The Arner
family in the early Lehigh County Churches
by Joseph
Erner
It’s difficult to establish church membership in these
early years, because membership lists for most of these churches don't exist
from that early a time. The location of early records of baptisms, marriages,
and funerals are not always a good indicator either. Most of the frontier
congregations and communities were served by circuit-riding ministers who often
conducted services and performed ceremonies locally, sometimes even in a
neighbor’s residence, and then recorded them in the churchbook
of whichever church they happened to visit next.
Hans Ulrich1 and Verena (Eberhard) Arner
are known to have belonged to Heidelberg Church by 29 March 1745, when he
appears on the first list of members, soon after the first church building was
constructed in 1744.
The Egypt congregation was the only Reformed
congregation in the area until the Heidelberg congregation was formed about 1740;
and the christening of their youngest son Heinrich2 Arner on 19
September 1742 was recorded at Egypt. However, Egypt Church was then served by
Johann Heinrich Goetschy (son of Pastor Maurice Goetschy), a circuit-riding Reformed Minister who also served
the New Goschenhoppen Church among others. So, it’s entirely possible that the
Arners were still in the New Goschenhoppen area at that time, and that Pastor
Johann Heinrich Goetschy just happened to record it
at Egypt.
Conrad Wuertz, son-in law of
Pastor Maurice Goetschy, later became the first
Reformed minister at Heidelberg; so that might be why the Arner family
moved to Whitehall and joined that church. Hans Ulrich1 Arner
received a warrant to buy land in now North Whitehall on 27 February 1744, so
they probably moved there either before or very shortly after that.
There are only two other Arner baptisms recorded at
Egypt Church, a daughter of Felix2 Arner on 15 July 1756 and a son
of Ulrich2 Arner on 07 February 1760, so it’s likely that they were
also recorded there by a circuit-riding minister. Since there are no other
Arner records at Egypt Church, there’s no reason to believe that any Arner
families were actually members there.
After Heidelberg, Jordan Church (to the southeast) was
established in 1747; and Schlosser’s (Neffs) Church was established in 1755,
both of which were closer to Hans Ulrich1 Arner's homestead than
Heidelberg Church was. I haven’t found any Arner records at Jordan Church
earlier than 1794 (but I don’t remember now how far back their surviving church
records go).
However, there seems to be little doubt that Felix2
Arner (the eldest son of Hans Ulrich1 and Verena) and his family
became members at Schlosser’s Church, probably at least by the 1760s, if not
before. He is buried there; at least two of his daughters’ marriages were
recorded there; his eldest son Jacob3 Arner had most of his
children’s baptisms recorded there; and at least five of his daughters and
their husbands also had many or most of their children’s baptisms recorded
there.
Ulrich2 Arner, the second son of Hans
Ulrich and Verena, is said (by his son Martin) to have lived in Heidelberg
Township until about 1763, then in Whitehall until about 1770 when he moved to
what is now Carbon County. However, I have found no baptismal records for any
of his children except for son Johannes Arner, christened 07 February 1760 and
recorded at Egypt Church (and at Saddler’s Church in York County !!),
and daughter Anna Elisabeth Arner, christened 05 August 1764 and recorded by
Reverend Daniel Schumacher, but location not noted. So, if they belonged to a
church in Lehigh County, it would appear to be one whose early records are
lost.
Heinrich2 Arner, the third and last son of
Hans Ulrich and Verena, probably had one son (and possibly two) born in Lehigh
County (but no baptismal records found so far), but he then moved to what is
now Schuylkill County by 1772. On 15 March 1764, still unmarried, he was a
baptismal sponsor for a Heinrich Schlosser, recorded by Reverend Daniel
Schumacher, but location not noted (but possibly at Schlosser’s Church).
Other than his own christening record as an infant, he left no other records in
Lehigh County (that I know of).
Timeline
of the Arner family in early Lehigh County church records
Family Date Event Church
circa 1734 Egypt
congregation formed (but no church until circa 1750)
Hans Ulrich1 24 Jul 1737 Anna
Catharina2 Arner (daughter), christening [New Goshenhoppen*]
circa 1740 Heidelberg
congregation formed
Hans Ulrich1 19 Sep 1742 Heinrich2
Arner (son), christening Egypt
1744 first Heidelberg Church
built
Hans Ulrich1 28 Mar 1745 on
first known List of Members Heidelberg
1747 Jordan Church
established
Felix2 29
Dec 1754 Anna Margaretha3
Arner (daughter), christening Schoenersville
1755 Schlosser’s (now Neffs)
Church established
Felix2 15
Jul 1756 Elizabetha3
Arner (daughter), christening Egypt
Ulrich2 07
Feb 1760 Johannes3
Arner (son), christening Egypt
Felix2 05
Nov 1771 Anna Margaretha3
Arner (daughter), marriage Schlosser’s
Felix2 31
May 1774 Elizabetha3
Arner (daughter), marriage Schlosser’s
Jacob3 18
Oct 1774 John Jacob4
Arner (son), christening Schlosser’s
Jacob3 05
May 1776 John Abraham4
Arner (son), christening Schlosser’s
Hans Ulrich1 before 1777 burial (believed at Heidelberg Church) Heidelberg
Felix2 22
Feb 1777 burial Schlosser’s
Jacob3 13
Jul 1777 John4
Orner (son), christening Schlosser’s
Jacob3 31
Jan 1779 John Henry4
Arner (son), christening Schlosser’s
Jacob3 22
Oct 1780 Nicholas4
Arner (son), christening Schlosser’s
Hans Ulrich1 after 1781 Verena Arner (wife), burial
(believed at Heidelberg Church) Heidelberg
Jacob3 08
Sep 1782 Elizabeth4
Arner (daughter), christening Schlosser’s
Jacob3 09
May 1784 Catherine4
Arner (daughter), christening Schlosser’s
Johannes3 14
Jan 1787 John4 Arner
(son), christening [NOTE: Johannes, son of Ulrich2] Schlosser’s
Johannes3 26
Aug 1790 Catharina Arner (wife),
burial [NOTE: Johannes, son of Ulrich2] Heidelberg
* In Upper Hanover, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, not in
Lehigh County
Arner family in early Lehigh County
Churches. Last revision: 01 Aug
2005
The *rner Genealogy Project (Arner, Erner, Orner, Urner
Families in America)
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Copyright © 2005 by Joseph Erner (see Copyright Notice)
