By Marvin L. Imboden September 2009
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1. JOHANNES SCHWEICKERT1 IMBODEN, son of Diel Imboden and Elizabeth [Imboden], was born on Oct 23, 1733 in Hanau, Germany.1 He died on Jul 20, 1819 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1 He was buried on Jul 22, 1819 in Hill Lutheran Church Cemetery, Annville, PA.1
John Schweickert Imboden ran away from his home in Hanau, Germany, about 30 miles east of Frankfurt, at the age of 19 and came to America from Rotterdam on the ship "Two Brothers" Commanded by Thomas Arnot. He landed in Philadelphia September 15, 1752 and Captain Arnot, having the right to dispose of his services for a fixed number of years to pay for his passage, apprenticed him to a rich farmer named Diller in Annville Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. John served Diller faithfully and a relation similar to that of Jacob and Laban of old seems to have existed between them because on November 14, 1758, John was married to Diller's daughter Eleanora by the first Lutheran preacher ever ordained in America. John became a prominent farmer in the Annville area.
The last farm home of John Schweickert.
Information sent to
me by the wife of the current owners of some of this land
indicates John and his family probably lived in log or
wooden homes before this house was built.
Picture by Helen Griffith about 1985.
There were rumors when I was growing up that two brothers came to America and after a falling out, one brother changed his last name. The book PASSENGER AND IMMIGRATION LISTS INDEX VOL.2 in the Dallas Public Library (Ref. R924.373/P287) lists a John Adam Imboten, John Adam Imboden and John Adam Imbotty all landing at Philadelphia September 15, 1752 and references three other books for information. These books are: PENNSYLVANIA OATHS OF ALLEGIANCE, COLLECTION OF UPWARDS OF THIRTY THOUSAND NAMES, ETC., AND PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN PIONEERS. The three passenger lists for the ship Two Brothers commanded by Captain Thomas Arnot are basically the same with the exception of the three names above and each of the lists never shows more than one of these names at a time. It appears the differences in spelling may be due to the translation of Johns signature by the publishers and not two brothers coming to America, one of whom changed his name. The Inbody family has a website showing their first ancestor in America was Johan Adam Imboden, born in 1709 and landed here August 1739. It says Johan was an uncle of Johannes which is very likely. It says their last name may have been changed from Imboden to Inbody accidentally by census takers or records keepers. I have found this same problems tracking my family also. It appears there was no falling out between families.
A copy of John Schweickert Imboden's signature from his will, which was written some 50 years after coming to America, is reproduced in this book. I ran across an article in my research which indicated the German name Imboden was actually Im Boden like McDonald. His signature in his will is 'im boden' which tends to prove this.
Johannes (John) Schweickert signature
After living in America some 50 years, it is easy to see how the different spellings could come about. It is true that John changed his name but his middle name only, from Adam to Schweickert. Also, some Lutheran Church records show his parents names and indicate John was from Hanau Germany. In the research by T. G. Hobbs, a descendant of the Virginia Imbodens, is a note that John was from Canton Berne, Switzerland but there is no reference to where this information came from.
In the Division of Public Records in the Pennsylvania State Library, the original muster roll shows that John served as a private in the American Revolution in the First Company, Balser Orth, Captain of the Second Battalion, Lancaster County Militia, 1781, Commanded by Lieut. Col. Thomas Edwards. I also found other history information which indicates he may have been involved in helping fight the Indians in the area at the time who were attacking farms trying to drive the white man away.
He is buried in OC4 (Old Cemetery) and his grave is maintained by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)..
John Schweickerts grave site, toward bottom in OC4. S. Imboden and H. Imboden buried in OC3 top.
Johannes Schweickert IMBODEN and Eleanora Margretha DILLER were married on Nov 14, 1758 in Hill Lutheran Church.1, 2 Eleanora Margretha DILLER (daughter of Caspar Elias DILLER) was born on Jul 29, 1741 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1 She died on Jul 16, 1813 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1 She was buried on Jul 18, 1813 in Hill Lutheran Church Cemetery, Annville, PA.1 Johannes Schweickert IMBODEN and Eleanora Margretha DILLER had the following children:
2 i. ANNA CHRISTINA2 was born August 27, 1759..
3 ii. JOHANNES was born September 20, 1761
4 iii. JULIANA was born October 2, 1763.
5 iv. JOHN ADAM was born October 12, 1765
v. MARY (1764) was born about 1767 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1
Hill Church records indicates Mary and John had 8 children.
Mary (1764) IMBODEN and John WOLFENSBERGER were married on Dec 23, 1788 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1 John WOLFENSBERGER (son of Phillip WOLFENSBERGER and Mary (WOLFENSBERGER)) was born on Apr 11, 1767 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1 He died on Sep 8, 1818 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1
According to the Hill Lutheran Church records, John died of typhoid fever.
vi. HEINRICH was born about 1770 in Lebanon Co, PA. Estimated from deed records. He died before 1803 in Augusta Co, VA. Estimated from deed records.
From research by Mr. T. G. Hobbs, there are four deeds in Augusta County, Virginia involving the land of Henry Imboden, deceased:
1. On April 28, 1800, he purchased 400 acres of land from John Guthrie Jr. and wife Peggy.
2. From deed book 32, page 73, December 27, 1802, Jane "Impoten", widow of Henry "Impoten", deceased, to Frederick "Impoten", part of tract of 400 acres said Henry, late of Pennsylvania, purchased from John Guthrie Jr. and Peggy, April 28, 1800.
3. From deed book 32, page 174, March 17, 1803, John Imboden of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, father and heir at law of Henry Imboden, deceased, to Frederick Imboden, one half moiety of a whole tract of 459 acres in Augusta County, Virginia, which said Henry purchased in 1800 from John Guthrie Jr.
4. From deed book 35, page 17, May 6, 1808, John Sweigart Imboden and Eleanor of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, heirs of Henry Imboden, deceased, to Frederick Imboden of Augusta County, 229 acres: lines and corners: James Steel's line, Peter Fawver, Stuart. Land bought by Henry Imboden from John Gurhrie Jr and Peggy April 28, 1800, and of record in Augusta County.
Jane remarried March 20, 1806 to Abraham Haughkey from AugCoMar.
Heinrich IMBODEN and Jane COINER were married on Apr 14, 1800 in Augusta Co, VA.4 Jane COINER (daughter of George COINER) was born about 1781 in Augusta Co, VA.4
8 vii. JOHN GEORGE was born January 25, 1772
9 viii. JOHN PHILIP was born March 26, 1774
ix. CATHERINE was born on Mar 14, 1776 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1
Hill Church records indicate that Catherine and Lewis moved to what is now West Virginia in 1799.
Catherine IMBODEN and Lewis SENSENDORFER were married about 1796 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1 Lewis SENSENDORFER (son of Martin SENSENDORFER and Helen (SENSENDORFER)) was born on Dec 2, 1776 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1
11 x. FREDRICK was born about 1778
xi. SOLOMON was born on Jun 29, 1781 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1 He was christened on Aug 22, 1781 in Hill Lutheran Church.1 He died on May 16, 1799 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1 He was buried about May 18, 1799 in Hill Lutheran Church Cemetery, Annville, PA.1 Hill Church records show Solomon died of consumption and is buried in Hill Lutheran Church Cemetery.
xii. ELEANORA was born on Jun 29, 1781 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1 She was christened on Aug 22, 1781 in Hill Lutheran Church.1 She died on Apr 27, 1846 in N. Middletown, Cumberland Co, PA.8
According to the Wonderlich family, Eleanor and Christopher had no children.
Eleanora IMBODEN and John Adam HEILMAN were married on Jan 31, 1808 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.6 John Adam HEILMAN was born on Sep 20, 1771 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1 He died on Feb 23, 1809 in Annville, Lebanon Co, PA.1
From the Hill Church records, John Adam was the son of Anastasius Heilman and was killed suddenly by falling under a wagon, aged 37 years 4 months and 24 days.
Eleanora IMBODEN and Christopher WUNDERLICH were married about 1810 in Lebanon Co, PA.7 Christopher WUNDERLICH was born on Apr 11, 1767 in Lebanon Co, PA.7 He died on Feb 17, 1823 in Lebanon Co, PA ?.7
Eleanora IMBODEN and George WISS were married about 1824 in Lebanon, PA.
A letter was written to George Imboden in 1846 advising him of Eleanora's death states she was married to George Wiss at the time. George WISS was born about 1780 in an unknown location.
From a letter to Eleanora's brother, George, advising him that she had died. It states she was the wife of George Wiss at the time.
13 xiii. JACOB was born December 25, 1783