Weiser

One of the Palatine men who was a Listmaster on the ships and in the Camps was Johann Conrad Weiser.  The Listmasters were responsible for keeping records of each family’s debt.  In that capacity he was in service for the Queen, however, Johann had developed a distrust of Governor Hunter and became one of the leaders representing the Palatines in their disputes against him.  When the opportunity came to leave the Camps, Johann was instrumental in the migration to Schoharie. 

In route to Schoharie, Johann chose to keep his family in Schenectady for the winter; all but his 16 year old son, Conrad.  With uncanny foresight, Johann met with a Mohawk leader, Quainant, and arranged for Conrad to live with the Indian’s family.  While residing in the Mohawk village, Conrad was to learn their language and customs. 

The 50 families who continued on to Schoharie arrived in early winter with no firearms for which to defend themselves or hunt for food.  As was later described by one of those first settlers, “…had it not been for the Charity of the Indians who shew’d them where to gather some eatable roots and herbs, must inevitably have persih’d every soul of them.”  A dependency on the Mohawks was already being established.  Young Conrad Weiser’s winter with them would cultivate an invaluable relationship.

 

Reference:  “Becoming German” by Phillip Otterness