Johann Christoffel Brüning, son of Wilhelm & Anna Margaretha Brüning, was born 18 November 1737 and baptized 20 November 1737 in Langendiebach. He married Angelica (last name unknown) on 24 March 1762 in Langendiebach. The couple had two children, both born in Langendiebach: (1) Jost Heinrich, born 2 January 1763, baptized 5 January 1763; and (2) Johann Wilhelm, born 25 November 1764, baptized 28 November 1764.
Christoph Brenning, his wife Angelina, and children (Jost, age 4; Wilhelm, age 2¼) arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 19 July 1766 aboard the snow-brig named Christina under the command of Skipper Jacob Stappenberg along with a servant Johann [Krumm] (age 18). They also arrived with a Wilhelm Benning who is presumed to be Christoph's father.
They settled in the Volga German colony of Kutter on 8 July 1767 and are recorded there on the 1767 census in Household No. 1. A note on the 1767 census indicates that he is the mayor (Vorsteher) of the colony.
Son Wilhelm Brenning from Kutter is recorded on the 1798 census of Anton in Household No. An56.
The Oranienbaum passenger list records that Christoph Brenning was a weaver from the German region of Isenburg while the 1767 census records that he was a craftsman (Handwerker) from the German region of Hanau.
- Decker, Klaus-Peter. Die Auswanderung von 1766/67 aus der Grafschaft Ysenburg-Büdingen nach Russland ( Büdingen: Geschichtswerkstatt Büdingen, 2015): 104.
- Mai, Brent Alan. 1798 Census of the German Colonies along the Volga: Economy, Population, and Agriculture (Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1999): An56, Kt24, Kt26, Kt34, Kt53.
- Parish register of Langendiebach.
- Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet, 1764-1767 Band 2 (Göttingen: Der Göttinger Arbeitskreis, 2001): 475.
- Pleve, Igor. Lists of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg (Saratov: Saratov State Technical University, 2010): #3173, #3174.
Maggie Hein
Brent Mai
Entry from the Oranienbaum passenger list recording Wilhelm & Christoph Brenning.
Source: Brent Mai.