History: Family: The HARTZELL Family: Bucks County, 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. 233-256. THE HARTZELL FAMILY Jorg Henrich Hartzell, a native of Switzerland, born circa 1692, came to this country in the early part of the eighteenth century, when about forty years of age, and settled in Rockhill Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he died, "at an advanced age," Jun 24, 1784. It is said that he was accompanied to their new home by his wife and two children and a brother, Ulrick. This Ulrick Hartzell, according to family papers in the possession of his descendents, was born in Switzerland, August 20, 1705; he bought land near Tylersport, Montgomery County, and died there, February 11, 1771; his son Mark died the same day and both were buried three days later, in one grave, in a private burial ground known as Dietz' Graveyard in Upper Salford Township, Montgomery County. Henrich Hartzell was buried in the graveyard at Christ, or Indian Creek Ref. Church, located about one mile from his place of residence. Close to the wall of the church, next to the cemetery, is a large flat stone. From the inscrip- tion it is evident that this was a memorial tablet placed here long after the death of both Henrich Hartzell and his wife, as two mistakes are made in the inscription which records that he and his wife came to this country in 1727 and that he died in 1788, whereas there is indisputable evidence that the date of their arrival was Setember 1732, and that he died in the spring of 1784. IN MEMORY OF HEINRICH HERZEL AND WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN Who emigrated from the Palatinate in 1727. Being the first settlers in Rockhill Twp. Died in 1788, at an advanced age. The early Palatines, as they arrived in Pennsylvania, were required to take an oath, or declaration, of allegiance to the King of Great Britain. There were three lists made of the passengers of each vessel that landed at a Pennsylvania port, one of which was taken by the master of the ship and attested as exact and true. Most of these are still preserved in the Secretary's Office at Harrisburg, and this list contains the names of all male passengers above the age of 16, who were made to repeat and subscribe to the Declaration of Allegiance, with their own hands, if they could write; if they could not, the name was written by a clerk and the qualified person made his mark. The first list appears upon the Provincial Records of the Commonwealth and is reprinted in the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives. The second list was published many years ago by Professor I. Daniel Rupp under the title "A Collection of Thirty Thousand Names of Immigrants to Pennsylvania, from 1727 to 1776." It can be readily seen that these several lists would not agree in every instance, particularly when English masters of ships wrote the German name, or English clerks wrote down the name of the immigrant who could not write, or was too ill to sign for himself. On September 21, 1732, the following persons by name of Hartzell, having reached Pennsylvania on the ship "Pink Plaisance", were qualified as citizens of the Commonwealth. A careful comparison of these various lists, with due allowance being made for the difference in spelling as explained above, prove beyond question that Henrich and Ulrick Hartzell, with others of the name, came to this country five years later than the date recorded on the tombstone. Also, by comparing the handwriting in the signature to the Declaration with that found on his will, there seems to be no room for questioning the identity of the passenger on the "Pink Plaisance" with that of the first settler in Rockhill Township, Bucks County. The dates found upon the will show that Henrich died in 1784 and not in 1788, as appears upon the memorial stone. The proof for the foregoing assertion is based on the following documents: List of Foreigners Imported in the Ship Pink Plaisance, John Paret, Master, from Rotterdam. Qualified Sept. 21, 1732. Paulus Hertzel Henrich Hertzel Heinrich Harstlich Hans Leonhart Hertzell The original list is herewith given Names Age Paulus Hartsligh ............................. 50 Henrick Hartsligh ............................ 50 Hendrix Hartsligh ............................ 40 Hendrix Hartsligh, jun. ...................... 17 Lenard Hartsell .............................. 24 Urigg Hartsell ............................... 18 Women's Names. Catarrina Hartsell ........................... 51 Barbr Hartsell ............................... 50 Christan Hartsel ............................. 27 Children Jacob Benia Hatslin Eliz Hezelarin Minutes of the Provincial Council. At the Courthouse aforesaid, Sepr. 21st, 1732. Present. The Honble the Govr., with the Mayor & other Magistrates. Seventy two Palatines, who with their families, making in all One hundred eighty eight persons, were imported in the Pink Plaisance, John Paret, Mr, from Rotterdam, but last from Cowes, as by Clearance thence, were in like manner qualified, & their Names are as follows: Paulus Hertsell Henrich Hartzell Henrich Stertzell Hans Leond. Hartsell Sept. 22, 1732. Palatines imported in the ship Pink Plaisance, John Paret, Master, from Rotterdam, last from Cowes. Seventy-seven males above sixteen, twenty-eight under sixteen; sixty-eight females above sixteen and fifteen under sixteen--in all one hundred and eighty-eight. Paulus Hertzel Henrich Hertzell Henrich Hartsligh Hans Leonhart Hertzell Ulrich Hottell. (sick) It is not known, at the present writing (1922), just what relation these several families of the same name bore to each other. However, it is known for a certainty that Henrich and Ulrick were brothers, and as the same Christian names occur in each family it is believed they were all connected. The ages, as recorded by the captains of the vessels, were, for the most part, approximate, as Ulrick's age is given as eighteen, when, according to family records, he was born in 1705, and was, therefore, twenty-seven years old. Nothing is known of the Henrich Hartsligh (Hertsell), whose age is given as fifty and who made his mark when taking the Oath or Declaration. He who signed his own name to this document was no doubt the one whose age appears as forty. Henrich Hertzell, Jr., has not been identified. The name of the wife of Henrich Hertzell, or Henry Hartzell as the name later became, is unknown, as we do not find any record by which we can identify her. According to his will, Michael was the eldest son, and as he names Catherine first in his list of daughters, she was probably the eldest of these. He also names daughters Christina and Elizabeth, and both these names appear on the list of passengers. Christian's age is given as twenty-seven; she therefore could not have been Henrich's daughter, but may have been his wife. Elizabeth is listed among the children. The other two women, Catherine and Barbara were said to be 50 and 51, which would seem to identify them with Paul and Henry, the elder. In the latter part of 1740, we find recorded that Henry Hartzell repeated the Declaration of Allegiance which made him a citizen of Pennsylvania--"George Henry Hartsle, Bucks County, took the Sacrament September 22, 1740." It is said that Henry Hartzell was the first settler in Rockhill Township. Rockhill was one of the objective points of German immigration that continued up the Perkiomen into Montgomery County, and thence over into Bucks County. The earliest purchase in Rockhill was made by John Furnace, of Philadelphia, December 11, 1701, of three hundred acres of land. In 1723, he sold this tract to Andrew Hamilton, who in turn sold it to Henrich Hartzell. This land now bounds the limits of Telford. In 1737, Henrich Hartzell purchased of Evan Griffith, and he also bought land in what is now Hilltown Township. The deed for this latter tract is on record at Philadelphia, and in this conveyance his name is spelled "Jorg Henrich Hirzell," also "Henry Hartly," and sets forth that the land was near "Perheassing," evidently intended for Perkasie Manor, while Rockhill is written Richill. Henrich Hartzell owned, altogether, very near one thousand acres at the time of his decease. Most of the land lay in Montgomery County, but the homestead stood over the line in Bucks County. he erected a cabin, and soon afterward a more comfortable one-story log house, which had been altered and improved at various times until it was quite a large two-story old-style dwelling house. Unfortunately it was torn down in 1881, being at the time the oldest house in Rockhill Township. Henrich Hartzell died June 21, 1784, aged over ninety years, and was buried at Christ Reformed Church, Indian Creek. He left a will which was dated May 17, 1784, and proved August 5, the same year. As no mention of his wife is made, she was doubless deceased. He names his sons, Michael, Paul and Henry, and son-in-law, Abraham Stout, as executors. From the exact apportioning of the land and the time and manner of payments designated in the will, it may be reasonably assumed that Henry Hartzell was very orderly in his habits of life. Children of George Henry Hartzell: 1. Michael Hartzell, probably born in Switzerland, accompanied his parents to Pennsylvania, inherited a farm in Hilltown Township, Bucks County, but died four years after his father; married Catherine ______. No issue. 2. Paul Hartzell. 3. Henry Hartzell. 4. Catherine Hartzell, married her cousin Jacob, son of Ulrich Hartzell of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. 5. Christina Hartzell, married Abraham Cobe. 6. Margaret Hartzell, married Adam Cobe. 7. Sophia Hartzell, married John Althouse. 8. Mary Magdalena Hartzell, born 1751, died Nov. 8, 1811, m. Abraham Stout. 9. Elizabeth Hartzell, married Henry Bleyler. 10. Hannah Hartzell, married Henry Drumbore. 11. Susanna Hartzell, married Peter Scholl.