Andrew Gerhardt Schrauger

  Noted events in his life were:

• AKA. I signed my name both as Andrew and Gerhardt. I used both names interchangably in documents.

• Property, 1709. ^216,217 I owned property in Perkiomen Township, Pennsylvania. I was a farmer, weaver and basket weaver.

Conveyance Papers and Drafts covering property in Perkiomen Township

Deed, Van Bebber to Gerhart Clemens, 1711; Gerhart Clemens Michael Ziegler, 1722; Van Bebber to Andrew Schrager, 1709; Andrew Schrager to Michael Ziegler, 1720; David Powell to Michael Ziegler, 1718. Deed to Michael Ziegler, 1749; Michael Ziegler to Michael Ziegler, his son, May 26, 1762. Deed, Michael Ziegler to Christian Croll, dated April 23, 1813. Three Ledgers of Michael Ziegler and sons, tanners, in Skippack, dating back to 1747; one is covered with leather of their own tanning

• Signed a Petition, 2 Jun 1713. ²¹⁸ I signed a petition for a road. The main roads that pass through the Township are the Skippack, Morris, State or Swedes' Ford, and the road leading from North Wales Meeting-house to Plymouth.

The Skippack road, the most important highway in the Township, was opened at an early date, concerning the inception of which we happen to have documentary evidence, which is transferred to these pages. Before the year 1713, settlers had begun to occupy the country along the Skippack Creek, then known as Bebber's Township or tract; that it began to be felt necessary to have a central public highway leading to the northwest that would answer better than the crooked, winding paths through the woods and in places over almost impassable swamps. Accordingly, a petition was drawn up and presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions, held in Philadelphia, June 2, 1713.

“To the Court of Quarter Sessions held, in Philadelphia, June 2, 1713:

“The petition of the inhabitants of the Townships of Skippack and several adjacent plantations in said county, humbly showeth, that whereas, in the aforesaid Township and neighbourhood thereof, pretty many families are already settled, and probably not a few more to settle in and about the same, And yet no road being laid out and established to accommodate your petitioners; but what paths have hitherto used are only upon sufferance, and liable to be fenced up. Therefore, your petitioners, both for the public good and their own convenience, humbly desire an order for the laying out and establishing a road or cartway from the upper end of said Township down to the wide-marsh, or Farmer's mill, which will greatly tend to the satisfaction of your petitioners, who shall thankfully acknowledge the favor, etc.”

“Signed by
Dick Rosenberry Henry Frey Jacob Kolb
Claus Jansen Peter Bon Henreich Pannebecker
Thomas Kentworthy Johonas Sholl Peter Bellar
John Newberry Peter Wentz Abraham Le Fevre
William Renberry John Krey Andrew Shrager
Johanes Umstat Hermanus Kuster Heinrich Kolb
Daniel Dismant Jacob Gaetshlack Lorentz Sweitzer
Mathias Tyson Gerhard In Hoven Gerhard Clemmens
James Been Johonas Kolb Martin Kolb
Jacob op den Graeff Herman In Hoven.”

The following is the report of the jury to lay-out said road:

“Whereas, by virtue of an order of Court obtained by the Petition of the Inhabitants of Skippack fur the laying out of a road from the said Skippack to Edward Farmer's mill, and the same being laid out, dissatisfaction to some of the Inhabitants of Farmer's Township, application being made to the next succeeding Court for a review of the road, and persons being appointed, namely, Henry Sellen, James Shadeck, Robert Jones, John Roady, Edward Farmer, and Nicholas Scull, or any four of them, and they having reviewth the said Road, as Likewise a Certain Northeast line extending from the said Farmer's Mill up into the country, dividing Divers

(Signed by) “HENDRICH SELLEN
“ROBERT JONES
“JOHN BRADY
“EDWARD FARMER
“NICHOLAS SCULL.

• Naturalization, 1740. ²¹⁹ I was naturalized in 1740 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Shrager, GerrartPhiladelphia County

Shrager, Gossen, Jun.Philadelphia County

Fisher, AndrewPhiladelphia County

Ritter, MichaelPhiladelphia County

Grall, IsaacPhiladelphia County

Wood, GeorgePhiladelphia County

Snider, JohannesPhiladelphia County

• lived. ²²⁰ I settled in Towamencin. Towamencin is a name of Indian origin, and no doubt was taken from the stream bearing it. In March, 1728, the territory was formed into a town ship, and at the request of the petitioners called Towamencin. A draft thereof in the records states its area to be "about five thousand five hundred acres." Although its boundaries have not since been changed, yet, like all other early surveys, its area is now made somewhat more, no doubt in part brought about by a closer or more exact measurement through the increased value of lands. A list of the land-holders and tenants of this township was prepared in 1734, which we now propose to give here in full, being thirty-two in number, which necessarily must contain some of its earliest settlers, of whom, to a limited extent, a further account will be given:

Joseph Morgan, 200 acres James Wall, 100 John Morgan, 200 Daniel Morgan, 200 Daniel Williams, 200 John Edwards, 250 Joseph Lukens, 200 Jacob Hill, 100 Hugh Evans, 180 Cadwallader Evans, 100 Christian Weber, 50 Nicholas Lesher, 150 Paul Hendricks, 100 Jacob Fry, 200 Peter Weber, 150 Peter Tyson, 100 Christian Brinaman, 150 Lawrence Hendricks, 150 Garret Schrager, 100 Leonard Hendricks, 150 Henry Hendricks, 123 Herman Gotschalk, 100 John Gotschalk, 120 Gotschalk Gotschalk, 120 Abraham Lukens, 200 Francis Griffith, 100 William Nash, 50 Henry Fry, 50 Felty Consenhiser, 23 Peter Wentz William Tennis, 25 Jellis Jellis, 22 acres.

It is apparent, in examining the above list that many of the early settlers came hither after a brief residence in or around Germantown. As their children grew up and the country became more improved they, moved to where cheaper lands abounded, though at the expense of greater toil.

• will, 12 Jan 1753. ²²¹ I wrote my will on January 12, 1753

SHRAGER, GERHART. Towamenson, Co. of Philadelphia. Weaver. January 12, 1753. February 21, 1753. K.44. Wife: Janicken. Children: Goshen, Helena, Eve, Gertroude and Catherine. Exec: Jacob Gotschalk, Jr., son-in-law, and John Uly Stauffer. Wit: Gabriel Shuster, John Hendricks, Andrew Ziegler.

• Probate, 21 Feb 1753.

Andrew married Barbara Hendricks about 1689 in Richen, Baden, Germany. (Barbara Hendricks was born about 1669 in Germany and died between 1700 and 1718 in Towamencin Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.)

Andrew next married Janicken Hendricks before 1718. (Janicken Hendricks was born about 1670 in Germany and died about 1730 in Towamencin Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.)