George Zeh
Privacy Level: Open (White)

Johann Georg Zeh (abt. 1696 - abt. 1751)

Johann Georg (George) Zeh aka Say, Zee, Sea
Born about in Rudelsheim, Kurfürstentum Pfalz, Heiliges Römisches Reichmap
Husband of — married [date unknown] in Heiliges Römisches Reichmap
Descendants descendants
Died about at about age 55 in Hardy County, Augusta, West Virginia or Hampshire, Virginiamap
Profile last modified | Created 22 Feb 2010
This page has been accessed 9,011 times.
{{{image-caption}}}
George Zeh was a Palatine Migrant.
Join: Palatine Migration Project
Discuss: palatine_migration

Contents

Biography

RESEARCH NOTES by Dee Derrico:

Johann Georg Zeh was confirmed at New German Colony (West Camp Lutheran Churchbook, a List of First Communicants pp. 81-86) on 30 Apr 1711. However, I do not believe that he could have been the usual age for confirmation of about 12 years or even the usual age of first communion at 7 years. This would calculate his date of birth to be about 1699-1703, as would the Third List of Palatines in London in the year 1709. This cannot be because one of his oldest children, Frederick Michael See, was born about 1712 in New York. This would make him 14 years old at Frederick's birth. It is a well known fact that the churches of the time did not sanction marriages of boys this young. Usually a male would be at least 21 years old and be able to prove that he could support a family. Therefore, I am estimating his date of birth to be at least 21 years before the birth of Frederick; and, his wife to be about the same age.

Consideration of the fact that the family entered the Protestant faith from the Catholic faith, leads one to believe that he could have been much older at first communion or confirmation. He appears on the list of Names of Male Palatines, Above Twenty-one Years Old in Livingston Manor, New York in the Winter 1710 and Summer 1711, which would support a year of birth of about 1689. In addition, more research is needed to ascertain whether or not the marriage date of 1709 in Switzerland, mentioned in A Chronicle of the See Family by Irene See Brasel is correct. The further I go with this, the more I am doubting exactly what the maiden name of Mary Margaret was. I am starting to get that old feeling of trying to put a square peg in a round hole; and, this usually means that something does not add up. Hence, more research is on the menu.

I found something on the CD of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of West Camp, New York Records which I think is significant for showing that George WAS older.

I first found it in the transcription section, at the end of the book. It appears there on page 8 (it is a transcription of the Kocherthal Records page 18). ....but, it is page 110 of the page counter at the top of the CD page (confusing). It represents the line above the Baptism of Johan Adam Zech which took place on 29 Sep 1710. We first must agree that the subsistence lists of 1710 show that Johannes and Magdalena were 3-0 and in 1712 they were 3-1 (meaning no child under 10 in 1710 and one child under 10 in 1712). This had to mean that Johann Peter, Johann Gerhardt, and Ignatius all died before that day in 1710, therefore there could only be one Johann Zech, that one being Johann George Zech, since his father had no middle name and was known because of this as "Johannes". This is according to German naming patterns of the time. Only those Johns who had no middle name were known as Johannes. Those who were named Johann, with a middle name, were known after the day of their Baptism/Christening by the middle name because the first name was actually a Christening name and the name of a favorite Saint. This pattern was in operation in Johannes & Magdalena's children that were born in Germany because they were Catholic at that time. They became Protestant in England so that they would be allowed to come to America.

The line above Johann Adam Zech's Baptism reads:

Baptism date: 24 Sep 1710 Child: Maria Sophia Parents: Gerhard Schafer & Anna Maria Sponsors: Johann Zech, Maria Apollonia Wustin (two dots above the u), and Anna Sophia Koppin

I went back and checked this on the image of the original and it clearly is what it says in the transcription. I am sure that there is no way an 11-12 year old is going to be a sponsor in a baptism. He surely must be of age on this day. (Contributed by Dee D'Errico).

DISAGREEMENT with the above statement: by Sara Patton

The argument for Johann Georg Zeh's birth being prior to 1699-1703 as indicated in his confirmation record is based on the assumption that his eldest son Frederick was born in 1712. However there is NO documentation Frederick's birthdate. In fact, it is highly unlikely that Frederick was born that early as his 1st documented marriage record is 1744 and his eldest child (Margaret See Robinson) b. in 1745 according to her headstone.

The 1698-99 birth date for George is based on the ship records and Hunter lists showing a Zeh son over 10 in 1709 and 1710 and on confirmation year of Johann Georg in 1711--assuming him to be 12 or 13, typical age for confirmation where he is listed as "a young person." If he was over 21, he wouldn't be listed as a "young person."

In addition, baptismal records for George's 3 brothers in Oppenheim, Germany Church records are dated 1704, 1706, and 1709. It seems much more likely that he was born closer to these dates rather than some than 15-20 yrs earlier.

Finally, if Georg was born in 1689 and married by 1711 as suggested in this article , he would have been listed as a head of household in the Hunter lists. He is not. (See The Palatine Families of NY by Henry Z. Jones, Jr. --the father of Palatine Genealogy.)

As for the naming patterns, there are so many variations of the spellings of first and last names, that it is difficult to use this to 'prove" that Johann Zech is George, rather than his father. In fact, if it were him, he would be listed as either Georg or Johann George. The use of one name more likely is a reference to his father, Johannes. (Contributed by Sara Patton)

Rupp's 30,000 Immigrants list George Zeh among 33 German Palatinate families arriving in New York in 1710, spending 1710-1711 winter and summer in Livingston Manor, Sullivan County, New York, on page 448; then moving in 1713 to Schoharie County, New York. He is also listed on page 465 among the "Names of Early Settlers in Tulpehocken, Berks, and Lebabon Counties", where as early as 1723, thirty-three families of Germans who had come to New York in 1710, settled in Schoharie in 1713, then many moved to Tulpehocken Creek in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where George joined them in 1728 and was a member of the Lutheran Congregation. He appears on the list of "Names of Early Settlers in Tulpehocken, Berks and Lebanon Counties, as having arrived in 1728 with another group of settlers who came from Schoharie. He also is listed by Mr. C. Lindemuth on his list made from land deeds and land patents which was published in The Pennsylvania German in Lebanon, Pennsylvania in 1904, V, 191. Although the map drawn up by Mr. Lindemuth, locating the patents, was dated by him "1723", it obviously should be of some later date, certainly after 1728, according to Early Palatine Emigration Appendices in FTM CD 267 German and Swiss Settlers in America, 1700s-1800s copyrighted by MyFamily.com, Inc. George may have come to Tulpehocken as early as the fall of 1725, as there is a "Hans Jery Say" on the Tulpehocken Township Tax Assessments, a handwritten list of 36 names. Hans is a shortening of the name Johannes and Jery was used in the lists for other men known to have been named George in other documents. (This information was contributed by Sara Patton.)

Conrad Weiser, an early Schoharie Palatine Immigrant, in his autobiography, which was not published until 1875, states that the first group who came to Tulpehocken in 1723, comprised of fifteen families, floated down the Susquehanna in dugout canoes, up the Swatara, and then moved on to Tulpehocken, "and drove their cattle over land."

George was included with the early settlers of the 1740's to present day Hardy County, Virginia, settling near the present village of Lost River on the stream of Lost River. Since he appears on a list of members of the Tulpehocken Lutheran Church 1743-1746, made by Rev. Tobias Wagner, he probably arrived in western Virginia about this time.

Extracts from the Diary of Leonhard Schnell and John Brandmueller of Their Journey to Virginia, October 12 - December 12, 1749: "Above the gap, we came to the Germans, where we called on George Zeh (See). Here we appointed a sermon for the next day. When the neighbors heard of our arrival, several came at once and implored us to baptize their children. I turned them off as well as I could. This continued for a long time. In the evening our host asked us: Why do you teach that the Savior accepts all men, and yet you refuse to baptize these children? I told him because these people give their children such a poor training. On November 7th, a woman came very early to us asking for the baptism of her child. In the same way, six others came whom we could not refuse. Brandmueller preached on the words: Behold the Lamb of God. After the sermon, a general request was made for baptism. Hence, I baptized two girls and a little boy. In the afternoon we went back part of the way to Mr. Joachim, where we had appointed a sermon. George Zeh took us twice through the river on horses."

Estate of George See may be found including administration by Frederick Sea of 27 Aug 1751, with inventory listed on 27 Aug 1752 in Augusta County Will Book 1, 1745-1753, Reel 41, Pages 375-377, at Virginia State Library at Richmond, Virginia.

The origination of the name Johannes "Ludwig" See may have come from the following source which was listed in A Chronicle of the See Family and their Kindred by Irene See Brasel: "Philadelphia was the point of entry and its docks and wharves were scenes of activity as the vessels made return trips with regularity. Passenger lists named the heads of families and boys under sixteen years of age; females were unlisted. The immigrant was required to sign an oath of loyalty to the government upon his entry. The original lists of the names of these Swiss, German and other immigrants were on file in the Secretary’s office in Harrisburg and published in 1857 by Prof. Daniel Rupp in an edition called A Collection of Thirty Thousand Names, etc. In list 32, September l8, 1733, was Palatines, the Brigantine, Pennsylvania, Merchant of London, John Stedman Master, from Rotterdam last from Plymouth. Passengers were 71 males above 16; 56 females, 37 males under 16, 64 males and females under 16 - in all 191. The name of John Ludwig See appears." Actually, the name "John Ludwig Sees" is listed on page 90 of "A collection of Upwards of Thirty Thousand Names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French and other Immigrants in Pennsylvania From 1727 to 1776" by Prof. Israel Daniel Rupp, Leary Stuart & Co., Philadelphia, Pa, 1898 by Edwin S. Stuart, which is the same book referenced previously for George having entered the country. So, it seems quite possible that Johann George See and Johannes Ludwig See were two different individuals who have been spliced together by some researchers into one person named "Johannes George Ludwig See/Zeh".

LAND HOLDINGS:

Apparently from Men & Manors in the South Branch Valley by Sara Stevens Patton

360 acres surveyed on 01 May 1751 in Augusta County, Virginia. Parts of Augusta later became Greenbrier County, Virginia.

LAND NOTES: Notes and Images Contributed by Sara Patton.

George apparently started the process of getting a patent for 200 acres in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; but, he never actually returned the paperwork to complete the process. The 3 page Indenture from Casper Wistar to Peter Schell shows its exact location and says it was "Land granted or intended to be granted to George Say." The Lindemuth map also shows its location. Please ignore the date on the Lindemuth map as several researchers have noted it to be incorrect in that some of those listed on the map weren't even in the country until after 1733.

The earliest date George could be verified arriving in Pennsylvania was the 1725/26 January Tax Lists for Chester County, where he is listed as Jery Say and Hans Jery Say. Annette Burgert, in her "Research Guide to the Tulpehocken Region" lists him as Jery Fay in the 1725 list. However, if you note the names before and after his and compare them to the list in 1726, you will see that he is the same person. And, after researching German nicknames, it was learned that Jery is a common nickname for George, and Hans an abbreviation for Johann and Johannes. Finally, everytime that George is mentioned in Pennsylvania, it is with the surname of Zeh or Say.

Research Notes

GEORGE LUDWIG SEE: Many See family histories, especially those written prior to the 1990s, refer to the patriarch of the See family as George Ludwig Zeh. These well-circulated histories to the contrary, there appears to be no such person as George Ludwig Zeh that can be documented. This incorrect name is probably based on another man named "Johannes Ludwig See" listed in 1733 ship records in Philadelphia who is not related to our See line that we know of. These earlier genealogists were unaware of the long and well documented history of George See (or Zeh or Say) in New York, and later the Tulpehocken region of PA from whence came a large number of those who settled on the South Branch of the Potomac after 1742.

A preponderance of evidence has shown that the man referred to as George "Ludwig" See was actually Johann Georg (pronounced in the German way as Gay-org) Zeh, who arrived in NY in 1710 with his parents, German Palatines who settled in camps along the Hudson River to produce naval stores for the British Navy.

Because this profile is open to various edits, dates and locations may vary, depending on sources, interpretations, etc. Many people continue to use old, disproven information which makes it difficult to update. Hopefully, a look at documentary evidence and an understanding of migrational patterns, handwriting, spelling variations and customs, will allow the researcher to make the best determination of the facts.

As no birth records have been found at this point, George's birth date is conjecture, based on the interpretation of various other records: ship records, Hunter Lists, and his Church Confirmation. And as you will see below, we don't all agree. Some give his birth date as 1688, others 1693-98. The reader will have to decide which fits best.

Sources

  • Gale Research Title: Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Publication: Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2009
  • Petition to Divide Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1738/1739, Signature: Johan George See.
  • Thirty Thousand Names of Immigrants in Pennsylvania by Rupp, Lists George Zeh among 33 German Palatinate families arriving in New York in 1710.
  • ProGenealogists Official Ancestry.com Research Firm, The Palatine Project, 1710, Third List, Ship "Fame", Capt. Walter Houxton, London to NY, 14 Jun 1710, Passenger list reconstructed from 01 Jul 1710 Subsistence List.
  • MyFamily.com, Inc., German & Swiss Settlers in America, 1700s-1800s, (Thirty Thousand Immigrant Names in PA, 1727-76, Appendix VII: Male Palatines Above 21 Yrs. in Livingston Manor NY 1710-1711), Calculate birth year of George Zeh, who appears on the list as 1689.
  • Letters of Administration for the Estate of George See, 28 Aug 1751.
  • Chalkley's Abstracts, Vol. 1, Page 30.
  • MyFamily.com, Inc., Colonial Virginia Source Records, 1600s-1700s, Virginia Wills & Administrations, 1632-1800, 476, "Zee, George - Augusta, 1752 i (inventory)."
  • Source: S4 Media: Index Abbreviation: International Genealogical Index, Online Database Title: International Genealogical Index, Online Database Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [LDS]. Publication: \i FamilySearch\i0 . http://www.familysearch.org : 2 Feb 2011 Date: 20 May 2011
  • Research by Shannon Lawrence

Acknowledgments

  • Zeh-See-1 created through the import of MaryStamperMcKague2011-08-06_01.ged on Aug 7, 2011 by Masm x.
  • See-498 was created by Gail Williams through the import of Carry Case gedcome - Jan 2015.ged on Jan 26, 2015.
  • WikiTree profile See-152 created through the import of Coley Wolford Stayton McCarroll Bond.ged on Aug 7, 2011 by Tom Coley. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Tom and others.




Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com

DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with George by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with George:

Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.



Comments: 13

Leave a message for others who see this profile.
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.
Hello, looks like on Family Search they have

Johan Martin See (1720 - 1807) https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/See-494 https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/GMSZ-RNY

listed as the son of Johann Georg Zeh (abt. 1696 - abt. 1751) https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Zeh-1 https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L2K5-XX8

Though the locations in Germany where the two men are from look to be about 220 KM apart.

It looks like it could possible be correct, but probably not based on Germany location.

More research needed.

posted by Erik Granstrom
Johan Martin See is a completely different line as thoroughly discussed in the old Rootsweb See List during the 1990s and first decade of 21at century.
posted by Sara (Stevens) Patton
See-152 and Zeh-1 appear to represent the same person because: Zeh is correct as shown on Kocherthal's list.
posted by Dave Rutherford
Zeh-282 and Zeh-1 appear to represent the same person because: Appears to be same person, who arrived 1710 and is listed on Kocherthal's list. http://www.searchforancestors.com/passengerlists/livingstonmanor1710.html

Went to Tulpehocken first https://archive.org/stream/earlyeighteenthc00knit#page/300/mode/2up, then Virginia. Married Margaret.

Note should be made that this is not Johan Ludwig Seys who arrived in Philadelphia in 1733. See https://archive.org/details/pennsylvaniagerm03penn_2/page/122

posted by Dave Rutherford
Zeh-282 and Zeh-1 appear to represent the same person because: Appears to be same person, who arrived 1710 and is listed on Kocherthal's list. http://www.searchforancestors.com/passengerlists/livingstonmanor1710.html

Went to Tulpehocken first https://archive.org/stream/earlyeighteenthc00knit#page/300/mode/2up, then Virginia. Married Margaret.

Note should be made that this is not Johan Ludwig Seys who arrived in Philadelphia in 1733. See https://archive.org/details/pennsylvaniagerm03penn_2/page/122

posted by Dave Rutherford
See-143 and Zeh-1 appear to represent the same person because: Same person. Merge into Zeh. This was spelling on Kocherthal's list.
posted by Dave Rutherford
If this is same person as Zeh-1 and husband of Margaret Tschudi, then he arrived in 1710, not later.

But Zeh-1 indicates that there was a Georg Ludwig Zeh who came to Philadelphia, c.1733. He was not related to the 1710 Zeh. If this is that man, then they are two different people and should not be merged. In that case, the marriage is likely wrong here.

posted by Dave Rutherford
Should Johan's wives be merged also?
posted by Debi (McGee) Hoag
See-166 and Zeh-309 appear to represent the same person because: Zeh is the original German/ Swiss spelling, See is the Americanized version
posted by Dave Ellenwood
Zeh-See-1 and Zeh-9 appear to represent the same person because: same person
posted by [Living McQueen]
Zeh-See-1 and Zeh-1 appear to represent the same person because: This is same person, however documents show that the correct name is Johann Georg Zeh. The "Ludwig" is an error that keeps popping up and is totally incorrect.
posted by Sara (Stevens) Patton
This is the correct person; but, the name Ludwig is wrong and should be edited out.
posted by Leah See

Z  >  Zeh  >  Johann Georg Zeh

Categories: Tulpehocken Settlers | Palatine Migrants