Samuel Pennypacker says Peter was the son of Hendrick Pannebecker and Eve Umstat. And I found proof of that statement in the records of a Dutch Reformed minister from New York but serving the areas of New Jersey and Pennsylvania near Philadelphia that: “the following children were baptized at Schipack 29 May 1710..... Adolf, Martha and Pieter of Hendrick Pannebecker and Evae Omstadt.” And Hendrick recorded his son’s birth in his “bible”.

His tombstone apparently says he was age 59y 10m when he died, implying he was born Aug 1710. But he was baptized 29 May 1710, which is consistent with his birth date of 8 Mar 1710 as recorded by his father in his bible.

But was that date actually 8 Mar 1709/10 or was it 8 Mar 1710/11? The difference arises from the conversion from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. If it was 1709/1710, then he would have been 60 years and 3 months when he died; otherwise if it was Mar 1710/11 (which is what I assume) then he was 59 years and 3 months. In any event, I think the tombstone (or the transcription) is wrong and I’ll go with 8 Mar 1710/11 for Peter Pennypacker.

Pennypacker Mills (referred to on early maps as Peter Pennypacker Mills) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and open to the public. The property includes some 170 acres. The history of the property is given on the Internet. which says it was bought by Peter Pennypacker in 1747. It is said there already was a grist (grain to flour) mill operating there and Peter added a a fulling (cloth) mill.

Governor Samuel W Pennypacker, its then owner, gave a speech at the mills in 1899 primarily about the role of the property in the Revolutionary War. Washington’s army encamped there in 1777 from September 26 to October 8, before and after the Battle of Germantown which took place on October 4. In fact, the home served as Washington’s headquarters during that period. At the time of the Revolution, the property was owned by Samuel Pennypacker (not the Governor but Peter’s son Samuel) to whom, in his will, Peter had given his home plantation.

Governor Pennypacker was a descendant of Jacob, Peter’s brother. The home did not pass down to him in the family but he bought it from the descendants who did own it about the time of that speech. He thereafter used the house as his summer place and as a place to house his rather large collection of antiques and Americana and it is the period of his ownership and his furnishings that is largely preserved there today.

Mary and I visited this place in the summer of 2011 and were afforded a special “behind the ropes” tour which, because it’s all I wanted to see, focused primarily on objects dating to Hendrick’s and Peter’s era. I was shown three family bibles:

• The (Eve or Peter) Umstat bible which noted, in addition to certain family milestones, the appearance of a comet in 1680.

• The book “The Writings of Jacob Bril” which Hendrick annotated like a family bible -- I refer to the citations written by Hendrick in that book as having been written in his “bible”. What is so interesting about that book is that it was found only recently and recognized for what it was and then came into the possession of Pennypacker Mills -- it did not pass down through the generations of the family and become their property that more normal way.

• Peter Pennypacker’s bible. This bible had some information recorded, including that Elizabeth Keyser was 19 when she married -- that I had not previously seen mentioned anywhere.

Peter’s will was written 26 Sep 1765 and proved 28 Aug 1770. He said he was of Perkiomen and Skippack Township, Philadelphia County. Wife Elizabeth to have use of plantation where they now live until Samuel comes of age, then it to be his but he to take care of his mother. Son William to have the plantation where son John now lives. Son John to have the plantation in Berks County. He gave money to daughters: Margaret wife of Conrad Doderer, Catharina wife of Vallantin Hause, Elizabeth and youngest daughter Barbara. He also gave cash to his sons Henry and Jacob. Wife Elizabeth and son William to be Executors.

Three of his children married Haas siblings. The three couples were: Elizabeth Pennypacker and Henry Haas, Catherine Pennypacker and Valentine Haas and William Pennypacker and Anna Maria Haas (whose marriage took place at Germantown Reformed 20 Apr 1767).

The AWT of Michael K Miller cites “The Keyser Family: Descendants of Dirk Keyser of Amsterdam” by Charles S Keyser -- and says Elizabeth was the daughter of Peter Dirck Keyser and Margaret Souplis.

At Pennypacker Mills, I was shown Peter’s bible and we saw an entry that said Elizabeth was age 19 when she married Peter.