Bios: John SHERBONDY: Northampton [Now Monroe] Co, PA

Copyright (c) 2001 by Jeanette Sherbondy. This copy contributed for use in
the USGenWeb Archives.  jeanette.sherbondy@washcoll.edu

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Biography of John Sherbondy
        Sherbondy, Sherbonda, Sharbonda, Sherbundy are variations of the
surname Sherbondy that originated with one man, Jean Cherpantier, in
Northampton County, Pennsylvania. During the last half of the eighteenth
century, Jean's name was Anglicized to John Sherbondy. His wife was Maria
Catharina.
        The first documentary evidence of Jean Cherpantier (John Sherbondy)
that I have found is in the records of the German speaking Hamilton Township
Union Church in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, now known as Christ
Hamilton Lutheran Church near Stroudsburg in Monroe County.i  The records of
baptisms, communion, and confirmation by Reformed and Lutheran pastors were
begun in 1768.ii  The 1769 records of the Lutheran pastor John Andrew
Friedrichs include the birth and baptism of Jean Cherpantier's eldest son
Johann Melcher, born on January 11, 1769 and baptized on February 3. His
parents are recorded as "Johann Cherpantier [and] frau Maria Catharina."iii 
The second child, Johann George, was born on November 15th of the same year
and baptized on November 22. His parents are listed as "Jean Cherpantier/Ihr
frau/Maria Catharina."iv  In the same year (1769) Jean's wife, "Maria
Catharina Cherpatierin" took communion on the fourth Sunday of Advent.v  The
church records are the only references that I have found to Jean
Cherpantier's wife, Maria Catharina. She communed several times, in 1769,
1771, 1772, 1774, 1782, and 1784, 1790, and 1791. I cannot say for sure that
she was German even though most of the names in the church records tend to
be German or Germanicized. Jean Cherpantier also appears in those records as
"Johann Cherpantier" and their children's names are recorded in German.
        The origins of Jean Cherpantier are a bit less opaque than those of
Maria Catharina, but not by much. He was apparently French as suggested by
his name and confirmed by family stories that have left several strands
floating around the country. My grandfather, Frank Pearl Sherbondy (Abraham
M., Abraham J., George, John) identified himself as French, especially in
opposition to his wife's family members, who were of German descent. One of
my great aunts referred to him as "that damned Frenchman", according to my
uncle, William Sherbondy. My family's story claimed that he had come from
the Alsace-Lorraine area of France to fight with the Marquis de Lafayette
and then settled in Pennsylvania. Sherbondy was living in Pennsylvania
before Lafayette even arrived, but he may have been from the
Alsace-Lorraine. According to the IGI, the surname of Cherpantier is
frequent in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department of France, in the same area
of eastern France.
        The most detailed family story was related to me by Danell Aukerman
(aukerman@peak.org) "from the records of [the] Joseph Williamson Sherbondy
and George Wallace Sherbondy Family: John Sherbondy was born in a tiny
village of Sherbondyville, France, about 1735.  He became a political
prisoner in the Bastille on the Bay of Biscay where the only escape was
water. He jumped into the bay, was picked up by a colonist ship, and taken
to America (Fort Dearborn). In the 1760's John married an English girl and
then joined Washington's revolutionary war forces in 1778. He met George
Washington at the Delaware Crossing."vi  1735 is a reasonable date for his
birth and a birth place in Alsace-Lorraine might help explain his settling
into a German-speaking community in Pennsylvania; but I have  not found any
documentation to confirm this story. He was never recorded as a communicant
of the Hamilton church but he was a baptismal sponsor on July 14, 1771 for
"Johannes," the son of James and Maria Logan indicating that he probably was
a French Protestant.  If he had been imprisoned in France it might have been
for being Protestant.
        John Sherbondy did join the Revolutionary forces. On January 16,
1778 he took the oath of allegiance in Northampton County and on May 14,
1778 he enlisted in the Pennsylvania militia, 8th class, first company,
fourth battalion.vii
        By this time Sherbondy was a landowner, a millwright, and a farmer.
On May 18, 1771 he bought land on McMichael's Creek in Hamilton Township
from Michael Link.viii  In 1775 Sherbondy sold this land (125 acres) to John
Huey.ix  In 1776 he appeared as "Hons Scherbander" on the tax lists for
Chestnut Hill Township, just west of Hamilton Township.x  On the 1779 tax
list for Chestnut Hill Township, he appears as "Schranbandy", owner of 300
acres. In the 1782 tax list for the same township he is listed as "John
Sherbonty, farmer" owner of two mills, two horses, and two cows.  He is also
on the tax lists for the same township for 1785, 1786, 1788, and 1790. In
the latter he is recorded as "John Sharbrandy."  He appears as "John
Shiravante" in the 1790 federal census for Chestnut Hill Township.xi
        On May 23, 1792, "John Sherbantie commonly called Jan Sherbantie of
Chestnut Hill township for 250 pounds" bought 336 1/4 acres of land in
Chestnut Hill Township from Frederick Marshall for 250 pounds.xii  The deed
says he was a miller. His grist mill on Head's Creek is marked on a 1792 map
of Pennsylvania as "Sherpants".xiii  In 1796 he sold this Chestnut Hill land
to William Shepherd for 1700 pounds, a good profit. The land included a
grist and a saw mill.xiv  Shortly thereafter he left Northampton County to
live on the western frontier in Westmoreland County where his eldest sons
had purchased lands in 1794 and 1795.xv
By April 15, 1798 he was ill and wrote his will. At the time he was living
with his son George in South Huntington Township, Westmoreland County. After
he died, his will was proved on December 28, 1798, in which he left legacies
to six of his children.xvi  His wife was not mentioned in his will and had
probably preceded him in death. Their daughter Christina was not mentioned
in his will either, nor was she included in his household in the 1790
census. She may have been deceased.
        John and Maria Catharina Sherbondy had the following children:
        i.      Johann Melichor (1764-1850)
        ii.     Johann Georg (1769-<1817)
        iii.    Christina (1771-)
        iv.     Johann Philip (1774-1838)
        v.      John (~1780->1850)
        vi.     Anna Catherina (1784-)
        vii.    Jacob (1789-~1842).
        In his will, John Sherbondy bequeathed to his son Melichor Sherbondy
200 pounds, which he had already received and in addition 54 more pounds
"over and above his child's part" and he made him one of his executors. His
son George also was named executor and he too was bequeathed 200 pounds, out
of which he had already received 124 pounds. To his son Philip he left 200
pounds as well, out of which he had already received 82 pounds. He also gave
200 pounds to each of his sons John and Jacob and to his daughter Catherine.
He stated that he expected to remain with his son George and so in addition
to his child's part he gave him his clock and 25 pounds in money to maintain
him for the rest of his life. The rest of his property was to be distributed
equally to his heirs after his death. Jacob Richards and Nicolas Swope
witnessed his will.
_______________

NOTES:

i The present church was built in 1829 long after the Sherbondys left
eastern Pennsylvania. The original log church was contructed in 1775 on the
land that now lies just behind the present church, between it and the
cemetery (Robert Brown Keller, History of Monroe County, Pennsylvania. 1927.
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania: the Monroe Publishing Co, p. 319).

ii "Baptismal Records-Communicants and confirmation lists started by Andreas
Fredericus in 1768, Book I of II Books, 1768-1817 Contain herein," cover
page of the photocopy of the original records in possession of Christ
Hamilton Lutheran church. The original records have not been located. The
pastor of the church in 1990, Pastor Boyer, told me they were in the
Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, but the archivist of the
seminary, John Peterson, told me they are not. Neither are they in the
Reformed seminary in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Historical
Society in Philadelphia has a handwritten transcription in its collection
that dates from 1912. The Reformed seminary in Lancaster has the original
typed transcript made in 1936 by Rev. A.S. Leiby and checked for accuracy by
Wm. J. Hinke. Photocopies of the transcription are also in the Pennsylvania
Historical Society, the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia, and
the Reformed seminary in Lancaster, as well as other libraries.

iii Page 7 of the photocopy of the original manuscript. The 1936
transcription (p.4) erroneously records their names as "Adam
Cherpantier/Maria Catharina."

iv Page 5 of the photocopy of the original record.

v Page 154 of the photocopy of the original record. The suffix /-in/ is a
possessive, meaning Cherpantier's wife Maria Catharina.

vi Personal communication from Danell Aukerman, received by e-mail, May 16,
1997.

vii Oaths of Allegiance of Northampton County (Pennsylvania Archives, p.38.)
"John Sherbandie" is #202 on John Arndt's list.

viii Link had applied for this land in 1765 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
State Archives, Northampton application #1221.

ix Northampton County Deeds Book C1, page 272; available on US GenWeb Archives, 
ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/northampton/land/s6150001.txt

x  Hans is a diminutive form of Johannes, German for John.

xi LDS film 0021683.

xii 1790 Federal Census, Pennsylvania, Northampton County, Chestnut Hill
Township, NARS M637, Roll 8.

xiii Northampton County Deeds, Book C2, page 85; available in the USGenWeb
Archives, filename sher 0002.txt.

xiv Reading Howell, Map of State of Pennsylvania (1792), in the collection
of the Monroe County Historical Association, Stroudsburg.

xv Northampton County Deeds, Book G3, page 77 ff.

xvi Westmoreland County Wills, Book vol. 1, page 147.