Schimpfessel Family
1 Historical Background. In 1970, John L. Shimfessel Jr.
compiled a work entitled the SCHIMFESSEL FAMILY which contains
information about the origins of the family. Following are excerpts:
"The name of Shimfessel and its various spellings originated in
Thuringia in what is known as Germany today. (It roughly
approximated East Germany during the Cold War years.) A law
was enacted in the year 1509 (at) Frankfint-on-main requiring
all persons to have a surname or one was given you by the
officials.
"Shimfessel in Germany could have had various spellings such
as Schimp-Schimpf-Shimpf-Schempf-Schrempt-Shimpf-Shemp-Shimff
etc. The name was German, meaning of -severly, cruel,
punishment, insult, ourrage. This was due to religious
persecution as in this time and (in) this part of Germany
most of the land was ruled by German Princes which were of
the Lutheran Faith. When the Shimfessels came to America, the
church they attended was...Catholic so we can only assume they
were of that faith in the old country and came here to worship
as they pleased.
"The original spelling of the Schimpfessel was Anglicized
around the time of the Revolution to that of the presend day
"Shimpfessel, "Shimfessel," or adding as desired.
"After the Schimfessels arrived in this country, they settled
in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania and they were not known
as Germans, but as Pennsylvania Dutch (Dutch coming from the
German word, Deutch).... Most of these people were of the
Dunkards, Lutherans, Amish, and Catholic faith... In 1747, Father
Theodore Schneider of the U. of Heidelberg founded the second
Catholic church in Pennsylvania... This was was one of the few
churches in the area until late in the 18th century when more
Catholic churches were started in Philadelphia and Lancaster, PA.
"The Pennsylvania Dutch at the time of the Revolutionary War were
one of the most patriotic parts of the 13 Colonies. More men
from Berks County, PA fought in the Revolutionary War in proportion
than any other part of the colonies. None of the major battles were
fought inthis area as it was one of the heaviest protected part of the
colonies as most of our war material came from the furnaces and
gunmakers and foundries which cast cannon balls and sulphur and saltpeter
in the area around the Oley Mountains."
1 John Louis Schimpfessel. The following are excerpts from
the "Shimfessel Family": We do not known when or where John was born.
Based on the ages of his childrenit was probably around 730-40.
Sometime in the early part of 1764, John and his family started for
America to make their new home. They probably traveled down the Rhine
by barge to Rotterdam, at that time a main point of departure for
travelers to America. They boarded the ship, "Boston", commanded by
Master Matthew Car. John was probably accompanied by his wife, Mary
Catharine Mayer, and his children, Andrew and Catherine.
At that time, the ocean crossing took three or four months and was a
long and hard voyage. The Boston" stopped at the Island of Cowes in
the English Channel, a favorite stopping place and now known as the
Isle of Wight. From there they sailed to Philadelphia, PA, arriving
10 Nov 1764.
Where they went, and what they did, after arriving in this country is
unknown, but in 1780 the tax record of Cavernaion Twp. in Berks Co.,
PA, located southeast of Reading, PA, showed that he owned an 80 acre
farm with a horse and four head of cattle, and on which he paid a tax
of 1 pound and 17 schillings. John and his family prospered modestly:
in 1784 he was taxed for a horse, six cattle, and seven sheep. The
last known record, the 1800 census, shows him still living in the area.
John and wife, had at least five children:
11 Elizabeth Schimpfessel, b. 22 Sep 1766, bap. 14 Jun 1767
12 Mary Ann Schimpfessel, b. 05 Sep 1768 (probably).
13 Catherine Schimpfessel, b. before 1764, m. Philip
Gerschweiler in Apr 1774.
14 John Michael Schimpfessel, b. 8 Dec 1773, bap. 13 Mar
1774.
15 Andrew Schimpfessel, b. before 1764, immigrated in 1764
with his father as a young teenager. He married MARGARET BECKER on
17 Apr 1773. Died 1823.
On 2 Apr 1775, LOUIS SCHIMPFESSEL was a sponsor at the
christening of his grandson, LOUIS GERSCHWEILER, son of PHILLIP
GERSCHWEILER and CATHERINE SCHIMPFESSEL.
On 10 May 1789 one LUDOVIC SCHIMFASSEL and his wife
MARGARET sponsored the christening of MARY CATHARINE ECCOROD,
daughter of HENRY and ELIZABETH. It seems probable that LUDOVIC,
Latin for LOUIS, is JOHN LOUIS SCHIMPFESSEL and that he was there
as the grandparent.
LOUIS SCHIMPFESSEL and his wife CATHARINE were still living as
of 12 Sep 1790 when they served as sponsors at the baptism of their
granddaughter, MARY CATHARINE ECKROTH, daughter of HENRY ECKROTH and
ELIZABETH SCHIMPFESSEL ECKROTH.
11 Elizabeth Schimpfessel, daughter of JOHN LOUIS SCHIMPFESSEL,
was born 22 Sep 1766, and baptized 14 Jun 1767 at Reading. Sponsors
were John Welsch and Elizabeth Welsch. In August, 1784 she married
HENRY ECKENROTH, probably the seconds son of PETER ECKROTH/ECKENROTH
and his wife ELIZABETH MARGARET. They had 14 children. The family is
detailed in the Eckenrode Family at this website.
12 Mary Ann Schimpfessel, daughter of JOHN LOUIS SCHIMPFESSEL,
as born 05 Sep 1768, baptized 09 Oct 1768 in Reading. Sponsors were
Stephen Futerer and Mary Ann Huber. She may have died young,
without issue.
13 Catherine Schimpfessel. Although, like her brother ANDREW, her
date of birth and baptism have not been recovered, there is no
doubtthat she is the daughter of LOUIS and CATHARINE SCHIMPFESSEL.
On __ Apr 1774, she married PHILIP GERSCHWEILER in the chapel at
Reading. They lived at Reading until about 1782. By the 1790
census, they had moved to Ruscombmanor Township, Berks Co.
CATHARINE and PHILIP had at least eight children, of whom
possibly only four survived, one boy and three girls. They are:
131 LOUIS GERSCHWEILER, b. 28 Jan 1775.
132 JOHN GERSCHWEILER, b. 09 Jul 1776.
133 ELIZABETH GERSCHWEILER, b. 15 Aug 1778.
134 JOHN MICHAEL GERSCHWEILER, b. 25 Mar 1782.
135 HENRY GERSCHWEILER, b. 29 May 1787.
136 ANDREW GERSCHWEILER, b. 29 Mar 1790.
137 SUSAN GERSCHWEILER, b. 21 Jan 1792.
138 UNIDENTIFIED DAUGHTER, b. before 1790.
There were people of the name in Adams County, and later
Cambria and Westmoreland County, PA. It is unclear whether they were
descendants of this Philip Gerschweiler.
14 John Michael Schimpfessel, son of JOHN LOUIS SCHIMPFESSEL, was
born 08 Dec 1773 and baptized 13 Mar 1774 in Reading, PA. Sponsors
were JOHN MICHAEL ALTGAYER and his wife He may have died young,
without issue.
15 Andrew Schimpfessel. Although his date of birth and baptism have not been recovered, there is no doubt he is the son of LOUIS and CATHARINE SCHIMPFESSEL. At the baptism of ANDREW'S children, they identify themselves in the baptismal record as "grandparents" of the children.
ANDREW was likely bforn in Germany and immigrated with his father as a
youth. Nine years after his 1764 arrival, ANDREW married MARGARET
BECKER on 19 Apr 1773 in Bally, PA at the Gossenhoppen Church,
daughter of Margaret Becker and her husband GEORGE BECKER, a weaver
of Oley Hills.
In 1780, Andrew enlisted in the First CVlass 5th Battalion La Canta
Milita and served as a Private 5th Class. He served in Northcumberland
Co., PA. Died in the Fall of 1823, but his place of burial is not
known. In 1835 his wife, Margaret, was granted a veteran's pension
from the State of Pennsylvanis in the amount of $40/year. She died
6 Nov 1837; her place of burial is not known.
Children:
151 Louis Shimfessel, b. 24 Feb 1774, Reading, PA.
152 John George Shimfessel, b. 08 Oct 1775
153 Mary Elizabeth Shimfessel, b. 07 Dec 1777
154 Margaret B. Shimfessel, 4 Dec 1779
155 Mary Barbara Shimfessel, b. 31 Mar 1780
156 Mary Catharine Shimfessel, b. 18 Aug 1781
157 Peter Shimfessel, b. 03 Aug 1783
158 Anthony Shimfessel, b. 3 Mar 1789
159 Mary B. Shimfessel, b. 23 Oct 1790
Note: Passengers and Immigrants Index" indicates that one
LEWIS SHIMFASSEL immigrated at Philadelphia, PA in 1764. There were
no other males indicated by that name, or any similar sounding name.
There was a MARIA CATHARINE SHIMFASSEL who immigrated at Philadelphia,
PA, in 1773 according to the "Record of Indentures of Individuals
Bound Out as Apprentices, etc.".
The "Pennsylvania Oaths of Allegiance" volume indicates, at page 470,
that one LEWIS SHIMFASSEL immigrated in the ship Boston, Matthew Car,
Master, from Rotterdam, last from Cowes, qualified Nov.10, 1764.
The entries in both of the above books are consistent in terms of a
time frame with Goshenhoppen Register records showing the births of
children to JOHN LOUIS SCHIMPFESSEL and CATHARINE MAYER.
MISC. NOTES:
1. According to the Goshenhoppen Register, HENRY ECCOROD married
ELIZABETH _______. They had a daughter, MARY CATHARINE ECCOROD,
christened 10 May 1789. LUDOVIC SCHIMFASSEL and his wife MARGARET
sponsored the christening.
LUDOVIC may be Latin for LOUIS; JOHN LOUIS SCHIMPFESSEL may have been
there as the grandparent; if so, HENRY'S wife, ELIZABETH, may be
JOHN'S daughter born 10 Jun 1767. If JOHN is not there as a
grandparent, perhaps he is there as a brother or uncle to Elizabeth.
2. HENRY ECCOROD/ELIZABETH, above, also had a daughter, MARY
ELIZABETH ECOROD, christened 27 Feb 1789. MARY ELIZABETH ECCOROD was
a sponsor.
Sponsor MARY ELIZ. ECCOROD probably was an adult and born before 1768.