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From: "Dwayne Wrightsman" <>
Subject: [BRE] Children of John Frantz (b.c1725)
Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 10:04:38 -0500


CHILDREN OF JOHN FRANTZ (b.c1725)

The children of John Frantz (b.c1725) of Bethel Township, Lancaster County
(now Berks County), are difficult to determine given that most of them were
taken by the Iroquois at their home on the banks of Little Swatara Creek in
1758. The mother was also taken and killed. John Frantz apparently
remarried as he and his wife were named in a 1770 account as members of the
Little Swatara Creek Congregation of German Baptist Brethren. His brothers
Christian and Michael and their wives were also listed as members.

Various sources list various numbers of and names for the children John
Frantz.

First is a historical letter written by Captain Christian Busse to Colonel
Weiser at Fort Henry on June 19, 1758. This letter says that "the Indians
took and carried away the wife of John Frantz, with three children, six
miles from here, deep in the country." Subsequent accounts say that the
three children were kept several years, with two of them returned, and one
that was not.

Second is a series of email messages that I have received from a descendant
of one of the returned children. This descendant claims that there was a
youngest sibling who was asleep in a trundle bed and not found by the
Indians, which would bring the total number of children up to four, three
kidnapped and one not. Three surviving siblings are named as Christian,
Daniel, and Maria. Daniel is mentioned as one of the kidnapped children who
was returned. Maria is mentioned as the youngest sibling (seemingly the one
who was not kidnapped).

Third is a book, the "Ziegler Family Record," compiled by Floyd and Kathryn
Mason. Daniel Wenger's file on World Connect refers to this book in naming
the following children: (1) Christian, who was captured and returned, (2)
John, who was captured, (3) a daughter who was captured and returned, and
(4) a daughter.
This account makes no mention of a Daniel.

It is not an easy matter to reconcile the above three accounts. Perhaps
there were more than three kidnapped children. Perhaps there were more than
two children who were returned. Perhaps the "daughter" who was allegedly
captured and returned was not a daughter, but the son Daniel instead. If
the latter, the children would possibly be (1) Christian, who was captured
and returned, (2) John, who was captured but probably not returned, (3)
Daniel, who was captured and returned, and (4) Maria, who was probably
asleep and not captured.

I would like to hear from anyone who might be able to shed some light on any
of this.

Dwayne Wrightsman
Lee, NH









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