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Peter SPACE, Immigrant from Germany to NJ

Replies: 12

Re: Peter SPACE, Immigrant from Germany to NJ

Posted: 1 Feb 2012 3:29PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hello to all of you who have posted here since my first message in 1999. First of all my e-mail address is now thescoop@cox.net. My husband's descendancy from Peter is: Peter SPACE > Manus SPACE > Robert SPACE > Charles Dill SPACE > Maude (SPACE) SHAFER > Melvin SHAFER. This is just about the only information we have been able to find on Peter.

According to Snell's History of Sussex & Warren Counties, New Jersey (1881), he was born near Berlin, Germany. The only areas in Germany according to the IGI in which we have been able to find a surname similar to SPACE were Bayern (Bavaria) and Westfalen (Westfalia) where there were some SPIESS families. The given names in these families were very similar to SPACE family names here. Tradition says the German spelling was SPIECE, but in the German language, "C" is never used without a "K" or an "H" and is then pronounced differently, so if the name was ever spelled that way, it must have been changed after leaving Germany. Peter is said to have emigrated to America in 1765 with his younger brother, John.*(See *below) Some sources say they spent time in England before coming to the United States, so this might explain the SPIECE spelling.

Snell made the following statement: "Peter Space, a participant in the war of the Revolution, lived on Germany Flats before the outbreak of that conflict. He wore in his military service a broad-brimmed hat, through whose brim a bullet once made its way. The hat he clung to ever afterward, and took a vast deal of pride in directing attention to the bullet-hole. Fourteen years before his death, at the age of eighty-five, he became blind. His son, Mannas was born in Germany Flats, and died there at the age of seventy-seven." Peter also served in Captain Abraham Shaver's Troop of Light Dragoons from September 11, 1794 to December 25, 1794.

Since, according to the above record, Peter died at age 85 and was not found in the 1830 census, either as a family head or enumerated with another SPACE family, it may be assumed that he was born by 1744. He witnessed George Duseberry's Last Will and Testament on January 24, 1767 in Newton, Sussex Co., New Jersey and must have been at least 21 years of age to do so.

Records list Peter's wife as Mary, but a few sources give Catherine or Katherin. With this wide a span of children's birth years, it's reasonable to assume there was more than one wife. (The Katherin source claims a son, John, b. 12 Jul 1808 at Deckertown, Sussex Co., NJ, d. 5 Oct 1891 Wyoming Co., PA, m. Rachel QUICK.)

*There is a record of a George SPACE, b. 1744?, d. 1824 who witnessed a will in Newton, NJ in 1764. A Matthias SPACE was listed in Shaw's Brigade in 1775. He was listed in the 1800 census, Bucks Co., PA in the 45 + bracket, giving a birth year of 1755 or earlier. A Leonard SPACE was also listed in this bracket in Montgomery Co., PA. These would indicate there may have been other brothers or cousins who immigrated and who account for some of the above sons and other SPACE families.

I'll be glad to correspond with all of you SPACE researchers and share or compare information.

Della Shafer
P.S. to Gene Baugh who in May of 2000 suggested my contacting Margaret Space of Minneapolis, MN for her information. (I understand she descended through Peter's son Edward Space.) I had written to her a number of times and sent her all my information and got no response. I called her and she was cordial, but she never would give me any of her information. Another Space researcher who lived in Minneapolis actually called on her in person and she still wouldn't give him the information.
SubjectAuthorDate Posted
jef7n 1 Feb 2012 7:26PM GMT 
Debbelou 15 Jan 2001 9:36AM GMT 
dellasha 1 Feb 2012 10:29PM GMT 
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