John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 1946

The Memorial Foundation of Germanna Colonies in Virginia Incorporated came into existence on 8 February 1956.  It has published a series of booklets and books on family and general history.  There are several points that would not withstand a critical evaluation in the general history, but I will skip over the publications and go to the most recent writing as expressed in its web page at www.germanna.org .

One statement in the history says,

"When Baron de Graffenried returned to Europe, Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood requested him to recruit for him some German miners.  Graffenried persuaded 14 individuals with families totaling 42 persons from the town of Siegen and Muesen in the principality of Nassau-Siegen, Germany to come to Virginia."

There are several objections to this statement.

1. When Graffenried did arrive in London, he found the Germans were already there.  (Had he sent an email to meet him there?)  He was unable to help them, and he writes that he recommended that they go back to Germany.  This, in itself, seems to belie the statement that he was recruiting them.  Do recruiters say, "We don't want you; go home!"?

2. Graffenried said that he had written to the Germans and told them not to come, as the mines had not been found.  There was no work for them.

3. Expressing his opinions while he was in London, Graffenried wrote that it was impossible to assist so large a number.

4. That the Germans were being sent to Virginia was a surprise to Spotswood (see his letter to Blakiston on the subject).  If you are recruiting people, should you be surprised if they accept your offer?

5. Spotswood did make a statement in a letter to the Board of Trade that,

"These Germans were invited some years ago by the Baron de Graffenried."
But Kemper misinterpreted the intention of the invitation.  The Germans were being recruited by Albrecht to work in a silver mine that Michel had thought he had found.  They were not invited by Graffenried to work in a mine for Spotswood.  Kemper is mentioned because the Foundation's statement is a variation of the statements that Kemper wrote.

Another statement on the Germanna Foundation web page is,

"The First Germanna Colony arrived in Virginia at Tappahannock in the spring of 1714, and then came up the Rappahannock River where they settled 20 miles west of Fredericksburg at a location that would be called Fort Germanna."

R. T. Green wrote a variation of this, but he gave no source for the statement.  It is even doubtful that it is correct, because the Captain was to collect 150 pounds of money from Spotswood and he would have gone to where he would expect to find Spotswood.  The captain would not have discharged the Germans until he had his payment, as they were his security for the payment.
(10 Aug 04)

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.