Margaretha (Margaret) Brandstetter Schneider (Snyder) was born on February 19, 1783 in Heidelberg Township Northhampton County (now Lehigh County), Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of John Jacob Brandstetter and Maria Margaretha Bloß.
She was christened on March 23, 1783. It was recorded in the records of Heidelberg Union Church.
She married Jacob Schneider (Snyder) about 1799. Jacob was born on May 24, 1774. His parents were Balthazar Schneider (Snyder) and Sophia Cottle.
Margaretha and Jacob had at least ten children:
Margaret (Margareta) Schneider (Snyder)
(December 26, 1800),
Henry (Heinrich) Schneider (Snyder) (June 15, 1802),
Salome Schneider (Snyder) (August 29, 1804),
John Jacob Schneider (Snyder) (March 3, 1807),
Simon Schneider (Snyder) (1809),
Jonas Schneider (Snyder) (January 1, 1811),
Lydia Schneider (Snyder) Rex (February 3, 1813, married Joseph Rex),
Elias Schneider (Snyder) (April 29, 1816),
Daniel Schneider (Snyder)
(October 7, 1818),
Owen Schneider (Snyder) (May 11, 1821), and
Hannah Schneider (Snyder) (October 26, 1823).
Margaret died on December 17, 1836 in Heidelberg and is buried in the Old Cemetery of Heidelberg Church.
At the time of the 1850 census, Jacob was 76 years old and living with his daughter Lydia Rex's family in Washington Township, Lehigh County.
Heidelberg Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania originally included Washington Township and Slatington. It is located on Trout Creek and Jordan Creek.
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania was first settled about 1730 and officially constituted in 1812 with the division of Northampton County.
European and indiginous American fought fierce battles as the Europeans expanded their territory.
Balzer Schneider was born in Germany in 1732. He and his brother Michael came to America in 1750 and landed near Baltimore, Maryland.
He worked nine years for a farmer to pay for his passage.
He married Sophia Cottle in LeHigh County, Pennsylvania about 1760.
Ballzer died on September 4, 1797.
Nine children reached maturity:
Balzer Schneider Jr. (1764 - 1782 died fighting the Indians),
Michael Schneider,
Henry Schneider,
Otilla Schneider,
Conrad Schneider,
George Schneider,
Margaret Schneider,
Christian Schneider,
Jacob Schneider (May 24, 1774 - June 4, 1850).
