Rosier Gerhardt Levering

Mr. Jones directs attention to the Lovering name, on page 16, of The Levering Family. States that he conferred with Joseph S. Lovering, then of Philadelphia, and learned from him "that his ancestors were of English descent, and settled originally in Boston, Mass.," and so determined that no relation existed. But Mr. Jones was adhering to the unstable tradition that Rosier Levering was of French nationality; basing his conclusions thereon -

As I will show upon the following pages, little doubt exists, that Rosier Levering—probably with his father—was of the band of Separatists, who left Scrooby, in Nottinghamshire, England, in 1608, and settled temporarily at Leyden, in Holland ; that a part of that band came to America in the May Flower ; that others followed later, and some came not at all. I am impressed that the primogenitor of the Loverings was, as stated, "among the first to appear in the early Colonial History of Massachusetts," while the primogenitor of the Leverings in America, was of those who "came not at all." pg. 13- 14 - LEVERING FAMILY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY. BY COL. JOHN LEVERIN, 1897, Indianapolis

Anno., 1662. October 6. No. 17. Has Rosier sent his child to be baptized. The godmothers Alschen Grambtings and Elsche Scherenbergs. The child's name, (Continuation is failing.—Abstracter.) (It is a provoking circumstance that the only item of recorded evidence found, that Rosier, himself, sent a child to baptism, should have the name obliterated. It could not have been Wigard, as he was married twelve years later "in the twenty-third (?^ year of his age." It could have been Gerhard, and he have attained twenty-two and a half years of age when he emigrated with Wigard in 1685. It may have been William, or, more probably, one of the daughters, Alche or Elizabeth, as godmothers only, appeared. In all other cases reported, the statement, whether son or daughter, is noted. It is observable that no wife or mother is mentioned. As this extract is of a record made many years prior to others herein copied, it may be that the formula then used differed from later years.—JOHN LEVERING.) pg 47 - LEVERING FAMILY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY. BY COL. JOHN LEVERIN, 1897, Indianapolis

Rosier Levering; was bom in the early years of the seventeenth century. He is the known progenitor of the Levering family in America, hence 1 designate him as the zero, or bench-mark, from which to grade succeeding generations descending from him. It is believed that he was born in Holland, of ancient English or Anglo-Saxon parentage ; exiled, because of persecution for their religious principles. He married Elizabeth Van de Walle, of Wesel, in Westphalia, in Germany, near to the frontier of Holland. They settled in the same district, at Gemen, where several children were born to them, between the years 1648 and 1662. Tradition, preserved by the remnant of the family at Gemen, says they occupied the old Levering homestead in that town, and that Ihey died there. pg 92 - LEVERING FAMILY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY. BY COL. JOHN LEVERIN, 1897, Indianapolis

ROSIER LEVERING; was born in the early years of the seventeenth century. He is the known progenitor of the Levering family in America, hence I designate him as the zero, or benchmark, from which to grade succeeding generations descending from him. It is believed that he was born in Holland, of ancient English or Anglo-Saxon parentage; exiled, because of persecution for their religious principles. He married Elizabeth Van de Walle, of Wesel, in Westphalia, in Germany, near to the frontier of Holland. They settled in the same district, at Gemen, where several children were born to them, between the years 1648 and 1662. Tradition, preserved by the remnant of the family at Gemen, says they occupied the old Levering homestead in that town, and that they died there.

Various traditions have prevailed among the different branches of the family one of which. States that Rosier Levering was a physician, and a very pious man; that he belonged to the Reformed Church in France, of which country he was a native, and that upon the Revocation of the Edict Nantz, he fled with his family to Germany, where he afterwards lived and died. That Rosier Levering was a native of France is not at all improbable, as that name has a French sound, but more than this cannot be asserted, as there is no documentary evidence on the point. That he fled from Franc to avoid persecution; can also be readily believed, but his settlement is Germany most have been long anterior to the Revocation of the Edict of Nantz. The Edict was nor revoked untion Octer, 1685, and Wigard himself says He WAS BORN IN Gemen, Germany, and that as I shall hereafter show, about the year 1648. The probability therefore is that Rosier Levering left France during some of the earlier religious wars and persecutions, which visited the Waldenes and Huguenots.   - - THE LEVERING FAMILY; or A GENEALOGICAL ACCOUNT OF WIGARD LEVERING AND GERHARD LEVERING.Two of the pioneer settlers of ROXBOROUGH TOWNSHIP, Philadelphia County, (Pennsylvania) AND THEIR DESCENDANTS: AND AN APPENDIX, containing Brief Sketches of Roxborough and Manayunk” by Horatio Gates Jones dated 1858

I. JOHN WlGARD : born in 1648 or '49, in tiie town of Gemen, in Germany. In April, 1674, he married "the chaste virgin," Magdalena Bokers, of Essen. She was a native of Leyden, in Holland. They lived in Gemen until some time after the birth and decease of their first child, and then removed to Mulheim, where they remained until they emigrated to America, after the 20th of March, 1685, bringing their surviving four children. (9)

He settled first in Germantown, Philadelphia, and removed from there a short distance west, into Roxborough Township, in 1691, where he bought a tract of five hundred acres of land, lying between and bordering upon both the River Schuylkill and Wissahickon Creek. Upon this estate he lived his remaining years with his family,, and died there.

His wife Magdalena died in the summer of 1717, aged about 67 years. He died February 2, 1745, at the probable age of 97 years, and was buried upon his farm in a spot overlooking the romantic Wissahickon, which has become a part of the famous Fairmount Park of Philadelphia. This spot subsequently became the churchyard and burial ground of the Baptist Church, organized in 1789, which was greatly enlarged, and is now known as Leverington Cemetery, under a special charter from the State of Pennsylvania. This ground doubtless contains the remains of Magdalena. A gravestone marking the interment, in June, 1744, of their grandchild, Clement Levering, still stands, and points the place where repose the old pioneers, though no sculptured tablet was ever erected there to their memory.

I have copied Wigard's family register in another part of this volume, as taken from his bible, hereinbefore described, but which has lost its charm and specific value in some measure since the discovery of the original records in Germany, which relate to the same subjects, and expose its erroneous dates. His bible was in the possession of Mrs. Sarah Kirk, of Germantown, a great-great-great granddaughter of the old pioneer, until her death, in 1863, when it passed to her granddaughter, Mrs. Linton, who also died. Her husband probably has the relic.

Wigard Levering left a will, dated August 23, 1742, which reads as follows

WILL OF WIGARD LEVERING. I, Wichert Levering, of the Township of Roxborrow, in the County of Philadelphia, in the Province of Pennsylvania, Joyner, being in good health of body and of a sound and perfect mind and Memory, and calling to mind the frailty of this transitory life and that it's appointed for all flesh once to dye. Do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following, revoking. Disannulling and making utterly void and of none effect all other and former Wills by me at any time heretofore made.

Imps. I will that all my Just Debts and ffuneral expenses be paid and discharged by my Executor hereinafter named with all convenient speed after my Decease.

Item. I give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Katherine ye sum of tenn pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania to be paid to her by my Executor hereinafter named within twelve months after my Decease.

Item. I give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Amelia the sum of tenn pounds lawful money afd to be paid to her by my said Executor hereinafter mentioned, within two years after my Decease.

Item. I give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Sebilla the sum of tenn pounds lawful money af to be paid to her by my said Executor within three years after my Decease.

Item. 1 give and Bequeath unto my son in law Peter Indehaven ye sum of tenn pounds lawful money afd to be paid to him by my said Executor within ffour years after my Decease.

Item. I give and Bequeath unto my son in law William Tunes ye sum of tenn pounds lawful money afd to be paid to him by my said' Executor within ffive years after my Decease.

Lastly. I give and Bequeath unto my son William Levering whom I hereby constitute ordain and appoint sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament all other my Estate and Effects of what kind soever.

Ini witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand and seal this twenty third Day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fforty two. his mark. WiCHERT W L Levering.

Signed, sealed, published pronounced and declared by the said Wichert* Levering as his last Will & Testament in ye presence of us. Witnesses William Levering, Hannah Levering, Thos. Yorke."

This will was probated after the death of the testator on the 7th day of February, 1745, in Court at Philadelphia. A former will executed by Wigard on May 10, 1736, and which was revoked by the above instrument, contained the names of all his children, and of the husbands of his daughters. Its preservation as a relic, saved also, valuable history.

The spelling of the Christian name by his attorney, suggests the pronunciation of W-i-g-a-r-d by the yet Teutonic neighbors. "His mark " to this instrument, and to all other documents signed by him, was composed of large Roman letters W L, of peculiar form, with a distinctive mark upon the W. In his day " his mark " meant a scrawl which each man adopted as his signature, and the use of it by another was regarded a forgery

Two sons; William, born at Mulheim, in Germany, and Jacob, born in Roxborough, survived the old pioneer. Jacob, on his marriage in 17 17, was made the owner of eighty-five acres, bordering on the river Schuylkill, of the home farm, by deed from his parents, dated February 20 of that year. The signature of his mother, Magdalena, to this deed is the last record evidence we have of her.

This deed provided an easement for "free egress and regress to or from the hereby bargained tract through the said Wechart and William's other land as far as the Plymouth Road (now Ridge Avenue), nevertheless it shall be lawful for the s' Jacob, afore written, to ffence in all the said tract leaving a. gate of Barrs or Shut rails." This right of way became what is known as the steep hill street between Manavunk and Roxborough, called Green Lane, it is now bordered by business houses and dwellings, many of them are fine residences.

On November 1, 1717, Wigard conveyed all the residue of his five hundred acres to his older son William, estimating the area at 155 acres, in this deed no wife joins, which suggests the death of Magdalena prior to the date noted.

The inventory of Wigard's estate, as made by Matthew Houlgate and Isaac Cook, on the 9th day of February, 1744-45, lists household effects sufficient for one room only—except "one bible valued [symbol pounds] 1. 10 and one singing book—shows that he had retired from active life and was " only waiting till the shadows a little longer grew"; the while, clinging to His Word as the beacon which would guide him safely "over the river

3. II. Eberhard born about 1652, in Gemen, Germany, where he married in 1677, Mechtold, daughter of Gerhard Schmulling, and died there Sept. 5, 1711. (21)

4. III. Elizabeth bom about 1654, at Gemen. Her presence at the christening of her brother's children is testified in items Nos. 6 and 10 of the Gemen Church records, which see. We have no further knowledge of her.

5. IV. Alche born about 1656 at Gemen. She appeared as a witness at the christening ceremony of her brother's twin daughter, at item No. 7 of church records, as certified by the Churchmester. That she and her sister Elizabeth appeared in these vicarious relations attests the fact of their having attained the acceptable age for recognition by the church.

6. V. William bom about 1658 at Gemen, where he married about 1687 Grete Nilant, who died. He married 2d, about 1691 Maria Velts, of Gemen. He died there January 3, 1709. (30)

7. VI. Gerhard : bom about 1660 in Gemen. He emigrated to America with his brother Wigard in 1685. He married Mary , after his arrival at Philadelphia. He died in Whitpain Township, Philad. County, Pa., after the year 1731. See his history in these pages.

Vll. Daughter born September, 1662, in Gemen. The evidence of this is found at item No. 17, copied from church records, which see. That godmothers only appeared determines the "child" to have been a daughter.

pg. 93-94 - LEVERING FAMILY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY. BY COL. JOHN LEVERIN, 1897, Indianapolis

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Among the early settlers of Roxborough Township in the of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania now forming part of Twenty First Ward of the City of Philadelphia were two brothers named Wigard Levering and Gerhard Levering

They from Germany and their father's name was Rosier Levering Of the European history of this family nothing whatever is known except what is contained in the Family Bible of Wigard Levering

Various traditions have prevailed among the different branches of family one of which states that Rosier Levering was a physician and a very pious man that he belonged to the Reformed Church France of which country he was a native and that upon the Revocation of the Edict of Nantz he fled with his family to Germany he afterwards lived and died Among the posterity of Gerhard Levering there is another tradition which makes Wigard and Gerhard two out of twenty brothers but this I have only heard from one source

That Rosier Levering was a native of France is not at all improbable as the name has a French sound but more than this cannot asserted as there is no documentary evidence on the point That fled from France to avoid persecution also be readily believed ...

The probability therefore is that Rosier Levering left France during some of the earlier religious wars and persecutions which visited the Waldenses and Huguenots Be this as it may he must have been quite young at the time of his flight for we find that his wife was a resident of Westphalia She was born in the city of Wesel and her name was Elizabeth Van de Walle How many children they had what was his occupation and when he died are questions about which I have no knowledge I leave their elucidation to some future genealogist of the family who perhaps may discover these pg. 1-2 The Levering Family, Or, A Genealogical Account of Wigard Levering and ... By Horatio Gates Jones, 1858 , BY KING & BAIRD 607 SANSOM ST Philadelphia

Sources: [http://archive.org/details/leveringfamilyhi00byuleve Levering family : history and genealogy ]  BY COL. JOHN LEVERING, 1897, Indianapolis

The Levering Family, Or, A Genealogical Account of Wigard Levering and .. By Horatio Gates Jones 1858 , BY KING & BAIRD 607 SANSOM ST Philadelphia

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