Sandra Yelton wishes me to emphasize that Andreas Mielke contributed to the research in the German churches in London. In the last feature article on the germanna.com web site, he was given as the lead author of that work. But to go even further, I will restate that he has found more, previously unknown, documents pertaining to the history of the Germanna Colonies than anyone.
After this note, there will be a short break in them due to the needs of family affairs. Perhaps they will resume next week.
In discussing the history of the Second Colony and its relationship to the so-called Third Colony which, I believe, is a misnomer, I have always been troubled by the fact that these slightly-later immigrants knew that the Second Colony was in Virginia. Given that communication was very slow in those days, how did the 1719 immigrants know that the 1717 immigrants were in Virginia? After all, the 1717 Second Colony immigrants had all planned to go to Pennsylvania.
We have seen in some earlier Notes that some Germans were in London in 1717, but they did not go on to Virginia until 1719. Some of these people petitioned for the expenses to return to Germany, and it appears that King George did agree to this. Still, if George did pay their way to Rotterdam, which is what the documents suggested, how did they pay their way from Rotterdam to the villages from which they departed? Or did they never leave London?
I am inclined to think some of them may have remained in London. Contact with the 1717 departees might have been maintained through the St. Mary’s Church, which was a focal point for the Germans.
What we do know is that the history of the Second Colony, and the others who followed almost immediately after them, was not simple. (The same could also be said of the First Colony, whose sojourn in London was also confused and uncertain.)
All of these early Germans must have had their doubts in London as to whether they would see the new world. This is a terrible situation to be in, not to know what is coming next. Uncertainty plagued them at most of the steps. We would do well to remember them for keeping their objectives in sight and persevering in their endeavors.
(07 Jun 06)
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.