From mom's research... Immigrant of Sept 1,1736 Deed signed Feb 17, 1776 rec orded Aug 14, 1776 in Book R page 118 at Lancaster, PA Barbara Stutzman widow , a daughter in Berks Co, PA Mar 2, 1775 Brothers, John, Josepth and Christian sale of farm for 400 English lbs. 2000 to John Metzger Jacob was born in the Highlands of Germany along the Rhine was Amish. Voyage at Rotterdam in Hollan d. Arrived in Philadelphia September 1, 1736 ship Harle, Ralph Hale Master fr om Rotterday last from Cowes, England. The captain brought 100 and 56 men and 65 women 167 boys and girls 388 all together. 151 men declaration of alegianc e unable to write his name 32 year old Wife may be Lorentz rank of yeoman Brec knock Township, Lancaster ************* From The Pennsylvania German Society Page51 "The Amish in America" "...Johannes Lap came in 1733, and three years l ater, Jacob Hochstetler, who became a bishop in the first known Amish congrega tion in America. " p. 57 "Exactly where the first Amish located in America i s also not cerain. There is a record of a congregation which was established in 1737 along the Northkill Creek in the northwestern corner of Berks Couunty , not far from the town of Hamburg. Thisis generally considered to be the fir st Amish congregation in America. Among the members of this congregation was the family of Jacob Hochstetler." p. 178 & 179 "In a book, entitled "Descenda nts of Jacob Hochstetler" appear some interesting references to the practice o f the Amish of forbidding marriages with outsiders. Jacob Hochstetler was men tioned in an earlier chapter as one of the pioneer members of the Amish Church in America, and the author of this book traces his descendants down to the p resent time. He says: "The number of Amish families that came to this country in early times is comparatively small, and the descendants of these families have continued to live side by side through all these years, and have intermar ried again and again." The author states that his book "presents over seven h undred families where descendants of our ancestor have married each other." p . 198 "It would be taken for granted, we imagine, that even an individual who was unable toread or write, might an individual who was unable to read or writ e, might be selected for the ministry, in case he received sufficient votes to have his name entered in the lot, and was found to be holding the Bible with the customary slip of paper enclosed, which represented the divine call. How such an individual would be able to fulfill theduties of the office is hard to see. However Smith states that one of the leaders of the first congregation at Northkill, Jacob Hochstetler, who later became a bishop, could not write hi s name when he entered the country. It is not believed that he ever learned t o write, since 25 years later he still "made his mark" (Smith, C.H. - "The M ennonite Immigration to PA", p. 226 From The Story of the Mennonites... p. 549 Indian Raids. The Northkill location was not a happy one; it was too near the Indian frontier for safety. In the course of the French and Indian War, duri ng a series of Indian raids in 1757, in which several hundred settlers all alo ng the frontier line were massacred, many of the Amish families were driven fr om their new homes. Jacob Hochstettler's home was attacked and his wife and t wo children were murdered, and another was carried away by the Indians. A few of the Amish came back after the war. Most of them sought safety nearer the older settlements in Lancaster and western Chester counties. The pioneer Nort hkill congregation eventually disappeared entirely.