Readers are often curious about how much of a story is fact and how much is fiction. While the characters in this story are made up, the wilderness setting, the time period, the hardships faced are based on historical research. I worked diligently to create a credible story, but any errors are my own blunders.
Penn’s Woods in 1737 was a vastly unsettled wilderness. The fertile land, abundant with natural resources, had never been claimed, surveyed, or deeded. Immigrants seeking religious freedom and economic prosperity, largely German, along with Irish, Scots, Dutch, and others, swept into Philadelphia. The population of the city was swelling to 12,000. Rules for immigration changed constantly. In 1728, Mennonites filed a petition for the naturalization of those who, because of the dictates of their conscience, would not pledge allegiance to the Crown and thus could not become citizens. Here’s how the naturalization document was adjusted: “promise and swear” was changed to “promise and solemnly declare.” “Will be faithful and bear true allegiance” was changed to “will be true and faithful.” “Majesty” was removed from the title of King George the second. “Abhor, detest and abjure” became “abhor, detest and renounce.” “So help us God” was eliminated entirely. Interestingly, the signature of the Germantown printer Christoph Saur is on that document.
In 1737, Lancaster County encompassed a huge area. It wasn’t until 1752 that it was divided up and a northeastern portion became Berks County. That would be the location, up the Schuylkill River, where the fictitious character Bishop Jacob Bauer in this novel had first settled.
The Ephrata Cloister was a commune in colonial Pennsylvania led by Conrad Beissel (known as Father Friedsam), a German Pietist immigrant who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1720 and became a Sabbatarian (a fancy way to say that he insisted on Saturday worship, not Sunday). A charismatic figure, Beissel attracted a group of followers who, in 1732, formed a commune on Cocalico Creek in Lancaster County, near the present town of Ephrata, Pennsylvania. The Ephrata Community became one of the most successful experiments in communal living in American history, with a significant contribution to the printing of German materials. By the way, it was true that Christoph Saur’s wife left him and lived at the Ephrata Cloister for a period of time.
The newcomer’s switcheroo with the land warrants was not entirely fictitious. After a warrant was applied for, the boundaries would be surveyed and the number of acres determined. Remember, this land had never been claimed, surveyed, or deeded. There were no hard-and-fast rules, except to file a claim one needed to mark the desired boundaries—with rocks in the ground or slashing the bark of a tree with a hatchet. Upon the final payment for the land, a patent deed was issued to the new landowner. As you can imagine, land warranting was an inexact process in the 1730s. And yet, by 1766, the land in Berks County was nearly fully claimed, and new arrivals of Amish families moved west to Lancaster and Mifflin Counties.
How likely was it for Anna’s grandparents to sail across the ocean, in springtime, in such a seamless way? There were few crossings that went so smoothly. A few. Most were horrific. In fact, 1738 was dubbed The Year of the Destroying Angels due to overcrowded vessels, contagious diseases, and late autumn arrivals. I wanted Anna’s grandparents to have a swift and smooth sailing on prosperous winds. Rare, very rare, though it did happen.
But then, that’s the fun of being an author.