Schäfer

Associated Colonies
Place of origin
Udenhain, Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Hessen, Germany
Hellstein, Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Hessen, Germany
Description

Johannes Schäfer, son of Johann Conrad and Elisabeth Schäfer, was baptized on 26 December 1719 in Neuenschmidten.  Johannes married Anna Margaretha Baÿer, daughter of Peter Baÿer from Udenhain, on 7 November 1743.  The baptisms of four children, all born in Udenhain, are recorded in the Hellstein parish records: Anna Maria, baptized 21 Nov 1745; Elisabetha, baptized 22 Dec 1748; Anna Elisabeth, born 4 March, baptized 7 March 1756 (died 2 January 1757); and Johann Conrad, born 8 February, baptized 10 February 1764.  

Johann Conrad Schäfer and his twin sister Anna Catharina, children of Johann Conrad and Elisabeth Schäfer, were baptized in Hellstein on 15 August 1734.  Anna Catharina Wahn, daughter of Johann Reinhard Wahn, was baptized in Oberreichenbach on 23 Nov 1732. Johann Conrad and Anna Catharina married in Hellstein on 29 April 1756.  The baptisms of four children are recorded, all born in Hellstein:  Maria Magdalena, born 17 December, baptized 26 December 1756 (died 1 March 1757); Johann Wilhelm, born 18 November, baptized 26 November 1758; Anna Elisabeth, born 27 Jun, baptized 5 July 1761 (died 19 June 1763); and Johannes, born 28 February, baptized 4 March 1764.   

Both families arrived in Russia on 9 August 1766, and both families settled in Huck. Johannes, his wife, and two of his children are reported on the First Settler's List in Family #80.  Johann Conrad, his new wife Elisabeth, and son Johann Wilhelm (incorrectly reported as Wilhelmina on the First Settler's List) are reported in Family #82.   
 
The Huck First Settler's List also includes a Wilhelm Schäfer, reported as a single man in Household #79.  He arrived in Russia on the same ship as Johannes and Johann Conrad.  He appears to be their brother, though a baptism record confirming this has not been found.  

Their sister Elisabeth married Johann Peter Kreick.  That couple arrived on the same ship and also settled in Huck.   

Sources

- Lists of the recruiter Johann Facius
- Decker, Klaus-Peter. Die Auswanderung von 1766/67 aus der Grafschaft Ysenburg-Büdingen nach Russland, p. 170-171
- Parish records of Hellstein (including Neuenschmidten, Schlierbach, and Udenhain) on Archion.de
- Pleve, Igor. Lists of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg (Saratov: Saratov State Technical University, 2010) p. 314
- Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet, 1764-1767 Band 2 (Göttingen: Göttinger Arbeitskreis, 2001): p. 159-160

Researchers
Maggie Hein (© Margreatha Hein, 2020)
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