BRETHREN-L Archives

Archiver > BRETHREN > 2006-09 > 1159253460


From: "Wayne Webb" <>
Subject: Re: [BRE] BRETHREN Digest, Vol 1, Issue 60
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 02:49:45 -0700
References: <mailman.1162.1159250657.3834.brethren@rootsweb.com>


Emmert, Merle, et al,
An intriguing bit of information Mr. Bittinger was kind enough to pass
along. Let us speak of it briefly and see what other deductions might
perhaps arise.
A Jacob Miller dies in Germantown in 1755 in Germantown. We now this to
be a hot bed of Brethren activity at the time. This Jacob had two sons,
perhaps other children unnamed, John and Jacob. It would be enlightening to
see exactly what the wording of the will is and what other records, such as
deeds or probate, might still exist.
Notice that it the witnesses were all men who's surnames have meaning in
Ana-Baptist circles. It would mean a lot to figure out exactly who his
brother-in-law was. Jacob's son John married a daughter of John Dewald Endt
and became a member of Ephrata. This has meaning twice.
Philip Snell, baptized at Conestoga, married Heinrich Endt who had been
a convert from Ephrata and also was baptized at Conestoga. The connection
between John Dewalt Endt and Heinrich Endt is unknown to me. But notice
that each man is associated with Ephrata. Also take note that Heinrich's
executor was a Michael Miller.
We are all aware that George Adam Martin held sway in both Ephrata and
Conestoga. He also would later be in charge in the Bermudian and Stoney
Creek congregations as well as several congregations in southern Virginia
and the Carolinas. The locales are the important aspects of his travels and
religious duties.
I have surmised, and several people whom I respect are in agreement,
that it is highly likely that it is Jacob Miller (the Elder), and his
brother Tobias, who are also baptized into the Conestoga coungregation. We
can place Elder Miller, albeit undocumented at present but reliable in the
telling, in the Bermudian and Stoney Creek congregations. Any student of
Miami Valley, Ohio, Brethren history is well aware of the removal of Elder
Miller from Franklin county, Virginia to that rehion. It is here that I
believe that the place of birth of Franklin county, Pennsylvania enters into
the equation.
Elder Miller's grandson was, I believe, actually recalling that his
grandfather was in Franklin county, Penn, and incorrectly assumed that this
was his place of birth. It was also probably confusing to him when
recalling this because of Jacob's presence in Franklin county, Virginia.
The important item is that we can place Elder Martin, and the recently
baptized Jacob Miller, in the Conococheague / Antietam area. Elder Martin's
presence is proven by patent records for Pennsylvania. Jacob's presence by
family lore.
H. Austin Cooper relates, arguably not documented, that Jacob was raised
to ministry at Stoney Creek in Brothers Valley according to a register that
he saw without realizing what he was loking at. Understandable since his
"radar" was not thinking about western Ohio. He related to Merle that when
he returned to examine the register that it was missing. Oh! to find this
volume.
I believe I explained somewhat my conclusions that Elder Miller was not
of the same mind as the Annual, or Eastern, Brethren which is the underlying
cause of the Virginia Conference of 1811 which had such an impact on the
Brethren of the Miami Valley Brethren. Not that Elder Miller was in
disagreement spiritually with the Annual Meeting Brethren, more in the
manner in which he arrived at the teaching of the bible. I beleive that
much as Elder Martin was somewhere, religiously speaking, in between the
Brethren of Conestoga and Ephrata, so was Elder Miller. Recall that Elder
Miller has been established as the man who is responsible for the ministry
of two Englishers, Samuel Boltin and William Smith. And yes I do believe
that the William R. Smith of recent discussion is the same as related by
Elder Zigler in the Virginia book.
I make mention of the two Englishers because both men, while being
mentioned in context with the early German Baptists, seem to have just been
the English side of Elder Miller. Elder Miller, through these two men,
could reach a larger audience with his evangelicist teachings. It has been
related, if I recall it correctly, that William R. Smith can at times be
associated with the Christian church while at others with the German
Baptist. The same can be said of Samuel Boltin. All of his children known
to date were married by a Christian church minister, Nathan Worley. Though
Samuel's daughter, and grandson, both relate that he was a Dunkard preacher.
And yes I do believe that much as Elder Martin was an evangelist, so was
Elder Miller.
This also has an impact on the Brethren of the Carolinas, Kentucky, and
southern Illinois. Elder Martin began Stoney Creek with the pietist
Heinrich Roth who was spoken of by the eminent Thomas Schley, the paragon of
Protestant religion in Maryland and other regions of colonial America. If
you look at some of these early members (Stoney Creek)as reported by Morgan
Edwards you will find that a portion of them are also mentioned in the early
records of the churches represented in the 18th Century German Protestant
church records of Adams county. One that comes to mind is the Kimmel
(Kuehmmle) family.
The Stoney Creek congregation provided the seed members of the
congregations that began in the 1790 time frame in Muhlenburg county,
Kentucky. Compatriots of theirs, but from the Carolinas, also moved into
this region, roughly speaking. Remember that Elder Martin is reported to
have been on trips down through the Carolinas and his son David settled
there.
In closing I believe that it is in Ephrata, or in the surrounding
region, that the parents of Elder Miller and his brother Tobias, will likely
be found. I almost forgot. Another story relates that it was Elder Stover
that raised Jacob Miller to the ministry. Also that Philip Snell, and his
wife, Judith Endt, moved to the same region where Elders Martin and Miller
were said to have been, albeit at a slightly later time by some five years.
Sorry for the rambling manner, but I have a trip to go on but did not
wish to avoid the opportunity to add my two pennies.

Wayne Webb

----- Original Message -----
> Jacob Miller history.
> A Jacob Miller lived in Germantown in the first half of the 1700s. His
> occupation was Wheelwright. His wife was Mary Magdalena.
> This Jacob signed his will on Feb. 8, 1755 and it was probated April 9,
> 1755. (K-283) The will names two sons, John and Jacob. The witnesses
> were:
> Philip Martin, Jacob Herman, Christian Lehman (Men-nonite). The Executors
> were his wife and brother-in-law, Sassmanhauren [?], and John Dewald Endt
> (Endt, a Dunker). John married Sybilla Endt, daughter of John D., and they
> both joined the Ephrata Society (Dunker) at Ephrata. The other son,
> Jacob,
> has always intrigued me. And I wonder if he wasn't the Jacob of 1735 (or
> father of) who went to Coventry and became the Dunker Elder.
> I always intended to follow through on this issue, but now it is too
> late and I am too involved in other tasks. So, my question is this: does
> anyone on the list know more about the family of Jacob Miller of
> Germantown,
> the home of the first Brethren in America, and/or is interested in
> following
> up with additional research?
> Emmert F. Bittinger

This thread: