An American Family History

Daniel Brandstetter, Sr. and Christina Bauman were married in Pennsylvania before 1801 when their first son was born. Daniel worked as a blacksmith.

Their first eight or nine children were born in Pennsylvania. Daniel Branstitter was born on September 22, 1801 and Henry Branstetter was born in 1803.

Early records of the Brandstetter family are found in the Towamensing Union Church Records in Carbon County, Pennsylvania.

On May 27, 1801, Daniel and Christina were sponsors at Theobald Straub and Margaret Bloss' son, Daniel's baptism. Margaret was Daniel's maternal first cousin. John (Johannes) Branstetter's birth was recorded there on August 6, 1804 and Theobald and Margaret were his sponsors.

Sarah Branstetter Rogers Neville was born on September 15, 1806. Daniel's brother, Jacob, and Juliana Schmidt were her sponsors.

On May 24, 1807, according to Towamensing's records, they were sponsors at David Muffly's baptism. David was the son of Johannes Muffly and Maria Barbara Yockey.

On December 25, 1807 they sponsored Magdalene, daughter of Johann and Katherine Baeyer.

In 1807 Daniel was deeded his father, John Jacob Brandstetter’s land in Heidelberg Township, Northampton (now Lehigh) County Pennsylvania.

Mary Branstetter Enoch was born on September 27, 1808. John, Sarah and Mary were all baptized at Towamensing Church in Carbon County. Elizabeth Branstetter Wallace Morris was born on September 7, 1810, Rebecca Margaret Branstetter Hullinger was born in September, 1811.

In 1812 Daniel again appeared on the list of taxable inhabitants of Heidelberg Township. Charles F. Branstetter was born on August 30, 1812. Eliza Louisa Branstetter Heller was born on November 4, 1814.

They were members of the Heidelberg Lutheran Church in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. They were the sponsors at several baptisms: Daniel Kunfahr on January 2, 1812 and Lilia Schneider (Snyder) on February 20, 1813.

In an August 30, 1815 Indemnity Bond Elizabeth (Elesabeta) Bransteder and Andrew Scheschler of Heidelberg Township agreed to pay Daniel Bransteter $2,000. Daniel agreed to look after the care and maintenance of the widow Elizabeth for the rest of her life. Elizabeth died in 1819.

On April 13, 1816, Daniel and Christina (Christianna) sold their land in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania to John Hunsicker. (recorded April 15, 1850) The price was seven hundred eighty pounds, ten shillings eight pence.

The family left Pennsylvania and became pioneers in Ohio.

On August 19, 1817 Daniel (Brandestedder) bought 133 acres of land from Henry Coffel in Champaign County (now Clark County), Ohio for $1,220.00. The land was Section 10, Township 5, Range 10. It was south of the town of Tremont. (Champaign County Land Records, p. 54)

The last two children were born in Clark County, Ohio. William Branstetter was born on January 3, 1819.

After settling in Clark County, Daniel bought some land in Trumbull (now Mahoning) County where his brother John and perhaps Henry had settled. The record shows that on December 12, 1820 Daniel (Brunstetter) bought land in Austintown Township #2 in the Connecticut Western Reserve, Trumbull County (later Mahoning), Ohio from George Wadsworth.

At the time of the 1820 census they were living in German Township, Clark County, Ohio.

Their youngest child, Nathan Branstetter was born on July 20, 1823. Daniel Jr. married in 1823 in Clark County.

About 1825, when Rebecca was fourteen, she became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church so it is likely the family was associated with that church at this time.

On February 18, 1825, Daniel sold his land in Mahoning County, Ohio to Jacob Bransteter (his brother ?) for $500.00. The land record says Daniel (Brunstetter) of Clark county, Ohio.

In 1827, Henry married in Clark County. In 1828 John married in Champaign County and Mary married in Clark County.

Daniel died before April, 1828.

In 1829, Sarah married in Clark County. The family (Christianna Branstetter) appeared in the 1830 census of German Township, Clark County, Ohio.

In 1830 all of the children who had married, Daniel, Jr., Henry, John and Sarah, were in German Township, Clark County. In 1830 Elizabeth married in Clark County.

According to the June 8, 1831 indenture, his land and property were sold to pay his debts and Jacob Kizer was appointed administrator of Daniel’s estate. The land consisted of 133 acres and 144 poles in Section 10, Township 5, Range 10 and was sold to Charles Ross for $501.00. Mr. William Cushing was appointed guardian Ad Litem for Elizabeth, Eliza, Margaret, William, Nathan and Charles. John, who was 27, was appointed guardian of three of the younger children: William, Rebecca, and Nathaniel.

Charles married in 1832. Eliza married in 1834 and Rebecca married in 1836.

In 1840 Chiristiana Branstetter was still living in Clark County.

In 1840 Henry, Mary, and Eliza were in German Township, Daniel, Jr. was in Shelby County and Sarah was in Tippecanoe County, Indiana.

William married in 1841 in Clark County. Nathan married in 1846 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana.

Christina did not appear in the 1850 census. By 1850 Henry was in German Township, and Daniel, Jr. was in Shelby County, John was in Allen County.

From an Ohio newspaper in 1840.

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

Clark County, Ohio was formed March 1, 1817, from Champaign, Madison and Greene Counties. The first settlement was in 1796. The inhabitants of German Township were German Lutherans who came from Virginia.

Choosing a Godparent sponsor was not just a formality in 17th century Germany. Each child had one Godparent of the same gender. It established ties between families that were near kinship. The Godparent was expected to provide spiritual support and material support in times of need.

The Public Land Survey System is used to survey and spatially identify land parcels in the United States. Range is the distance east or west from a referenced principal meridian in units of six miles. A Section is approximately a one-square-mile block of land. There are 36 sections in a township. A Township is a parcel of land of 36 square miles or a measure of the distance north or south from a referenced baseline in units of six miles.

An indenture is a legal contract for labor or land. Two copies on the same sheet were separated with a jagged edge so that the two parts could be refitted to confirm authenticity. An indentured servant worked without wages for a specified time to pay a debt and was bound to the employer. In the 17th century, nearly two-thirds of settlers came as indentured servants to pay for their passage.