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Note: Henrich Schumacher and his wife Frederika Juliana had eight children, two of which grew up and married: Jacob Shoemaker and Anna Margaret Shoemaker Miller Souder. His wife Frederika Juliana died Sept. 8, 1768, age 68 years. The Lancaster County Holy Trinity Church obituary of Heinrich Schumaker says they were married 26 years. Therefore they immigrated from Germany together.
PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH done by Benjamin H. Shoemaker 3rd in 1952. Original at the home of Henry Norman "Norman" Grieb II, Chestertown, Maryland. Photocopy in the possession of Mary E. V. Hill, American Fork, Utah. Mrs. Grieb was Marian Taylor Shoemaker, who married William Clark Grieb.
Benjamin H. Shoemaker 3rd
515 Locust Avenue
Germantown, Phila. (44) Penna.
Mrs. W. Clarke Grieb, 1952
Deep Point Farm
Chestertown, Md.
June 19, 1952
Dear Mrs. Grieb:
This is to give you the data I looked up in Lancaster about your antecedents. I am assuming there is no question you are descended from Henry Shoemaker of Deerfield Farm, Cumberland County, N.J. I note in Alfred M. Heston's "South Jersey - A History" Vol. 5, p. 17 that your ancestor Enoch Green Shoemaker was a son of Henry of Deerfield Township. However these family histories are sometimes wrong.
�tab�Your Henry Shoemaker is not descended from either Peter Shoemaker of Lancaster County nor Peter of Germantown nor is he related, at least on this side of the Atlantic, to any of the 3 Germantown families. While I can unfortunately not claim you as a relative, I think you will find if you take the interest to read this letter, that your family has its own points of merit.
�tab�The Lancaster ancestors of Henry were as follow:
1) Henry [Henrich] Shoemaker [Schumacher] died 1750 age 50, and his wife Frederika Juliana (also Juliana Frederika) Shoemaker had two children that grew up and married. These were (A) Jacob Shoemaker (B) Margaret (Shoemaker) Miller.
2) Jacob Shoemaker and his wife, Anna Margaret had 2 children (A) Henry (of Deerfield) (B) Dorothy or Dorothea. Jacob died young (33 years) in 1764 and his widow married George Deal. He is not to be confused with Jacob Shoemaker of Reading who died in 1788 and whose widow Anna Margaret then married John Kurtz. For proof of the above, see Lancaster County Wills Office Misc. Book 1782-84, p. 62 + Misc. Book 1763-67, p. 132. In 1765 both children minors under 14 years of age.
Lancaster County Deeds Office Book EE, p. 335, May 15, 1786. Henry Shoemaker of Deerfield Twp., N.J. sells 5 acres of land in Lampeter Twp., Lancaster County bounding by Conestoga Creek on west and the Great Road from Philadelphia to Lancaster on the north.
[See map in image of original letter from Benjamin H. Shoemaker attached to Henrick Schumacher's record]
This tract of 5 acres was part of a 14 � acre tract his father Jacob bought for 82 pounds Oct. 14, 1758 - Book H p. 200. Mentions Frederika Juliana, mother of Jacob Shoemaker.
�tab�
Now Jacob Shoemaker was famous in his own right. His name appears in all Lancaster County histories. He is supposed to have built the Bridgeport Hotel prior to 1764. Among other references Ellis & Evans, "History of Lancaster County," p. 898
Burial Records - Trinity Lutheran Church - Lancaster
A."Henrich Schumacher, a weaver on the Conestoga. He was 50 years old. He lived with his wife Frederika Juliana 26 years 4 months & 2 weeks. They had 8 children of whom 1 son and 1 daughter are still living. He died January 14�sup�th�/sup�, Buried January 16�sup�th�/sup� 1750. He was well, sick, and dead inside of 3 days. Sermon text - Joh. XXXVIII"
B."Died May 17�sup�th�/sup� Buried May 18�sup�th�/sup� 1764 Jacob Schuhmacher a married man 33 years and 8 months old."
C. "Sept. 18�sup�th�/sup� 1768 died Juliana Schumacher, a widow. She was buried Sept. 19�sup�th�/sup� & was 68 years old."
(Note: the mother outlived both husband and son.)
The above is authenticated - there is no question they were the antecedents of Henry of Deerfield. Now for the conjecture:
�tab�Who was Henry, the grandparent who died in 1750? He was undoubtedly an immigrant.
�tab�In Rupps "30,000 Immigrants to Pennsylvania" all women & children's names are dropped on the Captains' lists after 1738. Often included prior to 1738. There is only one Henry Shoemaker listed. He could not write - and made his mark and the ship's clerk wrote his name. He is not accounted for in any of the other Pennsylvania Dutch counties. I am convinced that your Henry Shoemaker is the one who came to Pennsylvania on the snow "Charlotte" Sept. 5, 1743, John Mason, Master, from Rotterdam, last from Cowes. This does not mean he was necessarily a Hollander as all the Palatines came down to Rotterdam to embark. A snow, commonly used in the 1700s, was a ship with foremast & main mast square-rigged and a small jigger mast at the stern with a trisail.
�tab�I know of only one other Henry Shoemaker in this area prior to 1750. (The one who was a founder of Shoemakerville near Reading came with his father Simon in 1752, or so we presume.)
�tab�This was Henry Shoemaker in my family, son of Isaac, grandson of George. He was born in the very early 1700s, married Mabel Ong in 1732 in Egg Harbor, N.J. and died in 1759 and was buried in Philadelphia. At one time he lived in Chester. However, he was a Quaker, not a Lutheran, and no relation to Henry of Deerfield. Unfortunately the Courthouse at Woodbury where the Egg Harbor deeds & wills were kept, burned about 1787 and we have lost all records. He is not known to have left any children.
�tab�This is about the whole story. I am taking the liberty to send a copy of this to your sister Helen Beatty.
�tab�I believe the Bridgeport Hotel or a part of it is still standing, altered into a dwelling, just this side of the Conestoga River as you come to Lancaster (No. 1606 Lincoln Highway East). I would suggest that you or Helen or both of you go out there and talk to the owners. They might be interested. Also go to the Lancaster County Historical Society, 307 N. Duke St., Lancaster (open 2 to 5pm) & see his trust (?) or others. You will find a lot of references in the old histories to both your Jacob Sheomaker & the Bridgeport Hotel.
Sincerely,
Benjamin H. Shoemaker
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Note: DI194
Note: From Burial Records, Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, PA: "Henry Schumacher, a weaver on the Conestoga. He was 50 years old. He lived with his wife Frederika Juliana 26 years, 4 months and 2 weeks. They had 8 children, of whom 1 son and 1 daughter are still living. He died Jan. 14, Buried Jan. 16, 1750. He was well, sick, and dead inside 3 days. Sermon text Yoh XXXVIII."
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