1. Zachariah Holler was born about 1724 in Asbach, Germany and died in 1783 in Linn Township, Northhampton Co., Pennsylvania about age 59.
From the book, The Holler Family of Catawba and Iredell
Counties, North Ca rolina by Joanne Holler Atay:
Zacharias Heller is the earliest known ancestor of the Holler Famil y. He departed
from Rotterdam, Holland on the ship "The Loyal Judith" which arrived in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, September 3, 1742. Because Zacharias was listed on the roster
as 18 years of age when he arrived here, we can deduce he was born about 1724.
His place of birth is unknown. Nonetheless, Zacharias and the other passengers
of the ship were collectively referred to as the "Palantines." According to
the records maintained by the ship's Captain, Master James Cowie, Zacharias
signed his name with an "X". He also used an"X" when he took the oath of abjuration
(renouncing previous oaths of allegiance), on September 3, 1742, at the Philadelphia
Court House. By using an "X", his name was recorded the way it was pronounced.
The name was spelled as Heller on the list of passengers, then changed to Haller,
and finally to Holler. Zacharias became Zachariah as time passed and variations
continued from document to document. To be consistent, Zachariah Holler will
be used here since it is the name most frequently found on many documents. However,
when we cite a document and quote the comments, we will use the spelling on
that particular document.
After arriving in Pennsylvania, Zachariah married Anna Wannemacher. She was
born on November 20, 1724 in Asbach, Germany. (Asbach is a small community in
the state of Baden Wurtemburg, 15 miles east of Heidelberg). We believe Zachariah
was also born in 1724. According to the book, Wannemacher/Wanamaker Families
of Pennsylvania -- A Genealogical Dictionary, there is a record of Anna's birth
or christening in the Asbach Reformed Church. Anna's father, Hans Berhard Wannemacher,
emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1738, on the ship Elizabeth, four
years before Zachariah's arrival in the New World. The Wannemacher family settled
in Lynn T ownship, Northampton, Pennsylvania in 1759.
Although there is no record of Zachariah and Anna's marriage, the date can be
estimated to be between 1742 and 1747. By July 1747, we know th at Zachariah
and Anna were godparents for John Adam and Catherine Brauss' child, Anna. In
order to be godparents, Zachariah and Anna had to be married, an institution
they entered sometime between Zachariah's arrival in Pennsylvania in 1742 and
the christening in 1747. There is also the possibility that Anna and Zachariah
may have know each other in Germany before settling in America. However, since
we do not, as yet, have any concrete information about Zachariah's early years,
we will have to wait for the results of the ongoing research of church documents
in Asbach for records of Zachariah's birth or christening.
The Palatinate, Zachariah and Anna's home, was a very rich province. Included
within its borders where the universities of Heidelberg and Bonn. The region
also included the city of Worms, where in 1521, Martin Luther made his famous
declaration beginning the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation was a cultural
revolution which changed beliefs and traditions, not only in that area, but
also of the Christian world.
But the Reformation wasn't the only event which brought change to the P alatinate.
Having survived the upheaval of the Reformation, the people of the Palatinate
were then subjected to the destruction of the Thirty- Year's War, which lasted
from 1618 to 1648. Later, between 1685 and 169 7, Louis XIV of France attempted
to annex the Palatinate. Unsuccessful, he ordered the burning of buildings and
crops. The area was nearly ruined by famine and destruction. William Penn, hearing
of the devastation, visited the Rhineland and offered asylum in Pennsylvania
to people of all religious creeds. The families of the Palatinate emigrated
to America in that time to practice religious freedom and to improve their quality
of life. Zachariah and Anna's families were among them.
ZACHARIAH HALLER -- LANDOWNER
Zachariah was associated with the Penn family and served as a yeoman, which
is the step below landed gentry. He managed the affairs of the Penns. According
to a land document, Zachariah Haller is named as a grantee and Richard Penn,
grantor. This is an interesting historic deed, detailing that:
Richard Penn, Esq., owner of the properties and Governor in Chief of the
Province of Pennsylvania, who on the 11th day of June 1766 by his attorney
Lynford Gardner of Philadelphia granted unto Zachariah Haller of Hilltown
a parcel of 109 acres.
A correction of an error was contained in the original deed and the grantee
is John Penn, Esq., Lieutenant Governor, son of Richard Penn, Esq. Zachariah
paid 167 pounds of "lawful" money for the property plus an annual quit rent
of 13 pence sterling. He paid five shillings for the release. The document was
dated July 6, 1969.
Zachariah also appears in the assessment rolls of 1769, 1772, and 1781. In the
tax list of 1772, Zachariah is listed as a farmer and was taxed 4.8.0 pounds.
The 1781 roll included Zachariah Haller and his three sons, Zachariah Jr., Henry
(whose occupation was listed as weaver) and Christian. This roll was made by
the commissioners of the county.
Throughout all the legal documents both in Bucks and later in Northampton County,
the status of Zachariah and his son John Adam is given as "Yeoman."
Zachariah married Anna Wannamacher between 1742 and 1747 in Linn Township, Northampton, Pennsylvania. Anna was born 20 Nov 1724 in Asbach, Germany.
Their children were:
2 F i. Siegsane "Susanne" Holler .
3 F ii. Mariaeles "Mary Elizabeth" Holler was born 14 Jun 1752.
Mariaeles married Daniel Oswald\Ostalt.
4 F iii. Barbara Holler was born 19 Aug 1753 and died 14 May 1758 at age 4.
5 M iv. John Christian Holler was born 19 Oct 1756 and died in 1821 at age 65.
John married Margareta [--?--].
6 M v. Johann Heinrich Holler was born in 1758.
Johann married Catherine Strettler.
+ 7 M vi. Zacharias Holler Jr. was born 18 Jun 1759.
8 F vii. Anna Barbara Holler was born 26 Sep 1760 and died in 1798 at age 38.
Anna married Nicolas Rummel.
9 M viii. Daniel Holler was born 26 Sep 1761 and died in 1794 at age 33.
+ 10 M ix. John Holler was born 11 Oct 1763 in Linn Township, Northampton, Bucks Co., Pennsylvania, died 8 Feb 1849 in Washington Co., Indiana at age 85, and was buried in Prowsville Cemetery, Jefferson Twp., Washington Co, Indiana.
11 F x. Christina Holler was born 15 Apr 1769.
Christina married George Ott.