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What Germanic surnames are you researching (Please list Surname - area and time frame)
Hi,
My German family surname is Bonstein The oldest Bonstein Ancestor of mine recorded in my file is Cuntz Bonnstein and his wife Gela. They were married before 1630 and lived in the town of Ropperhousen, in the Principality of Hesse-Kassel (a principality in northern Hesse) in what was know as the Holy Roman Empire.
Copied verbatim from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire
The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (German: Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation listen ▶ (help·info), Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium Nationis Germanicae, see names and designations of the empire) was a political conglomeration of lands in Central Europe in the Middle Ages and the early modern period. Emerging from the eastern part of the Frankish realm after its division in the Treaty of Verdun (843), it lasted almost a millennium until its dissolution in 1806. By the 18th century, it still consisted of the larger part of modern Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Belgium, and Luxembourg, as well as large parts of modern Poland and small parts of the Netherlands. Previously, it had included all of the Netherlands and Switzerland, and parts of modern France and Italy (see: Maps below). In the 18th century, when the Empire was already in decline, Voltaire ridiculed its nomenclature by saying that the Holy Roman Empire was "neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire".
It was never a nation state. Despite the German ethnicity of most of its rulers and subjects, from the very beginning many ethnicities constituted the Holy Roman Empire. Many of its most important noble families and appointed officials came from outside the German-speaking communities. At the height of the empire it contained most of the territory of today's Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Czech Republic and Slovenia, as well as eastern France, northern Italy and western Poland. Its languages thus comprised not only German and its many dialects and derivatives, but many Slavic languages and the languages which became modern French, Dutch and Italian. Furthermore, its division into territories ruled by numerous secular and ecclesiastical princes, prelates, counts, imperial knights, and free cities made it, in the early modern period at least, far less cohesive than the emerging modern states around it.
However, during most of its time it was more than a mere confederation. The concept of the Reich not only included the government of a specific territory, but had strong Christian religious connotations (hence the holy prefix). Until 1508, German Kings were not considered Emperors of the Reich until the Pope had formally crowned them as such.
The Reich can thus best be described as a cross between a state and a religious confederation
For more information see:
http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bonsteinandgilpin/...
My family moves forward to 1776 and the American Revolutionary War. Laurentius (Lorenz) Bonstein (Johann Paulus (Paul)5, Christian4, Henning3, Cuntz2, First name unknown1) was born February 5, 1716 in Grossropperhausen, Cassel, Germany and his wife Hedwig Lingemann have to give up two son to the standing Army of Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel.
Paulus Bonnstein and his younger brother my ancestor Johann Jacob (I) Bonstein.
Jacob stayed here and Paulus went home to Hesse-Kassell and family after the war.
If your interested we can exchange information
Thank you for reading
Nelda
My German family surname is Bonstein The oldest Bonstein Ancestor of mine recorded in my file is Cuntz Bonnstein and his wife Gela. They were married before 1630 and lived in the town of Ropperhousen, in the Principality of Hesse-Kassel (a principality in northern Hesse) in what was know as the Holy Roman Empire.
Copied verbatim from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire
The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (German: Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation listen ▶ (help·info), Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium Nationis Germanicae, see names and designations of the empire) was a political conglomeration of lands in Central Europe in the Middle Ages and the early modern period. Emerging from the eastern part of the Frankish realm after its division in the Treaty of Verdun (843), it lasted almost a millennium until its dissolution in 1806. By the 18th century, it still consisted of the larger part of modern Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Belgium, and Luxembourg, as well as large parts of modern Poland and small parts of the Netherlands. Previously, it had included all of the Netherlands and Switzerland, and parts of modern France and Italy (see: Maps below). In the 18th century, when the Empire was already in decline, Voltaire ridiculed its nomenclature by saying that the Holy Roman Empire was "neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire".
It was never a nation state. Despite the German ethnicity of most of its rulers and subjects, from the very beginning many ethnicities constituted the Holy Roman Empire. Many of its most important noble families and appointed officials came from outside the German-speaking communities. At the height of the empire it contained most of the territory of today's Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Czech Republic and Slovenia, as well as eastern France, northern Italy and western Poland. Its languages thus comprised not only German and its many dialects and derivatives, but many Slavic languages and the languages which became modern French, Dutch and Italian. Furthermore, its division into territories ruled by numerous secular and ecclesiastical princes, prelates, counts, imperial knights, and free cities made it, in the early modern period at least, far less cohesive than the emerging modern states around it.
However, during most of its time it was more than a mere confederation. The concept of the Reich not only included the government of a specific territory, but had strong Christian religious connotations (hence the holy prefix). Until 1508, German Kings were not considered Emperors of the Reich until the Pope had formally crowned them as such.
The Reich can thus best be described as a cross between a state and a religious confederation
For more information see:
http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bonsteinandgilpin/...
My family moves forward to 1776 and the American Revolutionary War. Laurentius (Lorenz) Bonstein (Johann Paulus (Paul)5, Christian4, Henning3, Cuntz2, First name unknown1) was born February 5, 1716 in Grossropperhausen, Cassel, Germany and his wife Hedwig Lingemann have to give up two son to the standing Army of Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel.
Paulus Bonnstein and his younger brother my ancestor Johann Jacob (I) Bonstein.
Jacob stayed here and Paulus went home to Hesse-Kassell and family after the war.
If your interested we can exchange information
Thank you for reading
Nelda
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Richard A. Hayes on
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I am especially interested in the Palatines who came to America in 1710. My primary family is NELLIS. The family has published a 2 volume family history. I also have the names of over 40,000 family members on my home computer. Always interested in adding
additional family information. -
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Permalink Reply by Ellen M (Procopio) Kramer on
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I am researching Dorman (Union/Center Co, PA) and Kramer (Lancaster and Schuylkill Co, PA) who had been originally well settled in Pennsylvania and Staudt/Staut/Stoudt/Stout all who originally settled in PA and other places. Many were Berks or Lehigh areas of PA, The Staudt/Staut/Stoudt/Stout lines have been researched for the past 100 years. However, the info on all of the lines has not been computerized till now. I am trying to work on the other names while, as Family Historian, I am working on coordinating an effort to update the Staudt/Staut/Stoudt/Stout info. Nothing has been printed on that line in almost 40 years and much that is available contains many errors.
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Permalink Reply by Lewis Hartswick on
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Looking for leads for Hartswick (perhaps Hartwick) immigrated in the mid to late 1700s. I think into the
Philadelphia PA area.. The earliest I have is moved into Central PA in about 1800. A reference in "Linns
History of Centre and Clinton Counties" says of a local blacksmith ( John G Hartswick) his father came
to America from Prusia in 1787.
Thanks for any leads.
...Lew... e-mail LHartswick@earthlink.net -
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Permalink Reply by Catherine Davis on
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I'm looking into 3 different family groups:
1. Anne Marie Seck or Saxe, b. abt 1828 in Coblenz (according to a document written by her youngest son), daughter of John. She m. Thomas Trese, supposedly in Canada and they were definitely in Wellesley, ON in 1847-49 (I found birth records of two of their children there). Thomas was supposedly born in Luxembourg in 1813. The family was in Port Huron, MI in the 1860s, Port Sanilac, MI by 1870. After that various family members then moved back to Port Huron or to Detroit. I have many US records for the family, but have not been able to trace the family before 1847.
2. Heinrich Friederick Metzger (went by Fred in the US), son of Johann Christian Metzger and Juliane Christine Metzger (maiden names same as married name), b. 1863 in Vaihingen-auf-den-Fildern (now Stuttgart-Vaihingen), emigrated to the US, married here. I have been able to trace the family--and to some extent those families which married Metzgers in Vaihingen (Haberle, Elsasser, Hizelberger, Grieb) as far back as the early 1700s in some cases via microfilm at FHL. But, the church records from that time suffered what looks like water damage and are one big, black, ink blob. If I could find another source of information for a generation or two, I could go farther in the church records as those for the 1500's and 1600s are quite clear.
3. Fred (above) m. Margaret May, daughter of Christian May and Marie Caroline Hoffman, in Port Huron, MI. She was born there but her family originated from Lauschied, Germany. I am just starting the research into the Mays and those who married them (Hoffman, Ullrich, Zimmer). -
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Permalink Reply by Joy Rehm Benninghoven on
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I recently discovered that in my dad's German side in Milwaukee, WI. Emelia MAI Thieme's parents were Christopher & Anna nee ? MAI, May. Emilia was born 28 Nov 1811 Langsvater Langstadt Hessen. She died 21 Nov. 1889, 9th Ward Milwaukee, WI & buried in Union Cemetery.
Emelia md. TC Charles Thieme b 1811 in Langstadt, Germany{ ? I don't have record] & immigrated to Milwaukee [some Thiemes to IL I think] @ 1851. Any help? This is first I've learned of Emelia's parents or where they came from.
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Permalink Reply by Jodi Lynn Spade Roessler on
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My families having been in the USA for a long time so, I have zero information outside of the hints given on census records as to my German ancestors information. :( Here are the people I am currently most interested in learning more about:
Johan Georg MEIREISS (family currently spells it MYRICE) - born about 1740, location unknown. Sailed to Philadelphia on Oct 21 1754 on the ship Friendship, Charles Ross Captain, from Amsterdam last from Gosport England. Inhabitants from Franconia and Hesse seven Roman Catholics http://books.google.com/books?id=ihPVAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA339&lpg=...
He settled in York County, Pennsylvania in the Germantown area. I have no idea whom he married, but he had at least 4 children: John, Adam, Margaret (married George SPONSALLER) and an unknown daughter who married John GRAY. John brought his family to the Ohio area. Johan Georg ("George" in census and land records) died in 1799, I have a copy of his will.
John SPADE - "John Spade, a Hessian, was the great-grandfather of John Dunbar on his mother's side. He was a brewer of Hesse. He was drafted for the army to aid the English in their war against America, but he was not found with the troops when ready to sail for America. He was drafted the second time, but again hid; but when drafted the third time he saved his life by coming across, but he deserted and fought with the Continentals for American freedom. After the war John Spade married Mary Magdalena Shafer, a German maid he had met in the Valley of Virginia. John Dunbar married their daughter, Eva. She was born in Monroe county in i8oo and died in Summers county, West Virginia, n 1859." copied verbatim from: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/world/bios/dunbar_family.htm -
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I am looking for Wilhelm Rotterman b. 1858 in Mudau and his wife Margaretta Raab b. 1863 in Darmstadt they both died in the early 1930's in Dayton, Ohio. Also James Weimer b. 1855 and his wife Rachel of Greensburg and Pittsburgh, PA. His parents came from Germany.
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Permalink Reply by Judy Brooks Truchon on
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My grandfather was Jacob Noah Wimer/Weimer. The family apparently came from the Alsace/Lorraine area--Langensoultzbach. The immigrant was Mathias Weimert Trying to find any information on Matheas WEYMERT (also WEIMERT) from Langensaltzbach. Came to the US in 1750 on the ship Anderson from Rotterdam. It seems that much of the Weimer heritage comes from Langensaltzbach, ALSACE,
France.
1. Matheas Weimert was born unknown in Langensoltzbach, France and died about July 1786. He married Barbara-----------? in the United States. He was married in France , but family conjecture is that his first wife died on route to the United States. -
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Permalink Reply by Robert Ricker on
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The most significant names we, my brother Bill and I are researching are Wuertz, 1820s Wuertemberg Germany; Collet 1850s Prussia; Harbaugh 1695 Kaiserlautern Germany, Griffin 1850s Illinois US. These names and others from our mother's side are well researched and documented. Ricker, date and origins unknown; Sickermann, Bielefeld Westphalia; 1865 are not documented are from my father's side are only partially researched and documented.
We do know that Emma Sickermann arrived in the US a cabin passenger traveling alone on the SS Wieland June 1881, aged sixteen years. She married Joseph Ricker in the late 1880's. We do not know if Sickermann was her maiden name. Family stories say that she was banished from her family and sent to the US to make her own way. We have found some record of her in St. Louis Mo / IL and surrounding counties, where she spent all of her adult life and less of her husband Charles Ricker, died 1899.
We are very willing to share what we have and are grateful for any information you might share. -
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Healy on
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I am researching BANSEMER, Hermann, who came to this county in 1882. I found his marraige record to Emilie (Emily) KRESS through the IGI. It states they were married 3 March 1888 in New York City, then moved to Hudson County, New Jersey. Hermann's place of birth is simply listed as Germany, but Emily's place of birth is listed as Wurttenberg. Her parents were Robert N.N. and Rosa Kress. Hermann's parents were Hermann T. BANSEMER and Wilhelmina NEUMANN.Hermann made his Declaration of Intent in 1884, and became Naturalized in June 1892 in Hudson County, NJ. On any of the paperwork I have been able to find so far, including copies of some of his son's birth certificates,no birthplace other than Germany is written. The only other clue I have so far is a photo of Emily, we think, with a Danzig photo studio stamp on it.
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Permalink Reply by Helen Pust on
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My grandfather was August Pust b. 20 Jan 1867, Prussia. I found the passenger list of Italia departing Swinemunde, Germany with distination as New York, USA. His orgin is listed as Prussia (Pru Ben) Zenrten.
August arrived on 02 Jan 1891 in New York city. He married Johanna Brose (b; 29 Nov 1861/Prussia) in Appleton, MN. 17 Aug 1895. They farmed outside of Danvers Village, MN. from 1900 to 1902. In 1904 they moved to Stettler/Big Valley, Alberta Canada area after applying for the Dominion Land Grants.
Johanna was married to William Brose (b. 1862 Germany) in Moyer Township of Minnesota. So far I have not found what happened to him before she met August Pust. Johanna and William had five children; Mary, Helena, William, Martha and Bertha who were born around the Benson, Swift County area.
Johanna and August also had five children: Otto b; 9 Apr 1896; Alma b. 03 Jun 1898; August b; 18 Aug 1900 all born in Appleton, MN and Augusta b; 19 Mar 1904; Alfred b; 09 May 9 1906 in Stettler, Alberta.
I have a paper with the names of all family members listed with birth dates and where born. Next to Johanna's name in "Luecke". This could of been her maiden name but not sure. On all the dox I have for August and Johanna it states Prussia or Germany for birth origin only. When Johanna was very sick in 1926-27 she was in the St. Joseph's hospital in Edmonton. Alberta. At that time only people of the Catholic faith were allowed in there for treatment.
The children from Johanna and William always used the surname of Pust. I have found them in the Border Crossing files visiting family in Idaho, Washington and possible Montana. I still have not found where my grandparents crossed the border when they moved here in1904. I believe they came by way of rail to Montana then up into Alberta. But that is just family talk with no proof. August Pust always pronouced his surname to rhyme with dust/rust etc.
I do have another family that could have German background but here too am having trouble getting past a ggrandfather's linage. This surname is "Worsfold, Wasfold, Whorsfold" or anything similar.
I will gladly share information I have and would appreciate any help I may receive. -
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Permalink Reply by Liz Loveland on
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Hi everyone,
I am researching two drastically different time periods.
The first is a direct line that was part of the Palatine migration of 1708-1710 to England and on to New York Colony. I am researching the line of Johannes Jost Braun (also sometimes transliterated as Johann Joost Braun) and his wife Magdalena, from Pfalz. There has been a heap of information written on them and their descendants over the centuries, some of which seems to be quite accurate, other info much less so.
The second comprises of a bunch of collateral lines that immigrated in the 1800s. The one I have done the most work on is my step-grandmother's and great-aunt's husband's family (my step-grandmother and my great-aunt's husband were siblings), the Lenz family from West Prussia, though I haven't had much luck yet in tracing them back past their point of departure in Bremen (it seems that they may have come from what is now Poland so the lack of luck makes sense). They moved first to Minnesota, USA though some of them moved on to Dakota Territory, USA. The parents migrated in 1884 via Bremen with their youngest surviving children:
August Lenz & Wilhelmina/Willamena Klatt
migrating children:
Julius Lenz
Augusta Wilhelmina Lenz
Rudolph/Rudolf Ferdinand Lenz
They started out farming in Moltke, Sibley, Minnesota. -
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