LANCASTER COUNTY. 127 



intents and constructions and purposes, whatsoever, as 

 any of his Majesty's natural bom subjects of this 



The subjoined communications will be read with more than 

 OTflinary interest. The first is from H. F. Slaymaker, Esq.., 

 and the other from John Slaymaker, Esq., both written in reply 

 to several queries previously proposed touching the ancestors 

 of this highly respectable family : 



" Mathias Slaymaker emigrated from Strasburg, in Germany 

 He WcLs born and bred in Hess Castle, and came to this coun- 

 try about the year 1710. He settled on what is called the 

 "London Lands;" a tract of 1,000 acres, near the present 

 residence of Peter J. Eekert, in Strasburg township, which i^ 

 supposed to have been named by him ; he was at that time 

 suiTounded by Indians; their names are not known. 



He had two brothers ; one of whom was a clergyman, and 

 settled in the Emperor's dominion, high up in Germany ; he 

 was appointed Secretary of Legation from that Government 

 to tlae Court of St. James; afterwards. Charge d'Atfairs, and 

 tliere married. President John Adams, when minister to tiie 

 Court of St. James, resided with one of his descendants. — 

 His oldest son was Governor of an Inland. 



The other brother was major in the King of Prussia's full 

 regiment; and afterwards, it is probable, his son was one of tlie 

 officei-s (a Major) in the Hessian troops — as one of that name 

 w£us confined as a prisoner of war in the Lancaster jail. 



The first named, Mathias, had five sons, Lawrence, Mathias, 

 John, Henry, Daniel and two daughters, Margaret and Bar- 

 bara Eeckman. He was married before he came to this 

 country — and Lawrence and Margaret were born in Germany. 

 Lawrence married a sister of Jacob Pfautz, and had one cliild 

 who mamed a person by the name of Lefevre, and moved to 

 Cumberland county. 



Mathias married a Miss Smith, and had two sons and three 

 daughters, John, William, Rachel, Rebecca and Elisabeth. 



John married Elisabeth White, and had Mathias, John, Wil- 

 liam and Alexander, and five daughters, Jane, Elisabeth, Mary, 

 Kitty and Ann. 



Henry married Faithful Richardson, and had three sons, 

 Amos, Henry and Samuel, and six daughters, Mary, Hannah, 



