Maria Sibilla Seltzer and Johann Jacob Engel

Johann Jacob Engel was the son of Johanna Neunzehnhöltzer and Johann Jost Engel born 07 Jan 1753 and christened in Freinsheim 10 Jan 1753. On 26 Sep 1780 he married Maria Sibilla Seltzer in Freinsheim. Maria Sibilla was the daughter of Johann Jacob and Maria Magdalena Seltzer born 22 Mar 1760 and christened in Freinsheim 25 Mar 1760.

Johann Jacob and Maria Sibilla had ten children, at least one of whom died young:

• Charlotta born 03 Dec 1780, christened the same day;
• Johanna Elisabetha born 03 Jun 1782, christened 04 Jun 1782;
• Elisabetha born 21 Jun 1783, christened 22 Jun 1783. Deceased by April 1791;
• Magdalena born 28 Sep 1784, christened 29 Sep 1784;
• Eva Margaretha born 15 Jan 1786, christened the same day;
• Georg Jacob born 25 Mar 1787, christened the same day;
• Catharina born 28 Jul 1788, christened 30 Jul 1788;
• Elisabetha born 03 Apr 1791, christened 06 Apr 1791;
• Margaretha born 11 Jun 1793, christened same day; and
• Werner, Margaretha's twin, born 11 Jun 1793, christened the same day.

Keep in mind that no records have survived of Protestant marriages in Freinsheim between July 1802 and December 1815, the period in which most of Johann Jacob and Maria Sybilla's children would have become marriageable.

Werner born 1793 is one of two possibilities for Wernher Engel, "Ackersmann" (farmer), one of the three men named as guardians of Jacob Engel's minor children from his first marriage after Jacob died and was buried 07 Jan 1820.

It's also not impossible - but it's unlikely - that the Jacob Engel in question was Maria Sibilla's widower. It's not impossible that Maria Sibilla and Johann Jacob had three more children born while Sibilla was in her 40s, after which she died. Johann Jacob might then have married married Anna Christina Nicola, the second wife of the Jacob Engel who died and was buried in 1820. However, Anna Christina was more likely born in 1885, making her 32 years younger than Sibilla's widower. Even for 19th century Freinsheim, this was a stretch.

Elisabetha born in 1791 is the less likely of two possibilities for the Elisabetha Engel who married Valentin Fett in Freinsheim 16 Jul 1823.

Werner born 1793 is also one of three possibilities for the Werner Engel who died and was buried in Freinsheim 20 Jan 1826.

Note: Most of the information I have on the Werner, Engel and Sohn families in Freinsheim from the late 17th to the mid 19th centuries came to me in 2004 courtesy of Siegfried Barth, archivist with the Verbandsgemeinde Freinsheim (Freinsheim Community Association). Where possible I've supplemented it with church records available at FamilySearch.org. Many thanks to Herr Barth and also to my late granduncle Robert Werner, who made the first contact and then recruited my help because he and Herr Barth had no languages in common.