Paul Ritter 1713 Germany – 1799 PA

Paul Ritter was the oldest of the Ritter brothers who came from Germany to Pennsylvania. His wife was Maria. They had seven children. The oldest was born in Germany and the others in Pennsylvania.

Paul, born about 1713, was the oldest of these brothers. He came from Germany with his wife, Maria Elizabeth, and his son, Paul, Jr. In 1737 he had a tract of 192 acres of land along the Hosenack Creek in Lower Milford Township, the same township where Heinrich lived.[1]He and his wife had six more children: Anna Catherine, Casper, Mathias, John Heinrich, Anna Maria and Maria Elizabeth.[2]Paul Ritter moved to Colebrook Township in Berks County where he owned a 300 acre farm. He died 14 February 1799.[3]

[1]Roberts, Charles Rhoads, John Stoudt, Thomas Krick, and William Dietrich. History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of its Families 1732 – 1914. Allentown, Pennsylvania: Lehigh Valley Publishing Company, 1914.

[2]Knox, Larry. The Ritter Family.

[3]Roberts, Charles Rhoads, John Stoudt, Thomas Krick, and William Dietrich. History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of its Families 1732 – 1914. Allentown, Pennsylvania: Lehigh Valley Publishing Company, 1914.

1 Paul Ritter b: 1713 in Germany, d: 14 Feb 1799 in Colebrookdale, Berks, PA
…… + Maria Elizabeth Ritter b: 1710 in Germany, d: 23 July 1798 in PA
…………2 Paul Ritter b: Abt. 1730 in Germany
…………2 Anna Catherine Ritter b: 1738 in Milford, Bucks, PA
…………2 Casper Ritter b: Abt. 1740 in Milford, Bucks, PA
…………2 Mathias Ritter b: 1741 in Milford, Bucks, PA
…………2 Johann Heinrich Ritter b: 1745 in Milford, Bucks, PA
…………2 Anna Maria Ritter b: 1748 in Milford, Bucks, PA
…………2 Maria Elizabeth Ritter b: 1750 in Milford, Bucks, PA

Larry Knox wrote:

“Paul farmed most of his life and was listed in the 1752 tax list in Colebrookdale Township.  Next, he was in the 1767 tax list with four horses, eight cows and five sheep and in 1768 he had four horses, eight cows and seven sheep.He and Maria were members of the Dillingerville Lutheran Church in Lower Milford Township, BUcks County, PA and the New Hanover Reformed Church in Philadelphia County.”

Selected Sources:

•  Roberts,Stroudt, Krick, and Deitrich, THE HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY,PENSYLVANIA AND A
  GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF IT’S FAMILIES; 1732-1914; Lehigh Valley
  Publishing Company, Ltd., Allentown, Pa., 1914, Vol. III; pp 1054-1063; Lehigh
  County Historical Society, Old Court House, P.O.Box 1548, Allentown, PA 18105.
•  Passenger List; 1732; Port of Entry, Philadelphia, PA, 11 Sept.,
  1732, “The Pennsylvania Merchant”, Sailed from Rotterdam; Obtained Photocopy
  from Pennsylvania Archives, P.O.Box 1026, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1026.
• Knox, Larry D. The Ritter Family of Lehigh and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania, the Descendants of Isaac Ritter in Wayne and Ashland Counties, Ohio. Volume 1. Privately Published, 1999.