(Henry, Meshack, and Esther Erb)

ERB Mysteries

Meshack, Esther, and Henry Erb

Meshack Erb and Esther Erb both lived in Lampeter Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania in the mid 1770s. Both have unknown parents, and they may have been children of the same father.

        Meshack Erb was born about 1758. He served in the Lancaster County militia under Capt. Samuel Henry in the Revolutionary War under the name "Misic Erb". He had a wife (whose name is unknown) and five children: Esther, Elizabeth, Catherine, John, and Joseph. Their birth dates range from abt 1777 to abt 1785. His family shows up in the 1790 Census of Pennsylvania in District 133 as the household of "Mussock Erb". And they are also mentioned in his 1833 will, which was probated in Lancaster County under the name of "Messach Erb". As "Mefshach Erb" he owned property in New Providence Twp., just south of Lampeter in Lancaster Co. I assume these were all events in the life of one man whose real name was "Meshack". This was a well-known biblical name which was in use at that time, and which shows up again in his grandson Meshack LeFevre.

        Esther Erb was born about 1760. When she was only about 14 years old, she married George Naylor (1748-1828) in Lancaster City on June 7, 1774. George was an apple grower and revolutionary war soldier about whom quite a bit is known. They had at least ten children with birth dates ranging from 1775 to 1799. They eventually settled in York County, PA, but in 1775 they were living in Manor Twp. and in 1776 in Lampeter Twp - both in Lancaster Co..

The closely aligned birth dates of Meshack and Esther, their common residence in Lampeter Twp., and the fact that Meshack named one of his daughters Esther -- all suggest that Meshack and Esther may have had the same father. But who might he have been?

        Meshack and Esther's possible father. Meshack is said to have immigrated to Pennsylvania from Switzerland abt 1773. Nothing is known about Esther's birthplace, but she also may have been born in Switzerland and may have immigrated at the same time. Neither of their birth dates are known, but I have estimated Meshack's as abt 1758 (based on the birth dates of his children) and Catherine Paystrup has estimated Esther's as abt 1760 (based on her being about 14 when she married). This would make Meshack about 15 and Esther about 13 at the time of Meshack's immigration. And it would explain why neither of them show up on any of the ship lists of immigrants to early Pennsylvania, since the great majority of such lists did not record children under 16. Consequently neither would be expected to show up in American records until their marriages, which took place shortly after their arrival.

If both Meshack and Esther were children at the time of their immigration, they must have been accompanied by at least one adult on the voyage, who would most likely have been their father. And there is only one known candidate that fits this scenario.

Henry Erb (birthdate unknown, but abt 1740), was an immigrant who arrived in Philadelphia Sept 18, 1773 on the ship Britannia. Unfortunately, nothing else is known about him. If Esther came with him, she would have come just in time to marry George Naylor in Lancaster City on June 7, 1774. Meshack's marriage date is unknown, but judging from the birth of his first child, Esther, it would have been about 1776.

So far, no one has uncovered the contemporary documents needed to prove that Meshack and Esther are brother and sister or that Henry was their father. But the congruent dates and places, the lack of any inconsistencies or contradictions, and the lack of any other known candidates for these roles all point toward that possibility. And the fact that Meshack's granddaughter Rachel LeFever married Esther's grandson John Naylor also suggests a close relationship between the two.

Of course, it is also possible that Meshack and Esther are the children of an another, unknown, Erb -- or two unknown Erbs, if they had different fathers. Whoever the father was, he was not a descendant of Nicholas (Claus) Erb 1680 who came to Pennsylvania in 1737 and whose children and their families are well known. But if Henry Erb came from Canton Bern, it is quite possible that he was a cousin of Nicholas.

Primary Sources:
     1773 ship list of the Britannia (Henry Erb)
     1774 Lancaster City church marriage record (Esther Erb)
     17xx Lampeter property deed (Messach Erb)
     1776 Pennsylvania Gazette advertisement (Georg Naylor)
     1790 Census (Mussock Erb)
     1833 Will (Messach Erb)

Secondary Sources:
     1961 Gladys Lichtenwalter book (the "1772 or 1774"
          immigration of Messic Erb)
     Lancaster Pioneer and Patriot Families History Book
          (the military service of Misic Erb)

To see a detailed list of Henry's children and grandchildren that is based upon these assumptions, use the link below. If you can add any details that might clarify the relationships among this trio of mystery ERBs, please contact me.

Descendants of Henry

ERB Mysteries

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Last updated: 7 Jan 2001

Email: jhlarkins@msn.com