenk and Fronica (Merkle) Markley. Fronica and Abraham are both buried in Keely Ref. Cemetery, Schwenksville, Montgomery County, PA. Children: i. Elizabeth Schwenk, b. 16 Jun 1780, d. 15 Nov 1858, m. Andrew Walt. ii. George B. Schwenk, b. 7 Dec 1783, d. 6 Jul 1783, m. Catherine Moyer iii. John (Johannes) B. Schwenk, b. 13 May 1785, d. 30 Apr 1830, m. Catherine Snyder iv. Anna Schwenk, b. 5 Sep 1786, d. 29 Mar 1803, unmarried. v. Jacob B. Schwenk, b. 14 Sep 1789, d. 19 Aug 1852, m. Mary O. Gehman vi. Samuel B. Schwenk, b. 13 Apr 1791, d. 23 Apr 1864, m. Rachel Schmeyer vii. Abraham B. Schwenk, b. 1 Dec 1792, d. 24 Aug 1841, m. Margaret Snyder (possibly sister of Catherine) viii.Maria Magdelena B. Schwenk, b. 17 Jul 1794, d. 28 Mar 1875, m. George Reiff xix. Katharina Schwenk, b. 18 May 1797, d. 17 Jun 1878, m. David J. Croll 3. Anna Bauer, married Christian (Meyer) Moyer of Springfield, Bucks Co., PA, son of Jacob Meyer.