Johan Sebastian Klein 1716-1791 (10000100)

Johann Sebastian "Bostian" Klein Sr. was the son of Moritz (Mauritius) Klein and Anna Catherina Martloff. He was baptised on 17 Jun 1716 in Postorff, Alsace, Germany at Hirschland Parish. His sponsors were Johann Nickel Stroh and Sebastian Gangloff of Postorff, and Maria Christina Cucian of Schallbach. He was confirmed on 4 Jun 1730 at the same church. Since he was born into a family of the Lutheran faith, he was probably born shortly before his baptismal date. He was the third of eight children. His flawless German writing, as demonstrated in his will, shows that he was well educated for that time, so his parents must have taken some pains to educate their children.

Hirschland is located at the red dot.

Bostian Klein and Susannah Christine Elizabeth Bieber were probably married in Postorff in the late 1730s. They had their first child in Germany, before sailing to America to begin their new life, where the rest of their children were born.

Bostian and his small family came to America on the ship "Robert and Alice," with 217 passengers. They set sail from Rotterdam, and stopped in Plymouth, Devon, England to sign a fidelity oath to the King, then sailed to America. They arrived in Philadelphia, PA on 3 Sep 1739.

1739 Robert & Alice
[List 71 A] Robert & Alice of Dublin
Captain: Walter Goodman
From: Rotterdam
By Way of: Plymouth
Arrival: Philadelphia, 3 Sep 1739
List of male Palatines age of 16 years and upwards being 78 men. Total passengers 218.
[Note: Just before him on the list is a Lorenz Bieber, who was son of Theobald. I believe Lorenz was Susannah's brother.]

Boston and Elizabeth had the following children:
1) Sebastian (Boston) Cline Jr, born about 1739.
2) Christopher Cline, born 1740-1745.
3) Mary Cline, possible daughter, born about 1740-1745.
4) Christina Cline, probable daughter, born 1745-1750.
5) Otilla (Utilly) Cline , born about 1750-1755.
6) John Cline, born 1750-1755.
7) Elizabeth Cline , probable daughter, born 1755-1760.
8) Michael Cline , born November 16, 1761.
9) Jacob Cline, born 1765.

They settled first in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. There he became acquainted with other Germans who were struggling to get by in a place where land prices had become steep, and their growing children couldn't afford a farm of their own to raise a family. Plans were already in the works to move into the affordable western part of the colonies. There they would have opportunities to pioneer and build a community of their own with room to expand.

The community finally settled on a move to North Carolina, to the Catawba River Valley. The area had been explored, but not yet settled. There was rich land there ripe for development into farmland. Bostian gathered up his resources, and followed in the train of this migrating group. It is not known exactly when they arrived, since they were too busy scrabbling for survival to keep records. However, we can estimate that it was sometime around 1750.

There are deed records from 1755 that show that they had succeeded in making a home for themselves in the wilderness, and now cared enough to secure their interest by obtaining a legal deed to the land. He obtained 640 acres, in what was then Anson County, North Carolina. His land was located on the west side of the Catawba River on a small creek called Elks Creek, above Lookout Shoals. The deed is dated 28 Feb 1755. In 1758, he purchased land on Clark's Creek, jointly with Matthias Beiber, who may have been either Elizabeth's father or (more probable) her brother.

That same year, 1755, Bostian Sr. and his son Bostian Jr. were naturalized as citizens in what was then Rowan County NC. Bostian must have been well respected, because on 7 Feb 1772 he was appointed Constable in Rowan County.

On October 20, 1767 Bostian filed for a deed for 350 acres on Lyles Creek (which was formerly known as Elk Creek) in Rowan County. This deed was filed in Mecklenburg County, because Rowan County did not have a functioning court at the time.

Lookout Shoals Lake

Bostian is listed as a DAR Patriot (#A065969 Bostian Kline) for rendering material aid to the troops in North Carolina. His donations to sustain the troops show that he was in favor of the cause of freedom from British rule.

"Michal Kline" has 2 males over 16 in his household.

In 1790, Bostian and Elizabeth are found in the household of their son, Michael Klein. They had grown too feeble with age to support themselves. The Last Will and Testament of Bostian Cline of Lincoln County, NC was written 27 Dec 1791, and read as follows:

State of North-Carolina Lincoln County. The twenty seventh day of December in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and ninety one. In the name of God, Amen.

I, Bostian Cline of Lincoln County and State aforesaid, being very weak of body, but of sound mind and memory, thanks be to almighty God. Therefore, calling into mind the mortality of my body, and knowing it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this, my last will and Testament that is to say, principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of my God who gave it, and my body to the earth to be buried in decent Christian burial at the discretion of my executors nothing doubting, that I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God. And, as touching such worldly estate where in has pleased God to bless me in this life, I give and dispose of the same, in the following manner and form. I give to Elizabeth, my beloved wife, all my household furniture and my husbandry, goods and Still and furniture thereto belonging, and one Mare, and all my cash, and my outstanding Debts, for her use during her lifetime of aforesaid estate, it is equally shared by all my children. And to my son Christopher, my Executor must pay out of my estate within three months, the sum of twenty shillings. Likewise, my daughter Utillity, wife of George Heffner, her part of my estate, I give unto my grand children, Henry Heffner and Catherine Huard.

I constitute, and appoint and ordain me beloved wife Elizabeth Executrix, like wise, my son Michael Cline Executor, of my last Will and testament. And, I do hereby disallow and revoke, and disannul all and every other former Testaments, Wills, and bequests and legacies and Executors by me before named, Willed and bequeathed, rectifying and confirming this to be my last Will and Testament.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal and pronounced and declared by the said Bostain Cline in the presence of us the subscribers.

BOSTAIN CLINE (SEAL)
John Deitz
Witnesses
Samuel Killian

The will was probated in April of 1792, so he must have died earlier that same year. He was buried in Old St. Paul's Church Cemetery. No marker has been located for his grave, but later generations put up a marker in the cemetery to commemorate their pioneering ancestor. It gives 1712 as his birth year and 1792 as the year of his death.

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Notes:

From "The Heritage of Catawba County, NC Volume I - 1986" by Lucille M. Fulbright, Editor:
"Sebastian (Bostian) came from the Palatinate in Germany on the ship 'Robert and Alice', arriving in Philadelphia, PA on 3 Sept. 1739. On board were 223 Palatines including 78 men, 57 women and 88 children. Sebastian journeyed to Lancaster County, PA. He came to NC to what is now Catawba County between 1740-50 and secured a deed of about 900 acres of land in what was then Anson County, located on a small creek called Elks Creek and on the west side of the Catawba River and above the lookout Shoals. This deed is dated 28 Feb. 1755. He was a tanner by profession. His handwritten will in flawless German indicates that his education was above average for the time. He became a naturalized citizen on 16 July 1755 [According to one source, in Rowan County NC], and was appointed constable 7 Feb. 1772. He and his father-in-law, Mathias Beaver, entered a land claim jointly in 1758, and settled on Clark's Creek. Because of Indian troubles, they were forced to abandon their homestead, and fled to their Elk Creek farm, for safety. When Indian troubles subsided, Sebastian moved his family back to Cline's Creek in 1770, where his family lived in peace for generations."
[Note: The Mathias Beaver mentioned in the above account may be Elizabeth's brother, not father. See her notes for more detail.]

Per Ray Yount: "Sebastian Cline was in current Catawba County (or at least had land there) by 1755. On 1 Mar 1755, Robert Simonton received a Granville Grant on Clark's Creek adjacent to Bostian Cline. On 28 Feb 1755, Bostin Cline received a Granville Grant for 640 acres on Elk Creek, proved April Court 1762. Granville only had the right to give grants north of "the Granville line", Current
Cabarrus County was south of "the Granville line".

"In the North Carolina 1790 census, Boston Cline does not appear by name as a head of household, but the entry for his son Michael Cline shows an adult couple living with Michael and his wife. They are probably Michael's parents, Boston and Elizabeth Cline. It appears that Michael and his recent bride, Fanny Killian Cline, are probably living on his parents' 190-acre home place to care for Michael's elderly mother and father. Michael is named as an executor in the will of his father Boston Cline, dated December 27, 1791. Boston's widow Elizabeth is also named as an executor. The will is probated in April 1792, indicating that Boston dies in February or March 1792, between the January quarterly court session and the April session."  [German Speaking People West of the Catawba River in NC 1750-1800 by Lorena Shell Eaker]