Birth: 1696 in Grand Duchy of Baden, near Mannheim, Germany
Christened: 07 May 1696 in Schopfheim, Waldshut, Baden, Germany
Moved to: 1715
Details: Michael and family left Hanover, Germany in 1715 and first settled near Germantown.
Immigration: 27 SEP 1727
Details: Michael Danner (Daner, Tanner) arrived from Rotterdam, Germany in Philadelphia, PA by way of Portsmouth, England on the ship “James Goodwell” (Goodwill), captained by David Crockett.
Note: Danner spoke both German and English.
Religion: He was a Swiss Mennonite and a member of the Bair Mennonite Meeting house in Hanover, York Co, PA
Birth of Son: BET 1727 AND 1728
Name: Jacob Danner
Place: in Lancaster Co., PA., (Now York Co.)
Note: 1728
Details: The Indians appealed to Governor Gordon to have certain settlers removed from the lands west of the Susquehanna River. Among them was Michael Danner, who had settled at the mouth of Cabin Creek. He was considered an intruder on lands which the Indians had not yet released to the white settlers. The authorities duly removed them and placed them in prison in Annapolis. After his release he became a permanent settler of York County ( PA Ger. Soc. Vol. 24 & 25, pg. 57).
Birth of Daughter: 10 JAN 1729
Name: Catharine Danner
Birth of Daughter: 6 DEC 1730
Name: Anna Danner
Note: 1732
Details: Samuel Blunston, land agent for the Penn’s, wrote to the Governor about some men arrested by associates of Col. Thomas Cresaps of Maryland and taken to Annapolis. Included was Michael Danner. Although Gov. Samuel Ogle of Maryland later argued that the German settlers west of the Susquehanna had not been granted patents, at least 50 of these families had agreed to claim land under Maryland jurisdiction by 1736. A letter signed by 50 Germans renouncing their Maryland affiliation dated August 11, 1736 infers this. ( Michael Tanner et al). See Archives of Maryland 28:100-101. Until 1736, most of the Germans who crossed the Susquehanna River were only too willing to accept Maryland jurisdiction. In 1732, the tax collector reported at least 400 persons living west of the river who paid taxes to Lancaster County ( History of Pa, W.H. Egle, 1876, pg. 1169).
Note: 1734
Details: He recieved the title of “King’s Commissioner of Highways for Pennsylvania
Land Rec: 17 SEP 1734
Details: Michael Danner received from Samuel Blunston, land agent of the Penn’s in Columbia, PA, a license to settle 200 acres on the west side if the Susquehanna River about six miles southwest of John Hendricks ( Quaker of Wrightsville). This would be somewhere near Mt. Pisgah or Canadochly Church in what later became Lower Windsor Twp.
Birth of Son: 26 DEC 1734
Name: Michael Danner
Birth of Son: 1735
Name: Philip Danner
Land Rec: MAY 1736
Details: Thomas Cresap and 300 militiamen came to the Susquehanna River to survey the lands from the Susquehanna River to the Codorus Creek. Cresap waited for more militiamen from Maryland to take prisoner all who lived between Wright’s Ferry and the Codorus Creek because they refused to acknowlege themselves as tenants of Lord Baltimore. When the MD militiamen began to seize settlers property/goods, Danner represented the citizens and succeeded in having the militiamen withdraw for two weeks. The (York Co.) settlers appealed for protection from Pennsylvania. Gov. Ogle of MD was angry and offered 100 pounds for the arrest of each person who signed the petition. There is some evidence that Danner was taken twice to Maryland for “trespassing” in York Co. In 1736, Michael Danner appeared before a Maryland court to repurchase the properties.
Birth of Daughter: 13 NOV 1736
Name: Elizabeth Danner
Land Rec: 1738
Details: Tanner ( Danner), with a number of Mennonites from Lancaster Co. settled in the rich farming lands of the Conewago Valley near “Digg’s Choice” on the banks of the Codorus, Heidelberg Twp. This colony of Mennonites was the nucleus of Bair’s Hanover Church. Names of other settlers here were: Hershey, Brubaker, Bair (Bare), Kauffman, Frantz, Shank, Garber, Bechtel, Bauman, Thoman, Rudisill).
Note: AUG 1739
Details: He was one of the six Commissioners named to lay out a road from Wrightsville to the home of Adam Forney at Digges Choice and later Hanover. The road extended by way of Kitzmiller’s Mill to the Province line and was known as “Monocacy Road”.
Birth of Daughter: 24 DEC 1744
Name: Mary Danner
Birth of Son: BEF 1748
Name: Henry Danner
Note: An Act of August, 1749, in the Provincial Council of Philadelphia named six men “to view and lay off a new County ( York). Danner was among these men and was appointed County Commissioner.
Note: In 1755 he was appointed as one of ” His Majesty’s Justices of the Peace”,( History of York County, Prowell).
Note: Was appointed Commissioner of Education in Pennsylvania.
Note: ABT 1760
Details: When his son, Jacob led a group of settlers from York Co, PA to Frederick Co, MD, Michael and sons Jacob and Henry ended up platting/surveying the Monocacy Road down the west side of the Monocacy River (with the Blue Ridge Mountains back of it.) It became a main route of settlement from Lancaster Co., PA, down the river, across the Blue Ridge at Frederick to the Potomic River (north of Harper’s Ferry), on to Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas. This was called the Monocacy Trail. He also surveyed the York Road which was a very important route that linked York, PA to the Port of Baltimore.
Religion: 1770
Details: Michael Danner is listed as the first leader of the German Baptists (Dunkard’s) west of the Susquehanna. In 1770, Danner is listed as a member of the Conewago Congregation (Black Rock Church of the Brethren).
Land Rec: 1778-80
Details: At one time, Michael Danner owned about 290 acres of land in the vicinity of Porter’s Siding in Heidelberg Twp. The Tax Lists of Hanover and Heidelberg Twp. for 1778-80 include Michael Danner.
Death: 29 MAY 1782 in York Co., PA.
Will: 29 MAY 1782 Hanover, York Co, Pennsylvania
Details: Aplication of Henry Danner filed in Orphans Court, York County during May 1782 for probate of his father’s estate lists his widow , Anna and his children: Jacob, Catharine, Anna, Michael, Henry, Mary, Phillip and Elizabeth. (Probate Book F-15).
Burial: Bair’s Mennonite Church, Heidelberg Twp., York Co., PA
Parents are Ulrich Danner/Tanner and Chrystina Reitlickerin
Anna Bend
Birth:
Death:
Burial: Chestnut Grove Church of the Brethren Codorus Twp, York Co, PA
parents are unknown
Return to Smith Home Page
Return to Genealogy Home Page