Daniel Borneman

  Noted events in his life were:

• Military, Bef 1721, Switzerland. ¹²⁰ I left Switzerland and headed to Rotterdam, Holland before I became of age to be inscripted into the Swiss military.

• Immigration, 2 Oct 1727. ^121,122,123 I sailed on the ship, "Adventure" which was mastered by Jn'o Davis from Rotterdam. We sailed from Rotterdam to Plymouth, England and from England we headed toward the colonies in America.

My fellow passengers are listed below:

[List 4 B] Oct. 2'd, 1727

Michel Miller Johannes Beydeler Johannes Lemahn Casper Ney Christopher (CM) Miller Jacob Leidy. Jacque Simoult Michael Eichert Johannes Ullerich Hans Adam (W) Osser Petter (+) Shilling Mathias (X) Rysling Jacab Bauman Reeter (P) Rool John (H) Seyham Frans Baltzar (F) Frans' Johannas Kurtz Johann Peter Weisner Nicklos Chron Balsar Leine Jacob (IWH) Wilhelmus Urich Rieser Joh. Carl (IKH) ,Horlacher Nocolas (H) Keyser Jean Dieter Borleman Johann Petter Hess Christopher (CH) Ulrik Christian (CB) Bikler Johann Jacob Stutzman Daniel Borman Georg Christoff Oechslen


In the spring of 1727, I left my native home in Switzerland. I traveled to the nearest seaport and boarded an English Merchant ship as a redemptioneer. I landed at Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania on October 2, 1727. Those who had no means to defray expenses for their passage were called redemptioneers. The captain had the right to bind them out for two years, at 12 pounds and 10 shilling per year.

Unbeknown to me, the ship “Adventure”, which I boarded historically had been used as a pirates ship. It was customary that every ship should report at the harbor of her country and pay the duty on her cargo. The captain of my vessel failed to comply with the Emigration Laws. He sailed directly to America, and when he had crossed the ocean he suggested to his passengers that he land us at Jamestown, Virginia. During this time it was common practice to sell slaves in Virginia. We refused to land in Virginia for fear of being sold on the slave market.

The captain steered up the bay of the Delaware River so that land was seen by evening, but by morning the passengers would wake up to find that we were back out to sea. To no avail, the captain continued to pursuade the passengers that he could not make the port of Philadelphia and that Virginia had a milder climate and better options for employment. The captain continued his practice of sailing up the Delaware River by evening and putting out to sea by morning for about a week. The other passengers and I resolved that we would not be imposed upon any longer and demanded that the captain land us in Philadelphia according to our original agreement or we would put him in chains. Upon seeing his danger, he ran the ship up the Delaware Bay until it was necessary to signal for a pilot. The captain and his crew intended all along to sell us in Virginia as slaves. Following the sale, their plan was to become pirates upon American waters. The Captain who was now angry that his plans had been thwarted ordered the pilot to wreck the vessel on a shoal. The vessel was run up the Delaware until it was but twelve miles wide, and one hundred miles below Philadelphia and three miles from New Jersey where it sprung a leak and started to sink.

A distress signal was hoisted and the citizens of New Jersey hastened to our rescue. In the meantime, the captain and his crew went out on a Long Boat to sea. Everyone on board was brought safely to shore where we encamped during the night. During the night, the captain and pilot returned to the ship setting the vessel on fire. My fellow passengers and I lost all of our personal property, but as a result of the captains actions we were all free and no longer redemptioneers.

The news spread rapidly through the thinly settled province of New Jersey, that a ship with German emigrants had been wrecked one hundred miles from Philadelphia leaving the passengers desolate and without provisions. The other passengers and I preceeded into the New Jersey settlements, where people came out to meet us carrying supplies that would meet our needs until we could reach Philadelphia.

• Redemptioneer. ¹²⁴ Shipowners and captains of vessels were astute to realize the profit they could gain by selling immigrants as laborers in exchange for their passage to Pennsylvania. Arrangements would be made through agents to contract Europeans desiring to come to America. The immigrant understood that their passage, their food during the voyage and other provisions were on condition that upon their arrival at an American port, the captain had the right to sell their time for a certain number of years to repay the cost incurred for the voyage. Included in the cost was a tidy profit for the captain and shipowners. This business greatly increased through the demand for laborers and the increase of immigrants flowing into the country.

In the 23rd article of the Charter of Laws which was agreed upon in England and confirmed the 25th of April, 1682 by William Penn, is found the law regarding the practice of redemptioneering:

1. “That there shall be a register for all servants, where their name, time, wages and days of payment shall be registered.”
2. “That all children within this Province of those of twelve years shall be taught some useful trade or skill, to the end that none may be idle, but the poor may work to live, and the rich, if they have become poor, may not want. That servants be not kept longer than their time, and such as are careful be both justly and kindly used in their service, and put in fitting equipage at the expiration thereof, according to custom.”
3. “That no master or mistress or free man of this Province, or territories thereunto belonging, shall presume to sell or dispose of any servant or servants into any other province, that is or are bound to serve his or her time in the Province of Pennsylvania or territories thereof, under the penalty that every person so offending shall for every such servant so sold forfeit ten pounds, to be levied by way of distress and sale of their goods.”

The above enactments were abrogated in 1693 upon William and Mary reaching the throne. In the beginning of 1683 a bill to hinder the selling of servants into other Provinces and to prevent runaways was passed by the Council. On the 29th of August, William Penn made the following statement, “put ye question whether a proclamation were not convenient to be put forth to impower Masters to chastise their servants, and to punish any that shall inveigle any servant to goe from his master. They unanimously agreed and ordered it accordingly.” [Colonial Records, i. P.79.]

The German immigrants brought little with them. Their belongings were generally a few pieces of silver coin, a chest with clothes, a Bible and a prayer or hymnbook. Upon their arrival, many bound themselves or their children to masters for four, five or seven years to pay for their passages. The usual terms of sale depended somewhat on the age, strength, health and ability of the persons sold. Boys and girls had to serve from five to ten years, or until they attained the age of twenty-one. Parents out of necessity had to sell their own children. In some cases in order to be released from the ship the children had to assume the passage-money with their parents. Children less than five years old could not be sold and were freely given to persons who would agree to raise them until they attained the age of twenty-one. It was a humble position that redemptioners occupied.

• Settling in Pennsylvania. ¹²⁵ “I traveled through the country to the vicinity where Doylestown, in Bucks County, now stands, where I obtained work to grub new ground at two shillings per acre. I settled on a tract of land in upper Hanover Township in Philadelphia, about three miles from the village of Pennsburg. I worked three years during the summer, clearing and getting the land ready for a permanent home. In the fall, I would go east, where it was more thickly settled, procuring work wherever I could. On one occasion, on my way home, I stopped at a farmer's house, and got a job to thresh. The day was cloudy, and by the distance I had traveled I judged the time to be about three o'clock. After threshing some time, I was called to dinner, and by the time dinner was over it was about dark. The farm hands went to feed, and the women were spinning and doing the work about the house. About nine p.m. the women prepared supper, and then retired. In the morning, we were up early, and having done the morning work, we commenced to thresh again and threshed until breakfast was served at about eleven o'clock; we had dinner served about four p.m. and supper served about nine p.m. Here I worked for some time, but the time of meals did not suit me. I told my employer one morning that I would be leaving. I received my pay, and then was asked why I would not stay to finish the job; he thought he treated his hands well, but no one would stay any lenghth of time. I replied, “There is everything good and plenty, but there is one objection - that is the irregular time of eating.” The farmer replied it was the custom of his father and said he would not change the hours of meals to accommodate a day laborer. So much for habit! In the spring, I would return to my log-cabin and continue my toils."

• Tax List, 1734. ¹²⁶ 1734 Tax List for Hanover

HANOVER:

Stoffel WITMAN, Samuel MUSSELMAN, Henrich WENGER, Johan LINDERMAN, Johannes BENNER, Cornelius DEWEES, Michael SCHENK, Georg KUSTER, Benedict MENTZ, Peter LAUER, Andreas GRUBER, Balthaser HUTH, Frederich REICHARD, Henrich KOLLMAN, Jacob WEIZLER, Daniel SCHONER, Christian EYSTER, Elias AFF, Mathias BENDER, Andreas KEPLER, Claus BRAUN, Johannes ALLBACH, Philip KNECHT, Mathias HERMAN, Melchior HOCH, Adam SPENGLER, Peter ROTHERMEL, Jacob GRUS, Henrich DEHRING, Henrich ANTES, Henrich BITTING, Hans MARTINIUS, Simon KREBS, Jacob MULLER, Barnibus TOTHERO, Georg RAUDENBUSCH, Johannes HUTH, Philip LUBBAR, Daniel BORLEMAN, Conrad KOLB, Stoffel WAGENSEILER, Rudolph MAUERER, Nicholas INSELL, Valentin GEIGER, Martin BEITING, Adam HERMAN, Wendel KEIT, Peter CONRAD, Michael SCHMIDT, Jacob SCHWEITZER, Jacob HOCH, Jacob ARNER, Jacob BECHTEL, Mathias CHRISTMAN, Garret DEWEES, Mathias OTTO, Joh. Henrich SPROGEL, Johan BINGEMAN, Jacob DUNKEL, Judwig BITTING, Henrich BISHING, Georg SAALICHT, Henrich REIDER, Francis STUPP, Friderich HILLEGRASS, Daniel LUBBAR, Henrich SAALICHT, Michael SCHELL, Jacob MAYER, Jacob HIESTANDT, Johannes ZELL, Georg GEIGER, Ludwig BETHSILL, Philip BRANDT, Adam OCHS, Nicholas YOST, Jacob MAYER, Henrich KREBS, Jost FREYER, Paul HILL, Casper KEMP, Bastian REIFSCHNEIDER, Joh. Georg GEORG, Georg NOTH, Henrich ACKER, Wilhelm KEHLE, Martin ZENTLER, Johannes EYSTER, Jacob SCHAFER, Johan REICHELSDORFER, Jacob FREY, Joh. SCHNEIDER, Anthony HINKLE, Georg HALLENBACH, Georg STEIGER, Mathias RINGER, Johannes DUNKELL, Casper SINGER, Christopher SCHLEGEL, Nicholas HENSY, Johan Adam PLANK, Herman FISCHER, Hans LEYMEYER, Michael KREBS, Martin MERKLE, Stephen REYMER, Adam MULLER, Joh. Geo. WELCKER, Jacob SCHMIDT, Jacob JOST, Ludwig BURGHART

• Winter, 1738 to 1740. ¹²⁵ “I will now describe a winter scene in 1738-1740. In that winter snow fell to the depth of seven feet it reached to the eaves of the log-houses, and the tips of the stakes in worm fences could only be seen in some places. The snow continued to fall three days and three nights without intermission, and would up with rain, so that the snow got a crust that bore a man. The people assembled in log-houses were deprived of the conveniences and comforts of life, and their log barns afforded but I more shelter than a worm fence, except that it was covered with a clapboard roof to keep off the rain.

The stable was far from the house and no other water was to be had than from a spring, one hundred feet from the house. It was very difficult, on account of the snow, to get water to save the lives of my family and stock. I had an iron kettle and water-trough, which was near the house; my first object was to reach the barn and give my stock some hay; then to shovel a path to get water for my stock. It took me several days until I had made a path to the barn; I then built a fire under the kettle, filled it with snow and melted it until I had a kettle full of boiling water, which I put in the trough and put snow in it as long as it melted; then he let the cattle out to drink. Having overcome the difficulty of watering the cattle, a new one presented itself in the shape of fuel; the wood on hand was diminishing rapidly by the extra demand. I shoveled a path to the northwest corner of the house where I had girdled a monster white oak at the commencement of the settlement. I feared lest a severe storm would come from the west, it might blow the decayed tree upon the house and demolish it. So I labored steadily, cleared away the same for the tree to fall. I felled it, and it furnished fuel for some time, and the snow disappeared very slowly, the fuel became scarce again. Now a new supply had to be procured. I fastened boards about a foot square to my shoes and got on the snow and went to the nearest tree and cut it, and then with a hand-sled I conveyed it to the house. In this way, I kept my family from suffering from cold, and my stock from perishing for want of water, while the stock of many farmers perished. Such was my situation.”

• Property, 2 Nov 1751. I purchased land in Upper Hanover Township in Philadelphia County about 3 miles from Pennsburg near Reading and Limerick for 75 cents an acre. I purchased 159 acres where I established a farm, built a home and a private burial ground. The deed for the land is dated November 2, 1751. The land was purchased from William Parsons, John Ross and Robert Greenway. The land adjoined Deiler Welker, Nicholas Young (Jung) and Jacob Wannamer's properties.

• Property Title, 1767. ¹²⁷ I didn't recieve the property title for the land I bought in 1751 until 1767.

• Neighbor: neighbor to Johann Nicholas Jung, Nov 1751. ^128,129 Johann Nicholas was born about 1724 in Germany. He died July 20, 1801 in Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He was married to Anna Gertraudt. They had four children named John Rowland Jung born November 10, 1730, Andreas Jung born December 12, 1740, Henry Jung and Elizabeth Jung born July 30, 1770.

Johann Nicholas arrived in Philadelphia on the ship Loyal Judith on September 3, 1742. The captain was James Cowie. The ship traveled from Rotterdam by way of Cowes, England.

• Neighbor: Jacob Wannamaker, Nov 1751. ¹³⁰ Jacob Wannamaker was 24 year old when he immigrated. He arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 9, 1738 on the ship Charming Nancy. The captain was Charles Stedman. The ship traveled from Rotterdam by way of Cowes, England.

• Upper Hanover. ^131,132 Upper Hanover is bounded on the north by Lehigh, northwest by Berks and to the east by Bucks Counties, south by New Hanover and Frederick, southeast by Marlborough and west by Douglas. Its greatest length is five and a half miles, greatest width four and a half miles, with an area of twenty-three square miles providing a total of 14, 760 acres. The surface of the village is rolling and in parts quite hilly. The soil is primarily red shale. The Horsensack Hills, which are the highest elevation commences near the Douglas line and extends across the whole northwestern part of the Township until about a mile from the Berks County line. The land is covered by large boulders of granite, which have come into great use for building material. The view from the top of these hills is splendid. The valley below the hills expands and becomes a broad basin surrounded by hills extending a distance of over six miles. The Perkiomen Creek flows through this valley in a southern direction for more than seven miles. Five gristmills and four sawmills were established upon this creek. The Hosensack, West Branch and Macoby creeks are tributaries to the Perkiomen Creek.

The Township of Upper Hanover at first was a part of Hanover Township, which was established before 1741. A post office in the area was called Upper Hanover Post Office, so when the town formed it became known as Upper Hanover. The mail came weekly to and from Philadelphia by which a person was reasonably sure they would receive a response to a letter from any part of the State in two to four weeks.

The following is a list of the earliest landholders

John Benner, 100 acres Daniel Shaner, 100 Mathias Bender, 100
Frederick Richard, 150 Andrew Kepler, 100 John Eshbaugh, 100
Nicholas Brown, 100 Jacob High, 100 Malachi High, 100
Samuel Musselman, 50 Jacob Bechtal, 200 Mathias Christman, 100
John Linderman, 100 Garret Dewees, 100 Cornelius Dewees, 24
John Lewis, 95 Henry Coulston, 100 John Henry Sprogle, 556
George Custer, 100 Peter Lower, 100 Ludwich Bitting, 150
Balsar Hutt, 100 Jacob Wisler, 150 Henry Readers, 150
Robert Thomas, 300 George Roudebush, 150 Frederick Hillegas, 150
Daniel Borleman, 100 Michael Shell, 150 Conrad Culp, 150;
Jacob Myer, Jr., 100 Jacob Heistand, 150 Rudolph Mourer, 100
Jacob Fisher, 100 Jacob Mourer, 150 George Geiger, 50
Valentine Geiger, 100 Philip Knecht, 60 Adam Harman, 100
Mathias Harman, 100 Adam Spangler, 50 Peter Conrad, 100
Michael Smith, 50 Jacob Switzer, 10 Philip Brant, 100
Henry Antes, 150 Adam Ox, 140 Henry Bitting, 100
Jacob Myor, 100 Simon Kreps, 100 Henry Kreps, 100
Yost Fryer, 100 Barnabas Futtero, 100 Jacob Fry, 100
Sebastian Reifsnyder, 100 John Snyder, 150 John George, 100
Anthony Hinkle, 100 Henry Acker, 50

• Oath, 1755. ¹³³ I took the oath of Allegiance in 1755

• will, 2 Jun 1766. His will was probated on June 2,1766 and filed at the Philadelphia County Book N pg 515 will #274 He left 6 pounds to "sick and poor in the hospital in Philadelphia. The Hospital Report for 1766 shows a gift of $16.00

BORNEMAN, DANIEL. Upper Hannover. Co. of Phila. Yeoman. October 19, 1765. June 2, 1766. Children: Christian, Susannah, Barbara, Henry, Elizabeth. Sons in law: Herman Zimmerman, Michael Dieterle. Execs.: Christian and Henry Borneman. Wit: Michael Huber, David Shultze. N.515. Pennsylvania Archives wills and abstracts book N: 1763-1766 Philadelphia County, Pa

• Notes of Interest. Daniel Borneman immigrated to Pennsylvania from Switzerland. It is not known how the name Borneman originated. The name was originally Bornemanin, which was changed upon Daniel's arrival to the British colony of Pennsylvania.

Daniel married Anna Marie Gehman, daughter of Christian Gehman and Katharina Streit, about 1733 in Pennsylvania.¹¹⁹ (Anna Marie Gehman was born on 13 May 1708 in Grosshöchstetten, Switzerland ²² and died on 12 Nov 1756 in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• marriage. The date of their marriage is based on the date of Anna's arrival in the United States coupled with the exact dates of their grandchildren. Some genealogists have assumed that Daniel's wife's name was Mary when all we really know is that Daniel married a Geighman. An Anna Gaumann arrived in Pennsylvania with her brothers in 1732. (The surname Geighman can be found spelled Gehman and Gaumann)

The dates provided in this report vary from the dates found in The Borneman book, which was written by J. H. Borneman whose Great-Grandfather was Henry Borneman. The Borneman Book is a recounting of what had been passed down to him. Normally, I trust the source that is dated closer to the original event. In this case, J.H. Borneman based the birth dates for Daniel Borneman's family on the approximate date of Daniel's arrival in America. Since we now know that it was 6 years later than recorded in the Borneman Book, we know that the birth dates cannot be correct either. Barbara's birth date is recorded in The Borneman Book as 1723 however, we now know that Daniel was not even in Pennsylvania at that date nor could he have been married as he married Anna Mary after his arrival. Anna Mary doesn't arrive in Pennsylvania until 1732 If Barbara had her first child a year after her marriage to Michael, as was typical in her day, she would have been 45 years old when she married. This is possible but not likely. What is known is that Barbara was born a year after Daniel and Anna Mary Gaumann were married. The Borneman Book also says their second child was Susanna who was born in 1730, which puts five years between her and Barbara. The remaining siblings are all a year a part. The Borneman Book also leaves out the deaths of two siblings - Daniel who was born between Barbara and Susanna, and Anna born between Christian and Henry. In conclusion, Barbara's birth date of 1734 is supported by Daniel's arrival in Pennsylvania in 1727, Daniel's working to clear his land for three years, Anna Mary's arrival in 1732 and the birthdates of Barbara's children.