Hal Stitt wrote me: > The signatures are intriguing. I am going to send them to a couple of > friends in Germany who may be able to provide some perspective. It would > help if I could tell them from which part of Germany they came. Do you > know? Two on the Janet - 1751. Doctor of Medicine from the Electoral City of Mannheim, Philp Jacob MEDER (from Lancaster County Cocalico Reformed church record in 1752 when he married - assuming this is the same guy who got off the boat.) Name in the church record as shown. Diewald MATTER also arrived on the Janet. We do not know where he is from. Other Matter arrived in 1751, this same year, from Alsace. The surname Diebold came into one of the Alsace Matter lines in the 1600's and was commonly used as a given name, but there has been no connection. When Samuel Meder married, 1785, in Cocalico Reformed church he said he was the son of Diewald MEDER. We speculate that Diewald MATTER/MEDER is the Dewalt MATER buried in St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church, Carlisle, Cumberland County, PA. He d: August 4, 1821 in the 90th year of his age. Near him Samuel b: August 2, 1808 d: December 31, 1855. The two on the Brothers also 1751 are thought to George Matter/Motter and his brother Valentine Matter from Alsace. Later they are found in Manheim Township, York County. I posgted this on couple of lists - trying to stirr ujp interest - hope taht is ok with you Hal