Individual Details

Birth

The VanBibber family originated in Holland. The name Bebber or Bibber is derived from the village of Bebber in the Dutchy of Cleves, which is now in Germany. Jacob Isaacs was born about 1640, probably in Krefeld, a city on the lower Rhine within a few miles of Holland.

Religion

Before a year in the new country was over, two recluses, Isaac Van Bibber and kinsman Matthias Van Bibber were joined by Isaac Van Bibber, the younger. The younger Isaac Van Bibber was the nephew of Heinrich Van Bibber. Heinrich, had crossed the ocean with the pilgrims. After a short stay at the cabin, Muhlbach, Van Bibber prevailed on Beissel to accompany him on a visit to the Labadist Community at Bohemia Manor. This community had been established in 1684. It was the first Protestant mystic community in the New World.

Young Isaac's chief objective in this trip to visit his father, Isaac Van Bibber and kinsman Matthias Van Bibber. They were advancing years and clothed with judicial authority. Beissel's interest lay in the mystical community, founded there by Dankarts and Sluyter almost forty years before.

The Van Bibbers were originally Mennonites. The first to arrive was Isaac Jacob Van Bebber in 1684. He was a native of Crefeldt on the Rhine. In 1687 he was joined by his father, Jacob Isaac Van Bibber, and his brother Matthias, and later by other members of the family.

They first settled in Germantown, but did not all remain there. The elder moved to Philadelphia in 1698 and engaged in mercantile pursuits. Matthias settled on the Schippach in 1702. In 1704, together with his elder brother Isaac Jacob, and a number of others from Germantown, removed to the Bohemia Manor.

The fact that these men are frequently referred to as Isaac Jacobs, Jacob Isaacs and Matthias Jacobs, some people assumed they were German Jews. This, is not the case. They were Mennonites. But, like many of the early settlers in the Province, they became somewhat shaky in their faith. This is shown by the report sent by Johnan Gottfried Seelig, one of the original Pietistic.

Johnan Gottfried Seelig arrived in 1694. He wrote in a letter to Spener, that states of Jacob Isaac Van Bebber: "He was formerly a Mennonite, but he desires to depart with his whole house, to acknowledge and abandon the follies, scandals, shortcomings and stains of his former religion.".

It was this spiritual unrest that evidently induced the Van Bibbers to move to the Bohemia Manor Where, at that time the Labidist Community was at the height of its development.

When the party arrived at the Bohemia Manor, they erected several buildings. The chief one being known as the "Great House."

Several families soon arrived from Wiewerd, with Sluyter's wife. Her preaching controlled the women. Some converts also came from New York. Thus was founded in North America a branch of the Labadist Community of Waltahouse. Sluyter proclaimed himself bishop. He worked for Yvon, Archbishop of Wiewerd.

The settlement at Bohemia never numbered over one hundred, men, women and children. They were mostly new to the religion and were investigating their belief. Their faith was to be tried by a very sever system of discipline and mortification: Fire, for example, was not permitted in their cells in the coldest weather, though there was so much wood about them that they were forced to bum it in order to be rid of it.

They were to live hidden in Christ. All desires of the flesh were to be subdued. A former minister herded cattle; a young man of good family carted stone or bent over a wash-tub. Food to which they hatred, had to be eaten. Sins had to be confessed in open assembly. There were different grades to be attained in conformity to the principles and discipline of the society.

Punishments were the deprivation of clothes, taking a lower seat at the table and expulsion. The highest rank, that of brother, was gained by total separation from the world. They took their meals in silence, so that men ate together for months at the same table without knowing each other's names. The men and women ate at different tables. They slept in different rooms which the head or his substitute might visit at all times for examination or instruction.

They labored on the land, and at different trades or employment's assigned by the head. Their dress was plain, all worldly fashions being prohibited as well as luxuries of all kinds. They worked for the Lord and not for themselves. They did not gratify their desires. They merely to sustain life. All property was held as common stock. Anyone joining the community gave all they owned to the society. When they left it the community they took nothing with them.

The geographical position of the Labidist settlement was originally in Baltimore county, now Cecil county, on the north bank of the Bohemia river. This, embraced several thousands of fertile acres. The Bohemia river empties into the Elk, which flows into Chesapeake bay. The house or mansion of Herrman was destroyed by fire, but the foundations are visible within a few hundred feet of the river. The remains of his deer park can also be seen. His body was removed to the Bayard vault, a short distance from the old mansion. Latter this was abandoned for another vault in Wilmington. No mark was left of his burial place. An nice slab was placed in the yard of another house that was built after the burning of the first records the memorial of " Augustine Herrman, Founder and Seater of Bohemia Manor."

It has been said that here was some similarity in doctrine between the Labadists and the Quakers. Also, that Labadie and William Penn were hermits at Oley and Frederick. They becoming acquainted with the Moravians. Labadie moved to Bethlehem in 1746. Two years later, Oct 15, 1748, he died, and was buried among the single men on the hill.