Individual Page

Person Info

• Name: Martin KENDIG
• Sex: M
• Birth: Abt 1670 ^b
• Death: Before 10 Mar 1749 in Conestoga Twp, Lancaster Co, Pennsylvania ^d


Parents:

• Father:
  
• Hans Jagli KUNDIG Birth: Abt 1636
Mother:

• Elsbeth MEILI Birth: 1636

Family:
Marriage:

• Elizabeth BAR on Before 1708 .^m1
  
• Elizabeth BAR Birth: Abt 1675 Death: Abt 1730

Children:

1. John Jacob KENDIG Birth: Abt 1693 Death: Before 24 Mar 1775 in Lampeter Twp, Lancaster Co, Pennsylvania

Marriage:

• Barbara (KENDIG) on Before 1736 .^m2
  
• Barbara (KENDIG) Death: After 20 Oct 1748

Bibliography

Sources for birth and parent Information

date:

abt 1670 [Ref: Best KENDIG p6],

parents:

[Ref: Best KENDIG p6]

Sources with Inaccurate birth and parent Information

parents:

John Jacob KENDIG & Jane MYLIN [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p16]

Sources for death Information

date:

will pro 10 Mar 1749 [Ref: Best KENDIG p6],

place:

[Ref: Best KENDIG p6]

Sources with Information about marriage to Elizabeth BAR

date:

before 1708 [Ref: Best KENDIG p6]

first marriage of Martin [Ref: Brackbill Herr-Kendig p86],

names:

Martin KENDIG & Elizabeth ___ [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p27, Brackbill Herr-Kendig p86],

child:

[Ref: Benson MartinKendig p27, Best KENDIG p6]

Sources with Information about marriage to Barbara (KENDIG)

date:

before 1736 [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p27]

before 1748 [Ref: Brackbill Herr-Kendig p102]

by 1736 [Ref: Best KENDIG p6]

second marriage of Martin [Ref: Brackbill Herr-Kendig p86],

names:

Martin KENDIG & Barbara ___ [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p27, Best KENDIG p6, Brackbill Herr-Kendig p102, Brackbill Herr-Kendig p86]

Research Notes:
may well be given the title of "First Settler of Lancaster County" [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p14]

Lancaster County's first pioneers came to Pennsylvania because a century of cruel wars and religious persecution in Germany and Switzerland, especially throughout the Rhine Valley, had destroyed the estates of many noble people, creating acute social, religious, and economic problems. The proprietors of the British colonies in America were eager to increase the value of their holdings by securing as settler these people of high character and abilities. In 1708 they had sent glowing descriptions of the New World throughout the Rhineland to induce the war-weary people to come to America. Over 13,000 responded in 1709 and 1710, but the Swiss Mennonites, in spite of the most adverse conditions, were so devoted to their homeland that they preferred familiar troubles to unknown dangers. Only a handful of the most daring left for America before 1711, among them the half dozen first families of Lancaster County. Sometime in the spring of 1710 these six families came down the Rhine to Rotterdam, from Rotterdam tookship for London, and on June 24, 1710 wenton board the Maria Hope, bound for Philadelphia. While on shipboard, but before the ship sailed, the heads of the six pioneer families wrote a letter to a committee of the Amsterdam Mennonite Church, thanking them for assistance in their journey. This London letter of June 27, 1710, still to be seen in the Amsterdam Mennonite Archives, is signed by Martin Kendig, Jacob Miller, Martin Oberholtzer, Martin Maili (Mylin), Christian Herr and Hans Herr. This is the first known document containing the name of Martin Kendig. [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p14]

Jun 24 1710: embarked from Rotterdam on ship Maria Hope, bound for Philadelphia; arrived Sep 23 1710 at noon [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p14]

1710: warranted land in Lancaster County, PA [Ref: Best KENDIG p6]

Oct 10 1710: secured a warrant to survey 10,000 acres near the head waters of the Pequea, to be purchased at a cost of five pounds per hundred acres. Warrant mentions Martin Kendig, Jacob Miller, Hans Herr, Christian Herr, Martin Oberholzer. On Oct 23 4,000 acres were surveyed in the Paradise area, and on Apr 27 1711 6,000 more acres surveyed in the Strasburg-Willow district. Martin Kendig received patents for about 5,000 acres, all of which he held in trust for others with exception of 530 acres for his family [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p15]

Dec 20 1714: purchased additional 800 acres, for 80 pounds, originally surveyed to Samuel Guldin, a Swiss Reformed Minister [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p16]

1715-1717: made a trip back to Germany for more Swiss Mennonite Settlers; tradition says that the second Swiss migration to Pennsyulvania in 1717 was brought about by MartinKendig's return to Germany [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p16, Brackbill Herr-Kendig p79]

Nov 27 1717: representing the Swiss, with Hans Herr, met with Isaac Norris and James Logan, two of the Pennsylvania land commissioners. They agreed for 5,000 acres of land about Conestoga and Pequea Creeks "for settlement for several of their contrymen"; at the same time the commissioners signed the land warrants which had been issued to the 21 other Swiss on Sep 27. Norris and Logan explained to them that, according to English law, they were all aliens legally unable to own land, but that the land commissioners' business was to sell land, therefore they would sell the land if the Swiss would take a chance on laws being passed in the future to remedy the situation. Norris and Logan suggested that the Swiss petition the Pennsylvania Assembly for a special law making it possible for them to own the land and transmit it to their children. This they all agreed upon. Most of the Swiss and many German settlers secured the rights by a special act of the Pennsylvania Assembly passed in 1730. Martin Kendig's name is not among them; he may have considered his position secure without legislation, having been appointed to two offices under the Crown of Great Britain, that of constable of Conestoga Twp in 1724 and supervisor of Conestoga Twp in 1726 [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p16]

Nov 22 1717: the practice of granting surveys to individuals effectively came to a halt, and a blanket warrant was granted to hans Herr and Martin kendig for 5000 acres, more or less, which were to be surveyed in plots of various sizes anywhere along the Pequea and Conestoga creeks or their branches. This warrant made Kendig and Herr the officially recognized intermediaries between the provincial authorities and the Swiss. [Ref: Brackbill Herr-Kendig p81]

method to obtain land under this blanket warrant was that a settler would locate a likely tract of land, then visit Martin Kendig and Hans Herr, and request a survey under their warrant. They, in turn, would have the survey made by the official surveyor, and after the lines and acreage had been determined, Kendig and Herr would sell the settler a deed, which, of course, only disposed of their rights under the warrant. [Ref: Brackbill Herr-Kendig p83]

1744: appears on a list of 31 persons who contributed money toward the building of St James Church, but does not apear among the membership [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p16]

will dated Oct 1748, mentions wife Barbara and only one child, Jacob. Recorded in J-115 [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p27]

estate consisted of a 605 acre tract in Lampeter and Conestoga Twp (which would now be almost wholly in West Lampeter Twp), and two tracts totalling 5 acres within the town of Lancaster, one of them a lot at the corner of North Queen and Orange Streets [Ref: Benson MartinKendig p16]

----- Warrant issued 10 Oct 1710 (old style), in Survey Book B-23-216:
Whereas we have agreed with John Rudolph Bundell, Martin Kendig, Jacob Miller, (Ha)ns Graeff, Hans Herr, Christian Herr, Martin Oberholzer, Hans Funk, Micael Oberholzer, and one Ba(um)an, Swissers, lately arrived in this Province for 10,000 acres of land situate on the northwesterly side of a hill about twenty miles easterly from Conestoga near the head of the Pequin creek, for which said land, they are to pay the sum of 500 pounds sterling money of Great Britain, in manner followng: That is to say, the sum of 100 pounds, part thereof in hands, at the issuing of these presents, the sum of 100 pounds more thereof (together with 48 pounds like money being the interest of 400 pounds for two years) at the end of two years and six monthe, from the time of the survey of the said lands (one half year's interest of the whole being abated); 118 pounds further, part thereof with interest included, within one year, then next after, 112 pounds (the interest being included) further part thereof within one year, next thereafter, the sum of 106 pounds, full residue thereof that of all interest for the same, within one year that next following, so that the said 500 pounds and interest, as aforesaid, is to be paid in six years next after the time of the survey and also that the said purchasers, their heirs and assigns shall pay unto the proprietory and governor, William Penn, his heirs and assigns, the sum of one shilling sterling aforesaid, quit rent yearly forever, for every 100 acres of the said 10,000 acres, and that said purchasers shall have said lands free of quit rent for the first two years next after the survey thereof, and the said purchasers, requesting of us a warrant for the location and survey of the said land aforesiad. These are, therefore, to authorize and require thee to survey or cause to be surveyed, unto said purchasers the full quantity of 10,000 acres of land (with reasonable allowance for roads and highways) in one entire tract at or near the place aforesaid and subdivide same (if they request it) into so many small tracts or parts as they shall agree or appoint to each of them his respective share to be holden by the purchasers, their heirs and assigns under the rents, payments and agreements aforesaid, subject to distress for the said rent in case of non-payment and of the transactions and doings in the premises, by virtue of these presents, thou art to make such returns unto the secretary's office, with all reasonable expetition. Given under our hands and seals of the Province the 10th day of the 8th month, at Philadelphia, 1710. Edward Shippen, Griffith Owen, Thomas Story. To jacob Taylor, surveyor general. [Ref: Brackbill Herr-Kendig p90]



Pedigree of Martin KENDIG
                   /-----Peter KUNDIG
          /-----Jorg KUNDIG
 /-----Hans Jagli KUNDIG
|         \-----Barbel HUFFELBERG
Martin KENDIG
|         /-----Martin MEILI
 \-----Elsbeth MEILI
          \-----Barbara BAR



Descendants of Martin KENDIG

2nd generation


3rd generation


4th generation