Editor's Notes: Diligence and Serendipity

EDITOR' NOTES DILi E CE AND SERE DIPITY T he Bischweiler study did not begin as a study. It didn't even begin as a search for anyone's ancestry. It really began when I que tioned th citation for a will in a collateral line of a client. Our diligence in re olving that question soon led to curiosity about the meaning of a single word. R olving that qu ti o l d to the di covery of fir t one family f immigrant from Bischweiler, then a second and a third. It asn't long before the surnames being studied neared sixty, some of which were eliminated. The first, second, and third discovery were rather exciting. The fourth through fortieth were much less so. As a scholarly genealogi t, when I find a European origin, I feel an implicit obligation to srudy these families and publish the findings. A project on several families was one thing, but a project on several dozen is something else entirely. The records were old, of course, and in both French and German (which was in gothic handwriting), so nothing went quickly for me. The work involved wa voluminous; there were, for example, three dozen record sets within the Bischweiler church records alone (times five dozen surnames). I had to revise my system for tracking and organizing the research three time . Diligent research can become frightfully tedious. So it is quite exciting when something out of the ordinary is encountered, even if it leads to more research. These serendipities lighten the load. SERENDIPI1Y# 1 The fir t serendipity was a long paragraph within the baptismal regist r of the Fr nch Reformed church. This, in itself, is highly unusual. Bas d on a few of the words within the paragraph (I don't know much French), my intuition told me I'd found something very, very inter ting Maria Catherine Paris, daugbt r of th hoemaker Pierre Paris, had been baptized 22 May 1695, and this was properly r corded in the regis .. ter. The n xt entry was begun at the top of th following page, leaving a blank pac below her bapti m. Thu , there was room for the pastor to r cord h r death 22 June 1714 at age nineteen years and one month. Past r oft n noted death in the baptismal register, but usually in th margin. tn the remaining space is told a fascinating story. 1 It has b en told to me by the aforesaid Peter Pa_ri, a man of good faith and little uperstition, that Catherine hi daughter, mentioned abo c, had at the 1 Egltse Reformee Franfatse de Btschwiller, Baptemes 1680-1722, Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 44 (2005) page 115. 85 86 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 44 age of ten years the hot fever, from which she was left deaf, was taken by Mr. Peter Paris to a nearby Baden Doctor, whose name he has forgotten,2 who was Polish, in order to help her recover her hearing. The Doctor told him that he would give her a water that needed to be blown into the ears of the girl, which would bring back a little her hearing, but not entirely, until such time that she will have counted three times three, in total nine years, that she would be attacked again with the same that had caused the second, to know of the hot fever that would entirely return her hearing to her, a little while later she obtained it completely. This is what happened to the letter, for at the end of nine years at the age of 19, she had the hot fever, and from the first day of her sickness it was always well understood everything that must happen even [illegible], but she is dead; he told me that this came to him in a dream [illegible], all pure vision, [illegible] before she arrived from Champ Renau[illegible]. P.F.a.B.3 SERENDIPITY #2 As researchers, we usually are thrilled to find the signatures of our ancestors. With the signature volume of Strassburger and Hinke, many descendants of Pennsylvania immigrants have been able to find ancestral signatures-if the immigrant was male and at least sixteen upon arrival in Philadelphia. Thus it was, once again, exciting to see that for a brief time period the Lutheran pastor had the father and sponsors sign the baptismal entries. 4 This included 1746, 1748, and 1750 when Johann Georg Bachoffen was having daughters baptized there. In J 746Joh. Georg 1 Bacho/fen signed the register at Bischweiler Lutheran when his daughter Dorothea 2 was baptized. 5 There are also several signatures for Johan Michael 1 Christian in the same set of records, perfect matches for his signature in Philadelphia. In 1748 Johann Michaez1 Christian signed the register at Bischweiler Lutheran when his son was baptized. 6 2 Baden in Switzerland is almost two hundred miles away, but Baden-Baden in Germany is a mere fifteen miles. 3 This translation worked on by Joseph C. Anderson II, Philippa B. Anderson, Lloyd de Witt Bockstruck, and Michael]. Leclerc. Their help is greatly appreciated. 4 See also Burgert,NorthernAlsace, 12-14. 5 Evangelisch-Lutheran Church von Bischweiler, Tau/en 1746-1768, #22. 6 Evangelisch-Lutheran Church von Bischweiler, Tau/en 1746-1768, #88. Editor's 2005 87 ores Abraham hwing did not come to Pennsylvania with hi iblings. Instead, he aited, met Anna Margaret Gutig in Bisch eiler, and married her there. They migrat d two years after the marriage. Pastor Poulet at the French Reformed church was having the bride, groom, and witne ses ign the reg; te.r during this time period. It is not common to find ignarur-es of women, o thi was pecial. She signed in gothic. Abraham, "wh declared not knowin h w to write," made his mark. •:,~'JP'fY~r '4 ~r~aw~ Abraham 1 Schwing and Anna Margaret' ..;, Gutig signed the church register when they were married at Bischweiler French Reformed in 1763. 7 SERENDIPITY#3 This was surely the most exciting serendipity of the study. At fifteen minutes until closing time, I was rushing through microfilm on the way to check a burial record that would resolve an identity conflict. There are not identifiable breaks between record groups, so I was pausing periodically to check the first couple of lines for the year and record type. Suddenly my mind registered that I had seen some fairly childish writing. Curiosity kicked in again, and I reversed the reader. I found that the catechumens-both boys and girls-had signed, some8 times with a parent or other adult. I combed the forty-nine pages, looking for signatures of immigrants to America, which are presented below. Signatures of parents and siblings found therein are not reproduced here. The church registers at Bischweiler contained signatures or marks for several individuals who were not signers of the oaths in Philadelph·a. Marie Esther 1 (Kilchman) Schneider, born in 1718, was a catechumen in September I 733 at Bischweil.er Pren.ch Refortned, signing with her M mark. 9 1 Eglise Riformle Fran~ais de Bts hwilJer, ftfariage. 176· -1787, 11. 8 There is no indication in the Family Hi tory Library Catalog that there are any Callwaunen . on chi roll. 9 EgltseReform eFranfa ed Bl chwlller, Cathecumhze 17 l-178 . [page6). 88 Vol. 44 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Michaet1 Schwing, born in 1722, was a catechumen at Easter 1738 at Bischweiler French Reformed, signing with his MS mark. IO Jacob 1 Renaud, born in 1723, was a catechumen at Easter 1738 at Bischweiler French Reformed, signing in cursive. 11 Pierre 1 Paris, born in 1726, was a catechumen at Easter 1741 at Bischweiler French Reformed. 12 Franfois Louis 1 Paris was a catechumen at Easter 17 44 at Bischweiler French Reformed. 13 Marla Salome 1 Schwing, born in 1729, was a catechumen at Easter 1744 at Bischweiler French Reformed, signing with her mark. 14 /saac 1 Paris, born in 1727, was a catechumen at Easter 1747 at Bischweiler French Reformed, signing in cursive. I5 lO EgliseReformeeFranfaisedeBischwiller, Cathecumenes 1731-1784, 11 Eglise Reformee Franfaise de Bischwiller, Cathecumenes 1731-1784, 12 Eglise Reformee Franfaise de Bischwiller, Cathecumenes 1731-1784, l 3 Eglise Reformee Franfaise de Bischwiller, Cathecumenes 1731-1784, 14 Eglise Reformee Franfaise de Bisch willer, Cathecumenes 1731-1784, l5 Eglise Reformee Franfaise de Bischwiller, Cathecumenes 1731-1784, [page 11]. [page 11]. [page 16]. [page 19]. [page 19]. [page 22]. 2005 Editor's ote. 9 am uet1 hwlng, born in 1732, was a cal humen at Easter 17 at Bischweller Pren h Reformed, signing with his mark. 16 Abraham' hwing, born in 1735, was a atechumen at Easter 1749 at Bi chweiler French R iformed, igning with his mark. 17 Jean Pierre 1 Pierson, born in 1695, was a catechumen at Easter 1749 at Bischweiler French Reformed, signing in cursi e.18 a: a z - Abraham 2 Ribelel, born in 1735, was a catechumen at Easter 1749 at Bi chweiler French R iformed, signing in cursi e, signing in gothi 19 His father, Abraham' Rib let, igned in goth le as a parent. 20 Abraham' Wildsignedaspare11tforhisstepso11JacobRenaudalPente at Bischweiler French Reformed. 21 o t 1 50 :glise Re/onnee Fratifaise de Bischwiller, CaJhecumm 1731-178 , [page 22]. glise Refonn e F-ranfQcisede Bisch willer, CaJh cum n 1 3 l -178 , [page 2 1. 18 glise Re/om, e Fratlf(llse de Bischwi/Jer, Cath cumenes 17 1-1 8 , (page 2 ]. 19 .igliseRefon11 eFratlf(lis deBischwm r, Cath cum nes 1731-178 , [page 2 J. 20 Eglise Reform e FranfQise d Bischwill r, Cath cumme 17 1-178 , [page 25 ). 21 Eglise R lfOTnJ Franfais d Bis hwfll r, CatJt cumene 17 1-1 8 , f page 26). Pennsylvan.ia Genealogical ~f agazine 90 David' Huguenel was a care hunum at Easter 1755 at Bis hw Iler French Reforme~ signing in cursi e.22 '· • . . ...... . , ' . • . .... ,.. . ' ~ ;., I 1 Jean Pierre Fischer, born in 1761, was a catechumen at Easter 1776 at Bischweiler French Reforme~ signing in cursive. 23 LITERACY The practice of having catechumens and parents sign the regist r w: followed by two of the Bischweiler pastors, from 1731 through 1 84 (there are no entries for 1756-1763). It appears that originally the b were not bound in a book, or at least not in this book. Some of the writing i o deep in the binding that it could not possibly have been d n in the present configuration. The first page, for 1731, clearly begins with wh twas probably the second sheet of the signatures for that year. Because of the comprehensiveness of this record group, ther i an opportunity to look at literacy without relying on the signatures of tho e 1 aving will (the most common mechanism for such a study, and one tha is r cognized as flawed because it is a skewed popu1ation 24 ). B cau the ample was small ( 427 catechumens signed th r gi t r v r th fiftycar p riod), conclusions are broad and rely on tr nd lin . Doing a literacy study based on the catechumen ignarur m d ea at first. 1 would simply count signatures and marks. I ow er, it oon b came apparent that were various levels of "literace/ en ithin th narrow cope of this study. v ry fi w ign tur w re print d, with indi idual lett r in a ur iv tyle. ]early, children did not go throu h an t nd d p riod of printing the alphab t, we did a childr n. e eral signatures were be un b th ca h m n, but finished b th pastor. sually th whol fir t nam a ritt n b th child, but other 2 gliseReformeeFranfai edeBfscltwilJer, Cath cum nes l73L-178 , [pag OJ, gliseReformeeFranf,OisedeBisdiwilLer, Cati, cum ;1 1731-178 , [pa I]. cc, for example, di c ions in nneth Lockridg Utera In Co/CJnlal e England . W. orton and Compan , 197 ) and David Ha • tl Fischer, Albion's Four Briti h Folkway in America (Oxford: Oxford niv r ity Pr , 1989). d: 2005 Editor's Notes 91 variations occurred. This level of first-name-only signature would suggest education that was either largely home-taught or that went through only a few years of schooling. Both printed signatures and first-name-only signatures were counted as signatures. Overall, 78% had some form of signature~ 22% signed with a mark. The figure changed over time. Wokeck analyzed the considerably larger sample in Strassburger and Hinke, finding that in the 1730s about 60% were signatures, 70% mid-cenrury, rising to 80% a dozen years before the Revolution. 2 S This sample showed similar upward trends, with signatures hovering around 60% through the mid-17 40s, then climbing steadily, surpassing 80% after the mid-l 760s, finishing at 90% in the 1780s. Wokeck suggests that the higher rate later in the immigration cycle represents a change in immigrant profile to educated, single craftsmen, but these numbers refute that hypothesis. Of those who signed with a mark, about two thirds were girls, a proportion that was consistent over time. The register is in the French Reformed church, but many signatures were in gothic rather than cursive script. An interesting phenomenon is that for many surnames there are signatures in both gothic and cursive. Those of child and parent did not always match. Several of the signatures, for both parents and children, showed a slight mixing of letter style , which also was observed in other places in the Bischweiler study. Not unexpectedly, this was more common as time went on, less common in the earliest text. Of the over 70% who made a signature, 37% of those wrote in gothic. This ratio changed dramatically over time. Before the 1750s the percentage hovered near or below 20%. In the l 760s it began rising sharply, running about 50% throughout the 1770s. This may be somewhat more indicative of the pastor and congregation than of the community, but it cannot help but be reflective of the overall education of the children. SERENDIPITIES These serendipities have something in common. Each goes beyond the finding of a genealogical fact. They are what let us see our ancestors as human beings. Patricia Law Hat-cher, FASG 2S Wokeck, Marianne Sophia. Tratk in Strangers: The Beginnings of Mass Migration to North America (University Park:Pcnnsytvania Stat.c University Press, 1999), 50. She aJso observed partial and printed signatures and counted them as literate.