Descendants of Melchior Heydrich
Altogether six groups of Schwenkfelders migrated to Pennsylvania from 1731 to 1737. The term “migrations” is used here to designate ancestry rather than religious affiliation, and although the largest group arrived in 1734, generally speaking this is the group thought of when speaking of the Schwenkfelder Migrations. The Heydrich family arrived with the third group.The third and main migration began Tuesday, April 20, 1734, when the first family left Berthelsdorf, Germany. The emigrants embarked on the Elbe River for Altona, Denmark, on April 28, and on May 20 reached their destination. On June 21 they embarked on the ship Saint Andrew, and on July 29, Plymouth, England, was reached. They first saw land of the New World on September 17, and on September 22 actual landing in Philadelphia took place.
Located at 529 Bethlehem Pike, the Wheel Pump was built c. 1735 and was continuously operated as an inn until the present day. William Harmer purchased the land in 1715 from William Penn. In Colonial times, the village that surrounded the inn was called Wheel Pump, later Heydrick's Hollow, Heydrick's Dale, and finally Erdenheim.
Abraham Heydrich was the owner of a farm, hotel and other property at the foot of Chestnut Hill, so long known as Heydrick's Hollow, since changed to Heydricksdale, but better known as the Wheel-Pump.
Descendants of Melchior Heydrick
