Bob Lotspeich sent me information on the Earnest family, whose involvement with the Germanna family is not that clear. What is known is that members of the Earnest family did marry members of the Lotspeich family, which is a Germanna family. But, first, let it be known that the Earnest family is holding a family reunion in Chucky, Greene Co., Tennessee, next summer. At that time, they will be donating many files and pictures to the Greene Co. Historical Society.
There are Earnest family members at the German Lutheran Church, now known as Hebron, in Madison Co., VA. Two of the earliest mentions were Jacob and Christina, apparently not a husband and wife, who communed in 1796. In 1805, Anna Maria and Elisabeth were confirmed, and they appeared for a few times up to 1809.
I do not vouch that the following information relates to these Hebron appearances, or even that the evidence here is internally consistent, or possible. Hans Ernst married Verena Krebser in Switzerland in 1642. Their eldest son, Felix, was born 1705. This does not look possible, and most likely a generation has been lost. Felix married Elsbeth Weidmann, in 1729. This couple left for America in 1742, and both of them died on the trip. Their children, Heinrich and Anna, landed at Norfolk, Virginia, and were bound out. [That they landed at Norfolk would need some good evidence, and it is not a probable disembarkment point in 1742.] Heinrich was about 12, and Anna was about 10, when they were bound out. After this time, Heinrich and Anna never saw each other again.
Heinrich, now Henry Earnest, served in the French and Indian War. He married Mary Stephens, daughter of Lawrence Stephens. They moved to Greene County, Tennessee, then a part of Washington County, North Carolina. They settled on the south bank of the Nolichucky River, near the mouth of Big Limestone Creek, about a mile from Earnest's Bridge. Henry and Mary are known to be the parents of two children, Felix and Mary.
This last Felix married Sarah Oliphant in 1808. She was the daughter of John Oliphant.
I will not give any more of the information on the Earnest family in Tennessee, which is extensive. We do know that some members of an Earnest family lived in the Hebron community as noted above. They are unplaced as to their origins, and may have nothing to do with the Tennessee Earnests. What I have presented here is done in the hope that it might evoke responses which would help identify the Hebron family further.
[Gene Wagner has changed his web page. The new URL is
http://genelea.hypermart.net/gerhist/index.htm
.]
(03 Dec 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.