Johan Dietrich Bucher

   Other names for Johan were Dietrich Boocher, Dieter Bucher,² Dietrich Bucher, Johan Dietherich Bucher,¹ Johann Dietrich Bucher, John Dietherick Bucher ² and John Dietrich Bucher.

  General Notes:

If you are related to this ancestor and a male with this surname (or variant spelling) you are invited to participate at our expense in our Genealogy Y-DNA Research that uses a two-minute mail-in test to prove which family lines are related. Visit http://www.searchtrees.com/dna to see the latest research findings and email jonathan@seachtrees.com to get tested for free.

Researchers take note: the following Swiss site has infromation about his homeland town, the families living there, and the genealogy records available:
http://www.stadtarchiv-schaffhausen.ch/schaffhausen-geschichte/kirchenbcher.htm

Published in 1891, The History of Northumberland County in Chapter 14, page 454, states that two other relatives of the Dietrich Bucher line settled in Sunbury, PA: "John, Henry, and Dietrich Bucher emigrated from Switzerland to Pennsylvania: Dietrich established an iron furnace near Reading; John and Henry located at Sunbury." John and Henry are online in our trees at http://www.searchtrees.com/tree/3788.htm and were born circa 1765.

Further research is need to prove this reference to a Dietrich is one of the descendants of Johan Dietrich Bucher, perhaps using our Bucher Y-DNA Research to test modern-day males from both Bucher families.

We also believe the line is related to the Rev. John Conrad Bucher who immigrated in 1755. Since we already have Y-DNA from the John Conrad Bucher line, as soon as we find a living male Bucher related to Dietrich, we will know for sure if this is one family line, or two unique lines.

  Burial Notes:

His tombstone reads:
Hier Ruhen die Leibenache
ein Christecher
Bruder dieser Kirche,
nahmens
Joh. Dietherich Bucher
Geboren 1 Novem. 1709
u. Starb den 15 May 1769

Translation:
Here rests in the manner of the body a Christian brother of this church named Joh. Dieterich Bucher. Born 1 November 1709, and died 15 May, 1769.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. He immigrated on the ship Dragon on 30 Sep 1732 to Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ^{4 5} On the passenger list he appears as Dietrich Boocher.

2. Fact: Dec 1735, New Hanover Twp., Montgomery, PA. ² He was one of the petitioners for the ascertaining and recording the bounds of Frankfort and New Hanover Townships.

3. In 1739 in New Hanover Twp.: Falkner Swamp Reformed Church, Montgomery, PA. ⁶ He was a deacon at Falkner Swamp Reformed Congregation in 1739, 1740, 1742, and 1744.

As a deacon of the church he signed several documents, among them the "Warning Against the Religious Movement Led by Count Zinzendorf," a pamphlet published by Rev. John Philip Boehm.

4. He was naturalized at the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on 10 Apr 1741 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ^{2 3} Johan Dedrick Buchert of Philadelphia was naturalized.

5. He appeared as a sponsor at a baptism on 31 Dec 1746 at New Hanover Twp.: New Hanover Lutheran Church, Montgomery, PA. Dietrich Bucher and wife are sponsors for Friederick and Elisabeth Hubele's daughter, Sophia. ⁷

6. He appeared as a sponsor at a baptism on 27 Mar 1748 at New Hanover Twp.: New Hanover Lutheran Church, Montgomery, PA. Dietrich Bucher and wife were sponsors for Jacob and Anna Maria Baldi's baptism of their daughter, Maria Magdalena. ⁸

7. He appeared as a sponsor at a baptism on 23 Apr 1749 at New Hanover Twp.: New Hanover Lutheran Church, Montgomery, PA. Dietrich Bucher and wife are sponsors for Friederick and Elisabeth Hubele's daughter, Maria Elisabeth. ⁷

8. He appeared as a sponsor at a baptism on 5 Aug 1750 at New Hanover Twp.: Falkner Swamp Reformed Church, Montgomery, PA. Dietrich and Maria Sophia Bucher sponsored the baptism of Maria Sophia Schneider born 11 Jul 1750. ⁹

9. Fact: 1751, , Philadelphia, PA. ² John Dieter Bucher was a subscriber to the edition of Arndt's "Wahres Christenthum", issued in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia.

10. He appeared as a sponsor at a baptism on 10 Dec 1752 at New Hanover Twp.: Falkner Swamp Reformed Church, Montgomery, PA. Diederich Bucher and wife were sponsors for the baptism of Johann Jacob Schneider, son of Henry Schneider and Catharine Reinert. ¹⁰

11. Fact: 28 Oct 1754, New Hanover Twp., Montgomery, PA. ² Dieter Bucher signed for the Reformed people a petition praying for the speedy establishment of the intended school by the London Society at New Hanover.

12. He appeared as a sponsor at a baptism on 18 Mar 1759 at New Hanover Twp.: New Hanover Lutheran Church, Montgomery, PA. Dietrich Bucher, Jr., and wife are sponsors for the baptism of Charles and Graise Smith's daughter Elizabeth, born 15 Dec 1758. ¹¹

13. Court: Orphan's Court on 5 May 1764 in , Philadelphia, PA. ¹² Benjamin Geiger requested his guardian to be Dietrich Boocher, following the death of Benjamin's father Valentine Geiger.

14. He appeared as a sponsor at a baptism on 25 Dec 1764 at New Hanover Twp.: New Hanover Lutheran Church, Montgomery, PA. Dietrich Bucher and wife Sophia were sponsors at the baptism of Jorg Jacob Geiger, son of Johannes and Elizabeth. ¹³

15. Property on 26 Feb 1788 in , Montgomery, PA. ^{3 14} An extract from Deed Book 5, p. 173 explains how Johan Dietrich Bucher's land was passed to his descendents:

Jacob Bucher, Douglass Township, Berks County, Pa., bachelor, son and heir at law of Sebastian Bucher, late of New Hanover Township, Montgomery County, conveys to Peter Steltz, New Hanover Township.

The deed recites that June 4, 1736, John Henry Sprogell sold 84 acres, 94 perches of land in New Hanover Township to John Vendel Kite. Kite and his wife Elizabeth, Jan. 20, 1743, sold this land to John Dietrich Bucher (alias John Titer Bugher).

John Inglis, city of Philadelphia, merchant, and his wife Catherine, Dec. 10, 1748, sold 101 acres, 62 perches in New Hanover Township to John Dietrich Bucher, this land adjoining land the purchaser already owned.

Thomas Preston, city of Philadelphia, Nov. 27, 1749, sold 12 acres, 128 perches in New Hanover Township to John Dietrich Bucher, adjacent to the two other tracts.

John Dietrich Bucher sold 12 acres, 128 perches to Paul Moser and retained the remaining tracts. He also acquired 50 acres in Douglass Township (now Montgomery County.)

At the death of John Dietrich Bucher his real estate passed into possession of his widow, Sophia, and three children: George Dietrich, Sebastian and Elizabeth, wife of John Geiger, and three grandchildren: John, Henry, and Catherine, the children of Conrad Bucher, deceased, a son of John Dietrich.

George Dieter Bucher, eldest son, petitioned the Orphan's Court that his father's land be divided among the heirs or valued. The court granted the request and a jury to view the land and made a return to court, Sept. 10, 1777, that it could not be divided without spoiling the whole. The jury placed a valuation of £700 on the house and land. The court confirmed the return. Sebastian, second son, then offered to take the real estate at the valuation set and pay the shares of the other heirs. The eldest son, George D., who had first choice, refused to take the land. The court confirmed the sale to Sebastian.

Sebastian Bucher died and left a widow, Elizabeth, and six children: Jacob, Conrad, Sebastian, John, Henry, and Catharine, to whom the real estate descended. The administrators of his estate, George D. Bucher and Peter Steltz, sold 24 acres of the land. Jacob Bucher, eldest son of Sebastian, now petitioned the court, March 26, 1787, for a jury to divide the land among the heirs or value it. The jury reported to court that the land could not be divided without spoiling the whole. They valued the two remaining tracts at £712, 15s. Jacob offered to take the land at this valuation, and the court confirmed it to him. He now sold to Peter Steltz for £841.

16. Newspaper: The Pennsylvania Gazette, 10 Dec 1788, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ¹⁵ Montgomery County, November 27, 1788
BY virtue of a writ of Venditioni Exponas, to me directed, will be exposed to public sale, on Saturday, the 13th day of December next, at one o'clock in the afternoon, at the house of Peter Sweyer, in New Hanover township, A certain Plantation or Tract of 50 acres of Land, be the same more or less, situate in New Hanover township, and bounded by lands of Peter Steltz and others; taken in execution as the property of the heirs of Sebastian Bucher, deceased, and to be sold by Francis Swaine, Sheriff.

Johan married Maria Sophia Zuri. (Maria Sophia Zuri was born on 26 Feb 1702,^{1 2} died on 25 Aug 1770 in , Montgomery, PA ^{1 2} and was buried in New Hanover Twp.: Falkner Swamp Reformed Church, Montgomery, PA ^{1 3}.)