LANCASTER COUNTT. 127 



intents and constructions and purposes, whatsoever, as 

 any of his Majesty's natm-al born subjects of this 



The subjoined communications will be read with more than 

 ordinary 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 was born and bred in Hess Castle, and came to this coun- 

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

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

 residence of Peter J. Eckert, in Strasburg township, which is 

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

 sun-ounded 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 tlie Court of St. James; afterwards, Charge d' Affairs, and 

 there married. President John Adams, when minister to the 

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

 His oldest son was Governor of an Island. 



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

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

 officers (a Major) in the Hessian troops — as one of that name 

 was 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 child 

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

 Cumberland county. 



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

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



John married Elisabeth V/hite, and had Mathias, John, Wil- 

 liam and Alexander, a.nd 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, 



