Captain Peter Nagel ^{1 2 3}

   FamilySearch ID: LZLB-CR1.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. He immigrated Arrived on ship Brothers from Rotterdam. On 16 Sep 1751 to Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ⁵

2. Military in 1781 in , Berks, PA: Revolutionary War: Captain of the 6th Battalion of Berks Co. Militia. ^{1 3}

3. He appeared as a sponsor at a baptism on 5 Mar 1820 at Reading: First Reformed Church, Berks, PA. ⁶

4. Obituary: Reading Adler: (translated from German): Died - on the 20th this month, from a stroke, Peter Nagel Esq., a citizen of this city and a soldier of our Revolution, in the 85th year of his age. On 25 Nov 1834 in Reading, Berks, PA. ⁴

5. Book: History of Berks County, Pennsylvania: biography of Joachim Nagel, George Nagel, Peter Nagel, 1894. ⁵
Joachim Nagel was born at Eisenberg, a town situated three miles from Coblentz, in the southern district of the Rhenish Province, on February 21, 1706. He married a young woman of that vicinity, and had by her four sons, George, Frederick, Peter and John; and two daughters, Margaret (married to ___ Geyer), and Catherine (married to Elias Youngman). How many of the children were born there, I was not able to ascertain. By way of anticipating his emigration, he sent his eldest son, George, to Pennsylvania in 1748 for the purpose of examining the country. The report was evidently favorable, for he and his wife, and the children still with him, emigrated in 1751, landing at Philadelphia in the Fall of that year. Thence he went to Berks County, where he settled on a tract of land situated in Douglass township, at the confluence of the Manatawny creek and its lower tributary, the Ironstone, and erected a grist mill, which he carried on until his death, July 26, 1795, in the 90th year of his age.

Peter Nagel was one of the four sons of Joachim Nagel. He was born October 31, 1750 at Eisenberg, and emigrated with his father to Douglass township, in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in September, 1751. When a young man, he moved to Reading and learned the trade of hatter, serving as apprenticeship of seven years under Samuel Jackson, the first hat manufacturer at Reading. He carried on this occupation for some years as journeyman, and then as a successful manufacturer until 1804.

He was prominently identified with the County Militia during the Revolution, his name appearing as a captain in the returns from 1777 to 1783. The company under his command guarded prisoners of war at Reading upon different occasions. He was appointed a justice of the peace in 1793 by Gov. Thomas Mifflin (who was a warm personal friend) and he continued to serve this position by reappointment until his decease, a period covering over forty years. In 1803, when the County of Berks was divided into districts for justices of the peace, Reading was made the first district, and Peter Nagel was selected as one of the four appointees. He also officiated as coroner of the county from 1781 to 1787, and as treasurer of Reading from 1815 to 1828. His son, Peter Nagel, officiated as county treasurer from 1835 to 1843; his grandson, Henry Nagel, from 1843 to 1845; and his great-grandson, Dr. Hiester M. Nagel, from 1873 to 1875.

When Washington was at Reading in 1794, Peter Nagel participated in the review of the military parade in honor of the distinguished visitor. Upon that occasion he held a reception at his residence (which was situated on North Fifth street, east side, on the second lot south of Washington, now constituting the lower half of the Post Office property), to enable the citizens to meet the great hero of the Revolution. Another incident is that he and his eldest daughter, Elizabeth, attended one of Washington's receptions at Philadelphia.

Capt. Nagel was a portly man, nearly six feet tall, of fine personal appearance and commanding presence. He died November 30, 1834, and his remains were interred in the Reformed burying-ground, when they were removed to Charles Evans Cemetery. He was married twice, first to Barbara Ann Imler, with whom he had eight children: one who died in infancy; Elizabeth (married to William Old, who was a grandson of Baron Henry William Stiegel), Sarah (married to Jacob R. Boyer), Mary (married to George Buehler), Rebecca (married to Nicholas Coleman), Catharine (married to Isaac Kimmel), Peter Nagel and George Nagel; and then to the widow of Isaac High (who was the daughter of William Hottenstein, and the mother of Gen'l William High, a prominent man of the Militia of Berks County), with whom he had three children: Harriet (married to Daniel Mears), Susan (married to Jacob Boyer), and John High Nagel.

6. Book: Notes and Queries, Vol. 2: Biography of Joachim, George and Peter Nagel., 1895. ³
Peter Nagel, the son of Joachim Nagel, was born at Isenberg, Rheniah Prussia, October 31st, 1750, coming to America in the first year of his life. In 1764 he was indentured to Samuel Jackson, of Reading, to learn the hatting trade, and in 1772 he engaged in business for himself; shortly after he married Maria Miller. Their children were as follows:

i. Elisabeth; m. Capt __ Old.
ii. Sarah; m. Jacob K. Boner.
iii. Maria; m. George Buehler.
iv. Rebecca; m. Nicholas Coleman
v. Catharine; m. ___ Kimmel; they settled near Pine Grove, Pa.

During the Revolutionary struggle Peter Nagel took an active part. In August, 1777, with his employees as a nucleus, he organized a company of which he was elected captain, being the second company of the Fourth battalion, Colonel Joseph Heister. After the campaign that year he was detailed with his company to guard the large number of Hessian prisoners at Reading, the prison camp then being erected on the southern slop of Mount Penn, near the mineral spring.

At the close of the war he resumed his business. Several years after the death of his first wife he married Sarah, the widow of Isaac High and daughter of William Hottenstein, who was a commissary during the war of the Revolution. Their children were:
1. Harriett; m. Daniel Mears.
2. Susan; m. Jacob Boyer.
3. John H.

Upon the election of General Mifflin to the Governorship of Pennsylvania, Capt. Peter Negel was appointed one of the Justices of the Peace, in which he continued for many years. He died at Reading the 27th of November, 1834.

[Note: the book also contains a bio for his brother, Colonel George Nagel, in which it states the location of Isenberg, which should have been spelled correctly as Isenburg, which is north of Koblenz (Coblentz)..]

"Isenberg, about three miles from the city of Coblentz, in the Rhenish province of Southern Prussia...his father came to America, landing at Phlladelphia from the ship "Brothers" September 12, 1751. The father was a miller by profession and settled in Douglas township, near the confluence of the Ironstone and Manatawney, where he erected a stone grist mill, which after his death passed into the possession of his youngest son John, and remained in the family name until about the year 1870. This mill has since been enlarged, but the walls of the original structure seem to be as firm as when erected nearly 150 years ago. Owning to the poor quality of the land, Joachim Nagel rented the mill and removed to the limestone region of the Tulpehocken, but owning to the Indian troubles shortly after their settlement they were driven to Reading, where they remained a number of years, and then with his youngest son and two daughters, returned to the old homestead in Douglas township. In the Fritz burying ground is an old tombstone with this inscription in German:

"Here rests the remains of the former well known Joachim Nagel. He was born on February 21, 1706, and died July 26, 1775, being eighty nine years, five months and three weeks old. My life rests in God's hands, the land Isenberg is my fatherland, there I was born. Christ is my choice."

Joachim Nagel's family consisted of six children, four sons and two daughters:

i. George; m. Rebecca Lincoln,
ii. Frederick,
iii. Peter; m. Maria Miller,
iv. John,
v. Catharine; m. Elias Youngman,
vi. Margaret; m. ___ Geyer.

.

7. Book: History of the Reformed Church in Reading, PA: Bio of Capt. Peter Nagel, 1905. ⁷
Capt. Peter Nagel, a brother of the above Col. George Nagel, was born near Coblentz, October 31, 1750 and came to Reading as a young man and learned the trade of hatter under Samuel Jackson, the first hat manufacturer in Reading. He followed in this occupation until 1804, first as a journeyman, then as a manufacturer. During the Revolution he was prominently connected with military affairs, and was a captain from 1777 to 1783. He held various civil offices, including justice of the peace, coroner and county treasurer. This latter office was subsequently held by a son, a grandson, and from 1873 to 1875 by a great-grandson, the late Dr. Hiester M. Nagel. He took an active part in the military parade in 1794 in honor of President Washington, and held a reception to the distinguished gentleman at his house on the site of the preset post office to enable the citizens to meet the "Father of his Country." Capt. Nagel was a man of fine, commanding presence, and nearly six feet tall. He died Nov. 30, 1834, and was buried in the Reformed graveyard. Afterward his remains were removed to the Charles Evans' cemetery. His name appears frequently as one of the church officers. Mr. Wm. N. Coleman, a well-known citizen of Reading, now 86 years of age, is a grandson of Capt. Peter Nagel. The latter possesses an excellent oil painting of Capt. Nagel, which he prizes highly.

Peter married Barbara Ann Imler in 1771.¹ (Barbara Ann Imler was born on 20 May 1755 in Reading, Berks, PA,¹ died on 26 Feb 1795 in , Berks, PA ¹ and was buried in Reading: Charles Evans Cemetery, Berks, PA.)