by John Blankenbaker
To say that the Second Germanna Colony came in 1717 is too simplistic. We now know that people left in 1717 who did not make it to America in 1717.
We might say that everyone who came in the period from 1717 to 1725 was a member of the Second Colony.
If someone came to Pennsylvania and later moved to Virginia in this period, the Crislers for example, should we include them in the Second Colony?
What about the Tanners who left in 1709 but who did not get to Virginia until 1720? Apparently, the Ruckers were here by about 1700. A precise definition of the “Second Colony” is elusive.
Let’s look at all of the people who lived in the Robinson River Valley and in the Mt. Pony area regardless of their arrival times or their religion.
Our time frame focus will be the eighteenth century. Some of these early Virginians in this area came from the same homeland of the First Colony and were Reformed in their religious views but are seldom mentioned as extensions of the First Colony.
If we are to get a complete enumeration of the people who can be considered as Germanna citizens, we must ease away from the strict definitions that have dominated the popular mindset. A more expansive view will help us better understand the German migration patterns in Virginia during this time period.
(Editor’s note – The interrelationship of the various German immigrants that might makeup “Germanna” is a fascinating topic which deserves greater examination. A look at the many Germans who can be found in the records as having come to Virginia should allow a greater yield in doing historical research related to Germanna. That there was much communication between Germans in Virginia and in Germany is undisputed. That many Germanna immigrants married non-Germans in Virginia is undisputed. The Germanna umbrella is a very big one and John Blankenbaker is to be thanked for expanding our view into the past.)
Excepting only those individuals or families who lived indefinitely in Germantown, Fauquier County, or in the Little Fork, I attempt to mention everyone giving some information about when they came. Much of the better evidence, especially for the earliest settlers, falls into a few subject areas and these are discussed first.
(Below is a general overview of the sources and evidence we have regarding the German immigrants to Virginia of concern to students of Germanna history. This is designed to alert the reader to the general evidence and not designed as an exhaustive detailing of all the evidence available.)
Gemmingen Departure List
The sexton at the Lutheran church in Gemmingen (a sexton is an employee or officer of a church who is responsible for the care and upkeep of church property) wrote a note in the death register in 1717 giving the names of the people who were leaving from that village with the date and the reason for going. This document has been translated and published in Beyond Germanna, Vol. 15, n. 6. Used with the headright list of Spotswood, see below, it confirms the importance of headright list.
St. Mary in the Savoy Church Records
When many of the identified Second Colony members were in London in 1717, they attended church at the St. Mary le Savoy/Strand Lutheran Church. A few records pertaining to them were entered in the church book there. See Beyond Germanna, Vol. 15, n. 6 where these records have been translated and published.
Petition for Funds to Return to Germany
There were at least three hundred Germans in London in the late summer of 1717 who wanted to go to America. Since this was past the time of the year for passenger ships to leave, many of these Germans were discouraged and petitioned for funds to return to Germany. The complete petition with names is given in the book by Henry Z Jones, Jr., and Lewis Bunker Rohrbach, entitled Even More Palatine Families, Vol. 3, p.1682ff. The value of this list is negative since it tells us a few names that probably did not make it to America in 1717. In the positive sense, it alerts us not to make hasty conclusions.
Alexander Spotswood’s History
To justify his land acquisitions, Spotswood wrote an extensive history. The dates he gives confirm many of the actions that involve the Germans. Many articles in Beyond Germanna report on this history. Spotswood’s writings help provide a context for the assessment of German activity in Virginia.
Alexander Spotswood’s Headright List
Spotswood gave the names of 48(?) people whom he claimed as headrights. The original list is to be found in Virginia Patent Book 14, p. 378ff. A copy has been printed in Beyond Germanna, Vol. 7, n. 3. There is some confusion in the names of the George Utz family and it cannot be said for certain that the original list was for 48 people. Taken with the general history and the names in the Gemmingen departure list, the headright cannot be easily dismissed and must be given consideration as an authoritative document. Not all of the people who came in 1717 appear on this headright list because Spotswood had partners who paid the transportation of some of the Germans. Those partners would have claimed the headrights for some of the German travelers.
Lawsuits Against the Germans
A summary of the actions is given in Beyond Germanna, Volume 5, n. 3. Comparing the names with the headright list and the patent dates, it would appear that all of these names in the lawsuite records came in 1717. To keep this article from becoming too lengthy, references are provided rather than listing them anew.
Proofs of Importation
The first step in granting a headright was to go to court and declare one’s importation. A summary of those from the Spotsylvania County Court records was given in Beyond Germanna, Volume 7, number 5. These usually mention when the claimant came. They are very good evidence even though it appears there were errors.
Patents and Grants
The date of the first patent (a land patent is evidence of right, title, and/or interest to a tract of land, usually granted by a central, federal, or state government to an individual) is evidence to be considered with other pieces of information. By itself, a patent does not confirm an arrival date for the grantee. A patent date which does not fit the pattern of the community is still a form of evidence to be considered. The known patent dates for German immigrants come from the original patent records and are widely reported, for example, in Beyond Germanna and in Germanna Record 18.
(As a general source of information on German immigrants of this time period, Germanna Record 18, The Second Germanna Colony and Other Pioneers, by John Blankenbaker should be consulted.)
An alphabetical list of people who were highly probable to have lived in the Robinson River Valley or Mt. Pony area of Virginia with their arrival date, if known, is given below. There are many people who are mentioned in the German Lutheran Church records who are not listed here on the assumption they were transient and not permanent members of the community. See J. Blankenbaker, “Hebron” Baptismal Records, and A. Mielke, J. Blankenbaker, “Hebron” Communion Lists.
“The” list:
Hans Conrad Amberger/Ambergey came alone in 1717 though he had departed with a wife Anna Catharina and a step-daughter Maria Magdalena. He was sued by Spotswood.
Hans Jacob Öhler/Aylor did not come in 1717 with his father-in-law, Hans Heinrich Schneider. His wife’s name was Anna Magdalena and they had two children, Georg Heinrich and Elisabetha Catherina born in Germany after 1717. Though his wife and children did arrive in Virginia at an undetermined time, there is no record of Hans Jacob in Virginia.
Herman Bach/Back arrived in Virginia in 1739 (NS) having left Freudenberg in 1738 and taken the ship Oliver for Virginia. He was Reformed in faith.
Andrew Ballenger was sued by Spotswood and the suit was dismissed 8 July 1724. The lawsuit tends to place him among the Germans who came in 1717 but information about him and his family is scarce. Members of the Ballenger family later married into some Germanna families but they are one of the families with early ties to both Germans and English people as was typical of the Mt. Pony settlers.
Christopher Barlow/Perlur (German spelling is uncertain) came in 1717 with his wife Barbara according to his proof of importation. No children were named.
John Battern was not a German but he married Rhoda Anne Cook who was a Germanna descendant. Therefore his descendants qualify as Germanna descendants.
Johann Frederick Baumgardner from Schwaigern was a cousin of Johann Michael Willheit, an early Virginia immigrant. Johann Frederick came in 1732 through Philadelphia on the ship Johnson. Apparently, he was a bachelor when he came since no marriage record in Schwaigern is known.
Johannes Becker (German spelling is uncertain) first appears in the Hebron Lutheran Church records in the Robinson River Valley in 1769. A Samuel Becker was living in Orange County next to Nicholas Christopher in 1739.
Daniel Beemon (German spelling uncertain but perhaps Böhme) appears in the Hebron Lutheran Church records in 1776. His parents may have been in the Robinson River Valley before this time.
Johann Adam Bender/Painter appears in the Hebron Lutheran Church records about 1776. Apparently he lived in the Robinson River Valley for a few years.
John Berry was probably not a German but there were many marriages in the Berry family with the Germans. The Berry name is well-known in Madison County today.
Henry Frederick Beyerbach/Beyerback bought land from Peter Weaver in 1742. His wife appears to be Anna Maria. Only one child, Anna Catharina, is known and she married a Jones.
Hans Balthasar Blanckenbühler/Blankenbaker came with is wife Margaret. They came in 1717 as witnessed by the headright list, lawsuit, and 1726 patent.
Hans Matthias Blanckenbühler/Blankenbaker/Pickler came with wife Anna Maria Mercklin and son Hans Jerg in 1717 as witnessed by the headright list, lawsuit, and 1726 patent.
Hans Nicholas Blanckenbühler/Blankenbeckler/Blankenbaker came in 1717 with his wife Apollonia Käfer and son Zacharias as shown on the headright list, his lawsuit, and 1726 patent.
Johannes Breuel/Breyhel/Broyles/Briles stated in his proof of importation that he came in 1717 with his wife Ursula (Ruop), and children Conrad and Elizabeth. Their son Jacob made his own proof of importation with the arrival date of 1717.
Valentin Bunger (perhaps Bungard in Germany) first appeared in the Robinson River Valley shortly before the Revolutionary War.
John Carpenter (probably Zimmermann in Germany) came about 1721 as a bachelor. He was a brother to William. In the civil records this family is always known as Carpenter. He and his brother William were both naturalized showing that they were not English.
William Carpenter (probably Zimmermann in Germany) stated in his proof of importation that he came into this country in 1721. He brought a wife Elisabetha.
Matthias Gessler/Castler and his wife Susanna Christina Schnell appeared to have come shortly after 1717 since he had a land patent in 1728.
Philip Chelf/Zelf/Jelf (perhaps Scheff in German) appeared in the Robinson River Valley about 1765. Probably he was a widower with children. A name on the return petition of 1717 might be the origin of the name Chelf.
Nicholas Christopher may not have been a German but the family is associated with the Germans.
Christian Clements (German spelling is uncertain) appears first to have been in the Shenandoah Valley about 1735 before he came to the Robinson River Valley.
Hans Michael Klaar/Clore appears on the Gemmingen departure list, on Spotswood’s headright list, in a lawsuit, and in a 1726 patent. He brought his wife Anna Maria Parva (Barbara) and children Andrew Claus, Agnes Margaret, and Hans Jerich.
Cofer. A family of this name lived in the southern part of the Robinson River Valley in the mid-eighteenth century. The name is recorded here because it might be derived from Käfer whose land was not far from the Cofer family.
Michael Koch/Cook came in 1717 with his wife Mary (perhaps Mary Barbara) Reiner from Schwaigern He is documented in several ways but the principal one is the headright list. He was also sued by Spotswood. They had a daughter Maria Dorothea baptized in London but she did not survive the trip to Virginia.
Joseph Cooper (German spelling is uncertain). He and his wife Barbara lived in the Mt. Pony area but their arrival time is uncertain. Several Germany families were associated with them.
Otto Rudolph Crecelius came to America between 1750 and 1765 and lived for a while in Philadelphia before he moved to the Robinson River Valley.
Laurentius Greyss/Crees and his wife Maria Euphrosina were earlier immigrants since he had a 1727 patent in Hanover County (as Lancelot Crest). By 1732 he had a patent in the Robinson River Valley.
George Frederick Crible landed at Philadelphia in 1743. By 1749 he had a grant adjacent to the Dutch Quarter.
Jacob Crigler (German spelling uncertain) rests his claim to being a member of the 1717 group on the fact that he was the first of the Germans to be sued by Spotswood. His patent date of 1726 helps confirm his claim.
Johann Theobald Christler/Crisler emigrated as a young boy to Pennsylvania in 1719 and he moved to Virginia about 1733.
John Hirsch/Deer/Dear came to Virginia about 1749.
Martin Hirsch/Deer probably came to Virginia in 1749. It appears both Martin and his brother John were bachelors when they came.
Conrad Delph/Delp/Telph/Telp (German spelling uncertain) married Anna Magdalena Castler about 1745.
Daniel Diehl (German origins and spelling are unknown) and his wife Elizabeth brought their daughter Marg, born in 1775, to the German Lutheran Church for baptism.
Benjamin Dikons/Dicken was probably English but he married Rosina Garr and they had Rhode baptized at the German Lutheran Church in 1777.
Michael Finder (German spelling uncertain) died intestate in Culpeper County in 1760.
Mark Finck/Fink/Finks appeared in Spotsylvania County in the early 1730s. Probably he was a bachelor when he came. He may have been accompanied by a younger brother.
Ludwig Fischer/Fisher perhaps came in the early 1730s. He was a bachelor and married Anna Barbara Blankenbaker.
Theobald Fite (his name is uncertain and appears once as White) and his wife Barbara sold land to John Zimmerman, Jr. in 1759.
Cyriacus Fleischmann/Fleshman and his wife Anna Barbara (Schön) came in 1717 with their son Peter and daughter Mary Catherine and her son Henry Schlucter. He appears on the headright list, was sued, and had a land patent in 1726.
George Daniel Flohr was a British auxiliary in the Revolutionary War. After returning home to England, he came back to America and studied for the ministry under Rev. William Carpenter. He never married.
Carl Simon Wrede/Frady was a British auxiliary who remained in America after the Revolutionary War. Apparently, he married someone from the congregation of the German Lutheran Church.
Jacob Franck was the pastor at the German Lutheran Church from late 1775 to late 1778. He was from Philadelphia.
John Fray (German spelling uncertain) bought land in 1764 from Adam Baumgarner. He married Rebecca Swindell.
Anna Mary Gabbard wrote her will in Culpeper County in 1761. Possibly she was a step-granddaughter of Johann Michael Willheit.
Andreas Gaar/Garr and his wife Eva Seidelmann came from Illenschwang in Bavaria to Pennslyvania in 1732 and moved to Virginia about 1733. Five children accompanied them.
The Garriott family has unknown origins though the arrival time was early, perhaps before 1734. Their members married many Germanna settlers.
John Gerhard came with his children Mary, Elizabeth, Daniel, and Catherine and is named in a 1740 Orange County record. The daughter Mary married George Blankenbaker.
Nancy Graves was a sponsor about 1764 for a child of Nicholas Yager and wife Elizabeth Crigler. Normally, at the German Lutheran Church, sponsors were relatives of the parents.
Daniel Gut/Good and his wife Elizabeth had Ludwig baptized in 1791. The Gut family may have originated in Switzerland in earlier generations.
Five members of the Hance family were used as headrights by Jacob Manspiel. Adam Hance wrote his will in 1746. The first names in the Hance family suggest they were German as does the use of their headrights by a German.
Hans Heerensperger/Harnsberger was born in 1688 in Switzerland and came in 1717 (per his headright application) with his wife Anna Purva (Barbara) and his son Stephen.
Jacob Hendricks (German spelling uncertain) attended the German Lutheran Church at least four times in the period 1775 to 1785.
Michael Hold/Holt came to Virginia as a 20 year old bachelor in 1717 with his mother Anna Maria and her new husband John Späth/Spade. Michael was sued by Spotswood and had a land patent in 1726. In Virginia he married Elizabeth Scheible.
Jacob and Joseph Holtzclaw were the youngest sons of 1714 immigrant Jacob Holtzclaw and they lived in the Robinson River community after marrying Thomas daughters.
Matthias House (German spelling is not certain) bought land in 1771 in Culpeper County. Probably he had three wives while living here.
Henry Hofmann/Huffman was a younger brother of 1714 John Huffman. Henry came in 1743 with his wife Elisabeth Catherina Schuster. Three daughters had been born in Germany at Eisern.
John Hofmann/Huffman came in 1714 as a member of the First Colony. His second wife was Mary Sabina Volck, the step-daughter of George Utz.
John Huffman who died in 1741 (in Orange County) is uncertain but there are suggestions he may have been related to the 1714 John Huffman.
George Hume/Home was from Scotland. Several of his descendants married Germanna people.
Philip Hoop/Hupp died in Culpeper County in 1761. His German name is found in villages around Neuenbürg. In America, the family married many Germans.
John Francis Lucas Jacobi married Johanna Friederika Lotspeich in London in 1764 and they lived in Virginia.
Frederick Kappler/Kabler/Cobler was in London in 1717 but he was one of the signers of the petition return to Germany. However, he came with his wife Barbara to Virginia in 1719 per his headright application and settled near his friend Christopher Zimmerman who came from the same village (Sulzfeld) in Germany.
Michael Käfer was not married when he came in 1717 per the headright list. He later married Anna Maria Blanckenbühler Thomas after her husband John died.
Wilhelm Kahl (German spelling uncertain) was from Eisern, the home village of the Huffmans, Railsbacks, and Steinseiffers. The earliest Virginia document was as a witness to a Culpeper will in 1760.
John Kines/Kaines/Kyner? patented land in the Robinson River Valley in 1736 next to John Huffman, Christian Clemons, and Edward Ballenger. He probably had been living here for a while by then for he appraised the estate of William Rush in 1735. A John Kyner was in the 1739 Orange County tithables with three tithables. There is a suggestion he was a member of the Reformed Church.
Andrew Kerker came in 1717 (proof of importation) with his wife Margaret and daughter Anna Barbara and was granted land in 1728. Though this date is two years after the many 1726 patents, Kerker’s land was surrounded by 1726 patents and must have been staked out at the same time as the 1726 patents.
Conrad Kinslow (German spelling uncertain but Kuntzly, Genessle, Kunzle are suggestions) came to Pennsylvania as a four year old in 1750. He married Rachel Barlow before 1772. The church records for Oberöwisheim and Neuenbürg have names that could have become Kinslow in America.
George Samuel Klug was the second minister at the German Lutheran Church. He arrived in America in 1738 or 1739 and married Susannah Castler soon after that.
John Paul Lederer/Leather/Leathers married Anna Maria Schlötzer in Schwaigern and they had one daughter there. The circumstances are unclear but he came alone to Philadelphia in 1733. He married Margaret Clore before 1751.
The Lehman family is named in the Lutheran Church records and in the civil records about the time of the Revolutionary War. They have an earlier history in Pennsylvania.
John Christopher Leyerele (many variations in spelling) arrived in Philadelphia in 1754 and were in Culpeper County by 1756 where his family lived for about ten years.
Henry and Elizabeth Lipp are the first known members of their family in the Robinson River Valley where they attended church in 1776. Children married other members of the community. The name Lipp or Lepp is found in the church records for Neuenbürg and Oberöwisheim.
John George Long/Lang said in his proof of importation that he came in 1717 with his wife Rebecca but this seems to be an error for he was one of the signers of the 1717 petition for funds to return to Germany. In 1731 he patented land in the Robinson River Valley. (I am inclined to the view that when he said he came in 1717 that he was thinking of when he first stepped on British soil which would be at London. I do not think he should be counted as a 1717 colonist in Virginia.)
The Lotspeich family originated in Frankenthal. The first member of the family was Friederick who married (1764) Francis Lucas Jacobi. Later two of her brothers, William and Christopher, came to Virginia.
Franky Majors married George Racer and they were in the church records after the Revolution.
Jacob Manspile (German spelling is uncertain) patented land in 1734 on Deep Run. He paid for the land with eight headrights apparently from Germans.
Johannes Marbes married Catherine Smith but she was unfaithful.
Matthias Mauck and his wife Barbara appear in deeds in 1772, 1774, and 1779.
Hans Michael Michlekler was in the Gemmingen departure list and he appears in the Spotswood headright list as Milcher with Sophia Catharina and Maria Barbara. There are a few differences in the names of other family members but on the whole it appears to be the same family. What happened to the family in Virginia is unclear. Perhaps he died and the name was lost or the family may have moved away at a very early date.
George Miller and his wife Maria Margaretha came to the Robinson River Valley about 1770. They have a family record in the Lutheran Church.
Henry Miller and his wife Susanna moved to the Robinson River Valley not long before the Revolutionary War. There are more records available for this family has than for his brother George.
Jacob Miller had a patent (1733) for land on the south side of Mt. Pony which was adjacent to Adam Yager.
John Motz came to Virginia in 1717 (headright application) with his wife Maria Apollonia Maubars. He was granted land jointly with John Harnsberger in 1726. He was one of two men sent to London in 1727 to secure a minister. After this date the records are scarce regarding John Motz.
Hans Georg Majer/Maier/Moyer was sued by Spotswood in 1724 with testimony from Robert Beverley’s son. Since George Moyer was not on the Spotswood headright list, this can be interpreted as indicating that Beverley, a partner of Spotswood, having paid for George Moeyer’s transportation. George Moyer had a wife Barbara.
Lewis Nonnenmacher/Nunnamacher married Barbara Blankenbaker by 1776. Though there are many details known for the family, the history is not entirely clear. The family name is found in Neuenbürg.
Johannes Eberhard Ohlshlager was deeded land in Culpeper County in 1768.
Philip Paulitz came in 1717 with his wife Rose and daughters Margaret and Catherine (proof of importation). He was sued by Spotswood but did not have a land patent. In 1729 he was deeded land by Nicholas Yager.
Peter Benninger/Pinnegar of Epfenbach was permitted to emigrate in 1751 with his wife and four children. After living in the Shenandoah Valley, he purchased land in Culpeper County in 1778.
The name Preiss, a phonetic spelling of Price, appears in the Lutheran Church records. The nationality of the name is uncertain.
Jacob Prosie was the administrator of the estate of Barbara Cooper in 1735.
George Adam Raüser/Racer/Rasor/Razor came to Pennslyvania in 1754. He married Margaret in America before he moved to the Robinson River Valley about 1774.
Henry Rehlsbach/Railsback came to Virginia in 1761 from Eisern so he was probably a member of the Reformed Church. He was a brother of John Railsback.
Johannes Rehlbach/Railsback came through Philadelphia in 1750 (seven consecutive names on the ship’s manifest were Creutz, Brumbach, Gitting, Shneyder, Weissgerber, Reesbach, and Jung). John Railsback married Elizabeth Thomas.
Hans Dieterich Reiner came with several adult members (wife Maria Margaretha, sons Eberhardt and Christian or Christopher, daughters Mary Magdalena, Margaret, and Sara) in 1750 to Philadelphia. They immediately went to the Robinson River Valley where relatives lived.
George Rückstuhl/Rookstool was born in 1744 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He married Susanna, maiden name unknown. Late in the eighteenth century, the family is found in the Robinson River Valley.
George Row/Rowe may be English but the name is very often found in association with known German families.
John Rausch/Rouse (German spelling and origin is uncertain) had a patent in 1728 in the Robinson River Valley.
Christian Rungo seldom missed a communion service at the Lutheran Church from 1790 to 1822.
Frederich J. Schad with his wife Catherina and their son Philip were residents of the Robinson River Valley when he became the organist at the Hebron Lutheran Church in 1804. He may have been a British auxiliary.
Johann Georg Scheible, his wife Maria Clara Ockert, and three daughters, Anna Martha, Anna Elizabeth, and Anna Maria were 1717 immigrants per the headright list, lawsuit, and 1726 patent. There were no sons.
George Schlatter/Slaughter had a 300 acre patent in 1734. Two adjacent patents were German and George Slaughter was probably German especially since he attended the Lutheran Church.
Henry Schlucter was the son of Anna Barbara Fleischmann by her second husband. Henry came in 1717 per the headright list
Matthias Schmidt/Smith came in 1717 with Katharine his wife. In Germany, Matthias had married Regina Catharina so there is a mystery here. Apparently, all three of their children (one born in London) died during the trip for they are not mentioned in the headright list. An alternate theory is that this is not the Matthias Schmidt of Gemmingen but another individual.
Hans Michael Schmidt/Smith, an older brother of Matthias, came in 1717 with his wife Margaretha Sauter and his son Michael (Jr.). Other members of the family who had left Gemmingen with them do not appear on the headright list. Margaretha’s name is given in one place as Anna Creda.
Hans Heinrich Schneider/Snyder married Anna Dorothea Schilling and they had one daughter who married Hans Jacob Öhler in Germany. The Snyder family came in 1717 (proof of importation) but the Öhler family did not come until later.
John Schneider/Snider may have been the John Schneider who left Nassau-Siegen and traveled to Virginia on the ship Oliver in 1738. He appears in the Robinson River Valley about 1742 and his eight children have estimated birth dates starting in 1740. Many of the associates of John were members of the Reformed Church.
Philip Snyder seems to have come through Philadelphia about 1750. He married Margaret Cook. He does not seem to be a brother of John Snyder.
Johannes Schwarbach was the pastor at the German Lutheran Church after George Samuel Klug. He resigned in 1774 saying that the work was too hard. He returned to Pennsylvania.
The Souther/Sauder family is indistinct. In the ancestry of known Germanna settlers there are Sauders but whether the Southers in the records are related to these is unknown. Henry Souther was granted 324 acres of land in 1748 on German Ridge.
Herman Spilman was the son of the 1714 colonist John Spilman. Herman lived for a while in the Robinson River Valley. He married Catherine Huffman.
Johannes Steinseifer came in 1749 with a large family. He was from Eisern and was good friends with Henry Huffman. The wives of the two men were Schusters.
Samuel Stigler, born about 1729, moved to the Robinson River Valley where he purchased land in 1765. His descendants married many Germanna people.
Johann Caspar Stöver, Sr. was the first pastor of the German Lutheran Church. He came to America in 1728 with an adult son of the same name and a daughter, Elizabeth Catherine, who married Johannes Kuntz in 1738 in Pennsylvania.
John Michael Stoltz was granted 400 acres in Hanover County in 1725. In 1732 he had a land patent for 291 in the Robinson River Valley.
Timothy Swindle/Swindell/Schwindel (the nationality of Timothy is unknown) married Rebecca Crees and their children married Germanna settlers.
Urban (Robert) Tanner left Germany with his wife and four daughters in 1709. He lived for a period of time in Ireland but came to Virginia in 1720 (headright application) by which time a son had been added according to the importation statement.
Johann Georg Dieter/Teter was born in Schwaigern, the home of many Germanna settlers. He married Mary Margaret Luttmann in 1720. They arrived at Philadelphia in 1727 probably with children. He had a patent in 1735 on the south side of the Robinson River.
John Thoma/Thomas with his wife Anna Maria Blanckenbühler, a son, John, and a daughter, Anna Magdalena, may have come in 1717 but there is no evidence for this except that every other member of her family came that year.
Christian Tivall is called a son-in-law of Andrew Garr in a warrant.
George Trumbo married Margaretha Utz and they had a child baptized at the Lutheran Church. They probably lived in the Shenandoah Valley though.
George Utz came in 1717 with his wife Barbara (Meyer) Volck. She was a widow with children when he married her and the family consisted of “her” and “their” children.
William Vinegunt/Weingard? had a 500 acre patent on the north end of the early German settlement in 1728. Little is known of the man or his family after this date.
John Paul Vaught and his wife Maria Catharina and their four children came through Philadelphia in 1733. He had a patent in 1735 for 640 acres.
Hans Martin Valk landed at Philadelphia in 1728 (the Stövers came on the same ship). In 1736 he had a patent with Tobias Willheit in the Robinson River Valley.
Thomas Wieland/Wayland and his wife Maria Barbara Seppach with two children, Jacob and Catherina, came early but in his proof of importation he failed to mention a date. He had a patent for land in 1728. He probably came about 1719. Members of the family are mentioned in the St. Mary le Savoy Church in England in 1717 so they could be some of the people who were delayed briefly.
George Weidman/Wayman emigrated from Nassau-Siegen in 1738 and survived, as a bachelor, the dangerous voyage on the ship Oliver. He lived in the Little Fork but three of his children lived in the Robinson River Valley where they married descendants of early arrivals.
Joseph Weber/Weaver married Susanna Klaar, i.e., Clore, in Gemmingen. The headright list is the last record in Virginia for Joseph Weaver where he is listed with three children, Hans Fredrich who became Peter, Maria Sophia, and Walburga. Peter purchased land in Virginia in 1734 and patented land in 1736.
Hans Jerich Wegman appears on Spotswood’s headright list with three females, Anna Maria, Maria Margaret, and Maria Gotlieb. The origins and eventual fate of this family is unknown. The father could have died and the females could have married in the community or the entire family might have left.
Johann Michael Willheit appears to have left Schwaigern in 1717 but there is no additional record until 1728 when he was granted 289 acres. His wife was Anna Maria Hengsteler. There were children. Most probably he did not arrive in Virginia until about 1719 or 1720.
The Wolfenberger family lived in the Robinson River Valley for a few years at the time of the Revolutionary War. The family had earlier origins in Switzerland.
John Yager, Sr. (also known as Piney Woods John) came into the Robinson River Valley from the Shenandoah Valley. The relationship between this family and that of Nicholas Yager is unknown but they are said to have some matching DNA.
Nicholas Yager (Jäger in German) came in 1717 (proof of importation) with his wife Mary Silber and two children, Adam and Mary.
Christopher Uhl/Yowell and his family were delayed in London from getting a ship to America. He was granted land in Virginia in 1728 so his delay was probably short lived.
Johann Leonhart Ziegler/Ziglar came through Philadelphia in 1732 and moved on to Virginia where he married Barbara Zimmerman.
Johann Christoph Zimmermann arrived with his wife Elizabeth Albrecht and two sons, John and Andrew, in 1717 per his headright application. He had several tracts southeast of Mt. Pony, the first in 1726.
Jacob Christoph Zollikoffer/Zollicoffer, a Swiss citizen, was a merchant in Virginia who lived not far from Germanna. He visited Europe in 1719 so he probably had been here for a while by then. He was a son-in-law of Christoph von Graffenried though he divorced his wife.
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