446.     John Peter Shrout was born about 1730 in Germany. He died 12 Oct 1804 in Hardy Co., VA. John married Anna Clara Feuerbach on 28 Mar 1760 in St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, PA.

Came to America 1754 from Germany on "Neptune".

Cause of Death: EXECUTED

Johann "Peter" Schrot, came to the U.S. from Scharzenaeker, Germany, Sept. 30, 1754 of the ship "Neptune" from the Darmstadt or Zweibruken parts of Germany. A brother may have came with him as there were on the ships Passenger list the name of Jon Peter Schrot and John Michael Schrot. The ship left form Rotterdam. He married Anna Feuersbach in Philadelphia, PA. at St. Michael’s Zion Lutheran Church. She may have been born in Germany but not sure.

He was executed for the murder of his wife, Anna, on Oct. 12, 1804 in Hardy Co. WV. He held a broom stick to her neck until she died on July 24, 1804. He was arrested on July 28, 1804. Court records show,  Court was held for the Co. of Hardy on Saturday the 28th of July 1804 for the examination of Peter Shrout charged with the murder of Anna Shrout. The prisoner was let to the Bar in the custody of the keeper of the jail and the warrant being read demanded of him whether he was guilty of the murder or not guilty, he said he was no way guilty, witness were sworn, it was the opinion of the Court that the prisoner is guilty of the murder and that he go on trial for the same on the first day of the next District Court held, and he is to remain in jail. Peter Shrout plead guilty. Members of the jury were; Ben Bean, John Foley Jr., John Cornell, Andrew Harvey, Wm. Fry, Jacob Hauss, Leonard Huffman, Jacob Huffman, Alex Simpson, Jacob Fisher, Arjalon Price, Solomon Vause. Prisioner is guilty of murder in the first degree. On Monday Sept. 10, 1804, Peter Shrout was led to the Barand the Sentence of Death was pressed against him and that execution be made done by the Sheriff of Hardy Co. on the 12th day of Oct. 1804 between 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. This first case of murder in the Moorefield W. Va. Court was held by Justice of the Piece, Gener Joseph Neville , was a man by the name of Shrout , was charged with the crime of killing his wife, which he committed by choking her with a broom stick handle. Shrout was executed at Moorefield according to the method of executing at the time, which provided the accused should sit upon his coffin, carried by 6 men to the place of execution, usually a tree with an appropriate limb and the prisoner is allowed to signal when he felt that he was ready to take the step into that bourn from whereence no traveler ever returns. It is said

that Shrout, instead of dropping the stick, threw it defiantly into the air.

Peter Shrout bought 253 acres of land on Alleghany Mountain from John Hershey and his wife Mary on June 15, 1796 for 60 pounds, according to land records. His neighbor was John Bradford, a Revelotionary War Veteran, whom married his daughter Hannah Shrout. Court records also show Peter Shrout had a debt either for or against him and a record of

him paying his son, Gasper and his wife Rebecca Shrout as witnesses against William Tucker.

In his will a 253 land site is described as his plantation which he left to his grandson, George Shrout Jr., the land was located on Patterson Creek north of Petersberg, near Williamsport, now Grant Co. WV.

The will of Peter Shrout was probated on Dec. 12, 1804, his heirs were his son, George , and 3 daughters, Peggy, Hannah Bradford, and Mary Richardson, also a grandson George Jr. He left his wife’s apparel to Peggy, the 253 acres of land to his grandson, George Jr., and his son George could live there the rest of his life. Remaining property was sold and the proceeds were divided between the 4 children.  Peter apparently could not write as he signed everything with a X.

447.     Anna Clara Feuerbach was born 1739 in Germany. She died 24 Jul 1804 in Highland Twp., Muskingum Co., OH.

Anna was murdered by her husband, who crushed her windpipe with a broomstick.