__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Alice | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Joan | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
__ _Meyric _| | |__ _Meredith ap Meyric _| | | __ | |_________| | |__ | |--Meyric ap Meredith | | __ | _________| | | |__ |_____________________| | __ |_________| |__
_Udalricus _ _Wezilaus _| | |____________ _Diathelm _| | | ____________ | |___________| | |____________ | |--Udalricus | | ____________ | ___________| | | |____________ |___________| | ____________ |___________| |____________
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Viletrude | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
_______________________ _William III Taillefer ANGOULEME _| | |_______________________ _Wulgrin Count_of ANGOULEME _| | | _______________________ | |_Vitapont ________________________| | |_______________________ | |--William IV of ANGOULEME | | _Roger MONTGOMERY _____ | _Adalbert IV de MONTGOMERY _______| | | |_Almodis de_la MARCHE _ |_Ponce ______________________| | _______________________ |__________________________________| |_______________________
!DATA-SPOUSE-CHILDREN-PARENTS: Wilfred Jordan, COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY FAMILIES OF PENNSYLVANIA; ; New York, Lewis Historical Publishing Co. Inc., 1942, p. 254, 352. [Has his wife as Marguerite de Turenne, really his wife's mother, according to WMC. Is this correct?]
_Nicholas BECKWITH ______ _Hamon BECKWITH _________| | |_dau._Sir_John CHAWORTH _ _William BECKWITH _______| | | _Philip TILNEY __________ | |_dau._Sir_Philip TILNEY _| | |_________________________ | |--Thomas BECKWITH | | _________________________ | _Gerard UFFLET __________| | | |_________________________ |_dau._Sir_Gerard UFFLET _| | _________________________ |_________________________| |_________________________
_Robert BOURCHIER ___________ _William BOURCHIER ___| | |_Margaret PRAYERS ___________ _William BOURCHIER _____________| | | _John de LOVAYNE ____________ | |_Alianore LOVAYNE ____| | |_Margaret WESTON ____________ | |--William BOURCHIER | | _Edward III KING_OF_ENGLAND _ | _Thomas of WOODSTOCK _| | | |_Philippa ___________________ |_Anne of Woodstock PLANTAGENET _| | _Humphrey de BOHUN __________ |_Alianore BOHUN ______| |_Joan FITZALAN ______________
!SPOUSE-CHILDREN: John Bernard Burke, Esq., ROYAL FAMILIES OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES; ; London, 1848, vol 1, Pedigree CLXIX. [p. 115 Reprint] Ped. CLXIII [p. 112]; Ped. CLIII [p. 108].
_William de BRIWERE _ _Henry de BRIWERE _| | |_____________________ _William de BRIWERE _| | | _____________________ | |_(Miss) de WALTON _| | |_____________________ | |--Joan de BRIWERE | | _____________________ | ___________________| | | |_____________________ |_Beatrice de VAUX ___| | _____________________ |___________________| |_____________________
_Rollo the_Dane Duke_of NORMANDY _ _William LONGSWORD _______________| | |_Poppa de VALOIS _________________ _Richard I_the_Fearless of NORMANDY _| | | __________________________________ | |_Espriota ________________________| | |__________________________________ | |--Godfrey de BRUINE | | __________________________________ | _Harald Blaatand KING_OF_DENMARK _| | | |__________________________________ |_Gunnora CREPON _____________________| | __________________________________ |__________________________________| |__________________________________
!WMC, p. 422, 425, 2896. On p. 422 as "Geoffrey (Godfrey), Count d'Eu." On p. 425 as "Heloise Guines, married Crispin de Bec." On p. 2896 as "Heloise Guines, married Crispin de Bec."
__ __| | |__ _Guy de BRYAN _| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Elizabeth BRYAN | | __ | __| | | |__ |_Anne _________| | __ |__| |__
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Joanna CHAPIN | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Walter de CHESNEY | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
_Godfrey de BRUINE _______ _Gilbert Crispin de BRIUNE __| | |_Heloise (Hawise) GUINES _ _Richard FITZGILBERT _| | | _Baldric the TEUTON ______ | |_Gunnora D'AUNOU ____________| | |__________________________ | |--Rohaise de CLARE | | _Walter GIFFARD __________ | _Walter GIFFARD _____________| | | |_Avelina _________________ |_Rohese GIFFARD ______| | _Gerard FLAITEL __________ |_Ermentrude (Agnes) FLAITEL _| |_(Miss) d' EVEREUX _______
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Catherine de CYSOING | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
__ __| | |__ _Robert DINELEY _| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Anne DINELEY | | __ | __| | | |__ |_________________| | __ |__| |__
_Thomas DOD ____ _Daniel DOD _____| | |_Katherine _____ _Stephen DOD __________| | | ________________ | |_Mary WHEELER ___| | |________________ | |--Daniel DOD | | _John STEVENS __ | _Thomas STEVENS _| | | |_ MARY _________ |_Mary (Sarah) STEVENS _| | _John FLETCHER _ |_Mary FLETCHER __| |_Mary WARD _____
_Louis VI "the_Fat" KING_OF_FRANCE _ _Robert Count_of DREUX _| | |_Alice of SAVOY ____________________ _Robert II Count_of DREUX _| | | _Guy de VAUDEMONT __________________ | |_Agnes de VAUDEMONT ____| | |____________________________________ | |--Pierre Mauclerc de DREUX | | ____________________________________ | _Raoul de COUCY ________| | | |____________________________________ |_Yolande de COUCY _________| | _Baldwin IV of HAINAULT ____________ |_Agnes _________________| |_Alix de NAMUR _____________________
__ _Hugh VI Count_of EGISHEIM _| | |__ _Gerhard II_Count_in Alsatian NORDGAU _| | | __ | |_Heilwig of DAGSBURG _______| | |__ | |--Gerhard III Count_of EGISHEIM | | __ | ____________________________| | | |__ |_Berta of BURGUNDY ____________________| | __ |____________________________| |__
_Viel ENGAINE ______ _Richard ENGAINE _________________| | |____________________ _Richard ENGAINE __| | | _Richard FITZURSE __ | |_Margery FITZURSE ________________| | |_Maud de BOULERS ___ | |--Viel ENGAINE | | _Robert FITZWALTER _ | _William de (de_Norwich) CHESNEY _| | | |_Sibyl de CHESNEY __ |_Sarah de CHESNEY _| | ____________________ |__________________________________| |____________________
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Walkelin (Gualcheline) FERRIERS | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
_John FITZALAN _______ _John (Arundel) FITZALAN _| | |_Eleanor MALTRAVERS __ _Thomas FITZALAN __| | | _Edward DESPENCER ____ | |_Elizabeth DESPENCER _____| | |_Elizabeth BURGHERSH _ | |--Eleanor FITZALAN | | _John DYNHAM _________ | _John DYNHAM _____________| | | |_Philippa LOVEL ______ |_Katherine DYNHAM _| | _Richard ARCHES ______ |_Joan ARCHES _____________| |_Lucy ________________
!DATA-SPOUSE: John S. Wurts, MAGNA CHARTA; ; Philadelphia, Brookfield Publishing Co., 1954; part VI, p. 1832; part VIII, p. 2762. As Eleanor Arundel.
!SPOUSE-CHILDREN: John Bernard Burke, Esq., ROYAL FAMILIES OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES; ; London, 1848, vol 1, Pedigree CXIV. (Rev, Sir William Robert Kempe) [p.93 of reprint] "Sir Thomas Browne, Treasurer of the household of Henry VI. = [married] Eleanor, dau. and sole heiress of Sir Thomas Fitzalan.
!DATA-SPOUSE: Wilfred Jordan, COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY FAMILIES OF PENNSYLVANIA; ; New York, Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1942, p. 458.
_Piers de LUTEGARESHALE ___________ _Geoffrey FITZPIERS _| | |_Maud de MANDEVILLE _______________ _John FITZGEOFFREY _| | | _Roger de CLARE ___________________ | |_Aveline de CLARE ___| | |_Maud (Hilary) ST._HILAIRE ________ | |--Joan FITZGEOFFREY | | _Roger BIGOD ______________________ | _Hugh BIGOD _________| | | |_Isabella (Plantagenet) de WARREN _ |_Isabel BIGOD ______| | _William "the_protector" MARSHALL _ |_Maud MARSHALL ______| |_Isabel CLARE _____________________
_____________________________________ _________________________| | |_____________________________________ _Gilbert de ST._VALERIE _| | | _____________________________________ | |_________________________| | |_____________________________________ | |--Richard FITZGILBERT | | _Richard I_the_Fearless of NORMANDY _ | _Richard II of NORMANDY _| | | |_Gunnora CREPON _____________________ |_Papia __________________| | _____________________________________ |_Papia __________________| |_____________________________________
______________________ ____________________________| | |______________________ _Henry FITZHUGH _________| | | ______________________ | |____________________________| | |______________________ | |--William FITZHUGH | | _John de GREY ________ | _Robert de GREY_DE_MARMION _| | | |_Avice MARMION _______ |_Elizabeth Grey MARMION _| | _Herbert ST._QUENTIN _ |_Lora ST._QUENTIN __________| |______________________
_Reynold FITZPIERS _ _Peter FITZREYNOLD _| | |_Joan VIVONIA ______ _Roger (Martel) FITZPETER _| | | ____________________ | |_Ela _______________| | |____________________ | |--Henry FITZROGER | | ____________________ | ____________________| | | |____________________ |_Joan _____________________| | ____________________ |____________________| |____________________
_Fulk VII FITZWARIN _ _Fulk VIII FITZWARIN _| | |_Joan BEAUMONT ______ _Fulk IX FITZWARIN _| | | _James AUDLEY _______ | |_Margaret AUDLEY _____| | |_Isabel le STRANGE __ | |--Fulk X FITZWARIN | | _____________________ | _William COGAN _______| | | |_____________________ |_Elizabeth COGAN ___| | _Nele LORING ________ |_Isabel LORING _______| |_Margaret BEAUPLE ___
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Robert FITZWILLIAMS | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
__ __| | |__ _Aymon Count_of GENEVA _| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Gerald II Count_of GENEVA | | __ | __| | | |__ |_Bertha of BURGUNDY ____| | __ |__| |__
__ __| | |__ _Giles de GIDLEY _| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--dau._of Giles GIDLEY | | __ | __| | | |__ |__________________| | __ |__| |__
______________________ __________________| | |______________________ _Henry de GREY __| | | ______________________ | |__________________| | |______________________ | |--Robert de GREY | | _Akaris Fitz BARDOLF _ | _William BARDOLF _| | | |______________________ |_Isolda BARDOLF _| | ______________________ |__________________| |______________________
_Thomas HOLBROOK _ _Thomas HOLBROOK __| | |_Agnes ___________ _William HOLBROOK _| | | _John THAYER _____ | |_Constance THAYER _| | |_Constance _______ | |--Rebecca HOLBROOK | | __________________ | ___________________| | | |__________________ |_Edith ____________| | __________________ |___________________| |__________________
!DATA-SPOUSE-PARENTS: John S. Wurts, MAGNA CHARTA; ; Philadelphia, Brookfield Pub. Co., 1944; Part III, p. 436.
_Bela II _____________________________ _Geza II ____________________| | |_Helena of SERBIA ____________________ _Bela III _______________| | | _Isiaslov II_of (or_Harold) KIEF _____ | |_Helena (Euphrayna) of KIEF _| | |_Ljubava (wife_of_Harold) SAWIDITSCH _ | |--Margareta of HUNGARY | | _Henry I de CHATILLON ________________ | _Renaud of CHATILLON ________| | | |_Ermengarde de MONTJOY _______________ |_Anne (Agnes) CHATILLON _| | _Bohemund II Prince_of ANTIOCH _______ |_Constance of ANTIOCH _______| |_Alice _______________________________
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Lancelot JASPER | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
__ _John KIRTON ________| | |__ _Stephen KIRTON __| | | __ | |_Margaret WHITE _____| | |__ | |--Ellen KIRTON | | __ | _William OFFLEY _____| | | |__ |_Margaret OFFLEY _| | __ |_Elizabeth DILLORNE _| |__
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Thomas LEWKNOR | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Barent LIEVELING | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Oliver LUMMYUS | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
__ __| | |__ _Jean de LUXEMBURG _| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Guy de LUXEMBURG | | __ | __| | | |__ |_Alice of FLANDERS _| | __ |__| |__
__________________________________ __________________________________| | |__________________________________ _William de MONTFITCHET _| | | __________________________________ | |__________________________________| | |__________________________________ | |--Gilbert de MONTFITCHET | | _Richard FITZGILBERT _____________ | _Gilbert (de_Clare) de TONEBRUGE _| | | |_Rohese GIFFARD __________________ |_Margaret de CLARE ______| | _Hugh de_Creil Count_of CLERMONT _ |_Adeliza de CLERMONT _____________| |_Marguerite de ROUCY _____________
_Sveide the_Viking _ _Halfdan the_Old _| | |____________________ _Ivar Earl_of the UPLANDS _| | | ____________________ | |__________________| | |____________________ | |--Eystein Earl_of MORE | | ____________________ | _Eystein Glumra __| | | |____________________ |_dau._of Eystein Glumra ___| | ____________________ |__________________| |____________________
_Roger de MORTIMER ________________ _Ralph de MORTIMER _______________________| | |_Isabel de FERRIERS _______________ _Roger de MORTIMER _______| | | _Llewellyn ap Iowerth WALES _______ | |_Gwladys Dhu_"dark_eyed" verch LLEWELLYN _| | |_Joan ,_Princess_of ENGLAND _______ | |--Edmund MORTIMER | | _Reginald de BRAOS ________________ | _William de BRAOSE _______________________| | | |_Gracia de BRIWERE ________________ |_Maud (Matilda) de BRAOS _| | _William "the_protector" MARSHALL _ |_Eve MARSHALL ____________________________| |_Isabel CLARE _____________________
***ATTENTION*** Michel L. Call says the mother of Isabel is NOT Margaret Fiennes, but unknown first wife. He cites: ANCESTRAL ROOTS 207-31; NEHGR 116:16-17.
!DATA-SPOUSE-DEATH-PARENTS: Wilfred Jordan, COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY FAMILIES OF PENNSYLVANIA; ; New York, Lewis Historical Pub. Co. Inc., 1942, p. 306, 335.
_George MOUNT _ _Richard MOUNT _| | |_Katherine ____ _Richard MOUNT _| | | _Walter WALL __ | |_Rebecca WALL __| | |_Ann __________ | |--Thomas MOUNT | | _______________ | ________________| | | |_______________ |_Rebecca _______| | _______________ |________________| |_______________
!SPOUSE-CHILDREN-PARENTS-BIRTH-DEATH-MARRIAGE-RESIDENCES-WILL: John E. Stillwell, M.D., HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL MISCELLANY; ; Vol 4, pp 115,122,133.
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |-- MRS. | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
__ __| | |__ _Thomas de MUMBY _| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Agnes de MUMBY | | __ | __| | | |__ |__________________| | __ |__| |__
_Louis VIII KING_OF_FRANCE _____________ _Charles I of NAPLES __| | |_Blanche of CASTILE ____________________ _Charles (Carlo) II KING_OF_NAPLES _| | | _Raimond Berenger IV, KING_OF_PROVENCE _ | |_Beatrice of PROVENCE _| | |_Beatrice of SAVOY _____________________ | |--Marguerite of NAPLES | | _Bela IV KING_OF_HUNGARY _______________ | _Stephen V of HUNGARY _| | | |_Marie _________________________________ |_Maria of HUNGARY __________________| | _Kuethan KHAN __________________________ |_Elizabeth of KUMANS __| |________________________________________
_Geoffrey FitzRobert de NEVILLE _ _Robert de NEVILLE ____| | |_Margaret (Joan) ________________ _Robert de NEVILLE _| | | _Roger BERTRAM __________________ | |_Ida (Isabel) BERTRAM _| | |_________________________________ | |--Ralph de NEVILL | | _Randolph FITZROBERT ____________ | _Ralph FITZRANDOLPH ___| | | |_Mary BIGOD _____________________ |_Mary FITZRANDOLPH _| | _William PERCY __________________ |_Anastasia PERCY ______| |_Joan de BRIWERE ________________
__ __| | |__ _Walter RIDDISFORD __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Basilie de RIDELSFORD | | __ | __| | | |__ |_Amabilis FITZHENRY _| | __ |__| |__
_____________________________ ______________________| | |_____________________________ _Eudo de RIE ______| | | _____________________________ | |______________________| | |_____________________________ | |--Margaret de RIE | | _Gilbert Crispin de BRIUNE __ | _Richard FITZGILBERT _| | | |_Gunnora D'AUNOU ____________ |_Rohaise de CLARE _| | _Walter GIFFARD _____________ |_Rohese GIFFARD ______| |_Ermentrude (Agnes) FLAITEL _
__ _________________________________| | |__ _Teto II Marchese_di SAVONA_VASTO _| | | __ | |_________________________________| | |__ | |--Anselmo di SAVONA | | __ | _Ulric_Manfred Marquis_di TURIN _| | | |__ |_Berta of TURINO __________________| | __ |_Bertha of ITALY ________________| |__
__ __| | |__ _William STAFFORD _| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--John STAFFORD | | __ | __| | | |__ |___________________| | __ |__| |__
_Alexander VAN_UXEM _ _Andreas VAN_UXEM _| | |_Marie DE_SCHILDER __ _Jean Baptiste VAN_UXEM _| | | _____________________ | |_Jeane MAHIEW _____| | |_____________________ | |--James VANUXEM | | _____________________ | ___________________| | | |_____________________ |_Marie Jeanne ROMBOUT ___| | _____________________ |___________________| |_____________________
__ __| | |__ __| | | __ | |__| | |__ | |--Ralph de VERNON | | __ | __| | | |__ |__| | __ |__| |__
CHILDREN-SPOUSE: From WFT, vol 2, #3304.
_Johannes Conrad WIRZ _ _Johannes Conrad WIRZ _| | |_Juditha KRUMM ________ _Johannes Conrad WIRZ _| | | _Johannes HOLZHALB ____ | |_Ursula HOLZHALB ______| | |_Anna LEEMAN __________ | |--Johannes Conrad WIRZ | | _______________________ | _Heinrich KLINGLER ____| | | |_______________________ |_Magdalena KLINGLER ___| | _______________________ |_ MRS. ________________| |_______________________
!Pastor of the Tohickon Reformed Church (Bucks Co., PA) from 1745 to 1748. Died and buried in York, York Co., PA, NOT in York, Lehigh Co., PA (I haven't yet found such place). Was buried under the altar in the Old First German Reformed Church on West Market Street near Center Square in York, PA, and later removed to an inside wall of Zion Reformed Church, York, PA, on 9 May 1914.
***SEE my Descendants of Johannes Conrad Wirz and Anna Goetschius database, mostly compiled from the below cited book, with additions added by me, R.M.W.W.
PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU ARE DESCENDED FROM Johannes Conrad Wirz, or would like to investigate the possibility. DESCENDANT LINES INCLUDE THE SURNAME SPELLINGS WURTS, WERTS, and WIRTS, and can be found in some records as WURTZ and WERTZ.
!Charles Pemberton Wurts, A GENEALOGICAL RECORD OF THE WURTS FAMILY, THE DESCENDANTS OF REV. JOHANNES CONRAD WURTS..., 1889, (91+ pages), p. 16-19, 21, 49. [reprint available from the Higginson Book Co., Salem, MA, (508) 745-7170. Family History Catalog 15, p. 98. Be sure to specify HARDBOUND cover; $28.00]
[the entry for Johannes Conrad Wirz is as follows: ]
"Johannes Conrad, son of the foregoing, was born in
Zurich, Switzerland, November 30, 1706. He was the
fifth son among a large family of children, three having
received his name and died before his birth. His elder
brother, Jacob, was a noted preacher, who having, by his
talents, attracted the attention of the Princess of Wurtem
burg, niece of the Queen of Prussia, was by her invited to
become court preacher at Wurtemburg; but, after accept
ing the offer, he was obliged to decline in consequence of
an appointment to another parish by the ecclesiastical
authorities.
Johannes Conrad, when a young man, entered the
service of the King of the Netherlands as a cadet, probably
led thither by the fact that a married sister, whose husband
was an officer in the Dutch service, was residing at the
Hague. He soon abandoned the military profession,
however, and returned to his native city, Zurich, where
he engaged in the practice of law. In the year 1734, he
joined a company of more than 250 persons, men, women
and children, who proposed to try to better their fortunes
by emigrating to America. They left Zurich on the 4th
of October, under the leadership of the Rev. Moritz
Goetschi, their destination being the Carolinas, in regard
to which high hopes and expectations had been raised by
a certain pamphlet describing the country as a second
Canaan. They encountered many hardships and difficulties
on their way from Zurich to Rotterdam, not the least of
which were occasioned by the opposition of the Swiss
government to a movement which was probably regarded
as but the forerunner of a still larger exodus. After
reaching Holland, they were again subjected to many
serious and vexatious detentions, so that many of their
number were scattered and either found occupation in
Holland or returned to their own country. Those who
persevered in the enterprise did not sail for America until
the following Spring, after being obliged by circumstances
to change their plans so far as to make Pennsylvania their
objective point, instead of the Carolinas. While they
were thus detained in Holland, Johannes Conrad married
Anna, daughter of Rev. Moritz Goetschi.
[--rmww comment--Johannes and Anna were actually married at Neiweid, Germany, (on the Rhine river) along with two other couples, according to a chronicle of the journey
published by the Pennsylvania-German Society, in a Chapter entitled "The Ministry of John Henry Goetschy", that also includes the ship Mercury (1735) passenger lists.
Another publication from the Huguenot Historical Society, New Paltz, NY, "The Goetschy Family and the Limping Messenger", has another interesting (rather critical) account of the first part of the journey (from Zurich to Rotterdam), from an individual that changed his mind and returned to Zurich, and also identifies the individuals in Goetschy's Colony (per Faust's Swiss Emigrants)--]
After a long and perilous passage of twelve weeks,
they landed at Philadelphia, where Goetschi, who had
been ill during the voyage, was attacked with a serious
malady, which quickly terminated his life.
Precisely in what part of Pennsylvania the emigrants
made their home, we are not informed ; but a long and
very pathetic letter from the widow of Herr Goetschi to
her sister in Zurich is on record among the public archives
of that city, in which she lamented the unhappy lot of
herself and family in the absolute wildemess, and bewailed
the folly which had led them to forsake the friends and
the comforts of her Swiss home for this land of "wild
beasts, barbarians and Anabaptists."
We now lose sight of Johannes Conrad for some
years. It is probable that his thoughts were soon turned
to the ministry, for which his early education had fitted
him, and that, as soon as the opportunity offered, he
began to worK for the spiritual good of his fellow-men
The following is an extract from a paper prepared
by George S. Mott, D.D., of Flemington, N. J., for the
New Jersey Historical Society, entitled " The First
Century of Hunterdon County, N. J."
"The colony of Germans who passed over the York Road
in 1707 was the beginning of a large and continued immigration.
Some settled at Mt. Airy and around Ringos, others near Round
Valley ; some at length passed over to Stillwater and Newton in
Sussex County. By the year 1747, a German Reformed congregation
was worshipping in a log church which stood in the old graveyard
at Larison's Corner, a mile from Ringos. The first pastor was
John Conrad Wirz, who, for ten years, until 1751, had charge of
that and the churches of Lebanon, German Valley and Fox hill."
---
From "A History of the Presbyterian Church
(Amwell)," published since the above was written, Dr.
Mott has also sent the writer the following extract
relating to the Rev. Johannes Conrad Wirz :
"From 1750 to 1762 he supplied the Rockaway and Fox Hill
congregations as pastor, and resided near one of these churches.
It appears that he served Amwell a part of the time, but how
frequently or for how long a period is not known. Pressed by a
sense of the destitution of the churches he had preached for a
season near Easton, Pa., without ordination or ecclesiastical
connection. When Mr. Schlater became superintendent of the
German churches, he applied to him to be inducted regularly into
the ministerial office. Failing here, he was ordained by the
Presbytery of New Brunswick, after laboring two years in New
Jersey. After his labors in this region were ended he removed to
York, Pa., where tradition has preserved his name in good savor
as an earnest, pious minister. "
---
This brings us to the closing years of his life. As
related above,he was called to take charge of the German
Reformed Church at York, Pa. He accepted and removed
to York in May, 1762. His connection with this church,
however, was of short continuance, as he died September
21, 1763. It is said that "the congregations under the
pastoral care of Rev. Wirz prospered greatly; that he was
much loved, his influence long felt and his memory
revered." It is recorded of him that at the laying of the
corner-stone of his new church at York, he said : "In the
church now to be erected may piety preside, holiness reign,
truth prevail, love and harmony dwell, that the congrega-
tion may triumphantly flourish."
Of his call to the church at York and his acceptance,
we have an interesting account in the following entry by
himself in the Eirchenbuch of that church :
"On the 21st day of August, in the year of our dear
Redeemer, Jesus Christ, 1761, I, Johannes Conrad Wirz, minister
of the word of God and installed pastor of the congregations of
Rockaway and German Valley in Jersey, received an invitation
from this congregation by the hands of Mr. Balthasar Spangler, to
visit and preach to them, in the hope that a gracious God would
incline our hearts to an affectionate union, and thus again supply
this forsaken flock with a faithful pastor and teacher. With the
divine blessing and favor, I concluded to accept this invitation,
and determined to undertake the journey accompanied by the afore-
mentioned Mr. Spangler. Accordingly, we set out on the 27th day
of August and arrived here safe and in good health on the first
day of September. On the following Sabbath, I preached my first
sermon, and, by request, delivered three or four additional
discourses subsequently, which were so blessed by the Father of
Light that the respected congregation, with unfeigned affection
unanimously desired me to become their pastor, inasmuch as the
Rev. Mr. Lischy, had forsaken them, and as the members,
individually, had confidence in me. A formal and regular call,
dated September 12, 1761, and signed by the elders and members
was tendered to me, which I was unable to decline, yet accepted
only on condition that I should be able to obtain the consent of
my congregations in New Jersey and of the reverend Presbytery
of New Brunswick, by which I had been ordained to the work of
the ministry. Subsequently, on obtaining the consent of my
congregation and receiving a dismissal from the reverend Presby-.
tery of New Brunswick, dated October 24, 1761, I removed to this
place, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and arrived on the 5th of
May, 1762, and on the following Sabbath, being the 9th day of
May, preached my introductory sermon from Rev. X. 10, having
resolved to serve this congregation according to the grace of God
in the preaching of the Word and the administration of the
sacraments, whereunto may a merciful God, for Jesus' sake, grant
and communicate the grace, strength and aid of his Holy Spirit.
JOHANNES CONRAD WIRZ, V.D.M.
May 12, 1762."
***SEE my Descendants of Johannes Conrad Wirz and Anna Goetschius database, mostly compiled from the above cited book, with additions added by me, R.M.W.W. For individuals in that database, links have been submitted to the GENDEX index found at http://www.gendex.com.
Also, see the web site of Buckner Ashby Wallingford II for another database of the Wirz ancestry with biographical information from the C.P. Wurts book. (Gendex indexed)