Friday, May 25, 2012

Ratzlaffs of Przechowko V

Finally, the eldest grandson of the original Ratzlaff, Berent 32092, was born in 1660 and died in 1717:
Hans 131766, married in Neumark, unknown datesHans 132130, unknown dates, no spouse or children listedlived in Neumark
Berent 33034, died Terespolno, PrussiaHans 47721, may have converted to Lutheranism died without Mennonite affiliationnot likely
Jacob 193793 1748-c1765
Berent 32092Berent 33029Johann 193794  b1756, no children listednot likely
Jacob 112574  b1765, no chldren listednot likely
Johann 33033, b 02/01/1726 Neumark, d 11/07/1805 Driesen
Andreas 193799 1775-1842, died in Prussia, no children listednot likely
Bernhard 193801 1782-1822, died in PolandBenjamin 103905, 1824-1901, immigrated 1874
Tobias 896561 1788-1863, died in the Mototschna, no children listednot likely
Peter 193804 1793-1800, died in Driesen
Abraham 214896 1795-1848, died in Molotschna
Heinrich  198648 b1798, no children listedcould this be the father of Jacob b1842?
Johann 57435, 1821-1899, b Volhynia, immigrated 1874
Benjamin 67624, 1824-1900, b in Volhynia, grew up in Molotschna, emigrated 1878
Heinrich Hans 47861 1784-1848. died in the Molotschna (may have lived in Fuerstenau, Molotschna) married 1820 Volhynia
Abraham 67626, 1828-1893, born in Volhynia, emigrated 1874
Tobias 67627, 1831-1874, b Volhynia, married in Heinrichsdorf, emigrated 1874
Andreas 67628, b 1833, married to Maria Janzen, born in Antonovka, Volhynia, emigrated to Molotschna 1837did this Andreas and his wife travel aboard the Polaria with OUR Jacob in 1893?



Several of Berent’s descendants are possible candidates to be my Heinrich’s or Jacob’s ancestor.  And we can see from the Przechowko Churchbook data that two of Berent 32092’s grandson’s lived in the Neumark villages; Hans 131766 and Johann 33033.  Hans 132130 was probably born in the Neumark, but he has no children listed.  Hans 47721 isn’t likely as he converted to Lutheranism and we know Heinrich and Jacob were Mennonites.  The sons of Johann 33033 - Johann 193794, Jacob 112574 and Andreas 193799 - are all possibilities but none have any children listed in the GRANDMA database.  Tobias died in the Molotschna Colony so he’s not likely.

Heinrich 198648 deserves some serious consideration though.  This Heinrich has the correct name, he’s born in the correct time frame (b 1798), and he was probably born in the right location (his father died in the Neumark village of Driesen).  Heinrich 198648 really seems to check all the right boxes.

Furthermore, GRANDMA lists that Heinrich 198648 had a brother named Heinrich Hans 47861.  Heinrich Hans ultimately died in the Molotschna Colony, but he had 5 sons who were all born in Volhynia.  Furthermore, the youngest son, Andreas 67628, is probably the man who travelled with my great great grandfather Jacob Ratzlaff aboard the SS Polaria in 1893.  Why was Jacob travelling with this man?  Could they have been cousins?

It’s troubling that the sons of Johann 33033 are born in such a wide time frame.  Johann 33033 would have been 72 years old when Heinrich 198648 was born.  But I guess that’s not impossible.  GRANDMA and a genealogy called “Retzlaff Roots from the Scroll” by Evangeline Neuschwander both list this data and the representative historians apparently feel comfortable with the data.  It’s also troubling that Johann 33033 would have two sons with such similar names (Heinrich and Heinrich Hans).  Nevertheless, I feel Heinrich 198648 is a very good candidate to be my Ratzlaff ancestor.

Ratzlaffs of Przechowko IV

The next grandson of the original Ratzlaff was Hans 36105, who was born in 1661.  Hans’ family was very prolific and he had no fewer than 45 male descendants who need to be considered:

Berent (Jung) 35955female child (Trincke) buried in Heinrichsdorf
Andreas 47887, no children listed, b 1790dates aren't right
Peter 47729
Heinrich 47889, no chldren listed, b 1803names and dates are correct
Berent 40862
Hinrich 47730, no children listed, b 1767
Jeorgen 47724Andreas 47731,  b 1774, no children listed
Peter 47874, no children listed
Peter 34307
Berent 47875, no children listed
Abraham 315454, c1733, female child only
Hans 47733, 1769-1792, no children or spouse listed
Berent 33846Berent 47734, 1755-1817, died in DorposchPeter 47776, b 1785Behrend, b c1805-1821, d in Dorposch
Peter 47737, 1763-1789, no spouse or children listed
Hans 333849, 1727-1788Adam 281097, c1836-c1867, b Antonovka. Children were also born in Antonovka, but all emigrated in 1874
Andreas 43193, 1799-1873, died Deutsch Wymyschledates not right.  Had many children, but some children didn't leave Prussia. Son Andreas 47701 (b 1822) had children born in Antonovka
Hinrich 43190, 1768-1851Heinrich, 1797-1806
Behrend 43194, b 1805, no children listednot likely, dates aren't right
David, 59864, died young
Daniel, 56928, died young
Heinrich 59679, b 1829, born Wonsosz bei Gombin, Prussiadate's not right, would have been 13 when OUR Jacob was born
Jacob 47848, b 1802, Deutsch KonopatJakob 31500, b 1833
Peter 59680, b 1835
Jacob 47739Benjamin 59682, b 1842
Andreas 11826, b 1845this family may not have left Prussia.  Andreas' daughter died in Prussia in 1937
Hans 36105
Jacob 34432, 1795-1795
Peter 47768, 1727-1789, lived in Brenkenhofswalde, no children listed
Peter 34062Heinrich 47904, b 1797 in Deutsch Konopat, no children listeddates and name are correct
Tobias 42307, 1735-1782Tobias 47899, 1759-1831, died in Deutsch Wionczemin, Prussia
Tobias 47906, 1793-1795
Andres 107095, died young? No children listedTobias 980261, b 1818 in Deutsch Wymyschle, no children listednot likely, dates not right
Peter 59666, 1789-1870, d Kicin PolandPeter 111638, 1823-1894, d Kicin3 male children, names/dates not right
Hans 32137, 1755-1759Benjamin 59668, b 1825 in Deutsch Wymyschleno children listed
Jakob 59669, b 1830 Deutsch Wymyschle. Immigrated 1884this branch never came to Russia before going to the US
Hinrich 47806, 1732-1768Andreas 31965, 1763-1767
Peter 47866, 1771-1807, died in Przechowka, spouse but no children listed, died at age 36not likely; probably no children as he died at 36 but still lived in Przechowka
Hans 47805, 1727-1778
Hans 47865, born 1777, no children or spouse listednot likely 
Andreas 47698, no male children
Benjamin 51509, b c1824, born in Molotschnanot likely, dates not right, lived in Molotschna
Peter 47677, b 1777, PrussiaPeter 51510, b c1825, born in Molotschnanot likely, dates not right, lived in Molotschna
Hans 32907Henrich 106582, b c1834, born in Molotschnanot likely, dates not right, lived in Molotschna
Benjamin 106938, 1791-1791
Adam 47674, b 1750, married in Klein Konopat
Andreas 61680, d 1832 in Molotschna
Peter 47673Adam 47694, b 1810 Klein Konopat, no children or spouse listed
Adam 4327, b 1783, married in Deutsch Konopat
Jacob 4329, d 1829
Benjamin 4332, b c1829 in Molotschna, no children or spouse listed
Peter 4331, b c1821, born in Molotschna (same as 28065??). No children or spouse listed
Heinrich 4330, 1820-1864, born and died in MolotschnaHeinrich 4345, b 1848 Molotschna. Emigrated 1874
Peter 47869, joined Prussian Army
Hans 47870, joined the Hussars in 1786


Although there are a lot of them here, more than half can be eliminated because they died young with no children, or they moved to the Molotschna Colony.  Possible are those who have no children listed in the Churchbook: Andreas 47887, Hinrich 17730, Andreas 47731, Peter 47874, Berent 47875, Peter 47866, and Hans 47865.  Although neither GRANDMA nor the Churchbook list any children for these Ratzlaffs, it doesn’t mean they didn’t have any.  No real strong possibilities here, though, as geographically none of these are right either.

Heinrich 59679 is interesting in that he was born in Gambin, Prussia, instead of the Przechowko area.  Gambin is a little west of Warsaw, Poland, so this is closer to Volhynia geographically.  Heinrich was born in 1829 though, so he wouldn’t be able to be our Jacob’s (born 1842) father.  Not likely.

Peter 47768 is the first Ratzlaff so far who the Churchbook indicates as having lived in the Neumark village of Brenkenhoffswalde.  Based on the dates and location, Peter is a real possibility to be my ancestor Heinrich’s father.

Also in this tree are the likely candidates of Heinrich 47889 and Heinrich 47904.  Both of these Heinrichs were born in the correct window of time and have no children listed, meaning 1) they died young or were unmarried, or 2) they moved out of the Przechowko area and lost touch with the mother church, as must have happened with my ancestor Heinrich.  No location is listed at all for Heinrich 47889.  Heinrich 47904 was born in Deutsch Konopat which was farther up the Vistula River valley from Przechowko. 

The descendants of Hans 36105 Ratzlaff yield at least 3 real possibilities to be my line of Ratzlaffs: Peter 47768, Heinrich 47889 and Heinrich 47904.

A special note regarding Hans 36105 Ratzlaff’s descendants: Among these Ratzlaffs is a family who is documented as living in the Karolswalde villages.  Andreas 43193 had a grandson named Adam 281097 who was born in Antonovka and lived there until emigration to America in 1874.  Indeed, this family can be found in the Tobias Unruh baptism records discussed earlier.  GRANDMA lists this Adam’s family very thoroughly though; all names, dates, and locations seem to be complete.  With this thorough of a record I don’t feel it’s likely that an additional son, my ancestor Heinrich, was left off.  It’s possible that Heinrich was Andreas 43193’s son, but I don’t find it very likely given the level of completion of the data for Andreas 43193’s family in GRANDMA.

Also of note here is that Berent (Jung) 35955, had a daughter named Trincke who was buried in Heinrichsdorf (which was located in Volhynian Russia).  No dates are given for Berent 35955 but he must not be altogether discounted.