[Copied from the research of Umstead Special Team Member Eleanor Mayfarth, with the addition of the Records of Rev., Van Vleque contributed by Sherry Johnson of the Pennypacker Family Tree Maker Committee for 1999 Pennypacker/Umstead Reunion. Records from Presbyterian Archives. Citing of source numbers below relate to the main Bibliography of Johannes Umstatt.]

PUZZLE: FINDING MARRIAGE AND BAPTISM RECORDS!!!!

Neither the German Reformed Church nor the German Evangelical Church had enough ministers in Pennsylvania to handle the large influx of members caused by the "Keithian Schism". The already established Swedish Lutheran Churches of the 1638 Swedish Immigration were already short of ministers and their churches were scattered. Peter Stebbins Craig #15 shows the following surnames of Early Swedish Lutherans families who were living in or near the "Perkiomen Region": Bartleson, Hendricks/Hendrickson, Janson/Johnson,
Baerents/Barents, Peters/Peterson. The "Old Swede's" Church in the "Perkiomen Region" was still meeting in homes in 1735, so their families often belonged to one of the other three denominations, rather than their churches that were further from their homes.

The Anglican/Episcopal Church and the Welsh Baptist Churches shared the same plight. The Dutch Reformed Church and Presbyterian Church were closely aligned in New York and New Jersey, but had not been established in PA except for the Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.

The Anglican/Episcopal Church and the Lutherans were both followers of Martin Luther and could easily adjust to serving both. The Presbyterian and Reformed Churches were both followers of John Calvin so they could also adjust. The lucky thing was that all four of these churches were close enough in their performance of the Sacraments of Baptism and Marriage that they accepted those performed by a minister of any of the four churches. This was true of only marriages for the Baptists, who didn't practice infant Baptism. After the Keithian Schism, the Baptists picked up a lot of the families and quickly formed themselves into clusters of churches. Although these new members were mostly Welsh, we also find German families and early "Allied families" among them in later years, including part of the family of Richard Adams, the Roberts/Pennypacker families of Jacob Pennypacker and Hannah Umstead, and the family of P. Jacob Umstead and Ann Tyson, descendants of Jacob and Ann Adams.

There were no ministers in the "Perkiomen Region" at that time that were not "Circuit Riders", traveling long distances to serve the outlying churches to which they were assigned. The Anglican (later Episcopal) Church brought in Rev. Evan Evans who was assigned not only to Christ Episcopal Church, but also to outlying Churches, including St. James, Perkiomen. The Dutch Reform and Presbyterians sent in Rev. Van Vleque to serve scattered outlying churches. The people of the scattered areas seemed to find the closest "Circuit Rider" who came to their area at the right time for Marriages and Baptisms, no matter which of the denominations he represented. Sometimes the records got put into the established Churches in Philadelphia, others the wrong outlying Church records, and one wonders if some of them didn't get dropped out of the ministers pocket as he traveled. Even more often the Ministers went on to other Circuits as parishioners moved westward. Their Journals of Records are sometimes found in areas remote from PA where they last served.

The "Old Swede's" Church in the "Perkiomen Region" was still meeting in homes in 1735, so their families often belonged to one of the other three denominations, rather than their churches that were further from their homes. They, however, had the earliest established Churches.

The records of Rev. Van Vlecq
(In the following "ten Heuven" = "DeHaven", The Hendricks appear to be all the Swedish family. The "Gerretye Jansen " is the German family. Some of these records also appear in the Reformed Church records of Bucks Co..)

THE ENTRIES OF REV. PAULUS VAN VLECQ 1710-1713 (Presbyterian Archives, transcribed by Sherry Johnson)
..
On May 20th, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1710, Mr. Paulus Van Vlecq (Dutch Reform Minister) has been installed pastor or shepherd and teacher in the church of Jesus Christ at Shamminie, Benselem, Jermentouw [Germantown] and surrounding villages. The Church at Wytmes [Whitemarsh] has been established on June 4, 1710 [not in the "Perkiomen Region", lying toward Philadelphia but a close area].
On the same date the consistory was installed.December 25, 1710, the [new] consistory has been installed at Wytmes, as follows:
Evert ten Heuven, senior elder
William De Wees, senior deacon
Some Members at Wytmes [Whitemarsh]. Anno 1710.
1.Hans Hendrick Meels 2. Evert en Heuven 4. Willem De Wees 10. Elizabet Schipbouwer, wife of E. ten Heuven 12. Catrina Meels, wife of W. De Wees
14. Anneken Baerents, wife of J. Pieters [ Peters: Swedish] 15. Maria Selle, wife of G. ten Heuven
On December 25, 1710, received at Wytmes, by profession of faith:
17. Marytije Hendricks 18. Kaspar Staels
On March 31, 1711, received at Wytmes by profession of faith:
19. Elsye Schol 21. Margariet Bon, wife of Kasper Staels
[ The members of the congregation at Six Mile Run (Franklin, New Jersey) in 1710:
14. Baerent De Wit and wife Sara van Texen]
The following children were baptised at Wytmes [Whitemarsh] on May 28, 1710:
11. Abraham }
12. Sara } Jacobus Dilbeeck
13. Geertruy} Magriet Scheepers
14. Isack }
15. Pieter } Sebes Bartels~ (Married at 1st Presby. Ch. Philadelphia, PA)
16. Johannis} Marrijtije Hendricks
The following children were baptised at Schipack on May 29, 1710:
Child: Parents: Sponsors:
17. Gerardus Willem De Wees
Anna Catrina Meels
18. Johannis Kornelis De Wees Maria Selle, wife of
Margriet Koster Gerrit ten heuven
19. Evert Gerrit ten Heuven Evert ten heuven
Maria Selle Elisabet Schipbouwer
20. Anna Pieter Bon
Elisabet Op de Graef
21. Anneken } Arent Hendricks
22. Hendrick} Stijntije [Christina] Yanse
23. Jan Dirck Remberg
Stijntije Janse+ [Hendricks]
24. Adolf }
25. Martha} Hendricks Pannebacker
26. Pieter} Evae Omstadt

At Wytmes, June 25, 1710:
36. Herman Kasper Staels
Margriet Bon
At Wytmes, December 24, 1710:
52. Marijtije Kasper Staels
Margriet Bon

At Schipack, December 26, 1710:
53. Harmen Pieter Bon Margriet op de Graef
Elisabet Op de Graef

At Wytmes, May 27, 1711:
63. Angenietije Aerent Hendriesen Dirk Renbergh
Stijntije Jansen

At Wytmes, July 8, 1711:
68. Wilhelmus Willem de Wees Paulus van Vlecq
Anna Catrina Meels Cattelyntye Yselsteyn
At Schipack, September 4, 1711:
71. Catrina Kornelis de Wees
Margriet Koster
72. Margriet Gerrit ten Heuven
Maria Selle
79. Johannis} Dirck Jansen
80. Sara } Aertije Smaeck
At Wytmes, May 25, 1712:
87. Geertruij Dirck Rembergh
Stijntije Yanse [Hendricks]
Marriages recorded by Rev. Van Vlecq
2. 1710/11, Feb. 6, Harmen ten Heuven and Anneken Op de Graef, at Wytmes [Whitemarsh]
4. 1711, April 1 (?), Pieter Bon, widower of Elisabet Op de Graef, and Gerretye Jansen
9. 1711, Sept. 11, Paulus Van Vlecq, minister of the divine word, and Jannetije Van Deyck, married by the Rev. Mr. Andrews, minister at Philadelphia.
10. 1711, Nov. 3, William Rembergh, born at Millem [Muelheim] on the Roer [Ruhr], and now living at Schepach, and Jannetije Van Sandt, born at Long Island, and now living at Sammeny
11. 1711, Dec. 24, Pieter ten Heuven, born at Millem on the Roer and Sedonia Leveringh, born at Jermentown and now living in Rocks township [Rocksborough]*
12. 1712, April 29, Jacob Op de Graef, born at Jermentown and now living
at Schepach, and Anneken ten Heuven, born at Millem on the Roer
* This marriage was also performed in 1791 as shown earlier, but was not registered evidently with a church, a common occurrence in that era. Many, especially those who had been Quakers, but no longer were of that fellowship, had them reaffirmed so that they would be registered.

ST. JAMES CHURCH (LANE TRACT- PROVIDENCE)

In 1701 Edward Lane gained full title to 2,500 acres adj. Dirck Sipman's land (Van Bebber's twp. in 1702) purchased from the heirs of Andrew Robeson. It is on this land that St. James Church was and is still located. Edward Lane and his wife Ann Richardson (dau. of Samuel) was one of the prime founders of St. James' Church. Rev. A.J. Barlow wrote in 1899 that "Wm. Penn seems to have been on friendly terms with Edward Lane, notwithstanding the latter's turning to the Church of England when the division took place among the Society of Friends in Philadelphia, brought about by the preaching of George Keith." One of Andrew Robeson's heirs was his nephew, Andrew Robeson who married Mary/Maria Helms, daughter of Israel Helms of an early Swedish family. Nephew Andrew Robeson died in Amity Township, Berks County in 1720. His family settled in Robeson township of Berks County. Edward Lane's daughter Eleanor married Nephew Andrew's son David Robeson. David and Eleanor are buried in the St. James cemetery. The Vanbebbers Township land of Johnannes Umstadt was adjacent to the line of the Lane tract.

Extant History of St. James: (See Bibliography #18)
From 1700 through 1721 the Anglican Churches in PA were served by the newly formed "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel to Foreign Parts" (S.P.G.) of England. The only records of that time frame, and until 1739 for St. James, are reports, letters, and petitions mailed to the S.P.G.

There are no extant marriage, christening, or baptism records of St. James prior to 1788. There is an extant Vestry Book, with scant records beginning in 1737. All of the Rectors of St. James' were serving a minimum of one other church thru 1839. The three articles listed in #18 (b)-(d), give information from the S.P.G. and the Vestry Book (#18 a) gives some early data starting in 1736. These sources show the only history of the Church prior to 1788.

A report written by Rev. Evan Evans, minister of Christ Church, Episcopal, Philadelphia made in 1704 states that he had, at that time, preached and held services at Perquahoma (Perkiomen) for four years. This means he was there by 1700. (Williams #18 (d) quoting Rev. A.J. Barlow p. 256)

In a note dated August 27, 1709 Rev. Evans reports: "On next Monday I am to preach at a new settlement called Perquahoma in the County of Philadelphia, twenty-four miles to the west of this place, where I am to baptize a whole family of Quakers, to the number of sixteen." (Ibid p. 257)

It is a great loss that there are no extant marriage or baptism records of St. James. Many of the missing marriages may have been performed there. The grandparents and parents of the children listed on the St. James Pew Chart #17 include a number of the names in the Van Bebbers Twp. records and Skippack Perkiomen Twp. ..... Custer, DeHaven, DeWees, DeWitt, Dotterer, Godschalk, Hicks, Jacobs, Johnson/Janson, Keyser, Kundst, Newberry, Op den Graff, Scholl, Schrack, Selen, Tyson, Umstadt, and Van Fossen.

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last updated 1 April 2007