Hello,

I returned recently from six days in Berks, Montgomery and Lancaster Counties researching the early Summit and Swank Families in Pennsylvania. After reviewing everything I collected, I do believe I have more information than I originally thought. Most of it, will be of more value, once I am able to combine the information with what we already have and digest it more. Visiting the towns that the Sammets (Summits) and Schwencks (Swanks) lived in, like Ruscomb Manor, Maiden Creek, Maxatawny and the city of Reading pretty much confirmed that all the Sammets found in this area during the Colonial period are related to each other. I believe this since we are dealing with a very small geographical area, that at the time only had remnants of a population. Toying with the idea that the Jacob, Christian and Francis Summit who are found here are not related... has become, in my mind, a highly unlikely scenario. All three are found in the immediate area from the 1760s-1770s... and without a trace in Berks afterwards.

During my stay I was able to visit the Kutztown University Heritage Center; Reading Public Library; Berks County Genealogical Society; and the Berks County Historical Society. Each of these places furnished more insight into the early Sammets/Summits in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

I also visited Trinity Lutheran Church in Reading and actually was able to go inside the Church office and visit with one of the church historians. This is the church where we find the earliest records of Jacob, Rosina, Christian, Maria Gertraud and Susannah Sammet. These five are the only Sammets located in Berks County, accept for "Francis Somett" on a 1774 Tax List in nearby Douglas Township. The church's historian made it clear that at the time the Sammets were living in Berks County that the church only held services in German; He noted that when the suggestion was made to change services to English, that a number of the congregation left in opposition to the proposal, creating their own church nearby. When looking at the numerous instances of Francis and Christian Summit signing their names in the original German, as well as owning a German Bible, using Old German Script on Francis' tombstone, we can better understand where their loyalty to their German heritage came from.

I was also able to access microfilmed copies of the original Church Records of Trinity Lutheran Church at the Berks County Genealogical Society. This was both a joy and a nightmare. Much of the church record is unreadable due to fading and what was readable was interrupted by my very basic understanding of Old Germanic Script. However I was able to locate and make copies of the German notations of the following:

Rosina Sammet's (Rosannah Summit) marriage notation to Johan Schwenck (John Swank), they were married at George Adam Schlegel's home in Exeter Township, Berks County. The Schlegel's seems to be a common place to marry for area residents. Daniel Boone was born in Exeter in 1752.

Margaret Schwenck's (John Swank's sister) marriage notation to George Klam (also married at George Adam Schlegel's)

Maria Gertraud Sammet's birth record to Christian Sammet and Maria

I also came across Susanna Sammet's birth record to Christian Sammet and Maria, but unfortunately I cannot locate the copy I made.

Whether it is was wishful thinking or not, I seemed to locate other listings of Sammets in the old German in other places, but I am not a scholar of Old German so cannot determine whether what I looked at was on the early Summits or not. I also read in the front of the Transcribed version of the English records that was published 11 years ago, that many notations were skipped due to illegibility and or grouped with other names not knowing for sure what the translation was. So there seems to be plenty of room for error and the possibility of finding more Sammets in these records. This microfilmed copy of the records is the only accessible one of the original German church notations that I am aware of. But it can probably be ordered through LDS. The Church historian showed me the vault where the records are kept, but he no longer allows the public to peruse the originals since they are in a state of deterioration.

We knew that Christian was in Southeastern Pennsylvania from the time of his marriage on April 27, 1755 in Philadelphia through the birth of Susanna on March 30, 1765 in Berks County. The next notation we have of Christian Summit(t) is when we find him in Virginia court records for the area today covered by Washington county, PA (Western Pennsylvania) south of Pittsburgh in a suit running from August 1777 to August 1778. Christian Summitt, more specifically, was noted in minutes of Yohogania County Virginia Court. Later this area became Pennsylvania. Christian was the plaintiff in a slander suit against a John Gallaher wife, first note August 27, 1777, and noted as dismissed at plaintiff's request August 26, 1778.

However we now know he remained in Berks County after his daughter's birth atleast until mid 1765 since we find him in an assault and battery lawsuit in Berks County. August 1765 - "Christian Sammett" is involved in an Assault and Battery Lawsuit with Philip Emmert. Civil Court Docket; Berks County, August Term 1765; Parties and Proceedings. Philip Emmert vs. Christian Sammett Alias Copias Assault and Battery. This Civil Court Docket was found in a genealogical publication called "Berks of Old" February 1985; Volume 2; Number 4.

In the fall of 1748 William Penn's sons decided to create the town of Reading, Pennsylvania from 520 lots and 204 out-lots, all numbered consecutively. On June 15, 1749 the first lots were sold; between 1751 and 1754 patents were issued for 241 lots. John Swank's father Balthasar is listed as one of the "First Patentees" for buying lot number 137 on Duke Street in Reading in the year 1752. He is listed from Alsace and as a yeoman.

According to the History of the Counties of Berks and Lebanon, most of the early settlers of Alsace Township PA originated from Alsace in Europe. Today in France, but on the German Border near Wurttemberg Germany. An historian I spoke to at Kutztown University visited Alsace and said they still speak German today, even though they are part of France. Some may remember that The name Sammet has been found in the following registry: Le Populeux pour du meme de Alsacia [Alsace] Dated .. 24 June 1556, Book vii-vol. II, pg. 128 Johannes Sammet of Saarbrucken (Alsace-Lorraine). The Historical Research Center also claims the Sommet family of Lorraine were granted letters of nobility in the year 1540.

Whether this applies or not the Swanks lived in Alsace, Berks County, Pennsylvania and married into the Sammet Family living close by. The following names found on tax lists fives a pretty good overview of where the Sammets and Swanks lived during this time period.

Berks County Tax Lists

1752 Bolser Swenck Alsace Township
1752 Baltzer Schwenk Reading (Yeoman)
1756 Baltzer Schwenck Alsace Township
1757 Christian Sammet Oley Township
1757 Christian Samet Reading
1759 Baltzer Swenck Maxatawny
1760 Baltzer Swenck Maxatawny (Married)
1760 Jacob Sammet Ruscomb Manor (Married)
1760 Christian Sammet Reading (Married)
1762 Jacob Sammet
1763 -------- Sammet
1764 -------- Sammet
1764 Christian Sammet Maidencreek (Married)
1766 -------- Sammet
1767 Jacob Sammet Ruscomb Manor

I also came across the following notations:

Trinity Lutheran Church Records:

Vollmer, Catherine DOB: March 16, 1770; Baptized April 8, 1770; Parents: George Vollmer and Juliana; Sponsors: George and Gertrude Bernhard (The Bernhards also sponsored Christian's Children Maria Gertraud Sammet and Susanna Sammet)

Zeister, Jacob DOB: May 28, 1762 Parents: J Mich. Zeister and Anna Maria; Sponsors: Balthasar Schwenck and Anna Margaret

This just about includes everything of value to our ongoing research on the Berks County Sammets and Schwencks. I also attached a map of Berks County. The Mennonites and Amish I communicated with in Berks and Lancaster Counties were fascinating to meet; the Sammets and Schwenks of the 1700s probably dressed in a similar way I guess, although the Sammets and Schwencks were Lutheran. Any feedback or additional info would be appreciated. I hope this helps.

Glen Summit, Boston MA













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