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My Paternal Ancestors Dellinger, Knecht, Pfeffer, Silar & allied families |
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Introduction
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Our paternal line of ancestors who stem from the DELLINGER-SILAR families are, for the most part, German in origin. Most came from the southwest region of Germany, the areas known as the Rhineland, Palatinate, Wurtemberg, and Baden. They were among the approximately 65,000 German immigrants who landed in Philadelphia between 1727 and 1775. There are many reasons why they left their homeland to make the treacherous journey across the Atlantic to America. Many made the voyage primarily because of the economic devastation of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) and the subsequent wars between the German principalities and France. They tended to come in family units. Many were not only farmers but also tradesmen or artisans. They eventually settled in York county, Pennsylvania and most remain there to this day. On the whole our ancestors were typical of the Germans who settled in rural Pennsylvania. They were orderly, industrious, carefully frugal, and affiliated with the Lutheran or Reformed church. If any interested themselves at all in politics, it was usually at the local level. Our KNECHT-PFEFFER ancestors were among the 5 million Germans who came to the United States during the 19th century. This secular transatlantic mass exodus from Germany was instigated mainly by socio-economic problems created because of a tremendous growth in population and a corresponding lack of employment opportunities during the crisis of the transition in Europe from an agrarian to an industrial economy. Frederick Pfeffer was the last of this line to immigrate to America. He and his wife Catharine Clement were among the 800,000 Germans who arrived, in America, between 1866 to 1873, to escape the, particularly difficult, hardships caused by Bismarck’s unification of the modern German imperial state and economy. In the United States our Knecht, Pfeffer, and Mildenburg ancestors lived within a distinctively German-American culture which flourished between 1870 and 1914. They resided in a part of Philadelphia almost exclusively German that maintained German-language publications, as well as churches, fraternal organizations, singing groups, saloons and orchestras. They made their living working in the many factories found at that time in the city. The Daughter’s of the American Revolutionary War have recognized our 6th great-grandfathers Jacob Dellinger, and Anthony Keller, Jr., as patriots of the Revolution. Other reliable sources indicate that our great-grandfathers Johan George Abel, Johan George Ilges, Andrew Gilbert, and Johann Friedrich Lieberknecht were in the York County Militia units during this war. …. Our 2nd great-grandfather Jonathan Dellinger served in the Union Army during the Civil War and was involved in the siege of Petersburg, Virginia during the summer of 1864. In April 1865, when the funeral obsequies of President Lincoln arrived in Philadelphia the 187th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, which included Jonathan as a member, led the procession from the railway station to Independence Hall and guarded the remains while they lay in state where a double line of mourners stretched three miles deep while waiting to view their fallen leader. Together with the 1st City Troop the Regiment was then detailed to escort the remains back to the railroad. During World War One, our grandfather Sherman R. Silar was a soldier in the 110th Infantry Regiment of the famed 28th “Keystone” Division. His military unit served with the American Expeditionary Force in France where Sherman was wounded in battle. A Colorado Blue Spruce tree grown by the family our grand-aunt Helen (Silar) Myers was chosen to be the National Christmas Tree in 1978. The 30-foot tree was planted in the Ellipse in October of that year and was tended by National Park Service horticulturalists and decorated every year during the National Tree Lighting Ceremony. In February, 2011 the tree was destroyed by high winds and was replaced by another Colorado Blue Spruce. Johann "Jacob" Dellinger wife Maria Barbara Gossner and family arrived in Philadelphia 27 August 1733 on the ship "Elizabeth" that sailed from Rotterdam. By 1755 he and his family had moved west of the Susquehanna River into in York County. Jacob settled in Windsor Township on land purchased from the sons of William Penn who were the proprietors on the Colony of Pennsylvania. Anthony Keller, Sr. his wife Anna Maria Barbara Chateau and three children arrived in America at the port of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 25 November 1740. They came over on the ship "Loyal Judith". The ship sailed from Rotterdam and made a stop in Deal. Paulus Schaffer, Sr. his wife Anna Maria Elizabeth Bracher and son Paul Schaffer, Jr. came on the ship "Thistle", which arrived in Philadelphia on 19 Sept 1738. Like most of these immigrant ships the brigantine “Thistle” left Rotterdam with a stop in England before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to North America. Johann Paul Ilges, his wife Maria Catharina Blau and family emigrated from Thaleischweiler, Bayern-Pfalz, Germany. They arrived in Philadelphia aboard the “St. Andrew” on August 18, 1750. Valentin Kuffer left his home in Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, and arrived at Philadelphia aboard the “Billender Townsend” in October 1737. He then moved west and settled in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania. |
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Surname
Index
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The following the surnames of direct ancestral lines found in our maternal family tree. Web pages have or will be constructed for each name. For more information about a specific family you are invited to click on the appropriate surname link listed below. Please note that we have two distinct MULLER families in this database. |
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Dorsch |
Schilt |
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# Other prominent spelling variations: Bayer/ Boyer; Kammerer |
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Additional information about the persons in our database as well as a complete listing of individuals with this surname may be reviewed by clicking on this LINK. |
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DKPS Newsletter Archive
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We have archived copies of our family newsletter. The Newsletter is published quarterly, and focuses upon interesting aspects in the lives of our ancestors included in the family tree of our maternal ancestors. Inquiries concerning this publication should be directed to us via the contact information found at the end of this page.
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Use the following LINK to view the past newsletters pertaining to our maternal family. |
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Heraldry of DKPS Family
Names
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If you have an elementary knowledge of heraldry you may wish to use this practice to trace your founding forefather. If you know the geographical place (country, county, city) where the family coat-of-arms was first identified, you may well search its history for the family name in question in order to find your direct ancestor. Remember that most noble European family pedigrees have been thoroughly researched and published. By putting together the family surname with the known location you may find a treasure trove of valuable information about your ancestors. Upon pursing your research you should be aware of the possibility of variant spellings of the surname. See Variations of the Surname for more information about variant spellings of the surname. Many family historians who have not connected with a noble ancestor may just want to know what their family coat-of-arms looks like. If this is the situation you must know that except for a few cases, there is really no such thing as a standard "coat of arms" for a surname. A coat-of-arms is a design usually granted only to a single person not to an entire family or to a particular surname. Coats of arms are inheritable property, and they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms grantee. As a result you are advised to seek out a coat-of-arms for the locale where your ancestor resided.
Our galleries contain full-sized images of Coats-of Arms that pertain to the surnames of our direct ancestral lineage, as listed above in our “Surname Index”. As most surnames have many variant spellings we suggest that you also view the galleries of our other two sub-sites as they make have a surname that is similar or has a slightly different spelling that the one you are researching. |
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Use this LINK to find images of many unique coat-of-arms in a widevariety of surnames many of them not found anywhere else on the internet. |
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DKPS Immigrant Ancestors
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Almost everyone has had a desire to know from where his or her ancestors emigrated. Once this discovery is made you will most likely begin to track your ancestors back in time and place. Finding an immigrant ancestor's place of origin is the key to finding earlier generations of the family. It provides access to many family history resources in that home area. Once you know a former place of residence or a birthplace, you may be able to add more generations to your pedigree. Learning about your family's history and experiences can be a source of enjoyment and education for you and your family. |
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LINK to more information about direct ancestors within our database identified as progenitors of their family lines in America: IMMIGRANT ANCESTORS: Dellinger; Knecht; Pfeffer; Silar; and allied families
LINK to resources and research strategies designed to assist with your research To learn more about Ancestors who immigrated to the New World: IMMIGRANT ANCESTORS: Research & Resources
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DKPS War Veterans
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The discovery that an ancestor was involved in one of our national wars or conflicts is usually an exciting and fulfilling experience. The information we glean from records regarding military units and battles fought tends to provide researchers and their families with a heightened feeling not only our ancestors’ sacrifices but also our own sense of having roots back to those important events that made our country what it is today. Information about the war veteran’s of one’s family is also an excellent means of gaining the attention of children as well as indifferent relatives. |
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LINK to more information about persons in our DKPS database identified as veterans of America’s wars, and the various military units in which they served our country: WAR VETERANS: Dellinger: Knecht; Pfeffer; Silar; and allied families |
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Listed below are some of the American military units in which our ancestors served. This link will take you to the webpage where you will be able to access the story of each unit and the men who served in them |
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Pennsylvania Militia, York County – Revolutionary War 187th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment (USA) – Civil War 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, U.S. Army – World War One 6th Special Naval Construction Battalion, USN - World War Two |
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LINK to our archives ofsource documents andpicture galleries of the aforementioned military units. |
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Your LINK to information designed to assist with your research to learn more about ancestors who served in the United States military:
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Archive of DKPS Source
Documents
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The documents contained herein have been located during our research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the facts contained within the database of this family’s record. Most of these documents can be considered as primary or secondary. Primary evidence is usually defined as the best available to prove the fact in question, usually in an original document or record. Secondary evidence is in essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there is a greater chance of error. Examples of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original record, or oral testimony of a record’s contents. Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary evidence. Classifying evidence as either primary or secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value. This is especially true of secondary evidence. Thus it is always a good idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What was the reason for the creation of the source which contains this evidence?; and (3) Who was responsible for creating this secondary evidence and what interest did they have in its accuracy? SOURCE: Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 2nd edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63 |
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Our Source Document archives contain photographs of headstones as well as copies of original or transcript documents such as wills, passenger lists, census pages, maps, land records, birth, death, marriage certificates, pension papers, military records, etc., that pertain to the various persons and families found within our DKPS database. This Link will take you to our archive of source documents. |
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You are welcome to download any of the documents contained within this archive. Should you encounter a problem obtaining a copy you may get in touch with us via the contact information found at the end of this page. |
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Ancestral Locations of DKPS
Ancestors
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Researching the locations where my ancestors lived has provided me with valuable evidence needed to fill-in the gaps in my family tree. It has also led me to many interesting facts that enhance the overall picture of each family group. The names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the persons in the “Direct Ancestors” list (see above) were born, married, and/or died. |
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UNITED KINGDOM |
ENGLAND |
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FRANCE |
VAUCLUSE |
Avignon |
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GERMANY |
BADEN-WURTTEMBERG |
Dielheim; Enz; Esslingen; Heilbronn; Karlsruhe; Ostalbkreis; Rhein-Neckar |
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BAVARIA |
Dillengen; Erlangen; |
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HESSEN |
Bergstrasharpe; Darmstadt-Dieburg; Main-Taunus |
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PRUSSIA |
Esch; Hesse-Cassel |
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RHEINLAND-PFLAZ |
Bad Kreuznach; Sudwestpflaz; Vulkaneifel; Zweibrucken |
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UNITED STATES |
FLORIDA |
Volusia Co.; |
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MARYLAND |
Frederick Co.; |
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NEW JERSEY |
Atlantic Co.; Camden Co.; Burlington Co.; Gloucester Co.: Mercer Co.; |
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PENNSYLVANIA |
Berks Co.; Lancaster Co.; Lebanon Co.; Northampton Co.; Philadelphia Co.; York Co.; |
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Use this LINK to find out more about the locations listed above. |
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DKPS Image Archives
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During our research we have collected images and photographs that are of general interest to a particular family. Some of them are presented on this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives.
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This Link will take you to our collection of family photographs. |
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Use the power of Google™ to find more interesting images about this topic. A Click on this button will link you to the Google Images Search page. Enter thetopic you are searching in the box and click “Search Images”. At the “Images” display page you will see the image, as well as the website of which it is associated. |
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About This
Webpage
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CONTACT INFORMATION Email us with your comments or questions. We do like to hear from others who are researching the same people and surnames. We need your help to keep growing! So please Email us your photos, stories, and other appropriate information about this topic.
RULES OF USE We only ask that if you have a personal website please create a link to our Home Page.
-- This webpage was last updated on -- 07 April 2017 |
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