In discussing the villages in Germany from where our people came, we have reviewed the homes of the 1714 Colony and the villages of the people on Spotswood's importation (for the 1717 Colony). This does not exhaust the 1717 Colony, but before I go on to some of the other names, let me repeat two families on the importation list. The Wegman family consisted of Hans Jerich, Anna Maria, Maria Margaret, and Maria Gotlieve, on Spotswood's list. Johni Cerny and Gary Zimmerman found this family at Zaberfeld, mentioned previously as the home of the Käfers, Michael and Apollonia (the wife of Hans Nicholas Blankenbaker). The mystery about this family is what happened to them after they arrived in Virginia. There are two theories. Cerny and Zimmerman suggested that George Wegman died and the balance of the family married into other families. We already have more than one example of this in the Second Colony, and another instance would not be unusual. I have wondered if the family didn't feel that they were under no compulsion to stay in Virginia. By moonlight they may have set out for Pennsylvania, their original destination until they were shanghaied.
Spotswood's list also recorded the arrival of Hans Michel Milcher (perhaps Milcker), Sophia Catharina Milcher, and Maria Parvara Milcher. This family was recorded in Gemmingen by the pastor, where he gave the family as Hans Michael Mihlekher, Sophia Catharina, Anna Margaretha, Anna Catharine, and his wife's sister. Unlike the Wegman family where the head of the family was older, this family was a young family. Again, we do not know what happened to the family in Virginia. The possibilities are the same as for the Wegman family.
Including the two families that I have been talking about, the German origins of all of the people on Spotswood's importation list have been found. This does not include all of the Second Colony people but it does include those who have excellent credentials due to the importation list or due to the Gemmingen's pastor list. We will continue, after the century break in these notes, with the homes of other candidates for membership in the Second Colony.
The information that we have been discussing is due to many people who have contributed. Many private individuals, doing their own research, have found individuals in Germany. I have mentioned Margaret James Squires. Another one that I know is Mary Mickey who did so much in Schwaigern. Others contributed also, and some people hired professional researchers. Using some of the known results, Johni Cerny and Fred Zimmerman conducted an extensive research in the region known to be the home of some of the families. Their results were reported in the Before Germanna booklets. Other individuals, using their results, have reviewed the records and found that improvements and corrections could be made.
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.