Hans Conrad Amberger was born in Germany (at Bönnigheim), in 1683. He married, in 1714, Anna Catharina Schuhnig, who was the widow of Hans George Rohleder. She had one daughter by Hans George, Maria Magdalena Rohleder. Conrad and Anna Catharina had two children in Germany, who died very young. In Virginia, Conrad Amberger was known to be married to a Barbara (maiden surname unknown), and she was perhaps the mother of John Amberger, who was born about 1727, although John's mother could have been either Barbara or Anna Catharina. What happened to Conrad’s stepdaughter, Maria Magdalena, is unknown.
Some of the land records in Virginia have been mentioned. Several of the land records were made after the "Great Fork" of the Rappahannock River (between the Rapidan and the Rappahannock) was declared to be a part of the Northern Neck (about 1743). As a consequence, the procedures were slightly different in acquiring land, and a different set of records exists pertaining to the process of acquiring land. The Warrants and Surveys have been published by Peggy Shomo Joyner, and they suggest that there was some connection between the Kilvey (Kilby), Towles, Kennerly, and Amberger families.
In fact, one of the surveys shows 400 acres had been surveyed in 1737 (?) for Mary Margaret Amburger/Ambargo. The reverse of this survey carries the notation, "Mary Margaret Ambargo is now the wife of Thos. Kennerly." The placement of this Mary Margaret within the Amberger family is unknown. Since Conrad had come in 1717, and children of Conrad and Anna Catharina were born up to 1717 in Germany (though they died), this Mary Margaret would either have to the Maria Magdalena, the stepdaughter of Conrad, or a daughter born in Virginia. She might have been a young widow of an Amberger son who is otherwise undetected. At the present all that we can say is that she is a link between the Amberger and Kennerly families. The land that she was acquiring was on Deep Run and Devil’s Run, adjoining Joseph Bloodworth and Conrad Amberger.
I do not have the original of the survey before me, but the date 1737 above may be in error, as the Northern Neck was not extended into the Great Fork until after this date. Probably, the 1737 date should read 1747. Perhaps someone can clarify this for us (see volume 5 of Joyner).
The four families, Kilby, Towles, Kennerly, and Amberger also seem to be tied together by these surveys:
John KILVEY (1747), 400 acres on Deep Run, adjoining Joseph Bludworth.
Chain carriers: Thomas Kennerly, John Ambargo (Amberger).
Marker: John Towles.
John TOWLES, late from Middlesex, (1747) 300 acres joining John Kilvey (Kilby, surely).
Chain carriers: Kennerly and John Ambargo.
Thomas KENNERLY (1747) 499 acres on branches of Deep and Devil’s Runs adjoining Jos. Bloodworth, Samuel Coleman, Conrad Amberger, John Vaught.
Chain carriers: John Amburger and John Towles.
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.