Is It Immigrant 
Henry or Ludwig Mohler? 

by Elizabeth Landis Carson^* 

According to the East Cocalico warrant map there were three Mohlers who purchased land very early from the Penns. A tract of 110 acres was surveyed for Lodwick Moler in 1735, and another eighty-one acres in 1741 for Lodowick Moler. Henry Maler had 140 acres surveyed & warranted in 1735 and fifty-five acres went to Henry Moler in 1755. George Mooler received fifty-one acres in 1741. 

The deeds had more interesting information. Henry Mohler, Sr. continued to purchase land. He bought 245 acres from John White in 1736 (deed N-9) and in 1752 the heirs of Christian Groff (deed S-20) sold him 140 acres lying north of Cocalico Creek and adjoining the 245 acres purchased from John White. On June 1, 1769, William Heaffer (Deed S-31) sold fifty-eight acres to Henry, and Daniel Good (unknown date, unfound deed) sold Henry seventy acres on the south side of Henry's original purchase. This gave Henry, Sr. a total of 713 acres purchased. He sold fifty of his original 140 acres to Jacob Groff in 1749 (deed D-399) and eight acres of the original 145 acres to Heaffer in 1756 (deed L-117). This left Henry, Sr. with 655 acres, which went to his four sons. 

On December 20, 1756, Henry, Sr. and wife Elizabeth sold two tracts of land to their son Jacob (hereafter designated as M1) for "20 shillings and natural love and affection that they have and allways do bear for their said son". One tract of 162 acres was part of the 245 acre tract from John White and the other one of twenty-eight acres was from the fifty-five acres from the Penns (deed S-16). Jacob passed the land, by will, to his son Jacob M11, (spouse of Maria Bucher) whose estate, in 1840 (deed C-8-235) sold it to his son John M111, (spouse of E. Wolf and R. Zinn). 

On January 8, 1763, Henry, Sr. and wife Elizabeth sold to their son Henry, Jr., M2, for "20 shillings and natural love and affection that they have and allways do bear for their said son", a tract of ninety-five acres, part of the 245 acres from John White (deed M-397). Two days later, Jan. 10, 1763, Henry, Sr. and wife Elizabeth sold to son Henry, for "20 shillings etc." another tract of ninety-five and one half acres, containing seventy-one acres of the original 140 acre tract and 25 1/2 acres from the fifty-five acre tract (deed N-7). 

Henry, Sr. died in 1769. His will² listed wife Barbara and children: Jacob, Henry, Martin, John, Elizabeth and Susanna. Son Henry Mohler and "friend" John Landis were the Executors. Orphans Court record of April 14, 1774, states that a hearing was held in the house of Henry Mohler, and that Henry Mohler and John Landis, "executors of the estate of Henry Mohler, the Elder", distributed money to Martin, John, Elizabeth and Susanna, children of Henry Mohler, the Elder. Three months later, on July 9, 1774, in deed S-33, the willed land was given/sold to Martin with the words "whereas the said Henry Mohler one of the Executors in the said last will died before the said deed was executed whereby the sole power of executing the deed is now vested in John Landis." We know that the Henry Mohler who was born in 1728 died April 20, 1774, between the Orphans Court hearing and the deed. This suggests to me that 1728 Henry was not a son of Ludwig, as history recorded, but the son of Henry Mohler, Sr. Other proof linking Henry, Sr. to 1728 Henry is in the following wills and deeds. 

Henry, M2, died in 1774, and left a will, found in will book C-228, proved May 6, 1774. His will mentioned beloved wife, two married daughters and the other children all under age. When sons Henry and John came of age they each were to get property. Friends Daniel Bowman and Jacob Keller were named as executors. Distribution of the estate is found in several recorded deeds and two that were not recorded. In deed DD-357, on January 1, 1785, Maria Pfautz, Elizabeth Herr, Susanna Bucher and Salome Mohler each accepted £182 as their full share in the estate of Henry Mohler from executors Daniel Bowman and Jacob Keller. Deed FF-277 on December 19, 1786, shows that Elizabeth Mohler, widow, accepted £100 as her full share in the estate of Henry Mohler from executors Daniel Bowman and Jacob Keller. 

In Deed TT-489, on April 25, 1795, Jacob Mohler, Christian Mohler and Margaret Zug each accepted £182 as their full share in the estate of Henry Mohler from executors Daniel Bowman and Jacob Keller. On December 6, 1786, sons Henry M22 and John M23 received their property but the deeds apparently were not filed. However, those transactions were mentioned in later deeds. In March 1832, Henry M22 sold some land to his son John M221 and the deed (G-9-165) mentions "And Whereas Daniel Bowman and Jacob Keller, executors of the Testament and Last Will of Henry Mohler the Elder deceased by virtue of the power and authority to them given by said will... on 6th day of Dec 1786, for the consideration therein mentioned..." 

John M23 died in 1821, his will (N-86) stated "...I give and bequeath to my son John all of my plantation or tract of land, whereon we now live, being the same what I got from my father excepting the 9 acres and 100 perches adjoining the burial grounds..." The deed distributing his estate is H-9-70 in 1837 states "Whereas Daniel Bowman and Jacob Keller, executors of the Testament and Last Will of Henry Mohler the elder deceased by virtue of the power and authority to them given by said will... on 6th day of Dec 1786, for the consideration therein mentioned..." The proof that John M23 is the John that married Ann Bollinger is in the aforementioned deed as all the children, M231 through M23c and their spouses, signed the deed. 

In 1992 I attended the annual Ludwig Mohler Reunion (held the third Sunday in August at the Mohler Church in Ephrata). I met Ned Drees who spoke about Henry Mohler, Sr. as the father of 1728-1774 Henry Mohler. Ned had not known of the research by Pat Heydt but was pleased to find kindred souls. Shortly after that, Lonnie Dunbier sent me a copy of a report found in the Studebaker Family Archives in Tipp City, Ohio. Evidently the Studebaker family hired Lawrence Brainerd, a "professional genealogist", to research the ancestry of the Studebaker, Bollinger and Mohler families. His report, written in 1922, (after Cora Garber Dunning, since he mentioned her work) stated emphatically that Henry, Sr. was the father of 1728-1774 Henry Mohler and cited many of the same references that are in this report. 

I have sadly concluded that most of the Ephrata Mohlers descend from Henry, Sr. and not Ludwig. How or why Henry Mohler, Sr. was forgotten and Ludwig given credit for the Mohlers of Ephrata is a question I have often pondered. Even the book The History of Lancaster County, by Ellis and Evans, published in 1883, has no mention of Henry, Sr. Is it because there are no tombstones for Henry, Sr. and his wives? Several researchers3 had found that a Henry had purchased land from the Penns in 1735. They explained that Ludwig purchased it in the name of his seven year old son. Their explanation for the recorded 1739 baptism of Henry Mohler and wife, (when their Henry was only eleven years old) was that the absentminded minister erroneously added "and wife" out of habit, since most people were not baptized until after marriage. All previous writers totally ignored the will of a Henry in 1769 and only C.C. Moler mentioned that the immigrant Ludwig Mohler had a son Ludwig, Jr. 

I hereby submit my list of the descendants of Henry Mohler, Sr. Death date followed by # indicates that the person was buried in Mohler Cemetery, Ephrata, Lancaster Co PA. All wills and deeds are Lancaster unless otherwise mentioned. 

M1 Jacob Mohler, 1721-1770, will C-1-10, signed Aug. 1, 1770, proved Aug. 20, 1770, widow Anna, minor children Jacob, Elizabeth & Susanna, brother Henry Mohler, executor. Son Jacob, Jr. to get the plantation, daughters get money. 

M11 Jacob Mohler, Jr.. b. Oct. 26, 1751, d. March 26, 1833#, married Maria Bucher, b. Nov. 18, 1751, d. Oct. 14, 1828#, his will Q-393, signed March 29, 1833 and proved eleven days later: land to sons John & George, money to daughters, executors son John and son-in-law Jacob Heffly. Land to son John, (deed C-8-235) 1840, cited deed S-16, land received from Henry, Sr. and Elizabeth. 

M111 John Mohler, May 6, 1771, d. Feb. 4, 1851#, m.1) Elizabeth Wolf, d. May 11, 1817#, m2) Rachel Zinn, died after spring 1881. John died intestate. Settlement of his estate is found in Orphans Court Records Nov. 1851, April 1852 and deed C-8-445 (one other deed not found). Widow Rachel and children M1111 through M1117. 

M1111 Elias Mohler, m. Maria, to Stark Co. Ohio by 1853 & Crawford Ill. by 1868. 

M1112 George Mohler, m. Elmira Ruth, to Whiteside Co. Ill. 

M1113 Nancy Mohler, 1810-1863#, m. Michael Coover, 1808-before 1853. 

M1114 Jacob Mohler, 1816-1865#, m. Gabriella, who later married Gara. 

M1115 Mary Mohler, b. 1819, m. Elias Snavely. 

M1116 Emanuel Mohler, 1822-1866#, m. 1844, Susan Gockley, 1827-1912. 

M1117 William Mohler, 1828-1907#, m. Matilda __, 1839-1922#. 

M112 Elizabeth Mohler, died between 1850-1866, m. Jacob Heffly, d. 1850, will U-965. 

M113 Anna Mohler, 1779-1847, m. Daniel Mohler, M231, to Cumberland Co. Pa. 

M114 Mary Mohler, 1784-1858, m. Henry Mohler, M232, moved to Ohio. 

M115 George Mohler, 1788-1866#, n.m. intestate, his estate settlement is very important. Found in deed book R-9, on pages 137-143 and pages 217-223. The estate is divided among his sister Sarah M117 and the descendants of his deceased siblings. This gave proof that his sister Anna M113 married Daniel M231 and that Mary M114 had married Henry M232. 

M116 Susanna Mohler, 1789-1826, m. 1813, Samuel Shirk, 1785-1864. 

M117 Sarah Mohler, 1792-1886, m. John Dornback, 1799-1885, Cumberland Co Pa. 

M2 Henry Mohler, Jr.., b. Jan. 20, 1728, d. April 20, 1774#, married Elizabeth Landis, b. April 14, 1731, d. March 20, 1804#. She was a daughter of "Ephrata" John Landis and Margaretha Naas. Proof of this marriage is in deed BB-530, in 1766, as the heirs of "Ephrata" John Landis sign off on his estate, including his daughter Elizabeth and her husband Henry Mohler. 

M21 Mary Mohler, 1750-1813, m. 1767, John Pfautz, 1745-1821, s/o Michael Pfautz. 

M22 Henry Mohler, III, 1754-1833#, m. Anna ___ 

M221 John Mohler, 1783-1858#, n.m. 

M222 Samuel Mohler, 1784-1827#, m. Mary __, 1792-1851#. 

M223 Henry Mohler, IV, 1786-1854#, m. 1810, Anna Landis, 1787-1869#. 

M224 Mary Mohler, 1788-1840, m. James Vogan, 1781-1848. 

M225 Elizabeth Mohler, 1789-1857#, m. Michael Ulrich, 1793-1864#. 

M23 John Mohler, 1757-1821#, m. Ann Bollinger, 1760-1822#. 

M231 Daniel Mohler, 1779-1849, m. Anna Mohler, M114, to Cumberland Co, Pa. 

M232 Henry Mohler, 1780-1853, m. Mary Mohler, M115, to Ohio. 

M233 Elizabeth Mohler, 1782-1834, m. Samuel Foss, to Ohio. 

M234 Anna Mohler, 1784-1857, m. Phillip Weast, to Augusta Co Va. 

M235 John Mohler, 1786-1865#, m. Salome Gleim, 1796-1879#. 

M236 Sarah Mohler, 1789-1869, m. John Eicholtz, 1782-1847, to Cumberland Co. Pa. 

M237 Susannah Mohler, 1791-1853, m. Benjamin Riegle, to Yates Co., NY. 

M238 Mary Mohler, 1793-1849, m. John Markley, d. 1829, to Cumberland Co., Pa. 

M239 Hannah Mohler, 1795-1876#, m. Samuel Landis, 1785-1860#. 

M23a Catherine Mohler, b. 1798, m. Scherick. 

M23b Esther Mohler, 1800-1876, m. 1820, John Royer, 1799-1870. 

M23c Rebecca Mohler, 1802-1887, m. John Studebaker, 1799-1877. 

M25 Salome Mohler, 1761-1843, m. Martin Keller, 1767-1839, to Cumberland Co., Pa. 

M26 Susan Mohler, 1764-1828, m. 1784, Benedict Bucher, Jr. 1759-1830. 

M27 Margaret Mohler, 1767-1850, m. John Zug, 1763-1824, to Cumberland Co., Pa. 

M28 Jacob Mohler, b. 1771, d?; m. Mary Bollinger, 1782-1847, bur. Covington, Ohio 

M281 Rudolph Mohler, 1801-1880, m1, Susannah Bowman, 1801-1826, m2 Elizabeth Miller, 1801-1872, bur. Covington, Oh. 

M282 Jacob Mohler, 1802-1889, m1, Sarah Rothrock, 1807-1845, m2, Susan Howe, 1810-1883, Mifflin Co PA 

M283 Hannah Mohler, b. 1805, m. Jacob Shellenberger, Covington, Ohio. 

M284 Samuel Mohler, 1808-1891, m. Catherine Saylor, 1806-1887, Covington, Oh. 

M285 Marie Mohler, 1811-c1878, m. Henry Smith, 1811-1893, Covington, Oh. 

M286 John Mohler, 1814-1889, m. Nancy Hoke, Margaret Reiber, Oh. 

M29 Elizabeth Mohler, m. Christian Herr, moved to Md. 

M2a Christian Mohler, 1774-1836, m. Magdalene Springer, 1780-1867, Cumberland Co., Pa. 

M2a1 Mary Mohler, 1795-1842, m. Joseph Sollenberger, 1798-1884. 

M2a2 Anna Mohler, 1799-1846, m. John Swartz, 1791-1866. 

M2a3 Elizabeth Mohler, c1800-1849, m. George Titter, b. 1796, to Wayne Co., Ohio. 

M2a4 Sarah Mohler, 1801-1895, m. Jacob Sherer, 1804-1869, to Oh. 

M2a5 Catherine Mohler, b. 1803, m. Brenzinger, Jacob Gleim & David Plough. 

M2a6 Susan Mohler, 1804-1887, m. John Mohler, son of Daniel M231 & Anna M114. 

M2a7 Samuel Mohler, 1807-1885, m. Rachel Miller, 1814-1870. 

M2a8 Christian Mohler, Jr.. 1808-1847, m. Ann Krugh, 1811-1884. 

M2a9 Joseph Mohler, 1812-1896, m. Elizabeth Landis, 1814-1905, to Ind. 

M2aa Barbara Ann Mohler, 1816-1844, m. Joseph Miller, 1812-1886. 

M2ab Martin Mohler, 1818-1841, m. Mary Givler. 

M2ac Jacob Mohler, 1819-1903, m. Sarah Weaver, 1830-1897, to Lebanon Co Pa. 

M2ad Martha Mohler, b. 1822, m. Adam Rencel. 

M2ae Esther Mohler, 1823-1908, m. Michael Hoover, d. 1895 age 57. 

M2af Margaret Mohler, died before 1857. 

M3 Martin Mohler, was born c1753, since he received his property in 1774. In his will, Henry, Sr. gave his son Martin fifty-eight acres he recently purchased from William Heaffer (Deed S-31, 1769), forty acres from the plantation where Henry, Sr. lived and half of the seventy acres purchased from Daniel Good. Deeds Q-5 & S-33 on July 1774 transfer ninety-eight acres after payment of £436. I have not found the deed for the other thirty-five acres but Martin sold 109 acres from 3 tracts in 1784 (Deed G-3-650). He and wife Christina seem to have then gone to Virginia. 

M4 Hannes(John) Mohler, born c1755, since he received his property in 1776. In his will, Henry, Sr. gave his son Hannes the plantation whereon Henry lived, less the forty acres given to son Martin; ( Henry was living on the 140 acres purchased from the Groff heirs) plus the other thirty-five acres from the Daniel Good tract, for a total of 135 acres.⁴ Hannes married Catherine. Was she a Bowman? I have no proof, either way. In 1814, Hannes and Catherine sold thirty-two acres of land to their son John (M41) for £1,085, (Deed L-6-345) part of this land Hannes had received from John Landis "surviving executor of the estate of Henry Mohler, the Elder." Hannes died 1815, Will L-380, signed Dec. 19, 1813, proved Feb. 23, 1815, Executors "friends" John Mohler and Jacob Hazy and son John Mohler. Some land to be sold and the money, after the dower amount removed, divided among all children M41 through M48. Some land to son John and some land to son Daniel. John was to care for widow Catherine. On Oct. 6, 1815, widow Catherine accepted £300 from son John and exempted him from the terms of the will (Deed 13-4-125). The dower land was sold to John Fry in April 1816 Deed E-7-264). John M41 also sold his inherited land to John Fry, same date, next deed. By 1823, Catherine was living in Allen Township, Cumberland Co., possibly with daughter Mary and husband Christian Bowman. Catherine Mohler died in 1850 and the estate was settled.⁵

M41 John Mohler, Jr.. m. Margaret and moved to Niagara Co NY in 1816. Children: Daniel, John, and Nancy Sickles according to Lancaster Deed T-7-243. 

M42 Daniel Mohler, was in Cumberland Co. by 1832. I think he may have married Christina Vandersaal, Cumberland Co Pa. 

M43 Samuel Mohler, m. Sally, was in Cumberland Co. by 1816 and Augusta Co., Va. by 1850. 

M44 Jacob Mohler, was in Cumberland Co by 1821, may have married Anna Stark. 

M45 Henry Mohler, was in Cumberland Co. by 1822, m. Mary _____. 

M46 Elizabeth Mohler, m. Leonard Weaver, had 4 children by 1813, died before 1850. 

M47 Catherine Mohler, m. Jacob Thrill, had 4 children by 1813; in 1850 was Mrs. Frederick Biermaster and in Ashland, Oh. 

M48 Mary Mohler, n. m. in 1813, by 1823 m. to Christian Bowman and in Cumberland Co., in Dauphin Co. by 1850. 

M5 Susanna Mohler, born 1763, died Nov. 9, 1812. m. Jacob Anguish on Dec. 2 1783. In 1784 she petitioned the court to have her husband appointed as her guardian, she was still under 21. They had about ten children from 1784 to Jan 1809. 

M6 Elizabeth Mohler.no further information. 

There are a few more loose ends. As I mentioned earlier, George Mooler received fifty-one acres in 1741. I have not found any deed for that property. The only other early mention of a George Mohler was that a George Wine of York Co. sold 261 acres to a George Moeler of Lancaster on November 20, 1761 for £300 (Deed G-244) and George and Maria Margaretha Mohler of Rupho Township, Lancaster County, sold the same 261 acres for £200 to Felix Garber on June 15, 1763 (Deed O-404). Did they move away? 

One troubling fact is the long lapse of time from the birth of Henry, Jr. in 1728 to the birth of Martin in 1753, twenty-five years. This leads us to believe that Elizabeth was a second wife. Supporting this idea is the fact that Henry sold land in 1749 and there was no wife on deed D-399. We know that Elizabeth was his wife in 1756 and 1763 as she signed deeds in those years. Susanna, born in 1764, and Elizabeth are possibly children of his third wife Barbara, who was mentioned in his will. 

We have removed Jacob and Henry as sons of Ludwig (1696-1754). Who is left in Ludwig's family? Ludwig did have at least two sons, George Adam Mohler/Moler, born 1735, married Eve Horn, had a son born in Virginia in 1758. He received a tract of 297 acres of land in Frederick Co. Virginia (now West Va.) in April 1762. There is a book, Mohler/Moler, written by C. C. Moler that traces the family of George Adam Moler. Ludwig, Sr.'s other known son was Ludwig, Jr. born c1726, married Anna. Ludwig Jr., in Nov. 1764, purchased 290 acres on Muddy Creek, Earl Township from Stedman for £450, (Deed Q-17). The last deed of Ludwig, Jr. was a mortgage for £500 paid off in 1768 (Deed M-202), the land mortgaged was the 110 acres and eighty-one acres that Ludwig, Jr. stated that he got from Penns. The family evidently moved to Maryland and Ludwig, Jr. died in Frederick Co. Maryland on May 17, 1776. I have not researched this line but Ludwig, Jr. had at least one daughter, Catherine, who married 1) Rudolph Steiner and 2) Peter Shitz. One son Jacob, born 1745/6, died 1773, married in 1768 to Elisabet Tschudi. 

It is very possible that Ludwig Mohler, Sr. had other children. We have found no way of proving them at present, since he left no filed will or deeds transferring land to them or settling his estate. There was an Anna Catharine Mohler (b. c1720) who married John Landis, Jr. (son of "Ephrata" John Landis and Margaretha Naas) and an Elizabeth Mohler (1743-1823) who married George Coover. Either or both could be daughters of either Ludwig, Sr. or George. Reportedly Ludwig had a son Jacob who had a son John, born 1741, who married Catharine Bowman and served in the army during the Revolution. The John Mohler (1772-1835) who married Magdalene Rinehart was supposedly a son of John & Catherine (Bowman) Mohler. 

There were other Mohler immigrants who were not connected with the Ephrata Mohlers. A Henry Mohler, 1711-1797 and wife Catherine Druckenhengst were in York Co. PA between 1736 and 1772. They had Jacob, b. 1736, John b. c1737, Valentine, b. c1739 and Margaret, b. c1742 who married Valentine Pressel. This Henry died in Carroll Co MD in 1797. Brent Glad has researched that line and claims that they are not related to our Mohlers, although some of the descendants of this line are certain that Ludwig Mohler was their immigrant ancestor. 

Ned Drees is working on a book about the descendants of Henry Mohler, primarily focusing on the line of Henry, M2, and Elizabeth (Landis) Mohler. He hopes to publish later this year. 

^* Elizabeth Landis Carson, 551 Rittenhouse Blvd., Norristown, PA 19403-3383. is happy to correspond with anyone about the Mohlers or "Ephrata" John Landis. 

¹ Ludwig Mohler, b. 4 Apr. 1696, d. June 6 1754, "Frau" b. 22 May 1698, d. 23 Dec 1772, Dates from tombstones in Mohler Cemetery. Ephrata, arrived Aug. 29, 1730 aboard the Thistle

² Lancaster Will B-637, signed August 22, 1769 and proved September 22, 1769. 

³ Cora Garber Dunning in her booklet published in 1921 by the Nebraska His. Soc. and Louise Martin Mohler, in her book The Mohler Family of Ohio. C.C. Moler in his book Mohler/Moler Genealogy, noted the land purchase and baptism and suggested that the 1728 birth date was erroneous. 

⁴ Deeds R-292 in Oct 1776, and T-253 are for the 100 acre tract and Hannes had to pay £736 which he did by 1790; I have not found the deed for the thirty-five acres. 

⁵ Deeds U-7-303 through 309 and T-7-243.