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Price Family in Ohio
The Preiss Family in Germany
The Price family that settled in Hancock County, Ohio, has its origins in Southern Germany.
The family's earliest known ancestor is Christoph Preyss, but little is known about him aside from his name. In the late 1600s, Christoph's descendants moved from Brenz an der Brenz in Southern Germany to Erbach, which lies in the Odenwald region near Heidelberg and Darmstadt. In the 1750s, Johannes Preiss moved a few miles west to the town of Gadernheim. In the 1830s, it was Christian Preiss and his son Nicholas who sailed to America and settled in Hancock County.
A brief rundown of George Price's male line would runs as follows:
Christoph Preyss (?-before 1651).
Hans Preyss of Brenz (?-1675).
Matthaus Preiss of Erbach (1653-1740).
Hans Wilhelm Preiss of Erbach (1688-1771).
Johannes Preiss of Gadernheim (1725-1796).
Gadernheim, south of Darmstadt in Germany. Christian and Nicholas Price and their families left this village for America in 1831.
For more information on Christian and Nicholas, click on Price Immigrants above. For a listing of many of Christian and Hicholas' ancestors and descendants click on Ancestors of Louie Price above.
Johann Christian Preiss, immigrant (1764-1848).
Nicholas Price, immigrant (1805-1879)
Nicholas E. Price of Hancock County, Ohio (1836-1910).
George H. Price of Hancock County, Ohio (1870-1938).
Christoph Preyss is only known through the marriage record of his son Hans. His date of birth, occupation and wife are unknown at this point. All we seem to know for certain is that his name was Hans Preyss, he lived in Brenz an der Brenz at some point, and that he died prior to October 1651, when his son was married. This information comes through Hans' marriage record in the church books of the Lutheran church in Brenz, which start in 1649. Since the church records start so late, it seems unlikely that any further information on Christoph will turn up. Civil records for ordinary people are relatively rare from this period.
It is possible that either Christoph or his son Hans was a soldier in the 30 Years War, which ran from 1618 to 1648. If so, this could mean that the family didn't originate in Brenz. The war that depopulated much of Germany prompted much migration during its course and in its wake. Hans' son Matthaus moved north to the city of Erbach in or before 1683. A Preiss family does appear in Erbach before that date. According to "Familiennamen aus dem Hessischen Odenwald," (Family Names Out of the Hessian Odenwald), by H.W. Debor, a Christopher Preiss appears in Erbach records before 1586. It is possible that Christoph moved south during the war and his descendants later returned. However, it is just as likely that the family had always lived in Brenz.
Brenz lies in Wuerttemberg, which suffered greatly during the 30 Years War. It was left depopulated and poor. It is possible that Matthaus Preiss fled the area because of these conditions. In any case, he ended up in Erbach, which was the seat of the Count of Erbach who ruled over much of the Odenwald region. It is uncertain what Matthaus' occupation was when he arrived in Erbach. However, he soon became a messenger for the count's chancery. It seems unlikely that a simple newcomer from a faraway land would attain any position in the count's court, so it would seem that Matthaus had earned some special favor of an undetermined nature. The position was handed down to his eldest son. Other men in the family became blacksmiths. Although a common trade by American standards, blacksmithing required certification by a guild and brought with it some degree of status. The Preisses held the status of Buerger, which means they were citizens with full rights, a position held by relatively few small-town Germans at that time. Their sons married the daughters of tailors, church officials, court officials and other middle-class people at a time when middle-class status was relatively rare in Germany.
Erbach is in the Odenwald - or Oden's Forest. The area is rolling and wooded and filled with many small villages. For much of its history it was a relatively poor region, which is probably one of the reasons why the Preisses left for America in the 1830s. Today, the countryside is very appealing to the visitor. It has small spa towns, hilltop castles and quaint medieval architecture. Erbach is the German version of a county seat. Its city center boasts half-timbered buildings, the county's palace, small museums and the church where some of the Preisses worshipped.
In the 1750s, the family moved to the town of Gadernheim. Today, Gadernheim is a rather uninteresting town with few of the traditional half-timbered houses that make towns in the Odenwald so attractive. The reason is that the town was severely damaged by American artillery in March 1945. Someone in town was stupid enough to attack the oncoming force, which prompted the Americans to make an example of the town to teach others down the road the futility of resentence. Gadernheim has always been a very small town and didn't even rate its own church until the turn of this century. The church the Preisses were married in is in Reichenbach, which is just to the west.
Erbach and Gadernheim fell into the territory of the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt after Germany was reorganized at the beginning of the 1800s. That's why the records say the immigrant Prices came from Hesse-Darmstadt.
CHRISTOPH PREYSS
Christoph Preyss, the earliest known ancestor of the Price family of Hancock County, Ohio, lived in southern Germany in the first half of the 17th century.
Christoph is known from only one record, the October 1651 marriage records of his son Hans Preyss in the records of the Protestant church of Brenz an der Brenz. The town is about 20 miles northeast of Ulm in what is now the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
However, this record tells us several things about him. Christoph lived in Brenz at some time. He was probably a Protestant because the records appears in the Protestant church. He died before October 1651 because he is listed as being "late."
Although Christoph's occupation is unknown, it seems likely that he held some status in the community because his son married the daughter of a schoolmaster and member of the local court in Stotzingen. Because of the stratified nature of contemporary German society, it is unlikely a member of the lower social classes would be able to marry into the middle class. However, it is possible that the area was so depopulated during the 30 Years War that women would take anyone as a husband. The war, which ran from 1618 to 1648, left Wuerttemberg depopulated and poor.
The records from Brenz were uncovered and translated by Friedrich R. Wollmershaeuser, an excellent genealogist from Oberdischingen. He said the parish records for Brenz start in 1649. Aside from church records, few other documents concerning common folk exist from this era. Because of this, there is little hope that further research will turn up much on the Preiss family.
Since so little is known about Christoph, it is possible that he came to Brenz from another area. He may have traveled as a soldier in the wars or as a refugee. In the latter part of the 17th century, Christoph's grandson, Matthaeus, moved more than 100 miles north to Erbach, which is in the Odenwald region near Darmstadt. It is possible that this represented a return to the ancestral home. A Christopher Preiss appears in records in Erbach before 1586 and a Hans Philipp Preiss appears in Erbach records in 1605. (1) However, it may be impossible to prove or disprove that the Preisses originated in Erbach.
(1) "Familiennamen aus dem Hessischen Odenwald" (Family Names Out of the Hessian Odenwald), by H.W. Debor, page 37.
HANS and CHRISTINA PREYSS
Hans Preyss, the son of Christoph Preyss, was born about 1629. (1)
Married Christina Kastler. (See below.)
Children:
Matthaeus, born 1653. (2)
Possibly Christoph, born about 1650. (3)
Although his birthplace is unknown, Hans lived in Brenz an der Brenz in Wuerttemberg in the mid-17th century.
In October 1651, Hans married Christina Kastler at the Protestant church in Brenz. Christina’s father was the late Paul Kastler, schoolmaster and member of the local court in Stotzingen. She was born about 1630. (4)
Hans’ occupation is unknown but it is possible he was a smith. Many of his descendants were blacksmiths. Trades were closed to virtually everyone but the sons of guild members so it seems less likely that later Preisses would be blacksmiths unless Hans was one, too. At any rate, he was probably a member of the small middle class and had some degree of social standing because he married the daughter of a schoolmaster and court member. People usually married others in their own social strata. However, it is also possible that the recently completed 30 Years War left the area so depopulated that family were glad to marry their daughters off to anyone.
The marriage record of Hans’ son Matthaeus says that Hans was a resident - “Einwohner” - of “Prenz in Wuerttemberg.” (5) This would seem to indicate that Hans lacked full citizenship rights since he wasn’t listed as a citizen of the town. However, the Erbach record may be incorrect because inaccuracies often crept in when someone moved from one town to another.
Hans died on April 2, 1675. Christina Preyss died in April 1678.
(1) Almost all information on Hans comes from the Brenz Church Books. Hans’ death record says he was 46 years old when he died in 1675. His father’s name is known from Hans’ marriage record. His mother’s name is unknown. The records from Brenz were uncovered and translated by Friedrich R. Wollmershaeuser, an excellent genealogist from Oberdischingen. (2) The Brenz Church Books say he was baptized on the second of either November or December, the writing is difficult to read. (3) A Christoph Preiss from “Vrenz in Wuerttemberg” appears in Erbach records beginning in 1674, a few years before Matthaeus, according to “Familiennamen aus dem Hessischen Odenwald” (Family Names Out of the Hessian Odenwald), by H.W. Debor, page 37. Christoph also appears in several baptismal records alongside Matthaeus Preiss in Erbach. If Christoph was not Hans’ son, he was probably a very close relative. Christoph first appears as a shoemaker and later as a butcher for the Count of Erbach. His probable birth year come from the Erbach Church Books, which list him as 88 years old at the time of his death on Feb. 27, 1738. Perhaps additional research in Brenz will locate Christoph and other siblings. (4) Wollmershaeuser believes Stotzingen is probably the present Niederstotzingen, whose 17th-century records were destroyed in a town fire in 1725. Christina’s probable birth date comes from her death record, which says she died at age 48 in 1678. (5) Erbach Church Books, page 179.
MATTHAEUS and MARGARETHA PREISS
Matthaeus Preiss was born in 1653 in Brenz an der Brenz, Germany, to Hans and Christina (Kastler) Preyss. (1)
Married Margaretha Schaefer on March 8, 1683, and Maria Elisabetha Rexrodt on Nov. 19, 1705. (See below.)
Children with Margaretha: (2)
Anna Margaretha, born July 21, 1683.
Hans Wilhelm, born May 23, 1688.
Children with Maria Elisabetha: (3)
Anna Eva, born Feb. 1, 1706.
Maria Elisabetha, born Feb. 7, 1708.
Henrietta Juliana, born Dec. 19, 1709.
Johann Balzer, born June 19, 1713. Died Feb. 12, 1734.
Susanna, born Oct. 25, 1715.
Johann Christoph, born Jan. 15, 1719.
Johann Thomas, born Feb. 3, 1722.
Johann Baltasar, born Feb. 13, 1727. Died May 10, 1731.
Matthaeus was born in Brenz an der Brenz, a town about 20 miles northeast of Ulm in what is now Baden-Wuerttemberg. He moved to Erbach in the Odenwald region south of Darmstadt sometime before 1683. It is impossible to say why he moved to the town more than 100 north of his birthplace. Perhaps opportunities were better is Erbach. Perhaps there was a family connection there, as noted above.
The old city hall and Lutheran church in Erbach in the Odenwald region of Hessen.
On March 8, 1683, Matthaeus married Margaretha Schaefer, the daughter of Hans Schaefer of Erbach, who was the gardener for the Count of Erbach. Margaretha was born in 1646. (4)
Matthaeus’ occupation and status are not mentioned in either his marriage record or the record of the birth of his first child, a little more than four months later. By 1688, when his son Hans Wilhelm was born, Matthaeus had become a Buerger of Erbach, a citizen with full rights. And by 1705, when Margaretha died, Matthaeus had become a messenger for the count’s chancery. It is possible that Matthaeus received his job with the count’s administration through his father-in-law, who worked for the count.
Matthaeus’ rise from total obscurity to a position of minor importance in the town of Erbach is interesting. The marriage record only says that he was the son of a resident - not a full-fledged citizen - of a town more than 100 miles away. However, within five years Matthaeus became a Buerger of Erbach. In the 17th century, Germany was still a very stratified society and citizenship rights were either inherited or earned; they didn’t not come automatically. This rise in status may be the result of a number of things such as marrying well, family connections or striking it rich. It is just as difficult to say how Matthaeus obtained the position of chancery messenger. This probably meant that he was little more than a glorified mailman, but it was still a position within the count’s administration and those were very difficult to obtain, especially for someone with no connections to the area before the 1680s. The difficulty an outsider would face in gaining this position is demonstrated by the fact that Matthaeus passed it on to his eldest son, who then passed it on to his eldest grandson (whose father had already died).
Margaretha died July 2, 1705.
Four months after her death, Matthaeus married Maria Elisabetha Rexrodt on Nov. 19, 1705. Maria Elisabetha was the daughter of Hans Philipp Rexrodt, master tailor of Erbach. She was born about August 1684. (5)
Less than three months after the marriage - seven months after Margaretha’s death - the couple had their first child, Anna Eva. Widowers with young children rarely waited very long to remarry in those days and births quite often followed marriages by less than nine months. However, it is rare to find a birth to a second wife following so closely on the death of the first wife.
By this time Matthaeus seems to have situated himself in a clique of minor servants of the count. This can be seen in the baptismal records of Erbach’s City Church, which was Lutheran. Baptismal records are a very good indication of who is related or associated with whom. Usually close relatives were selected as godparents. Sometimes very close friends were picked. Among the relationships that come to light in the records of Matthaeus’ children are connections with: Christopher Preiss, the count’s butcher and very likely Matthaeus’ brother; Hans Wilhelm Eisenhauer, horseman; and Friedrich Preiss, tenant of the count’s cattle farm and probably a son of Christoph. Baptismal records from Christoph’s family also show links to the count’s valet, the groom on the count’s farm and the count’s laundress. Matthaeus was able to marry his son Hans Wilhelm to the daughter of a man who was a citizen, a member of the local law court and a church elder. None of this is impressive by modern standards, but at a time when most people were semi-free peasant farmers these jobs must have seemed wonderful.
Maria Elisabetha died Jan. 11, 1729. Matthaeus died Jun 14, 1740. (6)
(1) Brenz Church Books. He was born on the second of either November or December, the writing is difficult to read. This record was uncovered and translated by Friedrich R. Wollmershaeuser, an excellent genealogist from Oberdischingen. (2) Erbach Church Books, pages 25 and 33. (3) Erbach Church Books, pages 65, 67, 73, 83, 92, 104, 116 and 1. Baltasar’s death is listed on page 425 and Baltzer’s is on page 430. It was not uncommon for Germans to give children such similar names. (4) The marriage is in Erbach Church Books, page 179. Hans Schaefer’s occupation is difficult to read. Margaretha’s death record in the Erbach Church Books says she was 59 years old when she died on July 2, 1705. (5) Erbach Church Books, page 186. Maria Elisabetha’s death record says she was 44 years, 5 months old when she died Jan. 11, 1729. Erbach Church Books, page 422. (6) Erbach Church Books, page 440. The record says he was 77 years, 22 weeks, but he was actually 87 when he died.
HANS WILHELM and LOUYSA MARIA PREISS
Hans Wilhelm Preiss was born May 23, 1688, in Erbach, Germany, to Matthaeus and Margaretha (Schaefer) Preiss. (1)
Married Louysa Maria Spiess on June 10, 1717; Eva Rosina Schild on July 12, 1725; and Elisabetha Lauth on June 21, 1746. (See below.)
Children with Louysa Maria: (2)
Johann Matthaeus, born April 11, 1718.
Anna Cordula, born April 7, 1720.
Anna Maria, born Sept. 9, 1721.
Johannes, born March 18, 1725.
Children with Eva Rosina: (3)
Johanna Charlotta, born June 16, 1726.
Conrad Christian, born March 11, 1731.
Johann Jacob, born Aug. 20, 1734.
Sophia Charlotta, born December 1737. Died Jan. 15, 1741.
Children with Elisabetha: (4)
George Christian, born April 28, 1747.
Georg Wilhelm, born Jan. 13, 1749.
Hans Wilhelm probably spent his early years training to be a blacksmith. He was listed as a citizen of Erbach and a smith at the baptism of his first child in 1718. He became a master smith sometime before the birth of his third child in 1741.
In 1717, Hans Wilhelm married Louysa Maria Spiess, who was born March 26, 1692 to Johann Heinrich Spiess and his wife Anna Margaretha.. Heinrich was a wagon maker, member of the local law court, church elder and citizen of Erbach. Heinrich, at the time a widower, had married Anna Margaretha Wiessman on Feb. 16, 1687. The bride was the daughter of Johannes Wiessman, smith of Erbach. (5)
Louysa Maria died March 24, 1725, just six days after giving birth to Johannes. (6)
Following the custom of the time, Hans Wilhelm married soon afterward. On July 12, 1725, he married Eva Rosina, the daughter of Johannes Schild, master taylor and citizen of the nearby town of Michelstadt. Rosina was born Dec. 8, 1695. (7)
Matthaeus Preiss died in June 1740 and Hans Wilhelm took over his father’s job as messenger for the Count of Erbach’s chancery. (8) This position seems to have been hereditary because when Hans Wilhelm died it fell to his grandson Johann Wilhelm - the eldest son of Johann Matthaeus, who had died previously.
Rosina died Dec. 21, 1745, and Hans Wilhelm married Elisabetha Lauth the following June 21. Elisabetha was the daughter of Johann Lauth, citizen of the nearby town of Unter-Mossau. Elisabetha was born in 1712. (9)
Hans Wilhelm died Feb. 27, 1771. Elisabetha died May 21, 1772. (10)
(1) Erbach Church Books, page 33. (2) Erbach Church Books, pages 104, 109, 114 and 130. (3) Erbach Church Books, pages 134, 20 and 34. I missed the birth of Sophia Charlotta, but her death record on page 441 says she was 3 years, 3 weeks old when she died on Jan. 15, 1741. (4) Erbach Church Books, pages 90 and 97. (5) The marriage is listed in Erbach Church Books, page 193. Louysa Maria’s birth is listed on page 39. (6) Erbach Church Books. (7) Marriage is listed in Erbach Church Books, page 198. Rosina’s death record on page 50 says that she was 50 years, 13 days old when she died Dec. 21, 1745. (8) Sophia Charlotta’s death record lists Hans Wilhelm as master smith, citizen and chancery messenger. (9) Marriage listed in Erbach Church Books, page 374. Elisabetha’s death record says she was 60 years old when she died on May 21, 1772. (10) Hans Wilhelm’s death is in Erbach Church Books, page 495.
JOHANNES and MARIA MAGDALENA PREISS
Johannes Preiss was born March 18, 1725, in Erbach, Germany, to Hans Wilhelm and Maria Louysa (Spiess) Preiss. (1)
Married Maria Catharina Weber on Dec. 12, 1752; Maria Elisabetha Platt on April 26, 1757; and Maria Magdalena Braun on April 19, 1763. (See below.)
Children with Maria Catharina Weber, all born in Erbach: (2)
Johann Nicolaus, born April 2, 1753. Died Jan. 29, 1762.
Johann Leopold, born June 25, 1754. Died April 7, 1756.
Johann Simon, born Aug. 5, 1756. Died Sept. 4, 1756.
Children with Maria Magdalena, all born in Gadernheim: (3)
Christian, born Aug. 17, 1764.
Johann Philipp, born July 12, 1768. Died Jan. 7, 1770.
Anna Margaretha, born Oct. 14, 1771.
Johann Peter, born Nov 13, 1774.
Johannes spent his early years in Erbach, where his father served as the messenger for the Count of Erbach’s chancery. He was confirmed at Erbach’s City Church, which was Lutheran, in 1742. (4)
Johannes became a blacksmith, which was the trade most Preiss men followed at that time. It appears that the oldest Preiss son inherited the job as chancery messenger and the younger sons were admitted into the blacksmith’s guild. At the time of his first marriage in 1752, Johannes is listed as a Buerger of the city and a smith. (5) As a Buerger, he was entitled to full citizenship rights.
On Dec. 12, 1752, Johannes married a daughter of Simon Weber, the bell-ringer of Erbach. There seems to have been much confusion over her name, which appears in church records as Maria Margaretha, Maria Catharina and Anna Margaretha.
The smithy in Gadernheim is the village's oldest building. Since the Preisses were blacksmiths, some believe that this was probably their shop for a number of years. This building is still used as a blacksmith shop.
However, it is certain that the records refer to just one woman. Her name was probably Maria Catharina. Simon Weber’s daughter Maria Catharina was born Jan. 18, 1719, which matches the birth date that can be determined from the death records of Johannes’ wife. Also, Catharina is the name used in most of the records relating to Johannes. At the time of Catharina’s birth, Simon was a tailor in the Erbach suburb of Dorf Erbach. (6)
Confusion also surrounds the death of Johannes’ wife. She is listed as dying on July 24, 1756, but also having a son on Aug. 5, 1756. Obviously the minister, who appears to have been a poor record keeper, made a mistake in listing one of the months. The archivist at the Erbach City Archives said it is impossible to tell which date is incorrect.
No matter how the dates and names work out, it appears that Johannes had lost his wife and two of his three sons between April and September of 1756. It is possible an epidemic swept through the area in those months, but further research is necessary on the matter.
On April 26, 1757, Johannes married Elisabeth Platt, the daughter of the late Bernhard Platt, a roofer and Buerger of Erbach. (7) Elisabeth was born Oct. 7, 1710, which made her almost 15 years older than Johannes. Her mother was Maria Barbara Preiss, the daughter of Christoph Preiss, Buerger and shoemaker of Erbach. (8) Christoph Preiss, who later became the butcher for the Count of Erbach, appears to have been the close relative - probably a brother - of Matthaeus Preiss, Johannes’ grandfather. It seems rather odd that a recent widower would marry a first cousin who was 15 years his senior, but that seems to be the case here.
At least one of Johannes’ wives must have been a widow because in 1761 a Wilhelmina Alzfeld is listed as the step-daughter of Johannes. This is recorded in the baptismal record of her illegitimate son Johannes Preiss. (10) It seems most likely that Elisabeth was the widow because she was almost 47 years old when she married Johannes. Further research may show that she had been married to an Alzfeld.
On Jan. 29, 1762, Johannes’ last remaining son died.
Within a year Johannes and Elisabeth moved to Gadernheim, which is about 15 miles to the west of Erbach. It is unknown why the Preiss family moved away from Erbach. Perhaps it held too many sad memories following the deaths of so many of Johannes’ children. Perhaps opportunities appeared brighter in the countryside.
Although Gadernheim still fell within the territory of the Count of Erbach, the entire area was absorbed by the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt when Germany was reorganized in the early 1800s. That is why the Preisses who immigrated to the United States - Johannes’ son and grandson - were listed as coming from Hesse-Darmstadt.
Although it is set in the attractive Odenwald hills south of Darmstadt, Gadernheim itself is rather nondescript. It suffered severely in an artillery bombardment in March 1945 after a German soldier was stupid enough to attack the oncoming Americans from within its boundaries. The Americans pounded the town to convince others down the road that resistance would be costly and futile. Even before that incident, Gadernheim lacked a hilltop castle, stone walls and abundance of quaint half-timbered buildings that make other towns in the area attractive. It has always been a small town and didn’t even rate its own church until the beginning of this century.
Gadernheim has been linked to nearby Reichenbach for most of its existence. Reichenbach was the site of the area’s parish church in past centuries and thus the place where families from Gadernheim worshipped and were married. Reichenbach is still the administrative center for the municipality that includes both towns - Lautertal.
The oldest building in town is said to be the 17th-century smithy building across the street from the town hall, which also dates from that century. Although it is possible that this was the building where the Preisses worked, I have not been able to check into the matter.
Misfortune seems to have followed Johannes to Gadernheim. Elisabeth died on Jan. 17, 1763. (1)
A few months later, on April 19, 1763, Johannes married Maria Magdalena Braun, who was the daughter of Johann Dieter Braun, citizen of Gronau. She was probably born around 1734. (12)
Although Johannes retained his status as a master smith, he never became a citizen of Gadernheim. At his death, he was listed as simply an “Einwohner,” or resident, even though he had lived in the village for more than 30 years and his children had married into the families of citizens (Gemeinsmann) and later became citizens themselves.
Magdalena died March 9, 1794. Johannes died Aug. 11, 1796. (13)
(1) Erbach Church Books, page 130. (2) Erbach Church Books, pages 115, 121, 461, 136 and 481. Johann Simon’s death is listed in the index. (3) Reichenbach Church Books, pages 146 and 708. The page number is missing from my copy of Christian’s birth record. Anna Margaretha and Johann Peter’s births are listed in the index under their deaths. Their relationship to Johannes is documented in the record of the illegitimate birth of Anna Margaretha’s son Johann Peter on March 10, 1798, on page 208. (4) Erbach Church Books, page 292. (5) Johannes is actually listed as a “hoof-smith” (Hufschmidt), which may indicate that he had not yet attained the status of master smith. The record of the birth of his first child in 1753 notes that he was a master smith. However, the minister who kept the records switched back and forth between smith and master smith in subsequent years, so it is difficult to determine when he became a master smith. This is the first of many discrepancies that appear in Erbach records concerning Johannes. (6) Marriage is listed in Erbach Church Books, page 381. “Maria Margaretha’s” death is listed in Erbach Church Books, page 461, and says she was 37 years, 7 months old at the time of her death in July 1756. Concerning the name confusion, the Weber family seems to have been rather large and this may have confused the minister. In addition, Simon Weber had a daughter named Catharina Elisabetha who marries Johann Matthaeus Preiss, brother of Johannes. It is certain that all of the records relate to the same woman because each name refers to the wife of a Johannes Preiss who is a Buerger and smith of Erbach. No other Johannes Preiss appears in the church records until the birth of an illegitimate son to Johannes’ stepdaughter in 1761. In 1766, four years after Johannes moved from Erbach, no Johannes Preiss appears on the Buerger list. Finally, a Weber served as a sponsor at each baptism. Maria Catharina’s birth listed in Erbach Church Books. The archivist at the Erbach City Archives also reached these conclusions independently. (7) Erbach Church Books, page 384. (8) Birth listed in Erbach Church Books, page 74. Marriage listed in Erbach Church Books, page 182. (10) Erbach Church Books, page 167. (11) Reichenbach Church Books, page 644. (12) Reichenbach Church Books. The page number was cut off my photocopy. Johann Braun actually had a middle name that was unreadable on my photocopy. That is actually the most important name in most cases because it is the one that they were known by. Magdalena’s age was listed as 59 years, 6 months, 27 days at her death on March 9, 1794. Magdalena’s death is listed in the Reichenbach Church Books, page 708. This records lists her as Anna Magdalena. This discrepancy in the first name is one of many involving Preiss women. Ministers apparently weren’t very careful with women’s names. (13) Johannes’ death is listed on page 719.
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