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Descendants of Simon (Durck) Derrick

Generation No. 1

1. SIMON (DURCK)¹ DERRICK was born Abt. 1718 in County of Lippe, Germany, and died Abt. February 1787 in Mt. Jackson, Shenandoah County, Virginia. He married CATHERINE (CATHARINA MARGARETHA) STAPLETON 1739 in Berks County, Pennsylvania, daughter of ROBERT STAPLETON. She was born Abt. 1722 in Pennsylvania, and died Abt. May 1796 in Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Notes for SIMON (DURCK) DERRICK:
List of Sources information obtained from:
1. Imm. Rcs: Rupp's & Strassburger-Hinke
2. Wills: Simon, Catharine, John, Michael and Marilis
3. "The Dunkelberger Family"
4. Dunkel's Church Recs., Berks County, Pennsylvania
5. "Daniel Schumacher's Baptismal Register"
6. Kelley's "200 Years in the Shenandoah Valley"
7. Stapleton Family Recs.
8. PA, VA, TN Tax and Land Recs.
9. Court Recs., Botetourt County

Compiled by:
Eugene V. Peterson
191 Carlsbad Circle
Vacaville, CA 95688

1. Simon arrived in Philadelphia 27 Oct. 1738
[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 10, Ed. 1, Tree #3252, Date of Import: May 26, 1998]

Simon Derrick was probably born about 1718 in the County Lippe in Palatinate Germany, North of Dortumund. After his arrival in Philadelphia, he apparently went to the vicinity of Oley, Berks County, PA. It was here that he married Catherina Margaretha Stapleton (born 1722-24) in about 1739. Her parents were Robert and Anna Stapleton. The newlywed couple made their home near Virginville, PA. Simon and Catherine had nine children; their names are listed in this genealogy report, but there was a daughter whose name is unknown.
Simon Derrick's father-in-law was in the freighting business between Virginville and Oley and then into Philadelphia. Simon appears to have been in Stapleton's employ as were two other of his sons-in-law. This business of overland shipping (hauling freight and driving cattle, and possibly slaves into Mayland as well) was one which Simon made his life's work.
John H. Derrick married Anna Maria "Mary" Dunkelberger in 1761 and they had nine children. In 1782, John H. Derrick moved south from Pennsylvania into the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia about two miles North of Forestville, VA. He settled on 400 acres and his brother Jacob had 300 acres nearby.
John H. Derrick, his brother Jacob and son-in-law Adam Fox and their families formed a caravan and migrated to Tennessee. The Germans and the Scots-Irish who came down the valley of Virginia from Pennsylvania and continued on to open up the southern frontier inTennessee and beyond, were the kind of men and women who eventually created the backbone of a strong nation. The Germans were thrifty farmers and mechanics. They were home builders who loved comfort and were willing to work very hard to achieve their goals. On the other hand, the Scots-Irish were adventurers and politicians. They were the ones who blazed the trail, fought the Indians, established governments, and speculated in lands. The two groups worked well together.
Most of the trade into the Tennessee Valley country went North and South rather than East and West, just as most of the settlers had come down the valley route from Pennsylvania. It was a relatively easy matter to extend the road from the Shenandoah Valley along the Great Indian War Path to the new settlements. The road proceeded as the settlements crept southward. This thoroughfare was constantly used to carry imports and exports between the Tennessee region, to Philadelphia and on to Baltimore. It was also the avenue used by pioneers seeking the virgin soil to the south. A steady stream of caravans composd of wagons, carts, pack horses and pack mules came traveling down this Great Road into the Shenandoah Valley. Often citizens dropped out along the way, established homes and businesses for a while, then sold out, joined another group, and continued to move further south. There was an element of comfort in numbers, hence groups tended to start forming and remaining at someone's homestead until enough people had gathered for the whole gorup to feel secure enough to move.
By 1783 the main surge of immigration was toward Tennessee. In that year, Simon Derrick's brother Jacob and Simon's son Henry had moved a branch of the family freighting business to this frontier. They went down into the eastern edge of what later became Sevier County, TN. Adam Fox Jr. and his wife Elizabeth Derrick were found to be living in Sevier County by 1786. John Derrick had hopes of going with some of his family to Tennessee, but failing health prevented him from realizing this dream. John's will was probated on September 14, 1790.
From Tennessee, the migration proceeded into Alabama, northern Mississippi and across the Mississipi River to Arkansas, then into Oklahoma and Texas. The descendants of the German immigrant Simon Derrick were in the forefront of this push to the western frontier.

More About SIMON (DURCK) DERRICK:
Burial: Old Pine Church Cemetary, Virginia
Immigration: October 27, 1738, Arrived in Philadelphia from Rotterdam
Religion: Lutheran

Notes for CATHERINE (CATHARINA MARGARETHA) STAPLETON:
1. Christened name: Catharina Margaretha

Children of SIMON DERRICK and CATHERINE STAPLETON are:

2.	i.		(JOHANNES DURCK/DERK) JOHN² DERRICK, b. 1740, Berks County, Pennsylvania; d. September 1790, Glen Wilton, Botetourt County, Virginia.
	ii.		MARY ELIZABETH (MARILIS) DERRICK, b. 1742, Berks County, Pennsylvania; d. February 1800, Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Notes for MARY ELIZABETH (MARILIS) DERRICK:
[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 10, Ed. 1, Tree #3252, Date of Import: May 26, 1998]

She was blind.

More About MARY ELIZABETH (MARILIS) DERRICK:
Medical Information: Blind

iii.

MICHAEL DERRICK, b. 1745, Berks County, Pennsylvania; d. March 1828, Little Mahanoy Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania; m. ELIZABETH (MARIA ELISABETHA) DUNKELBERGER, 1765, Berks County, Pennsylvania; b. May 31, 1749, Berks County, Pennsylvania; d. 1778, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Notes for MICHAEL DERRICK:
[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 10, Ed. 1, Tree #3252, Date of Import: May 26, 1998]

He retained the original family Germanic name as DERK.
He had thirteen children.

	iv.		MARY (ANNA MARIA) DERRICK, b. 1747, Berks County, Pennsylvania; d. Bef. 1808, Berks County, Pennsylvania; m. ROBERT STAPLETON, 1765, Berks County, Pennsylvania; d. Unknown.
	v.		HENRY DERRICK, b. 1748, Greenwich Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania; d. 1830, Alabama; m. EVE BURGHART, 1772, Shenandoah County, Virginia; d. Unknown.
	vi.		JACOB (JOHANN JACOB) DERRICK, b. April 16, 1752, Greenwich Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania; d. 1831, Sevier County, Tennessee; m. (1) CATHERINE RICHARD; d. Unknown; m. (2) MARGARET FOX, 1769, Shenandoah County, Virginia; b. October 17, 1751, Berks County, Pennsylvania; d. 1830, Sevier County, Tennessee.

Notes for JACOB (JOHANN JACOB) DERRICK:
[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 10, Ed. 1, Tree #3252, Date of Import: May 26, 1998]

He had four children.

vii.

SIMON (JR?) DERRICK, b. March 01, 1756, Greenwich Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania; d. Unknown.

Notes for SIMON (JR?) DERRICK:
[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 10, Ed. 1, Tree #3252, Date of Import: May 26, 1998]

He died in infancy.

viii.

GEORGE (JOHANN JURG) DERRICK, b. 1764, Greenwich Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania; d. 1818, Sevier County, Tennessee.

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