The Walz Family of Freinsheim

The story of the Walz family of Freinsheim begins - as far back as I've traced it - 19 km south in Haßloch, where Maria Christina Zapff and Mathias Waltz married on 17 Jul 1782. Maria Christina may or may not have been the daughter of Eva Elisabetha Beckers and Johann Philipp Zapff christened in Haßloch 11 Deb 1764. I couldn't find a birth record for Mathias, although certainly the name Walz or Waltz appears to have been extant throughout the Pfalz in the 18th century.

Following their marriage, Maria Christina and Mathias moved 5 km east to Iggelheim, where their first six children were christened. Then between June 1795 and November 1797 they moved northwards to Freinsheim, where they had at least one, possibly two more children:

• Philipp Adam christened in Iggelheim 03 Jul 1783;
• Jakob Wilhelm christened in Iggelheim 14 Aug 1785;
• Katharina Elisabetha christened in Iggelheim 05 Feb or Mar 1787;
• Catharina Felicitas or Anna Felicitas - I found two records with the same parents for the same date - christened in Iggelheim 03 Feb or Mar 1789;
• Franz born 22 Jan 1792, christened in Iggelheim the same day;
• David christened in Iggelheim 25 Jun 1795;
• Anna Margaretha born 04 Nov 1797, christened in Freinsheim 1797; and
• Sophia, possibly born in Freinsheim after September 1798.

Maria Christina Zapff died and was buried in Freinsheim 13 Aug 1846. I don't have any further information about Matthias, although I know from a legal notice published 06 Jan 1824 that he was still alive at that time.

I have no further information on Philipp Adam.

Jakob Wilhelm died and was buried in Freinsheim 19 Dec 1859. His burial record gives his parents' names but not a spouse's name, suggesting that he was single.

I have no further definitive information on Katharina Elisabetha, although tantalizingly there's a Katharina Elisabetha Walz, the daughter of Samuel Walz, who married Johann Philipp Bechtold, son of Johann Jakob Bechtold, in Iggelheim 26 Feb 1805. I can't find a birth record for Samuel Walz's daughter and except for her marriage, I can't find any records for anyone named Samuel Walz in the Pfalz at all.

Catharina Felicitas married Reichard Hohl in Freinsheim 10 Sep 1826.

Franz married Catharina Wernz or Werntz sometime during 1810-1815.

David married Elisabetha Huck in Freinsheim 14 Aug 1838.

Anna Margaretha Walz and Johann Michael Bruch

Anna Margaretha married Johann Michael Bruch in Freinsheim 27 Apr 1823. He was the son of Maria Katharina Stork and Johannes Bruch born 18 Jan 1789 and christened in Freinsheim 19 Jan 1789.

I have birth records for the following children:

• Maria Catharina Bruch christened 05 Feb 1824;
• Sophia Bruch christened 03 Dec 1825;
• Anna Margaretha Bruch christened 04 Oct or Nov 1827. Died and was buried in Freinsheim 03 Dec 1827;
• Johannes Bruch born 02 May 1831, christened 08 May 1831;
• Anna Margaretha Bruch christened 12 Aug 1835;
• Johann Philipp Walz, son of Anna Margaretha Walz, born 20 Jun 1837, christened 21 Jun 1837; and
• Peter Bruch christened 03 Jun 1840. Died and was buried in Freinsheim under the name Peter Walz 13 Aug 1840. His burial record gives his parents' names as Anna Margaretha Walz and Johann Michael Bruch.

It looks as if Johann Michael's relationship to the two youngest children was questionable?

I don't have a burial record for Johann Michael, but a legal notice published 04 Nov 1844 and included in the Königlich bayerisches Amts- und Intelligenzblatt für die Pfalz mentions Margaretha Walz as the widow of Michael Bruch. The notice concerns the auction of the property of Katharina Stork and Johannes Bruch in order to divide the proceeds among their heirs. The property is substantial - a dwelling house with a barn, stable, "Schoppen" (shops in the sense of workshops?), the land immediately surrounding it ("Hofraum," curtilage) and equipment, the whole valued at 1,600 florins.

The parties of interest are:

• Margaretha Bruch, widow of Jacob Schik, farmer, formerly of Weisenheim am Sand, now resident in Freinsheim. (This would be Johann Michael's sister Anna Margaretha Bruch born 17 Dec 1786 and christened in Freinsheim 18 Dec 1786.);
• Margaretha Walz, widow of Michael Bruch, landowner, resident in Freinsheim, guardian of their minor and trade-less children, Katharina, Sophia and Johannes Bruch;
• Veit Ludwig Harm, Schlosser (locksmith or metal worker) resident in Freinsheim, secondary guardian of these children.

Anna Margaretha Bruch born 1835 is notably missing from the minor children, although I don't have a burial record for her.

Maria Catharina Bruch married five weeks after the notice was published, on 10 Dec 1844. Her husband was Jacob Reibold, son of Anna Elisabetha Puder and Jacob Reibold. Johannes married Elisabetha Friederich 24 Sep 1857, the bride's parents being Sophia Hilberth and Christian Friederich.

Johann Philipp Walz born in or about 1837, son of Anna Margaretha Walz, married Margaretha Espenschied in Kirchheim an der Eck on 27 Aug 1863. The bride was born in or about 1842 and was the daughter of Anna Maria Gensert and August Espenschied.

Sophia Walz and Jakob Selzer

Sophia may or may not be the mother of Georg Walz, born 29 Mar 1831 and christened in Freinsheim 31 May 1831.

She also may or may not be the Sophia Walz who married Jakob Selzer. I don't have a marriage record for them, but their son Ludwig was born 29 Aug 1832 and christened in Freinsheim 05 Sep 1832. They had a second son, Reichard, born in or about 1837. Sophia died and was buried in Freinsheim 25 Aug 1846.

Reichard Selzer married Anna Christina Orth, daughter of Barbara Engel and Georg Franz Orth, in Freinsheim 04 Apr 1861. He died in Kaiserslautern 02 Sep 1903. His death record gives his mother's name as Sophie Friederike Walz.

I have no further information on Georg Walz, Jakob Selzer or Ludwig Selzer.