VGI Updates

Georg Gradwohl, a saddle maker (Sattler), and his wife, Maria Barbara, arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 21 July 1766 aboard the snow-brig Mercurius under the command of Skipper Christian Heinrich Abelßen.

They settled in the Volga German colony of Kautz on 20 July 1767. They are recorded there on the 1767 census in Household No. 11.

In 1794, Daniel Gradwohl moved from Kautz to Hussenbach.

Daniel Gradwohl and his family are recorded on the 1811 census of Hussenbach in Household No. 136.

Philipp Rahnert, a farmer, his wife Elisabeth, and children (Anna Margaretha, age 10; Johann Heinrich, age ½) are recorded on the 1767 census of Bauer in Household No. 25. They had settled there on 20 July 1766.

Philipp Rahnert and his family are recorded on the 1798 census of Bauer in Household Br52.

Friedrich Rahnert, presumed son of Philipp Rahnert, and his family are recorded on the 1798 census of Bauer in Household No. Br06.

The 1767 census records that Philipp Rahnert came from the German village of Meißenheim in Württemberg.

The parish register of Mettenheim records that Johann Christoph Fischer, son of Julius Heinrich Fischer, married a Bender woman. It further records that he has lived in Astracan [the region in which the Volga German colonies were located at the time] since 1765-1766 and that he is residing in the Volga German colony of Bauer.

Johann Christoph Fischer, a cobbler (Schuhmacher), is recorded on a list of colonists dated 23 September 1765 who were gathering in the town of Worms. He had arrived in Worms on 20 September 1765 along with his uncle Michael Reichel and his family.

The parish register of Mettenheim records 3 Reichel families departing for Russia.

(1) Johann Jacob Reichel, born 1729 in Mettenheim, master tailor (Schneidermeister), moved with his entire family to Astracan [the region in which the Volga German colonies were located at the time] in 1766.

Nicolaus Daubert from the Hütte & Catharina Eliesabetha Schmitt from Oberau in the area of Friedberg were married on 27 June 1766 in the Lutheran Church of Büdingen.

Nikolaus Daubert, a miller, and his wife Katharina Elisabeth arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 13 September 1766 aboard the galliot Die Perle under the command of Skipper Thomson. They are travelling with Adam Schreiner, identified elsewhere as their nephew.

Johann Georg Reinhardt & Esther Daubert have five known children who were baptized in Büdingen: (1) Willhelmina, baptized 24 November 1742; (2) Heinrich Peter, baptized 26 April 1744; (3) Maria Ernestina, baptized 13 February 1746; (4) Anna Barbara, baptized 17 November 1748; and (5) Heinrich Jacob, baptized 27 June 1751.

Anna Barbara Daubert, daughter of Georg Daubert the stocking weaver (Strumpfweber) from Büdingen, & Johann Georg Fischer from Reibach in the Kurpfalz & Hesse-Darmstadt were married on 22 April 1766 in the Lutheran Church of Büdingen.

Johann Georg Müller settled in the Volga German colony of Warenburg on 12 May 1767.  He is recorded there on the 1767 census in Household No. 113.

The 1767 census records that he came from the German village of Langenhain near Darmstadt.