‘the Pioneer’

Immigrated to us Around 1709 due to renewed persecution of mennonites in S Germany (forced conscription). Settled near Germantown, PA

Immigration 24 Aug 1717 to Philadelphia PA according to Periodical by Richard Warren Davis ‘Swiss and German Mennonites Immigrants from the Palentine 1704-1717, Jan 1994

Rev. Melchior BRENNEMAN, (the pioneer), son of Melchior BRENNEMAN. Born
1665, Canton Bern, Switzerland. Melchior died 20 Jan 1737, Conestoga Twp.,
Lancaster Co.,
Pennsylvania. Emigrated to PA 1717 or before. Occ. Weaver, Mennonite
preacher, and farmer.
He married 1st probably in Griesheim, Rhein-Hessen, Germany, to Unknown.a
He married maybe 2nd bef 1718 to Elizabeth ?.a
Elizabeth married maybe 2nd to Frederick WALDER.
6 known children: 5 believed by 1st wife, 3 sons and 3 daughters; a son
by second wife.


Melchior BRENNEMAN (the pioneer), son of Melchior BRENNEMAN (the Exile).
He is believed to have been born in 1665, Canton Bern, Switzerland.

He married 1st probably in Griesheim, Rhein-Hessen, Germany, where his
family had become Mennonite refugees. Melchior was a Preacher in the
Mennonite church, serving various communities of refugees in Rhein-Hessen
and the Pfalz and a weaver in the colony of Swiss Mennonite refugees twenty
miles northwest of the city of Worms Griesheim (Chriessum-Kreigsheim, Alzey
district), Rhein-Hessen, Germany.
Melchior and Christian Brenneman are thought to have settled near
Germantown, near Philadelphia around 1709, due to the renewed persecution
of the Mennonites [they were being forced to sign up for service in the army]
in South Germany.
A 450-year old Bible is on display at the Allen County Museum, at
620 W Market, Lima, Ohio. It was printed in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1553
in German for Andrew Gessner. The leather bound book has an oak back,
brass corners and two closing straps. It is in good condition, although one
page is missing. A translation of the German Script on the left side:
"This book belongs to Henrich Hanss. I bought it for 7R. In the year 1705."
This book belongs to Melichior Brenneman and I bought it for 7 Gulden in
the year 1715. My son, Melchior Brenneman was born in 1719, as man counts
3 weeks after Christmas, in the sign of the Ram. A line is then drawn,
apparently by his son Melchior, jr and the record continues with his children.
Melchior after a few years removed to Stumptown [now New Danville].
On 30 Nov. 1717 he bought property from the PENNS, which was surveyed
10 Oct. 1717 and received a warrant for 500 acres in Strasburg Township
[now Conestoga Twp.], Chester Co. [now Lancaster Co.], Pennsylvania. Granted
him under the Quit rent of one English shilling, to be paid annually at
Chester on the first day of March yearly from the first survey. On this land
he built his new home. His neighbors were John Ffarrer (Forrer), Hans Moyer,
John Kaigey, Martin Kendig, Benedictus Venerick (Wenrich) and Hans Burkholder.
He held water rights to Conestoga and Mill Creeks. On part of this tract
stands the New Danville Mennonite meetinghouse.
Melchior is believed to have married 2nd to Elizabeth ?.
Melchior's was a Preacher, he probably assisted the Rev. Hans
Buyrkholder in the congregation near New Danville, formerly Stumpstown. He
was also a Weaver and Farmer while residing in Strasburg Township
[now Conestoga Township] Chester County [now Lancaster County], Pennsylvania.
Melchior registered to pay taxes of 4 shillings and six pence in 1718
in Strasburg Township [now Conestoga Township] Chester County [now Lancaster
County], Pennsylvania. In 1722 his name appears among the list of settlers in
Donegal Township.
In 3 Dec. 1728 Melchior purchased 700 acres on the Susquehanna, Lancaster
Co., Pennsylvania from the Indian trader Pierre Bizaillon. This was in the
hands of his son Christian before 1730. His lands were situated just
northwest of the land granted to the original Pequea colony in 1709-10.
The village of New Danville lies on part of his land, which extended from
Conestoga and Mill Creeks (4 miles south of the city of Lancaster) to the
Stone Church, or New Danville Mennonite meetinghouse (land given by his son
Christian 1755), on the other side of New Danville, and some distance in the
direction of Conestoga Center along the highroad. The New Danville Church
deed reads Prinnaman (Brenneman) & Burkholder to the Elders & Trustees of
the Mennonist Congeration; 1 Jul 1755, Stephen Prinnaman (Brenneman) &
Margaret & John Burgholder, both of Conestoga, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Part
being land granted to Melchor Prinaman (Brennaman) by Commissioners of Property
13 Nov 1717, on 6 Mar 1730 Melchor & Elizabeth Prinnaman (Brenneman) conveyed to
Stephen Prinnamen (Christopher Brenneman).
Often the little Brennemans, children of the Mennonite emigrant, were
seen playing in the most sportive and innocent manner with the little red
faces [Conestoga tribe, who were barbarously murdered in 1763 by a gang of
fiends called The Paxtang Boys].
In 6 Mar 1730 Melchior and Elizabeth deeded 100 acres in Strausburg
Township [now Conestoga Township] Chester County [now Lancaster County],
Pennsylvania. To each of his three sons, Christopher, John and Adam, in
return for ten pounds sterling from each. On 26 Mar 1730 he deeded to his
daughter and son-in-law, Catharine and John Steiner, 100 acres in return for
sixteen pounds sterling.
Melchior died 20 Jan 1737, Conestoga Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania.
His will undated and written in German is on file at the Lancaster courthouse.
He made a will before 20 Jan 1737 in Strasburg Township [now Conestoga
Township] Chester County [now Lancaster County], Pennsylvania.

Melchior Brenneman, decd. the 20th of Jany., 1737. The last will and
testament of Mich. Breniman being of sound mind and understanding. Ist. it
is my will that my plantation be valued at 160 acres. Item it is my will
that my wife have the third part of all my personal estate and the use and
profit of my plantation until my youngest son Michael Breneman shall marry
and after the marriage of my said son Michael my said wife shall have out of
the profits of my plantation four pounds a year during the rest of her natural
life. item if my son Melchior shall happen to dye without lawful issue then
it is my will that my sons Adam and Christian shall be heirs to my plantation
and land. Item it is my will that before any division be made of my personal
estate my son Melichor shall first take out of the same the weaver's loom and
tackle, my Bible and my new chest.
Witnesses: Michael Shank, Hans Coyle
(Caigo), Peter Gutt, Ernst Nine, Adam and Christian Brenneman

His place of burial is unknown, he probably was interred on his own
farm, it is possible that the cemetery at New Danville church goes back to
an original burying ground of the Brennemans. Elizabeth, his widow,
survived him. She may have married 2nd Oct 1746, PA to Frederick WALDER.
20 Nov 1982, a newspaper article in Lancaster titled,
Diversity is the password in Brenneman Country'. The original
1,000 acre tract of this 265 year old farm has dwindled to 200 acres
which the brothers, Chris & Paul Brenneman operate as a dairy
(Guernsey's) & produce (especially apple orchards & Rhode Island Reds) farm.
_________________
The following are excerpts from "The Brenneman History" by Albert H. Gerberick, Mennonite
Publishing House, Scottsdale, PA 1938:

"Melchior Brenneman ["The Exile"]seems ... to have been born is Switzerland about 1631. Research in the cantonal archives at Bern seems to establish the fact that his home was at Ober-Diessbach on the north slope of the Buchhalterbert."

"From the very beginning of the Reformation there were religious leaders among the Protestants who did not believe in infant baptism, convinced that the Scripture taught that the ceremony should be postponed till riper years, when the candidate could recognize the spiritual significance of the act, the washing away of sin. In Holland and Switzerland there arose important congregations of these so-called Anabaptists. In the latter country the co-operation of Anabaptists with the great reformer Zwingli assisted greatly in the establishment of Protestantism. They later separated from him when he made it manifest that he intended to set up a state church. Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Anabaptists (frequently called Mennonites from Menno Simons, their leader in Holland and Germany) suffered continuous persecution in Switzerland. In addition to their insistence upon adult baptism and their opposition to a state church, their refusal to take oaths or bear arms had made them objects of condemnation. Many were executed by drowning, burning and beheading, down to the martyr biship Hans Landis in 1614. Others were sold to neighboring countries as galley-slaves. The mildest sentence was exile and confiscation of property, forbidding a return to Switzerland on pain of death."

"In the appendix it will be noted that Melchior Brenneman refused to abjure his Mennonite belief, was warned, and finally punished by imprisonment in the castle of Thun in the year 1659. We next hear of his flight to Griesheim in the year 1671, unquestionably due to the severe government mandate of 1670, which caused exiles to leave Switzerland for Germany in large numbers."

"One of the sons of Melchior Brenneman the refugee was likewise named Melchior ["The Pioneer"]. Family tradition gives the year of his birth as 1665 and the place of his birth as Canton Bern, Switzerland. Like his father, he learned the weaver's trade. He was a young man of great energy and intense religious conviction, and became a preacher in the Mennonite church, serving various communities of refugees in Rhein-Hessen and the Pfalz. He and his brother Christian were the first of the family to emigrate to America. The cause of his decision to come to the New World was the renewed persecution of his people by the Elector Palatine, after Louis XIV had overrun and conquered the land of his adoption in South Germany. The idea had, however, been long smouldering in his mind. He was a little lad when William Penn visited the Mennonite settlement where his father lived and urged the weary Swiss to settle in his new colony of Pennsylvania, where they would find peace and plenty of toleration of their beliefs."

"Tradition gives the year of his [Melchior, the Pioneer's] arrival in Pennsylvania as 1709."

Hope this answers your questions. If not, there is a Brenneman website at
http://gargantua.stanford.edu/~breneman/ brenemans/history.html.