Peter Burkhalter, only son of Ulrich and Anna Barbara Burkhalter, was born Dec. 2, 1731 and was brought to this country at the age of twenty-one months.”[1]
“Mr. Burkhalter married Eva Catharine Deshler, daughter of Adam and Appolonia Deshler. She was born in 1729 and died June 2, 1816.”[2]
“Peter obtained from his father a deed of gift, dated Nov. 9, 1754, for the above tract [see Ulrich Burkhalter above], on which he built a large two-story stone dwelling-house, which is still standing [as of 1914]. He also obtained warrants for two adjoining tracts, the one called Somerville containing sixty-nine acres, the other called Petersburg containing one hundred and ten and a half acres.”[3]
“He [Peter] was naturalized April 10, 1761. He was the largest contributor to the Egypt Reformed congregation in 1767, when he gave 4 pounds, 15 shilling, 10 pence, towards the purchase of a parsonage and in 1785 gave 29 pounds to the erection of the new church, at which time he was also treasurer.
“At the beginning of the revolution Mr. Burkhalter became active in the cause of liberty and was commissioned captain of the Whitehall company of Associators of 100 men on May 22, 1775. At the election in Allentown for the second election district of Northamptin county, comprising Northampton, Salisbury, Upper Saucon, Upper Milford, Macungie, Weisenberg, Lynn, Whitehall and Heidelberg townships, held on July 8, 1776, Mr. Burkhalter was elected a member of the Constitutional convention, which met in the sate house in Philadelphia, from July 15, 1776 to Sept. 28, 1776, and formulated the first constitution of Pennsylvania. On September 14, 1776, he was appointed one of the commissioners of the county of Northampton, and on Nov. 5, 1776, was elected a member of the assembly. On Oct. 14, 1777, he was re-elected a member of the assembly, which then met in Lancaster, Philadelphia being in the hands of the British.
“On March 30, 1780, he was appointed one of four sub-lieutenants of Northampton county. On July 27, 1782, he was lieutenant-colonel, commanding the Sixth Battalion of Militia on the frontier. After the war he was again elected to the assembly for four terms, serving from 1784 to 1788…. He died Oct. 22, 1805 and is buried in the old Egypt churchyard.”[4]
Peter Burkhalter appears in the 1800 census in Northampton Co., PA as follows: 1 male over 45; 1 female 16-26; 1 female over 45. His son Peter is listed next to him.
Children:
1. Mary Barbara, b. 1755; m. Henry Epply; d. 23 Jan. 1824.
2. John Peter, m. (1) Dorothea Steckel. See below.
3. Magdalena, b. 17 Apr. 1765; m. Lt. Col. Stephen Balliet; d. 1805.
4. Susanna, b. 1 Sept. 1771.
5. Adam, b. 16 Sept. 1775.
FOOTNOTES:
1. Mathews, History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, 1884, p. 484.
2. Charles Rhoads Roberts, ed., History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania (Allentown: Lehigh Valley Publishing Company, 1914, p. 166.
3. Mathews, p. 484.
4. Roberts, p. 166.