A History of the Kassel/Kassell/Cassell family and Related
                        families. By AL Cassell

     This is a highly abridged version of the authors unpublished
              history of the Kassel/Kassell/Cassell family.

        In order to maintain the various generations in proper order and
        perspective, each individual in the direct line, as well as certain others,
        are identified as to their generation from the First Generation of Julius
        Kassel.  This generational position is identified by a (GX) following the
        individuals name.

        It is an established fact that the Cassell family came to this country from
        the area around Worms, Germany, the area where Martin Luther was tried for
        his religious beliefs. ..There is speculation that the family had
        previously emigrated from Basel (Basil) Switzerland down the Rhine river,
        but I cannot prove that...its probably true however, and is the subject of
        continuing research.

                About six miles from Worms, there was a small town named Kreisheim, which
        is not in current use.. It has been called variously as Creishem,
        Creisheim, Kreignsheim,  Kirchem or Kircheim, in  the many histories of the
        Cassell family...but we will use Kreisheim in this volume. It is also
        certain that the family name was originally Kassel, and that they resided
        in this area at the beginning of the 30 years war, (1618-1648)

                The only accurate description of the area exists in William Penn's
        description of his travels in the Palatinate, which he referred to as the
        "town of Creisheim in the Paltzgrave's country"  It fits all of the major
        criteria.

                At this time Germany was a region divided into areas known as Electorates
        after those who had a vote in deciding the Holy Roman Emperor.  France was
        ruled by Louis XIV and the Palatinate or Paltzgraves Country, was located
        in what is now Germany, near the French-German border and was a battle
        ground between both France and Germany,  both of whom claimed it. It was
        nominally ruled by Prince and Count Karl Ludwig, who was an Elector
        .Thousands of people were killed and many were driven from their homes in
        these wars which were very vicious and cruel.

                There were many abandoned farms, and empty towns and people found it
        difficult to raise enough food to supply themselves as so many farmers had
        fled for their lives, or just died from disease. The area was just
        beginning to recover from years of warfare.   Into this area came an
        American, William Penn who had just been given a plot of land in America by
        the British King, and was interested in finding people to go to America and
        live on his land...He made three trips that we can identify, and left a
        fairly detailed account of his voyages, which  occurred after Quaker
        missionaries first visited the area.

                Penn's account is long and varied but the important thing is that he came
        to Kreisheim.  According to the Kolb "History of the Cassel Family", Penn
        met with many German groups on his trips, and in 1681 he went to Kassel,
        Frankfurt, Worms and then to Kreisheim, arriving on August 23, 1681.  Penn
        preached with the permission of Count Karl Ludwig and in the crowd at
        Kreisheim were three brothers,  Heinrich, (G2)Yelles and Johannes Kassel
        who lived in the region We know that Heinrich lived in Gerolsheim and
        occasionally at least, used the name Heinrich Kassel von Gerolsheim,
        (Gorlisheim).

                Julius Kassel (G1)was the father of  Heinrich,(G2)Yelles and Johannes.
        Julius was a Mennonite minister as were his sons Heinrich and Yelles.
        Johannes was a weaver.

              According to the Biography of Leonard Cassel by Rev. Charles D. Smith
        (1892), Leonard claimed that the three Kassel brothers were so enthused by
        Penn's preaching and comments about America that they immediately invited
        him to their homes, and he accepted the invitation to visit Heinrich, (G2)
        who lived in  Gerolsheim which was nearby...Kolb indicates that Heinrich
        was a Minister in Lambartsheim in 1681 , moving to Gerolsheim in 1690 and
        on to Kreisheim in the early 1700's.

                Kolb also says that Heinrich (G2) was a man of "considerable note" in
        Germany and was briefly tempted from his Mennonites to the Quakers because
        of Penn, as they were very similar in many respects,  but he soon moved
        back to the Mennonites, and avidly attacked those other Mennonites who
        remained Quakers, especially his brother Johannes.  He wrote some
        'broadsides" as they were then called attacking his brother.  Some of these
        broadsides still exist owned by Mr. A.H. Cassell of Harleysville, PA..
           Johannes, (G2) Heinrichs (G2) brother, who had converted to Quakerism to
        obtain early access to land, sailed to America in the ship JEFFRIES,
        leaving Europe on March 20, 1686 and arrived in  Germantown, PA, on Nov.
        20, 1686, a voyage of 7 months . Johannes (G2)was 47 years of age.

                Johannes brought with him his wife, Mary, and children Peter, Mary,
        Arnold, Sarah and Elizabeth...Some of the old papers about the Cassells
        list Johannes name as Hans Peter for some reason..it seems likely that his
        Christian name was actually Johannes (Hans) Peter Kassel.  His son Arnold
        was elected "Rekorder" of Germantown in 1691.
           Johannes signed the original application of the town of Germantown,
        which was necessary to incorporate a new village.  Heinrich(G2) sent his
        chidren to the first school in Germantown which was established in1702

                Heinrich also grew dissillusioned with the conditons in Germany and in
        the Palatinate and apparently sailed to the New World, arriving around 1700
        .  Heinrich (G2) brought with him his wife and four children.  These
        children were Ann, (G3) Nicholas (G3) and Sara Kassel,(G3) while a fourth
        child, a boy, Heinrich, (G3) was apparently either born just before their
        departure or immediately after their arrival in the New World.

                Julius's (G1) third son, also named Julius, (G2)who was also a Mennonite
        minister in Kreisheim, was apparently in poor health and never came to the
        new world.

           Heinrich's (G3) son b. 1700-1708 was named Johannes Heinrich, who went
        by the name of Heinrich, and later just plain Henry. Someime around this
        period their name became Cassell instead of Kassel.

                Also around this time, a strange little event occurred.  There was
        apparently a death in the Kassel/Cassell family in Germany, and word came
        that a considerble fortune and possibly a title was to be claimed by one of
        the brothers, Johannes or Heinrich(G2)..We know that the entire matter was
        dicussed in the Mennonite religious service, since records exist of its
        discussion, and we also know that the congretation decided that the money
        should be refused because it would make the recipients"too proud".  The
        author heard this story from his father and grandfather, and both Kolb's
        "History of the Cassell's", and the Cassel researcher Alice Bordeleon
        mention the same story.  The fact that the matter was discussed in the
        Mennonite Church, but not the Quaker Meeting, seems to indicate that
        Henrich, (G2), who was still a Mennonite, was the intended recipient, and
        not Johannes, (G2)who was by now a Quaker.  Nevertheless the money was
        refused, as was the title and land and the refusal seems to have created a
        schism in the family which had not healed at the time of World War II.
        There seems to be nothing left in writing which indicates what the title
        may have been, but the church minutes do mention an "enormous" fortune.

                Perhaps due to the ill feelings from part of his family over being
        slighted as far as the inheritance was concerned, Heinrich (G2) left
        Germantown, Pennsylvania ,with his family, and moved to Philadelphia, a
        short journey and then in 1712 he moved to Chester Co. PA, near the town of
        Coventry where he died and was buried in 1726.  His son Johannes Heinrich,
        (G3) by this time just plain John Henry Cassell (G3)married a young lady
        named Anna Margaret Bemker(G3) in approximately 1830.   According to
        PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN MARRIAGES by Donna Irish, Anna Margaret was the
        daughter of Christopher and Anna Eva Bemker.  Anna and Henry(G3) had at
        least five children.  They were:

                        John Jacob. b. Oct. 7, 1734. in Connewago, PA(G4)
                        Caterina b. Oct. 1739 in Connewago, PA(G4)
                        Anna Eva b. Feb. 25, 1748 in Conneewago, Pa(G4)
                        Martin b. approximately 1752(G4)
                        Abraham b. Sept. 25, 1756, probably in Maryland. (G4)

        It seems very probable that Henry Cassell (G3) was, in fact, the first
        Maryland Cassell.   By way of substantiation of this claim, both bore the
        name Heinrich , which was somewhat noteworthy at that time,  and three of
        Henry Cassell's(G3) children, John Jacob ,  Katarina  (Catherina)(G4), and
        Anna Eva(G4) ,  were born in Connewago, Pennsylvania, which at that time
        was located in Chester Co. and the Maryland Cassell's claim that the first
        Cassell migrated from Pennsylvania.   This is the county in which Heinrich
        Cassell (G2) lived the last 14 years of his life,  and where he was was
        buried.

                The last written record of our Henry's (G3) presence in PA is in the
        recorded birth of his daughter, Anna Eva (G3) in Connewago, Penn on Feb.
        25, 1748

        We next find Henry (G3) in Frederick, Co. MD, purchasing a home and acreage
        named "Mill Lott", consisting of 50 acres, on July 19, 1754, followed by
        the additional purchase of a home named "Clear Meadows, on Aug. 25, 1754.
        Clear Meadows had 91 acres.  He obviously arrived in Maryland between Feb.
        1748 and July 1754.  At this time Henry would have been in his early 50"s.
        Martin Cassell (G4) was born at about this time, either in Pennsylvania or
        Maryland but most probably Maryland, and Abraham (G4), the third and last
        son, came along about 2 years later, in the same year as  old Henry's  (G3)
        death.

        A religious problem was developing in Maryland during the 1740's-50's. The
        Protestants thought that the Catholics were trying to intefere with their
        religion and were importing more Priests from Germany and France to help
        them do it.  The Protestants organized watch groups of trusted Protestants
        ,who spoke German, to spy on the Catholic "mass houses" and report back on
        their activities.

        This "watching" was done secretly by trusted members of thecongregation and
        one of the "watchers" was Henry Cassell.(G3)   On June 17, 1751, he made a
        "deposition" to the court of Frederick, Co. MD. A copy of the deposition is
        in the Maryland  State Archives, Liber, L. P. 54.

                The Blackhawk war began in 1754 and although it is not known if Henry(G3)
        was in the war, we do know that he died in that same year. There is quite
        likely to be some connection and the search is continuing.

        Margaret (G3),  Henry's widow found herself in need of money as a result of
        some expenses incurred during the war, and Henry's (G3) absence, and just
        before her mortgage on Clear Meadows was to be foreclosed, she sold it in
        1761.

                Martin (G4) married Anna Maria _______ around 1770.  Martin apparently had
        13 children whom we can name, but since there were two and possibly three
        wives, we do not know how many children were by each wife.

        Some parts of the family insist that Martin (G4) was only married one time,
        to either, Anna Marie, or to Elizabeth; and other researchers are equally
        positive that he was married at least twice,  the most common arrangement
        being first to Anna Marie ____ and second to Elizabeth...There are
        references and arguments to support each point of view, equally strong and
        vigorously defended.  This author feels that the two wife theory is most
        likely correct,  as far as it goes, since there is some supposition that in
        fact, he had three wives.  The number, and names of his children as listed
        by various researchers seems to this author to argue for the three wife
        theory.  Some researchers claim that he had only a "few"  proven
        children, while others, equally diligent insit that the number ranged from
        9 to 13, although amazingly the names of the nine children are always the
        same as 9 of the 13 listed by other researchers...although the birth dates,
        deaths, and marriages listed are highly suspect.

          This list of Martin's children is generlaly accepted by most researchers,
        although the dates and names of marriages tends to vary.
        (1)     Mary (G5) married George Stone and had 9 children
                                        Mary Stone (G6) married William Armstrong
                                        William Stone (G6)married Ann
                                        David Stone(G6)
                                        George Stone(G6)
                                        Betsy Stone (G6)married William Hafford
                                        Lydia Stone (G6)married Gaines
                                        Catherine Stones(G6)
                                        Deborah Stone (G6)married Joseph Wingate
                                        John Stone(G6)
                        (2)     Rachel (G5) married John Hines
                        (3)     John(G5) married Catherine
                        (4)     George (G5)married Margaret
                        (5)     David (G5) married Anna
                        (6)     Jacob(G5) married Rebecca
                        (7)     Henry  Cassell(G5) m (1) Ann Boston
                (1)married  Mary Hesse (Polly)
                        (8)     Catherine (G5) married John Loser
                        (9)     Rebecca (G5)married Peter Lewis
                        (10)     Deborah(G5) married William Cline
                        (11)    Benjamin(G5) married Ann Warford
                        (12)    Abraham(G5)  married Mary Ann Nixon
                        (13)    Thomas (G5)married Polly Claxton