CLAUS OBLINGER a SWISS PIONEER C.1678 – 1730

CLAUS OBLINGER A SWISS PIONEER c.1678 – 1730

by Willard L. Oplinger Gerald G. Oplinger, Robert L. Hess, PhD.

2015

CLAUS OBLINGER, A SWISS PIONEEER, c.1678-1730

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

Background 2

New Information 3

The Pennsylvanian Claus “Oblinger” 5

The Nicolaus “Oberleger” at Schwarzenau 18

The Swiss Niclaus “Oppliger” 22

Niclaus/Claus’s Family 29

Appendices

I. Sources for Church Records from Switzerland 31

II. Anna’s Gravestone 32

III. The Immigrants’ Surname 33

IV. Schwarzenau and the German Baptist Brethren (Dunkards) 35

V. Name of Claus’s Widow”? 37

Bibliography 39

Evidence is presented here that a Niclaus Oppliger from Bern Canton, Switzerland, was the Claus “Oblinger” who emigrated with his family to Pennsylvania in the late 1720s, thus solving a nearly two-century enigma as to the place of his European origin.

BACKGROUND

John D. Watkins was the first family historian to collect information and write specifically about Claus Oblinger and his family. His work was done mostly in the 1930s 1 and 40s.0F The most complete and accurate history of the Oblinger-Oplinger-Uplinger 2 family was written in 1964 by Wm. H. Rinkenbach. 1F Many people having those surnames trace their lineage back to one person, a Claus Oblinger, who came to America in the 1720s. Rinkenbach collected his information through genealogical research as well as by attending family reunions during the 1940s and 50s. His focus, however, was not on Claus himself, but rather on document-ing and recording the family trees of Claus’ descendants up until the mid-twentieth century. Rinkenbach was able to ascertain very little of Claus’ history prior to his arrival here. He and others do offer suggestions as to where Claus might have come from, but they were only guesses based on place names that seem very loosely similar to the spelling of the Oblinger surname. The single previous clue to Claus’ past life was the inscription on the tombstone of his youngest child, Anna, who died in 1804, seventy-four years after Claus’ death (see Appendix II). Anna’s gravestone claims that she was born in Schwarzena[u], Germany. And Rinkenbach therefore assumed that Claus was also born somewhere in Germany. We now know he was from Switzerland, and our findings lead to a corrected and expanded revision of the First and Second Generations in Rinkenbach’s history.

1 Watkins, Sketch of the Oplinger Family (available online by a google.com search for My Oplinger Family Site.) 2 Rinkenbach, History of the Oblinger-Oplinger-Uplinger Family (available to free subscribers at familysearch.org searching for title under Books).

NEW INFORMATION

Three clues initially suggested that Claus “Oblinger” came from Switzerland: 1. In Pennsylvania the earliest phonetic spellings of his surname, ending in “-iger,” are readily recognized as a uniquely Swiss-German spelling, as opposed to similar German names commonly ending in “-inger.”

2. “Oppliger” is documented as a Swiss name in the official book of Swiss surnames (Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz), in Bern Canton

3. There exists a village of Oppligen in Bern Canton, Switzerland from which the surname Oppliger was most likely derived.

3 The Familiennamenbuch2F provided further information to focus our search, as it lists only five communities in Switzerland where families named Oppliger (by any spelling) held citizenship prior to 1820. These were the villages of Heimiswil, Röthenbach-im-Emmenthal, Signau, Sigriswil, and Sumiswald. All five of these communities are located within a few miles of Oppligen. Our detailed search through the church books of these five communities succeeded in discovering the man we believe was the immigrant Claus “Oblinger.” He was the Niclaus 4 Op(p)liger baptized in Röthenbach-im-Emmental in 1678.3F This Niclaus/Claus then married (1) 5 Verena (Vreni) Niderhauser in 1701 at Signau,4F where they had children including sons named 6 Christian and Niclaus, Jr.5F In 1725 he married (2) Elsbeth Schuppach, also at Signau. There was no other Niclaus Oppliger, by any spelling, in any of these church books (except for his own son, Niclaus Jr., and a grandson). This Niclaus Oppliger of Signau, with second wife Elsbeth and sons Christian and Niclaus, Jr., appear to have left Switzerland in the late 1720s. No entries for them appear after 1726 in the church books of Signau or any other of the five communities. Further, there is no record of the death of Niclaus, his second wife, Elsbeth, or his sons, Christian and Niclaus, Jr., in the Signau death register, their official community of citizenship, indicating they did not die in 7 Switzerland.6F

3 Familiennamenbuch; under “Oppliger” before 1810. 4 Röthenbach baptism register, Vol. IV. 5 Signau marriage register, Vol. III. 6 Signau baptism register, Vol. 3. 7 By Swiss law, the name of a deceased Swiss citizen was recorded not only in the town or village where he /she died, but also in the church records of that person’s original community of citizenship. 3 The immigrant Claus Oblinger in Pennsylvania in 1730 is known to have had two sons, Christian and Nicholas (Jr.).8 His wife there was reportedly Elizabeth. Based on this knowledge, and supported by the details discussed in the following pages, we conclude that this Swiss Niclaus Oppliger was the Claus “Oblinger” who emigrated to Pennsylvania.

For clarity and brevity, in the following pages the Swiss Niclaus Oppliger will sometimes be referred to simply as “Niclaus,” the Nicolaus Oberleger in Schwarzenau as “Nicolaus,” and the Pennsylvania Claus Oblinger, as “Claus.” (In reality, all three were presumably known by either a version of Niclaus or Claus.)

THE PENNSYLVANIAN CLAUS “OBLINGER”

Claus came to America in the late 1720s, arriving in Philadelphia with his wife, two sons Christian and Nicholas, and three daughters, Catharine, Maria, and Anna.9 Until now, the date and place of his birth were not known. Although Rinkenbach suggests his date of birth as 1685, that was only an estimate.

Family historians have speculated that Claus might have come from various places in Germany with names such as Öhringen, Überlingen, an area near the arm of the Lake of Constance called the Überleger See, or Oberlechen (in Austria). These were all unsubstantiated guesses, and not very believable since they were all Catholic areas and Claus was of anabaptist (radical Protestant) faith. It is clear, however, that he came from a Germanic-speaking area and that he did live in Germany for a time before he emigrated to Pennsylvania. Interestingly, although Claus is now most often referred to as Claus “Oblinger,” it is evident his surname was never spelled as “Oblinger” during his lifetime. Claus was not able to write his name and marked his will with an “O.” 10 Whoever wrote his name had to spell it as best he could according to the pronunciation as Claus and members of his family spoke it. His surname was phonetically spelled as “Oblieger,” in his will (see Figs. 3 and 4), and as “Ubliger” on the inventory of his estate (see Fig.5), both written in August, 1730. These early spellings in America are indicative of Claus’ own voice coming down to us almost three hundred years later, as evidence of how this name was

8 Rinkenbach; page 7. 9 Rinkenbach; page 7. 10 Claus Oblieger’s will (see Figs. 3 and 4). 4 actually pronounced. Notice how closely these match the pronunciation of the Swiss surname, “Oppliger,” an important clue to his Swiss origin (see Appendix II).

Beginning in the late 1730s and early 1740s, substantial numbers of educated pastors and schoolteachers began arriving from Germany to serve the German and Swiss immigrants in Pennsylvania. They brought with them the literary language called “Standard German,” preaching it as the source of all “correct” grammar, pronunciation, and spelling of German words -- including family names. Concurrently, it was becoming increasingly imperative that names of German and Swiss people become readable and pronounceable by the English-speakers in Pennsylvania. By the time of the second generation of Claus’ descendants in American in the 1740s, multiple options were available for the spelling and pronunciation of the family’s surname. Eventually Oblinger, Oplinger, and Uplinger became the common spellings. (See Appendix II for the spellings and pronunciations of Claus’s surname.)

The area where Claus and his family settled, called Indian Creek, was some twenty miles northwest of Philadelphia in what are now Franconia and Lower Salford Townships, in the part of Philadelphia County that in 1784 split off as Montgomery County. The following extract from local histories is descriptive of this area when first settled11: The first residents had immigrated from Germany, Alsace, Switzerland, and Holland, with the overwhelming majority being German. Many were Mennonites, attracted by the religious freedom they found here. As most of these settlers came from an agricultural background, farming was their means of livelihood. Due to their ancestry, German (or one of its several dialects) was the language of the larger number of them. Local residents and church congregations built their own one-room schoolhouses and hired German or “Pennsylvania-Dutch” speaking teachers. Total transition to an English- speaking culture was slow and many of the area continued to speak Pennsylvania Dutch as their primary language well into the Twentieth Century.

Claus bought a farm of 158 acres there in November 1729.12 It was located in Franconia Township, on the boundary line with Lower Salford Township (and facing on what is now Schoolhouse Road in Franconia Township).13 This became his family’s home plantation.

11 www.franconiatownship.org/home/history.aspx and www.lowersalfordtownship.org/history/ 12 J.C.Munro, p. 36. Claus and a neighbor bought their adjoining properties on the same day, but due to a mix-up, Claus received the deed for his neighbor’s 184 acres, while the neighbor received title to Claus’s 155 acres; however, the next year they officially swapped deeds, and Claus ended up with the 155-acre deed for the property where he and his family actually lived. 13 J. W. Munro, 18th Century Subdivisions, a map in the book cited in footnote 11 above.

Fig. 1, The grave of Claus “Oblinger” 14

The small fieldstone on left is the original gravestone with C.O. inscribed. By the nineteenth century, the small stone had sunk into the ground. After it was unearthed, the modern gravestone was placed in 1962 by the Oblinger-Oplinger-Uplinger Family Association. Note Peter Becker’s gravestone in left background.

15 Fig. 2, The Harley Cemetery, Harleysville, Pennsylvania (another view of same cemetery as above).

The Klein Meetinghouse of the Indian Creek Brethren Church (Dunkard) is in the background

14 Findagrave; under Harley Cemetery, Harleysville, PA. 15 Findagrave; under Claus Oblinger. 6 Claus did not live very long to enjoy the property he purchased. He made his will nine months later on August 3, 1730.16 He died two months after that in October, 173017 and was buried on his farm. In his will Claus designated three neighbors as executors of his estate and as legal representatives of his wife and children.18 He stipulated that his plantation not be sold, however, until his youngest child, then age 6, attained the age of 15.19

Claus’s family remained on the farm after he died. Their interests were at first administered by the appointed executors.20 However, five years later, when Nicholas (Niclaus, Jr.) had reached his majority, this (younger21) son evidently took over as head of the household.22 In 1734 this Nicholas “Uplinger” (Jr.) obtained a warrant for some vacant land adjoining their plantation, had it surveyed for 34 acres, and in 1735 obtained a patent for it.23 And in 1736, acting as proprietor of the plantation, Nicolas began paying annual rent to the trustees for use of the property, and in turn was paid a fee for planting it.24

As stipulated in Claus’s 1730 will, the trustees in December 1739 sold the plantation, and distributed the estate assets to the heirs.25

No personal information such as letters, family Bibles, or any descriptions of Claus’ daily life have been found. The only documents concerning Claus presently known to have survived are : a. The will of Claus “Oblieger,” witnessed on August 3, 1730 b. Inventory and Appraisal of the Estate of Claus “Ubliger,” 8 October, 1730 c. Final Account of the Estate of Claus “Oblieger,” December, 1739

16 Claus Oblieger’s will (see Figs. 3 and 4). 17 Inventory of the estate of Claus “Ubliger,” 8 October, 1730 (see Fig. 5) 18 Claus’ will named three executors: Henry Funck, Christian Allebacher, and Conrad Reiff. 19 This youngest child appears to have been daughter Anna, who according to her gravestone was born in 1724. 20 Final Account of Claus Oblieger’s estate, 1739 (see Figs. 6A-6D). 21 Nicolas’ brother Christian (who turns out to be the elder son), appears to have left the homestead on becoming of age, about 1732, probably to seek his fortune on the opening frontier in Lancaster County); see the Section here on Claus’s Family, page 29. 22 Final Account of Claus Oblieger’s estate, 1739 (Figs 6A-6D). 23 The warrant, survey, and patent to Nicholas Uplinger, for 34 acres adjoining land where he lived. 24 Final Account. 25 Final Account. 7 In addition, the following documents mentioning Claus have also been reported in the past; however they cannot be found today: a. Rinkenbach reported that the name Nicholas Oblinger was included on a petition in 1727 for the opening of the Morris Road in Indian Creek.26 b. Munro reported that Claus purchased from James Steele on November 13, 1729, 182 acres of land in (now) Franconia Township, which Claus then swapped in the next year with his neighbor for 155 adjoining acres.27 c. Presumably Claus’ name was mentioned as the original owner at the sale of his plantation by the executors of his estate in 1739. 28 Claus and his family appear to have been comfortably well off. He had enough money to buy his land in 1729, and the value of his estate when distributed in 1739 was, after expenses, some 324 Pounds.29 This was a relatively substantial amount for immigrants of that time, suggesting that his primary motive in undertaking the great risks of emigration to America was to escape religious persecution rather than to escape poverty. Traditionally, the Oplinger Family Association has long accepted that Claus and his family were German Baptist Brethren (Dunkards) who had fled persecution in Europe.30 Evidence in Pennsylvania corroborates the likelihood of this. A Brethren congregation existed at Indian Creek in the late 1720s when Claus settled there.31 Many of their neighbors in the Indian Creek settlement were Dunkards and Mennonites.32 Peter Becker, a leader of the Brethren in Pennsylvania, eventually retired and moved to Indian Creek with his daughter and son-and-law, who had by then bought Claus’s former plantation.33 Peter Becker was buried there, a few feet away from Claus’s grave, in what by then had become known as a Brethen (Dunkard) burying ground (see Fig. 2) Claus’s daughter Mary married immigrant Jacob Krupp/Kropf, who had arrived in America in the

26 No such petition can be found either in the Pennsylvania state archives or the Philadelphia City archives. The “Souderton Independent”of July 7, 1933, that Rinkenbach cited in History of Franconia Township as the refer- enced source for this petition, turns out to be an incorrect citation. 27 No such deed is registered in the land records of either the Philadelphia Archives or the Register of Deeds of either Philadelphia County or Montgomery County. 28 In preparing Heckler’s History of Harleysville and Lower Salford, and also Munro’s 18th-Century Sub-divisions, the respective authors must have had access to all the land records, including the actual deeds of purchase and sale of Claus’s property. Heckler claimed that “all the sons, daughters, heirs and legatees signed the release and grant.” But, inexplicably, these deeds cannot be found today either at the Philadelphia City archives or the Pennsylvania state archives in Harrisburg, nor at the Register of Deeds of Montgomery County. 29 Final account of Claus Oblieger’s estate, 1939 (see Fig. 6D). 30 Claus’s memorial stone, erected by the Family Association in 1963, inscribed “Claus Oblinger, . . “a German Baptist refugee.…” (see Fig. 1). 31 Balisles’ notes on the Indian Creek Brethren congregation. 32 Heckler, History of Harleysville and Lower Salford. 33 Heckler, insert of reprint edition, page 30. 8

Fig. 3, Claus “Oblieger’s” (German) Will, dated 3 August, 1730 9

Fig. 4, The English translation of Claus “Oblieger’s” will, 1730

Fig. 5, Inventory of Claus “Ubliger’s” estate. 1730

Fig. 6A, Final account of Claus “Ubliger’s” estate, 1739 (first page)

Fig. 6B, Final account of Claus “Ubliger’s” estate, 1739 (second page)

Fig. 6C, Final account of Claus “Ubliger’s” estate, 1739 (third page) 14

Fig. 6D, Final account of Claus “Ubliger’s” estate, 1739 (last page) 15 same ship with the Brethren’s leading founder, Alexander Mack, in 1729.34 No baptism record has been found for any of Claus’s known grandchildren (who were born in Pennsylvania in and after the 1730s), another strong indication they were of Dunkard or Mennonite families (who did not record baptisms, while the contemporary baptisms of children of Lutheran and Reformed families are predictably found in their respective church registers). Significantly, Claus “Oblinger’s” anabaptist history in Pennsylvania is quite compatible with that of the Niclaus Oppliger as a Mennonite of Switzerland, and of the Nicolaus “Oberleger” at Schwarzenau who associated there with the newly founded German Baptist Brethren.

THE NICOLAUS “OBERLEGER” AT SCHWARZENAU

The hamlet of Schwarzenau is a mile or so from the town of Berleburg which is located 75 miles east of Cologne, Germany. In the 1700s Berleburg was the capital of a county called Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, at that time an independent state of the German (Holy Roman) Empire. This hamlet could have remained forever obscure and its name unrecognized but for the fact that the Protestant denomination known as the “Schwarzenau Brethren” was founded there, in 1708. This denomination became popular in Germany, but it was highly controversial due to its adherence to anabaptist beliefs and practices, similar to those of the Mennonites. It’s practices were then banned by the German Empire, and its members, known also as “German Baptist Brethren” or “Dunkards” fled to Pennsylvania, beginning in 1719. To help understand why Nicolaus might have visited there, a review of the religious climate in Europe in the early 1700s and the significance of Schwarzenau as a place of refuge is given here in Appendix IV. It offers a further basis for believing that Niclaus and Claus were the same person.

The original clue as to the possible whereabouts of Claus Oppliger’s family prior to emigrating to Pennsylvania is contained in the inscription on his daughter Anna’s

34 Ship Allen arrived 11 Sep 1729 (see Brumbaugh, page 56; or Strassburger & Hinke, Vol. I, pages 27-30). 16 gravestone:35 “born in 1724 at Schwartzena[u]” (see the figure in Appendix III). This inscription, however, cannot be entirely correct, because all Anabaptist families in Schwarzenau (which would have included her parents) were permanently gone from there by 1720. The inscription does suggest, however, there was some connection between her birth and the “Schwarzenau Brethren”; see Appendix III.

We had the Schwarzenau records reviewed by a German historian, who verified that a “Nicolaus Oberleger” was indeed listed there.36 In 1719 he was fined for selling an immature calf (see Fig. 7). The spelling on that page, “Oberleger,” is pronounced similar to “Oblieger” in the Pennsylvania will and we believe it to be yet another phonetic spelling of the Swiss surname “Oppliger” (see Appendix II.) In the previous year, 1718, Nicolaus, with surname not explicit, was listed on the same page with Alexander Mack, the leader of the Brethren (Fig. 8). Both these entries are believed to be our Claus “Obliger” of Pennsylvania. No further record of a Nicolaus or Claus (with or without a surname) was found at Schwarzenau, either before or after 1718-1719.37

Nicolaus (and his family?) were obviously not natives of Schwarzenau, since until about 1700 nothing had been there other than a chateau and a mill. Rather, they were mere transitory residents there---religious dissidents seeking temporary refuge.

In 1720 the Schwarzenau Brethren along with the Mennonites were formally banished from Germany. The Brethren emigrated for refuge to America in three groups: in 1719 from Krefeld, Germany, led by Peter Becker; in 1720 from Schwarzenau to Holland and from there in 1729 to Pennsylvania, led by Alexander Mack; and in 1733 a remnant, possibly from Switzerland, with Johannes Naase (see Appendix IV). Evidence shows that Nicolaus and his family were not among any of these groups.38

35 Rinkenbach, page 4. 36 Imhof; photocopies and notes.. 37 Rickenbach mentioned also the listing in 1722 of a “Hubeli, a Fourier,” as also being our Claus. That entry does appear in the Schwarzenau record, but proves irrelevant. Not only is the name “Hubeli” unrecognizable, but all Schwarzenau Brethren are known to have left Schwarzenau before 1720; see Appendix IV. 38 In 1718, when Peter Becker’s group emigrated, Claus was still at Schwarzenau according to the tax records. In 1729, when Alexander Mack’s group emigrated, all male shipboard passengers’ names were being recorded on arrival at Philadelphia, and Claus’ name was not among them. By 1733, when Johannes Naas emigrated, Claus had already died. 17

Figure 7,

Nicolaus “Oberleger”- fined for selling a too immature calf: 1 Reichsthaler, 15 Albus (German monetary units of that time) 18

Fig. 8, Schwarzenau collection of taxes and fines, 1718

Nicolaus “pour nous (significance unclear)” sixth line up from the bottom

19 THE SWISS NICLAUS “OPPLIGER”

An obvious clue as to Claus’ origin in Switzerland is the spellings of his name when he arrived in Pennsylvania. Since Claus was unable to read or write his name,39 scribes there had to write it phonetically, that is, as best they could to match the way they heard him and his family pronounce it. What they heard and wrote was:  “Claus Oblieger,” on his will in 1730 (both the German original and the English translation) and on the final account of his estate in 1739  “Claus Ubliger,” on the inventory of his estate in 1730 Linguists familiar with Germany dialects will readily recognize the phonetic spelling of this surname as uniquely Swiss-German, ending in “-iger” or “-ieger” (with a hard “g”), not ending in “-inger” as in the variants of these names spelled in Standard German. (See Appendix II).

In the official register of Swiss surnames (Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz) is found the surname now legally spelled “Oppliger.” And the Familiennamenbuch reports only five communities where anyone of that surname (by any spelling) held the rights and obligations of citizenship before 1800 --- Heimiswil, Röthenbach-im-Emmenthal, Signau, Sigriswil, and Sumiswald. All five of these places are located within about twenty miles of the village of Oppligen, from which that surname undoubtedly derived.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Swiss citizenship records were maintained in the registers of the state church (Reformed) of each place. A careful search of the registers at each of the above five places yields one, and only one, Niclaus or Claus Oppliger (by any spelling) of the right age to be the Claus later in Pennsylvania. He is Niclaus “Obliger,” baptized 7 April 1678 at Röthenbach-im-Emmenthal, Bern Canton, Switzerland.40 This “Niclaus Opliger from Röthenbach” married (1) Verena Nidershauser, March 11, 1701, at the nearby village of Signau.41 Niclaus Op(p)liger and “Vreni” Nidershauser then had five children, all baptized at Signau: Peter, March 29, 1705; Barbara, May 5, 1712; Madlena, March 31, 1715; Christian, February 20, 1718; and Niclaus (Jr.), January 26, 1721.42

39 He had to marked his will, rather than sign it (see Figs. 3 and 4). 40 Röthenbach baptism register (see Fig.9). 41 Signau marriage register (see Fig. 10). 42 Signau baptism register; 1705=1721. 20

Fig. 9, Baptism of Niclaus (Sr.),43 7 April 1678 (upper right side)

Fig. 10, Marriage of Niclaus Opliger from Röthenbach, and Verena Nidershauser44 11 March 1701 (middle of right page)

43 Baptism Register IV, Röthenbach, Bern Canton 44 Marriage register III, Signau, Bern Canton 21

Fig. 11, Baptism of Niclaus (Jr.),45, 26 Jan 1721 (upper left) Parents Niclaus Oppliger and Vreni Nidershauser

For suggestions how to access all these church records online (Niclaus’ baptism, his two marriages, and the baptisms of his first five children) see Appendix I.

In the 1700s in Switzerland as elsewhere, couples normally had their first child within a year of so after their marriage, and their subsequent children were born at approximately equal intervals until the youngest was born or one of the parents died, in which case the surviving parent soon remarried because there were children to care for, and the cycle resumed. Niclaus and Vreni had eight known children: five born and documented in Switzerland: Peter, Barbara, Madlena, Christian, and Niclaus, Jr. In Pennsylvania only Christian, Niclaus, Jr. and three additional daughters, Catherine, Maria, and Anna, were present, Anna being the last born in 1724.46 Thus these eight known children were born between about 1702 and 1724 at an average of about three years apart. Their reported baptism records at Signau, however, don’t match up with these estimated birth dates. The seven-year-gap between the baptisms of this couple’s first and second child (Peter and Barbara) would be very unusual, especially considering the average three-year gap between the baptisms of their subsequent children. And if daughter Barbara were both born and baptized in 1712, she would have been only twelve years old when she served as a baptism sponsor in 1724, and fourteen when she married by 1726.

45 Baptism Register No. 3, Signau. 46 Rinkenbach; page 15. 22

This mismatch between baptism years and logical birth years can be reconciled simply by recognizing that the birth years of these children were not their respective baptism years. (The baptisms recorded at Signau omit the dates of birth.) The first child, Peter, if born in his logically estimated birth year of 1702, would have been about three years old when he was baptized in 1705. The subsequent children, if they were born at an average of three-year intervals, would then each have been about seven years old when baptized on the dates shown by their recorded baptism records.47

A potential difficulty with this assumption, however, would be that by custom as well as by Bern Swiss law, infants had to be baptized within ten days after their birth (or earlier, if at risk of dying). We believe that the following explanation, however, does justify assuming that the baptisms of Claus’s children were delayed. If correct, as we believe it is, this explanation also provides insight and further details of the life of Niclaus and his family in Switzerland. In the early 1700s the Mennonites who had survived severe persecution throughout Europe were concentrated mostly in the part of Bern Canton, Switzerland48 (where Signau is located). Although outlawed, the anabaptists’ existence there was camouflaged among the numbers of peasants who were not Mennonites but largely sympathetic to the Mennonites’ plight.49 Even many of the ministers of the state church there were sympathetic. We know that there was a large community of Mennonites specifically at Signau, where Niclaus and his family lived, because the city of Bern sent a delegation there to order them banished.50

Sheriffs from the city of Bern were sent periodically through the canton looking for Mennonites.51 Whereas a century earlier Bern Canton’s penalties for convicted Mennonites had included imprisonment, burning at the stake, drowning, and sentencing to row Venetian galleys, by the early 1700s these penalties had been ameliorated, largely in response to world opinion. But the penalties in the early 1700s were still severe: loss of citizenship and permanent exile from Switzerland (and if they attempted to return from exile, confiscation of their estates and adopting of their children by the Bern orphanage). Accusations of Mennonites by sympathetic neighbors in the Emmenthal region of Switzerland were quite rare. Instead, by Bernese law, the primary

47 An encouraging observation that we are on the right track here in assuming the birth years were different from the baptism years, is that son Niclaus, Jr., would then have been born about 1714, which turns out to be the same birth year that has been universally estimated for Nicholas, the son of Claus later in Pennsylvania. 48 Eshleman, pages 124-150. 49 Eshleman; pages 198. 50 Eshleman; page 91. 51 Eshleman; page 132. 23 evidence for conviction of Mennonites was absence of baptisms of their children in the local church register.52 Records of children’s baptism in the local church book not only shielded the parents from the charge of anabaptism, but served also as the canton’s official register of the child’s hereditary citizenship. Only ordained ministers of the state church (Reformed) were authorized to perform and register baptisms.

Mennonites would have been critically stuck between a rock and a hard place when they started having children. Having them baptized as infants would violate their conscience and obedience to God. Not having them baptized would expose them to arrest, loss of citizenship, and permanent exile from Switzerland (with more severe consequences if they attempted to return). From the Signau baptism register it appears that Niclaus and Verena worked out a compromise with sympathetic ministers there, by which their children were baptized at up to about age seven, old enough to have some sense of sin and salvation required by Anabaptist belief, but not so old that Bern sheriffs would discover them before they were baptized. And since the birth dates were not recorded in the Signau baptism register, their ages were not revealed.

This same scheme for Mennonite families to avoid or postpone arrest may have been familiar generally among anabaptist families. At Scharzenau in 1710, for example, a formal protest was submitted to the Emperor saying: “Indeed there are found among these minded persons [anabaptists] many who deprive their children of baptism as old as six, seven, or eight [years] or more.” 53 Niclaus and Verena Oppliger evidently followed such a scheme successfully, for this arrangement seems to have succeeded. Their family still survived as citizens of Signau as late as February 1718, when their son Christian was baptized there.54

Later in the year 1718 Niclaus apparently moved to Schwarzenau in the German county of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleberg, attracted there probably by the widespread news that anabaptists at Schwarzenau were at that time still enjoying freedom to practice their religion. As already noted, records of a “Nicolaus” are found at Schwarzenau in November 1718 and again in 1719 (Figures 7 and 8).

When, in 1720, the Brethren were then expelled from Schwarzenau, and Alexander Mack led this group of Brethren to refuge in Holland, there is no known record of Niclaus’ name among them.55 At that time Niclaus Opliger (and his family?) most likely

52 Eshleman; pages 97-113. 53 Durnbaugh; page 142. 54 Signau baptism register, 1718. 55 See Strassbuger & Hinke for a list of the passengers arriving with Alexander Mack in the ship, Allen in 1729. 24 returned to their home at Signau, where they were still citizens. Their son Niclaus, Jr., was baptized at Signau in January 1721,56 and In 1724 Niclaus Opliger sponsored a baptism there57 (perhaps, as with the baptisms of most of his own children, for a non- infant child of a neighboring Mennonite family).

Niclaus’ first wife Verena died about58 1724, quite possibly at the birth of their youngest child, Anna. Niclaus, who still had very young children, quickly remarried (2) Elsbeth Schuppach, on February 23, 1725 at Signau.59

Perhaps the Oppligers were then approached by Johannes Naas, an exiled Schwarzenau Brethren leader who was reportedly in Switzerland at that time, proselytizing for the Brethren and telling of the life and religious freedom those Brethren who had emigrated with Peter Becker were now experiencing in Pennsylvania.60

Niclaus Oppliger and his family emigrated to Pennsylvania evidently in the summer of 1726: in February 1726, when Niclaus Oppliger again sponsored a baptism, 61 they were still at Signau; by 1727, Claus was reportedly in Pennsylvania as one of the petitioners for a road in now Montgomery County62 (although we haven’t been able to find that petition). In any case, the family certainly arrived in Pennsylvania before September 1727, after which the names of passengers on the arriving immigrant ships were recorded and kept63 and Claus’s name is not found on any of those lists. Rinkenbach opined that: “it now appears very certain that he (Claus) arrived on 1 October 1724 in the same ship as the printer Christopher Sauer.” 64 That seems to have been mere speculation. Although Christopher Sauer grew up in a village very near Schwarzenau and was friendly toward the German Baptist Brethren there, he was not a member of that denomination, at least not until later, in Pennsylvania. And a description of “Sauer’s” voyage alluded to by Rinkenbach seems actually to have been written by the German Baptist elder Johannes Naase, describing the latter’s Atlantic crossing in 1733.

56 Signau Baptism Register No.3; page 495 (see Fig.11). 57 Signau Baptism Register; 1724. 58 The exact date of Verena’s death is unknown, for the death register at Signau does not begin until 1727. 59 Signau marriage register, 1725. 60 Brumbaugh 61 Signau baptism register, 1726. 62 Rinkenbach, p. 5 63 Strassburger & Hinke. 64 Rinkenbach, p. 5 25 NICLAUS/CLAUS’ FAMILY

Drawing on the new information in this paper, the first and second generations of the immigrant’s family in Rinkenbach’s book can now be expanded and revised, as follows: Niclaus Oppliger (Claus “Oblinger”) was born c.1678 and baptized 7 Apr 1678 at Röthenbach- im-Emmenthal, Bern Canton, Switzerland, son of Ulli Opliger and Christina Lugibuel. He mar. (1) Verena (Vreni) Nidershauser 11 Mar 1701 at the nearby village of Signau, where they resided and had at least five of their eight known children. In 1718 and 1719 “Nicolaus Oberleger” was then reported to be at the village of Schwarzenau in Germany (where in 1708 the German Baptist Brethren, known as ”Dunkards,” had been founded). When these Brethren were evicted from Schwarzenau in 1720, Niclaus Oppliger evidently returned (with his family?) to Signau in Switzerland. He mar. (2) Elsbeth Schuppach there on 23 Feb 1725. He with his (second) wife and the five youngest children then emigrated to Pennsylvania, most probably in the summer of 1726. They settled in what was then Salford Township, Philadelphia County (now Franconia Township, Montgomery County) where Claus owned a plantation of some 180 acres. He died in Oct 1730 and is buried there. His children (all by the first marriage) were:

Peter, born (est.) 1702 and bapt. 29 Mar 1705 at Signau. On 9 Nov 1725 he mar. Vreni Grossbach. They had two sons: Niclaus (bapt. 1726, died 1745 at Signau); and Peter, Jr., (bapt. 1729, died 1749 at Signau). When Peter’s father, stepmother, and younger siblings emigrated to Pennsylvania, Peter and his young family remained at Signau, Switzerland. Barbara, born (est.) 1705, bapt. 5 May 1712 at Signau. She sponsored baptisms at Signau in 1724, 1725, and three more in 1726, including that of a son of (her brother) Peter Opliger. She is probably the Barbara Oppliger who mar. Johann Schürz(?) from Rohrbach about 1723 and had a child, Elsbeth, bapt. at Signau in 1724. When Barbara’s father, stepmother, and younger siblings emigrated, she appears to have remained with her young family at Signau in Switzerland.

Madlena, born (est.) 1708, bapt. 31 Mar 1715 at Signau. Nothing more is known of her. Christian, born (est.) 1711, bapt. 20 Feb 1718 at Signau. He emigrated with his father, stepmother, and siblings in 1726 and lived with them on their plantation in (now) Franconia Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. When his father died in 1730, Christian was about 19 years old. Six years later, Christian’s younger brother Nicholas took over operation of the plantation, and there is no further record of Christian in Philadelphia or Montgomery County, other than he shared in the distribution of his father’s estate when settled in 1739. By then, perhaps, he had already moved to Lancaster County, where he bought 180 acres of land in 1747. Christian mar. Barbara ______and had four children. (See Rinkenbach’s book for subsequent details.)

26 Niclaus (Nicholas), Jr., born (est.) 1714, bapt. 26 Jan 1721 at Signau. He emigrated with his father, stepmother, and siblings in 1726 and lived with them on their plantation in (now) Franconia Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. In 1735, on reaching majority age, Nicholas, Jr., took over the family plantation. As Nicholas “Ublinger’’ he obtained a patent for an adjoining strip of vacant land.65 The next year, 1736, this Nich. “Oblieger” began paying rent to the estate trustees for his use of the plantation, which he continued to do until it was sold in 1739 in accordance with the father’s 1730 will.66 Nicholas mar. Elizabeth Meyer, daughter of a Dunkard neighbor; they had five children.67 In 1745 he bought 154 acres in Harleysville in Lower Salford Township, abutting the land in Franconia Township that his father had previously owned68 (and Nicholas, Jr., had subsequently managed). Nicholas and Elizabeth resided there the next six years. In 1751 they sold this farm and moved to the (then) Indian frontier north of the Lehigh Gap. (See Rinkenbach’s book for subsequent details.) Catharina, (Katherine), born (est.) 1717 or 1718, either at Signau or Schwarzenau. It’s not known when or if she was baptized. She emigrated with her father, stepmother, and siblings about 1726 and lived with them on their plantation in (now) Franconia Township. By 1739 Katherine had married Heinrich Hefflefinger, a farmer of Chester County, Pennsylvania. She shared in the distribution of her father’s estate in 1739 in accordance with his 1730 will. Maria, born (est.) 1721, probably at Signau. It’s not known when, where, or if she was baptized. She emigrated with her father, stepmother, and siblings about 1726 and lived with them on their plantation in (now) Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. By 1739 Maria had married Jacob Krupp (Kropf), a Dunkard neighbor who had immigrated on the ship Allen with Alexander Mack in 1729. She shared in the distribution of her father’s estate in 1739 in accordance with his will. Anna, born 28 November 1724, evidently at Signau, Switzerland, where her parents appear to have been living at the time, although her gravestone claims she was born in 1724 “at Schwarzena[u]” (see Appendix III). Anna emigrated with her father, her stepmother, and siblings about 1726 and lived with them on their plantation in (now) Franconia township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. “Anna Jost” was one of the heirs named in the account of her father’s estate in 1739, implying she was married, although at that time, she was only 15 years old. Nothing is known of this first husband, if indeed he was so. She may have moved to Lehigh County in the 1751 with her brother Nicholas and his wife. Much later in 1780, at age 56 and a “spinster,” she married Bernhard Kuntz following the death of his first wife. She, Bernhard, and his first wife are buried at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ of Indianland Cemetery, in Walnutport, Pennsylvania.69 (see Appendix III)

65 Warrant (1734 ), survey, and patent to Nicholas Ublinger [Jr.], 1735. 66 Final account of Claus Oblieger’s will, 1739. 67 Rickenbach; Second Generation, 68 Heckler; pages 3, 4, and Supplement page 10. 69 www.findagrave.com; Anna Kuntz, born 1724 (see Appendix III). 27 APPENDIX I SOURCES FOR CHURCH RECORDS FROM ROTHEBACH AND SIGNAU, SWITZERLAND

(All these Swiss church records can now be viewed online only at a Family History Center through www.familysearch.org, then Catalog, then Switzerland, Bern Canton, name of town, etc.)

Register of the church (Reformed) at the town of Röthenbach-im-Emmenthal, Bern County, Switzerland, Vol. K4 “Baptism Register IV, 1688-1711.” (Accessible at LDS Family History Centers on LDS Microfilm #2005941; or online at Röthenbach “Taufen 1670-1684”):

Ulli Opliger and wife Christina (Lugibuel) had a son, Niclaus baptized (see Fig.9)

7 Apr 1678 p. 61 (Online image 33)

Register of the church (Reformed) at the village of Signau, Bern Canton, Switzerland, Vol K14 Part 1 “Marriage Register III, 1653-1761.” (Accessible at LDS Family History Centers on LDS Microfilm 2005721; or online at Signau “Taufen, Heiraten, Todten 1653-1875”:

Niclaus Obliger (from Röthenbach married Verena Nidershauser (see Fig. 10)

11 Mar 1701 p.42 (Online image 463)

Niclaus Oppliger married Elsbeth Schuppach from Lutzelflüh,

23 Feb 1725 p. 45 (Online Image 474)

Register of the church at the village of Signau, Vol. K2 “Baptism Register 3, 1653-1735.” (Accessible at LDS Family History Centers on LDS Microfilm 2005717; or online at Signau “Taufen 1653-1735”)

Niclaus Op(p)liger and wife Vreni Nidershauser had five children baptized at Signau:

Peter, 29 Mar 1705 p. 361 (Online image 186)

Barbara, 5 May 1712 p. 429 (Online imagae 220)

Madlena, 33 Mar 1715 p. 451 (Online image 231)

Christian, 20 Feb 1718 p. 472 (Online image 241)

Niclaus, 26 Jan 1721 p. 495 (Online image 253) (See Fig. 11 here)

28 APPENDIX II ANNA’S GRAVESTONE

Anna’s Gravestone

The inscription reads:

Hier liegt in der Hoffnung einer seeligen Auffertchung die verstorbene Anna Kuntzin. Sie wahr eine geborhrene Oblinerin die Bernhard Kuntz seine zweite Ehefrau. Sie war gebohren zu Schwarzena in Deutschland. Sie wahr gebohren in Jahr unsers Herrn 1724 und ist gestrorben den 28ten November 1804 und ihr gantzes Alter war 80 Jahr.

An English translaton:

Here lies in the hope of a blessed salvation, the deceased Anna Kuntz. She was born an Obliner, and became the second wife of Bernhard Kuntz. She was born in Schwarzena in Germany. She was born in the year of our Lord 1724 and died on the 28th of November 1804 at the age of 80 years.

Anna’s gravestone proclaims she was born at Schwarzenau, however, that is very unlikely, because the Schwarzenau Brethren had already been evicted from there in 1720, when Alexander Mack led survivors to refuge in Holland, and subsequent official correspondence confirms that no anabaptists (which would have included her parents) remained there after that date. Anna, who was only about two years old when she came to America, may not have known exactly where she was born. When she died in 1804, no close members of her family were nearby to help the recollection. More likely, the recollection should have been that her parents had belonged to the religious denomination called the Schwarzenau Brethren, and did live in Schwarzenau for a few years prior to her birth, but that she was born elsewhere.

29 APPENDIX III THE IMMIGRANT’S SURNAME

In the churchbooks of Bern Canton, Switzerland, where the immigrant Claus “Oblinger” is believed to have originated, his surname was spelled variously70 as: “Opliger,” at his baptism71 “Obliger,” at his first marriage72 “Oppliger” or “Opliger” at the baptism of his children73 and at his second marriage74 In Swiss-German this surname was/is pronounced (using English phonetics) as UP-bli-ger with the emphasis on the first syllable, UP pronounced as in English “up,” and with a hard “g” (as in girl) beginning the last syllable. Niclaus/Claus was unable to spell or read his name.75 Whenever his surname appeared in writing, it was done by a scribe spelling it phonetically, i.e. according to the sounds he thought he heard as it was pronounced. At Schwarzenau in Germany, where his surname was unfamiliar, the spelling of his name came out “Oberleger.” 76 In Pennsylvania, it was written “Oblieger” on his will (both the original in German and the English translation)77 and “Ubliger” on the inventory of his estate.78 These early phonetic spellings of his surname provide a first clue to Claus’s Swiss origin, because the endings in “-ger” (pronounced with a hard “g”) are uniquely Swiss-German; in Standard German the endings of such surnames are spelled and pronounced “-inger” (rhyming with “singer”). In Pennsylvania the respective dialects of the Swiss-, Alsatian-, and Palatine-German immigrants merged into a common, new dialect called “Pennsylvanien-Deutsch,” known by the English as “Pennsylvania Dutch” or simply “the Dialect.” But this was only a spoken language,

70 Swiss-German not being a literary language, the spelling varied. In Bern-Swiss dialect, “b” and “”p” are proximate, so in phonetic spelling these were in effect interchangeable. The German short “o” in all German dialects has the sound of the “u” in English “but,” not as “o” in “stop.” 71 Röthenbach baptism register (Fig. 9). 72 Signau marriage register (Fig. 10). 73 Signau baptism register. 74 Signau marriage register. 75 Claus marked his will rather than signed it, on both the German and English versions (see Figs. 3 and 4). 76 Schwarzenau records of taxes and fines collected, 1719 (see Fig. 7). 77 Claus’s will, 1730. 78 Inventory of Claus’s estate, 1730 (see Fig. 5). 30 and Standard German continued to be use for written purposes. The Standard German version of this Swiss-German surname is “Oblinger”; in English phonetics this is pronounced as Up- linger, with the first syllable to rhyme with English “cup,” and the last part to rhyme with “singer.” Beginning in the late 1730s a large number of German ministers and schoolteachers began arriving in Pennsylvania to serve the German and Swiss immigrants there. These German- educated professionals insisted that only standard German was “correct” for the pronunciation and spelling of German words – including personal names. This, along with the need to Anglicize the spellings and pronunciation for use by English speakers, led to a variety of options for the spelling of German and Swiss surnames in Pennsylvania in the mid 1700s. Hence, among the Second Generation of Claus’ descendants, several versions of the spelling of his hereditary surname came into use. a. Some used a German or English phonetic spelling intended to preserve the pronunciation in Swiss-German, including “Obleger,” 79 “Obli(c)ker,” 80 and “Ubliger.” 81 b. Others used the Standard-German version, “Oblinger,” 82 or used English phonetic spellings like “Ublinger” 83 or “Uplinger” 84 intended to preserve the pronunciation in standard- German. In provincial Pennsylvania in the 1800s any of the above spellings and pronunciations were officially acceptable. It may come as a surprise to learn that in 19th Century Pennsylvania, it was common for a given individual of European origin to have multiple versions of his/her surname to use, depending on the language or dialect of the person(s) being addressed (just as with given names, e.g., Johannes/John or Niclaus/Nicholas). It wasn’t until the early 19th Century that descendants of Germanic immigrants in America adopted permanent, hereditary surnames in response to English custom and American law. By that time, there were obviously Oblinger/Oplinger/Uplinger options in America to choose from, the ultimate choice varying with community and family traditions at the time.85

79 Heckler; Supplement page 10. 80 Heckler, page 3, and Supplement page 10. 81 Inventory of Claus’s estate, 1730. 82 Heckler, page 4. 83 Warrant (1734), survey, and patent to Nicholas Ublinger, 1735. 84 J.C. Munro. 85 In the late 19th Century, immigrants began retaining the spelling of their surnames on arrival in America. Descendants of those Swiss immigrants surnamed Oppliger (now the official spelling in Switzerland) who came in the late 1800s or later have retained this spelling. 31 APPENDIX IV SCHWARZENAU and the GERMAN BAPTIST BRETHREN (DUNKARDS)

In the 1700s the Pietist movement within the Protestant denominations was spreading rapidly throughout western Europe. Pietists stressed evangelism over the details of sacramental liturgy. Most Pietists sought merely to reform their respective state churches (Lutheran and Reformed). However, the more radical of them, called Separatists, chose to part with their state churches, thereby inviting official opposition and often persecution. In the early 1700s the counts of Sayn-Wittgenstein, where Schwarzenau was located, invited any of these Pietist Separatists to come there for refuge and live there with freedom of worship. Hundreds responded. Within a few years Schwarzenau became known throughout Europe, and it grew to a village of some sixty houses. Among these Pietist separatists at Schwarzenau was a group of eight led by Alexander Mack who undertook a program of Bible study and prayer. They concluded that they would accept the tenets not only of Pietism, but also the concept of anabaptism as held by Mennonites (that individuals should be baptized not as infants, but only later in life when aware and committed). To this end, this small group in 1708 founded a new denomination, called “The Brethren,” to be separate from any other denomination (whether established church, or Pietist separatist, or Anabaptist). The group of five men and three women drew lots to choose who would baptize one another in the Eder River which ran near Schwarzenau. To distinguish them from other denominations also called the “Brethren,” (i.e., the Mennonites or the Moravians), this new denomination became known as the “Schwarzenau Brethren.” They were also called the “New Anabaptists” or the “German Baptist Brethren,” to distinguish them specifically from the Mennonites (called the “Old Anabaptists” or the “Swiss Baptist Brethren”) with whom they subsequently often associated. They adopted the baptism practice of triple, total immersion (“Tunker,” in German), which accounts for them being later referred to in America as “Dunkards.” Today in America they are known as the “Church of the Brethren.” This new denomination proved popular in Germany. The congregation at Schwarzenau grew rapidly for a few years, and it established new congregations at half a dozen towns and cities in Germany during the next decade. But the Schwarzenau Brethren were very controversial throughout Europe because of their anabaptist practices (specifically, disavowal of infant baptism and unconditional refusal to bear arms). Their practices were protested by all the state churches in western Europe (Lutheran, Reformed, and

32 Catholic), and they were tolerated by the governments of only a very few communities, such as Schwarzenau. Peter Becker, one of the Brethren’s leaders, foresaw more trouble coming and in 1719 led a group of twenty Brethren families from the city of Krefeld to refuge in Germantown, Pennsylvania, where these Brethren started a congregation with Becker as their minister. The next year, increasing pressure from the emperor of the German (Holy Roman) Empire forced all German rulers, including the counts of Sayn-Wittgenstein, to banish the Brethren, even from their existing places of refuge. The Brethren’s home congregation at Schwarzenau was evicted and evacuated in 1720,86 87 88 and Alexander Mack led the remaining Brethren families from there to temporary refuge in Holland. Eventually, in 1729, Mack’s group emigrated from Holland to Germantown, joining Peter Becker’s group there. Johannes Naas, a third leader, remained in Europe for the next five years, reportedly proselytizing for the Brethren in Switzerland, until 1733, at which time he also emigrated to Pennsylvania to help manage the Brethren there at Mack’s request. That ended the Schwarzenau Brethren’s presence in Europe. Brethren emigrating to America, however, found ultimate refuge there from Europe’s persecutions, especially in Pennsylvania where the Penn’s Quaker policies of religious freedom and resistance to war suited the the Brethren well. From Pennsylvania, this denomination, commonly known as Dunkards, spread throughout the rest of North America, and eventually worldwide. Today they are known as the Church of the Brethren. For more detailed history of the Schwarzenau Brethren, refer to Brumbaugh, Durnbaugh, Shantz, and Mallott in the Bibliography.

86 Brumbaugh; page 49. 87 Durnbaugh; page 290. 88 Mallott; page 2. 33 APPENDIX V NAME OF CLAUS’S WIDOW?

Claus Oblieger of Pennsylvania did not name his wife in his 1730 will. He stipulated only that “After my death … all my bills shall be paid, and then of the residue my wife shall have … one third of all that is left.…” 89 The final account of his estate in 1739 does names his wife as “Katherine”; however, she did not sign this, making only her mark.90 Heckler reported in 1888 that “the name of his [Claus’s] oldest [sic] son was Nicholas, and the name of his wife was Elizabeth.” Some may have read this to mean the “his wife” referred to Claus’ wife rather than to Nicholas’ wife. Rinkenbach in 1964 states that Claus Oblinger Sr.’s wife was named “Elizabeth,”91 (an Anglicized version of Elsbeth), citing as his reference an article from 1932 in The Perkiomen Region,92 which gives the names of Claus and Elizbeth as his wife, along with their five children. Watkins, however, reported that the name of Claus’s widow was “Catherine” or “Katrina.,” 93 with no source given. Elsbeth was the name of the second wife of the Niclaus Oppliger of Switzerland in 1725, as we have reported here. If the name of his widow in 1739 was not Elizabeth, but rather Katharine, the explanation remains elusive. The following are possible explanations but none are proven. Claus Oblieger may have married a third time, between his 1725 second marriage in Switzerland and his 1730 death in Pennsylvania, which is not unlikely if his second wife, Elsbeth, had died, since some of his children were still young. Or perhaps the executors and/or court clerk at the closing of his estate confused Claus’s oldest daughter, 22-year-old Catharine, with his widow. A third possibility is that Elsbeth might have had a double given name. Or there remains at stake the possibility that the Swiss Niclaus Opliger we have found was not the Claus who lived at Indian Creek, Pennsylvania. Heckler reported:94 [The executors] … sold the farm located in Franconia township … in two tracts … both to George Stump, of Franconia, and all the sons and daughters, heirs and legatees of the aforementioned will signed the release and grant of the said two tracts … under the date of December 6, 1739.“ Unfortunately, a detailed search at both the Pennsylvania State Archives and the Philadelphia City archives failed to find deeds for this. Without uncovering the deeds of the sale “containing signatures of all the sons and daughters, heirs and legatees,” we can’t be certain as to the name of Claus’ widow in 1730.

89 Claus’s will, 1730. 90 Final account of Claus’s estate, 1739. 91 Rinkenbach; page 7. 92 The Perkiomen Region; Vol. 10, p. 43. 93 Watkins; page 2. 94 Heckler, page 11 of insert to Reprint edition. 34 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Baliles, Mark, pastor of Indian Creek Church of the Brethren, Harleysville, PA, information on the history of the congregation, May 2015. Brumbaugh, Martin G., History of the German Brethren in Europe and America, Brethren Publishing House, 1899; reprinted 1971. Durnbaugh, Donald F., European Origins of the Brethren, Brethren Press, 1958. Eshleman, Henry F., Annals of the Pioneer Swiss and Palatine Mennonites … and Other Early Germans of Eastern Pennsylvania, Lancaster, PA, 1917; reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1969. Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz (Official Register of Swiss Surnames), Third Edition (available online in abbreviated digital format). Final account of the estate of Claus “Oblieger,” Sept 1939, manuscript document archived by the Register of Wills, Philadelphia. PA. Heckler, James V., History of Harleysville and Lower Salford Township, Montgomery County, PA, Harleysville, PA, 1888. Reprint with insert, Adams Apple Press, Bedminster, PA 1992. Imhof, Heinrich, Wittgenstein-Berlegberg historian, Siegen-Wittgenstein District, North Rhine- Westphalia, Germany; correspondence and photocopies to W.L. Oplinger, Rockville, MD; Apr 2015. Inventory and appraisal of the Estate of Claus “Ubliger,” 8 Oct 1730; manuscript document archived by the Register of Wills, Philadelphia, PA. Meier, Emil et. al., Familennamenbuch der Schweiz, Register of Surnames of Switzerland, Zurich, 1989, accessible on-line by google.com search for Register of Swiss Surnames. Mallott, Floyd E., Church of the Brethren, from Global Anabaptist Mennonite Cyclopedia Online, 1953 (accessible on-line at www.gameo-org). Munro, Joyce C. , Early and Successive Land Owners in Franconia Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and a Brief History of their Activities, 1981. Munro, John W. “First 18th-Century Subdivisions in Franconia Township,” a map included in above book by Joyce C. Munro, 1981. The Perkiomen Region, a journal/magazine published by The Historical and Natural Science Society, Pennsburg, PA; Vol 10, p. 43. Rinkenbach, William H. History of the Oblinger-Oplinger-Uplinger Family , accessible online with free membership at www.familysearch.org (click on Search, Books, then enter title).

35 Röthenbach, baptism register, Vol IV [Taufrodel IV], Bern Canton, Switzerland (accessible at LDS Family History Centers, on-line or on microfilm). Shaffer, Ken, Brief History of the Church of the Brethren, 1999 (available online at www. reformedreader.org). Shantz, Douglas H., An Introduction to German Pietism, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013 Schwarzenau register of taxes and fines collected, County of Wittgenstein-Berleburg ( now archived at Laasphe, District of Siegen-Berleberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany). . Signau marriage register, Vol. III [Eherodel III], Bern Canton, Switzerland (accessible at LDS Family History Centers, on-line or on microfilm). Signau baptism register , Vol. 3 [Taufrodl 3], Bern Canton, Switzerland (accessible at LDS Family History Centers, on-line or on microfilm). Strassburger, Ralph B. & Hinke, William J., Pennsylvania German Pioneers, originally published in 1934, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Company, 2009. Warrant: Pennsylvania land warrant, 31 May 1734, to Nicholas “Uplinger” (Jr.,) and Peter Snider; survey to Nicholas Uplinger for 34 acres; and patent 19 Dec 1735 to Nicholas Uplinger. Manuscript documents archived at the Pennsylvania State Archive, Harrisburg, PA. Watkins, John D., Historical Sketch of the Oplinger Family, 14-page manuscript, date unknown (accessible on-line by google.com search for My Oplinger Family Site). Will of Claus “Oblieger,” 3 Aug 1730; original manuscript in German, with English translation same date. Register of Wills, Philadelphia, PA.