Marsha wrote on the Dauphin rootsweb: Alsatian, maybe? The Dieffenbach my husband's Ensmingers connect to was in Alsace. When they arrived in PA they spoke German, but of course "ownership" of Alsace was passed back and forth between Germany and France numerous times. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yes Marsha - It seems very likely - "Carolyn K. Shearer" <awscks@erols.com> on the Alsace rootsweb reported: Here is some additional information about the Mater/Matter family who attended Hill Church in Lebanon County, PA. Perhaps Mary Wendling was married before she left the Alsace. Quitophallia (Hill) Church, (Lutheran) abstracts:Mary Matter, nee Wendling, b. March 24, 1720 in <<<Alsace, village of Buchsweiler. Came over in her 25th year. Married to Jacob Matter; had 8 children, 3 sons and 4 daughters survive; 53 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren. A widow for 19 yrs. Buried Sep 1, 1809. Vomiting and diarrhoea, aged 83 yrs. 5 mos. 6 days.>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are several Matter families in Dauphin County in the 1700's. For instance two John Matter and one Michael Matter - did they change their name to Mater, or was their name actally Mater as in the church record below to Mater or from Mater. Are they the Michael Mater and Jonathan Mater in the 1790 census of eastern Cumberland County? Any comments appreciated. <mailto:PADAUPHI-L@rootsweb.com> Original posting: > > We have Jacob Mater baptizing his son, John, July 4, 1762 in the Hill > Lutheran Church, Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. John > Mater and wife were witnesses. > Our question - where did these Maters come from? Does anyone in the > Mcteer clan claim them? I think they may be my ancestors but I am not > proud. I will accept another Scot connection. Or German. Or Dutch. I > have already found so may different European sources that if I > hyphenated them my lineage would run on for several lines. > The following is one of the few references to a Mater in Europe before > 1800. Taken from a descendant on Ancestor.com > JOHANN GEORG MATER was born Abt. 1688 in Diefenbach, Maulbronn, Wuertt., > Germany. His daughter MARIA ELISABETHA MATER, b. Abt. 1716, of > Diefenbach, Maulbronn, Wuertt., Germany; m. MICHAEL FAZLER, July 16, > 1743, Diefenbach, Maulbronn, Wuertt., Germany; b. Abt. 1714, of > Diefenbach, Maulbronn, Wuertt., Germany; d. Bef. May 19, 1767. evangelisch. > There are many Mater families living in the Netherlands after 1800 - I > have not found any reference to Mater before 1800, but they must be > there. I wonder where to look. > There is a Mater village in Belgium. Said to have been named after the > Mother Superior of a nearby convent which guarded the village in the > early days - there is also a Mater stream nearby. Did those living in > this hamlet move elsewhere and say they were from Mater - de la Mater. > There are many del la Mater families in the colonies. One reference > *Genealogy of descendants of Claude Le Maitre (Delamater) who came from > France via Holland and settled at New Netherland, now New York, in 1652 > by La Fayette De La Mater. Claude Le Maitre, a Protestant, immigrated > from France (via England and then Holland) to Flatbush, Long Island, New > York in 1652. Descendants (chiefly spelling the surname De La Mater, > Delamater, or Le Maitre) and relatives lived in New York, New England, > Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida and elsewhere. Some descendants > immigrated to Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. Includes some family > history and genealogy in France. New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania > is included.* > Anyone interested? Regards Hal >