We were introduced to John Harnsberger in the last note, who was baptized in the Evangelical (Protestant) Reformed Church of Bussnang, Thurgau, Switzerland on 1 April 1688. He came in 1717 to Virginia with his wife Anna Barbara and son Stephen. We presume that he was married at the time to Anna Barbara. John would have been 29 years old at the time, so Stephen was probably very young.
This information, and more to be given, comes from Wanda Miller Cunningham who generously gives credit to John Echols Hansberger and Robert Torkelson for their contributions. Mr. Torkelson is responsible for the Swiss information and I expand upon that now.
Hans Heerensperger (to use his name in Switzerland) was the seventh child of Jacob Heerensperger, who had been born in April 1648 in Affeltrangen, Thurgau, and of Maria Hoerdlin, who been born ca 1655 in Switzerland. Jacob's parents are Hans Jacob and Susannah Wohnlich. The parish book of Bussnang lists seven children from 1673 to Hans in 1688.
The name Heerensperger gave both Englishmen and Germans alike some trouble as to its spelling. Early variations are common and sometimes it is hard to know if a name is to be identified with Heerensperger. Two of the most popular variations that have evolved are Hansberger and Harnsberger.
John Harnsberger was not sued by Spotswood nor was John Motz. However, from the date they gave for their importation, it would appear probable that they were members of the Second Germanna Colony. Also, they had a joint land patent in the Robinson River area (Hebron) on the same date as many Second Colony members did. Usually, a joint patent indicates some relationship between the men, perhaps through one or both of their wives. In this case, no relationships are known.
Sidetracking to discuss John Motz, very little is known about the man. His marriage record is in the Lutheran Church of Bonfeld, Baden for 28 Feb 1716. He too was a young man but the information from Germany does not help solve the riddle connected with him. He must have died early for he does not appear in the Orange Co. tithables for 1739. From later records, he may have left a daughter Elizabeth who married Philip Nelson. If it is true that he left only one child, a daughter, this may be the reason that so little is known about him.
Anna Barbara Harnsberger died and John married Anna Magdalena Aylor, a widow, some time after 30 Nov 1742. The will of John Harnsberger, dated 15 Jan 1759, probated in Culpeper Co. on 20 Mar 1760, mentions Anna Magdalena, grandchildren John, Barbara, Elizabeth, and Margaret Harrensparger, children of Stephen by his first wife Agnes; leaves a small bequest to Stephen; mentions "my wife's children" Henry Aylor and Elizabeth Tanner.
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.