Anna Francina (Markle) Rugh (bef. 1717 - 1782)

Born before 2 Feb 1717 in Lambsheim, Kurfürstentum Pfalz, Heiliges Römisches Reich

Ancestors

Wife of Michael (Ruch) Rugh — married 16 Apr 1745 in Moselem Lutheran Church, Richmond Township, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 13 Jul 1782 after age 65 in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania

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Anna (Markle) Rugh was a Palatine Migrant. Join: Palatine Migration Project Discuss: palatine_migration

Biography

Alternate spellings: Markel, Markle, Merckel, Merckell, Merckle, Mercklen, Mercklin, Merckling, Mergel, Merkel, Merkell, Merkhel, Merklin.

Note that the suffix -en or -in was often used to create the feminine form of a German surname.

On Feb. 2 or 17, 1717, Anna was baptized at the church in Heuchelheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany.

From the Heuchelheim Kirchenbuch, 1717:

"Christian Merklin, Burger und Wagner zu Lambsheim cum uxore Anna Catharina, [lispor] driiten Febr. 1717 ein Tochter eintauften, Gevatter waren: Johann Adam Baumann Burger und Brike daselbst cum uxore Anna Franzina das kind heist, Anna Franzina."

Translation, Oct 2002, by Dr. Frank Deis of Rutgers University:

"Christian Merklin, citizen and drover from Lambsheim with wife Anna Catharina, 2 Feb 1717 a daughter baptized, godparents were: Johann Adam Baumann citizen and (Brike?) himself with wife Anna Franzina. The child is called Anna Franzina."

Her name is spelled "Anna Frantzina Merckling" in the Marriage Records of Rev. John Casper Stoever.

Her Findagrave memorial spells her name Merkel, and notes that she is the daughter of Christian Merckel.

It is possible that Franzina died during the Indian attack at "Millers" on July 13, 1782. This is the incident where her son, Michael Jr., and his wife and children were taken captive. The Indians were part of the same band that also attacked and destroyed Hannastown.

Research Notes

About the father of Anna Francina

R. C. Worley records that John Chrisman Markle (Merklin) was born about 1678 in Alsace, "after the Edict of Nantes in 1685, fled to Holland, settling in Amsterdam", where he married Jemima Weurtz (Weurtzen), a sister of Admiral Weurtzen. In 1703 he came to America and settled in Salem Springs, Berks County, Pennsylvania, buying 1500 acres. John and Jemima were said to have issued 9 children, including Anna Francina Markle born 1728, and Gaspard Markle born 1732.

Worley's account is based on her uncle J. C. Rugh's ledger and on the Markle history recorded in the History of Westmoreland County, written by George Dallas Albert in 1882.

When J. C. Rugh interviewed Hanna Rugh Rowe in 1881, she told him that her great-grandfather came from Holland, that her grandfather Michael Rugh married Anna Frances Markel, a daughter of General Christopher Markle and his wife Anna Germina Wertz, also from Holland. This is similar to the account in Albert's book.

There are numerous errors here. As Glen Swartz says:

"He [Johann Christian Markle] was NOT born in Metz or Lorraine or Hasslock.
He was NOT a son of Peter Markle.
He was NOT a son of Magdalena Coehorn.
He did NOT, and NEVER was married to a Jemima Weurtz (That was some work of fiction created by one of his great-granddaughters in a vanity flush - and this fiction continues to persist).
There is NO evidence his brothers followed him, though they may have been related.
He was NOT a General.
He did NOT come to America in 1703.
He did NOT live in Holland.
He did NOT immigrate on the ship Phoenix.
He was NOT Huguenot.

"The simple truth is he was born in Schillersdorf, s/o George Merckel and Esther Haus. He was Lutheran, and married to Anna Catharina Bender/Benner, his only known wife. He had 13 children, 9 surviving. 1704-1719 he was living in Lambsheim, where he married and had seven children. He immigrated once, about 1719/20 on an unknown ship (no extant record exists showing the exact date or ship he immigrated on). His reasons for immigration where probably economic, as was true for most of the Palatine immigrants. The evidence is irrefutable."

Sources

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/263339551/anna_franzina-rugh
• Look Behind Your Mirror, Some Descendants of Michael Rugh, by Ramona Cameron Worley
• Evangelische Kirche Heuchelheim (BA. Frankenthal), Kirchenbuch (FHL film 0193892), 1717
• https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/merkel/409/
• https://www.geni.com/discussions/148504

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Gary Cobb for creating WikiTree profile Franzina-1 through the import of wikitree1.ged on May 28, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Gary and others.