I'm a descendant of Pennsylvania Dutch families who settled primarily in areas around Bath, Allentown, Bethlehem, and Tohickon. They were initially comprised of Lutherans, Mennonites, and Moravians; most of the latter two eventually began attending the Lutheran church. Some of my direct line surnames are: Benner, Diehl, Fluch/Fluck, Gangewere, Geehr, Horn, Hoth/Hoeth, Raumich/Romig, Siegfried, Singmaster (Zangmeistern), and Hirst. Hirst is not an Anglicized German name; my 6x grandfather was John Hirst, a Moravian convert from Yorkshire, England, the son of a wool merchant, who emigrated to Bethlehem in order to run the first fulling mill there. In Bethlehem, he met Philippina Hoeth Boemper, daughter of Friedrich and Johanetta Hoeth, widow of Christian Boemper. They married and had numerous children, including my 5x grandfather, Dr. Joseph Hirst. The Hirst name has been used as a middle name in every generation since.

If you have information or questions about any of these families, please feel free to email me at [email protected].

I'm a descendant of Pennsylvania Dutch families who settled primarily in areas around Bath, Allentown, Bethlehem, and Tohickon. They were initially comprised of Lutherans, Mennonites, and Moravians; most of the latter two eventually began attending the Lutheran church. Some of my direct line surnames are: Benner, Diehl, Fluch/Fluck, Gangewere, Geehr, Horn, Hoth/Hoeth, Raumich/Romig, Siegfried, Singmaster (Zangmeistern), and Hirst. Hirst is not an Anglicized German name; my 6x grandfather was John Hirst, a Moravian convert from Yorkshire, England, the son of a wool merchant, who emigrated to Bethlehem in order to run the first fulling mill there. In Bethlehem, he met Philippina Hoeth Boemper, daughter of Friedrich and Johanetta Hoeth, widow of Christian Boemper. They married and had numerous children, including my 5x grandfather, Dr. Joseph Hirst. The Hirst name has been used as a middle name in every generation since.

If you have information or questions about any of these families, please feel free to email me at [email protected].