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Johann Heinrich "Henry" Zeller was born about 1681, in what is today Germany. He emigrated to New York as part of the 1709 Palatine Migration.[1] The precise European origins of Johann Heinrich Zeller (and his probable relative Johannes) remain disputed among genealogists (see origins section below). There is some reason to think that the father of both men was named Johann George, based on entries on Governor Hunter subsistence Lists.
In 1709, Heinrich left his home and made his way to London, where he departed for New York. His early days in New York are recorded on the Hunter Subsistence Lists. Henrich recorded on 1 July 1710, with a household of two adults (no children recorded). One month later, on 4 Aug, his household is recorded as 1 adult and 1 child. Two months after that, his household had grown to 4 persons over 10 (no children recorded). The early entries on the Hunter lists show the household size changing frequently. Perhaps more family members arrived on ships later that summer, or perhaps the persons recording the Hunter Lists made clerical errors. Untimately, by Sept 1711, the household size has stabilized at 3 people over 10 and 1 under in Sept 1711. Presumably that would be Heinrich, his wife Anna Maria Unknown, daughter Anna Maria, and son Hartman. For a full tabulation and analysis of the Zeller appearances on the Hunter Lists, see Vallentines 2012 Zeller family monograph, p. 13. A Wikitree freespace page also exists that tabulates these entries and identifies their internal inconsistencies.
The Hunter Lists make it clear that there was a close connection between the surviving Zeller family members and surviving Batdorf family members (the orphans Martin and Catharine Elisabeth Batdorf), and their probable stepmother, Anna Battorfin. The exact relationship remains uncertain (see origins section).
1711: Hans Henry Zeller of Ansburg participated in the Expedition Against Canada at the siege of Louisbourg [2][3]
1711: living in Neu Ansburg, NY[4]NOTE: Neu Ansberg was first known as Hartmannsdorf, named after its founder Hartman Wyndecker--who was also the namesake of Henrich's oldest child.
~1717: Henrich's daughter (or sister?) Anna Maria, who also emigrated to New York in 1710, married Johannnes Schäffer and remained in the Schoharie Valley. The baptism of one of her children was sponsored in 1717 by Johannes Zeller.
1713: the Zellers, now married and with children moved to the Schoharie Valley in New York.
1716/1717: according to the Simmendinger register, the household of Hanns Henrich Zöller consists of a wife and three children. Hanss Heinrich Zöller and his wife, with 3 children were listed next to Johannes Zöller, Johannes Schäffer, and Anna Badtorffin and their families at Neu-Ansberg.[5]Daughter Anna Maria was listed as wife of Johannes Schaeffer by that time[6] [7]
About 1723 Henrich, Johannes, and the Batdorf children and their spouses moved again down the Susquehanna and up Swatara Creek to the Tulpehocken Valley. Both of the tracts of land described below appear on the famous Lindenmuth Map of early Tulpehocken Settlers, most of whom came from New York.
2 Dec 1738: Henrich Zeller purchases 115 acres on Swatara Creek from Caspar Wistar.
10 Oct 1750: Henrich Zeller patented a second 115 acres, adjoining the first tract of land.[8]
Johann Heinrich Zeller died in early January 4, 1756 in Tulpehocken Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and was buried in the Reeds Cemetery in Stouchsburg, Berks county, Pennsylvania.[9] There is no original grave marker, and the exact gravesite is not known. The Memorial shown features a plaque installed in 1948 by the discredited "Zeller Family Association".
Will: The will of Henrich Zeller was dated 3 Aug 1754 and probated 20 Jan 1756.[10][11]
Anna Maria Zeller, Henrick's widow, is reported to have survived him until 1765, but it was not until 1772 that any disposition was made on his property. On 28 December of that year John Zeller of Berks County, Anna Maria Saltzgeber, widow of Lancaster County, John Pontius of Berks County, in right of his wife Anna Catherine, Leonard Schwartz of Berks County in right of his wife Anna Catherine, Leonard Schwartz of Berks County in right of his wife Anna Elizabeth, Barbara Leru, and Hartman Zeller of Frederick County, Maryland, for the consideration of 250L paid by John George Zeller, released and quit-claimed their rights in the 245 acres of which Johann Heinrich Zeller had died seized. Thus from his will and the quit-claim deed, a list of the children of Johann Heinrich Zeller can firmly be established.
Henrich Zeller married Anna Maria Unknown. There has been some suggestion that her family name (or widowed name) was Briegel, but no primary sources have emerged to support this. They had the following children: [11][12][13]
NOTE: In Henrich's will, money was allocated to his son Johann George to pay for care of his two "simple" brothers, Johann Heinrich and Johann David. But the guardians of Heinrich and David (and the executors of the will) were named as Johannes "John" Zeller his other brother and Leonard Anspach , his son-in-law.
NOTE: Because of the ongoing controversy about the relationships between the Zeller familes and Anna Battorfin, a detailed chronology of the primary entries to the Lists can be found in a free-space page that collates this information. This is useful for tracking the changes in "household" sizes of these 3 related family groups living at Livingston Manor (1710-1712).
There are two main hypotheses about who was his father:
1. The father might be Johann George Zeller (~1660-aft 1712). This hypothesis is based mainly on a single (24 Jun 1711) entry in Governor Hunter's Sustenance List, which reads, "Johann George Zellers son and Anna Battorfin." There are two other entries on the Hunter Lists that mention a George Zeller. These entries are suggest that the father of Johannes Zeller was named Johann George Zeller, who must have died en route to New York or very early after arriving. These 3 entries are the only records of Johann George Zeller's existence. There is no birth, marriage, baptism or death record known for this person, neither in Europe or New York. See this Wikitree free-space page for additional details. Hypothesis 1 was favored by Vallentine, in his last iteration of Zeller family research published before his death. John F. Vallentine's book (linked to FamilySearch)
NOTE: When Henry "Hank" Jones Jr was queried recently about why his conclusions about the Tulpehocken Zellers did not match to the conclusions, in Vallentine's 2012 mongraph, Jones replied that his book was written years before and had never heard of the last revision of Vallentine's book. After reading it online he stated I wish that he would have contacted me so I could have corrected my Zeller data. He told me to keep the Wissen Maria Zoller, b 1685 at Wissen as a Palatine, because she and her son by negro Jan from Martinique were found in NY church records. He said she obviously did not arrive John George Zeller, his sons Johann Henrich, Johannes and under age 10 daughter Anna Maria Zeller who married Johannes Schaeffer. Wissen Maria Zoller was not recorded on the subsistence list because she could have come with her widowed mother and a new husband or an orphan. She is now named as Wissen Henrich Zoller's daughter. See a .pdf copy of Jones' full reply attached to this profile.--- Jim Baucom
2. The father MIGHT possibly be Henrich Zöller (1656-~1702), a Catholic from Wissen on the Sieg, and his first wife, Maria Weller, who was probably a Lutheran in the neighboring hamlet of Etzbach in the parish of Hamm on the Sieg, based on the research of the German historian Klaus Petry. [14] Excerpts of Petry's conclusions can be found in the Research Notes section in the profile of his probable brother, Johann Henry. Petry discusses the fascinating historical context of Wissen on the Sieg at the time to explain how a Lutheran and a Catholic could marry. While the extensively primary-sourced Zöller family research is not easily questioned, the conclusions drawn from it by Klaus Petry and his collaborators (Jones), are based on considerable speculation. The evidence and speculations are discussed in much greater detail in the profile of Henrich Zöller (1656-~1702).
There is a confusing mixture of history, family tradition and fiction concerning the early Zellers. The assignment of French Hugenots Jaques Zeller and his wife Chlotilde DeValois as the parents of Johann Henry and Johannes Zeller--Palatine brothers who went to New York, then later Pennsylvania--has been repeatedly and thoroughly debunked. Jacques Zeller and his wife Clothilde de Valois were said to be French Huguenots who moved to the Palatinate region in Germany late in the 17th century, but there is no documentation of this and it is possible that Clothilde did not even exist.[15]
Biography from about 1681 until 1717 by Jim Baucom based on John Valentine information:
John Valentine wrote in his 2012 book The Tulpehocken Zellers and Their Descendants, that he viewed a microfilm of the original New York Gov Hunter’s subsistence list and it stated that the four Zeller Palatine immigrants were Johann George Zeller, sons Johannes and Johann Henrich and his daughter Anna Maria, age 9 (that would make Henrich born before 1681.) He was added to New York Gov Hunter’s subsistence list (3.0) The record keeper missed Anna, it should have been (3.1), 3 persons age and older and 1 child under age 10. Four days later, 4 JUL 1710 and 4 Aug 1710, the entry for Henrich was (1,1).
Just before the next entry, 25 MAR 1711, Their son Hartman was born which made the entry (2.3). The average pregnancy period is 40 weeks and from 4 AUG 1710, when the entry was (1,1) until 25 MAR 1711 is about 42 weeks.
Before the next entry at 24 JUN 1711 Anna had a birthday and was now age 10 so that entry was (3,2), but the next entry, 24 SEP 1711 was (3,1). The family was now Henrich, his wife, daughter Anna and son Hartman. The widow’s son had died. The entry for Henrich stayed at (3,1) for the remaining 1712 subsistence period. The last entry was (3,1) 24 JUN 1712.
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Z > Zeller > Johann Heinrich Zeller
Categories: Zeller Name Study | Palatine Migrants
It's gone now!
Kie
I don'r know how it showed in edit but not in regular view. I've never seen that before.
The information on this profile shows no Maria Catharina. If she gave birth to someone's grandchild in 1715, she could not be a child of Johann Heinrich whose children were born 1711-1727. What piece of information am I missing?
Maria Catherina is the child of Johann Heinrich Zeller, b. 1656, and his second wife Anna Martha. Maria Catherina was born abt. 1698 in Etzbach.
There is continuing debate regarding the parents of Johannes and Johann Heinrich Zeller, the immigrants. Some insist their father was a Johann George Zeller, (no evidence other than a mention in the subsistence list ledger) and others point to Johann Heinrich, b. 1656, and his first wife, Anna Maria Weller.
The reference to Maria Catherina suggests that she was related to the two male Zeller immigrants, probably their half sister, and that all of them probably originated in Etzingen since Kocherthal records this in the baptism of the illegitimate child.
edited by Kie (Entrikin) Zelms
Immigrant Johann Henrich Zeller, probably born at Helmershausen Germany had a child age 9 in 1710 living with him until she married Johannes Schaeffer. Subsistence records show that he married a Palatine widow with one child 1710. The sources that state she was a Briegal but none of them state that she was a widow with child. She and the French Lady are lies, not myths.
Subsistence records show Johann Henrich Zeller arrived at New York with his daughter Anna Maria, and Johannes Zeller with his father Johann George Zeller. They were listed under Henrich's name. Henrich and Johannes were brothers or cousins. When they arrived at New York Henrich and Anna lived together for the duration of the subsistence period as did Johannes and his father lived widow Anna Batdorf and her two step children Johannes Martin and Ellizabetha Kattarina Batdorf. Church records at Helmershausen Germany show the Batdorf children baptized there. This is evidence that they were closely related which means the four immigrant Zellers had come from Helmershausen also. Probably Johann George Zeller married a Batdorf woman or widow Anna, the second wife of Peter Batdorf was a Zeller.
Subsistence records show Anna Maria was child under age 10 when they arrived at New York, JUN1710 and that she was age 10 JUN 1711, so she was born 1701. From this we know Henrich married her unknown mother before 1710 and that Henrich was born before 1681. There could have been more older and younger children.
Subsistence records show Henrich and Anna (1,1) until 4 OCT 1710 when they were (4,0). Henrich had married a woman and her child or younger sibling. That got corrected to (2,2) on 31DEC1710. Henrich's second wife was identified as Anna Maria in his will. She had to be a Palatine wife of a husband who died before she arrived at New York. By the next report, 25 MAR 1711, they had added a child (2,3), who was probably Hartman. By 24 JUN 1711, Henrich's daughter Anna Maria was now age 10 (3,2) . On the next report 22 SEP 1711, the family was (3,1). The child with Henrich's wife had died. Anna Maria and Hartman had families later. Johann Henrich's subsistence stayed at (3,1) until the final report 24 JUN 1712.
1717, Palatine Ulrich Simmendinger returned to what is now Germany and published a register of NY Palatine survivors. Henrich and wife had 3 children, that did not include Anna Maria as, she and husband Johannes Schaeffer had no children. Also included in the register were Johannes and wife Anna Catherine unknown with two children and widow Anna Batdorf and her two stepchildren. Johann George was only recorded in the subsistence records.
edited by Jim Baucom Jr.
If you have evidence that Anna Maria Briegel was not married in 1720 to Heinrich, that information would be appreciated. We do know from his will that his wife, Anna Maria, survived him, and you postulate that the son, Hartman, was her child by a previous marriage who took the Zeller name.
If her LNAB is unknown, then perhaps her LNAB needs to be changed. We can't very well remove her when we know he had a wife named Anna Maria at the time his will was written.
WikiTree members assume everyone has good intentions. No one is knowingly perpetuating myths or lies. So far, it seems,, no one has raised a concern about the marriage of Anna Maria Whomever and Johann Heinrich Zeller.
I hope someone immersed in Zeller history can shed light on the issue.
The only Briegal on the subsistence list is George Briegal, (2.0). who with one other person over age 10. This completely eliminates Henrich’s wife from being a Briegal. If she was a widow her name would not been Briegal or if the child were her younger sibling, he would have stayed with his father George and not with Henrich and Anna Maria.
Henrich married Anna Maria Unknown. This is very obvious when you research the possibilities.
edited by [Living Seifert]
I got to this profile while tracking one of these whose name was Adam (Rudolph) Arbaugh which turns out was formerly Erb. (It may have been Arböh, then Erb in Swiss, Erbach in German and Arbaugh in French.) He lived near Zeller's Fort in Shenandoah in what is now Page County Virginia. In the Massanutten Settlement (http://www.wendtroot.com/cockrill/d0004/d0004notes/MassanuttenHistory.html) there were a group of these Baptist/Mennonite/German Baptist Brethren/Reform who sometime took communion in Lutheran and Catholic churches most all of whom were descended from Swiss Germans. (FYI Jim Beam whiskey from Kentucky was brewed by their ancestors who were neighbors of the Zellers and Arbaugh of Shenandoah. They were originally Swiss Boehm or Böhm all of whom spoke Swiss German in around the Blue Ridge Mountains.)
Here they were also associated with the mysterious people of Fort Valley, the Dunkers and a lot of the early Baptists of the Great Awakening. These had come through the Manor of Conestoga (then Chester, later Berks and Lancaster counties) and were also found in the adjacent Maryland settlements.
There they were sometimes also associated with the Ephrata Cloister, Wildasin and other types that often called themselves Brethren. (Later they became Methodist and some Primitive and Regular Baptists.) They were closely tied with some of the original "Mennonites" of Germantown in Philadelphia as well and 1710-1712 Pequa Valley settlers. Strangely also the Celtic frontiersman such Boone, Bowie, Clark, Lewis, Lincoln, etc. who may have originally come from Swiss Anabaptist stock.
Prior to living near the South Shenandoah River, the Erb family (listed as German Baptist Brethren/Swartzenau/Mennonite/Dutch Reform/Lutheran) had settled near Stricklerstown near Fort Zeller in Lebanon County. Indeed, Seth Erb Rd is just about 3 miles east of the site of Fort Zeller in Newmanstown.
They were also associated with many of the 1709 New York Palatinates many of whom also trace back to Bern and Zurich as well as the Welsh Baptists and some early Baptists of Southern England. Indeed, the Baptist practice of Shape Note Singing originated from a Druidic practice and, the area of France, Switzerland, Germany and the Benelux countries that was once Burgundy, was the homeland of the Euro-Celt.
I would emphasize the family relationships and not the church affiliation. I put a lot of Background History on these people in the "Background History" section of https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Arbaugh-16.
edited by D. (Pettit) Vitale-Cox
edited by Dave Rutherford
The best thing about WikiTree being better than other genealogical websites is the ability for members to try to come to an agreement on conflicting data. From Gov, Hunter's subsistence records we know the immigrant Zeller men were Johann George Zeller and his sons Johann Heinrich and Johannes, who is not identified a Johannes George in any documents in his lifetime. This alone eliminates John Heinrich Zoeller of Wissen being their father. Additional proof: Peter Batdorf dies in England or at sea, and when the Zeller and Batdorf's widow and her two stepsons arrive at NY John George and his son Johannes immediately cohabitate with the Batdorf group, people they had never seen before because they were from Wissen Germany and Batdorf family were from Helmershausen Germany 250 km apart as Mr. Schnell noted. They obviously knew each other because the Anna Batdorf was the sister of Johann Henrich and Johannes at Helmerdhausen germany.
edited by Jim Baucom Jr.
The Zeller-395 profile will still be connected to Zeller-824, a new newly created profile that presents an opposing version of Johann Heinrich Zeller's biography.
I suggest that you read up on the Palatine migration to New York in 1709-1710. These migrants left Germany for [mostly] economic reasons, not religion. I believe you'll find that their story is as fascinating as that of the Huguenots.
Almost all of the 1709-1710 Palatines I've looked at were Protestants, although I know there were some Catholics. Remember that Martin Luther was German.
Huguenots were French Protestants. The Zeller family were German. The Germans were called Palatines - both Catholic and Protestant, although most were Protestant.
I do have a history book, that does show her one son with a wife (age 23) in England--in that special report of the Paltinates. So trying to figure out if the supposed son of this Lady Valois had two wives? According to wiki and other sources I see an Anna Maria Briegal (sp). But I linked her to HIS son as HIS wife per the will/estate writeup. The report in England said his wife was Anna Catherine. So I am presuming all of the children (there were 5) are his. But this tree has a HUGE list. I know more than one Zeller came over, and although there is no definite proof they were related or brothers, I am thinking I have two separate Zeller lines awfully intertwined and I don't know how to unlink them all and sort it out.... Pleae let me know if you learn anything else. I see above their is conjecture of a sister Anna Maria as well. The two Anna Maria Zellers I have married Frederick Weiser (brother to my 7th great-grandfather) and a Andrew (Andreas) Salzberger (Salzgaver/gaber). If there was a sister, that means there is a third one to sort out! Thank you so much!