FONDA REGISTERS Town of Herkimer, Herkimer County, transcribed under the auspices of New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. By Royden Woodward Vosburgh Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Herkimer, a.k.a. GERMAN FLATS DUTCH REFORMED Church, Pastor: John Spinner. Found at the Montgomery Co Dept of History and Archives, Fonda NY.
a.c. = of the same year
Jefferson County records extracted by Nancy&William Dixon
Montgomery County, New York has been called the Mother County for all of New York State west of it, thus it is a treasure trove of statistics for the descendants of the early settlers of Jefferson County, many of whom either originated in Montgomery County or settled there for a few years in their migrations. The Montgomery Department of History and Archives, the only such county department in New York State, is remarkable not only for its indexes and organization, but also for the welcoming and knowledgable staff. This group of baptisms of Jefferson County residents was extracted from the German Flats Dutch Reformed Church, and is unique because Pastor Spinner was so diligent in entering all the data. The archives cover not just Montgomery County, but most of the Mohawk River Valley, and certainly includes Herkimer County, its neighbor, originally formed from Montgomery County. They include Fulton and Schoharie County as well as other counties in the area, in a lesser degree.
Please keep in mind that these church records were kept in Latin by a man whose native language was German. His knowledge of the geography of New York State was vague, and at best he could only enter information he was given. We have standardized the date for the convenience of the newcomers to family history, and have given suggestions in {} of what we believe the translation of names and places might have been. The Town of Le Ray, for instance, wanders between Jefferson and St Lawrence Counties, but don't bother to look for it in either modern or historic St. Lawrence County. It has always been firmly rooted in Jefferson. The name "Hubert" as given in these records is doubtless "Hoover", as given in the family sketch of Jefferson County pioneer Robert Sixberry, whose name also was not definitely settled. The dates, however, are easily deciphered from the Latin, and except for the possibility of a typo, are as given.
The church registers are by necessity chronological, but we have put the names in alphabetical order for the ease of scanning them. A bit of history can be deduced by a study of the baptismal months. After the family made its way into the wilds of Jefferson County, they brought back their children to be baptized in their home church. Dutch Reformed Churches were late in coming to the county, and besides the parents wanted the godparents (sponsors) who were still living in Herkimer County. Custom was that the godparents would be sisters or brothers of the parents, and thus one is able to get hints at the mother's maiden name by studying the baptism and marriage records.
Until quite late, then, the trips back home were made in the winter, when the brooks and rivers were bridged by ice, and the work of the farm was less urgent. Legend has it that these visits home lasted perhaps a month or more, and other business besides baptisms was accomplished. Courting interrupted by the migration north could be continued and culminated in marriage, with the new couple going north to a new life. Records never kept in Jefferson County may thus be found elsewhere.
We have glanced at other church registers, to find that the German Flats church appears to be the only one with place names in Jefferson County. A research trip to Fonda, New York, the location of the Department of History and Archives, is strongly recommended. Be sure to do your homework first, and certainly call ahead for hours and suggestions. Email is histarch@superior.net but please remember that email is to be used for brief questions only. No one is going to type in pages of information to be sent by email, nor can it be used for photocopy, or to send money.
The information, as arranged in the book, with the exception of the surname which is at the beginning for alphabetizing purposes: Surname, page number, place of birth, date of birth, child's name, baptismal date, parents, often with the wife's maiden name, and finally sponsors or godparents in []
FOLTS [VOLZ] P62 Watertown, Jefferson County 17 Oct 1807 Elisabetha bp 2 Sep 1810 Melchioris Volz&Catharinae Schmitt [Georgio Herder&Catharina, wife, from Herkimer]
FOLTS [VOLZ] P87 Watertown, Jefferson County 6 Apr 1810 David bp 2 Sep 1810 {a.c.} Melchioris Volz&Catharinae Schmitt [Laurentio L. Herder&Margaretha wife from Herkimer]
M'COMBS P 92 Brownville, Jefferson Cty 15 Sep 1810 Margaretha bp 14 Jan 1813 Georgii M'Combs&Elisabetha Volzin [Jacobo Schmitt&Margaretha his wife from Herkimer]
M'COMBS P32 Brownville, Jefferson's County 19 Oct 1804 Joannes bp 10 Feb 1806 Georgii M'Combs&Elisabetha Foltsin [Thoma Bell&Anna his wife from Herkimer]
M'COMBS P83 Brownville 16 Sep 1809 Magdalena bp 11 Feb 1810 Georgii M'Combs &Elisabetha Volzin [Friderico Bellinger&Apollonia Herderin from Herkimer]
M'COMBS P88 Brownville Jefferson 20 May 1810 Wilhelmus bp 11 Mar 1811 Jo is M'Combs&Magdalenae Frank [Friderico Mayer&Apollonia wife from Herkimer]
SIXBERRY P86 16 Mar 1810 Anny (twin?) bp same place and day, same parents [parents]
SIXBERRY P86 Lorrain, Lawrence Cty 16 Mar 1810 Alexander bp 24 Jan 1818 Robert Sixberry&Elisabeth Hubert [parents]
WABEL P36 Brownville ex Jefferson 17 Mar 1805 Georgius bp 13 Feb 1810 Georgii Wabel&Maria Deuchert [Georgio M'Combs&Elisabetha conjuge ibidem(his wife?)]
WABEL P65 Brownville Jeffersons 10 Jan 1808 Sally bp 13 Feb 1810 Georgii Wabel &Maria Deuchert [Thoma Bell&Maria, his wife]
WEBER P90 Ellisbourgh 27 ditto {27 Jul 1810} David bp 6 Mar 1811 Georgii Weber &Elisabetha Christmann [Joe. Nicholas Christmann from Frankfort&Margaretha Gemmel from Germanflats, single]
WEBER P90 Ellisbourgh Ontario 13 Jul 1810 Wilhelmus bp 6 Mar 1811 Joannis Weber&Gertrudis Christmann [Georgio Demuth&Dalia Bellinger, caelibus {single}]
ANDRE` p51 Le Ray, Jefferson 22 Feb 1818 Nicholas [date crossed out] Joannis Andre`&Annae Nash
BAYER p76 Le Ray, Jeffersons 4 Jul 1819 Leonard bo 2 Mar 1820 Joannis Josephi Bayer&Annae Schell [Leonardo Bayer&Margaretha, his wife from Herkimer]
CRAEMER p69 Brownville, Jeffersons Cty 2 Feb 1820 William bp 11 Jan 1821 Willhelmi Craemer&Dorothae Goodbrodt [Abrahamo Keller&Dina Bikert from Fairfield]
CREMERT p78 Orleans Jeffersons Cty 20 Sep 1819 Hiram bp 28 Jul 1822 Godfried Cremert&Margarethae Hagedorn [Conrado Cremert&Magdalena his wife]
FOLTS {VOLZ} P16 Rodman Jeffersons County 16 Oct 1811 Sally Cemenda bp 18 Oct 1812 Joannis Josephi Volz&Elisabetha Clepsattle [ Abrahamo Volz&Maria Clepsattle (sister of Mother?)]
FOLTS {VOLZ} P17 Watertown, Jefferson Cty 10 Nov 1811 Melchior bp 1 Mar 1813 Melchiore Volz&Catharinae Schmitt [ Melchiore Volz&Elisabetha Cass from Herkimer]
HAHN p80 Ellesbourgh, Jeffersons Cty. 16 Oct 1819 Catharina bp 11 Jan 1821 Georgii Hahn&Magdalenae Bodmann [parents]
HART P5 Le Ray Jeffersons Cty 4 Feb1820 Sally bp 20 Jul 1822 Danielis Hart & Susanna Syfert [parents]
HUBERT {HOOVER?} p27 Le Roi, Lawrence Cty 1 Sep 1814 Salomon bp 5 Mar 1815, Petri Hubert&Gertrudis Seiffert [parents]
HUBERT {HOOVER?} p29 Le Roi, St. Lawrence Cty 3 Nov 1814 Sally bp 5 Mar a.c. Petri Hubert&Magdalene Blottow [David Hubert &Rachele Bloodough, single, from Herkimer]
HUBERT {HOOVER?} p50 Le Ray Cty. of Jefferson 25 Jan 1818 Anna bp 27 Feb 1819 Petri Hubert eit Gertrudis Seuffert [parents]
HUBERT {HOOVER?} p56 Lorrain St Lawrence Cty 5 Jun 1817 Abrahamus bp 24 Jan 1818 Petry Hubert&Magdalena Pluto [Joe. Diederico Hubert et Catharina, his wife, from Herkimer]
HUBERT {HOOVER?} p63 Le Ray, Jefferson Cty 27 October 1818 Elisabetha bp 4 Mar 1819 Wmi Hubert&Mariae Petry [Wmo Feeter&Elisabetha his wife]
HUBERT {HOOVER?} p76 Le Ray, Jefferson 1 Jul 1819 Silas bp 12 Jan 1821 Petri Hubert&Magdalenae Plutow [parents]
KELLER p78 Le Ray Jeffersons Cty 21 Aug 1820 Anna bp 28 Jul 1822 Jacobi Keller, jun&Nancy Petry [Jost Petry&Dorothea Petry]
KLOCK p65 Le Ray, Jefferson Cty 15 Dec 1817 Luisa bp 27 Feb 1819 Jacobi Klock & Annae Seuffert [parents]
KLOCK p77 Le Ray, Jefferson Cty 23 Jul 1820 Peggy bp 28 Jul 1822 Jacobi Klock & Annae Syffert [parents]
MAHR p70 Saggets Harbourg Jefferson Cty 20 Mar 1819 Elisabeth bp 16 Sep 1819 Frederici Mahr&Catharine Balde [Catharina Balde, mother's sister, from Shyler]
MYERS p72 Rawzy {Rossie?}, St. Lawrence Cty 23 Apr 1820 Eva bp 17 Jan 1823 Henrici H. Myers&Magdalena Herwich [parents]
RICKERT p63 Le Ray, Cty of St Lawrence 29 Oct 1818 Margaretha bp 26 Jan 1819 Jacobi Rickert&Catharine Stahring [Jacobo Seyffert&Anna Rickert]
SEWFFERT p80 Le Ray, St. Lawrence Cty 8 Oct 1819 Catharina bp 9 Jan 1820 Joannis Sewffert&Rachel Plotto [Jacobo Seuffert&Betsey Hubert ex Herkimer]
SIXBURY (SIXBERRY?} p52 Lorrain Cty of St Lawrence 17 Mar 1817 Almiry bp 24 Jan 1818 Robert Sixberry&Elisabeth Hubert [parents]
SIXBURY (SIXBERRY?}p32 Le Roi, St Lawrence Cty 25 Jan 1815 Isaac bp 5 Mar a.c. Robert Sixbury&Elisabethae Hubert [parents]
SMITH p54 Brownville Jefferson Cty 8 Apr 1818 Apollonia bp 5 May 1819 Joseph Smith&Catharinae Herder [Henerico L. Herder&Maria Catharina, his wife]
STAHRING P4 Le Ray 8 1812 Elisa bp 1 Jan 1822, Jacobi Rickert&Catharinae Stahring [Joanne Loux&Peggi Stahring from Manheim]
WEBER P8 Ellisbourgh, Jefferson 27 Mar 1812 George bp 5 Feb 1813 Joannis Weber &Gertrudis Christmann {Georgii Weber&Elisabetha his wife]
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