Maurers in Zollikofen, Part 1

Back in 2013 when I first stared researching Swiss records I started to look at the Maurer family but the genealogy was in such disarray that I moved on to other families.  Now I have come back to the Maurer family after two years of viewing the online records.  I went down to the library and got a copy of Billeter's notes for the Maurer family.  His research which was conducted in the 1930's is completely inadequate.  On the FamilyTree I found that a Bolligen and Zollikofen family of the earliest generation had been combined into one adding to the cunfusion. Many more Maurers were from Bolligen than Zollikofen. In 1764 about 250 people lived in Zollikofen, over 5 times that many lived in Bolligen.  To add to the confusion Billeter only included 2 of 9 children for the family of Marti Maurer and Anna Wanzenried.   My ancestor Johannes Maurer (1724-1804) had 17 children in two marriages.  Billeter once again only notes 2 of the 6 children of his first marriage to Barbara Rohrer.  It must be remembered that up to the 1990's there was no access to Bern Canton Swiss records unless you were in Bern to view them at the archives.  In 1992-1993 filmed copies of the records made there way into the Family History Library in Utah.  Then came the challenge of being able to read and interpret the records. This meant that up to this point in time everyone relied on Billeter and other researchers for genealogical information.  Billeter by far being the largest contributor since he is credited with naming about 2 million names in his records many of which were in Bern Canton. 
A look at Billeter's notes (1930's) show that Johannes father is noted as being Daniel. Daniel and Martin were noted as being the same person as Johannes baptism record notes Martin as his father, yet Daniel born 1702 is noted as his father.  Ironically, Daniel born 1702 was Martin's last child with Anna Wanzenried.  It is rather illogical to say the two people named in the records, one as Daniel and one as Martin are the same person.  In my years of research I have never come across such a naming pattern such as this.  Upon further research I saw that Anna Wanzenried had died in January of 1723 and that a Martin had married in June of 1723 to Barbara Müller and there after Johannes was born.   Since Martin (Marti) is not a common name and no other possibilities exist, it is obvious that Martin remarried and had more children.  In past centuries it was common  for a man to remarry a much younger women after his 1st wife died.  Martin lived to 1736.  Billeter often did not use death dates, if he had he would have realized that Anna Wanzenried had died and soon after Martin remarried. His work for the Maurer family in Zollikofen seems to have been hastily created in the pre 1750 time period.
And yet another twist in this family which is not so common.  Barbara Müller remarried in 1738 to a widower, Jakob Zwygart and had 2 more children, Daniel and Christina Zwygart.  Thus we see Zwygart witnesses to Maurer baptisms post 1738. 
Another item worth mentioning is that the Bremgarten parish registers appear to have been tampered with. 

Really, 140 year closure period for Switzerland

My most popular post on Switzerland is the post, 138 year Closure Period for Records in Switzerland.  Obviously those that research would like to have access to later records.  Genealogy seems to spark the interest of a few people in every family.  Since the closure period is across the board for birth, marriage, and death records, it basically affects is 160 to 170 years when it comes to research which is back before 1850. Most countries closure period are not the same for births, marriages and death records;  the closure period for deaths typically being in the 50 to 75 year time period.  For those living today, one has access to ancestors’ records that lived 4 to 5 generations ago who were alive in 1875.  This Swiss law has basically hindered genealogical research in its country for the past few generations.  Switzerland is known for its banking and digital privacy laws.  How that translates into people researching their ancestors I don’t know.  A great great grandfathers records are closed and considered private to prying eyes.  If you’re doing descendant research it would be great great uncles, aunts also cousins many generations removed from a direct line ancestor.  

Bern Canton Online digtial images at FamilySearch

Create a Source for the Parish rather than the whole collection

The online FamilySearch references do not match with the volume references as created by the Bern archives. Reference the records according to the references established by the Bern archives. Consider the reference that FamilySearch has established as a finding aid, since it does not conform with the standard reference. It can be confusing to have two completely different references that refer to the same page; The family history library catalog provides a reference for each parish in Bern Canton with film numbers. Ironically the catalog does not provide volume numbers. (Münsingen in Catalog)
The film numbers are becoming less relevant, but until there are links to individual volumes in the wiki, they can be useful in navigating each parishes landing page. 
The wiki is being developed with volume numbers, descriptions, links, and film numbers for every parish in Bern Canton, so one can quickly go to a volume and have a reference for a particular record.  See the Münsingen parish page on the wiki that is being developed.
If the volumes and descriptions are not listed on the wiki then one must go to the pages before page one in the volume you are looking at where you will find the spine of the volume, there you will find a volume number and description.

Reference as establish by Bern archive / volume, page number (Example of Münsingen Parish, volume16, page 22)

Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche Münsingen (Bern) Schweiz, Kirchenbuch, 1528-1875, digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1640373, volume K16, Taufenrodel 1796-1828; page 22; https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-19607-60046-43?cc=1640373

both references refer to the same page in the Münsingen Kirchenbuch, yet have different elements to the created citation. Each page in the collection has its own URL, there are over 500,000 pages in the collection

FamilySearch Online Reference (Example of Münsingen Parish, volume 16, page 22)

Schweiz, Kirchenbücher, 1277-1992," images, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-19607-60046-43?cc=1640373 : accessed 31 May 2015), Bern > Münsingen > Evangelisch-Reformierte > Taufen 1796-1804 > image 14 of 49; Staatsarchiven von Basel-Stadt, Bern und Schaffhausen, Schweiz (Basel-Stadt, Bern, and Schaffhausen State Archives, Switzerland)

Bern Parish Records are part of an online collection by familysearch of Schweiz, Kirchenbücher, 1277-1992, thus it is not individualized for each parish.

If you go to the landing page for Münsingen you will see the sections that it was divided up into. The dates were assigned according to how it was filmed in an arbitrary manner. The dates may be links to many volumes or just part of a volume. The same methodology is used for every parish.  In the case of Münsingen some of the volumes ended up on the landing page of another parish, Mühlethurnen.

To view the images in the collection you must go to a LDS Family History Center located around the world, or be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints with a login to access it from your home computer.

Switzerland - introduction

Recherswil

Demographics of Switzerland

Map of Religions in Switzerland

Map of Languages in Switzerland

Melchnau on wikipedia

A place map of Switzerland focused on Melchnau - bookmark

Example on Familysearch Family Tree - Jufer

Julius Billeter, pioneer Swiss genealogist : a man of faith and action ; digitized at Family History Library

Example of Julius Billeter Notes

Jaggi Stettler webpage

Church record of Marianne Jufer - Melchnau

Church record example - Jufer

Picton Press - Louis Rohrbach - Swiss books and CD's

Schenk family of Signau that lived in Vechigen

The methodology of Billeter’s research to place everyone in their heimat regardless of where they lived has led to countless errors.  While both Schenk families were from Signau, only one actually lived in Signau. Take the example below:

I began to look at the parents of Anna Schenk of Signau and was surprised to find that the line is incorrect.  It is the result of Billeter’s research in the 1930’s. Christian Stettler married Anna Schenk (KHCL-WLP) in Bolligen in 1809.  The marriage record says her father’s name is Hans Ulrich.  There are two Anna Schenk’s born in 1788 when she was born.  Ulrich Schenk and Anna Kupfer had a daughter, Anna (LDMF-Z5N), in May of 1788 in Schwimmbach; and Hans Ulrich Schenk and Elisabeth Krayenbuhl had a daughter, Anna (KHCL-WLP), in February of 1788 in Vechigen.  The records indicate that the Anna from Schwimmbach, died 3 November 1792, age 4.  Schwimmbach is a hamlet in Signau parish. Vechigen is about 12 miles east of Signau.  When Anna Schenk died in 1859 her birth is recorded as February 1788.  Three months after their marriage in Bolligen their first son, Christian, was born in Vechigen as well their second child, Anna.  The witnesses to the ten children of Christian Stettler and Anna Schenk are inconclusive in identifying possible relatives of Anna.  It is obvious that the Anna Schenk that married Christian Stettler is from Vechigen and counter to the conclusion found in Billeter’s research.

Upon looking at the Hans Ulrich Schenk who lived in Vechigen I find additional errors.  Billeters research provides no clues as to where the children were born other than Signau which is the heimat of this Schenk family.  Hans Ulrich Schenk had 12 children with 2 wives.  The first 3 children were born in Worb where he married Elisabeth Rüfenacht, he had three additional children in Vechigen and then Elisabeth Rufenacht died in 1778.  He then married Elizabeth Krayenbuhl in 1779 and had 6 additional children, one of which was Anna in 1788.  Hans Ulrich then died in Vechigen in 1811 at the age of 75 years and 7 months which puts his birth in February 1736.

Billeters research divides the two families of Hans Ulrich Schenk into two separate families with one connected to a Hans Ulrich born in 1837 (KH5M-2S9) and the other Hans Ulrich born in 1842 (KZ5B-GT3). The Hans Ulrich born in 1837 may be the correct person since the age is within a year, yet with all the other inconsistencies I find in Billeter’s research concerning this family I doubt any conclusions found. The research appears to be based on convenient guessing rather than real research.  In fact, some of errors are so obvious it appears to be an act of disinformation. 

I might mention Ulrich Schenk and Anna Kupfer had a son, Christian who was a well known mechanical engineer or inventor, and grandparents of Johan Karl Schenk a famous pastor, politician, and member of the Swiss Federation Council. 

If you have any Schenk ancestors from Signau it may be a good idea to revisit the research and verify the accuracy of the current research in the FamilyTree.

Baumgarten and Röthenbach Bösiger’s

After sorting out the Schenk family of Signau that lived in Vechigen I move onto the Bösiger family.  The Bösiger family lived in Herzogenbuchsee kirchgemeinde.  It is commonly written Boesiger, since umlauts were not used in American research (ö = oe).   This kirchgemeinde has 14 gemeindes in it.  Our ancestors are found in the gemeindes of Röthenbach and Graben.  The research for this family was conducted about 1964, submitted 1966.  

What is unique about Graben is that the registers generally do not mention Graben by name but the hamlets within the gemeinde.  Baumgarten is a small area within the Gemeinde; north of there is Burrach and south of there is Kleinholz.  In familytree and many old family group records the place is simply written Baumgarten without a mention of Graben or Herzogenbuchsee.  With the breakdown of the families in these specific hamlets it becomes easier to sort the numerous Bösiger’s in the area.  

I focused on the 1st and 2nd families of Hans Bösiger.  He married Ursula Gränicher in 1743, after she died in 1762, he then married Maria Gygax in 1763.  There are 13 children between the two marriages, of which 7 or 8 survived into adulthood. View the family in the familytree, it is a work in progress

In the first family the 4 marriages of the children were incorrect or missing, and a key name in that family was altered from Urs to Ursula.  Urs Bösiger is found as a witness to many of the baptisms of his siblings. In the second family only one marriage was incorrect.  To view the genealogy as it was submitted in 1966 see film 564385, item 5.  These 5 marriages result in 5 new families which adds 30 new people to the tree, and many others in the following generations. Since the incorrect data has been around for 50 years or more I would expect some people to be baffled by the changes.

I also have come to realize that Hans Bösiger married a Maria Gygax born in 1842 rather than 1835. The Gygax family is from Thörigen gemeinde.   The witnesses to the baptisms of the children of Hans Bösiger and Maria Gygax align perfectly with the Maria Gygax born in 1742.  There is also a match for the Maria born in 1835 who married Joseph Staub in 1766.  The death records for the 2 Maria’s are yet to be found, and that would provide absolute proof.  It appears the Maria born in 1835 was chosen simply because of her age.

This is the same scenario of Hans Ulrich Schenk.  He married and had a family with his wife, when she died after about 20 years of marriage, he married a 20 year old, which means that the oldest children from his first marriage are about the same age as his new wife.  He then went on to have numerous children with his new wife.   

Within the family of Hans Bösiger and Maria Gygax I have found three descendants who have who joined the Mormon Church.  

If the Bösiger’s, Gygax’s, or any other family in Herzogenbuchsee are to be properly researched and or organized, they need to be noted in the familytree or any genealogy with the gemeinde they come from not the parish, Herzogenbuchsee, since there are 14 gemeindes.  The same surname will be found in numerous gemeindes within the parish, and there is no point in trying to connect them since they will not be related. In the case of Graben, it is hamlets, since the records separates the families by hamlets.  

Julius Billeter's Notes

Julius Billeter's Notes

As I have noted in past posts, most people in the Switzerland are associated exclusively with their hiemat regardless of where they lived. By reviewing Billeter’s notes one can see that this was his methodology. In the computer age the advantage that Billeter gave us is to be able to find records on people and families much quicker using the dates and the hiemat a person was associated with. His work can be used as a means to an end.

Transcription of family entry. View Original 
Top of Page - Jufer v. Melch. (Melchnau)
Jb (Joh) 2.10.78   19.8.42    d 26.6.83 - (4th family down left side)
Barb Frauchiger v. Auswil (Joh) 
Barb 22.10.79 4.99 Jb Ladermann v. Madiswil
Magd 13.5.81 ?? d 18.2.93 11.9
√ J Uli 30.3.83
Abbreviations - Jb =Jacob; Joh=Johannes; Barb=Barbara; Magd=Magdalena; J Uli=Johann Ulrich 
(There are a few errors in the notes. Barbara Frauchiger was from Eriswil not Auswil, The second child was Maria not Magdalena.)

Julius Billiter was quite remarkable in his ability to research so many people in an organized manner. Where ever a person was living their baptism, burial, and marriage was recorded in their hiemat. If they happened to be living anywhere other than their hiemat it was recorded there as well, so for many people there are two copies of the event in different handwriting. Deciphering the handwriting can be difficult at times. Having two copies makes it easier. It is wise to check every copy available since the pfarrer or pastor in each parish did not always record the same facts. It appears that Billeter did not consult multiple copies of a record.

 It has been noted that there are errors in his work in connecting adult married children to parents; however, pre 1810 the records can be sparse with information. Every family basically used the same given names. Starting in the 1810’s the record keeping increased substantially, thus making it possible to make solid connections from one generation to the next. The most important record keeping change can be found in the marriage record when they started recording the getauft or baptism date of those who were getting married. The death records started to record the exact age a person down to the day and you will begin to find a death date written on a baptism record. Getauft or baptism records started to record the grandfathers name consistently and the parents’ marriage date. Some parishes adopted the new standards quickly while other lagged behind.

Summary of Billeters notes:

• At the top of each page are the Surname and the hiemat
• Birth and death dates are exclusively associated with the hiemat
• The dates are accurate with a few exceptions
• All the given names are abbreviated
• What resembles a check mark next to some people means that line continues on another page
• Billeter’s handwriting can be difficult to decipher
• Birth, Death, and Marriage dates are recorded without location
• The spouses full name is recorded and her hiemat
•  Females took their spouses hiemat upon marriage
• Not digitized - On film

 It is not really necessary to review the notes on every family, only when there is a question with the family connections. Knowing the date and the hiemat is typically enough to locate a person in the parish registers. Use Billeters notes as a means to an end in creating an accurate genealogy by consulting the church books. The results of Billeters work is on Family Search Family Tree, start adding places, correcting errors and making accurate lineage connections with sources.