Hans Michael Striebig arrived at the port in Philadelphia in the fall of 1743, age 17, having begun his journey in the Palatinate region at the German-French border. He boarded the ship St. Andrew, skippered by Captain Robert Brown at Rotterdam. The ship's last stop before arriving in the New World was Cowes, England where it picked up additional passengers. Michael was accompanied by Jacob Striebig, age 44. Jacob Striebig and Hans Michael Striebig were the 13th and 14th passengers to sign the oath of qualification at the court house in Philadelphia on October 7, 1743. The relation between Jacob and Michael is to this day unknown. Both could write their names; and their signatures can be found on the captain's ship list as well as the Oath of Qualification.
Michael and Jacob quickly adopted the anglicized spelling of the name Striebig making it Strieby.
During the next ten years Michael lived in the Philadelphia area and married
Barbara. While living in Philadelphia their first child Jacob was born. It
is believed that the naming of the first child "Jacob" is important in that
the German custom was to name the first male child after his grandfather. This
is the strongest evidence that the Jacob who accompanied Michael on the journey
from Germany was in fact his father. Evidence of Jacob living in the new land
is scant. However, there is evidence that Jacob Strieby owned land in Macungie
and Upper Milford townships, Bucks County in 1748.
On Oct. 22, 1753, Michael purchased from Jacob Fisher the title to 56 acres and 132 perches of land northwest of present day Allentown, Lehigh Co, Pennsylvania. This plot known as Strieby Town, had been surveyed and warrented by Conrad Yost on May 9, 1751. Mr Yost had sold his title to the land to Jacob Fisher on Sept. 10, 1753 (Northampton Co, Pa, Deed Book F, Vol. 3, p. 150). Strieby Town was a portion of the Penn's Manor of Fermor patented to Michael by John Penn, Lt. Gov. of the province. The original Penn Charter had been granted to John's grandfather, William Penn, on March 4, 1681 by Charles II of England. After the Penn's lost their rights, all the land was patented. Michael's patent cost eight pounds thirteen shillings and was recorded on April 15, 1767, according to the Department of Internal Affairs of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, patent Book Vol. AA-8, p. 259. Strieby Town was situated partly in Lowhill Twp and partly in Whitehall Twp, Bucks Co, later Northampton Co and now Lehigh Co. It remained in the posession of Michael Strieby and his wife Barbara from October 22, 1753 to February 9, 1787 when he and his wife sold it for 225 pounds in coin (Northampton Co, Pa, File Y, Book D-9, p. 216).
Except the eldest son Jacob, all of the twelve children of Michael and Barbara were born in Strieby Town or on a farm south of there containing 172 acres and located aside or on the west side of the Jordan Lutheran Church in South Whitehall Twp according to a map by Isaac Chapman.
From there Michael and his wife, Barbara, moved to nearby Lynn Twp where he owned 224 acres of land at the time of his death. Barbara died between Feb. 9, 1787 and May 1790, the time of Michael's death in Lynn Twp. Conrad Riedy and William Meyer were two of the acting administrators of the Michael Strieby estate, the final settlement being exhibited Sept. 13, 1791. After the death of his father, John Strieby chose John Moser of Whitehall Twp, for his guardian and the court appointed Peter Bechler, also of Whitehall Twp, guardian for Adam and Catherina.
Of the seven male children at least three are known to have been clockmakers and/or silversmiths. Three of the older sons, Jacob, Paul, and Michael are known to have served as patriots in the revolutionary War.