Biography of Maj. Johann Peter Hartman
Notes:
Source: (Book) Johannes Hartman of Chester County, Pennsylvania and His Descendants
By John Markley Hartman
Published 1937 by Mrs. Lizzie Markley Clapham Mount Airy, Philadelphia, Pa.
Sourced on the Internet Archives
(Major Peter’s Father)– Jokannes Hartman In August, 1750, the ship Royal Union, under command of Clement Nicholson, arrived at the Port of Philadelphia from Rotterdam, Holland, and among the passengers aboard were Johannes Hartman, his wife Margaret, two sons, Jacob and Peter, and three daughters, Abigail, Eliza¬ beth and Catharine. Tradition says the family came from Wittenberg, a city of Southern Germany, but all efforts to determine through documentary evidence whence they came have failed. On August 15, 1750, Johannes Hartman took the oath of allegiance to King George of Great Britain at Philadelphia. Not long afterwards he acquired a tract of land in what was then Pikeland Township, Chester County, from a group of land speculators known as the Pikeland Land Associa¬ tion. There are also records indicating he made similar purchases from the same Association in Blockley Town¬ ship, in what is now West Philadelphia. Failure to assure a clear title to these lands proved costly not only for Johannes Hartman but for other settlers in the same locality. From 1765 until 1780 Johannes Hartman was taxed in Pikeland for real estate varying from 120 to 150 acres, and also for two to five horses, two to four head of cattle, and three to six sheep. The Hartman farm was situated near what is now Hall¬ man’s Station, on the Pickering Valley Railroad, in East Pikeland Township, Chester County. Most of the original farms in that locality, in East and West Pikeland Town¬ ships, were taken by Germans. The French and Indian War began in 1753. Three years later Johannes Hartman was enrolled in the Vincent and Pikeland Guards, who joined Colonel John Armstrong’s ex¬ pedition to subdue the troublesome Indians in Western Pennsylvania. Armstrong’s command destroyed the Indian town of Kittanning, on the Allegheny River, twenty-six miles above Pittsburgh, killing many of the savages. For this service the corporation of Philadelphia presented Arm¬ strong with a piece of plate, thanked him and his officers and had a medal struck in honor of the achievement. Johannes Hartman’s son Peter accompanied this expedi¬ tion as a drummer. During the early years of their life in Pikeland the Hartman family attended Zion’s Lutheran Church, on Schuylkill road, near Spring City, in East Pikeland Town¬ ship. Here the celebrated Lutheran leader, the Rev. Dr. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, of Trappe, founded a congre¬ gation about 1751, which built a church in conjunction with a congregation of the Reformed faith. Zion’s congregation remained under the jurisdiction of Dr. Muhlenberg for some years. The union with the Reformed people was dis¬ solved in 1762. In 1774 a new church was built for Zion’s congregation. This church was converted into a military hospital for the American army at the time of its movements in that locality in September, 1777, and again while the army was encamped nearby at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-8. At the present time Zion’s Church is widely known because of its old organ, acquired in 1791. The present church building was erected in 1860. At the time the new church of 1774 was built a dis¬ agreement occurred in Zion’s congregation over the site of the church, some preferring a location south of French Creek. The outcome was the formation of a new congre¬ gation, known as St. Peter’s, which built a church in West Pikeland Township. That building also was a military hospital in Revolutionary times. A new church was built in 1811, but was burned in 1835, whereupon another house Page two of worship was reared. Soon afterward St. Peter’s congre¬ gation was divided by dissensions over theological ques¬ tions, and a second St. Peter’s congregation was organ¬ ized, which erected its church at the opposite end of the cemetery from the older church. Thus the two churches have since maintained services, they being attached to dif¬ ferent synodical bodies. From the two St. Peter’s Churches three other congre¬ gations originated—St. Matthew’s, Upper Uwchlan Town¬ ship, 1833; St. Paul’s, Lionville, 1838, and Centennial Church, Kimberton, 1876. Among those who left Zion’s Church to identify them¬ selves with the original St. Peter’s Church were the Hart¬ mans. In this connection a tradition has been handed down that one Sunday morning in 1771 Michael King, Johannes Hartman and George Emrich were riding to church on horseback and discussing church matters. Michael King remarked: “Well, boys, we are getting old and I am tired traveling this distance. Let us build a church of our own.” The proposition was taken up, a subscription was started and a log church was built in West Pikeland and dedicated. On Saturday, November 7, 1772, Dr. Muhlenberg and his wife, the Rev. Andreas Goeranson, Swedish Lutheran pastor at Wicaco, and one of the elders of the Philadelphia Lutheran church arrived at Peter Hartman’s house and were well entertained there for three days. On Sunday morning, the 8th, the Rev. Ludwig Voigt, of Zion’s Church, arrived. The log church was then dedicated to the service of God. Father Muhlenberg preached the sermon from Genesis 28:20-22. In the evening Pastor Voigt returned home, after which the numerous remaining company held an edifying Chris¬ tian conference until late at night, when they departed, well satisfied and delighted. Father Muhlenberg wrote a full account of this visit. Page three The names of Michael King, Johannes Hartman and his son Peter appear on the books of St. Peter’s congregation until their deaths. The records further show that the sons of Peter Hartman were members of the congregation, and his grandson, George Hartman, was treasurer. Next to Zion’s Church, St. Peter’s is the oldest Lutheran congrega¬ tion in Chester County. In 1774 Johannes Hartman was one of the Committee of Safety which met at Chester, then the countyseat of Chester County. This Committee took steps to prepare for the Revolution. Because of Johannes Hartman’s age his son Peter replaced him on the Committee October 23, 1775. Beginning in 1781 the Hartman farm is taxed in the name of the son, Jacob Hartman, and the father, Johannes Hartman, is listed from 1781 until 1785 as an “inmate.” Evidently the father had turned over the property to his eldest son and was living with him. About this time, following the close of the Revolution, disaster overtook the family because of the defects in the title to the land on which they lived. The lands constituting the present East and West Pike- land Townships were patented by William Penn to Joseph Pike, a merchant of Cork, Ireland, December 3, 1705. There were 11,116 acres. Joseph Pike died in 1727, devising his lands in Pennsylvania to his wife Elizabeth. She died in 1733, and the land passed to her son, Richard Pike. He died in 1752, having bequeathed the land to his kinsmen, Samuel Hoare and Nathaniel Newbury, merchants, of London. In 1756 Hoare purchased Newbury’s share, and on December 3, 1773, Hoare conveyed Pikeland to Andrew Allen, of Pennsylvania, taking a mortgage thereon for £1600. Though Johannes Hartman had been living here for twenty years and is presumed to have bought his farm from the Pikeland Land Association, he also was one of 115 persons who bought land from Allen following the latter’s acquisition of the township in 1773. Because of Allen’s failure to pay interest on the mortgage Hoare foreclosed and Page four X the Pikeland tracts were sold by the Sheriff of Chester County. Hoare bought the lands at the Sheriff’s sale, title being given him August 26, 1789. The occupants of the Pikeland farms which they had been cultivating for years now found themselves under the necessity of making terms with Hoare or being dispos¬ sessed. The family tradition is that by this transaction Johannes Hartman lost his farm and even St. Peter’s Church was sold to satisfy the claims. Peter Hartman saved his farm by placing a new mortgage upon it. For these disasters the settlers blamed Andrew Allen. Prior to the Revolution he had been a man of distinction and was a member of the Continental Congress in its early days, but later he placed himself under the protection of the British commander, General Howe, and afterwards went to London, where he died. Johannes Hartman was married twice. The records of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church show that Margaret Hart¬ man, first wife of Johannes Hartman, died August 4, 1773, aged 56 years. Johannes Hartman died in 1787, probably near the end of May, for his will is dated May 25, 1787, and it was pro¬ bated on June 4 following. His death is entered in the church records, but the exact date is not given. The will of Johannes Hartman made provision for “my loving wife Margaret.” She was to have “the privilege of living peaceably in that part of my house where I at pres¬ ent occupy; six bushels of Rye and four Bushels of wheat to be paid her out of the wheat and rye now growing on my Plantation (being out of my part of the Crop) and yearly and every year in November the further sum or Compliment of six bushels of rye, four bushels of wheat, sixty pounds of good pork, firewood ready cut and hauled, a cow known by the name of Black Cow, now my property, also the wool of a Lamb taken out of my flock and marked agreeable to her request, likewise a small garden and the sum of Twenty shillings yearly to be paid her on the Page five twenty-seventh day of November in every year during her natural life or Widowhood, the said twenty shillings being in lieu of five bushels of Buckwheat and one quarter of an acre of flax sowed, as per agreement before Mariage sign’d, bearing date of the twenty-fourth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and eighty, reference being thereunto had may more fully and at large appear. But if she the said Margaret should chuse to leave the place by me to her bequeathed as a Residence and live elsewhere then and in such case my will is that she shall have sixty pounds of Pork, six bushels of rye and four bushels of wheat yearly and every year during her natural life or Widowhood, and if she should marry after my decease, then the cow and lamb or sheep to revert to my executors, as also all other legacies, by me to her bequeathed to cease.” The will appointed Jacob Hartman and Peter Hartman, sons, as executors, and their accounts, filed in August, 1790, show payments made to the widow. After specifying legacies of money for the three daugh¬ ters and the son Peter, the will bequeathed the “plantation” to the son Jacob. Issue: Jacob Hartman; married (first) Sarah, or Sallie, Sahler, Saylor or Souder; (second) Eva Maria Dankel; died about 1823; buried at Blain, Pa. Peter Hartman, born April 2, 1740. in Germany; married (first) Catharine Stein; (second) Margaret Schrieber; died September 30, 1810; buried at St. Peter’s Church, West Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pa. Abigail (Maria Appolcnia) Hartman; born 1742; married Zachariah Rice, 1757; died November 6, 1789; buried at St. Peter’s Church, West Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pa. Elizabeth Hartman; married Nicholas Carter. Catharine Hartman; married William Fuller. Page six
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