Christian Clymer

   Another name for Christian was Christopher.

  Noted events in his life were:

• will. ⁵⁸⁸ His son Christian Clemmer and son-in-law John Berkey were granted the letters of administration

Witnessed the following will:

CLEMMER, JACOB. City of Philadelphia. March 20, 1749/50. November 11, 1751. J.438. Wife: [name not given]. Children: Henry, Esther, Christian, Catherine, Valentine, Jacob, Mary, Barbara, Anne and Elizabeth. Brothers: Christian and John Jacob. Exec: Christian and Valentine Clemmer. Wit: Jacob, Johannes and Barbara Funck (her mark). Pennsylvania Archives - wills

• Family Origin. ⁵⁸⁹ The Clemmer/Clymer name was Anglicized by English-speaking clerks in Bucks County to CLYMER

CHRISTIAN TREICHLER CLYMER

CHRISTIAN TREICHLER CLYMER. Bucks county has no more useful citizen than Christian Treichler CLYMER, of Quakertown. The CLYMER family is of German origin, the name having been formerly spelled KLEMMER. It was brought to this country by two brothers, one of whom was Christian CLYMER, or KLEMMER. He was born in 1697 in Germany, and is thought to have emigrated to America prior to 1730. He settled in what is now Lower Milford township, and in 1734 his name appeared on the record as a petitioner to divide the township. His wife was Barbara-------, and they were the parents of seven sons and five daughters. Among the sons was Jacob, mentioned at length hereinafter. Christian CLYMER died in 1759, and some of his descendants are yet living on the land which he settled. His wife passed away January 14, 1776.

The most complete source of information on this ancestor states that, the Clymer family " was brought to this country by two brothers, one of whom was Christian Clymer, or Klemmer. He was born In1697 In Germany and is thought to have emigrated to America rica prior to 1730. He settled in what Is now Milford Township and In 1734 his name appeared on the record as a Petitioner to divide the township. His wife was Barbara and they were the parents of seven sons and five daughters.

Most of the details of this account', which was published In 1905, have been born out by further researched. The Pennsylvania Archives lists Chrisian Klimmer of Bucks County as among those "divers Protestant who immigrated between 1700 and 1718.2 This wouldPlace him among the very earliest settlers of the Swamp area.The names of Christian Clemmer and John Jacob Clemmer of Richland Township appear on many petitions In the 1730 s.3

On June 29, 17 41, Christian Clemmer of Lower Milford Township right 315 acres of land In Rockhill Twp. along the northeast a branch of the Perkiomen Creek. (Bucks DB 23, 238). This street on the south side of Sellersville remained In the family for at least three generations, and its ownership determined the name of the present day Clymer Ave. In 1928 parts of it were divided into building lots-(Bucks OC 825). The are was once known as Clymersville but has since been absorbed by residential Sellersville.

Christian died Intestate In 1759 and the appropriate documents filed at Philadelphia (Phila. Administrations, Nov. 12,1759). These name his widow, Barbara. and. mention the existeancw of eleven children. including a Valentine Cleymer who eviuently died soon thereafter. On 4/3/1761 the widow and nine sons and daughters sold their shares in the Rockhill tract to the eldest son, Martin, This deed lists the existing children: Christian Clymer of Springfield m. Catharina Jacob m. Esther d. 1801 John d.1807 Henry d.1807 Magdalena m. Peter Mayer Anna m. John Barkey Elizabeth m. Conrad Keill Easter Catharina m. Isaac Rinker Martin of Rockhill Twp., Bucks Co. (Bucks DB 22.206)

A farm house built In 1728 near the present day East Swamp Mennonite Church (see Map) Is identified by local tradition as the Clymer homestead. It was owned by the Clymer family well into the 20th century and is probably the place referred to by Davis when he said that Christian's land was still occupied by the Clymer family .

?I In 1853 Samuel was chosen by.lot to become an assistantminister at Hereford as was the Mennonite custom. He succeeded Ephriam Hunsberger who had moved to Ohio. Samuel may have been farming somewhere else at the time for on 4/5/1854, Peter Yoder of Hereford Twp. conveyed land "to Samuel G. Clemmer of Lower Milford Twp., Lehigh Co. and minister of the gospel." Samuel paid $9,000 for 123 acres adjoining land of Rev. Christian Clemmer (Berks DB 61,524). Rev. Christian had built a house near that of his father, George.

Meanwhile, in 1865, the First Mennonite Church of Philadelphia had been founded and; In 1868, the congregation needed a minister. Samuel was called to be, reportedly, their first paid minister and he began his duties on 5/5/1868. Four days previously, he sold his 123 acres In Hereford Twp. to Nathan Hertzog of Lower Macungie Twp.. Lehigh Co. for $12,394 (Berks DB 93,15). While In Phila., he lived at 2209 Franklin St. His church, at Diamond and Reese Sts.(near Fifth) is, as of 1970, still standing.

"The pastorate of Brother Clemmer was crowned with success; but in less than two years the Lord saw fit to call him to his eternal home. Samuel reoortedly died of typhoid fever. Pastor A.B. Shelly of Milford Square replaced him. Samuel is buried with his wife at Hereford Church.


Christian Clymer died in 1759 and some of his descendants are yet living on land which he settled. His wife passed away January 14, 1776.

• Bucks County History. Bucks County:

The Clymer family is of German origin, the name having been formerly spelled Klemmer. It was brought to this country by two brothers, one of whom was Christian clymer, or Klemmer. He was born in 1697 in Germany, and is thought to have emigrated to america prior to 1730. He settled in what is now Lower Milford township, and in 1734 his name appeared on the record as a petitioner to divide the township. His wife was Barbara last name unknown, and they were the parents of seven sons and five daughters. Christian Clymer died in 1759, and some of his descendants are yet living on the land which he settled. His wife pased away January 14, 1776.

• Emigration, 1717. I immigrated to Pennsylvania along with my father, brothers and a nephew in 1717.

• lived: Milford Township. ^590,591 Milford is the first township into which the Germans came in any considerable numbers. From their first advent into the province a few of this race found homes in Bucks, but they were too few to make any impression upon the English population. The heaviest German immigration took place between 1725 and 1740, and during this period a large number settled in the upper end of this county, and what is now Northampton and Lehigh. By 1775 they numbered about one half the population of Pennsylvania . Our early German settlers followed the track of those which had preceded them up the valley of the Perkiomen, and planting themselves in the northwest corner of the county, they gradually spread across to the Lehigh and Delaware, and southward to meet and check the upward current of English immigration. In time they became the dominant race in several townships originally settled by English speaking people.
The early Germans came with a fair share of common school learning, and there were but few who could not read and write. They early established schools to educate their children; and it was a feature with the German settlers that they were hardly seated in their new homes before they began to organize congregations and build churches. Among them were men of education, and to the Moravians especially are we indebted for the introduction of a high degree of cultivation into the wilderness on the Lehigh. The third newspaper published in Pennsylvania was in German, in 1739. Christian Sowr, of Germantown, had printed several editions of the Bible in German years before the first English Bible was printed in America, which issued from the press of Robert Aitken, Philadelphia, 1780. As a class the Germans excelled the other races that settled this county in music, and they were the first to introduce it into our churches. At first the Proprietary government was prejudiced against them, but such was not the case with William Penn, and it was not until 1742 that the Assembly passed an act for their naturalization. Shortly afterward an act was passed that applied to Dunkards, Moravians, Mennonites, and all other Protestants, except Friends, who refused to take an oath. But this boon was not granted without the asking, and then it took years to get the law passed. A petition was presented to the legislature in 1734 from "inhabitants of Bucks county," which stated that the petitioners were from Germany, and having purchased lands, they desire naturalization that they may hold the same and transmit them to their children. It was signed by John Blyler, John Yoder, Sr., Christian Clemmer, John Jacob Clemmer, Abraham Shelly, Jacob Musselman, Henry Tetter, Peter Tetter, Leonard Button, Peter Wolbert, Owen Resear, John Resear, Felix Pruner, Lawrence Earp, Joseph Everheart, Michael Everheart, Jacob Wetsel, Michael Tilinger, Baltzer Caring, Joseph Zemmerman, John Rinck, Jacob Coller, John Lauder, Peter Chuck, John Brecht, Henry Schneider, Felty Kizer, Adam Wanner, Martin Piting, John Landes, George Sayres, Abraham Heystandt, Christian Newcome, Felty Young, Henry Weaver, John Weaver, Jacob Gangwer, Francis Bloom, Frederick Schall, Henry Rincker, Lawrence Mirkle, Leonard Cooper, John Yoder, Jr., Adam Shearer, Felty Barnard, John Reed. The earliest record of an alien of Bucks county being naturalized by the Assembly is that of Johannes Blecker [and others in petition of Francis Daniel Pastorius*], September 28, 1709. In 1730-31 Jacob Klemmer, of Richland, Jacob Sander, Philip Keisinger, George Bachman and John Drissel petitioned the Assembly to be naturalized.

No doubt the agitation for a township organization in Richland, whose inhabitants were moving in this direction, stimulated the people of Milford to set up for themselves. On June 13, 1734, those living between the county line and the section then about to be laid out as Richland, petitioned the court to erect the country they inhabit into a township, with the boundaries they specify. They state in the petition that heretofore they had been united with Richland for municipal purposes, but now wish to be separated, because the territory is so large that the constable and collector cannot attend to their duties. That section of the county must have been pretty well peopled at this early day, for the petition has 62 names upon it, nearly all German, among which we find those of Cline, Clymer, Musselman, Jamison, Nixon, Jones, Lawer, Wies, Ditter, Hoene, Sane, and other equally well-known at this day. The court doubtless granted the prayer of the petitioners, for the township was laid out and established soon after. It was twice surveyed, both times by John Chapman, the second survey only differing from the first on it southeast boundary. The first was returned into court September 13, 1734, and the last was made October 22nd.

• Petition, 1734. ¹³⁹ I signed a petition in 1734 requesting the division of Milford Township into upper and lower Milford. In this same year, I was appointed constable for Milford. I signed a second petition in 1734, which was from the inhabitants of Bucks County. The petition indicated that we were originally from Germany desiring to become naturalized now that we were landowners. Naturalization would provide the legality necessary in order for our children to inherit our land. Those who signed the petition were as follows: John Blyler, John Yoder, Sr., Christian Clemmer, John Jacob Clemmer, Abraham Shelly, Jacob Musselman, Henry Tetter, Peter Tetter, Leonard Button, Peter Wolbert, Owen Resear, John Resear, Felix Pruner, Lawrence Earp, Joseph Everheart, Michael Everheart, Jacob Wetsel, Michael Tilinger, Baltzer Caring, Joseph Zemmerman, John Rinck, Jacob Coller, John Lauder, Peter Chuck, John Brecht, Henry Schneider, Felty Kizer, Adam Wanner, Martin Piting, John Landes, George Sayres, Abraham Heystandt, Christian Newcome, Felty Young, Henry Weaver, John Weaver, Jacob Gangwer, Francis Bloom, Frederick Schall, Henry Rincker, Lawrence Mirkle, Leonard Cooper, John Yoder, Jr., Adam Shearer, Felty Barnard, John Reed.

• appointed, 1737, Milford Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. ⁵⁰ I was appointed constable for Milford in 1737.

• Property, 29 Jun 1741, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. We bought 315 acres of land in Rockhill Township, Bucks County along the northeast branch of the Perkiomen Creek, on the southside of Sellersville.

CHAPTER XXXIII or CHAPTER III, Vol II * ROCKHILL 1740 Pennsylvania Archives


Rockhill was one of the objective points of German immigration that came up the Perkiomen and set across into Bucks county, 1720-1730. Germans were among its very earliest settlers and it has maintained its German status to the present time. Our knowledge of the pioneers is limited, being of that class that rarely preserves recorded family history or tradition.

[The earliest purchase made in Rockhill was by John Furnace, a barber of Philadelphia, the deed bearing date December 11, 1701, for 300 acres. In 1723, he sold the tract to Andrew Hamilton, and Hamilton to Heinrich Hartzell, an immigrant from the Palatinate, 1732. It now bounds the limits of Telford. Hartzell improved and added to it. He owned 1,000 acres in all, on the Montgomery line, the homestead being on the Bucks side. He died here June 21, 1784, leaving three sons and eight daughters, and was buried at Indianfield German Reformed church. Ulrich Hartzell, probably a brother, who came in the same ship, bought land near Tylersport, Montgomery county, and died there, December 6, 1771. He was born in Switzerland, August 20, 1705. December 6, 1738, another Hartzell finds his way to America - Conrad, who settled in Salisbury township, Lehigh county, then in Bucks. Heinrich Hartzell was the ancestor of the family in Bucks county. One of the earliest settlers, in the west end of the township, near where Sellersville stands, was Abraham Wombold, who purchased a tract on a branch of the Perkiomen, 1738, on which he built a dwelling, grist mill (1) and tannery. Here he carried on milling and tanning may years, and to him the farmers, may miles around, brought their grain to be ground. He was followed by Samuel Sellers, who built a dwelling and opened a tavern in it on the site of the present Sellersville house. Around this old inn has grown a flourishing village named after its founder. Mr. Sellers lived to become a prominent and influential citizen, was a member of Assembly and High Sheriff and died August 18, 1817. William Maberry was an early settler, but the date of his arrival is unknown. He became a large landed proprietor. At his death, 1782, he owned 745 acres in Rockhill, which were divided among his heirs.*]

The last three villages that lay entirely in Rockhill township, are Sellersville, Bridgetown, and Perkasie, the first and last named being on the North Pennsylvania railroad. As we have already related, Sellersville grew up around what was for many years known as Sellers' Tavern, which name the post0ffice bore down to 1866, when it took that of the village.

The surface of Rockhill is much broken. A broad, rocky ridge runs entirely across the township, from northeast to southwest, curving to the south toward Sellersville. The broken surface impedes cultivation, but fine farms abound in many sections and good crops produced. It is well watered by branches of the Perkiomen and Tohickon, their tributaries affording numerous mill sites.

["The same afternoon we arrived at another farm in a very uneven and stony region called 'Rocky Hill,' situated in Bucks county. At this place we met a young man who pays but ten shillings tax for 74 acres, of which considerable is woodland. Among other taxes, which are assessed in Pennsylvania, is one styled the 'bachelor's tax;' every male person who is 21 years of age, and not married, pays a yearly tax of twelve shillings, six pence, Pennsylvania currency. Inconsiderable as this tax is, it, however, has its desired effect, as the liability to derision, to which the young men are open, and the ease with which industrious hands can support a family, soon causes them to change their social status. This is an old established tax here, as well as in Maryland, and lately established in South Carolina, as they have been convinced of its usefulness to arrive at a desired result.*]
["The farmers here use a seed plough, called the 'Bucks County plow.' The wheat is scattered on the fallow ground and then plowed under. It is customary to reckon from one-half to one bushel to seed to the acre, according as the land has before been cultivated. Generally it is expected to harvest ten or fifteen bushels of wheat per acre, from land that has been manured; in the neighborhood of Reading and the Tulpehocken valley, the average is 40-50 bushels. A wagon with four horses will haul 40-50 bushels of wheat to the city, and it is sold there for one Spanish dollar a bushel. As many persons own a large quantity of land, they cannot make use of it all, and consequently many acres remain uncultivated for five, six or seven years. Frequently, for the first year a crop of rye is sown, the second year wheat and English grass seed, and after the wheat is harvested, it is used for five years as pasture. For a second crop it is customary to sow buckwheat.*]
["Most of the lime used in Philadelphia comes from the neighborhood of Whitemarsh or Plymouth, 15 or 17 miles distant. Nearer than that there is no pure limestone, and wood is also very scarce. From there, up to within five miles of Bethlehem there are no traces of limestone. Formerly the lime was delivered in Philadelphia for one shilling per bushel. A four horse team can haul from 40-50 bushels. Every farm has its orchard, when the trees becomes old a new one is started, at a new spot, as the general belief is that young trees will not thrive where the old ones stood. People also have land enough and do not like to engage in the labor of plowing up the land, and improving it with manure or other mixture. There is no attention paid to the variety of fruit; apples and peaches are about all that are cultivated, the former, however, might be greatly improved.*]
["After leaving the foregoing host and traveling through a continuous forest, we reached 'Rocky Hill' township, but we only saw a few scattered houses. The road is fitly called 'Rocky Hill.' A blue basaltic and also a slaty gneiss rock covered the surface under which, however, the red, Jersey soil is found. We passed through a devastated forest of at least 2,000 acres, which had been cut down for fuel at a charcoal furnace. After the owner had used up all the wood it was abandoned. The forest consists of oak, beech and birch. The bark of the latter is used for tanning. On this dry unproductive soil, we saw nothing but small trunks of all kinds of trees. None of them appeared very old. Most of the thickets we met with are composed of young trees, as the first settlers have a custom of clearing their lands with fire, but the fire often spreads too far, and the original forests were destroyed. Nowhere will you meet with such a diversity of fencing as in America; almost every minute you will see a different style, and people cannot help wondering at the inventive genius of the inhabitants. Generally there are dry enclosures, either thin stakes of cleft trees, which are entwined in various ways or laid one on top of the other, or upright posts are placed against each other and interlaced. The so called worm fences were the most frequent. They are made of chestnut wood, as it makes the lightest fence, and when the bark is off will last a long time. Green hedge are rarely met with, and then only in a few towns, as the labor of planting and taking care of them is too great.*]

["From Rocky Hill the road leads to a broad plain which is known as the Great Swamp, which formerly covered this entire region, but has now been transformed into excellent wheat land. The low situation, however, causes it to be overflowed fall and spring, and the farmers find it best to raise summer instead of winter wheat, as the latter, on account of the wet soil, is often damaged by frost. Quakertown is a small village of about 12 houses. The inhabitants are mostly English and German Quakers. The inn keeper here pays for his license and about five acres of land twelve pounds Pennsylvania currency taxes. He certainly has not much to pay, but he has the more to ask, as we were not safe for a moment from his inquisitiveness. He was incessant in his endeavor to ascertain from us, or our servants, the object of our travels, but he was not able to accomplish it and we did not feel obliged to satisfy his curiosity, as his ignorance prevented him from answering our questions relative to the condition of his neighborhood. After leaving this Quaker colony on the 8th of August, we again came into a rough hilly country, full of the fragments of the before mentioned hard blue stone, and traveled many miles through wild and uncultivated forests; only occasionally did we meet with small cultivated spots on which Germans were settled. We passed through 'Phillips Dale' and 'Richardstown,' without knowing it, as these rising towns only existed in name, or were composed of only a few huts. Six mile from Quakertown we came to a small village of ten or twelve houses, and a mill, named after its first settler, Stoffel Wagner. After we had traveled between and over more high hills and through desolate forests, and passed Saucon creek, we came to a beautiful valley, with rich mellow soil and then to the calm but beautiful Lehigh."*]

Christian married Barbara Unknown in 1718 in Pennsylvania. (Barbara Unknown was born about 1697 and died on 14 Jan 1776.)

  Marriage Notes:

Children Martin Clymer b: ABT 1719 d. 1784 Rochill township, Bucks County, PA(married Margaret Hiestand) Jacob Clymer b: 1729 Christian (Clemmer) Clymer b: 1720 in Milford Township, Bucks County, PA d.1802 Springfield, PA Valentine (Clemmer) Clymer b: 1727 in Milford Township, Bucks County, PA d. 1788 Milford Catherine Clymer b: ABT 1730 Elizabeth Clymer b: ABT 1730 Esther Clymer b: ABT 1730 Magdalena Clymer b: ABT 1730 Henry Clymer b: AFT 1730 Ann Clymer b: 1731 John Clymer b: 1737 in Lower Milford Township, Bucks County, PA d. 1807