Johann Valentine  GRIESEMER

Paraphrased from Morton Montgomery's Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania (1909)

A French Huguenot from Alsace, Valentine Griesemer settled originally in Oley Township, but relocated to Hereford Township before the organization of the Berks County in 1752. He became a prominent factor in that township, and was one of the three largest land owners there, owning about 600 acres in the eastern part of Hereford. Valentine Griesemer is buried at New Goshenhoppen Church, but the inscription on his sandstone tombstone is no longer legible. He was a member of the German Reformed congregation. Among his children were Leonard and Gertrude (m. Jacob Gery).
From Ancestors and Descendants of Rev. Johann Heinrich Helffrich & Maria Magdalena Sassaman,
by Dave Helfrich: "Valentine arrived after 72 days at sea, with his family and brother in Philadelphia, at Bourne's wharf, on the ship "Thistle of Glasgow", 19 August 1730. He established a homestead in Hereford Township, Berks Co., PA. He was a member of the New Goshenhoppen Church, and was buried there. Parents were Johan Velten Griesheimer and Anna Margaret Unknown of Hesse"
"The ship "Thistle," which arrived at Philadelphia, August 29, 1730, brought the ancestor of the Greiesemers to America in the person of Valentin Greisemer. The passport in possion of Alfred Griesemer, of Allentown, give the full name, John Valentine Grieshiermer, who together with his wife and four children -Casper, John, Anna Margaret, and Jacob, according to said passport, came from Lampedheim. The passport was gtiven at Worms, April 28, 1720 and is signed by John Adam Hoerens." - From: Anniversary History Of Lehigh County, Vol. II, Copyright 1914.
Griesemer Family p. 1377. The ship "Thistle," which in 1730 arrived at Philadelphia, had on board three "Gresamere" brothers, Casper, John Leonard and Peter. The name Griesemer has been variously spelled. In Oley township the village of Griesemersville perpetuates the name. Casper Griesemer located in Oley township, where his descendants reside to the present time. He died in 1794, the head of a large family. His sons, John and Peter, were the executors of his last will and testament, which is recorded in Will Book A, p. 293. Peter Griesemer located in the Goshenhoppen Valley, Montgomery county. There Valentine Griesemer had also located for a few years, but before the organization of the county in 1752 he had settled in Hereford township, Berks county. He became a prominent factor in that township, and was one of the three largest land owners there, the township having been erected in 1753. Thomas Maberry, an Englishman, Peter Fetherolf, a Hollander, and Valentine Griesemer, a French Huguenot from Alsace, owned nearly the entire eastern part of Hereford, the Griesemer land comprising about 600 acres, and including the present farm of Joseph M. Griesemer (who is of the fifth generation of the family in this country), the Benjamin Grassley farm, the Samuel S. Schultz farm, the tract owned by the Mary Urffer estate, part of the Henry Kriebel farm, the James Roberts tract, the William H. Sallade farm, the F. W. Huber farm, all of Treichlersville, and the Ambrose H. Huber farm, the Albert Fry and Elmer Huber tracts, besides parts of other farms along the eastern end of the township. Thomas Maberry owned the land about Mensch's Mill, the David G. Treichler farm and the Daniel N. Schultz farm, besides considerable other lands. Peter Fetherolf owned the land to the east and southeast of Siesholtzville, and he is buried in a private burial ground on the late Samuel Bittenbender's farm. Valentine Griesemer erected the first set of buildings on the tract now owned by Joseph M. Griesemer. In 1878, Gabriel G. Griesemer tore down the old log house that Valentine Griesemer built long before the establishment of Berks county. Valentine Griesemer is buried at New Goshenhoppen Church, but the inscription on his sandstone tombstone is no longer legible. He was a member of the German Reformed congregation. Among his children were Leonard and Gertrude (m. Jacob Gery).

Find a Grave, database and images memorial page for Johann Valentine Griesemer (4 Jan 1688–30 May 1773), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52161120, citing New Goshenhoppen UCC Cemetery, East Greenville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Longswamp (contributor 47140714) .