Johannes Martin Batdorf

Life

A Patriot of the American Revolution for PENNSYLVANIA. DAR Ancestor # A012486

• ID: I0527
• Name: Johannes Martin Batdorf
• Sex: M
• Birth: SEP 1699 in Badorf Village, Bayern, Palatinate, Germany
• Death: APR 1787 in Berks Co. Pennsylvania
• Burial: Berks Co. Pennsylvania
• Immigration: 10 JUL 1710 New York, New York
• Emigration: 1717 Schohaire Co. New York
• Emigration: 1723 Tulpehocken Creek, Pennsylvania
• Military Service: Revolutionary War

The Pottorff Family Tree

Compiled by Evelyn Gold

A great part of this information is from material compiled by Dolores Runbeck, box 168 Lindsborg, Kansas, and sent to me, Evelyn Gold, Harold Pottorff, 10625 SE 362nd Ave., Boring Oregon. Other sources, Mrs. Floyd (Freda Schnautz) Pottorff and immediate relatives of mine as so designated.

The name was written in German and as many of the day couldn't write English, they wrote by the sound thus came many spellings: Baldorf, Bardorf, Bardorst, Batdorft, Battorf, Baldorf, Bottorff, Battdorff, Battouff, Batturff, Pottorff, Patterff, Potdorff, Potterf, Puttoff.

The family came from Wurttenberg, Germany to America. They joined a large group of Palatines which the Board of Trade of London determined to send to New York state. They were to provide Naval stores and they settled first on the Hudson River. They came to America in one of Queen Ann's ten ships which started in 1709 & arrived in 1710. The family seems to have consisted of the father, mother, & 2 children. The son, apparently about 14 or 15 years old in 1709 or 1710. the sister was a year or so younger.

In the Simmendinger Register, in 1710-1715 we find the widow, Ann Baldorff & 2 children recorded as living in New Annesburg, a small community in Schohaire County, New York. The name appears in a reference to a communion service held March 23, 1712 in Queensburg, believed to be one of the Palatine settlements along the Hudson River.

They are the earliest dates in whcih the name appears in the Mowhawk & Schoharie Valley settlements. The name given in the Rockerthol records is spelled Bardorf, Martin & Bardorst, (orf) Catherine, Elizabeth, daughter of Heinrich & Anna Margaretha Ohrendorf. This was on June 9, 1717.

Martin, the son, married around 1719 apparently in the Schohaire, New York region. A son was born approximately in 1720. I have Martin's wife's name as Maria Elizabeth Ludwig but also other information points to the fact that this is not correct.

Conrad Weiser led a number of refugees to the "Penn Lands" or Pennsylvania from the Schohaire Valley after troubles with the "Dutch Land Grabbers" in Albany, New York. After being driven off their lands, they settled in the Tupelhacken region of Penn. settling in what is now Berks & Lebanon Counties, Penns.

Martin's name does not appear with the original group who entered Pennsy. in 1723 but other immigrants came at regular intervals growing from the first 15 families to 33 families in 1725. His name appears with others in a petition to the Penn. government to buy land dated Feb 17, 1725. His name appears in a petition sigend by 28 people for a road improvement in 1727. He is listed in 1724 showing "first tracts of land" shwoing his holdings in Lancaster County Pennsylvania near Lancaster.

Many records are found recorded in the old Batdorf "Christ Lutheran Church" located about one mile west of Stouchburg Penn. The cornerstone of which was laid May 12, 1743. According to baptismal records it shows that Martin and his wife had at least 10 children possibly 11 or 1, no birthdates are given, only for one daughter.

The baptismal records indicate the following:

• son-1720;
• daughter-1723;
• son- 1724;
• son-1725;
• son- 1727;
• daughter-1729;
• daughter- 1733;
• son- 1736;
• son- 1747;
• son- 1748.

The names of the children are recorded as:

1. Hermanns
2. George Peter, married twice, 2nd marriage Elizabeth- 7 children
3. Christian, married Euphronsia Karmitz
4. John Adams, married Elizabeth Zeller (our ancestor)
5. Henry
6. Martin, 16 1/2 years old when confirmed in Christ Lutheran Church 1751
7. Maria Margaretta, married John Conrad Weiser
8. Anna Eve, married Jacob Weiser
9. Maria Elizabeth, 15 years old at Confirmation in 1752.

In the list of members or the Church (Tulpehocken) for the years 1743-1746 is found the names of Martin Batdorf and his oldest son, Hermannus Batdorf.

Martin resided in Lancaster and Berks County Pa. during the Revolutionary War. In the history of Lebanon Co. Pa. by Wm. Henry Engle page 43-44 is recorded that Martin Batdorf signed the Oath of Allegiance. Martin Batdorf gave 3 horses for use in the Army to Chief Commissary Henry Vanderslice, whose itinery covering the area in which Martin lived, this was in Oct. or Nov. 1777, the 10th or 11th day from the "Annals of Womelsdorf" by P. C. Croll, page 69. Martin died in Burks Co. Pa. after 1778, possibly 1782, at about 87 years of age.

John Adams Batdorf, Martin's son, estimated born about 1727 from baptism records. He married Ann Elizabeth Zeller, born about 1730, perhaps in Penn. the daughter of John Henrich Zeller, born 1684, died 1754, Berks co. Pa. served in Campaign against Canada 1711 (from National Society of Daughters of Colonial Wars 1941- page 539.)

The marriage (of John Adam Batdrof and Ann Elizabeth Zeller) took place approximately in 1745 or 1746 judging from the birthdates of the children:

1. John George, born 1746 or 1747 (Captain in Rev. War)
2. Martinus (born Aug. 30, 1748, married Maria Barbara Hautz in Penn. Oct. 31, 1770)
3. Johann Peter, born 1749, married Margaret- had one son John who died 1842
4. Andreas, (Andrew) born June 6, 1751
5. Eve Elizabeth, born March 8, 1753, married John Jacob Seibert, son of Wendel april 6, 1773
6. Johann Henry, born Oct. 17, 1754- married July, 23, 1776 Sophia Frickers born 1753. Johann Henry was ensign in Revolutionary war. He came to Kentucky in 1790, and owned land near Beargrass Creek. He was a Presbyterian preacher.
7. Simeon, born Sept. 20, 1755

John Adams Pottorff died Oct 10, 1757. The names and ages of the children are given in the Orphans Court, Berks Co. Pa. held Feb 16, 1759. Docket No. 1, page 35. Guardians were appointed for the orphaned children.

Distribution of Estate: 81 lbs. 10s 91/2d

• Widow's Dower 27 lbs. 3s 71/2d
• George Battorff, eldest son 13 lbs. 11s 91/2d
• Martin Battorff 6 lbs. 15s 10 3/4d
• Peter Battroff 15s
• Andrew Battorff 15s
• Henry Battorff 15s
• Simon Batrorff 15s
• Eve Elizabeth Battorff 15s

It is signed by Lenhart Schwartz and Elizabeth Battorff Schwartz and dated March 11, 1761. Lenhart Schwartz had a prominent Rev. war record- I have some information on him. Lenhart Schwartz, wife Elizabeth Battorff, and their children, together with Martin, Andrew and Simon moved to Washington Co. Maryland near Hagerstown, Md. Descendants of the Schawatz's still live at Hagerstown and I have corresponded with some.

Martin married Maria Barbara Hautz (her mother was a Walborn,) I haven't found proof of Martin's service in the Rev. war. I found in Brumbaugh and Hodges Revolutionary Records of Maryland for Washington Co. Md. Patriots Oath, March Court 1778 a list of persons who have taken the oath of Fidelity and support to the state of Maryland etc. lists Martin Bauttauf and Andrew Bauttauf, Andrew Pottorff is listed as a Militia officer in another list.

Alternate history

With his wife, left Wurttemberg, Germany, and joined a large group of Palatines which the Board of Trade of London determined to send to the state of New York for the purpose of preparing naval stores. They embarked at Portsmouth in December, 1709 in ten ships, but their departure was delayed until April, 1710. This delay on crowded ships occasioned much sickness and many deaths.

On June 13, 1710, the first ship reached the Port of New York, and on August 2, that year, the last of the ten ships arrived.

By 1717, Martin and Elizabeth were living in PA.

In October 1710, these 2500 Palatines left NY, being sent along the Hudson River. They settled on three tracts of land, two on the west side containing 7100 acres and the third on the east side of the river, containing 6000 acres.

Martin's name appears on a list taken from a petition for a road from Oley to Tulpehocken presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions at Philidelphia in September 1727; his name also appears on a list of those identified in land deeds and land patents.

This ambitious attempt to have these Germans (or the Palatinates, as they are usually called) produce naval stores failed miserably in less than two years. The causes usually given for this failure were these: first, inadequate preparation for the undertaking; second, insufficient supervision by experts; third, inadequate financial support from England; fourth, inconsiderate treatment of Palatinates by the Governor.

Much discontent naturally followed, and in 1712 about 700 of them removed to Schoharie, which is some miles distant to the West of the tracts mentioned.

Years later, after they had carefully cleared their lands, purchased from the Indians, and built cabins thereon, they were told by the greedy Dutch land owners, who had quietly allowed the settlement, that they, (the Dutch) held prior claims.

FindAGrave

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38657092/johannes-martin-batdorf

Parents: John Jacob Peter Bardorf and Kunigunda Weygand Bardorf
Wife: Maria Elizabeth Walborn Batdorf Children: Hermanus Batdorf, John Adam Batdorf, Christian Batdorf, George Peter Batdorf, Maria Margaretha Batdorf Weiser, Heinrich Batdorf, Martin Batdorf, Jr., Maria Elizabeth Batdorf Koppenhaver, Elizabeth Batdorf Walborn, Catherine Batdorf Noecher

(There is no written record that Johannes Martin is buried here. It is an assumption because he was a charter member and deacon of this congregation and lived in this area. No tombstone can be found although there are others of his family buried here.)

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38657092/johannes-martin-batdorf

Johannes Martin Batdorf BIRTH 8 Jan 1695 Germany DEATH 20 Feb 1782 (aged 87) Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA BURIAL Unknown MEMORIAL ID 38657092 · View Source MEMORIAL PHOTOS 0 FLOWERS 28 PLANT TREES Parents: John Jacob Peter Bardorf and Kunigunda Weygand Bardorf Wife: Maria Elizabeth Walborn Batdorf Children: Hermanus Batdorf, John Adam Batdorf, Christian Batdorf, George Peter Batdorf, Maria Margaretha Batdorf Weiser, Heinrich Batdorf, Martin Batdorf, Jr., Maria Elizabeth Batdorf Koppenhaver, Elizabeth Batdorf Walborn, Catherine Batdorf Noecher

(There is no written record that Johannes Martin is buried here. It is an assumption because he was a charter member and deacon of this congregation and lived in this area. No tombstone can be found although there are others of his family buried here.)

Family Members Parents Johannes Jacob Peter Batdorf 1671–1709

Photo Anna Maria Catharina Anspach Zeller 1682–1748

Spouse Maria Elizabeth Walborn Batdorf 1696–1796 (m. 1716)

Siblings Photo Catharina Elisabetha Batdorf Walborn 1697–1764

Half Siblings Catharina Elizabeth Zeller Rieth 1714–1757

Photo Margredalis Zeller Bickel 1715–1748

Photo John Heinrich Zeller 1720–1790

Photo Anna Amelia Zeller Weiser 1729–1801

Children Hermanus Batdorf 1719–1763

Johannes Adam Batdorf 1723–1757

Photo Christian Batdorf 1724–1781

George Peter Batdorf 1725–1792

Anna Catherina Batdorff Noecker 1727 – unknown

Photo Maria Margaretha Batdorff Weiser 1729–1772

Eva Marie Batdorf Koppenheffer 1738–1805