Melchoir Ott (1698 - 1755)

Born 21 Jan 1698 in Oerhasli, Switzerland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1755 at about age 56 in Orangeburgh District, South Carolina

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Biography

RESEARCH NOTE

Many histories[1] trace the OTT line of Orangeburgh to an immigrant named MELCHIOR OTT, and assume that there was only one immigrant of this name. However, records in both South Carolina and Switzerland indicate that there were two men of this name, of almost exactly the same age, who immigrated to South Carolina from adjacent Swiss parishes. Most, and probably all, of the OTT families of Orangeburgh District derive from one of these two men. - mj ^[1]

MELCHIOR OTT OF MEIRINGEN

MELCHIOR OTT was born in the parish of Meiringen in Oberhasli District, Canton Bern, Switzerland, and was baptized there on 16 Feb 1699. He was the son of HANS OTTH and ANNA IMDORFF. He died on 23 Oct 1755 in Orangeburgh District, South Carolina. He married a woman of uncertain name in Meiringen, probably in 1719.

The Meiringen parish registers record two marriages for men of this generation named Melchior Ott, with no indication as to which one applies to our Melchior: on 19 Jan 1719 to Anna Nägeli, and on 9 Nov 1719 to Barbara Balmer.

Melchior Ott immigrated to South Carolina in one of the first ships of Swiss and German settlers, probably the Samuel, which arrived in Charleston on 13 Jul 1735. On 31 October of that year, he was granted 350 acres of land on the Edisto River, the typical allocation for a household of seven persons. The land was located at the western corner of Orangeburgh Township. Melchior also received town lot 55 on Fenwick Street in Orangeburgh town. Rev. John Giessendanner referred to this Melchior Ott as a weaver.

All of Melchior's children were probably born in Switzerland during the period 1719-1735. Unfortunately, the Meiringen baptism register for that period is lost, and we have no proof of this Melchior's family.

Children of Melchior Ott of Meiringen and his unknown wife are:

a. HANS OTT, perhaps born around 1720 in Meiringen, may have witnessed two baptisms in the Giessendanner record, in 1739 and 1742. He then vanishes. Both baptism records are poorly legible, and Hans might not have existed at all.

b. MELCHOIR OTT, JR., born probably in the early 1720s in Meiringen; died 1770-1771 in Orangeburgh, South Carolina[8]. He married (1) Unknown, by whom he had at least two sons named Jacob and Abraham; he married (2) Isabella Catherina Schellinger.

Melchior Jr paid a quitrent in 1770; his son Jacob paid it on the estate of Melchior Ott in 1771.

c. JACOB OTT, born probably in the mid- to late 1720s in Meiringen; died probably between 1790-1800 in Orangeburgh, South Carolina as he appears in the 1790 census (p. 334) but not in the 1800 census. He married Margaret Fichtner on 3 Dec 1754 in Orangeburgh. They had at least two children, Jacob and an unknown girl whose name may have been Mary.

d. ESTHER OTT, born probably around 1730 in Meiringen; died probably in Newberry District, South Carolina. She married John (Johannes) Heller on 26 Sep 1752 in Orangeburgh, South Carolina; they had a daughter named Ann, and may have had sons named Jacob and John.^[2]

Birth

Birth:

Date: jan 21, 1698

Place: Oerhasli, Switzerland^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ First Families of Orangeburgh District, South Carolina
2. ↑ http://www.ogsgs.org/ffam/ffam.php?f=ott
3. ↑ Source: #S-312379266 APID: 1,7249::10994099

• Repository: R-897850934 Name: Ancestry.com
• Source: S-314564322 Repository: #R-897850934 Title: U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc APID: 1,7486::0