[These notes will follow Graffenried for a while using the material he wrote on his return to Switzerland after his American experience. It is not easy to follow his writings because the "obvious" interpretation of his remarks is not always the correct one. This note explores one such example taken from the German version of his story. Remember that the quotation was written after he returned from his American adventures.]
"After I had, at the end of my travels, been living in England for two years, and had made such advantageous and eminent acquaintances in that country during the reign of Charles II that I had remained I might have made a considerable fortune, at that time I informed myself, partly from oral and partly from written accounts, and more recently from a more accurate report, and especially after I heard through a citizen of this city, who had lived in America five or six years, what fine lands there were and how cheap, what liberty, what great, good, and increasing trade, what rich mines and other advantages there were, and had been told what fine rich silver mines he had discovered and found, and when I considered that I was burdened with rather heavy debts which I had contracted even before my travels, due, in part, to a venture which turned out badly for me and for several other gentlemen, to sureties, to great expenses incurred during my candidacy, to hard times during the tenure of my office, (for I did not wish to flay the peasants); hard times due partly to the newly made reformation; and, in addition to all this, the troubles of Neufchatel and the attendant lack of prosperity coming on, the way to a better office was cut off."
[From the opening phrases, one might conclude that Graffenried lived in England for two years after he returned from America since the "end of my travels" would surely include the trip to America. Such a conclusion would be erroneous. As a very young man, about 1680, Graffenried had lived in England for two years (during the reign of Charles II). Thus the opening sentence of his report mixes events from around the time of 1680 with events that might be inferred to have occurred in 1713 or later. The sense of time is not evident in Graffenried's writing. This had led students of his life astray in their conclusions. As an example, some commentators have said that he recruited twelve miners on his way from Switzerland to London and they base this on his remarks. (To do this would be totally impractical.) What has happened is that Graffenried was not careful with his sense of time. Eventually twelve miners were recruited, not by Graffenried, but by an agent.]
The German version continues,
"Moreover, on account of the newly made reformation it would be a long time before I could hope for even a small office. In the meantime I had been blessed with a big and sturdy family and I was impelled to do something to satisfy the creditors and to help my family. I took strongly into consideration the fine propositions of the above mentioned citizen [Michel] and consoling myself with my old and new friends of rank in England, and relying upon them, I finally took a firm resolution to leave my Fatherland and to see if fortune would be more favorable to me in England. Not to be detained by the creditors and my own people, I began my journey secretly, leaving my father to take charge of my debts and business."
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.