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Archiver > PONTIUS > 2003-03 > 1046807597


From: "Susan Sauve" <>
Subject: Re: [PONTIUS] Re: Pontius family of Buffalo Valley
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 12:53:17 -0700
References: <009001c2e206$6a7be1e0$477ced18@LNiesen>


Dear Len,

Thanks very much for your thorough and complete answer to my query, I am
updating my notes. It wasn't an easy question, was it? I guess there is
still room for research into the Pontius origins. It would certainly be
interesting to know what happened to these other folk.

Thanks again,
Susan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Niesen" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 9:27 PM
Subject: RE: [PONTIUS] Re: Pontius family of Buffalo Valley


> Susan,
>
> Good to hear from you. I do have some material on both David Pontzius
> and Marcus Pontzius, and in fact was just reviewing it in the same
> search effort.
>
> Marcus Pontzius and David Pontzius are both listed among those who took
> the Oath of Allegiance in October 1768 after arriving on the ship
> Pennsylvania Packet. Because they arrived together it is assumed (but
> not proven) that they were brothers. There was no Andreas or Johann
> Philip Pontius with them, and I don't have anything on those people. I
> have received info from James Punches indicating that a Johan David and
> a Johan Philip Pontius, brothers, applied for and received license to
> emigrate from Germany to America in 1768, and these could be the same
> people as Marcus and David but it can't be definitively proven at this
> point. The Palatine Archives indicate that Johan David was born 3 March
> 1738 and Johan Philip was younger. Their parents were listed as Andreas
> and Anna Marie Pontius of Niederbrombach, Zweibrueken, Duchy of
> Birkenfeld. (This archival info from James Punches.)
>
> Marcus married a woman named Mary Elizabeth and had a daughter named
> Elizabeth. Both are named in his will, which was filed in
> Northumberland County, PA. In 1772 he is listed on the tax list from
> Weisenberg Tow, Lehigh County and in 1778-1780, 1785 and 1787 he was on
> the Augusta Twp. tax list of residents. At his death he lived in
> Sunbury and owned property (with improvements) on Shamokin Creek. I
> have copies of his will. Mary Elizabeth Pontius (sic) and William
> Dewart were his executors. He died in 1791, and was listed in the
> census of 1790. I also have copies of a will from an Elizabeth Pontius
> who appears to be his wife, from 1802. She names a female child in her
> will who is apparently her ward. His witnesses to his will were William
> McAdam, Robert Biggar, and Zacharia Robins. There were no known male
> heirs in this line, and nothing in the wills would connect Marcus to any
> of the better-known Pontiuses, even by coincidence, except location. He
> interchanges the spelling of Pontzius/Pontius on various documents. His
> name is variously listed as Marx, Marc and Marcus.
>
> David Pontzius married Anna Elizabeth Weidmann on 13 January 1774, and
> the wedding is recorded in the church books of St. Michael's and Zion
> Lutheran Church in Philadelphia. He had two known children: Anna
> Maria, b. 11 August 1784 and baptized by Rev. John Waldschmidt at the
> Reformed Church in Berks County, Cumru Twp., and Johan Peter, baptized
> in 1786 (I can't put my hands on that record this moment). The other
> children you listed (Salome and Frederick) actually belong to Daniel
> Pontius and are listed in his will of 1813, which was inaccurately
> attributed to David due to a misreading of the name "Daniel" for
> "David." Abraham is possibly the son of Daniel as well, but I have
> never seen evidence as to whose son he is; he isn't David's as far as I
> know. David is listed in the PA Archives as having served in the 3rd
> Battalion, 6th Company under Capt. George Reinhard, called in July 1777
> and served his tour. He is also listed with this company in a unit
> muster roll for the period 1777-1779, and is shown to have been "absent
> one field day" for the period April 17-May 22, 1780. In addition, he
> had an absentee return during 1779 in the 3rd Battalion, 4th Company.
> All these military records show "Lieutenancy to Phila. City" and one
> lists his rank as "Pvt." So far David cannot be found in the 1790
> census or subsequent census records. His son Peter Pontius could
> possibly be the same as Peter Punches, who by 1811 lived in Pickaway
> County, OH. This Peter Punches lived among other Pontius families in
> Pickaway but has so far not been connected to them. There is no
> definitive evidence as to his identity, nor as to the fate of either
> child of David Pontius or his wife.
>
> The other prominent Pontius is Johan Christian Pontius who lived in New
> York City as early as 1760, when his son Christian was christened at
> Trinity Lutheran. He is listed in the 1790 census for that area. He
> appears to have had a number of children, both male and female, but none
> has ever been traced. In his Oath of Allegiance he is listed as a
> tailor and Lutheran.
>
> I hope I got all these facts down correctly. If anyone can add or
> correct anything, I would appreciate any further info.
>
> Len
>
>
>
> ==============================
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>

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