Emmigrated Abt 1751 from Switzerland to Philadelphia PA
German Reformed / Dunkard clergyman
Kessler, Ulrich to: Kessler, John 1808-nn-24
181.00 a., Branch South Fork of New River/Begin s. side of said Creek. $ , Rcd: 1809-02 , Bk: D, p. 361
WITNESS: David Earnest, Wm. Ray
The following information found on Ancestry Plus
Zengerle
Entries: 69675 Updated: Fri Mar 5 12:09:36 2004
Contact: Richard Zengerle
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According to "Kessler Research" paper from Floyd Kessler, Ulrich Kessler, born abt. 1740 in Switzerland, arrived Friday Nov. 30, 1750 at Philadelphia on the "Sandwich". Captain Hazelwood of Cowes, last from Rotterdam. His father was Johann Leon Hardt Kessler.
He was a member of the German Baptist Brethren Church (name was changed in 1908 to Church of the Brethren)
At age 10, Ulrich Kessler landed in Philadelphia in 1716. He sailed to America with his parents and one sister. His mother died and was buried at sea. Ulrich, his sister and father were sold on the auction block to pay for their passage. Ulrich served for 11 years to pay for the passage (to the man who paid the shipper). During that time, he learned the weaver's trade. When he gained his freedom, he searched for his father and sister but he never found them. He became a weaver but was swindled out of his property.
He then went to Virginia for several years followed by a move to North Carolina. Meanwhile, he married. He returned to Ohio with his sons Joseph and John and died in Montgomery County.
"A GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF MIAMI CO., " Page 8.
"Uriah (spelling?), ancestor of the Miami and Montgomery County families, came from Switzerland in 1746, at the age of ten years, with his parents, who settled in Pennsylvania. The record does not give the name of wife or parents, but states that his sons went into Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio. The sons Joseph and John came to Ohio about 1811. John born 1769, settled in Warren County, where he died May 1, 1842, age 73 years and is buried at Leganon. His descendants are found in Warren and Preble counties."
Occupation: Weaver
Ulrich Kessler, who came to America in 1716, landing in Philadelphia. He was born in Switzerland and with his parents and one sister stared for the new world, but the mother died on the voyage and was buried at sea. The father and his two children landed at Philadelphia, but he was very poor and they were sold on the auction block to pay their passage. Ulrich was then ten year old, and he served for eleven years in order to compensate the man who had paid his passage money. During that time he learned the weaver's trade. As soon as he was free he began seeking for his father and sister, but after a fruitless search of many weary months he abandoned it, feeling he was indeed alone in the world. He then applied himself to the weaver's trade and was quite successful, but the unprincipled man swindled him out of his property. He then went to Virginia, where he remained for several years, after which he removed to North Carolina. In the meantime he had married and reared a family, and his sons were married in the last named state. He came to Ohio with his sons, John and Joseph, and died in Montgomery County.
"GENEALOGICAL INDEX OF MIAMI VALLEY PIONEERS, OHIO. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD" p. 715
From Kessler-Ulrich List; posted by Floyd L. Kessler, Jr. Ref: "The Brethren in the New Nation. A Sourcebook on the Development of the Church of the Brethren 1785-1865" Compiled and Edited with an introduction by Roger E. Sappinton and Printed by the Brethren Press, Elgin, IL. p. 26 Excerpts:
"In Addition to the Brethren settlement known as the Fraternity congregation which developed on the south side of the Moravian territory, the Brethren also put down permanent roots before 1800 in the mountainous northwestern corner of North Carolina in Ashe County. When the first Brethren arrived in the area is not know, but certainly they were there by the 1780's, for numerous Brethren names were reported in this area in the census of 1790. The number of Brethren in the settlement increased during the 1790's and in 1801 many of them placed their name on a petition to the government of North Carolina dealing with land problems.
'To the Honorable House of the Assembly
The distressed situation in which your humble petitioners by the late Act of Assembly for the year 1801 in the Second Section, in respect to the Land Law's is reduced: it is impossible without flowing Tears the Grievances thereof to prescribe! it is evident, that the County of Wilkes before its division, that part of it, which is now called County of Ashe, being first inhabited with Hunters, made their living by hunting fame. Ulrich Kessler, a Dunkard Preacher coming from the North, was the first inhabitance of the Germans who bought his land for 300~ and paid for it and by his persuasion, drawing his congregation hither, till the Wild County became inhabited with industrious farmers.' "
(Floyd Kessler's NOTE: This is when our forefather came to ASHE COUNTY, N.C. from Virginia. You will have to go to the Library and see if you can have the book sent to your library on a loan basis.)
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Received from Garst Museum. Jan. 30, 1999. Compiled by Gale Edwin Spitler Honeyman. Revised 25 Mar 1984.
"The following is family tradition written by the late Dr. William H. H. Kessler of West Milton, Ohio. The family emigrated from Switzerland (ship and date not established). The mother died at sea, leaving her husband, a son and a daughter. Upon arrival each were sold into servitude to pay for the passage. Ulrich, the son, was about 11 years of age at that time, having been born circa 1740. He was bound out to an Amish or Mennonite family where he learned weaving. At the end of his service, he searched unsucessfully for his father and sister. He returned to the neighborhood of his former home near Philadelphia and there married (wife's name unknown) becoming the father of Joseph K., John, Henry, Daniel or David and a daughter who did not long survive. He accumulated $53,240 Continental money through his thrift and industry at the loon, which he was swindled out of in Pennsylvania. His wife and son, Henry, died in Pennsylvania and the father with the remaining sons moved to Virginia (County unknown) for a short time and from there to Wilkes Co., North Carolina in the area that later became Ashe Co. He is listed int he 1790 Federal Census as Olwich Kisler with three sons under 16 (indicating the previous listing of children may not include all of his sons). About 1811, he and his sons traveled northward due to the fact that taxation in North Carolina had become prohibitive. Son Daniel or David stopped off in Souther Kentucky (Bowling Green area?) where he raised his family. Ulrivh with sons Joseph K. and John continued on to Montgomery Co., Ohio.
Dr. William H. H. Kessler, 1839-1914 eldest child of Martin Kessler 1816-1863 & Anna Hoover 5th child of John Bowman Kessler 1787-1866.
Ulrich Kessler did not buy land in Montgomery Co., Ohio nor did he leave a will and no estate was filed for probate, presenting a difficult situation in proving who his children actually were. At this point, we only have the family traditions to fall back on. (MLAR note: this was 1984.)
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Sources he named as follows:
Title: Broderbund WFT Vol. 10, Ed. 1, Tree # 2220; Vol. 13, Ed.1, Tree #2520 & Tree #3250. "Electronic"
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Media: Family Archive CD
Title: Kessler Jr., Floyd. "Kessler Papers" Unpublished Genealogy.
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Media: Book
Title: Broderbund WFT Vol. 10, Ed.1,
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Media: Book
Page: Tree # 2220
Title: Broderbund WFT Vol. 13, Ed.1,
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Media: Book
Page: Tree #2520, #3250
Title: temp.FTW
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Media: Other
Text: Date of Import: May 21, 1999
Title: 2680075.ged
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Media: Other
Text: Date of Import: Oct 15, 2003
Title: 2017514.FBK
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Media: Other
Text: Date of Import: Oct 16, 2003
Title: Broderbund WFT Vol. 10, Ed.1,
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Media: Book
Page: Tree #2220
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