History: Family: The KERN 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, pp. 257-280. THE KERN FAMILY Frederick Kern, who was the ancestor of the family of that name in Rockhill Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was born in Europe, in 1697, and came to this country in the early part of the Eighteenth Century. It is not known from what part of the old county he came, but it is believed that the name is of Swiss origin. So far, we have been unable to find any record of the arrival of Frederick Kern and his family in America. His eldest son, Christian, was born, according to his tombstone inscription, in 1726, and John Christian Kern and his wife, Anna Mary, appear as witnesses to the baptism of two children of John and Mary Catherine Bissert, or Rissert, November 30, 1749, as shown by the records of Tohickon Reformed Church of Bucks County. A careful search of the lists of the early German emigrants who came to Pennsylvania, as appear in Rupp's "Thirty Thousand Names" and the "Pennsylvania Archives", have failed to show any record of the arrival of a Christian Kern between the years 1727 and 1800, nor or a Frederick Kern prior to 1752. We do, however, find among these early arrivals several of the name of Kern, who were, no doubt, closely related to Frederick of Rockhill Township. The first of these was Nicholas Carn, or Kern, who was probably a brother and came over in the ship "Adventurer", John Davis, Master, sailing from Rotterdam and arriving in Philadelphia, where, on October, 2, 1727, the adult male passengers appeared before the Council held in that city and took the oath of allegiance, as required, to the King of Great Britain. The minutes of the Provincial Council for that date make note that a "List of Fifty-three Palatines, who with their Families, making in all about one hundred and forty Persons, were imported in the ship "Adventurer", etc. In the list of names following the above entry we find that of Nicholas Crou. But on another list of these same passengers recorded as arriving on this same ship this name appears as Nicho Coin. According to the history of the descendents of Nicholas Kern, this was the date and the name of the vessel upon which he came to this country. Nicholas Kern and family settled in that section of Bucks, which eventually became part of Lehigh, County, and they were among the original members of Egypt Reformed Church, in the latter county. Nicholas died in 1749, leaving a widow, Margaret, and eight children, the second of whom was named Frederick, who was born in Europe, 1719, and died in Lehigh County, Pa., 1790. His wife's name was Catherine, and he had at least two children, one named Frederick, born 1765, and another named John, born 1772. The descendents of Nicholas have always lived, for the most part, in or near Slatington, Lehigh County. The histories and some printed genealogies of the Kern families frequently confuse the identity of these two Fredericks, assuming them to be the same person; but they probably bore to each other the relationship of uncle and nephew. Another arrival of interest is that of John Adam Kern, who was a passenger on the ship "Royal Union", qualifying as a citizen of Pennsylvania, August 15, 1750. He lived for a time in Philadelphia, where he appears the following year on the records of St. Michael's and Zion Lutheran Church, as witness at the baptism of a child of Jacob and Anna Margaret Nick. He was then unmarried, the other sponsor being Anna Margaret Reh. On March 3, 1752, "Adam Kern and Anna Maria Zehlin were married in the evening hour of prayer." They had the following children: Conrad, born December 19, 1752; Jacob, born July 30, 1754, died September 19, 1756; Martin, born September 12, 1756, died October 10, 1759; Catherine, born March 1, 1759, died October 18, 1759; Adam, born August 20, 1760, died August 2, 1761. Anna Maria, wife of Adam Kern, died August 6, 1764, aged thirty-eight years. This is the last appearance of this family upon Philadelphia records. These same church records show that a Wilhelm Frederick (or Frederick), Kern and wife, Anna Margaretha Christina, were sponsors for several children born to Johann Albrecht Hackenmiller and wife, Anna Ottilia Kern, from 1752 to 1759. Jacob Kern and wife, Elizabeth, were also members of this church, as on April 24, 1755, Jacob Kern and Adam Kern were witnesses to the marriage of Johann Phillip Schmidt and Anna Elizabeth Zehl(in), who was no doubt sister to Anna Maria, who had married Adam Kern in 1751. Jacob and Elizabeth Kern had issue: Jacob Jurg, who was born March 17, 1755; Michael, born May 30, 1757; Johann Philip, born August 16, 1762, died September 7, 1762,; and a second Johann Philip, born May 13, 1764, and died August 22, following. The evidence points to the supposition that Jacob and John Adam were brothers or closely related, and were probably from the same place in the old country, and it may be that Wilhelm Frederich Kern, of Philadelphia, Nicholas Kern, of Lehigh, and Frederick Kern of Rockhill, Bucks County, all came from the same locality in Germany or Switzerland. As before stated, there appears to be no record of the arrival of Frederick Kern of Rockhill and his family in America. He and his wife, Anna Margaret, were members of Tohickon Reformed Church, in that township. In the churchyard, quite near the corner of the original church building, he is buried, together with his son Christian, and his grandson John Adam Kern. It is from the church books of old Tohickon, that we find practically all that is known, at the present writing, concerning Frederick and his children and grandchildren. >From these records of baptisms, confirmations, tombstone inscriptions, etc., together with such wills, administration accounts and deeds as can be found, it was possible to gather the following data concerning this family. The history of Lehigh County states that Frederick Kern, of Rockhill, Bucks County, in 1748, received by patent from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a grant of a tract of land lying in that township, upon which he settled. As a matter fact, as proven by the original records in the Land Office at Harrisburg, this grant was issued by three patents, under date of May 4, May 14, and July 13, 1748, to Frederick Kern, son of Nicholas, and, while included in what was then known as Bucks County, this land now lies within the bounds of Lehigh County. It is not known when Frederick Kern settled in Rockhill, now when, nor from whom he acquired the land upon which he resided and which he mentions in his will. Frederick Kern made his will, dated October 11, 1771. In it he speaks of himself as "infirm." To his "loving wife, Anna Margaretta," he bequeathed the sum of 250 pounds, a piece of meadowland, and kitchen and bedroom furniture, and all the "new Linnens and sheets." He directed that all his goods, chattels and estates whatsoever should be sold at public auction and the proceeds therefrom to be equally divided among all his children, naming his son Christian as executor. Frederick Kern died on his farm in Rockhill Township, Bucks County, August 6, 1772. His will for some reason was proved in Philadelphia instead of Doylestown, the county seat of Bucks County, on September 12th, five weeks after his death. He is buried in the graveyard adjoining Tohickon Church. There is no stone marking the resting place of Anna Margaret, his wife. The date of her death is unknown. Children of Frederick and Anna Margaret Kern: 1. Anna Barbara Kern, born 1726, died May 19, 1800, married Philip Fluck, b. 1725, died 1780, buried at Tohickon Reformed Church. Child: i. Christian, b. Feb 8, 1757. 2. John Christian Kern, born November 11, 1726, died February 24, 1801, m. Anna Mary ______ (probably Fluck, a sister to Philip). Children: i. Anna Liesbeth Kern, b. 1750, probably died young. ii. Anna Margaret Kern, born 1752, m. George Shive or Sheib. iii. John Adam Kern, b. May 23, 1754, d. Nov. 16, 1821, m. Anna Maria _____, born Oct. 4, 1756, d. Dec. 7, 1841. Children: 1) Elizabeth Kern, b. May 10, 1778, d. June 5, 1871, m. May 8, 1798, Henry Hartzell Stout. 2) Catherine Kern, b. 1779. iv. John Jacob Kern, b. Sept 16, 1757, d. August 1, 1758. v. John Jacob Kern, b. May 28, 1759. vi. John Philip Kern, b. Mar. 26, 1761, d. May 1791, m. Catherine _____. Children: 1) Christian, removed to Hamilton Twp., Northampton Co. 2) John, b. June 11, 1789. 3) Margaret vii. Catherine Kern, b. March 27, 1767, m. Henry Huber. 3. Mary Helena Kern, m. on Nov. 29, 1757, Philip Peter Lehr. 4. John Peter Kern, b. July 23, 1741, d. June 3, 1820, m. Catherine ______. 5. John Adam Kern, b. Aug. 29, 1750, d. Oct. 10, 1830, m. on Nov. 23, 1773 Catherine Hunsberger. 6. Mary Jacobina Kern. 7. Elizabeth Kern 8. Anna Margaret Kern, b. 1752.