An American Family History

Henry Brandstetter was born about 1777 in Heidelberg Township Northhampton County (now Lehigh County), Pennsylvania. He was the son of John Jacob Brandstetter and Maria Margaretha Bloß.

He married Mary Magdalena Neff (Polly). She was born in the 1770s in Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Conrad Neff and Elizabeth Freeley.

Their children included:
Henry Brunstetter (1798-1872, married Sarah Yager) and
Mary Brunstetter Strock (1799-1868, married Samuel Strock).

At the time of the 1800 census, the household was in Heidelberg Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The household consisted of a man and a woman between 16 and 25 and a boy and a girl under 10.

Henry was one of the early settlers in Canfield Township, Trumbull County (later Mahoning), Ohio. They left Pennsylvania in 1804 with 16 family members including Polly's parents. They made the journey in Conestoga wagons and found a settlement of only 16 log houses. They settled in the southeast of the township. Henry was one of the first members of the Canfield Reformed Lutheran Church. It was organized a few years prior to 1810. The first meetings were held at the member’s homes.

According to the History of Trumbull and Mahoning Counties by H. Z. Williams Henry Bronstetter was a private in the First company First regiment, Third brigade, Fourth division Ohio militia under Captain Joshua T. Cotton.

Henry, John and Jacob’s families all appear in the 1820 and 1830 census in Austintown, Trumbull County, Ohio.

Henry (Bronstetter) died on January 9, 1833. in Austintown, Trumbull (now Mahoning County), Ohio, when he was about 56 years old. A barn fell on him. He left a wife and two children.

Melancholy Accident
On the 9th instant, Henry Bronstetter, of Austintown, aged about fifty six years, while in the act of throwing down an old log barn, was thrown by a log to the ground, which broke his scull, causing instant death: he has left a wife and two children and a large circle of friends and acquaintances who mourn his untimely death. (Trumbull County Ohio Newspaper Obituary Abstracts 1812-1870 Clegg, Michael, Volume 1, 1981)

In 1850 Mary was living with her son Henry and his wife, Sarah in Austintown.

Heidelberg Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania originally included Washington Township and Slatington. It is located on Trout Creek and Jordan Creek.

Children of John (Johan) Jacob Brandstetter and Maria Margaretha Bloß Maria Barbara Brandstetter Peter Henry Brandstetter Daniel Brandstetter Margaretha Brandstetter Schneider (Snyder) Solomon Brandstetter Jacob Brunstretter