LANTZ GENEALOGY that document the Lieutenant Governor, Botatrout, a Frenchman, spelled the name Lance, which is a French name and was natural for him to do so. This completely settles the question of the origin and meaning of our name, in both forms, Lantz (which is pure German) and Lance (pure French) either is correct, but being of German descent we prefer the German name. We shall ever be greatly indebted to Prof. Otto Mauker for giving to us the splendid origin of our name. The German emigration to this country started about 1682, and by the year 1702 there were about two hundred families in America. This is considered by historians to be the first period of their emigration, they practically all set- tled at Germantown, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The years 1702 to 1727 are known as the second great period of the German emigration, in which there came to this country about forty or fifty thousand. England greatly built up her population in her American colonies by urging the Germans to locate themselves in America. Many of the colonies greatly feared this great emigration to America of the Germans, they thought they might establish a colony here like the Saxons did in Britton in the fifth century. Scarcely has the Mennonites of Pennsylvania made their land ready for crops, when they sent a commissioner, Martin Kendig, to Germany and Switzerland to induce others to come to Pennsylvania. He was successful and there were large accessions to this new colony in the years of 1711 and 1717. A few years later so great was the influx of German and Swiss emigrants that the public officials took notice. Governor Keith said to the board, that great numbers of foreigners from Germany, strangers to our language and constitution, having lately been imported into this providence daily dispersed themselves, immediately after landing without producing certificate from whence they came or who they are and as they seem to have first landed in Britton, and afterwards to have left without any license from the Government, in the same manner they have behaved here without making the least application to the governor or any of the officials. That as this practice might be of very dangerous con- sequences, since by the same method any number of for- eigners from any nation whatever, enemies as well as friends, might throw themselves upon us. This was in the year 1717. 4
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