Individual Details
Henry Newcomer Senior
(31 Dec 1744 - 14 May 1795)
Henry Newcomer, Sr. settled in Washington County, Maryland in 1774, having moved from Lampeter, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His Lampeter, Pennsylvania property was sold in 1775.
His tombstone is inscribed in German, and gives his name as Heinrich Neukomers or Neukomets. He owned a mill in Beaver Creek, Maryland.
In 1776 Henry was fined for refusing to bear arms in the Revolutionary War, according to Daniel Lehman.
In June of 1781 Henry was arrested for participating in a loyalist plot in Frederick County, Maryland. The plot sought to recruit loyalist soldiers for the British Army. He was sentenced to one year in prison. The officer who charged Henry was Captain Christopher Orendorff. A Christopher Orendorff, likely the same one, sold his home in Sharpsburg to Henry's grandson, Joshua Newcomer.
Surprisingly, the Daughters of the American Revolution Patriot Index - Centennial Edition, Part 2, page 2136, list Henry Newcomer as fighting for the rebels. On the DAR web site, Henry Newcomer is listed as serving in 1777 under Captain John Shyrrer (aka John Shearer) in 8th Company, 7th Battalian. Another source, lost now, listed Henry, on page 261-262, serving as a private, in the rebel militia, 8th class in Captain James Walling's company, 2nd battalion (1776-1777). Both John Shyrrer's and James Walling's companies were organized in Pennsylvania.
Note: Henry left Pennsylvania for Maryland in 1775. I cannot sort out the apparent conflict in states, dates and side of the Revolutionary War.
Henry Newcomer was convicted and sent to prison, but freed on 27 January 1783 upon petition of his neighbors and his wife. His fine was also reduced so he could keep his home and mill.
There is a possible reconciliation of these seemingly contradictory claims on Henry Newcomer's Revolutionary War record. Donald Durnbaugh noted that a common sentence for disloyalty was forced conscription into the Revolutionary Army. I cannot verify, though, that this occurred.
In 2005 his home was still a home. The sign in front of his home claimed that it was built in 1791. The house is on the south side of Beaver Creek along the east side of Beaver Creek Road. Apparently, his mill did not last long as Doub's Mill was built between 1811 and 1821 by John Funk. John Doub, Sr. bought the mill in 1821. It still stands and is a home. I speculate that the Doub's Mill replaced Henry Newcomer mill.
Henry Newcomer may have been the first of my Newcomer ancestors to join the Church of the Brethren. While I have no record of him joining, he is buried in a cemetery next to the Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren. Also, I speculate that it may be that his move from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to Washington County, Maryland was due to his leaving the Mennonite faith and joining the Brethren faith. A cautionary note to this possible interpretation is that Henry Newcomer was listed as a Mennonite in the reference to his participation in efforts to recruit Loyalist soldiers.
Henry's brother, Christian Newcomer, also moved around the same time. Christian had become disillusioned with the Mennonites and became a leader of the United Brethren in Christ.
The link to the Church of the Brethren is based on his grave being in the cemetery of today's Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren. While Henry died in 1795 and the Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren came into existence in 1858, it is possible (okay, likely in my opinion--awaiting energy to research the issue further) that Henry was buried in a family cemetery on a family farm. This land may have later been donated to the Church of the Brethren to by descendants of Henry.
His tombstone is inscribed in German, and gives his name as Heinrich Neukomers or Neukomets. He owned a mill in Beaver Creek, Maryland.
In 1776 Henry was fined for refusing to bear arms in the Revolutionary War, according to Daniel Lehman.
In June of 1781 Henry was arrested for participating in a loyalist plot in Frederick County, Maryland. The plot sought to recruit loyalist soldiers for the British Army. He was sentenced to one year in prison. The officer who charged Henry was Captain Christopher Orendorff. A Christopher Orendorff, likely the same one, sold his home in Sharpsburg to Henry's grandson, Joshua Newcomer.
Surprisingly, the Daughters of the American Revolution Patriot Index - Centennial Edition, Part 2, page 2136, list Henry Newcomer as fighting for the rebels. On the DAR web site, Henry Newcomer is listed as serving in 1777 under Captain John Shyrrer (aka John Shearer) in 8th Company, 7th Battalian. Another source, lost now, listed Henry, on page 261-262, serving as a private, in the rebel militia, 8th class in Captain James Walling's company, 2nd battalion (1776-1777). Both John Shyrrer's and James Walling's companies were organized in Pennsylvania.
Note: Henry left Pennsylvania for Maryland in 1775. I cannot sort out the apparent conflict in states, dates and side of the Revolutionary War.
Henry Newcomer was convicted and sent to prison, but freed on 27 January 1783 upon petition of his neighbors and his wife. His fine was also reduced so he could keep his home and mill.
There is a possible reconciliation of these seemingly contradictory claims on Henry Newcomer's Revolutionary War record. Donald Durnbaugh noted that a common sentence for disloyalty was forced conscription into the Revolutionary Army. I cannot verify, though, that this occurred.
In 2005 his home was still a home. The sign in front of his home claimed that it was built in 1791. The house is on the south side of Beaver Creek along the east side of Beaver Creek Road. Apparently, his mill did not last long as Doub's Mill was built between 1811 and 1821 by John Funk. John Doub, Sr. bought the mill in 1821. It still stands and is a home. I speculate that the Doub's Mill replaced Henry Newcomer mill.
Henry Newcomer may have been the first of my Newcomer ancestors to join the Church of the Brethren. While I have no record of him joining, he is buried in a cemetery next to the Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren. Also, I speculate that it may be that his move from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to Washington County, Maryland was due to his leaving the Mennonite faith and joining the Brethren faith. A cautionary note to this possible interpretation is that Henry Newcomer was listed as a Mennonite in the reference to his participation in efforts to recruit Loyalist soldiers.
Henry's brother, Christian Newcomer, also moved around the same time. Christian had become disillusioned with the Mennonites and became a leader of the United Brethren in Christ.
The link to the Church of the Brethren is based on his grave being in the cemetery of today's Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren. While Henry died in 1795 and the Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren came into existence in 1858, it is possible (okay, likely in my opinion--awaiting energy to research the issue further) that Henry was buried in a family cemetery on a family farm. This land may have later been donated to the Church of the Brethren to by descendants of Henry.
Events
| Birth | 31 Dec 1744 | Leacock, Lancaster, PA |  | ||
| Marriage | 25 Dec 1766 | , Lancaster, PA - Barbara Garber |  | ||
| Death | 14 May 1795 | Beaver Creek, Washington, MD | | ||
| Alt name | Heinrich Nuekommets | ||||
| Alt name | Heinrich Neukomer | | |||
| Alt name | Heinrich W. Newcomer | ||||
| Burial | Church of the Brethren Cemetery, Beaver Creek, Washington, MD | |
Families
| Spouse | Barbara Garber (1746 - 1818) |
| Child | Elizabeth "Bettie" Newcomer (1767 - 1822) |
| Child | Christian Newcomer ( - ) |
| Child | Samuel Newcomer Senior (1769 - 1811) |
| Child | Henry Newcomer Junior (1772 - 1828) |
| Child | Joel Newcomer (1773 - 1852) |
| Child | Barbara Newcomer (1774 - 1837) |
| Child | Peter Newcomer Senior (1775 - 1854) |
| Child | Daniel Newcomer (1779 - 1829) |
| Child | Sarah "Sallie" Newcomer (1780 - ) |
| Child | Joshua Newcomer (1780 - ) |
| Child | Mary Garver Newcomer (1783 - 1853) |
| Child | Nancy Ann Newcomer (1783 - 1842) |
| Child | John Newcomer (1795 - 1799) |
| Father | Wolfgang Newcomer (1710 - 1771) |
| Mother | Elisabeth Maudlin Weber (1722 - 1798) |
| Sibling | Barbara Newcomer (1747 - 1820) |
| Sibling | Christian Newcomer (1749 - 1830) |
| Sibling | Peter Newcomer Senior (1752 - 1826) |
| Sibling | Elisabeth Newcomer ( - ) |
| Sibling | Newcomer (1755 - 1805) |
| Sibling | Magdalena Newcomer (1758 - ) |
| Sibling | Anna Newcomer (1759 - 1808) |
Notes
Birth
Heinrich Newcomer was born 14 September 1744, according to Agnes Long.Death
Melanie Jackson gave the 4th as Henry Newcomer's death day.Burial
Henry Newcomer, Sr. is buried in the Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery. However, the Beaver Creek Brethren (then German Baptist Brethren) congregation was not established until 1858. Henry was buried in 1795. It is my guess that Henry was buried in a family plot on his farm. The farm was passed down to descendants, and one of them donated the land to the church when it was established.Endnotes
1. Williams, Thomas. History of Washington County, Maryland: From the Earliest Settlements to the Present Time, Including a History of Hagerstown (Hagerstown. 1906).
2. Ancestral File (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).
3. Find A Grave, "," database, (: accessed ), Heinrich "Henry" Neukomer at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58661963/heinrich-neukomer.