BALTHAZAR EBERHARDT

ca. 1740 - after 1799

BALTHAZAR EBERHARDT, father of the Everharts that settled in Hawkins County Tennessee, arrived in Philadelphia on October 31, 1774, on the ship Sally from Rotterdam, Holland. The family had traveled from Germany to Rotterdam where they boarded the ship. Upon arrival in America there were at least three small children in the family.

Baltzer was living in Lancaster County Pennsylvania in May 1778, when he took the oath to support the colonies in their quest for independence from England. Baltzer and his family lived in Lebanon Township, Lancaster County Pennsylvania until after 1783. At least three additional children were born while the Eberhardt's were living there.

By 1787, the Eberhardt family had moved to Rockingham County Virginia, and Baltzar's name had been Americanized to Palser (Polser) Everhart. Documents in his handwriting found there confirm the spelling of his name as BALTZAR EBERHARDT.

Baltzar had five (perhaps six) children living in Rockingham County in the 1790's. Records in Rockingham confirm that all of the following are children of Baltzar's except for Christian. Although no written record has been found to substantiate he is Baltzar's son, we believe Christian was his oldest son. Their birth dates are estimated based on when they first appeared in the records there.

ELIZABETH EVERHART. Born ca. 1769 in Germany.

CHRISTIAN (CHRISLEY) EVERHART. Born ca. 1772 in Germany.

CHARLES CARL EVERHART. Born ca 1772 in Germany.

MARY EVERHART. Born ca 1775 probably in Pennsylvania.

JACOB EVERHART. Born ca 1777 in Pennsylvania.

CATHARINE EVERHART. Born ca 1780 in Pennsylvania.

Balthazar Everhart was listed on the Rockingham County Tax Rolls as Polser Everhart or Everholt. He first appeared there in 1787 living in district #9. He had one male between the ages of 16 and 21 living in his household and owned two horses and one cow.

Polser and his son, Charles, were listed as members of Captain Richard Ragan's Company, No. 13 of the Rockingham County Militia in 1788.

In 1789, Palser had moved to district #10 and still had one male between 16 and 20 in the household and owned three horses. He remained in district #10 through 1792.

Baltzar was living in district #14 in 1793. By then he no longer had any males between 16 and 21 living in his household, and that was the first year that Christian Everhart's and Charles Everhart's names appeared on the tax rolls as males 21 years or older. Both Charles and Christian lived in district #9.

In January 1793, Baltzar had two tracts of land in the Peaked Mountain surveyed and was probably living on the property by the time the tax list was prepared. Grants for the property were signed by the Governor of Virginia in 1796 and 1799. Other family names living in district #14 later found living South of the Holston River in Hawkins County Tennessee were Kite, Long, Berry, Short, Hoard, Louderback, Roark, Price, Rush, and Grigsby.

On April 11, 1799, Baltzar Everhart's name appeared for the last time on the Rockingham County Personal Property Tax List. His son Jacob's name was recorded the same day, and his son Charles on June 6.

Because many of the Rockingham County records were burned during the Civil War the name of Baltzar's wife is not known. A Sarah Everhart born in Germany was living in one of the Everhart households in Hawkins County Tennessee when the 1850 census was taken. She may have been his wife.

Partial deeds of sale for two pieces of property by an Everhart were recorded in Rockingham County Deed Book 00. The first names were not given. In July 1798, an Everhart and wife sold property to a Brumer, and in June 1799, an Everhart and wife sold land to a Rush.

 We believe that Baltzar sold his property in June 1799, and came to Hawkins County Tennessee that year with his son Jacob and others but have found no record to prove he was there. The first record found to date of an Everhart in Hawkins County is 1805, when a William Everhart's name appeared in the correspondence of Joseph Rogers. No evidence has been found to link him to Baltzar.

Many of the Hawkins County Tennessee records were destroyed by fire, so we will probably never know it Balthazar Eberhardt was there or went elsewhere.

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