Last year, I discovered that a huge number of my Polish/Czech/German/Swiss/Austrian/Bavarian ancestors in my paternal lineage (my Brubaker side) were part of the Germanna Colony, located in present-day Orange County, Virginia.
Hundreds of Germans fleeing the devastation of the Franco Prussian wars and persecution of their Lutheran beliefs came to America in the early 1700s. The group to which most of my ancestors belonged left England in 1717. Their story is an amazing one. Either they were kidnapped by an English sea captain who had an agreement with the (then) lieutenant governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood, or they were driven off course by a raging storm at sea, and landed in Virginia instead of Pennsylvania.
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| Alexander Spotswood |
The following information is taken from the website for The Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colony website, which contains extensive information about the Germanna Colony:
In 1717, about 80 Germans from Wuerttemberg, Baden and the Platinate made an agreement with a Captain Tarbett in London to take them on the ship Scott to Pennsylvania. The plan was to go to Pennsylvania, where Governor William Penn had offered free passage to Pennsylvania, and religious freedom. Tarbett then hijacked the Germans and took them to Virginia instead, where Lieutenant Governor Spotswood made them indentured servants (since they could not pay for the cost of their voyage). At the Germanna Colony, they were forced to do hard labor, including mining for silver and iron, and quarrying. The community was primarily Lutheran.
According to the website for The Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colony website :
“The name Germanna, selected by Governor Alexander Spotswood, reflected both the German immigrants who sailed across the Atlantic to Virginia and the British Queen, Anne, who was in power at the time of the first settlement at Germanna. Though she was to die only months after the Germans arrived, her name continues to be a part of the area.
The Germanna Colonies consist primarily of the First Colony of 42 persons from the Siegerland area in Germany brought to Virginia to work for Spotswood in 1714, and the Second Colony of 20 families from the Palatinate and Baden-Wuerttemberg area of Germany brought in 1717, but also include other German families who joined the first two colonies at later dates. Although many Germanna families later migrated southward and westward from Piedmont Virginia, genealogical evidence shows that many of the families intermarried for generations, producing a rich genealogical heritage.
“The 1717 Colony from the Kraichgau of Baden and Wurttemberg, as well as some from the Rhineland Pfalz (Palatinate) settled first across the Rapidan River from Fort Germanna, then from 1725 and 1727 began to move to the Robinson River Valley in present day Madison County and patent land in their own names.”
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| Alexander Hays Philson |
The birth and death places of these ancestors are somewhat confusing because county lines changed. For example:
Spotsylvania County was created from Essex County in 1721.
Orange County was created from Spotsylvania County in 1734.
Culpeper County was created from Orange County in 1748.
Madison County was created from Culpeper County in 1793.
In the information below, those who lived or were born at Germanna Colony are marked in red.
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| Headstone of Alexander Hays Philson. Born 10 Feb. 1801 in Berlin, Somerset County, PA. Died 31 Mach in Berlin. Buried IOOF Cemetery in Berlin. SOURCE: www.findagrave.com |
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| Headstone of Eleanor Crigler Philson Buried IOOF Cemetery in Berlin, with Alexander. SOURCE: www.findagrave.com |
1. Eleanor CRIGLER. Born in Madison County, VA 30 July 1801. Died in Berlin, Somerset County, PA 23 July 1873.
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| Headstone for Rev. Jacob Crigler and his second wife, Nellie Tanner Crigler. SOURCE: www.findagrave.com |
SECOND GENERATION (my fourth great-grandparents):
2. Rev. Jacob CRIGLER. Born in Madison County, VA, Jan. 15, 1778. Married Lydia Utz in 1799. Married Nellie Tanner in 1808. Died in Florence, Boone County, KY, July 14, 1847
3. Lydia UTZ. Born in Madison County, VA, Jan. 1781. Died in Madison County, VA, 15 July 1805
THIRD GENERATION (my fifth great-grandparents):
4. Aaron CRIGLER. Born in Madison County, VA, 9 July 1756. Died in Madison County, VA, August 1832
5. Catherine CRISLER. Born in Madison County, VA, about 1758. Died in VA 1804.
6. George UTZ. Born in Madison County, VA, 1757. Died in Madison County, VA, 1839
7. Dinah CARPENTER. Born in Madison County, VA, 15 June 1764. Died in Madison County, VA, 1830
FOURTH GENERATION (my sixth great-grandparents):
8. Nicholas CRIGLER. Born in Germanna, Spotsylvania County, VA, in 1723. Married Margaret Kaifer in 1749. Died in Madison County, VA, 19 October 1789.
9. Margaret KAIFER. Born in Albemarle County, VA, in 1725. Died in Albemarle County in 1771. Sister of Mary (#13 below).
10. Johann Theobald Fawatt CRISLER. Born 18 August 1709 in Lambsheim, Ludwigshafen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, 18 August 1709. Married Rosina Garr about 1736. Died in Madison County, VA, about 1776.
11. Rosina GARR. Born in Illenschwang, Ansbach, Bayern, German, 11 August 1713. Died in Madison County, VA, in 1778.
12. George UTZ. Born 1718 in Spotsylvania, VA in 1718. Married Mary Kaifer in 1754. Died in Madison County, VA in 1808.
13. Mary KAIFER. Born in Virginia in 1728. Died in Culpeper, VA, in 1808. Sister of Margaret (#9 above).
14. Michael CARPENTER/ZIMMERMAN. (NOTE: Zimmerman means Carpenter in English, and the name was changed once the families Americanized.) Born in Culpeper VA in 1737. Married Maria Barbara Christler/Crisler in 1757. Died in Madison County, VA 1808.
15. Maria Barbara CHRISTLER/CRISLER. Born 1737 in Orange, Madison County, VA 1736. Died in Madison County, VA in 1808.
FIFTH GENERATION (my seventh great-grandparents):
16. Jacob CRIGLER/KRIEGLER: Born in Dittsmandorf, Germany in the late 1690s. Married Susanna Koch in 1719. Died in Virginia in 1734. (Jacob used the spelling Kriegler when he obtained his original land grant in Virginia on June 24, 1726.)
17. Susanna KOCH. Married Jacob in 1719. Married Nicholas YAGER sometime after Jacob’s death in 1734.
18. Wolf Michael KAIFER/KAEFFER. Born in Ansbach, Bayern, Germany in 1695. Married Anna Maria Blankenbaker. Died in Culpeper, VA, 17 November 1768.
19. Anna Maria BLANKENBAKER. Born in Neuenberg, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, 5 May 1687. Died in Broomfield Parrish, Culpeper County, VA, 28 December 1762.
20. Matthais CRISLER/KREISLER. Born in Breslau, Silesia, Austria in 1664. Died in Madison County, VA 1759. Info from www.werelate.org: Matthais and his two younger sons, David and Michael removed to the land grant located in the center of the present city of Madison, Madison County, Virginia, in the early German settlement of 1714-1726 on the Robinson River and White Oak Run which was then in the County of Spotsylvania, Colony of Virginia, where they joined other early German colonists of 1717 and received a land grant just NE of Madison. Matthais left Germantown for Virginia because of their dissatisfaction with Lutheranis, which was non-existent in the Colony of Pennsylvania. Matthais’s name is sometimes seen as Castler. He was granted a patent of 300 acres dated September 28, 1728. The “Old Crisler” house in Madison on Highway 29 sits on the same land patented to Matthais Crisler in 1728.
21. Barbara VON DER SCHELLENBERGER. Born in Breslau, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, in 1678. Died in 1709.
22. Andreas/Andrew GARR. Born in Frankenhofen, Ansbach, Bayern, Germany, 14 June 1685. Married Eva Katherina Seidelmann on 23 February 1711 in Germany. Died in Madison County, VA, 1750.
23. Eva Katherina SEIDELMANN. Born in Illenschwang, Ansbach, Bayern, Germany on 23 February 1685. Died in Culpeper, VA in 1778.
24. Hans/Johann George UTZ. Born in Sayn, Mayen-Koblenz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, 12 April, 1693. Married Anna Barbara Majer. Died in Culpeper, VA 21 August 1766.
25. Anna Barbara MAJER. Born in Wolfartsweier, Stadt Karlsruhe, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany in 1695. Died in Culpeper, VA, 1741.
26.Wolf Michael KAIFER/KAEFFER. Born in Ansbach, Bayern, Germany in 1695. Married Anna Maria Blankenbaker. Died in Culpeper, VA, 17 November 1768.
27. Anna Maria BLANKENBAKER. Born in Neuenberg, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, 5 May 1687. Died in Broomfield Parrish, Culpeper County,VA, 28 December 1762.
28. John CARPENTER/ZIMMERMAN. Born in Salxburg, Hamein-Pyrmont, Niedersachsen, Germany, in 1695. Married to Anna Barbara Kerker. Died in Culpeper VA, 1782
29. Anna Barbara KERKER. Born in Zazenhausen, Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, 2 April 1709. Died in Culpeper, VA in 1787.
30. Theobold Fawatt CHRISTLER/CRISLER. Born 1701 in Land Saxony, Germany. Married Rosina Gaar. Died in Culpeper, VA, 20 Feb. 1776.
31. Rosina GARR. Born in Illenschwang, Ansbach, Bayern, German, 11 August 1713. Died in Madison County, VA, in 1778.
SIXTH GENERATION (my eighth great-grandparents):
32. Martin KRIEGLER. Born Dittmansdorf, in German Silesia.
33. Unknown.
34. Johann Michael KOCH/Cook. Born in Hollenbach.
35. Maria Barbara REINER. Born in Schwaigern.
36. Wolfgang KAIFER/KAEFFER. Born in Zaberfeld, Heilbronn, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, in 1660. Died there 8 August 1728.
37. Elizabeth ???. Born in Ansbach, Stadt Ansbach, Bayern, Germany in 1674. Died in Burchau, Lorrach, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, 25 June 1678.
38. Hans Thomas BLANKENBAKER. Born in Gresten, Schelbbs, Lower Austria. Married Anna Maria Blankenbaker. Died in Neuenberg, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, 1691.
39. Anna Barbara SCHONE. Born in Neuenberg, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, 29 September 1664. Died in Virginia, 1743.
40. Unknown CRISLER/KREISLER
41. Unknown.
42. Unknown VON DER SCHELLENBERGER
43. Unknown.
44. Johannes GARR. Born in Franconia, Bayern, Germany, 17 May 1657. Married Elizabeth Barbara Schuebel. Died in Frankenhofen, Ansbach, Bayern, Germany, 22 May 1738.
45. Elizabeth Barbara SCHUEBEL. Born in Dinkelsbuel, Mittelfranken, Bayern, Germany, 8 June 1663. Died in Frankenhofen, Ansbach, Bayern, Germany, 15 May 1748.
46. Unknown SEIDELMANN
47. Unknown.
48. Unknown UTZ
49. Unknown.
50. Unknown MAJER.
51. Unknown.
52. Wolfgang KAIFER/KAEFFER. Born in Zaberfeld, Heilbronn, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, in 1660. Died there 8 August 1728.
53. Elizabeth ???. Born in Ansbach, Stadt Ansbach, Bayern, Germany in 1674. Died in Burchau, Lorrach, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, 25 June 1678.
54. Hans Thomas BLANKENBAKER. Born in Gresten, Schelbbs, Lower Austria. Married Anna Maria Blankenbaker. Died in Neuenberg, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, 1691.
55. Anna Barbara SCHONE. Born in Neuenberg, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, 29 September 1664. Died in Virginia, 1743.
56. Unknown CARPENTER/ZIMMERMAN
57. Unknown.
58. Andreas/Andrew KERKER/KERCHER. Born in Zazenhausen, Stuttgart, Baden-Wuettemberg, Germany, in 1689. Married Margaret Unk. Died in Madison, VA, in 1738.
59. Anna Margaretha/Margaret UNK. Born in Germany, 1675. Died in Virginia.
60. Unknown CHRISTLER/CRISLER
61. Unknown.
62. Unknown GARR.
63. Unknown
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