Who the Bachelor Recluse Was and Where He Came From
Sketch Of Three Families
One of the Moser Heirs Throws Light Upon a Subject That is But Little Understood by the Present Generation – A Myth Explained.
It is, indeed, surprising to the man who has kept in touch with the different trials which recently took place at the Schuylkill County bar at the conflicting sentiments and mixture of claims which were manifested before the judge by the attorneys, the people in general, the would-be heirs, apparent heirs, and real heirs of Burkhard Moser. He seems to be a myth with most of the younger people of Schuylkill, Lehigh and adjoining counties. To the very aged of Schuylkill County he was well known; to the recent population he is mixed with three distinct individuals. This muddle was mainly brought about by pronouncing two distinct names as one – viz., Burkhart Mosser and Burkhard Moser. They are both German names and in pronouncing them should retain the full value of their letters. German names in the English eye may appear the same, yet by the intelligent German are pronounced very differently. For example: Moser (Moser), Moeser (Maser), Mossert (Mosser), Moesser (Messer); and it is the careless pronunciation of these two names (Moser and Mosser) that has somewhat obscured the identification of two distinct individuals.
In order to make clear the distinctive individuality of Burkhart Mosser, Jr., and Burkhard Moser, the bachelor, it is necessary to give three families. The first is that of Burkhart Mosser, Sr. He came from Germany, and arrived in this country about 1727, or earlier. He died in 1807, leaving a family of six children, viz.:
Philip Mosser
Michael Mosser
Jacob Mosser
Burkhart Mosser, Jr.
Anna Mariah Oswald (nee Mosser)
Barbara Sitler (nee Mosser)
This man owned land in Schuylkill (then Northampton) County. How many of his children be brought with him from Germany I am unable to say. Most probably all of them.
The second family necessary to give is that of Burkhart Mosser, Jr. It consisted of ten children, viz.:
Jacob Mosser
John Mosser
Mary Moser (m. John Kershner)
Catherine Mosser (m. Henry Ford)
Mary M. Mosser (m. a Boyer)
Elizabeth Mosser (m. Philip Brobst)
Barbara Mosser (n. Jno. Whetstone)
Rebecca Mosser (m. a Robinhold)
Michael Mosser
Polly M. Mosser (m. George Longenberger
All these children were born in this country; and it is the descendants of the various branches of this family who erroneously claim to be the heirs of Burkhard Moser, the bachelor. It is true they are the direct heirs of Burkhart Mosser, Jr., who owned 220 acres of land adjoining that of Burkhard Moser, the bachelor. It was the father (Burkhart Mosser, Jr.) of this family who was sued by John Oswald (his brother-in-law) for trespass on his (Oswald's) property (who owned land adjoining that of Mosser), and against whom the fiery facias was issued, condemnation made, but never legally sold. The trespass consisted in Burkhart Mosser, Jr., going on his brother-in-law's land, cutting down the timber, making it into boards and planks, and selling it at a profit. He died in 1849. Some of his sons owned land in Carbon and Schuylkill Counties, and sold or leased it in 1784, I believe, to the Greenwood Coal Company and Little Schuylkill Coal Company for 99 years, the leases expiring in 1883.
Now I will present to the reader the third family, and by careful perusal one may gather all the facts in the case.
Hans Michael Moser, the father of this family, immigrated to America in 1751, and settled with his family, a wife (Katharine), and four children, in Amityville, Douglass Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. They came on the ship Duke of Wirtemberg. The names, births, ages, etc., are as follows:
George Moser, b. 1740; d. 1806, aged 66; 11 years of age on arrival in America; will probated 1807; no children; settled in Gwynedd; burial at St. John's, Centre Square, Montgomery County.
Peter Moser, b. 1742; d. 1829; age 87; 9 years old on arrival in America; will probated 1830; 12 children; settled in Pottstown; buried in Pottstown graveyard.
Barbara Moser, b. 1745 d. 1817; aged 72; 6 years of age on arrival in America; will probated 1818; four children; settled at Pottstown; place of burial unknown.
Burkhard Moser, b. 1748; d. in 1828(?); aged 80 years; three years of age on arrival in America, died intestate; no children; settled in Schuylkill County; place of burial unknown.
Christian Moser, b. 1755; d. 1838; born in America; will probated 1839; four children; settled at Whitpain Township; buried in St. John's, Centre Square.
George Moser married a Miss Leber; had no children; she survived him 48 years. After her husband's death she lived at Evansburg, Montgomery County, until she was 100 years of age; then her relatives, fearing to let her live by herself at such an age, took her to the Trappe, where she died at the age of 104 years and some months. While living at Evansburg her husband's brothers (Peter, Burkhard and Christian) called to see her, if Mrs. Casselberry's statements can be relied upon ( a lady, of Evansburg, high in the nineties, and still living, with excellent mental faculties).
Peter Moser had 12 children, five boys and seven girls, viz., John, Henry, Peter, Jacob and George; Anna Maria (m. a Geiger), Catherine (m. a Pyle, *Hannah (m. a Weidner), Margaret (n. a Neidig), Eliza (m. a Yocum), Anna (m. an Egolf), and Lydia (n. a Brunner).
[*The mother of Henry M. Pyle, of Pottstown, the man who Judge Bechtel, in his charge to the jury, said, was the "only single, direct heir to Burkhart Mosser, Jr."].
Barbara Moser married a Neuman, and had four children, Mary, Peter, Philip and John.
Christian Moser had four children, two sons and two daughters. Both boys died young. Mary married a Jacob M. Hurst and Elizabeth, Benjamin F. Harry.
Burkhard Moser was the second youngest child of Hans Michael Moser. At the time of the American Revolution he (being about 28 years of age) and his brother Christian (aged about 21) joined the American forces under Washington, and served their country through the whole of that war. The pay they received from the government was sent to Peter, their brother, near Pottstown (then called Pottsgrove, I believe). After the close of the war they returned to Montgomery County. Christian settled in Whitpain Township, buying a farm with the money he had received from the government. Burkhard, being persona non grata with the family generally, on account of his eccentricities and wild habits, went into the mountains about 1800, or a little earlier, and settled in that region of country now known as Tamaqua, Schuylkill County. He visited his brothers on several occasions subsequently, and Peter visited him once or twice in his mountainous home. On the 17th day of January, 1815, he purchased 420 (6 per cent, off for roads – 416 ¼) acres of land from James McCorckle and John Didler, paying $510 in silver for it. The deed gives the exact lines and posts, starting thus: "Beginning at a pine tree of Philip Mosser's land and thence by the same land of Burkhart Mosser," Peter (being his financial custodian) giving him the money with which to pay for it. He built a log house on this land, began to cultivate a portion of it, and lived on it for 13 or 14 years, and paid the taxes on it up to the year of his death. He died in full possession, without debts, in 1828. Where he is buried, or who performed the burial rites, the Lord only knows. The company paid the taxes for two years after his death in his name, and then built a log house (still standing) on an elevation near Panther, and then claimed it on a squatter's claim.
Contributors Note:
The Anna Maria Egolf mentioned in this article married Adam Egolf
1 Anna Moser b: Dec 11, 1787 d: Nov 22, 1872 +Adam Schadler Egolf b: Aug 04, 1783 d: Feb 12, 1870 ......2 Johann Micahel Moser Egolf b: May 05, 1810 d: Feb 05, 1896 .........+Mary Ann Horner b: 1811 m: Oct 09, 1831 d: Apr 06, 1873 ......2 Margaretha Moser Egolf b: Aug 18, 1812 d: Aug 19, 1856 .........+Charles August Roth b: Oct 06, 1814 d: Dec 01, 1887 ......2 Aaron Moser Egolf b: Dec 1813 .........+Phoebe Detwiler ......2 Maria Ann Moser Egolf b: Dec 28, 1818 ......2 Sarah Moser Egolf b: Sep 30, 1824 .........+Peter Linderman m: Sep 30, 1847 ......2 Rachel Moser Egolf b: 1825 d: Dec 16, 1888
Submitted by Betty.
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