Heinrich Gerhardt Thomas

#1653 Heinrich Gerhardt "Gerhardt" Thomas◊ ( Johann Peter Thomas◊ • Jacob Thomas◊ )

Other names for Gerhardt: Garret Thomas◊, Gerhardt Thomas◊, Gerrard Thomas◊.

Gerhardt was born Abt 1730 in Pleizenhausen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He was baptised 31 Aug 1732 in Protestant Church, Pleizenhausen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He died Bef 24 Jul 1797 in Hempfield Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. He was buried in Harrold's Cemetery, Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.

The earliest record I have of Gerhardt is found in the passenger lists published in [Strassburger]. Gerhardt Thomas is listed aboard the ship Phoenix, John Spurrier, Master. It departed from Rotterdam and arrived in Philadelphia on 30 Sep 1754. The secondary lists, showing those who qualified before the mayor on 1 Oct 1754, indicate that he signed his own name. Gerhardt is listed next to a Peter Thomas, whom I presumed to be a brother or some other close relation. The records also indicate that the passengers were from Franconia, the Palatinate or Zweybreck...the latter probably being a misspelling of Zweibrücken.

However, in trying get further back, I came across some genealogy research on a Web site created by Rich Thomas. As I noted in the introduction to this Line, he ties Peter and Gerhardt back to a family from Pleizenhausen, Germany. He also notes that the baptismal records list him as Heinrich Geroth Thomas, and that the spelling Geroth was used by the church recorder in a number of instances for individuals with the name Gerhardt. His sponsors were Henrich Ruhel(?), Geroth Bauermann and Maria Catharina, wife of Nichol Bauermann.

Early records in America are in the name of Gerhardt, but his name changes to Garret on documents, except for his military service, where he is listed as Gerrard.

Regarding Garret's birth year and place: some approved applications to the Sons of the American Revolution have Garret Thomas of Hempfield, Pennsylvania born 1720 in Maryland, although they put a question mark next to the location. Other approved applications of the SAR, ones clearly matching the same ancestor in their database, give the year as around 1730 and the location in Germany as listed here. I assume that those Maryland records were simply mistakes that were ignored by the SAR.

He served as a private in the Pennsylvania Militia from Westmoreland Co. during the American Revolution. He is listed as Gerrard Thomas among the soldiers from Westmoreland Co. in List of Soldiers Who Served as Rangers on the Frontiers 1778-1783. He is also listed as a private under Captain Christopher Truby as Gerard Thomas.

[Zundel] provides a list of early land warrants and patents in the Greensburg area which includes:

Garrett Thomas, 1773, 700 acres, from near Harrold's, South to New Stanton, owned jointly with Stophel Harrold and Capt. Perry, Jacob Milliron, and Tobias Long, called "Great Bottom," as this was, indeed, a great bottom land.

The 1799 land ownership map compiled by Jacob Detar shows Garrett's land on the south-southwest edge of Greensburg.

In 1774, he was one of the 80 who signed the petition to Governor John Penn, asking for protection against the war with the Indians they felt was approaching.

To the Honorable John Penn Esquire

Governor & Commander in Chief in and over the Province of Pennsylvania and the Counties of New Castle Kent and Sussex upon the Delaware. The Petition of the Inhabitants of Westmoreland County Humbly Sheweth. That there is great reason to fear that this part of the county will soon be involved in an Indian War that the consequences will probably be striking as the country is in a defenseless state without any places of strength stock of ammunition or necessary stores. That the abandoning of the country must be attended with total ruin to great numbers who are now in an easy situation but almost distracted with the apprehensions of seeing their helpless infants fall a sacrifice to savage cruelty and this will most certainly be the event unless they meet with some protection. In these circumstances next to the Almighty they took up to your Honour and hope you will take their case into consideration and afford them such relief as to your Honour shall seem meet. And your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray.

In Church Family Roots, the biographical section on Cyrus Thomas (#16010) notes that there is a bronze marker near Harrold's St. John Reformed Church showing the petition and his great-grandfather's name appears as Gerhart Tames.

This same source goes on to tell that Garret rented the leaky cabin in Westmoreland Co. to Rev. John William Weber where the family almost froze in the winter of 1782.

He appears on the 1785 Census of Pennsylvania.

In 1790 he appears on the Federal Census for the same town.

He appears regularly on the tax lists for that town from 1783 onward.

Garret's will lists his wife and children. It was dated 3 Jun 1979 and proved on 24 Jul 1797. His sons, John and Barnard, were the executors.

∞ Gerhardt married #1654 Mary Magdalena◊.

Mary died Aft 1797. She was buried in Harrold's Cemetery, Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.

An entry in U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 lists her last name as Barnhard. The data for that book was taken in part from pedigrees, family trees and family group sheets, so there's no way to know whether this is creditable or not. The Bernhart/Barnhart tree does not, at the moment, contain a good candidate for her but that doesn't mean she doesn't belong there.

Children of this relationship:

#66133	F	i	Elizabeth Thomas
#66127	F	ii	Eve Thomas	(8 May 1761–6 Feb 1845)
#66130	M	iii	Johannes "John" Thomas	(Abt 1762–)
#66132	F	iv	Anna Margaretha "Margaret" Thomas	(18 Aug 1764–)
#66131	M	v	Johann Peter "Peter" Thomas	(28 Feb 1767–)
#1539	M	vi	John Bernhard "Barnet" Thomas◊	(22 Nov 1768–8 Jun 1851)
#57474	F	vii	Catherine Thomas	(2 Aug 1770–1851)
#66135	F	viii	Barbara Thomas	(12 Apr 1772–)
#2082	F	ix	Mary Magdalena "Polly" Thomas	(27 Mar 1774–22 Apr 1826)
#66134	F	x	Christina Thomas	(Abt 1775–Abt 1840)
#66129	M	xi	Gerhardt "Garret" Thomas	(18 Oct 1778–)

1790 U.S. Census, Hempfield Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1790 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. M637; Roll: 9; Page: 60; Image: 43; Family History Library Film: 0568149

Garret Thomas, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Ancestor #A112869.

H. M. Zundel, The Burg of Greene in Pictures Seen: a collection of pictures of Greensburg and vicinity, including views, maps, scenes, parades, groups, prominent persons, historic sketches and sentimental quotations, (Greensburg, Pa: Chas M. Henry Printing Co., 1927). Ref. as [Zundel]

Linda J. Soles, editor, Church Family Roots, "A History of the Families of The First Reformed United Church of Christ, Greensburg, PA", (Greensburg: United Church of Christ, 1996). p. 77

Lineage application of Donald Carl Steiner, SAR Membership Number: 84438, 9 Jan 1959, Ancestry.com. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Lineage application of Paul Lindley Thomas, SAR Membership Number: 68580, 21 Mar 1947, Ancestry.com. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Lineage application of William Pulver Soash, SAR Membership Number: 48634, 10 Oct 1929, Ancestry.com. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863, Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Year: 1786

Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801, Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission; Records of the Office of the Comptroller General, RG-4; Tax & Exoneration Lists, 1762-1794 Microfilm Roll: 341

Ralph Beaver Strassburger, LL.D., Pennsylvania German Pioneers, William John Hinke, ed., (Norristown, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania German Society, 1934). Ref. as [Strassburger] pp. 628, 631, 634

Rich Thomas, "My Genealogy Research...A Web Site by Rich Thomas", http://www.rtgenealogy.net/. Individual research and citing Professor Werner Hacker, Eighteenth Century Register of Emigrants from Southwest Germany (to American and other countries), (Apollo, Pennsylvania: Closson Press, 1994), 456-457

U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, [database online], Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Source number: 23909.001; Source type: Pedigree chart; Number of Pages: 2

William Henry Egle M.D., editor, Pennsylvania Archives, Third Series, Volume XXIII, (Harrisburg: William Stanley Ray, State Printer, 1897). p. 222

William Henry Egle M.D., editor, Pennsylvania Archives, Third Series, Volume XXIII, (Harrisburg: William Stanley Ray, State Printer, 1897). p. 320

Wills & letters of administrations of Westmoreland County Court House, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, [database on-line], Ancestry.com, Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: Della Reagan Fischer, Wills & letters of administrations of Westmoreland County Court House, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, (McKeesport, Pennsylvania: unknown, 1969) p. 72

Line Generation: 3

Relationship: Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather