Dates and other information gleaned from the web page “My Southern Family” retrieved October 30, 2007 from http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mysouthernfamily/myff/d005....
The following is from the web page “Second Germanna Colony, Apr 1717” retrieved October 30, 2007 from http://www.progenealogists.com/palproject/va/1717germ.htm.
“This emigrants left their villages in southern Germany (Baden and Württemberg) about 12 Jul 1717 enroute for Pennsylvania by way of London. Starvation took the lives of several of the passengers (probably 50 people perished, most of them children) who had been swindled by their captain who was retained in London. The ship held about 138 passengers and did not land in Pennsylvania but to Virginia where the passengers were sold as indentured servants to Governor Spotswood.
“The base for this reconstructed list comes from:
• Before Germanna by Gary J. Zimmerman and Johni Cerny
• ÄThe Second Germanna Colony of 1717, Other Germanna Pioneers, the So-called Third Germanna Colony of 1719, and Late Comers to the Hebron Church Community" by B.C. Holtzclaw in The Germanna Record (1965) 6: 51-74.
“Research by Zimmerman & Cerny has shown that several who were thought to have come to Virginia in 1719-1720 were actually more likely part of the 1717 group. The strongest evidence for this is the absence of any references to each of these families in Germany after 1716 and the fact that they would have left from others from the same town at that time. These families include the following:
• Matthias Gessler (Castler) Family
• Friederich Kappler (Cabler) Family. Although he stated in Apr 1724 that he came to this country with his wife in Jan 1718. It is likely that he was off by a year and came with others from Sulzfeld, Baden in 1717.
• Thomas Wieland (Wayland) Family
• Johann Michael Willheit (Wilhoit) Family
• Christopher & Nicholas Uhl (Yowell) Families
“Name, Age (as of 1717), [extracted from full list online]
• Hans Balthasar Blankenbühler, 34; Anna Margaret [nee ?] [name variation as] Blankenbaker
• Hans Matthias Blankenbühler, 32; Anna Maria (Merkle); Georg, 2 [name variation as] Blankenbaker
• Johann Thoma, 31; Anna Maria (Blankenbaker), 30; Johann Wendel, 5; Anna Magdalena, 2 Thomas; Brother-in-law to above Blankenbaker. [name variation as] Thomas”
The following is from the web site “Germanna History” by John Blankenbaker, retrieved December 5, 2007 from: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~george/johnsgermnotes/germhs92.html.
“Nr. 2280
“I will start a discussion of the immigrant, John Thomas, who presumably came in 1717, though there is no positive proof of it. The young Thomas family may have been among those who were temporarily stranded in London.
“John Thomas was born as Hans Wendel Thoma[s] in Neuenbuerg on 17 April 1712, to Johannes Thoma and Anna Maria Blanckenbuehler. His mother was almost 25 years old when he was born. Normally we would think that the boy would have been called Wendel since that was his calling name. Perhaps he preferred Hans to Wendel, a rather uncommon name. In Virginia, he became John.
“Neuenbuerg is in Baden-Wuerttemberg today. Before these two states were combined into one, Neuenbuerg was in Baden. Prior to that, throughout the Eighteenth Century, it was in the lands belonging to the (Catholic) Bishops of Speyer. Neuenbuerg was on the edge of the Bishop’s domain and about two miles away there was a Protestant church in Oberoewisheim to which the Blankenbuehlers went. Since there are two Neuenbuergs, only about twenty miles apart, the Neuenbuerg where the Blankenbuehlers lived was in the Kraichtal district northeast of Bruchsal. The Rhine River is just to the west a short distance.
“A daughter, Ursula, was born to Johannes and Anna Maria Thoma on 8 Nov 1714 and she died the same day. About a year later, another daughter, Anna Magdalena was born on 24 Nov in 1715. The family that emigrated consisted of the father and mother with two children. In Virginia (presumably, but perhaps on the trip), Margaret and/or Michael were born. In Virginia, the father Johannes Thoma died before the time that the immigrants took up their land. Anna Maria married secondly Michael Kaefer, by whom she had five surviving children. The will of Michael is a tremendous help in determining the family for he names his children and his wife’s children.
“Anna Magdalena married Michael Smith, Jr. Margaret married Henry Aylor. That Margaret married Henry Aylor was only determined in recent years. The confusing factor was the will of Michael Kaefer where the spelling is atrocious. The families of the two girls, Anna Magdalena and Margaret, are well known.
“Michael was married twice and the tradition is that he was the father of twenty-five children, not all of whom are identified. For unknown reasons, the families of John Thomas (as he became known in Virginia) and Michael Thomas are not in the German Lutheran Church of the Robinson River Valley. (30 Mar 06)
“Nr. 2281:
“John Thomas (born Hans Wendel Thoma) was married at least twice as appears from deeds where there is a wife’s name. The first known wife was Mary and the second was Sarah, both surnames are unknown.
“Some have speculated that Mary was a Vaught based on a land sale from John Paul Vaught to John Thomas. This is very weak evidence. It is true that John Paul Vaught came with his wife and five children on the ship Charming Betty in 1733. The ship’s roster is more complete than usual and gives Johan Vogt, 53, Andreas Vogt, 12, Casper Vogt, 8, Maria Vogt, 46, Catherine Vogt, 18, and Maria Vogt, 16. One factor against Maria as the wife of John Thomas is that Maria is not mentioned in her father’s will nor are any children of hers mentioned. There is no evidence for her existence beyond her arrival in Philadelphia.
“In May of 1735, John Thomas was issued a patent for 400 acres in the Great Fork, for which he paid with the head rights of three people, Robert Turner, Mary Turner, and Parva Turner plus 25 shillings. Robert Turner was a mistake for Robert Tanner. He testified that he came in 1720 with his wife Mary and five children, Christopher, Christianna, Katherine, Mary, and Barbara (Parva). In this same year, 1735, Robert Tanner was issued a patent for 200 acres for which he paid with the head rights of four people, Catherine Turner, Mary Turner, Christopher Turner, and Christianna Turner. (None of these people had to be living at the time their head right was used.) Thus, John Thomas was using three of the head rights that Robert Tanner did not use. Robert could have sold the extra head rights or given them to John Thomas.
“Very often, head rights were used within the family. For example, when John Carpenter took up 150 acres of new land in 1733, he paid with the head rights of Andrew Kerker, Margaret Kerker, and Barbara Kerker. These were his parents-in-law and their daughter, his wife.
“I have wondered if the wife Mary of John Thomas was Mary Tanner. Unfortunately, husbands of the Tanner daughters are unknown except it does appear that Katherine married Richard Burdyne. There is no evidence for the husbands of Barbara (who did not marry Peter Fleshman as some have guessed), nor of Christianna or Mary.
“We know only, for sure, that John Thomas’ wife in 1742 was a Mary, for in that year he sold his interest in a 156 acre tract to his brother Michael. Whether Mary was a Vaught, Tanner, or another surname is not known and the best answer is to note the uncertainty of pinpointing her name. (31 Mar 06)
“Nr. 2282:
“The land transactions of John Thomas are instructive and interesting in themselves. First, he and his brother Michael had a patent for 156 acres in the midst of patents to Blankenbakers, Scheible, and Fleshman. At the time this patent was issued in 1726, John Thomas was fourteen years of age and Michael was perhaps about seven years old. Probably, had the authorities known the ages of John and Michael, there would have been objections raised. More exactly, they would have demanded guardians for the boys. This land, in the newly formed Spotsylvania County was free so no payment for it is recorded.
“Two years later, John Thomas took another 400 acres. He was sixteen years old at this time. This aggressive action was continued in another 400-acre tract in 1735. This is the patent in which he paid for the land by the three head rights of Tanners, plus 25 shillings. When he was less than 23 years old, he was the owner of almost a thousand acres of land.
“In 1742, John Thomas released his rights in the original tract of 156 acres to his brother Michael. When he sold, John’s wife was Mary.
“In 1745, John Thomas bought 470 acres of land from John Paul Vogt (Vaught) and Mary Catherine, his wife.
“In 1747, John Thomas transferred 200 plus acres to Margaret Aylor, his sister.
“In 1760, John Thomas gave 109 acres to Jacob Holtzclaw (Jr.) who had married John’s daughter, Susannah. This same year John also gave 90 acres to Jacob Blankenbaker who had married Mary Barbara, another of John’s daughters. In 1762, John gave Joseph Holtzclaw 96 acres. Joseph has married Mary, another daughter of John’s. At about this same time there was a sale of land to John Railsback but this will be deferred until the next Note.
“In 1762, John Thomas and his wife, Sarah, sold a parcel of land (100 acres) to Michael Smith. This tract came from the Vaught tract. Michael Smith was John’s brother-in-law who married Anna Magdalena Thomas.
“In 1771, John Thomas and Sarah, his wife, sold 68 acres to Zachary Smith, a son of John’s sister Anna Magdalena. Also, this same year, John and Sarah Thomas sold 124 acres on Deep Run to Michael Smith. (03 Apr 06)”
--------------------
Johannes and his bride Anna Maria Blankenbaker were married on November 18, 1711 and had three
children prior to their emigration. Hans Wendel Thoma was born April 17, 1712. He had two sisters
Ursula and Anna Magdalena.
Johannes and Anna Thoma immgrated to the United States in 1717. They travel with Anna’s brothers and
their families on a ship called the Scott with Captain Tarbett at the helm. Captain Tarbett was from London
and the ships’ destination was Pennsylvania. Captian Tarbett sold the passengers into indenture to
Lieutenant Gouvenor Spotswood of Virginia. By 1722 many of the Germans were embroiled in law suits
with the Lieutenant Govenor and by 1725 they have moved on to the Robinson River Valley of Virginia.
For reference, please visit The Germanna Society Webpage at http://www.germanna.org/history. The
Germanna DNA project can be found at
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/GermannaDNA/default.aspx.
Note the list of original settlers from the Germanna Colony at , http://www.germanna.org/original_settlers.
Hans Wendel Thoma lives in the Robinson River region of Virginia . He marries Mary and has five
children, four girls and Michael Thomas. Michael was born about 1745 in Culpepper County Virginia, and
died in Rockingham County North Carolina in 1817. After Mary passes away, Hans marries Sarah and has
four boys. Their names are Lewis, Jesse, Joel and William Madison Thomas. From this point forward in
history, Hans is known as John Thomas. Hans has accumulated upwards of 1550 acres of land and leaves
each son about 300 acres.
Hans/John
Evangelical Church records Neuenburg - Ortssippenbuch for Oberoewisheim-Neuenbuerg.
On 17 April 1712 there was born and baptized on the same day the baby Hanss Wendel Thoma, The parents were Johann Thoma and Anna Maria (who we know was
born Blankenbuehler.) The sponsors at this baptism were Hanss Wendel Neideck of Oberoewisheim and Maria Eleonora the wife of Hanss Jerg Schaiblin. The
Schaiblins were Germanna immigrants in 1717.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ID: I7232
Name: John Wendel THOMAS
Surname: Thomas
Given Name: John Wendel
Sex: M
Birth: 17 Apr 1712 in Neuenberg,Baden , Ger.
Death: BEF 1785 in ,Guilford,N.C.
_UID: DB7E2F907B41D511BD9EBDC3D79617314A62
Note:
Hi all, I am usually pretty wound up in Michael Thomas and his sons but wanted to introduce you to one of the sons of Hans(John) Wendel Thomas and his second wife -- William Madison Thomas. I did not know of this connection until DNA testing proved the Rockingham Co. NC Thomas relationship. Anyway, meet William Name: William Madison THOMAS Sex: M Birth: 20 JAN 1763 in Culpepper Co, VA Marriage 1 Agnes Nancy CARUTHERS b: 1774 in North Carolina Married: 19 JAN 1792 in Elbert Co, GA Death: 27 NOV 1835 in Franklin Co, GA Burial: Thomas Family Cemetery, Banks Co, GA Military Service: Revolutionary War - North Carolina No. 6279, B.L. Wt. 26102-160-55 Note: He was one of the first members of Hebron Presbyterian Church in Banks County, Georgia From "Early Families of the North Carolina Counties of Rockingham and Stokes with Revolutionary Service" ... Compiled and Published by members of James Hunter Chapter National Society Daughters of American Revolution of Madison, North Carolina, 1977: As a resident of Guilford Co, NC, William Thomas stated in his application for pension on 3 Sept 1832, living at that time in Franklin Co, GA, that he served a tour of 3 months as a private in Aug 1777 under Capt. John Leak in the regiment of Col. James Martin; that in Aug 1778, he served 3 months as a private under the same officers. He was also entitled for a tour under Capt. Ralph Chapman and Col. Lytle but was taken sick and furloughed home. He served for 10 weeks under Capt. Richard Vernon in Oct 1781 and was engaged in routing out bands of Tories in the surrounding counties. William Thomas stated that he was born in Culpeper Co, VA . He moved to Elbert Co, GA in 1784 and to Franklin Co, GA in 1788. 1827 Georgia Land Lottery, Franklin County Residents Sec: 2 Dist: 5 Lot No.: 145 William Thomas -- R.S. (Revolutionary Soldier) Residence: Franklin County Capt. Dist.: Hudsons County of Draw: Muscogee County 18th Day's Drawing - 27th March 1830 Census, Franklin Co, GA, pg. 220 Males: 2 @ 15-20 1 @ 60-70 Females:1 @ 15-20 2 @ 20-30 1 @ 40-50 Recorded 11 December 1835 Franklin County, Georgia I William Thomas of the County of Franklin and State of Georgia being of sound mind and memory, but knowing the certainty of death, that it is appointed once for all men to die, do make ordain and publish this my Last Will and Testament, revoking all former wills and making void the same - heretofore made by me; and first I direct my body to be decently buried, and my soul to them that gave it, and also all my just debts paid off. The 2nd item in my will is that my three youngest daughters be given a good horse or beast to be of the value of Eighty dollars, as soon after my decease as profitable. Also my will is that my three daughters, that is Sarah, Mary and Anny Thomas have two hundred dollars given to them to be equally divided after taking off twenty dollars from the two hundred and putting to the raising of the last horse; and also my will is that my three above named daughters be given two feather beds and furniture each. Thirdly, my will is that my son Madison H. Thomas have all that part of my land below the Creek that is Gun Creek on the South Side of the Grove (trees or River) joining Martin's land to his only proper use and benefit forever. Fourthly, my will is that my beloved wife Nancy Thomas have and keep in possession the balance of all my landed property, negroes, stock of every kind, household and kitchen furniture of every description, whatever, during her natural life and then and not till then my will is that everything of every description be sold and divided equally amongst all my children --- And I do hereby make and ordain my son Madison H. Thomas Executor and my beloved wife Nancy Thomas Executrix of this my last will and Testament -- In witness whereof, I William Thomas, the testor, have to this last will and Testament set my hand and seal this the thirty first day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty five. William Thomas (Seal) Signed Sealed and delivered in the presence of us, who have subscribed in the presence of each other: Gabriel Martin M.H. Thomas Sarah Thomas After his death, Agnes Thomas applied for a pension of the Revolutionary War service of her husband . She was living in Franklin Co, GA (Pension File #W-6279; B. L. Wt. 26102-160-55). In her application she submitted the family Bible records of their children -- birth dates and whom they married. The Thomas Family Cemetery is located near Thomas' bridge Hwy 59, Banks County, Georgia. Note: William and his 3 brothers -- Joel, Jesse and Lewis along with his 1/2 brother Michael all served in the Rev. War for NC. Joel, Jesse, Lewis and William all served in Capt Vernon's company. Known in Va. as John Thomas Jr. M first to Mary Tanner (no Proof by John Blankenbaker) either 3,4,or 5 children. m 2nd to Sarah ? but it is doubtful if 2nd wife had any children.
I have a Johann Paul Vaught and Maria Katherina Unknown's daughter, Mary Catherine Vaught (b. 1715 in Germany, d. bef. 1760 in Virginia) married to a John Hans Wendel Thomas. Is this the same family? Thank you, Joleen
In the context of Nancy Dodge's original email, this John Thomas is probably "Hans Wendel Thomas" who bought land of John Paul Vaught. Children of Michael Thomas, brother to John Thomas, would not seem to be old enough. John
Colonial Militia, Culpepr Co 1756 Foot soldiers; John Thomas, John Cave and Cornelius Mitchell among others. Apparently Benjamin Cave was born in Culpeper,1760, served in the Rev War and relocated to Guilford Co NC for awhile where his brother William CAVE lived. Then we have Jesse Thomas, brother to William Thomas who was born 1763 in Culpeper and went to Guilford Co where he sold land with a clear title in 1787 that John Thomas had bought in 1777. Jesse married into a Mitchell family in NC as did his children So who are these CAVEs and MITCHELLs. Any chance that Sarah, the second wife of John Thomas was actually a CAVE. If they were English perhaps that is why the children are not in any of the German Virginian Church records.
Joel Thomas sent me a copy today of John Thomas naturalization papers. I am not sure that I am spelling of the names correctly and feel that most of you have this record BUT just in case someone does not have the exact wording. If I have the names wrong please send me a correction so I will have it saved correctly Andrew GARR, John Adam GARR, Lawrence GARR, Lawrence GRAYS -- (has a line after his name which is at the end of the line) Duvald CHRISTLER, (Has a small V like an insertion over the comma), Martin VALLICK, John ZENIORMAN (has a dot over the i and looks like an s on it's side under the dot), Peter FLESHMAN, Zachariah BLANKENBUELER, John ZIMMIERMAN alias CARPENTER, John THOMAS, Christopher UHL (mark which must mean and) Frederick BOMGARDMENR, German protestants having produced a Certificate under the hand of George Samuel KLUG, Minister of teh German Congregation in Orange County that they within two months last past had received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, prayed that they might partake of teh benefit of an Act of Parliment made in the thirteenth year of the Reign of our Soverign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain <nowiki>-------</nowiki>(looks like Franco) and <nowiki>-------------</nowiki>(looks like Ireland) being Defender of the faith : Instituted an Act for naturalizing such foreign protestants and others therein mentioned as --- settled or shall settle in any of his <nowiki>-------------</nowiki> Colonies in America then their <nowiki>------</nowiki> ordered that they take the oaths appointed by Act of Parliament to be taken instead of the oathes of allegiance of Supremacy of the abjuration oath and subscribe the <nowiki>----------</nowiki> which they all <nowiki>--------</nowiki> did accordingly between the hours of nine and twelve in teh forenoon and it is there further orderd that the Clerk give them a Certificate of the having taken the <nowiki>-----</nowiki> oaths and subcribed the <nowiki>-----------</nowiki>. Sorry that I am having trouble with some of the wording so if any of you have deciphered it more completely please pass it along. I received at one time a note that John Thomas naturalization records said the he was from the Bishopric of Speyers. Does anyone have anything with that type of documentation. He was naturalized in 1742. This act of Parliament was passed in 1740 according to the notes that I got and you had to have lived in the area for 7 years. All help appreciated. Take care. Marilyn GNEOLOG@aol.com
Children of Hans Thomas and Mary are: 7 i. Susanna Thomas. She married Jacob Holtzclaw Abt. 1758. 8 ii. Mary Thomas, died Aft. 1763. She married Joseph Holtzclaw. 9 iii. Mary Barbara Thomas, died Bef. 1785. She married Jacob Blankenbaker Abt. 1751; born Abt. 1725 in Virginia; died 2 January 1801 in Kentucky. 10 iv. Elizabeth Thomas, born 1740; died 1817 in Preble County, Ohio; buried inPottinger Cemetery, Preble County, Ohio. She married John Railsback 1760; baptized 16 September 1731 in Eisern, Nassau-Siegen, Germany; died 1810 in Preble County, Ohio; buried in Pottinger Cemetery, Preble County, Ohio. 11 v. Michael Thomas. 4. Anna Magdalena Thomas was born 24 November 1715 in Neuenbürg, Baden, Germany. She married Michael Smith, Jr., son of Hans Michael Schmidt and Anna Margaretha Sauter. He was born 1712, and died 1785.
In a message dated 3/22/2007 4:35:20 P.M. Central Standard Time, cathiclorefrost@comcast.net writes: 2. Hans Wendel Thomas was born 17 April 1712 in Neuenbürg, Baden, Germany, and died Bef. 1782. He married (1) Mary ___. She died Bef. 1760. He married (2) Sarah ___ Bef. 20 November 1760. DNA now shows that Hans Wendel -- this is just basic info. I have not entered all of the other particulars -- had another wife and more children. Descendants of Hans (John) Wendel Thomas 1 Hans (John) Wendel Thomas b: April 17, 1712 in Neuenberg, Kraichtal, Baden-Wutttemberg, Germany d: Bef. December 04, 1787 in Probably Rockingham County, North Carolina . +Mary m: Bef. February 22, 1741/42 in Virginia ...... 2 Mary Barbara Thomas d: Bef. 1790 .......... +Jacob Blankenbuhler b: January 18, 1724/25 in Virginia ...... 2 Elizabeth Thomas .......... +John Railsback ...... 2 Susannah Thomas .......... +Jacob Holtzclaw ...... 2 Mary Thomas .......... +Joseph Holtzclaw ...... 2 Michael Thomas b: Abt. 1745 in Culpeper County, Virginia d: 1817 in Rockingham County, North Carolina .......... +Barbara *2nd Wife of Hans (John) Wendel Thomas: . +Sarah m: Bef. November 20, 1760 in Probably Culpeper County, Virginia ...... 2 Lewis Thomas ...... 2 Jesse Thomas ...... 2 Joel Thomas ...... 2 William Thomas b: 1763 in Culpeper County, Virginia Note: DNA from descendant of this William matches my brother who descends from Abraham, nephew of Hans. They both match with a descendant of the 1745 Michael listed above also. Take care. Marilyn
Lewis, Jesse, Joel and William sons of Hans Wendel Thomas and his second wife served in Rev. war from NC Michael Thomas, brother of Hans Wendel, and his older sons, Henry, Samuel, John, Jesse and Abraham served in Rev. War from Ky Note: all eligible males of the THOMAS family served in the Rev. War. . Marilyn
I did want to mention that Hans Wendel Thoma/Thomas died in North Carolina rather than in Virginia. He left Virginia about 1771 and is next found in Guilford County, NC (now Rockingham County, North Carolina). Hans died before December 1787 when his sons begin selling the land that he had bought. He had 4 sons with his 2nd wife -- Lewis, Jesse, Joel and William. I'll fill in the blanks with a descendant chart as soon as I collect all of the info. Just wondering where the name of Michael came as a calling name for his father, Johannes?
All of his known children were born before he left Culpeper Co., VA about 1774 or so and they all went to Guilford (now Rockingham) Co. NC. He was married twice -- maiden names unknown -- first to Mary and second to Sarah. Five known sons went to NC with him -- Michael from his first wife and Jesse, Joel, Lewis and William from his second wife. They all served in the Rev. war for NC -- even William who was only about 16 years old. Michael and Lewis stayed in Rockingham Co., NC and the rest went to Georgia in the late 1790's -- Wilkes, Elbert, Franklin (now Banks) Counties. Joel died in Elbert Co about 1797 or so leaving only a daughter, Susannah. Jesse and William and their descendants remained in the the Franklin Co., GA area to the present time. from Marilyn at gneolog@aol.com
THOMA, Hans Wendel b: 17 APR 1712 in Neuenbürg, Enzkreis, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, GER d: BEF 1782 in , Culpeper Co., VA (Spotsylvania Co.-1721; Orange Co.-1734; Culpeper Co.-1749; Madison Co.-Jun 1793) Correction-- He died between 1779 - 1787 in Rockingham County, NC gneolog@aol.com
On 17 April 1712 there was born and baptized on the same day the baby Hanss Wendel Thoma, The parents were Johann Thoma and Anna Maria The sponsors at this baptism were Hanss Wendel Neideck of Oberoewisheim and Maria Eleonora the wife of Hanss Jerg SCHAIBLIN. Johannes Thoma and Anna Maria brought Anna Magdalena born 24 November 1715 with Hanss Wendel Neideck of Oberoewisheim and Martha SCHAIBLIN(in) single as sponsors. This Hans THOMA is later known as John Thomas and went from Culpeper Co., VA to Guilford Co., NC after 1771. His children married into the Holtzclaw (two children), Blackenbaker and Railsbeck lines Anna Magdalena married into the Hans Michael Schimdt/Smith line -- Their children married into Christler, FishbackHoltzclaw, a Thomas cousin, lines. Looks like they all pretty much stuck to the German community. Lots of girls that their husbands are unknown Take care. Marilyn
Guess I'll just ask for all the sons in law of John Thomas --what happened to the land that John gave them Jacob Blankenbaker got 90 acres. Named as adjoining land in a 1787 deed in Culpeper and on tax list of Jefferson Co., KY in 1800. He also got 165 acres deeded to him in his father's will. What happened to this? John Railsback got 2 parcels 110 and 104 acres. Sold the 104 acres to Jacob Holtzclaw in 1764 (When did Jacob sell this 104 acres?) John Railsback sold 209 acres in 1778 to Huffman (where did John get the other 100 acres?) Joseph Holtzclaw got 96 acres in 1762. What are the particulars when this land was sold. He also had 374 acres (that I assume was in Prince William Co) from the will of his father. Jacob also had 200 acres from the will of his father that I again assume was in Prince William Co. Does anyone have the sale of these parcels in Prince William Co. Was Joseph Holtzclaw born in Prince William Co and died in Culpeper Co? All help appreciated. Take care. Marilyn following is also from Marilyn:
Here is what I have on Hans so that you can get an idea. Christened: April 17, 1712,Evangelical Church records Neuenburg -Ortssippenbuch for Oberoewisheim-Neuenbuerg. Court records 1: 1746,Orange Co., VA Witnessed will of Matthias Blankenbecker (his uncle) Court records 2: August 06,1747, Orange Co., VA acted as "marker" for a survey for John Sneider DNA Match: 1685,Spotsylvania Co., VA to ancestral- Johannes Land Purchase 1: June 24,1726, Spotsylvania Co.,VA Patent- John and Michael Tomer (brothers) of St.George Parish, 156 acres, Forks of the Rappahannock,both sides of Robinson River Patent Bk 12 pg 475 Land Purchase 2: September28, 1728, Spotsylvania Co., VA Patent, 400 acres Great Forks of the Rappahannock, DB 14 page 97 Land Purchase 3: March 24,1733/34, Spotsylvania Co., VA Grant for headrights - 400 acres Great Forks ofthe Rappahannock Land Purchase 4: February27, 1743/44, Orange Co., VA Deed - 470 acres from Vaught Great Forks of theRappahonnack DB 9 pg 259 Land Purchase 5: November10, 1778, Guilford Co., NC Warrant #523 - 640 acres Heads of Whetstone Creek Land Purchase 6: November13, 1779, Guilford Co., NC Warrant # 112 - 640 acres both sides of Sharps Creekof Dan River DB 2 page 74 Land Purchase 7: October1782, Guilford Co., NC Warrant #708 - 100 acres both sides of Tomlins Fork Land Sale 1: February1741/42, Orange Co., VA John/Mary original patent to Michael Thomas (hisbrother) DB 7 page 98 Land Sale 2: March 22,1746/47, Orange Co., VA John to Henry Aylor, (brother in law), 400 acres DB 11pg 43 Land Sale 3: November 20,1760, Culpeper Co., VA Gift to Jacob Blankenbaker (son in law), 90 acres, DB Cpage 441 Land Sale 4: November 20,1760, Culpeper Co., VA Gift to Jacob Holtzclaw (son in law) 109 acres DB C page439 Land Sale 5: November 20, 1760, Culpeper Co., VAGift? and Saleto John/Sarah to John Railsbeck (son in law), 110 acres and 104 acres DB C pg 432 Land Sale 6: April 10,1762, Culpeper Co., VA John (planter)/Sarah to Michael Smith (brother in law)100 acres, originally from Vaught, DB C pg 702 Land Sale 7: April 15,1762, Culpeper Co., VA Gift to Joseph Holtzclaw (son in law) 96 acres DB D pg 1 Land Sale 8: October 19,1769, Culpeper Co., VA John/Sarah to John Finnell 96 acres (this land was soldin 1799) DB F pg 10 Land Sale 9: 1771, CulpeperCo., VA John/Sarah 70 acres to John Hartsbarger DB F page 240 Land Sale 10: October 21,1771, Culpeper Co., VA John/Sarah to Michael Smith (brother in law) 124 acresBk F pg 345 Land Sale 11: November 18,1771, Culpeper Co., VA John/Sarah to Zachary Smith (nephew) 68 acres Bk F page345 Naturalization: April 19,1745, Orange Co., VA German protestant from Bishopric of Speyers, Order Book,BK 3 pg 313 Residence: Bet. 1717 -1771, Spotsvania/Orange/Culpeper Co., VA Tax records 1: 1739, OrangeCo., VA Mr. Fry's Quarter Tax records 2: 1764,Culpeper Co. VA Rent rolls I am TRYING to catalog the Thomas (and collateral) lines into events by locations and would like to think that I am through with all of the VA records. When each of you get time, could you browse through your notes to see if you have ANY reference -- to any of these people I have taken out those who left the area. names include THOMAS, BLANKENBAKER, RAILSBACK, HOLTZCLAW, SMITH, BARLER/BARLOW, MARBES, BERRY, CHRISTLER, OYLER/AYLER VA and KY and PA in that early time period are giving me nightmares -- What the area was then as compared to where it is located today -- counties not even in exixtance any more, counties in different states now. FUN. Anyway, thanks for any help. Take care. Marilyn ...... 2 Hans Wendel Thoma/John Thomas b: April 17, 1712 in Neuenbürg, Kraichtal, Baden-Württemberg, Germany d: Bef. July 03, 1785 in Rockingham County, North Carolina .......... +wife of John Thomas Mary m: Bef. 1737 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia d: in Culpeper County, Virginia .............. 3 Mary Barbara Thomas b: 1737 in Orange County, Virginia d: Bef. 1790 in Culpeper County, Virginia .................. +Jacob Blankenbuhler/Blankenbaker b: January 18, 1724/25 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia m: Abt. 1751 d: January 02, 1801 in Jefferson County, Kentucky .............. 3 Elizabeth Thomas b: July 16, 1742 in Orange County, Virginia d: 1817 in Preble County, Ohio Burial: Old Pottinger Cemetery, Preble County, Ohio .................. +Johann Heinrich Rählsbach b: September 16, 1731 in Eisern, Seigen, Nordrhein-Westphalia, Germany d: 1810 in Preble County, Ohio Burial: Old Pottinger Cemetery, Preble County, Ohio .............. 3 Susannah Thomas b: October 10, 1745 in Orange County, Virginia d: October 10, 1821 in Mercer County, Kentucky .................. +Jacob Holtzclaw b: February 17, 1737/38 in Prince William County, Virginia m: 1758 d: October 21, 1812 in Mercer County, Kentucky .............. 3 Mary Thomas b: Bef. 1747 in Orange County, Virginia d: Bef. 1766 in Culpeper County, Virginia .................. +Joseph Holtzclaw b: January 06, 1734/35 in Prince William County, Virginia m: Bet. 1760 - 1762 d: January 24, 1835 in Madison County, Virginia ...... *2nd Wife of Hans Wendel Thoma/John Thomas: .......... +wife of John Thomas Sarah m: Bef. November 20, 1760 in Culpeper County, Virginia ...... 2 Anna Magdalena Thoma/Thomas b: November 24, 1715 in Neuenbürg, Kraichtal, Baden-Württemberg, Germany d: Bet. 1762 - 1771 in Culpeper County, Virginia .......... +John Michael Smith, Jr. b: April 1712 in Gemmingen, Helibronn, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany m: Abt. 1732 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia d: 1785 in Culpeper County, Virginia .............. 3 Maria Elizabeth Smith b: Abt. 1740 in Virginia .................. +Adam Barlow/Barler b: Unknown m: Abt. 1759 in Culpeper County, Virginia .............. 3 Catherine Smith b: Abt. 1741 .................. +John Marbes .............. 3 Susannah Smith b: Abt. 1744 .................. +John Berry b: Abt. 1725 in Culpeper County, Virginia m: Abt. 1762 in Probably Culpeper County, Virginia d: Abt. 1797 in Madison County, Virginia .............. 3 Anna Magdalena Smith b: Abt. 1751 in Culpeper County, Virginia d: January 10, 1824 in Madison County, Virginia .................. +John George Christler b: Abt. 1738 in Culpeper County, Virginia d: April 13, 1818 in Madison County, Virginia ...... 2 Anna Margaret Thomas b: Abt. 1718 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia d: Aft. 1778 .......... +Georg Heinrich Öhler/Henry Aylor b: October 03, 1718 in Botenheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany m: Abt. 1744 in Orange County, Virginia d: 1806 in Madison County, Virginia -- really need help with this line .............. 3 Henry Ayler, Jr. .................. +Barbara Carpenter .............. 3 Abram Ayler .............. 3 Jacob Ayler ...... 2 Michael THOMAS b: Abt. 1720 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia d: October 05, 1799 in Fayette County, Kentucky .......... +Catherine/Possibly Wayland m: Abt. 1738 in Orange County, Virginia d: Bet. 1759 - 1768 ...... *2nd Wife of Michael THOMAS: .......... +Eve Susannah Hart b: Abt. 1750 in Germany m: Bef. January 17, 1769 in Culpeper County, Virginia d: 1829 in Lewis County, Kentucky Burial: Holly Creek Tributary/Kinnoconick, Lewis County, Kentucky On 17 April 1712 there was born and baptized on the same day the baby Hanss Wendel Thoma. The parents were Johann Thoma and Anna Maria, whom we know was born Blankenbuehler. The sponsors at this baptism were Hanss Wendel Neideck, of Oberoewisheim, and Maria Eleonora, the wife of Hanss Jerg Schaiblin. "the mother-in-law of Maria Eleanora (nee Ockert) was Catherina Neudeck (or Neideck) who was Nicolaus Schaiblin?s second wife. "
.
Change Date: 11 Jun 2012 at 01:00:00
Father: John THOMAS b: 29 Dec 1685 in Neuemburg,Baden,Germany
Mother: Anna Marie BLANKENBAKER b: 5 May 1687 in Neuenberg,Baden, Ger.
Marriage 1 Mary TANNER b: ABT 1712
Married: ABT 1729
Children
Has Children Mary Barbara THOMAS b: ABT 1733 in ,Orange,Va.
Has No Children Michael THOMAS b: ABT 1734 in ,Culpeper,Va.
Has No Children Mary THOMAS b: ABT 1737 in ,Orange,Va.
Has Children Elisabeth THOMAS b: 16 Jul 1742 in ,Orange,Va.
Has Children Susannah THOMAS b: 10 Oct 1745 in ,Culpeper,Va.
Marriage 2 Sarah b: ABT 1730
Married: ABT 1760
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&am...
--------------------
=== GEDCOM Note ===
== '''Biography''' ==
{{German Roots Sticker}}Hans was born to parents [[Thoma-161|Johannes Thoma]] and [[Blankenbuhler-2|Anna Blankenbuhler]] on 17 April 1712 and was baptized on the same day according to his baptism record. <ref>Baden, Germany, LutheranBaptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1502-1985 Ancestry.com 2016. Ortssippenbuch for Oberoewisheim-Neuenbuerg. On 17 April 1712 there was bornand baptized on the same day the baby Hanss Wendel THOMA, The parentswere Johann THOMA and Anna Maria. </ref>
Hans (John) came to the Colony of Virginia and settled in the Second Germanna Colony in 1717 with family, extended family and friends who immigrated from Germany. 1717 Colony - Up to 1734 these Germans lived in Spotsylvania
Co., first at Germana, later on Robinson River Region, which
became Orange Co. in 1734, Culpeper Co. in 1748 and Madison Co.in 1792. <ref> WILLIAM AND MARY QUARTERLY. Volume 26 #2 p. 84, The German Colony of 1717</ref>
Hans had twelve children with two wives.
Although no marriage record has been found, Hans (John) Thomas and first wife Mary (Unknown maiden name) had their first child about 1735. They were known to be married by 24 FEB 1742 when the wife of John was listed as Mary on a warranty deed.<ref> Orange County, Virginia Deed Book 7, pp. 98-102 John Thomas and Mary, his wife to Michael Thomas.</ref>
The children of Hans and Mary are:
# Mary Barbara Thomas (1735-1788) b. Orange County, Virginia
#Mary Thomas (1737-1770) b. Orange County, Virginia
#Elizabeth Thomas (1740-1817) b. Orange County, Virginia
#Susannah Thomas (1745-1821) b. Orange County, Virginia#Michael Thomas (1755-1817) b. Culpeper County, Virginia (birth date approximate - he was born sometime before 1755)
The second wife of Hans was Sarah (maiden name unknown). Again, there is no marriage record. It is known that John and Sarah were married before 21 November 1760 when the wife of John Thomas was listed as Sarahon a warranty deed of this date.<ref>Culpeper County, Virginia. Deed Book C, pages 432-434, 20 November 1760. "John Thomas and Sarah his wife".</ref>
The children of Hans and Sarah are:#Lewis Thomas (1755-1817) b. Culpeper County, Virginia (birth date approximate - born sometime between 1755 and 1760 when his brother, Jesse, was born)
#Jesse Thomas (1760-1845) b. Culpeper County, Virginia
#William Madison Thomas (1763-1835) b. Culpeper County, Virginia
#Zachariah Thomas (1770-1836) b. Culpeper County, Virginia
#Joanna Thomas (bef 1775-1820) b. North Carolina
#Ezekiel Thomas (1776-1850) b. North Carolina
#Joel Thomas ( -1793)
Hans died before 23 July 1785 in Guilford County, North Carolina. July 23 1785 Sold. North Carolina, Gulford County. Jesse Thomas (son) sold 156 acres to Tuberfield Barnes. This was the first date for sale of Hans' land by his sons with a free and clear title.
Hans evidently left a will but it is now missing from the probate court records. There are, however, a few references to his will."Reference to Zachariah and the missing will. Lewis, Zachariah, Joanna(Annie), William, Jesse and Joel all had about 150 acres of land thatthey sold. ( in addition to the large 750 acres that William, Joel and Jesse sold) Hans probably bought the land for Michael that was next to him and Lewis lived on land in Rockingham that there is no bill of sale for.The following deed was found Rockingham Co., NC which references a will for John Thomas:
August 8, 1797 Recorded November 1809 Book N page 223 and 224Lewis Thomas bought from James Galloway for 21 pounds -- in part of 300 acres of land being the two lots laid off for Annie and Zachariah Thomas on consequence of John Thomas's will. Witness John Menzie. Signedby James Galloway, surviving partner of Charles Galloway.Lewis Thomas from Elizabeth Galloway -- receipt from Lewis Thomas for 2 different payments of 24 pounds Virginia by which is entered in bookof Charles Galloway and appears to be full price of 300 acres of landpurchased of James Galloway." Information provided by Marilyn Hansen's research.
Purchase and sale of John's property"Guilford County, Deed Book Two 1779-1784," compiled by William Doub Bennett, abstracted by Timothy Kearney, 1993, privately published, Raleigh, North Carolina.
13 Nov 1779John Thomas received "640 acres at 50 shillings per acre on the head waters of Whitstone Creek of Dan River, beginning at his own corner black oak, east 256 poles to a white oak, south crossing a branch 400 poles to a spanish oak, west 256 poles to a post oak, north 400 poles tothe first station. Signed. Rd. Caswell. Witnesses, Wm. Sheppard, Jno. Frank. [Grant #201] "page 27, original Deed Book page 90.
Same piece of property as above:November 4, 1787 Sold North Carolina Rockingham Co. NC B/159 Jesse Thomas, Joel Thomas and William Thomas to Charles Galloway and Co. for 100 pds Virginia money 750 acres on the headwaters of Whetstone Creek ofthe Dan River. <ref>"Guilford County, Deed Book Two 1779-1784," compiled by William Doub Bennett, abstracted by Timothy Kearney, 1993, privately published, Raleigh, North Carolina.</ref>
Connection the children of Hans:
In Franklin County, Georgia Johanna Thomas Nail/Neal (Annie from the missing will) and her husband sold land to Jesse
DB H/93 December 10, 1792 recorded December 20, 1792 Franklin Co., GAFrom John Naile (Neale, Neal) and wife, Johanna to Jesse Thomas all ofFranklin Co in consideration of 25 pds conveys 143 3/4 acres on Gum Log Creek being part of 287 1/2 granted to Gideon Davis in June 1788 and conveyed to Naile in June 1792.
John and Johanna Thomas Neal lived next to JesseFranklin Co., GA PP-28: 9 April 1805, Julian Neal and wife Mary of Franklin Co. to John Neal of same, $1600, 400 acres in Franklin Co. on afork of Gum Log Creek, adj. Jesse Thomas, Elias and Josiah Burgess, Christopher Denman, James Denman, Benjamin Barton and William Carter, known by the name of Smith's old place, and being where said John Neal now lives, being part of four grants made to Smith, Philpot and Davis;/s/ J. Neal, Mary Neal (X); wit. H. McDonald, Burrel Whitehead.
===DNA===William Anderson Thomas is the 8th Great Grandson of Albrecht Thoma proven by Thomas DNA Project Kit #195900 [http://thomasdna.org/ThomasDNASite/resultsfull.aspx Thomas DNA Project Kit Results]. His lineage is:
:William Anderson Thomas
:[[Thomas-32045|Zachariah David Thomas]]
:[[Thomas-32036|William Anderson Thomas]]
:[[Thomas-32048|Zachariah D Thomas]]
:[[Thomas-32049| William M Thomas]]
:[[Thomas-26131|Jesse Thomas Sr]]
:[[Thoma-194|Hans (John) Wendel Thoma/Thomas]]
:[[Thoma-161|Johannes Thoma]]
:Albrecht Thoma
:The full Thomas/Thoma Pedigree is at [http://thomasdna.org/ThomasDNASite/pedigreefull.aspx?KitNum=195900 William Anderson Thomas' Pedigree]
Thoma Thomas family group 29 - Haplo E-M35. Haplogroup - E1b1b1b2a1a3
==Research Note==There is not a known LNAB for either of John's two wives, Mary and Sarah. There have been maiden names attached to each of them: Tanner for Mary and Vaught for Sarah. There is no proof that either of these names are correct. Maybe there should be an extensive DNA study of matchesfor as many descendants of the two wives as possible which might point to a correct maiden name. As of now (january 2019) there is absolutely no documentation for a name for either one so those wives have beenremoved from this profile.
== Sources ==
<references />
*https://germanna.org/things-to-do/research-your-germanna-roots
*http://germannacolonies.org
*https://germanna.org/2019/06/12/germanna-record-18-the-second-germa...
*http://secondcolony.org/familynames.html
==DNA==
DNA results show the following connections (will need to be detailed)On Y-DNA, there is one marker that is pretty unique to this Thomas family - no one else matches us at 25 markers and above.
At 67 markers there are connections between descendants as follows:
*2 descendants of Jesse, Sr. through son Jesse, Jr
*2 descendants of Hans through William
*2 descendants of Jesse, Sr. through William
*2 descendants of Michael (son of Hans)
*3 descendants of Jesse Sr. through William
*4 descendants of son of Michael (brother of Hans
At 37 markers these additional matches show:
*1 descendant of Zachariah (son of Hans)
*1 descendant of Jesse, Sr. (through son Ezekiel)
*1 descendant of Michael (son of Hans)
*1 descendant of Ezekiel (son of Hans)
*3 descendants of Michael (brother of Hans)
DNA provided by Marilyn Hansen
* WikiTree profile Thomas-5467 created through the import of Greg's Pruned Tree.ged on Feb 7, 2012 by [[Rutherford-301 | Donald Rutherford]]. See the [http://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:NetworkFeed&who... Changes page] for the details of edits by Donald andothers.
===Southern Pioneer Trail Profile===
:This profile has been project reviewed and approved by [[Jester-173|Jester-173]] 00:19, 31 October 2019 (UTC) for meeting the Southern Pioneer's Project standards for quality and accuracy. #The parent-child relationships have been determined to be reliably established by the sources cited; #The biography is well-written, concise and meets the project's standards for quality and style and,#The facts presented are believed to be accurate, consistent and free of conflicting information:This profile has been officially designated as a "Pioneer Trail Profile" and has been awarded the "Pioneer Trail" project sticker. (11 October 2019)
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=== GEDCOM Note ===
From Marilyn, genealog@aol.com via Germanna Rootswenb mail list, 22 Jan 2009:
"gneolog@aol.com via rootsweb.com
Thu, Jan 22, 2009, 7:54 AM
to germanna_colonies
I have not input all the descendant info on the line of Hans/John Wendel Thomas but wanted to respond to those asking for information. These are the counties and dates for Hans.
All of his known children were born before he left Culpeper Co., VA about 1774 or so and they all went to Guilford (now Rockingham) Co. NC. He was married twice -- maiden names unknown -- first to Mary and second to Sarah. Five known sons went to NC with him -- Michael from his first wife and Jesse, Joel, Lewis and William from his second wife. They all served in the Rev. war for NC -- even William who was only about 16 years old. Michael and Lewis stayed in Rockingham Co., NC and the rest went to Georgia in the late 1790's -- Wilkes, Elbert, Franklin (now Banks) Counties. Joel died in Elbert Co about 1797 or so leaving only a daughter, Susannah. Jesse and William and their descendants remained in the the Franklin Co., GA area to the present time...."
==========
Nr. 216:
The Germanna Thomas family has more than its share of mysteries; however, thanks to the research of Mrs. Margaret James Squires, published in Beyond Germanna, vol. 1, no. 3, we do know something about the early Thomas history. Anna Maria Blanckenbühler was the sister of Matthias, Balthasar, and John Nicholas Blankenbaker, who came in 1717. She was also the daughter of Mrs. Cyriacus Fleshman and the half-sister of the Fleshman children and of Henry Schlucter. All of these individuals are known 1717 immigrants but there is no proof that Anna Maria came with her family in that year, though it would seem probable.
Anna Maria Blanckenbühler was born 5 May 1687 in Neuenbürg (now in Baden) as the daughter of Johann Thomas and Anna Barbara (Schöne) Blanckenbühler. On 18 Nov 1711 she married, in Neuenbürg, Johann Thomas, the son of Albrecht Thomas. They had three children born in Germany:
Hans Wendel Thomas, b. 17 Apr 1712
Ursula Thomas, b. 8 May 1714, d. 8 May 1714
Anna Magdalena Thomas, b. 24 Nov 1715
The son who was christened as Hans Wendel became known as John Thomas (Jr.) in Virginia. Two more children were born to John, Sr. and Anna Maria in Virginia. These were Michael and Margaret.
Michael, b. ca 1718
Margaret, b. ca 1720 (the order may be reversed since the birth dates are uncertain)
Before the Second Colony members had taken up their land patents, John Thomas, Sr., had died and Anna Maria Thomas remarried, this time to Michael Kaifer. They had five children. Michael Kaifer's will helps to clarify all of Anna Maria's children including the daughter's husbands. One of the 1726 land patents was to John and Michael Thomas (both of whom were minors). The name has been given erroneously as Tomer.
John Thomas, Jr. (Hans Wendel) was apparently married twice. The first time might have been to Mary Tanner based on circumstantial evidence but without any proof. The number of children is uncertain; there were at least three, very probably four, and perhaps five. Late in life, John Thomas, Jr. married Sarah ___ but it is doubtful that she was the mother of any of the children.
The children of John and Mary were (no significance to the order):
Susannah, m. Jacob Holtzclaw
Mary, m. Joseph Holtzclaw
Mary Barbara, m. Jacob Blankenbaker
Elizabeth, m. John Railsback (very probable)
Michael, (perhaps) who moved to North Carolina
Anna Magdalena Thomas married Johann Michael Schmidt, Jr. Very briefly, their family was:
Adam
Mary
Susannah
Zachariah
John
Anna Magdalena
Catherine
Michael Thomas was married twice and by oral tradition he had twenty-five children. Not all have been identified. His will, in Kentucky, was partially burned and only some of the names can be discerned. Furthermore, these children's names seem mostly to be of his second family. His first wife was Catherine ____. Though some have speculated that she was a Wayland, there is no proof and, in fact, there is some reason to doubt it. His second wife was Eve Susannah Margaret Hart. I will reserve numbers 12 through 36, inclusive, for the children but I cannot name all of the children.
Margaret married Henry Coller or Collier. This family is a complete mystery as they seem to have left the community at an early date.
(I sympathize with anyone researching the Thomas family. One soon learns what a blessing it is to have a name as distinctive as, say, Blankenbaker.)
==========
Nr. 625:
The Germanna Thomas family has traditionally been obscure. It was a big step forward when Margaret James Squires found the origins of the family in Germany (as reported in "BEYOND GERMANNA"). Anna Maria Blanckenbühler married Johann Thomas (or Thomae) in Neuenbürg on 18 Nov 1711. At the time, she was twenty-four, since she was born to Johann Thomas Blanckenbühler and Anna Barbara Schön on 5 May 1687. The first child born to Anna Maria and Johann Thomas was Hans Wendel Thomas, on 17 Apr 1712. A second child, Ursula, born 8 May 1714, died the same day. The third child, Anna Magdalena, was born 24 Nov 1715.
No other children are known from Germany. From the will of Michael Kaifer, we know that Anna Maria had two other Thomas children, Michael and Margaret. Both of these are believed to be Virginia born, especially Michael for whom there is no naturalization record in Virginia. We know also from the will of Michael Kaifer that Anna Maria, who married Michael after John Thomas died, had at least five children by Michael. Thus Anna Maria delivered at least ten children, and the first one was when she was 24 years old. Therefore one postulates that she had her children at about two year intervals and there could hardly have been any breaks in this rhythm. Therefore, Michael and Margaret were born about 1717 and 1719 but the sequence is uncertain. Or stated in another way, we could say that Michael and Margaret were born ca 1718 and probably we would not be in error by more than one year for each of them.
We usually say that the Thomas family came to Virginia in 1717 but we have no proof of this. It seems logical that they would have come with Anna Maria's mother, stepfather, three brothers, and her half-siblings, all of whom are documented as coming in 1717. John Thomas, the father, must have died in Virginia about 1720. Anna Maria was probably married to Michael Kaifer by 1721, when she was 34 years old, for she was the mother of at least five children after that date.
John Thomas (the son, Johann Wendel) and Michael Thomas had a land patent in their own name in 1726. At this time, John was 14 years old and Michael was about 8 years old. The patent says nothing about the boys being minors. Probably their relatives assisted them in locating and claiming this land which was next to their uncles. It was not adjacent to Michael Kaifer to whom their mother was certainly married by this time. It is possible that the boys, John and Michael, were in the homes of their uncles or their grandmother and not in their stepfather's home. However, the will of Michael Kaifer in no way suggests that the boys were estranged.
Contrary to the usual case, more is known about the families of Anna Magdalena and Margaret than about the families of John and Michael. Anna Magdalena married Michael Smith and Margaret married Henry Aylor (thanks to the research of Nancy Dodge and others). Since Michael Smith and Henry Aylor are the ancestors of all within their families, this means that the Michael Smiths and Aylor descendants have a Thomas ancestor (and a Blankenbaker ancestor). The families of John (Jr.) and Michael Thomas are much less certain.
==========
Nr. 794:
I will attempt to follow a chronological sequence in visiting the villages in Germany from whence the Germanna Colonists came. The next group, after the First Colony, was the Second Colony, where the constituent membership has its uncertainties. I have discussed the claims of many potential members of the Colony without resolving the questions.
One group with a very solid claim came from the small village of Neuenbürg in the Kraichtal, which is not to be confused with a nearby area called the Kraichgal. Because of the shifting political winds in the areas which became Germany, it is possible to have nearby villages with the same name. Neuenbürg exists as two locations, only about twenty miles apart. The one that we want is the smaller of the two. Some confusion has arisen because the smaller Neuenbürg has only a Catholic church in the village. The church records which Margaret James Squires found are for a Evangelical Church, i.e., a Lutheran church. Yet I feel confident that this is the correct location because of the statement made by Zacharias Blankenbaker in his naturalization. He said he came from land of the "Bishops of Speyer". That is, he had been born on lands belonging to the Catholic Church. Looking at maps of the time (early eighteenth century), the smaller Neuenbürg was on just such lands, while the larger Neuenbürg was in Baden.
This Neuenbürg is very small. Even today it is hardly more than a wide spot in the road. So when the 1717 emigrants left, it was quite noticeable (assuming they actually did live in town). Two "families" left. One was headed by Anna Barbara Schöne who was now married to her third husband, Cyriacus Fleischmann. By her first husband, Johann Thomas Blanckenbühler, four children came. Hans Balthasar, Hans Matthias, Hans Nicholas, and Anna Maria. By her second husband, Johann Jacob Schluchter, a son, Heinrich Schluchter, came. By her third husband, there were two children, Maria Catharina and Hans Peter. To the best of our knowledge, these were all of her children.
Some of Anna Barbara's children were already parents themselves. Anna Maria had married Johannes Thoma[s]. They brought two children with them, Hans Wendel and Anna Magdalena. Hans Nicholas had married Apollonia Käfer and they brought Zacharias. Hans Matthias has married Anna Maria Mercklin and they were the parents in Germany (at Oberderdingen) of Hans Jerg (George). No marriage was found for Hans Balthasar in Germany but he entered Virginia with a wife. Apollonia Käfer's brother, Wolf Michael, apparently was a member of this subgroup also. He entered Virginia at the same time as the rest of the group. (Within a few years he became the husband of Anna Maria Blanckenbühler, after her husband, Johannes Thomas, died).
The decision to emigrate was very much a family decision, and the entire family, of two generations of descendants of Anna Barbara, came along.
==========
Nr. 1040:
A question was asked recently concerning the descendants of Anna Barbara Schöne, particularly along the lines of her daughter Anna Maria Blankenbühler, who was born on 5 May 1687. She married Johann Thomas in 1711, and two surviving children were born in Germany, Hans Wendel Thoma (John Thomas) and Anna Magdalena. Two more children were born in Virginia, Michael and Anne Margaret. The dates and sequence of the last two births are unknown.
It is not clear that John and Anna Maria Thoma came with the rest of her family to Virginia in 1717. However, they must have come at an early date because it appears that Michael and Ann Margaret were born in Virginia. The father died and Anna Maria married Michael Käfer, who was the brother of her sister-in-law, Apollonia Blankenbühler, who had married John Nicholas Blankenbühler. Michael was a bachelor without any children when he came. After he married Anna Maria, they had five daughters. If we assume that 43 years would be about the last year that Anna Maria had a child, this would be the year 1730. With five children by Michael Kaifer, and with births every two years, she probably married Michael about 1720, when her youngest children (Michael and Anne Margaret) were still just toddlers.
We are very fortunate in that Michael Käfer left us a detailed will, albeit with some atrocious spelling in it, which gives their children (5) and her children (4) and, in the case of the girls (total of 7), their husbands. We had some difficulty in identifying the husband of Margaret until a couple of years ago when it was shown that she had married Henry Aylor.
The children of John and Anna Maria (Blankenbühler) Thoma were:
John Thomas
Anna Magdalena, m. Michael Smith (Jr.)
Michael Thomas
(Anne) Margaret, m. Henry Aylor
The children of Michael and Anna Maria (Blankenbühler Thoma) Käfer were:
Elizabeth, m. Adam Garr
Dorothy, m. John Clore
Barbara, m. John Weaver
Mary, m. George Utz
Margaret, m. Nicholas Crigler
There were two Margarets in the family, but, from the church records, the wife of Henry Aylor was known there as Anne Margaret. Perhaps the "Anne" was useful to tell them apart.
B. C. Holtzclaw, writing in Germanna Record 6, thought that Michael Käfer came with a family from Germany. This has led to confusion, as some people have then concluded that he was married twice. The headright list of Spotswood shows clearly that he was alone without any family.
(29 Nov 00)
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Nr. 1838:
[To correct some recent mistakes that I have made, I review the situation in the Thomas family.]
Anna Maria Blanckenbuehler was the youngest child of Anna Barbara Schoen and Johann Thomas Blanckenbuehler. She was born 5 May 1687. She had three older siblings, Hans Niclas, Hans Balthasar, and Hans Matthias. However, Anna Maria was the first to marry, even though she was 24 when she married. She married Johann Thomas, the son of Albrecht Thomas, in 1711. Two surviving children, Hans Wendel Thomas and Anna Magdalena Thomas, were born in Germany on 17 April 1712 and 24 November 1715, respectively.
In Virginia, John Thomas and Anna Maria Blanckenbuehler were the parents of two more children, Michael and Margaret. Then the father, John Thomas, died and Anna Maria Blankenbaker Thomas married Michael Kaifer/Kaefer. Michael Kaifer in his will names five daughters and their husbands, though the spelling is so atrocious that the actual identity of one husband was uncertain until a few years ago. Since Anna Maria Blankenbaker Thomas Kaifer was the mother of nine surviving children plus one who died early, and since the mother did not have any children until she was 24, we have a good idea about when the children were born, even in Virginia. We do not know the sequence of some of the children.
The four children of John Thomas and Anna Maria Blanckenbuehler married as follows (to the extent that it is known):
John Wendel Thomas was married twice and the maiden names of his wives are unknown.
Michael Thomas was married twice. The maiden name of his first wife is unknown. His second wife is said to be Eva Susanna Margaret Hart, but no proof of this is known.
Anna Magdalena Thomas married John Michael Smith, Jr. Their children are known from gifts of land made by John Michael and Anna Magdalena.
Margaret Thomas married Henry Aylor. Some say that this was his second wife, but I know of no evidence that he was married twice.
Maybe in the next note, I can review the children of John Wendel Thomas and his first wife.
(12 Feb 04)
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Nr. 1839:
I continue with the children of John Wendel Thomas. Late in his life, John Wendel Thomas made gifts of land to three men, his sons-in-law. A fourth man, John Railsback, also his son-in-law, got twice as much land, but he paid some money for part of it. Thus it appears that the original intention may have been to divide the land of John Wendel Thomas into five parts for five heirs but before the division was made one heir opted out or died.
The four known children of John Wendel Thomas, all women, were:
Susanna, who married Jacob Holtzclaw.
Mary, who married Joseph Holtzclaw.
Mary Barbara, who married Jacob Blankenbaker.
Elizabeth, who married John Railsback. John got twice as much land but he did pay some cash for part of it.
There is a hint that the fifth part had been intended for a son, Michael Thomas, who moved to North Carolina. We have no proof of this but the story that the descendants of the North Carolina Michael Thomas tell is so suggestive, taken with the apparent fivefold land division in Virginia, that this Michael can be considered as a probable son of John Wendel Thomas.
The immigrant Hans Jacob Holtzclaw had five sons. The descendants of two of these sons have a Blankenbaker ancestor. Joseph Holtzclaw, the son who married Mary Thomas, was married a second time to Elizabeth Zimmerman. But this Elizabeth also had a Blankenbaker ancestor as her father was John Zimmerman and her mother was Ursula Blankenbaker.
I have always been fascinated by the appearance of the widow Catherine Russell Thomas who married John Holtzclaw. Was the first husband of this Catherine related to the Robinson River Thomases? Were these Thomas families acquainted and is this the reason that Jacob and Joseph Holtzclaw came down from Fauquier County and married two Thomas girls?
I think there are more Holtzclaw and Blankenbaker connections than we know right now.
(13 Feb 04)
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Nr. 2226:
The requirement in Pennsylvania that records be made of the foreign immigrants to Pennsylvania has created a general misconception that such records were made for all ports in the colonies. This is far from the actuality.
How did the ships' captains regard the passengers? As just so much freight. In fact, I believe that they used the word "freights" to describe the general category of passengers. A captain might say that he had a hundred freights meaning he had a hundred passengers. The manifest of his load might read as one gross of knitted stockings, twelve chairs, one hundred freights, etc. He would expect to arrive with all of non-passenger freight but, if he lost no more than 15% of his passenger freights, he might feel that it had been a successful voyage.
Now, the descendants of the Second Colony described the voyage on the ship Scott with Capt. Tarbett as hard. They said there was a great loss of life due to the food being consumed while they were in London waiting for Tarbett to be released from Debtors’ Prison. So I thought we might take a look at how the emigrants from one German village, Neuenbuerg, fared. In this particular village we have a good record of the emigrants:
(*=Head of Family)
*Cyriacus Fleischmann,
Anna Barbara Fleischmann.
*Hans Nicholas Blankenbuehler,
Apollonia Blankenbuehler,
Maria Barbara Blankenbuehler,
Zacharias Blankenbuehler.
*Hans Matthias Blankenbuehler,
Anna Maria Blankenbuehler,
Hans Jerg Blankenbuehler.
*Hans Balthasar Blankenbuehler.
*Johannes Thomas,
Anna Maria Blankenbuehler,
Hans Wendel Thomas,
Anna Magdalena Thomas.
*Johann Georg Scheible,
Maria Eleonora Scheible,
Anna Martha Scheible,
Anna Elisabetha Scheible,
Anna Maria Scheible.
Of these nineteen names, which are a sizeable sample of the Second Colony immigrants, only one has no record in Virginia. That is Maria Barbara Blankenbuehler, the daughter of Hans Nicholas and Apollonia Blankenbuehler. I am assuming that the appearance of a name on the head right list of Alexander Spotswood means that they arrived in Virginia. Technically, by the law this should be the case.
Incidentally, we have no proof that John Thomas and this family arrived in 1717. It is logical that they would come with the rest of Mrs. Thomas family, namely the Blankenbakers, but we just do not have positive proof. We do know all of the members above did arrive at some time.
(04 Jan 06)
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Nr. 2280:
I will start a discussion of the immigrant, John Thomas, who presumably came in 1717, though there is no positive proof of it. The young Thomas family may have been among those who were temporarily stranded in London.
John Thomas was born as Hans Wendel Thoma[s] in Neuenbuerg on 17 April 1712, to Johannes Thoma and Anna Maria Blanckenbuehler. His mother was almost 25 years old when he was born. Normally we would think that the boy would have been called Wendel since that was his calling name. Perhaps he preferred Hans to Wendel, a rather uncommon name. In Virginia, he became John.
Neuenbuerg is in Baden-Wuerttemberg today. Before these two states were combined into one, Neuenbuerg was in Baden. Prior to that, throughout the Eighteenth Century, it was in the lands belonging to the (Catholic) Bishops of Speyer. Neuenbuerg was on the edge of the Bishop’s domain and about two miles away there was a Protestant church in Oberoewisheim to which the Blankenbuehlers went. Since there are two Neuenbuergs, only about twenty miles apart, the Neuenbuerg where the Blankenbuehlers lived was in the Kraichtal district northeast of Bruchsal. The Rhine River is just to the west a short distance.
A daughter, Ursula, was born to Johannes and Anna Maria Thoma on 8 Nov 1714 and she died the same day. About a year later, another daughter, Anna Magdalena was born on 24 Nov in 1715. The family that emigrated consisted of the father and mother with two children. In Virginia (presumably, but perhaps on the trip), Margaret and/or Michael were born. In Virginia, the father Johannes Thoma died before the time that the immigrants took up their land. Anna Maria married secondly Michael Kaefer, by whom she had five surviving children. The will of Michael is a tremendous help in determining the family for he names his children and his wife’s children.
Anna Magdalena married Michael Smith, Jr. Margaret married Henry Aylor. That Margaret married Henry Aylor was only determined in recent years. The confusing factor was the will of Michael Kaefer where the spelling is atrocious. The families of the two girls, Anna Magdalena and Margaret, are well known.
Michael was married twice and the tradition is that he was the father of twenty-five children, not all of whom are identified. For unknown reasons, the families of John Thomas (as he became known in Virginia) and Michael Thomas are not in the German Lutheran Church of the Robinson River Valley.
(30 Mar 06)
Nr. 2281:
John Thomas (born Hans Wendel Thoma) was married at least twice as appears from deeds where there is a wife’s name. The first known wife was Mary and the second was Sarah, both surnames are unknown.
Some have speculated that Mary was a Vaught based on a land sale from John Paul Vaught to John Thomas. This is very weak evidence. It is true that John Paul Vaught came with his wife and five children on the ship Charming Betty in 1733. The ship’s roster is more complete than usual and gives Johan Vogt, 53, Andreas Vogt, 12, Casper Vogt, 8, Maria Vogt, 46, Catherine Vogt, 18, and Maria Vogt, 16. One factor against Maria as the wife of John Thomas is that Maria is not mentioned in her father’s will nor are any children of hers mentioned. There is no evidence for her existence beyond her arrival in Philadelphia.
In May of 1735, John Thomas was issued a patent for 400 acres in the Great Fork, for which he paid with the head rights of three people, Robert Turner, Mary Turner, and Parva Turner plus 25 shillings. Robert Turner was a mistake for Robert Tanner. He testified that he came in 1720 with his wife Mary and five children, Christopher, Christianna, Katherine, Mary, and Barbara (Parva). In this same year, 1735, Robert Tanner was issued a patent for 200 acres for which he paid with the head rights of four people, Catherine Turner, Mary Turner, Christopher Turner, and Christianna Turner. (None of these people had to be living at the time their head right was used.) Thus, John Thomas was using three of the head rights that Robert Tanner did not use. Robert could have sold the extra head rights or given them to John Thomas.
Very often, head rights were used within the family. For example, when John Carpenter took up 150 acres of new land in 1733, he paid with the head rights of Andrew Kerker, Margaret Kerker, and Barbara Kerker. These were his parents-in-law and their daughter, his wife.
I have wondered if the wife Mary of John Thomas was Mary Tanner. Unfortunately, husbands of the Tanner daughters are unknown except it does appear that Katherine married Richard Burdyne. There is no evidence for the husbands of Barbara (who did not marry Peter Fleshman as some have guessed), nor of Christianna or Mary.
We know only, for sure, that John Thomas’ wife in 1742 was a Mary, for in that year he sold his interest in a 156 acre tract to his brother Michael. Whether Mary was a Vaught, Tanner, or another surname is not known and the best answer is to note the uncertainty of pinpointing her name.
(31 Mar 06)...
Nr. 2285:
We still are with the Thomas family in Virginia that originated with the marriage of Johann Thoma and Anna Maria Blankenbuehler in Germany. They had four children, Hans Wendel (a.k.a. John, Jr.), Michael (Sr.), Margaret, and Anna Magdalena (not in birth order, as John, Jr., and Anna Magdalena were born in Germany and the other two in Virginia). We now have reason to believe, based on land transactions and on DNA studies that John, Jr., had two families. The first by Mary Unknown included four daughters and a son, Michael, Jr. (to distinguish him from his father’s brother). Then John, Jr., married Sarah Unknown and had at least four sons, William, Jesse, Lewis, and Joel. These four sons are identified in North Carolina land deeds and with land for John Thomas, Jr.
We have DNA tests for a male descendant of Michael, Sr., via his son Abraham (one of the better-known families in the large number of Michael, Sr., descendants). This male descendant is the brother of Marilyn Thomas Hansen, who has been doing so much recently to educate us. Then we have the DNA test for a descendant of Michael, Jr., in the first family of John Thomas, Jr. (the fifth child whose existence was only suspected but is now confirmed). And we have a DNA for a descendant of Joel in the second family of John Thomas. All three of these individuals today match excellently with only small differences to be expected from a common descendant of Johann Thoma. The three descendants have lines back to Johann Thoma as is shown by their excellent matches in their DNA.
In the second family of John Thomas, Jr., we know that William was born in 1763 per his Rev. War pension application. At this time his father was married to Sarah as we know from the land transactions.
A question was raised about a Mary Thomas who is mentioned in land records when John, Jr., was giving away land to his children. This is the daughter, Mary, who was not yet married. Very soon thereafter, she married Joseph Holtzclaw and Joseph received land from John, Jr. (Not all of the land was distributed at the same time but the earliest deeds reflect the intentions of John, Jr., even though he had not yet executed the deeds. John, Jr., had two daughters, Mary Barbara and Mary, where Mary Barbara used both of her names while Mary used only her calling name. This Mary might have been named something like Anna Maria.)
Several questions have been answered by the DNA studies. It has extended the Germanna Thomas family. Not only am I happy to see the clarification in the Thomas family, but we showed what DNA studies can do. It is a suggestion that other families might also profit by similar studies.
(06 Apr 06)
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Nr. 2419:
[Baptisms for Neuenbuerg - 1712, continued.]
On 17 April 1712 there was born and baptized on the same day the baby Hanss Wendel Thoma. The parents were Johann Thoma and Anna Maria, whom we know was born Blankenbuehler. The sponsors at this baptism were Hanss Wendel Neideck, of Oberoewisheim, and Maria Eleonora, the wife of Hanss Jerg Schaiblin. [The Schaiblins were Germanna immigrants in 1717.]
The mother Anna Maria had three older brothers, all of whom had been sponsors for other individuals. The fact that none of them were sponsors here leads one to believe that near relatives were not acceptable as sponsors in general. We have seldom seen in the baptisms reported here a sponsor whose surname was the same as the father. The closest that we came was for a Schoene where pastor Schoene from another village was a sponsor.
I still have the feeling that relatives were sometimes used, perhaps not close relatives but still someone who was in the extended family. In the baptism above, the mother-in-law of Maria Eleanora (nee Ockert) was Catherina Neudeck (or Neideck) who was Nicolaus Schaiblin’s second wife. So the two sponsors were probably related, and I suspect they were related to the mother also.
There is an Ortssippenbuch for Oberoewisheim-Neuenbuerg. I have discussed this before, both in the Notes here and in “Beyond Germanna”. This book attempts to give the genealogies that can be discerned for a village, in this case for the two villages. It is from this book that I learn that Nicolaus Schaiblin’s second wife was Catharina Neudeck. (There is a copy of this book at the Library of Congress.) Incidentally, when I compare the reports in this Ortssippenbuch with the baptisms here, I find that the author of the book there was very inclined to change the names slightly. Whereas the baptisms record zillions of the name Hanss, the author generally gives them as Hans, or as Johann (some of the different pastors had their personal preferences also). Some of the spellings of the surnames are different also. In part this may be due to the desire or need to standardize the spellings. For example, we have seen the names Fischer and Vischer and the latter would be pronounced as Fischer is. I believe that the author of the Ortssippenbuch reports one name as Blanckenbuehler, but we have seen many variations on this name. Some of these differences are important because otherwise we might not recognize they are the same name. For example, we are told that Thoman is an alternative spelling for Thoma.
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Nr. 2469:
*[Hast du schon ein Geschenk gekauft?.]
The phrase "Baron Ludwig Fischer" was mentioned recently and Thom Faircloth doubted that Ludwig was a Baron. Thom is right; there was no Baron Ludwig Fischer but there was a Ludwig Fischer (Lewis Fisher), possibly two Ludwig Fischers if the tax reports are to be believed. The heirs of Ludwig Fischer let their imagination run away and before the story could be stopped, Ludwig Fischer was a Baron with a castle, etc., etc. Some of the heirs did believe that he left a fortune in Germany and they set out in a half-hearted way to reclaim it. Their story is told in Beyond Germanna in volume 9, number 3, page 501ff.
Bill and Susan Holsclaw have asked if anyone knows the maiden name of Catherine who was the second wife of Jacob Holtzclaw, the 1714 immigrant. At some time after his fourth child was born, and before his eighth child was born, he married Catherine Unknown. This is only one mystery and I have been intrigued by other aspects of the family. Let me recite my conundrum which is related to Bill and Susan’s question.
The eldest son of Jacob, namely John, married Catherine (Russell) Thomas, a widow with a young son Jacob. The two youngest sons of Jacob Holtzclaw, namely Jacob, Jr., and Joseph, married daughters of John Thomas and an unknown wife. Is there some connection between the Thomas who married Catherine and the Thomas daughters who lived in the RRV?
One can make a story that if there had been, then John Thomas (Hans Wendel) and his children might have followed the fortunes of Jacob Thomas and thereby have brought the Thomas family and the Holtzclaw families into closer contact.
Another possibility is that Catherine was from the RRV community. Thus, she might have been the tie between the Thomas family and the Holtzclaw family. Of course, neither of these possibilities might be true or both might be true. We just don’t know.
Catherine, the wife of the son John, is said to be a Russell. Some Russells were close to Alexander Spotswood. We could find no evidence that John Thomas and his wife Anna Maria Blankenbaker came in 1717, but perhaps this family became the servants of the Russell family. Thus, they might have escaped the lawsuits and the Headrights of Spotswood. Was there another member of the Thomas family who came, perhaps a brother of John Thomas, Sr.? Perhaps he married Catherine and had a son Jacob. The RRV Thomases might have continued to remain close to the Holtzclaw family just because of this connection.
If you want to see a three-generation chart of the Holtzclaw family, there is one on the germanna.com web site.
*[Have you already bought a present?]
(28 Feb 07)
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