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Original handwritten Pennsylvania German financial letter dated January 22, 1842, at “Boyerstown,” the historic spelling of Boyertown, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
The letter was written and signed by Mathias Gehris and addressed to John S. Bechtel, the prominent farmer, miller, merchant, Mennonite deacon, and namesake associated with the founding and development of nearby Bechtelsville.
Mathias returns money that Bechtel had paid him the previous day for his younger sister, Lovina “Polly” Gehris. Mathias had attempted to deliver the money, but Polly refused it because she was “not satisfied with the same.” Mathias asks Bechtel to accept the returned money and either send him a receipt or give the receipt to their brother, David Gehris.
The reverse contains period arithmetic, pen trials, docketing, fold marks, and a remnant of the original red sealing January 22d 1842
Dear Sir,
Enclosed You will Find The money which you Paid me Yesterday For Polly Gehris. You will Please to take The Same back because I offered to give it to her and She would not take it. She said She was not Satisfied with the Same. You will therefore Please to accept it and Send me the receipt or Give the Same to David Gehris. In so doing You will much oblige Your Friend who wishes That You and Your family may Enjoy Every blessing.
Mathias Gehris
To John S. Bechtel
JOHN S. BECHTEL
John S. Bechtel (1786–1868) was an important early resident of the Boyertown–Bechtelsville region. He was the son of Isaac Bechtel and Esther Stauffer and married Maria Hoch.
Berks County histories credit John S. Bechtel with laying out Bechtelsville, the community named for his family. He was a farmer and reportedly operated a general store and gristmill. The family belonged to the Hereford Mennonite congregation, where John served as a deacon.
The Bechtels were an established Pennsylvania German family descended from Palatine immigrants who settled in southeastern Pennsylvania during the colonial period. John’s father, Isaac Bechtel, was a farmer and miller whose family lived in and around what became Bechtelsville.
John S. Bechtel is the recipient of this letter; the document is signed by Mathias Gehris, not by Bechtel.
MATHIAS GEHRIS
Matthias or Mathias Gehris was born in Berks County around 1811. Genealogical sources differ concerning his death year, giving approximately 1875 or 1886. He was a son of George Gehris and Susannah Imbody.
In this letter, Mathias acts as an intermediary in a financial transaction involving his younger sister Polly and John S. Bechtel. When Polly rejects the payment, Mathias carefully returns it and requests written acknowledgment.
LOVINA “POLLY” GEHRIS
Lovina Gehris, commonly called Polly, was born around 1819 and is reported to have died in 1901. “Polly” was frequently used as a familiar form of Mary, but genealogical records identify this family member specifically as Lovina “Polly” Gehris.
She was approximately 22 years old when this letter was written. Her refusal of the money because she was “not satisfied with the same” indicates that the amount or terms of the proposed settlement were disputed. The precise nature of the underlying obligation is not stated.
DAVID GEHRIS
David Gehris was born around 1808 or 1809 and died around 1900 or 1901. He was an older brother of Mathias and Polly. Mathias names David as the trusted person to whom Bechtel could deliver the requested receipt.
THE GEHRIS FAMILY
The Berks County Gehris family traces its American history to Johann Peter Gehris, who emigrated from Horschbach in Germany’s Palatinate aboard the ship Robert & Alice, arriving at Philadelphia on September 24, 1742.
Johann Peter’s son Simon Peter Gehris settled in Hereford Township. Later descendants established themselves in Hereford and District townships, and members of the family participated in constructing Huff’s Union Church.
Genealogical records identify Mathias, David, and Lovina “Polly” as children of George Gehris (1773–1855) and Susannah Imbody (1778–1860), making the three Gehrises named in this letter siblings. Some dates vary among user-compiled genealogical records, but the combination of names, ages, and location provides a compelling family identification.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
This letter preserves a private financial dispute involving two deeply rooted Pennsylvania German families. It is particularly desirable as an original document addressed to John S. Bechtel, the namesake and early developer of Bechtelsville.
The letter also provides an uncommon firsthand record of three Gehris siblings acting together in 1842: Mathias as intermediary, Polly as the dissatisfied intended recipient, and David as the trusted alternate recipient of the receipt.
CONDITION
Original 1842 manuscript with expected age toning, staining, creases, folds, edge wear, small tears, and losses along the bottom edge. A larger irregular loss is present at the lower margin, but it does not affect the principal text or signature. The reverse exhibits arithmetic, ink marks, pen trials, docketing, and a small surviving remnant of red sealing wax.
Please examine all photographs carefully for the exact condition, dimensions, and appearance. The plastic archival sleeve shown in the photographs is not part of the original document.
A desirable original Boyertown/Bechtelsville manuscript for collectors of Berks County history, Pennsylvania German genealogy, Mennonite history, early American financial correspondence, the Bechtel family, or the Gehris family.
