1. Overview: Family roots are found in Germany in an area then known as
Lower Saxony, later the Kingdom of Hanover; today, the State of
Niedersachsen. There, as early as the 14th Century, when family names
first began to emerge, are records in Braunschweig (Brunswick), Goettingen,
and Gladebeck. See map. On September, 1748 Johann Valentin arrived in
Philadelphia aboard the ship Edinburgh which had sailed from Rotterdam
via Portsmouth, England. He married Catherine Helmig (who died at an
early age). The couple sired 3 children: John, Daniel and Marie Martha.
In November, 1774 Johann was married to Elizabeth.
In the grand scheme of human history Clawges is a relatively small family.
According to Halbert’s 1999 “World Distribution of Surnames” there are only
94 Clawges family units. All living in the USA; one in Australia.
2. Spelling of the name. According to German records, during the 1400’s,
when family names first began to become popular, it was a common practice
to build family names which were attached to “saints”. From St. Nikolaus
(old style spelling) came the family name Claus. Later it was changed to
Clawes; then to Clages. All of these names were commonly spelled with
a “C” or a “K”, both being directly interchangeable in Germany.
The family’s patriarch (in the USA) who arrived in Philadelphia in 1748
signed his name Johann Valentin Klages.
At about 1780, the sons of Johann, John and Daniel, angelicalized the name
adding the “w” to preserve the pure German pronunciation. In the Hanover
dialect, the “a” is pronounced as “ah”.
The change in spelling to Clawges is reflected in many Philadelphia city and
church records plus the Muster Roll of the Philadelphia Militia.
3. The Early Family. During the time of the “Declaration of Independence”
and the “Revolutionary War” the family lived at 5th and Arch Streets in
Philadelphia. They were just two blocked from Independence Hall (then
called the “Old State House”) and a short distance from the residency of
Betsy Ross. The family lived at that address when the Declaration of
Independence was signed, when the first “Independence Day” celebration
(July 4, 1777) occurred, and during the occupation of the city by the British
Army in the Fall/winter of 1777.
Both John and Daniel served as commoners with the 5th Company of the
Philadelphia Militia. They were at Bunker Hill and the Battle of Trenton, plus
many other events in between. John was an unsung hero of the Battle of
Fort Mifflin.
Johann Valentin was a painter by trade; his two sons followed in his footsteps.
When the U.S. Mint was built in Philadelphia, Daniel was listed as the
Painting Contractor.
John, who married Rosanna Stahl, sired 9 children; Daniel, married Maria
Rohman, had 4 children. Details of the Colonial Family.
The early family were members of the First Reformed Church of Philadelphia
where there are substantial records of family history.
John and Daniel were members of George Washington’s Federalist Party. John
served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1806-
When the 19th century arrived, the Philadelphia family had begun to
migrate westerly to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. Later into Ohio/Indiana
and down the river to St. Louis. There still remain remnants of the family
in Philadelphia. See Familly Distribution Maps.
4. The Line of Joseph’s. This is a very popular given name in the Clawges
family; its origins have not yet been discovered. The name in Spanish is
Jose; in old German Josef. In ancient Celtic Ireland -
A long line of Joseph‘s exists which stem from Daniel and Maria
through their son Samuel whose first born son, in 1821, was
named Joseph. 166 years later, Joseph Christopher was the
first born son of Joseph V. and Lori Clawges, IV. This Joseph
marks the 7th consecutive generation bearing the name.
There is a record of a Joseph born in Russia in 1793. He is the son
of a family that immigrated from Germany in the mid 1700’s. At that
time, the Russian government was enticing German farmers with
free land grants. That Joseph with wife Maria, and daughter Catherine
Miller (who married into the Ryan family) immigrated to Philadelphia
in early 1800s. There he joined his relatives John and Daniel connecting
the families back to Lower Saxony in Germany.
The Old First Reformed Church of Philadelphia
Once the city’s largest, today it stands as the
Oldest Philadelphia church. Located in the
“Historical District”, it is a favorite “place-
The church of the colonial Clawges family was founded as the
German Reformed Church of Philadelphia in 1727. Today, it is
known as The Old First Reformed Church of Philadelphia and
stands at the corner of 4th and Race Streets, in the heart of
the city’s historical district. It is the oldest standing church in
Philadelphia.
The Church’s 250 year old records, written in German early on,
contain scores of entries concerning the early Clawges family
including births, baptism, marriages, death & burial. Confirming
the family’s close involvement with the church.
Historical Highlights:
Largest church: The congregation grew steadily during the
eighteenth century, and its members became more
prosperous. In 1774, the congregation replaced the
original building with a new and larger one to
accommodate the growing number of worshippers.
The second building was the largest church in Philadelphia
and could seat 3,000 people. The University of Pennsylvania
held its commencement services there.
During the American Revolution, the British Army that occupied
Philadelphia used the church as a hospital and later as a stable.
George Washington attended the church, when he was in
Philadelphia, and a memorial service was held there shortly
after Washington’s death.
Administrative structure: Was unique in the United States and
has since been mimicked by other Protestant denominations,
including the Baptists. The church is owned and solely
administered by the congregation, which elects the minister,
elders, deacons, and trustees. All doctrine of the church being
based solely upon Biblical teaching.
Language became a major difficulty, in the early 1800’s, as younger
members pressed for the sole use of English. Throughout the
eighteenth century, services were conducted in German, after
1830 English was used exclusively.
The Charity School: The Church provided basic education in the
era before public schools. A Parochial School began in 1745
became commonly known as the Charity School because children
of needy families were accepted at no charge.
First Sunday School: In 1806, the congregation established a
Sunday school, the first in the United States. Church records
reveal that John Clawges, Jr., was a Bible teacher there for
many years.
For over 250 years, this family has been entwined in American history. Their footprints can be found in Colonial Philadelphia, at famed places like Bunker Hill, Brandywine, Trenton and Valley Forge. Follow the early pioneers Westerly and you’ll find Clawges remains in a few marked and in many unmarked gravesites, along the way, on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River and along the blood drenched Oregon Trail.
Whenever the Nation was involved in a major war the family sent its volunteers to serve the flag and the Constitution. You‘ll find their names on the roles of every major war beginning with the American Revolution.
Here is a small, obscure family, little known, but it stands as American as apple pie
