The following are copies of pages made from an 1805 German Bible owned by a descendent of Jacob and Anna (Pletcher) Pletcher. The following in an excerpt from a letter that accompanied the copies when they were sent to me:
"The Bible was owned originally by Jakob Pletscher (son of Henry Pletscher 1756-1803) and Anna Pletscher (Daughter of Samuel Pletscher 1750/1-1830). They were first cousins. The information seems to have been written by either Jakob or Anna.
As you can see the words are very difficult to read.I went over the papers with a German linguist, but he did not understand many of the words.
The page with one paragraph on it is copied from the flyleaf of the Bible. The only thing we could make out was that it was referring to a wound. Could it have anything to do with the fatal wound Jakob’s father Henry received when he was kicked in the stomach by a colt? If so, it was added years later and not included on the Deaths page."
After receiving the copies, my sister and I tried translating the last paragraph. See below for our translation. Also, I noticed that in a deed at the Centre County, Pennsylvania Court House, Anna signed her name with an ‘X’ so apparently she could not write. So it is my assumption that it was Jakob who wrote in the Bible.
Translation: Births: RIGHT SIDE: A little son was born to us on June 15th in the year of 1812 by the name of Samuel Pletscher. A little daughter was born to us by the name of Elizabeth Pletscher on December 20th, 1813. A little son was born to us by the name of Heinrich Pletscher on March 22, 1816. A little daughter was born to us by the name of Katharina Pletscher on October 13th in the year 1818. LEFT SIDE: A little daughter was born to us by the name of Magdalena Pletscher on October 15 in the year of 1819. A little son was born to us by the name of Jakob Pletscher on the 26th of February in the year of 1822. These are our six children. The children of Jakob and Anna Pletscher - our children.
Our ancestors from Europe are Pletscher Krutsler and Sternamann. |
Translation: Marriages: A son was born to us by the name of Jakob Pletscher on the 26th of November 1787. The son of Mr. Pletscher married Anna Pletscher on the 8th of December in the year of 1811. And Anna Pletscher was born on August the 2nd in the year of 1784 and was married in the year of 1811 December the 8th. The old Mixelsche married them. |
Translation: To heal a fresh wound (with?) Fleehgraut. It must be cut in new light on the first Friday of the dog days between 11 and 12 o'clock. It (the same?) must be red inside. Unequal (length?) stems must always be used. NOTE: Fleehgraut is a common weed, or daisy fleabone, or princes' feather. |