Submitted by Betty Burdan with permission from "Sossaman & Sossaman
Coast to Coast", pub. 1986, Compiled and
edited by James Eugene Sossaman,
Sunnyvale, California 1986.
Re: Sassamans who moved from Maxatawny, Berks County to Nockamixon Twp.,
Bucks County, PA
Jacob, 4th s/o Jost Heinrich Sassmanhausen of Maxatawny, Berks County, was
the youngest child. He was born 1746, probably in Maxatawny Twp., then
Phila. Co. Jacob married Catherine Pearson, d/o Laurence Pearson, in
Nockamixin Twp., Bucks Co., on Nov. 19, 1765. Catherine was born May of 1747.
The bible record, mostly in German, was found in the Unger manuscript
collection, in Philip Schaff Library, Lancaster Theological Seminary,
Lancaster Co., PA. The first entry, listing Jacob's birth, translated,
reads "In 1746, I Jost Heinrich Sassmanshause and my wife produced a son
which we had baptized February of 1747. Sponsors were Jacob Hottenstein
and Johann Hartman and their wives" The German spelling of the name
Pearson is given in the bible as Bersonen.
Jacob paid taxes on 160 acres of land in Nockamixon Twp., Bucks Co., from
1779 to 1787. (PA Archives, 3rd series, Vol. 13) The 1784 tax list shows
8 white inhabitants in his household.
Jacob died on April 28, 1789. An inventory and appraisement of property
was filed May 26, 1789 (#2230 in Register of Wills Office, Doylestown,
PA) The administrators of the estate were his wife Catherine and son Jacob
(Bucks Co. Adm. Record Book A, p. 64)
The 1790 Census of Bucks Co., shows living in Catherine's household, 2
males of 16 and over, 3 males under 16, and 6 females. CatherinE died in
Nockamixon Twp., April 14, 1822.
Children of Jacob and Catherine (Pearson) Sassaman:
- Jacob (b.5-11-1768)
- Elizabeth (b.1-9-1770)
- A son (b.6-25-1772 d.9-19-1774)
- George Heinrich (b.11-17-1774 d.6-13-1797)
- Anna Catherine (b.11-6-1776) m. Michael Deck
- Laurence (Lorenzo/Lorentz) (b.4-7-1779)
- Mary Margaret (b. 7-18-1781 d.2-14-1851) m. John Lightcap
- Sarah (b. 11-10-1783) m. Conrad Kohl
- John (b.1-5-1786) m. Elizabeth [last name ?]
- Samuel 9b.7-26-1788 d.9-3-1801 or 1810)
The following information is from a biographical sketch of Jacob and
Catharine (Pearson) Sassaman's great-grandson, Jacob F. Sassaman
(b.12-25-1837) which appears in "Book of Biographies, Biographical Sketches
of Leading Citizens of Bucks County, PA" pub. 1899.
"Jacob F. Sassamn's Aunt, Anna Catherine (Sassaman) Stone was born Dec. 3,
1795, his Aunt Elizabeth (Sassaman) wife of John Riegel was born Sept 28,
1798...his uncle, Henry S. Sassaman was born Jan. 17, 1801 m. Mary
Magdalena Deamer (b.6-3-1805) d/o George and Margaret Deamer...they had at
least one child, Margaret Ann born June 21, 1827".
You can learn more about the Sassaman families of PA by contacting Bob
Sassaman at who is one of the Sassaman historians for
the Sossaman/Sassaman/Sossomon Family Association working on the new
edition of Sassaman/Sossaman/Sossomon's of America. The material above came
from the original book, which had a publication run of only 300 in 1986
and is no longer available.
