Jacob Mast

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The following history was written by others who manage the profile of Jacob Mast....thanks for sharing, as I have not researched this family myself!

When the name Mast or Maust was first started is not known now, but C Z Mast in his "Annals Of Conestoga Valley" states that in the vicinity of Brookhausen, in Westfalia, Germany, there is in the year 1429, A Dietrich Mast, named as a landowner. In Kurkfalz, Germany, in officers record of 1717 is the name of a tax recorder, Peter Jacob von der Mast.

In the "Ausbund, Christliche Lieder" the oldest song book or hymnal that nay Protestant church still uses, is used by many Old Order Amish congregations. On page 166, Das28 Lied, is a Martyrs song about No 4 who were killed in 1570 at Mastricht, Holland, for their religious views. A small Menonite church was there at one time. Mastricht in 1950 had a population of 80,000. If it has any connections with Masts I do not know now.

Some years ago a salesman for dairy supplies contacted me and said his name was Maust. He asked "How we spell our name?" He said that many years ago in the old country, they all spelled it Mast but one of them stole a horse and his brothers were so embarrassed, so mortified that the changed their name to Maust so they would not be identified with the horse thief.

What were the reasons so many came over-seas? The two main reasons were religious persecution, and a terrible time to make ends meet financially, in many places in Europe, most Amish were peasants (renters) and they were oppressed very stiffly by the landlords, very, very few owned land in the old country.

Back in the 16 and 17 hundreds the voyage overseas was sometime terrible. Steamships were unknown, usually with good winds, it took 8 to 12 weeks to cross the Atlantic, many ships furnished warm food 3 times a week. Food was damp, usually full of worms and spider, lice on food so thick it had to be scraped off. Fowl, stinky water also full of worms. Few children under 7 could make the trip they would die from itch, hunger and thirst. One instance is reported when a vessel was enroute 24 weeks, 150 went on board, only 50 were alive when they reached the new world, seven died of starvation (out of food) in one night, they even ate rats and mice. In those days there was much dishonest dealing in the immigration business. A young man, Philip Lantz, was kidnapped and shipped overseas. He is the progenitor of the Amish Lantz'.

A young couple by the name of Melchior Blank asked the captain of a ship, if they could board his ship to say good-bye to an acquaintance or relative. The captain said they could even sleep with them, as they would not sail till morning. The next morning when they awoke they were so far out at sea that no land was visible. From this family came our Amish Planks, in America.

A John B Mast from Wurtemburg, Germany, wanted to come to America, about 1840 or 50. An organizer collected about 400 people and they started. Instead of coming to the United States he left them stranded at Maracaibo, Venezuela, South America. Sometime after arrival the Masts had a baby girl, and it was the first white child born in that place.

The cost of the trip varied at different years. The lowest I read of was $7.65 in our money in the 17 hundreds, and maybe a freighter at that. Many poor people sold their services to residents over here, sometimes for several years and the residents who were well off financially would pay the ship's fare for these poor.

Notice in the "Lancaster Intelligencer Journal" for September 10, 1801 reads, "A number still on board the ship 'Anna' from Hamburg, Germany, lying abreast of Vine Street warf, (Philadelphia) consisting of mechanics of every description, farmers and others, their time will be disposed of at the low rate of $80.00 for their passage." Just when the first Amish came to America is not quiet certain. But it's thought that widow Barbara Yoder whose husband died at sea, arrived in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 1714. This family consisted of 10 members. Her grandson, Jacob Yoder, was the first person to run a flat boat down the Mississippi river to New Orleans. The first Mast in America came in 1727, but he was not supposed to have been a Mennonite. Not until 1727 did more Amish appear. Three more families came in 1733, Johannes Lapp, Johannes Reichenbach and Johannes Slabach.

Then in 1736 on September 1, Jacob Hostedler, Johannes Lorentz, Peter Rupp, and Jacob Gochenauer landed. Melchoir Detwiler also came the same year. But the next year 9 families arrived October 8, 1737 on the ship "Charming Polly" from Rotterdam, Holland, controlled by Captain Charles Stedman. The landing is recorded in series 2, volume 17 of Pennsylvania Archives there was listed 105 men, 107 women, 25 boys. C Henry Smith in his "the Mennonite Immigration to Pennsylvania," states the 9 families (Amish) were Jacob Beiler, Hans Schantz, Hans Gerber, Jr., Christian Kurtz, Jacob Mueller, Hans Zimmerman, Christian Hertzberger, Jacob Mast and Christian Buerki. One woman named Barbara Mast may have been Jacob's wife. Jacob was on the sick list. Jacob located in Berks County, PA. Land was bought from the sons of William Penn as they inherited much of Pennsylvania. Some land was bought for as little as 16 cents an acre.

A tax list of Bern township, Berks County, in 1754 includes the following names, Jacob Burkey, Jacob Burkey, Jr., Christian Byler, Hans Curtis, Christian Fisher, Jacob Good, Christian Kauffman, Jacob Kauffman, Jacob Hartzler, Jacob Hochstetler, Christian Hershberger, Christian King, Samuel King, Stephen Kurtz, Hans Lantz, Jacob Mayer, Jacob Mast, Jacob Miller, Nicholas Miller, John Miller, Jacob Reesor, Christian Stutzman, Jacob Stutzman, Christian Yoder, Christian Yoder, Jr., Jacob Yoder, John Yoder, Christian Zoog, Moritz Zoog and Hans Zimmerman. Most historians believe that in Berks County was the first Amish Congregation (church) in America. Jacob Hartzler was the first preacher. This Congregation did not las very ong as in 1757 the Indians went on a wild warpath, killing over 500 whites in Pennsylvania. Berks County is located on the esast side of the Blue Mountains and the Indians still roamed at will from the mountains on west to the Pacific Ocean. Then Amish were on the very edge of the frontier.

Some Amish were killed, some taken prisoners, like the Hochstetler family. C Henry Smith claims this disrupted the Amish Congregation in that part and most of them moved a little farther away from the Indians - some farther east in the same county, others started the Lancaster Congregation in Lancaster County.

But Jacob Mast is supposed to have stayed, and his children's names, taken from an old will that is supposed to have been his, are Anna (in the will it reads, Anna who is my oldest daughter by my first wife and has married Jacob Kauffman), Hans Mast, Jacob, Christian, Frena and Joseph.

In C Z Mast's work, printed in 1911, entitled "Mast family History," Hans is mentioned but written as John, page 275, no 781, footnote states that John was born April 23, 1749 and on April 6, 1773, he married Anna Staehle who was born May 24, 1753, daughter of Henry Staehle. In "Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler" this John Mast is mentioned in footnote no 6755.

John Hochstetler, no 1387, in "Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler," married a Frances Mast, who she was is not known - could she be the above Frena?

Some people have a tradition that the youngest or at least the last named in the will, Joseph Mast, was our forebear or ancestor that lived and died on Negro Mountain, Somerset, PA. But much more evidence has come up that he is not our ancestor.

Jacob's will is dated January 6, 1772, and his son, Jacob, is named executor. Immigrant Jacob is supposed to have died in Berks County.

During the Revolutionary war (1776) according to C Z Mast of Elverson, PA, many Amish and Mennonites were severely tried. Christian Zug and a brother, John, with Christian Schmucker, Jacob Mast, Jacob and Stephen Kauffman, John Hertzler and others were drafted into service, but refused to bear arms on account of their non-resistant faith. These men were taken to Reading, PA jail. After a speedy trial they were sentenced to death. Bishop Jacob Hertzler administered the Lord's Supper to the condemned brethren, but God cause Henry Hartzell, a pastor of the German Reformed Church, to personally appeal to the authorities and said that these Amish left Europe so they could have religious freedom. The sentence was never carried out. These men were in jail so long that the women had to do some of the field work. There was more than one Jacob Mast, but the Jacob Mast, Jr., (son of the Jacob who came overseas) was probably about 25 or some at this time.

Three Mast brothers came overseas and one is our patriarchal ancestor.

C Henry Smith in his "Immigrants to Pennsylvania," names them as Jacob (arriving 1737) and Christian who settled in Virginia, his descendants have been lost to the Amish faith. And he manes Abraham as the youngest brother; very little is known of him if that is his name. His name cannot be found in the archives of Pennsylvania. We know that Joseph Maust, born 1764, is one of our ancestors.

April 2nd, 1960, I talked with Jonas Maust, Jr., a grandson of old Joseph, and he said that his father always said that Joseph came overseas and was one of the three brothers, and that he was single on arrival. To date we have not checked any official customs office or state archives to see if his date of arrival may be known; as Joseph coming overseas has been known to me only some weeks.

To make our Mast History more complicated, we have only to read a letter written 1909 to C Z Mast, at the time he was compiling the book of his ancestry, I copied it from his Mast history on page 706.

Myerdale, PA April 3. 1909

Mr. C Z Mast Elverson, PA

Dear Sir: I noticed recently in the newspaper that you are compiling a history of your family and I would be pleased to learn whether I am connected with your branch of Masts. The orthography of our ancestors autograph was written Mast by later the spelling of the name was adopted Maust or Moist. My great grandfather, Abraham Mast, and two brothers, Jacob and Christian, came from Europe. Jacob had settled in Virginia. I advise you to come and see us as there are a great number of Mausts living in this community, hoping to receive an early reply.

Yours Truly, L J Maust

Now the contradictory part is that this L J Maust was a brother to the grandson, Jonas Maust, Jr., that I talked with. At present, Jonas, Jr., is the only grandchild of old Joseph alive - 87 years old. This letter also asserts that Jacob went to Virginia, most historians believe that Christian who arrived 1752, went there and that his brother, Jacob, who arrived 1737, stayed in Berks County. Old Jacob has a son also named Jacob - maybe this letter is referring to the younger man. Lately, I found out that there are Masts near St. Paul, Virginia, in the extreme southwest corner of the state, in the mountains - they may be the descendants of Christian or Jacob.

Daniel Hochstetler (No. 5758 in "Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler") was a grandson of Immigrant Jacob Hostetler and Daniel married Barbara Mast, daughter of Christian Maust. Who was this Christian? Was he a son of Abraham and a brother to our Joseph? Or was he a grandson of Jacob Mast of 1737 arrival? Jacob's son, John (or Johann), had a son, Christian, who was born July 24, 1777. The above Daniel and John Hochstetler, who married Frances Mast, were brothers. Even this Frances Mast could have been a sister of niece of Joseph.

Harvey Hochstetler, compiler of the Hochstetler book, wrote C Z Mast, April 16, 1909, that he had obtained some descendants of Christian Must who married a Seeze. If this referred to the above Christian I would not know.

By the close of the Revolutionary War the demand for cheap lands for the surplus population in the Pennsylvania communities became acute.

The Mennonites had been made uncomfortable during the war by their refusal to support the army. This new government which had treated them with little respect and which seemed to crumble into an anarchy, when the war was over, gave them little hope for toleration. One of the reasons their forefathers left Europe. So many young families looked for more room farther west, a few coming to Somerset County for a cheap home in 1767 to 1785.

Some people tell me times have changed, I believe it. Years ago they moved to cheap land. Now some will pay over a thousand dollars an acre, in some communities, so they can stay close to dad and mom and be in the same community or Congregation they were raised up.

Joseph Maust was born 1764, died May 20, 1846. He was probably the son of an Abraham Maust. His first wife was named Berkley. Some believe he came overseas and others say his father. They or he came from Switzerland.

Joseph came to Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and bought a farm from the Government. The warrant was dated 1795. Paid $3.00 (three dollars) for the patent, dated 1805 and recorded 1806. The farm is situated on Negro Mountain about 2900 feet above sea level and one side of farm is bounded by Elk Creek. He started farming with nearly Ùa acre cleared. He used rye straw to make collars for horses and the inside bark of hickory trees to make his harness. They used one wooden spoon to eat their soup. What kind of log house he built we do not know. But some of the earliest log houses had roofs of rye straw tied together and layered like shingles. They claim rye straw put on right lasted 50 years. Split clapboard came a little later. His grandson told me that Joseph built a new log house the year the last child was born (1831). Later on they put siding on it. Joseph's wife used to sweep the stairway after each snow so the children could come down without stepping in snow with their bare feet. Their children, oldest was John, born October 17, 1785; married a Miss Shoemaker, was killed by a log rolling on him. Date of death not given. A. Joseph; B. Jacob; C. Daniel; D. Mary; E. Samuel; F. Christian; G. Susan; H. Fanny; I. Sarah. Joseph married second time Mary Schrock, born 1784, died in 1855. Their children, Lydia, born April 22, 1826, died in 1840; Jonas, the youngest.

Joseph was born January 2, 1786 (date is confusing, John is supposed to be born 3 months earlier), died November 20, 1850, was married to Sarah, daughter of Peter miller, No 9163 descendants of Jacob Hochstetler. Joseph had 8 children. He moved to Holmes County, Ohio, May 6, 1810. I quote again from D, of J H page 935. Jonas Miller (son of Peter) and his wife, Catherine Hershberger, Christian Yoder and his wife, Magdalena, sister of above Catherine, Joseph Mast and his wife, Sarah sister of above named Jonas Miller, and John Troyer and wife, Magdalena, also a sister of Jonas, were the first four families to live in Holmes County, Ohio. Jonas Miller is a grandson of John Miller who was wounded by the Indians when they were taking the Jacob Hochstetler family into captivity.

Land was much cheaper in Holmes County, C Z Mast in his Mast family history, states that here is a tradition that Joseph Mast tried a year earlier (1809) to secure a home in Holmes County, Ohio but was driven back by the Indians (by tradition we mean that it is an old story that we are not positively sure of, handed down so some generations by word of mouth).

Jacob Mast was born June 1, 1787, died September 1, 1861, married daughter of Henry Yoder, had 2 children (see No 3871 D of J H), married second time to Magdalena, daughter of Abraham Miller and Anna Hochstetler, had 7 children, with 2nd wife, Jacob moved to Walnut Creek, Holmes County, Ohio, probably 1812, is buried in the Walnut Creek Mennonite Church graveyard. Jacob had a son, Joseph, who is No 1 of Joseph J Mast family history, compiled by Moses E Mast.

On page 439 of D of J H family, 3871 footnote, it states that Jacob Mast, Daniel Mast who married Elizabeth Hochstetler, Susan Mast who married Joseph Hochstetler and Joseph Mast were brothers and sister.hochstetler,susan

Joseph was one of the first settlers in Walnut Creek, Holmes County, Ohio. On page 251 of D of J H family No 1934, is described the murder of little Susan Hochstetler. Little Susan was taken out of her crib and smothered beneath pillows and blankets while her parents were boiling down sugar water, after dark. They had not left the child very long (for a better description see page 636465 in D of J H). This happened March 5, 1810 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

Jacob Mast was named one of the inquest jurors to investigate the crime. The trial occurred in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Solomon Hochstetler was blamed but his wife said he was at home all evening. Nobody was sentenced, but Solomon was blamed for years. Some 50 years later Henry Yoder, a brother of Jacob's wife (also a brother of Christian who was of the party of 4 families who left for Holmes county), confessed the crime. Most of that time he belonged to the older order Amish. Solomon Hochstetler who was still living cried like a child, when the confession was told him. And he was relieved of the blame by the church. Solomon and Henry were both living in Holmes County, Ohio, then.

Daniel and his wife are buried near Mt. Hope, Ohio, on the farm that he owned (now owned by Levi Stutzman). Elizabeth, Daniel's wife is the oldest grave in that graveyard.

Mary Mast, 5th child of Joseph Maust, was born March 21, 1796, died April 21, 1895 (99 years), was married to Daniel Miller (No 3477, D of J H), who was born April 10, 1794, died April, 1835, had 7 children.

Samuel Mast, born November 1, 1800.

Christian Mast, born November 17, 1801, died March 17, 1876, married Dorley Hochstetler (NO 1935, D of J H) born August 4, 1808, died January 15, 1875, had 3 children. Dorley was a sister to the little Susan who was smothered by Henry Yoder, Jr., in 1810.

Susan Mast married Joseph Hochstetler (NO 4162, D of J H) and moved to Holmes County, Ohio. Susan died when 66 years old.

Fanny married Michael Gingerich of Wayne County, Ohio.

Sarah married a Seese.

Jonas Maust, the youngest, born September 10, 1831, died July 28, 1916, married Barbara Miller (No 3311, D of J H). They had 13 children. At this writing there is still one alive, Jonas, Jr. now 86 years old. He would be a first cousin to Henry D Mast, No 1 of this volume.

Jonas is No 1 of the book entitled "A Complete History of Jonas Maust and His Father's Family" by Jonas D Gnagey. It consists of 51 families. In the historical account they claim Joseph was a brother of Jacob Mast who arrived in 1737 and of Christian Mast who arrived in 1752 and that Joseph also came overseas. From this book was the first that I read so, all other accounts either say that Joseph was a son of Immigrant Jacob of 1737 or a son of Abraham Maust. Jonas Maust, Jr., a grandson of old Joseph, still has the adz that his grandfather used.

Pioneer Joseph is buried on the farm that he had bought in 1795, near the barn, they tell me. It would be interesting to know where Joseph lived before he bought this farm as the oldest child was 10 at the time of purchase.

Leaving our relatives, I will give one account of another Mast family. In 1750, two brothers, Jacob and John Mast with 4 sisters, all in care of their uncle, Johannes Mast, arrived at Philadelphia, November 3, on ship Brotherhood from Rotterdam. The young John Mast was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and later settled in North Carolina. Young Jacob was only 11 years old and he is No 1 in the "Mast Family History" compiled by C Z Mast of whom I have quoted quite often in this treatise. Jacob was a bishop in the Amish Church. He lived in Berks County and later moved to Lancaster County, PA. He died in 1/808. One of his descendants by the name of Stephen Mast (if I remember correctly) owned a parcel of land where the City of Baltimore, Maryland, now is. He had bought a large tract before the city existed. He made a will to the effect that the firth generation after him should inherit this legacy. He is supposed to have been single all his life. This created one of the most exciting episodes in Mast History, if I could relate it better. The fifth generation must have been about 1890 or so. My father told me that some who thought they would be inheritors were nearly beside themselves, (he remembers it as a boy) thinking of the man millions this land would now bring. They acted worldly, Carnel minded. A lawyer was sent to investigate and procure this fortune. The lawyer came back and stated that several pages were torn out of the deed archives and no record of the Mast purchase could be certified.

A friendly greeting to you very beloved Father Joseph Mast I let you herein know that we God be thankful pretty well are and I wish my little writing would youns also. Also meet. Further let I you know that I would like that you make that Deed for the Hundred Quarter land which I from you have and would you send it by the nearest Occasion so one of your friend and well wisher.

October 1, 1836.

May God bless all of the readers.

Dan L Mast Millersburg, Indiana

When the name Mast or Maust was first started is not known now, but C Z Mast in his "Annals Of Conestoga Valley" states that in the vicinity of Brookhausen, in Westfalia, Germany, there is in the year 1429, A Dietrich Mast, named as a landowner. In Kurkfalz, Germany, in officers record of 1717 is the name of a tax recorder, Peter Jacob von der Mast.

In the "Ausbund, Christliche Lieder" the oldest song book or hymnal that nay Protestant church still uses, is used by many Old Order Amish congregations. On page 166, Das28 Lied, is a Martyrs song about No 4 who were killed in 1570 at Mastricht, Holland, for their religious views. A small Menonite church was there at one time. Mastricht in 1950 had a population of 80,000. If it has any connections with Masts I do not know now.

Some years ago a salesman for dairy supplies contacted me and said his name was Maust. He asked "How we spell our name?" He said that many years ago in the old country, they all spelled it Mast but one of them stole a horse and his brothers were so embarrassed, so mortified that the changed their name to Maust so they would not be identified with the horse thief.

What were the reasons so many came over-seas? The two main reasons were religious persecution, and a terrible time to make ends meet financially, in many places in Europe, most Amish were peasants (renters) and they were oppressed very stiffly by the landlords, very, very few owned land in the old country. Back in the 16 and 17 hundreds the voyage overseas was sometime terrible. Steamships were unknown, usually with good winds, it took 8 to 12 weeks to cross the Atlantic, many ships furnished warm food 3 times a week. Food was damp, usually full of worms and spider, lice on food so thick it had to be scraped off. Fowl, stinky water also full of worms. Few children under 7 could make the trip they would die from itch, hunger and thirst. One instance is reported when a vessel was enroute 24 weeks, 150 went on board, only 50 were alive when they reached the new world, seven died of starvation (out of food) in one night, they even ate rats and mice. In those days there was much dishonest dealing in the immigration business. A young man, Philip Lantz, was kidnapped and shipped overseas. He is the progenitor of the Amish Lantz'.

A young couple by the name of Melchior Blank asked the captain of a ship, if they could board his ship to say good-bye to an acquaintance or relative. The captain said they could even sleep with them, as they would not sail till morning. The next morning when they awoke they were so far out at sea that no land was visible. From this family came our Amish Planks, in America.

A John B Mast from Wurtemburg, Germany, wanted to come to America, about 1840 or 50. An organizer collected about 400 people and they started. Instead of coming to the United States he left them stranded at Maracaibo, Venezuela, South America. Sometime after arrival the Masts had a baby girl, and it was the first white child born in that place.

The cost of the trip varied at different years. The lowest I read of was $7.65 in our money in the 17 hundreds, and maybe a freighter at that. Many poor people sold their services to residents over here, sometimes for several years and the residents who were well off financially would pay the ship's fare for these poor. Notice in the "Lancaster Intelligencer Journal" for September 10, 1801 reads, "A number still on board the ship 'Anna' from Hamburg, Germany, lying abreast of Vine Street warf, (Philadelphia) consisting of mechanics of every description, farmers and others, their time will be disposed of at the low rate of $80.00 for their passage." Just when the first Amish came to America is not quiet certain. But it's thought that widow Barbara Yoder whose husband died at sea, arrived in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 1714. This family consisted of 10 members. Her grandson, Jacob Yoder, was the first person to run a flat boat down the Mississippi river to New Orleans. The first Mast in America came in 1727, but he was not supposed to have been a Mennonite. Not until 1727 did more Amish appear. Three more families came in 1733, Johannes Lapp, Johannes Reichenbach and Johannes Slabach.

Then in 1736 on September 1, Jacob Hostedler, Johannes Lorentz, Peter Rupp, and Jacob Gochenauer landed. Melchoir Detwiler also came the same year. But the next year 9 families arrived October 8, 1737 on the ship "Charming Polly" from Rotterdam, Holland, controlled by Captain Charles Stedman. The landing is recorded in series 2, volume 17 of Pennsylvania Archives there was listed 105 men, 107 women, 25 boys. C Henry Smith in his "the Mennonite Immigration to Pennsylvania," states the 9 families (Amish) were Jacob Beiler, Hans Schantz, Hans Gerber, Jr., Christian Kurtz, Jacob Mueller, Hans Zimmerman, Christian Hertzberger, Jacob Mast and Christian Buerki. One woman named Barbara Mast may have been Jacob's wife. Jacob was on the sick list. Jacob located in Berks County, PA. Land was bought from the sons of William Penn as they inherited much of Pennsylvania. Some land was bought for as little as 16 cents an acre.

A tax list of Bern township, Berks County, in 1754 includes the following names, Jacob Burkey, Jacob Burkey, Jr., Christian Byler, Hans Curtis, Christian Fisher, Jacob Good, Christian Kauffman, Jacob Kauffman, Jacob Hartzler, Jacob Hochstetler, Christian Hershberger, Christian King, Samuel King, Stephen Kurtz, Hans Lantz, Jacob Mayer, Jacob Mast, Jacob Miller, Nicholas Miller, John Miller, Jacob Reesor, Christian Stutzman, Jacob Stutzman, Christian Yoder, Christian Yoder, Jr., Jacob Yoder, John Yoder, Christian Zoog, Moritz Zoog and Hans Zimmerman. Most historians believe that in Berks County was the first Amish Congregation (church) in America. Jacob Hartzler was the first preacher. This Congregation did not las very ong as in 1757 the Indians went on a wild warpath, killing over 500 whites in Pennsylvania. Berks County is located on the esast side of the Blue Mountains and the Indians still roamed at will from the mountains on west to the Pacific Ocean. Then Amish were on the very edge of the frontier.

Some Amish were killed, some taken prisoners, like the Hochstetler family. C Henry Smith claims this disrupted the Amish Congregation in that part and most of them moved a little farther away from the Indians - some farther east in the same county, others started the Lancaster Congregation in Lancaster County.

But Jacob Mast is supposed to have stayed, and his children's names, taken from an old will that is supposed to have been his, are Anna (in the will it reads, Anna who is my oldest daughter by my first wife and has married Jacob Kauffman), Hans Mast, Jacob, Christian, Frena and Joseph.

In C Z Mast's work, printed in 1911, entitled "Mast family History," Hans is mentioned but written as John, page 275, no 781, footnote states that John was born April 23, 1749 and on April 6, 1773, he married Anna Staehle who was born May 24, 1753, daughter of Henry Staehle. In "Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler" this John Mast is mentioned in footnote no 6755.

John Hochstetler, no 1387, in "Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler," married a Frances Mast, who she was is not known - could she be the above Frena?

Some people have a tradition that the youngest or at least the last named in the will, Joseph Mast, was our forebear or ancestor that lived and died on Negro Mountain, Somerset, PA. But much more evidence has come up that he is not our ancestor.

Jacob's will is dated January 6, 1772, and his son, Jacob, is named executor.

Immigrant Jacob is supposed to have died in Berks County.

During the Revolutionary war (1776) according to C Z Mast of Elverson, PA, many Amish and Mennonites were severely tried. Christian Zug and a brother, John, with Christian Schmucker, Jacob Mast, Jacob and Stephen Kauffman, John Hertzler and others were drafted into service, but refused to bear arms on account of their non-resistant faith. These men were taken to Reading, PA jail. After a speedy trial they were sentenced to death. Bishop Jacob Hertzler administered the Lord's Supper to the condemned brethren, but God cause Henry Hartzell, a pastor of the German Reformed Church, to personally appeal to the authorities and said that these Amish left Europe so they could have religious freedom. The sentence was never carried out. These men were in jail so long that the women had to do some of the field work. There was more than one Jacob Mast, but the Jacob Mast, Jr., (son of the Jacob who came overseas) was probably about 25 or some at this time.

Three Mast brothers came overseas and one is our patriarchal ancestor.

C Henry Smith in his "Immigrants to Pennsylvania," names them as Jacob (arriving 1737) and Christian who settled in Virginia, his descendants have been lost to the Amish faith. And he manes Abraham as the youngest brother; very little is known of him if that is his name. His name cannot be found in the archives of Pennsylvania. We know that Joseph Maust, born 1764, is one of our ancestors.

April 2nd, 1960, I talked with Jonas Maust, Jr., a grandson of old Joseph, and he said that his father always said that Joseph came overseas and was one of the three brothers, and that he was single on arrival. To date we have not checked any official customs office or state archives to see if his date of arrival may be known; as Joseph coming overseas has been known to me only some weeks.

To make our Mast History more complicated, we have only to read a letter written 1909 to C Z Mast, at the time he was compiling the book of his ancestry, I copied it from his Mast history on page 706.

Myerdale, PA April 3. 1909

Mr. C Z Mast Elverson, PA

Dear Sir: I noticed recently in the newspaper that you are compiling a history of your family and I would be pleased to learn whether I am connected with your branch of Masts. The orthography of our ancestors autograph was written Mast by later the spelling of the name was adopted Maust or Moist. My great grandfather, Abraham Mast, and two brothers, Jacob and Christian, came from Europe. Jacob had settled in Virginia. I advise you to come and see us as there are a great number of Mausts living in this community, hoping to receive an early reply.

Yours Truly, L J Maust

Now the contradictory part is that this L J Maust was a brother to the grandson, Jonas Maust, Jr., that I talked with. At present, Jonas, Jr., is the only grandchild of old Joseph alive - 87 years old. This letter also asserts that Jacob went to Virginia, most historians believe that Christian who arrived 1752, went there and that his brother, Jacob, who arrived 1737, stayed in Berks County. Old Jacob has a son also named Jacob - maybe this letter is referring to the younger man. Lately, I found out that there are Masts near St. Paul, Virginia, in the extreme southwest corner of the state, in the mountains - they may be the descendants of Christian or Jacob.

Daniel Hochstetler (No. 5758 in "Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler") was a grandson of Immigrant Jacob Hostetler and Daniel married Barbara Mast, daughter of Christian Maust. Who was this Christian? Was he a son of Abraham and a brother to our Joseph? Or was he a grandson of Jacob Mast of 1737 arrival? Jacob's son, John (or Johann), had a son, Christian, who was born July 24, 1777. The above Daniel and John Hochstetler, who married Frances Mast, were brothers. Even this Frances Mast could have been a sister of niece of Joseph.

Harvey Hochstetler, compiler of the Hochstetler book, wrote C Z Mast, April 16, 1909, that he had obtained some descendants of Christian Must who married a Seeze. If this referred to the above Christian I would not know.

Daniel Mast was born November 10, 1791 died June 2, 1874. Married Elizabeth Hostetler (No 5057 in D of J H "Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler"). She was born October 6, 1801, died January 1, 1869. Both born in Somerset County, PA. Their child, Maria born August 1818, in Somerset County, PAA, died May 31, 1867 of consumption. She married Benjamin Miller, son of Yost Miller, Benjamin died May 13, 1877.

Barbara died September 8, 1882, married John C Yoder; Adam born October 1821; Frany born January 1822, died August 1851, married Jacob D Miller; Joseph, born August 1824, died March 13, 1894, married Mattie Schlabach; Eli, born February 1825, died October 23, 1896, married Rebecca D Miller. Eli is No 1 in a work by Moses C Mast and John P Weaver "Mast History of Eli D Mast." Henry (No 5186 in D of J H) and No 1 of this volume was born November 1827, died June 15, 1905, married Elizabeth Miller (No 12648 in "Descendants of Barbara Hochstetler"). Children: Susanna, born September 1829, died January 4, 1893, married Emmanuel I Miller, she married a second time Michael Miller, third time Moses Beachey; Catherine, born September 1831, died April 12, 1896, married John C Schlabach.

Jacob, No 1 of "Descendants of Jacob D Masst" by Henry J Otto. Jacob was born April, 1832, died May 22, 1875, married Sarah Miller, 2nd time Magdalena Stutzman. Elizabeth, born December 1834, Jacob A Schrock. Daniel, born March 1836, married Susanna J Schlabach. Sarah, born September 1838, died September 9, 1900, married Moses I Yoder. Samuel, born December 1839, married Barbara Yoder. Benjamin, born February 25, 1841, married Elizabeth Gingerich, 2nd time Clarissa Green. Magdalena, born April 14, 1842, died February 27, 1894, married 2nd time, Abrahma Kauffman. Dinah, born April 18, 1844, died November 29, 1905, married Christian Miller, 2nd time, David M Miller, 3rd time, John Hershberger.

Daniel and his wife are buried near Mt. Hope, Ohio, on the farm that he owned (now owned by Levi Stutzman). Elizabeth, Daniel's wife is the oldest grave in that graveyard.

Mary Mast, 5th child of Joseph Maust, was born March 21, 1796, died April 21, 1895 (99 years), was married to Daniel Miller (No 3477, D of J H), who was born April 10, 1794, died April, 1835, had 7 children.

Samuel Mast, born November 1, 1800.

Christian Mast, born November 17, 1801, died March 17, 1876, married Dorley Hochstetler (NO 1935, D of J H) born August 4, 1808, died January 15, 1875, had 3 children. Dorley was a sister to the little Susan who was smothered by Henry Yoder, Jr., in 1810.

ÙCtabÙDSusan Mast married Joseph Hochstetler (NO 4162, D of J H) and moved to Holmes County, Ohio. Susan died when 66 years old.

Fanny married Michael Gingerich of Wayne County, Ohio.

Sarah married a Seese.

Jonas Maust, the youngest, born September 10, 1831, died July 28, 1916, married Barbara Miller (No 3311, D of J H). They had 13 children. At this writing there is still one alive, Jonas, Jr. now 86 years old. He would be a first cousin to Henry D Mast, No 1 of this volume.

Jonas is No 1 of the book entitled "A Complete History of Jonas Maust and His Father's Family" by Jonas D Gnagey. It consists of 51 families. In the historical account they claim Joseph was a brother of Jacob Mast who arrived in 1737 and of Christian Mast who arrived in 1752 and that Joseph also came overseas. From this book was the first that I read so, all other accounts either say that Joseph was a son of Immigrant Jacob of 1737 or a son of Abraham Maust. Jonas Maust, Jr., a grandson of old Joseph, still has the adz that his grandfather used.

Pioneer Joseph is buried on the farm that he had bought in 1795, near the barn, they tell me. It would be interesting to know where Joseph lived before he bought this farm as the oldest child was 10 at the time of purchase.

May God bless all of the readers.

Dan L Mast Millersburg, Indiana

• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jul 15 2019, 6:19:33 UTC