Documenting the relationship between our Gersbach ancestors

In December 2020, FamilySearch published the church records for the Catholic Diocese of Limburg, Hessen-Nassau, Germany covering the years 1601 to 1919.  Excitingly, it includes many baptismal, marriage and burial records for Eltville and Oestrich-Winkel where our ancestors lived.  You can read about the collection HERE.  

As I looked through the Gersbach entries, most were for Winkel not Eltville.  Our family bible shows that Anton Gersbach and Margaretha Söngen's marriage took place on 18 February 1855 in Eltville.  I've located the church record and it's in 1855 but the location is Winkel.  My focus was always on Eltville...after all Anton and Margaretha called their property Aldavilla and the family story was that it was after their home town.  But then again...Eltville and Winkel are only 8 kilometres apart.

So here's the beautiful St Aegidius (St Giles) in Winkel

As one of my 2021 "lockdown" projects, I used the records to establish the relationship between our two sets of brothers who travelled to New South Wales in the 1850s-

  • Johann (known as John) and Anton and 
  • Johann Valentine (known as Valentine) and Joseph. 


First Generation 

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1. Johann Gersbach and Maria Hensler's sons:


22 November 1728: Joannes Jacobus Gersbach married Maria Martha Henner (Hensler) in Winkel ((record).


23 September 1729: Johannes Gersbach (2) was baptised in Winkel, parents are Johann Jacob Gersbach and Marie Martha (record).


20 April 1732: Henricus Gersbach (3) was baptised in Winkel, parents are Johann Jacob Gersbach and Marie Martha (record).

 

Second Generation

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2. Johannes Gersbach's son:


25 August 1756: Johannes Gersbach (4) was baptised in Winkel, parents are Joannis Gersbach and Catharina (record).


3. Henricus Gersbachs son:


27 December 1771: Valentinus Gersbach (5) was baptised in Winkel, parents are Henrici Gersbach and Franciscae (record).


Third Generation 

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4. Johannes Gersbach's son:


14 May 1792: Nicolaus Gersbach (6) was baptised in Winkel, parents are Jois Gersbach and Susannae Fischer (record).


5. Valentinus Gersbach's sons:


19 January 1815: Valentinus Gersbach was baptised in Winkel, parents are shown as Valentini Gersbach and Magdalenae Baumkauf (record).  


1855: Joseph Gersbach was married to Margaretha Jacobi in Winkel, parents are shown as Valentin Gersbach and Madgalenae Baumkauf ((record),


Fourth Generation 

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6. Nikalous Gersbach's sons:


12 Jun 1820: Johann (John) Gersbach was born and baptised on the following day in Winkel, parents are shown as Nikolaus Gersbach and Barbara Brand (record).


3 April 1823:  Anton Gersbach was born and baptised on the following day in Winkel, parents are shown as Nikolaus Gersbach and Barbara Brand (record).


So our two sets of brothers were second cousins once removed from Winkel.  


The interior of St Giles, Winkel

More research required

And there's always further research....the link to the Hessian State Archives is HERE.