Beginnings - Johann Andreas Mühlschlägel, immigrant ancestor

Beginnings - Johann Andreas Mühlschlägel, immigrant ancestor

I decided to write about the Millslagle Family's earliest American progenitor - Johann Andreas Mühlschlägel since this blog is dedicated to all his descendants. I have not conducted primary research of the family before 1800. Most of this information was taken from Grace Kelso Garner's book, Earliest Settlers of Western Frederick-Eastern Hampshire Counties (self published, 1978, pages 172-215) which another researcher was kind enough to share with me.

Andreas was born 15 Apr 1730 in Lachen-Speyerdorf which is now incorporated into Neustadt an der Weinstraße, which is part of the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. A couple of records point to his father being a school teacher and that he also was a school teacher. He received permission on 26 May 1750 to move to Pennsylvania but had to pay a tax of 300 florins. He boarded the ship Patience which landed in Philadelphia 11 August 1750. Before he was allowed to disembark, he had to sign an Oath of Allegiance which swore fealty to the King of England and stated he was not Catholic. Below is a copy of his signature on this document:

Kelso Gardner states that all he had was his bible, violin and his dreams. Whether or not this is true, it conjured a pictures in my head. A young, 20-year old, with the wind blowing in his dark hair, standing on the railing as Philadelphia comes into view; an older gentleman working the land; sitting around the fire on a wintery evening, playing his violin for the family. What I wouldn't give to be able to sit down to dinner with him!

Andrew Millslagle, as he was known in America, settled outside Philadelphia in Berks County and married Anna Maria Emmitt about 1752.  He is found on the 1768 Berks County, PA tax lists. He owned 70 acres of land, 25 acres of it has been cleared. He has 1 horse, 1 mare, 2 cows, and 3 sheep. Kelso-Gardner asserts that the family moved to Emmittsburg, Frederick County, Maryland about 1768 but I have not been able to find any proof they lived there and she didn't cite where she got this information.

Andrew moved his family to Hampshire County, Virginia. He purchased 160 acres on 7 Nov 1774 and purchased an additional 421 acres in 1793. He and Mary died sometime between 1813 and 1820.

The known children of Andrew and Mary are listed below, all born in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

1. Georg Henrich (b. 3 May 1753, d. between 1810 and 1820) m. Maria "Catherine" Loy (b. 1769, d. aft 1820)
2. Anna "Christina" (b. 24 Apr 1757) m. Daniel Loy 
3. Maria Catharine "Mary" (b. 22 Aug 1759) m. John Park
4. Anna "Barbara" (b. 14 Mar 1762) 
5. Anna Maria (b. 22 Jan 1765)
6. Johann "Jacob" (b. 24 Feb 1767) m. Elizabeth Cooper (b. 1772)
7. Anna Margretha (b. 3 Jul 1769
8. Hanna (b. 11 Nov 1771)