The Zug Family Revisited



The Zaugg/Zug Family Revisited

By John F. Murray – February 2001—Published in Mennonite Family History

There are several good articles and books on the Zug families who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 1700s. Outstanding among them are the following, which I number for easy reference in footnotes that are in brackets throughout the article.

1.“Only a Twig, A branch of the Zugs/Zooks from Pennsylvania” by Lois Ann Zook 1979. She is now Lois Ann Mast, Editor of “Mennonite Family History.” Beyond the listing of the descendants of Moritz Zug, this book is important for researchers because of information included in Appendix 1, the History of Signau; Appendix 2, Zug Anabaptists in Switzerland; Appendix 3, Anabaptist Documents at the Bern State Archives.

2. “Three Zug (Zook) Brothers of 1742” by Paul V. Hostetler (Gateway Press, Baltimore, 1982) This book has copies of wills, deeds, maps and other information on the families of Christian, Moritz and Johannes Zug in Pennsylvania.

3. “Amish and Amish Mennonite Genealogies,” by Hugh F. Gingerich and Rachel W. Kreider (Pequea Publishers, Gordonville, PA. 1986) This book follows several generations of the three Zug brothers in both male and female lines, cross-referencing with their spouses, areas settled, etc.

4. “The Zug/Zuck/Zouck/Zook Genealogy” by Harry D Zook, (Gateway Press, Inc, Baltimore, 1993) This book is an excellent source of some original documents and information gathered from Switzerland and the Palatinate. Several generations of descendants of all Zug immigrants in the 1700s are listed (female lines are not followed). In the back of the book are discussions of several Zug family traditions that have been perpetuated through the years.

5. “Previous Kennel Froschauer Bible Owners – Christian Zoug and Hans Zoug” by Neil Ann Stuckey Levine published in Mennonite Family History, Volume XV, Number 2, April 1996, pages 58-70. This article discusses the entries in the Hans Zug Bible and gives a lot of information and questions about the Zugs who lived at Wilensteinerhof Estate in the Palatinate just south of Kaiserslautern, Germany.

6. “Amish Mennonites In Germany, Their Congregations, The Estates Where They Lived, Their Families” by Hermann Guth (Masthof Press, 1995) This book is important to Zug researchers, especially the documents in Appendix II on the Guth/Good family connection to the Widow Zug family of the Wilensteinerhof Estate.

7. “Emigrants, Refugees and Prisoners” Volume II by Richard Warren Davis (1997) This book is important to researchers because Davis attempts to put together the Zaugg families of Signau and Eggiwil, Switzerland. He puts question marks where he is not 100% sure leaving room for discussion and more research.

My own personal interest in these families lies in the fact that through my mother I am a descendant of the 1742 immigrant brothers Christian and Johannes Zug and through my father I’m a descendant of the Mishler family, stepchildren of Christian. I wish to open discussion on some points.

Let’s begin with the rental agreement of the 25 morgan (about 17 acres) Wilensteinerhof Estate between Elector Philip Wilhelm and the Anabaptists Christian Zug and Michael Miller. The agreement was dated at Heidelberg 30 March 1688 and entered 12 September 1688 with the county clerk at Kaiserslautern. Harry D. Zook quotes part as follows:

“Within three years they (Christian Zug and Michael Miller) shall build on said estate a home, including other buildings, and after such has been done, the Anabaptist(s) should permanently recognize to send to Trippstadt, after having enjoyed ten free years, but each year a certain patrimonial tithe of two malter (ca 8.5 bushels) of rye and four matter of oats, six guilders annually and also for freedom from taxes and servitude three guilders in money.” [4 pages 14-15]

It seems evident to me that Christian Zug and Michael Miller were experienced carpenters or they would never have entered into such an extensive building agreement nor would they have been hired for such a task. When we look at documents in Signau, Canton Bern, Switzerland, we find in 1675 a Christian Zaugg who was paid thirty-five crowns for repairs he made to the Castle at Signau. Harry D. Zook suggests the he might be the joiner (carpenter) who was paid forty pounds on 2 August 1669 for work at the government house in Signau. [4 page 10] My thought is that Christian of 1675 might have been a young apprentice of the carpenter of 1769. Be that as it may, it does appear that we have in 1675 a carpenter named Christian Zaugg in Signau who could be the carpenter Christian Zug who in 1688 rented the Wilensteinerhof Estate in the Palatinate.

In 1720 a new agreement was made for the use of the Wilensteinerhof Estate. It reads:

“I, Ludwig Anton, Baron von Hack of Schweinspaint and Trippstadt, privy council, treasurer and chief master hunter of the Elector of the Palatinate, recognize and make known herewith for myself and my heirs and descendants, that I have endowed Christel Zueg and Barbara his spouse and Christel Stauffer, stepson of the deceased Peter Stauffer, all their heirs, male and female in descending line, as a permanent and solid patrimonial estate, my so-called Willsteiner Hof, both feudal and allodial.... including buildings and their yard areas, lands, meadows, fields as well as the Mahlmühlplatz (grinding-mill place) located in the so-called meadow valley; and also that they, the heirs of the patrimonial estate, may keep, use and enjoy such aforementioned pieces in the capacity of Domini utilis (usufructuaries), reserving for me, however, the Dominum Directum (the immediate Lord or owner).” [4 pages 18]

A deed of purchase would have such wording. But it is clear that this was a rental agreement and not a purchase agreement as Ludwig retained Lordship and ownership of the property. This appears to be a special concession to the renters who would normally have only their immediate family living with them.

According to this 1720 agreement all residents on the Wilensteinerhof Estate were to be heirs (descendants) of Christian and Barbara Zug and Christian Stauffer. Hermann Guth points out that Jacob Guth who married the Mennonite Widow Zug moved to Wilensteinerhof where she had been living. [6 pages 267-271] It seems clear from these two statements that the Widow Zug and her children were heirs of Christian and Barbara Zug or they could not have been residents there. So we may conclude that her deceased husband was a son of Christian and Barbara Zug. Further it is generally agreed among the above researchers that Jacob Guth and his stepsons Christian, Johannes and Moritz Zug were immigrants on the Ship Francis and Elizabeth arriving in Philadelphia, PA on Sept. 21, 1742.

Neil Ann Stuckey Levine suggests the possibility that Christian Zug of the 1688 agreement had a son Christian who rented Wilensteinerhof in 1720 because the elder son Hans had died. [5 page 68] The agreement does not suggest a second Christian Zug. It was an agreement to allow “their heirs, male and female in descending line” from Christian and Barbara Zug to live on the Estate and to enjoy all the facilities. If this agreement was made with Christian Zug of the 1688 rental agreement, it would include the family of Hans Zug who seems to have died between the birth of his son Christian b. 1718 and July 1720. Was this agreement made with the widow of Hans Zug in mind so that she and her children could live on the Wilensteinerhof Estate? If so, this would give some credence to the tradition that the ruler of the region showed mercy on the Widow Zug and her children by agreeing to allow them to live there. But as Harry D. Zook points out, the ruler at that time would not have been Maurice of Nassau, as the tradition says. [4 pages 353-354]

Neil Ann Stuckey Levine makes a fairly strong case for saying that the Widow Zug was married to a Hans Zug who received a Bible from Christian Zug of Wilensteinerhof. [5 page 60-68]. Judging from the birth records they were married about 1709. Hans entered in his Bible the statement, “I received this Bible from Christian Zug” and the names of his children 1-5 as follows:

1. Ana born September 1710,

2. Hans Zoug born 21 May, 1712,

3. Barbara born 16 September 1714,

4. Magdalena born 19 June 1716,

5. Kristen Zoug born 21 February 1718.

6. And I believe that we should add Moritz b. abt 1720 as a son born after the early death of his father, Hans.

I have four reasons for adding Moritz to the above list. One is the agreement in 1720, which allowed all descendants of Christian and Barbara Zug to live on the estate. This would include the family of Hans if Christian of the 1688 agreement made the 1720 agreement. Since Han’s Christian # 5 above was born 21 Feb. 1718 (1719 by our present calendar), one would expect a next child to be born in 1720. The widow Zug could have been pregnant with Moritz when her husband Hans died. If Hans died before the birth of Moritz, he could not have entered Moritz’s name in the Bible. A second reason is that Johannes, Christian and Moritz were together on the 1742 ship, which seems to confirm that they were brothers. A third reason is all three had eldest sons named Hans, which would seem to confirm that their father’s name was Hans. A fourth reason is the statement made by two grandchildren of Christian saying that Moritz was a brother of Christian and Johannes. [4 pages 349-350]

If the above is true then the birth order of the sons is Johannes, Christian and Moritz and not Christian, Moritz and Johannes as is given in the books listed above. The order in the above books is a guesstimate based on the ages of their oldest children and could be wrong. If we go with the order in the Bible, Johannes married about age 42, Christian was about 21 and Moritz about 27. This would make Johannes fairly old when he married but then he only had five children. That he was the oldest seems evident from the facts that he was the first to buy land in Pennsylvania and was an administrator of Jacob Guth’s estate in 1756. This might also indicate that Johannes’ first wife, Veronica, was a daughter of Jacob Guth. Jacob had four children by his first wife. All his children were born before 1737 when he became a resident at Salingsmühle with Ulrich Gindelsberger. [6 pages 267-271]

Incidentally, no doubt, Ulrich was the Uhllerich (U) Kindlishberger who immigrated on the Ship Phoenix that arrived Sept. 15, 1749 in Philadelphia. He died 1784 in Bedford (now Somerset) County, PA. His will is signed Ully (U) Gindelsberger. He is also my ancestor through his son Jacob who was born in the Palatinate and died in 1799 in Somerset County.

When considering the statement in Hans Zug’s Bible that he received the Bible from Christian Zaugg and the 1720 agreement that only heirs of Christian and Barbara Zug were to live on the Wilensteinerhof Estate, we may be fairly sure that Hans was a son of Christian and Barbara Zug. Since there was no other known Anabaptist Christian Zug in the Palatinate, we might also conclude that he was the Minister Christian Zug mentioned in the 1711 letter in “Letters of the Amish Division: A Source Book” by John Roth page 113.

Ulrich and Peter Zug 1727 immigrants

Ulrich was born about 1690/2 and Peter Zug was born about 1692/4. I believe that Ulrich and Peter were brothers even though they did not settle near each other in PA. They probably settled near their in-law relation. A granddaughter of Christian Zug (1742 Immigrant) said they were brothers and cousins of her grandfather Christian and his brother’s Johannes and Moritz. Her brother Jacob said they were uncles to Christian, Johannes and Moritz. [4 pages 349-350] Since grandchildren of Christian Zug made these statements, it is very believable that there was a relationship between the 1727 and 1742 immigrants.

The 1727 ship list for the James Goodwill says the passengers were Palatines. Richard Warren Davis in his book “The Stauffer Families of Switzerland, Germany and America (1992) shows on pages 143 and 145 that Ulrich Stauffer whose name is on the 1727 ship list just ahead of Ulrich and Peter Zug was from Signau, Switzerland. He had gone to live to near Mannheim, Germany where his wife joined him just before they left for PA. So while they were Palatines, there is a Signau connection.

Harry D. Zook says that a Peter Zug and a Hans Gsell were day workers in 1716 as inhabitants of Trippstadt, a town very near Wilensteinerhof that was named in the 1688 rental agreement above. [4 page 15] A Johannes “Gassell” witnessed Peter Zug’s will made on March 11, 1748 in PA. [4 page 15] Ulrich had descendants who married members of the Gsell family. So there is an Ulrich Zug and Gsell connection also.

If we grant that this “day worker of Trippstadt” was Peter Zug the 1727 immigrant, where was Ulrich? In that Ulrich married Barbara Bachman of Oberdiessbach, Canton Bern, Switzerland, he must have been still in Switzerland and didn’t move to the Palatinate until after his marriage. If this is true, it is fairly certain that Peter and Ulrich were not sons of Christian Zug the renter of Wilensteinerhof. They were probably his nephews and sons of Peter Zug b. 1661 son of Hans Zaugg. Richard Davis suggests this based on the naming of their children. [7 pages 429-430] It appears that Ulrich’s wife Barbara had a brother Michael Bachman who came to Pennsylvania about 1717 and settled in what became Lancaster County. Ulrich and Barbara also settled in Lancaster County, PA. [7 pages 54-55]

Were Ulrich and Peter cousins or uncles to the 1742 immigrants? I doubt that they were first cousins because of the age difference of 22 plus years. Age wise Ulrich and Peter fit best as brothers or first cousins to Hans Zug who, I believe, was the father of the Zug immigrants of 1743. If they were brothers to Hans, one might expect them to be mentioned in some record of the Wilensteinerhof Estate. Ulrich’s marriage as discussed above would seem to conclude that Ulrich and Peter were not brothers of Hans. If Richard Davis is correct, their fathers, Christian and Peter, were full brothers and sons of Hans Zaugg and Barbara Wys. If I’m right the Christian and Peter were half brothers having had different mothers, Barbara Dierstein and Barbara Wys respectively. If they were half brothers, this could have caused additional confusion to descendants in Pennsylvania as to the exact relationship between the 1727 and 1743 immigrants.

Anabaptist Zaugs of Canton Bern, Switzerland

There is the strong tradition among descendants that the 1727 and 1742 immigrants were descendants of the Anabaptist Hans Zaugg who was arrested for his Anabaptist teaching and imprisoned in Bern in 1659. [1 page 157] He and a number of other men, including a Jacob Guth, were expelled from Switzerland in 1660. [1 page 151 and 155] But it appears that Hans was back in Signau in 1662 when the court seems to have reviewed his case. [1 page 152] Hans perhaps took refuge in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland across the Canton Bern border and reentered Signau from time to time. Hans appears to be the Minister Hans Zaugg who with Peter Giger tried to give counsel to Jacob Ammon in 1693. [Roth page 26] I figure his age to be about 73 at that time. Peter Giger was a minister at Rüttenen in Canton Solothurn, the Canton north of Canton Bern. This might be the area where Hans went when expelled from Canton Bern.

Richard W. Davis in his book, number 7 above, attempts to list the Anabaptist Zaugg families. His list is very helpful. He does leave his work open to discussion and more research by using question marks and such words as probably and possibly. My conclusions differ from his at some points. The question marks with brackets are his. The question marks without brackets are mine. To help identify and keep separated persons of the same name, I will use a “Z” as the starting point for my number system.

Z. Ulrich Zaugg, b. about 1580. He married Anni Rotlisberger. They lived in Signau where his children were baptized. I believe he might be the Anabaptist Ulrich Zaugg of the Signau district who died in 1649 and his assets equaled his debts. His wife was probably deceased and his children were married and gone from home as none are mentioned. He would have been about 69 years old at death. Davis puts this death record as the death of Ulrich Zaugg Z1. The word Anabaptist in the death record might suggest Ulrich (Z1) but Ulrich (Z) also was probably Anabaptist at death because his sons were Anabaptists.

Z1. Ulrich Zaugg, b. 30 Dec 1610, Signau. He appears to be the Anabaptist leader Uli Zaugg of Oberdiessbach to whom David Schar wrote a letter in 1644 complaining that he had been unjustly excommunicated. [4 page 3] He was probably the Anabaptist Leader Uli Zaugg who was hunted along with Anabaptists leaders Christian Stauffer and Uli Neuhaus by order of the government on 11 Apr 1644. Special orders were given to search for these men in the church community of Diessbach (Oberdiessbach) and the region of Thun and the Emmental. [1 page 151] They were captured and imprisoned at Thun. [ Page 10, Richard Warren Davis, “The Stauffers Families of Switzerland, Germany and America”] Thun is a city about 15 kilometers south of Oberdiessbach, which in turn is about 15 kilometers southwest of Signau. Eggiwil is about 17 kilometer east of Oberdiessbach and 9 kilometers south of Signau.

There seems to be no record that this Ulrich married and had children or that he survived his imprisonment at Thun. If he had children and since he was born in 1610, one might look for his children to be born in the 1630 and 1640s. He could be the father of Christian, Ulrich and Peter, three Zaugg brothers, of Eggiwil who were given letters dated June 1, 1675 to collect a fine of 250 pounds if they would agree to quit their Anabaptist practices. (1 page152) Being from Eggiwil these brothers were more likely to be the sons of Mathys Zaugg Z2 who lived near Eggiwil.( See the next family)

Z2. Mathys Zaugg, b. 22 Nov 1612, Signau. He was married to Christina Rüsser and lived at Burg in Eggiwil in 1652 when their son Mathys was baptized at Eggiwil. He was called an Anabaptist in 1673 when his son Mathys was put in prison for harboring him. [1 page 152]

Mathys Sr. was apparently in prison or left the area by 1674 as a man named Schüppach of “Auf dem Grat” made payments that year in behalf of his two daughters Anna and Barbli. Hans Schüppach of Signau was married to Anna Zaug, probably the niece of Mathys Zaugg. [4 page 10]

This Mathys could be the father of Christian, Ulrich and Peter, three Zaugg brothers, of Eggiwil who were given letters dated June 1, 1675 to collect a fine of 250 pounds if they would agree to quit their Anabaptist practices. [1 page152] I list them as Z21, Z22, and Z23.

Z21 ? Christian Zaugg b. in 1740s. He lived in Eggiwil in 1675. This Christian had been banished from the Switzerland and was arrested at Aarwangen in October 1697 while trying to enter Canton Bern on his way to purchase hides in Luzern. He was released because he had a passport giving his address as Markirch, Alsace. Since he was a resident in Markirch, Alsace in 1697, he cannot be the Christian Zug who was living at Wilensteinerhof in the Palatinate at that time. [1 page 252]

Z22 ? Ulrich Zaugg b. in 1740s. Living in Eggiwil in 1675.

Z23 ? Peter Zaugg b. in 1740s. Living in Eggiwil in 1675. He could not be Peter Z57 son of Hans Zaugg because Z57 would have been only 14 years old in 1675 making him too young to have received such a letter from the government.

Z24. Anna Zaugg, b. about 1648. She was called the daughter of the Anabaptist and lived at Unter der Burg in Signau district in 1674 with her sister Barbli. Unter der Burg is in Eggiwil.

Z25. Barbli Zaugg, b. 28 Sep 1650, Eggiwil. She died by 1655.

Z26. Mathys Zaugg, b. 4 Apr 1652, Eggiwil. He died by 1653.

Z27. Mathys Zaugg, b. 16 Oct 1653, Eggiwil. He was of Signau district when he was twice imprisoned for 24 hours in 1673 for harboring his Anabaptist father.

Z28. Barbli Zaugg, b. 15 Jun 1655, Eggiwil. She was called the daughter of the Anabaptist and lived at Unter der Burg (Eggiwil) in Signau district in 1674 with her sister Anna.

Z3. Cathri (Catherine) Zaugg, b. 30 Apr 1615, Signau. Nothing more is known of her.

Z4. Peter Zaugg, b. 28 Sep 1617, Signau. Nothing more is known of him.

Z5. [?] Hans Zaugg, b. about 1620. (The baptismal records from 1620 to 1753 for Signau parish appear to be missing). Hans married first to Barbli Thierstein/Dierstein and second, Barbli Wys. These marriages have not been found in records of Signau nor in the surrounding areas, which may indicate an Anabaptist marriage. He was called an Anabaptist, “dem teüffer auf dem Graht,” at the baptism of his son Peter in 1661. He lived at Graht in the Schwiessburg section of Signau. He was called the Anabaptist Hans Zug of Signau when he was in prison at Bern on 24 Oct 1659. He was to be exiled on 6 Sep 1660. At the time of the baptism of his son Peter in 1661, Daniel Schenk is mentioned as the custodian of his wife, which probably means Hans was out of Canton Bern. He was again in prison in Bern in 1662 and taken away. He and his follow prisoners were back in Bern by 20 Sep 1663 and were ordered recaptured. Perhaps he took refuge in Canton Solothurn north of Canton Bern, as he appears to be the Minister Hans Zaugg in Peter Giger’s letter. Peter Giger was a minister in Rüttenen, which is just north of the city of Solothurn. [Roth page 26] Giger’s reference to Hans Zaugg seems to indicate that Hans was a Minister of some standing who would be known by the recipients of his letter.

Z51. [?] Ulrich Zaugg, b. 1641, Signau. He was a 30-year-old prisoner in Bern in 1671 and was sentenced to be a galley slave but was banished instead. Nothing more is known of him after 1671.

Z52. [?] Anna Zaugg, b. about 1645, Signau. She married Hans Schuppach and lived at Graht in Signau in 1674 when a man named Schüppach of Graht paid money to the Anabaptist’s children Anna and Barbli Zaugg of Berg. They were the children of Mathys Zaugg (Z2) probably the uncle of Anna. Anna may have been the only Zaugg relative left in the Signau/Eggiwil area in 1674. She had five children.

Z53 ? Christian Zaugg was born around 1652 and was perhaps the carpenter Christian Zaugg in 1675 in Signau. [4 page 10] I believe, he could be also the carpenter Christian Zug in 1688 in Wilensteinerhof and the Palatinate Minister Christian Zug of the Amish division in 1711. He had a wife Barbara and a son, Hans b. in 1680s. Richard Davis gives Christian’s birth date about 1664. [7 page 428] If so he was too young to be the carpenter Christian Zaugg of Signau in1675. Also he would have been fairly young, age 24, to undertake the large carpenter task of rebuilding Wilensteinerhof in 1688. [See the 1688 agreement] If born in 1664 he no doubt had the same mother as Peter Z57 below.

If born in 1652 he would have been 36 when he first rented Wilensteinerhof and 68 when he made the new rental agreement in 1720 for Wilensteinerhof. Perhaps in 1720 he and his wife were old and realized their time on earth was short and therefore sought an agreement establishing a home there for “all their heirs, male and female in descending line.” This agreement could have been made to secure a home for the family of their son Hans Z531 who seems to have died about that time.

Christian also appears be to the minister Christian Zaug who with “Ministers Hans Gut, Hans Gingerich, Hans Kauffman and one other from the Upper Palatinate” attended a consultation in Alsace on January 21, 1711 concerning the Amish division. [Roth page 113] If born in 1652, he was about 58 years old at the time.

Z531 Hans Zaug b. before 1690 d. abt 1719 or early 1720 in Wilensteinerhof married a woman who married second Jacob Guth about 1739 and came to Pennsylvania in 1743 with her sons.

Z54 Barbli Zaugg was christened 30 July 1654 at Signau, Canton Bern, Switzerland. Her parents were given as Hans Zaugg and Barbara Thierstein/Dierstein.

Z55 Peter Zaugg was christened 2 August 1657 at Signau, Canton Bern, Switzerland. His parents were given as Hans Zaugg and Barbara Thierstein/Dierstein. He died before 1661 if Peter number Z57 is a son. Peter number Z57 had a different mother.

Z56 Verna Zaugg was christened 9 January 1659 at Signau, Canton Bern, Switzerland. Her parents were given as Hans Zaugg and Barbara Thierstein/Dierstein.

Z57 Peter Zaugg was christened December 1661 at Signau. His parents were given as Hans Zaugg and Barbara Wyss. Hans was out of the area and Daniel Schenck had “custodial care” of his wife Barbara. If this is Hans Zaugg Z5 then he had married twice and Peter Z55 must have died before the birth of Z57. (These dates are christening dates not birth dates. The children might have been older, at least old enough, so that they could no long be hidden from the authorities of the church who baptized them.)

Z571 [?] Ulrich Zug b. about 1790/2 was an immigrant in 1727 married Barbara Bachman probably near Oberdiessbach, Switzerland before moving to the Palatinate.

Z572 [?] Peter Zug b. about 1792/4 was an immigrant in 1727. He was probably the day laborer of Trippstadt in 1715 associated with Hans Gsell.

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