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{{Short description|18th-century American soldier and centenarian}}
{{Short description|18th-century American soldier and centenarian}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|name = Conrad Heyer
|name = Conrad Heyer
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|birth_place = near {{nowr|[[Waldoboro, Maine|Waldoboro]], [[Province of Massachusetts Bay|Massachusetts Bay]]}}
|birth_place = near {{nowr|[[Waldoboro, Maine|Waldoboro]], [[Province of Massachusetts Bay|Massachusetts Bay]]}}
|death_date = {{death date|1856|02|19}} (aged 102 or 106)
|death_date = {{death date|1856|02|19}} (aged 102 or 106)
|death_place = Waldoboro, Maine, U.S.
|death_place = [[Waldoboro]], Maine, [[United States]]
|burial_place = {{nowr|[[German Church and Cemetery]]}}
|burial_place = {{nowr|[[German Church and Cemetery]]}}
|spouse = {{marriage|Mary Weber|1776|1841|end=died}}
|spouse = {{marriage|Mary Weber|1776|1841|end=died}}
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}}
}}


'''Conrad Heyer''' (April 10, 1749 or 1753{{refn|group=Note|name=birthdate|Although Heyers date of birth is generally given as April 10, 1749, documents prior to 1850 state that he was born around 1753. According to some sources, Heyers parents arrived in Broad Bay in October 1752, further supporting a birth year of 1753.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Horlacher |first=Gary |date=February 1992 |title=A Closer Look at Conrad Heyer And the Immigration of 1748 |url=https://www.obbfha.org/Newsletters/vol1n2.pdf |journal=Old Broad Bay Bund und Blatt |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=4–6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Maureen |title=The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation |publisher=The Kent State University Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-1606350553 |pages=76–77}}</ref>}} – February 19, 1856) was an American farmer, veteran of the [[American Revolutionary War]], and centenarian. He is often credited as being the earliest-born person to have been photographed alive, although several other contenders are known, most notably a shoemaker named [[John Adams (shoemaker)|John Adams]].<ref name=":2">{{cite news|last = Schultz|first = C.|date = 2013-11-11|title = Conrad Heyer, a Revolutionary War Veteran, Was the Earliest-Born American To Ever Be Photographed|url = http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/conrad-heyer-a-revolutionary-war-veteran-was-the-earliest-born-american-to-ever-be-photographed-180947660/|accessdate = 2015-08-15|df = mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |last=Beck |first=B. |title=First photo |url=http://benbeck.co.uk/firsts/2_The_Human_Subject/photo1h.htm |accessdate=2023-05-06 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
'''Conrad Heyer''' (April 10, 1749 or 1753{{refn|group=Note|name=birthdate|Although Heyers date of birth is generally given as April 10, 1749, documents prior to 1850 state that he was born around 1753. According to some sources, Heyers parents arrived in Broad Bay in October 1752, further supporting a birth year of 1753.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Horlacher |first=Gary |date=February 1992 |title=A Closer Look at Conrad Heyer And the Immigration of 1748 |url=https://www.obbfha.org/Newsletters/vol1n2.pdf |journal=Old Broad Bay Bund und Blatt |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=4–6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Maureen |title=The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation |publisher=The Kent State University Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-1606350553 |pages=76–77}}</ref>}} – February 19, 1856) was an American farmer, veteran of the [[American Revolutionary War]], and [[centenarian]]. He is often credited as being the earliest-born person to have been photographed alive, although several other contenders are known, most notably a shoemaker named [[John Adams (shoemaker)|John Adams]] and [[Caesar (slave)|Caesar]], an African.


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Heyer was born in the village of [[Waldoboro]], then known as "Broad Bay" and part of the [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]]. The settlement had been [[Northeast Coast Campaign (1746)|sacked and depopulated]] by [[Wabanaki Confederacy|Wabanaki]] attacks and resettled with German immigrants recruited from the [[Rhineland]]. Among these settlers were the parents of Conrad Heyer, who also may have been the [[first white child]] born in the settlement.<ref>{{cite news|title = New England man had oldest birth date ever to be photographed|url = http://www.newmarketpressvt.com/news/2013/jul/25/new-england-man-had-oldest-birth-date-ever-be-phot/|date = 2013-07-25|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131117201704/http://www.newmarketpressvt.com/news/2013/jul/25/new-england-man-had-oldest-birth-date-ever-be-phot/|url-status = dead|archivedate = 2013-11-17|accessdate = 2015-10-18|df = mdy-all}}</ref> His father died the winter before he was born. His mother, Catharina, remarried in 1772/1773 to a German immigrant. In his youth, Heyer was a member of the German Lutheran Church.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Maureen |title=The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation |publisher=The Kent State University Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-1606350553 |pages=}}</ref>
Heyer was born in the village of [[Waldoboro]] in what was later to become the state of Maine – it was then known as "Broad Bay" and was part of the [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]]. The settlement had been [[Northeast Coast Campaign (1746)|sacked and depopulated]] by [[Wabanaki Confederacy|Wabanaki]] attacks and resettled with German immigrants recruited from the [[Rhineland]]. Among these settlers were the parents of Conrad Heyer, who also may have been the [[first white child]] born in the settlement.<ref>{{cite news|title = New England man had oldest birth date ever to be photographed|url = http://www.newmarketpressvt.com/news/2013/jul/25/new-england-man-had-oldest-birth-date-ever-be-phot/|date = 2013-07-25|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131117201704/http://www.newmarketpressvt.com/news/2013/jul/25/new-england-man-had-oldest-birth-date-ever-be-phot/|url-status = dead|archivedate = 2013-11-17|accessdate = 2015-10-18|df = mdy-all}}</ref> His father died the winter before he was born. His mother, Catharina, remarried in 1772/1773 to a German immigrant. In his youth, Heyer was a member of the German Lutheran Church.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Maureen |title=The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation |publisher=The Kent State University Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-1606350553 |pages=}}</ref>


During the [[American Revolutionary War|American Revolution]], Heyer fought for the [[Continental Army]] in the [[25th Continental Regiment|25th Regiment]], according to his pension filed in 1819 and several witnesses. He enlisted in December 1775 and was honorably discharged a year later, in mid-December 1776 at [[Fishkill, New York|Fishkill]]. There is no historical record of any other service in the army. Later claims, such as that Heyer participated in Washington's famous [[George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River|crossing of the Delaware]] in December 1776 or served in the Army until 1778, cannot be confirmed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hagist |first=Don |date=February 28, 2016 |title=Conrad Heyer Did Not Cross The Delaware |url=https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/02/conrad-heyer-did-not-cross-the-delaware/#_ednref1 |journal=Journal of the American Revolution}}</ref>
During the [[American Revolutionary War|American Revolution]], Heyer fought for the [[Continental Army]] in the [[25th Continental Regiment|25th Regiment]], according to his pension filed in 1819 and several witnesses. He enlisted in December 1775 and was honorably discharged a year later, in mid-December 1776 at [[Fishkill, New York|Fishkill]]. There is no historical record of any other service in the army. Later claims, such as that Heyer participated in Washington's famous [[George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River|crossing of the Delaware]] in December 1776 or served in the Army until 1778, cannot be confirmed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hagist |first=Don |date=February 28, 2016 |title=Conrad Heyer Did Not Cross The Delaware |url=https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/02/conrad-heyer-did-not-cross-the-delaware/#_ednref1 |journal=Journal of the American Revolution}}</ref>
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Heyer married Mary Weber in 1776, with whom he had ten children. After the war, he returned to Waldoboro, where he made a living as a farmer until his death in 1856. He was buried with [[Military funerals in the United States|full military honors]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Maine HS">{{cite web |author=Maine Historical Society |title=Conrad Heyer, Waldoboro, ca. 1852 |url=https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/13423 |accessdate=12 April 2018}}</ref>
Heyer married Mary Weber in 1776, with whom he had ten children. After the war, he returned to Waldoboro, where he made a living as a farmer until his death in 1856. He was buried with [[Military funerals in the United States|full military honors]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Maine HS">{{cite web |author=Maine Historical Society |title=Conrad Heyer, Waldoboro, ca. 1852 |url=https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/13423 |accessdate=12 April 2018}}</ref>


Around 1852, at the claimed age of 103, Heyer posed for a [[daguerreotype]] portrait. He is often credited as the earliest-born person known to have been photographed alive,<ref name=":2" /> although several other contenders exist. These include a woman named Mary Munroe Sanderson (1748 - 1852); Dr. Ezra Green (1746 - 1847);<ref name=":0" /> a shoemaker named [[John Adams (shoemaker)|John Adams]] (1745 - 1849); a Revolutionary war veteran named Baltus Stone, born sometime between 1743 and 1754; John Owen, said to have been born in 1735 or 1741 and an enslaved man named [[Caesar (slave)|Caesar]] who, according to the inscription on his marble tombstone, was born in 1737 and died in 1852 — which would mean he lived to be 115 years old.<ref name=":1" />
Around 1852, at the claimed age of 103, Heyer posed for a [[daguerreotype]] portrait. He is often credited as the earliest-born person known to have been photographed alive,<ref name=":2">{{cite news |last=Schultz |first=C. |date=2013-11-11 |title=Conrad Heyer, a Revolutionary War Veteran, Was the Earliest-Born American To Ever Be Photographed |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/conrad-heyer-a-revolutionary-war-veteran-was-the-earliest-born-american-to-ever-be-photographed-180947660/ |accessdate=2015-08-15 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> although several other contenders exist. These include a woman named Mary Munroe Sanderson (1748–1852); Dr. Ezra Green (1746–1847);<ref name=":0" /> a shoemaker named [[John Adams (shoemaker)|John Adams]] (1745–1849); a Revolutionary war veteran named Baltus Stone, born sometime between 1743 and 1754; John Owen, said to have been born in 1735 or 1741 and an enslaved man named [[Caesar (slave)|Caesar]] who, according to the inscription on his marble tombstone, was born in 1737 and died in 1852 — which would mean he lived to be 114-115 years old.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |last=Beck |first=B. |title=First photo |url=http://benbeck.co.uk/firsts/2_The_Human_Subject/photo1h.htm |accessdate=2023-05-06 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>


==Notes==
==Notes==
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== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37178469/conrad-heyer Conrad Heyer at findagrave.com]
*{{commonscatinline}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:18th-century births]]
[[Category:18th-century births]]
[[Category:1856 deaths]]
[[Category:1856 deaths]]
[[Category:American centenarians]]
[[Category:American men centenarians]]
[[Category:Men centenarians]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:Farmers from Maine]]
[[Category:Farmers from Maine]]

Latest revision as of 18:03, 10 October 2024

Conrad Heyer
Heyer, c. 1852 daguerreotype
Born(1749-04-10)April 10, 1749 or 1753[Note 1]
Died(1856-02-19)February 19, 1856 (aged 102 or 106)
Burial placeGerman Church and Cemetery
Spouse
Mary Weber
(m. 1776; died 1841)
Children10
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service / branch Continental Army
Service years1775–1776
Unit25th Continental Regiment
WarsAmerican Revolutionary War

Conrad Heyer (April 10, 1749 or 1753[Note 1] – February 19, 1856) was an American farmer, veteran of the American Revolutionary War, and centenarian. He is often credited as being the earliest-born person to have been photographed alive, although several other contenders are known, most notably a shoemaker named John Adams and Caesar, an African.

Biography

[edit]

Heyer was born in the village of Waldoboro in what was later to become the state of Maine – it was then known as "Broad Bay" and was part of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The settlement had been sacked and depopulated by Wabanaki attacks and resettled with German immigrants recruited from the Rhineland. Among these settlers were the parents of Conrad Heyer, who also may have been the first white child born in the settlement.[3] His father died the winter before he was born. His mother, Catharina, remarried in 1772/1773 to a German immigrant. In his youth, Heyer was a member of the German Lutheran Church.[4]

During the American Revolution, Heyer fought for the Continental Army in the 25th Regiment, according to his pension filed in 1819 and several witnesses. He enlisted in December 1775 and was honorably discharged a year later, in mid-December 1776 at Fishkill. There is no historical record of any other service in the army. Later claims, such as that Heyer participated in Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware in December 1776 or served in the Army until 1778, cannot be confirmed.[5]

Heyer married Mary Weber in 1776, with whom he had ten children. After the war, he returned to Waldoboro, where he made a living as a farmer until his death in 1856. He was buried with full military honors.[4][6]

Around 1852, at the claimed age of 103, Heyer posed for a daguerreotype portrait. He is often credited as the earliest-born person known to have been photographed alive,[7] although several other contenders exist. These include a woman named Mary Munroe Sanderson (1748–1852); Dr. Ezra Green (1746–1847);[4] a shoemaker named John Adams (1745–1849); a Revolutionary war veteran named Baltus Stone, born sometime between 1743 and 1754; John Owen, said to have been born in 1735 or 1741 and an enslaved man named Caesar who, according to the inscription on his marble tombstone, was born in 1737 and died in 1852 — which would mean he lived to be 114-115 years old.[8]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Although Heyers date of birth is generally given as April 10, 1749, documents prior to 1850 state that he was born around 1753. According to some sources, Heyers parents arrived in Broad Bay in October 1752, further supporting a birth year of 1753.[1][2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Horlacher, Gary (February 1992). "A Closer Look at Conrad Heyer And the Immigration of 1748" (PDF). Old Broad Bay Bund und Blatt. 1 (2): 4–6.
  2. ^ Taylor, Maureen (2010). The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation. The Kent State University Press. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-1606350553.
  3. ^ "New England man had oldest birth date ever to be photographed". July 25, 2013. Archived from the original on November 17, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Taylor, Maureen (2010). The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation. The Kent State University Press. ISBN 978-1606350553.
  5. ^ Hagist, Don (February 28, 2016). "Conrad Heyer Did Not Cross The Delaware". Journal of the American Revolution.
  6. ^ Maine Historical Society. "Conrad Heyer, Waldoboro, ca. 1852". Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  7. ^ Schultz, C. (November 11, 2013). "Conrad Heyer, a Revolutionary War Veteran, Was the Earliest-Born American To Ever Be Photographed". Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  8. ^ Beck, B. "First photo". Retrieved May 6, 2023.
[edit]