Eighteenth Century Emigrants to America from Palatinate Parishes

Eighteenth Century Emigrants to America from Palatinate Parishes FRIEDRICH KRE.BS Translated by ANTHONY A. ROTH D R. Friedrich Krebs, a Corresponding Member of the Genealogical Society, and Archiv-assessor at Speyer, West Germany, for many years has specialized in identifying German emigrants to America. A list of some of his findings, and a republication of one of his articles appeared in the last issue of this Magazine (Volume XXV, No. 4, 243244, 246-262). The following translation of another of his articles now adds to the list. It appeared in 1965 in the "Mitteilungen zur Wanderungsgeschichte der Pfalzer'° section, edited by Dr. Fritz Braun, also a Corresponding Member of our Society, in Volume V, Number 6, of Pfulzische Familiensend WaPPenkunde,' published in Ludwigshafen on the Rhine. The translation given below follows as closely as possible Dr. Kreb's original German article. Footnotes have been added by the Editor. Alsheim-Gronau On 24 January 1742, was married JOHANN LUDWIG KLEMMER, legitimate son of Johann Henrick Klemmers, formerly an inhabitant of Gronau, but now a citizen of Philadelphia in the so-called New World, to ANNA ELISABETHA BotKELS, legitimate daughter of Joh. Adam Bockels, formerly an inhabitant of Friedelsheim. (Reformed Church book, Meckenheim.a) JOHANN HENRICH KLEmmEk landed in Philadelphia as "Henerich This title could be translated as "Communications concerning the Migration History of Inhabitants of the Palatinate." Articles appearing in tlos section provide genealogical data on early Palatinate familia culled from parish and municipal archives. Translated as Palatinate Lineage and Heraldry, ;Ince it began publicat;on in 1952, this magazine has featured genealogical, historical end heraldic articles. The present editor, is Dr. Hans Jung. ' The towns of Alsheim, Friedelsheim and Meckenheim all lie abut,' ten to twelve mila Ludwigshafen. west of 33 34 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Clemer"' in the year 1730 on the Ship Alexander & Anne. The oath of abjuration followed on 5 September 1730. (Hinke-Strassburger, Pennsylvania German Pioneers, I, Lists 12-A-B.) The birth entry of Johann Ludwig Klemmer, who is probably the "Ludewig Klernmer" who emigrated to Philadelphia in 1751 (Ship Neptune, 1751, Hinke-Strassburger, I, List 172-C, was not to be found in the records of the Reformed Church of Alsheim. According to an entry in the church records of the Reformed congregation of Alsheim, the Johann Henrich Klemmer who emigrated to America in 1730, had married Catharina, widow of Michael Davernier, on 16 September 1710. The son of Jacob Klemmer and Anna Catharine, he was baptized 13 June 1688,' in the Reformed church in Friedelsheim. This Jacob Klemmer had emigrated to the Palatinate from the district of Zurich as "Hannss Jacob Klimmer"; in Friedelsheirn on 17 September 1678, he married a daughter of Hans Jakob Pfaffmann, a citizen of Friedelsheim. As may often be observed, this American immigrant family is of Swiss extraction. The JOHANN ANDRES KLEMMER who emigrated on the same Ship Alexander & Anne along with Johann Heinrich Kkmmer, may certainly be assumed to be a close relative. An Andreas Klemmer who died in Friedelsheim in 1757, at the age of 52, son of Johannes Klemmer, cannot be the same person, unless one assumes that Johann Andreas returned to his home town from America.' (Records of the Reformed Church of Alsheim-Gronau, Friedelsheim and Meckenheim.) Appenhofen JOHANN DAVID KoNIG, born in Appenhofen, son of the citizen `It has been claimed that this Henry Clemmer, who made his mark when he subscribed to the oath of adjuration in 1730, was the man who settled in Franconia Township, now in Montgomery Co., Pa., in 1738. However, that Henry, b. in 1700; d. in 1791, and his wife Maria, b. 1720; d. 1777, are both buried in Franconia Mennonite Cemetery with tombstones. See Abram Ciemmen "Ancestry of Wilson K., Clemmer,” Tbe Perkionien Region, X (April, 032), 34-35. `If this Johann Heidrich Klernmer was baptized soon after birth, as was customary, he does not appear to have been the Henrich Klemmer whose burial 26 December 1766, aged 85, is noted in the records of the German Reformed Church of Philadelphia, transcripts of which are in the Genealogical Society of Penruylvania (GSP)• Mn was born ca. 1681. Nor was the Catharina Klerner, whose burial is noted in the same records as on 30 June 1795, aged 81 yrs. 4 mos., the Catharina Davernier who Monrind in 1710 Henrich Klemmer. ° According to the Philadelphia German Reformed Church records, noted above, Anna Margaretha, b. 27 April 1749, daughter of Andreas Kier., and Catharine Dietrich, was bapt. 7 May 1749. Sponsors were Jacob Lecher md Margaretha Unger. The same records also note the burial on 23 December 1769. of Andreas /Siemer, aged 58. These are the only records found ol man of this name. Abram Clemmer has assumed that the Johann Andres Klernrner of 1730 was .the John Clemmer who died intestate in Salford Township, now Montgomery Co., Pa., in 1737, leavsng a widow Ann, daughter of Hans Detweikr, who married Kreidrich Alderfer in 1738. See The Perkiomen Region, X, 68-69N cited above. 18th Century Emigrants from Palatinate Parishes 35 and master cooper Georg Ktinig and Maria Ursula, and baptized in Billigheim on 16 July 1733, was a citizen and master cooper of Appenhofen.' On 30 July 1761, he married in Billigheim, MARIA SALOME DOROTHEA ENZMENGER, a Lutheran, born 18 July 1740, in Appenhofen, daughter of Christian Enzmenger, citizen and brickmaker of Appenhofen. According to an entry in the Lutheran church book in Billigheim, Christian Enzmenger (Enzminger), who came from Diemeringen in Alsace, married Maria Elisabetha Schur on 3 February 1739. Children, born in Appenhof en, baptized in Billigheing 1. Johann Godfried (Gottfried) Konig, b. 25 October, bapt. 27 October 1761. "In America" added in the church record. 2. Johann Georg Kong, b. 3 November, bapt. 6 November 1763. The "America" notation in the baptismal record of Johann Gottfried Konig indicates the emigration of the family. Actually Johann David Kiinig landed in Philadelphia in 1764 on the Ship Hero as "David Konig."' The oath of abjuration followed on 27 October 1764. (HinkeStrassburger, List 248 - C.) The CONRAD KoNIG who landed at the same time as Johann David Konig is his brother, and was baptized in the Reformed Church in Billigheirn on 15 April 1741, son of the citizen and master cooper of Appenhofen, Georg Konig and wife Maria Ursula.' It may be gathered from old family documents of Appenhofen The villages of Appenhofen and Billighean are a few miles south of Landau which it muthwest of Speyer. 'David Kanig, who made his mark when he subscribed to the oath of abjuration, appears to have settled in Lancaster Borough, Lancaster Co., Pa. He was listed as a cooper in the published assessment lists from 1771 on. In the 1790 Census he was listed as having two males under 16 years of age, and 3 females in his family, apparently indicating that the two mns born in Germany had died, and two othem were born after 1774. In his will, dated 27 January and proved the following 1 February 1804. in Lancaster, he named as children: George, Jacob, Charlotte and Mary. Lancaster Will Book 11-1, 438. Their mother l• second wife?) may have been the Mrs. Charlotte Koenig, whose bur:al on 15 March 1799, at the age of 51 yrs. 11 mos. 4 das. in the Reforrned Cemetery, is noted in the burst records of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, transcripts of which are in GSP. According to the marriage records of the Reformed Church of Lancaster, in GSP, Conrad King and Catharine Metzger were married 14 February 1768. She was b. t April, bapt. 8 April 1750, in Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, daughter of George Metzger and his wife Cathasina, both Reformed. Its 'Mirth and Baptismal Register of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, Pa.," in Pennsylvania German Society Proceedings, III (1893), 202. George Metzger, her father, may have been !he man who arrived at Philadelphia on the Ship Loyal Judith, qualifying 3 September 1742. He gave his age as 34, but his name was written by the clerk as "Hans Yarch Midden' . Hinke-Strassburger, Lists 92-A-13-C, cited in the teat. Conrad Kcenig, a cooper like his brother David, was also rated in the assessment lists for Lancaster Borough from 1771 on. Therein the surname was variously given as Kraig, Keinigh and King. In Conrad', will, dated 17 October and proved the following 22 November 1800, he named his wife Catharine and children: Christina, wife of Christian Humerich, George, Catherine, wife of Jacob Breaser, Adam, Conrad, John, Joseph, and Magdalena. Lancaster Will Book H-1, 71. A son Jamb, b. 2 November and ham. 12 November 1769, noted in the above-mentioned Trinity Lutheran Church baptismal records, 272. apparently bad died young. 36 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine that the family of Christian Enzmenger (Enzminger) emigrated to America in 1763/64. Possibly this family was delayed in French Guiana (Cayene) for the arrival of Christian Enzmenger does not appear to be confirmed in the ship lists for the period in question for the port of Phildelphia." It is also possible that Christian Enzmenger landed in another American port. JOHANN GEORG '371Nz, the younger, citizen of Appenhofen, baptized 4 February 1725, in Billigheim, son of Johann jorg Winz of Appenhofen, and Maria Eva, married on 14 January 1748, in Billigheim, CATHAR1NA KUHN who was baptized in Billigheim 22 February 1728, daughter of Balzer (Balthasar) Kuhn of App;mhof en, and Rosina Nickler. Children, born in Appenhofen, baptized in Billigheing 1. Maria Johannetta Wino, b. 1 May, bapt. 2 May 1751. 2. Johann Georg Wino, b. 10 October, bapt. 14 October 1753. 3. Thomas Winz, b. 27 April, bapt. 1 May 175$. "In Appenhof en" added to the church record. 4. Johann Adam Wine, b. 20 March, bapt. 25 March 1757. "In Appenhofen" added to the church record. 5- Johann Jacob Wino, b. 5 April, bapt. 8 April 1760. "In America" added to the church record. 6. Michael Wine, b. 30 April, bapt. 1 May 1763; d. in Appenhoffen 8 May 1763. Johann Georg Winz landed in 1764 in Philadelphia as "Gorg Wentz" on the same ship as the Konig brothers." The "America" notation added to the record of the son Johann Jacob, definitely refers to the emigration. The notation "in Appenhofen" added to the records of the sons Thomas and Johann Adam could indicate that both remained in their home town, or perhaps died for they were still very young.' The reason for the emigration of Georg Winz is to be found in economic difficulties. In a document on the position of his fortune (Ausf autheiakten Billigheim No. 66) it is mentioned that he intended to improve himself in the New World. He had fallen into the hands of usurers, a writ of bankruptcy was issued on his property in 1760, and in 1763 his real estate was sold at auction. (Reformed Church registers of Billigheim.) There are, however, numerous Enzmingers listed between the years 1731 and 1734. as emigrants to Philadelphia. For a summation of these see Raymond M. Bell, “Ensmingers of Cocalico," in The Pennsylvania Dutchman, I, No. 7 (1949). "He signed the oath of abjuration immediately before the Konigs. "No records have been found of this Wim-Wentz family in Pennsylvania. However in 1812, one Martin Jordan of Lancaster Borough, in his will probated 2 lone 1812, named among his children, Catharme, wife of Thomas Wentz. The Identity of this rnan has not been resolved.