GERMANNA_COLONIES-L Archives

From: John Blankenbaker <>
Subject: (379)Germanna Colonies, History of
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 07:15:35 -0400

The three hundred and seventy-ninth note in a series on the Germanna Colonies

The Utz family, as it arrived in Virginia, has been recorded. There are
several differences from what we know the family to be later. The recording
of the family came about because Alexander Spotswood paid the way of 48 of
the members of the Second Colony. Eventually he used their head rights to
help pay for land. When the patent for the land issued, the names from the
head rights were recorded in the patent.

Pertaining to the Utz family, the names in the patent were Hans Jerich Otes,
Parvara Otes, Ferdinandus Sylvania Otes [sic], and Anna Louisa Otes. In the
German church records and in later usage the name is Utz. Jerich is George
and Parvara is Barbara. From the church records in Hüffenhardt, we would
expect that George and Barbara Utz would have had two sons, Ferdinand and
Johannes. Ferdinand is recorded but Johannes did not arrive in Virginia. We
not know whether Johannes died before departure from Germany or during the
trip. Though Ferdinand did arrive in Virginia, we do not know his fate here.

Prior to her marriage to George Utz, Barbara (Majer or Maier) had three
daughters by Johann Michael Volck (recorded as Folg in Virginia). They were
Maria Sabina Charlotta Barbara, Louisa Elisabetha, and Maria Rosina. Without
any known death records for them, we would have expected the three of them
on the importation list. There are only two, Sylvania and Anna Louisa Otes.
The recording as Otes is a mistake which is typical of early ship lists as
step-children of the father are often recorded under the name of the
stepfather. Sylvania is Mary Sabina. One would wish that Anna Louisa were
Louisa Elizabeth for better conformity. But on balance, the names match so
well that there is no question.

Of the three daughters of Barbara Majer by Johann Michael Volck, we
apparently have only one survival, Mary Sabina, who married John Hoffman.
Though Louisa made it to Virginia, we have no later record of her.

The first two children of Barbara Majer by George Utz died without any known
issue. The three surviving Utz children, Michael, Margaret, and George, were
all born in Virginia.

Though a high percentage of the Volck and Utz children died, there was one
notable success story in the next generation. Mary Sabina, who married John
Hoffman, was the mother of twelve children who themselves all lived to
adulthood.
John Blankenbaker
Beyond Germanna
PO Box 120
Chadds Ford, PA 19317
http://www.wp.com/germanna/
http://www.concentric.net/~sgtgeorg/germhist.shtm

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