Borell (Balzer)

Johannes Borrell (born about 1681 in Switzerland) married on 6 October 1744 in Freidenstal to Anna Maria Ratz, daughter of Jean & Philippine Ratz.

The baptisms of the children of Johannes Borrell & Anna Maria Ratz are recorded in the parish register of Friedrichstal: (1) Jean Georg [Johann Georg], baptized 24 October 1745; (2) Henrÿ [Heinrich], born 5 October 1747, baptized 7 October 1747, died 7 May 1749; (3) Jacques [Jacob], born 4 September 1749, baptized 21 September 1749; and (4) Johann Ernst, born 23 February 1754, baptized 24 February 1754.

Johannes Borell, his wife Anna Maria, and his sons (Johann Georg, age 17; Jakob, age 13; and Johann Ernst, age 7) immigrated to Denmark (Schleswig-Holstein) arriving in the town of Schleswig on 9 May 1761. The father Johannes died 29 December 1761 in Kropp [Denmark] and was buried there on 1 January 1762. The surviving members of the family deserted the Danish colonies on 3 May 1763 and immigrated to Russia.

They settled in the Volga German colony of Balzer on 28 March 1766.

(1) Jakob Borell, a farmer, and his mother Anna Maria are recorded on the 1767 census of Balzer in Household No. 28 along with Jakob's [new] wife [Anna] Elisabeth [Huber]. [See Huber Family.]

In 1792 [other documents indicate that this year should be 1791], Jakob Borrell and his family moved from Balzer to Sarepta.

(2) Johann Georg Porell [sic], a farmer, and Eliesabeth [sic] Steiner married on 14 May 1765 in St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Lübeck. [See Steiner Family.]

Georg Borell, a farmer (age 23), his wife Elisabeth, and daughter Susanna Katharina (age 2-months) are recorded on the 1767 census of Balzer in Household No. 29.

Johann Georg Borell and his family are recorded on the 1798 census of Balzer in Household No. Bz108.

Johann Georg Borell died in Balzer on 12 December 1816. His wife Elisabeth Katharina died there on 21 October 1831.

The Oranienbaum passenger list and the 1767 census record that the Borells came from the German region of Baden-Durlach. The Eichorns record that Johannes Borell moved to Denmark from the German village of Spöck near Karlsruhe in the duchy of Baden-Durlach. [Spöck is the village immediately east of Friedrichstal.]

The Borell Family of Sarepta
Christian Borell, son of Jakob Borell & Anna Elisabeth Huber, was born on 17 March 1775 in Balzer. Christian, a farmer (Bauer), applied for an internal passport on 10 October 1790, and arrived in Sarepta with his son on 7 February 1791. Christian was joined on 23 May 1791 by his daughters: (1) Susanna Catharina, born 14 August 1781 in Balzer; and (2) Anna Margaretha, born 15 March 1785 in Balzer.