Elisabetha Linz and Johannes Engel

Elisabetha Linz and Johannes Engel had two children christened as Protestants in Freinsheim: Anna Margaretha christened 24 Apr 1864 and Katharina born 19 Feb 1869, christened 28 Feb 1869.

The parents may be the Elisabetha "Linzen" and Johannes Engel who married in Großkarlbach 17 Feb 1863. I couldn't find a definitive birth record for Elisabetha under either Linz or Linzen.

All of the men I could find named Johannes Engel who were christened in Freinsheim between 1816 and 1845 were already accounted for. They either died young or married other people. I also found three more distant possibilities, which I've ranked in order of likelihood:

• Johann Engel, son of Magdalena Engel, born 24 Feb 1843, christened as a Protestant 26 Feb 1843 in Großkarlbach, 4 km NNE of Freinsheim;
• Joannes Engel, son of Franciscae Mone and Joannis Engel, born 15 Feb 1837, baptized as a Catholic 16 Feb 1837 in Grüstadt, 8 km NNW of Freinsheim; and
• Joannes Engel, son of Felicitate Geli and Georgio Michaele Engel, born 03 Sep 1814, baptized as a Catholic 08 Sep 1814 in Elmstein, 33 km southwest of Freinsheim.

There may, of course, be other possibilities for whom I simply don't have records.

I have no further information on Elisabetha Linz, Johannes Engel and their daughters.

Magdalena Engel of Großkarlbach

Magdalena Engel of Großkarlbach is interesting in and of herself. There are four records for children born to Magdalena Engel, no father's name given, in Großkarlbach:

• Barbara born 26 Dec 1837, christened more than five years later on 26 Feb 1843;
• Jacob born 13 Jun 1840, christened 17 Jun 1840;
• Johann (mentioned above) born 24 Feb 1843, christened the same day as Barbara; and
• Magdalena born 10 Jun 1845, christened 15 Jun 1845.

It was pretty common for women to be already pregnant when they married and even for couples to have a child before marriage, but it was rather less common for one woman - if the mother is the same Magdalena Engel in all cases - to have four child on her own over the course of eight years. Was the father someone whom, for whatever reason, she couldn't marry?

A woman named Magdalena Engel did marry a man named Johannes Schoelles or Schelles in Großkarlbach on 04 Sep 1846. The same Magdalena Engel? I can't tell. They had three children, all christened in Bad Dürkheim, of whom one died young:

• Dorothea christened 18 Oct 1846;
• Johannes born 14 Aug 1848, christened 20 Aug 1848; and
• Peter born 26 May 1850, christened 02 Jun 1850 and died 14 Dec 1850.

Magdalena Engel born 1845 (above) may or may not be the Magdalena Engel who had a son named Friedrich Engel christened in Freinsheim 17 Jul 1867.