Ray Schwartz and I have corresponded for several years about the Matter/Motter family and the Wilderson (vs sp) family both of Manheim Township, York County, Pennsylvania. He recently referred to two notes I had posted on the Matter roots web list and I thought this might be of general interest because it is a review of a few of the difficulties and how we have attempted to resolve some of them. The original notes are in the archives and they are referenced below. The patriarch of the Manheim Township Matter line is George. He arrived on the ship Brothers a few days before September 16, 1751, at Philadelphia. Here I will put in a plug for Ralph Beaver Strassburger he edited Pennsylvania German Pioneers Vol 1 (1727-1745) and other volumes. I had Vol I on CD 267 from Broderbund on a trial - it requires Family Tree Maker. The introduction alone is worth the price. The passengers from the Brothers were eventually cleared for landing and on September 16, 1751, they stood on the steps of city hall listened to the oaths - which are described in the introduction of PGP - and signified their allegiance to King George and their abhorrence of certain traitorous efforts. Their acutal signatures are to be seen somewhere - if anyone has them I would greatly appreciate seeing the signature of the two men mentioned below. And here the fun begins. The devil is in the spelling. Geög Mader and Valtin Matter are listed next to each other. The list is not alphabetized so they have been taken by contemporary searchers as the brothers, George Matter and Valentine Matter, who brought the name and variations like Motter to Manheim Township, York County, Pennsylvania and nearby Frederick County, Maryland. Some early seeker proved to the satisfaction of the Huguenot National Society that this George Matter was a Huguenot. But when I paid the society a fee to provide me with the confirming data they removed George from the approved list. Neat way to generate a negative flow of information. Ray asked me if I had discovered anything more about George and I now answer - sorry no. Ray also asked me about the reported death of Margaretha Wilderson Matter (vs sp) in Beaver Township, now in Mahoning County, Ohio. Betty Jane Vickers, 954 W Schneitter Cir #4, Midway Ut 84049-6106, was my source of this death-location, and Ray says he has something indicating that Margaretha died in the home of her son-in-law Henry Thoman. She is not listed in the 1850 census of that household, but of course she may have gone there after the summer of 1850. About five years ago I talked to Betty Jane Vickers and we corresponded. She was very cooperative, but could not furnish any source for this death-location. She had done the work 20 years earlier when she had Henry and Margaretha Baptized as is the custom of the Latter Day Saints. One reference she thought might help - a history of the county - did not. Another LDS member, Dee Wayne Schvaneveldt, I believe used her work in his publications. I talked to his family not long after he had died. Ray asked me if I had anything more on this death-location and again I must answer no new documented facts. I have speculated about this family and there are a many reasons for thinking Margaretha died in Ohio. But so far I have found no proof. And I think I could put together an equally interesting story about her last years in Manheim Township. And after answering Ray that brings me to another reason for this long and I suppose to many boring review. Geög Mader, better know as George Matter, had a son Johan Henrich of Georg MATTER, born April 21, 1768. And Henry had a son he named George: George son of Henry MATTER and wife, born October 29, 1795, baptized December 6, 1795. Witness: Geo. MATTER. Later Henry and siblings often were known as Motter. These facts are neatly documented and have been given to me by Ray and others - for which kindness and helpfulness I am grateful. My great-great-grandfather is neatly documented and proven to be George Mater of the eastern end of Cumberland County. He is known to have been born in the last half of 1795. His wife's name is Elizabeth and he died May 3, 1848 in Hampden Township, Cumberland County. I have searched out all the George M* with any possibility of being his father and I can find only one that fits and provides a documented connection- the Manheim Township George. But I think I must give him up because Ray has some notes which I believe his mother left him indicating that George married Anna Maria someone and died in 1837. I guess the date of the marriage and the location of his death are not known. But obliviously he cannot be my George. So this is my swan song - I will continue looking elswsehere. Regards Hal The following will open the archives to anyone wanting more info on this conversation - ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Arthur Laube" <zurlauben@mindspring.com> > > To: <MATTER-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Saturday, April 06, 2002 1:35 PM > > Subject: [MATTER/MOTTER] WILDERSON-MOTTER -OH-bef 1846 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Arthur Laube" <zurlauben@mindspring.com> > > To: <MATTER-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 5:32 PM > > Subject: [MATTER/MOTTER] Re: [HWE] Alsace Huguenots?