Emigrants to America from the Duchy of Zweibrucken

EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA FROM THE DUCHY OF ZWEIBRUCKEN Excerpts from the Records of the Protestant Church of Zweibriicken By FRIEDRICH KREBS " TRANSLATED BY RALPH DORNFELD OWEN, P.G.S.P., PASO. In 1749 WENDEL SCHMELTZER of Eitzweiler (now Eitzweiler Saar, Kreis St. Wendel) and his wife petitioned to be granted manumission so that they might emigrate to America. At the same time MICHAEL WOMMER of the same place made a similar request so that he might emigrate with his brother JACOB WOMMER and his brother-in-law CHRISTAN MELCHIOR to join another brother who was in America. Presumably he wanted to take his wife with him, for he mentioned his three children, of whom the oldest was only five years old. On 31 May 1749, all were manumitted. Schmeltzer paid eight florins (equal to $4.00 in modern money), Wommer and Melchior each paid 10 florins. They arrived in Philadelphia harbor on the ship Leslie from Rotterdam, and took the required oaths of fidelity and abjuration on 7 October 1749. Their names were inscribed as "Wendal (X) Schmeltzer," "Jacob Womer" and "Christian (M) Me!chart." ' Dr. Krebs, Archiv-assessor of the Pf alzisches Landeskirchenarchiv az Speyer, West Germany, ts a Corresponding Member of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. For other emigrants identified by Dr. Krebs, see Volume XXI, 231, of The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. Manumission was the act of releasing a serf, usually upon the paymem of money. During the Middle Ages in Europe, serfdom was an intermediate social status between that of a slave and a freeman. The serf was half-free, bound to the soil on which he lived and required to render a certain amount of service to the owner. This is well stated in the Bavarian law of the seventh century: "Serfs settled on the estates of 013e Church have to work three days a week for their masters and are subjut to diverse rents and payments in kind." Over the centuries, economic and industrial progress made it evident that serf labor was less efficient thm free labor. But serfdom. V729 not abolished in France until the French Revolution, in Germany not until well into the nineteenth century as the result of the reforms instituted in Prussia in 1804 by Stein and Hardenberg, and in Russia not until 1061. —R. D. 0. See William J. Hinke and Ralph B. Strassburger, Pennsylvania German Pioneers (Norristown, Pa., 1934), I, 419, List 141-C, for their names. Schmeltzer and Melchior made their marks. The Saar region, from whence they came, lies west of the Rhine, between Mainz on the north, and Karlsruhe on the south. Wendel Schweitzer may have settled in York Co., where in Codorus Twp. in 1779 a Widow Smelmer was ramd on 80 acrm of land. Pennsylvania Archives, 3rd Series, XXI, 80. They apparently had no children at the time of thcir emigration. Michael Towner may he identical with the man of that name in Bern Twp., Berks Co., in whose will, dated 9 Jan. 1787 and proved 7 Apr. 1794, were named ho wife Anna Maria, sons Adam, Jacob and Michael, and daughters Maria Elizabeth, Sophia, Anna Maria, Catherine and Margaret. Abstruts of Books Co. Wills, 1752 - 1790, I, 527, Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. 25 5 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 256 The brother mentioned by Michael Wommer probably was BERNARD of Eitzweiler. In 1737, when he was a field-guard (Feldschlitz) there, he had decided that, since he had inherited nothing from his parents, he would emigrate to America. Upon the payment of about seven and one-half florins he received the grant of manumission for himself, his wife, and one child. They arrived in Philadelphia on the ship Samuel, also from Rotterdam, he qualifying 30 August 1737, as "Barnard (W) Woomer," aged 29.' In 1738, BERNHARD SEIBERT, son of Nickel Seibert of Eitzweiler, left Germany without having secured manumission. On 25 October 1738, along with JOHANN WENDELL SEIBERT and JOHANN JACOB SEIBERT, he arrived in Philadelphia on the ship Davy from Amsterdam, qualifying as "Johann Bernhart Seibert." Twenty years later Bernhard paid in 190 florins to the authorities in Zweibriicken and received a certificate of manumission. In 1750, NICKEL SPIERY of Walsheim, Oberamt Zweibriicken (now Walsheim/Blies, Kreis Homburg), paid 15 florins to the monastery of Hornbach for manumission of himself, his wife and child. They arrived in Philadelphia on the ship Edinburgh from Rotterdam. He qualified 13 August 1750, as "Nickolas Spin." In the same year NICKEL JosT and PHILIPP JoNAs, both residents of Bierbach (now Saar, Kreis St. Ingbert), and serfs of the monastery of Woeschweiler, paid six florins and two florins respectively, plus export duty, for their manumission so that they could emigrate to America. Nickel Jost sailed from Rotterdam on the ship Phoenix, qualifying at Philadelphia 28 August 1750, as "Nicklaus Jost." WOMMER 8 See his mark. Pennsylvania German Pioneers, loc. cit., I, 169, List 44-A, for their arrival. Woo..., made He is probably identical with the Bernard Warmer, also of Bern Twp., Berks Co., in whose 1715, were named his wife Anna Maria and eldest son will, dated 27 March 1755 and proved 18 Apr. John Michael. The latter was instructed to maintain his five brothers and sisters (not named), until they arrived at the age of 14 years, when each was to receive an equal share in 2200. Abstracts of Berk, Co. Wills, loc. cit., 1, 110. 4 See Pennsylvania German Pioneers, loc. cit., I, 235, 236, List 61-A, for their names. Of these, Jacob Seibert probably is to be identified with the man of that name who settled in Tulpehocken Twp., Berks Co., on whose estate letters of administration were granted to Susanna, the widow, on 9 March 1761. Abstracts of Berks Co. Wills, loc. cit., I, 53, Wendel Seibert may be identical with the man of that name rated in Bethel Twp., Berk, Co., in 1768 on 150 acres of land. Pennsylvania Archives, 35d Series, XVIII, 107. 8 See Pennsylvania German Pioneers, I, 431, List 148-C. 6 Ibid., I, 441, List 154-C. Nicholas Jost might be identical with the man of that name of Alsace Twp., Berks Co., in whose will, dated 5 Sept. 1771 and proved 29 Feb. 1772, were named his wife Catherine, son Abraham, and five daughters, Christiana, Mary, Magdalen, Catherine, and Eve Elizabeth. Abstracts of Berks Co. Wills, I, 160.