Mays Family Tree - Person Sheet
NameAnna Eva SCHAEFER 
1050
1050Spouses
Misc. Notes
Friedrich ‘Fritz’ Epgert was born in 1708 in a small village in the Westerwald, a rolling wooded area east of the Rhine River. It is now in the modern German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. Fritz Epgert is the patriarch of the Apgars.
The spring of 1740 was cool and dry. With the prospect of poor crop yields, Fritz and Anna Eva Ebgert abandoned their home and traveled down the Rhine. He came to Philadelphia, PA on board the ship, "Samuel & Elisabeth." This ship docked on 30 September 1740.
It is presumed that the Germans in Germantown, Philadelphia, gave advice to these immigrants. Otherwise, why would they come to the little settlement in the woods of Northern Hunterdon County, a place so far away from the mainstreams of traffic in that era? Also, it is presumed that Fritz chose the water route as his means of travel. Once past the rapids of the Delaware, he went upstream to the Musconetcong River, which borders the northerns boundaries of the presently known Hunterdon County. He probably left the river before reaching Beattystown, NJ, which saved him a long trek over the Schooleys Mountain trail, down into German Valley. If he left the river near the present New Hampton, a ten-mile overland trek would land him in Cokesbury.
It was here, surrounded by German-speaking friends, that he acquired property, probably on the 'quit-rent' arrangement. This meant that he should pay rent for twenty or more years, then he could quit paying rent, because the land was then his own. This was infinitely better than the serf-like conditions in Germany.
The homestead of the immigrant Epgert seems to be far in from the main road between Cokesbury and Lebanon, NJ. However, when he settled there, the present road did not even exist. He was really closer to what is now termed a "back road.”
The house is still standing, and amazingly well preserved. The original section is of stone, stuccoed, complete with huge fireplace, and Dutch door. Behind the fireplace was a full width room, probably used for the parent's bedroom. Above was the loft for the older children, partitioned for Catherine's privacy. This was warmed by the huge stone chimney. The structure is almost two hundred and fifty years old. It stayed in the Herbert family until the early 1900's. Then it was probably rented out of the family for a few years. Later it was back in the family occupancy until the deaths of Howard and Zetta Apgar Sutton in 1967.
All went well until Allen and Turner came on the scene. They heard about the rich iron ore deposits of the area and came from Philadelphia to lease, then buy, the land. It was sold right over the heads of the tenant farmers. Allen and Turner tried to pacify the farmers, because they needed the farmers to supply them with the charred hardwoods that fueled their furnaces.
By the end of the Revolutionary War, both Allen and Turner had died. Their heirs wanted their inheritance so they could convert it to cash. Surveyors were told to map out the area, dividing it up into lots for sale. Then the four heirs met and cut the map apart, putting all the pieces into a hat. Then, alternating, each of the four heirs kept pulling pieces out of the hat. This seemed to them a fair way to select their lots. Then came the unfair part. Approaching the farmers, they asked them to buy their property with 'cash on a barrel head'. The worst of it all was the prices they were charging. They wanted the farmers to buy these lots in their then vastly improved condition. These farmers had bought from the 'quit-rent' people a piece of woodlot. They had cut down the trees and pulled out the stumps with their own back-breaking toil. They had removed the boulders, put the stones in fencerows, plowed and planted the fields, built the barns and house, and now were being told they had to pay for their own labors. Those who could not come up with the money lost everything they had worked for. This is what started the westward migration for these dispossessed farmers. Of course, the younger folk went west for the sheer adventure of it all.
In 1742, Friedrich Apkert was one of six men named as defendants in a NJ Supreme Court case. It was likely for occupying land that they didn't have title to. Names of the others included at least two whose names appeared on plots of land near Cokesbury, NJ, making it probably that the land at issue in 1742 was the same land that the 'homestead' occupies today.
There is a private burial ground on the property. Herbert's will made provision for a square rod of land back of the house, to be kept for that purpose. According to the anecdotal accounts of living descendants, this is the last resting place for the Apgar patriarch (Fritz), his wife (Anna Eva Schaefer), and his son, Herbert.
A stone plaque on the property, mistakenly naming Johannes Peter Apgard as the family patriarch, marks the homestead.
The following order of children born to Fritz Epgert and his wives as determined by German church records, ages of their children and presumed children, and grandchildren, dates of property acquisitions, and Hunterdon County church records. The exact birthdates of Herbert, Hans Peter, Heinrich, Jacob, William, Frederick, and Conrad are known and it is believed that George was perhaps the youngest.
The spring of 1740 was cool and dry. With the prospect of poor crop yields, Fritz and Anna Eva Ebgert abandoned their home and traveled down the Rhine. He came to Philadelphia, PA on board the ship, "Samuel & Elisabeth." This ship docked on 30 September 1740.
It is presumed that the Germans in Germantown, Philadelphia, gave advice to these immigrants. Otherwise, why would they come to the little settlement in the woods of Northern Hunterdon County, a place so far away from the mainstreams of traffic in that era? Also, it is presumed that Fritz chose the water route as his means of travel. Once past the rapids of the Delaware, he went upstream to the Musconetcong River, which borders the northerns boundaries of the presently known Hunterdon County. He probably left the river before reaching Beattystown, NJ, which saved him a long trek over the Schooleys Mountain trail, down into German Valley. If he left the river near the present New Hampton, a ten-mile overland trek would land him in Cokesbury.
It was here, surrounded by German-speaking friends, that he acquired property, probably on the 'quit-rent' arrangement. This meant that he should pay rent for twenty or more years, then he could quit paying rent, because the land was then his own. This was infinitely better than the serf-like conditions in Germany.
The homestead of the immigrant Epgert seems to be far in from the main road between Cokesbury and Lebanon, NJ. However, when he settled there, the present road did not even exist. He was really closer to what is now termed a "back road.”
The house is still standing, and amazingly well preserved. The original section is of stone, stuccoed, complete with huge fireplace, and Dutch door. Behind the fireplace was a full width room, probably used for the parent's bedroom. Above was the loft for the older children, partitioned for Catherine's privacy. This was warmed by the huge stone chimney. The structure is almost two hundred and fifty years old. It stayed in the Herbert family until the early 1900's. Then it was probably rented out of the family for a few years. Later it was back in the family occupancy until the deaths of Howard and Zetta Apgar Sutton in 1967.
All went well until Allen and Turner came on the scene. They heard about the rich iron ore deposits of the area and came from Philadelphia to lease, then buy, the land. It was sold right over the heads of the tenant farmers. Allen and Turner tried to pacify the farmers, because they needed the farmers to supply them with the charred hardwoods that fueled their furnaces.
By the end of the Revolutionary War, both Allen and Turner had died. Their heirs wanted their inheritance so they could convert it to cash. Surveyors were told to map out the area, dividing it up into lots for sale. Then the four heirs met and cut the map apart, putting all the pieces into a hat. Then, alternating, each of the four heirs kept pulling pieces out of the hat. This seemed to them a fair way to select their lots. Then came the unfair part. Approaching the farmers, they asked them to buy their property with 'cash on a barrel head'. The worst of it all was the prices they were charging. They wanted the farmers to buy these lots in their then vastly improved condition. These farmers had bought from the 'quit-rent' people a piece of woodlot. They had cut down the trees and pulled out the stumps with their own back-breaking toil. They had removed the boulders, put the stones in fencerows, plowed and planted the fields, built the barns and house, and now were being told they had to pay for their own labors. Those who could not come up with the money lost everything they had worked for. This is what started the westward migration for these dispossessed farmers. Of course, the younger folk went west for the sheer adventure of it all.
In 1742, Friedrich Apkert was one of six men named as defendants in a NJ Supreme Court case. It was likely for occupying land that they didn't have title to. Names of the others included at least two whose names appeared on plots of land near Cokesbury, NJ, making it probably that the land at issue in 1742 was the same land that the 'homestead' occupies today.
There is a private burial ground on the property. Herbert's will made provision for a square rod of land back of the house, to be kept for that purpose. According to the anecdotal accounts of living descendants, this is the last resting place for the Apgar patriarch (Fritz), his wife (Anna Eva Schaefer), and his son, Herbert.
A stone plaque on the property, mistakenly naming Johannes Peter Apgard as the family patriarch, marks the homestead.
The following order of children born to Fritz Epgert and his wives as determined by German church records, ages of their children and presumed children, and grandchildren, dates of property acquisitions, and Hunterdon County church records. The exact birthdates of Herbert, Hans Peter, Heinrich, Jacob, William, Frederick, and Conrad are known and it is believed that George was perhaps the youngest.
Family ID865