Melchior "The Pioneer" Brenneman, Sr.

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/LZLK-ZMF
Mennonite refugee living in Griesheim, Rhein-Hessen, Germany, first wife unknown. Immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1717 or earlier and bought property in Strasburg (now Conestoga) Township on Nov. 30, 1717.

Source: http://www.phyllisandglen.org/family.nsf/0e1122effd5efcf88625676100...

Taken from The Brenneman History

Melchior Brenneman was born in Bern, Switzerland about 1665. He moved with his family to Griesheim, Germany in 1671 due to the persecution on Anabaptists in Germany. Tradition gives the year of his arrival in Pennsylvania as 1709, although it may have been as late as 1717. A history of Lancaster County, PA states that both Melchior and Christian Brenneman purchased land in Lancaster County in the "Swiss Settlement" and were settled on this land as early as 1715. On November 30, 1717 he received a warrant of 500 acres (surveyed October 10, 1717) in Strasburg Township, Chester County, PA (now Lancaster Co. and Conestoga Township) from the Penns. This tract was granted him "under the quit rent of one English shilling, to be paid annually at Chester on the first day of March yearly from the first survey". On this land he built his new home and resided for at least twenty years, pursuing the triple occupation of farmer, weaver, and preacher. He pobably assisted the Rev. Hans Burkholder in the congregation near New Danville, formerly Stumpstown. Martin G. Weaver, in his book :Mennonites of Lancaster Conference" states that the original Melchior Brenneman was a Mennonite bishop.

By 1718 Melchior had moved into the almost unsettled wilderness between the Pequea and Conestoga. Here he continued to acquire land. The Biographical Annals of Lancaster County (1903) state that to his 1717 tract of 500 acres he added 200 more, and later took out warrants for two racts of 90 and 125 acres. A great tract of 700 acres which he bought from the Indian trader Pierre Bizaillon on December 3, 1728, located along the Susquehanna, later came into possession of his son Christian.

An interesting reord of the family in America is recorded in 7 Hazard's Register, p. 163, in the reminiscences of an eyewitness who had lived in the Conestoga region in the early days of the colony there: "I have often seen the little Brennemans, children of a Mennonist emigrant, playing in the most sportive and innocent manner with the little re faes, and I never know or heard of one little white face receiving any injuy from their red brethren; that is, no intentional injury." The Indians referred to belonged to the Conestoga tribe, and lived peaceably with the Mennonite folks for many years. The site of their primitive village is still known as Indiantown, in Manor Township, Lancaster Co., PA. and the land on which this village stood has been for nearly two centuries now in the Brenneman name. These unoffending savages were barbarously murdered in the year 1763 by a gang of fiends who have gone down in Pennsylvania history under the opprobrious name of "The Paxtang Boys".

The New Danville Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a member of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference, was built on the land of Bishop Hans Burkholder and Melchior Brenneman, pioneers of 1717. The cemetery is still there. In the overflow from the Lampeter-Strasburg settlement of 1710 many of the new arrivals in 1717 came into this area. The first meetinghouse, built in 1755 in this stump land, was called Stumptown. It was replaced in 1855 and 1878 by stone churches, and therefore became known as the Stone Church. The new one of brick built in 1907 gradually took on the present name of the nearby town. This was the home district of Bishop Martin Boehm, organizer of the United Brethren Church. The membership in 1956 was 260, with David N. Thomas as bishop and James H. Hess as the minister. A three-room Christian day school nearby was sponsored by the district.

Refered to as "The Pioneer" as he came to the New Country in 1708. Probably through Phily.

His father was called the Exile. Little is known of his father or mother.

Info was extrated from book in the Mormon Library, Salt Lake City, Utah intitled The Brenneman History. Published by the Mennonite publishing House - Scottdale, PA. in 1938

The book was written by Albert Gerberich

      Child of Elizabeth ? and Melchior Brenneman is: 4.       i.       Melchior Brenneman was born AUG 1718 in New Danville, Lancaster, PA, and died 19 APR 1794 in Edom, Rockingham, VA. He married Ann Good WFT Est 1737-1766, daughter of Jacob Good. She was born 1722 in Lancaster, PA, and died 1800 in Edom, Rockingham, VA.        

Link: http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/putt/254/

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Aug 26 2018, 5:02:56 UTC

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GEDCOM Note

MELCHIOR BRENNEMAN OF CONESTOGA, THE PIONEER

One of the sons of Melchior Brenneman the refugee was likewise named Melchior. Family tradition gives the year of his birth as 1665 and the place of his birth as Canton Bern, Switzerland. Like his father, he learned the weaver's trade. He was a young man of great energy and intense religious conviction, and became a preacher in the Mennonite church, serving various communities of refugees in Rhein-Hessen and the Pfalz. He and his brother Christian were the first of the family to emigrate to America. The cause of his decision to come to the New World was the renewed persecution of his people by the Elector Palatine, after Louis XIV had overrun and conquered the land of his adoption in South Germany. The idea had, however, been long smouldering in his mind. He was a little lad when William Penn visited the Mennonite settlement where his father lived and urged the weary Swiss to settle in his new colony of Pennsylvania, where they would find peace and plenty and toleration of their beliefs.

Tradition gives the year of his arrival in Pennsylvania as 1709.* Mombert's history of Lancaster County (p. 423) states that both Melchior and Christian Brenneman purchased land in Lancaster County in the "Swiss Settlement" and were settled on this land as early as 1715. The historian does not believe that they arrived until the summer of 1717, in the migration led from Rotterdam by Benedict Brechbühl. We have no definite proof of his residence in Pennsylvania until the year 1717, when he received (November 30) a warrant of SOO acres** (surveyed October 10, 1717) in Strasburg Township, Chester County, Pa. (now Lancaster Co. and Conestoga Twp.) from the Penns. This tract was granted him "under the quit rent of one English shilling, to be paid annually at Chester on the first day of March yearly from the first survey." On this land he built his new home and resided for at least twenty years, pursuing the triple occupation of farmer, weaver and preacher. He probably assisted the Rev. Hans Burkholder in the congregation near New Danville, formerly Stumpstown. Martin G. Weaver, in his book "Mennonites of Lancaster Conference" (p. 458) states that the original Melchior Brenneman was a Mennonite bishop. His evidence is not known to the writer.

He is first assessed in the year 1718, four shillings and six pence. Before this he may have resided a few years with the Mennonite Community in Germantown, where he had many friends, and where his brother first located. But by 1718 it is certain he had moved into the almost unsettled wilderness between the Pequea and Conestoga. Here he continued to acquire land. The Biographical Annals of Lancaster County (1903) state that to his 1717 tract of 500 acres he added 200 more, and later took out warrants for two tracts of 90 and 125 acres. If this is correct, we do not know how he disposed of that land, for it did not pass to his descendants. However, a great tract of 700 acres which he bought from the Indian trader Pierre Bizaillon on December 3, 1728, located along the Susquehanna, later came into possession of his son Christian.

Melchior Brenneman's plantation in the Conestoga region was situated just northwest of the land granted to the original Pequea colony in 1709-10. The village of New Danville is built on part of Melchior's holdings, which extended from the Conestoga and Mill Creeks (4 miles south of the city of Lancaster) to the Stone Church on the other side of New Danville, and some distance in the direction of Conestoga Center along the highroad. Senator Horace Haldeman inestigated the matter to some extent in the year 1898 and learned that Martin Harnish lived on part of this land southwest of New Danville. J. C. Burkholder found that in 1926 Mrs. Abram Hess, a direct descendant of Melchior, lived on this land. Her acreage is on the south side of old "Long Lane." Some of the land to the north of the village is still in the family name, owned by John Brenneman, the ninth Brenneman proprietor in direct line of descent.

In 1717 Melchior Brenneman's neighbors were, according to his deed of warrant, John Ffarrer (Forrer), Hans Moyer, John Kaigey, Martin Kendig and Benedictus Venerick (Wenrich). A little later we learn that Hans Burkholders land bordered him on the eastward. The descendants of most of these men intermarried with the Brennemans, so that many of the clan can claim them likewise as forefathers.

We are able to trace the history of his land to considerable extent. On March 6, 1730, he drew up legal documents transferring to his three sons Christopher (Stephen), John and Adam, each 100 acres, in return for an average consideration of ten pounds sterling. On March 26, 1730, he conveyed to his daughter and her husband, John Steiner, another 100 acres for the consideration of 16 pounds. At the time of his will his plantation consisted of 160 acres, which he bequeathed to his youngest son Melchior. This makes a total of 560 acres in all, and it is believed that he had given other land to his son Christian before 1730. Moreover. both Christian and Christopher possessed considerable land in their own right, adjoining his. These entire holdings would have a stupendous value today, situated as they are at the edge of the city of Lancaster and including water rights on the Conestoga and Mill Creeks. New Danville church, erected by the sons of the people he served, stands on his original land, on the portion transferred to Christopher. and is the most fitting of monuments to his memory.

The 700 acres along the Susquehanna in Donegal township, as before stated, went to his son Christian.
Melchior Brenneman's will, with its translation from the original German. is filed at Lancaster Court House. It is undated, and reads as follows:

"Melchior Brennernan. decd. the 20th of Jany., 1737. The last will and testament of Mich. Breniman being of sound mind and understanding. Imp. it is my will that my plantation be valued at 160 acres. Item it is my will that my wife have the third part of all my personal estate and the use and profit of my plantation until my youngest son Michael Breneman shall marry and after the marriage of my said son Michael my said wife shall have out of the profits of my plantation four pounds a year during the rest of her natural life. Item if my son Melchior shall happen to dye without lawful issue then it is my will that my sons Adam and Christian shall be heirs to my plantation and land. Item it is my will that before any devision be made of my pcrsonal estate my son Melchor shall first take out of the same the weaver's loom and tackell, my Bible and my new chest. Witnesses: Michael Shank, Hans Coyle (Caigo), Peter Gutt, Ernst Nine Adam and Christian Brenneman."

The old Bible remained in the family for at least three generations. Today it would be invaluable to us. It is believed to have descended from Melchior, Jr., to the latter's son Isaac. If any descendant knows of Its whereabouts, the information will be more than welcome.

Melchior Brenneman the pioneer mentions only three sons in his will: Christian, Adam and Melchior. From other sources we learn of two more, Christopher and John, the latter having received all their patrimony before their father indited his will. Tradition will have it that there was only one daughter, who married John Steiner. Matthias Pohl has furnished us with corroborative evidence with regard to her, which is presented later. She is said to have had red hair, and to have been looked upon by the Indians with somewhat of awe for this reason.

Melchior's wife's name was Elizabeth. Her maiden name is unknown. She is believed to have been his second wife, and the mother of his youngest son, Melchior, Jr. She seems to have remarried some years after his death, for the Pennsylvania Archives (Series II, Vol. 2, p. 40) record the marriage, in October, 1746, of Elizabeth Brenneman and Frederick Walder.

An interesting record of the family in America is recorded in 7 Hazzard's Register, p. 163, in the reminiscences of an eyewitness who had lived in the Conestoga region in the early days of the colony there: "I have often seen the little Brennemans, children of a Mennonist emigrant, playing in the most sportive and innocent manner with the little red faces, and I never knew or heard of one little white face receiving any injury from their red brethren; that is, no intentional injury."

The Indians referred to belonged to the Conestoga tribe, and lived peaceably with the Mennonite folks for many years. The site of their primitive village is still known as Indiantown, in Manor Twp., Lancaster Co., Pa., and the land on which the village stood has been for nearly two centuries now in the Brenneman name. These unoffending savages were barbarously murdered in the year 1763 by a gang of fiends who have gone down in Pennsylvania history under the opprobrious name of "The Paxtang Boys."

The place of Melchior Brenneman's burial is unknown. He was probably interred on his own farm, as was the custom in the earlier days in the Conestoga country. It is possible that the cemetery at New Danville church goes back to an original burying ground of the Brennemans, Burkholders, Kageys, et. al., and that Melchior's bones rest there, where many of his
descendants were laid away.

We shall now proceed with the history of his sons.