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Person Info

• Name: Hans Heinrich HIRSCH
• Sex: M
• Birth: Westrich, Rhenish Palatinate, Germany ^b
• Death: Before 1740 ^d


Parents:

Family:
Marriage:

• Juliana Veronica (HIRSCH) on Abt 1720 .^m1
  
• Juliana Veronica (HIRSCH) Death: Abt 1775 in Tinicum Twp, Bucks Co, Pennsylvania

Children:

1. Catharina HIRSCH
2. Simon HIRSCH Birth: Abt 1722 in Westrich, Rhenish Palatinate, Germany Death: 2 Apr 1807 in West Bethlehem Twp, Washington Co, Pennsylvania
3. Ludwig HIRSCH Birth: Abt 1723 in Germany Death: 1799 in Norristown, Pennsylvania
4. Johann Heinrich HIRSCH Birth: Abt 1724 in Germany Death: 2 Feb 1819 in West Bethlehem Twp, Washington Co, Pennsylvania

Bibliography

Sources for birth and parent Information

place:

[Ref: HarshRC HARSH p1]

Sources for death Information

date:

before 1740 [Ref: HarshRC HARSH p1]

Sources with Information about marriage to Juliana Veronica (HIRSCH)

date:

based on children's ages [Ref: HarshRC HARSH p2],

names:

Hans Heinrich HIRSCH & Juliana Veronica ___ [Ref: HarshRC HARSH p1, HarshRC HARSH p2, HarshRC HARSH p5, HarshRC HARSH p6],

child:

[Ref: HarshRC HARSH p2, HarshRC HARSH p5, HarshRC HARSH p6]

Research Notes:
In the German Archives the Harsh family is listed thus: Hans Heinrich Hirsch, Died before 1740, Ehefrau Juliana Veronica __ (maiden name not given), Simon, Ludwig, Johan Heinrich, Catharina [Ref: HarshRC HARSH p1]

The family landed in Philadelphia September 27, 1740, on the ship "Lydia", James Allen, Captain. Males 18 years and older were required to take an oath of allegiance to the British crown, and Simon Hirsch is found in this list. The record of service for passage has not yet been found. [Ref: HarshRC HARSH p1]

arrived Sep 27 1740, age 18, ship Lydia [Ref: Harsch HARSH-ORWIG p6]

in many Harsh families, there is a tale of the father dying on the way over, but the import lists do not show this [Ref: Harsch HARSH-ORWIG p6]

---------- The Westrich is an area in the Rhenish Palatinate between Saarbrucken and Kaiserslautern centered in present day Zweibrucken. The location of "Newbrit" has so far escaped our search. The Westrich was an heriditary principality belonging to the Palatine Elector. The Rheinland Palatinate, rich in minerals and farm products, has been a battlefield for centuries. The Thirty Year War (1618-1648) reduced the population from about 500,000 to 50,000. Since the Elector of the Palatines was a Protestant, except when matrimony or politics dictated otherwise, he had encouraged Swiss farmers to migrate to this fertile region. There are some family legends linking our Hirsch family to such an origin. It is known that several families with similar names lived in the Bavarian Palatinate in early times and one such was well known as the "Kocherthal" of early American immigration. [Ref: HarshRC HARSH p1]

About 1675, Louis XIV of France began a purge of heretics. The Protestant Palatinate was one area that was over-run by the French. It was economically feasible to try to occupy this fertile area, and the religious zealots were willing and eager to assist. Villages, towns and farms were pillaged and burned. The people were tortured, raped and slain. Heidelberg and Mannheim were burned in 1689. The waves of occupying troops continued, leaving the farmers with little or nothing. They were required to pay tribute (tax) to their Elector, the amount fixed by the Elector and the German Emperor, and not based on their actual means. Since the Empire was involved in a series of wars, the prescribed tribute escalated annually. The farmer did not own his land, but held it for his Elector. He could not move, migrate or change his vocation without a permit from his ruler. This, then, is the situation when the Hirsch family left their home. [Ref: HarshRC HARSH p1]

The legend is told that the Elector (then Catholic) was allowing Protestant families to be murdered. When a friend told Hans Heinrich they were next on the list, he and his family took what they could carry and set out on foot after dark. The family walked, probably to the Rhine River, and eventually arrived in Rotterdam, where they embarked for America. Ships in 1740 were sailing vessels, less than 100 tons, and were filled to capacity for each voyage. The passage took from 4 to 6 months, and usually each ship made only one trip per year. The passenger signed an agreement in which the fare was stipulated. If paid in advance, it was appreciably less than the amount required to redeem him in America. These 'Redemptioners' were bound for a period of 5 to 8 years, and, at the end of that service, were promised a 'freedom suit' and a small sum of money. If he had renounced his previous ruler, pledged loyalty to the British crown, and taken communion, he could receive 50 acres from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is probable that our Hirsch family were among these Redemptioners. [Ref: HarshRC HARSH p1]

Here are the facts from the Public Records, made in those times. Prior to 1709, in the area of Germany next to France, called the Palatinate (and still is) and soon after Martin Luther's time, there developed and came out of France a series of expeditions to kill off all the heretics (Protestants). The marauders became so bad that in 1708 and 1709 large numbers of German Protestants escaped to England, all destitute. What little care was given to them became a burden on the State. Their pastor, Rev. Kocherthal prevailed upon Queen Anna to declare them "Denizens of the Kingdom." Then, she provided a few ships to ship them to the American Colonies to produce "Ships Stores." Separately, at the same time, a private company obtained a grant to ship some of them there also, and for the same purpose. It was a fraud. In history it is known as the "Tar Fiasco." During the year this went on, they loaded about 3,000 Palatinates on ships and sent them away to a general area on the Hudson, above New York. Rev. Kockerthal took about the same number on the ships provided for him. No equipment or much provisions was provided for either party. Both groups sailed in the summer of 1708, and after about eight months of sailing, they arrived in dead of winter, and were dumped ashore. On the way over, over half of each group died of starvation, etc., and after landing in winter, half of them died. The survivors stuck it out, got settled, and became prosperous. The Dutch and English in New York declared that their prosperity was a detriment to the public, and to get rid of them, taxed the land away from them. Rev. Kocherthal begged his way to England, to obtain title to the land. He did not get it, but was loaded down with several thousand more Palatinates, and returned. Then William Penn invited the German Colony to come down into Pennsylvania, and join the small German colony he had established there. They did this, and from then on the German colony in Pennsylvania grew fast. After 1730, news of their success got back to Germany, and so many more came to join them after that date, as to make it a great German area. [Ref: Harsch HARSH-ORWIG p4]



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Hans Heinrich HIRSCH



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