Jacob Levan - I35551 - Individual Information - Wisconsin and Illinois Genealogy

Jacob Levan (I35551)

Surname: Levan
Given Names: Jacob

Gender: Male

Birth: about 1702 -- Hockenheim, Netherlands
Death: 12 March 1768 -- near Kutztown, Maxatawny Twp., Berks Co., Pa

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Personal Facts and Details

Notes

Note

He arrived in Philadelphia on the MARY GAMBY on 9 Jan 1729. Some records state that some of his brothers were on the same ship.
He settled at Eagle's Point, Maxatawny Twp., Berks Co., PA. being one of the first settlers of the region with extensive land holdings; the present Borough of Kutztown being built on part of his estate. He erected the first stone grist mill in this area and it was still standing in 1927. From the balcony of the mill Count Zinzendorf of the Moravian Church preached to the settlers in the fall of 1742 from the balcony of the mill porch. Rev. Michael Schlatter, the organizer of the Reformed Church preached from there to a large crowd of people on 28 June 1747. His massive mansion, patterned after his ancestrral home in Northern France, has the date 1740 carved on the inside of the door lintel.

He served as judge from 1751-1762 in Berks Co., PA. and commissioned the building of several frontier forts in 1758.
During the French and Indian War when settlers were being massacered, Jacob organized a volunter company to protect the settlers so that they could plant their crops.

He made his will in Maxatawny Twp., Berks Co., PA on 10 March 1766 and it was probated on 12 Mar 1768.
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Jacob was born in 1702 in Amsterdam, Holland and died in 1768 inMaxatawny Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania ‎(Kutztown)‎. ‎(Source:''Annals of Oley Valley in Berks County, Pennsylvania'' by Rev. P.C. Croll.)‎
Jacob LeVan settled at Eagle Point, Maxatawny Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. He was one of the first settlers of that region,and an extensive land owner, the present flourishing Borough of Kutztown being built on part of his estate. He erected the first grist mill inthis section of the country. The mill is still standing ‎(1927)‎, aninteresting and romantic symbol of bygone industry. He and his familyused the front part of the mill as their home until their massive mansionwas built, patterned after Jacob LeVan's ancestral home in NorthernFrance. On the inside lintel of the door leading into the great hall wascarved ''1740'', the date of its erection.
The building was razed in 1844. The cellar, containing a spring ofwater, was arched, the masonry of the arch being so firm that it was onlywith difficulty it could be demolished. What a pity that this splendid example of colonial architecture was destroyed! The hospitality of its owners was famed far and wide and under its roof were entertained manynoted men of ‎(unreadable)‎ and Revolutionary periods. It was from thebalcony of the mill that Count Zinzendorf, of the Moravian Church in America, preached to the settlers in the fall of 1742, and also that Rev. Michael Schlatter, the organizer of the Reformed Church and the first Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Pennsylvania preached to a large multitude of people, June 28, 1747.
The LeVan home was the stopping place for the Moravian missionarieson their journeys to the various German settlements in Pennsylvania andadjoining colonies and to the Indians, the most noted of whom were CountZinzendorf, Bishop Augustus Gottlieb Spangenburg, Bishop John Christopher, Frederick Cammerhoff, and Rev. Leonard Schnell. In 1756,the period of the French and Indian war, the Indians began to makeincursions into the County, and massacred many of the settlers inHeidelberg and Albany townships in Berks County, and Lynn and Heidelbergtownships in Lehigh County. Jacob LeVan was instrumental in organizing avolunteer company to protect the settlers so they ''could plant theircrops and repair their fences''. It was called The Maxatawny andAllemangle Independent Guard, and consisted of 24 men, who served from April 3 to May 11. In 1758 Jacob LeVan was Commissary for the following frontier forts: Peter Doll's Block House, Fort Lehigh, Fort Allen, ABlock House and Fort Evert. ‎(See Pennsylvania Archives.)‎ He was judge of the County Court from 1752 to 1762.Taken by Lawrence Goodman from ''The LeVan Family'' by Warren Patten Coon.Reference: Abstracts of Berks County Wills 1752-1785Martin & Smith---Family Line Publications--Westminister, MD


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	Events of close relatives
Birth	about 1702 2226 Hockenheim, Netherlands
Marriage of father	about 1705 (Age 3) Daniel Levan (I780) (Age 25) - [Relationship Chart] Marie De Beau (I8002) (Age 29) - [Relationship Chart] ‎[View Family ‎(F426)‎‎]
Marriage	about 1728 (Age 26) Mary - ‎[View Family ‎(F15203)‎‎] Maxatawny Twp., Berks Co., Pa
Death of father	1768 (Age 66) Daniel Levan (I780) (Age 88) - [Relationship Chart]
Death	12 March 1768 (Age 66) near Kutztown, Maxatawny Twp., Berks Co., Pa
Reference Number	764
Universal Identifier	DA2A1B7C0974D711A1EDC88FCCEFDE2FAD29
Last Change	25 June 2006 - 16:13:43