CASPER WINK FAMILY PAGES
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FROM: THE
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF KUTZTOWN, PA 1915 Prior
to 1734, in Maxatawny, lived the following persons who owned land and paid
quit rents: Jacob
Hottenstein, Peter Andreas, Jacob LEVAN,
Jacob KEMP, Wilhelm Gross, Casper WINK, Bastian Terr 1, Nicholas KUTZ, Abraham Zimmerman, Jost. Hen.
Sassaman, Andreas Fischer, Ikinrich Hartman, Christian Mahnenschmidt, Michael
Mueller, Jacob Hill, Hans Kleimer, Isaac Leonard, Heinrich Schade, Peter
Trealer, Jeremiah Trealer, Hans Hage, Bastian Terr THE KEMP FAMILY: Dewalt
(Theobolt) KEMP is said to have
come to America circa 1720, and to have been a native of Strassburg on the
Rhine. He was not only one of the first settlers in Maxatawny, but in point
of years probably the oldest settler. He was born about 1685 and died in
1760. His daughter, Gertrude, was married to Casper WINK. Their first child, Catharine, was born in Maxatawny August
7, 1728. The
home, now owned by Nathan KEMP,
passed at the time of the death of the immigrant to his son, George, whose
wife's maiden name was LEVAN.
Among their children were two sons, George and Daniel. To George KEMP, son of George, and his wife
(nee GRIESCMER) were born five children: John, William, Annie, married to
Daniel SIEGFRIED; Sallie, marred to
Daniel KEMP, and George. Daniel
KEMP, son of George and grandson
of Dewalt was married to Rachel WINK.
They had issue: Sallie, Dewalt, Jacob, Daniel, Isaac, George and William. ### THE SIEGFRIED FAMILY: Col.
John SIEGFRIED, the friend of
Washington, was born in SIEGFRIED's
Dale, Maxatawny Township, November 27, 1745. He was married to Mary LEVAN, a daughter of Daniel LEVAN, on a license dated August 25,
1769. In the spring of 1770 they removed to the east bank of the Lehigh River
in Allen Township, Northampton County. Here he conducted a tavern and a
ferry. On the tavern sign was inscribed this legend. "Entertainment for
Man and Beast." This favorable location brought him into contact with
many people and paved the way for his later popularity and fame. On July 4,
1776, he attended the meeting of the delegates of the Associated Battalions
of the Pennsylvania Militia, held at Lancaster, as a major from the Third
Battalion of Northampton County, He was later appointed Colonel of the Third
Battalion. When Washington in 1776 was fleeing across New Jersey, after the
disastrous campaign in and around New York, he sent the following letter to
Col. SIEGFRIED: "Headquarters,
Bucks Co., Pa. Dec. 22, 1776. To
Colonel John SIEGFRIED: Sir: The
Council of Safety of this State, by their resolves of the 17th inst.
empowered me to call out the militia of Northampton County to the assistance
of the Continental army under my command, that, by our joint endeavors, we
may put a stop to the progress of the enemy, who are making preparations to
advance to Philadelphia, as soon as they cross the Delaware, either by boats,
or on the ice. As I am unacquainted with names of the colonels of "our
militia, I have taken the liberty to enclose you six letters, in which you
will please to insert the names of the proper officers, and send them
immediately to them, by persons in whom you can confide for their delivery.
If there are not as many colonels as letters you may destroy the balance not
wanted. I most earnestly entreat those, who are so far lost to a love of
their country: as to refuse to lend a hand to its support at this critical
time they may depend upon being treated as their l baseness and want of
public spirit will most justly deserve. I am
sir, your most obedient servant, George
Washington.” Within
two days after the issuing of the above call, a part of the Third Battalion
was already in Philadelphia and were assigned to the command of General
Putnam. They took part in the Battle of Trenton which resulted in the capture
of one thousand Hessians. In the Battle of Assunpink, often referred to as
the second Battle of Trenton, January 2, 1777, Rev. John Rosbrough, the
chaplain of Col. SIEGFRIED'S
Battalion, was killed. It was after being repulsed that the British General
Howe said: "I will bag the fox in the morning." The sequel is one
of the best known incidents in American history. It was a cart of SIEGFRIED'S Battalion under Capt.
John Hays, that kept up the fires and threw up earthen works, while Washington
and the rest of the army slipped away and defeated the British.
### THE LEVAN FAMILY: The founder
of this large and honored American family was Daniel LEVAN and his wife, Mary Beau, of Amsterdam, Holland the
ancestral home of this staunch Huguenot (French Protestant) family where they
were members of the Huguenot Church. In
1715 four of their sons, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, set out for the
land of William Penn, of whom the last named died at sea. Abraham settled in
Oley, Isaac in Exeter, and Jacob in Maxatawny township, at what is now called
Eaglepoint. The exact date of the latter’s settling in Maxatawny is not
definitely known, but it was before 1734 at which time he is recorded as
having paid quit rent. Prior to 1740 he erected a grist mill and before it a
saw mill. These two mills were the first of their kind in the Maxatawny valley. When
in 1756, the period of the French and Indian War, the Indians began to make
incursions in the county and massacred many of the settlers in Heidelberg and
Albany townships in Berks county, and Lynn and Heidelberg townships in Lehigh
county, Jacob LEVAN was
instrumental in organizing a volunteer company to protect the settlers in
Albany and Lynn townships, so the settlers "could plant their crops and
repair their fences." It was called the Maxatawny and Allenmaengle
Independent Guard. It consisted of 24 men, who served 39 days, from April 3
to May 11. DANIEL
LEVAN: In
1729 Daniel LEVAN followed his
brethren to the new world and settled in Maxatawny not far from his brother
Jacob and married Susan SIEGFRIED,
a daughter of Johannes SIEGFRIED.
He died in 1777, leaving his wife Susan and children: Peter, Barbara
(Reeser), Catharine, Mary (SIEGFRIED),
Susan (KEMP), Magdalena, Margaret
and Daniel Jr. The latter (Daniel Jr.) was admitted to the Berks County Bar
in 1768 and obtained considerable prominence as an attorney. He held numerous
positions of honor and trust during the Revolutionary period. He was one of
the judges of the Court of Justice established under the Constitution of
1776. The
home of Daniel LEVAN, Sr., is located
on Schultz’s map and has been identified as what is now KEMP’s Inn. During the Colonial and Revolutionary period it was
known as LEVAN’s, and under its
roof were entertained many notables of that period. JACOB
LEVAN JR.: Jacob
LEVAN, Jr., resided on a
plantation of more than three hundred acres lying along the Saucony Creek,
southeast of Kutztown. Upon
the death of Jacob LEVAN, Sr., the
son Jacob became the owner and upon his death it was divided according to the
conditions of the will between the two sons John and Jacob. The deed for the
divided plantations bears the date of December 29th, 1797. Jacob
LEVAN Jr., in his will provides
for his wife Catharine and three sons, John, Jacob and Daniel, and a daughter
Maria. |
WINK FAMILY TREE HERE
THE HISTORY OF THE WINK
FAMILY AS REPORTED IN THE KUTZTOWN PATRIOT HERE
WINK FAMILY OBITUARIES HERE
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