396–397.  Samuel Wirth was born in Lixheim, Saarwerden, Alsace, Germany, on Thursday, January 17, 1745, and died probably in New York in 1776-1777. His wife was Juliana Troxel She is the daughter of Daniel Troxel. They had four children:

According to research done by Randall Wirt on Samuel Wirth, Samuel appears on the tax list for Weisenberg Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania in 1771. He fought in the American Revolution and is listed in the Second Battalion of the Northampton County Associators in Rosters from the Pennsylvania Archives. Within this Second Battalion, Samuel is listed as a private in the Second Company, commanded by Captain Henry Hagenbuch. He enlisted on July 9, 1776. Pension applications of other members of this company indicate that they fought in the battle of Brooklyn (often called Long Island).

Samuel was last reported alive on August 6, 1776, in South Amboy and died well before May 11, 1777, when his letters of administration were filed with the Northanpton County Register of Wills, Estate #721. From the inventory of Samuel's estate, we can conclude that:

1. Either Samuel or Juliana could read: there was a Bible and hymnal
2. They wove linen: there was flax seed, both uncombed and combed flax, a flax comb, spinning wheel, and weaver's tools
3. He rode a horse, raised cows, plowed with oxen, and raised pigs for slaughter
4. The family probably lived a basic existence: there were no china or pewter items

There is no mention of the fate of Samuel's young wife, Juliana, except that she paid debts from the estate to 14 people including Nicholas Wirt, Christian Wirt, Jacob Wirt, and Ulrich Wirt. (Note that Samuel had brothers named Johan Jacob, Christian, and Johan Nicholas; and his father was Johan Ulrich.) Juliana was clearly not able to care for her young family because records of the Northampton County Orphans' Court on June 17, 1778, show that Michael Pobst and John Ebert were appointed guardians of their four children.

Finally, on June 24, 1790, court file #173, folder #9876, Samuel Wert, Weisburg Township, page 221, the court decides that Samuel's land (170 acres more or less) cannot be divided between the four children without destroying its value; therefore, it is valued at £145 and given to Peter, the eldest child, with the stipulation that he pay off his siblings for their shares in the next year.

From an e-mail August 16, 2003, from Jo Fischer but with no supporting sources:

Samuel, born Alsace Germany (now France), came to North America with at least several of his brothers. They settled in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Here he met and married Julianna Troxel, daughter of Daniel Troxel born 1734 son of Peter Troxel born 1691 in what was then Switzerland. His family had been there since 1200 and had erected a castle named Trashelwald which is still in existance.

Julianna was well educated at Whitehall Reformed Church, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, and was a disappointment when she married the illiterate Samuel Wirt. Although her father Daniel was against the marriage, she was given rather expensive gifts: a bible, a hymal, pewter dishware and a tea service set, and linens. Juliana was "not well" in her head and had been so since birth, and her prospects for a husband were not good.

[This is the source for Julianna's last name.]

• Rosters from the Pennsylvania Archives, Series 5, vol 8, pp. 12–13
• ibid., Series 5, vol 8, pp 99–100 and 531–534, includes: "Muster Roll in the Second Battalion of Associtors [sic] in the County of Northampton, and Province of Pennsylvania, which is to compose part of the Flying Camp of Ten Thousand Men, Commanded by Col. Hart and in Capt. Henry Hagenbuck's Company, August 6, 1775 [should be 1776], Amboy."