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20. JOHN5 GORGAS (ZYTIAN (SYTJE)4 RITTENHOUSE, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21785) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA circa 1712.
He married UNKNOWN date unknown. (UNKNOWN is #75131.)
JOHN GORGAS and UNKNOWN had the following child:
i. JOHN6 (#75132).
21. BENJAMIN5 GORGAS (ZYTIAN (SYTJE)4 RITTENHOUSE, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#75104) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 22 August 1721. BENJAMIN died December 1788 in Ephrata Twp. Lancaster Co. PA, at age 67.
He married SALOME HAGEMAN 1758. (SALOME HAGEMAN is #75105.) SALOME was born 1721 in Bucks County. PA, USA. SALOME was the daughter of JOHAN HENRICH HAGEMAN and MAGDALENA. SALOME died 30 March 1798 at age 76.
BENJAMIN GORGAS and SALOME HAGEMAN had the following children:
i. JOHN6 (#75106) was born 10 July 1758.
ii. SAMUEL (#75107) was born 25 May 1761.
70 iii. CATHERINE was born 26 March 1762
22. JACOB5 GORGAS (ZYTIAN (SYTJE)4 RITTENHOUSE, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21782) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 09 August 1728. JACOB died CA 21 March 1789 at age 60.
He married CHRISTINA MACK 1763. (CHRISTINA MACK is #29557.) CHRISTINA was born 29 March 1734. CHRISTINA died 20 October 1804 at age 70.
JACOB GORGAS and CHRISTINA MACK had the following children:
i. JACOB6 (#75136).
71 ii. SOLOMON was born 22 January 1764
72 iii. JOSEPH was born 1770
iv. MARY ELIZABETH (#75137) was born 1775.
23. NICHOLAS5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM DEWEES4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21594) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 1719. NICHOLAS died 1787 in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 68.
He married twice. He married CATHERINE NYSE 18 October 1741 in First Pres. Church, Phil., PA. (CATHERINE NYSE is #21611.) He married SARAH KOLB 27 March 1746 in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA. (SARAH KOLB is #21674.) SARAH was born 25 March 1716 in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa.. SARAH was the daughter of MARTIN KOLB REV. and MARY MAGDALENA VAN SINTERN.
The Index of the Philadelphia County Register of Will shows there should be a Will for NICHOLAS RITTENHOUSE who died in 1787. It is supposed to be Will # 75, Book U Page 161. However they claim they can't find it when I tried to order copies January 2004.
NICHOLAS RITTENHOUSE and SARAH KOLB had the following children:
i. MAGDALENA6 (#21755) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA.
ii. NICHOLAS (#21756) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA.
NICHOLAS RITTENHOUSE was a Miller in Roxborough Township, Philadelphia County, Pa. He was in business with his brother WILLIAM. This is disclosed when NICHOLAS acted as Administrator in the settling of the estate of his brother WILLIAM.
These papers are held by the Philadelphia County Register of Wills in Philadelphia, Pa. They are File #164 Book K Page 398.
73 iii. MARTIN was born 12 February 1746/47
74 iv. WILLIAM was born 1749
24. WILLIAM5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM DEWEES4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21590) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA CA 1720. WILLIAM died CA 1797 in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age unknown.
He married SUSANNA BUCKMANN date unknown. (SUSANNA BUCKMANN is #29564.)
WILLIAM RITTENHOUSE was one of the Roxborough soldiers who gathered on Ridge Road in Germantown on 4 October 1777 to prepare to fight the English in the subsequent Battle of Germantown. They were put under the leadership of General Armstrong. This seems to contradict the Mennonite Faith but evidently many Mennonites felt their loyalty was to the Revolutionary Government when it came to defending their homes in Germantown.
WILLIAM died in 1797. His Administration Papers are supposed to be held by the Philadelphia Registrar of Wills in Philadelphia, Pa. It shows in the Index as Administration File # 213 Book H Page 288. However all that is left in the file is the document the Administrator has to sign when he puts up a Bond to cover the value of the inventory. It is signed by CONRAD CARPENTER of Germantown, who put up the Bond for £1,000 on 10 November 1797. I can only presume the rest of the file and the actual inventory have not survived.
WILLIAM RITTENHOUSE and SUSANNA BUCKMANN had the following children:
75 i. WILLIAM JOHNSON6 was born 1756
76 ii. BARBARA was born 15 June 1761
25. MARY5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM DEWEES4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#533) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA CA 1726.
She married twice. She married WILLIAM HEISLER date unknown in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA. (WILLIAM HEISLER is #21591.) She married JOHN COOK date unknown. (JOHN COOK is #21676.)
MARY RITTENHOUSE and WILLIAM HEISLER had the following children:
i. JOHN6 (#22438).
ii. ABRAHAM (#22439).
iii. MARY (#22440).
iv. SUSAN (#22441).
v. ANN (#22442).
vi. ELIZA (#22443).
vii. GEORGE (#22444).
26. SUSANNA5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM DEWEES4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#534) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA September 1726. SUSANNA died 28 May 1808 at age 81.
She married JACOB BRECHT 01 February 1751 in German Ref. Ch. Philadelphia, PA. (JACOB BRECHT is #21592.) JACOB was born 13 April 1729. JACOB died 17 September 1802 at age 73.
SUSANNA RITTENHOUSE and JACOB BRECHT had the following children:
i. MICHAEL6 (#24857) was born 1752. MICHAEL died Died young at age unknown.
ii. GEORGE (#29566) was born 1753. GEORGE died 1780 at age 27. He married MARY MOULDER 1774. (MARY MOULDER is #29567.) MARY was the daughter of JOSEPH MOULDER CAPT..
77 iii. WILLIAM was born 1755
78 iv. MARY was born 1760
79 v. MICHAEL was born 1762
vi. JACOB (#29572) was born 1764. JACOB died 1808 at age 44.
vii. SUSAN (#29573) was born 1766. SUSAN died 1784 at age 18.
27. ABRAHAM5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM DEWEES4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#538) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 28 March 1728. ABRAHAM died 1815 in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 87.
He married MARY NYSE date unknown. (MARY NYSE is #22874.) MARY was the daughter of CORNELIUS NEIS and SUSANNA KRAUSS.
ABRAHAM RITTENHOUSE was a member of the Mennonite Church in Germantown and was chosen to act on the building committee when the new Meeting House was built in 1770. He also was appointed an Assessor in Germantown and was acting in this capacity in 1788.
ABRAHAM RITTENHOUSE was one of the Roxborough soldiers who gathered on Ridge Road in Germantown on 4 October 1777 to prepare to fight the English in the subsequent Battle of Germantown. They were put under the leadership of General Armstrong. This seems to contradict the Mennonite Faith but evidently many Mennonites felt their loyalty was to the Revolutionary Government when it came to defending their homes in Germantown.
The Revolutionary Government was in big financial trouble after the main fighting had ended. In desperation they decided to impose a tax which was strongly resisted by the inhabitants. After all they had gone to war with England to resist similar taxes and now their own new government was doing the very same thing. Here is a copy of a notice posted in Philadelphia in 1788 when it was ABRAHAM RITTENHOUSE's job to try and raise this tax in his area.
"The inhabitants of Roxborough Township are hereby notified to meet at the house of Nathan Levering the 12th day of January between the hours of 2 and 5 in the afternoon to elect two freeholders to assist in assessing the Said Township for furnishing the quota of this State towards paying the interest of the debts of the United States and for funding and paying the interest of the public debts of this State for the year 1788".
ABSTRACT OF THE WILL OF ABRAHAM RITTENHOUSE.
Item. I give and bequeath to the use of the Mennonite Meeting-house in Germantown the Sum of Fifty dollars to be paid into the hands of the Elders or Deacons thereof in One year after my decease to them or their Successors for the use aforesaid.
Item. - I give and bequeath unto my housekeeper Susan Fasoon, in consideration of her Faithfulness, a Bed, Bedstead and Bedding heretofore in her use and the Sum of fifty dollars.
Item - I give devise and bequeath all the rest and residence of my Estate not herein before willed and bequeathed that is to say all that the Messuage wherein I now dwell with the Grist. and Merchant Mill on the waters of the Wissahickon Creek, and all the Plantation tracts, Lot, pieces and parcels, of land unto me belonging Situate Roxborough Township aforesaid, with every of the buildings water rights and Appurtenances unto the Same belonging together with all my personal estate of every description not herein before willed and bequeathed unto my three Sons namely Enoch Rittenhouse, Samuel Rittenhouse, and Jacob Rittenhouse. Will probated 1815.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
RITTENHOUSE FAMILY HISTORY by Daniel Cassel published in 1893 by the Rittenhouse Memorial Association. A copy of this book is in my library.
ABRAHAM RITTENHOUSE and MARY NYSE had the following children:
i. ENOCH6 (#22432) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA 1773. ENOCH died circa 1855 at age unknown.
ENOCH RITTENHOUSE was a miller by trade, and carried on the milling business on the Wissahickon Creek, near what is called the Red Bridge, after the death of his father, Abraham. This mill was built in 1875, by Henry Rittenhouse, a brother of Abraham. It then came in possession of Abraham, then to his sons, Enoch and Samuel and Jacob. Later it came in possession of Nicholas Rittenhouse, and was operated as a merchant mill.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
THE FAMILY of MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE by Daniel Kolb Cassel. Published in 1897. A copy of this book is in my library.
ii. SAMUEL (#22433) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA circa 1775. SAMUEL died circa 1797 at age unknown.
80 iii. JACOB was born CA 1788
28. HENRY5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM DEWEES4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#30538) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA CA 1728. HENRY died before March 1769 in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA, at age unknown.
He married MARY date unknown. (MARY is #30539.)
HENRY RITTENHOUSE made his will on 18 June 1768 and it was probated on 8 March 1769 so he must have died btween those dates. He left to his beloved wife, MARY, as part of her dower, "the bed, bedding, furniture and household goods which are in our lodging room or store room, up one pair of stairs in the front of my dwelling house. and as much kitchen furniture as she and my brother NICHOLAS, may agree to be sufficient for her use which she may dispose of as she thinks proper. After which my Executors shall sell the residue of my household gooda and moveables."
The Executors were instructed to sell all the mills, messuage (house and buildings) and lands. However if they thought it was more advantageous to the family to delay selling so they could live in the house, the Executors were empowered ot lease the mills and land. Any income from this would go to support the widow and children and to provide for their education.
If MARY remained his widow and did not remarry, she was to receive an annual income of £25 which was the interest on £400 set aside for this purpose. Any income from the mills and land other than this portion set aside for the widow, was to be divided equally among the 7 children, WILLIAM, CORNELIUS, SUSANNA, ANN, SAMUEL MARY and JACOB.
MARY was to receive Henry's side-saddle as the rest of her dower. When the mills and land were finally sold, the proceeds were to be divided equally among the children,.
HENRY appointed his wife, MARY, Executrix, jointly with his brother, NICHOLAS, Executor. The inventory of personal goods filed on 30 March 1769 totalled £227 10 shillings and 10 and a half pence.
These Administration papers are held by the Montgomery County Archives in Norristown, Pa. They are in Book "O" Page 340 Index W-251-1769.
HENRY RITTENHOUSE and MARY had the following children:
i. WILLIAM6 (#30540) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA.
ii. CORNELIUS (#30541) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA.
iii. SUSANNA (#30542) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA.
iv. ANN (#30543) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA.
v. SAMUEL (#30544) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA.
vi. MARY (#30545) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA.
vii. JACOB (#30546) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA.
29. MARGARET5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM DEWEES4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#535) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA CA 1729. MARGARET died in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age unknown.
She married PETER SMITH 23 June 1754 in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA. (PETER SMITH is #21593.) PETER died date unknown in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age unknown.
MARGARET RITTENHOUSE and PETER SMITH had the following children:
i. JOHN6 (#29559) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA. He married ELIZABETH ADAMS date unknown. (ELIZABETH ADAMS is #29560.)
ii. PETER (#37165).
iii. SARAH (#37166).
81 iv. SUSANNA was born 20 May 1758
v. MARY (#29562) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 10 December 1763. MARY died 27 February 1817 at age 53. She married JOSEPH SCHRIVER 30 November 1788. (JOSEPH SCHRIVER is #29563.)
30. BARBARA5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM DEWEES4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#536) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA CA 1730. BARBARA died in Pittville, Philadelphia Co. Pa., at age unknown. Her body was interred date unknown in Germantown Mennonite Cem. PA.
She married twice. She married BALZER TROUT 31 March 1755 in Zion Church, Phil. Pa.. (BALZER TROUT is #21598.) She married ISAAC KOLB 04 April 1765 in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa.. (ISAAC KOLB is #21597.) ISAAC was born 30 April 1722 in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa.. ISAAC was the son of MARTIN KOLB REV. and MARY MAGDALENA VAN SINTERN. He married MARIA SCHWARTZ 04 December 1746. ISAAC died 12 August 1802 in Pittville, Philadelphia Co. Pa., at age 80. His body was interred after 12 August 1802 in Germantown Mennonite Cem. PA.
BARBARA RITTENHOUSE and BALZER TROUT had the following child:
i. SUSANNA6 (#22449).
31. ISAAC5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM DEWEES4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21595) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 1735. ISAAC died 1795 in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 60.
He married CATHARINE SCHWARTZ date unknown. (CATHARINE SCHWARTZ is #21596.)
The Index of the Philadelphia County Register of Will shows there should be a Will for ISAAC RITTENHOUSE who died in 1796. It is supposed to be Will # 131, Book X Page 190. However the Register's Office claim they can't find it when I tried to order copies January 2004.
ISAAC RITTENHOUSE and CATHARINE SCHWARTZ had the following children:
82 i. PETER SCHWARTZ6 was born 05 August 1770
ii. SARAH (#21798) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 11 February 1774. SARAH died 29 September 1795 in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 21. She married NICHOLAS KOLB 28 April 1795 in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA. (NICHOLAS KOLB is #29565.)
iii. ISAAC (#21799) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 08 December 1776. ISAAC died 19 August 1806 in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 29.
There was an Administration File for ISAAC RITTENHOUSE. It was in Philadelphia County Register's Office File 184 Book K Page 252. Only 2 pages have survived. One page is where his brother PETER RITTENHOUSE filed an affidavit that ISAAC had died without a Will. As the Court appointed PETER as one of the 3 Administrators of the Estate, he put up a bond of $500 which he said to the best of his knowledge would be enough to cover any inventory. The other page in the file is dated 8 September 1806 and appointed PETER, NICHOLAS RITTENHOUSE, who may have been his uncle, and JACOB MARKLE as the 3 Administrators. As no inventory or other papers have survived we can only assume the inventory was less than $500.
The one new fact revealed was that ISAAC RITTENHOUSE was a Teacher and lived in Roxborough Township, Philadelphia County, Pa.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
THE SPRUCE This is a manuscript held by the Wayne County Library in Wooster, Ohio, USA. It was donated to this library by Curtis Rittenhouse who lived about 5 miles from Wooster and died in 1936. It is hand written and appears to be the working papers of a genealogical committee working for the Rittenhouse Memorial Society founded in 1890. Curtis Rittenhouse, 1852-1936. may have been one of the researchers and wrote part of the manuscript himself or he may have obtained it later as part of his large library. A copy of the manuscript is now in my library. The information that led us to this manuscript was supplied by Mrs. RENEE Bennett of Colorado, who located it on Genforum message posted by Bruce Arnold.
32. JOHN5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM DEWEES4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#509) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA 01 September 1742. JOHN died 18 February 1796 in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA, at age 53.
He married MARGARET CONRAD 07 September 1767 in Swedes Church, Phil., Pa.. (MARGARET CONRAD is #510.) MARGARET was born 07 March 1749 in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa.. MARGARET was the daughter of CORNELIUS CUNRAD and MARGARET KOLB (widow CUNRAD). MARGARET died 10 April 1811 in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA, at age 62.
JOHN RITTENHOUSE purchased from William Levering Jr. 10 1/2 acres including a water operated grist mill. The copy of the deed in my file is dated 25 February 1774 recorded 9 September 1807 taken from the Philadelphia County Deed Book "E-F" Page 342. I believe this may be the same land (or right next to it) that John's grandfather Nicholas turned over to John's father William. The Rittenhouse families had built up quite a bit of land along the Paper Mill Creek above where it joined the Wissahickon Creek.
In 1994 all the above area is within Fairmount Park which runs for several miles along Wissahickon Creek in Germantown and Greater Philadelphia. In this area John's great grandfather Wilhelm built his stone house in 1707. This is still standing today and preserved as a historic site. They are now calling this area Rittenhouse Town and preserving several other buildings. None of the mill buildings are still standing. In my files are photographs taken in 1995 of these houses and the creek. Also in my files are historic and modern maps showing the location.
JOHN RITTENHOUSE and MARGARET CONRAD were married on 7 September 1767 at Swede's Church in Philadelphia. JOHN was a miller as well as a farmer. HIs occupation is shown on his will as "Laborer" which is rather unusual. In most cases he would be shown as a "Miller" or "yeoman" (farmer). It is also unusual that he signed his will with "his mark" and not his signature. I would have thought he was literate so maybe he was too sick to make his signature. He and his wife Margaret Conrad (Cunrads) were both Mennonites.
WILL of JOHN RITTENHOUSE
Dated 12 February 1796 Recorded 19 March 1796
Philadelphia County Will Book "X" Page 415
In the name of GOD, amen, I John Rittenhouse of the Roxborough Township in the County of Philadelphia and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Laborer, being of sound disposing mind and memory and understanding, thanks be to given to God therefore, calling to mind the mortality of my body and that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in the following manner and form that is to say principally and first of all I recommend my soul unto God who gave it to me and my body to be buried in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named, and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life -
Imprimis - I will and order that all my just debts, funeral expenses and probate of my will be fully paid and discharged.
Item - I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Margaret all my estate both real and personal of what kind soever and wherever the same may be found from the day of my decease, for and during the whole term of her natural life, after her decease that the remaining part of my estate be divided share and share alike between my children hereinafter named that is to Michael, Jacob, Daniel, Margaret, Nancy, Cornelius, Susanna and Henry.
Item - I will and order that all of my estate remaining after the decease of my wife Margaret be divided between my children share and share alike provided my said wife Margaret is not pregnant at the time of my decease but in case she is with child by me then in such case I will and order that if the said child be born alive that my estate real and personal remaining after the decease of my beloved wife Margaret, shall be divided between my said children that is Michael, Jacob, Daniel, Margaret, Nancy, Cornelius, Susanna, Henry and the child of mine yet unborn, share and share alike, to receive the same upon their coming to age respectively, and in case one or any of my children should die under age or without leaving lawful issue, then I will and order that survivor or survivors of my children shall inherit the share or shares of survivors then share and share alike.
Lastly I do hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my said beloved wife Margaret Executrix, my sons Jacob and Daniel Executors of this my last Will and Testament herein thereby giving them or their survivors of them full power and authority to execute and to make and execute, acknowledge a good and lawful and sufficient Title or Title Deed or Deeds of conveyance in fee simple for all or any part of my real estate to the purchaser or purchasers the same and I do hereby discount and revoke all other wills and Testaments, Legacies and Executors by me at any time heretofore made willed or appointed ratifying this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand and seal this twelfth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety six. John X Rittenhouse Seal His Mark
Signed sealed, published, pronounced and declared
in the presence of us. Jacob Markle Michael Dickert
SOURCE of INFORMATION
RITTENHOUSE FAMILY HISTORY by Daniel K. Cassel published in 1893. A copy of this book is in my library.
RECORD OF PENNSYLVANIA MARRIAGES PRIOR TO 1810 Volume 1 Page 498 published in 1968 by the Genealogical Publishing Co. Baltimore. This contains the marriage records of the Swede's Church, Philadelphia 1750 to 1810. A copy of this book is held by the Largo Public library in Largo, Florida.
Information from the family bible of JOHN RITTENHOUSE. It was copied by ABRAHAM RITTENHOUSE on 15 April 1925 for Wesley Nunnamaker. JOHN RITTENHOUSE was his g-g-g- grandfather. This transcript was kindly supplied to me by LARRY RITTENHOUSE of Jordan Station, Ontario. This bible transcript was the proof showing MARGARET CONRAD was the daughter of CORNELIUS and MARGARET CUNRAD and not ANTHONY CONARDS as I had believed before.
Another copy from a family bible was made by MICHAEL FUNK RITTENHOUSE in 1856, the year he died. He was a schoolteacher in Clinton Township, Lincoln County, Ontario, who died when he was only 27 years old. This not only gives birth and death details of his g-grandfather JOHN RITTENHOUSE, but also birth, marriage, and death details for his grandfather MICHAEL CONRAD RITTENHOUSE The copy discussed in the paragraph directly above, doesn't give the details for MICHAEL's family. A copy of this important document is held by MR. LARRY RITTENHOUSE, Jordan, Ontario, Canada who was kind enough to make it available to me.
JOHN RITTENHOUSE and MARGARET CONRAD had the following children:
83 i. MICHAEL CONRAD6 was born 1 September 1768
84 ii. JACOB CONRAD was born 22 January 1771
85 iii. DANIEL CONRAD was born 31 December 1773
iv. MARGARET (#525) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA 5 April 1776. MARGARET died 15 July 1800 in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA, at age 24.
86 v. ANNA NANCY was born 13 September 1778
vi. JOHN (#529) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA 31 November 1781. JOHN died 17 September 1784 in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA, at age 2.
87 vii. CORNELIUS was born 29 June 1785
88 viii. SUSANNA was born 4 October 1788
89 ix. HENRY CONRAD was born 08 July 1791
33. SARAH5 ENGEL (CATHERINE4 RITTENHOUSE, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21758) birth date unknown.
She married ALEXANDER ( MCQUEE) QUEE date unknown. (ALEXANDER ( MCQUEE) QUEE is #21793.)
SARAH ENGEL and ALEXANDER ( MCQUEE) QUEE had the following children:
90 i. RACHEL6.
ii. ABIGAIL (#52821). She married ROBERT SLOCUMBE date unknown. (ROBERT SLOCUMBE is #52822.)
34. JOHANNES GEORGE5 HEILIG (SUSANNA4 RITTENHOUSE, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21775) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 29 April 1732. JOHANNES died 29 July 1796 at age 64.
He married ELIZABETH BARBARA MULLER 31 March 1757 in Old Goshenhoppen Ch. Montgomery Co. Pa.. (ELIZABETH BARBARA MULLER is #24244.) ELIZABETH was born 31 March 1737 in Pennsburg, U. Hanover Twp. Pa.. ELIZABETH was the daughter of JOHANN MULLER and ANNA ELIZABETH.
JOHANNES GEORGE HEILIG and ELIZABETH BARBARA MULLER had the following children:
i. ANNA MARIA6 (#24253) was born in Montgomery Co. PA, USA 27 November 1758.
ii. GEORGE MICHAEL (#24245) was born in Montgomery Co. PA, USA 27 February 1761. He married KATHERINE ROSMAN date unknown. (KATHERINE ROSMAN is #24246.)
91 iii. EVA ELIZABETH was born 12 November 1762
iv. JOHANNES (#24247) was born in Montgomery Co. PA, USA 06 March 1765.
92 v. JOHANN GEORGE was born 17 January 1767
vi. GEORGE HIENRICH (#24249) was born in Montgomery Co. PA, USA 20 October 1768.
93 vii. HENRY was born CA 1770
viii. ELIZABETH BARBARA (#24254) was born in Montgomery Co. PA, USA 20 February 1774.
94 ix. GEORGE ADAM was born 27 February 1774
95 x. SUSANNA was born 07 September 1776
xi. GEORGE PETER (#24250) was born in Montgomery Co. PA, USA 10 June 1778.
96 xii. JACOB was born 08 November 1782
xiii. LEONARD (#24252) was born in Montgomery Co. PA, USA 24 May 1783.
35. JOHANNES HEINRICH5 HEILIG JR. (SUSANNA4 RITTENHOUSE, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21780) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. CA 1742.
He married MARGARETHA date unknown. (MARGARETHA is #21801.) MARGARETHA was born CA 1742.
JOHANNES HEINRICH HEILIG JR. and MARGARETHA had the following children:
97 i. BARBARA6 was born 1761
ii. ANNA BARBARA (#21802) was born Pennsylvania, USA 20 November 1761. She married UNKNOWN CHRISTMAN date unknown. (UNKNOWN CHRISTMAN is #21803.)
iii. JOHANN MICHAEL (#24243) was born 14 April 1764.
36. ELIZABETH5 HEILIG (SUSANNA4 RITTENHOUSE, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21776) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 24 December 1769. ELIZABETH died 11 February 1865 in Norriton Twp., Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 95.
She married JOSEPH RITTENHOUSE 26 May 1801. (JOSEPH RITTENHOUSE is #22473.) JOSEPH was born 20 May 1766 in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa.. JOSEPH was the son of HENRY RITTENHOUSE SR. and SOPHIA (SUSAN) EARNHART. JOSEPH died 23 June 1838 in Norriton Twp., Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 72.
JOSEPH RITENHOUSE made his verbal Will on 20 June 1838. He was evidently too sick to write or sign a Will. He dictated his Will and asked the doctor if his son could sign it. The doctor said this would not be legal. It would need two witnesses who would produce a document swearing that JOSEPH was of a sound mind and that he had given his desired Will verbally. So Benjamin Johnson and William Show signed the document which was also signed by Dr. F. S. Boilann.
JOSEPH bequeathed all his estate to his wfe ELIZABETH HEILIG for the remainder of her natual life, to manage as she saw fit subject to several provisions.. But this is where his Will gets very unusual. He stipulated that all his sons nd daughters should continue living in their present house with their mother ELIZABETH, "in sickness or in health". The earnings from the estate were to maintain their living standards the same as before his decease. I suppose this was to protect the care of the mother but it is far different than the normal conditions in a Will of that time period.
If any of the children should marry, ELIZABETH, the widow was to give them sufficient that in her opinion would maintain their living standards, The Court demanded that the children all sign an agreement that they had heard their father's wishes and agreed to the terms. The children were JOHN H., BENJAMIN, LOUISA and ELIZABETH. The widow ELIZABETH also had to sign this document.
The valuation of the inventory was $2,261.00. The Will File is RW 5432 and the Orphan';s Court File is OC 15,622. They are both held by the Montgomery County Archives in Norristown, Pa.
JOSEPH RITTENHOUSE was farming in Norriton Township, Montgomery County, Pa at the time of his death in 1838. His widow ELIZABETH HEILIG in 1850 was living with their son JOHN and a daughter LOUISA. This is presumably still on the original farm in Norriton Township. From Montgomery County 1850 census Roll 799 Book 1 Page 229.
I went into a great deal of detail in recounting the JOSEPH RITTENHOUSE Will because it was so unusual. However as it turned out that was only the beginning of the problems. It is a classic example of how an ill advised Will can cause the inheritors a lot of grief. You will remember that JOSEPH had stipulated the children would have to remain living with their mother until they were married. At that stage she could decide how much money she would give them from the estate to maintain their living standards.
JOHN H. RIITENHOUSE, the son, remained on the farm and ran it for his mother and did not marry. Also the eldest daughter, LOUISE, did not marry and remained on the farm. Daughter ELIZABETH married WILLIAM MOYER and moved away. The other son BENJAMIN also married and moved away. In 1865 the widow, ELIZABETH HEILIG, died which meant the original Will of JOSEPH had to be probated. This was 27 years after JOSEPH had died and in the meantime Widow ELIZABETH had been paying money out of the estate as provided in the Will to both BENJAMIN and daughter ELIZABETH. So when the Will was probated it was a question of how to divide the esate as JOHN and his sister LOUISE were both still living on the property. Then to complicate things even more, JOHN died a month after his mother.
The Court first of all ordered that a jury of 12 men should evaluate the property. These men were chosen by High Sherif E. M. Beysher. These men inspected the property and took an inventory. The value they assigned was $20,000. By the original Will of JOSEPH, JOHN would have had the first chance to take over the property at the valued amount. He would then have to pay his brother and sisters their share of this amount.
But by this time JOHN had died so LOUISA the eldest daughter had the next chance and she decided she would take over the house and 101 acres of the land. That left the two married children, BENJAMIN and ELIZABETH to be looked after in the inheritance. That is where things got really sticky. There are 39 hand written legal size pages of petitions, protestations and evidence in the Court files.
As far as I can make out, BENJAMIN objected to the settlement. The amounts he had been paid over the years by his mother were deemed to be part of his share of the estate. So he filed a petition that the Court not make a decision until he was heard in Court. He and maybe his sister, ELIZABETH MYER, also did not agree with the evaluation by the jury. At one stage he (or they) sent an appraiser to the farm to make their own evaluation. This was considered illegal and that appraiser was ordered off the property. When he would not leave, the High Sherif was called to remove him.
Another problem arose when nobody could say how much BENJAMIN and his sister ELIZABETH had received from their mother over the 27 years. It appears that BENJAMIN lost his case and the Court ordered the estate to pay BENJAMIN $485.93. Also his sister ELIZABETH MOYER received the same amount. As we saw from the 1870 census LOUISA was still living on the farm. Her sister ELIZABETH RITTENHOUSE MOYER, age 81, was living with her so presumably her husband WILLIAM MOYER had died.
All this huge Court legal tangle is contained in File RW 5432 which is held by the Montgomery County Archives in Norristown, Pa.
JOSEPH RITTENHOUSE and ELIZABETH HEILIG had the following children:
98 i. ELIZABETH6 was born 1789
99 ii. BENJAMIN was born 17 January 1810
iii. JOHN HEILIG (#24258) was born in Norriton Twp., Montgomery Co. Pa. 1810. JOHN died 14 March 1865 in Norriton Twp., Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 54. He married an unknown person date unknown.
JOHN HEILIG RITTENHOUSE was farming in Norriton Township, Montgomery County, Pa. in 1850. His father JOSEPH had died prior to this date and presumably the farm had belonged to him. Living with JOHN were his mother ELIZABETH HEILIG age 70 and his sister LOUISA age 30. From Montgomery County 1850 census Roll 799 Book 1 Page 229.
By 1860 the three of them were still on the same property and it was still shown in the mother's name. The farm was appraised at $6,000 and personal property at $500 so it must have been a fair sized farm. From Montgomery County 1860 Census Roll 1145 Book 1 Page 432.
I have not found the precise location of this farm for sure. However in the 1871 Montgomery County Historic Atlas there was a SAMUEL RITTENHOUSE shown. He is just southeast of Jeffersonville and he may be some relation to JOHN RITTENHOUSE.
JOHN HEILIG RITTENHOUSE wrote his Will on 8 March 1865 and died 6 days later on the 14th. He had never married and so he ordered that his farm of 101 acres in Norriton Township be sold at public auction. It was sold for $4,924.25. His personal goods were valued at $552 His debts amounted to $596.25.
In his Will JOHN stipulated that the proceeds form the sale of the property was to be divided into 4 equal shares. One share was for his sister LOUISA. One share would be for his sister ELIZABETH married to WILLIAM MOYER. One share was to go to his brother-in-law WILLIAM MOYER and the final share was to go to JOHN RITTENHOUSE MOYER son of his sister ELIZABETH.
JOHN appointed his friend GEORGE W. ROGERS as Executor. It was probated on 21 March 1885. The Will is file RW 5468 and is held by the Montgomery County Archives in Norristown, Pa.
iv. LOUISA (#24260) was born in Norriton Twp., Montgomery Co. Pa. 1820. LOUISA died 21 May 1887 in Norristown, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 66.
LOUISA RITTENHOUSE, was living on her deceased father's farm in Norriton Township, Montgomery County, Pa. in 1850. Her father JOSEPH died prior to this and on the farm were her mother ELIZABETH HEILIG age 70 and brother JOHN. age 40. From Montgomery County 1850 census Roll 799 Book1 Page 229.
By 1860 the 3 of them were still living together so I assume JOHN never married. He was 50 years old by this time. The appraisal of the farm was still shown in the mother's name and the farm was valued at $6,000 and personal property at $500 so it must have been a fair sized farm. From Montgomery County 1860 census Roll 1145 Book1 Page 432.
By 1870 LOUISA RITTENHOUSE had moved into Norristown, Montgomery County, Pa. Her real estate was valued at $8,000 and personal goods at $24, 260. This amount must have been in bank accounts or investments and may have come from the sale of her father's farm after her brother JOHN, had died. Living with her was her widowed sister, ELIZABETH, age 81. Shown in Montgomery County 1870 Cenus Roll 1378 Book 1 Page 45.
LOUISA RITTENHOUSE made her will on 14 July 1886 but her actual death was 1 May 1887. In her will she directed her Executors to erect a tombstone for herself but it was not to exceed $300. The graves of her deceased brother and sister were to be repaired and sodded. She gave the family bible to her only living brother BENJAMIN. $1,500 was to go to the St. John's Episcopal Church in Norristown. $1,500 to St. James Episcopal Church at Evansburg. $500 to the Episcopal Church at Conshohocken. #500 to the Christ's Episcopal Church at Swedesburg. Her friend George Highley received $200. Martha Arnold $200. Maria Laver $50. Then she divided $450 between the children of Frank Lavish, namely Henry, William, John, George, Florence and Walter..All the balance of the estate was to go to George W. Rogers and his wife Cara B. Rogers. Lastly she appointed George W. Rogers as Executor.
The inventory of her goods amounted to $8,607.50. That is when BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE, the brother who had only received the family bible started to raise a fuss. The lawyers were able to have a hayday over the next 5 years. First of all BENJAMIN filed a petition with the Court claiming the Will was not legal and there had been another Will. The Courts made a ruling the Will was valid. BENJAMIN then filed what they called "exceptions" and over a period of 3 years he made 6 of these. First he claimed the Executor had acted improperly and hadn't gone through all the correct legal steps. Then there were petitions that 2 of the churches involved had accepted money when they should not have. He even filed petitions that the children of Frank Lavis had no claim on the estate. In the end the Court squashed all of these claims and BENJAMIN was forced to pay half of all the Court costs that had been incurred.
This huge file is Orphan's Court File OC 15,767 and Will File RW 5525 and they are held by the Montgomery County Archives in Norristown. Pa.
37. WILHELMINA5 RITTENHOUSE (HENRY4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21599) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA 05 August 1721. WILHELMINA died 25 May 1791 in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa., at age 69. Her body was interred after 25 May 1791 in Skippack Mennonite Cem. Pa..
She married DIELMAN KOLB 1743. (DIELMAN KOLB is #21766.) DIELMAN was born 02 March 1718/19 in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa.. DIELMAN was the son of MARTIN KOLB REV. and MARY MAGDALENA VAN SINTERN. DIELMAN died 19 October 1799 in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa., at age 80. His body was interred after 19 October 1799 in Skippack Mennonite Cem. Pa..
WILHELMINA RITTENHOUSE and DIELMAN KOLB had the following children:
100 i. HEINRICH (HENRY)6.
ii. MARTIN (#22454) was born in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa..
101 iii. ISAAC.
102 iv. WILHELMINA.
v. SUSANNA (#22651) was born in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa. 1756.
103 vi. MATTHIAS was born 16 December 1759
vii. MAGDELINA (#22451) was born in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa. 23 May 1764. MAGDELINA died 29 June 1822 in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa., at age 58. She married ISAAC CASSEL 13 August 1801. (ISAAC CASSEL is #22648.)
104 viii. DANIEL was born 1766
105 ix. ESTHER was born 1770
38. WILLIAM5 RITTENHOUSE (HENRY4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21600) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA 1723. WILLIAM died 19 October 1792 in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 69. His body was interred after 19 October 1792 in N. Goshenhoppen Reform Cem. E., Pa..
He married MARGARETHA UMSTADT 28 February 1760 in N. Goshenhoppen Reform Ch. Mon. The following individual is also linked to this event: GEORGE MICHAEL WEISS (minister). (MARGARETHA UMSTADT is #21678.) Her body was interred date unknown in N. Goshenhoppen Reform Cem. E., Pa..
WILLIAM RITTENHOUSE died Intestate on 19 October 1792. His eldest son JACOB filed a petition to the Orphan's Court on behalf of his mother and his ten brothers and sisters. It names William's wife as MARGARET and the 11 children as JACOB, ANNA married to AMOS VAN FOSSEN, SUSANNA, MARGARET, CATHERINE married to JOHN HARTLEY, WILLIAM, HENRY, ZACHARIAH, JOSEPH, ELIZABETH and WHILHEMINA.
JACOB reported his father was holding several "messuages and tenements" plus about 150 acres of land. However there was considerable debt owing. The Court advised it was to be divided in 12 equal shares to be given to the wife and 11 children. However a jury was to value the land and determine whether it could be divided without forfeit of value to the land. To value the land the jury was to be made up of "12 lawfull and honest men of the bailiwick". The men appointed were Christopher Zimmerman, Henry Kolb, Harmon Umstat, Jacob Custer, Jacob Van Fossen, Christian Stouver, William Kolb, Philip Shambough, Benjamin Johnson, Conrad Bieir and Abraham Beyer.
They reported back there was no way this property could be divided among all the children. So it was to be sold along with any items in the personal inventory. The debt owing was £403 5 shillings. The appraised value of the goods and chattels came to £192 6 shillings and 7 pence. MARGARET, the widow, was entitled to her dower right of one third which amounted to £ 16 1 shilling after the debts were paid. The small balance was to be divided between the 11 children so in the end they received very little.
The Administration File is #15537 dated 13 February 1793 and the Orphan's Court File is #16111. These are both held by the Montgomery County Archives in Norristown Pa.
Records of the New Goshenhoppen Reformed Church, E. Greenville, PA, reflects in the church records that William and Margaretha are buried in lot 306, row 16, section G. William's brother Matthys and spouse Catharine VanVasen is buried in lot 305, row 15, section G. See Matthias notes as they reflect that he is buried at Methacton Mennonite Church cemetery, Fairview Village, Montgomery Co., PA.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
MR. PAUL. M. RITTENHOUSE SR., State College, Pa. USA.
WILLIAM RITTENHOUSE and MARGARETHA UMSTADT had the following children:
i. WILHELMINA6 (#22460).
ii. SUSAN (#22462).
iii. CATHARINE (KATE) (#22463). She married JOHN HARTLEY date unknown. (JOHN HARTLEY is #22482.)
iv. JACOB (#29632).
v. ANNA (#29633). She married AMOS VAN FOSSEN date unknown. (AMOS VAN FOSSEN is #29634.)
vi. MARGARET (#29635).
vii. HENRY (#29636).
viii. ELIZABETH (#29639). She married JOHN DRAKE date unknown. (JOHN DRAKE is #29638.) He married an unknown person date unknown.
106 ix. WILLIAM was born 1774
107 x. JOSEPH was born 03 March 1776
108 xi. ZACHARIAH was born CA 1778
39. NICHOLAS5 RITTENHOUSE (HENRY4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21601) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA 1725. NICHOLAS died 23 March 1777 in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 51.
He married ANNA date unknown. (ANNA is #21679.) ANNA was born 1725 in Montgomery Co. PA, USA. ANNA died 26 March 1777 in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 51.
NICHOLAS RITTENHOUSE wrote his will on 3 March 1777 and died 3 weeks later on the 23 March 1777. The Will was probated on 7 April 1777. The witnesses were Melchior Wagener and Thomas Rositer. NICHOLAS ordered that his property in Providence Township, Montgomery County be sold at public auction and out of the proceeds £100 was to be given to his son HENRY. He stipulated this was to be HENRY's full inheritance out of the estate.
He wanted his wife, ANNA, to continue living in the house where they were then living with the other 6 children, until son ISAAC came of age. ANNA received the interest from £200 set aside out of the estate as long as she did not remarry. If that happened ANNA was to receive for herself, the bedstead, bedding and the bedroom furniture as well as £50. If ANNA and the children could not agree to sharing the house, then everything was to be sold and the proceeds put into the estate.
NICHOLAS left his daughter, SUSANNAH, wife of MATTHIAS ADAMS, £30 to be paid at the rate of £6 per year. All the residue of the estate was to be divided equally among the six children, EDITH (EADY), ISAAC, MARY, NICHOLAS, RICHARD and SAMUEL. The property where they were living was in Norriton Township, Montgomery County and contained 112 acres. NICHOLAS appointed his wife ANNA and his brother HENRY as Executors.
The executors sold the above property for £600 and when they took the inventory of the personal goods it amounted to another £465 and 15 shillings. However there were the debts to be paid off as well as any funeral expenses. These totalled £1039 and 6 shillings and 8 pence. So there was very little estate to distribute. The list of debtors discloses a fact of life in those days brfore banks. As well as mortgages on the property there was a huge list of small loans made to Nicholas. I guess back then, people counted on their friends and relatives to loan them enough to keep going.
The above Will and Administration Papers are found in the Will File W-15-1777 which is held by the Philadelphia Register of Wills in Philadelphia, Pa.
HENRY who received the £100 had already gone to Virginia before the death of his father. He had been married in Virginia in 1774 and died there. His brither ISAAC also moved to Virginia but not until after the death of NICHOLAS. The youngest brother SAMUEL ended up in Ohio.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
Family Bible is held by Elizabeth J. Baird, Bowerville, Ohio, USA
NICHOLAS RITTENHOUSE and ANNA had the following children:
109 i. HENRY6 was born 18 January 1755
ii. EDITH (EADY) (#22814) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 02 January 1757.
110 iii. ISAAC was born 07 September 1759
iv. MARY (#22466) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 23 February 1761.
v. NICHOLAS (#22467) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 17 May 1763. He married TACEY DERICK 24 March 1785. (TACEY DERICK is #29640.)
111 vi. RICHARD was born 05 April 1766
112 vii. SAMUEL POWELL was born 12 November 1770
viii. SUSANNA (#22464) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. CA 1772. She married MATTHIAS ADAMS date unknown. (MATTHIAS ADAMS is #30467.)
40. HENRY5 RITTENHOUSE SR. (HENRY4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21602) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 14 July 1730. HENRY died 14 July 1794 in Norriton Twp., Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 64. His body was interred after 14 July 1794 in Methacton Mennonite Cem. PA, USA.
He married SOPHIA (SUSAN) EARNHART date unknown. (SOPHIA (SUSAN) EARNHART is #21680.) SOPHIA was born 14 July 1730. SOPHIA died 17 December 1800 in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 70. Her body was interred after 17 December 1800 in Methacton Mennonite Cem. PA, USA.
HENRY RITTENHOUSE made his will on 11 December 1788 but his actual death wasn't until 14 July 1794. He bequeathed to his wife SOPHIA EARNHART £15 a year plus "the whole use of the back room downstairs in my dwelling house with uninterrupted egress and ingress of same. Likewise firewood to be hauled to the house. Also one cow such as she may choose out of my stock with pasture in the summer and hay in the winter. further I give unto her the use of my clock, one feather bed with all the furniture belonging, half a dozen chairs, a tea table, two small iron pots, teakettle, half a dozen plates and as many teacups and saucers. All of which I give unto her for the term of her natural life, or as long as she remain in my name a widow, But in case she should marry, I give her the bed and bedding and the furniture thereafter mentioned and no more.
"I bequeath to my eldest son CHRISTOPHER the sum of one hundred pounds which is to be in lieu of any debt or demand against me.
"I Will and direct that three years after my decease all my land and plantation whereon I now dwell with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging shall be valued by three discreet men who shall be appointed in manner following viz My four younger sons or their survivors of them shall choose one man. My eldest son another and my esteemed friend Ezekial Rhoads the third. The valuation shall be equally divided between all my children share and share alike.
"I will and order that my eldest son Christopher shall have the privilege of keeping my plantation at the valuation aforesaid, if it should be in his power to pay off the aforesaid legacies which will be their due to my other children. If my said son is unable to discharge the said legacies that then it is my Will that my Executors or the survivors of them shall make sale of as much of my said land as shall be sufficient to enable him to pay such legacies.
"If my said son Christopher should die before the valuation then the same privilege shall be given to the next oldest son. If any of my children should die Intestate then it is my Will that their share be divided between my surviving children.
"I give and bequeath to my grandson JESSE RITTENHOUSE the sum of five pounds when he attains the age of fifteen years.
" appoint my said son CHRISTOPHER with my said esteemed friend Ezekial Rhoads my Executors."
The above Will was signed with "His Mark" on 11 December 1788. The value of the inventory returned by Christopher Rittenhouse totalled £304 7 shillings and 1 pence. It is File RW 5342 and is held by the Montgomery County Archives in Norristown, Pa.
There was evidently a dispute concerning the settlement of the Will. On 14 August 1797 the Executors of the Will, CHRISTOPHER RITTENHOUSE and EZEKIEL RHOADS filed a petirion with the Court stating "that not all persons were satisfied with the settlement of the estate and requested a Court appointed audit". The Court appointed Cadwalder Evans, Frederick Conrad and Henry Freed to make an audit. This proved the estate was insolvent. The inventory was valued at £334 7 shillings and 4 pence. The debts amounted to £499 1 shilling and 11 pence.. This debt list discloses an interesting fact concerning life in the community. They loaned each other money in order to survive. In this case the amounts are not large but it involved over 40 men who had loaned money to Henry Rittenhouse.
This Orphan's Court File is OC 15,008 and is held by the Montgomery County Archives in Norristown. Pa.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
THE HENRY RITTENHOUSE FARM by Dr. W. H. Reed. This was an article in the Montgomery County History.
HENRY RITTENHOUSE SR. and SOPHIA (SUSAN) EARNHART had the following children:
i. CHRISTOPHER6 (#22469) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 03 January 1752. CHRISTOPHER died 21 September 1822 in Norriton Twp., Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 70.
CHRISTOPHER RITTENHOUSE is shown in the 1778 tax list for Milford Township, Bucks County. He was taxed £2 and 5 shillings. This is found in the Bucks County Tax Records 1693-1778 which was compiled by Terry A. McNealy and Frances Wise Waite and published by the Bucks County Historical Society in 1982. A copy of this book is in my library.
CHRISTOPHER died in Norriton Township, Montgomery County, Pa. in 1822. He died Intestate and there is no mention of a wife or children in the Administration Papers. His brother HENRY RITTENHOUSE JR. acted as Administrator and filed an inventory on 21 April 1824 The value was $3,635.83 after the debts and expenses were deducted. There is no mention of distribution but by law all of his brothers and sisters would have an equal claim on the estate.
The Administration File is RW 15,006 and is held by the Montgomery County Archives in Norristown, Pa.
113 ii. WILLIAM was born 12 August 1754
114 iii. WILHELMINA (MINA) was born 03 August 1759
115 iv. DAVID was born 03 August 1763
116 v. JOSEPH was born 20 May 1766
117 vi. HENRY was born 17 January 1773
41. MATTHIAS5 RITTENHOUSE (HENRY4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21603) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 14 July 1732. MATTHIAS died 03 June 1793 in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 60. His body was interred after 03 June 1793 in Methacton Mennonite Cem. PA, USA.
He married CATHARINE VAN FOSSEN 30 May 1758 in N. Goshenhoppen Reform Ch. Mon. The following individual is also linked to this event: GEORGE MICHAEL WEISS (REV.) (minister). (CATHARINE VAN FOSSEN is #21681.) CATHARINE was born 24 February 1739. CATHARINE was the daughter of CONRAD VAN FOSSEN and ANN BON. CATHARINE died 10 August 1793 in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 54. Her body was interred after 10 August 1793 in Methacton Mennonite Cem. PA, USA.
MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE, son of HENRY RITTENHOUSE and SUSANNAH WOOL, received his father's farm in a deed dated 19 September 1760. This included 96 acres along with all the buildings, woods and water courses, That same year he purchased another 15 acres from Henry Overholtz. All the property was located on what today is called Griffith Road which runs between Quarry Hall Road and Valley Forge Road in Worcester Township, Montgomery county, Pa. on the north side of Fairview Village.
There is a bit of a mystery here as in the old original summer kitchen there is a date stone "MR SR 1757". We don't know whether HENRY RITTENHOUSE or his son MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE built this new house in 1757 in place of the original log cabin. I would think it was HENRY RITTENHOUSE and someone has mistaken the HR for MR. The SR obviously refers to SUSANNAH RITTENHOUSE, the wife of HENRY. it could not have been the wife of MATTHIAS as her names was CATHARINE. After all the stone is more than 240 years old and must be deteriorating.
MATTHIAS built a large barn in 1760 which is still standing today. It was constructed with huge hand hewn beams and pegged joints. Carved into one of the beams is "17MR60".
The will of MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE is dated 1 June 1793 and discloses he was a Distiller by trade at the time of his death. He left both tracts of land as "Tenants in common and not joint tenants", to his two sons MATTHIAS and JOSEPH. he stipulated that they should agree to divide the land between them. if they could not agree than they each will choose two men to value the estate. A fifth man will be chosen, either by the two sons or by the 4 men already chosen. They will divide the land and money equally between the brothers. If they could not agree on this the land could all be given to one son and he would have to pay his brother money to the extent of the value of his share.
To CATHARINE his wife he left a room in "in my present dwelling house and as much furniture as she shall choose, with full liberty to pass and repass through any part of the house to be found in all necessaries of life whatsoever".
Any of his unmarried daughter were to be given an equal amount of furniture to the extent of what he had given to his other daughter when they were married.
Each of the two sons was to have a choice of a horse from the stable of horses.
His granddaughter SUSANNAH ZIEGLER was to receive £5 when she became of age.
All the residue of the estate was to be divided equally among his 6 daughters, NANCY, wife of John Fry, MUNCEY, wife of Jacob Metz, CATHARINE, wife of Abraham Heebner and MAGDALENE, BARBARA and SARAH, not yet married.
The inventory was valued at £280 10 shillings and 6 pence and was returned on 9 June 1794. This of course did not include the real estate which had already been bequeathed to the sons.
The Will is file RW 5527 and is held by the Montgomery County Archives in Norristown. Pa.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
THE HISTORY OF WORCESTER TOWNSHIP published in 1976 by the Worcester Historical Society. It was printed by the Boyertown Publishing Co. Pa. A copy of this book is in my library.
THE SPRUCE. A handwritten 30 page manuscript (14 inches by 24 inches) held by the Wayne County Library in Wooster, Ohio. It was part of the Curtis Rittenhouse Memorial Library which was willed to the Wayne County Library on the death of Curtis Rittenhouse. It is believed to be written y Curtis Rittenhouse himself. Some pages are obviously done by others and so it appears to have been made for the Rittenhouse Memorial Association which was founded in 1890. Photocopies of the complete manuscript are in my library.
MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE and CATHARINE VAN FOSSEN had the following children:
i. MAGDALENA6 (#22475) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa..
ii. MARY (MOLLY) (#36929). She married ANDREW ZIEGLER date unknown. (ANDREW ZIEGLER is #37243.)
iii. NANCY (#36930).
iv. SUSANNA (#29641) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 04 November 1761. She married JOHN FRY date unknown. (JOHN FRY is #22480.) He married an unknown person date unknown.
v. HENRY (#29642) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 09 December 1763. HENRY died young at age unknown.
118 vi. WHILHELMINA (MINNIE) was born 12 May 1765
119 vii. MATTHIAS was born 11 April 1770
viii. DAVID (#29646) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 04 September 1771. DAVID died young at age unknown.
120 ix. CATHARINE (KATE) was born 13 January 1772
x. BARBARA (#26299) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 12 February 1776. She married FREDERICK WAGNER date unknown. (FREDERICK WAGNER is #29647.)
121 xi. SARAH was born 03 September 1778
xii. JOHN (#29648) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. CA 1780. JOHN died CA 1780 in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age unknown. His body was interred CA 1780 in Methacton Mennonite Cem. PA, USA.
122 xiii. JOSEPH T. was born 23 September 1783
42. MARGARET5 RITTENHOUSE (MATTHIAS4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21686) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 1728.
She married EDWARD MORGAN 1747 in U. Gwyn. Twp., Montgomery Co. PA. (EDWARD MORGAN is #21687.) EDWARD was born 07 May 1723 in U. Gwyn. Twp., Montgomery Co. PA.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
THE FAMILY of MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE by Daniel Kolb Cassel. Published in 1897. A copy of this book is in my library.
MARGARET RITTENHOUSE and EDWARD MORGAN had the following child:
123 i. MORGAN6 was born 03 May 1749
43. ESTHER5 RITTENHOUSE (MATTHIAS4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21610) was born in Norriton Twp., Montgomery Co. Pa. 1731. ESTHER died 18 June 1784 in., at age 52. Her body was interred after 18 June 1784 in St. James Episcopal Ch. Lancas, Pa..
She married THOMAS BARTON (REV.) 08 December 1753 in Swedes Church, Phil., Pa.. (THOMAS BARTON (REV.) is #21690.) THOMAS was born 1730 in Monaghan County, Ireland. He married LEE NORMANDIE BAIRD date unknown. THOMAS died 25 May 1780 New York City, NY, USA, at age 49. His body was interred after 25 May 1780 in St. George's Chapel, N.Y. USA.
In 1754 THOMAS BARTON went to England, where he received Episcopal Orders. He accompanied, as chaplain, the expedition to Fort du Quesne (now Pittsburgh), which ended in the defeat and death of its leader, General Braddock. THOMAS BARTON settled at Lancaster as rector of St. James Episcopal Church, 1759-74 (a different report reflected 1777. His adherence to the royalist party compelled him to quit his post after nearly 20 years, and he removed to New York City, October 3, 1778, where he died.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
BARTON and HUMMELL FAMILY HISTORIES. June 9, 2002.
THE FAMILY of MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE by Daniel Kolb Cassel. Published in 1897. A copy of this book is in my library.
ESTHER RITTENHOUSE and THOMAS BARTON (REV.) had the following children:
124 i. WILLIAM6.
125 ii. DAVID RITTENHOUSE.
126 iii. THOMAS.
127 iv. JULIANNA SUSANNA.
128 v. RICHARD PETERS.
129 vi. ESTHER was born 17 April 1756
vii. MATTHIAS (#22742) was born in. 1762. MATTHIAS died 11 January 1809 in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 46. He married ESTHER COX date unknown. (ESTHER COX is #27477.) ESTHER was the daughter of TENCH COX.
MATTHIAS BARTON was admitted to the bar in 1778, and was elected, from Lancaster County to the Legislature in the years 1793, 1794 and 1795. In 1796 he was elected to the Senate of Pennsylvania, and re-elected in 1 800.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
THE FAMILY of MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE by Daniel Kolb Cassel. Published in 1897. A copy of this book is in my library.
130 viii. BENJAMIN SMITH was born 10 February 1766
44. DAVID5 RITTENHOUSE (MATTHIAS4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#2617) was born in Roxborough Twp, Phil. Co., PA 08 April 1732. DAVID died 26 June 1796 in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 64. His body was interred 27 June 1796 in West Laurel Hill Cem. Phil, Pa..
He married twice. He married ELEANOR COULSTON 20 February 1766 in St. James Episcopal Ch. Lancas, Pa.. (ELEANOR COULSTON is #21604.) ELEANOR was born CA 1735 in Montgomery Co. PA, USA. ELEANOR was the daughter of BERNARD COULSTON. ELEANOR died 23 February 1771 in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 35. Her body was interred after 23 February 1771 in West Laurel Hill Cem. Phil, Pa.. He married HANNAH JACOBS WIDOW 31 December 1772 in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA. (HANNAH JACOBS WIDOW is #21605.) HANNAH was born CA 1735. HANNAH was the daughter of JOHN JACOBS and MARY HAYES. HANNAH died 15 October 1799 in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 64.
HANNAH JACOBS was the second wife of the illustrious DAVID RITTENHOUSE. She was a widow at the time of their marriage but JACOBS must have been her maiden name as later in the Will she mentions a brother ISRAEL JACOBS. She bore DAVID a child who died at a very early age, if not at birth, We don't even know the child's name.
HANNAH wrote her Will on 21 June 1799 but it was not probated until 12 November 1799 so HANNAH must have died in that time period. She was very precise and meticulous in her bequests. She left her sister-in-law, ELEANOR RITTENHOUSE married to DANIEL EVANS, the income from 1 share in the Bank of North America, for her lifetime. At the decease of ELEANOR, the share was to become the property of ELEANOR's daughter, HANNAH EVANS married to Dr. William Smith. She also left the income from a share of the Bank of North America to another sister-in-law, MARY RITTENHOUSE married to DAVID CLOYD. On her death the share would pass to ELEANOR's other daughter, ELIZABETH EVANS, married to JOSEPH ARMSTRONG.
HANNAH then left a share in the Bank of North America to ESTHER ARTSON who was the daughter of HANNAH's sister ELIZABETH PERRY (?), of Charleston, South Carolina. A nephew JOHN PERRY (?), watchmaker in Philadelphia, was to receive one share in the Bank of North America. Yet another share in the same bank was left to HANNAH JACOBS, the granddaughter of her brother ISRAEL JACOBS. Still another share of the same stock went to DAVID RITTENHOUSE WATERS. He was the son of ESTHER RITTENHOUSE, daughter of DAVID and DAVID's first wife ELEANOR COULSON,
HANNAH left a share of this stock to CATHARINE SHEARER "who has been living with me." It sounds as though she was a house companion and maybe a nurse, CATHARINE SHEARER also received all the furniture and bedding in the "front chambers on the third floor" for her own use and disposal. The last share of stock HANNAH owned was put in trust with her brother JOHN JACOBS. After his death the share was to be given to MARY GEHENE the daughter of HANNAH's sister MARY JACOBS GEHENE. They were living in Mifflin County, Pa..HANNAH was holding a bond of £100 which covered a loan HANNAH had made to ADAM SCHNIDER. Her sister MARY JACOBS GEHENE was to receive the interest from the bond until it bacame due and then her sister was to receive the full amount. When she died this money was to be divided among MARY's children.
The next item is very interesting. HANNAH said she had in a "golden box", 20 pieces of gold, each valued at $10. This was to be put into the hands of the Philosophical Society. They were to invest this and use the proceeds for the maintenance "of an octagon building known as the Observatory". DAVID RITTENHOUSE had been a member of this society and had spent much of his time as an astronomer at the Observatory. The golden box the coins had been stored in was given to HANNAH's niece HANNAH ERWIN.
HANNAH said she had loaned SUSANNAH MARSHALL, a shopkeeper, $100 to help her start a business. This was to be paid back and $80 was to be put into the hands of the African Society. This was to be invested and the interest was to be paid annually to ANNIE MARTIN (?). "a black woman who has lived with her since childhood." The other $20 was to be paid to Thomas McCarty, "a lad who has lived with us for some years and who is now an apprentice to a joiner".
HANNAH thought "it was too minute to encumber a Will with the many small things such as her wearing apparel. Her wishes were given in a separate memo which she hoped would be considered as part of the Will." All the residue of the esate was to be equally divided between the two daughters, ELIZABETH SERGEANT and ESTHER WATERS.. They were also appointed as Executors.
Lastly "it is my request to be laid under the same stone with my beloved, my lamented and my revered husband, in whose society I have experienced as much happiness as perhaps this world is capable of bestowing, and with whose dust I would wish mine to mingle."
HANNAH JACOBS, widow of DAVID RITTENHOUSE, reveals some of her strong and generous character in the last paragraph of her Will. It is something I have never seen in the hundreds of Wills I have researched so I think it is appropriate to quote the whole paragraph in her words.
"I feel sorry to find, as I do find, the whole of the foregoing so incorrectly and unintelligibly written, for which the only apology I can make is that I cannot write better. Writing is so painful a task for me that I cannot endure it for two minutes at one time, however I hope it will be found legible, and to the person whose unhappy lot it shall fall, to have the copying of the foregoing writing, will have an unusual degree of trouble, I think he will be entitled to an extra compensation which I hope and trust will be allowed him."
This Will is File #200 Book Y Page 236. It is held by the Philadelphia Register of Wills in Philadelphia, Pa.
MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE and his wife ELIZABETH WILLIAMS conveyed to their son DAVID, 72 acres and 148 perches of land and a house on 12 January 1770. This was in Norriton Township, Montgomery County, Pa. and MATTHIAS had acquired the original 100 acres there on 28 January 1731. The family had not actually lived there until 1734 or 1735. This location is where the Valley forge Medical Centre is located in 1976.
David RITTENHOUSE was noted as an Astronomer, Mathematician, and a public servant during the Revolutionary War. In 1769 his observation of the transit of Venus fixed the distance between the earth and the sun with remarkable accuracy. His most extraordinary mechanical achievement was the construction of an orrery, a planetarium by which the manipulation of the hands on the dials shows the movements of the celestial bodies over a period of 10,000 years, 5,000 years before 1770, and 5,000 years after 1770. Thomas Joffmon wrote of him," We have supposed Mr Rittenhouse second to no astronomer living; that in genius he must he the first, because he is self-taught. As an artist he has exhibited as great a proof of mechanical genius as the world has ever produced. He has not indeed made a world, but he has by imitation approached nearer its Maker than any man who had lived from the creation to this day".
Rittenhouse Newsletter # 5 1991 notes David Rittenhouse was the First Director of the US Mint. In the History of Montgomery County by Theodore W. Bean, page 356/7, there is a long list of his many publications. Most of these concern astronomy and he made several presentations to the American Philosophical Society
We know of the fame attributed to David Rittenhouse for his scientific research but little has been said of the stand he took at the time of the Revolution. Late in 1776 George Washington's army in the vicinity of New York City experienced heavy losses. This called for obtaining new recruits for the militia. But recruiting was ineffective in southeastern Pennsylvania, especially in Montgomery and Bucks Counties, since so many men were conscientious non-Associates (Mennonites, Amish and Quakers). The Test Act had been passed with instructions to form in each town and rural area a Committee of Observance to see who was resisting joining the militia. Patriotic groups were formed to show their allegiance to the Revolutionary Government and these were called The Associates. .
David Rittenhouse, in Philadelphia, was in charge of the Safety Committee responsible for recruitment. We know him as the great-grandson of William Rittenhouse, the first Mennonite minister in Germantown, and the grandson of Claes Rittenhouse, in 1725 a signer of the English printing of the Dordrecht Confession of Faith. David angrily observed, "The situation of our militia is a public calamity." He laid this at the feet of the pacifists: "The soldiers have suffered inconvenience, hardship, and loss while the non-Associates remain at home in the peaceable enjoyment of their possessions."' This was turning against the beliefs of his forebears who believed that: "The Lord Jesus Christ has forbidden his disciples and followers all revenge and resistance, and has thereby commanded them "not to return evil for evil nor railing for railing, but to put up the sword and the sheath", or as the prophets foretold, "beat them into ploughshares" (Quotes are taken from the Dordrecht Confession of Faith.)
David Rittenhouse, in his public office as head of the Safety committee, abandoned this belief and accepted the thinking of the world that the sword is the final arbiter in difficult human disputes. And he, like government leaders since tried to recruit God to the side of his fellow countrymen and invoke God's blessing on their endeavours. Attempts to discredit the non resisters intensified. People attributed "chains, desolation, violated virgins, and abused infants" to the British and said they occurred because some were unwilling to fight. David Rittenhouse requested the Pennsylvania Legislature to levy a fine on every able-bodied man from sixteen to fifty who refused to go into service. In December 1776 the Legislature resolved to collect fines from non-Associates in order to to put defence on an equal footing.
Early in 1777 Pennsylvania passed a rigid militia act (as did Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina). Fines were added to non-Associates' taxes. Conscientious objection was not allowed as a reason for exemption.
Mennonites at that time felt David Rittenhouse had deserted them and their faith. However it was a good solution to control the friction and bad feelings between those people who held pacifist beliefs as part of their faith and those who felt fighting was the only way. The idea of a tax in lieu of military service was also used in Canada by the British Government for Mennonites who left the USA to settle in Canada.
The Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties of Pennsylvania, Volume II, 1915, gives the dates he held various offices.
Treasurer of Pennsylvania, 1777-1789
Professor of Astronomy , University of Pennsylvania, 1779-1782
Director, U.S. Mint, Philadelphia, 1792-1795
Royal Society of London, England, elected a Fellow, 1796
American Philosophical Society, President, 1790-1796
There is a very long and detailed biography of DAVID RITTENHOUSE in the book, Rittenhouse Family History by Daniel Cassel (see Source of Informatiion below). Also in the same book there is a complete document of his Will. It can also be found in Philadelphia Will Book X Page 475, Will # 309. This will is held by the Philadelphia Registrar of Wills in Philadelphia, Pa. I will abstract the main details here.
DAVID bequeathed to HANNAH, his wife, the free use, occupation and rents from his messuage, (tenements or dwelling house) as well as the land Their home was at the corner of Mulberry Street and Seventh Street in the City of Philadelphia. He also left her the income from 10 shares of the Bank of United states. Also for her use and disposal 5 shares in the Bank of North America.. The wording of Wills made it clear these specific bequests were in lieu of any dower rights held by the widow.
To his sister ELEANOR, married to DANIEL EVANS, he left the house in Norristown, called Linwood Place. She was to have the use of and also any rents or profits for her natural lifetime.
He had a £500 note which was owing to him by ISAAC SNOWDEN. This he gave to his daughter ELIZABETH, married to JONATHON DICKINSON SERGEANT. This was to equalize what he had already given to his daughter ESTHER, married to DR. NICHOLAS BAKER WATERS, MD.
DAVID RITTENHOUSE's will was written on 25 June 1796 and probated on 18 August 1796. The witnesses were Benjamin Smith Barton and P. Thomson.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
RITTENHOUSE NEWSLETTER Volume 1-4, 1989.
RITTENHOUSE FAMILY HISTORY by Daniel Cassel published in 1893 by the Rittenhouse Memorial Association. A copy of this book is in my library.
THE HISTORY OF WORCESTER TOWNSHIP published in 1976 by the Worcester Historical Society. It was printed by the Boyertown Publishing Co. Pa. A copy of this book is in my library.
THE FAMILY of MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE by Daniel Kolb Cassel. Published in 1897. A copy of this book is in my library.
SEEKING WHAT CANNOT BE SEEN Edited by Paul M. Lederach at the time of the 250th Anniversary of the Blooming Glen Mennonite Congregation. Printed in 2003 by PMT Ltd., Harleysville, Pa. A copy of this book is in my library.
DAVID RITTENHOUSE and ELEANOR COULSTON had the following children:
131 i. ELIZABETH6 was born 23 January 1767
132 ii. ESTHER was born 1769
iii. DAVID (#22488) was born in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA 21 February 1771. DAVID died 21 February 1771 in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age unknown.
DAVID RITTENHOUSE and HANNAH JACOBS WIDOW had the following child:
iv. UNKNOWN (#24860) was born in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA CA 1773. UNKNOWN died Died young in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age unknown.
45. ANNE5 RITTENHOUSE (MATTHIAS4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21684) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 1736. ANNE died 1762 at age 26.
She married GEORGE SHOEMAKER 25 August 1756 in Swedes Church, Phil., Pa.. (GEORGE SHOEMAKER is #21685.)
ANNE RITTENHOUSE, wife of GEORGE SHOEMAKER, was a member of the Society of Friends.
ANNE RITTENHOUSE and GEORGE SHOEMAKER had the following child:
i. JACOB6 (#22487). JACOB died 1781 in battle, South Carolina, USA, at age unknown.
JACOB SHOEMAKER JR. was killed in a battle of the American Revolution in South Carolina when he was only nineteen years old.
46. ELEANOR5 RITTENHOUSE (MATTHIAS4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21688) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 1736. ELEANOR died CA 1809 in Trappe, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age unknown.
She married DANIEL EVANS 14 April 1763 in Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA. (DANIEL EVANS is #21689.) DANIEL was born date unknown in U. Gwyn. Twp., Montgomery Co. PA. DANIEL was the son of EVAN EVANS and ELIZABETH MUSGRAVE. DANIEL died CA 1790 at age unknown.
DANIEL EVANS was a blacksmith by trade. When he married ANNIE RITTENHOUSE at Plymouth Meeting, the marriage certificate was signed by Matthias, David and Benjamin Rittenhouse among others.
ELEANOR RITTENHOUSE and DANIEL EVANS had the following children:
133 i. DAVID6.
134 ii. BENJAMIN.
iii. JOSEPH (#22738).
iv. MATTHIAS (#27452). MATTHIAS died CA 1834 in Pittsburg, Allegheny Co. PA, at age unknown.
v. HANNAH (#27454). HANNAH died February 1816 in Trappe, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age unknown. She married WILLIAM SMITH (DR.) date unknown. (WILLIAM SMITH (DR.) is #27455.) WILLIAM died date unknown in Trappe, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age unknown.
135 vi. ELIZABETH was born 1767
47. BENJAMIN5 RITTENHOUSE (MATTHIAS4, NICHOLAS (CLAES)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21691) was born in Norriton Twp., Montgomery Co. Pa. 12 September 1741. BENJAMIN died 31 August 1825 in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 83. His body was interred 02 September 1825 in St. James Cem. Evansburg, Pa.
He married twice. He married ELIZABETH BULL 26 December 1770 in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA. (ELIZABETH BULL is #21692.) ELIZABETH was born 1753 in Northumberland Co. Pa. USA. ELIZABETH was the daughter of JOHN BULL (GEN.) and MARY PHILLIPS. ELIZABETH died 1793 in Philadelphia, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 40. Her body was interred 1793 in St. James Cem. Evansburg, Pa. He married FRANCES WADE 22 January 1793 in St. James Ch. Evansburg, Pa.. (FRANCES WADE is #22750.) FRANCES was born 01 March 1769 in Montgomery Co. PA, USA. FRANCES was the daughter of FRANCIS WADE COL. and SARAH NELSON. FRANCES died 22 January 1851 at age 81. Her body was interred after 22 January 1851 in West Laurel Hill Cem. Phil, Pa..
DAVID RITTENHOUSE has received so much publicity for his astronomy, mathematics, clockmaking and philosophy, that his brother BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE has been given little notice. However I found in a book about the Rittenhouse family that BENJAMIN was very highly regarded. He was asked in 1776 during the Revolutionary War to take on the job of organizing a gun manufacturing plant. I think the letters speak for themselves about BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE.
"Committee of Safety, 1776. To BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE Dear Sir The present exigency of our affairs are such that the Committee of Safety think it expedient to establish a Gun Lock Manufactory, with a view that a great number of hands may be immediately employed in that branch, although there way not be a sufficiency of expert workmen to be had at this juncture, nevertheless it is imagined that there are a considerable number of ingenious and handy black and white smiths, who may soon be instructed in its several parts. From the general character which the Committee have had of you they are of opinion that you are a suitable person to superintend the execution of their design. They have therefore directed me to write to you to request your immediate attendance on their Board in this city in order to confer with you respecting the mode and terms on which you would undertake and carry it on. This they have been encouraged to do from an opinion of your zeal and firm attachment to measures which an obstinate and inflexible adherence of the British Ministry to a cruel and sanguinary system of conduct have made necessary. I am with great regard and esteem directed."
"WORCESTER, Feb. 16, 1776. BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE, to the COMMITTEE. Gentlemen : I have considered your proposals, and am of opinion that two hundred and fifty pounds per annum will not be more than adequate to my services in the undertaking, and as a disadvantage will arise in removing my family and changing my situation with regard to business and living, I shall farther expect to be paid the sum of £50 in case I am not continued in employ for the term of three years. If the above terms are agreeable I am disposed to engage, but request leave to consult my family, and in a few days I will return the Board definite answer. The whole is submitted to your consideration by gentlemen, Your humble servant, BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE "
"WORCESTER, Feb. 1776. BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE to the COMMITTEE- Gentlmm I have consulted my family with regard to moving to the city, and they have consented thereto, in case you think proper to have the works carried on there. If you think it necessary that I should be present to choose a suitable place for the Manufactory, a few lines sent to my Brother will be conveyed and the summons carefully attended to by, gentlemen, Your very humble servant, BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE"
"Feb. 26,1776. RESOLVED, That Mr. Owen Biddle write to Mr. Beinjamin Rittenhouse and desire that he will remove to this city as soon as possible, and that he send a man express with said letter, informing him the Board accept his proposal, and that they allow him £250 per annum for carrying on the Gunlock Manufactory on account of this Board."
WORCESTER Feb. 27, 1776. BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE to the COMMITTEE Dear Sir. I am extremely sorry I could not possibly attend the Honorable Board immediately on my receiving yours of the 21st instant. The reasons of which were these: Under the former regulations for the Associations of Inhabitants through the Province, I had the honor to be chosen the Captain of a company in our town, in consequence of which it fell upon me when the new regulations came out to endeavor to get them signed, in the endeavouring of which I spent the chief part of last week. Yesterday I was obliged to meet the company to exercise them. This day I should have been in the city had not the weather and roads been so very bad. On the morrow, please God I've my health, I'll be there to attend the commands of the Board. sir, I remain with great esteem, Your Obliged humble servant BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE."
All of the letters from BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE were written from the house at the corner of Germantown Pike and Trooper Road in Worcester Township. This is the property he had received in the Will of his father MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE. And it was in this house that he started to construct clocks which soon became famous for their accuracy and style. A grandfather model of one of his clocks is owned and displayed by the Montgomery County Historical Society in Norristown, Pa. A photo of it is shown on page 92 in the History of Worcester Township. These Rittenhouse clocks are almost impossible to find now as they have gradually been purchased by museums and institutions of science.
BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE was wounded in the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Brandywine and was then taken prisoner. The famous military camp of Valley Forge is only about a mile down the road from this old home of BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE.
BENJAMIN was a slave owner in a minor way as shown in the assessment of his property in 1787. It listed 40 acres and dwellings, 4 horses, 3 cows, 2 Negroes and 1 riding chair (chaise). The original land he had received from his father's Will included the Old Landmark Inn which he held until 1802. The building is still standing in 1976 and is the Landmark Restaurant. A photo of this is sh own on page 52 of the History of Worcester Township.
He obtained more land in 1791 when he bought the Fairview Inn and 80 acres of property. He only kept this for 6 years as in 1797 he sold all but 2 and three quarter acres to Michael Brode.
But in 1802 BENJAMIN sold all his property in Worcester Township to Jonathon Hubbs and moved into Philadelphia at 24 North Ninth Street.
BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE on 8 September 1804 was a Judge for the Orphan's Court of Montgomery County, Pa. He and the other Judge, BENJAMIN MARKLEY, were making a decision on the petition of JACOB GRUBB who as Administrator of the estate of MARY GRUBB, deceased, was advising that a settlement could not be made because of a dispute by the heirs. JACOB GRUBB was asking for the appointment of 3 Auditors to value the estate. Joseph Tyson, Henry Sweitzer and Philip Rahn were duly appointed. This is the first time I have seen a request by Administrators to appoint Auditors and the interest for us is the fact that a Rittenhouse was acting for the Court in the case of a Grubb who was also one of our ancestral families.
Probably while in his early twenties, Benjamin moved to Worcester Township. There he was primarily involved in making clocks, which involved machining with metals. This played a part in his being selected in 1776 to set up and run a factory to produce gun locks. They were made to supply the American forces in the Revolutionary War. He served as the superintendent of the factory until 1779.
After the war he returned home to Worcester and again began producing clocks and mathematical instruments. He also engaged in other activities. This included a position as head grain measurer in 1790, and Associate Judge of Montgomery County. He held the latter position for nearly ten years. He was also a member of the state Assembly. In addition, Rittenhouse worked at times as a surveyor. In 1789 he was on a project involving the Schuylkill River. Some of Benjamin Rittenhouse's instruments and clocks are dated, others are not. The earliest Benjamin Rittenhouse compass marked with a date is 1786. He also made chronometers in that year. By the Act of May 18, 1796, Congress authorized the survey and sale of lands northwest of the River Ohio. The Act specified that chains used in the survey were to be adjusted to a standard kept for that purpose. Benjamin Rittenhouse made the standard chain, and advised government officials it may be depended upon as accurate. It was sent to Surveyor General Rufus Putnam in 1797. Both William Lukens Potts (1771-1854) and Benjamin Evans (1776-1836) started working with Benjamin Rittenhouse in about 1796. That is the year his brother David passed away. Potts was with Benjamin for about two years, then later worked independently. Evans, a nephew of the Rittenhouses, worked with Benjamin until 1801, the year of Benjamin's bankruptcy. He served as Superintendent of the American gunlock factory in Philadelphia during the Revolution, and returned to his house in Worcester Township after the war.
The Pennsylvania Packet for May 14, 1785, published the following notice: WANTED, An ingenious Lad not exceeding 14 years of age, of a reputable family, as an Apprentice to learn the Art and Mystery of making Clocks and Surveying Instruments. Any lad inclining to go an apprentice to the above Trade, the terms on which he will be taken may [be] known by enquiring of Mr. David Rittenhouse, in Philadelphia, or at the subscriber's house in Worcester township, Montgomery county. Benjamin Rittenhouse. Benjamin Rittenhouse was the most prolific compass maker working in America in the late 18th century, and some three dozen of his instruments are now known. Those with only his signature date from the period 1785-1796. Those signed "Rittenhouse & Potts" were made in partnership with William Lukens Potts, and date from around 1796-1798. Those signed "Rittenhouse and Evans" were made in partnership with Benjamin Evans, and date from around 1798-1801. Rittenhouse went bankrupt in 1801, and spent his latter years in Philadelphia.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
THE RITTENHOUSE FAMILY by Daniel K. Cassel. Published in 1893 by the Rittenhouse Memorial Association. This book is in my library.
A HISTORY OF WORCESTER TOWNSHIP published in 1976 by the Worcester Historical Society. Printed by Boyertown Publishing Co. Pa. A copy of this book is in my library.
THE FAMILY of MATTHIAS RITTENHOUSE by Daniel Kolb Cassel. Published in 1897. A copy of this book is in my library.
BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE and ELIZABETH BULL had the following children:
136 i. DAVID6 was born 25 August 1776
137 ii. MARY was born 02 September 1779
138 iii. JOHN BULL was born 1781
iv. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (#22491) was born in Norriton Twp., Montgomery Co. Pa. 10 May 1784. BENJAMIN died 02 September 1804 in In Navy at Siege of Tripoli, at age 20. His body was interred after 02 September 1804 at Sea.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN RITTENHOUSE was appointed a Midshipman in the Navy on 2 January 1804 during the siege of Tripoli. He died aboard ship from yellow fever and was buried at sea.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
A HISTORY OF WORCESTER TOWNSHIP published in 1976 by the Worcester Historical Society. Printed by Boyertown Publishing Co. Pa. A copy of this book is in my library.
v. ELIZABETH (#22492) was born in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa. 28 August 1788. ELIZABETH died 20 August 1817 in Worcester Twp, Montgomery Co. Pa., at age 28. Her body was interred after 28 August 1788 in Eaglesville Cem. Montgomery Co. Pa..
BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE and FRANCES WADE had the following children:
139 vi. WILLIAM was born 23 October 1794
140 vii. EMILY was born 28 August 1805
48. ELIZABETH5 BROWNBACK (MARIA (MARY)4 PAPEN, ELIZABETH3 RITTENHOUSE, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21736) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA 1716.
She married RICHARD CUSTER date unknown. (RICHARD CUSTER is #21737.) RICHARD was born 1718.
ELIZABETH BROWNBACK and RICHARD CUSTER had the following children:
i. ANNA MARY6 (#24939) was born in Coventry Twp., Chester Co., Pa..
ii. SUSANNA (#24941) was born in Coventry Twp., Chester Co., Pa..
iii. RICHARD (#24942) was born in Coventry Twp., Chester Co., Pa..
49. MARY MAGDALINE5 BROWNBACK (MARIA (MARY)4 PAPEN, ELIZABETH3 RITTENHOUSE, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21734) was born in Vincent Twp., Chester Co., Pa. 1729.
She married FREDERICK BINGAMAN date unknown. (FREDERICK BINGAMAN is #21735.) FREDERICK was born date unknown in Germany.
MARY MAGDALINE BROWNBACK and FREDERICK BINGAMAN had the following children:
i. JOHN6 (#24943) was born in Coventry Twp., Chester Co., Pa..
ii. FREDERICK (#24944) was born in Coventry Twp., Chester Co., Pa..
iii. GARRET (#24945) was born in Coventry Twp., Chester Co., Pa..
50. BENJAMIN5 BROWNBACK (MARIA (MARY)4 PAPEN, ELIZABETH3 RITTENHOUSE, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21730) was born in Vincent Twp., Chester Co., Pa. 1731. BENJAMIN died 12 February 1786 in Vincent Twp., Chester Co., Pa., at age 54. His body was interred after 12 February 1786 in Brownback's Cem. E. Coventry, Pa..
He married twice. He married MARY PAUL date unknown. (MARY PAUL is #21731.) MARY was the daughter of JOHN PAUL. He married RACHEL PARKER date unknown. (RACHEL PARKER is #21732.) RACHEL was born 1752 in Parkersford, Chester Co. PA. RACHEL was the daughter of WILLIAM PARKER. RACHEL died 15 April 1837 in Vincent Twp., Chester Co., Pa., at age 84. Her body was interred after 15 April 1837 in Brownback's Cem. E. Coventry, Pa..
BENJAMIN BROWNBACK was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary Army on 21 August 1776.
He inherited his father's Tavern at the intersection of Ridge Road and Lancaster Road. Benjamin continued the tavern through the Revolutionary War years. Descendants continued it until 1847 after which its petitions were denied.
. Benjamin, eldest son of Gerhard, left a kind of Will ("Agreement") in 1786 for his three sons to choose between themselves from Benjamin's estate. (1) The Swan Tavern in North Coventry on present Route 724 in the vicinity of Keim Street. (2) the Vincent Tavern and (3) in order to equalize the bequests, the third son was to be paid a specified sum from the brothers who chose the inns. It is of note that Benjamin's valuation of the Swan public house was several times his valuation of the Vincent Tavern.
Benjamin was a great jumper and liked to pit his sport with Indians in the neighborhood. It is said that he could out jump the Indians and once gave a losing competitor a bear skin as a conciliatory prize.
Gerhard's two sons, Benjamin and Henry, and their progeny considerably extended the Brumbach lands when they came into ownership. At one time they owned thirteen farms, most adjacent to one another.
Benjamin's second wife RACHEL PARKER was murdered at the advanced years of 85 and the murder was never solved.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
COVENTRY - THE SKOOL KILL DISTRICT by Mrs. Estelle Cremers, published in 2003 by Masthof Books, Morgantown, Pa. A copy of this book is in my library.
BENJAMIN BROWNBACK and RACHEL PARKER had the following children:
141 i. HENRY6.
142 ii. JOHN.
143 iii. EDWARD.
51. HENRY5 BROWNBACK (MARIA (MARY)4 PAPEN, ELIZABETH3 RITTENHOUSE, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21733) was born in Vincent Twp., Chester Co., Pa. February 1733. HENRY died 30 July 1804 in Vincent Twp., Chester Co., Pa., at age 71.
He married MARY MAGDALENA PAUL date unknown. (MARY MAGDALENA PAUL is #21789.) MARY was born 1741 in Parkersford, Chester Co. PA. MARY was the daughter of JOHN PAUL. MARY died 1776 in Vincent Twp., Chester Co., Pa., at age 35.
HENRY BROWNBACK and MARY MAGDALENA PAUL had the following children:
i. HANNAH6 (#24930) was born in Vincent Twp., Chester Co., Pa. 1759. She married CASPER SNYDER date unknown. (CASPER SNYDER is #24932.)
144 ii. JOHN was born 1761
145 iii. PETER was born 3 October 1764
146 iv. BENJAMIN was born 7 May 1768
v. SUSANNA (#24931) was born in Vincent Twp., Chester Co., Pa. 5 July 1772. She married HENRY PRIZER date unknown. (HENRY PRIZER is #24933.)
52. CATHARINE5 BROWNBACK (MARIA (MARY)4 PAPEN, ELIZABETH3 RITTENHOUSE, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21740) was born in Vincent Twp., Chester Co., Pa. 1735. CATHARINE died 1822 in E. Vincent Twp. Chester Co. PA, at age 87.
She married JACOB MUNSHOWER date unknown. (JACOB MUNSHOWER is #21741.) JACOB died date unknown in E. Vincent Twp. Chester Co. PA, at age unknown.
CATHARINE BROWNBACK and JACOB MUNSHOWER had the following child:
i. JACOB6 (#24937) was born in E. Vincent Twp. Chester Co. PA. JACOB died date unknown in E. Vincent Twp. Chester Co. PA, at age unknown.
53. MARY CATHARINE5 SHEIMER (MARGARET RITTENHOUSE4 PAPEN, ELIZABETH3 RITTENHOUSE, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21748) was born in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa. 1722. MARY died 1812 at age 90.
She married MICHAEL SCHUMACHER date unknown. (MICHAEL SCHUMACHER is #21749.) MICHAEL was born CA 1718 in Zweibruchen, Germany. MICHAEL was the son of JACOB SCHUMACHER. MICHAEL died CA 1780 at age 62.
This Rittenhouse line down from MARY SCHEIMER and MICHAEL SCHUMACHER was kindly supplied by ALEAH CURTIS.
MARY CATHARINE SHEIMER and MICHAEL SCHUMACHER had the following children:
i. JACOB6 (#32957) was born in Northampton County. PA, USA 1744.
ii. JOHN (#32958) was born in Northampton County. PA, USA 1746.
147 iii. PETER was born 1749
iv. ANNA MARGARET (#32959) was born in Northampton County. PA, USA 26 January 1757.
148 v. ABRAHAM was born 10 June 1758
54. ABRAHAM PAPEN5 SHEIMER (MARGARET RITTENHOUSE4 PAPEN, ELIZABETH3 RITTENHOUSE, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21743) was born in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa. 1729. ABRAHAM died date unknown in Menissink, Nthblnd Co. Pa., at age unknown.
He married LENA WESTBROECK 03 March 1749 in Machackemeck Church, Menissink, Pa.. The following individual is also linked to this event: J. C. FREYENMOED (REV.) (minister). (LENA WESTBROECK is #21744.) LENA was born 15 October 1727 in Weshotack, Pa. USA. LENA was the daughter of ANTHONY WESTBROOK. LENA died date unknown in Menissink, Nthblnd Co. Pa., at age unknown.
There is a lengthy and excellent record of the early settler life of ABRAHAM SHIMER on pages 245/6 in the book by Daniel Cassel called Rittenhouse Family History published in 1893. A copy of this book is in my library.
ABRAHAM PAPEN SHEIMER and LENA WESTBROECK had the following children:
i. ISAAC6 (#24948) was born in Menissink, Nthblnd Co. Pa. before 10 December 1749.
ii. MARIA (#24949) was born in Menissink, Nthblnd Co. Pa. before 24 February 1751. MARIA died young in Menissink, Nthblnd Co. Pa., at age unknown.
149 iii. JACOB WESTBROECK was born before 23 February 1752
iv. HESTER (#24951) was born in Menissink, Nthblnd Co. Pa. before 11 November 1753. HESTER died young in Menissink, Nthblnd Co. Pa., at age unknown.
v. HESTER (#24952) was born in Menissink, Nthblnd Co. Pa. before 15 December 1754. She married CAPTAIN JOHANNES WESTBROECK date unknown. (CAPTAIN JOHANNES WESTBROECK is #24962.)
vi. MARIE (#24953) was born in Menissink, Nthblnd Co. Pa. before 26 November 1756. She married MANUEL VAN ETTEN date unknown. (MANUEL VAN ETTEN is #24963.)
150 vii. ELIZABETH WESTBROOK was born before 28 January 1759
viii. MARGARET (#24955) was born in Menissink, Nthblnd Co. Pa. before 21 December 1760. MARGARET died young in Menissink, Nthblnd Co. Pa., at age unknown.
55. NICHOLAS5 JOHNSON (ELIZABETH4 PAPEN, ELIZABETH3 RITTENHOUSE, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#22917) was born in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa. CA 1720. NICHOLAS died May 1760 at age 39.
He married MAGDALENA WISLER CA 1745. (MAGDALENA WISLER is #22926.) MAGDALENA was the daughter of JACOB WISLER and MAGDALENA.
NICHOLAS JOHNSON and MAGDALENA WISLER had the following child:
151 i. MAGDALENA6 was born CA 1750
56. ELIZABETH5 JOHNSON (ELIZABETH4 PAPEN, ELIZABETH3 RITTENHOUSE, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#22922) was born in Skippack Twp, Montgomery Co., Pa. CA 1726. ELIZABETH died after 1788 at age unknown.
She married JOHN WEYDNER date unknown. (JOHN WEYDNER is #22923.) JOHN was born 1710 in Germany. JOHN was the son of HANS WEYDNER. JOHN died 1788 in Lower Milford Twp. Bucks Co. P, at age 78.
Hal Weidner, states that Johannes Weidner arrived in America on 5 Sep 1730 aboard the Alexandria and Ann from Rotterdam via Cowes, England to Philadelphia.
Abstract of Will of JOHN WEITNER (WEYDNER)
Dated 12 November 1787 Proved 10 December 1788
Bucks County Will Book 5 Page 113
JOHN WEITNER, of Lower Milford Township, Bucks County, WIFE, ELIZABETH; Son JOHN 5s, if he is alive and calls for it. Three sons, JACOB, LEONARD and DANIEL 100 pounds each. Daniel to have real estate, as valued by three freeholders, if he desire. Jacob to have interest on 100 pounds for four and one-half years past. (He has already had his 100 pounds as birthright.) Daughters, Mary Johnson 35 pounds, Magdalena Undercufler, Platina Gruber, Elizabeth Weikel and Hannah Weisers, each 100 pounds. Daughter Catherine Heitzel, 5s. when she may call for it. Wife, Elizabeth and son Jacob, Executors, with power to sell and convey real estate, if Daniel does not accept same under terms of Will
SOURCE of INFORMATION
MR. DAVID HAROLD HELFRICH, Downington, Pa. USA.
THE WIDENERS IN AMERICA by Howard H. Widener.
ELIZABETH JOHNSON and JOHN WEYDNER had the following children:
i. MARY6 (#34459) was born in Lower Milford Twp. Bucks Co. P 1746. She married UNKNOWN JOHNSON date unknown. (UNKNOWN JOHNSON is #34469.)
ii. MAGDALENA (#34460) was born in Lower Milford Twp. Bucks Co. P 1747. She married JACOB UNDERCUFLER JR. date unknown. (JACOB UNDERCUFLER JR. is #34470.) JACOB was born 25 October 1747.
iii. JOHN (#34461) was born in Lower Milford Twp. Bucks Co. P 1749. He married MARY WILKINS date unknown. (MARY WILKINS is #34475.)
iv. ELIZABETH (#34463) was born in Lower Milford Twp. Bucks Co. P 1752. ELIZABETH died 19 June 1827 at age 74. She married JOHN PETER WEIKEL 09 August 1777 in Indian Field Luth. Ch. Bucks Co. Pa.. (JOHN PETER WEIKEL is #34472.)
v. JACOB (#34464) was born in Lower Milford Twp. Bucks Co. P 1754. He married ELIZABETH BRUNNER date unknown. (ELIZABETH BRUNNER is #34476.)
152 vi. PLATINA was born 03 December 1755
vii. HANNAH (#34465) was born in Lower Milford Twp. Bucks Co. P 1756. She married JOHN WEISERS date unknown. (JOHN WEISERS is #34473.)
viii. MARIA CATHERINE (#34466) was born in Lower Milford Twp. Bucks Co. P 1758. She married HENRY HARTZELL date unknown. (HENRY HARTZELL is #34474.)
ix. LEONARD (#34467) was born in Lower Milford Twp. Bucks Co. P 1761. LEONARD died 24 June 1842 at age 80. He married CHRISTINA HINKLE date unknown. (CHRISTINA HINKLE is #34477.) CHRISTINA was born 15 March 1767.
x. DANIEL (#34468) was born in Lower Milford Twp. Bucks Co. P 1763. DANIEL died 1786 in Berks County, PA, USA, at age 23. He married ELIZABETH HUBER 1786. (ELIZABETH HUBER is #34478.)
57. BARBARA5 RITTENHOUSE (PETER4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21727) was born in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa. 1716. BARBARA died CA 1762 at age unknown.
She married twice. She married KARL (CHARLES) WILHELM RUEBENKAM date unknown. (KARL (CHARLES) WILHELM RUEBENKAM is #21728.) KARL was born 1707 in Wanfried, Hessen, Germany. KARL was the son of JOHANN REUBENKAM and MARGARETHA SARTORIUS. KARL died 1748 in Springfield Twp. Montgomery Co. Pa, at age 41. She married JAMES STERN date unknown. (JAMES STERN is #22879.)
BARBARA RITTENHOUSE and KARL (CHARLES) WILHELM RUEBENKAM had the following children:
i. JUSTUS6 (#22880) was born in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA. He married SARAH GIBBS 12 September 1761 Pennsylvania, USA. (SARAH GIBBS is #22881.)
ii. CHARLES (#22882) was born in Montgomery Co. PA, USA. CHARLES died 1810 at age unknown. He married SUSANNAH date unknown. (SUSANNAH is #22883.)
iii. SUSANNAH (#22884) was born in Montgomery Co. PA, USA.
iv. WILLIAM (#22885) was born in Montgomery Co. PA, USA. WILLIAM died 1781 at age unknown. He married ANNA date unknown. (ANNA is #22886.)
v. ANN (#22887) was born in Montgomery Co. PA, USA. She married ANDREW ROEDHEFFER date unknown. (ANDREW ROEDHEFFER is #22888.)
153 vi. JACOB was born CA 1745
154 vii. PETER was born CA 1746
viii. INFANT (#22891) was born in Springfield Twp. Montgomery Co. Pa 1748.
58. GARRET5 RITTENHOUSE (PETER4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21717) was born in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa. 1720. GARRET died 1789 in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age 69.
He married MARY BARTLESON date unknown in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA. (MARY BARTLESON is #21718.) MARY was the daughter of HENRY BARTLESON and ANNA KNIGHT. MARY died 1797 in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA, at age unknown.
MARY BARTLESON widow of GARRET RITTENHOUSE made her Will on 28 January 1797. The Executors didn't file an inventory until 4 December 1797 so MARY must have died in between those dates. Her main concern seems to be to try and clear some misunderstanding about an item in her father's Will. He was HENRY BARTLESON and his Will was dated 14 August 1758. Her father had appointed his son SEBAS BARTLESON and JACOB RITTENHOUSE as Executors. He had left the interest from £91 2 shillings and 6 pence to MARY for her lifetime. She was concerned that the principal would revert to the original heirs of her father and therefore wouldn't be available to dispose of as she would like to do.
MARY was also concerned with a mortgage her late husband, GARRET RITTENHOUSE, had made with his father , PETER RITTENHOUSE, in which he used the legacy to MARY as security.. This mortgage was dated 3 October 1760 and is recorded in Philadelphia County Deed Book X volume 5 page 516. It appears this mortgage had never been paid off. But MARY stated that JACOB RITTENHOUSE, the only surviving Executor of her father's Will, had "inadvertently and inconsiderately entered satisfaction on record". MARY asked the Court in her Will to not let this hinder her in bequeathing the capital still left from her inheritance from her father, to her children and grandchildren
,MARY stipulated that after her debts and funeral expenses had been paid, the residue of the £91 2 shillings and 6 pence, was to be divided into 6 equal shares. One share was to go to each of her living children, BARBARA, husband of JOHN __, sons JACOB, GARRET, MICHAEL and MARTIN.
The other share was to be divided among her grandchildren, who were the children of her deceased daughter ANN REINSMITH. These children are named, DANIEL, ELIZABETH and JOHN REINSMITH.
MARY also left her daughter, BARBARA, £5 which was "part of the money given unto me by Friend and Relation, PETER KNIGHT". It was to be paid to BARBARA, one year after MARY's decease. Also BARBARA was given two petticoats and one cloak. ( I have not found who PETER KNIGHT was.)
She left 1 shilling silver to each of sons JACOB and MICHAEL to be their full share of her estate. Any residue of the estate, and the money given to her by PETER KNIGHT, was to be divided equally between the other 2 sons, GARRET and MARTIN. She appointed "her trusty friend CHARLES NICE as sole Executor " of her estate. He took an inventory on 26 March 1799 which totalled £112 15 shillings 9 pence which included the Bond for £94. However there were debts to be paid which totalled £69 10 shillings and 4 pence. There is no final distribution sheet in the file so we don't know whether all MARY's bequests were fulfilled.
This Will and Administration Papers are found in Philadelphia Will Book X Page 669 Will #455. It is held by the Philadelphia Register of Wills in Philadelphia, Pa.
GARRET RITTENHOUSE and MARY BARTLESON had the following children:
155 i. MICHAEL6.
ii. MARTIN (#23320).
iii. BARBARA (#23321). She married JOHN date unknown. (JOHN is #31821.)
156 iv. ANN.
157 v. GARRET was born 1744
158 vi. JACOB was born 1755
59. SUSANNA5 RITTENHOUSE (PETER4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21719) was born in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa. CA 1721.
She married JUSTUS WILHELM RUBENKAM 02 April 1742 in First Pres. Church, Phil., PA. (JUSTUS WILHELM RUBENKAM is #21720.) JUSTUS was born 1705 in Wanfried, Hessen, Germany. JUSTUS was the son of FREDERICK RUBINCAM and MARGARET CATHERINE. He married KATHERINE CONREDS 05 June 1735 in First Pres. Church, Phil., PA. JUSTUS died 1768 in Bristol Twp. Phil. Co. Pa., at age 63.
SUSANNA RITTENHOUSE and JUSTUS WILHELM RUBENKAM had the following children:
i. NANCY6 (#24893) was born in Bristol Twp. Phil. Co. Pa..
159 ii. CATHARINE.
160 iii. SARAH.
161 iv. SUSANNA.
v. JUSTUS (#24897) was born in Bristol Twp. Phil. Co. Pa..
162 vi. ANNE was born 18 August 1745
vii. MARGARET (#21786) was born in Bristol Twp. Phil. Co. Pa. 1750. MARGARET died 24 September 1789 in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, PA, USA, at age 39. Her body was interred after 24 September 1789 in Germantown Mennonite Cem. PA.
163 viii. JULIANNA was born 27 March 1757
60. JACOB5 RITTENHOUSE (PETER4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21721) was born in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa. 1731.
He married SUSANNAH BARTLESTON July 1749 in Germantown, Phil. Co. PA, USA. (SUSANNAH BARTLESTON is #21722.)
JACOB RITTENHOUSE and SUSANNAH BARTLESTON had the following child:
i. PETER6 (#30455) was born in Germantown Twp, Phil. Co. Pa.. PETER died 16 February 1782 in Germantown Twp, Phil. Co. Pa., at age unknown.
PETER RITTENHOUSE made his Will on 16 February 1782 and it was sworn on the 6 May 1782, so he must have died between those dates. There is no indication that he was married. He evidently had received a half acre of land with appurtenances from the Will of his grandmother Anna Heisler, the widow of PETER RITTENHOUSE. She had left this property to her son JACOB RITTENHOUSE for his use during his lifetime and then it was to pass to her grandson PETER. The land was in Germantown Township, Philadelphia County, Pa.
A person enters the picture here and we don't know her relationship to PETER RITTENHOUSE. In his Will he leaves the above land to MARGARETH DOULESON widow of JOHN DOULESON. He also leaves her the crop of wheat and rye already sown. He also bequeathed to her his mare, saddle, bridle, his silver watch and half a dozen chairs. Finally he appointed her his sole Executrix. When she took the inventory of personal property it amounted to £64 19 shillings and 7 pence.
This Will is held by the Register of Wills for Philadelphia County in Philadelphia, Pa. It is Index W-100-1782.
61. WILLIAM5 RITTENHOUSE JR. (WILLIAM4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21700) was born in Amwell, Hunterdon Co., N.J. 1720. WILLIAM died circa 1799 in Locktown, New Jersey, USA, at age 79.
He married twice. He married REBECCA HARNED date unknown. (REBECCA HARNED is #21817.) REBECCA was born CA 1728. REBECCA was the daughter of EDWARD HARNED and REBECCA. REBECCA died 1806 in Locktown, New Jersey, USA, at age 78.
REBECCA HARNED (Harnet), daughter of Edward Harned (or Harnet) of Hunterdon County, NJ, married William Rittenhouse in the early 1740's. In about the 1770's, Rebecca may have died after tumbling into and drowning in the well at the tavern of her late father-in-law.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
MR. CARL N, SHUSTER, JR. Arlington, Virginia.
He married ELIZABETH VAN NORMAN (Widow) date unknown. (ELIZABETH VAN NORMAN (Widow) is #34299.)
WILLIAM RITTENHOUSE JR. (1720-1799 was born in Amwell Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. His will, probated 5 May 1799, names his second wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Van Norman ( a widow) and 12 children [6 sons and 6 daughters presumed by his first wife]. After his marriage to REBECCA HARNED and several years prior to the Revolutionary War he settled on a farm just west of Locktown, NJ, on a hill on the north side of the Locktown-Kingwood road; he and his wife were buried in an old cemetery near Prallsville, NJ. He was baptized on 16 October 1743 in the Kingwood Baptist Church (established 1743), Hunterdon County, NJ. It was not the church of his parents so, since he was over 20, it may have been that of his fiancée (Larew, 1975).
His will, drawn 3 January 1799, probated 5 May 1799 cites: wife Elizabeth retains all land and goods belonging to her prior to their marriage; sons Benjamin, William, Garret, Abner; son Daniel the remainder of the homestead plantation; the six children of daughter Hannah Hyde (deceased): Amelia (her heirs), Rebecca, Jonathan, William, Benjamin, and Anna; daughters: Presylla Freeman, Anne Dansdill, Rebecca Bonham, Catherine Heath, Abigail Larue; executors: Benjamin Rettinghouse and Daniel Rettinghouse, both of Kingwood Township, NJ; witnesses: Uriah Sutton, Aaron Swayze, and Uriah Bonham
Uriah Sutton was almost 20 years old and his grandfather, Uriah Bonham was an old man. Sutton had inherited a farm in close proximity to that of the farm of William Rittenhouse and Bonham was father-in-law to Rebecca Bonham.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
DR. CARL. M. SHUSTER JR., PhD, Arlington, Virginia.
ANCESTRAL CHART and HANDBOOK, by Olive Barrick Rowland
Published in 1935 by Garrett and Massey, Richmond.
WILLIAM RITTENHOUSE JR. and REBECCA HARNED had the following children:
i. ISAAC6 (#24887) was born in Locktown, New Jersey, USA.
ii. PRISCILLA (PRESYLLA) (#58861). She married SAMUEL FREEMAN date unknown. (SAMUEL FREEMAN is #66917.)
164 iii. BENJAMIN WILLIAM was born 17 December 1746
165 iv. GARRET was born 1754
166 v. HANNAH was born 1754
167 vi. WILLIAM was born 14 February 1755
168 vii. REBECCA was born 10 August 1758
169 viii. ABNER was born 05 May 1760
170 ix. DANIEL was born 02 March 1761
171 x. CATHERINE was born 1762
xi. ABIGAIL (#21819) was born in Locktown, New Jersey, USA 06 January 1764. ABIGAIL died 1809 at age 45. She married twice. She married UNKNOWN FREEMAN date unknown. (UNKNOWN FREEMAN is #37942.) She married ABRAHAM LA RUE (LAREW) 1781 in Hunterdon Co. NJ., USA. (ABRAHAM LA RUE (LAREW) is #21820.) ABRAHAM was born 20 January 1755. ABRAHAM died 26 May 1840 at age 85.
ABIGAIL RITTENHOUSE married ABRAHAM LA RUE (Larew). Abraham was a veteran, discharged from the army in December 1779. Abigail was almost 16 at the time. Their first child was born 1n 1782. They lived in Fayette County, PA, probably drawn to the area by favorable reports from her three brothers who lived there [see Larew, 1975: 95-97].
SOURCE of INFORMATION
DR. CARL N, SHUSTER, JR. Arlington, Virginia.
e-mail carl.shuster@bookhouse.com
xii. ANNA (#22809) was born in Locktown, New Jersey, USA 1765. She married twice. She married GEORGE DANSVILLE date unknown. (GEORGE DANSVILLE is #34306.) She married UNKNOWN MASON date unknown. (UNKNOWN MASON is #37943.)
62. PRESCILLA (PRESYLAH)5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#58444) was born circa 1720. PRESCILLA died before 1767 in Amwell, Hunterdon Co., N.J., at age unknown.
She married CHRISTOPHER SEARCH circa 1735 in Hunterdon Co. NJ., USA. (CHRISTOPHER SEARCH is #58445.) CHRISTOPHER was born circa 1710 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England. CHRISTOPHER died 1757 in Amwell Twp., Hunterdon Co., N.J., at age 47.
PRESCILLA (PRESYLAH) RITTENHOUSE and CHRISTOPHER SEARCH had the following child:
i. WILLIAM6 (#94463).
63. MOSES5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#58863) was born in Amwell, Hunterdon Co., N.J. 1722. MOSES died 6 September 1774 in Amwell, Hunterdon Co., N.J., at age 52.
He married MARY F. NYE date unknown. (MARY F. NYE is #58864.) MARY was born circa 1723. She married ALBERTIS RINGO date unknown. MARY died 1819
at age 96.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
ANCESTRAL CHART and HANDBOOK, by Olive Barrick Rowland Published in 1935 by Garrett and Massey, Richmond.
MOSES RITTENHOUSE and MARY F. NYE had the following children:
172 i. MOSES6.
ii. CATHARINE (#58866). She married JOSEPH HALL date unknown. (JOSEPH HALL is #58867.)
iii. MARY (#58874). She married JEREMIAH FOSTER date unknown. (JEREMIAH FOSTER is #58875.)
iv. HANNAH (#58876). She married JOHN DERUMPLE date unknown. (JOHN DERUMPLE is #58877.)
v. PATIENCE (#58878). She married ISAAC REA date unknown. (ISAAC REA is #58879.)
173 vi. SARAH was born 1761
64. PETER5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21698) was born in Prallsville, Hunterdon Co. N.J. 1724. PETER died 1791 in Amwell, Hunterdon Co., N.J., at age 67. His body was interred 1791 in Prallsville Cemetery,Hunterdon Co. N.J..
He married twice. He married SARAH HALL date unknown. (SARAH HALL is #21699.) SARAH was born 1735 in Hunterdon Co., Pa., USA. SARAH died 16 May 1811 in Prallsville, Hunterdon Co. N.J., at age 75. Her body was interred after 16 May 1811 in Prallsville Cemetery,Hunterdon Co. N.J.. He married HANNAH HALL date unknown. (HANNAH HALL is #21825.) HANNAH was born 1728 in Hunterdon Co., Pa., USA. HANNAH died 1781 in Prallsville, Hunterdon Co. N.J., at age 53. Her body was interred 1781 in Prallsville Cemetery,Hunterdon Co. N.J..
PETER RITTENHOUSE (1724-1791) married sisters [1] Hannah Hall, [2] Sarah Hall 1735-16 May 1811 He inherited from his father, in addition to lands previously deeded to him, a saw mill and 100 acres of land along the Wickhecheoke Creek near Locktown, a total of about 240 acres. In 1895 it was known as Bray's Mill. His will, in which he terms himself a yeoman, named 8 children and one grandson. PETER and SARAH were buried in the Prallsville Cemetery,Hunterdon Co. N.J..on the Prall farm.
Peter's will is published in the NJ Archives, Vol XXXVII, Abstract of Wills, vol VIII, 1791.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
MR. CARL N, SHUSTER, JR. Arlington, Virginia. (e-mail BREWER-RITTENHOUSE. 27 September 1895. Copy is held by the Wayne County Library in Wooster, Ohio. ANCESTRAL CHART and HANDBOOK, by Olive Barrick Rowland
Published in 1935 by Garrett and Massey, Richmond.
PETER RITTENHOUSE and SARAH HALL had the following children:
i. ELIZABETH6 (#21828) was born in Prallsville, Hunterdon Co. N.J.. She married MANSFIELD JONES 1797 in Kingwood Baptist Church, N.J.. (MANSFIELD JONES is #34297.)
ii. NANCY ANN (#22791) was born in Prallsville, Hunterdon Co. N.J.. She married JOHN KUHL date unknown. (JOHN KUHL is #34298.)
iii. SARAH (#22793) was born in Prallsville, Hunterdon Co. N.J.. SARAH died Died young at age unknown.
SARAH RITTENHOUSE reportedly drowned when she was about 12 years old.
iv. CATHARINE (#22792) was born in Prallsville, Hunterdon Co. N.J. 11 January 1764. CATHARINE died 12 August 1822 in Berks County, PA, USA, at age 58. Her body was interred after 12 August 1822 in St. Paul's Cem. Amityville, Pa.. She married OTHA SANDS 13 May 1784. (OTHA SANDS is #22931.) OTHA was born 24 March 1756. OTHA died 2 September 1831 in Berks County, PA, USA, at age 65. His body was interred after 25 September 1821 in St. Paul's Cem. Amityville, Pa..
174 v. ELISHA was born 25 August 1768
PETER RITTENHOUSE and HANNAH HALL had the following children:
vi. PETER (#22796) was born in Prallsville, Hunterdon Co. N.J..
vii. MARY (#22797) was born in Prallsville, Hunterdon Co. N.J.. MARY died circa 1803 in Conneaut Twp. Crawford Co. Pa, at age unknown. She married WILLIAM HILL 1773 in New Jersey, USA. (WILLIAM HILL is #34296.) WILLIAM was born circa 1752 in New Jersey, USA. WILLIAM died before 1820 in St. Clair Co. Illinois, USA, at age unknown.
175 viii. WILLIAM was born 24 May 1743
176 ix. ELIJAH was born circa 1745
65. ISAAC5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21702) was born in Rosemont, Hunterdon Co., N.J. 13 July 1726. ISAAC died 23 February 1809 in Frenchtown, Hunterdon Co., N.J., at age 82. His body was interred after 23 February 1809 in Prallsville Cemetery,Hunterdon Co. N.J..
He married SUSANNA LAKIN OAKES BAKER date unknown in Amwell, Hunterdon Co., N.J.. (SUSANNA LAKIN OAKES BAKER is #21703.) SUSANNA was born 8 April 1732 in Hunterdon Co. NJ., USA. SUSANNA died 04 June 1824 in New Jersey, USA, at age 92.
ISAAC RITTENHOUSE (13 Jul. 1726-23 Feb. 1809) married SUSAN BAKER (1732-3 Jun. 1824). His will probated 6 Mar. 1809 names 10 children [they had 11: 3 sons and 7 daughters], 3 sons-in-law, and 1 grand-daughter. Among his possessions was a share in the Snap Fishery on Quinby's Island, Delaware River and a share in the fishpond at Howell's Falls, Delaware River.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
MR. CARL N, SHUSTER, JR. Arlington, Virginia. LEACH, JOSIAH GRANVILLE. 1898. Genealogical and Biographical Memorials of the Reading, Howell, Yerkes, Watts, Latham, and
Elkins Families. Philadelphia, PA: J. P. Lippincott Co. [Howell
family, pages 129-146, 152] NEITZ, ROBERT H. 1994. Along the King's Highway 1. Finding
William and Catherine Rittenhouse at rest. Rittenhouse Family
Newsletter Nos. 11/12: 3-6. SHUSTER, CARL N. JR. Jr. 1995. Along the King's Highway 2.
Reading - Howell - Rittenhouse connections. Rittenhouse
Family Newsletter No. 13: 4-8. SNELL, JAMES P. 1881. History of Hunterdon and Somerset
Counties, New Jersey, with Illustrations and Biographical
Sketches of the Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia,
PA: Everts & Peck (press of J. B. Lippincott & Co. Vol. 550
pages. [see page 371] ANCESTRAL CHART and HANDBOOK, by Olive Barrick Rowland
Published in 1935 by Garrett and Massey, Richmond.
At the Wayne County Library in Wooster, Ohio, there is a hand written manuscript , 17 X 24, called The Spruce. It was donated along with other books from the Curtis Memorial Library. Curtis Rittenhouse, 1852-1936, was evidently working with the Rittenhouse Memorial Association founded in 1890. Daniel Kolb Cassel was one of the founding members. The manuscript containing 30 pages appears to be the genealogical research being done by members of the Association as it has been written by several different people. It is not known whether Curtis Rittenhouse was actually working with the Association in the late 19th century or whether he acquired the manuscript to add to his extensive genealogy library. A photocopy of the entire manuscript is in my library.
It states in this manuscript that ISAAC RITTENHOUSE built the hotel at Rosemount, New Jersey in 1754.
ISAAC RITTENHOUSE and SUSANNA LAKIN OAKES BAKER had the following children:
177 i. JOSEPH6.
ii. THEODOSIA (#58908) was born in Hunterdon Co. NJ., USA. She married GEORGE KELS 3 January 1805. (GEORGE KELS is #58909.)
THEODOSIA RITTENHOUSE is not named in the will of Issac Rittenhouse in 1809. It is thought she had died between 1805 and 1809 and thus was not named in the will.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
ANCESTRAL CHART and HANDBOOK, by Olive Barrick Rowland Published in 1935 by Garrett and Massey, Richmond.
178 iii. ELIJAH was born 28 June 1758
179 iv. RACHEL was born 25 October 1760
v. MARY (#22788) was born in Hunterdon Co. NJ., USA 5 December 1762. MARY died 8 June 1802 at age 39. She married UNKNOWN HOUGHTON date unknown. (UNKNOWN HOUGHTON is #36423.)
180 vi. SAMUEL was born 5 February 1765
181 vii. JOHN BAKER (BOSTON JOHN) was born 7 January 1767
182 viii. WILLIAM was born 6 April 1769
ix. ELIZABETH (#21829) was born in Hunterdon Co. NJ., USA 21 February 1771. ELIZABETH died 1826 at age 55. She married CORNELIUS PRALL JR. date unknown. (CORNELIUS PRALL JR. is #21830.)
x. SARAH (#22790) was born in Hunterdon Co. NJ., USA 26 April 1774. SARAH died 17 April 1841 at age 66.
In her will probated 11 May 1841, SARAH RITTENHOUSE names a sister AMY FREE, wife of Benjamin Free of Philadelphia: a niece Theodosia Reading, daughter of Samuel and Susannah Reading; and to her sister SUSANNAH READING, she devises all her rights to her share in the "fishery" on the Delaware River.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
ANCESTRAL CHART and HANDBOOK, by Olive Barrick Rowland Published in 1935 by Garrett and Massey, Richmond.
xi. AMY (#22787) was born in Hunterdon Co. NJ., USA 29 June 1776. AMY died 25 January 1857 at age 80. Her body was interred after 25 January 1857 in Rosemont Cem. Hunterdon Co. NJ. She married BENJAMIN FREE date unknown. (BENJAMIN FREE is #36422.)
183 xii. SUSANNAH was born 15 August 1778
66. HANNAH5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21705) was born in Amwell, Hunterdon Co., N.J. circa 1729. HANNAH died 19 May 1798 in Amwell, Hunterdon Co., N.J., at age 68.
She married A. H. DALRYMPLE date unknown. (A. H. DALRYMPLE is #21706.)
HANNAH RITTENHOUSE and A. H. DALRYMPLE had the following child:
i. MARY6 (#22810). She married PETER HOPPOCK date unknown. (PETER HOPPOCK is #22811.)
67. LOTT5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#8) was born in Amwell, Hunterdon Co., N.J. 1737. LOTT died 23 August 1813 in Frenchtown, Hunterdon Co., N.J., at age 76. His body was interred after 23 August 1813 in Prallsville Cemetery,Hunterdon Co. N.J..
He married twice. He married HANNAH POLLY HIGGINS date unknown in Amwell, Hunterdon Co., N.J.. (HANNAH POLLY HIGGINS is #21709.) HANNAH was born 1729. HANNAH was the daughter of JOSEPH HIGGINS. HANNAH died 1800 at age 71. He married CAROLINE SHAMP date unknown. (CAROLINE SHAMP is #21710.)
LOTT RITTENHOUSE was a farmer but also operated a tannery. His farm was the homestead farm of his father and was located southeast of Rosemont.
LOTT RITTENHOUSE and HANNAH POLLY HIGGINS had the following children:
i. DAVID6 (#22775) was born in Rosemont, Hunterdon Co., N.J.. DAVID died date unknown in Lost at sea, at age unknown.
ii. JESSE (#22777) was born in Rosemont, Hunterdon Co., N.J.. JESSE died 1813 at age unknown. He married MARY SHAMP 04 April 1801 in Hunterdon Co. NJ., USA. (MARY SHAMP is #22778.)
iii. MARY (#22781) was born in Rosemont, Hunterdon Co., N.J.. She married HUGH MCGEE 16 October 1798. (HUGH MCGEE is #22782.)
iv. REBECCA (#34294).
v. ELISHA (#59004).
184 vi. JOSEPH S. was born 1759
185 vii. WILLIAM was born CA 1761
186 viii. SARAH (SALLIE) was born 1763
ix. JOHN LOTT (#22776) was born in Rosemont, Hunterdon Co., N.J. 1765. He married MARIA date unknown. (MARIA is #34295.)
x. NANCY ANN (#22779) was born in Rosemont, Hunterdon Co., N.J. 1772. NANCY died 12 March 1852 at age 79. She married WILLIAM J. WEART date unknown. (WILLIAM J. WEART is #22780.)
68. GARRET5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21711) was born in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa. 1721. GARRET died 1797 in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa., at age 76.
He married UNKNOWN date unknown. (UNKNOWN is #57125.)
GARRET RITTENHOUSE died Intestate in 1797. The Court appointed 3 men as Administrators. CHARLES NYCE, PETER HENCHEL and JOHN MILLS all of Germantown Township, Philadelphia County, Pa.. They put up a Bond for £300 while they took an inventory and disposed of the real estate. The estate received £5 and 10 shillings which was rent on the house, paid by CASPER GUIER. TITUS YERKAS bought 2 acres of the woodland for £118 and 15 shillings. GARRET RITTENHOUSE who I presume was the son, bought the house and 2 acres of land for £241 and 1 shilling.
However there had been a mortgage held by MARY RITTENHOUSE who we have not identified. We don't know the name of his mother or his wife, so it is possible it might have been either of them. The mortgage and balance of debts totalled £365 and 6 shillings which is a little more than the money brought in by the sale of land. The estate had to be declared insolvent.
This is Administration File #266 Book H Page 295 and is held by the Philadelphia Registrar of Wills in Philadelphia, Pa.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
THE SPRUCE This is a manuscript held by the Wayne County Library in Wooster, Ohio, USA. It was donated to this library by Curtis Rittenhouse who lived about 5 miles from Wooster and died in 1936. It is hand written and appears to be the working papers of a genealogical committee working for the Rittenhouse Memorial Society founded in 1890. Curtis Rittenhouse, 1852-1936. may have been one of the researchers and wrote part of the manuscript himself or he may have obtained it later as part of his large library. A copy of the manuscript is now in my library. The information that led us to this manuscript was supplied by Mrs. RENEE Bennett of Colorado, who located it on Genforum message posted by Bruce Arnold.
GARRET RITTENHOUSE and UNKNOWN had the following children:
187 i. HENRY6.
ii. ABRAHAM (#24872) was born in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa..
188 iii. ELIZABETH was born 27 August 1754
189 iv. GARRET was born 1755
190 v. WILLIAM was born 1757
191 vi. MARGARET was born 4 June 1767
69. ABRAHAM5 RITTENHOUSE (WILLIAM4, GERHARD (GARRETT)3, WILHELM2 RÜDDINGHUYSEN, CLAES1 RETTINGHAUSEN) (#21712) was born in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa. 1723. ABRAHAM died 1815 at age 92.
He married ANN date unknown. (ANN is #22754.)
ABRAHAM RITTENHOUSE and ANN had the following children:
i. HENRY6 (#24875) was born in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa..
ii. PETER S. (#24877) was born in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa..
192 iii. JOHN.
iv. ELIZABETH (#24879) was born in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa.. She married MICHAEL LIGHTCAP date unknown. (MICHAEL LIGHTCAP is #37255.)
193 v. MARY.
vi. GARRET (#24881) was born in Cresheim, Philadelphia Co., Pa..
vii. SUSAN (#36368). She married MICHAEL LIGHTCAP date unknown. (MICHAEL LIGHCAP is #36369.)
194 viii. HESTER.
195 ix. ABRAHAM was born 1753
x. WILLIAM (#24876) was born 1756. WILLIAM died 1819 at age 63.
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