Christopher Brill was the son of Martin Brill, the immigrant ancestor of our Brill family in America. It is not known where or when Christopher was born, but it is likely to have occurred in Germany prior to his father's departure for America in 1754. Likely he came with Martin on the Halifax..
Christopher does not appear on any record in America until 1767 when he is listed as a communicant in church. We are assuming he was young when Martin arrived in America--- probably about 6 years old because of his marriage to Michael Maurer's daughter in 1768.
Martin Briel would have been 44 years old when he arrived at Philadelphia on the ship Halifax on 20 October 1754. The Passenger Arrival List of 22 Oct 1754 for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania lists a Martin Brill, Herman and Heinrich on the ship Halifax. The captain of this ship was Capt. Thomas Coatam and the ship sailed from Rotterdam to Plymouth, England. Listed on the ship were 10 Roman Catholics, and 370 souls. The passengers were listed as from Wirtenberg, Hesse, Franconia, and the Palatinate. Name spelling for these three men were: Marttin Briel, Johann Henrich Briehll, Johann Herman Briell. (Pennsylvania German Pioneers: A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808. Vol. 1 pages 651-655.)
It is likely that Herman and Heinrich were close relatives, either sons, brothers, or cousins. These lists only include adult males and Martin was undoubtedly travelling with his wife and his son Christopher and perhaps other children.
The following spring of 1755, Martin purchased 20 acres of land which was surveyed 19 March 1755. A land warrant was issued to Martin Briel of the County of Bucks, Pennsylvania granting him the right to acquire a 20 acre tract of land in Springfield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The price was at the rate of 15 pounds 10 shillings for a hundred acres. The warrant was issued by the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia. Later on 11 Jan 1759 in Nockamixon Township, he purchased an additional 25 acres. (Warrant Number 263, Division of Land Records, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pa). Christopher would have been living with his family at this time.
The tract of 20 acres in Springfield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania was surveyed for Michael Burger on 13 Apr 1768 in virtue of a warrant bearing the date of 19 Mar 1759 granted to Martin Briel. The tract of land was called Meanwell. The survey is marked on the reverse side as follows: Bucks-- Mich. Burger in right of Martin Briel-- 20 acres. Evidently Martin sold the land in 1768 or before. Subsequently the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania issued a patent to Henry Landes on 5 May 1790 for 20 acre tract of land called Meanwell in Springfield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania which was surveyed pursuant to a warrant granted to Martin Briel dated 19 Mar 1755. (Survey Number C-6-148 Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pa)
Martin attended the Springfield Lutheran Church from 1755-1758. (Trinity Union Church, Springfield, Twp., Bucks, Pa, Records of the Lutheran Church, 1751-1795, by William J. Hinke.)
Martin also purchased a tract of 49 acres in Tenecum Twp., Bucks, Pa was surveyed for Martin Briel on 19 Jan 1759 pursuant to a warrant issued 13 Jan 1759. The tract was located on Tenecum Creek. The survey is marked on the reverse side as follows: Martin Briel--- 49 acres--- Nockamixon, Bucks County--- 19th 1 mo. 1759--- 263. Nockamixon Township is adjacent to Tinicum Township. The present spelling is Tinicum rather than Tenecum. It is not clear why the warrant was for 25 acres but the survey was for 45 acres. (Survey Number A-26-166 Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pa)
Martin Brill attended the Nockamixon Lutheran Church 1766-1771 as did his wife, and his sons--- Christopher and Andrew.
FHL #1020737: Church Record of the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Nockamixon Twp., Bucks, Pa 1766-1820 has these listings:
Communicants on 21 Dec 1766 page 222: Martin Briel, wife Anna Maria; Michael Maurer, wife Elizabeth, Margaret Maurer.
Communicants 3 May 1767 page 222: Michael Maurer, wife Elizabeth, daughter Elizabeth; Martin Briel, wife Anna Maria, Christopher Briel, Andrew Briel.
Marriage record St. Luke's Lutheran Church, # 5050 Pt. 7 lists Christopher Briel son of Martin and Anna Maria Briel marrying Anna Margaret Maurer, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Maurer. Date of the marriage is 1 Mar 1768. Christopher was at least 21 and probably a little order. He may have been born in 1746 making him 21 when he appeared at Communion on 3 May 1767.
A record of his marriage can be found in: Marriage Records at St. Lukes Lutheran Church, Nockamixon, Bucks, Pennsylvania FHL # 940444 Also: Donna R. Irish, Pennsylvania German Marriages: Marriages and Marriage Evidence in Pennsylvania German Churches (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982) page 326.
FHL # 1029738 pg. 184 lists Anna Margaret and Christopher Brill as sponsors to the christening of Michael Maurer, son of Andrew Maurer in September of 1774. This happened in Bucks County.
From 1768 to 1785 Christopher was probably living in Nockamixon Twp., Bucks, Pennsylovania, the Tax Records of Nockamixon Twp., Bucks, Pa lists Stophel Brile. Stophel is the German nickname for Christoher. Christopher owned 50 acres of land. The Nockamixon township, in Bucks County records this property for the years listed:
1779: Stophel Brill, 50 acres 2 horses, 1 cattle, no servants. 1780: Stophell Brill, 50 acres, 1 horse, 1 cattle, no servants. 1782: Stophel Brill, 50 acres, 1 horse, 2 cattle, no servants. 1783: Stophel Brill amount of tax 10.0 1784: Stophel Brill, 50 acres 1 house, 9 white inhabitants, no blacks. 1785: Stophel Brill, 50 acres, 1 horse, 1 cattle, no servants. Henry Pril, 114 acres, 2 horses, 4 cattle, no servants.
The source for this information is: The Pennsylvania Archives Series 3, Vol. 21 lists Pennsylvania in 1780, A statewide Index of Pennsylvania Taxlists: Henry Brill Lancaster Co., HB Twp., Stophel Brill, Bucks Co., Nockamixon Twp. Peter Briel, Berks Co., OL Twp. Source: William Henry Egle, Pennsylvania Archives (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: 1897). Third Series. Volume 13. Pages 84 (1779), 150 (1780), 231 (1782), 393 (1783), 435 (1784), 553 (1785).
This puts Christopher in Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War. We also have evidence that Christopher has a Revolutionary War Record: "Nockamixon Company": Stofel Preel and Andrew Preel put their signatures under the Nockamixon Company declaration: "We the subscribers agreed that we will associate for the purpose of learning the military exercises and for defending our property, liberty and lives against all attempts to deprive us of them." The Captain of the Nockamixon group of volunteers was Jacob Shoope.
The source for the above declaration and record is: John H. Linn and William H. Egle, Pennsylvania Archives, (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: 1896). Second Series. Volume XIV. Pages 170-172. Also: Thomas Lynch Montgomery, Pennsylvania Archives, (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: 1906) Fifth Series. Volume V. Pages 393 and 394. Also see: Richard T. and Mildred C. Williams, Soldiers of the American Revolution Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Transcribed from the Pennsylvania Archives with Record of Services (Danboro, Pennsylvania: 1975), pages 1, 2, 90, 235.
Following the end of the Revolutionary War, the Brill family moved with the Maurer family to the Loudoun County, Virginia area. Andrew Maurer, Peter Maurer, as well as the Brills appear in the Church and tax records of the area. New Jerusalem Evan. Church Record FHL # 883672 Also: New Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lovettsville, Loudoun County, Virginia Parish Register 1784-1836 (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: Lutheran Theological Seminary, 1970).
When the family moved can be pinpointed to some degree. Christopher shows up in Bucks County, Pa in 1785 on the tax lists, and by July of 1786 is living in Loudoun County. Likely he moved during the spring of 1786 to Virginia.
Christopher's son, Johann Christoph was born 21 Jun 1786 and was baptized in Lovettsville, Loudoun Co., Virginia on 30 July 1786. Sponsors were Johannes Junghenn and Catharina.
Members of the Trittenbach family also moved to Loudoun Co., Virginia along with Martin and Christopher. Conrad Trittenbach's wife was Martin Brill's daughter. She and Conrad were the sponsors at the baptism of Christopher's daughter, Magdalena at the New Jerusalem Church in Lovettsville, Virginia on 27 August 1788 and likewise for Christopher's grandson, Jacob Brill, son of Samuel Brill on 17 May 1801.
Other children christened in the New Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lovettsville, Loudoun County, Virginia were:
Catharina, born 17 Oct 1790, chr. on 30 Jan 1791, daughter of Christoph Bruehl and Margaretha, with Conrad Trittebach and Magdalena as sponsors.
Anna, born 22 Jan 1794, chr. on 13 Apr 1794, daughter of Christoph Bruehl and Margaretha with Magdalena, daughter of Dorsheimer as sponsor.
A death is also recorded in these records: "Christoph Pruehl's little son, buried 30 Aug 1793, named Christoph, aged 7 years, 2 months, 1 week and 1 day." Based on his date of birth which was 26 Jun 1786, we can calculate that his death date was 29 August 1793.
In 1787 Martin and Stophel Prill are listed in the personal property tax lists of Loudoun County, Virginia.
1787: Martin Prill no white males above 16 and under 21, no blacks, 1 horse and 1 cattle.
1787: Stophell Prill no white males above 16 and under 21, no blacks, 2 horses and 2 cattle.
The tax commissioner called on, or visited, Martin Prill to receive a list of his personal property on 22 March 1787 and he called on Stophell 5 days later on 27 March 1787. On the day the tax commissioner visited Stophel, he visited a total of 24 taxpayers, who must have lived in the same vicinity. These included Laurance Amen (Amick?), Fredrick Lambert, and Daniel Long. Source of this information is Netti Schreiner-Yantis and Florene Love, The Personal Property Tax Lists for the year 1787 for Loudoun County, Virginia (Springfield, Virginia: Genealogical Books in Print, 1986), Preface and pages 32 and 70.
Christopher Brill's son, Samuel, later married Catharine Amend. His daughter Catharina later married Benjamin Lambert and his daughter Anna Margaret later married Daniel Long.
By 1800 the families of the Maurers and Brills were in Bedford County, Pennsylvania just north of Loudoun County, Virginia. The tax records of Bedford County show the first Brill into the country was John Brill 1795 and Andrew Maurer appears in 1797. Christopher shows up and is listed as a newcomer in 1798, where he remains on the tax list until 1807, but then disappears. John Brill continues on the list until 1812. John Amick, who married Christopher's daughter, Anna Maria (Mary), moved into Bedford County the same year as did Christopher, but stayed there for the remainder of his life, while the Brill family moved on to Guernsey County, Ohio.
1800 Census: Bedford Co., Pennsylvania for Christian Brill p.400 (Census of 1800 Bedford County, Pennsylvania: Page 14: National Archives Microfilm Publication M-32, roll 36.) 11201-21101-00; 1 male 2 females under 10, 1 male and 1 female 10-15, 2 males and 1 female 16-25, 1 male and 1 female over 45. This fits Christopher's family profile from Michael down; other records verify this family was in Bedford Co., Penn. (Bedford Tax Records.)
About 1807, Christopher Brill moved west again, this time to Oxford Township, Guernsey County, Ohio. There he was to spend the remainder of his life until he died 7 years later in 1814. This is a copy of his will:
Christopher Brill Will
Christopher Brill of Oxford, Guernsey Co., Ohio made his will on 11 February 1814. It was proved in court on 26 April 1814.
In the name of God, Amen. I Christopher Brill of Oxford, Guernsey County and State of Ohio being weak in body but of sound and perfect mind blessed be God, do this day and year under written make and publish this my Last Will & Testament in manner following to wit, I give to my wife and to my son David jointly the use and profit of all my estate real & personal for and during the natural life of her my beloved wife and at her decease to be disposed of in the following to wit, Item I give and bequeath unto my son David his heirs and assigns for ever the north half of the tract or quarter section of land on which I now reside to be divided by a line running due east and west Item I give and bequeath my sons John, Samuel, George & Michael and to my daughters Mary, Polly, Margarett, Catharine & Nancy the balance of my estate real and personal to be equally divided among them, further it is my will that all my just debts should be paid speedily and without delay. Lastly I make, ordain, constitute and appoint my son George Executor of this my Last Will & Testament. In witness whereof I the said Christopher Brill have to this my Last Will & Testament set my hand & seal this eleventh day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fourteen. his Christopher P Brill mark
Signed, sealed , published and delivered by the said Christopher Brill the Testator for his last Will and Testament in presence of not the word paid in the 16th line enterlined before signed.
Henry x Tippy
Timothy x Sharoak
Elijah Beall
Guernsey Co. Ohio Wills: Film # 894954 pp 15-17 dated 11 Feb 1814, probated 26 Apr 1814. Land deed selling 1/2 of his land after death of his wife 2 Mar 1835. Will Book A. Also: Guernsey Co. Ohio Records Vol. I page 87.
19 Dec 1835 Land deed: Guernsey Co. OH for James Fouracres Jr. p. 348-349 lists the married names of Christopher Brill's daughters. This proves his daughter Anna Maria (Mary) was the wife of John Amick. The deed follows in its entirity:
James Fouracres Deed Guernsey Co., Ohio Deed Records FHL #0893755 pages 348-349
Know all men by these presents that we, Samuel Brill, Catharine Brill, John Brill, Mary Brill, George Brill, Mary Brill, Michael Brill, Betsey Brill, Catharine Lambert, Benjamin Lambert, Mary Amick, John Amick, Margaret Long, Daniel Long, Polly Whetstone, Daniel Whetstone, Nancy Crossway, John Crossway of the Co. of Guernsey and State aforesaid the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged have granted bargained sold remised and quit claimed and by these presents do grant bargain sell remise and quit claim unto the said James Fouracres and to his heirs and assigns forever all our right, title and claim that we have or ever had or ever ought to have in that tract or parcel of land to it; the South half of the northwest quarter of land section thirty two township nine range seven seventy eight acres more or less together with all and singular the hereditaments and appurtenance thereof belonging or in anywise appertaining and the reversion remainder rents issued and profits thereof and all the estate right interest claim or demand whatsoever of us the said Samuel Brill, Catharine Brill his wife; John Brill, Mary Brill his wife; George Brill, Mary Brill his wife; Michael Brill, Betsey Brill his wife; Catharine Lambert, Benjamin Lambert her husband; Mary Amick, John Amick her husband; Margaret Long, Daniel Long her husband; Polly Whetstone, Daniel Whetstone her husband; and Nancy Crossway, John Crossway her husband either in law or equity of in and to the above bargained premises to have and to hold the same to the said James Fouracre and to his heirs and assigns forever. In witness whereof we the said Samuel Brill and Mary Brill his wife; George Brill and Mary Brill his wife; Michael Brill, Betsey Brill his wife; Catharina Lambert, Benjamin Lambert her husband; Mary Amick, John Amick her husband; Margaret Long, Daniel Long her husband; Polly Whetstone, Daniel Whetstone her husband and Nancy Crossway, John Crossway her husband have hereunto set or hands and seals the second day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand and eight hundred and thirty five. Signed sealed in the presents of Attest Ezekiel Emerson, Edwd Beal, George Brill, John Brill
Margaret x Long, Benjamin Lambert, Samuel Brill,
Daniel Long, John Brill, Catharina x Brill,
Polly x Whetstone, Mary x Brill,
Daniel Whetston, George Brill,
Nancy x Christophen Crosway, Mary Brill,
John Crosway, Michael x Brill,
Catharine x Lambert, Betsey x Brill