In the Journal of Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg, the noted Lutheran preacher of
Pennsylvania, as he recorded it in his Journal on August 3, 1778, was this
reference to the name:
"Regarding the origin and passing of the deceased, he (Johann /John
Hallman) was the legitimate son of the late Anthon Heilman, born in
Kleinniedesheim, Germany, July 16, 1710, and was baptised on the twenty-first of
the same month. He came to this country with his parents when he was
young..." He died 1 Aug 1778. Kleinniedesheim is a town in the Palatinate
section of Germany. Anthon Heilman, the father, was born 1671. The oldest
appearance of Heilman known at this time found in documents pertaining to a
partnership with Johann Gutenberg in 1438 by two Heilman brothers, Andres and
Anthonie.
Since Heilman means physician, it is possible that the name was used by a
number of families in Germany and Switzerland when Surnames came into use. From
the earliest times, Heilmans belonged to the Order of Franconian Knighthood; the
name was enrolled in the genealogical register of the German Nobility, and
referenced to individual Heilmans are found in fragments of history for more
than a thousand years before 1305 AD when one Veit der Heilman was granted the
first surviving Heilman coat of arms by the Emperor Albrecht. This, however, is
not the one called "The true Heilman Arms" as it appears in the
Register of the Holy Roman Empire, from whence Julius F. Sachse (25th President
of the Pennsylvania German Society) secured, through the assistance of the
American Ambassador in Vienna, a Photographic copy of an original plate,
engraved before 1667, though the Arms were in the seventeenth century already in
use a hundred years or more.
In 1736 Andreas Heilman and his family reached Philadelphia after a long
journey on the "Ship Harle" beginning at the Upper Rhine in Germany.
For some time Andrew worked in the flour trade in Philadelphia to support his
family. After another overland journey from Pennsylvania southward, Andrew was
first positively known to be in South Carolina in 1750. Here he was granted a
tract of land on Grimm's Creek, lying between the Broad River and the Saluda
River.
On June 13, 1753, there was certified for one Benedick Koon a grant of land
"near the Branches of Crims Creek," bounded on the southwest by John
Counts and the southeast by "Hans Wendel Holman." In 1808, Dr. Ramsay
published his "History of South Carolina." In it he gave the named of
South Carolinians of advanced ages. Among these was John Wendel Hallman, his age
given as 98 years. This would place his birth in 1710. On May 9, 1757 Andrew
Hallman conveyed 50 acres of land to John Wendel Hallman.
There were three pioneer Hallman settlers in South Carolina: Andrew, John
Wendel, and Conrad Hallman or Holman. Conrad reached this country in 1750.
Andrew did not arrive until 1748 or 1749. Based on other records it seems John
Wendel, reached America in the 1730's. The relationship among the three is
unclear.
Hezekiah Hallman, born about 1783 of the John Wendel Hallman branch, moved to
North Carolina but continuity is lost at present. Our branch which starts in
Catawba County, NC with Henry Hallman born 1785 and his son Labon Hallman born
1824 but cannot be definitely connected. This branch -- Florence Cordelia
Hallman married Lawrence Pickney Propst and came to Howard County, MD. (Note:
Family members remember that Florence Cordelia Hallman was said to be born in
Greenville, SC.)
Another branch of the Hallman Family also traces back to Anton Hallman or
Heyllman or Heilman, born October 16, 1710 in Klien Neidedesheim, Germany. he
settled in Skipback, PA. and his tombstone is still in the cemetery there. They
came to America through the Port of Philadelphia. The name of the Ship has not
been identified.
Researchers on the Hallman Family are:
Rudy Nothdurft, Seneca, SC drrudyno@innova.net
See also: "Early Carolina Heilmans - 1736 -1800" by Elmer Berley
Hallman,
"Hallman and Related Families in America" by Isaac P. Hallman 16
Jul 2002.