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- [S54] HISTORY OF KREIDER FAMILY FROM PEN OF THE REV. J. G. FRANCIS.pdf, REV. J.G. FRANCIS, 7/28/1919.
JACOB THE SETTLER ON SNITZ CREEK
The patient reader has accompanied us in our wanderings and explorations, in our attempts to solve the early Kreider problem, doing much to help us on our way. Some may say you should have completed your work and known your mind before you went to print. It is easy for those who do nothing to criticize, and the ugly thing about it is that the criticism of such is always of the destructive kind. It is the criticism of the men who are wholesouled in the struggle that is legitimate, and consequently is welcome. The other kind bears the marks of illegitimacy, born out of wedlock. It was not the purpose of these papers to complete the history before beginning publication, but publication was commenced, and had been so intended, as soon as a proper beginning had been secured. The writer also lacked the advantage of being one of the family who for many years thought, talked and investigated the subject. It perhaps is no reflection on him that he has displayed a zeal that again and again has called forth the inquiry: "Why, are you a Kreider?." If we have not been a Kreider, neither have we been a busy body. And we are glad to state that we have never been treated as we were once treated in gathering the history of a family outside of Lebanon county. We had been very courteously received into a home with some marks of culture miles away, had been invited to take a seat in the parlor. A few preliminary remarks had been made on both sides, with mutual satisfaction and pleasantness. Our purpose was, we are sure, becomingly introduced. Instantly the lady arose, opened the door and with remarkable brevity and stiffness said: "I show you the door." We arose with the remark: "We entered your house as a gentleman on a mission requested by the family. The house is yours and on your request we leave." And we were off for more pleasant fields. We later learned that there were things about this particular branch of that family that were more than shady. Worthy representatives of good families always delight in examining their history, and are always grateful to persons who render service along this line. As the journey among the Kreiders thus far has been very pleasant, we anticipate that the home stretch will be of a similar nature.
As to Jacob, the Settler on Snitz Creek, in the first issue of these articles we quoted from two legal papers which gave the names of his wife and children. There is no doubt on this subject. And his own name is equally certain. Some call him Abraham. His name was Jacob, plain Jacob; nor was it John Jacob. The legal papers, so far as we know have no mention of a John Jacob. It was John and Jacob on Snitz Creek-John to the west and Jacob to the east. Both received land warrants on the same day, June 3, 1741. Tradition and a legal paper say their father was Martin, and according to the gentleman who made the address on Rev. Christian S. Kreider the father of Martin was the Jacob who settled in at Lancaster about 1715. Perhaps this Jacob had the four sons. The four sons tradition may be from the fact that John the Settler on Snitz Creek had four sons. We have doubts about the Martin, born in 1681, who had sons, Joseph and Frederick, being the Martin, however, here in question. If he were the Martin in question, [how??] his sons or grandsons would be called Joseph and Frederick. That was the way they did things in those days - named after the relatives. Then they had many children and few names; now we have many names and few children. Then they accomplished much and talked little; today we talk much and get nothing done.
Jacob's wife's name was Mary. Jacob died before 1748. In that year, June 15, as we say at the beginning, Mary had additional contiguous land surveyed to her, the first survey to her was May 14, 1742, likely a resurvey of land given her husband by warrant in 1741, making in all 585 acres, which in 1760 was given by Patent Deed to her sons, Christian, Martin, Tobias and George. The four son tradition may originate here. By Oct. 2, 1751, the widow of Mary had married Henry Xander, (Sanders), whose wife, Anna Eliza, b. Aug., 1701; d. May 23, 1750, or a year and one-half before the above date, which was likely very soon after their marriage, for on that date for a consideration they transferred the 585 acres to the before-mentioned sons of Jacob and Mary Kreider, which land, however, was not yet patented. The sons then secured a patent deed but the mother had first to sign a similar paper to the former in her previous name, Maria Kreider, as we saw at the beginning.
Heinrich Xander and his first wife were Moravians and are buried at Hebron. He was a notable character in the early days of our county. He was born Nov. 16, 1703, and died Oct. 17, 1772. He had taken up 150 acres of land March 20, 1743, likely a short distance east of Annville. On Nov. 26, 1753, two years after his marriage to Mary Kreider, he took up 200 acres more; and May 12, 1767, he took up 50 acres additional, making in all 400 acres. In the cemetery at Hebron is a stone which Egle has interpreted as having the name Maria Yeader, b. Jan. 10, 1702; d. 1769. Some of those names are hard to decipher, and we more than half believe that it should be Maria Xander, the second wife of Xander, and formerly the wife of Jacob Kreider, the settler at Snitz Creek. The Christian name agrees, and the dates are about what we would expect. There may be a mistake in interpreting the X and the n. Not unlikely the old Kreider cemetery began with the burial of Jacob.
The legal papers tell us very explicit that Jacob and Mary Kreider had 8 sons and 1 daughter. They were as follows:
• John, likely b. about 1724.*
• Christian, b. likely about 1726; d. Oct. 13, 1789.*
• Francis, d. before 1751.*
• Martin, b. in 1730-from Egle.*
• Tobias, b. Mar. 23, 1734; d. July 31, 1806.*
• George, b. 1736-from Egle.*
• Henry, b. 1738-from Egle.*
• Jacob, b. 1740; m. Ann Light - from Egle.*
• Ann (Veronica), b. 1742-from Egle.
The children of Jacob doubtless range in birth from about 1724 to 1742, likely the year of his death; the children of his brother John from about 1740 to 1750, which would rather justify the conclusion that Jacob was the older of the two.
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- Bef 1748