Bernhard Adam Grube

Bernhard Adam Grube was born June 21, 1715 near Erfurt, Germany. Educated as a teacher and a minister, he attached himself to the household of the young Count Zinzendorf in 1737-38 where he became a member of the Unity. He served the early Moravian cause as a teacher or a preacher as the occasion arose, first in Europe then in America.

In the fall of 1753 Grube was serving as a missionary to the Indian tribes in Pennsylvania when the call came to go with the first group of Moravian settlers into North Carolina. There were fifteen in the group, of whom eleven were to remain. The other were to return to Pennsylvania as soon as the initial steps in settlement had been taken. The colonist had been selected with the needs of the frontier in mind. They were men ranging in age from twenty-eight to forty years old. Their number included skilled farmers and craftsmen, two ministers, one being Grube, and, wisely, a doctor. Grube is entered at the head of the list as, "...aged thirty-seven years, minister, pastor, and upon occasion cook and gardener."

The journey to the south was a difficult one. They had one large wagon drawn by six horses. It was so heavily loaded that they often had to partially unload it to make it up one of the frequently encountered hills. They also had four or five saddle horses; but, due to number their numbers, most of the time, individuals were walking.

They departed Bethlehem on Sunday Evening, October 7th, 1753, and arrived at their destination c. November 17th. Grube helped to make the first settlement at Bethabra, and remained in North Carolina until April of 1754 until he was replaced by John Jacob Friis. He returned to Pennsylvania where he married, and spent most of the rest of his life.


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