[The history of the 1717 Colony in the previous Note and in this comes one from a letter, " Brief von Johann Caspar Stoever an die Geistlichen der deutschen lutherischen Gemeinden in London ", which Andreas Mielke found in Francke-Nachlass der Staatbibliothek zu Berlin-Prueussischer Kulturbesitz on microfilm 18, 363-365. He was assisted by Petra Stallboerger there. Andreas translated the letter and it was published in Beyond Germanna , volume 15,
The congregation continued their services in the meeting house along the Robinson River on Sundays and Holidays and Apostle days. They also ordered each first Friday of every month to be a day of repentance and prayer and seriously implored the Master Shepard Jesus to give their souls’ needs a divine hearing, both in public and private, with tears and signs, as this testimony can give them the truth.
For seventeen years they experienced the kind of misery it is when one wants bread for the soul and nobody is there who breaks it. It happened by divine direction that Stoever came to them one and half years ago. He was asked and accepted their invitation to be their pastor under the promise of ordination and call. This was done and he administered the office by teaching and holding the sacraments.
The congregation promised him an annual salary of 3,000 pounds of tobacco which makes about 12 pounds sterling which was not sufficient for the maintenance of a preacher and his family. There were no fringe benefits [income from weddings and funerals] because of the poverty of the congregation since they have to contribute to the English Church.
Therefore the congregation has asked me and two members of the congregation to undertake once more the dangerous and difficult journey across the ocean, and to ask submissively and obediently all reverent preachers and clergy in the name of the entire congregation that they may be helped in the maintenance of the present preacher and his successors, and in the construction of a church and school and such.
London
13 December 1734
Johann Caspar Stoever
Michel Hold
Michel Schmid
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.