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Greathouse Point > Greathouse Archives > USA > PA > Philadelphia County > 1709 - Land: Herman Groethousen

Greathouse of Philadelphia County, PA

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1709, Oct 30-31 - Land Lease and Release: Herman Groethousen obtained a lease on 30 Oct 1709, with a release on 31 Oct 1709, for 500 acres of land in the inhabited region of Philadelphia, from William Penn in London, England

On 30 Oct 1709, Herman Groethousen obtained a lease for 500 acres in exchange for 9,000 acres of land, which he purchased from one Frederick de Redegoldt or Rhedegelt, who described himself in at least one of his deeds as "Colonel and Essay Master General of Pennsylvania and Territories Annexed", and who claimed to have bought 10,000 acres from the Proprietary. Rhedegelt appears to have been one of William Penn's many agents, who were recruiting settlers to come to Penn's Colony in Pennsylvania. On the next day, 31 Oct 1709, Herman Groethousen obtained a release which granted him 500 acres in Pennsylvania.

Herman Groethousen probably purchased 9,000 acres of land from Rhedegelt at or near Bielefeld, Ravensberg, Brandenburg, considering that when Johannes Herbergs visited Herman's son, Jan Grothus, on 27 Aug 1764, Herbergs recorded in his journal, "On the morning of August 27th, we went to see a man whom Mr. Kurtz has said we should see called Jan Grothus whose father Hermen came from Bielefeld and who has been here for the last 50 years..." While the exchange of 9,000 acres for 500 acres between Herman Groethausen and William Penn, was conducted at London, England.

Footnotes:

1) Date of land lease and release obtained from the Minutes of the Board of Property, 19 Nov 1712.

Excerpt from Charles Penrose Keith, Chronicles of Pennsylvania from the English Revolution to the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, 1688-1748, 1917. Page 534-535:

Several Germans had bought land from one Frederick de Redegoldt or Rhedegelt, who described himself in at least one of his deeds as "Colonel and Essay Master General of Pennsylvania and Territories Annexed", and who claimed to have bought 10,000 acres from the Proprietary. This claim appearing as unfounded as the designation of his office, the Land Commissioners were wary of setting out land to the purchasers. One of these, Herman Groethausen, having bought 9,000 acres of the 10,000 a., and having started on his way to the Province, met Penn in London, and accepted in exchange a lease and release of Dec. 30 and 31, 1709, for 500 a., with the understanding that they should be in the inhabited region. The Commissioners seeing no authority except for a warrant for distant land, Groethausen seated himself on Springfield manor (Springfield Township, Montgomery Co.), but the Commissioners in 1712 ordered him to remove by a certain time. He went over to England, and secured from Hannah Penn the right to have 500 acres in the manor.

Excerpt from E. Gordon Aldefer, The Montgomery County Story, The Commissioners of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1951. Page 25:

In selling Pennsylvania land in Germany Penn had made a deal with a pompous fellow who claimed to have received a grant of 10,000 acres from Penn. The largest part of this tract he sold to a certain Herman Groethausen. On his way to take possession in 1709, Groethausen stopped in London to see Penn. Penn convinced him that the tract would have to be located far back into the wilds, if he wanted the 9,000 acres he supposedly owned. He therefore compromised for 500 acres near Philadelphia. When he got to Pennsylvania, Groethausen claimed his 500 acres in the Manor of Springfield. Penn's agents naturally objected, so Groethausen had to go back to England again. There he obtained a warrant for the tract in Springfield Manor from the second Mrs. Penn. Groethausen sold the greater part of the 500 acres, but he remained a resident there until his death in 1743.

Sources:

Pennsylvania Archives, Series 2, Volume XIX, Minutes of the Board of Property of the Province of Pennsylvania, Minute Book H. Page 538-539, 1712, Nov 19 - Court: Herman Groethousen appeared before the commissioners of the Board of Property of the Province of Pennsylvania. View @ Footnote [ Page 538 | Page 539 ]

Pennsylvania Archives, Series 2, Volume XIX, Minutes of the Board of Property of the Province of Pennsylvania, Minute Book H. Page 595-596, 1715, Oct 21 - Court: Herman Groethousen appeared before the commissioners of the Board of Property of the Province of Pennsylvania. View @ Footnote [ Page 595 | Page 596 ]

Brave New World: Rhinelanders Conquer America. The Journal of Johannes Herbergs. Edited by Dieter Pesch. Guides and Papers of the Rheinisches Freilichtmuseum and the Landesmuseum für Volkskunde at Kommern, No. 61. Germany: Martina Galunder-Verlag, 2001. Page 95.

Charles Penrose Keith, Chronicles of Pennsylvania from the English revolution to the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, 1688-1748, Volume 2, Patterson & White Co., 1917. Original from the University of Michigan, Digitized Feb 19, 2008. View @ Google Books

E. Gordon Aldefer, The Montgomery County Story, The Commissioners of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1951. Page 25.

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