Berger Land Deeds

(I have NO source for this.  It was saved in my Aunkst file as two jpegs of a typed document, looks like it came out of a book.. I do not remember where it came from.)

Articles of Agreement. April 28. 1828. Between George Ber­ger of Pinegrove township. Schuylkill county, and his son George Berger. Jr.. of same place. Whereas George Berger, Sr., hath exe­cuted a deed of conveyance to his said son for plantation 011 which they reside, George Berger. Jr., is not to sell said premises against his Father’s consent, and George. Sr., reserves for himself and wife the sole use and occupancy of the back room on the lower floor of the dwell­ing house and also one room above. &c.

George Berger married Maria Catharine, whose surname is not known, and who died a resident of Pinegrove Township, Schuylkill County, before Octo­ber, 1838. Letters of administration on the estate of Maria Catharine Berger, late of Pinegrove Township. Schuylkill County, deceased, widow of George Berger, deceased, were granted to John Lengel, a son-in-law, October 1, 1838. Children, exact order of birth not known:

A daughter, married John Lengel.

Benjamin, of whom further.

Johann George, born January 9, 1805. baptized March 5, 1805, at Saint

Jacob’s Evangelical Church, in Pinegrove Township: sponsors, Johannes Heberling and wife Christina. He evidently died at the age of twenty-six years, having married a Miss Stein, as is indi­cated in the following:

December 1, 1831, Letters of Administration on the estate of George Berger late of Pinegrove Township, Schuylkill county, were granted to Peter Stein the Father- in-Law of George Berger, the widow having first renounced her right.

(Heads of Families at the First Census of the United States. 1790, Penn­sylvania, p. 38. Berks County. Pennsylvania. Deeds. Book 12, p. 251: Book 23, p. 318. D. G. Lubold: Jacob’s Church—Its History and Records, p. 264.)

TTI

BENJAMIN BERGER, son of George and Maria Catharine Berger, was born, probably in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in or before 1802. His occupa­tion was that of a turner, as appears in deeds in 1823 and 1828.

April 3, 1823. Daniel Angst of Pinegrove township. Schuylkill county. Tanner, and Margaret his wife, sold to Benjamin Berger, of the same place. Turner, for $320. tract in Pinegrove township, along

Tulpehocken road, adjoining Adam Minich. Jacob Ditzler, Jonathan Seidel and Benjamin Seidel, 45-2/3 perches.

The deed by which Benjamin Berger purchased three acres from his parents in April, 1828. appears in Generation II. above. Later in the same year he pur­chased other land:

December 10, 1828. John Stahl of Pinegrove township, Schuylkill county, Hatter, and Catharine his wife, sold to Benjamin Berger of the Village of Pinegrove, county aforesaid, Turner, for $100, haif part or moiety of tract in Pinegrove township, Schuylkill county, beginning at a post a corner in the Schuylkill and Lebanon county line, adjoining Samuel Hain, John Huber and Daniel Stahl, 114 acres, 20 perches, which the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania May 28, 1825, caused to be surveyed to John Stahl.

Twelve days later Benjamin Berger sold the said tract, at an advance of fourteen dollars:

December 22, 1828. Benjamin Berger and Polly his wife, for $114, sold to Samuel Hain half part or tract 114 acres, 20 perches.

Four year later, Benjamin Berger sold the land he had purchased in 1823, and also the three acres which he had bought from his parents:

July 9, 1832. Benjamin Berger and Catharine his wife, for $212, assigned to Jonathan Gebhart of Pinegrove township, Schuylkill county, the tract of 45-2/3 perches. Witnesses Jno. Salter Wharton, Jacob Christ. Signed “Beianien Berger” (in German), Catharine (her X mark) Berger.

July 9, 1832. Benjamin Berger and Catharine his wife, for $95,. assigned to Jacob Snook and Jonathan Gebhart,tract of 3 acres. Signed “Beniamen Berger” (in German).

Besides the foregoing parcels of land, he was warrantee of twenty-five acres in Schuylkill County, surveyed tor him April 11, 1755.

The facts that Benjamin Berger's wife was called “Polly” when she, with him, conveyed land in December, 1828. and that his wife was called Catharine in the two deeds of July, 1832, suggest that he may have married twice. On the other hand, his wife’s name may have been Mary Catharine, a name similar to his mother’s, Maria Catharine, and a diminutive of Mary is Polly.