Extracted from:
A GENEALOGICAL HISTORY OF THE CASSELL FAMILY IN AMERICA
by David Kolb Cassell
FIRST IMPULSE OR MOTIVE OF THE CASSELLS
EMIGRATING TO AMERICA
William Penn made his first visit through Germany in 1671 as a
missionary; and only followed the example of his brethern in faith and
stopped at Emden, Crefeld.
His second visit he made in the year 1677, in the thirty-third year of
his age, and not yet known as the founder of Pennsylvania. Four years
later, it appears, he made a third trip, and from the city of Cassell he
gave notice of a meeting he proposed to hold at Frankfort. From
Frankfort he went to Kriesheim, where he arrived August 23, 1681 and
intended to preach. A meeting had been previously announced for the
purpose, but upon the urgent request of a Calvinist minister, all
preaching was forbidden by the baliffs deputy. However a silent
meeting was held, in which all took part; also those from Worms, who
followed them in wagon. Penn, however, got permission from Count Karl
Ludwig to preach again. Consequently, on Sunday, August 26th, Penn
traveled on foot from Worms to Krisheim, a distance of six miles, and
preached to the people of Kriesheim in a barn. Count Ludwig quietly
entered the barn and stood behind a door listening but Penn did not know
it. Ludwig afterward reported to the Calvinist minister that nothing of
a heretical nature occurred but, on the contrary all that he heard was
actually very good. Penn preached in the German language, which he had
learned from his mother, she being a dutch woman from Rotterdam. During
his discourse he pictured the then raging persecution of the non
resistant Christians; how they were denied the right to worship God
according to the dictates of their conscience and how they were driven
from the place to another and their property confiscated.
He further explained their principles of faith regarding swearing an
oath and waging war, and of revenge, which corresponded very nearly with
that of the Mennonites, and gave great satisfaction to those present.
Among them were Yellis Kassel (G1), Heinrich Kassel,(G2) and young
Heinrich (G3) and other members of the Mennonite church, who were so
well pleased with remarks that, as soon as the meeting closed, they took
him by the hand and embraced his as a brother in the faith and invited
him to go with them, which he did. They then had a long consultation
about matters of religion. He told them he had a large tract of land in
America, which had been granted to him by purchase, to enable the
conscientiously scrupulous to settle and enjoy their religious opinions
without restraint. Thus by promising them perfect freedom and liberty
to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience was given
the first impulse or motive of the Kassels emigrating to America.