North Penn Paper, Unknown Date

The Fleck Lands and Family of Gwynedd

Conrad Fleck, The Immigrant--Adam Fleck and Descendants

The Fleck family have been for four or five generations extensive landholders in Lower Gwynedd. The present sketch is intended to more particularly give an account of the original properties held by those of that name. Their land was between Penllyn and the Springhouse, on the southeast side of the turnpike, and was crossed by the Bethlehem road. It comprised three hundred and fifty acres and was a mi1e in length from east to west. It is now contained in the farms and lots of Adam F. Hoover, estate of William A. Platt, William B. Churchman, Henry Markoe, William 0. B. Merrill, and Samuel Fleck's estate.

Their first seat or foothold here was at the present Hoover premises, for many years past in tenure of John Fry, and which was obtained before the Revolution.

Conrad Fleck

was the American ancestor of the present family. He was a German immigrant and a Lutheran. The time of his arrival is not known, but before coming to Gwynedd he lived in the Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. Towards the close of his life he bought a plantation here of Christopher Rex, of Flourtown, a speculator and landjobber of that day. This purchase was made in 1764. Here was already a house, and a fine spring westward of it had decided the site of the first dwelling. Improvements had been made here probably fifty years before. The previous history of the land was as follows:

William John, a Welsh Quaker, had, in addition to the whole upper third of the township of Gwynedd, been granted another piece of 322 acres in 1701, extending from the Whitpain line northeast nearly a mile, and being three-quarters of a mile in width. At his death, in 1714, his three daughters, E11en, Gainor and Catharine, became heirs to this land. In the same year (1714) they sold the same to a We1sh tailor named Owen Roberts, for L120. Roberts built a house on the Houston place before 1719. In 1715, he sold off the northern half, or l5 1/2 acres, to Lewis Williams. Of the next transfer we have no record, but in 1750 one Hannaniah Pugh was the owner.

The plantation of 144 acres conveyed to Conrad Fleck, in 1764, by Christopher Rex was bounded as follows: Beginning at corner of Edward Foulke; thence partly by same and Thomas Fou1ke southwest 163 perches; thence by Rev. Nanna southeast 156 perches; thence by Evan Roberts northeast 127 perches; thence by Lewis Williams northwest 72 perches; thence northeast l7 perches to line of Thomas Davis; thence by same northwest 84 perches to beginning.

Conrad Fleck did not live long to reside on this property, for he died in middle life, three years afterwards. His death occurred in the spring of 1767 when one of his sons was yet a minor. His will was made on the 8th of April and registered May 9th of that year. It was witnessed by Wendle Vetter and Baltus Wick, two or his countrymen residing in Gwynedd.

Will of Conrad Fleck

In this document mention is made of his wife, Anna Maria, and several children; Adam, Peter, John, George, Elizabeth, wife of Leonard Neidich, and Anna, wife of Jacob Kneedler, of Horsham. George was a minor. Adam, the eldest, got L100 and the homestead. The other children got the residue of the estate, to be equally divided among them. How much was this residue is not stated, but probably it was a considerable sum, showing that Conrad Fleck was a man of property and had considerable belongings besides the Gwynedd farm. John Fleck, some years later, was a resident of Worcester, and George and Peter Fleck were living in Gwynedd. The wife of the latter was named Christian. The writer has no knowledge of their descendants.

Adam Fleck

Adam Fleck the eldest son of Conrad Fleck, was born in 1739, probably in Philadelphia, and his second wife, Maria Margaret, was born in 1749. She reached the great age of ninety-five years. In 1775, part of the other heirs signed a release to Adam for the homestead, whilst that of his brother Peter was not signed til1 1782. In the Gwynedd assessment of 1776 Adam Fleck was rated as the owner of 140 acres, and as having three horses and six cows. His youngest brother, George, also lived in Gwynedd and was assessed for two horses and three cows, but no land. He was probably a renter. Concerning the descendants of the other children of Conrad Fleck the writer has not made investigations.

It is significant that neither all enterprises nor all improvements were stifled by the exigencies of the Revolutionary war. We find that Adam Fleck proceeded to build a large barn at the homestead while hostile armies were marching across and devastating the country. This was erected in 1778 and bears his initials and that of his wife, which may be seen to this day at the Hoover farm, occupied by John Fry. A new house was probably built about the same time, succeeding the inferior one of the first settler here. These improvements, made at such a time, indicate that Fleck was either making money or had previously acquired a considerable sum. The barn was a large and roomy one for that period and yet does good service. A few years later he began to branch out and purchase adjoining lands. The first was a lot of fourteen acres, bought in 1784 of James Roney, which then had a house on it. Roney had bought this in 1772 of John Shehmie (Shelmire). This appears to have been down the crossroad to the Bethlehem pike (the old road to Foulke's mill) and adjoining the present Dager place. There, by the roadside, stands an old one-story stone house, which may be the same that was standing in 1784, when Fleck bought the lot of Roney. The Flecks used it for a tenant house for their farm laborers and others.

The next purchase was a larger tract, of 91 acres, bought from the guardians of Robert Davis, who were Levi and Jessie Foulke. This was bought in 1789 and comprised all that eastern portion of the Merrill farm beyond the turnpike, and also some lands where the present buildings are, on the western side. It was part of the 225 acres once held by Thomas Davis. Another small purchase of four acres was made from one Kaody, and later a tract of 67 acres, now partly comprised in the farm of Samuel Fleck was bought from Isaac Davis in 1801. For this Fleck paid L1319. Previous to this, in 1798, Fleck also bought 23 acres of Isaac Davis. This was along the road from Springhouse to Penllyn and adjoining the crossroad. For this, L503 were paid. The boundaries of the 67 acres bought of Isaac Davis in 1801 were: Beginning in great road leading from Springhouse to Foulke's mill, being a corner of Adam Fleck's other land; thence by same southeast 203 perches, and northeast 45 perches to corner of this and John Clemens, in 11ne of Adam Fleck's other land; thence by Clemen's northwest 54 perches to corner in great road leading to Bethlehem; thence up said road by Clemen's land northwest 32 perches to corner in sa1d road; thence by Clemen's land northwest 72 perches, and southwest 13 perches and northwest 50 perches to corner of first mentioned road; thence along said road southwest 49 perches to beginning.

At the present Merrill farm Adam Fleck built a house and barn for his son, Jacob. The latter bears the date of l804 and the house was built within a year or two from that time. The records of the old Yellow Church show that Adam Fleck was one of its members in 1793. It was then under the pastorate of Jacob V. Buskirk, The burial place of the Fleck’s, however, was at St. John's church, Belfry.

Will of Adam Fleck

Adam Fleck had a long and prosperous life. His death took place April 27,1820, at the age of 81. His wife survived him, her death taking place March 25, 1844, at the age of 95 years. His will was registered in 1820. In this document he mentions his wife, Maria Margaret, to whom he gave the interest on L1500, besides the usual privileges of house room, etc. He then says: "I give to my sons, Jacob and Daniel, the following properties: The 140 acres which was devised to me by my father, Conrad Fleck; fourteen acres, which I hold by deed from James Roney; about 91 acres which I hold by deed from Jesse and Levi Foulke, as guardians of Robert Davis; about four acres which I hold from _____ Kaoley, and so much of the plantation which I hold by deed from Isaac Davis which is enclosed in a field occupied by my son Jacob, containing eight acres, all of which several tracts I devise to my sons, Jacob and Daniel. My son Daniel shall have that part at present in his possession, and my son Jacob shall have the premises he at present occupies, and where I now reside. I give my remaining tract of land, adjoining the other, which my son Adam (now deceased) did occupy, to Hannah, his widow, until her son Samuel is 21 years old. Other children are mentioned: John, Margaret, Mary, wife of Frederick Runier; Catharine, wife of Jacob Hoover; Susannah, wife of Jacob Weber. The will was witnessed by John Marshall, Philip Hoover and Frederick Conard.

Adam Fleck was born in 1739, and was therefore 25 years old when his father came to Gwynedd. He was twice married. The last name of his first wife is unknown. She was buried at Puff's church, but has no memorial stone. Her death occurred before the Revolution. He died on the present Merrill premises, whither he removed towards the close of his life. John Fleck, one of his sons, was born in 1790 and died in 1842. It is said that the first Adam Fleck intended that his son Adam should have the original homestead, but that his death caused a change of plans, and his son Daniel received it.

None of the descendants of Adam Fleck whom the writer has seen know the maiden name of his wives. They were sisters, however, and he married the eldest first whose name was Magdalena. His children by the first wife were Daniel, Adam, Jacob, Mary and Catharine. Meanwhile, the younger sister had married and had daughters, Betsey and Ann. Of these, Ann married a Wier, and Retsey married John Kuhler. Being left a widow, this sister of the first wife married Fleck and had three children, John, Margaret and Susan. Of these, the latter only was married, and she had three husbands --Joseph Bisbing, Jacob Weber and Samuel Bisbing.

Of the four sons of Conrad who came with him from Germany, two went to what is now Blair county, Pennsylvania. These were George and Peter. They left numerous descendants there, who claimed relationship to the family in Montgomery county, and between whom visits were made.

The Premises of Adam Fleck Hoover

This was the original homestead and is situated on the Penllyn turnpike about half a mile from that station. It is now held by the heirs of the late owner, Adam F. Hoover, who was a relative of the Fleck family. His father John [Jacob] Hoover, married Catharine, daughter of Adam Fleck. This property came into possession of Daniel Fleck in 1821 a year after the death of his father, but he had always lived there previously. In the farm there were 156 acres and two dwellings, one a tenant house. Daniel Fleck married Mary Martin, of Upper Gwyne1d. He removed to Philadelphia and was an innkeeper in the Northern Liberties. His children were Christian, Mary, wife of David Knipe; Ellen Robbins and Rebecca Hillegas. His death took place in 1835. Christian Keisel was the administrator of his estate, who, in 1836 sold the same to Adam F. Hoover. In 1885 ten acres were sold off the southwest side to William A. Platt for $3806, who proceeded to erect a fine country seat and otherwise improve the property. A meadow stream passes through the Hoover estate, running westward and falling into the Wissahickon near Penl1yn. It was part of the water power that in former days propelled Foulke's m11l.

The Merrill Farm

This farm was the eastern part of the Fleck lands. It has be- longed to William O.B. Merrill since 1871, who has much improved the appearance of the buildings and their surroundings, which are on the western side of the turnpike to Ambler. The house and barn have now stood for about ninety years. The acquisition of this land by Adam Fleck from the guardians of Robert Davis, in 1789, has already been told. It fell to the share of his son, Jacob Fleck, in 1821, but who had previously resided here. The wife of Jacob Fleck was Mary Hallman. They had children, Henry, Allen, Catharine, wife of John Kuhler, and Mary Ann, wire of Charles Berkheimer. The death of Jacob Fleck took place in 1824, at the age of 41. In 1836 the eldest son, Henry, took possession of the farm and owned it for the next 25 years. In 1871 he sold to Merr111 for $16,000 the 100 acres, and so the farm passed from the Fleck name after an ownership of 82 years.

The Farm of Samuel Fleck

This comprised the northeast side of the Fleck tract. It bordered the Bethlehem turnpike, by the side of which was the dwelling. It also reached to the mill road and the Penllyn and Springhouse road. This homestead has long been the residence of Samuel Fleck but as yet is of the estate of his father, Samuel Fleck, recently deceased. The surface mostly level, is a depression between two slopes. The western corner and a wooded hillside bordering the Penllyn turnpike have been sold off, in recent years, to Henry Markoe and William B. Churchman, who have erected fine country sears thereon. At the homestead are modern farm buildings. These were built by the late Samuel Fleck, the barn in 1851 and the house in 1857. They succeeded structures that were quite old, probably relics of the Davis ownership in the last century. The former house was of stone, large in size, and hip-roofed. It stood about where is the present lane. It has not been ascertained where was the original Davis house, but it was either here or on the opposite side of the road, at the late Allen Fleck farm. When the sons of Thomas Davis divided his property, this was the portion of one named David Davis, who came into possession in 1722. At that time, then, we may suppose a house was built there, if there had not been one built earlier.

As above mentioned, Robert and John Davis gave a release to their brother David, in 1772, for this portion of their father's estate. David Davis died intestate, leaving a widow named Leah, who afterwards married Arthur Bradis. Leah Davis had four children, Isaac, Elizabeth, David and Tacy. No partition of the estate being practicable, Isaac took the property in 1792, paying out L887 to the other heirs. Of Isaac Davis, Adam Fleck bought in 1801, paying $1319 for 67 acres. In the deed a house is mentioned as being on the property.

As has been told in the account of the will of Adam Fleck, this property, together with 23 acres additional, was devised to Hannah Fleck, widow of his son Adam, during the minority of her son Samuel. Adam Fleck her husband, was one of the militia who went into camp at Marcus Hook in the fall of 1814, for the defence of Philadelphia. Returning from thence, he was taken with the camp, or typhus fever, and died February 15, 1815, at the age of 38. He had many years previously married Hannah Weber, of Worcester. His children were Charlotte, wife of Jacob Smith; Samuel who married Abigail Knipe, of Gwynedd; Maria, wife or Frederick Hoover; Eliza, wife of John Holland; Adam, who married Mary Dannehower, and Benjamin, who married Caroline Smith. Irvin Fleck, of Springhouse, is a son Adam. The mother of this family survived till August 22, l861, reaching her eightieth year.

Of these children, Samuel was born on December 30, 1804, and in pursuance or his grandfather's will took possession or the farm in 1826. This he held during a long life. His death took place June 9, l889. His children were: Charles, Hannah, wife of George Johnson, of North Wales; Almon, Samuel, Margaret, and Emma, wife of Abel K. Shearer, of North Wales. Of the grandchildren of Adam Fleck, Mrs. Eliza Holland, of Fort Washington, is the only one yet living.

Source: Historical Society of Montgomery County Scrapbook D-7/95, pages 31-32. Article by Edward Mathews as printed in the North Penn papers.

Submitted by: Bill.