Johann Heinrich Zeller (bef. 1681 - 1756)

Born before 1681 in Kurfürstentum Pfalz, Heiliges Römisches Reich

Husband of Anna Maria (Unknown) Zeller — married about 1710 in Livingston Manor, Albany, New York Colony [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 4 Jan 1756 after age 75 in Tulpehocken Township, Berks, Pennsylvania

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Johann Zeller was a Palatine Migrant. Join: Palatine Migration Project Discuss: palatine_migration

Biography

Johann Heinrich "Henry" Zeller was born about 1681, in what is today Germany. He emigrated to New York as part of the 1709 Palatine Migration.^[1] The precise European origins of Johann Heinrich Zeller (and his probable relative Johannes) remain disputed among genealogists (see origins section below). There is some reason to think that the father of both men was named Johann George, based on entries on Governor Hunter subsistence Lists.

In 1709, Heinrich left his home and made his way to London, where he departed for New York. His early days in New York are recorded on the Hunter Subsistence Lists. Henrich recorded on 1 July 1710, with a household of two adults (no children recorded). One month later, on 4 Aug, his household is recorded as 1 adult and 1 child. Two months after that, his household had grown to 4 persons over 10 (no children recorded). The early entries on the Hunter lists show the household size changing frequently. Perhaps more family members arrived on ships later that summer, or perhaps the persons recording the Hunter Lists made clerical errors. Untimately, by Sept 1711, the household size has stabilized at 3 people over 10 and 1 under in Sept 1711. Presumably that would be Heinrich, his wife Anna Maria Unknown, daughter Anna Maria, and son Hartman. For a full tabulation and analysis of the Zeller appearances on the Hunter Lists, see Vallentines 2012 Zeller family monograph, p. 13. A Wikitree freespace page also exists that tabulates these entries and identifies their internal inconsistencies.

The Hunter Lists make it clear that there was a close connection between the surviving Zeller family members and surviving Batdorf family members (the orphans Martin and Catharine Elisabeth Batdorf), and their probable stepmother, Anna Battorfin. The exact relationship remains uncertain (see origins section).

1711: Hans Henry Zeller of Ansburg participated in the Expedition Against Canada at the siege of Louisbourg ^[2][3]

1711: living in Neu Ansburg, NY^[4]NOTE: Neu Ansberg was first known as Hartmannsdorf, named after its founder Hartman Wyndecker--who was also the namesake of Henrich's oldest child.

~1717: Henrich's daughter (or sister?) Anna Maria, who also emigrated to New York in 1710, married Johannnes Schäffer and remained in the Schoharie Valley. The baptism of one of her children was sponsored in 1717 by Johannes Zeller.

1713: the Zellers, now married and with children moved to the Schoharie Valley in New York.

1716/1717: according to the Simmendinger register, the household of Hanns Henrich Zöller consists of a wife and three children. Hanss Heinrich Zöller and his wife, with 3 children were listed next to Johannes Zöller, Johannes Schäffer, and Anna Badtorffin and their families at Neu-Ansberg.^[5]Daughter Anna Maria was listed as wife of Johannes Schaeffer by that time^{[6] [7]}

About 1723 Henrich, Johannes, and the Batdorf children and their spouses moved again down the Susquehanna and up Swatara Creek to the Tulpehocken Valley. Both of the tracts of land described below appear on the famous Lindenmuth Map of early Tulpehocken Settlers, most of whom came from New York.

2 Dec 1738: Henrich Zeller purchases 115 acres on Swatara Creek from Caspar Wistar.

10 Oct 1750: Henrich Zeller patented a second 115 acres, adjoining the first tract of land.^[8]

Johann Heinrich Zeller died in early January 4, 1756 in Tulpehocken Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and was buried in the Reeds Cemetery in Stouchsburg, Berks county, Pennsylvania.^[9] There is no original grave marker, and the exact gravesite is not known. The Memorial shown features a plaque installed in 1948 by the discredited "Zeller Family Association".

Will: The will of Henrich Zeller was dated 3 Aug 1754 and probated 20 Jan 1756.^[10][11]

Anna Maria Zeller, Henrick's widow, is reported to have survived him until 1765, but it was not until 1772 that any disposition was made on his property. On 28 December of that year John Zeller of Berks County, Anna Maria Saltzgeber, widow of Lancaster County, John Pontius of Berks County, in right of his wife Anna Catherine, Leonard Schwartz of Berks County in right of his wife Anna Catherine, Leonard Schwartz of Berks County in right of his wife Anna Elizabeth, Barbara Leru, and Hartman Zeller of Frederick County, Maryland, for the consideration of 250L paid by John George Zeller, released and quit-claimed their rights in the 245 acres of which Johann Heinrich Zeller had died seized. Thus from his will and the quit-claim deed, a list of the children of Johann Heinrich Zeller can firmly be established.

Marriage and Family

Henrich Zeller married Anna Maria Unknown. There has been some suggestion that her family name (or widowed name) was Briegel, but no primary sources have emerged to support this. They had the following children: ^[11][12][13]

1. Hartmann (1711) m? Catherine, later m2 Anna Maria Unknown; 8 children.
2. Mary Catherine ( ~1712- ~1748) m Leonard Anspach (~1710-); at least one child.
3. Anna Maria Zeller (1715-a1776) m Andreas Salzgeber; 5 children ^[4]
4. Johann Heinrich Zeller (c1717-a1754) - described as "simple in victuals and drink"
5. Johann David Zeller (c1719- ). described as "simple"
6. Barbara Elizabeth Zeller (c1720-a1760) m Jonas Lerew (~1716- ~1760); 7 children
7. Anna Catarina Zeller (1724-1794) m John Pontius (1717-1792); 10 children. Buried in Union County, PA.
8. Johannes "John" Zeller m1 Anna Maria Becker; 2 children, m2 Maria Catharina Lauer (1727-1799); 7 children
9. Johann George Zeller (c1725-1792) m Barbara Haas; 13 children
10. Anna Elisabetha (c1725-1803) m1 John Adam Battorf (1720- bef 10 Oct 1757); 7 children, m2 Leonard Schwartz (~1723- ); 5 children

NOTE: In Henrich's will, money was allocated to his son Johann George to pay for care of his two "simple" brothers, Johann Heinrich and Johann David. But the guardians of Heinrich and David (and the executors of the will) were named as Johannes "John" Zeller his other brother and Leonard Anspach , his son-in-law.

Zeller Origin Hypotheses

NOTE: Because of the ongoing controversy about the relationships between the Zeller familes and Anna Battorfin, a detailed chronology of the primary entries to the Lists can be found in a free-space page that collates this information. This is useful for tracking the changes in "household" sizes of these 3 related family groups living at Livingston Manor (1710-1712).

There are two main hypotheses about who was his father:

1. The father might be Johann George Zeller (~1660-aft 1712). This hypothesis is based mainly on a single (24 Jun 1711) entry in Governor Hunter's Sustenance List, which reads, "Johann George Zellers son and Anna Battorfin." There are two other entries on the Hunter Lists that mention a George Zeller. These entries are suggest that the father of Johannes Zeller was named Johann George Zeller, who must have died en route to New York or very early after arriving. These 3 entries are the only records of Johann George Zeller's existence. There is no birth, marriage, baptism or death record known for this person, neither in Europe or New York. See this Wikitree free-space page for additional details. Hypothesis 1 was favored by Vallentine, in his last iteration of Zeller family research published before his death. John F. Vallentine's book (linked to FamilySearch)

NOTE: When Henry "Hank" Jones Jr was queried recently about why his conclusions about the Tulpehocken Zellers did not match to the conclusions, in Vallentine's 2012 mongraph, Jones replied that his book was written years before and had never heard of the last revision of Vallentine's book. After reading it online he stated I wish that he would have contacted me so I could have corrected my Zeller data. He told me to keep the Wissen Maria Zoller, b 1685 at Wissen as a Palatine, because she and her son by negro Jan from Martinique were found in NY church records. He said she obviously did not arrive John George Zeller, his sons Johann Henrich, Johannes and under age 10 daughter Anna Maria Zeller who married Johannes Schaeffer. Wissen Maria Zoller was not recorded on the subsistence list because she could have come with her widowed mother and a new husband or an orphan. She is now named as Wissen Henrich Zoller's daughter. See a .pdf copy of Jones' full reply attached to this profile.--- Jim Baucom

2. The father MIGHT possibly be Henrich Zöller (1656-~1702), a Catholic from Wissen on the Sieg, and his first wife, Maria Weller, who was probably a Lutheran in the neighboring hamlet of Etzbach in the parish of Hamm on the Sieg, based on the research of the German historian Klaus Petry. ^[14] Excerpts of Petry's conclusions can be found in the Research Notes section in the profile of his probable brother, Johann Henry. Petry discusses the fascinating historical context of Wissen on the Sieg at the time to explain how a Lutheran and a Catholic could marry. While the extensively primary-sourced Zöller family research is not easily questioned, the conclusions drawn from it by Klaus Petry and his collaborators (Jones), are based on considerable speculation. The evidence and speculations are discussed in much greater detail in the profile of Henrich Zöller (1656-~1702).

Research Notes

There is a confusing mixture of history, family tradition and fiction concerning the early Zellers. The assignment of French Hugenots Jaques Zeller and his wife Chlotilde DeValois as the parents of Johann Henry and Johannes Zeller--Palatine brothers who went to New York, then later Pennsylvania--has been repeatedly and thoroughly debunked. Jacques Zeller and his wife Clothilde de Valois were said to be French Huguenots who moved to the Palatinate region in Germany late in the 17th century, but there is no documentation of this and it is possible that Clothilde did not even exist.^[15]

Biography from about 1681 until 1717 by Jim Baucom based on John Valentine information:

John Valentine wrote in his 2012 book The Tulpehocken Zellers and Their Descendants, that he viewed a microfilm of the original New York Gov Hunter’s subsistence list and it stated that the four Zeller Palatine immigrants were Johann George Zeller, sons Johannes and Johann Henrich and his daughter Anna Maria, age 9 (that would make Henrich born before 1681.) He was added to New York Gov Hunter’s subsistence list (3.0) The record keeper missed Anna, it should have been (3.1), 3 persons age and older and 1 child under age 10. Four days later, 4 JUL 1710 and 4 Aug 1710, the entry for Henrich was (1,1).

Just before the next entry, 25 MAR 1711, Their son Hartman was born which made the entry (2.3). The average pregnancy period is 40 weeks and from 4 AUG 1710, when the entry was (1,1) until 25 MAR 1711 is about 42 weeks.

Before the next entry at 24 JUN 1711 Anna had a birthday and was now age 10 so that entry was (3,2), but the next entry, 24 SEP 1711 was (3,1). The family was now Henrich, his wife, daughter Anna and son Hartman. The widow’s son had died. The entry for Henrich stayed at (3,1) for the remaining 1712 subsistence period. The last entry was (3,1) 24 JUN 1712.

Sources

1. ↑ Knittle, Walter Allen, Early Eighteenth Century Palatine Emigration, Philadelphia, 1937 - https://archive.org/details/earlyeighteenthc00knit, page 29, p572
2. ↑ O'Callaghan, Edmund Bailey, The Documentary history of the state of New-York : arranged under direction of the Hon. Christopher Morgan, secretary of State p. 572
3. ↑ Palatine Volunteers to Canada
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Lou D. MacWethy, The book of Names Especially Relating to the early Palatines and the First Settlers in the Mohawk Valley, St. Johnsville, N.Y. 1933
5. ↑ Simmendinger Register
6. ↑ Knittle, Walter Allen, Early Eighteenth Century Palatine Emigration, Philadelphia, 1937 - https://archive.org/details/earlyeighteenthc00knit, Simmendinger List, page 299.
7. ↑ Documentary history of the state of New-York : arranged under direction of the Hon. Christopher Morgan, secretary of State p. 572
8. ↑ Zeller Family Revision by John F. Vallentine, in PA Genealogical Magazine, Vol 27, p. 98
9. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images, memorial page for John Henry “Johann Henrich” Zeller (1684–4 Jan 1756), Find A Grave: Memorial #116740366, citing Reeds Cemetery, Stouchsburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by janicet (contributor 47361005) .
10. ↑ Berks County Will Book I, p. 31
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Will of Heinrich Zeller, Berks County Will Book 1, p. 13 - "Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-28790-27076-5?cc=1999196 : accessed 5 March 2016), Berks > Estates 1752-1799 Wert, Christina-Zwerentz, Ludwig > images 1401-1403 of 1812; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.
12. ↑ HZ Jones, The Palatine Families of New York (1986), p. 1130-1132
13. ↑ Strausstown Roots
14. ↑ HZ Jones and LG Rohrbach, Even More Palatine Families (2002), Picton Press, pp. 1774-1779
15. ↑ Lady Clothilde de Valois Zeller: the Little Lady Who Wasn't There, by Jane Bottorff in The Palatine Immigrant, Vol VII, No. 1, pp 23-29; cited in HZ Jones, The Palatine Families of New York, Vol 2. p. 1132

• Vallentine, J.F.,The Tulpehocken Zellers and their Zeller Descendants The Tulpehocken Settlement Historical Society. Womelsdorf, PA 2012. pp. 20, 21,and 23.
• Valentine, J.F., Zeller Family Revision, Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 26:92, 1972. Ancestry Sharing Link

• Lou D. MacWethy, The book of Names Especially Relating to the early Palatines and the First Settlers in the Mohawk Valley, St. Johnsville, N.Y. 1933, pp. 126 - https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Book_of_Names_Especially_Relating_to.html?id=uzu8htIHYfYC

• O'Callaghan, Edmund Bailey, The Documentary history of the state of New-York : arranged under direction of the Hon. Christopher Morgan, secretary of State - https://archive.org/stream/documentaryhisto03ocal#page/572/mode/2up

• Montgomery, Morton, Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County PA, Chicago, J.H. Beers & Co., 1909 - https://archive.org/details/cu31924097286300

• Ancestry Family Trees, Provo, UT: The Generations Network. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

• Gale Research Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. Original data - Filby, P. William, ed.. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI.

• Ancestors of Esther Saltzgaber, will of Johannes Saltzgaber, Pages: 4-7, 15-16, 22-24,Richard T. Koch Publication: self-published, 15 may 1990 Repository: Swanton Public Library, Fulton County, Ohio.

• Dana VanWormer-Schreder,7332 Balsam Court, Toledo, Ohio, 43615.

Additional References

• Simmendinger, Ulrich, Register of Persons Who in 1709 Journeyed From Germany to America
• Richards, M.H., German Emigration from New York Province into Pennsylvania,
• Pennsylvania German Society 9:351, 1899.
• Stapleton, A., Memorials of Huguenots in America, 1901.
• Kellogg, J.M., Tulpehocken Records and Virginia Records
• Jones, Hank Z. The Palatine Families of New York, 1710. 1985.
• Family papers of Eusebius Hottel Dieffenbacher and Anna Caroline Dieffenbacher Giffen
• Zeller Family papers of Mary Hubley Zeller and Anna Caroline Dieffenbacher Giffen
• Zeller, Dan. A Collection of Research about the Zeller Family in Berks County Pennsylvania During the 17th & 18th Centuries. https://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/9/92/Zeller_-_1650_-_1850.pdf
• http://trees.ancestry.ca/tree/64232121/person/32154644318
• Otterness, Philip. Becoming German: The Palatine Migration to New York. 2004: Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.