Coat of Arms & Family Crests Store
 Mammen Coat of Arms / Mammen Family CrestDuring the Reformation, Switzerland was not affected by the religious strife that devastated most of Europe; cities such as Geneva were in the middle of the Reformation and John Calvin became prominent as a Protestant reformer, founding Protestantism. Many people of Swiss origin emigrated from there to seek their fortune in other parts of the world. In the United States they particularly populated the states of Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Ohio, Texas and California. The name MAMMEN is also spelt MUMMA, MUMMER and MUMAW. Frederick MUMMA was born in Switzerland, and was a pioneer in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. His grandson Jacob S. MUMMA, was prominently identified with the growth and development of the industrial farming interests of East Donegal township. Jacob was born on a farm on March 14th 1846. He resided there all his life, and by 1890 it was a very profitable dairy business. The family were valued as active Republican's and members of the Mennonite church. His estate during the late 1890's consisted of 207 acres of the most fertile land in Lancaster County. When the first immigrants from Europe went to America, the only names current in the new land were Indian names which did not appeal to Europeans vocally, and the Indian names did not influence the surnames or Christian names already possessed by the immigrants. Mostly the immigrant could not read or write and had little or no knowledge as to the proper spelling, and their names suffered at the hands of the government officials. The early town records are full of these mis-spelt names most of which gradually changed back to a more conventional spelling as education progressed. It has long been a matter of doubt when the bearing of coats of arms first became hereditary and it was not until the Crusades that Heraldry came into general use. Men went into battle heavily armed and were difficult to recognise. It became the custom for them to adorn their helmets with distinctive crests, and to paint their shields with animals and the like. |
