FIRST GENERATION

1. Theobald MECHLING was born about 1701 in Germany. He emigrated on 11 Sep 1728 from Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He died in Apr 1765 in Northampton Co. Pennsylvania. He was buried in Apr 1765 in old graveyard near Dillingersville Pennsylvania. He has Ancestral File number LJ27-QN. BIOGRAPHY: MECHLING MECHLIN MACKLIN 1728-1989 Volume I COMPILER: Dorothy Hallary Mercy

Theobald Mechling and his brother Jacob arrived in Philadelphia on 11 Sept. 1728 aboard the ship the "James Goodwill" David Crockett master. Since they were numbered among the 90 some Palatines aboard it has widely been believed that the Mechling brothers came from the Palatinate which is the southwestern part of Germany. A great-great-grandson gives credence to this theory. listing their home as being in Rheinfels Bavaria which today is part of Baden-Wurtenberg on the Rhine River. However since Dewalt eldest son of Theobald named two of his properties in Westmoreland Co. Pennsylvania "Mechlinburg" and "Strelitz" respectively place names in the province of Mecklenburg in the northeastern part of Germany doubt has been cast upon the Palatinate origin. Also the Palatinates were mostly Catholic while Mechlinburg was mostly Lutheran the religion of the Mechlings. Only further research will determine their correct origin. The "James Goodwill" sailed from Rotterdam Holland to Deal England where on 15 June 1728 it left for America. Aboard were 42 men above the age of 16 comprising 37 families. Theobald's name is spelled as Teobald Mekeling on the ship's manifest. Upon arrival in Philadelphia they went before the Provincial Council to declare their intent to settle peacefully in this country. They then signed a declaration of allegiance to King George II of England. Theobald signed his name with the letter "D" for Deobald or Dewalt the German spelling. Theobald and Jacob went to Germantown at that time separate city from Philadelphia where they engaged in the tannery business for a few years. It is quite likely that an older member of the family was already living in Germantown then as buried in Germantown is a Maria Mechlin wife of Samuel who died 18 June 1759 aged 61 years 2 months and 4 days. As there is no record of a Samuel Mechlin in Germantown at that time one can suppose that this Samuel had preceded the Mechling brothers to Germantown probably establishing the tannery business which may have attracted them to Germantown in the first place. The name Samuel is carried down in the Mechling family. Nothing definite is known about Theobald for the next few years but apparently he married sometime during that period to Anna Elizabeth Lauer daughter of John Peter and Anna Margaret Laurer. In 1731 his eldest son Dewalt was born presumably in Germantown. In 1734 he obtained a grant of 125 acres in Bucks County from Thomas and Richard Penn sons of William Penn and proprietors of the province of Pennsylvania. According to the record of land patents warrants and purchases filed in Bucks County Theobald secured land as follows:

June 29 1734 - warrant for 125 acres (an estimate)
June 12 1737 - 144 acres and 120 perches surveyed
Jan. 22 1744 - warrant for 20 acres
July 17 1744 - 23 acres and 18 perches surveyed
Apr. 29 1747 - warrant for 11 acres
May 5 1747 - 11 acres and 18 perches surveyed
Sep. 16 1757 - 17 acres and 116 perches surveyed
Oct. 6 1757 - warrant for 25 acres

Theobald moved to this land in Bucks County and built a log cabin which is still standing now incorporated into the body of a much larger house on the property near Zionsville. The original log cabin is now the middle room in this house with the original fireplace. The house has been placed on the Pennsylvania Inventory of Historical Places as being one of the few pre-Revolutionary houses in that area. The log cabin was located near a stream called Mechling's Creek (later Walter's Creek). A dam was erected across the stream and a mill built. In 1735 the Provincial Council ordered a road built to be called the King's Highway. It passed close to the Mechling cabin. In 1737 Theobald signed a petition to have Upper Milford district in which his property was located assigned to a seperate region which was finally done in 1752 when Northampton County was formed. It became part of Lehigh County in 1812. He was one of the founders of the Upper Milford Lutheran Church donating 30 acres of land for the site of the church and a burial ground. His donation of fifteen shillings towards the pastor's salary in the years 1756 1757 1758 and 1759 made him one of the three largest contributors. But by 1757 differences of opinion arose in the congregation and several members including Theobald broke away and started a new congregation some two miles away in the vicinity of present day Zionsville. Nothing is known concerning any active military participation on the part of Theobald but there is one brief item in Pennsylvania Archives Series 5 Volume 1 page 222 a report of the constable sent to patrol the frontier during the French and Indian War mentions that Dewalt Mechlin of Upper Milford township had a horse returned. The report is dated June 10 1758. He died in April 1765 leaving a will which was signed "Davold Mechlin" and his mark "D". He is buried along with his wife Anna Elizabeth (he death date not known) in the old graveyard near Dillingersville. The graveyard is still preserved but the Mechling stones have long since vanished.


REFERENCES: History of Lehigh County Pennsylvania by Roberts Pennsylvania Archives Pennsylvania German Society Church Records of Upper Milford

COURT: Will of Theobald Mechlin

In the name of God Amen I Devold Mechlin of the township of Ubermilford in the county of Northampton in the province of Pennsylvania being old and weak in body but of a sound & perfect mind and memory Blessed be God for ye same and weile (sic) it is appointed for all Men to Die and to Leave their Worldly Estates behind Do I this Nineteenth Day of September in ye year of our Lord one Thousand Seven hundred and sixty-three make & Publish this my Last Will and Testament. In the manner and form following after my Just Debts be fully Paid and Discharged that is to say first I Give & bequeath unto my beloved Wife Elizsabeth Mechlin one complete Bed and Bed Stead with all the furniture one Cow one Side Saddle to be worth Three Pounds and ten Shillings one Chest one Spinning Weal (sic) Two Iron Pots a black one and one Small one all the flax which is Not Spun into yarn at my decease & two butter dishes three plates six spoons one tea pot two bureaus one pine. Then it is my will That Soon after my Death all the money Due to be Divided in the following whereas I have Given to my oldest Son Daobold Mechlin the Sum of one hundred pounds when he was married. Likewise the Said Sum of one hundred Pounds I have Given to my Second Son Peter Mechlin when he was married. Also I have Given to my Daughter Elizabeth who is married to Lenhard Stininger the Sum of Seventy-two Pounds the Remaining Twenty-eight shall be paid after my Decease if I do not pay in my Life Time to make up the hundred pounds. Receipts Shall be produced of them all. Item one hundred Pounds I Give unto my Son Jacob Mechlin together with the Lawful Interest for the Same from the Twenty-seventh Day of November Last. Also I Give unto my Two other Sons Philip Mechlin and Thomas Mechlin Each of them the Sum of one hundred Pounds with Lawful Interest aforesaid which shall be Lend out upon Interest By my Executors hereafter mentioned & to be paid unto them as Each of them Come of his full age of Twenty-one years. Item I Give and bequeath unto my oldest Son Dabold Mechlin the Sum of five Pounds of Good and Lawful money of Pennsylvania to him in hand paid within one month after my Decease by my Executors. Item I Give and bequeath unto my Son Thomas Mechlin the Plantation which I now Live on Situated in ye Township of Ubermillford in the County aforesaid containing one hundred and Seventy acres being the same more or less together with all ye improvements there on for ye value or Price of four Hundred Pounds of Lawful Money of Pennsylvania to be Paid. In the manner following one year after his Taking it in possession when he comes to his full age of Twenty-one years he shall pay the first payment the Sum of Twenty-five Pounds and Every year Twenty-five Pounds to full payment is made for whole which Said Sum of Four hundred Pounds Shall be Equal Divided among my Six Children before mentioned. Every payment yearly as they become Due. Ye said Plantation To be possessed by him the Said Thomas Mechlin his heirs and Assigns forever. Further it is my will that in Case he Should Die before he will Come to his full age aforesaid and Leaving no Lawful heirs Then I give and bequeath the Same to my Son Phillip Mechlin his heirs & assigns for Ever and in Case he Should not Live to be Enjoyable and Leave No heirs as aforesaid then I Give and bequeath the same to my Son Jacob Mechlin by the Conditions above mentioned. Further it is my will that if one or Either one of my three Sons as Jacob Philip and Thomas Mechlin Should Not live he or them be of their full age then his share shall equal be divided among the remaining of my Children or their heirs and assigns. Item I Give unto my three Last Subscribed Each of then when they Come of age one young mare at the value of Thirteen Pounds one good New hunting Saddle one bridle one new Shmoot (sic) Gun one Chest one asct (sic) one Grubin (sic) hoe two small Rings and two wedges. Item I Give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife Elizabeth Mechlin all the third Part of my Personal Estates all the Remainder of my moveable Estates I Give and bequeath to my Six Children to be Divided Shear and Shear (sic) Alike among them. Item I give to my son Jacob Mechlin my great Coat. Further it is my will that after my Decease my wife shall have one good Room in the house to Live in and a bed in the Garden next to the old house about thirteen feet broad up the whole length of the Garden & one long Row of apple trees In the orchard for her own Use during her natural Life if She Remains a widow and no Longer. Item I give unto my said wife Elizabeth ye third share of the Rent of my Plantation as long as she Remains a widow but no Longer which yearly to be Paid to her. Further Provided a true Inventory Shall be made Soon after my Death of all my moveable Estates money Bonds Bills from the highest to the Lowest by my Executors hereinafter mentioned; further it is my will that my Executors shall make sale of my moveable Estate for the best price that Can begotten and Enable them to Discharge my Debts and to Rent out my plantation till my Son Thomas Comes to be of age aforesaid. I do here by make Constitute and appoint my Second Son Peter Mechlin and my Wife Elizabeth Mechlin Sole Executors of this my Last Will and Testament to Take Care of my Children and their Estates and for everything herein before mentioned performed according to my true Interest and meaning thereof and In case If my Said Wife Elizabeth Should marry again then I make and constitute and appoint my Loving friend Samuel Mechlin ** in heir Room (sic) to act for my Sole Executor with my son Peter. And in Case any Dispute Should arise Between my Children among themselves or between my Children and My Wife or between them of my Executors Then in Such Case I do Hereby order that they Shall Not go to Law with Each other to Dispute But it is my will and do order That all Disputes Shall be Settled between three men in ye neighborhood chosen by them as arbitrators and according them three men their Judgments Each Party Shall Stand do & be Satisfied accordingly. And I Do here by declare This only to be My Last Will and Testament and all Former Wills and Testaments to be Void. In Witness whereof I the Said Davold Mechlin have to this my Last will and Testament Set my Hand and Seal the Day and year above. Written Signed Sealed Delivered by the Said Davold Mechlin as and for his Last Will and Testament in ye Presence of us Who were present at the Signing and Sealing Thereof.

Davold his Mechlin

D

mark Peter Heildeman Johannes Johns

Philadelphia May 8th 1765. There Personally appeared Peter Heildeman & Johannes Johns the Witnesses to the forgoing Will and the said Peter Heildeman on Oath & Johannes Johns on his Solemn affirmation according to Law did Declare and affirm they Saw and heard Davold Mechlin the Testator therein named Sign Seal Publish and declare the same Will for and as his last Will and Testament and that at the doing that he was of Sound Mind Memory & Understanding to the best of their knowledge.

** This is probably the Samuel Mechlin of Germantown whose wife Maria died in 1759. Although called "friend" this term was often used for close relatives.

He was married to Anna Elizabeth LAUER (daughter of John Peter LAUER and Anna Margaret (LAUER)) BET 1730/1731 in Germantown Pennsylvania. Anna Elizabeth LAUER was born about 1700. She died in Northampton Co. Pennsylvania. She was buried in old graveyard near Dillingersville Pennsylvania. She has Ancestral File number LJ27-RT. Theobald MECHLING and Anna Elizabeth LAUER had the following children:

child+2 i. Dewalt (John Theobald) MECHLING.
child+3 ii. John Peter MECHLING.
child4 iii. Unnamed MECHLING was born before May 1740. She was christened on 11 May 1740 in St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church Red Hill Pa.. She died in Pennsylvania. She has Ancestral File number LJ27-VC.
child+5 iv. Anna Elizabeth MECHLING.
child6 v. Anna Margaret MECHLING was born on 27 Apr 1744 in Northampton Co. Pennsylvania. She was christened on 3 Jun 1744 in Evangelical Lutheran Church Upper Milford Pennsylvania. She died on 10 Apr 1748 in Pennsylvania. She was buried in New Hanover Twp. Philadelphia Co. Pennsylvania. Buried on her Uncle Jacob's farm in the New Hanover township of what was then Philadelphia County. Today this area is a part of Colebrookdale Township in Berks County. She has Ancestral File number LJ27-XP.
child+7 vi. John Jacob MECHLING.
child+8 vii. Philip MECHLING.
child+9 viii. Thomas MECHLING.

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