Johann George Zeller (abt. 1660 - aft. 1712)

Born about 1660 in Helmershausen, Germany

Descendants

Died after 1712 after about age 52 in New York

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jim Baucom [send private message]

Sources Palatine Subsistence List in Zeller book by Vallentine Zeller published 2012.

Biography

by Jim Baucom, husband of Betty Jo Zellers whose brother's Y DNA is a match to Ryan Zeller

THE DOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT PALATINE ZELLER and Batdorf FAMILIES

German immigrants were sent to New York by Queen Ann of England to collect sap from pine trees to be used when building new sailing ships. New York pine trees yielded very little sap, while southern pines were a perfect source. Since they had no money, New York Gov. Hunter made Subsistence payments which stopped after 2 years. A microfilm of the original list, is the only reliable source of who they were. but it appears that this source was unknown by genealogist until Professor John F Valentine published his book in 2012, The Tulpehocken Zellers and Their Descendants.

2800-3000 Palatines left England. 400 died at sea and 200 died after arriving at New York. This included 100 orphans and 50 widows.

The following is what John Valentine saw on the microfilm. 30 JUN 1710 Johann Henrich was placed on subsistence list (3,0) and widow Anna Battorffin (Batdorf) (3.0), Three over age 10 persons and no children age 10 or under. Four days later Johann Henrich was (1,1) and widow Anna (5,0). Later listings had Widow Anna, and Johannes and his father Johann George and her two stepchildren usually at (5.0).

The four Zeller immigrants were Johann George, father of Johannes Zeller and Johann Henrich Zeller and his under age 10 daughter/sister, Anna Maria Zeller who married Johannes Schaeffer at New York. This profile shows Johannes and Henrich as brothers, as commonly shown in most genealogies. But HZ Jones Jr and John Vallentine agreed that there is no reason why Johannnes and Henrich couldn't have been cousins--or even an uncle/nephew pair.

When I contacted Hank Jones with this data that differed from his Wissen and Etzbach Zoeller information in his 1985 book, The Palatine Families of New York-1710, Valentine never contacted him with what he had viewed on the subsistence list and he issued a correction to his Zeller contacts immediately.

The three Batdorfs were were widow Anna and her step children Johannes Martin Batdorf b 1695 and his sister Catherine Elizabetha Batdorf b 1697. Helmershausen Germany church show Peter Batdorf had married Kunigunda Weygand 1682 at Helmershausen Germany and baptism of eight children Sometime after Kunigunda died about 1702 Peter married Anna and in 1709 Peter, Anna and 5 children sailed from Rotterdam to England, Peter and three of his children died at England or at sea.

Who always supports and protects a widow when her husband dies? Her kin! There are two probable possibilities: 1. Widow Anna Batdorf was a Zeller, the daughter of Johann George or his sister. 2. John George Zeller married a Batdorf woman. This would make Peter Batdorf's children cousins of the three Zeller immigrants and widow Anna could be anyone. Either way leads to the speculation that both families were neighbors at Helmershausen Germany.

Exactly where and when John George Zeller and sons Johann Henrich and Johannes were born is unknown. Also unknown is the the other Zeller members of this family who died at sea or at London.

In 1717 Palatine Ulrich Simmendinger returned to Germany and published a register the the Palatines alive at New York before he left. At Neu-Ansberg were widow Anna Badtorffin and 2 children, Johannes Schaeffer and wife Anna Maria (born Zeller) Henrich Zoller, wife and 3 children and Johannes, wife Anna Catharina and 2 children. Their father Johann George was not listed.

Sources

• John F. Vallentine. The Tulpehocken Zellers and their Zeller Descendants The Tulpehocken Settlement Historical Society. Womelsdorf, PA 2012. pp. 20, 21,and 23.

• Simmendinger Register https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyschoha/simmen.html