When Alexander Spotswood repatented his 28,000 acre tract, he used the headrights of 48 German immigrants. From his comments, reported here earlier in a letter to Col. Harrison, we understood that he was a partner with several individuals in land speculation. He had been expecting to get the land for free, but that is another story. He had to pay, and the headrights were a partial payment in accordance with the law. Since some of the individuals were on the Gemmingen list, it is assumed that all of these names on this list are 1717ers. The names may be found in Virginia Patent Book 15, p. 378ff. The immigrants, structured into families were:
Since Spotswood said there were seventy-odd people, this list of names is only about two-thirds of that number. Presumably the balance of the names had their transportation paid by the other partners.Pale (Paul or Balthasar) Blankebuchner, his wife Margaret.
Mathias Blankebuchner, his wife Anna Maria Blankebuchner,
son Hans Jerich B.Wolf Michel Kefer.Hendrich Schucter.
Hans Jerich Chively, wife Maria Clora,
daus. Anna Martha, Anna Elizabeth, Anna Maria.Michel Cook, wife Mary.Henry Snyder, wife Dorathy.
Hans Jerich Otes (Utz), wife Barbara, son Ferdinandis,
step-daughters Sylvania and Anna Louisa (Volck or Folg).Joseph Wever, wife Susanna Wever,son Hans Fredich, daus. Maria Sophia, Wabburie.Michel Cloar, wife Anna Maria Parva, son Andrew Claus,dau. Agnes Margaret, son Hans Jerich.Hans Michael Smiedt, wife Anna Creda Smiedt,son Hans Michael Smiedt.Hans Jerich Wegman,Hans Nicholas Blankebuchner, wife Applona,Anna Maria Wegman, Maria Margaret Wegman, Maria Gotlieve Wegman (relationships unknown).son Zachariahs.Coz Jacob Floschman, wife Anna Barbara,son John Peter, dau. Maria Catharina.Hans Michel Milcher (perhaps Milcker), wife SophiaCatharina, (unk) Maria Parvara Milcher.
Combining the Gemmingen list with this does not come close to the seventy-odd names. Therefore, it is necessary to look at other clues which we will in following notes.
In the list above, there were more blood relationships than even appears from the names. Anna Barbara Fleshman was the mother of all three Blankebuchner men, plus Henry Schucter, and also Peter Fleshman, and Catherine Fleshman. She was also the mother of Anna Maria Blankebuchner, who had married John Thomas, and was to marry later Michael Kaifer in Virginia.
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.