Jacob Seltzer

Jacob Seltzer¹

• Birth*: 31 October 1732; Germany^2,3
• Marriage*: Spouse=Maria Catharina (?)⁴
• Death*: 18 October 1788; Berks Co., Pennsylvania³
• Burial*: Zion Lutheran and Reformed Cemetery, Womelsdorf, Berks Co., Pennsylvania³

Family:

Maria Catharina (?) b. 20 Feb 1735, d. 5 Jun 1817

• Marriage*: Spouse=Maria Catharina (?)⁴

Children:

Michael Seltzer¹⁵ b. a 1758, d. bt 1776 - 1781
Eva Catharine Seltzer¹⁶ b. 1 Jan 1759, d. 5 Aug 1828
Mary Margaret Seltzer¹⁶ b. 25 Dec 1762, d. 27 Jul 1822
Jacob Seltzer+ ¹⁶ b. 5 Sep 1764, d. 27 Feb 1825
Elizabeth Seltzer¹⁶ b. 19 May 1766, d. 8 Oct 1849
Maria Catharine Seltzer¹⁶ b. 18 Aug 1770, d. 11 Sep 1857

Notes

• Immigration*: 1752; Ship Brothers, William Muir, Captain, from Rotterdam and last from Cowes.⁵
• Note*: Origins:
  "Character Reference: Of Johann Jacob Seltzer written by his Pastor, Michael Gottlieb Blasz before leaving Germany for America. Jacob was a boot-maker by trade and was born in Michelfeldt, Germany Anno Domini 1732. He arrived in America twenty years later and settled in Womelsdorf where he became a successful tavern-keeper. Later he bought the town of Womelsdorf in a sheriff's sale in Reading when John Womelsdorf went bankrupt (1774)."⁶
• Note: Naturalization:
  "Naturalization papers of Jacob Seltzer signed by Edward Shippen; Date: April 10 1765"⁷
• Note: Biographical sketch:
  Montgomery's Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County published in 1909 states:
  
  "...Jacob Seltzer, who emigrated in 1752 from the Upper Rhein, near Coblentz, in the vicinity of the famous 'Seltzer Springs' in Germany, where he was born in 1732. He settled in Heidelberg township (where Womelsdorf was laid out) and became a naturalized citizen in 1765. Several years before (1762) he established a hotel in the village, which has been known until the present time as the 'Seltzer House.' He died in 1788. He was married to Maria Catharine Hiester, of Bern township; she was born in 1735 and died in 1817. by her he had six children: Jacob, above; Michael, who enlisted in the Revolution while still a boy and died of fever shortly before the end of his term of service; Elizabeth, who married Dr. Michael Tryon, a prominent physician of Tulpehocken; Mary, who married Jacob Spang, a prominent iron-master of Oley; Catharine, married to David Dewees; and a daughter who married Christopher Reed."
  
  [Note that there is a nearly identical sketch in the Schuylkill County book by the same publisher.]^8,9
• Note: Immigration.
  Hans Jacob Seltzer: Ship Brothers, William Muir, Captain, from Rotterdam and last from Cowes. 22 Sept 1752.⁵
• Note: DAR Patriotic Service:
  
  SELTZER, JACOB
  Ancestor #: A101948
  Service: PENNSYLVANIA Rank(s): PATRIOTIC SERVICE
  Birth: 10-31-1732 GERMANY
  Death: 10-18-1788 BERKS CO PENNSYLVANIA
  Service Source: PA ARCH, 3RD SER, VOL 18, P 367; PA HIST & MUS COMM, RG 4.61, ROLL #318
  Service Description: 1) PAID SUPPLY TAX, HEIDELBERG TWP, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783
  Residence: 1) City: HEIDELBERG TWP - County: BERKS CO - State: PENNSYLVANIA
  Spouse: 1) MARIA CATHARINA HEISTER¹⁰
• Note: DAR Patriot Index:
  Court Martial man¹¹
• Note: Probate:
  Estate of Jacob Seltzer of Heidelberg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
  On 31 Dec 1788 administration was granted to Catharina Seltzer of Heidelberg Township widow & relict of deceased and Valentine Read son-in-law.
  On 15 Jan 1789 the inventory of personal estate was submitted, totaling £803.16.7.
  On 1 Apr 1789 in a petition son Jacob Seltzer stated that Jacob Seltzer died intestate leaving a widow Catharina and five children: Jacob Seltzer son, Eve wife of Valentine Rieth, Mary Margaret wife of Frederick Spang, Elisabeth wife of Michael Trion, Catharine minor under age 21. Petition lists properties and asks court to award an inquisition to partition the properties. Real estate consisted of thirty five lots in Middle Town (Womelsdorf) and eight tracts of land, later appraised at £1600.
  On 4 Apr 1793 an account was submitted. It does not include distribution to heirs.¹
• Note: Real estate settlement:
  On 5 May 1794 the four daughters of Jacob Seltzer granted to Jacob Seltzer "only son and heir of Jacob Seltzer the elder" all their interest in the lands of Jacob Seltzer the elder in Middletown and in Heidelberg Township, in consideration of £1056.13.3, a valuation and appraisement taken under order of the Orphans Court. The grantees were Valentine Read of Tulpehocken Township yeoman and Eve his wife, Frederick Spang of Oley Township iron master and Mary Margaret his wife, Michael Trion Junr. of Tulpehocken Township innkeeper and Elizabeth his wife, David Dewees of Heidelberg Township hatter and Catharine his wife.
  Recorded 4 Nov 1795 Berks County Deed Book 14, p. 538.¹²
• Note: Land:
  Available land records show Jacob Seltzer to have purchased a number of large tracts, all in Heidelberg Township, to have sold only one lot, and to have not taken or held mortgages. Recorded transactions are:
  
  - On 2 Jan 1765 John Womelsdorf and Susanna his wife granted to Jacob Seltzer of Heidelberg Township Berks County Inn keeper a 75 acre tract along Front Street and along town lots for £125 (Berks Co. Deeds Bk 4, p. 293).
  
  - On 2 Jan 1765 John Womelsdorf granted to Jacob Seltzer lot #45 in Middle Town for £15 (TSHS MAP 08 0016).
  
  - On 4 Jul 1767 Frederick Weiser granted to Jacob Seltzer 4 1/2 acres of land for £60 (TSHS MAP 08 0018).
  
  - On or before 27 Feb 1768 Jacob Seltzer purchased at a sheriff's sale an 18 1/2 and 20 perches tract for £2.11.3 Land had belonged to Paul Lebo who was indebted to Henry Keppele. Seltzer appears to have paid £2.11.3 to the sheriff, and £49 to Keppele. (Berks On Line, no image. TSHS MAP 08 0020 & 0021).
  
  - On 11 Feb 1769 Peter Shewey granted to Jacob Seltzer by two deeds a 1 acre 32 perches tract and a 3 acre 103 perches tract for £6 and £8.10 (TSHS MAP 08 0022 and 0023).
  
  - On 21 Nov 1771 Henry Kepelle granted to Jacob Seltzer two tracts, one of 18 1/4 acres and 21 perches, and one of 14 acres 17 perches for £162.8 (TSHS 08 0025)
  
  - On 11 May 1774 Jacob Seltzer purchased at a sheriff's sale most of the town of Womelsdorf. John Womelsdorf had divided the town into 75 lots, and had become indebted to George Gernandt and Jacob Kern (see Berks Co. Mortgage Bk BB, p. 75). Jacob Seltzer's purchase at the sheriff’s sale is a bit confusing - specifically he purchased the "annual rent charges" on 61 lots (Berks Co Deed Bk B2, p. 76. TSHS MAP 08 0028). Note that under Pennsylvania law ground rents may be sold by deed, separate and distinct from the land itself which can be sold by separate deeds. Also, these are not quit rents due the proprietaries - they are called out separately as conditions of the sale. But Jacob Seltzer did acquire the land also, as the Womelsdorf lots are listed in his probate, and his heirs sold town lots, citing 11 May 1774 as the date of purchase. Note that Jacob's son Jacob in his 1825 will bequeaths to his wife "all the yearly Ground Rent of the Town lots of Womelsdorf."
  
  - On 8 Nov 1776 Benjamin Weiser granted to Valentine Unru a portion of the Manor of Plumton for £50, and on 10 Nov 1776 Valentine Unru acknowledged that he was purchasing on behalf of himself and three others, and granted one undivided fourth part of the Manor each to Jacob Seltzer, Michael Fohrer and John Reiss (Berks Co. Deeds Bk B3, p. 12 & p. 15). Benjamin Weiser had inherited from his father Conrad a 347 1/2 acre portion of the larger Manor of Plumton. The Weiser's Manor of Plumton was close to or adjacent to Womelsdorf.
  
  - On 10 Dec 1779 Jacob Seltzer yeoman and Catharina his wife granted to Conrad Stough lot No. 31 in the town of Womelsdorf, it being part of land which John Womelsdorf and Susanna his wife by their deed 11 May 1774 granted to Jacob Seltzer (Berks Co Deed Bk 14, p. 252).
  
  - 5 Feb 1785: TSHS MAP 08 0030 has a questionable abstract: "Sale of Quit-rent rights for Lots #7 & #49 in Womelsdorf, Berks Co.; Date: February 5, 1785; Price: £3, 15 Shillings each lot. From: ? To: Jacob Seltzer"
  
  - On 6 April 1786 Christian Heckentorn granted to Jacob Seltzer innkeeper a 9 acre 12 perches parcel for £130 (Berks Co Deeds Bk 12, p. 301).
  
  - On 10 Dec 1779 Jacob Seltzer yeoman and Catharina his wife granted to Conrad Stough Lot No. 31 in Heidelberg Twp. for 10 shillings (Berks Co. Deed Bk 14, p. 252). (Stough sold in 1782 for £62.)^13,14