Andrew MAURER, son of the immigrant, Johann Michael MAURER

One of the hardest things to do in genealogical research is to piece together the evidence to formulate an accurate profile of an individual. This has been the case with Andrew Mower, father of Michael Mower, who was the father of Henry Mower Sr.

Work done up through the 1960's by several researchers, including Mary Tiffany, helped advance our knowledge of the family, particularly of Henry Mower's descendants. A new lineage of Andrew Mower was promoted and seemed to be the logical explanation of the origins of our ancestor.

Recently, during the 80's new records have been microfilmed and made available to researchers, the name extraction program of the Church has also revealed information on our Mower ancestors and it is time to re-think the origins of Andrew Mower based on the new evidence which has become available. Much thanks needs to be extended to Mary Tiffany and the many other researchers who have taken us to where we are.

My wife, Tedi Jeen, found reference to an Andrew Mower's involvement in the Revolutionary war. Found in the Pennsylvania-German Society it refers to a Northampton County company of volunteers led by Capt. Van Etten. Commissioned June 15, 1780, mustered at Fort Penn, January 15, 1781 by Jacob Stroud. Page 332 lists Andrew Mourer as a private. They saw action at the Sugar Loaf Massacre in Sept. 1780 and a number were killed.

Perhaps this is our Andrew. If this is, it puts him in eastern Pennsylvania in 1780 which means that Michael Mower was probably born in that area and not necessarily born in Maryland as thought here-to-fore.

According to the Bedford County census of 1800, Michael Mower (son of Andrew) is reported to be 16-26. In the 1810 census he is listed as 26-45. In the 1820 census he is listed as 45 or over. If he was 45 in 1820, that means he was at least 25 in 1800, but not 27. Therefore he was born approximately 1775, or very close to that year. We were able to locate microfilmed church records from eastern Pennsylvania which we believe will show we have positively identified the family as living in this area in at this time period:

In studying the records of FHL # 1029738 St. Lukes Union Church in Ferndale, Nockamixon, Bucks Co., Pennsylvania, and FHL # 940443, we have found reference to the birth of John Michael Maurer: Born: Sept 17, 1774 to Andrew Maurer and Barbara Ch: Sept 25, 1774 Sponsors: Christopher Briel and Margaret

(Christopher Briel [Brill] was married to Anna Margaret Maurer--Andrew Mower's sister).

This date fits the census records of Bedford County, Pennsylvania 1800-1820, but in itself is NOT conclusive proof that this Michael is the son of our Andrew.

Andrew Mower died in Bedford, Pennsylvania in 1813 and left a Will of which we have a copy. In his will he named his living children: Michael, Jacob, Molly, Sarah, Phoebe and Andrew. I then sought to locate birth records in the Nockamixon Church records of other children born to Andrew who would match the census records of Andrew Mower's children living in Bedford County, Pennsylvania 1800-1840. This I was able to do:

Mary Magdalene MAURER, female, daughter of Andrew MAURER & Margaret, born 20 June 1778, Bucks County. The census records of 1800-1820 for Bedford County, Pennsylvania show that "Molly" (a nickname for Magdalene) who married Michael Amick, would fit the birth year.

Sarah Elizabeth MAURER, female, daughter of Andrew MAURER & Margaret, christened 25 March 1781, Bucks, Nockamixon Twp. She married Samuel Diehl, and her census records show her age to fit the birth year.

John Jacob MAURER, male, son of Andrew MAURER & Margaret, christened 26 July 1783, Bucks, Nockamixon Twp. Here again, the census records match the birth information.

The conclusion that these 4 children are the children of the Andrew Mower who died in Bedford County, Pennsylvania is one that is supported by the documentation. The coincidence that 4 children would have matching birth dates and that 3 would share the name of the mother mentioned in the Will is too great to be a mere coincidence.

It very well might be that the "Barbara" mentioned as the mother of Michael is named in full Barbara Margaret, or it might be that Andrew first married Barbara and had a son by her, then perhaps she died, and he married Margaret. In any case, the children have been properly sealed to the parents of the Nockamixon Church records through the Church Extraction Program and whether they be separate individuals or not, the work has been done.

The same film FHL # 940443 (page 5) lists a birth of Andrew MAURER, male, son of Michael MAURER & Elizabeth, born 14 Oct 1752, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. This birth date would match the census records of 1790 of Frederick County, Maryland and later in Bedford County, Pennsylvania for our Andrew Mower. This birth is also 22 years before the birth of our Michael Mower, making it sensible to assume that this Andrew is the father of the above mentioned children. It also makes sense that he named his first son after HIS father---Michael. The Germans generally named the first son after the father's father, the 2nd son after the mother's father, and the third son after the father. Since this fits in the first case (Michael) and in the third case (Andrew). It MIGHT mean that Margaret's father was named Jacob.

Searching records then for Michael Maurer and Elizabeth we have uncovered 3 more births---Anna Margaret Maurer, and Marie Elizabeth Maurer, Maria Catarina Maurer. These are sisters to our Andrew. We have the linking evidence:

John AMICK married Anna Maria BRILL (we will prove this later). Anna Maria (Mary) was the daughter of Christopher BRILL and Anna Margaret MAURER. The marriage of Christopher and Anna Margaret took place where Andrew was born---Bucks, Nockamixon Twp., and is recorded the the same Church records (FHL # 1029738). Anna was born in 1750, a daughter of Michael MAURER & Elizabeth, in an area very close to Nockamixon Twp.,--Trappe, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. She was christened in the Lutheran Church (FHL # 933990).

FHL # 1029738 lists the godparents who attended the christening of our Michael Mower, son of Andrew and Barbara: They were Christopher Brill and Anna Margaret. That makes sense that the sister of Andrew should be the godparent of Andrew's son, Michael.

The Brills stayed in eastern Pennsylvania about as long as Andrew and Margaret did, then when Andrew moved to Frederick County, Maryland, they moved to Virginia, (into a county right next door to Frederick). Then when Andrew Mower moved to Bedford County, Pennsylvania about 1797, they also followed him to Bedford County and are found living in the Colerain Township (right next door to Andrew in Bedford Township) in 1798. We are finding that the Mowers moved as families. (Census 1800 Bedford Co.)

Christopher Brill's daughter, Anna Maria Brill (Mary), married John Amick and THEY had a daughter, named Mary Amick (who married Henry Mower Sr.). We know that Mary Amick was Anna Maria Brill because of Christopher Brill's Will, (FHL # 894954 pages 15-17) and because of a land deed that was found disposing of his estate following Anna Margaret's death. The land deed dated 19 Dec. 1835 for Guernsey Co., Ohio for James Fouracres Jr. on page 348-349 (FHL # 893755) lists the married names of Christopher Brill's daughters, thus proving that Anna Maria Brill is Mary Amick wife of John Amick.

The naming of John Amick's wife as Catherine is an error promoted by the book: History of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton Co., Pa 1884.

Andrew Mower's son Michael Mower, married Catherine Geissinger and they had the son, Henry Sr. who married Mary Amick. Thus Mary Amick and Henry Mower Sr. had grandparents who were brother and sister---Anna Margaret Maurer and Andrew Maurer.

This leads us to conclude that Andrew Mower (Maurer) lived in Bucks Co. until following the Revolutionary War. His first 4 children were born there. Then he moved to Loudoun Co. Virginia. Heshows up on the 1787 Census of Virginia living in Loudoun County near Peter Mower. Peter very well could be a brother to Andrew. Gauging from the wealth of Peter, and the fact Peter is a founding elder in the St. James Church in near Lovettsville, Va., we believe (but have not proved yet) that Peter is the elder brother. We do have record of Peter attending the same church in Nockamixon, Bucks, Pa and he was the witness to the christening of Andrew's daughter, Sarah Elizabeth in 1781.

While in Virginia he and Margaret had a son christened Johann Conrad Maurer in the St. James Church at Lovettsville, Va. In 1790 Andrew had moved to Frederick Co. Maryland (as shown by the 1790 Federal Census for Maryland). Frederick is just a couple miles from Lovettsville and in 1791 he and Margaret had another daughter christened, Anna Catharina Maurer.

Research in Lovettsville, Virginia (FHL #538120) New Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church of Loudoun Co., Va Parish Register page 82, lists: Maurer, Anna Catharina born 9 Aug. 1791 to Andreas Maurer and Anna Margaretha christened 18 Sep. 1791. Sponsors: Fridrich Funck, Anna Catharina.

The Funcks appear on the Nockamixon, Bucks Co. Pa church records also and evidently moved with the Maurers to the Loudoun Co. Va area. It might be that Anna Catharina is the Maria Catarina born to Michal and Anna Elisabeth in 1745. This would make her Andrew's sister and makes sense that she would be the sponsor at the baptism of Andrew's child. My wife who does German name extraction says it is quite common for the same German woman to go by Anna or Maria. The names are interchangeable. And there are many documented records which show this happened.

It is likely this (Frederick County, MD) is where 2 more children were born (Phoebe and Andrew). There is evidence that Andrew lived in Frederick County, Maryland as we have located land deeds of property he purchased there. (FHL # 13942-13960 Vol. 8 WR page 540 dated 15 April 1789; Vol. 11 page 375 dated 22 Dec 1792; Vol. 12 WR page 135 dated 13 Nov 1793 Recorded 20 Dec 1793). Wife, Margaret is listed in these deeds with him.

We do know something of Andrew Jr. He was taken to court by his mother, Margaret, following the death of his father, Andrew Mower, in 1813. As was the law in those days, a child must have a court appointed guardian if there was no male parent in the home. The Bedford County Pennsylvania Orphan Court Records show that soon after Andrew's death, Margaret Mower appeared in court with Andrew who was a minor over the age of 14 and a guardian was appointed. This means Andrew was at least 14 but not 21 in the year 1813---meaning he was born between 1793 and 1799.

We also believe that Andrew was dead before 22 September 1842, because his nephew, Henry Mower Sr. was baptized for him in the Mississippi River at Nauvoo on that date.

Phoebe either married before 1813 (or was over the age of 21) because no guardian was appointed for her.

The evidence presented leads us to conclude that The Andrew Mowra (Mower) listed on Mary Tiffany's pedigree chart who was christened 20 Mar 1732 in Harlingen, Somerset, N.J. is not the Andrew Mower who died in 1813 in Bedford, Pennsylvania. There was undoubtedly an Andrew who came through the Moor line from Prussia, but as of this writing update (May 1992) there is not any evidence to link him as being OUR Andrew.

On the other hand there is ample evidence from the Nockamixon Lutheran Church records, that our Andrew was born in 1752 in Bucks County, that Anna Margaret born in 1750 was his sister as evidenced by the Church records of births and christenings, also coupled by the fact she moved with him during much of his life.

If our Andrew had been born in 1732, he would have been 61 in 1793 when Andrew Jr. was born, and if Andrew was born in 1799 he would have been 68. Rather unlikely, but not impossible, for Andrew Sr. to be the father. Margaret, as shown by census records would have been well into her 50's and probably near 60 when Andrew Jr. was born which is also very unlikely.

Another unlikely scenerio would be Michael Moor, the father of the 1732 Andrew would have had to be 58 years old to be the father of OUR Andrew who was born in 1752.

My conclusion, based upon this evidence is that the line showing the Mowers as coming from the Moor line in Prussia is not linked to any evidence I have seen. The error was made in good faith at the time.

IMPORTANT SUBSTANTIATING FACTS 1. Mary AMICK was the wife of Henry MOWER Sr. and the daughter of John and Anna Maria (BRILL) AMICK as documented by John AMICK'S Will and Christopher BRILL's land deed.

2. Anna Maria BRILL married John AMICK in America as documented by Christopher BRILL's Will and land deeds.

3. Christopher BRILL was the son of Martin BRILL and married Anna Margaret MAURER, daughter of Michael MAURER and wife Elizabeth, as documented by Nockamixon Luthern Church records of Bucks County, Pa.

4. Anna Margaret MAURER was the sister to Andrew MAURER as documented by Lutheran church records.

5. Andrew MAURER was born in 1752 as documented by Lutheran Church records in Bucks Co., Pa, the son of Michael MAURER and Anna Elizabeth.

6. Andrew was the father of Michael, Jacob, Sarah, and Molly MAURER as documented by the Nockamixon records. These birthdates match the census records of 1800-1820 Bedford County, Pennsylvania as to the ages of Michael MOWER, Sarah (MOWER) DIEHL, Molly (MOWER) AMICK, and Jacob MOWER---the children of Andrew MOWER as documented by his Will of 1813 of Bedford Co.

7. Anna Margaret (MAURER) BRILL and her husband, Christopher, lived near Andrew MAURER his whole life as documented through census records, tax records and church records of these counties: Bucks Co, Pa; Loudoun Co., Va; Bedford Co., Pa.

8. Martin BRILL also moved with his son, Christopher BRILL and with Andrew MAURER as the families moved from Bucks Co., Pa to Loudoun Co., Va as documented by county tax and church records.

9. Martin BRILL died at the age of 81 in 1791 in Loudoun Co., Va as recorded in the New Jerusalem Church records. Information from the Heimatstelle Pfalz in Kaiserslautern that he hailed from Boeckweiler near Zweibruecken, Germany turned out false. His birthplace to date is unknown.

10. Martin's immigration to America is documented on the passenger ship Halifax list as occuring in 1754. In 1755 he bought land near Michael MAURER and wife Elizabeth in Bucks Co., Pa and attended Church with them as documented by the Bucks Co. land records, and Lutheran Church records of Springfield Township, Bucks Co., Pa

10. The evidence is clear that Martin BRILL and wife, Anna Maria lived in Bucks County, Pa near Michael MAURER and his wife Elizabeth, and in Loudoun County, Va where Martin died, near Andrew MAURER and his wife, Margaret. The fact that their son, Christopher BRILL, married Anna Margaret MAURER, sister to Andrew MAURER and moved where the entire family moved during the 1750-1813 time frame links the MAURER family and BRILL family together.

11. The fact that Anna Margaret and Andrew are brother and sister and children of Michael and Elizabeth MAURER links the MAURER family to the MOWER family.

12. The fact that Andrew's children identified in his Will, match the ages of the MAURER children christened in Bucks Co. links the families together.

CONCLUSION BASED UPON THE FACTS: Andrew MOWER was born in 1752 in Bucks Co., Pa, the son of Michael and Elizabeth MAURER. Some of his children were Michael, Sarah, Jacob, and Molly MAURER. Also spelled MOWER. The BRILL family married into the MAURER family in America following the immigration of the BRILLS to America in 1754. The families stayed in Bucks Co., until following the Revolutionary War when both families moved to Loudoun Co., Va. They lived in this area and neighboring Frederick, Md until both families moved to Bedford Co., Pa where they both show up on census and tax records following 1800. Following Andrew's death in 1813, the BRILL family moved to Guernsey County, Ohio. In Bedford County, Pa the descendants of Martin BRILL and Andrew MOWER married again when Henry MOWER Sr. married Mary AMICK. Henry MOWER Sr. was a great-grandson of Michael and Anna Elizabeth MAURER. Mary AMICK was a great-grandaughter of Michael and Anna Elizabeth MAURER.