Publications of the Pennsylvania German Society ; ser. 2, v. 46
Notes
Illustrated lining papers.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 285) and indexes.
Contents
Berks County: the center of it all -- Daniel Schumacher: a Fraktur artist of some note -- Henrich Otto, 1784 -- Friederich Krebs, August 4, 1790 -- Johann Valentin Schuller -- The greatest development of Fraktur writing, 1800-1835 -- Johann Ritter: a century of influence -- Conclusion: The last flickering -- Appendix 1. Fraktur artist who routinely made Taussscheine for Berks County families -- Appendix 2. Scriveners who routinely infilled Taussscheine for Berks County families -- Appendix 3. Berks Couny printers of Taussscheine in order by active dates -- Appendix 4. Translations.
"Pastor Croll was an accomplished historian and obviously made use of the best available sources for his text...he discovered, in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania,...the first history of Oley, the lengthy manuscript entitled 'Fragment of the past history of Oley', by Dr. Peter G. Bertolet...This was based largely on interviews with Oley Valley residents, many of whom were born in the 18th century....After several competent historical chapters on the settlement and early religious patterns and conflicts in the Valley, Pastor Croll concentrates on some of the major families of Oley." [forward]
In Part 1, Goodling writes a concise history with illustrations from the township's earliest days to the end of the 19th century. It lists churches and schools, post offices, trades and businesses and the military. Part II is a genealogical and biographical record of all families living in the township and nearby areas at the time of the 1860 U.S. Census. Supplement Part 1 describes the churches of the township and appendices. Supplement Part 2 contiues the appendices.
The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, v. 136, no. 1, January 2012.Lancaster History Library - Periodical Article905.748 HSP v. 136, no. 1
pt. 1. Telling the story -- "Drive the heathen out of the land" -- "Some hot headed ill advised persons" -- "The same spirit & frantic rage" -- "Persons of undoubted probity & veracity" -- pt. 2. Retelling the story -- "I never heard one word of it till it was just over" -- "A mighty noise and hubbub" -- "Shot, scalped, hacked, and cut to pieces" -- "One of those youthful ebullitions of wrath" -- "The innocent were destined to share the fate of the guilty" -- "A zone of vicious racial violence" -- pt. 3. Killers and abettors -- "The most respectable of men" -- "They had possession and would keep it" -- "Eternal shame & reproach" -- pt. 4. Death and reconciliation -- "The remains of the victims of a terrible crime" -- "Slaughter'd, kill'd, and cut off a whole tribe" -- "Who was left to mourn for these people?"
Prologue: the Kutztown Folk Festival -- Reading and the Oley Valley -- Fingers of guilt -- Middling stiff -- When law and humanity had but faint connection -- Twelve honest men -- A distraction from grim tidings -- As innocent as a child -- The last melancholy resource -- Ten o'clock to two o'clock and fifty minutes -- Slinking off anonymously -- A last hope -- Seduced by the devil -- Confession -- I poor wretch -- A final jolt -- Peace be to her -- The printers of Exeter Township -- The sad, sad song of Susanna Cox -- Advice from the dead to the living -- Her exit--infamy -- Epilogue: back to the festival.
Summary
The unfortunate Susanna Cox gained notoriety for killing her illegitimate infant son. The fatal episode led to her hanging in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1809, the last public execution of a woman in the commonwealth. But was Susanna really the culprit? The legend of her fate, repeated in Pennsylvania German broadsides by the generations that followed, suggests she herself was a victim. Now, in this first full-length investigation into the tragedy, new evidence reveals some startling facts about how indifference, an undeveloped court system, and the inexact science of nineteenth-century forensics combined to determine Susanna's tragic fate. A full look at how Susanna's "sad song" became romanticized through broadside ballads follows, complete with illustrations.
The Burkey Book : Ancestors and descendants of John (Honus) Burkey / Johannes Berg (1819-1895) and Clara Bloomingsteel/Blumenstiel Burkey (1822-1901) of Green Bank, East Earl Township, Lancaster County, PA
