Greathouse of Philadelphia County, PA
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1745, Jun 2 - Baptism: Anna Maria Schellmeier, Witness: Herman Grothauss
Excerpts from Church Records of St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Germantown, PA, [ Page 223 ]:
Johannes son of Johann Jacob Leimer and Regina his wife, born 8 Jan 1745, baptized 2 Jun 1745. Godparents: Balthes Baret and his wife.
Anna Maria, daughter of Georg Michael Schellmeier, born 9 Jan 1745, baptized 2 Jun 1745. Godparents: Herman Grothauss and Anna Maria Baretin.
Footnotes:
1) Between 1950 and 1953, Jack Murray Greathouse hired Edward W. Hocker, a local historian of Germantown, PA, to search for additional records for the Greathouse family of Springfield, PA. Edward W. Hocker performed the search, compiled his findings which included this baptismal record along with the will of Henry Greathouse and returned his report by letter to Jack Murray Greathouse. By the time Jack Murray Greathouse had wrote another letter to Hocker, he appears to have made a conclusion that Herman Grothauss named as witness in the baptismal record, sometime later married Anna Maria Baretin, the woman he witnessed this baptism with. In another letter from Edward W. Hocker to Jack Murray Greathouse dated 14 Feb 1953, Hocker related an objection to Jack Murray Greathouse's conclusion that Herman Greathouse married Anna Maria Baretin:
Excerpt from Letter from Edward W. Hocker to Jack Murray Greathouse, 1953:
The copy of the records of St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Germantown, at the Genealogical Society, was examined for any relationship between the Greathouse and the Baret families. The only entries with this name are:
Anna Maria, daughter of Georg Michael Schnellmeier, born Jan. 9, 1745, baptized June 2, 1745. Sponsors, Herman Grothauss, Anna Maria Baretin.
There is nothing to indicate that the two sponsors were married. The name "Baretin" is the early feminine form of the name Baret, or more likely Barret.
The same day this entry appears:
Johannes, son of Johann Jacob Liemer and his wife Regina, born Jan. 8, 1745, baptized June 2, 1745. Sponsors: Baltus Baret and his wife.
However, Hocker's objection appears to have been ignored, as the conclusion was published in Jack Murray Greathouse's, "A Partial History of the Greathouse Family of America" in 1954, without any mention of Hocker's objection.
Excerpt from "A Partial History of the Greathouse Family of America", 1954:
Herman Greathouse (or Harman, as he himself spelled it) was the oldest son of Henry Grothouse of Heidelberg Township, Lancaster County, PA., and the grandson of Herman Groethausen the emigrant [sic immigrant]. He was born in Lancaster County in 1720 [sic born in Springfield in 1720, moved to Chester County in 1726]. He was married twice. His first wife was Anna Maria Baret and it is believed that they were married in the year 1745. My reason for this belief is based on entries found in the records of St. Michael's Church, Germantown, for that year. These entries were as follows:
"Harman Grothouse and wife Anna Maria Baret were sponsors at the baptism of Anna Maria, daughter of Georg Michael Schellmeier, born Jan. 9, baptized June 2, 1745."
"Johannes, son of Johann Jacob Leimer and his wife Regina, born Jan. 8, 1745, baptized June 2, 1745. Sponsors: Baltus Baret and wife."
(Note: Since the name Baret does not appear in the records of St. Michael's Church before or after the date of these baptisms, it is believed that Baltus Baret and his wife (evidentally the parents of Anna Maria, the wife of Harman Grothouse) came from afar and were there on that particular date for some special occasion. It is my belief that they were there for the marriage of their daughter and that sponsoring the two baptisms was incidental to the main event - the marriage. This however is pure conjecture and should be treated as such.)
Thomas H. Hutzelman in a 1984 letter to Greathouse Researchers related, "Jack Murray Greathouse states that Harmon Greathouse's first wife was Anna Maria Baret, based on their being sponsors for the baptism of Anna Maria, daughter of Georg Michael Schellmeier. I believe he is wrong! The record of baptism actually says (in German):
"A child was born to Georg Michael Schellmeier from his wife on 9 Jan (1745) and brought for baptism on 2 June, and was given the name Anna Maria. Godparents were Herman Grothouss and Anna Maria Baretin."
The minister who was keeping the records at the time did not record the maiden names of the mothers, let alone those of female sponsors. Further, it does not call Anna Maria Baretin wife of Herman Grothouss. My conclusion is that Anna Maria Baretin was not married to Herman Grothouss at all, and was probably the wife of Baltus Baret. (-in on the end of her name is simply a feminine ending.)"
2) Additionally, based on the excerpt from "A Partial History of the Greathouse Family of America", 1954", it appeared reasonable to Jack Murray Greathouse to use the baptism witnessed by Herman Greathouse, along with the will of Henry Greathouse, in which a son was named as Herman Greathouse, to conclude the Herman Greathouse named in the baptismal record was the son of Henry Greathouse.
3) However, the possibility remains that the Herman Greathouse named in the baptismal record could have either been a son of Henry & Anna Greathouse or a son of Johann Adolph & Anna Amelia Miller Greathouse. On 9 Feb 2013, a proof argument was prepared to test the possibility that there were two men by the name of Herman Greathouse, residing in their respective locations of residence, one in Baltimore County, MD and the other in Ohio County, VA between 1773 and 1796.
Once this observation was made, the following questions were raised:
1) Was Herman Greathouse named in the baptismal record a son of Henry & Anna Greathouse or a son of Johann Adolph & Anna Amelia Greathouse?
2) Was there two men named Herman Greathouse, one the son of Henry and Anna Greathouse and the other a son of Johann Adolph & Anna Amelia Greathouse?
4) While the proof argument along with additional evidence gathered has resoundingly proven the conclusion that there were two men by the name of Herman Greathouse, residing in their respective locations of residence, one in Baltimore County, MD and the other in Ohio County, VA between 1773 and 1796, significant weight was also added to a conclusion that Herman Greathouse, son of Johann Adolph & Anna Amelia Miller Greathouse was probably the one named in this baptismal record, based on the following evidence:
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In the 1786 deed between Herman Greathouse of Baltimore County, MD and Christopher Yeakle Jr. of Germantown, PA, recorded in Montgomery County, PA at the time, Henry Greathouse was named as the father of said Herman Greathouse.
Exerpt from 1786 - Deed: Harman Gratehouse to Christopher Yeakle, Montgomery County, PA:
This Indenture Made the Sixteenth Day of June in the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and eighty Six Between Harman Gratehouse of Baltimore County in the State of Maryland Yeoman of the one Part and Christopher Yeakly Junior of Germantown Township in the County of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania of the other Part Whereas Henry Gratehouse late of Lancaster County Yeoman Father of the said Harman Gratehouse by Force and Virtue of some good Consequences or Assurances in Law duly had and executed in his Life time became Lawfully Seized in his Demisne as of Fee of and in a Certain Lot or Piece of Land situated in Springfield Township in the County of Montgomery (late the County of Philadelphia)
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In the 1792 court deposition of Herman Greathouse of Baltimore County, MD, Francis Snowden Esq, Justice of the Peace for said county, related Herman Greathouse as "Aged about Seventy five years". A Herman Greathouse aged about 75 in 1792, would have been born in Springfield about 1717, after his parents, Henry and Anna Greathouse were married.
The Following is the Deposition of Harmon Greathouse Aged about Seventy five years who being duly sworn on the holy Evangelist of Almighty God Deposeth and Saith:
5) The next question to answer about the Herman Greathouse who was named in this baptismal record would be, "How old was Herman Greathouse when he witnessed this baptism? In "St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Germantown, Pennsylvania, 1741-1841, Pages iv - v", Frederick S. Weiser related, "Lutheran practice required adult sponsors [of lawful age 21], often popularly called godparents. They were usually designated as Zeugen in German which may be translated as witnesses. If Herman Greathouse was age between 21 and 24 when he witnessed this baptism in 1745, then he would have been born between 1721 and 1724.
6) A Herman Greathouse, born between 1721 and 1724, who was the son Johann Adolph & Anna Amelia Miller Greathouse, provided that he survived through adulthood, would have been named in the records of St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Germantown, when he became of age to be confirmed, witness baptisms or marry. He would have attained the age of 21 between 1742 and 1745. The latter year, coincidentally was the year Herman Greathouse witnessed the Schellmeier baptism at St. Michaels Lutheran Church, Germantown.
7) Johann Adolph Greathouse was named as an elder/trustee/warden of St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Germantown between 1738 and 1762. The threads of Johann Adolph Greathouse's presence at St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Germantown has been tightly woven into a Greathouse Cord which passes through the following events:
Sources:
Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Church Records of St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Germantown, PA. The original records are written in German and copied as written in the original records. Translation from German provided by Vivian F. Taylor in letter to Lois Gindlesperger, n. d. Page 223, 1745, Jun 2 - Baptism: Anna Maria Schellmeier, Witness: Herman Grothauss. View @ Fold3
Edward W. Hocker, Letter to Jack Murray Greathouse, 14 Sep 1953. No evidence to support that Herman Grothauss and Anna Maria Baretin were married.
Jack Murray Greathouse, "A Partial History of the Greathouse Family of America", Washington County Historical Society, Fayetteville, AR, Bulletin #7, W. J. Lemke, Editor, 1954. Page 19, . For these reasons, many of us have been been persuaded to discard this conclusion.
Thomas H. Hutzelman, Letter to Greathouse Researchers, Subject: Visit at Lutheran Theological Seminary, Germantown, PA, 1984.
Greathouse Point, Greathouse Archives, USA, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia County, 2013 - Proof Argument: Herman Greathouse In Twain.
Greathouse Point, Greathouse Archives, USA, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, 1786 - Deed: Harman Gratehouse to Christopher Yeakle.
Greathouse Point, Greathouse Archives, USA, Maryland, Baltimore County, 1792 - Court: Deposition of Harmon Greathouse.
Frederick S. Weiser and Debra D. Smith CGRS, St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Germantown (Now Part of Philadelphia) Pennsylvania, 1741-1841, Volume 1, Rockport, MA: Picton Press, 1998. Pages iv - v, Lutheran practice required adult sponsors [of lawful age 21].
Greathouse Point, Greathouse Archives, USA, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia County, 1738 - Founded: St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Germantown.
Greathouse Point, Greathouse Archives, USA, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia County, 1748 - First Convention, Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium of Pennsylvania.
Greathouse Point, Greathouse Archives, USA, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia County, 1762 - 1765 - Church Council: St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Germantown, Elder: Jan Grothaus.
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