The Shemwell Family

Taken from my FamilySearch justification for changing the Trautmann, Blumenschein, Heist, and Klinger Family Trees ..... -> This note applies to: Johann Melchior Trautmann (LC3N-Z69), Anna Blumenschein (GWDW-RT5), Anna Elisabeth Heist (LDYP-89G), and Johann Philip Klinger (M8QV-FD4). I will be making changes to the Klinger and Trautmann trees; specifically, (1) Anna Elisabeth Heist was married solely to Johann Philip Klinger in 1744 with her death following in 1751, and (2) Johann Melchior Trautmann was married solely to Anna Blumenschein in 1751 with her death occurring after 1800. If you have any Primary Source records (i.e., a Marriage Certificate showing that John Melchior Trautmann married an Anna Elisabeth Heist) that can be used to support or disprove these relationships, please let me know. The overall goal is to correctly document the Klinger, Heist, Trautmann, and Blumenschein family trees. I will emphasize that there are numerous unsourced family trees for these principals on Ancestry, MyHeritage, RootsWeb, Geni, and WikiTree sites. Often, these trees are copies of each other and contain no Primary Sources or just a few that are not applicable. Unless the commercial site tree has a particular source that can be used directly to make sure our trees are correct, then those commercial trees are probably not useful. I have been researching (1) genealogy records, (2) commercial family trees, (3) published books, (4) biographical narratives, and (5) various internet family sites. I found several definitive Primary Sources, some believable Secondary Sources, and a lot of Tertiary Sources. Many of these sources are attached to the people noted above. The Primary Sources must be considered of somewhat higher value compared to an arbitrary bibliography, comment, or even published book. Some of the books I reviewed had no source backup but read as an interesting family narrative; although, errors in the narrative were common. Note that early spellings of surnames are slightly different, but not unexpected, between records; perhaps due to the transcriber of the original documents. From what I can ascertain looking at other sources, Trautmann=Trautman=Troutman and Heist=Heust. Regarding the Anna Elisabeth Heist/Heust, records (S1,S2) tell us: • Birth Date: April 30, 1723 • Christening Date: May 1, 1723 • Father: Alexander Heist or Alexand. Heust • Mother: Evae Cath. Heust • Husband: Johann Philip Klinger • Marriage Date: October 22, 1744 • Marriage Location: Reichelsheim, Reichelsheim (Wetterau), Friedberg, Hessen, Deutschland • Death Date: Sept 30, 1751 • Death Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania There are several sources on Johann Philip Klinger’s profile that shows he was married to Anna Elisabeth Heist who died at sea on the ship Neptune which arrived in Philadelphia on September 24, 1751. They had no children according to several Klinger sources. There are some Trautmann Family sources that also document that Anna Elisabeth Heist was married to Johann Melchior Trautmann. Many sources agree she was born in 1723 while others claim a 1730 time-frame. Examples of conflicting and/or inconsistent source are: • One sources says that she and Melchior were married in Germany before August 1751 and that she had died at sea in 1771. Subsequent narrative states she had 4 children born in 1752, 1755, 1761, and 1768. Clearly a problem since was reported having died in 1751. • Another source claims that she and Melchior were married in 1751 and had 4 children. This source also states that she died in North Carolina after 1790. This death date would not contradict that she had the children after 1751. What is lacking in the Trautmann Family sources is a marriage certificate showing that Melchior was married to Anna Elisabeth Heist. This is a key record that no one has been able to find. Without that record, it seems that all we have is a good story; but, with an error. What we do have is a marriage record showing that Johann Melchior Trautmann was married to Anna Blumenschien. The source is credible as it correctly shows Johann Melchior Trautman and his father Johann Adam Melchior along with have a plausible marriage date and location. The source shows (S3): • Marriage Date: 1751 • Marriage Location: Sankt Katharinen Evangelisch Reformierte, Oppenheim, Rheinhessen, Hesse-Darmstadt • Wife: Anna Blumenschein • Wife’s Father: Henrich Blumenschein • Husband: Johann Melchior Trautman • Husband’s Father: Johann Adam Trautman This record is the only record found that documents who Melchior married. Clearly, he married Anna Blumenschein and not Anna Elisabeth Heists as some Secondary/Tertiary Sources suggest. Now let’s look at post 1751 and the Primary Sources we have. Transcribed Church Records (S4) show that Melchior and his wife Anna Troutman had 4 children: • Johann Adam, born 28 Oct 1752 • Maria Catharina, born 2 Aug 1755 • Anna Elisabeth, born 27 Sep 1761 • Johann Jacob, born 2 Mar 1767, baptized 12 Apr 1767 Johann Melchior Trautmann died in November 1778 in Rowan, North Carolina. It is presumed that “Widow Troutman” is actually Anna Troutman (nee Blumenschein) living with her son (Johann Jacob) and daughter (Ann Elisabeth). Specifically, for the entry “Widow Troutman”, the 1790 Census (S5) lists: • 1 – Free White Males 16 years old and upwards • 0 – Free White Males less than 16 years old • 2 – Free White Females all ages The next evidence of Anna Troutman (nee Blumenschein) life comes from the 1800 Census. Specifically, for the entry “Jacob Troutman”, the 1800 Census (S6) lists a Free White Female over 45 years of age which is presumed to be Jacob’s mother, Anna: • 0 - Free White Males under 10 years of age • 1 - Free White Males from 10 to 15 years of age • 0 - Free White Males from 16 to 25 years of age • 1 - Free White Males from 26 to 44 years of age • 0 - Free White Males over 45 years of age • 0 - Free White Females under 10 years of age • 0 - Free White Females from 10 to 15 years of age • 1 - Free White Females from 16 to 25 years of age • 1 - Free White Females from 26 to 44 years of age • 1 - Free White Females over 45 years of age In conclusion and based on the credible sources we have, I will update the family trees to show that: • Anna Elisabeth Heist was married solely to Johann Philip Klinger in 1744 with her death following in 1751 • Johann Melchior Trautmann was married solely to Anna Blumenschein in 1751 with her death occurring after 1800. Primary Sources: S1: “Anna Elisabetha Heust, Germany Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898" S2: “Anna Elisabeth Heist in entry for Johann Philipp Klinger, Germany Marriages, 1558-1929" S3: “Anna Blumenschein & Johann Melchior Trautman, Germany Marriages, 1558-1929” S4: “ St. Paul’s Lutheran & Reformed KB, Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania” S5: “1790 Census – Widow Troutman – Iredell, North Carolina” S6: “1800 Census – Jacob Troutman – Iredell, North Carolina”