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Jacob Mast (1738–1808)

Bishop Jacob Mast

1738 – 8 Feb 1808

Christopher’s 6th great-grandfather · ancestor no. 264, 442 · generation 9
Evidence: identity compiled lead
Pedigree collapse: Christopher descends from this person 2 times.

Family

Search of the Guggisberg baptisms (2026-10-31)

No baptism found for Jacob, 1737 – early 1740

Claude read every baptism in K Guggisberg 6 (scan images 100–123) from 1 Jan 1737 to mid-Feb 1740. No Jacob Mast was baptized at Guggisberg in that window.

Mast families having children there at the time ([bracketed] = uncertain reading; Mast and Marti can look alike):

  • Christ Mast and Eva Lädermann — children baptized away from home at Corsier and Lausanne (Judith 1728, Marthe Louise 1731, Jacqueline 1733, Maria Elisabeth 1735), entered at Guggisberg in 1737 — a Mast family living in the Vaud.
  • [Christen] Mast and Cathri [G’rosten?] — son Christen, 3 Nov 1737.
  • Hans Mast “an der Egerten” and Anna Hostettler — son Christen, 8 Dec 1737. A Mast–Hochstetler marriage in Guggisberg.
  • Hans Mast and Anni Glauss — son Christen, 25 Jul 1738.
  • Hans Mast and Anni [Dägerler?] — son Hans, 10 Aug 1738.

Why he may be missing: an Anabaptist family would not have had him baptized in the Reformed church; he may have been born in another parish (Wahlern, or among Bernese refugees elsewhere); or “1738” (from his age in 1750) may be off by a few years. Guggisberg has no surviving death registers before 1875, so the parents’ deaths (he arrived an orphan in 1750) can’t be checked there.

Mast marriages in the Guggisberg register, 1723–1737 (K Guggisberg 6, marriage section, images 175–186; read by Claude 2026-10-31). These couples were of the right age to be Jacob’s parents:

  • 12 Oct 1725: Christen Mast × Barb. Stoll (clear reading).
  • 5 May 1735: Hans Mast × Anni [Bigler/Dägerler?] (p. 367), probably the parents of the Hans baptized in Aug 1738.
  • 18 Feb 1735: Hans [Mast?] × [unreadable] (p. 366).
  • 1726 (p. 350): a “Barb. Mast” bride, groom [unreadable].
  • No marriage was found for Christ Mast × Eva Lädermann (Vaud), Hans Mast × Anna Hostettler, or Hans Mast × Anni Glauss. Those couples probably married elsewhere.

No Jacob Mast baptism was found in the Guggisberg baptisms for 1737 – Feb 1740, nor in the 1735–1736 marriage pages checked. Jacob’s parents are still unknown. The best candidates are the couples above, but nothing yet ties any of them to the 1750 orphans.

Baptisms 1725–1726 (K Guggisberg 6, images 16–23), read 2026-10-31:

  • Oct 1725: Joseph, son of Hans Mast and Anna [Zwahlen?]; godparents Peter Mast and Christina Mast (image 17, p. 31).
  • 8 Feb 1726: Joseph, son of Christen [surname unreadable] and Barb. Stoll (image 20, p. 36). This could be the first child of Christen Mast and Barbara Stoll, married 12 Oct 1725, but the father’s surname can’t be read at this resolution. Unconfirmed.

Baptisms Mar 1735 – Dec 1736 (K Guggisberg 6, images 85–98), read 2026-11-01: no Jacob. Mast families baptizing:

  • 27 Mar 1735: Barbara, daughter of Peter Zwahlen and Anni Mast (image 86).
  • 25 Dec 1735: Anna, daughter of Hans Mast and Anna Hostettler; godparents Hans Stöckli, Anna Beyeler, Elsi Glauss (image 91). The Mast–Hochstetler couple again (son Christen, Dec 1737).
  • 27 Feb 1736: Christen, son of Hans Mast and Anna Zwahlen (image 92); the couple who baptized a Joseph in Oct 1725. One godparent may read “Elsbeth Mi[ß]ler”.
  • 23 Nov 1736: Elsbeth, daughter of Peter Zwahlen and Anna Mast (image 97).
  • 21 Dec 1736: Christen, son of Hans Mast [im Flüstrund?] and Anna Beyeler; godparents Hans Nydegger, Christen Mast, Barbara Beyeler (image 98). A new Hans Mast couple.

So at least four Hans Mast households were baptizing at Guggisberg in 1735–38 (wives Hostettler, Zwahlen, Beyeler, Glauss), which is why the orphans’ father can’t be picked out by name alone. Still to read: 1733–34 and 1740–46.

Baptisms Apr 1740 – Apr 1741 (K Guggisberg 6, images 124–131), read 2026-11-01:

  • 27 Nov 1740: Joseph, son of Hans Mast and Anna Beyeler (second child found for this couple, after Christen, Dec 1736); godparents Peter Zwahlen, Heinrich Hostettler, Elsbeth Beyeler (image 128).
  • 27 Nov 1740: Christina, daughter of Hans Bonni and Barbara Mast (image 127).
  • 5 Feb 1741: Barbara, daughter of Hans Mast “ob dem Stalden” and Anna Zand; godparents Christen Zand, Anna Hostettler, Barbara Zand (image 130). A fifth Hans Mast couple.

That makes five Hans Mast households at Guggisberg in 1735–41 (wives Hostettler, Zwahlen, Beyeler, Glauss, Zand). Still to read: Apr 1741 – 1746 (images 132–174) and 1733–34.

The Guggisberg Hans Mast puzzle

Between 1725 and 1741 the Guggisberg baptism register names five couples whose father is “Hans Mast”:

WifeChildren baptizedFarm or locality
Anna HostettlerAnna (Dec 1735), Christen (Dec 1737)“an der Egerten”
Anna ZwahlenJoseph (Oct 1725), Christen (Feb 1736)—
Anna BeyelerChristen (Dec 1736), Joseph (Nov 1740)“im Flüstrund” (uncertain)
Anni GlaussChristen (Jul 1738)—
Anna ZandBarbara (Feb 1741)“ob dem Stalden”

A sixth, Hans Mast × Anni Bigler/Dägerler (married May 1735; son Hans, Aug 1738), may be the Beyeler couple misread.

They are probably not five different men: widowers remarried quickly, and surnames are hard to read. But overlapping dates (Hostettler, Zwahlen and Beyeler children within months of each other) mean there were at least three or four Hans Masts in the parish at once. That’s why the pastor added farm names like “an der Egerten” and “ob dem Stalden”. Mast was a common Guggisberg name, and Hans was the most common boy’s name.

What it means for Jacob: any of these couples could be the parents of the orphans who came over in 1750, and a first name can’t decide it. It will take a record tying one couple to the orphans: a guardianship (Vogtei) record, an emigration permit, or an estate inventory.

Method note: reading surnames page by page in this register is slow and error-prone (Mast, Marti and Maag look alike). A handwriting-recognition pass (Transkribus) over K Guggisberg 6, 1726–1746, or a hired Bern researcher, would be the reliable way to list every child of Christen Mast × Barbara Stoll and test them against Jacob’s siblings (John and four sisters).

  • Extend the search: Guggisberg 6 for 1733–34 and 1740–1746 (1735–36 and Apr 1740–Apr 1741 done 2026-11-01), and Guggisberg 7 (1747–50) for the orphans’ siblings task/ai
  • Search the Wahlern registers (catalog ID 220239) for Mast baptisms 1730–1745 task/ai
  • Run Transkribus (or hire a Bern researcher) on K Guggisberg 6, 1726–1746, to list all Mast baptisms task/human
  • Identify which Mast couple lost both parents before 1750 (marriages in Guggisberg 5–6; Täuferkammer lists) task/human

Life and evidence

A double ancestor — through his daughter Barbara Mast (1765–1849) (Ramseyer side) and his son Christian Mast (fl. 1800) (Miller side).

  • Born 1738 in Switzerland “of Swiss parents”; came as an orphan with his younger brother John and four sisters in the care of his uncle Johannes Mast on the Brotherhood, Philadelphia 3 Nov 1750 (from Rotterdam via Cowes; list shows “Johannes Mast” with Andreas and Michael Holly).
  • Settled in the Northkill congregation — the same community as the Hochstetlers. Married Magdalena, daughter of fellow passenger Michael Holly. After an Indian attack in 1760 moved to the Conestoga Valley on the Berks–Chester line.
  • One of the leading Amish bishops of his day; visited congregations in Berks, Lancaster, Chester, Somerset and Cambria counties yearly. His coat and wedding vest are at the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society.
  • Children (12): John, Magdalena (Zook), Barbara (John Hochstetler, then John Zug), Jacob, David, Mary (Coffman), Nancy (Kurtz), Fanny (Zug), Elizabeth (Holly), Christian (Susan Kurtz), Esther (Zug, Holly), Daniel.

Origins: Guggisberg

Modern trees agree on Guggisberg, Canton Bern. WikiTree’s line (father “Christen or Ulrich”; grandfather Hans Mast b. 10 Mar 1661 × Anna Mischler; Peter Mast b. 1636 × Barbara Stöckli; Benedict Mast c.1597 × Barbara Marti) is a hypothesis until the orphans’ parents are found. If right, the Schwarzenburg district supplies three of Christopher’s lines (Hochstetler, Mast, Mishler).

Where they lived

In their lifetime

Conflicts

  • Father unknown: ‘Christen or Ulrich’ (WikiTree) vs Jacob Mast × Barbara Berkey (Geni)
  • Magdalena’s father: Michael Holly (1911 book) vs Johannes Hooley (Mast Family Stories)

Research tasks

  • Search the Guggisberg registers (downloaded) for Mast baptisms c.1736–1740 and the orphans’ parents task/ai

Sources

Narratives and research

Open questions

  • Father unknown: ‘Christen or Ulrich’ (WikiTree) vs Jacob Mast × Barbara Berkey (Geni)
  • Magdalena’s father: Michael Holly (1911 book) vs Johannes Hooley (Mast Family Stories)

Research log

  • undated: No baptism found for Jacob, 1737 – early 1740: Claude read every baptism in K Guggisberg 6 (scan images 100–123) from 1 Jan 1737 to mid-Feb 1740. No Jacob Mast was baptized at Guggisberg in that window.
  • undated: No marriage was found for Christ Mast × Eva Lädermann (Vaud), Hans Mast × Anna Hostettler, or Hans Mast × Anni Glauss. Those couples probably married elsewhere.
  • undated: No Jacob Mast baptism was found in the Guggisberg baptisms for 1737 – Feb 1740, nor in the 1735–1736 marriage pages checked. Jacob’s parents are still unknown. The best candidates are the couples abov
  • 2026-11-01: K Guggisberg 6 baptisms, images 85–98 (Mar 1735 – Dec 1736) read page by page: no Jacob Mast. Mast entries: 27 Mar 1735 Barbara d/o Peter Zwahlen & Anni Mast; 25 Dec 1735 Anna d/o Hans Mast & Anna Hostettler; 27 Feb 1736 Christen s/o Hans Mast & Anna Zwahlen; 23 Nov 1736 Elsbeth d/o Peter Zwahlen & Anna Mast; 21 Dec 1736 Christen s/o Hans Mast [im Flüstrund?] & Anna Beyeler (godparents Hans Nydegger, Christen Mast, Barbara Beyeler)
  • 2026-11-01: K Guggisberg 6 baptisms, images 124–131 (Apr 1740 – mid-Apr 1741) read: Mast entries: 27 Nov 1740 Joseph s/o Hans Mast [im Flüstrund?] & Anna Beyeler (godparents Peter Zwahlen, Heinrich Hostettler, Elsbeth Beyeler); 27 Nov 1740 Christina d/o Hans Bonni & Barbara Mast; 5 Feb 1741 Barbara d/o Hans Mast ‘ob dem Stalden’ & Anna Zand (godparents Christen Zand, Anna Hostettler, Barbara Zand); Hans Mast and Barbara Mast also stand as godparents. No sibling of Jacob identifiable

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.

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