Bernhard(t) (Rothammel)

There are two Bernhardt families that settled in the Volga German colony of Rothammel on 21 August 1767. They both arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 13 September 1766 aboard a ship under the command of Skipper Johann Grapp.

(1) Anton Bernhardt, a farmer, arrived in Oranienbaum with his wife Barbara, and 2 children (Margaretha, age 5, and Anna, age 1). Also arriving with them were Katharina Lauer and her brother Lorenz (age 13) who are later identified as Anton & Barbara's stepchildren.

Neither of the daughters appear to have survived because they are not recorded on the 1767 Rothammel. Anton & Barbara are recorded on the 1767 census of Rothammel in Household No. 6 along with stepchildren [?] (Katharina Lauer, age 20; Lorenz Lauer, age 17).

(2) Johannes Bernhardt, a farmer, arrived in Oranienbaum with his wife Anna Maria and son Jakob (age 1½).

Johann Bernhardt and his wife are recorded on the list of colonists being transported from St. Petersburg to Saratov in 1767.

The young son did not survive, as Johannes and Anna Maria are recorded without children on the 1767 census of Rothammel in Household No. 22.

Johannes Bernhardt (age 28) and his family are recorded on the 1798 census of Rothammel in Household No. Rt32, but it is unknown whether Anton or Johannes is the father of this 28-year-old Johannes.

Johannes Bernhardt and his family are recorded on the 1834 census of Rothammel in Household No. 3 and two of his sons are recorded there in Household No. 56.

The Oranienbaum passenger list records that both of these Bernhardt families came from the German region of Nassau. The 1767 census records that they both came from the German village of Springen in the Nassau region.