GERMANS-TO-PHILA-L Archives

From: "Eugene Stackhouse" <>
Subject: Germans-to-Phila First settler death in Germantown
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:44:03 -0400

>From "Germantown: Journal of the Site and Relict Society, December 16, 1918
THE FIRST DEATH AMONG THE GERMANTOWN SETTLERS
The first settlers of Germantown comprised thirteen families--thirty-three
persons in allwho arrived in the port of Philadelphia October 6. 1683,
their number having been increased by the birth of a boy and a girl during
the voyage.
In the month of November, 1683, the first death occurred, bringing sorrow to
these pioneers. Margaretha Op den Graeff, sister of the Op den Graeff
brothers, Abraham, Dirck and Herman, died about a month after they arrived
on the shores of the Delaware. While Abraham was writing a letter to the
dear ones at home, telling them of his sister's death, a number of friendly
Indians came pushing into his cabin to see what the white man was doing.
Abraham placed the quill pen in the hand of one of the squaws and guided her
in writing that part of the letter referring to the death. So the first
message home to the old world recording a death among the Germantown
settlers, was written by an Indian, The late Samuel W. Pennypacker had the
pleasure of seeing this letter while visiting the old home of the colonists
in Crefeld. It is safely kept in an iron safe by one of the prominent men of
the village.
NAAMAN H. KEYSER.



Gene Stackhouse
"A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her."
W. C. Fields.

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• Germans-to-Phila First settler death in Germantown by "Eugene Stackhouse" <>