Melchior Detweiler was born 2 April 1699 at Wittwyl, Canton Aargau, Switzerland. Melchior and his family fled religious persecution by moving to the French part of the Palatine region located near where Germany, Switzerland and France borders. They were asked by the Amish Church leaders from Amsterdam, Holland to move to North America and report back on whether other church members should also immigrate to North America. Melchior, his family as well as Hans Sieber and Han's family were sponsored to make this journey. They first travelled to Amsterdam, Holland where they got on board the ship "Princess Augusta", for the dangerous journey to North America. On 16 Sept 1736, Melchoir Detweiler and Hans Sieber and their families landed at the British Port of Philadelphia, North America. All of their belongings, clothing, farming tools, seeds and other personal belongings were seized and sold by the British. The profits of the sale was taken by the British officials as a tax for having landed in a British port. They were only allowed to keep the clothing they were wearing, one comb and one handkerchief each. They moved to northern Berks County, Pennsylvania where they eventually bought farm land. In 1744 Melchior filed for a Warrant Patent on two hundred acres of farmland. Most probably Melchior and his family were already living on this land prior to them purchasing the farm. This farm was in the middle of a thick forest, and the land had to be cleared before farming could began. Melchior's farm and stone house are located one mile west of Shartlesville, Berks County, Pennsylvania. The stone house still stands today, although it is in ruins. The size of the farm grew over the years and eventually included 440 acres. Unfortunately the name of Melchior's first wife is unknown. She was the mother of Melchior's five recorded children: Christian, Rudolph, John, Jacob and Samuel. Melchior's first wife is known to have died young as Melchior married a second time to Maria Ursula, on 11 Aug 1758. Melchior's exact death date has not been found. There are Berks County land records dated 25 March 1773 showing Melchior was still the owner of his farm in Berks County. Therefore, Melchior would have died sometime after that date. Melchior is thought to have been buried at the Northkill Amish Burial Grounds located between the towns of Shartlesville and Hamburg, Pennsylvania. This cemetery is located in the middle of a cow pasture. There is no headstone for Melchior. There are only a few remaining headstones and one memorial monument in the cemetery. The burial place(s) for his first and second wives are unknown. Exact birth records for their children have not been found. Their reported birthdates are based mainly on circumstantial evidence. Melchior and his first wife are the centerpiece for a large number of descendants who have been been traced to various counties in Pennsylvania; Ontario, Canada; Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, North Dakota, Virginia, Indiana and California.