Johann Nicolas Neu ¹

  General Notes:

Baptized 12/6/1716. German records list Nicolas (or NIckel) alternatelyas a linenweaver, potter or miller. As did many Palitinate Germans of his time Nicolas left Germany with his family for pennsylvania to seek his fortunefree of religous persecution. His brother-in-law Johan Peter Henn, had madethe boyage in 1741 and Nicolas with his family, his brother Johann Adam and,we believe their sisters Maria Elizabetha and Maria Catharina folled eightyears later on the ship Priscilla. The Priscilla sailed from Rotterdam,Holland, stopped briefly at Cowes, England and then headed for Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania. The following is the official reocrd of herarrival.

"Monday, Setpember 11, 1749, at the Court House in Philadelphia: Present, Joshua Maddox Esquire. The foreigners whose naems are underwrittenimported in the Priscilla, Captain William Muir, from Rotterdam and alst from Cowes, England, did take the usual oaths to the Government. By list 77; persons293."

The list included Johan Nickel Neu and Johan Adam Neu their namesappearing next to eahc other. As the naems of women and hcildren were not listed,there is no clear proof that their sisters Maria Elizabetha and Maria Catherinawere on the Priscilla in 1749. But Elizabetha married in Pennsylvania thefollwoing year, at age 26 adn Catharina married there in 1751 at age 19 and it seems doubtful that they would have made the voyage alone.

Teh majority of the Priscilla'spassengers moved directly into what wasthen frontier country purchased from the Indians in 1749 by the Penn Properties. In Agust 1765 Nicholas applied for a warrant for 131 acres of land located along the waters of Fishing Creek and Swatera Creek where they run side by sideon the north side of the Blue Mountain about two miles west of the present town of pine Crove. This land was a little more than twelve miles north of that warranted to Nicholas' brother, Adam, eight years earlier.As Pennsylvania's counties developed through subdivision, this lcoation has been consideredat various times a protion of Lancaster, Lebanon, Dauphin and Berks countiesbut now a protion of pine Grove township in Schuylkill County. Nicholas established a farm here and may also have worked at his pottery trade.We find him serving as "overseer of the Poor" in 1766 and taxed in 1732 for "150acres, 3 horses and 3 cattle."

On September 10, 1761 the brothers Nicholas and Adam became naturalized American citizens together at the Supreme court of Philadelphia with the notiation: Adam new of Lancaster; took communion on 2 August 1761;Nicholas New of Lancaster; took communion on 30 August 1761.

Earlier German settlers had already formed Lutheran Congregations in the area, the earliest known being along the Quittapahilla and Swatara Creeks. The Quittapahilla Congreation, later known as the hll Church was organized in1733 and Bandnagles congregation on the Swatara was organized in 1745. TheNeus attended services in both of these churches.

Johann married Maria Margaretha Henn on 27 Sep 1740 in Kleinich, Germany.