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From: <>
Subject: [GEIGER-L] New Jersey Geiger/Kiger
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 23:32:00 EDT

Well, as the moderator of this Geiger list, I guess it is my turn to tell
about my Geigers (later Kiger). My earliest traceable Geiger ancestor is
Henricus Geiger born about 1670-1680 presumably in Northern Alsace. He was
living in the village of Lembach in the 1720s until his death in 1746. His
occupation is listed in the Lembach Catholic Church records as "Conditiori."
His wife was Johanna Hagler(in) who died in Lembach in 1737.

The only known children of this couple are my ancestor Matthias Geiger and his
sister Theresia Geiger. Theresia married Frederick Neusch/Neisch,
schoolmaster in Lembach and also a carpenter. They had at least one
descendant, Matthias Neusch, who later migrated to America where his surname
evolved into Nash. It is not known whether he had any idea that relatives of
his had previously come to America or whether he had any contact with his
cousins once he arrived in America. Recently I have made contact with a
"cousin" on the Internet who descends from this Nash family.

My ancestor Matthias Geiger married Anna Mary Halter, daughter of Simon
Halter, "vitriaria" in Mattstall (near Lembach). A vitriaria is a master
glassblower.

In 1738 Casper Wistar, a wealthy merchant in Philadelphia, sent to Europe for
glassmaking experts to run his proposed glass factory to be built in Salem
County, New Jersey. It was to be the first successful glassmaking operation
in America. Among the four men brought over to run the glasshouse were Casper
and Johann Martin Halter. Casper is known to have been Anna Mary Halter
Geiger's brother and Johann Martin was in some way related no doubt. The
Geigers came to America along with the glass experts although it is doubtful
that Matthias was directly involved in the glassblowing process himself. It
is likely he worked in the glasshouse in some other capacity as he is listed
as an "operarini" in Lembach which simply means he was a worker. The group
arrived in Philadelphia on the Snow Two Sisters in 1738 and settled in Salem
County, New Jersey.

Unlike most early arriving Geigers this family was Catholic and since no
Catholic Churches could be found in New Jersey prior to the Revolution (in
fact the religion was banned in New Jersey prior to the Revolution) the family
can be found in the registers of the Catholic Churches at Goshenhoppen in
Bally, Berks County, PA and also Old St. Joseph's RC Church in Philadelphia.
The Priests from these missions visited the Geiger house in Mannington
Township, Salem County and held services there in secret over a period of many
years. Their house still stands today and is believed to be the oldest
existing building in the state in which Catholic services were held.

By the next generation--the first generation born in America--the surname for
this family had uniformly become Kiger and has remained so until today.

Joan

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