Johannes Hans Jurgen Rau (1699 - 1768)

"Hans Jurgen Rau" married "Catha Stubbersse"*, in 1718, in Loonenburg (Athens), Greene, New York. "Hans" is a short form of Johannes. In English, "Hans Jurgen Rau", would be John George Rowe. John and Catherine then start having children, in 1719, before he even moved to the Oblong, near the Native Americans there. ^[1]

• Appears with different name combinations, on various records, using these names: Anna Cathrina Maria Magdalena Stubbersse Salbach ^[2]

Treated in some detail, with sources, by Jones (1985) including children and second marriage to Elizabetha Rorig, daughter of the late Johannes Schneider, Nov. 28 1747 at Germantown (p. 748f). Further work by Jones (1991) shows Elisabetha to be Anna Elisabetha Schneider widow of Johannes Rörich (p. 219).

Issue:

1. Anna Rosina Rau, born 8 Sep 1719. ^[3]
2. Johann Nicholas Row (went by Nicholas), born abt. 1719, married Susanna Winegar 3 Jul 1751, died 1786 at 67y. ^[4]
3. Philip, born abt. 1720, aged abt. 19 in 1939.
4. Jacob Rau, born 22 Sep 1721. ^[5]
5. Jeannette, born abt. 1722, baptised 23 Sep 1722, married the Moravian missionary John Martin Mack, 14 Sep 1742, died doing missionary work, 15 Dec 1749, in Gnadenhutten) ^[6]
6. John Johannes, Jr., born abt. 1722, married Catharina Lescher 18 Oct 1748, died 1771 aged abt. 49. ^[7]
7. Anna Maria, born abt. 1726, baptised 10 Aug 1726.
8. Anna Cathrine Rau, born 19 Jul 1727. ^[8]
9. Liesabeth Rau, born 22 Jan 1730. ^[9]
10. Johann Wilhelmus Rowe (went by William), born 11 Apr 1732, married Anna/Hannah Winegar 2 Jul 1751.
11. Maria Rau, born 13 Mar 1735. ^[10]
12. Anna Maria Margaretha Rouw, born abt. 1736, christened 14 Nov 1736, married Conrad Winegar. ^[11]
13. Mathias Rowe, born abt. 1738, died 1821 at 83y 2m 28d. ^[12]

• Peter ("son of John Rau", said to have sold the Carman Mill to his brother Mattice/Mattoce/Matthias) ^[13]

"Note. — This " Hannas Row " was the John Rau, the friend of the Moravians, "who lived in the neighborhood" of the Indian village at Shacameco, when Christian Henry Rauch first came in 1740. This record confirms a tradition that he lived at the time of the mission from 1740 to 1740, in the "old long house " — long since gone — on the south part of the "Steger farm," now owned by Smith Sackett. It is about a mile from the place where Clinton crossed the road, that runs from Pine Plains to Po'keepsie, that Thursday night, May 5th, 1743. This was at the time of the greatest prosperity of the mission, and with which this Rau family was connected. It was in the immediate neighborhood of the mission and the Indian village. This record of Charles Clinton agrees perfectly with the Moravian historian and proves the tradition correct as to the residence of John Rau. He moved from here later and settled near Amenia Union, where he deceased."^[14]

"He found in John Rau, one of the earliest settlers of the community, a warm friend who did much to protect and defend him and for a time the work flourished."^[15]

"Mr. Rau was friendly to the cause of Christianity and to the missionary ; but endeavored to dissuade him from the attempt to Christianize "a set of savages, more like incarnate devils than human beings," as he regarded the objects of Mr. Rauch's labors." (Strange thing to say, if he was married to a native, and had half native children.)

"Admiring his zeal, Mr. Rau offered him a home, on condition that he instruct his children, for, added he, "we white people are as wicked and ignorant as the heathen." He was ever after the firm friend of the faithful missionary, and aided and defended him and those subsequently associated with him through all the persecutions which ultimately drove them from the colony and compelled them to abandon the mission." ^[16] ("We white people" is a strange thing to say, if his children were half native.)

"In this extremity, the name of John Rau should be mentioned with honor, for his noble and disinterested protection and defence of the persecuted Moravian. He became his warm and steadfast friend, and, during all their subsequent troubles, he was the faithful and untiring advocate of the devoted missionaries ; and, until at last, by an unjust and persecuting act of the colonial government, they were driven from the province, he still adhered, and persuaded others to adhere to their righteous cause."^[17]

"But the accusations of their enemies increasing very fast, the magistrates thought proper to hasten the examination, and the missionaries were obliged to appear in Filkentown on the 14th of July, their friend John Rau (a farmer near Skekomeko) kindly accompanying them. They were first called upon to take their oath ; but they remained stedfast in their request to be excused. Three witnesses were then heard against them. But their evidence being partly without foundation, and partly nugatory and trifling, it made no impression upon the court. John Rau was next examined. He answered, that he had known the Brethren from their first coming into the country, and could say nothing but what tended to their honour; that he had frequently been present with his whole family at their meetings, and had never seen any thing to justify the strange accusations brought against them. Upon this the court broke up, and they were again honourably acquitted."^[18]

"Daughter of John Rau, a Palatine farmer in the neighborhood, at whose house Bro. Rauch had been entertained on his arrival among the Mohicans in 1740. He deceased in July of 1768, and was buried at the English meeting-house in " The Oblong," by Bro. Francis Bolder, at that time stationed at Sichem."^[19]

John Rau, "the Moravian", or "of the Oblong", as we can find him stylized, was indeed a friend of the Moravians, and they recorded that. They provided the earliest records, in the area. He welcomed Henry Rauch as a fellow Christian, when he arrived. John believed in their cause, so much, that he defended them in court. His daughter, Jeannette, even married one of the brothers, John Martin Mack, and later died doing missionary work herself. The Moravians also considered two of his other children, a son and daughter, to join their communion. They didn't record John Rau, his wife, or his children, as needing to be converted. Neither did they record that any of them was Native American. And, that, is exactly what they were there to do.

John Rau wasn't a pagan outsider, to the community. He was the earliest settler. He built the first mill. John's voice carried weight in the court house. His son, John, granted land to, and helped build, the Methodist Church. His wife was of another Palatine immigrant family. None of Bearce's fraudulent claims pan out.