*[Es ist kalt.]
So far we have counted about 80 candidates as members of the Second Colony and we have left some favorites out. There are a few more names that should be counted from Spotswood’s Headright List. Surely, when he said “seventy-odd” he would have been counting all the names on his head right list.
The names from his Headright List that we have not counted are:
Michael Milcher, Sophia Catharina Milcher, and Maria Parvara Milcher. This family was from Gemmingen and was named in the departure list. Even in Gemmingen, the spelling was erratic. The members of the family who left there were Michael, his wife Sophia Catharina, Anna Margaretha, Anna Catharina, and the wife’s sister. The Maria Parvara (Barbara) in the List could be a baby or might be the wife’s sister (even though her surname was not the same as her sister). Apparently, the two daughters in Gemmingen died on the trip. In any case we have to count three for the family.
Another family in the Headright List was Hans Jerich Wegman, Anna Maria Wegman, Maria Margaret Wegman, Maria Gotlieve Wegman. The origins of this family are unknown. We have to count them as four though.
This additional seven brings our total to 87 which exceeds Spotswood’s “seventy-odd”. So we have to return to our original list and see where we can cut out about ten people. That is an unpleasant task as it is bound to irritate people.
A document in London says that 200 were returned to Holland in the fall of 1717. Since the Germans who did make it to Virginia that year (old style) were quite late, I would expect that these 200 people might have included many relatives and friends. We know some of the people on this list did make it to Virginia slightly later. Whether they made it back to Holland (and perhaps to Germany) is uncertain. I believe the document only says they petitioned for the fare back to Holland and it is not clear whether they did get their fares paid. I suspect they remained in England waiting for opportunity to go to America. So, many of these people did leave in 1717 but did not make it immediately. I am inclined to favor calling the Second Colony as those who arrived in the period 1717 to 1719. The so-called Third Colony was merely the stragglers from those who left in 1717.
I have been surprised that my recent notes have not evoked more comments and opinions.
*[It is cold.]
(16 Feb 07)
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.