IMMIGRANT. Frantz Krick and his presumed brother Jacob arrived Philadelphia 11 Sep 1731 on the ship Pennsylvania Merchant, both over the age of 16. The captain listed everyone aboard in three groups: men over the age of 16, women over the age of 16, boys and girls. Included as women over 16 were Catherine and Magdalena Stouden (Stoudt).

Wil of Frantz Krick of Cumru. April 26, 1782 - June 4, 1784. Translation.
Mentions having rec'd. certain Bonds from son Frantz for land sold him. To son Peter, Bond of £50 of Frantz.
To son John, £50, do.
To son Jacob £50, do.
To daughters Margareth, Elisabeth, Maria, Catharine and Eve, Bonds.
Bonds of £50 each, and the last 2 Bonds due in 1801, to the 2 first born child of my daughter. Magdalena HELM.
Also mentions having sold land to sons John, Adam and George.
Remainder to sons and daughters, Johannes, Jacob, Frantz, George, Adam, Philip and Peter, Margaret, Elisabeth, Maria, Catharine and Eve.
Exrs: sons Frantz and George and son in law Jacob RUTH.
Wit: Christian RUTH and Abm. TROSTEL.

The cut-and-paste genealogy crowd have it that Frantz married Catherine Stoudt in Germany and there had sons John and Jacob and then the family left for America.

They do not seem concerned by the fact that Catherine was not listed as Catherine Krick by the captain -- shouldn’t she have been if she was already married to Frantz? Nor are they concerned with why neither of the two supposed sons were listed among the children.

I don’t believe the facts support the contention that Frantz married in Germany and came to America with his wife and two sons. No adult female Krick nor Krick children were listed by the captain on the ship that brought Frantz to America -- by a captain who listed the women and children.

I believe a better theory is that he married Catherine Stoudt once here, perhaps he met her on-board, perhaps they traveled to America together with the intention of marrying here, I don’t know. I’m not even 100% certain I should buy into the fact that her maiden name was Stoudt -- but I have no better idea and it leads nowhere in particular, so that’s what I’ll call her for now.

One of the sons Frantz supposedly brought with him to America was our ancestor Jacob, said to have been born in 1731. Since Jacob lived probably to 1823, meaning he would have been age 92 at death -- I am more comfortable with the idea that he was born in America.

Frantz Krick of Cumru Township, Berks County wrote his will 26 Apr 1782 and it was proven on 4 Jun 1784, probably shortly after he died. He mentioned wife Catherine and sons: Frantz, Peter, John, Jacob, Adam, George and Philip.

Men with names matching all (or all but one anyway) of those sons -- and no other “random” Kricks -- baptized a slew of children with their wives at Hain’s Church in the 1750’s to 1770’s. The sponsors at some of those baptisms were Frantz Krick (presumably the immigrant) and wife Catherine. Hain’s Church is in Heidelberg Township but not that far from Cumru.

There can be no question that this all was this one big family -- that of the immigrant Frantz Krick.

Among those baptisms were three by Jacob Krick “and wife”. They were Jacob baptized Sep 1772, Margaretha baptized 1773 and George baptized 1776. It would have been nice had the minister given the wife’s name, but he didn’t.

I believe this was our Jacob Krick. He received cash from his father’s estate after his father died -- it was to have been paid in 1785. I believe that he went west where land was cheaper and he was the Jacob Krick we find in the 1790 Census in Northumberland County in what would become Beaver Township. I believe he is the Jacob who died there in 1823 with daughter Magdalena who had married Jacob Hassinger. According to his will he also had children with each of the three names matching the three baptized at Hain’s -- and from what I can learn about them, nothing is inconsistent with those baptism dates for those children.

Ordinarily I might want just a little more proof of all of this -- that it really was the same Jacob and not just someone else who happened to share that name -- but in this case, I think it is a pretty solid case. Besides it leads only to Frantz. If I am wrong, then Frantz needs to be deleted from our tree. But it’s not like by linking to Frantz it opens up whole new branches of our tree that all have been posited on this one 95% proven (but not 100%) fact.

Dr. Charles A Fisher believed that our Jacob had come from Cumru Township although indicates that he may have been in Penns Township earlier than 1785. His version of events may well be true.

Frantz Krick and wife Catherine were named as sponsors at Hain’s Church quite a number of times, generally at the baptisms of their grandchildren.

Frantz’ will also named daughters: Margareth, Elisabeth, Maria, Catharine, Eve and Magdalena.