The first immigrant to the United States in our line of the Battenfield Family was Hans Adam Battenfield. First, just the usual facts - Hans, or Adam as he is listed in some documents, was born on February 18, 1725 in Schwanheim, Baden (Baden-Württemberg), Preußen, Germany. His baptism was on February 21, 1725. His parents were Johannes Battenfeld and Maria Barbara Battenfeld.

Hans Adam married Maria Elizabeth Pauster on November 09, 1754 in Saint Matthews Lutheran Church,Hanover,York,Pennsylvania. Maria was born in 1735 in Hanover, York County, Pennsylvania and died the day after giving birth to their son George Michel on December 05, 1767 in Manheim Twp, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Hans Adam died Bef. March 17, 1804 in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Our line of the family descending from Hans Adam (numbers denote generation):
1. Hans Adam Battenfield
2. George Michel Battenfield
3. Joseph Battenfield
4. Gelina Angeline Battenfield
5. Joseph W. Starr
6. Minnie Ann Starr
7. Lorene Teague
8. Marion Elzie Pollock

Hans Adam, along with his two brothers Johannes and Philipp, sailed from Rotterdam, Germany on the ship Two Brothers. The captain was Thomas Arnot. They sailed by way of Cowes, England which is on the Isle of Wight. They arrived in Philadelphia on August 28, 1750. Upon arrival, they took the oath of allegiance to the province and the state of Pennsylvania and was qualified on the same day.

Example of the Oath of Allegiance

Since 1727, all male immigrants over 17 years old from Germany to Philadelphia were required to take and sign an oath of allegiance to assure the Provincial Council that they would agree to abide by the rules and regulations of the English government, to disavow any ties to other monarchs and pledge allegiance to England. Since 1727, all male immigrants over 17 years old from Germany to Philadelphia were required to take and sign an oath of allegiance to assure the Provincial Council that they would agree to abide by the rules and regulations of the English government, to disavow any ties to other monarchs and pledge allegiance to England.

The captains of the ships would prepare a list of all male German passengers over 16 and when the ship arrived in Philadelphia, the men on the list would get on a small boat and go to land where the captain would take the men to the authorities to take the oath of allegiance. The women and children remained on the ship.

The oath was taken in the Court House and was administered by clerks who read the oath to the new immigrants in English. The immigrants probably only spoke German so it may e possible that a translator explained the oath to them. After each section of the oath was read, the immigrants had to repeat it until the whole oath was taken.

The oath stated:

“We subscribers, natives and late inhabitants of the Palatinate upon the Rhine and places adjacent, having transported ourselves and families into this province of Pennsylvania, a colony subject to the crown of Great Britain, in hopes and expectation of finding a retreat and peaceable settlement there, do solemnly promise and engage that we will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his present majesty, King George II, and his successors, kings of Great Britain, and will be faithful to the proprietors of this province, and that we will demean ourselves peaceably to all his said subjects and strictly observe and conform to laws of England and this province, to the utmost of our power.”

They would then sign their names on two pieces of paper. Since the immigrants could not speak English, they weren’t considered intelligent. When they signed their names, many did so in their own language which showed some amount of education. If they were unable to sign, an “X” was placed near their name. After signing the oath, the immigrants went back to the ship and their families.

When ships arrived from Germany, bells were ringing in the city to alert the citizens that new immigrants were in port. The citizens would go to the boat and welcome the passengers and to find indenture servants to fill their labor needs. German people already in Philadelphia would great the ship with fruit and other foods. Germans already in Philadelphia knew well what the passengers needs were. They were also looking for news from home.

German passengers carried two documents with them when they sailed. First, their passport which stated the community they were from and that they did not have any dangerous plague or infectious disease. It also stated that they owed no taxes. The second document was a letter of recommendation issued by the pastor of the immigrant’s home church.

1765 Land Purchase of additional 50 acres

Land documents show Hans Adam Battenfeld purchased 50 acres adjoining his brother Philip's property on April 30, 1751 in Mannheim Township, York County, Pennsylvania. In 1765, he purchased 50 more acres of land that adjoined property he already owed.

Hans Adam Battenfeld and his brother Johannes transfered their land through an agreement in 1809 to Jacob Blocher . Name of the property was Goodhope.

Children of Maria Elizabeth Pauster and Hans Adam Battenfield are:
i. Phillip Battenfield
ii. Johannes (John) C. Bottenfield
iii. Catherine Bottenfield.
iv. Leonard Bottenfield
v. Henry Potterfield
vi. Adam Bottenfield
vii. Jacob Potterfield
viii. George Michel Battenfield

Sources:
Names of Foreigners Who Took the Oath of Allegiance to the Province and State of Pennsylvania 1727-1775; edited by William Henry Egle, M.D.; Harrisburg; 1892
Lynn-Heidelberg Historical Society; PRESERVING THE PA DUTCH CULTURE; The Beginning of a New Life By: Virgina Woodward http://www.lynnheidelberg.org/beginnewlife.html
U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s
Baden, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1502-1985