1. FREDERICK1 PERSHING was born 1724, and died 1794. He married MARIA ELIZABETH WEYGANDT April 29, 1750.
Notes for FREDERICK PERSHING:
The following is transcribed from notes made by Geneva Sue Pershing at a family reunion on Sunday October 23, 1966.
The story of the Pershing Family in America begins with the arrival of Frederick Pershing at the Port of Philadelphia, as a passenger on the ship Jacob, October 2, 1749. His descendants consisted by far the greater number of our name living in America today. His first brother John, who probably emigrated between 1769 and 1772, left no descendants and his experiences so far as known will be recounted with those of Frederick.
It must also be remembered that there are also quite a number of descendants of Jacob, George and Phillip Pfirsching (immigrants of 1847), George Adam Pfirsching (immigrant of 1854) and of Michel Pershing (immigrant of 1870).
The descendants of these immigrants constitute our family in America today and may be referred to as the family: The Family of Frederick, The Family of Phillip, The Family of George and The Family of Michel.
Before attempting to describe the lives of and times of our immigrants and pioneers something may well be said concerning their origin, the derivation of the family name and the reasons for their immigration. Issac Pershing, Esq., stated to persons now living that his grandfather, Frederick, was born in Alsace and that his antecedants were French. No more definite or reliable information touching Frederick's birth and origin is available. So Frederick's descendants were part French.
Frederick Pershing spoke both French and German. He was a protestant and left us the tradition that his ancestors were French Huguenots. Frederick was a devout Lutheran, as were many of his fellow passengers on the ship Jacob.
According to our tradition, Frederick Pershing left his home in Alsace in the spring of 1749 and traveled down the Rhine to Amsterdam, on his way to America.
We know from his record of the Oath of Allegiance, taken at Philadelphia on his arrival there as an immigrant, that he sailed for America, from Amsterdam, on the ship Jacob under Captain Adoph De Grove, in the year 1749. The Jacob arrived at Philadelphia on about the first day of October. Frederick was a strong
man. He came to America as a redemption to work his way to America. It was a way to get to America and was not uncommon. A person was judged by his craft and mentality. A weekly publication, the Pennsylvania Gazette, stated that on October 5, 1749, ship Jacob passengers took the Oath of Allegiance on the 2nd of October. All male passengers were to take the Oath to the King. 107 in all, the remaining were women and children, 142 the total of all was 249.
Frederick Pershing was bought for threee years but his master canceled his contract after eighteen months. Frederick was a weaver by trade, but also worked as a wheelwright and carpenter. We know that skilled workmen were in great demand. The fact that Frederick married within eight months after his arrival in America bears somewhat that he had a lenient master, for only a lenient master would have permitted his servant to take on the added expense of a wife before he discharged his indenture.
Frederick's wife was a Baltimore woman of German descent who arrived in this country in 1749. Her name was Elizabeth Weygandt. April 20, 1750, Frederick married Elizabeth Weygandt. First name is Mary. They had 9 children.
Child of FREDERICK PERSHING and MARIA WEYGANDT is:
