Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Johann Jakob Preisz

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Descendants of Johann Jakob Preisz

Generation No. 2

2. JOHANNES² PREISZ (JOHANN JAKOB¹) was born Abt. 1702 in Schwartzenau, Witgenstein, (now Nordrhein-Westfalen), Germany, and died Abt. 1724 in Indian Creek, Lower Salford Twp., Montgomery Co., PA. He married NATIVE AMERICAN 1722. She was born Abt. 1701 in Lower Salford Twp., Montgomery Co., PA, and died Unknown.

Notes for JOHANNES PREISZ:
BIRTH: HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, PG. 291.

From "A Genealogy of The Descendants of Rev. Jacob Price: Evangelist--Pioneer" compiled for The
Price Family Association by Geo. F.P. Wanger, The Evangelical Press, Harrisburg, PA, 1926:

"John Price (Johannes Preisz), b. Germany about 1702; d. 1724 or 1725. He was seventeen years of age when with his father he came to America. He was a weakly youth and his father feared he would not live to have issue. And yet so anxious was the parent to leave a name and posterity behind him that he encouraged his son to marry while still very young. It is said that an Indian girl, on account of her excellent physique and good health, was selected and became his wife.

This tradition in many forms has been firmly believed in by many of the family though denied by others. The writer on one occasion asked Abraham H. Price, No. 2293, what he knew of it and he said that he often heard his father speak of the "Indian grandmother and it is not only tradition but truth." Abraham H. Cassel, the noted historian, informed me there was no doubt but that John Price's wife was an Indian maiden." James Y. Heckler, another local historian of note, said in 1888: "Her parents and family resided on the farm (Price's) in a log house on the other side of the Indian Creek, until the latter part of the last century or longer." Two children resulted from this union, Daniel 3, and John 4, the latter born after his father's death and the grandfather took them in his care, although he died before John reached his majority."

Excerpt from the History of Lancaster County by H.M.J. Klein Ph.D., 1926

MONASTIC ORDERS OF PROVINCIAL EPHRATA.

Reviewing the History of the Settlement of the Solitary at Koch-Halekung (Cocalico), Lancaster County; Also the Resultant Monastic Orders, by Edwin Melvin Williams.

"Accordingly, after the candidates for baptism had chosen Peter Becker to be their Baptizer, they were baptized in the stream Wiskohikung (Wissahickon), near Germantown, on December 25th, of the year 1723. And as these were the firstlings of all baptized, from among the high-Germans in America, their names shall here be recorded and given to posterity, namely: Martin Urner and his female house-mate, (his wife, Catherina), Henry Londes and his house-mate (Heinrich Landes and his wife), Frederick Lang, and Jan Mayle. The evening following they held the first Love-feast ever celebrated in America, at John Gomorry's (Gumre's), which created a great stir among the people of that neighborhood; Peter Becker,* * * * * ministered at the same.

At this, the first baptism by immersion held in America, "it was found that there were present seventeen persons who had been baptized in Europe. They were: Peter Becker, Johann Heinrich Traut, Jeremias Traut, Balser Traut, Heinrich Holzappel, Johannes Gumre, Stephan Koch, Jacob Koch, Johannes Hildebrand, Daniel Ritter, George Balser Gansz, Johannes Preisz, Johannes Kampfer, Magdalena Traut, Anna Gumre, Maria Hildebrand, and Johanna Gansz. These seventeen persons constituted the first Dunker congregation formed in America. They chose Peter Becker as their elder. To them were added ere that memorable Christmas Day ended the six persons baptized in the Wissahickon. Of the baptismal ceremony, Sachse writes:

Clear above the sound of the rushing waters and the rustle of leafless branches rose the solemn German invocation and the singing of the baptismal hymn composed by Alexander Mack, "Ueberschiag die Kost, Spright Jesu Christ, wann du den Grund wilt legen." Numerous as had been the mystic rites and occult incantations held on the rugged ravine and valley of this stream since the gentle Kelpius and his band settled there thirty years before, none were more fervent or brought so great and lasting results as this solemn rite upon the narrow strip of rock-bound land on the shore of the Wissahickon. There stood the administrator deep in the cold water. Before him knelt the rugged Alsatian. Thrice was he immersed under the icy flood. As he arose the last time the Segenspruch was pronounced, and Martin Urner once more entered the material world to become a factor in the religious development of his adopted country. His wife, Catherina Reist, was the next candidate, followed by the other four persons, the same scenes being repeated in each case.

Children of JOHANNES PREISZ and NATIVE AMERICAN are:

3.	i.		DANIEL³ PREISZ, b. 11 December 1723, Indian Creek, Lower Salford Twp., Montgomery Co., PA; d. 11 February 1804, Indian Creek, Lower Salford Twp., Montgomery Co., PA.
4.	ii.		ELDER JOHN PRICE, b. 1724, Indian Creek, Lower Salford Twp., Montgomery Co., PA; d. January 1803, Washington Twp., Franklin Co., PA.

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