The Minor Family of Somerset

The Van Bibber, Labidist Connection
Researched By Steve Smith , Edited and prepared for the Homepag
e by Clive Meairs II
Definitions of terms used in thissection:
Labidists (A religious sect; the first Protestant mystic communi
tyin the New World.) Bohemia (A community of persons with artis
tic or literarytastes who adopt manners and mores conspicuousl
y different from those expected or approved of by the majority o
f society) Bohemian ( A gypsy, the first wandering race that ent
ered France were believed to be Hussites driven from Bohemia, th
ere native country.)
"The Labadists on the Bohemia Manor"
Beforea year in the new country was over, two recluses, Isaac V
an Bibber and kinsman Matthias Van Bibber were joined by Isaac V
an Bibber, the younger. The younger Isaac Van Bibber was the nep
hew of Heinrich Van Bibber. Heinrich, had crossed the ocean wit
h the pilgrims. After a short stay at the cabin, Muhlbach, Van B
ibber prevailed on Beissel to accompany him on a visit to the La
badistCommunity at Bohemia Manor. This community had been estab
lished in 1684. It was the first Protestant mystic community i
n the New World.
Young Isaac's chief objective in this trip to visit his father
, Isaac Van Bibber and kinsmanMatthias Van Bibber. They were ad
vancing years and clothed with judicial authority. Beissel's int
erest lay in the mystical community, founded there by Dankarts a
nd Sluyter almost forty years before.
The Van Bibbers were originally Mennonites. The first to arriv
e was Isaac Jacob Van Bebber in 1684. He wasa native of Crefeld
t on the Rhine. In 1687 he was joined by his father, JacobIsaa
c Van Bibber, and his brother Matthias, and later by other membe
rs ofthe family.
They first settled in Germantown, but did not a11 remain there
.The elder moved to Philadelphia in 1698 and engaged in mercant
ile pursuits.Matthias settled on the Schippach in 1702. In 1704
, together with his elder brother Isaac Jacob, and a number of o
thers from Germantown, removed to the Bohemia Manor.
The fact that these men are frequently referred to as Isaac Jaco
bs, Jacob Isaacs and Matthias Jacobs, some people assumed they w
ere GermanJews. This, is not the case. They were Mennonites. Bu
t, like many of the early settlers in the Province, they becam
e somewhat shaky in their faith. This is shown by the report sen
t by Johnan Gottfried Seelig, one of the original Pietistic.
Johnan Gottfried Seelig arrived in 1694. He wrote in a letter t
o Spener, that states of Jacob Isaac Van Bebber: "He was formerl
y a Mennonite, but he desires to depart with his whole house, t
o acknowledge and abandon thefollies, scandals, shortcomings an
d stains of his former religion.".
It wasthis spiritual unrest that evidently induced the Van Bibb
ers to move to theBohemia Manor Where, at that time the Labidis
t Community was at the height ofits development.
When the party arrived at the Bohemia Manor, they erected severa
l buildings. The chief one being known as the "Great House."
Several families soon arrived from Wiewerd, with Sluyter's wife
. Her preaching controlled the women. Some converts also came fr
om New York. Thus was founded in North America a branch of the L
abadist Community of Waltahouse. Sluyter proclaimed himself bish
op. He worked for Yvon, Archbishop of Wiewerd.
The settlement at Bohemia never numbered over one hundred, men
, women and children. They were mostly new to the religion and w
ere investigating their belief. Their faith was to be tried b
y a very sever system of discipline and mortification: Fire, fo
r example, was not permitted in their cells in the coldest weath
er, though there was so much wood about them that they were forc
ed to bum it in order to be rid of it.
They were to live hidden in Christ. All desires of the flesh wer
e to be subdued. A former minister herded cattle; a young man o
f good family carted stone or bent over a wash-tub. F