John's signature on an 1811 deed
Data source is the 1990 book, "Moomaw-Mumma-Mumaw-Mumaugh Genealogy" compiled by Robert Austin Moomaw (deceased).
Data researcher is Doug Mumma, doug@mumma.org
Data source is the Kauffman-Coffman Family book by Charles Fahs Kauffman (1940)
Listing of burials in the Mumma cemetery in Hanover, PA
http://www.interment.net/data/us/pa/york/mumma/index.htm
Photographs of all the gravestones
http://midatlantic.rootsweb.ancestry.com/familyhart/pictures/HarrySenft/CemeteryDisk38/Mumma/
After performing an extensive analysis of the Mumma land records of Baltimore County, MD, I have determined that this John is indeed the eldest son of David Mumma. I had previously claimed this was not likely because:
1) Two baptisms of children born to a Johannes Mumma are recorded in German Reformed Church in Baltimore on 1 November 1784. Two different mother's are listed. This made me suspect that David Mumma moved to Baltimore with all of his children, including one named John. At the present time, it is unclear who this Johannes Mumma listed as a parent might be.
2) When David Mumma, the father, wrote his Will, he named all of his children and left them money or property. In the case of two children he left them only 1 shilling because they had displeased him. If his eldest son was still living I would have expected he would have at least acknowledged him, but he did not. [I can only conclude now that he felt he had already rewarded John sufficiently when sold his Hempfield property to John, his eldest son.]
Recent evidence has been uncovered in the Baltimore land records that conclusively show that this John was indeed the eldest son of David. That evidence is:
1) Baltimore deed book WG OO, folio 42 [1796] - John Mumma "of Heidleberg twp., York County, PA" purchased 99 acres of Baltimore land from Peter Conrod. This demonstrates that John visited Baltimore County.
2) Baltimore deed book WG 74, folio 507 [1802] - John Mumma of York County, PA sells the same 99 acres to John Free. John's wife, 'Barbary' signs away her dower rights. Barbara was the wife of John Mumma of York. The signature recorded for this document is almost identical to that found on documents in the Adams County Historical Society. It is not clear whether John actually signed the recorded deed or the clerk just faithfully copied this uniqued German signature. His signature is shown above and can also be compared with other Mumma signatures at
http://www.mumma.org/archives/signatures.html
3) Baltimore deed book WG 102, folio 518 [1809] - The living children of David Mumma sell their interests in their father's property to their sibling, Christian Mumma. In this deed, a "John Mumma of Adams County, PA" also signs the document. The children probably felt it desirable to have ALL of the living children of David sign the document, even though he did not share in his father's estate. [John Mumma lived and owned property in both York and Adams county]
4) Results from the DNA testing of a descendant of this John closely matches the haplotype (DNA fingerprint of immigrant Leonard, the father of John's father, David). This further confirms he is the son of David Mumma.
John's birth date is listed in an old Schunck family bible (Bible was in the posession of Richard Luht, now deceased). The Bible was published in 1816. The writing & recording the births, deaths, etc. is identical through about 1832 when the handwriting of the entries change. The Bible originally belonged to Ann "Nancy" Mumma (who was married to Johannes Schunck) or her son, Philip Schunck, and his wife Sophia, who were married close to the date the Bible was published.
John Mumma b. 15 Nov. 1750
David Mumma b. 17 Feb. 1753
Elizabeth b. 4 Apr. 1754
Christian b. 15 Jan. 1757
Ann b. 5 Feb. 1759
Susan b. 22 Nov. 1762
Abraham b. 19 May 1766, d. 24 Jun. 1789
John's birth and death dates are recorded on his tombstone found in the Mumma cemetery in Hanover, York County, PA, but it is slightly different than the date recorded in the Schunck bible. I have chosen to use the birth dates on the tombstone as his official date, No conclusive evidence either way.
John Mumma b. 27 Nov 1750, d. 28 Apr 1839
Barbara, wife b. 15 Jan 1755, d. 08 Jul 1832
John's death was recorded in the May 6 1839 issue of Sentinal (Centinel original spelling of the newspaper) as 28th April near Hanover, John Mumma Sr., in his 89th year. It was also recorded in the Hanover Herald on 4 May 1839 as 88 y, 5 m, 1d, - assuming a death date of 28 April 1839, his birth date calculates to a birth date of 27 Nov 1750
The following military facts have been recorded by others for this John. I believe the statement that he served as a Private in Lancaster Co., PA Militia 6th Co, 10th Batt is in error and was not this Jophn Mumma. Also the John Mumma who supplied grain to the Army was a different John Mumma. However, Caroline Heintzelman has joined the DAR using this John Mumma as a Patriot - DAR #A215528. Her application was accepted based on his payment of a tax, which is qualifying service and not actual military service.
--------------------------
He was a Private in Lancaster Co., PA Militia 6th Co, 10th Batt.
He supplied grain & forage for Army in 1778
1795 Manheim Tp Tax List - Mumma John in Heidelberg
1801 Manheim Tp tax list - Mumma John 206,37 in Heidelberg
1815 Manheim Tp tax list - Mumma John Sr 30
Mumma John Jr 112,55
******************************************************************
"HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND AND ADAMS COUNTIES"
----- Mummasburg
This village was surveyed in 1820 by John L. Hinkle for John Mumma. It was platted into 150 lots, one of which was the spring, donated for public use, one for a schoolhouse and one or two for religious purposes. Many of the lots were placed in the lottery, each represented by a $56 ticket, on which a lot number was written. The." Mansion House" was drawn by James Black, who at once opened a tavern at this point. near his old tavern, to which a pike road was built in 1812.
In 1822-23 John Mumma succeeded in having the Mennonite Church at Flohr's removed to the new town, and donated the original Wislar lot to the congregation. Here a meeting-house was erected in 1823, and the cemetery
*********************************************************************
MONOCARY AND CATOCTIN, Vol I - C.E. Schildknecht, editor 1988, pp 64-65
In 1820 John Mumma laid out, not far north,150 lots for a new town of Mummasburg on the road from Gettysburg to Arendtsville. He persuaded the Mennonites to build a meetinghouse there in 1823, and a cemetery was laid out nearby by John Wisler, John Rife and Tobias Boyer, the first trustees. At the church in Mummasburg, Bishop Abraham Roth (1773-1854), David Reiff (d 1823), Christian Shank (1791-1872), and George Throne (1778-1847) were early preachers. Abraham Roth, who married Maria, daughter of John and Barbara Mumma, was the first Mennonite Bishop west of the Susquehannah River. For a time he made Mummasburg the center of Mennonite affairs of a wide area including Franklin Co., PA and Washington Co., MD.
The old Mennonite graveyard, across the road from Flohr's Church, continued to be used after the Mennonite place of worship was moved in 1823 to Mummasburg. Many of the oldest stones have disappeared or become illegible. Howard Musselman in his paper in PA Mennonite Heritage reported the following from stones all known to have been Mennonites:
*********************************************************************
The deed for lot 113 at Mummasburg, conveyed by John Mumma and Barbara, his wife, to the 'Mennonist Society' was dated August 28, 1824.
****** from the York Co., PA Archives *******************
There are two original documents in the estate file of John Mumma of
Heidlberg Twp, York Co. One is the final adm. acct. filed by Christian
Hershey and David Sprenkle on Oct 27. 1840. Among the payments received was
money for 3 lots in Mummasburg. The second is a bond for $150. 00 in trust
by James J Naille and Charles Barnitz of Hanover Borough. The bond is in
trust for the minors, John Mumma and Florence Mumma, minor children of John
Mumma of the state of Ohio, late of the county of Butler, dec. This bond was
filed on April 19, 1856.
The original will and inventory have been lost. But a copy of John's
will was recorded and is on microfilm. In John's will, his first bequest is
to his son Samuel - his horses, horegears, waggons, plows, harrows and all
farming utensils, blacksmith tools, this bequest is over and above his other
bequest. On this same day, John sold and deeded to Samuel, a dwelling
plantation of consisting of three tracts of land with fulling, carding, and
saw mill and other buildings containing 82 acres. Samuel is to pay a total of
$2000 in ten equal payments, the first payment to be within one year after
John's decease. No sale is to be made of personal estate ( the adm. acct.
noted that there was a loss to the estate of road stocks because of this
bequest) - the personal estate is to be divided equally among his children.
The remainder of the estae is to be sold at public sale to the best
advantage. John's children were named in the will: John, Abraham, Samuel,
Mary ( intermarried with Abraham Roth), Barbara (intermarried with Jacob
Hershey) and the children of deceased daughter Anna ( married to David
Sprenkle), the children of deceased daughter Elizabeth ( married to Christian
Hershey). and the children of deceased daughter Susanna( married to Jacob
Flickinger) are to receive the respective shares of their mothers.
Son John had been advanced 800 pounds, Abraham advanced 800 pounds, and
Samuel had been advanced 700 pounds. Children who hadn't received the same
as John and Abraham were to receive in addition to their previous bequests,
an amount equal to the sums advanced to John and Abraham.
Sons John, Abraham, and Samuel and sons-in-law Abraham Roth, Christian
Hershey, and Jacob Hershey were named as executors.
The will was written on July 23, 1832, probated on May 13, 1839. An
inventory was recorded as being filed on August 6. 1839.
The Orphans Court reference is from book T - page 191 - Sept 17, 1839.
The Petition of Andrew Flickinger of the borough of Hanover in the county of
York, humbly showeth that Susanna Catherine, a minor daughter of Susann
Stoufer, now deceased, who was the late wife of Daniel Stoufer of the state
of Ohio, she the said Susanna Stoufer was the granddaughter of the late John
Mumma of Heidleberg Twp, dec.; which said minor child is about four years of
age and has no guardian to take care of her estate which may amount to about
$500 out of the estate of John Mumma, dec. Your petitioner......appoint
