Genealogy
Reports
by James Stanley Compher,
Sr.
I have found no
documented evident on the first Compher settlers in America. Most history going
back to the mid 1700's is guess work. The German settlers kept little records
and fire destroyed a great deal more. I feel that the first Compher came to
America via of England from Germany. They landed in Philadelphia about 1733 and
moved to the German settlement in Berks County, Pennsylvania, where they lived
for a few years.. Peter, Johannes, William and Christian are thought to be
brothers. Two girls born able this same time, Susanna and Juliana, are probably
their sisters were born in Virginia. These brothers and sisters are thought to
be the first Comphers born in America. Peter and
Johannes moved to the German settlement in Loudoun County, Virginia whereas William
and Christian remained in Pennsylvania. Their sisters married Steinbrenner
brothers (Johann Peter and Johann Friedrich). Susanna and Peter moved to York,
Ohio. Juliana and Friedrich lived in Virginia.
The birth date of
Peter is unknown,. He died in 1810 and was the brother of John Compher. He
lived most of his life in Virginia. There are 2,247 individuals listed.
Johannes was born
in 1740 and died in 1815. He is the brother of Peter Compher. He lived most of
his life in Virginia. There are 2,422 individuals listed.
The birth and death
dates for William are unknown. His son Phillip was born in 1778. Therefore, he
would be about the same age as Peter and John. He lived in Pennsylvania. There
are 963 individuals listed.
Christian was born
prior to 1765. Spent his life in Pennsylvania. According to the 1820 U. S.
Census he was living in Bedford, Pennsylvania. He was married to Anna. No
information on children. Therefore, I
have included him with William.
Susanna was born in
1760 in Lovettsville, Virginia. She married Johann Peter Steinbrenner. She died
in 1844 in York, Ohio. Steinbrenner was later changed to Stoneburner. There are
2,392 individuals listed
Juliana was born
March 20, 1762 in Lovettsville, Virginia. She married Johann Friedrich
Steinbrenner (brother of Johann Peter Steinbrenner). She died March 2, 1799 in
Lovettsville, Virginia. There are 3,119 individuals listed
The original Comphers came from Germany. They were farmers and Lutherans
from the northwestern area then known as the Palatinate, now the region around
the industrial city of Bremen, Germany. They immigrated to America for
religious freedom, as did thousands of others.
The original
spelling of the name was Kumpfer. In the History
of Bedford, Somerest and Fulton Counties,
Pennsylvania published in 1884; Phillip Compher is earlier referred to as
Phillip Kumpfer.
There are still
several Kumpfer families in Germany. Dr. Wolfgang Kumpfer, a biologist living in Bremen, wrote to explain the
origin of Kumpfer. He states " a kumpf is a case filled with water, usually placed near the
door, where people kept the stone for sharpening knives. The origin seems to be
somewhere in Westphalia, near the western border of Germany, near to Belgium
and the Netherlands".
The Kumpfer families who are still living in Germany and
replied to my request for information on the family stated that during World
War II families were requires to write a paper showing a three generations of
family ascendants. After the war, most families destroyed these papers because
they caused terrifying memories of the war.
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