Sauer, Christopher, Jr., 1721-1784, Church of the Brethren--Pennsylvania, Printing--Pennsylvania--18th century, Pennsylvania--History--Revolution, 1775-1783, Germans--Pennsylvania--18th-19th century
The manuscript diary was recorded by the Germantown printer and Church of the Brethren pastor, Christopher Sauer, Jr. (1721-1784). Written in German script (Kurrent), the diary, although short, contains a wealth of genealogical information on the early Church of the Brethren in Pennsylvania, as well as important personal information about Sauer, Jr., including accounts concerning his printing business and a short entry regarding his being brought to a provisional continental court on suspicion of being a spy for England during the American Revolution. In the words of the late Brethren scholar, Dr. Donald Durnbaugh of Juniata College: “in his [Sauer’s] diary are included brief sketches of his life history and that of his family. Though terse, they are informative.” Dr. Durnbaugh published some of the diary in his 1967 book, The Brethren in Colonial America, but the Heritage Center’s digitization of the manuscript as well as a parallel transcription and translation uploaded to the POWER Library will provide a more nuanced understanding of one of colonial Pennsylvania’s important figures.