On September 20th 1821 the 70 years-old Johannes Christian Scherer, who emigrated to North America 53 years ago, writes to his relatives in Womrath.
Address:
This letter is to send to Bartholome Scherrer, his sons or Johan Niclas Stumm or his sons or other ones in Womrath. Womrath, in the County of Kirchberg, in the forhold county of Sponheim, 6 hours away from Bacharach, between Mosel River and Rhein River.
Reading, in Berks County State Pennsylvania, September 20th 1821
I take the feather with my 70 years old, shaking hand for writing to you. To all of you, relatives, friends and those, who don’t know me I send lovely greetings, even if I’m unknown for most of them. Bless God me and my wife, my 3 sons and their 2 wifes and their children are healthy at the moment. Johannes, my oldest son lives in the country about two hours away from Reading. He owns about 50 fields (morgen) and he is widower for almost three years. He has 10 children alive none of them is married. Two of his sons, they are blacksmiths, and three daughters are adult. All the others are underage. My second son, Jonathan, is 40 years old and lives in the second marriage. In the first marriage he had no children in the second one he has two. The oldest son is three years old and got the name of the father of his second wife, who was called Peter. The second son is one year old and is named Christoph. Jonathan lives in one of my houses, next to me, on my tannery and does the tanner handwork together with my youngest, still living son Salomon. My mentioned son Salomon is 38 years old and lives in my house. He married Rachel von Saßen with northern-German parentage. She speaks English but although they are married for five years they have no children. She is an extreme good and well-educated person. No woman is better in doing the housework than her, especially in cleanliness and in traditional costume, which is inherent in the northern-Germans.
Don’t think that I am prideful but I want to tell you that our Governor, Simon Schneider, who holds this appointment for nine years, nominated me to be the judge of peace already eight years ago. I do my job and the citizens are absolutely satisfied. I settle disputes in our City and for this reason I’m a member of the town council for several years.
I also want to send my blessing and wishes to all who knew me or didn’t, how I want it for myself. Also to my brother Bartholome, his wife Anne Maria, their children and grandchildren also to my sisters Sußanna Christina Boon and Anna Maria Stumm and to their children and grandchildren. And also to all my comrades, who knew me. Best wishes also to Johann Peter Schmidt and his brother Johann Casper Schmidt, to Johann Nicklas Schmidt’s children, to our neighbour, Jacob Hebel and his children and to all friends and kindreds: Nikolas Scherer, Michael Glos, Jakob Jakoby, the Ochs an der Linden (lime tree), also to Peter Ochs and brothers and sisters, to all Weyrichs, to Peter Schollen and Adam Klein, our blacksmith. This Adam Klein wanted me several times to marry his daughter Juliana. As a child I didn’t understand and perhaps I had some prejudices. I said: Yes, she is a Lutheran” and Klein answered; Oh, you must have a Lutheran wife”. And he really prophesied it.
My wife is a Lutheran and also was educated and grew up in this way. She’s called Juliana, too. And she is a blacksmith’s daughter, but from a nailer.
My Brother Nikel died three years ago. He became 78 years and several months old and he has been widower since 4 or 5 years. He left two sons: Jacob, the oldest, is married for over 26 years. He has 5 adult daughters and one son at the age of 12 – 15. None of his children is married and they all live with him. He has a pub in this town. The second son of my brother, named Johannes, is a hatter and lives in his second marriage. He has 8 children, most of them are still underage. He does his job in this town Reading. The old Wiliam Gräf and his wife are dead. She died a lot of years before him. Two of his sons are dead. They left two widows and several children. Because I’m writing from the death, I want to tell you, that is 53 years ago when I left Womrath, the place or the village of my birth, with 17 years. The place where I made my first breath, where I saw the light of this world for the first time, where I cried with my innocent voice for the first time. The place where I have been educated by my loved parents and with the help of God until I became 17 years old. I spent my youth and I played with my comrades and friends, I got some good and helpful advices, teachings and admonitions from my parents, who I will never forget, but also from others. – There…. there….forgive me…, I have to interrupt. I came to Reading as a youngling, where I still live. Where my wife bore 9 children, 7 sons and 2 daughters. 4 of my sons and the 2 daughters died. 5 of them died in their innocent infancy, but the last one, Benjamin, became 27 years old when he died. It is seven years ago. He was a hopeful youngling. He learned and became a printer. He died of a fever, which our doctor called typhoid and Nervies fever. He was a very kind and esteemed young man. He understood the German, English and also the French language. He knew the orthographies of the German and the English language, was good in music and very good in geography and medicines.
He was a pleasure and comfort for his parents, a counsellor and helper for his brothers. He was popular with everyone, who knew him. He was very moral and virtuous, a great political speaker and he was very involved in Republican liberty. We lost him; he was a big support as son, brother, friend and generally a good and useful citizen. But what is it good for? He is not alive any longer. His brothers made a tomb for him, which is worth 125 Spanish thalers. Cry some tears for him. He is to rest in peace. My other sons are well educated, know some secrets and are experienced. They love the good, honor and respect their parents, friends and relatives. They are very popular with the neighbours; they can speak, read and write both languages, English and German, which are spoken all over here. Admirably, they partly have saved a nice wealth, and when I’m going to die, they will inherit my possession. Our town Reading is located on a river called Schul Skyll. It will be made navigable for little ships or steamers from here to Philadelphia. There is a bridge crossing the river, it is about 600 feet long and it had cost the county between 75000 and 80000 American thalers. In Reading there is also an English and a German library, in which I’m a member. And it’s an honor for me to be the secretary or writer of the German library.
I gave up the shoemaker handwork I have learned. So my sons did, too. The one, who lives in the country is a farmer, the two others are tanners. I live on my interest and pension. In our town there also discount houses were built by farmers and hand workers. The discount houses are carrying their names: The Farmer Bank of Reading, in German: Die Farmer Bank von Reading. It has been built per participation. One part of the bank was worth 50 thalers. Everyone had the right to buy some parts. I own 53 parts and I had to pay 1590 thalers to the bank. Therefore I get my pension every 6 months.
I send greetings to the progeny of Peter and George Jakoby, to Joahnn Adams Weyrich, to the friends in Maitzborn and Kirchberg and to all or some of their progeny. And I hope and wish that one, some or several will send an answer to me. I have to finish with the apostle’s sentence, not with feather and ink. Otherwise I had to write much, really very much. About our salvation and blessedness. I don’t know if one of you does understand the speech of Canaan (perhaps he means the Old Testament), but I hope that you are worried about your blessedness and the history of Josef. I hope there is more than one, who are searching for God and if you have not started so you will begin today. Choose the best and the needful with Maria. Sit down in front of Jesus and listen to his inner voice. Daily even hourly he talks to everyone of you in his heart. Jesus is the king of every one of us, who reigns over everything. His kingdom is not from this world. He also is our pontiff, who yammering requests for our remission at his lovely and heavenly Father. He also is our prophet, who unbosoms the will and the consult of our Father in heaven. He helps everyone, who desires and searches for God. Dear friends, let Jesus’ love to be the lodestar for all your loved relatives. For me and my family Jesus is our leader forever.
Best regards to all of you and your families and all, who loves Jesus Christ by your loving brother.
Johann Christopher Scherrer.
(If you wrote to me, you should address to: To Christopher Scherrer, in Reading Berks County, State Pennsylvania)
Dear friends in the USA,
we had to translate from old-German into new-German and then into English. For this reason a lot of the sense, the mood and the feelings got lost. John Christopher absolutely sure has been a very religious man. He was proud of his family in Reading, but also very sad about the death of his son Benjamin.
Submitted by: Ursula.
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