456 HISTORY OF 



as 1705, Thomas Chalkley, an eminent preacher among the 

 Quakers, visited the Indians living near Susquehanna, at Con- 

 estoga, and preached to them. In 1708 or 1709, a Swedish Lu- 

 theran, in the capacity of a missionary, resided among the 

 Conestoga Indians, to instruct them in the christian religion. 



The Mennonites. — In 1709, several families from the Pala- 

 tinate, descendants of the distressed Swiss Mennonites settled 

 on Pequea creek. With this colony came Hans Herr, a Men- 

 nonite minister, who dispensed to them the word of life. The 

 Mennonites were of course the first regularly organized de- 

 nomination in the county. Among their first ministers in this 

 county, before 1725, were Hans Herr, Ulrich Breckbill, Hans 

 Tschantz. Hans Burkholter, Christian Herr, Benedict Hirschi, 

 Martin Bear, Johannes Bauman. They had been very numer- 

 ous till about the year 1791, or '92, when a certain Martin 

 Boehm and others made inroads upon them, and a considera- 

 ble number seceded and united themselves with the United 

 Brethren or Vereinigte Brueder^ nevertheless, they are still the 

 prevalent denomination in this county. They have about 

 forty-five ministers in the county. These are divided into 

 bishops and ordinary ministers. The bishops at present are 

 the Revds. Jacob Hostater, Jacob Zimmerman, Christian Herr, 

 Henry Schenk, and Mr. Bomberger; among their ordinary 

 teachers are the Revds. Daniel G-ehman, Mr. Guth, Mr. 

 Gehman, Tobias AVarner, Mr, Sherick, Joseph Wenger, 

 Jacob Weaver, Jacob StauiTer, Joseph Hershy, Joseph Horst, 

 Jacob Hershy, Henry Breneman, Benjamin Herr, John Kreider, 

 David Witmer, Mr. Staufer, Benjamin Eby, A. Brubaker, John 

 Shenk, Andrew Kaufl'man, Christian Herr, Martin Mayer, 

 Daniel Sterneman, John Hoover, Christian Kaufman, John 

 Kindig, John Nissly, Christian Nissly, John Schlott, David 

 Ebersole, Peter Ebersole, Mr. Brubecker and others whose 

 names we have not learned. 



These all preach in German. They have upwards of thirty- 

 five meeting bouses. Some of the congregations are large, 

 numbering rising of tv/o hundred members. The probable 

 number of Mennonite church members, we think cannot 

 be less than six thousand. As they keep no records of names, 

 it is somewhat difficult to ascertain the exact number. Their 

 forefathers all brought Bibles with them. We have seen within 



