John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 2086

[continuing in the middle of the letter from Ziegenhagen to Francke, written 20 September 1726]

"The oral explanation that these 2 people [Cyriacus Fleshman and John Motz] give, that is, as they say, in the name of all of the rest, consists in that they want to give him as much land [as is needed] to plant tobacco for 30 pounds sterling, which is certainly an unpleasant handiwork for a preacher.  Your Honor will thus be so good and give me information if the preacher who one year ago resolved to go to Virginia is still in Halle and of the sense, or if another is there, or to be found, who will decide upon this condition to go thither.  I shall not neglect to try that we annually may gain something at the collection in our court chapel for the support of such preacher, so that he will not need to bother himself with the tobacco trade.  Wherewith I recommend the divine Grace and remain Yours, [. . .] F. M. Ziegenhagen"
Apparently the deputies made an impression as paperless (undocumented) and penniless delegates.  One might wonder why they had not learned from their Reformed neighbors and Zollikoffer's impressive use of references.  They may have had little ink, pen and paper, and may not have been able to write well, to be sure, but they fibbed a little here because they claimed to have written four times to Ruperti ­ a contradiction the benevolent court preacher Ziegenhagen overlooked.

Ziegenhagen wrote another letter on 4 November 1726 to Francke with more details about the two delegates:

"Your very Honored [letters] dated 13th October also 16th October I have correctly received but a little late because of the wind being contrary for 2 months.  In my last letter I reported a few points concerning our Virginia deputies that somewhat give our view of the matter.  To this date I have not doubted their honesty and that they were sent here by the congregation there.  The crown princess [Carolina of Anspach] has seen them and given them each 2 guineas, as has the king [George] given each 2 guineas, because they fed on the ship a strange animal that the Governor [Drysdale] there has sent to the king as a present.  Of man-eaters, according to these peoples' testimony, there are none in Virginia, at least not at their place.  Should it thus be possible for your Honor to get a Subject [preacher] for this lost congregation, you would prove a great benefit to them and I would wish that the earlier such a Subject could make himself ready for the journey the better.  The longer! they lie here in London the more money it costs them, which money is then not available for the congregation.  If one could make them work here until then [the arrival of the preacher] that would be a great relief to their living expenses, but until now it has not turned out that way."
[The translation of these letters was by Andreas Mielke.]
[to be continued.]
(08 Apr 05)

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.