Conrad NEUHARD

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

Conrad Neuhart arrived in Philadelphia on the ship "Edinburgh", James Russell, Master, on Monday, September30, 1754. Amoung 159 other male passengers aged 16 and above he appeared before the Mayor, Charles Willing, Esquire, and took the required oaths of allegiance and adjuration. (Pa. German Pioneers" Lists #220A, 220B, and 220C.)Conrad Neuhart was the son of Hans Stephan Neuhart (1681-1742) and his wife, Anna Catharine Stoehr (1691 - 1762). In the course of time three of their sons would migrate to America. Volume II covered the 1737 immigrant Joh. Michael Neuhart, and this volume covers also the 1766 immigrant Jacob Neuhart.The long journey of the immigrannts took place in three stages. The first was the voyage by sail down the Rhine, passing through more than a score of custom houses before reaching the Netherlands. There was ofter a furthyer delay of five or six weeks at Rotterdam, the port of embarkation. The second stage, in this instance, began with the immigrants boarding the Edinburg under charter to merchants in Philadelphia. They were required to sign a contract with the captain in favor of the merchants to whom they were consigned. They agreed to a stipulated amount of fare and to reimburse the merchants for any suppliesobtained from the ships commissary before landing at Philadelphia. The Edinburgh them made the crossing to Cowes on the Isle of Wight, in order to receive British clearance so it could continue on to a British Colony. The third stage was the crossing of the Atlantic, an ordeal marked by great suffering and hardship. More than 400 souls, men, women, and children, had been packed like sardines in the Edindurgh, and they were soon subject to all sorts of diseases because of improper food and bad water. In the era, the ocean voyage often took eight to twelve weeks depending on the wind. On such a trip,large numbers of children died and quite a few adults didn't make it either.Before disembarking at Philadelphia, the ship became a market place. Those who could pay their accounts due or could arrange loans for same were now gre to leave. The remainder were "sold" at auction and became indentured servants for a specified number of years and days.It is not known in which category the immigrant Conrad Neuhart found himself or why he chose the vicinity of Reading, Pennsylvania, as his final home. He was certainly in Reading by 1775 and there married Eva Sauerbrey, the daughter of Hans Jurg Sauerbrey and his wife, Margaret. This Sauerbrey family had arrived in 1750 on the ship "Two Brothers".Conrad followed his carpentry trade and other labor activity in Reading until 1761. (The Indian massacres which had started in October 1755, would have been a deterrent to his moving to set up a homestead on the frontier where cheap virgin land was available.)On March 16, 1761, Conrad purchased a lot and dwelling described as #159 on the Reading Plan and located on the west side of Earl Street. (The town plan shows Earl Street as present 8th Street, with lot #159 being the second one west of Penn Street, so the Neuhart and Sauerbrey home were less than a block apart.) But only 15 days later "Conrad Neuhardt of Reading, Joiner" and his wife Eva conveyed this property to Henry Lindt, tailor.Conrand and Eva moved that spring to nearby Robeson township. There, in 1762, he appears on the tax list (such lists were usually made up in the fall of the prior year). The family apparently remained there until 1764, but thereafter until 1787 conrad is found in Exeter township, also near Reading. Conrad's name was crossed of the 1788 tax lists indicating that he died the latter part of 1787 or perhaps very early 1788. (Eva reportedly died in 1784, but record not found.)The Exeter township tax lists reveal that Conrad rented and cultivated at least a few acres for family needs, and a few acres more of pasturage for the couple of cows and a few sheep, etc. Thus he was free to take carpentry work and other jobs that came his way. He doubtless provided well for his family during his lifetime, but probably left a modest to moderate e
state (no will or administration in Berks Co.) Conrad had doubtless served in the Revolution, but the rolls which should contain hi8s name are not known to have been preserved. If under 54 years of age, as he probably was, we can be certain that he enrolled in his local militia company, as required by law. Thus we can feel confident that he was a soldier on the Revoluution and a stauch patriot Conrad took the oath of allegiance to Pennsylvania on August 12, 1777 before Jacob Shoemaker, a Justice of Peace of the Reading area.Most of Conrad and Eva's children were baptized at the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Reading (hereafter Reading Trinity Lutheran). (Records in Historical Society of Berks County, and Historical Society of Pennsylvania). It is thought Conrad and Eva were buried at Reading Trinity Lutheran or the Schwartzwald Church Cemetery in Exeter township, but their gravestones have not survived the elements.The Exeter township tax list for 1784 notes there were three persons in Conrad's household, probably Conrad, Sr., and Jr., and possibly Eva, if still living, or one of the unmarried daughters.Conrad did not leave great earthly riches, but he performed an active and necessary part along with the mainstream of such colonial immigrants in transforming southeastern Pennsylvania into one of the finest and most productive agricullltural areas on earth. These Germans of indomitable wills and strong backs performed miracles with the simple tools and means available. conrad also bequeathed to his descendants something far more precious that gold - the certainty that they would have an opportunity to share in the Americam Dream to the fullest extent of their individual talents and industry.As with other Neuharts, there is recognized the religious bent in Conrad's family. Indeed, the true legacy and treasure of the family has been the victorious Gospel of Christ Jesus, which, by many, has been taken to heart and deeply cherished far more than any earthly wealth or acclaim.Another characteristic rather distinctive within the family is that of a quiet, introspective, almnost self-effacing demeanor. Not found among all, it nevertheless has its representatives in most generations and almost every family. It is manifested as a sense of shy, reluctant, demure, almost timid bearing toward others, even those of close personal ties or relationship.(Source: "Neuhart Chronicles Vol. III" by Dennis Allen Kastens)