History: Family: The CLEMENS Family: Montgomery 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. 454-475. THE CLEMENS FAMILY Gerhart Clemens, a Mennonite, born 1680, probably in Switzerland, was the son of Jacob Clemens and came to Pennsylvania in 1709, settling first in Skippack, where in 1711 he purchased of Matthias Van Bebber a farm of one hundred acres. Matthias Van Bebber had received from the Proprietary, William Penn, six thousand acres of land situated in what was then Philadelphia, but now Montgomery County. This great tract was known as Bebber's Township and comprised all of the present Perkiomen and Skippack Township. In 1718 Gerhart Clemens purchased of David Powell another tract of land consisting of three hundred acres "on the northeast branch of the Perkahomy Creek," in what is now Lower Salford Township. Here upon the west side of the creek he built a log house, where he lived while he cleared away the forests. On December 9, 1722, Gerhart and his wife Ann sold to Michael Ziegler, one of the earliest ministers of the Mennonite Church at Skippack, fifty acres of his first purchase of one hundred acres in Bebber's or Skippack Township. Thereafter, by purchase and patent, he acquired additional tracts until he had six hundred and ninety acres which he claimed as his own. Gerhart Clemens kept a diary, or notebook, in which are entered many notes, none, however, in his own handwriting after 1740. While there are entries made in the same book later on, they appear to have been made by his son, Jacob, with whom, according to tradition, he lived during the latter years of his life. Gerhart Clemens says in his diary that he was born in 1680 and came to Pennsylvania in 1709. From the following entry we learn that his father's name was Jacob: "Anno 1709, March 8, I, Jacob Clemens, gave my son Gerhart by my own hand on account 126 guilders." Then the following: "Anno 1709, March 3, I, John Clemens, have settled with my brother Gerhart Clemens and made every thing balance regarding his purchased goods." According to tradition, this brother, John, was a merchant, unmarried in the city of New York. It is also said that there was another brother, Jacob, who lived in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Another item of interest in this notebook, no date, but apparently made in Holland: "My father-in-law reckoned to me for the horse ( ) rix dollars and for the cow 12 rix dollars. Is that now right?" This was formerly the money of Holland. Two and a half guilders made one rix dollar, which was equal to one dollar United States money. The diary is written entirely in German, but the fact that all his financial dealings were transacted in the currency then in use in Holland leads one to believe that Gerhart Clemens was living in or near that country. About March 1709, when he was twenty-nine years of age, he apparently sold his possessions to his father, Jacob, and his brother, John, and to his father-in-law, whose name, unfortunately, he neglects to give us, and prepares to come to this country. From this same notebook we learn that by October of that year he had arrived in Pennsylvania. By 1735 Gerhart Clemens' entire tract comprised about a mile square, and among the adjoining land owners are noted Andrew Lederach and Dillman Kolb. It was not long before Gerhart Clemens became one of the most prosperous and successful men in the community. He lived for some time in his first house built on the west side of the Branch Creek, but later erected a larger and more commodious residence on the east side of the same stream. We learn from the numerous accounts that appear in his diary, or notebook, that Gerhart Clemens and some of his children were weavers and wove considerable homespun goods for his friends and others. This was, no doubt, one of the ways by means of which they made money to pay their debts. In 1726, Gerhart Clemens built the first grist mill in Salford Township on the creek near the present (1922) site of Groff's mill. In the diary he left some matters on record relating to it, namely, that he made a contract with Jacob Souder, March, 1726, to build a mill "to be well made and to give good satis- faction," for which he was to receive 33 pounds, one half thereof to be paid when the mill was finished and the other half in six months afterwards. This mill stood until 1823, nearly 100 years, when the foundation for the present (1922) mill, now known as Groff's, was laid. Part of the foundation of the old mill is easily discernible. The original building stood against the hill, about one hundred and fifty yards farther up the stream from the present site. "It was built in the most economical manner, two stories high. There were no elevators in it, everything which was to be ground twice had to be carried up stairs to the second story. Customers bringing in grists there to be ground drove their teams up hill and unloaded on the second story, while those who fetched their grists, which mostly consisted of flour and bran, received them from the first floor." Two years after the first mill was built the Goshenhoppen road was opened, which added greatly to the convenience of the neighborhood. It crossed the stream just below the mill. On September 26, 1738, Gerhart Clemens and his wife, Ann, conveyed to their son, John, the mill, the residence, and one hundred fifty-one acres thereunto belonging. On June 20, 1738, they gave to their son Jacob two tracts containing together one hundred and eight-five acres. On the following day, June 21, Gerhart and his wife transferred to their son Jacob another large tract con- taining one hundred and thirty-six acres. Then on May 30, 1741, Gerhart Clemens and his wife sold to their son, Abraham, two hundred and thirty-six acres of his vast holdings, four acres of which the latter sold ten days later to his brother Jacob. The remainder of this land, Gerhart Clemens sold to various persons, in all about eight hundred and twenty-four acres. After disposing of all his land it appears Gerhart and his wife retired, though he was only sixty-one years old at that time. He died about 1744-45, when he was about sixty-five years of age. There is nothing to be found in the records of Philadelphia concerning the settlement of his estate. Apparently he had prepared himself for the event of his death by his disposition of all his property. He and his wife, Ann, who he married in Holland, and whose surname is unknown*, are both buried at the Lower Salford Meeting House, but no stones are standing to mark their graves. It is probable that Ann died first, as tradition says that Gerhart made his home during the latter years of his life with his son Jacob, for whom he had built the substantial stone house still standing, though many improvements and additions have been added to the original. Children of Gerhart and Ann CLEMENS: 1. Jacob Clemens, died 1782; married Barbara Clemmer. 2. John Clemens, married Elizabeth Allebach. 3. Abraham Clemens, married Catherine (Catarina) Bachman. Jacob CLEMENS, son of Gerhart and Ann Clemens, born, probably in Switzerland, came to Pennsylvania with his parents when quite young. In the fall of 1746, Jacob Clemens purchased the lands which had belonged to the recently deceased Christian Allebach. December 16, 1756, Jacob Clemens and his wife sold ninety-eight acres of this tract to Peter Freed, but nineteen years later, March 27, 1775, Peter Freed sold these same ninety-eight acres back to Jacob Clemens, who at that time was a resident of Gwynedd Township. Immediately thereafter Jacob Clemens sold the messuage and thirty-six acres of this same land to this grandson, Dillman Ziegler. It was about 1769 that Mr. Clemens removed with his family to Gwynedd Township, when, on May 26th of that year, he purchased from Amos Griffith, of the last named township, a messuage and tract of land containing one hundred acres. One of the witnesses to this deed is his son-in-law, Michael Ziegler. To this farm, Jacob Clemens added another thirteen acres adjoining. It is not known how long he resided in Gwynedd, for he eventually returned to Lower Salford, where the latter years of his life were spent. His wife, Barbara, apparently died before December 14, 1779; her death probably occurred during their residence in Gwynedd, and he then made his home with his son, John, to whom he deeded all of his lands in Salford Township, except the homestead farm. Jacob Clemens made his will December 14, 1779, which was entered for probate November 30, 1782. His death, therefore, occurred between August 3, 1782, the date of the deed to his son, John, and the date of the probating of his will. In this instrument he made no mention of his wife, who, in all probability, had died in Gwynedd, since her name does not appear upon any of the deeds after 1779. To his son, John, he devised all his lands in Lower Salford Township, "whereon I now live," consisting of one hundred acres, and to Jacob, his youngest son, he bequeathed the farm in Gwynedd; to the third son, Michael, he left the four-acre meadow tract he had purchased from his brother, Abraham, in 1741; and to the eldest son, Gerhart, he left 30 pounds to be levied out of the valuation of the land. In 1768, he had sold the farm upon which he was living to his son Gerhart, then a young man of twenty-three years of age. In his will he mentions Gerhart as his eldest son. According to the family record there were three boys older than Gerhart, all of whom must have died young; Michael born 1729, Jacob born 1739, and twins, Gerhard and Christian, born 1741. A son Michael is mentioned in his father's will of whose birth we have no record; another son, Gerhart, born 1745 named as eldest son; and another Jacob born 1749. To his nine daughters he left 200 pounds each. It is believed that there were other daughters than those named in the family record. Although Jacob Clemens mentions nine daughters as heirs, he designates by name only one, Susanna, who is under age in 1779. According to a note in the diary which had belonged to his father, and to which Jacob made some later additional notes, it is stated that Elizabeth was married in 1763. She was then twenty years of age. One of the nine daughters of Jacob and Barbara Clemens was the wife of Michael Ziegler, but so far we have been unable to learn which one**, as her Christian name is unknown. She died sometime before her husband, but was apparently alive when her father made his will, as he names his "beloved son-in-law Michael Ziegler" as co-executor with Gerhart Clemens, the oldest son. Jacob Clemens and his family were members of the Lower Salford Mennonite Meeting. Both he and his wife were no doubt buried in the graveyard adjoining he church. Children of Jacob and Barbara Clemmer Clemens: 1. Anna Clemens, b. December 30, 1729, m. Michael Ziegler. 2. Esther Clemens, b. January 11, 1731, m. William Ziegler. 3. Michael Clemens, b. November 12, 1732, died young. 4. Margaret Clemens, b. January 10, 1734, died before 1747. 5. Mary Clemens, b. November 14, 1735, m. Christian Clemmer 6. Barbara Clemens, b. June 1, 1737, m. Dillman K. Ziegler. 7. Jacob Clemens, b. April 8, 1739, d. before 1749 8. Christian Clemens, b. April 21, 1741, died young. 9. Gerhart Clemens, b. April 21, 1741, died young. 10. Elizabeth Clemens, b. 15 Feb 1743, m. Jacob Hunsicker. 11. Gerhart Clemens, b. 21 Apr 1741, m. Catherine Hunsicker. 12. Margaret Clemens, b. Feb 9, 1747, m. Abraham Bechtel. 13. Jacob Clemens, b. April 12, 1749, d. before 1761. 14. Susanna Clemens, b. March 3, 1758, m. John Johnson. 15. John Clemens, b. Oct 29, 1760, m. Hannah Price. 16. Jacob Clemens, b. 1761, d. Jan 17, 1823, m. Ann _____. ------------------------------------- NOTES: *It has since been ascertained that Ann's maiden name was Anneli Reiff. **It has since been ascertained that it was Anna who married Michael Ziegler.