Andreas Winter

Origins and Immigration

Andreas Winter was Germanic, and came from either France, Germany, or Switzerland. One of his daughters identified Wattenheim, Bad Durkheim, Germany, as their point of origin.

He arrived in Philadelphia with most of his children, and probably his wife as well, in 1734. His immediate family left few records behind, but what they did leave was centered around Bern Township, Berks County, where they seem to have initially settled.

From this source:

12 Sep 1734, Palatines aboard the ship "Saint Andrew", John Stedman, master, arrived in Philadelphia from Rotterdam via Plymouth. Inhabitants were 89 males over 16, 41 males under 16, 133 females. On the same ship were:

• Anna Maria Winder [Andreas' wife],
• Andreas Winder,
• Ann Margaret Winder,
• Marilis Winder,
• Maria Catrina Winder
• Nicholas Winder.

These were all over the age of 14, which excluded Andreas and Anna Maria's children. They therefore must have been siblings of, or spouses of siblings of, Andreas - likely younger than he. We don't know anything more than that, especially since they do not appear in any records in Pennsylvania I am aware of, but I have included them in that way.

Life

Andreas Winter was born sometime around 1695. He arrived in Philadelphia with his wife and children in 1734. The family settled in Bern Township, Berks County, and a number of his children stayed on into adulthood, which is why we know anything at all about him.

His children baptized some members of their families in the Lutheran tradition, so Andreas was definitely of Protestant religious persuasion, but we do not know anything more than that.

Andreas's wife's given name and birth surname are unknown, and indeed Andreas himself was barely recorded.

Children:

1. Johann Adam Winter, b, c. 1720
2. Catharina Kolb, b. c. 1723
3. Justina Margaretha Specht, b. 1725
4. Andrew Winter, b. c. 1726
5. Christina Glassbrenner, b. 1727
6. Peter Winter, b. 1729
7. Christopher Winter, b. 1733
8. Hans George Winter, b. July 1738
9. Joseph Winter, b. 1740
10. Jacob Winter, b. 1744

The last three children were born in Bern Township, Berks County. Andreas likely died in Bern Township, but we have no will and no tombstone and no record of this.

Caveats

Andreas and his family have been assembled very specifically from these sources: the immigration record for Andreas Winter himself, the lack of any other timely immigration records, and the existence of specific Winter gravestones and Winter family web trees in Montgomery and Berks Counties. Amazingly, all of these fit together to form a coherent family with well-aligned estimated birth dates. But there stands a chance of the picture being incorrect in some way that future information will illuminate.