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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: davisd on Friday 07 April 23 22:32 BST (UK)
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I'm taking chance bothering folks here about tax records for 18th c Pennsylvania but here goes:
I have a 1779 Returns of taxes for Warwick Township, Lancaster County which lists a "Brother's House" with a dozen men's names as a group - no tax recorded. Following that list is the word "Inmates" followed by quite a lot of names, among them William White whom, I think may be an ancestor. I'm certain the Brothers House was Moravian but uncertain about inmates.
Can anyone explain what Inmates are? or Freemen" were ? another term.
Thanks in advance for any clues.
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The mystery to me is: What is the difference between the 12 men grouped together and the rest of the men on the page?
Do the Moravians have clergymen? I think so.
Would there be 12 in the one little town? Probably not.
So are the top twelve the directors of the Brothers' House and the others just live there?
That's my guess - "inmates" just means they live there, as opposed to making the decisions about the running of the house.
from Lititz Moravian Congregation - About Us
https://lititzmoravian.org/about-us/
"In 1758-59 the Single Sisters’ House and the Single Brothers’ House were constructed of limestone on either side of the church. Residence in the buildings was not required, but usually chosen for the camaraderie within the age group and for training in the trades."
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I found these others along the way. Here they are in case you don't have them.
The Church Square Journal - published by the Archives Committee of the Lititz Moravian Congregation, Spring 2011 issue
https://f5b97accd102bbd14951-7ec62e239b234ba5fc66c7521617b03e.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/uploaded/1/0e7913474_1539020053_15-spring-2011-csj.pdf
There might be more issues on line if you search for the title.
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Long article, published 1949. free access to read on line if you set up an account:
Bicentennial History of the Lititz Moravian Congregation
https://www.jstor.org/stable/41179313
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Just noticed you asked about freemen. Here is an article about what it meant in Puritan New England. It sounds like it would be about the same in a Moravian community in Pennsylvania. - A man in good standing in the church.
https://www.tribstar.com/news/lifestyles/genealogy-settlers-with-new-england-puritans-had-to-earn-freeman-position/article_36459e9b-d79e-50bd-90d4-3ae5ac8576a7.html
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Robert Proud's "History of Pennsylvania", 1797 vol 2, in describing the settlement of Bethlehem ..
"It consists of private houses, improved and ornamented by diverse large and spacious buildings, of a more public, or general, kind, for the use of the society, which are calledquoir houses: these are distinctly appropriated for the use of different parts of their community, at that place; as, for children, single men, single women, widows and widowers, and sepaprated in these large houses;..."
Quoir/Choir Idealogy
https://brill.com/display/book/9789004319479/BP000002.xml?language=en
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Noticed the name Gambold in the document.
John Gambold 1711-1771 (6x great uncle to my wife) was the first Moravian Bishop in Great Britain.
This Joseph must be related.
Looks like some more research coming on. :)
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeman_(Colonial)
NOTE - URL looks OK but doesn't deliver specific article. When screen returned -
a. Click on "Search for Freeman Colonia"
b. Click on 1st item returned
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Many thanks @oldohiohome and others - a wealth of helpful links and information.
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Is the column headed "21 Brother's House Lititz"?
Jedediah Morse's "The american geography ...", published 1787
"Lititz in Lancaster county & Warwick Township, eight miles from Lancaster and seventy miles west from Philadelphia. This settlement was begun in the year 1757. There are now, besides an elegant church, and the houses of the single brethren and single sisters, which form a large square, a number of houses for private families, with a store and taven, all in one street. There is also a good farm and several mill works belonging to the place. The number of inhabitants, including those that belong to Lititz congregation, living on their farms in the neighbourhood, amounted, in 1787, to upwards of 300."
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Yes it's interesting that the brothers did not pay tax (in this case) nor did inmates.