The Emigrator Johann Georg Windemuth

1711 - 1782  (71 years)

• Name	Johann Georg Windemuth
  Title	The Emigrator
  Born	11 May 1711	Pfungstadt Kreis Darmstadt Hessen, Europa
  Gender	Male
  Died	19 Dec 1782	Stillwater, Sussex County, New Jersey
  Notes	On May 11, 1711, Johann George Windemuth was born in the southwest region of the Rhineland-Palatinate just east of the Rhine River in Pfungstadt, Germany. Johann was the youngest son of Johann Christoph Windemuth, a wainwright, and Mary Marguerite Kleppinger, a tailor. It was a challenging time to grow up in the Palatinate region of Germany in those years. The many years of war with their French neighbors really took its toll. Other factors like severe winters crippled the local economy. The economy was directly affected by the weather dependent agricultural industry. It is no wonder why so many ?poor Palatines?, like Johann George Windemuth, decided to leave everything behind to take the treacherous journey to North America. Johann?s journey to North America started in May of 1736. He took a small crowded scow up the Rhine River to the port city of Rotterdam, Holland. Confronted with an endless barrage of tolls, depleting all or most of your resources was inevitable. The feverish demand to get to North America fed the economic growth of the bustling Colonial City of Philadelphia. As the existing pool of laborers and craftsmen were running low, the influx of these Palatine Germans really filled that void. This new bond between Palatines and the growth of Philadelphia created a new trade that was no different than indentured servitude. The Palatines were the unintended architects of this new trade, where their debt was sold to the highest bidder. They were mandated to work off their debt, which in many cases lasted 3 or more years. It is debatable who ended up with the better part of this arrangement. Cheap labor or temporarily relinquishing your freedom to live free in a new fertile land. It was only around 30 years later that the bargain was tested as the Colonists were preparing to declare their independence from Great Britain. The path to freedom starts in Rotterdam. It is there that brokers traded the freedom of these Germans in exchange for passage to Colonial North America . Fueled by the promise of a fresh start, Johann and thousands of others ended up trading their freedom in exchange for the cost of the trip. He quickly made arrangements with Captain Robert Harle whose ship was named ?Harle?. Harle had a decent reputation, but he, too, could not escape the pressure to maximize profit at the expense of the desperate Palatines. Once all this business was sorted out, it was off to London. While in London, the passengers were immedietaly expected to pledge their allegiance to the King of England in exchange for the right of way to the Colonies. The Crown was desperately hoping to flood the Colonies with presumed loyalists. During the summer of 1736, Johann and others flirted with death across the Altantic on the ship Harle. Overcrowding, rancid provisions and sea sickness were only some of the dangers. This was certainly not a deterrent to Johann. After four harrowing months, Johann finally arrived in Philadelphia. Despite coming from a rural community, life in the city of Philadelphia was likely more comfortable and familiar than expected. By 1736, there were thousands of German speaking people residing in Philadelphia. Johann and his family became acquainted with Johan Peter Bernhardt and his family. Most likely Johann George?s father struck up a friendship with Johan Peter Berhardt. There is the possibility they were acquainted back in Germany. This relationship eventually led to Johann George marrying the daughter of Johan Peter Bernhardt, Margaret Elizabeth Bernhardten in 1739. Johann George was 25 and Margaret Elizabeth 18 at the time of their marriage. A few years later in 1741, Johan?s youngest daughter, Maria Catharine, ended up marrying a young Palatine man named Caspar Shaver (later to be known as Caspar Shafer). This new alliance, the Wintermute-Shafer family, was now ready to build a new future together. They unleashed themselves from the shackles of debt and raised enough money to lease some land. While many German immigrants looked to settle in Pennsylvania. They decided to settle in the ?wilderness? of New Jersey. They made a deal with the London Company who were trading properties that were part of the William Penn tract. One of the members of the London Company was Dr. John Fothergill, a very close friend of Benjamin Franklin. Some of that unsold land ended up in Western New Jersey, in what is now called Sussex County. They chose to settle in a small village called Stillwater that was part of the town of Hardwick, New Jersey. The alluvial and limestone rich land they chose was along the Paulinskill River and across from a powerful spring called The Big Spring. Their risk was certainly paying off, but all they had to do was get there. The not so easy path to Stillwater was following a trail north east along the ?Blue Mountain? ridge (now known as Kitattinny). This was a risky journey that required tenacity and the basic knowledge of survival. They would have had to negotiate with rough terrain and their new cohabitants, the Lenape Indians. They ended up in Stillwater sometime in 1742. They did not waste any time settling in. They quickly built a rudimentary log cabin and began clear cutting fields for farming. The Shafers and the Wintermutes evolved into a productive and successful family business enterprise. By 1755, Johann had four children - his oldest was Elizabeth Snook, the 2nd child was Margaret Kreter, his first son was George and the youngest was Peter. It was at that time he decided to build a stone house along the Paulinskill river. A few years later he built a fulling mill along the river, which is said to be the first or one of the first in Sussex county. Eventually, his son Peter operated the mill and was able to build his own stone house (now known as Bonnie Brook Farm) on the road with an eye shot of his father?s house. While history paints a picture that Johann was in his brother-in-law?s (Caspar Shafer?s) shadow, there is an untold story about how great this man really was. A man whose dreams came true and died free in a country that was built on courage, hope and the promise of prosperity. He remained in Stillwater the rest of his life and was buried in the Stillwater Cemetery on December 19, 1782. He was survived by his wife, 5 children and 15 grandchildren. Three of his grandchildren were born within just a few months prior to his passing. The Windemuth aka Wintermute family is alive and well today. They are very proud of their heritage and the Windemuth family organization has come to visit the home many times over the years. Stillwater would not be the community it is today without Johann George Wintermute. You can find this article here: https://thebonniebrookfarm.com/f/remembering-johann-george-wintermute
  Person ID	I825	Windemuth Descendents
  Last Modified	4 Oct 1998

  
  

  Father	Johann Christoph Windemuth,   b. 3 Apr 1676, Allendorf, Werra, Hessen, North Prussia ,   d. 1740  (Age 63 years)
  Mother	Maria Margarethe Kleppinger,   b. Abt 1680, Germany ,   d. 14 Feb 1718, Pfungstadt  (Age ~ 38 years)
  Married	4 Jan 1701/1702	Pfungstadt, Starkenburg, Hessen, Germany
  Family ID	F161	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Johanna Margaretha Elizabetha Bernhardten,   b. 5 Aug 1721, Kezenheim, Grafschaft Bolander, Europa ,   d. 15 Feb 1800, Stillwater, New Jersey  (Age 78 years)
  Married	1739	Sussex County, New Jersey
  Children	1. Maria Catharina Windemuth,   b. 11 Nov 1740,   d. 29 Jan 1747/1748  (Age 7 years)   2. Elizabetha Wintermute,   b. 1742,   d. 1800  (Age 58 years)   3. Maria Juliana Windemuth,   b. 27 May 1744,   d. 31 Jan 1747/1748  (Age 3 years)   4. Maria Margareta Wintermute,   b. 9 Jul 1746, Stillwater, New Jersey ,   d. 19 Feb 1800, Fairmount, New Jersey  (Age 53 years)   5. George Wintermute,   b. 8 Jul 1748,   d. 8 Jan 1837  (Age 88 years)   6. Catharina Juliana Wintermute,   b. Abt 1750,   d. Aft 4 May 1800  (Age ~ 50 years)   7. Peter Windamute,   b. 20 Mar 1751/1752, Stillwater, Sussex County, New Jersey ,   d. 18 Mar 1830, Stillwater, Sussex County, New Jersey  (Age 77 years)   8. Johannes\John Windemuth,   b. 8 Jun 1757, Old stone Stillwater house built by father ,   d. 28 Jul 1810, Old stone house where born  (Age 53 years)
  Family ID	F664	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart