The Engel Family of Freinsheim in the 19th Century

Protestant christening and marriage records for Freinsheim become available again beginning in January 1816 after a gap of more than 17 years for christening records and 13 years for marriage records. Bridging the gap is tricky and often relies more on guesswork than evidence. This is especially true because for most marriages conducted 1816-1839, parents' names were not included in the marriage records.

In the case of the Engel family, the situation is complicated by the fact that there were also several Engels living in Dackenheim, 3 km north of Freinsheim. From 1816 until at least 1839, there appear to have been no Protestant christenings, marriages or burials in Dackenheim. Instead, most Dackenheimers seem to have gone to Freinsheim for these services.

I've made an attempt to separate the Engels of Dackenheim from the Engels of Freinsheim. The following is the list I ended up with of Freinsheimer Engels.

• Anna Philippina Maria Engel and Johannes Machenheimer. Married in Freinsheim in Freinsheim 28 Mar 1798. Their names appear in 19th century marriage and burial records as the parents of four, perhaps five, children. Anna Philippina Maria was the daughter of Maria Katherina Butz and Christoph Daniel Engel born 16 Dec 1774 and christened 17 Dec 1774. Johannes was probably either the son of Maria Magdalena and Adolph Machenheimer born 11 Jul 1775 and christened 12 Jul 1775 or the son of Catharina Barbara Wanner and Adolph Machenheimer born 29 Jul 1767 and christened 30 Jul 1767. He was a weaver by trade. Anna Philippine Maria died and was buried in Freinsheim 30 Jul 1838. Johannes was buried in Freinsheim 06 Jul 1841.
• Susanna Catharina Engel and Heinrich Aul. Married in Freinsheim 17 Sep 1803 per the Verbandsgemeinde Freinsheim I know of three children born 1819-1822 but there were undoubtedly earlier children. Susanna Catherina was the daughter of Maria Katherina Butz and Christoph Daniel Engel born 28 Jul 1782 and christened 29 Jul 1782. Johann Heinrich is probably the son of Sibilla Catharina and Johann Jost Aul(l) born 10 Jan 1777 and christened 11 Jan 1777. He was a farmer by trade. Susanna Catherina Engel died and was buried in Freinsheim 29 Jun 1832. Johann Heinrich Aul died and was buried in Freinsheim 21 Jun 1848.
• Jacob Engel was married twice. He and his first wife had three children who were still minors as of 1820. His first wife died and he remarried before 1816, his second wife's name being Anna Christina Nicola.
• Christina Elisabetha Engel and Ludwig Fuhrmann. Six children from before 1816 to 1821.
• Anna Christina Orth and Heinrich Engel. Six children from before 1816 to 1825. See also Maria Barbara Engel and Georg Frantz Orth, below, and possibly Catharina Barbara Orth and Anton Engel, below.
• Anna Maria Engel and Johann Georg I Weilbrenner. Eight children born 1816-1830.
• Charlotta Engel and Heinrich Wanner married in Freinsheim 10 Apr 1821. They had nine children born 1822-1840, of whom two died young. Charlotta was almost certainly the daughter of Maria Christina Heck and Johann Woerner Engel born 07 May 1793 and christened 09 May 1793. Heinrich may have been Johann Heinrich Wanner, the son of Anna Katharina Simon and Georg Lorenz Wanner born 14 Oct 1792 and christened 15 Oct 1792. Heinrich died and was buried in Freinsheim 07 Feb 1862.
• Maria Barbara Engel and Georg Frantz Orth married in Freinsheim 11 Dec 1821. See also Anna Christina Orth and Heinrich Engel, above, and possibly Catharina Barbara Orth and Anton Engel, below. Maria Barbara died and was buried in Freinsheim 15 Jan 1858.
• Elisabetha Engel and Johann Valentin Fett married in Freinsehim 16 Jul 1823.
• Maria Elisabetha Engel and Adam Mallach married in Freinsheim 26 Dec 1829. They had five children born 1828-1839, of whom one died young. Their son Johannes married Magdalena Willy. Maria Elisabetha died and was buried in Freinsheim 18 Dec 1842. Adam may then have remarried - there's an Adam Mallach who married Elisbetha Illig in Freinsheim 06 Jul 1843. This Adam Mallach was the son of Gertraud Schneider and Daniel Mallach, but I can't find a birth record for either him or Elisabetha Illig.
• Christina Elisabetha Engel and Johannes Friedrich married in Freinsheim 13 Dec 1830. They had ten children born 1832-1843, of whom three died young. The christening record of their fifth children refers to Christina Elisabetha as "Catharina" Elisabetha, but I believe this to be an error rather than a reference to a different woman.
• Maria Elisabetha Engel and Johannes Biebinger or Bibinger married in Freinsheim 22 Feb or Mar 1832. Johannes was the son of Anna Maria Kohl and Johann Georg Biebinger born 20 Apr 1806 and christened 22 Apr 1806 in Weisenheim am Sand. Maria Elisabetha and Johannes had two children christened in Weisenheim am Sand in 1833 and 1835. Both these children died young. They also had two children christened in Freinsheim: Catharina christened 19 Jul 1837 and Jacob christened 16 Jun 1839. Maria Elisabetha died and was buried in Freinsheim 14 Jul 1841. Johannes then married again on 27 Jul 1843. His second wife was Maria Catharina Neumaier, the daughter of Anna Elisabetha Trott and Theobald Neumaier born 02 Nov 1817 and christened 06 Nov 1817 in Kerzenheim, 16 km northwest of Freinsheim. Maria Catharina and Johannes had a son Johannes christened 30 Jul 1844 in Freinsheim. In the summer of 1848, Johannes Sr, Maria Catharina, Jacob born 1839 and Johannes born 1844 emigrated to the States. (I don't know what happened to Catharina born 1837.) They ended up in Maniwotoc County, Wisconsin, possibly passing through Northampton County, Pennsylvania, on the way. I found death records for Catharina Neumeyer Bibinger born 31 Oct 1817, died 14 Jun 1896; Jacob Bibinger born 14 Jun 1839, died 16 Oct 1903 and John Bibinger born 23 Jul "1846", died 06 Mar 1896. Catharina Neumeyer Bibinger's obituary says that she was born in "Frensheim, Bavaria."
• Elisabetha Engel and Georg Jacob Keck married in Freinsheim 31 Jan 1833. I have no further records for this couple. Elisabetha Engel may or may not be Anna Elisabetha Engel, the daughter of Jacob Engel by his first wife.
• Barbara Engel and Gottlob Martini married in Freinsheim 23 Apr 1833. They had five children christened in Grünstadt 1834-1843, of whom one died young. One of their sons, Jacob born in 1837, apparently emigrated to New York in 1864. However, I haven't been able to find any information for him beyond the passenger manifest. Barbara Engel may or may not be Anna Barbara Engel, the daughter of Jacob Engel by his first wife.
• Catharina Barbara Orth and Anton Engel married in Freinsheim 11 Feb or Mar 1834. See also Anna Christina Orth and Heinrich Engel, above, and Maria Barbara Engel and Georg Frantz Orth, also above.
• Catharina Engel and Jacob Werner married in Freinsheim 18 Jul 1837.
• Elisabetha Engel and Albert Mack married in Freinsheim 20 Jul 1837. They had one daughter, Anna Elisabetha Mack christened in Freinsheim 01 Mar 1838 who later married Friedrich Wagner in Freinsheim 17 Nov 1863. Elisabetha Engel didn't live to see her daughter married. She died and was buried in Freinsheim 26 Jul 1860. She may or may not be Anna Elisabetha Engel, the daughter of Jacob Engel by his first wife.
• Anna Christina Michel and Jacob II Engel married in Freinsheim 10 Oct 1837. I couldn't find any records of children for this couple. Jacob may or may not be Jacob Engel, the son of Jacob Engel by his first wife. He died and was buried in Freinsheim 18 Sep 1856. Anna Christina may then have remarried. There's an Anna Christina Michel, the daughter of Catharina Hohl and Michael Michel christened 16 Oct 1817, who married Jacob Weibert in Freinsheim 27 Oct 1857.
• Susanna Philippina Webel and Heinrich Engel married in Freinsheim 26 May 1840.
• Catharina Engel and Heinrich Hubach married in Freinsheim 16 Dec 1841.
• Catharina Engel and Ludwig Schäfer married in Freinsheim 12 Mar 1850.
• Barbara Becker and Heinrich III Engel married in Freinsheim 17 Oct 1850.
• Susanna Webel and Jacob Engel married in Freinsheim 03 Jun 1862.
• Elisabetha Linz and Johannes Engel. Two daughters christened in Freinsheim 1864 and 1869. Johannes may or may not be the brother of Magdalena Engel, below.
• Magdalena Engel had a son named Friedrich Engel christened in Freinsheim 17 Jul 1867. She may or may not be the daughter born to Magdalena Engel 10 Jun 1845 and christened 15 Jun 1845 in Großkarlbach. This means that she may or may not be the sister of Johannes Engel who married Elisabetha Linz, above.
• Barbara Engel and Franz Harm. Five children born and christened in Freinsheim 1868-1875. I haven't been able to find a marriage record for this couple and have no guesses as to their parents' names.

I also have six stray burial records from Freinsheim that I'm unable to tie in with other records with certainty:

• Johann Heinrich Engel buried 24 Oct 1821;
• Barbara Engel, daughter of Wilhelm Engel, buried 16 Jan 1824. Possibly the daughter of Maria Margaretha and Johann Wilhelm Engel although this would mean that she was 74 when she died and had never married;
• Werner Engel buried 20 Jan 1826. Possibly the husband of Maria Christina Heck, the son of Maria Sibilla Seltzer and Johann Jacob Engel or the son of Anna Christina Nicola and Jacob Engel. I think the last is the least likely as he would have been only nine years old. A child's burial record would usually have specified at least the father's name if not both parents;
• Jacobina Engel, wife of Jacob Christ, buried 17 May 1843;
• Jacob Christ, husband of Jacobina Engel, buried 26 Jun 1843; and
• Heinrich I Engel, husband of Catharina Willy, buried 27 Sep 1843.