ORIGINAL SETTLERS
1. Johann Raudenbusch was among the Palatines who went to England in June of
1709. At that time, his age was listed as 30 (so born c. 1679); he was a
Lutheran; and his occupation was husbandman or vine-dresser. His wife and a
daughter, age three, accompanied him to England. By the time his wife had
settled along the Hudson river in New York in 1710, Johann had died. nothing
more is known about this family.
2. Hans George Raudenbusch, generally referred to simply as “George”, was born
May 27, 1699 and died August 17, 1783. It would appear that he was from the
County of Sinsheim in Germany which lies southeast of Heidelberg. Very often
those Palatines who arrived on the same ship came from the same area. Among
the passengers on the William and Mary with George was the Rev. George Michael
Weiss, V.D.M., who was from Eppingen, which is situated ten miles from the
County of Sinsheim. It is known that the party he headed aboard the William
and Mary contained at least a few that were from that county. Among these were
Hans Ernst Rudi, Johann Dietrich Rudi and Hans George Hertzel. The Rev. Weiss
was the founding pastor of the New Goshenhoppen Reformed Church in what is now
East Greenville, Penns. George Raudenbusch was a member of that church.
By 1734, George was the owner of 150 acres in Hanover Township in Philadelphia
County. This land was warranted to him in 1740, and George lived out the
remainder of his days there. This farm is now in Upper Hanover Township of
Montgomery County. George was naturalized on September 22, l764.
George had been accompanied on the ship William and Mary by his wife,
Margaretha (maiden name unknown). She was born September 28, 1702 and died
November 24, 1776, both are buried in the New Goshenhoppen cemetery in East
Greenville, Penns.
3. Peter Raudenbusch arrived in Philadelphia on September 30, 1732 aboard the
Ship Dragon. He was warranted 100 acres in Bucks County in 1738. It appears
possible that his wife was the Eve Roudebush who was warranted 50 acres in
Bucks County in 1744, that Peter died before 1744, and that he died without
issue. It is also possible that he is the Peter Raudenbush whose death on
October 13, 1759 is recorded in the Journal of David Schultze, although this
reference has not been seen personally. There would appear to be a close
relationship between Peter and George (#2), since a Peter Raudenbusch was the
witness to the baptism of George’s son, Peter, at the Goshenhoppen Reformed
Charge in 1733.
4. Heinrich Raudenbusch : (my relative) There would also appear to be a close
relationship between Peter and Heinrich (or Henry), since both arrived on the
Ship Dragon in 1732. Henry, however, settled in the southern part of
Pennsylvania which was then Lancaster County, but the farm on which he settled
later was in York County, and is now in Adams County. A warranty was issued to
Henry for 150 acres along the Great Conawago Creek in 1743, and a patent for
200 acres in 1750.
It would appear that part of Henry’s reasons for settling where he did were
religious in nature. Henry was a member of the Church of the Brethren (German
Baptist or Dunkard), and one of the first churches of that denomination in
America was established around 1741, also near the Great Conawago Creek,.
Henry was one of the founding members. This congregation still exists and is
known today (1970) as “Mummert’s Meeting House.” All of the records of this
congregation prior to the 1880s were burned in a fire in the home of the then
secretary of the congregation. It is possible that Henry and other members of
his family are buried in the church yard there, but a hurried trip through the
church yard did not reveal any Raudenbusch head stones. The meeting house is
within walking distance of Henry’s farm, and both farm and meeting house are
three or four miles from East Berlin, Penna.
Henry was active in that area of Pennsylvania being Constable in 1757,
Supervisor of Highways in 1761, and Overseer of the Poor in 1768. He was
naturalized July 20, 1765. Probably because of the dictates of conscience,
being a member of the Church of the Brethren which held against oaths and war,
Henry would not take the Oath of Fidelity to the new government during the War
of the Revolution (around 1780). Neither would his sons Jacob, Michael, and
Henry, although it will be noted later that both Michael and Henry, and
possibly Jacob, were members of either the militia or Continental Line after
Henry’s death. In his will, Henry gave only one sterling shilling to each of
his sons, John, Solomon, and Daniel because, in his words, they “always (were)
Disobedient (children) and hurt me greatly.” It is known that Daniel was an
Associator who took the oath of fidelity and support to the new government
before Henry died, that John became a member of the Reformed Church before
Henry’s death, at least for a time, and it is interesting to speculate whether
it was John’s, Solomon’s, and Daniel’s active support of the Constitutional
government and disregard for Henry’s religious views which caused him to
disinherit them.
Henry resided in Berwick Township (now Hamilton Township) in York (Adams)
County for the rest of his life. What appears to be the foundation of his
homestead stands near a pond at the rear of the two farm houses now owned
(1970) by Lloyd Swope and his son.
Henry died in 1784, and his wife, Anna Mary (maiden name unknown), lived with
their son, Michael, on his original plantation after Henry’s death. Anna Mary
died in 1786.
5. Isaac Raudenbusch arrived in Philadelphia on the Ship Pleasant on October
11, 1732. He was listed as 27 years of age then, so he was born c. 1705. In
1738, he was warranted 200 acres in Lancaster County, about 2 miles from the
Little Conawago creek in Dover Township.
On April 18, 1740, he married Magdalene Frey at Christ Evangelical Lutheran
Church on the Codorus Crock at the site of York, Penna. His wife’s maiden name
had been Maria Magdalena Willheut, and she had been first married to Martin
Frey (or Fry) at Christ Church in April of l735. Isaac was a member of the
Reformed Church, his name appearing among the signers of a resolution passed
by the members of the First Reformed Church of York on March 17, 1745.
Isaac died before July 6, 1759 without issue. By that date, his widow had
married again to Henry Julius, and these two deeded Issac’s land to Godfrey,
an apparent relative of Mary Magdalene, at least through her first marriage.
Godfrey had purchased the land from Isaac himself.
6. Maria Drusiana Raudenbusch: It is not known when this person came to
America, or if she was indeed an immigrant. She may have been the widow or
daughter of Ulrich (#7) below. On March 27, 1759 shc married Joseph David
Triessler at Lancaster, the Rev. John Casper Stoever officiating.28 Those two
had issue and were members of Trinity Lutheran church in Lancaster.
7. Ulrich Raudenbusch arrived at Philadelphia on 0ctobcr 30,1738 aboard the
Ship E1izabeth when he was 24 years old (so born c. 1714). His wife’s name was
either Anna Catherine (nee Ehrlich) or Anna Drusilla (nee Cass). The records
confuse the name. They settled in Lancaster County, but nothing more is known
of this couple.
8. Johann Adam Raudenbusch arrived in Philadelphia aboard the ship Friendship
on November 2, 1744. It is possible that he is the “Adam Roudenbush” who
bought property in Augusta County, Virginia on March 24, 1764, but nothing
more is known about him.
9. Engel Raudenbusch arrived November 15, 1803 aboard the ship Favorite.
Nothing more is known about him.
Henry Raudenbusch:
page 10: “About 1745 George Adam Martin was married to Mary Knepper, the
daughter of Wilhelm and Veronica Bloom Knepper. He apparently had intentions
of settling permanently in the Big Conewago Congregation since he received a
land warrant for 100 acres in Berwick Township (January 30, 1749). By Sept,
25, 1750, this land, which had been acquired from Philip Hartman (1725-1809),
was transferred to George Hoke. The land adjoined acreages of Henry Jacobs,
Henry Raudenbusch and “Fraickes” (Veronica?) Knepper.”
page 20: a draft map of the above mentioned tract of land is shown.
page 25: “Early church records do not exist to show who assisted him [George
Brown] in his ministry to this growing church. Cemetery and brotherhood
records do exist to confirm that Elder George Brown had a number of assistants
in his scattered church district. One of these assistants was Henry
Raudenbush ( -1784) who lived in Berwick (Hamilton) Township. An early
records shows that a Michael ( – ) and Julianna Rautenbush ( – )
received a grant of land from the Penn family in Berwick Township on October
25, 1750. This land was later sold to Anthony Deardorff by the Rautenbush
family.
Henry Rautenbush ( -1784), who was married to Anna Mary ( – ),
resided in Hamilton Township. On Aug. 4, 1767, he acquired 116 acres of land.
According to the will, which was filed on March 25, 1784, the children of this
family were: John, Solomon, Daniel, Henry, Jacob, Michael, Elizabeth, who
married John Baker, Caty, who married Christian Grove, and Esther. In 1763,
Henry Raudenbush was a member of the Special Annual Meeting which convened in
the White Oak settlement of the Conestoga Congregation in Lancaster County.”
page 40: Membership of the Big Conewago Congregation 1770 includes-
Henry Raudibush and wife Anna Mary.
page 43: “Elder Henry Rautenbush died before the Annual Meeting convened
along the Big Conewago in 1785. He lived on land which later became the farm
of George Brown. Land which had been surveyed to Henry Rautenbush was owned
by Samuel Deardorff in 1809 in Berwick Township. The will of Elder Rautenbush
was probated on March 25, 1784.”
6 Jacob Roudebush (or Raudenbusch) b. 1752 d. 1837
m. Anna Rickstaker m. 1776 b. 1755
Jacob Roudabush of Penn.
Second Generation
20A. Maria Margaretha Raudenbusch was born c. 1731, having been baptized
at the Goshenhoppen Reformed Charge September 21, 1731. She appears to have
married Conrad Harpel since the latter was named the executor of her
brother, Peter’s will, and Conrad is called Peter’s brother- in-law in the will .
20. Peter Raudenbush, since he was baptized at the Goshenhoppen Reformed
Charge on May 20, 1733, was born c. 1733. He must have married rather late in
life because his wife, Sarah (nee Himmelwright), was born May 29, 1783, fifty
years junior to Peter, and died October 28, 1856. After Peter’s death in 1803,
she married a second time to the Reverend John George Roeller, a Lutheran
minister, on June 18, 1805. This latter person had been widowed on July 31,
1803, having been first married to Magdalena Wembend. Peter and Sarah lived in
Springfield Township, Bucks county, where he operated a farm. He died between
August 7, 1803 and November 24, 1803. In his will he appointed his
father-in-law, Joseph Himmelwright, as guardian of his only child, William,
and his brother-in-law, Conrad Harpel, as executor.
21. George M. Roudenbush: I have tentatively placed his birth as c. 1735 since
he was confirmed at Goshenhoppen Reformed Charge between.1748 and 1758. He was
warranted 400 acres in Northampton County in 1752, and was taxed in Salisbury
Township of Northampton County from at least 1785 to 1788 for 200 acres. In
the Revolutionary War, he served as a captain of seventeen men in George
Brinigh’s Battalion of Northampton County Militia from May of 1777 to May of
1778. Later, from 1781 to 1783, he served in Jacob Clater’s company of the
Third Battalion of Northampton County Militia. After the war, in 1784, he ran
for office as Northampton County Coroner, but was defeated. In 1789, George
Raudenbush of Salisbury Township, Northampton County, bought land in Lower
Saucon Township of Northampton County from John Smith of Springfield Township,
Bucks County. A John Smith was a witness to the will of Peter Raudenbush (#20)
of Springfield Township book lists a transaction in which he was paid two
shillings for mending shoes. Jeremiah’s will, dated April 13, 1797 and proved
March 25, 1805, leaves the homestead part of the farm to the south and east of
the origina1, and containing 130 acres, to his son, George. His wife,
Margaret, was to live in the homestead with George after Jeremiah’s death.
Peter was given the north and western part of the original farm containing 48
acres.
Margaret’s will was proved December 11, 1820.
23. Michael Raudenbush was baptized October 17, 1746; but, since his brother,
David, and his sister, Johanna, were also baptized on the same date, it is not
certain what year he was born. I have estimated the year of his birth to be
1737, since he marricd Anna Maria Hoffman August 10, 1756. He was admitted to
Holy Communion at the Goshenhoppen Reformed Charge between the years 1748 and
1758. He worked for David Shultze for five years, 1751 to 1756, and by 1769 he
owned a 200 acre farm in Upper Hanover Township, and continued to be taxed
there through 1783. He continued to live there all his life since his wills
states that he is a yeoman of upper Hanover Township. Although at one point he
is listed as a Non-Associator during the Revolutionary War, in 1780 he served
in the Upper Hanover Militia. He died in 1799. His will, dated April 20, 1798,
was proved February 25, 1799.
23A. Catarina Raudenbush was born August 9, 1741 and died October 15, 1822.
She was buried at the Tohicken Reformed church. She was the sponsor for her
brother, Michael’s son, Heinrich. She apparently never married because the
1790 Pennsylvania census finds her living alone in Montgomery County, probably
in Upper Hanover Township. (The census lists her in “remainder of County.”)
23B. Anna Margretha Raudenbush married Antoni Hamfer between the years 1747
and 1758 (at the Goshenhoppen Reformed Charge) Nothing more is known about
her, and it is not even certain that she is indeed George’s daughter. I have
estimated the year of her birth to be 1742.
23C Johanna Raudenbush was baptized at the Goshenhoppen Reformed Charge
October 17, 1746. I have estimated the year of her birth to be 1744, but
nothing more is known about her.
24. Daniel Raudenbush was baptized October 17, 1746 with Michael and Johanna,
but nothing more is known about him. I have estimated his year of birth as
1746.
25. David Raudenbush was admitted to holy Communion at the Goshenhoppen
Reformed Charge between the year; 1748 and 1758, and it is estimated that his
year of birth was 1748. This appears to be the same David, who, around 1779,
began farming in Alsace Township of Berks County. He is not listed in the tax
returns for Alsace Town ship prior to 1779, but we do find him taxed
thereafter through 1785 in that township. The census of 1790 still shows him
living there but the 1800 and 1810 censis list his residence as Reading.
Children of Heinrich (Henry)Raudenbusch, #4
40. John Ruebush: It is estimated that John Ruebush (the spelling used by most
of his descendants) was born about l735, using his wife’s date of birth as a
criterion. In his father’s will, he is called the oldest son. He married Anna
Marie Keller, who was known as “Mollie”. Mollie’s father may have been the
John Keller who arrived on the Ship Princess Augustis on September 16, 1736,
but this has not been verified. John was a farmer and miller. He and his wife
settled near Hagerstown, Maryland. In the Proceedings of the Committee of
Observation for Elizabeth Town District, Washington County”, he is listed on
page 240 as app1ying for a licensing suit on September 18, 1775. John died in
I787. The tradition is that John drowned. On May 27, 1788, Michael, John’s
brother, was appointed guardian of three of John’s children: Margaret,
Susannah and George. Mollie remained in Mary1and for a time. The 1790 Maryland
census lists Mary Roudebush living with a male under 16 and another female,
probably her children, in Washington County. In 1792, however, she reconveyed
her land in Maryland back to Jonathan Hager. She then went to Rockingham
County, Virginia, and scttled near Frieden’s Reformed Church, which is about
three miles east of Mt. Crawford, Va. Mollie, John and their children had been
members of Zion Reformed Church in Maryland. When Mollie arrived in Virginia,
Frieden’s Church was a log building built in 1792. It is now a brick
structure. Mollie is buried in Frieden’s church yard, and her tombstone states
that she was born in March, 1736 and died on July 20, 1815. Mr. Joseph K.
Ruebush erected this stone.
40A. Elizabeth (or E1iza) Roudebush is mentioned in her father’s will as the
wife of John Baker. A John Baker, who was over 45, is listed in the 1800
Census in Berwick Township of Adams, Co., Pa.) along with his wife, who was
also over 45 (So she was born before 1755).
40B. Catharine (or Caty) Roudebush married Christian Grove. On October 1,
1782) Henry sold 116 acres of land along the Great Conawago Creek to Christian
Grove for four hundred pounds. A Christian Grove, who was over 45, is listed
in the 1800 Census of Berwick Towship of Adams County, Pa., along with his
wife who was also ever 45 (born before 1755).
41. Solomon Roudebush was one of the dispossessed sons mentioned in his
father’s will, but nothing more is known about him.
42. Daniel Roudebush was born in 1749, and, in 1774, he married Christina
Schnebley or Snively who was born in Pennsylvania in 1759.98 She is said to
have been of “Dutch” descent and a niece of Dr. Snively, a well known
physician in the Colonies at that time. He and Christina had a farm in
Frederick County, Maryland, and he was an Associator in Frederick County
during the Revolution- ary War. The following story is related about his
participation in the events of that period :
In Frederick County three Tories were tried and found guilty of treason to the
Colonies by the County Court of Oyer and Terminer, and Mr. Roudebush was one
ef the jurymen to convict them and the youngest man on the panel, being then
only twenty-seven years old. These Tories were sentenced under the old
Maryland Colonial Statutes to be hanged, drawn and quartered, but the latter
two forms were dispensed with at the execution. As there were rumors of Tories
coming to Frederick to release the condemned men, the Court summoned a posse
comitatus of three hundred men to be on duty at the jail until the hanging
took place and to guard the same. Mr. Roudebush was the tenth man summoned and
was on duty sixteen days and witnessed the execution. He was afterward called
out for two weeks as a Militiaman to perform guard duty with his battalion at
Frederick, Maryland. In 1796 Daniel, with his family, emigrated to Bryant’s
Station, Kentucky where they remained until 1799. Then he bought 500 acres
fron General James Taylor of Newport, Kentucky in Stark’s survey (No. 2755) in
Clermont County,Ohio at two dollars per acre. Today, Goshen, Ohio stands on
part of this grant. In December of 1803, Daniel became lost in the woods while
searching for his horses. His neighbors became alarmed because of the density
of the forest and its wild beasts. Searching parties were sent out in all
directions for him but were unsuccessfu1 After wandering for three days
without food, on the fourth day he found Ephraim McAdam’s cabin near
Williamsburg, Ohio, which was about seventeen miles from his home. After
McAdam fed him (it is said that the hot bread he was given affected his mind;
perhaps he ate it too voraciously), he lent Daniel a horse and he rode to his
home, arriving five days after his original departure. He never completely
recovered from the effects of this exposure. He died in the following October
(1804). He is buried in Myers Cemetery, Goshen, Ohio, and his grave is marked
as a Revolutionary War veteran.
43. Jacob Roudebush (my relative) was born in 1752, and married Anna
Rickstacker of Pennsylvania. He had a farm of 100 acres in Berwick Township of
York County, at least during the years 1779 through 1782. It appears that he
bought another farm in Cumberland Township (or did this part of Berwick
Township become Cumberland Township?) in 1783 since a Jacob Roudebush was
taxed there in that year. He may have been the Jacob Rodpouch who was a
member of the York County Militia Company in Dover Township under Captain John
Sharp in the years 1787 and 1788.
Sometime between 1793, when his daughter, Susannah, was born in York County,
Pennsy1vania, and 1795, when his son, Jesse, was born in Virginia, Jacob and
his family moved to Rockingham Country, Virginia. There is a reference to a
deposition being taken on December 2, 1806 in the house of Jacob Roudebush “at
the sign of the Cross Keys” in Rockingham County. This may refer to the town
of Cross Keys, Va.–one of John’s(#40) sons, George is said to have lived near
Cross Keys, Va.–or it may mean that Jacob had an inn there. The date doesn’t
appear to allow this reference to be applied to Jacob and his “inn”, but it is
interesting to note that George Washington, on his way home from the Ohio
Valley, spent several days in Rockingham County “at one Rudiborts.”
By 1810, Jacob had moved his family to Strabane Township in Washington County,
Pennsylvania, and, in 1821, he came to what was then Columbiana County (now
Carroll County), Ohio. He put up a rude log cabin on his farm in Washington
Township. He lived there the rest of his life, dying in 1837. He and his wife
are buried in unmarked graves on this farm. He was a member of the Whig Party
and the Disciples of Christ Church.
44. Michael Roudebush was born November 21, 1753. His first wife’s name was
Juliana, and her maiden name may have been Bigler. Mark Bigler arrived in
Pennsylvania in 1733, settling on a farm of 200 acres in Lancaster County.
Later he moved to Frederick County, Maryland, and his will, which was proved
in 1787, names eleven children, and the eighth listed married a person named
“Randabush.” A great-grandson of Michael was named, “W. Bigler Roudebush.”
In the Spring of 1785, Michael is listed on the muster roll of the Eighth
Company, Seventh Battalion of the York County Militia. He received
depreciation pay as a member of the Continental Line.
He was taxed in Berwick Township of York County from 1779 to 1783. According
to the terms of his father’s will, which was probated March 25, 1784, Michael
was given the plantation that Henry had settled. Later, on May 27, 1788, he
was appointed guardian of three of the children of his brother John: Margaret,
Susannah and George.
On June 7, 1794, Michael and Juliana sold their farm in Berwick Township to
Anthony Deardorff of Reading Township for 1200 pounds. We find references to
him in Bedford County in the years 1797 and 1798, and the Pennsylvania census
for the years 1800 to 1830 list him in Woodbury Township of Bedford County. In
1804 he was taxed for 300 acres, three horses and three cows in Bedford
County. On June 2, 1807, Michael bought 200 acres of land in what was then
Cumberland County, but which became Bedford County, from Daniel Beecher and
his wife, Catherine. In 1804 he was patented 200 acres and warranted 100 acres
in Bedford County, and in 1811 he was patented another 200 acres there.
By 1816, it appears that he had married a second time. He was warranted 100
acres of land in that year, and his wife is called Margaret in the Deeds Book.
She had apparently been married first to a man named Kenney since Michael
named his “stepson Alexander W. Kenney of Martinsburg” to be the executor of a
conveyance of land to John Kirschman and Nicholas Strayer.
In 1817 he was the lowest bidder for land in Bedford County that had been
confiscated from Benjamin J. Newman, but by 1826, Michael appears to have
fallen on lean times since 200 acres of his land was sold to satisfy a very
small debt of $20.26 to John Teiter.
Michael died about 1733 in Bedford County since a caveat to the land
transaction with Kirschman and Strayer mentioned above, dated 1733, says that
Michael is deceased.
7 Jacob Roudabush b. MAR. 10, 1786 d. JUL. 4, 1848
m. Mary Magdalene Whetzel m. SEP. 3, 1808 b. 1788 d. 1850
[daughter of Peter Whetzel (or Whitzel) and Anna Metz]
Moved with family to Washington Co. PA., but returned to VA in 1818
This was the first generation to spell the name with an “A”
Buried in Elkton, VA. His wife is buried beside him, but in an unmarked grave.
8 Peter William Roudabush b. AUG. 10, 1826 d. SEP. 21, 1885
m. Elizabeth Koontz m. DEC. 12, 1853 b. 1834 d. AUG. 6, 1905
[daughter of John J. Koontz and Mary Baumgardner or Bungerman]
Elizabeth:
Nicknamed Bettie
9 Robert Trenton Roudabush b. SEP. 22, 1867 d. DEC. 5, 1945
m. Lula Ann Suthard b. SEP. 29, 1869 d. APR. 2, 1942
[daughter of Joshua Calvin Suthard and Eliza Jane Parks Suthard]
Was also called Nube or Noodles
Lula:
Father was in Civil War
10 Frank Calvin Roudabush b. April 14, 1904 d. September 1973
m. Margaret Gorecki d. SEP. 22, 1972
11 Phyllis Lea Roudabush
m. LeRoy Christian Habersack b. February 10, 1931
[son of Henry Conrad Habersack and Florence Manns]
still living – details excluded
LeRoy:
still living – details excluded
12 Michael Alan Habersack, Senior b. October 24, 1960
m. Elizabeth Lee Powers Habersack m. January 4, 1985
[daughter of George Joseph Powers and Carolyn Agnes Lannon]