• General Notes

  [summer.FTW]
  
  Sailed on "St Andrew", arriving Philadelphia 7 Oct 1743.  SC Archives state he
  came in Capt Russell's ship.  Explored in VA/SC twice, settling Broad River.
  He was a man of firm will and purpose and gave no encouragement to the idle,
  but was ready to assist and aid those who desired to make a home in his
  setlement.  Helped establish St Johns Lutheran Church, one of the first in the
  area.  During Rev War - Manager of the Commissary of his section and gained
  title of Major.  Meeting to decide joining of Patriots held his home.
  
  Notes for Hans Adam Summer:
  In 1743, prior to sailing to America Hans Adam Summer married Anna Maria Josten (pronounced Yosten) in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. They arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 7 Oct 1742, on Captain Russell's ship, the Saint Andrew. He was 27 and an indentured servent 7 years before moving his family to the Dutch Fork area of SC. They are both buried on the original SC homestead land, with only fieldstones marking thier graves.
  
  His petition for land is in the SC Council Journal dated 31 Aug 1752. It lists names and ages of the first three children. Survey of the 250 acres of land granted on Crims Creek near the Broad River is dated 2 Sep 1752.
  
  During the Revolutionary War he served as a Commissary Officer with the rank of Major procuring supplies for the SC Militia. His war records are found in the SC Archives, File # 7562. His 6 sons and his son-in-law also served in the Revolutionary War.
  Farmer, Major SC Militia Rev. War File # 7522
  
  b. 1716 in Germany, d. abt. 1790 in Newberry County, husband of Anna Marie Jost, served as a Commissary Officer with the rank of Major, procuring supplies for the SC Militia. His war records are found in the SC Archives, File # 7562. His 6 sons and son-in-law also served in the Revolutionary War.  Submitted by: Cibby Krell
  
  Johannes Adam SUMMER
  
  Posted by Charlotte Holder Herridge <cherrew@@swbell.net> on Fri, 18 Feb 2000
  
  Surname: SUMMER
  
  Hans [Johannes) Adam SUMMER was a native of Odenwald, in the Oberland District; and in seeking a new home in American, he sailed up the River Rhine and joined a colony of people at Rotterdam where, it is stated, he married a young lady in his colony just before sailing. That was in the year 1743."
  --excerpt from "HOUSEAL and SUMMER Families", Archives of Library of Gettysburg Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, PA.--
  
  'Oberland--the upper country in Switzerland, comprising Canton of Berne, Sembeythe Lake of Thum, with adjacent parts of Unterwalk and Uri-Umrechdeseine, it is applied to the Valles of Haste Srundenwald and Lemtrbrume'.
  
  'The Odenwald is mountainous region in Germany, in southern Hesse and the adjacent parts of Baden and Bavaria between the neck on which separates it from Spessart, which includes various small tributaries of the Rhine, Kockes and Main. A beautiful region known as 'Bergstrasse'."
  
  John Adam SUMMER, Sr., Pioneer [Johannes Adam SUMMER] came from Odenwald, in Germany, a section of the Oberland, which stretches along the border of Northern Switzerland and bounds on the edges of Baden and Hesse (the old lines).
  
  John Adam SUMMER sailed from Rotterdam to the United States about 1743; he married a young lady of his colony at Rotterdam, named Anna Marie Margaret Jostin. They sailed on the ship, St. Andrew, arriving at the port of Philadelphia on October 7, 1743. The Council Records on the SC Archives state that "he came in Captain Russell's ship, and waited on ye God in Council where he was directed to go unto the country to look for the land whereon he might settle, and then to apply for a warrant. The Petitioner accordingly fixed on a plot of land near Broad River; that he had a wife and three [3] children, the children's name being Adam (age 8), Henry (age 6) and Magdelina (age 4); and humbly prays his Excellency and Honors to order the Surveyors General to lay off to ye Petitioner of 250 acres of land on Crim's Creek ....". "Dated at Charleston, 31st August, 1752."
  
  John Summer, Sr. lived for about seven [7] years in Pennsylvania before coming South; therefore, the date of his exploration to South Carolina and land grant corresponds with the records in Pennsylvania as to his arrival in Philadelphia.
  
  The following is part of a letter written by William SUMMER, Esq., Horticulturist, Pomaria, SC in 1878 to Col. Brantz MAYER of Baltimore, MD.:
  
  "John Adam (Johannes Adam) SUMMER migrated from the Oberland, in Germany, and remained in Pennsylvania where he lived for about seven years .... He came to America to better his condition.... After his term of service was up in that State he set out on a trip of exploration leaving his wife and children with the family who had given him employment. After a trip through Virginia, he returned to his family. Later, he obtained a horse from his former employer, set out on a second trip of exploration, extending this trip down into the Carolinas, and was pleased with his discoveries. He returned to his family in Pennsylvania and brought them to the place of his selection for a settlement. This place proved to be near Broad River, in the "Dutch Fork" (in Lexington County near Newberry County line)."
  
  "On his second trip through Virginia while reviewing his first observations and passing through one of the Indian tribes, he turned his horse into a small stream to drink, discovered a young Indian in great agony. He offered the Indian the assistance he could, when he made signs by his fingers that he had been three days there and had been bitten by a rattlesnake, and by signs comprehended the course he wished to go--and he laid him across the back of his horse, walking by his side and holding him on, brought him to the Indian Camp, a distance of several miles, where there was great rejoicing as he was the son of the Chief and they had been searching for him for three days. They at once gave him (SUMMER) an unbounded welcome, settled him in their midst, and heaped around him piles of dried venison beef and everything they had to subsist upon, and embracing him urged him to remain with them; that his wished would be supplied. He remained with them about three days, and begged them to suffer him to depart, that he had a wife and family he wished to return and see. They then began to pile on his horse more than he could carry--he took a small part."
  
  "As he went on his way and he came among other Indian tribes, they received him with unusual welcome, making him understand he had relieved one of their people." Runners had been sent on ahead of him to tell other tribes of his coming so that he would not be molested.
  
  "When he came to Esvapadeena (Indian name for Broad River), the Indians showed him a ford which they said had been made by buffaloes, originally, and then used by them; and crossed over and came into the fords of Broad and Saluda Rivers where he chose to make a settlement...He said that this reminded him of Oberland, and here he was content to make his home. He found the whole country overrun with the wild pea, the bottoms of the streams and valleys overlined with cane, affording abundant food for his cattle and horses."
  
  "...after he was settled, and in his journeys to Granby, he met Rev. Christian THEUS of the Reformed Church, the pastor of the people there, and in conversation with him, he and his wife wished to join his Church (having been reared in a Catholic community) and have their children baptized. He had him to visit his family and to preach in his neighborhood; and he encouraged the people of his section to come and attend to these duties. Here was established one of the first churches, known as St. Johns Lutheran Church. A grant of 100 acres was made by King George II, to the German Society, then Reformed and Lutheran."
  
  "He was a man of firm will and purpose and gave no encouragement to the idle, but was ever ready to assist and aid those who desired to make a home in his settlement."..."He brought several families with him from Pennsylvania to the Dutch Fork. Churches and schools soon sprung up, and in due time the cause of education received encouragement, and culture and good society and liberal education prevails among the citizens of this community. While many of the citizens have sought homes in other portions of the State and the United States."
  
  As a leader in his community, he at first was a Loyalist as were many others in his neighborhood. But later, when his adopted country formed their own government on the side of liberty, which seemed the only salvation for the people, he took the side of General Washington. The others of that community also changed and became patriotic citizens. During the Revolutionary War he was Manager of the Commissary of that section and gained the title of Major. Of his six sons who became grown and had families, all were patriotic citizens and soldiers in the Militia during the War. He died sometime in the early 1790's.
  
  The following are descendants of John Adam SUMMER, Sr. (Johannes) who served in the Confederate Army, in the 13th Regiment, Company H, S. C. V. (From records of the South Carolina Historical Commission.)
  
  Adam L. SUMMER, 3rd Sergeant
  George W. SUMMER, Corporal (Died 1862)
  George Michael SUMMER
  James H. SUMMER
  J. Franklin SUMMER
  W. Thomas SUMMER
  John Henry SUMMER
  John George SUMMER
  William L. SUMMER
  
  Information and quotes taken from a book about the SUMMER family, written by George Leland SUMMER

Details of John (Hans) Adam's family with Anna Maria Margaret Josten