Valentine Hoerchelradt

Johann Laurentius Herchelroth immigrated from Germany with his wife, Anna Elisabetha Corphans, before 1718 when the family shows up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on a tax list. They had 3 sons, Johannes, Johann Heinrich, and Valentin. Each married around 1740. Each names a son Johannes and John Heinrich. So, there are a LOT of John Henry Herchelroths. This particular record has the birth date and christening date of father, Laurentius Herchelroth (1669-1747), the death date of son Johann Heinrich Herchelroth (abt 1702-1748), and the wife of Johannes Herchelroth--Maria Catherine John Henry Harclerode and his father Lorentz were mentioned as being members of the German Reformed Church. John Henry died before 1752 since letters of administration for his wife, Joan Elizabeth show that she had married Frederick Zoiger and was the former wife of John Henry Harclerode. Frederick Zoiger was listed as a neighbor th John Henry's in Lampeter twp in 1748. It seems logical that he married John Henry's widow shortly after his death. His sons had moved into Virginia Valentine may have been here earlier. 1st land grant to him was 249 acres on the Tulpehocken - Dec 5, 1738 from Casper and Catharine Wistar of Philadelphia, Pa. The settlement on early skull maps is named F. Harcleroad (Felty) German diminutive of Valentine. He was a founder of the old tulpehocken German Reformed Church. He built a Germanic type limestone house 1750. He was naturalized 1738/39 in Lancaster Co. In July 1757, during Indian Wars, a letter was mailed from Heidelberg, Berks Co. saying "Yesterday, about 3 o'clock in the afternoon between Valentine Harclerode and Tobias Bickels farms, Indians killed 2 children." No subsequent reference to Valentine has been found. He did die 1757. He was a prominent man, loaned money etc. but Indian raids caused him to be sheriffed 1756. He had befriended the Delawares and wore the sign of the turtle on his chest.