John Peter Mücke
One of my grandfathers, John Peter Mücke, was sent from the Moravian settlements in Pennsylvania to the Moravian settlement of Wachovia to help Brother Aust operate the still-house in the town of Bethania. He arrived in 1766 — the same year this map was made — at the age of 17.
John Peter got married, had kids and took on the new still house in Bethabara in 1779. The house still stands today.
Alas, John Peter had severed his ties with the Moravians by 1792 and moved to Germanton where he operated his own distillery.
Now, John Peter's wife died in 1801 and he married a widow, Julianna Struße Phillips in 1804. When John Peter wrote his will in 1806, Julianna was pregnant with another child. Yup, John Peter was 57 at the time!
PS: My grandfather, Jacob Henry Mickey, his great-great grandson, was born in 1860, a year before the US Civil War began. My mother was born when he as 56 years of age. His last child, my aunt and only surviving ancestor today, was born when he was 61. He had three wives, two of which were sisters, who had a total of 12 children that survived childhood, and he lived to the age of 83 years. Dude.
PPS: The third Moravian town, Salem, also had a distillery. In 1772 the Single Brothers desired to build a new distillery, and with approval from the church boards, they decided to build it near their stable or cattle shed. Before work began, the church governing body stated “there should be given more attention to beer brewing than to distilling brandy and liquors…people would rather buy good and wholesome beer than rum and brandy.”
Here's the view of the stable and brewery at the time of the Civil War.
John Peter got married, had kids and took on the new still house in Bethabara in 1779. The house still stands today.
Alas, John Peter had severed his ties with the Moravians by 1792 and moved to Germanton where he operated his own distillery.
Now, John Peter's wife died in 1801 and he married a widow, Julianna Struße Phillips in 1804. When John Peter wrote his will in 1806, Julianna was pregnant with another child. Yup, John Peter was 57 at the time!
PS: My grandfather, Jacob Henry Mickey, his great-great grandson, was born in 1860, a year before the US Civil War began. My mother was born when he as 56 years of age. His last child, my aunt and only surviving ancestor today, was born when he was 61. He had three wives, two of which were sisters, who had a total of 12 children that survived childhood, and he lived to the age of 83 years. Dude.
PPS: The third Moravian town, Salem, also had a distillery. In 1772 the Single Brothers desired to build a new distillery, and with approval from the church boards, they decided to build it near their stable or cattle shed. Before work began, the church governing body stated “there should be given more attention to beer brewing than to distilling brandy and liquors…people would rather buy good and wholesome beer than rum and brandy.”
Here's the view of the stable and brewery at the time of the Civil War.
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