Dennis Row Neill of Tulsa, Oklahoma:Information about Frederick Pershing
Frederick Pershing (b. 1724, d. 1792)
Notes for Frederick Pershing:Original spelling was Pfoershing.
The story of the Pershing Family in America begins with the arrival of Frederick at the Fort of Philadelphia, as a passenger on the ship, Jacob, October 2, 1749.He was born in Alsace and his antecedants were French.He spoke both French and German.He was a protestantLutheranand probably ancestors were French Huguenots.
As early as 1650 the unhappy Huguenots who fled to the Palatine during the Reformation had been immigrating to the Netherlands, to England, and to the American Colonies.By 1749 the movement to America had become well established.
He firstresided in Hamilton Bann Township, York County, Pennsylvania.Hamilton Bann was on the Maryland line at the foot of South Mountain, one of the eastern foothills of the Allegheny Mountains.Fairfield is now the principal village.He was a weaver by trade, but also worked as a wheelwright and carpenter.
In 1768, he relocated his family to the wilderness of Westmoreland County inWestern Pennsylvania.
Frederick's mill was the first in Unity Township and was a combination saw, grist and flax mill, run exclusively by water power.
In September, 1923, the Pershing family had one of the largest reunions held in the United States.It was at Idlewild Park in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.General Pershing attended and helped dedicate a granite and bronze memorial to Frederick.That same year, a permanent location for the memorial was established with the purchase of 8 acres of land located a mile west of Youngstown, Pennsylvania, on the Lincoln Highway, as near Coventry as possible.The purchase was from Jacob Brindle, a descendant of Frederick Pershing.
Alsace, administrative region and former province of northeastern France, now comprising the departments of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin. In addition to producing textiles and chemicals, Alsace has a well-developed agricultural economy. Important crops include grains, tobacco, and grapes.
After the empire of Charlemagne was partitioned in 817and 843, Alsace became part of Lotharingia, the kingdom of Lothair. In 925Alsace became part of the German duchy of Swabia or Alemannia and was absorbed into the Holy Roman Empire, of which it remained a part for some 800 years. It remained a German possession until the 17th century, and during this period strong feudal principalities, controlled largely by the Habsburg rulers of Austria, emerged. A number of rich and powerful towns, such as Strasbourgand Colmar, developed in the late Middle Ages and won status as free towns or miniature republics. By the terms of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which concluded the Thirty Years' War, Alsace was placed under the sovereignty of France. Alsace constituted a province of the kingdom of France until the French Revolution(1789-1799), when Alsace was split into the departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin. These departments, together with part of Lorraine, were incorporated into the German Empire after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. For subsequent history see Alsace-Lorraine.
"Alsace," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
1. FREDERICK1 PERSHING was born 1724, and died 1794. He married MARIA ELIZABETH WEYGANDT April 29, 1750.
Notes for FREDERICK PERSHING:
The following is transcribed from notes made by Geneva Sue Pershing at a family reunion on Sunday October 23, 1966.
The story of the Pershing Family in America begins with the arrival of Frederick Pershing at the Port of Philadelphia, as a passenger on the ship Jacob, October 2, 1749. His descendants consisted by far the greater number of our name living in America today. His first brother John, who probably emigrated between 1769 and 1772, left no descendants and his experiences so far as known will be recounted with those of Frederick.
It must also be remembered that there are also quite a number of descendants of Jacob, George and Phillip Pfirsching (immigrants of 1847), George Adam Pfirsching (immigrant of 1854) and of Michel Pershing (immigrant of 1870).
The descendants of these immigrants constitute our family in America today and may be referred to as the family: The Family of Frederick, The Family of Phillip, The Family of George and The Family of Michel.
Before attempting to describe the lives of and times of our immigrants and pioneers something may well be said concerning their origin, the derivation of the family name and the reasons for their immigration. Issac Pershing, Esq., stated to persons now living that his grandfather, Frederick, was born in Alsace and that his antecedants were French. No more definite or reliable information touching Frederick's birth and origin is available. So Frederick's descendants were part French.
Frederick Pershing spoke both French and German. He was a protestant and left us the tradition that his ancestors were French Huguenots. Frederick was a devout Lutheran, as were many of his fellow passengers on the ship Jacob.
According to our tradition, Frederick Pershing left his home in Alsace in the spring of 1749 and traveled down the Rhine to Amsterdam, on his way to America.
We know from his record of the Oath of Allegiance, taken at Philadelphia on his arrival there as an immigrant, that he sailed for America, from Amsterdam, on the ship Jacob under Captain Adoph De Grove, in the year 1749. The Jacob arrived at Philadelphia on about the first day of October. Frederick was a strong
man. He came to America as a redemption to work his way to America. It was a way to get to America and was not uncommon. A person was judged by his craft and mentality. A weekly publication, the Pennsylvania Gazette, stated that on October 5, 1749, ship Jacob passengers took the Oath of Allegiance on the 2nd of October. All male passengers were to take the Oath to the King. 107 in all, the remaining were women and children, 142 the total of all was 249.
Frederick Pershing was bought for threee years but his master canceled his contract after eighteen months. Frederick was a weaver by trade, but also worked as a wheelwright and carpenter. We know that skilled workmen were in great demand. The fact that Frederick married within eight months after his arrival in America bears somewhat that he had a lenient master, for only a lenient master would have permitted his servant to take on the added expense of a wife before he discharged his indenture.
Frederick's wife was a Baltimore woman of German descent who arrived in this country in 1749. Her name was Elizabeth Weygandt. April 20, 1750, Frederick married Elizabeth Weygandt. First name is Mary. They had 9 children.
More About Frederick Pershing and Maria Elizabeth Weygandt:
Marriage: April 29, 1750
Children of Frederick Pershing and Maria Elizabeth Weygandt are:
- +Peter Frederick Pershing, b. 1759, York County, Pennsylvania, d. July 18, 1822.
- +Christian Pershing, Sr., b. 1751, d. 1825.
- +Elizabeth Pershing, d. date unknown.
- +Christena Pershing, d. date unknown.
- Conrad Pershing, d. date unknown.
- Daniel Pershing, d. date unknown.
- Abraham Pershing, d. date unknown.
- Roxanna Pershing, d. date unknown.
- Isaac Pershing, d. date unknown.