Johann Hermann Otterbach (abt. 1664 - bef. 1724)

Born about 1664 in Trupbach, Fürstentum Nassau-Siegen, Heiliges Römisches Reich

Ancestors

Husband of Elsbeth (Heimbach) Otterbach — married 11 Aug 1685 in Siegen, Fürstentum Nassau-Siegen, Heiliges Römisches Reich

Descendants

Died before 1724 before about age 60 in Colony of Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Barbara Kemper [send private message], Terry Thornton [send private message], and Starr Gibson [send private message]

Research Notes

In his 1938 book, Utterback history and genealogy of the Utterback family in America, 1622-1937, William Irvin Utterback incorrectly places multiple descendants of Hermann's brother, Johannes Otterbach (b. 1659 who married Margarethe Dornsieffer), under Hermann, ^[1] in his determination to have Hermann as the single "fountain head" from whom all American Utterbacks descended (thru Hermann's sons John Phillip (b. 1692) and John (b. 1702)). ^[2]

Benjamin Clark Holtzclaw corrected these mistakes in his book Ancestry and Descendants of the Nassau-Siegen Immigrants to Virginia 1714-1750, ^[3] showing that these Utterbacks in Virginia came from a different son of Johannes, Johann Henrich Otterbach (b. 1698), and a grandson, also named Johann Henrich Otterbach (b. 1714). In this uncle-nephew team that were in the 1734 Little Fork, Virginia group, the uncle is known as Henry "the elder" and the nephew as Henry "the younger". ^[4]

Biography

From B.C. Holtzclaw's Ancestry and Descendants of the Nassau-Siegen Immigrants to Germanna, Virginia," page 482: ^[5]

Hermann (or Johann Hermann) Otterbach of Trupbach, b. ca. 1664, son of Johannes and Anna (Stuell) Otterbach, was a 'Fuhrmann' (carrier or carter), who transported goods and traded in them. They were the most important middle-men for the export of the iron products of Nassau-Siegen. Hermann Otterbach's full name, Johann Hermann Otterbach, and his trade, are given in the christening record of his son, Johann Philipp, in 1692. We have indicated that Hermann Otterbach and all his family emigrated to Virginia in 1714. This is in accordance with tradition, and fits with the facts. Hermann Otterbach, his wife, and his two sons, however, all seem to have died early in Virginia, perhaps before the 1714 group moved to Germantown about 1719.... Hermann Otterbach, son of Johannes Otterbach of Trupbach, married at Siegen Aug. 11, 1685 Elisabeth Heimbach (b. 1662), daughter of Philipp Heimbach, decd., of Seelbach, and his wife, Maria Catherina Fischbach.

However, from the "Utterback Book" by William I. Utterback, page 33: ^[2]

Hermann Otterbach was the son of Johannes and Anna Otterbach of Siegerland, Germany, as definitely determined by his marriage certificate; b. abt. 1663 at Trupbach, near Siegen, Germany; before coming to America is on record as being a driver in the iron mines at Trupbach; d. after 1748 in old Germantown, Prince William Co., Virginia; is on record as being a resident of this German Colony in 1748; m. August 11, 1685 at Siegen, Westphalia, Germany to Elizabeth Heimbach, daughter of Philip and Maria Margaret Heimbach of Seelbach, near Siegen, Germany.

Besides Holtzclaw's claims that Hermann Otterbach and his sons died early in Virginia before moving to Germantown, it is also noted that Hermann and Elisabeth must have at least died before 1724 as none of them filed an importation statement as the other 1714 immigrants did in that year. ^[6]

Herman and Elisabeth's children (all born in Trupbach, Nassau-Siegen, Germany, unless otherwise noted) were as follows: ^{[2] [7] [8]}

1. Anna Margarethe (Anna Margaret) Otterbach, b. 1686 and christened 1 Aug 1686 (9th Sunday after Trinity). ^[9] She married Hans Jacob Holtzclaw on 7 Aug 1708 in Siegen, Germany ^[10] and died 1724-1729 in Germantown, Fauquier Co., Virginia.
2. Elsbeth (Elizabeth) Otterbach, b. 1689 and christened 20 May 1689 (2nd Sunday after Pentecost). ^[11] She died in 1772 in Germantown, Fauquier Co., Virginia.
3. Johann Philipp (John Philip) Otterbach, b. 22 Mar 1692 in Siegen, Nassau-Siegen, Germany and christened 28 Mar 1692 at St. Nicholas Reform Church in Siegen, Germany. ^[12] He died in 1718 in Virginia.
4. Johannes (John) Otterbach, b. 6 May 1693 and christened Jubilate Sunday, 1693. He died young since a later brother, John (b. 1702), appears.
5. Johann Jakob (John Jacob) Otterbach, b. 23 Nov 1695 and christened 8 Dec 1695 at the St. Nicholasi Reform Church in Siegen, Germany. He died 30 Jan 1696 in Trupbach and was buried there 1 Feb 1696.
6. Elisabeth Cathrina (Elizabeth Catherine) Otterbach (also seen as Alice), b. 18 Apr 1697 and christened 25 Apr 1697. ^[13] Married John Kemper.
7. Maria Cathrina (Mary Catherine) Otterbach, b. 5 Nov 1699 and christened at St. Nicholas Reform Church in Siegen, Germany. She married John Joseph Martin ca. 1715 and died ca. 1724 in Virginia.
8. Johnnes (John) Otterbach, b. 15 Apr 1702 and christened 23 Apr 1702 at St. Nicholas Reform Church in Siegen, Germany. ^[14] He died in Germantown, Virginia.
9. Anna Cathrina (Anna Catherine) Otterbach, b. 2 Jan 1705 and christened 11 Jan 1705 at St. Nicholas Reform Church in Siegen, Germany. ^[15] Married Hermann Fischbach.

Sources

1. ↑ Utterback, William Irvin. Utterback history and genealogy of the Utterback family in America, 1622-1937: Family record of Herman Utterback and his descendants, (1622-1937) (Marshall College, West Virginia, Gentry Bros, 1937), p. 15.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Utterback, W. I. Ibid, pp. 33-34.
3. ↑ Holtzclaw, B.C. Ancestry and Descendants of the Nassau-Siegen Immigrants to Virginia 1714-1750, Harrisonburg, Virginia, The Germanna Foundation, 1964 , pp. 491-492; see also the "Corrections in the Utterback Genealogy in America" section, pp. 488-491.
4. ↑ Germanna Foundation, List of Original Germanna Settlers, "The Little Fork Group", published September 10, 2013.
5. ↑ Holtzclaw, B.C. Ancestry, p. 482.
6. ↑ The Germanna Foundation, Winter 2019 Newsletter, MISSing, by Barbara Price, pp. 4-5.
7. ↑ Holtzclaw, Benjamin Clark. The genealogy of the Holtzclaw family, 1540-1935, Old Dominion press, inc., 1936, p. 17.
8. ↑ Roseberry, Greg. The Elbert Howell-Bertha Burnop Family of Floyd, Smyth and Montgomery Counties, Virginia: Including the Burnop, Duncan, Fischbach, Hanks, Heimbach, Holtzclaw, Howell, Hylton, Morricle, Otterbach, Pratt, Stuell, Vaughan, and Weddle Families, iUniverse, 2002, pp. 355-357.
9. ↑ "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898," database, FamilySearch : 11 February 2018, Hermannus Otterbach in entry for Margreth Otterbach, 01 Aug 1686; citing ; FHL microfilm 598,262.
10. ↑ "Deutschland Heiraten, 1558-1929," database, FamilySearch : 11 February 2018, Hermannus Otterbach in entry for Hans Jacob Holtzklaw and Anna Margreth Otterbach, Aug 1708; citing Evangelisch, Siegen, Westfalen, Prussia; FHL microfilm 802,311.
11. ↑ "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898," database, FamilySearch : 10 February 2018, Hermannus Otterbach in entry for Elssbeth Otterbach, 20 May 1689; citing ; FHL microfilm 598,262.
12. ↑ "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898," database, FamilySearch : 10 February 2018, Herrmann Otterbach in entry for Johann Philipp Otterbach, 28 Mar 1692; citing ; FHL microfilm 598,262.
13. ↑ "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898," database, FamilySearch : 10 February 2018, Hermannus Otterbach in entry for Elisabeth Cathrina Otterbach, 25 Apr 1697; citing ; FHL microfilm 598,262.
14. ↑ "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898," database, FamilySearch : 11 February 2018, Hermannus Otterbach in entry for Johannes Otterbach, 23 Apr 1702; citing ; FHL microfilm 598,262.
15. ↑ "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898," database, FamilySearch : 11 February 2018, Hermannus Otterbach in entry for Anna Cathrin Otterbach, 11 Jan 1705; citing ; FHL microfilm 598,263.

See also:

• Harold W. Boles and David B. Boles, Foster Ancestors: some Europeans, immigrants, colonists and pioneers (Kalamazoo, Mich., 1990)

• William A. Martin. Merten - Martin: A Martin Genealogy Tied to the History of Germanna, Virginia, Heritage Books, Inc. - 1995, 1540E Pointer Ridge Place, Bowie, Md. 20716 - 1995, Call Number: ISBN 0-7884-0184-X. Note: Orange County Historical Society - Orange, Virginia & Library of Congress

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Otterbach-39 created through the import of worthington Family Tree.ged on Jun 16, 2012 by JoAnne Worthington.
• WikiTree profile Otterbach-16 created through the import of My Ancerstors.ged on Jul 2, 2011 by Mike Snider.
• WikiTree profile Otterbach-26 created through the import of Comstock for Wiki.ged on Jul 27, 2011 by Kay Haden.
• WikiTree profile Otterbach-19 created through the import of Low Family Tree.ged on Jul 4, 2011 by Robert Low.
• This person was created through the import of Martin_O_Daniels_Lorentz_Toale.ged on 21 March 2011.
• Otterback-1 was created by Terry Killham through the import of Killham Family Tree.ged on Nov 9, 2014.