JOHANN MICHAEL AND ANNA MARGARETHA GRÄTER LIEB - Chapter Six

 

Introduction 

My fifth great-grandparents Johann Michael and Anna Margaretha Gräter Lieb represent the earliest documented ancestors of my great-grandmother, Catherine Ellen Lieb McWilliams. The Liebs emigrated from present-day Germany to America. Written records of the Gräter family and Anna Margaretha's second husband, Johann Mathias Staudt's family, date back into the 1600s in church books in the Sulzdorf, Württemberg and Wolfersweiler, Saarland states in the Holy Roman Empire. The Lieb's arrived in Philadelphia on Saturday, August 11, 1750. The rest is history! 

 The Staudt Property was Adjacent to this Farm

MORE ABOUT MATHIAS 

A few details about Mathias’ mill business and his gradual accumulation of wealth were gleaned from Bern and Heidelberg Township tax records dating from the second half of the eighteenth century. Different portions of his land and property were taxed at various times depending upon the amount of money the King, province, state or county demanded to finance specific projects.

His name first appeared in the 1758 Berks County Provincial list of taxpayers in Bern Township, followed by more than twenty-five other tax records over his lifetime. Provincial taxes were laid on the heads of households to fund the Penn family’s management of the province, to provide a “sinking fund” for the use of King George II of England, and “for defraying the charge of killing and destroying wolves, foxes and crows with such other uses as may redound to the Public Benefit and services of the said County.” The third tax supplied funds to pay bounties to citizens who provided proof that they killed canine animals which were a threat to livestock or crows which damaged farm crops.

Mathias Staut 1768 Tax Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

Surviving tax documents listed Mathias’ real estate, mills, livestock and other property which was assessed at various rates by different authorities according to their needs. Mathias was charged 8 shillings as a farmer owning 2 horses, 2 cattle and 100 acres of land on the Proprietary Tax Return in Bern Township in 1767. Another tax list the following year uncovered more details about his farm. He was levied £5 on 50 acres of woodland, 10 acres of cleared land, 4 acres of “sowed” [land under cultivation], 2 horses and 2 cattle. (See 1768 tax roll above)

Mathew Stoudt 1779 Bern Township, Berks County, Supply Tax List

The 1779 Pennsylvania Board of Comptrollers Supply Tax levied in Berks County revealed that Mathias had prospered and expanded his mill business. He was assessed on two different kinds of mills; a gristmill and hemp mill. This was the first year that mills were included in the tax assessment figures. Mathias acquired Michael Lieb’s gristmill upon his marriage to Anna Margaretha, but he must have erected the hemp mill sometime between 1755 and 1779. Hemp was a major cash crop in colonial Pennsylvania. The gristmill was used to grind grain into meal or flour, while the hemp mill broke down hemp stalks as part of the process to prepare the hemp fiber for use in ropes, ship sails, grain bags, rugs, and hemp linen for clothing. The supply tax was indicative of the change in American government. Unlike the previous taxes which funded the British king’s interests, this tax was levied to help pay debts Pennsylvania incurred during the Revolutionary War. The price was heavy; Mathias was charged £41 pounds on his £811 valuation.

Hemp Millstone

Pennsylvania hemp mills made use of large conical shaped millstones that rolled over top of the hemp fiber as part of the process of preparing the fiber for use in homespun fabrics.

Mathew Stoud 1783 Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

The 1783 Berks County Tax and Exoneration list disclosed a few more pieces of information about the Staudt’s family and property. The valuation included nearly the same items as listed in previous years, but this document stated that Mathias had a house and barn on his land and there were three persons in his household. He was charged 6 pounds, 2 shillings, 11 pence. 

Mathias Stoudt 1786 Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, in German

Several tax lists were recorded in German, rather than English. This was a direct reflection on the population in Bern Township, which was home to a large number of immigrants from the Palatine region of Germany. The Germans banded together in their community and maintained their cherished language and customs. This 1786 tax roll was recorded in both languages in different copies of Berks County tax books. 

Mathew Stoudt 1788 Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

Three years later, a sawmill was added to Mathias’ county property assessment. In 1788, he was charged 1 pound, 12 shillings, 4 pence on 30 acres of land, 1 Gristmill, 1 Sawmill, 1 Hempmill, 2 Horses and 2 Cows. His sawmill was likely a wise investment as the county population grew and settlers began to replace log cabins with wood frame houses and barns.  Through the years, his property was consistently valued at a level slightly below the wealthiest inhabitants of Bern Township. Even though he did not own a large amount of real estate, his mills obviously provided a comfortable income for his family. 

John, Mathias Jr. & Abraham Staudt

1798 US Direct Tax List, Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

The first direct tax levied by the United States government was initiated in 1798 and it recorded another bit of information about Mathias and Anna Margaretha’s property. The direct tax was created to fund expansion of the US Military in preparation for a possible war with France. Each of the country’s sixteen states was entrusted with assessing houses valued at more than $100, assigning a tax rate and collecting the taxes owed. Since many of the homes had expensive glass windows, the direct tax is sometimes called the “glass” or “window” tax. Even though both Mathias and Anna Margaretha had passed away by this time, their sons John and Mathias Jr. inhabited the homes they inherited from their parents. The value of their dwellings provided another bit of insight into the Staudt’s economic situation. John lived in his parent’s home which was valued at $600 and Mathias Jr. lived in a dwelling on a second Staudt property valued at $250. They paid $1.80 and $.50 in taxes, respectively.  Abraham Staudt, listed below their names, was the third Staudt brother. He owned land and a house valued at $200, near his sibling’s property. This document was also the first Staudt tax record to use dollars and cents, rather than pounds, shillings and pence, to express the value of property and the amount of tax collected.

1761 Naturalization Record for Mathias Staudt

Mathias took advantage of the opportunity to become a naturalized British citizen in 1761. The British government passed an act in 1740 which allowed any foreigner who had lived in a British territory for seven years to obtain the same rights as natural born Englishmen. The procedure to receive the new status was simply to appear before a chief judge of the colony, take an oath of allegiance (or an affirmation, for those professing the Quaker other dissenting faiths) to the British Crown, and take the Lord’s Supper (Communion) within three months of their court appearance. Naturalization granted all the full legal rights and privileges of a native-born citizen to a non-native foreigner. 

Excerpt from History of Berks County by Morton Montgomery

Mathias was baptized in the Reformed Church in Wolfersweiler and was an active member of the Reformed congregation in Bern Church. He was mentioned as a trustee of Bern Church in 1762 in Montgomery’s History of Berks County. He served as a trustee with my 5^th great-grandfather, Jost [Yost] Hiester, when additional acreage was added to the church property and construction of the second church building was authorized. The Staudt children were probably baptized in Bern Church, but written records from the era of their births were not kept or have not survived. It was recorded that there was a great shortage of Reformed ministers in Pennsylvania in the 1700s.   

Berks List of the Petit Jury of a Court of Oyer and Terminer
Held May 13, 1776

Mathias’ name was found in a list of petit trial jurors for a session of a Court of Oyer and Terminer, a court of criminal jurisdiction, in Pennsylvania. Twelve men were chosen by lot for each case from the current jury list at the beginning of each court session. The petit jury returned a verdict in criminal cases. This was evidence that Mathias may have served on a jury just two months before the official creation of the United States of America.    

Mathw Staudt in the 1790 US Federal Census
Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

The Staudt family was enumerated in the first United States Federal Population Census taken in 1790. Mathias and three other “free white males sixteen years and upward” were marked in the left column and Anna Margaretha and two other “free white females” were counted in the right column. Mathias and Anna Margaretha’s three sons were 32, 33 and 34 years old and the two daughters were 18 and 28, but no names except the head of household were collected by the census taker. All the Staudt children may have still lived at home, but it was more likely that only some of them and their spouses may have lived with Mathias. John may have lived in the home because he inherited his parent’s dwelling in 1795.

Mathias was also enumerated in Bern Township, Berks County, in the first three Pennsylvania Septennial Censuses taken in 1779, 1786 and 1793. These censuses were repeated every seven years for tax purposes and to determine representation in state government. However, they only proved residence of the head of household and provided no other information about any members of the family.

THE STAUDT LEGACY

Mathias Staudt Headstone in Bern Churchyard

Mathias passed away at age 69 on 22 May 1795 in Bern Township. Anna Margaretha died two years later, at age 68, on 27 May 1797. They were buried side by side in row “Q” in plots 15 and 16 in Bern Churchyard near Leesport in Berks County. The inscriptions on their original headstones have faded, but the words were preserved in Bern’s Forebears, A Guide to Its Graveyard. A new monument for the couple was placed in front of Mathias’ weathered marker.

 

Anna Margaretha “Chräder” Staudt Headstone in Bern Churchyard

The entries for Anna Margaretha and Mathias in Bern’s Forebears contain the German epitaphs on the original tombstones and their English translations. Genealogist, James M. Beidler provided his theory on how the “Chr(a)der” [Chräder] variation from Anna Margaretha’s maiden name “Gräter” may have occurred. The initial “Ch” in German was often pronounced like an English “K,” which, in turn, might have been mistaken for a hard “G” sound. The “d” and “t” consonant sounds could have been likewise confused. Finally, the letter “n” was added to German surnames to indicate the feminine form. Therefore, “Chrädern” was a reasonable variant of “Gräter.”

Mathias wrote his last will and testament on 7 April 1795 and it was proven in the Register’s Office in Reading on 22 July of the same year. His will provided for Anna Margaretha and specified how his estate should be divided among his children. Sons, Abraham and Mathias Jr., were named as his executors. 

Anna Margaretha and Mathias’ sons continued the mill and farming businesses and were successful, respected members of Bern (later Penn) and North Heidelberg Townships. Their descendants remained in Berks County where they were especially prominent in the Bern Reformed and St. John’s Hain’s Reformed Church communities.

Mathias and Anna Margaretha’s oldest son, John, inherited the original Lieb mill property. The subsequent chain of ownership can be traced to the 1975 sale to the US Government by power of imminent domain for the Blue Marsh National Recreation Area lake and flood control project. A small portion of the property on the banks of Tulpehocken Creek was also sold to the Union Canal Company of Pennsylvania in 1830. 

Mathias and Anna Margaretha’s youngest son, Johann Mathias, inherited the other 135 acres of land owned by his father. Mathias died at age thirty and his oldest brother, John, became the owner of all the land Mathias and Anna Margaretha owned. Their middle son, Abraham, purchased the land on which the "Upper Staudt Mill" would eventually be built.

More recent generations of the Staudt family lived across Tulpehocken Creek in Lower Heidelberg Township near the village of Brownsville. Samuel Staudt and his son Henry Leiss Staudt each owned farms in the area.  Mathias and Anna Margaretha’s fourth great-grandson, Kermit Staudt, was the last of three generations to own Henry’s property until the mid-1970s.

Most of the Staudt properties were purchased by the US Government to become part of the Blue Marsh Recreational Area. Henry’s former property in Lower Heidelberg was spared the bulldozer, however, and is now preserved by an historical non-profit organization and is part of living history site known as Old Dry Road Farm. The Staudt farmhouse, barn, outbuildings and a 1776 spring house remain on the farm. Other structures from the Essig and Dundore farms are also preserved on the site. 

 Painting of Old Dry Road Farm
The Staudt Farm is at the Upper Right of the Painting. 
  

JOHANN MICHAEL AND ANNA MARGARETHA GRÄTER LIEB - Chapter Five

 

Introduction 

My fifth great-grandparents Johann Michael and Anna Margaretha Gräter Lieb represent the earliest documented ancestors of my great-grandmother, Catherine Ellen Lieb McWilliams. The Liebs emigrated from present-day Germany to America. Written records of the Gräter family and Anna Margaretha's second husband, Johann Mathias Staudt's family, date back into the 1600s in church books in the Sulzdorf, Württemberg and Wolfersweiler, Saarland states in the Holy Roman Empire. The Lieb's arrived in Philadelphia on Saturday, August 11, 1750. The rest is history! 

Door Panels from the Original Bern Reformed Church Near the Lieb/Staudt Home
Photo taken in Berks History Center, Reading, PA by Cindy Cruz 

A SECOND CHANCE – 

JOHANN MATHIAS AND ANNA MARGARETHA GRÄTER LIEB STAUDT

Twenty-six -year-old Anna Margaretha was left in a difficult situation when Michael died in the prime of life and she was left to raise four children as a single parent. Their income was probably generated by Michael’s mill and it would have been nearly impossible for her to manage a grist mill while caring for her young children. She likely had no experience running the business they purchased less than two years earlier. To further complicate matters, most German women had no formal education and spoke little or no English. Navigating a business world dominated by men in a community that was likely still “foreign” to her would have added another serious hurdle to maintain her precarious financial position. It was possible, or even likely, that a trusted relative or male friend was appointed to oversee her business.

Fate smiled on the unfortunate widow as she faced a lonely and uncertain future. Anna Margaretha and Johann Mathias Staudt, a thirty-year-old, single German immigrant, were married soon after Michael’s death. They may have fallen in love or perhaps were attracted to each other because of the mutual benefits their marriage provided to them. Mathias acquired a domestic partner and grist mill business and Anna Margaretha gained the financial support and protection of a husband. He must have been a kind man to take on the heavy responsibility of supporting a new wife and four young children.

Mathias was born in the Gimbweiler, Oldenburg, (later Germany), area and was baptized in the Reformed church in Wolfersweiler on 26 December 1725. He was the son of Abraham Staudt, who immigrated to Pennsylvania on 3 September 1739 on the ship Loyal Judith, and Anna Catharina Geiss Staudt who died in 1734 before the family emigrated. He, his father, brothers, sister, and brother-in-law came to America together when Mathias was fourteen years old. Family lore suggested he spent his teen years in Bern (later Centre) Township living in the household of his older sister Lisa Margarete and her husband Johann Nicholas Klee.

26 December 1725 Baptism Record for Johann Mathias Staudt

Translation:

Joh[ann] Matteis. legitimate son of Abraham Staudt from Gimbw[eiler] And Anna Catharina his legitimate wife was baptized on 26 xbr [December] Bernahard Göltzer; Joh[ann] Matteis, son of Hans Adam Wommer; Rosina Magdalena, daughter of Johann Gusen [Geiss]. (The last three names were probably Mathias’ baptism sponsors.)

Mathias and Anna Margaretha prospered together and added more children and more mills to their realm. Three sons, John, Abraham, and Mathias and two daughters, Anna Elizabeth and Catherine Maria, were born to the couple. Mathias built an additional hemp mill and sawmill on the 36 acres of the original Lieb property. He also expanded his land ownership with the purchase of another 136-acre property which straddled Tulpehocken Creek

When Michael Lieb’s children reached the age of majority, Anna Margaretha and Mathias fulfilled her obligation to them as specified in Michael’s will. They divided the proceeds from the sale of his personal property and the money she was required to pay the estate in exchange for ownership of Michael’s real estate. Three of Michael’s four children signed a deed on 23 February 1773 acknowledging their receipt of their inheritance and their release of any claim to their father’s real estate. Nicholas Lieb, Simon Lieb and Anna Catharina Lieb Pfaffenberger and her husband Michael signed the deed. The fourth heir, Maria Margaretha Lieb did not sign until 1783 because she was described as “still under the age of twenty-one years.” As a result, Anna Margaretha and her second husband Mathias Staudt became the legal sole owners of the Lieb homestead. 

Michael Lieb Heir’s 1773 Deed to Mathias & Anna Margaretha Staudt

THE STAUDT “MANSION HOUSE”

The Staudts were blessed with forty years of marriage before Mathias passed away in 1795. He enjoyed a long life and died just a few months shy of his 70^th birthday. His estate file included an inventory of his personal possessions which provided rich details about the furnishings, linens, and kitchen equipment owned by Mathias and Anna Margaretha. It also listed the livestock and farm tools Mathias used in his everyday chores. The diverse, long list of possessions suggested that the couple received ample income from their farm, gristmill, sawmill and hemp mill. 

Mathias’ will spelled out specific provisions to be furnished to Anna Margaretha every year after his death. The list of firewood, livestock, grain, and other foods gave keen insight into her diet and how her meals were prepared.

“I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved wife Anna Margaret During her Natural Life the following Enumerated Articles Yearly and every Year, that is to Say Twelve Bushel of Good Merchantable wheat the same to be Ground and Baked for her as She wants and Orders the same, One hog in the fall weighing at Least One hundred and fifty pounds and fifty pound of Beaf, One Barrel of Cider when Apples Apples [sic] fetcht to her as Much as She wants, Veigetbles of all kinds as Much as She wants for her Use, Eggs as Much as She wants, and to have the rights of killing A fowl when She pleases, One Cow to be kept for her use She my said wife to have Always her Choice of the Cows at any time on the Premises I now live, free wood haul’d and Small Cut, and fetcht in the house fit for fire use, which said Articles Shall be Raised out of my Estate and to be Delivered unto my Beloved wife Aforesaid by my Son John Stout, And I also Give and bequeath unto my Beloved wife Anna Margaret the Room I now live in with free Liberty to the kitchen Together with as Much of my household furniture as She wants or hath Need of, One Bushel of Coarse and half Bushel of fine Salt Yearly to be delivered by my Son John, unto my wife Aforesaid, I also Give unto my wife Aforesaid the Sum of Ten pounds, (Yearly) in Gold and Silver Money of Pennsylvania* And to Nurse her in Sickness and Old Age."

These instructions suggested that the Staudts were accustomed to a balanced diet and plenty of food. Pork, beef, poultry and eggs supplied protein, while bread, vegetables, apples, milk products and cider rounded out their meals. Fine-grain salt was used for seasoning foods and coarse-grain salt was needed for preserving foods. Firewood was used as fuel for both cooking and heating.

*A pound “in gold and silver money of Pennsylvania” in 1750 was worth about $260 in today’s money.

Excerpt from Mathias Staudt's Estate Inventory 

 

WOMAN’S WORK

Additional details about Anna Margaretha’s everyday life were discovered in the list of personal property she elected to retain from Mathias’ estate inventory. The fate of the remainder of his goods was not specified in his will. Property was typically sold at auction, or it may have been divided among their children. Her “flour box, dough trough, and scraper” were evidence that she baked her own bread. She may have also prepared an occasional sweet dessert using her “cake funnel.” An unspecified quantity of “dryed apples” hinted that Mathias may have had an apple orchard and she preserved their fruit by drying it. She probably also preserved cabbage by making sauerkraut because she kept their “cabbage cutter.” Coffee and tea must have been available and enjoyed as a hot beverage because she retained her “copper tea kettle” and “coffee roaster.” A “salt box” and “pepper mill” suggested that Anna Margaretha liked her food seasoned well.

Out of necessity, Anna Margaretha retained her ten-plate stove with pipe, shovel and tongs for heating and cooking her meals. Valued at £5/5/0, it was one of the most expensive items in her home. She kept her pot rack and a few cooking utensils including two iron pots and lids, a frying pan, two iron skillets, a “tin quart,” a “skimmer, two ladles and a flesh [meat] fork.” Earthen ware, six pewter plates and spoons, three knives and forks, and four table cloths were saved for setting her table. Her kitchenware was probably stored in the “kitchen dresser” she elected to keep. She also held back several articles for storage including a crate, a bucket, two “Indian baskets,” a barrel, a keg, a tub, and eighteen earthen pots. 

Anna Margaretha could have enjoyed needlework, or it may have been a necessary chore to clothe herself and her family. Along with her kitchen items, she kept a spinning wheel, “spun yarn,” twelve yards of linen, “flaxen and tow linen,” sewing thread and “bucking cloth.” The linen was quite valuable as it was appraised at £10/9/0.

Essential furnishings, linens, and a couple of “luxury” items rounded out the few possessions Anna Margaretha retained for her personal use. Of course, she kept her bedstead, bed [mattress], five sheets and “bed cases,” two pillow cases, a blanket, curtains, and one additional bed, all appraised at £5. She also kept a chest for storage. Other necessary possessions included an arm chair, two other chairs, a lamp, her brass water bowl, soap and tallow, and six towels. A thirty-hour clock, valued at £5/15/0, and “some books” were the only non-essential items that she kept for herself.

Anna Margaretha did not claim a large portion of her and Mathias’ belongings listed in the inventory. The dwelling she lived in was willed to her son John. It must have been spacious to house all the Staudt’s furniture and other possessions. They owned walnut tables, 4 benches, 3 chairs, 4 chests, 3 bedsteads, and a cloth press [wardrobe chest.] Two lamps, two iron candle sticks, two pewter candle sticks and a snuffer provided lighting for the home. A box, earthen ware, a straw basket, other “trumpery” [decorative items] and window glass (see the 1798 tax on page 73) provided storage and decorated the living space. 

A number of bed linens including four bed sheets, a bed case, a bolster case and some old bedding were cataloged in the house. At least two tablecloths and three towels were also listed. Even a dressed deer skin was among the items in the household.

Anna Margaretha’s kitchen was especially well stocked with cooking implements. Several pewter utensils including 11 plates, a basin, 2 dishes and 18 spoons were stored in the kitchen. Equipment for special purposes, such as a chopping board, bread baskets, coffee pot, tea ware, earthen pitcher, tin colander, grater, buckwheat griddle, dripping pan, patty pan, and an earthen fish plate, pitcher and pots also stood ready for use. A wooden tray, ladle, bottles, glasses, and bowls could have been used for serving family or company. The usual frying pan, skillet, iron pots, Dutch oven, copper kettle, lids and pot hooks were available for cooking almost any traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dish.

A butter churn and 3 butter tubs were evidence that Anna Margaretha probably churned her own butter. A cheese tub and sauerkraut tub hinted at two other foods that the family produced and consumed. A “cook’s tormentor” [long meat fork], some type of sausage-making implement, a grind stone, and a washing tub all served useful purposes for the lady of the house. There were also several containers that could be used to carry or store kitchen produce, including earthen jugs, 2 casks, a tub, 2 baskets, 5 buckets and some bags.

A few representative examples of food in the Staudt’s household were included in the estate inventory. Bacon, ham, dried apples, hog’s lard and butter were listed. Another salt box filled with salt and an earthen jug of lime were also included. Two fish nets were evidence that the family may have eaten fish taken from Tulpehocken Creek which ran through the Staudt property. A 32-gallon cask of whiskey topped off the contents of the kitchen!

Even though Anna Margaretha held back several needlework supplies, there were many more in the full inventory. There were 2 spinning wheels, a cotton wheel, a woolen wheel, 2 pair of wool cards, a pair of cotton cards, and 2 hatchels for use in preparing fibers for cloth. A large amount of fabric on hand included 48 ¾ yards flaxen linen, 11 yards of tow linen, 2 ½ yards stripes, 3 ¾ yards check, linen stripe, yarn and spun tow yarn. Some leather and cloth remnants concluded the listing of needlework supplies.

Excerpt from Mathias Staudt's Estate Inventory

THE MAN OF THE HOUSE

Mathias’ personal effects disclosed a few details about his life that might have remained hidden without their written description in the inventory. The value of his wearing apparel was fairly high in comparison to his other possessions. His wardrobe was appraised at £8/14/6 [8 pounds, 14 shilling, 6 pence]. Only his stallion [£30], mare [£20], whiskey [£10] and fine linen fabric [£10] were worth more than his clothing. Either he had a large number of clothes or they were made of high-quality materials. 

Mathias might have been clean shaven, or regularly trimmed his beard, because he owned 2 razors and a tin shaving dish. Perhaps he enjoyed reading because his library was valued at £3/10/0, although no specific number of books was listed. His gold sealer was probably used to certify his signature on documents and seal his correspondence. A steelyard [balance scale] and set of weights indicated he weighed some type of goods, but the size of the scale was not specified so it is impossible to speculate how it was used. A walnut box may have been used to store his valuables.

Mathias was primarily a miller, but he also raised crops and kept some livestock. His most expensive possessions were his bay stallion and his bay mare. These animals were almost certainly his means of transportation and may have been used as draft animals to pull his farm equipment. He owned several cattle including a brindle [“tiger-striped”] cow and bull, a brown cow, a black heifer, 2 black calves, 4 hogs and 5 shoats [newly weaned pigs.] His will indicated that he also kept fowl of some type on his farm. The eight cattle were appraised at £13/15/0 and the swine were worth £4/17/6.

The horse tack on the Staudt inventory confirmed that horses were used for both transportation and farming. 3 saddles, 2 sleighs, a pair of harness, a girthing strap, 4 pair traces, 2 collars, “hames and quiles,” 2 blind bridles, and a back band were stored in the barn. A wheel barrow, shovels, a dung fork and hooks were evidence of other chores associated with the animals. Lock chains, spancels, cow chains and rope were probably used while milking the cows and doing other barnyard tasks. A cutting box and knives were handy for chopping straw to place in the 2 fodder troughs for the livestock. Various containers stood ready to hold grain or seeds. There was a half bushel, 6 double barrels, 2 single barrels, 5 kegs, buckets, 2 funnels, a cedar tub, tar bucket and bags listed in the inventory. A drawing bench and 4 drawing knives were kept for use when butchering a hog or cow. 

Several varieties of crops were grown on the Staudt plantation. An unspecified quantity of oats, more than five bushels of Indian corn, 7 bushels of wheat, 15½ bushels of rye, 4½ bushels of buckwheat and some flax seed in bags were included in the inventory. Mathias also mentioned in his will that clover seed was to be sown on some pasture land for his livestock.

Simple farm tools and implements were cataloged as well. 2 scythes, 3 sickles, a pitch fork, 3 hay pullers, a winnowing fan, chaff bag, a plow, an iron-feet harrow and harrow chain were listed. The whole family probably worked in the kitchen garden wielding the 2 stone sledges [hammers], pick, 3 hoes, turnip cutter and 2 wooden watering cans found in the appraisement of property.

Like most early settlers in Pennsylvania, Mathias probably built and repaired the wood structures and furniture on his property. A substantial number of woodcutting and woodworking tools were among his possessions. He had 2 axes, 2 hatchets, a crosscut saw, mill saw, saw, planes, a maul, 2 wedges, 3 augers, gimlets, 5 chisels and center bits in his tool collection. Ladders, pinchers, wire nippers and rake maker’s tools completed his list of hand tools.

A conch shell was one of the most curious items in the inventory. The pointed end of a conch shell could be cut off to create a water-and-rust-proof “horn.” These horns were blown as a signal of an approaching watercraft that could be heard a quarter mile away. It may have been used by the Staudts as part of their mill business on Tulpehocken Creek.

A few references to Mathias’ three mills were also found in the inventory. Walnut, oak and maple boards “on the sawmill” and two millstone cases were listed. 31 pounds of raw hemp, probably to be processed for rope fiber in the hemp mill, and “12 barrels of flour in Philadelphia” valued at £40 were included among his assets.

JOHANN MICHAEL AND ANNA MARGARETHA GRÄTER LIEB - Chapter Four

 

Introduction 

My fifth great-grandparents Johann Michael and Anna Margaretha Gräter Lieb represent the earliest documented ancestors of my great-grandmother, Catherine Ellen Lieb McWilliams. The Liebs emigrated from present-day Germany to America. Written records of the Gräter family and Anna Margaretha's second husband, Johann Mathias Staudt's family, date back into the 1600s in church books in the Sulzdorf, Württemberg and Wolfersweiler, Saarland states in the Holy Roman Empire. The Lieb's arrived in Philadelphia on Saturday, August 11, 1750. The rest is history! 

Son Nicholas Lieb's Baptism Record 

WHERE THERE’S A WILL...

Little evidence about the Lieb family unit has survived.  Michael and Anna Margaretha’s marriage was recorded in Württemberg on 20 February 1748, about two years before they immigrated to Pennsylvania. A son, Johann Jacob, was baptized later that year in the same church. Jacob was not found in any other documents and his fate remains a mystery. None of the Philadelphia passenger or oath lists contained information about the number of family members who accompanied Michael and his father-in-law to America. Only male passengers aged sixteen years and above were recorded.

Anna Margaretha and Michael had two children after arriving in America. Son, Nicholas was born on 30 September 1751, slightly more than one year after the Liebs arrived in Pennsylvania. His baptism was written in the records of Evangelical Lutheran Christ Church in Tulpehocken on 20 October of the same year. A translation/transcription of the record was published in 1928.

Daughter Maria Margaretha was born sometime in 1754, the year Michael passed away. Her birth year was inscribed on her headstone, but no other source of her birthdate was found. The family may have been in crisis at the time of her birth. Michael may have been sick for some time before he died and he was obviously aware that he was near death at least two weeks before his demise when he made his last will and testament.

Daughter Maria Margaretha Lieb Himmelburger's Gravestone
Bellman's Church Cemetery, Mohrsville, PA

A few more hints alluding to the Lieb family unit were found in Michael’s probate file. Michael identified his occupation as “miller” in his last will and testament dated 15 October 1754. He also indicated that he had been married two times, in the phrase, “all my Children as well of the first wife as also of my wife anna margaretha shall what fall to their portion Divide in legal Shears [sic shares].” Additionally, he revealed his children were minors under the age of fourteen when he specified, “…my wife [illegible] in her life without Interest until the Children be of age then Shall She as they become of age pay their portion.” Michael’s children’s names were listed when the will was proven on 2 November 1754. “The names of Michael Liebs 4 chil. are Anna Catharina. Simon. Nicholas & Maria Margaretha.”

The wording, spelling and lack of punctuation in Michael’s will was peculiar by today’s standards. Spelling and grammar conventions were not implemented until nearly one-hundred years later. In addition, Michael spoke German and may have dictated the contents of his will and written only his signature at the bottom of the document. Michael’s neighbor, Jacob Dester, was one of the witnesses to the signing of the will and he translated it from German to English for the probate proceedings. The difficulty of translating the exact meaning of German words probably also contributed to the awkwardness of the English version of the will. James Read, the Berks County Recorder and Register, wrote the following note which was placed in Michael’s probate file. A transcription of the note follows.

Note Regarding Translation of Michael Lieb's Will

Transcription:

Jacob Dester within named upon his solemn Affirmation doth declare that the text within contains a just Translation by him of the Original Will of Michael Lieb according to the best of his Skill & Knowledge of the German and English languages.

Affirm’d at Reading the 2d. Nov. 1754                          Before me                              James read D Regr.

The ages of Michael’s four surviving children were calculated from their baptism records and tombstones. Anna Catharina was fourteen, Simon was eleven, and Nicholas was three. According to the date on her tombstone, Maria Margaretha was born in 1754, so she was either unborn or an infant when Michael passed away. Perhaps the new life of her infant daughter helped Anna Margaretha endure the grief of losing her first son, Jacob, and her husband in a span of about five years.  She was obviously a strong and resilient woman. 

Michael hinted that he was sick when he drew up his will in mid-October of 1754. He referred to his “present hardship of Bodey” [sic body] in the opening phrases of the document. He was likely very ill, as he passed away before 2 November when his will was proven in Reading. He left his widow, Anna Margaretha and four minor children. Anna Margaretha was named as the executrix of his estate.

Granting of Letters Testamentary to Anna Margaretha Lieb

Transcription: 

Register General’s Office Reading Berks County 2^d November 1754

Letters Testamentary in Common form under the Seal of the said office on the Last Will and Testament of Michael Lieb late of Bern Township and County of Berks Miller deced were Granted to Anna Margaretha Lieb Executrix therein named being first Solemnly Sworn according to Law Inventory to be Exhibited on or before the First Day of December next and an accompt of her Administration when thereunto required Which will of the said Michael Lieb was proved by the Solemn Affirmation of Jacob Miller Michael Stout* and Jacob Dester the Subscribing witnesses thereto but being written in the German Language can not be Recorded                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Examined James read D. Reg^r.

*This was probably Mathias Staudt, not Michael. The signature appears to be read as Mathias. “Michael” was probably written in error or was incorrectly transcribed by a clerk.

Unfortunately, the only papers in Michael’s probate file were the German and English versions of his will, the accompanying documentation of witnesses and the appointment of his wife, Anna Margaretha, as the executrix of his estate. 

Michael Lieb’s will is preserved in the Register’s Office in the Courthouse in Reading. 

Anna Margaretha was required to file an inventory of Michael’s property by December first, but no record of the inventory could be located. Its contents would provide a glimpse into the household of the Liebs and all the furniture and other possessions they owned in 1754. It is likely that some probate documents were lost or were not retained in the early years after the formation of Berks County. Michael’s estate was the twelfth probate estate filed in Berks County.

1754 Last Will and Testament of Michael Lieb

1754 Last Will and Testament of Michael Lieb

Translation of Michael Leib's German Will 

Transcription of the English Translation of the Last Will and Testament of Michael Lieb

In the name of God amen the fifteenth day of october in the year of Christ Seventeen hundred and fifty four I Hans Michael Lieb of Bern township and County of Berks miller have taken in Consideration my mortality by my present hardship of Bodey while I am (God be thanks for it) in perfect memory And will in Consideration of my Small Estate of worldly things make my last will and testament My Bodey I Recomand to the Earth from which he is taken In a Christian like manner to be Buried my Soul I hop God will take to him through his Great mercey and my worldly Estate I bequeathes as foloweths

Firstly is it my will and order that all my Just debts and funeral Charges be paid and Satisfied.

Secondly Give I and bequeathes unto my wife anna Margaretha all my Land, Buildings, Improvement and all moveable goods they may have names as they will to her her heirs and assigns for ever with Condition that She my wife for all the above mentioned Shall pay the Sum of four hundred and fifty Pounds Pensylvany money to my Creditors and heirs

Thirdly all my Children as well of the first wife as also of my wife anna margaretha shall what falls to their portion Divide in legal Shears

fourthly to wife anna Margaretha Give I out of the above Sum of 450 pounds the Sum of thirty Pounds Lawful money to be taken before out and what is over Shall She with my Children in equal Shears devide that She also above the thirty Pounds Shall have a Child’s Shear

Fifthly Shall my wife [illegible] in her life without Interest until the Children be of age then Shall She as they become of age pay their portion to [illegible]

Sixthly Nominate I my wife anna Margaretha to be the only Executor of this my present Last will and testament and Disanul all by me before made wills and testaments or any writings there unto belonging and Confirm this to be my last will and testament as witness my own hands Superscription and Seal the day and year as above                               

Signed and Sealed and declared                                                                                    Michel Lieb {Seal}

by hans michael Lieb as his 

last will and testament in the presence of us

Jacob Miller

Mathias Stout

Jacob Dester

 

P.S. the names of Michael Lieb,s four Children are anna Catherina, Simon, Nicholas, Maria Margaretha

The original was provn this Day prov’d by this Affirmation of the Subscribing witnesses according to Law. Reading November 2^d 1754. Before me                                                            James read D Reg

Widow “Leib” in 1752 Bern Township Tax List

This transcribed list of taxable residents of Berks County in 1752, or shortly after, includes “Widow Leib” in Bern Township. The date the list was prepared was probably 1754 because Michael Lieb passed away in late fall of 1754 and Anna Margaretha remarried in 1755. The tax was levied at the direction of county commissioners to fund the new Berks County government.

NEXT TIME - Chapter Five -
A SECOND CHANCE