Christopher Zimmerman filed for a proof of importation in 1727 at the Spotsylvania Courthouse in which he said he came with his wife Elizabeth and sons John and Andrew. The birth of John at Sulzfeld is recorded in the church books, but Andrew's birth is not recorded at there. The proof of importation is the only record for Andrew in Virginia. We presume that he died at an early age in Virginia, but he might have lived up to the time of his father's will in 1748. This, though, is very improbable, as he would have been about thirty years of age and probably a parent himself. Christopher would surely have recognized any heirs of Andrew. Since he did not, there probably were not any heirs of Andrew (nor was there any Andrew).
The Andrew Carpenter who married Barbara Weaver was the son of John Carpenter, who lived in the Robinson River Valley. Christopher Zimmerman lived twenty-five miles away (plus or minus) from the Robinson River Valley. Incidentally, William Carpenter, brother of John Carpenter, said that he came in 1721 when he filed a proof of importation. Christopher Zimmerman said that he came in 1717. Christopher Zimmerman never had a land patent in the Robinson River area.
The statement that Andrew Zimmerman married Barbara Carpenter, the daughter of the Rev. William Carpenter, is wrong. Rev. Carpenter was only a teenager during the Revolution, and he did not become a Reverend until about 1791. The correct statement is that Andrew Carpenter, son of John Carpenter, married Barbara Weaver. (John Carpenter was the uncle of the Rev. William Carpenter.) Any references to Andrew Zimmerman at the church or otherwise should be read as Andrew Carpenter. No one knows now where the "Carpenter" family came from in Germany.
None of the members of the Christopher Zimmerman family ever adopted the name Carpenter. William and John Carpenter were apparently Zimmermans in the beginning, but, almost from the very beginning in America, they adopted the name Carpenter. In their minds, there was never any doubt about what name they were using in America. At the church, where they liked to use the German form of names, they were sometimes, but not always, called Zimmerman.
John, the son of Christopher Zimmerman, was born in 1711, by Christopher's first wife. He did move from the Mt. Pony area, where his father was living, to the Robinson River Valley. There he married Ursula Blankenbaker, the daughter of John Nicholas Blankenbaker. When the Revolution erupted, John Zimmerman was 66 years of age. It is doubtful that he served any military duties. He might have sold some supplies to the Americans. (He might also have sold some supplies to the British.) When Christopher gave land to his children, it was in Culpeper County.
(22 Oct 01)
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.