Pictured is the New Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Ebenezer, Georgia est. 1733.
Savannah, Georgia. In 1774 or 1776, a vessel from Maryland arrived in Savannah with its passengers, many of whom had fallen sick with smallpox during the voyage. Some Germans found the boy and took him home to raise. My information came from a family story.
Yet, it was also known that the family were Quakers from Maryland. Thus, it seemed odd that their ancestor resided in Effingham County, among Germans.
Of course, unless the story of the little boy sitting in the street was also true. Family stories are frequently based on someone’s memory and are difficult, if impossible, to prove.
The story began to develop when I discovered the boy’s name listed in the baptismal records of Jerusalem Church in Ebenezer, written in German.
But first, it was essential to learn the intriguing history of the Germans' migration to Ebenezer. On October 31, 1731, Count Leopold Anton von Firmian, the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, issued a proclamation of expulsion demanding that all Protestants depart Austria. The cruel Archbishop gave the protestant families two weeks to depart!
But there was hope after their leader, Samuel Urlsperger, called upon King George II of Great Britain for help, and they were offered refuge in the Georgia Colony. In 1734, Johann Martin Boltzius and Israel Gronau sailed to the Georgia colony with 300 Saltzburgers. Oglethorpe met them in the colony, which landed them in a little town known as Ebenezer.
With the history of the Saltzburgers and the proof that the Germans baptized a little boy, the story began to unfold.
Salzburger emigrants - Wikipedia
My job was to attempt to locate the ship that delivered the boy and his parents to Savannah. Oddly enough, I found a passenger list having several persons with that surname. Next, I searched early Georgia records to discover where those persons settled. The search did not disclose the name of the boy. Nonetheless, it proved that they were from Maryland. No further data was available. Yet, that left the little boy in Ebenezer. I searched the old records, including a Plat Book that listed him in the index. Upon viewing the property plat, I was immensely pleased and surprised when I discovered another person with the same surname on the adjoining acreage!
Aha! The story changes a bit. I surmised that two little boys sat in the street with their dead parents. Further, they were separated by two adoptive parents. The little boys, born Quakers, were raised as Lutherans!
At this point, my professional research job had ended. There was nothing more to learn in Georgia. I want to search this story further and learn more about this fascinating puzzle.
There are many stories to be discovered while searching for ancestors. The early migrations from Ireland, Scotland, and Germany occurred during the early 18th century. They included landings in Pennsylvania and treks into the frontiers of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. GeorgiaPioneers.com has a vast collection of records to help you find your families.
Join the Georgia Pioneers website.