George Martin NEIHART

                   NOTE:
    Historical information from Ancestry World Tree in PAF notes.


The first notice of George Martin Neuhart/Neihart (after his baptismal record in the Trinity Lutheran Church of Reading, Pennsylvania) is as George "Nyhart", Private, May 5, 1785 in Captain John Schneider's Exeter Township Company of Berks County Militia. Pennsylvania Archives Series 6, Vol. 3, page 69/70. This company was organized in the spring of 1777 and George doubtless enrolled on attaining 18 years of age in 1781 as required by law. Good Evidence that he was a Revolutionary Soldier, but probably insufficient for DAR or SAR membership, as no other roll of this Company preserved for 1777-1790 except the roll cited. His father, Conrad Neuhart, was doubtless an enrollee in the company all during the Revolution (as law required all males residents between 18 and 53). All males 18 and upward were required to take an oath of allegiance to the state, and there is a record that Conrad took the oath on August 12, 1777.As George Nihart, he next appears in the 1790 census for (Lower Mahanoy township) Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, with a wife, his brother, Conrad, Jr., but no children as yet. We don't know whether the marriage took place in Berks or Northumberlande, and her surname is not found. Sometime before the 1810 census they had moved a shoret distance to the northeast to present Lower Augusta township. There the family became identified with the Zion/Stone (Lutherian and Reformed) Church at present Augustaville. This church was founded in 1806 with record book starting in 1812, which includes baptism of Eva, the youngest daughter of George Martin and Eva Neihart. The church reconrds appear fragmentary.On April 24, 1818, George Neihart received a deed from Phillip Renn and wife for approximately 113 acres of land in Lower Augusta township and this became the family homestead.George Martin Neihard, as styled in his estate records, died some days proir to March 17, 1845, intestate. The records are found in Northumberland County W. B. 3, page 494 and file #35, (1845). Jacob Zartman, principal creditor, became the administrator. In January 1846 he petitioned the Orphans Court, showing that "George Neihart lately died, inestate, leaving issue six children (no widow) and seized of a certain tract of land . . . (his) personal estate insufficient to pay his debt . . . Petitioner prays to grant him an order to make sale of said tract." (Orphans Court Book 9, page 195, 205, 219.) The plantation was described as 75 acres (after a 5 acre sale to son, Henry, during hyis lifetime) (adjoining lands of Daniel Lytle, Phillip Weiser, Daniel Conrad, Emanuel Kaufman and others) on which are erected a two story log house, log barn and orchard.The inventory and vendue shows he owned 5 cattle, 1 horse, one German Bible, 4 beds and bedding (one with high posts), and the usual household and farm equipment. The plantation was sold to son-in-law, Joseph Trego for $605. The Bible was sold to Jacob Sheriff for $2.65.It is apparent that the daughter, Eva, and son-in-law, henry Klase, came home to take care of the elder Neiharts during their final illness as they paid rent of $6.00 on the residence and lot after the death until the time is was sold. Burial was probably in the church cemetery at Augustaville, but markers have not survived for any Neihart.While George Martin Neihart's estate at death was a modest one, it must be remembered that he was more than 80 years of age. At his age, it is probable he had disposed of most of his property to the children during his life time, aiding them to "start up" and "help them help themselves". (Source: Neuhart Chronicles Vol. III by Dennis Allen Kastens)