Individual Details
Andreas Kessinger
(Abt 1707 - Bef 6 May 1757)
Andreas was born along the Rhine River, City of Selzen, county of Rheinhess, state of Hesse, Welsh-Neureut, Germany.
On 31 October 1737 Andreas Kessinger, his wife Susanna and their four small children-- Georg Michael, Matthias, Andreas and Catharina Barbara-- arrived in Philadelphia on board the ship William (Wilheim.) The ship's master was John Carter, who listed 180 passengers and crew. The Kessinger family had traveled from their home in Karlsruhe, Germany, where they had sold almost everything they owned, to Amsterdam where they embarked on their longer journey. With them was a Johann Georg Kessinger, who may have been Andreas's brother. Another likely brother, Jacob Kessinger, had emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1727.
The Kessingers were listed as "Palatines" on the ship's roster, identifying them as natives of the lower Rhine Valley. Years before, a Palatine princess-- a granddaughter of James I of England and cousin to Charles II-- had persuaded William Penn to accept some religious refugees from her former land as settlers in his new colony. Since then many Germans from that area, and from surrounding areas, had emigrated to Pennsylvania, all designated as Palatine Germans.
Kessinger Kousins contains copies of documents that were obtained in Germany for Patricia Ann Kessinger Rhodes by another Kessinger descendant stationed there. There is the official permission by the Margraf (Count) of Baden for Andreas Kessinger, wife and children, to go to Pennsylvania-- with the caveat that should they return to his realm, they will again become his serfs. The permission is dated 9 April 1737. It is written in Old German, which had to be translated into modern German and then into English. [ Frankly, although fancy, the photocopy I see looks like a form, and since the Margrave mentions a "fair purchase (price)" it appears that Andreas literally purchased freedom for himself and his family. The Margrave had quite a business going, selling men their freedom. Of course, all Germany had compulsory military service, and the German princelings had another racket-- selling the services of their young men as mercenary soldiers.
Andreas Kessinger was from Welsh Neurent-- Welsh, a foreign section of Neurent, which was an old suburb of Karlesruhe, even older than Karlsruhe itself. He may have been originally from Langenalb, a village near Pharzeim. The researcher could not find any permission for Johann Georg to leave, so it is guessed that he might have "snuck out."
The state archives at Karlsruhe have an inventory dated 25 March 1737 identifying Andreas Kessinger and his family, what property he owned and what debts he had.
Andreas Kessinger
Suzanna, born Fischerin (or Fischer or Fisher-- the "-in" is a feminine suffix added
to surnames like the Russians add "-ina" or "-ova.")
Georg Michael 9 years old
Matthias, 6 years old
Andres, 4 years old
Christina Barbara, 1 1/2
Property: Homeplace, orchard, vegetable garden; house and hunting grounds; 4 pastures with natural springs; 1 1/2 portion [NO idea what this is.] All valued at 180 kronen
Also Movables, 1 cow, 500 pounds of hay, 6 bundles of straw, half wagon and plow.
Debts : To "His Honored Lordship" and special debts, about 152 kronen.
signed J. W. Wirg, lawyer
Andreas Kessinger settled in Warwick Township, Lancaster County, in (then) western Pennsylvania. There are records of his payments of tax for 1751 and 1754.
Records of the Warwick Congregation (later the Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church-- presently Brickerville United Lutheran Church) show Andreas, Johann Georg and Jacob Kessinger (Johann Georg who had traveled with Andreas from Germany, and Jacob who had come to America a decade earlier) as fathers or sponsors at baptisms between 1739 and 1753. In June 1757 a daughter-in-law of Jacob Kessinger-- Margaret, daughter of his son Peter-- was carried away by Indians.
above history written by Billye Higdon
On 31 October 1737 Andreas Kessinger, his wife Susanna and their four small children-- Georg Michael, Matthias, Andreas and Catharina Barbara-- arrived in Philadelphia on board the ship William (Wilheim.) The ship's master was John Carter, who listed 180 passengers and crew. The Kessinger family had traveled from their home in Karlsruhe, Germany, where they had sold almost everything they owned, to Amsterdam where they embarked on their longer journey. With them was a Johann Georg Kessinger, who may have been Andreas's brother. Another likely brother, Jacob Kessinger, had emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1727.
The Kessingers were listed as "Palatines" on the ship's roster, identifying them as natives of the lower Rhine Valley. Years before, a Palatine princess-- a granddaughter of James I of England and cousin to Charles II-- had persuaded William Penn to accept some religious refugees from her former land as settlers in his new colony. Since then many Germans from that area, and from surrounding areas, had emigrated to Pennsylvania, all designated as Palatine Germans.
Kessinger Kousins contains copies of documents that were obtained in Germany for Patricia Ann Kessinger Rhodes by another Kessinger descendant stationed there. There is the official permission by the Margraf (Count) of Baden for Andreas Kessinger, wife and children, to go to Pennsylvania-- with the caveat that should they return to his realm, they will again become his serfs. The permission is dated 9 April 1737. It is written in Old German, which had to be translated into modern German and then into English. [ Frankly, although fancy, the photocopy I see looks like a form, and since the Margrave mentions a "fair purchase (price)" it appears that Andreas literally purchased freedom for himself and his family. The Margrave had quite a business going, selling men their freedom. Of course, all Germany had compulsory military service, and the German princelings had another racket-- selling the services of their young men as mercenary soldiers.
Andreas Kessinger was from Welsh Neurent-- Welsh, a foreign section of Neurent, which was an old suburb of Karlesruhe, even older than Karlsruhe itself. He may have been originally from Langenalb, a village near Pharzeim. The researcher could not find any permission for Johann Georg to leave, so it is guessed that he might have "snuck out."
The state archives at Karlsruhe have an inventory dated 25 March 1737 identifying Andreas Kessinger and his family, what property he owned and what debts he had.
Andreas Kessinger
Suzanna, born Fischerin (or Fischer or Fisher-- the "-in" is a feminine suffix added
to surnames like the Russians add "-ina" or "-ova.")
Georg Michael 9 years old
Matthias, 6 years old
Andres, 4 years old
Christina Barbara, 1 1/2
Property: Homeplace, orchard, vegetable garden; house and hunting grounds; 4 pastures with natural springs; 1 1/2 portion [NO idea what this is.] All valued at 180 kronen
Also Movables, 1 cow, 500 pounds of hay, 6 bundles of straw, half wagon and plow.
Debts : To "His Honored Lordship" and special debts, about 152 kronen.
signed J. W. Wirg, lawyer
Andreas Kessinger settled in Warwick Township, Lancaster County, in (then) western Pennsylvania. There are records of his payments of tax for 1751 and 1754.
Records of the Warwick Congregation (later the Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church-- presently Brickerville United Lutheran Church) show Andreas, Johann Georg and Jacob Kessinger (Johann Georg who had traveled with Andreas from Germany, and Jacob who had come to America a decade earlier) as fathers or sponsors at baptisms between 1739 and 1753. In June 1757 a daughter-in-law of Jacob Kessinger-- Margaret, daughter of his son Peter-- was carried away by Indians.
above history written by Billye Higdon
Events
| Birth | Abt 1707 | Selzen, Rheinhess, Germany | |||
| Marriage | Abt 1727 | Germany - Susannah Fisher | |||
| Immigration | 31 Oct 1737 | aboard the ship William from Dover, United States |  | ||
| Death | Bef 6 May 1757 | Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania |
Families
| Spouse | Susannah Fisher (1710 - 1760) |
| Child | George Michael Kessinger (1728 - ) |
| Child | Mathias Kessinger (1731 - 1795) |
| Child | Andreas Kessinger (1734 - ) |
| Child | Catherine Barbara Kessinger (1735 - ) |
| Child | Dorothy Kessinger (1740 - ) |
| Child | John Jacob Kessinger (1742 - 1806) |
| Child | Solomon Kessinger I (1745 - 1830) |
| Child | Joseph Kessinger (1747 - ) |
| Child | Susannah Elizabeth Kessinger (1748 - ) |
| Father | Johann Balthazar Kessinger (1672 - ) |
| Mother | Anna Maria Bingenheimer (1672 - ) |
| Sibling | Jacob Kessinger (1690 - 1766) |
| Sibling | Johan Georg Kessinger ( - ) |
| Sibling | Anna Elizabeth Kessinger (1690 - ) |
| Sibling | Susanne Kessinger (1690 - ) |
| Sibling | Johann Phillip Kessinger (1690 - ) |
Endnotes
1. Manifest, William, 31 October 1737, , passenger list, stored in my C: drive ( : accessed ).