Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Name8G GM Barbara 
Death12 August 1702
Spouses
ChildrenEve (1680-1739)
My Comments notes for 8G GM Barbara
It is said that Hans Peter and Barbara are both buried at the Lower Mennonite Cemetery in Skippack.
Parent-Proof notes for Hans Peter (Spouse 1)
Samuel Pennypacker says Hans Peter was the son of Nicholas Umstat who died in Crefeld, Germany 4 Oct 1682. The later and quite thorough work of Cris Hueneke confirms the father-son relationship and Nicholas’s date of death, but disputes the cited place. He says no specific place was mentioned in the document dating his death, but other documents prove that Nicholas was of Kriegsheim.
Relocated notes for Hans Peter (Spouse 1)
According to Samuel Pennypacker, Hans Peter Umstat came from Crefeld, Germany to Germantown, arriving Philadelphia 12 Oct 1685, with his wife Barbara son Johannes and daughters Eve and Anna Margaretta on board the ship “Francis and Dorothy”. On this point too, Cris Hueneke disputes the place of origin citing specific German documents.
Research notes for Hans Peter (Spouse 1)
http://www.umstead.org/johannes.html
http://takingthelongerview.org/index.php/2017/11/2...and-barbara-umstead/
http://takingthelongerview.org/index.php/2017/11/2...and-barbara-umstead/
My Comments notes for Hans Peter (Spouse 1)
Samuel Pennypacker also stated: “Hans Peter Umstat had bought two hundred acres from Dirck Sipman, which were laid out in Germantown toward Plymouth, and there he spent the remainder of his days. Among the possessions he brought across the seas with him was a Bible, printed at Nuremberg in 1568, which had belonged to his father, Nicholas, at least since 1652, and which I inherited through his daughter Eve.
In it, in addition to the family entries, are among others the following: ‘In the year 1658 the cold was so great that even the Rhine was frozen up. On the 21st of January so great a snow fell that it continued for four days. There was no snow so great within the memory of man,’ and ‘December 16, 1680, the Comet Star with a long tail was seen for the first time.’
The comet which so impressed him is the one that appeared in the time of Caesar, and with a period of about five hundred years is the most imposing of those known to astronomers. In 1685 came also Heivert Papen and about the same time Klas Jansen."
Hans Peter's Bible has remained in the Pennypacker family for over 300 years, and is currently housed at Pennypacker Mills in Schwenksville, PA. I was shown this bible on my visit to Pennypacker Mills, and the important pages annotated by the Umstats, by the museum curator who wore white gloves to handle it and was incredibly respectful of its old age.
In it, in addition to the family entries, are among others the following: ‘In the year 1658 the cold was so great that even the Rhine was frozen up. On the 21st of January so great a snow fell that it continued for four days. There was no snow so great within the memory of man,’ and ‘December 16, 1680, the Comet Star with a long tail was seen for the first time.’
The comet which so impressed him is the one that appeared in the time of Caesar, and with a period of about five hundred years is the most imposing of those known to astronomers. In 1685 came also Heivert Papen and about the same time Klas Jansen."
Hans Peter's Bible has remained in the Pennypacker family for over 300 years, and is currently housed at Pennypacker Mills in Schwenksville, PA. I was shown this bible on my visit to Pennypacker Mills, and the important pages annotated by the Umstats, by the museum curator who wore white gloves to handle it and was incredibly respectful of its old age.