Hans Casper Kolb

I have expressed my reservations about the ancestry of Hans Casper Kolb on the Home page. The researcher will have to make their own conclusions about his ancestors. —Glenn Landis

The following article is a compilation and summary of the information presented by the sources listed below:

Hans Casper Kolb was born in Schwarzenau, Palatinate, Germany in 1692 ^(4), although another source gives his birth year as 1716 ⁽²⁾. He arrived in Philadelphia on September 15, 1729 aboard the ship “Allen“, James Craigie, Master, which had ‘sailed from Rotterdam, but last came from Cowes (England) as by Clearance thence dated 7 July 1729.’ ⁽¹⁾ Casper Kolb immigrated along with Rev. Alexander Mack and 124 other men, women and children. Rev. Mack founded the German Baptist Brethren in 1708 in Schwarzenau. ⁽⁴⁾⁽⁷⁾ “It is probable that some of those listed were not members of the Brethren group, but merely passengers on the same ship.” ⁽¹⁾

Also listed on the ship’s manifest is Anna (Alcordas?) (Felicitas?) (Phillis?) Kulp (1701/15-1764). Some believe she may have been Hans Casper Kolb’s wife, but other evidence suggests that, in fact, Anna Phyllis may have been a sister. There is recorded a Phyllis Kolb living in New Castle, Delaware at the time Hans Casper was residing in Pennsylvania. ⁽⁴⁾

Some researchers believe that Peter Kolb (Dielman Kolb’s eldest son and Mennonite minister, who never traveled to America) is the father of Hans Casper Kolb, but recent evidence suggest this is not the case. As pointed out by Glenn Landis at his web site (https://kolb-kulp-culp.org), the Dielman Kolb family’s religious foundation was Mennonite while Hans Casper Kolb’s was that of the German Baptist Brethren. Additionally, it is reported that through DNA analysis the two lines are not connected (at least in their generational period). ⁽²⁾

Like many of the new German immigrants, Casper probably initially lived in Germantown or lower Bucks County. We know he married but his wife’s name has been lost to time. His first child, Mary Culp, was born in Pennsylvania in 1731, with a second daughter, Barbara born in 1733 in Bucks County. In total, he and his wife had nine children.

But on 8 May 1735, Casper ‘Kolp’ received a land warrant in Bucks County for 150 acres “about five miles beyond the Grand Swamp and adjoining to Michael Everard and Ludowick Shutz.” ⁽⁵⁾ Many of Casper’s children trace their place of birth in Bucks County, even a Tohickon Township. ⁽¹⁾ [Note: This is probably an area east to southeast of Quakertown. There is not a “Tohickon Township” in that area, but the Tohickon Creek headwaters is in this vicinity.] Casper and his family stayed in Bucks County for 19 years.

However, on 27 November 1853, the Bucks County land warrants were returned and Casper ‘Culp’ moved south to the Carolinas. ⁽⁴⁾⁽⁶⁾

Hans Casper Kolb (changed to Culp) and family left Pennsylvania for the Carolinas in late 1753. Using the “Great Wagon Road,”^8,9 they left Philadelphia heading west for Lancaster, then curved their route to the south-southwest towards the Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia. Once at Roanoke, a path leading to the south-southeast took them into, what is now North Carolina and the road leading them to what is now Charlotte, east of the Catawba River and then further south into what is now South Carolina and Georgia. The Culps settled in what is now Chester County, SC, near the Catawba River that forms the county’s eastern boundary (see attached map, with comparison with Johannes Kolb located in the Pee Dee Settlement).

The earliest land grant to Casper Culp was made on 20 February 1754 for 250 acres in Anson County, what was then North Carolina. But another warrant issued on 28 March 1753 to Archibald Armstrong for 200 acres on “…Beaver Dam Branch about three miles from Casper Culp’s place” indicated he was there as early as 1753! Another land grant to Culp was recorded on 25 September 1754 for 987 acres on “…the Catawba river – including an island in the river…” (the Catawba River flows to the west of Charlotte through Central South Carolina and forms the eastern board of Chester County SC.)⁵

In 1762, Mecklenburg County, which also included present day Chester County was formed from Anson County (today in includes all of the city of Charlotte, in the middle of the Piedmont Plateau in the central southern part of NC.) In September 1764, Casper made two separate indentures (probably land leases) of 225 acres each to different men and noted “Free of Dower Rights”, i.e. no widow rights, so Casper’s wife died prior to 1764. In his will, he left his son, John, “ – my Plantation on which I now live – “ which was probably the 987 acres of land granted in 1754 (note: a square mile is 640 acres).

It is not recorded what the Culps raised on their plantation, but the area was noted initially for their small farms and later for cotton and rice. By 1760s, there was a textile mill in Lando known as Walker’s Mill.

Casper Culp passed away on 30 April 1770 at age 77. He is buried in Old Stone Cemetery, Fort Lawn, Chester County, SC.¹²He and his wife had four daughters and five sons: Mary Taylor, Barbara McKinney, Margaret Brown, Cathren Lance; and Peter, Henry, Benjamin, Augustine and John.

A brief look at some of his children¹³:

Barbara Culp (1733-1782) born in Bucks County, PA, married William McKinney in 1761. During the Indian War, she was attacked by Cherokee Indians, stripped, scalped and left for dead, but survived and gave birth to daughter three months later. The couple had six children, one settling in Texas, another in Tennessee. Barbara’s story is told by Elizabeth F. Ellet in her book, “Women of the American Revolution”.^10,11

Peter Culp (1740-1791) was born in PA. During Revolution, served under Captains George Neely and John Walker during 1781. Married and had six children in 1790 census.

Benjamin Culp (1941-1819) was born in PA. Settled in the Tinkers Creek Section of eastern Chester County. During the Revolution (in 1781?), served eleven days as a horseman under Capt. George Neely and provided beef for militia use. Married twice: Dorothy Obenchen and had two sons and two daughters; Mary Rachel Cline in 1787; had five children: William (moved to Alabama), Peter (a Baptist preacher who moved to Tennessee), Margaret, Sarah, Mary and Bengamin, Jr. (moved to Georgia).

Augustine Culp (1745 – 1800?) Born in PA. During the Revolution, he also served as horseman under Captains George Neely, John Walker and William Brocket during 1780 and 1781. Settled in Lancaster County, east of Catawba River. Married Agnes Carr and had six children. Two of his sons went to Missouri.

John Culp (1755-1809) born in SC. Lived settled in Cabarrus County, NC. Had six children: one son went to Alabama and a daughter went to Kentucky.

Sources:

(1) Passengers Who Arrived With Alexander Mack in 1729 on the ship ‘ALLEN’

(2) Parentage, from Medheim-USA

(3) Information on Hans Casper Kolb (Ancestry Story)

(4) Life In America by David Culp

(5) Casper Culp, Chester SC Heritage Book, p149

(6) Kolp, Casper; Warrant; Pennsylvania, U.S., Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952.

(7) Biography of Alexander Mack

(8) Great Wagon Road

(9) https://www.carolana.com/NC/Royal_Colony/nc_royal_colony_germans_swiss.html

(10) News & Reporter, 17 Jul 2023, “Burnt Meeting House Commitee works to save stories of early Chester County Residents”