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Passengers of the ship "Concord" 1683

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  • Johann "Jan" Lenssen, Original 13 families of Germantown, PA (deceased)
    Until William I. Hull proved that most of the original (1683) families were an interrelated group of Quakers, it had been assumed that the group was Mennonite. But since only one family (Jan Lensen) of...
  • Abraham Tunes, Orginal 13 Families of Germantown, PA (1662 - 1730)
    Abrahan Tunes was born in Prussia (Germany) as Abraham Klincken. He and his wife Beatrix Boetzen Lucken were one of the original 13 families who were settlers of Germantown. He took his father Anthoniu...
  • Jan Luken, Original 13 Families of Germantown, PA (c.1650 - 1744)
    Sources vary on Jan's birthdate: ca. 1650/1, 1655, ca. 1660 . Immigrated 1683 from Crefeldt, Germany, one of the "33 Dutchmen" who founded and settled Germantown, Pennsylvania. Immigrated in 1683 on...
  • Johannes Bleikers, Original 13 Families of Germantown, PA (1655 - 1741)
    Johannes Bleickers, who was badly mistreated during the agitation against the Quakers in Krefeld in 1680, because after the Quaker fashion he would not remove his hat, bears the name of an occupation a...
  • Peter Keurlis, Original 13 Families of Germantown, PA (1646 - 1726)
    Arrived in 1683 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPeter Keurlis Arrival Year 1683 Arrival Place Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Source Publication Code 9252 Primary Immigrant Keurlis, Peter Source Bibliography U...

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Concord_(Ship)


Concord was the name of the ship that carried the first German immigrant group from Europe to America, composed of 13 Mennonite-Quaker families of Krefeld. In 1681, William Penn, an English real estate entrepreneur, received a large grant of land from King Charles II. This grant included present-day Pennsylvania and Delaware. Penn, a Quaker, chose to draft a charter of liberties for his colony guaranteeing free and fair trial by jury, freedom of religion, freedom from unjust imprisonment, and free elections. The colony was to be a refuge for Quakers who were facing persecution. James Claypoole, a London businessman and Quaker who knew William Penn, purchased 5,000 acres of land in the new settlement and chose to move his family and business to America. For the move, Claypoole contracted with William Jefferies, master of the English schooner called the Concord, a 500 ton ship measuring 130 by 32 feet. The ship left Rotterdam on 6 July 1683 and arrived in Gravesend. Here twelve fellow Quakers (many who were former Mennonites) and one Mennonite with their families from Krefeld, 33 persons in all, made their way to Gravesend to join the Claypoole family on the voyage. The Concord left London, England on 24 July 1683 and arrived in the port of Philadelphia on 6 October after a voyage of 75 days. Here the German immigrants were greeted by a German lawyer, Franz "Francis" Daniel Pastorius, a close friend of Willian Penn. He had arrived in Philadelphia earlier in August to help prepare for the arrival of the Concord. Pastorius assisted the newcomers in establishing the Germantown Mennonite Settlement. Although the Concord carried a complement of 40 crewmen and 120 passengers, these are the family heads recognized as constituting what has become known as "The Thirteen" (in alphabetical order):

No. Head of Household Further Details

1. Leonard Arets variant spellings of the surname: Aratts, Arents, Van Aaken.

2. Abraham Isacks Op den Graeff wife Trintgen (Jansen); later re-joined the Mennonites.

3. Derick Isacks Op den Graeff wife Nolcken (Vyten).

4. Hermann Isacks Op den Graeff wife Liesbet Isacks (Van Bebber), sister Margrit Isaaks Op den Graef,

and mother Grietgen (Peters) (died 19 October 1683).

5. Wilhelm Strepers wife Belcken (Tuffers) and children: Peter, 19; Dirck, 17; Leonard, 15; Lysken, 13; and Jennecken, 9. His brother Johann Strepers (wife Anna Doors) bought land from William Penn and sent Wilhelm to represent his interests. Originally a Reformed family.

6. Tönes Coenen-Heggers wife Lentgen (Matteis-Doors), about 33 and children: Conrad, Matthias, Agnes, and Entgen. Variant spellings of the surname: Kunders, Conradts, and Hekkers.

7. Reiner Theissen-Doors variant spelling of surname: Tyson; brother to Tönes Kunders' and Peter Kürlis' wife's who also came over in 1683. Also known as Leonard Rynier Teison. Reiner Theisen had been raised Mennonite but later had become Reformed before associating with the Quakers.

8. Johann "Jan" Simons wife Merken (Wilhelms-Lucken) and child Merken, about 30; his wife was sister to Johann Lucken.

9. Johann "Jan" Lenssen wife Mercken (Pieters-Schmitz). The only family that were not Quakers; they were Mennonites.

10. Peter Kürlis wife Elisabeth (Doors) and children: Metje, 7; Johannes, 5; Agenes, 2; and Metgen, 1/2 year.

Originally a Reformed family.

11. Johannes Bleickers wife and child: Peter, born at Sea.

12. Johann "Jan" Lucken wife Merken (Gastes).

13. Abraham Tunes Klinken wife Beatrix (Lucken); Wife was sister to Johann Lucken.