The Fuhrmann Family of Freinsheim

I found three sets of records relating to Fuhrmanns in Freinsheim in the early 18th century:

• Anna Catharina Fuhrmann married Ulrich Braum in Freinsheim 24 Apr 1701. I have no further records for this couple.
• Nicolaus Fuhrmann, named after his father, married Elisabetha Beschen*, daughter of Rudolf Beschen*, in Freinsheim 04 Jan 1708. Elisabetha and Nicolaus had six children christened in Freinsheim:
  • Anna Maria christened 25 Jul 1708;
  • Johann Georg born 11 Mar 1711, christened 15 Mar 1711;
  • Andreas christened 06 Jun 1713;
  • Catharina christened 10 Nov 1715;
  • Briscilla born 13 Jun 1717, christened 14 Jun 1717; and
  • Anna Catharina christened 06 Jan 1724.

*I wasn't able to find any other members of the Beschen family in Freinsheim, and I couldn't find Rudolf Beschen or his children anywhere else in the Pfalz. There was a Besch family in Freinsheim, but I haven't found any evidence that would lead me to believe that Beschen and Besch were two different forms of the same name.

• Maria Elisabetha and Davidt Fuhrmann had six children christened in Freinsheim:
  • Maria Catharina christened 25 Feb 1714;
  • Anna Maria christened 10 May 1716;
  • Johannes Matthias born 19 Mar 1718, christened 26 Mar 1718;
  • Johannes christened 18 Jun 1719;
  • Maria Elisabetha christened 01 Jan 1722; and
  • Andreas christened 11 Nov 1725.

So far, so good. Then the next round of marriages starts and confusion ensues:

• Anna Maria Fuhrmann, daughter of Johann Nicolaus Fuhrmann, married Johann Georg Wahlhausser, son of Anthon Wahlhausser, in Freinsheim 12 Feb 1737. I have no records for children born to this couple. The bride would appear to be Anna Maria born 1708.
• Anna Catharina Fuhrmann, daughter of "Johann Nicol" Fuhrmann, married Johann Gabriel Hissgen, son of Conrad Hissgen, in Freinsheim 31 May 1740. Anna Catharina and Johann Gabriel had six children born 1745-1755. The bride would appear to be Catharina born 1715. This means, however, that Elisabetha and Nicolaus named a second daughter Anna Catharina even though the first was still alive. That's unusual. Usually the recycling of a name indicates the death of the older sibling.
• Johann Nicolaus Fuhrmann, son of Nicolaus Fuhrmann, married Susanna Iserheld in Freinsheim in 1743. They had five children christened in Freinsheim 1744-1755. I don't have birth records for either Susanna or Johann Nicholaus, although they were probably born no later than 1725 and Susanna couldn't have been born much before 1705. It's not impossible that Elisabetha Beschen had died and her husband Nicolaus, son of Nicolaus, had remarried.
• Juliana Fuhrmann married Johann Michael Schumann in Freinsheim 01 Feb 1745. I don't have birth records for either the bride or the groom, and the marriage record doesn't give their fathers' names. They may have had two children born 1753 and 1757. However, the christening records don't give the mother's last name, so it's equally possible that one or both of these children were born to Juliana Freschkuntss and Johann Michael Schumann married in Freinsheim 16 Feb 1745.
• Anna Catharina Fuhrmann, daughter of "Nicolai" Fuhrman, married Johann Peter Willi, son of Jost Willi, in Freinsheim 25 Jan 1746. Anna Catharina and Johann Gabriel Hissgen, married in 1740, had five children born after the Fuhrmann/Willy marriage in 1746. We're definitely talking about two different women, both with the same name and with fathers with the same name. Anna Catharina ad Johann Peter Willi had eight children.
• Johannes Fuhrmann married Barbara sometime in or before 1748. I can't find the marriage record. They had seven children born 1748-1767. The most likely identification for Johannes is Maria Elisabetha and Davidt's son born 1719.
• Anna Maria Fuhrmann married Johann Schmidt in Freinsheim 06 Apr 1750. They had four children born 1751-1759. This suggests that Anna Maria was born 1709-1732. The most likely identification is Maria Elisabetha and Davidt's daughter born 1716. However, it's also possible that Johann Georg Wahlhausser had died and that Elisabetha and Nicolaus' daughter born 1708 had remarried.

After 1750, the next marriage isn't until 1764, and the bride is fairly obviously the daughter of Susanna Iserheld and Johann Nicolaus Fuhrmann married in 1743.