Hershey, Benjamin (1697-1789)
Benjamin Hershey (1697-29 July 1789) came to Pennsylvania with his father Christian, his mother Oade, and his brother Andrew, emigrating from Friedelsheim, Palatinate, Germany, whither he had fled from Switzerland about 1671. They arrived in America about 1717 and Benjamin settled "one mile west of Lancaster Town" on the Marietta Pike in the same community as the Hans Brubakers and Peter Swarr. He was early a minister, signing the 1725 edition of the Dordrecht confession (published 1727 at Philadelphia) for the Lancaster area, became bishop and established the Abbeyville congregation and the churches to the northwest. He was moderator of the Lancaster Conference during the Revolution and the stormy days following. The name occurs on some extant documents. He steered the church through the divisions of Francis Herr, the United Brethren, and the Brethren in Christ schisms. His children were Christian, Bishop Benjamin II (died 1812), who became his successor, and two daughters. He was the author of the petition of 1775 to the Pennsylvania Assembly for release from military service, A Short and Sincere Declaration (in Mennonite Historical Library [Goshen, IN]).
| Author(s) | Ira D Landis |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1956 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Landis, Ira D. "Hershey, Benjamin (1697-1789)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hershey,_Benjamin_(1697-1789)&oldid=177113.
APA style
Landis, Ira D. (1956). Hershey, Benjamin (1697-1789). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hershey,_Benjamin_(1697-1789)&oldid=177113.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 715. All rights reserved.
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