the elder Meyer, from Germany

Evidence needed to support as son of Johannes Henry Meyer and his wife Hanna Maier, or of his wife Maria Maier. Perhaps his name was Heinrich Meyer. He should not be confused with the Heinrich Meyer who emigrated to New York and who is reported to have married Anna Kunigunta. [1]

Birth date unknown.

Children of the Meyer who came from Germany:
https://archive.org/details/genealogyofmeyer00meye/page/20/mode/2up

• John (1719-1786) See page 22. Born in Germany.
• Jacob (1732-1807) See page 34. Married Susanna Ream.
• Michael. See page 129. Never married.
• Christopher (1736-1801). See page 89. Married Anna Maria Shaeffer.
• Daughter (one or two). See page 129.

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Came from Palatinate, Prussia - He named the stream Muhlbach (Mill Stream) after his native home in the old country. There's a tradition that Henry and his family were members of Johann Conrad Weiser's colony located at Womelsdorf which is only about five miles from Muhlbach.

NOTE - *Original spelling "Mühlbach" - Mill Creek is a small stream, It was originally in Lancaster Co., PA, but now in the SE part of Lebanon Co., PA. The surname is spelled in at least eleven different ways, viz.: Meyer, Mayer, Myer, Meyers, Myers, Moyer, Moyers, Mire, Meier, Meire, and Maire. Genealogy of the Meyer Family by Henry Meyer, page 18, indicates burial is unknown.

https://archive.org/details/genealogyofmeyer00meye/page/16/mode/2up

It has been stated already that little is known of our ancestor's history while in this country, nor while still a resident of the Palatinate. The few facts that we have in our possession will, therefore, be the more interesting and should be carefully treasured, though of but little intrinsic value.

Before entering the army Mr. Meyer became engaged to a yonng lady who subsequently became his wife, but while serving his time in the army his girl fell in love with another fellow, which brought on a lovers' quarrel with her betrothed. Mr. Meyer pretended to be quite indifferent about his former sweetheart, anil while passing her home in going to and coming from his work he whistled and sung and in other ways showed his indifference. She relented and sent for him when a reconciliation took place. He was a fine singer, which it is said had its effect in changing the lady's feelings. They were married and ere many years came to America. Most of their little property they sold to pay part of the passage across the ocean. Several pigs and a few pieces of furniture was all they had.1 They landed at New York, and after serving a time to pay* the balance of their fare across the ocean, came to Philadelphia. Thence traveling on foot through the country, working a day or two occasionally to defray expenses, they finally arrived, while looking for a place to settle, at the beautiful spring in the forest, which seemed to have a strong attraction for Mr. Meyer, and he said, "Here we will stay." The bundles which they carried were unloaded under a large white oak tree, and the husband christened the stream Muhlbach^ after the name of his native home in the old country. Their possessions were exceedingly limited, consisting of an axe, two tin plates, some clothing and a few other indispensable articles. It was sometime after harvest that the family arrived at the spring, about four o'clock in the afternoon of a certain day.1 When Mr. Meyer died, how old he was or where he is buried, are questions that will, perhaps, never be answered. It is probable that he and his wife lie buried in the cemetery of the old Miihlbach church, as that would have been the most convenient, and there are buried many of his descendants.

Research Notes

Conflicting details of Heinrich's life are reported in thousands of poorly-sourced online family trees, and Heinrich is frequently conflated with other men named Heinrich Meyer. Some of the more commonly reported details, none of which can be confirmed, include that he was :

• born 1703, Mühlbach, Kusel, Rhein-Pfalz
• born 23 Jul 1686 or 11 Feb 1687, Mühlbach, Kusel, Rhein-Pfalz
• born 1693 in Thaleischweiler, Landkreis Südwestpfalz, Rheinland-Pfalz
• son of Johann Heinrich Mayer (1660-1730) and Hanna Saugstad (1669-1720)
• son of Johannes Henry Jakob Mayer (1657-1730) and Maria Elizabeth Kaiser (1657-1688)
• son of Johann Frederick Meyer (1657-1709) and Ilse Tielker (1652-1712)
• son of Johannes Henry Jakob Maier (1654-1723) and Anna Elisabetha Schwedes (1662-1716)
• son of Johan Christian Meyer (1662-1690) and Anna Margaretha Schmidt (1664-1694)
• married in 1709, 1730 or 1768 to Anna Maria Getman (1687-1771)
• married in 1768 in Pennsylvania to Anna Moore (1701-1771)
• married in 1718 in Heidelberg to Anna Kunigunta (1697-1788), frequently conflated herself with Anna Moore (see above) - this reference appears to conflate him with Heinrich Meyers (c.1680-1769) of New York

Egle records that the Dunkards were the first to settle in the area, some time before 1720, and named it Mühlbach, or Mill Creek, for the stream which flows through the township.[3]

Isaiah / Isaac of Myerstown is identified by Henry Meyer[2] as a descendant of a different but (somehow) related family; other sources [4] identify Isaac as a descendant of the Mennonite Hans Meyer of the Pequea settlement in Lancaster County.

On the basis of Henry's association with several Anabaptist families, and noting that a Henry Meyer appeared on the passenger list for the Molly in 1727 alongside other Mennonite Meyer immigrants, Richard Warren Davis speculates that Henry was the son of Johannes Meyer (1621-1709) and Anna Bauman (b.c.1635). [5] This is a tenuous connection, and is not widely accepted by other researchers; Henry does not feature in Jane Evans Best's 1998 account of the family in her "Meyer Families Update". [4] Further, DNA studies have shown that many of the Mennonite Meyer families were unrelated to each other, even although they emigrated together and settled near each other. [6]

An unsourced Findagrave record gives that Henry died in 1758 at Millbach, but no grave is identified.[7] The Millbach Cemetery is located at SR 419 & Church Road, in Millbach, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Lebanon county was formed from portions of Dauphin and Lancaster counties in 1813. The tombstone inscription for Henry's son, reads : Johannes Mayer / Died Dec. 11, 1786, aged 67 years.[2] Captain Johannes Mayer, (1745-1812) is also buried here.[8]

Evidence is needed to confirm the links to Henry and the four daughters (Anna Margaretha, Catherine, Barbara, and Elizabeth Anna) who are currently (Nov 2021) also listed as Henry's children.

In 1742, Henry Meyer is named as an elder at Christ Little Tulpehocken church along with Henry Zeller, George Unrhuh, Martin Schell, and deacons: John Fohrer and Peter Schell. This would potentially be inconsistent with Henry's reported associations with Johan Conrad Weiser and the family of Isaiah / Isaac of Myerstown, who both had Anabaptist connections. However, the author of the Meyer genealogy notes (p.19) that he had examined records of this church and found nothing which he believed might be relevant to his ancestor.

Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898. < link >

Henry Meyer, the ancestor of the branch to which this article is devoted, came from the Palatinate, Prussia, and settled permanently at the head or spring of a small stream which he then named "Muhlbach," situated in the southeastern part of the present limits of Lebanon County, Penn. He was accompanied by his wife, and the couple then had one or two children. Their earthly possessions, consisting of some clothing, several pewter-plates, an axe, a German hymnbook and Bible, and several other indispensable articles, they carried in bundles, and began housekeeping under the friendly protection afforded by the spreading branches of a large white oak tree close to the spring just mentioned. The family arrived at the place at about four o'clock in the afternoon of a certain day in the month of August. The woman sat on the ground and wept: the father took his axe and began to clear the ground. The country then was a vast wilderness in which wild animals and Indians were abundant. The family had neighbors, but they were few and far between, and all equally poor. It is said two brothers of Mr. Meyer accompanied him to this country, one of whom also settled in Pennsylvania, and the other moved to South Carolina. The date of the arrival of the Meyer immigrants in the new country is only approximately known, but it appears to have been about the year 1719.

Henry Meyer, who emigrated from Germany, had nine children that grew to maturity and were married, viz.: John died December 11, 1786, aged sixty-seven years, and lies buried in the Muhlbach Cemetery, Lebanon County, Penn. He was married, and his descendants, of whom there are many, reside principally in the eastern section of this State. No further reference to his family will be made in this sketch.

HENRY, born in May 1730, died November 17, 1812; married Catherine Ruth, born May 30, 1837, died May 3, 1801, and both are buried in Muhlbach Cemetery. The descendants of this couple reside in the eastern part of this State principally, and some in the Western States.

JACOB, born at Muhlbach, Heidelberg Township, Lebanon Co. (then Lancaster County), Penn., in 1732; moved in 1768 to a locality about half a mile west of the present site of Freeburg, Snyder Co., Penn., then called Straubstown; died when aged about seventy-five years, and lies buried in the old graveyard near Freeburg. He married Susan Ream. The descendants of this couple are a multitude. A number of them are found in Centre and Clinton Counties of this State, but the majority of them are settled in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and other Western States.

MICHAEL, who lies buried at Schaefferstown, Penn., died about the year 1794. He was twice married; his second wife was Catharine Becker, by whom he had two children, daughters. His descendants are in the eastern part of Pennsylvania and in Illinois.

CHRISTOPHER, the youngest son, was born in Muhlbach, and died near Campbelltown, Penn., August 2, 1801, aged sixty-seven years. He married Anna Maria, daughter of Alexander Schaeffer, the founder of Schaefferstown, Penn. She was born February 19, 1744; died January 1, 1823, and both are buried in the Reformed Cemetery at Campbelltown, Penn. He moved to the village last named when still single, and became the owner of a large tract of land, part of which is still owned by his descendants. The couple had nine children, most of whom moved into Snyder and Centre Counties, and will be named at the proper places in this sketch. Of the four daughters of the Meyer who came from Germany and settled at Muhlbach but little is known. One was married to Alexander Schaeffer, one to Jacob Tillman, one to John Christopher Aahlschmidt, and one to Loudermilk. Tradition says one or two moved to South Carolina.

The rest of this sketch will be devoted to the descendants of the two sons, Jacob and Christopher, above named, many of whom are residing in Centre, Clinton and Snyder Counties, this State. In order to avoid confusion in representing successive generations it is necessary to employ some system to distinguish them; there are various schemes of the kind made use of by genealogists, and for this sketch the following is adopted: ...

References

• Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898. < link >
• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Feb 3 2025, 2:22:24 UTC
• https://www.familytreedna.com/public/myers/default.aspx?section=yre...
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/213898622/henry_meyer Burial at Millbach Cemetery is an assumption. No documentation has been found.
• Birth also see as February 11, 1687
• Not this man. https://immigrantships.net/v4/1700v4/simmendinger17100100M_Z.html "Meyer, Heinrich wife Kunigunda & 3 children New Queensbury" 1710 to New York. (This is too early.)
• Meyer, Henry (1890) Genealogy of the Meyer Family pp.22-24, Rebersburg, PA : Author. Viewed at https://archive.org/details/genealogyofmeyer00meye/page/n6
• Simmendinger Register: https://immigrantships.net/v4/1700v4/simmendinger17100100M_Z.html spouse, Anna Engel.
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30161742/johann-conrad-weiser
• WikiTree contributors, "Henrich Christopher Meyer (abt.1686-abt.1758)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Meyer-677 : accessed 03 February 2025).
• Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898. < link >
• https://www.familytreedna.com/public/myers?iframe=ydna-results-over... This man? G2 Group #2 - Kits in this group probably share a male-line ancestor after abt. 1550. Heinrich 'Henry' Mayer/Meyer/Moyer/Meier/s,ca 1685 Switzerland G-BY64222
• This birth location? Thaleischweiler, Landkreis Südwestpfalz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BChlbach Mühlbach or Muhlbach may refer to:
  • Mühlbach, a small village in the municipality of Selb in Upper Franconia
  • Mühlbach, a district of the town Bad Neustadt in Lower Franconia
  • Mühlbach, Eppingen, a village in the town of Eppingen, Baden-Württemberg
  • Mühlbach, Karlstadt, a village in the town of Karlstadt am Main, Bavaria
  • Rieschweiler-Mühlbach, a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Mühlbach am Glan, part of Altenglan in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Mühlbach, part of Großkarolinenfeld in Bavaria
  • Mühlbach, part of Vachendorf in Bavaria
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rieschweiler-M%C3%BChlbach Rieschweiler-Mühlbach is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.