Sebastian Gottfried Grünzweig

Deutschland, Geburten und Taufen 1558-1898

Name: Sebastian Gotfrid Gruenzweig
Geschlecht: Male Taufdatum: 10 May 1731 Taufort: EVANGELISCH, NEIDLINGEN, DONAUKREIS, WUERTTEMBERG Geburtsdatum: 10 May 1731 Name des Vaters: Tobias Gruenzweig Name der Mutter: Eva Satznummer des Indexierungsprojekts: C93313-1 Ursprungssystem: Germany-VR GS-Filmnummer: 1055821 Referenznummer: 2:2C3KXZ9

Source: Deutschland, Geburten und Taufen 1558-1898," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V45T-KHH : accessed 15 Sep 2013), Tobias Gruenzweig in entry for Sebastian Gotfrid Gruenzweig, 10 May 1731.

Sebastian Gottfried (aka. Godfrey) Grünzweig (aka. Greenzweig) arrived in America on the ship "Leslie" which docked at Philadelphia, PA on 7 October 1749. The ship sailed from Rotterdam with a stop at Cowes, England, and was captained by J. Ballendine. It carried 400 persons from the Palatinate, Manheim, and Zweybreckt. On the list of adult male passengers, who took the required oaths to the English government, Godfrey's name appears as "Gottfried Grünzweig" with the German umlaut over the letter "u" in the name. Also on board the "Leslie" were Martin Andreas, Johann Philip Kristmann, Johann Jacob Engler, Johann Adam Correll, Jacob Creitz, Vallentin Behler, Johann Jerg Brodbeck and Christian Schneider. (See Strassburger and Hinke, "Pennsylvania German Pioneers", Vol. I, pgs. 418-420, List 141C)

Godfrey may have traveled to America under a financial agreement of indenture for, shortly after his arrival, he is reported to have worked in the Amwell Valley near Ringoes in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is believed that it was there that he met his future wife, Anna Maria Pettit. In his report of 1978, W. T. Parsons stated that "The Pettits (in a more German setting, their name would have been Klein), were German-speaking French Huguenots who had been in Massachusetts and Connecticut before removing to New Jersey".

Parsons also reported that, around 1754, Godfrey and Maria (Pettit) Greenzweig, along with Maria's brother, Jonathan Pettit Jr., and family and ten or twelve other Jersey neighbors, left New Jersey and settled along the Aquashicola Creek in what is now Towamensing Twp., Carbon Co., PA. At the time they settled there, the area was still part of upper Northampton County, that county having been formed from Bucks County in March of 1752.

On the first tax list of Towamensing Twp. in 1776, and on subsequent tax lists, Godfrey's name appears as Greenzweig. He appeared on the Towamensing Twp. tax assessment list on 22 December 1781.

On 30 May 1776, Godfrey was elected a member of the Committee of Correspondence for Chestnuthill Twp. (PA Archives, Series 2, Vol. 14, pp. 612-613). Three of his sons; David, Henry and Godfrey Jr., served in the Northampton County militia during the period of the Revolutionary War.

Godfrey was a member of the German Lutheran Church. He owned tracts of land in both Chestnuthill Twp. and in Towamensing Twp. At the time these tracts were acquired, both townships were still part of Northampton County, PA.

Godfrey died intestate in Ross Twp. around the beginning of January 1822 (Northampton Co. estate file #3492). Two of his sons, Tobias and George, died seven years before him, in 1815. Godfrey's burial location is not known.

On 21 November 1823, Godfrey's son, Godfrey Jr., filed a petition in Northampton County orphans court requesting partition of his father's real estate for distribution to the heirs. This petition stated that the heirs were children; Henry, David, Jonathan, Godfrey Jr. (the petitioner), Jonas, Tobias - deceased but left a widow named Elizabeth and 11 children, Mary - deceased wife of Henry Wannermacher leaving five living children and some grandchildren, Sarah wife of Daniel Van Buskirk deceased, Hannah wife of John Beer deceased, and Susannah wife of John Beck. Godfrey's wife, Mary, had already died six years before him, in 1818.

This petition also shows that, at the time of his death, Godfrey Sr. owned three tracts of land: 1. Tract acquired by patent 5 November 1787 (Patent Book 11, p. 331). 2. Tract called Greenwich in Towamensing Twp., patented 2 April 1788, (Patent Book 14, p. 98) 3. Tract called "Greenfield" in Chestnuthill Twp., patented 6 October 1807 (Patent Book 61, p. 181 (or 182)

On 20 August 1824 Jonathan, Godfrey Jr., Jonas, Sarah Van Buskirk, and John Greenzweig son of Tobias deceased, refused to accept the property settlement and their shares were sold. (Northampton Co. orphans court, book #10)

Sources: 1. History of the Greenzweig family written by Norman R. Green in 1942. 2. Strassburger and Hinke, "Pennsylvania German Pioneers", Vol. I, p. 419 3. Correspondence to Mrs. W. P. Liebfried from Helen P. Alleman in 1965, Genealogical File, Marx Room, Easton Public Library. 4. Estate and orphan court files, Northampton County courthouse, Easton, PA.