Pioneer Families
the French/Swiss
Connection
A. W. Cissel
Several of the early area families though emigrating from the German provinces were originally of French or Swiss ancestry. These families had spent two of more generations as refugees in Germany, adopting the language and culture (even
the spelling of their names) as their own.
Religious and
dynastic wars
rocked Western
Europe for over
a hundred years
culminating in
King Louis XIV's
revocation of
the Edict of
Nantes requiring
conversion of
all French
Protestants
(Huguenots) and
forbidding
emigration. The
French had also
conquered some
of the Swiss
cantons where
there were many
Mennonite
followers. These
French or Swiss
Protestants fled
to the
neighboring
non-Catholic
countries.
The majority
crossed the
Rhine River to
the provinces
and city-states
of Lutheran
Germany.
Some were
expressly
invited by
various German
Princes whose
lands had been
desolated by
earlier wars. In
the mid-18th
century, when
the land agents
of William Penn
and George
Calvert beckoned
men to a better
life in the New
World, these
former
French/Swiss
families joined
in the
migration,
entering America
as citizens and
emigrants of the
German
Palatinate.
Several noted
historians and
genealogists
have documented
the ancestry of
these Frederick
County
residents. What
follows is a
partial list of
those who
settled in the
Thurmont/Emmitsburg
neighborhood.
Bonnet - From
Lorraine, the
tract "Bonnet's
Resolution" was
surveyed for
Jacob Bonnet in
1742 and is
included in the
Johnson
brother's
Catoctin Furnace
holdings
Colliflower
(Originally
Collifleur/
Goranflet) From
Friedenthal in
Baden. a town
founded in 1699
specifically for
Huguenot
refugees. George
Adam Colliflower
emigranted in
1749: his
descendants were
members of the
Moravian Church.
Delauter (De
Latre/De Lateur)
- Huguenot
family fled
Lille, France to
Germany about
1640. David
Delatere had a
child baptized
in Delatere had
a child baptized
in Frederick
County by an
EvangelicalReformed
minister in
1749. David was
described as a
"Calvinist" at
his
naturalization
in October,
1761.
Fornev (Fahnev)
- Family has
been traced to
Ferney in Depart
of Ain, France.
Some fled to
Protestant
cantons of
Swizerland, some
to Palatine
Germany. Adam
Furnie purchased
land southwest
of later
Emmitsburg in
1762.
Fortnev (Fortineaux)
- Jean Henri
Fortineau was
listed as
Fortinee by
Pastor Stoever
who baptized a
daughter at
Monocacy Church
in 1738.
Motter (Motteur/Mottrie)
- Originated in
Alsace, France,
said to be
Huguenots,
settled in York,
Pa. by 1757 from
German Palatine.
Royer (Rier) -
Several
originated in
France -
Sebastian Royer
was in
Pennsylvania in
1718. (Note: Not
all Royer, Boyer
or Moyer are of
French descent.)
Staub - The
Government of
the Commune of
Ochlenberg,
Switzerland
reported in
November, 1774
that Andreas
Staub had
surrendered his
citizenship and
settled in
Maryland.
Troxell (Drachsel)
- Johan Peter
Trachsel born at
Lenke, Canton
Berne in French
controlled
Switzer-land,
emigrated to
Saar area of
Western Germany.
His 17 year old
grandson John
Peter Troxell
emigrated with
parents in 1737
and was buried
at Tom's Creek
near
''Emmitsburg in
1799
Woodring (Vauterin/Voturin)
- Jean Voterin
b. Hellerigin,
Lorraine
(France) in
1711, served in
French Dragoons
at age 17,
became a
Moravian,
settled in York
Co with wife and
three children.
He and second
wife moved to
Frederick
County, both
buried Graceham
in 1786. Son
Jean (John, Jr.)
lived near
Graceham, d.
1779.
Williar(d) (Vielliard)
- Nicholaud
Vielliard fled
from France to
Erlenbach in the
Palatine
provinces. Son
Jacob
(1667-1717)
married Mary
Elizabeth
Gordier who died
in 1770 and is
buried at
Graceham.
Grandson Peter
Williar
(1714-1794) was
one of first
communicants at
1758
organization of
this Moravian
congregation.
Peter acquired
land near
Sabillasville,
fathered 10
children.
Some names which
are more
obviously French
included the
Bussards, DuVals,
Delaplaines,
Juliens, and
Lefevers. Many
Swiss names
ending in "j''
or "i" were
given an
Anglicized
ending of "ie"
or "y" resulting
in Leidie.
Tshudy, Rudie,
and Welty. Not
all present day
bearers of the
same name as
those mentioned
here are
descendants of
the particular
people named. In
many cases, the
original name/
nationality has
disappeared or
been changed so
drastically that
Murray can be
Irish or the
Swiss Muri, but
for some
families, their
"German"
heritage
eventually leads
back to France
or Switzerland.
Do you
know of an individual who played a role in the history
of
Thurmont?
If so, send their story to us at:
history@mythurmont.net
|