Rev. John Philip Boehm, the founder of the Boehm Family in this country, was one of the first land owners on the Saucon Creek, in what is now Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County, Pa.
The records show that on the fifth day of February, A. D., 1740, "The Honorables John Penn, Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, Esquires, the proprietors and governors in chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, in and by a certain patent or grant, under the hands of the said proprietors and governors in chief, and the great seal of said province, * * * * * * * did for them, the said proprietors and governors, their heirs and successors, give, grant, and confirm unto the said John Philip Boehm a certain tract of land, situate on Saucon Creek, in the County of Bucks." (Now Northampton County.)
Beginning at a corner marked Swamp Oak Tree, and extending thence by a vacant land West, two hundred and twelve perches to a post; North, one hundred and sixty perches to a post; East, two hundred and twelve perches to a post, and South one hundred and sixty perches to a corner marked Swamp Oak Tree, the place of beginning, containing two hundred acres and allowance of six per cent. for roads, etc.
Paying to them, the said proprietaries and governors, the yearly rent of one-half penny Sterling Money per acre, or value thereof in coin current according to the exchange.
And whereas, on the sixteenth day of May, 1743, the said John Philip Boehm obtained another tract (probably adjoining the other) described as follows:
Beginning at a stone set for a corner, and from thence extending, by vacant lands, along lines of marked trees, the four following courses and distances: North, one hundred and seventeen perches to a post; East, one hundred and fifty-four perches to a stone; South, one hundred and eleven perches to a stone and eighty-seven and one-half degrees, West one hundred and fifty-four perches to the place of beginning, containing one hundred and three acres and a like allowance as aforesaid.
The eastern boundary of the two hundred acre tract is supposed to have been the Bethlehem Road, the southern boundary Water Street now in the Borough of Hellertown, thence extending westwardly of equal width (one hundred and sixty perches) two hundred and twelve perches, including the iron furnaces, and all the land belonging to the Thomas Iron Company, and also most, if not all the land now owned by Preston H. Riegel.
The location of the one hundred and three acre tract cannot be fully determined. It is, however, supposed that it was adjoining the two hundred acre tract, either on the western or northern boundary.
The record shows that the lines of the two above described tracts were along vacant lands, showing that this was the first land taken up, but can not now be accurately located.
The record further shows, that on the thirtieth day of September, A. D. 1747, John Philip Boehm, and Anna Maria, his wife, of Whitpain Township, Philadelphia County, by Indenture under their hands and seals duly executed for the consideration of the natural love and affection which the have and do bear for, and towards Anthony William Boehm, the eldest surviving son and heir apparent of the said John Philip Boehm, and Anna Maria his wife, and for his better preferment in the world, and for divers other good causes them specially moving, have granted and confirmed the two above described tracts, of land, under the yearly quit-rents aforesaid, to have and to hold the said two tracts to him, his heirs and assigns forever.
The records still further show, that by Indenture dated November thirteenth, 1762, Anthony William Boehm obtained from Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, proprietary governors as aforesaid, the following three hereinafter described tracts of land situate in Upper Saucon Township, Bucks County. (Now Lehigh County.)
Tract No. 1. Beginning at a marked Hickory Tree, thence extending by vacant land East, one hundred and sixty perches to a stone; thence by vacant land South forty-seven perches to a stone, and West, seventy-eight perches to a stone, in line of Henry Weaver's land, thence by the same North, fourteen perches to a stone, West forty perches to the place of beginning, containing twenty and one-half acres, and six per cent. allowance.
Tract No. 2. Beginning at a small Black Oak in line of vacant lands, thence by the same East, one hundred and thirty-six perches to a post; thence by land of Philip Trap and vacant lands, South sixty perches to a large Hickory Sapling; thence by vacant lands West, eighty perches to a post, and North forty-three degrees, West eighty-two perches to the place of beginning, containing thirty-eight acres and thirty-sour perches and allowance as before.
Tract No. 3. Beginning at a marked Black Oak in line of land of Christian Eastbank, thence South, eighty perches to a stone, in line of vacant lands, thence by the same West, one hundred and forty-nine perches to a post, thence by land of Henry Weaver North one degree, West, seventy-six perches to a stone; thence by vacant lands fifty and one-half perches to the place of beginning, containing sixty-eight acres and one hundred and thirty-eight perches, and the usual allowance.
The consideration for said three above described tracts being, yearly, a quit-rent of one-half penny Sterling money per acre.
Patent recorded at Philadelphia in Patent Book A. A., Vol. IV., page 92, etc.
On the sixth day of April, A. D. 1766, Anthony William died intestate. His widow, Felicitas, or Philis Boehm, and one son Philip, survived him. To this, his only son, all of the above described tracts, by the laws of Pennsylvania relating to intestates did descend and come.
The location of the three above described tracts of land, containing together one hundred and twenty-seven acres and ninety-two perches, is about one and one-half miles west of Friedensville, in the same valley where later on, valuable zinc ore was discovered.
What may have induced him to leave his homestead at Hellertown and settle in Upper Saucon Township we have not ascertained. The records, however, show, that his wife, Felicitas, inherited a large tract of land in that vicinity from her former husband Michael Weaver, and, no doubt, this was one of the causes which induced him to purchase the land already described.
What became of his wife we do not know; but, by diligent search, we found his grave in a private cemetery on the above mentioned tracts of land. The inscription on his tombstone is as follows:
Philip Boehm, son of Anthony William Boehm, disposed of the land which he inherited, as follows:
On December 15, 1774, to Mathias Yost, of Salisbury Township, Northampton County (now Lehigh County), forty-six acres and twenty-three perches in Lower Saucon Township and allowance of six per cent. for £160, 14s 4d.
June 20, 1780, to Francis Hartman, one hundred and twenty-seven acres and ninety-two perches in Upper Saucon Township, for £400.
June 9, 1784, to Jacob Kramm, thirty-one acres and sixty-nine perches for £255.
June 10, 1784, to Jacob Ludwig twenty acres for £500.
December 12, 1785, to Jacob Kramm seventy acres for £658.
July 29, 1788 to Jacob Roth, five acres and eighty-eight perches for £137, 10s.
March 6, 1792 to Anthony Boehm, one acre and ninety-two perches for £140.
June 18, 1792 to Jacob Haas fifteen acres and thirty-three perches, for £200.
March 13, 1797, to Jacob Ochs, one hundred and thirteen acres and twenty-five perches, more or less.
The considerations under which this last sale was made were as follows:
"For the consideration of love and esteem, and the filial
duty which I owe unto the said Philip Boehm, Sr., and Barbara, his wife,
during their natural lives and the survivor of them, or his, or their assigns,
free liberty, peaceably to live, dwell, and reside in the dwelling house
newly erected for that purposes by the said Philip Boehm, wherein at present
they now live, and they shall have and hold, use, occupy, enjoy, and possess
all the former commodities and conveniences appertaining unto the said
newly erected of additional building to his abode, their only use, and
also a part in the cellar under the old house adjoining, and I, the said
Jacob Ochs, do bind myself, my heirs, executors or administrators, by these
presents, and I do hereby promise, during the summer season to keep one
cow in as good pasture as I do my own; to give to them yearly, one quarter
of a ton of good hay, and one ton of the second crop and put it in their
stable or barn; and during the winter season to put their cow in their
stable and feed, bed, and cherish her as well as I do my own; and likewise
liberty for his, her or their hog, or hogs, to run or go in pasture with
my own during the summer season, but in fattening, he, she, or they must
put them in a stable or pen and feed them with feed of his, her, or their
own; to deliver unto him, her, or them yearly, nine bushels of buckwheat,
four bushels of good corn, fifteen bushels of good rye, and six bushels
of wheat to be delivered to them and put upon their dwelling-house loft,
and from thence at his, her, or their request an direction, to carry the
said grain to mil and fetch the meal, bran, or chop to their said dwelling
back again and carry the same upon the same loft, if requested; to deliver
unto him, her, or them, yearly, one-half quarter of an acre of potatoes,
next to, or adjoining the piece where I plant my own; to manure, plough,
harrow, and furrow the same. And after the ground is manured, ploughed,
harrowed, and furrowed, he, she, or they shall have a right to take their
part from any end they please. I further promise to manure, plough,
harrow, and sow yearly, one-half of one-quarter of an acre for flax, wherein
the year before the potatoes were planted. They shall also have an
indisputable right to the one-third of the garden next to the road.
I do hereby obligate myself to manure and plough the same as well as my
own part, to cut and haul home in front of the dwelling house of the said
Philip Boehm and his wife, during their natural lives, so much fire-wood
as they shall want for their use from time to time, and they shall have
the privilege of taking as much good fruit out of the orchard as they may
want for their family use; to take yearly, one-fourth part of all the cider
made out of the apples in the orchard, and the undeniable right to take
yearly, one-fourth of all the apple-whiskey distilled out of the apples
in the orchard on said premises.
I further promise to give them yearly, one bushel of
coarse Lisbon salt, one-half bushel of fine salt, nine pounds of good sole
leather, three pounds of calf upper leather, fifty pounds of good, clean,
fresh beef, seven pounds of good, clean flax, ten pounds of clean tow,
and four pounds of tallow.
I further promise, in case he, she or they should not be capable to feed their hogs, then I, the said Jacob Ochs, do bind myself, my heirs, executors, or administrators, to give unto them yearly, one hundred and fifty pounds of good pork. All the said articles to begin with the signing of this Indenture, and be carefully delivered to the said Philip Boehm and his wife. The rye and wheat must be delivered yearly, in November, and the whole yearly amount of meat must be fully delivered unto them in the fall season. And further, the said Jacob Ochs, shall build and keep in good repair a stable, eighteen feet by fifteen feet for the use of said Philip Boehm's cow, hay and second crop. And the said Philip Boehm shall have the right, if he chooses, to build an additional part to the gable-end of his part of the house nearest to the barn, at his own expense and shall have the right to keep seven fowls on the premises; provided they are kept without any damage to the said Jacob Ochs."
On March 13, 1811, Jacob Ochs gave a bond in the sum of £300 to fulfill and carry out all of the above obligations. The bond was recorded April 5, 1815.
[NOTE: Jacob Ochs (1776-1866) was Philip's son-in-law, married to daughter Susanna Boehm (1776-1846) --Carrie Bodensteiner]