[66] MELCHER MEISHTER (MELCHIOR MESCHTER)[E 66], b 1695, was a brother of Gregorius Meishter [E 43]. As a widower he m June 26, 1732, in Berthelsdorf, Saxony, REGINA ANDERS {E 174], youngest dau of George Anders of Berthelsdorf, formerly of O. Hdrf. Regina Anders was baptized Nov. 23, 1705; sponsors were George Schénwalder, Maria Secholtzin, Anna Meschterin.
In the Berthelsdorf Church Book is found the following: ‘Nov. 16, 1731, starb frih um 3, Frau Anna, geb. Krause, Melchior Méschter’s Hausler’s all hier Ehefrau; aet. 28 Jahre; ward den 18 begraben mit einer collecte.”’
[At about three o'clock in the morning of Nov. 16, 1731, Anna Meschter, née Krause, wife of Melchior Meschter, died; her age was 28 years. She was buried on the 18th with a Collect.’’]
Another entry shows that on Oct. 17, 1729, Melchior Méschter, a ‘‘Hausler’” in Berthelsdorf, m Anna Krause, sister of Maria, wife of Gregorius Meschter [E 43], and the eldest dau of Melchior Krause, a “Hausler” in Langneundorf, Silesia. [Berthelsdorf Ch. Bk. 1729; nuptii no. 18] This evidently refers to the above Melchior and indicates that the two brothers, Melchior and Gregorius, married sisters.
Melchior and his wife came to Pa. in 1734, and buried one child at sea, the others having been born after their arrival. They lived on a farm near West Point, Pa., owned in 1920 by Enoch Heebner.
Children (5):
Melchior Meschter settled in Towamencin Twp. In 1745 he bought a tract of land of Christopher Wiegner, who had previously bought it from John Stephen Benezet. In 1774 Melchior sold his son, George, one tract of 30 acres and one of 4 acres for 130 pounds. The larger tract was curious in shape, being no less than 180 perches long and only 27 perches wide. [Plate F XVI.] [Matthews.]
In the list of refugees who came to Berthelsdorf from Harpersdorf in 1726, given by Kadelbach, is the name of “‘Melehior Meschter, shoemaker, with wife and three children.”