Georg Harter is believed to have arrived in Philadelphia aboard the Phoenix in September 1749. He made his way to the area now a part of Lehigh County and there he found romance. He and Eva Bracker were married on October 2, 1752, in the St Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. It is unknown when Eva's family arrived in the United States. Two sons were born in Lehigh County, but then the family disappeared until showing up in the Frederick County, Maryland, Lutheran church records in 1769. About 1790 most of the family moved to Franklin County, Virginia, into a German Baptist Brethren community. From there all but one grandson moved to western Ohio (Darke and Preble counties) between about 1805 and 1815. Descendants are now scattered across the United States from New England to Hawaii. An attempt has been made to follow both male and female descendant lines rather than only the male lines as commonly the case.
Georg was definitely German when arriving in the United States, but YDNA tests indicate that an ancestor came from Scotland. Many Scotts served as mercenaries during the 30 Years War, and even before that they were often recruited as royal bodyguards. This could explain why a German would have "Scottish blood." Typical of all old American families, Georg and Eva's descendant family is a melting pot of different cultural names, although German names naturally dominate. Of particular note is the association with Brubaker, Flora, Mikesell, and Miller (Muiller) families. This record contains over 20,000 people who are either descended from Georg and Eva or are married to a descendant. Yes, there is some intermarriage within the descendants, but surprisingly little in comparison to some of the other early German family lines.
Georg was definitely German when arriving in the United States, but YDNA tests indicate that an ancestor came from Scotland. Many Scotts served as mercenaries during the 30 Years War, and even before that they were often recruited as royal bodyguards. This could explain why a German would have "Scottish blood." Typical of all old American families, Georg and Eva's descendant family is a melting pot of different cultural names, although German names naturally dominate. Of particular note is the association with Brubaker, Flora, Mikesell, and Miller (Muiller) families. This record contains over 20,000 people who are either descended from Georg and Eva or are married to a descendant. Yes, there is some intermarriage within the descendants, but surprisingly little in comparison to some of the other early German family lines.
