Hans Heinrich Raudenbusch

THE RAUDENBUSCH FAMILY

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.