134 HISTORY OF 



one of whose grand-sons, Joseph Weiiger, occupies the 

 Homestead. 



From and after 1718, settlements, in their incipient 

 stages, had been pretty general throughout the greater 

 part of tlie county. The JNIill Creek Settlement, and 

 others, were commenced about the year 1719, or 20. 



About tlie year 1708, Alexander Mack, of Shriesheim, 

 and seven others in Schwarzenau, Germany, met in a 

 religious capacity ; from which society, arose, what is 

 well linown, the Tunkers, or First Day German Bap- 

 tists; and who, though apparently inoffensive, were 

 made subjects of persecution, and were driven by force 

 of oppression into Holland, some to Creyfels, and the 

 mother church voluntarily removed to Senistervin, in 

 Friesland, and thence emigrated to America, in 1719, 

 and dispersed to different parts in Pennsylvania, some to 

 Conestoga, some to Mill Creek, some to Oley, some to 

 Skippack, some remained at Germantown, where they 



the father on a lofty steed, rode in, took the young fellow on 

 his own horse behind him, and seizing the lines, drove safely- 

 through the rushing stream. 



He raised six sons, Peter, David, the grandfather of John 

 Graaf our informant, John, Daniel, Marcus and Samuel, 

 \vho was known as Graaf, der Jaeger, the huntsman. 



Hans Graaf, after having served his day and generation, the 

 public also on several occasions,! and having divided his land 

 among his sons, died, leaving a large family connection. — 

 Perhaps there is no family in the county, more numerous 

 respectable and useful citizens than the Graafs. So, without 

 doubt, the magistrates and inhabitants of Lancaster county 

 thought, when they met to settle upon the bounds and give 

 names to townships, June 9, 1729: they had regard to the worth 

 of thi.s family in calling one of the townships, after the first set- 

 tlers of Graaf, i. e. Earl township. 



fCol. Rcc. III. 420— G73. 



