Israel Christian Gronau (abt. 1714 - 1745)

Born about 11 Mar 1714 in Kroppenstedt, Germany

Husband of Catharina (Kraher) Lemke — married before 19 Nov 1734 in Ebenezer, Province of Georgia

Died 11 Jan 1745 at about age 30 in Ebenezer, Saint Matthews Parish, Province of Georgia

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Biography

Georgia Salzburger Immigrant to Province of Georgia

Israel Gronau was a Georgia colonist.

Israel was a member of the Lutheran Church

Israel was the son of Henricus Gronau, deacon in Kroppenstedt, and his wife Anna Margarete, a family of Lutheran theologians ^{[citation needed]}l

At the age of fifteen, he enrolled in 1729 at the University of Halle (Saale)^[1]to study theology . Gronau was a tutor at the orphanage in Halle, Germany. ^[2][3]

In 1733, at the request of the senior and pastor at St. Anne's Church in Augsburg , Samuel Urlsperger, Professor Gotthilf August Francke, the head of the Francke Foundations, was looking for two theologians, to bring a group of Salzburger emigrants to the British Colony of Georgia and stay with the colonists as a pastor and teacher, Gronau's life plans changed fundamentally. On Francke's recommendation, Gronau was appointed to the position of parish junior and catechist, Johann Martin Boltzius, who was the Salzburgers Minister in the Colony. Samuel Urlsperger gave Gronau very specific instructions for carrying out his task. He was supposed to teach the children of the colonists reading, writing and arithmetic and to teach catechism. Gronau settled in Ebenezer after emmigrating with Boltzius and over 200 Salzburgers. ^[4]

Boltzius and Gronau Journey from Halle to Nimwegen

• 7 Nov 1733 Boltziuz and Gronau set out from Halle to Wernigerode.
• 13 Nov 1733 they went to Osterwieck for their ordination.
• 16 and 17 Nov they passed through Hamm, Lühnen and arrived at Wesel.
• On the 18th they took a stagecoach to Cleve.
• On the 20th they went to Nimwegen.
• On the 21st they boarded a ship where they were delayed due to a storm but finally sailed.^[5]

Following a letter in Henry Newman’s Salzburger Letterbooks from Isaac Minet at Dover in Kent dated 10 Jan 1733/4, a list of Saltzburg-Emigrants (see research notes below for 78 persons) are named who set out from Augsburg the 20 October 1733“ [31st] “under the Conduct of Mr. Von Reck Commissary, and arrived at Rotterdam the 16 November following and Embarked on board the Purrysburg Commanded by Capt. Tobias Fry for Georgia the 21st Ditto 1733” The group consisted of 26 men, 7 women, 10 girls and 2 boys for a total of 45. The first persons making the journey to settle Ebenezer included:^[6][7]

1. Mr. Von Reck, Commissary
2. J. Martin Boltzius Pastor
3. Is. Christ. Gronau Pastor
4. Christopher Ortmann, Schoolmaster
5. * Juliana wife
6. John Andr. Zweiffler Apothacary
7. Christian Schweikert Servant/Footman/Cook to Reck DIED 1735
8. Thomas [Ge]Schwandel
9. * Margaret wife DIED 1735
10. * Margaret daughter
11. John Moshammer DIED 1735
12. * Mary wife
13. Paul Schwaighoffer
14. * Margaret wife
15. * Mary daughter
16. * Thomas son
17. * Ursula daughter
18. Lorentz Hueber DIED 1734
19. * Mary wife DIED 1734
20. * Magdalena daughter DIED 1734
21. * John son DIED 1735
22. * Mary daughter DIED 1735
23. * Margaret, daughter
24. Barbara Rohrmoserin DIED 1735
25. * Katharine daughter
26. * Gertrude daughter
27. Maria Reiter DIED 1734
28. Anna Hofferin [Hofer] DIED 1735
29. Hans Grueber DIED 1734
30. Christian Steiner DIED 1735
31. Balthazar Fleiss DIED 1734
32. Jerg [Georg] Swaigger George Schweiger
33. Tobias Larkner [Lackner] DIED 1734
34. Peter Grueber
35. Simon Reiter
36. Martin Herzog
37. Christian Leimberger
38. Stephen Reidelsperger
39. Matthew Mittersteiner DIED 1734
40. Simon Rauschgot DIED 1735
41. Leonard Rauner
42. Matthias/Matthew Braunberger DIED 1734
43. George Bartholomeus Roth DIED 1735
44. * Mary Barbara wife
45. Gilbert Beque
46. * wife removed from ship 14 Dec 1733
47. * child removed from ship 14 Dec 1733
48. * child removed from ship 14 Dec 1733
49. * also see lists of additional passengers identified boarding ship below.

Note: of the 44 names above, excluding Baron Von Reck, in the first two years (end of 1735) after arrival 19 settlers died (43% died). This only counts the 44 settlers and not children that were born and died.

According to A List of Early Settlers of Georgia by Coulter, Israel Gronau embarked on the ship "Purysburg" with fellow Salzburgers, sailed from Saltzburg, Austria under the command of Captain Tobis Fry, arriving Savannah the 12th of March 1734.^[8] Passenger List of the Purysburg recorded settlers Saltzburg, Austria. ^[9]

The List of Early Settlers of Georgia lists the family that Israel traveled with/married into on their journey to Ebenezer, Province of Georgia.^[10]

• 113 - Boltzius, Jo. Martin—-Salzburg Minister: embark’d 14 Dec 1733; arrived 12 Mar1733-34. Minister & chief Director of the Salzburger at Ebenezar. He Marry’d Gertrude Rhomorisine 5 Aug 1735. In the colony the end of the year 1746.
• 556 - Gronau, lsrael—Cathecist & minister; embark’d 14 Dec 1733; arrived 12 Mar 1733/4. Salzburger settled at Ebenezar. He Marry’d Cath. Rhomorisine 1 Oct 1734.
• 797 - Kraierin, Cath - D. of Barbara Rhosmarine; embark’d 14 Dec 1733; arrived 12 Mar 1733/4. Salzburger settled at Ebenezar; living 13 Mar 1738/9. Marry’d to the Rev. Mr. Gronau one of the Salzburger Ministers 1 Oct 1734.
• 798 ———, “Gertrude—-D. of Barbara Rhosmarine. Salzburger settled at Ebenezar; living 13 Mar 1738/9. Marry’d to the Rev. Mr. Boltzius the other Salzburger Minister 5 Aug 1735. (Note: also arrived 12 Mar 1733/4)
• 1222. - Rhomorisine, Barbara—Embark’d 20 Oct 1735; arrived Feb. 1735/6. Salzburger settled at Ebenezar.
• 1223 - Rhomorisine, Barbara—Dead 1737. (Note, her date of death was 16 Nov 1735 so she could not have arrived Feb 1736 but arrived sometime before 5 Sep 1735.)
• 1224 - ______ “Catherine, d.—-See Kraierin. Child of Barbara Rhomorisine by a former husband.
• 1225 - _____ “Gertrude, d.—-See Kraierin. Child of Barbara Rhomorisine by a former husband.
• 1226 - _______ Mary, d.—-Arrived 12 Mar 1733/4. Salzburgers settled at Ebenezar. Marry’d to Jo. Moshammer.

Life in Ebenezer

8 Nov 1734 the construction of Gronau’s house was still in progress. 19 Nov 1734 was the first mention in the pastor’s diary that Israel Gronau had married Catharina Kraher in the Province of Georgia. 24 Sep 1735 it was noted that Gronau had received permission to build a fireplace in his house.^[11]

19 May 1739 Boltzius noted in the diary that Hanna Elisabetha, the daughter of Israel and Catharina was 8 Months old and “Cathar. Gronau” had died in 1736 at 10 weeks of age.^[12]

26 Jul 1742 Boltzius noted in his diary that Israel Christian Gronau, 1 3/4 years old, the son of Israel Christian and Catharina died last night (25th) ^[13]

14 Jun 1743 a daughter was born to Israel and Catherine named Friederica Maria Gronau.^[14]

Death

Israel Christian Gronau died 11 Jan 1745. ^[15] He was buried in the Jerusalem Lutheran Church Cemetery, Also known as Ebenezer Cemetery , New Ebenezer Cemetery. ^[16]

15 Jan 1745 William Stephens wrote in his journal that Mr. Gronau “having been for some time in a Consumptive State, died a few days since at Ebenezer”.^[17]

Research Notes

Boltzius married Catharina's sister, Gertraud making him brother-in-law to Gronau. ^[18]

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_University_of_Halle-Wittenberg
2. ↑ Christian Cyclopedia: http://cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=g&word=GRONAU.ISRAELCHRISTIAN Israel Christian Gronau]
3. ↑ Joann Trodahl: The Salzburger Story and its Legacy in Rincon, Georgia. Kennesaw State University. Dissertations, Thesies and Capstone Project, 2014, p. 38.
4. ↑ Georgia Salzburger and allied families: rev. and corrected ed. by Pearl Gnann
5. ↑ Detailed Reports on the Salzburger Emigrants Who Settled in America, Edited by Samuel Urslperger Volume One, 1733-1734 Part Two- The Travel Diary of the Two Pastors Messrs. Boltzius and Gronau Which the Two Have Kept from Halle to Georgia and for Some Time After Their Arrival in That Land , UGA Press https://ugapress.manifoldapp.org/read/detailed-reports-on-the-salzburger-emigrants-who-settled-in-america-edited-by-samuel-urslperger-volume-one-1733-1734/section/4e88a654-fc63-411e-b391-9ca84682b50b
6. ↑ Newman, Henry, Henry Newman’s Salzburger Letterbooks (PDF), Edited by George Fenwick Jones, pages 412-413 https://ugapress.manifoldapp.org/projects/henry-newman-s-salzburger-letterbooks
7. ↑ Newman, Henry, Henry Newman’s Salzburger Letterbooks, Edited by George Fenwick Jones, pages 412-413, https://ugapress.manifoldapp.org/read/henry-newman-s-salzburger-letterbooks/section/1b85215f-9b4d-44dc-b4a9-e2e680769c4f
8. ↑ A List of the Early Settlers of Georgia, edited by E. Merton Coultyer and Albert B. Saye. 1949. The University of Georgia Press.: Part I, Person 556 , Page 20 (Online Page #35)
9. ↑ Gnann, Pearl Rahn Georgia Salzburgers & Allied Families, original copyright 1956. [1]
10. ↑ E. Merton Coulter, Albert B. Saye, A List of the Early Settlers of Georgia (Decatur, Georgia: Bowen Press, 1949 https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/ugapressbks/pdfs/ugp9780820334394.pdf
11. ↑ Detailed Reports on the Salzburger Emigrants Who Settled in America, Edited by Samuel Urslperger, Vol. II, 1734-1735, digital database with images, PDF page 20-22, 156, https://ugapress.manifoldapp.org/projects/detailed-reports-on-the-salzburger-emigrants-who-settled-in-america-c0f10b02-5500-4a8d-96dc-1a15b436ae9e
12. ↑ Detailed Reports on the Salzburger Emigrants Who Settled in America, Edited by Samuel Urslperger, Vol. VI, 1739, digital database with images, PDF page 325, 328, https://ugapress.manifoldapp.org/projects/detailed-reports-on-the-salzburger-emigrants-who-settled-in-america-f479f7d4-96c2-42eb-9755-40978f246f1a
13. ↑ Detailed Reports on the Salzburger Emigrants Who Settled in America, Edited by Samuel Urslperger, Vol. IX, 1742, digital database with images, PDF page 160, https://ugapress.manifoldapp.org/system/actioncallout/8/e/4/8e4e6944-6db4-4bda-9d85-053d0863a50c/attachment/edd1221e499be640445788651b861e49.pdf
14. ↑ Detailed Reports on the Salzburger Emigrants Who Settled in America, Edited by Samuel Urslperger, Vol. X, 1743, digital database with images, PDF page 67, 172 (footnote 14), https://ugapress.manifoldapp.org/projects/detailed-reports-on-the-salzburger-emigrants-who-settled-in-america-05805144-a3f7-4371-9236-9b4356801203
15. ↑ Georgia Historical Society The Rev. John Martin Bolzius the Rev. Israel Christian Gronau https://georgiahistory.com/ghmi_marker_updated/the-rev-john-martin-bolzius-the-rev-israel-christian-gronau/
16. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/123129411/israel-christian-gronau: accessed 18 August 2023), memorial page for Rev Israel Christian Gronau (1711–11 Jan 1745), Find a Grave Memorial ID 123129411, citing Jerusalem Lutheran Church Cemetery, Rincon, Effingham County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by mjbliese (contributor 48053042).
17. ↑ Stephens, William The Journal of William Stephens 1743-1745, edited by Coulter, E. Merton, 1959 p187
18. ↑ George Fenwick Jones: The Georgia Dutch. From the Rhine and Danube to the Savannah. 1733-1783 . The University of Georgia Press, Athens / London 1992, ISBN 0-8203-1393-9 , pp. 125 .

• Jones, G. F. (1978). Two “Salzburger” Letters from George Whitefield and Theobald Kiefer II. The Georgia Historical Quarterly, 62(1), 50–57. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40580439

See Also:

• Wikipedia, Israel Christian Gronau https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Christian_Gronau
• Wikipedia: Israel Christian Gronau
• Wikidata: Item Q25796529, en:Wikipedia