Sgt Johann Simon Heller

DAR# A054395

The second son of Christopher Heller was Johan Simon Heller, born in 1721. On attaining his majority he purchased the 200 acre farm in Lower Saucon township, along the creek, where he built what is now Wagner’s mill in 1746. He was one of the founders of the Reformed church in that township, and in the year 1763 removed to what is now known as the Woodley house, in the town of Wind Gap. Here he assisted in the organization of the Reformed church in Plainfield township, and later married a second time and removed to Hamilton township, and there organized Hamilton church. His patriotic spirit was manifested by active military service in the French and Indian war. He had sixteen children, of whom Jacob, John, Abraham, and Simon served in the revolutionary army. His death occurred in 1783, and he was buried at Plainfield church.

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From: http://hellertownhistoricalsociety.org/page3.html

When Christopher and Simon Heller arrived in the New World in 1738 on the ship “Winter Galley”, another passenger on this same ship was Christopher (Stoffel) Wagner. Hellers and Wagner were to eventually become neighbors, and in 1748, Wagner received a license for a tavern which was built along the road passing through Hellertown in 1752. The exact spot of the tavern has never been 100% verified; however, local lore believes it might have been in or adjacent to the sawmill. This is the basis for the name of the Tavern Room adjacent to the lower level of the actual Grist Mill building. Together these two rooms are called the Tavern Room.

From the Heller Family History (bad computer transcriber)

Simon, the Second Son of Christopher Heller.

The second son of Christopher was Simon, the fellow passenger of his father. Simon took vip a tract of land on war- rant dated October 3, 1746, on which he built a saw miill. This was a parcel of 25 acres belonging to a larger tract along the Saucon creek, at the southern boundary' of what is now Hellertown and known as Wagner's mill. The oth- er part of the tract was on the west side of the creek and south of the wa- gon road and contained 150 acres. To this, Simon added in the year 1749, 40 acres more, making a total number of 215 acres in this one tract. Simon also built an addition to the saw mill in which he ground grain. This mill tract, after several transfers, passed into the hands of the Wagners in the year 1771, and is still controlled by them. Simon and also his father were active mem- bers of the Chestnut Hill Reformed church in Upper Milford township, now the most southern part of Tx'high coun- ty. After taking up his abode on Sau- con creek, he was instrumental in or- ganizing the Lower Saucon Reformed congiegation which, prior to his time, held tlieir services in private houses and principally at the house of George Hart- zell. Their burying ground was the an- cient cemetery at what is now the Lime Kiln school house, immediately west of the furnace near Hellertown. He was the first trustee of the congregation

and purchased tlio book in which the first records of the congregation were kept, wherein lie entered the names of his father and all of the sons, also all the baptisms in the Heller family prior to the year 1756.

Simon, in 1764, conveyed his mill site to Blasins Beyer and the farm to Chris- tian Baehman. removing with his entire family to Plainfield township, where he purchased at sheriff's sale a large tract of land of some 600 acres on which was a saw mill and a hotel, now the Woodley house at Wind Cap. He was a prime mover in organizing the Plain- field Reformed congregation. He also acted in various interests of the gov- ernment in border affairs. He was the principal man in the board of viewers to lay out the road through the Wind Cap and on to Wyoming. This was the principal reason why the road was laid nut to accommodate the few people living along the line. At Saylorsburg lived one of his daughters, the wife of Jacob Saylor. At Houser's Mills, lived another daughter, the wife of one of the Housers. It was over this road that Sullivan passed with his army and which he was compelled to reconstruct through the swamp known as the "Shades of Death." It is known as Sullivan's road to this day.

Simon's wife, who was Louisa Dietz. of Milford township, finally passed to the great beyond and was buried at Plainfield church. Simon, in due course of time, took unto himself a second wife, transferred all of his property to his oldest son Jacob, severed his con- nection with the Plainfield Reformed congregation which he helped to organ- ize, and removed over the mountain to a plantation of some 500 or more acres which he had purchased some time pre-

vious. Simon no sooner had his house constructed on this tract when he be- gan organizing the Reformed congre- gation of Hamilton township. His oUi log house is still standing within a few feet of the church. Of his second mar- riage there were a number of children, the principal one being Anthony, who became a legatee of all the properties above the mountain. The rest of th;' children, consequently, loved Anthony about as well as those of his first wife loved their other brother Jacob. The mountain divided the two branches of Simon's descendants and they grew up to forget the relationship existing be- tween them. Simon died in 1783 and was buried by the side of his first wife in the cemetery adjoining the Plainfield church. His second wife lies in a ne- glected grave in Hamilton township churchjard. Chiseled in marble over the grave of Simon is the following in- scription. "Here rests in Clod, Johan Si- mon Heller, born June 18, 1721. in Ger- many, at Peterslieim, in Palitinate, died May 20, 1783. In his marriage he begat 16 children. He lived to see sixteen grandcliildnn and fifty-four great- giandcliildren, and reached the age of sixty-four years, less five weeks and two days. His selected funeral text wa.i 4th chapter Romans, Is verse." (Then follows a (ierman rhyme taken from a (ierman hymn book of that date and which, translated, means as follows) : "The body in the earth shall rest until the final day. firant to me a joyful re- surrection and intercession at the judg- ment."

I will read the will of Simon Heller to illustrate the conditions of that ear- ly period and the manner of disposing of real and personal property:

The Will of Simon Heller.

In the name of God, Amen. I, Simon Heller of Hamilton township, North- ampton county, state of Pennsylvania, being weak in body, but of sound mem- ory blessed be God, do this day, the eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-five, make and publish this my last will and testament in manner following, that is to say — First I give and bequeath to my son Daniel Heller all my land messuage or tenement, situ- ate in Hamilton township, Northamptoa county, wherein I now live, to have and to hold forever, except fourty acres thereof and my son Daniel Heller shall pay therefor three hundred pounds, good and lawful money to his brothers and sisters hereafter named. And I give to my son Anthony Heller the above said fourty acres land in the corner chining to Christian Willauer and Mi- chael Roup and Melcher Bussert and the meting house, and my son Antony shall pay therefor fourty pound to his brothers and sisters, and my son Anto- ny shall have the said fourty acres land forever, this is my last will and testa- ment.

Secondly I give to my beloved wife Margareth thirty pound good and law- ful money, and fifteen pound six months after my decease, and the other fifteen pound to be paid to her a year after, fourther, I give to my wife a bed stet three sheets, a new coverlet, and the old coverlet, two pillow and the chafe back, if my wife will go of or from my plantation and makes here- after no demand of my heirs forever, I say then shall have my wife the above said sum money and not else, and if now, I Simon Heller give to my beloved wife time, twenty eight days.

after my decease to consider, and if she chose to stay on my place and live with my son Daniel Heller, or how else live on the place, then shall she my wife have yearly and every year eight bushel rye, two bushel wheat, one bushel buck- wheat, a half bushel corn, fifty pound pork and fifty pound beef, and three pound hachett flax and six pound toe, and she shall have a cow and my son Daniel or the man that lives on the place shall winter said cow so good as his own cows, and my son Daniel Hel- ler shall build a room for my wife to live in, on one of my houses twelfe foot long and and so with the house is with a a chimony and a iron stove let in and shall her give fier wood so much as needful to the house cut small as need- ful, and my wife shall have no liberty to take, no body in to live with her in said room without the will of the owner of the place, and this she shall have so long she calls herself after my name, Heller, and no longer, further, it is my last will that thirty pound from my state shall be put out upon interest and remain on interest during my wifes life, and my wife IMargareth shsll have » every year the interest of said thirty pound during her life, and she shall sell nor wast no goods, and after her de- ceas- all shall fall back to my heirs again but if my wife take up with the first ofTer that she quit my heairs and bind herselfe in writings that she will make hereafter no demand to my heirs, then she may do with her goods what she pleas, further, it is my last will and testament that all my children shall be equal heirs except a few things what will be mentioned further, my son Daniel shall have, after my deeeas all my due from my sons John Hellers leas bill, said leas bill is ended now the

payments shall be paid as follows and every year the twenty seventh day of November and the beginning one thou- sand seven hundred and eighty eight, first to my son Jacob Heller, the second payment to my son Abraham, the third to my son jMichael, the fourth to my son John Heller and then to my son Antony Heller, and then to my son Daniel Heller and then my son Simon Heller, and then to my daughter Veroni- ca and then to my daughter Elizabeth, and then to my daughter Margareth, and then to my daughter Sarah, and then to my daughter Caty, and then to my daughter Mary, and then to my daughter Louis, further, I give to my son Antony Heller fifteen pound good law- ful money for a horse sattle and bridle, and my son Simon my black handker- chif and my daughter Caty I give a long count of calico and a peticoate and two sheets of russia linen, a pewter blatter, seven shillingsworth and one dish and six pewter plates, and my daughter Mary I give trilig for a bet and jeck for to put over it, and two sheets of Eussia linen Six pewter plates and one pewter platter and a pewter dish seven shillingsworth and calico for a count, and stuff for a pety Coat and one yard of fine linnen and one quarter of Cambric and a new spinning wheel or the money therefor fourther I Simon Heller empower my son Jacob Heller to over sign and deliver my son Daniel and my son Anthony Heller the full right and title of my place here in ham- ilton without any fraud or further like- wise I empower my son Anthony to oversigTi and deliver to my son Jacob all right and title belonging to the place in plainfield in said County when the Bond is paid from the year Seventeen Hundred Eighty Five. And I Simon

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Heller make my son Anthony Heller overseers of this my will to take care and see the same performed according to my true intent and meaning.

In witness whereof I the said Simon Heller have to this my last will and testament set my hand and seal the day and year above written.

Signed Sealed and Delivered by the said Simon Heller as and for his last will and testament in the presents of us who were present at the signing and sealing thereof:

Melchior Bossert Christopher Keller Jacob Steelsmith

I Simon Heller remember yet before signing and sealing this my last will that the owner of this my place shall have the calf of said Cow after it has suckt three weeks- Simon Heller (Seal)'

More info: [https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6051721]

GEDCOM Note

Served in the French and Indian War

His tombstone at St. Peter's in Plainfield Twp., Northampton, PA reads: "Hier ruhet in Gott Johann Simon Heller gebohren ten 18 July 1721 in Teufland zu Pettersheim in der Pfaltz gestorben den 20 May 1783 in der Ehe kin der erzeugtzte enkelgeb erlebt 54 urenckelger und __ alt worden 64 Jahr wen_ger 3 wochen and 2 tagsein erwehltern leicher text war Romer."

From http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4sgsw/bios.htm: Johann Simon Heller was born 18 June 1721 in Pfeddersheim-in-der-Pfalz, Germany. He arrived in Philadelphia, PA on the ship Winter Galley on September 5, 1738 accompanied by his father Christopher and several younger siblings. They settled in Hellertown, PA - now a part of Bethlehem, PA.

Simon received a land patent from Pennsylvania on October 3, 1746 on which he built a saw mill. He later added an addition to the mill in which he operated a grain mill. He continued to purchase tracts of land one of which included a hotel and a saw mill. The hotel is the Woodley Hotel and Wind Gap, PA.

Simon served as a Sergeant in the First Battalion, North Hampton Militia during the revolution. He also provided wagons for the transport of supplies. He was very active in governmental affairs. He was frequently appointed to lay out the roads throughout the county one of which ran from the Wind Gap through the Wyoming Valley.

In 1744 he married Louisa Dietz. They raised 14 children. Shortly after Louisa passed away on 13 August, 1768 Simon gave all his property to his oldest son Jacob. He then moved to another large tract of land on the other side of the mountain. Here he remarried Margaretha (last name unknown) and proceeded to raise a second family. He died on May 20 1783.

GEDCOM Note

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@R-848899903@ Pennsylvania, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1772-1890 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations Inc 1,3570::0

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1,3570::28157120

GEDCOM Source

@R-848899903@ Pennsylvania, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1772-1890 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations Inc 1,3570::0

GEDCOM Source

1,3570::28157120

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@R-848899903@ Pennsylvania, Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,2350::0

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1,2350::284817

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@R-848899903@ Pennsylvania Naturalizations, 1740-73 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations Inc 1,4259::0

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1,4259::3283

He was born in Germany; came to America with his father. Married first Louise "Lowii" nee Dietz, daughter of Johann Adam and Anna Catharine Dietz in Bucks County, Pa. He died on May 20, 1785 in Hamilton, Northampton County, Pa and was buried in St. Peter's Church Cemetery, Plainfield Twp. Northampton County, Pa near his first wife Louisa.

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Jonathan Robert De Mallie, Garden State Historian* Reference: [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6051721/johan-simon-heller Find A Grave Memorial] - [https://www.geni.com/projects/SmartCopy/18783 SmartCopy]: ''Mar 19 2023, 4:22:20 UTC''