Franz Michael Mehler and Margareta Ewald

Citing this biography: Boyd, Michelle, "Jacob Ewald and Margaretha Rein," article, Olive and Eliza, last accessed [current date]."

Jacob Ewald was born in about 1718, the son of Johann Ewald of Gailbach, a district in Aschaffenburg, Bayern, Germany.

Jacob married Margaretha Rhein 21 Feb 1757 in the Heimbuchenthal-Oberwintersbach parish in Aschaffenburg, Bayern, Germany. Margaretha was born in about 1728, the daughter of Johann Adam Rhein of Oberwinterbach.

Jacob and Margaretha were listed as "vagabundierend" (vagabond or itinerant) at daughter Margaretha's birth in 1765. Jacob was a swineherd, which would have required him to move frequently.

In about 1766, the Ewalds joined a wave of immigration of Germans andothers who had been recruited by the agents of Catherine the Great to settle in Russia. They embarked upon the pink Slon at Rewal, Gryfice, Poland. The Slon sailed across the Baltic Sea and arrived at Kronstadt, St. Petersburg, Russia on 31 May 1766. "Documents were checked here and customs inspections were carried out. Then, colonists were sent to Oranienbaum [now Lomonosov, St. Petersburg, Russia] where a temporary quartering point was established. For this purpose wooden barracks built for soldiers from Holstein who were in Russia were engaged. After repairs, in the Opinion of the Chancery of Oversight of Foreigners, they were suitable enough for temporary stay." (List of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg, p. 22; italicized note added by me)

Jacob and Margaretha arrived in Leichtling, Saratov, Russia on 14 May 1767, where they are listed as some of the original settlers (ages 49 and 39 respectively). In Russia, Jacob was a farmer.

Jacob and Margaretha’s children are:

1	Friedrich Ewald, born in about 1755 [sic] or 1758, of Aschaffenburg, Bayern, Germany.
2	Catherina Ewald, born in about 1759 or 60, of Aschaffenburg, Bayern, Germany.
3	Dorothea Ewald, born in about 1762, probably in or near Aschaffenburg, Bayern, Germany. She probably died young as she is listed in the Kuhlberg Lists in 1766 but not in the First Settlers List in 1767.
4	Margareta Ewald, born 15 Jan 1765 in Haibach in Aschaffenburg, Bayern, Germany, married Franz Michael Mehler. Husband: Franz Michael Mehler, ch. 30 Nov 1748 at St. Emmeran church, Mainz, Rheinland, Germany to Johann Georg Müller and Maria Martha May, perhaps arrived at Kronstadt, St. Petersburg, Russia on the ship Die Perle from the port of Luebeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany 18 Jun 1766, perhaps a shoemaker, m. 1) Anna Maria Schnellbecher, settled at Leichtling, Saratov, Russia in 1767, d. 31 Dec 1808 in Leichtling, Saratov, Russia.
5	Anna Elisabetha Ewald, born about 1769 in Russia, married Mathias Konrad in 1793 in Husaren, Frank, Saratov, Russia, living in Husaren in 1798. Husband: Mathias Konrad.

Summary of Sources

Klotz, Matthias (archivinspektor, Stadt- und Stiftsarchiv Aschaffenburg), Re: FF Ewald (email), recieved 29 Sep 2014.
Pleve, Igor R., The Germans on the Volga: The Second Half of the Eighteenth Century, Lincoln, NE (Saratov, Russia): American Historical Society ofGermans from Russia, 2001, p. 416.
Meininger, Dr. Robert (trans.), No. 2841, The 1798 Description of the Saratov Colony of Illavlya also known as Leichtling, No. 122, Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1996, p. 10.
Pleve, Igor, List of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg, Saratov, Russia: Saratov State Technical University, 2010, p. 61.
Kholmatov, Bachtiar (trans.), No. 2835, The 1798 Description of the Saratov Colony of Yelshanka also known as Husaren, No. 116, Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1996, p. 12.
Boyd, Darryl et al. (trans.), Köhler Parish Records, 1803-1895, Concord, CA, 2021.

Source Materials

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Stadt- und Stiftsarchiv Aschaffenburg
1/15 2014/476 MKl
29. September 2014

Dear Mrs. Boyd,

last week I gave your request to the of family research association. Two members answered me, so I can give you the dates:

Jacob Ewald and Margaretha Rhein married on 1757, February, 21st in the parish Heimbuchenthal-Oberwintersbach. Jacob Ewald was the son of Johann Ewald, he died before 1757 in Gailbach (now a part of Aschaffenburg, belonged in the 18th century to the parish “Unsere Liebe Frau” in Aschaffenburg). I looked up in the matricles of Gailbach and found him: Johann Ewald died in 1743 in Gailbach. He was 83 years old, when he died on 1743, January, 1st.

Margaretha Rhein was the daughter of Johann Adam Rhein, who died before 1757 in Oberwintersbach. The daughter Margaretha was born in Haibach on 1765, January, 15th. In this entry they were titled as “vagab.” (= vagabundierend, they moved very often). Godmother from her was Margaretha Fuchs, daughter of Franz Fuchs in Haibach.

Jakob Ewald was “subulcus” (Schweinehirt = shepherd for pigs), so they moved very much. He was godfather on 1755, November, 15th, in Mespelbrunn, by Johann Jakob Gruber, son of Stephan Gruber, “opilio”(herdsman of sheep) and Katharina Gruber in Hessenthal.

These information came from Mrs. Jung and Mrs. Stuermer, members of the association. Both say, that they couldn’t find more informations in Oberbessenbach, Hösbach and Keilberg.

When you have further questions, you are welcome to ask.

Kindly regards
Matthias Klotz
Archivinspektor

Source: Klotz, Matthias (archivinspektor, Stadt- und Stiftsarchiv Aschaffenburg), Re: FF Ewald (email), received 29 Sep 2014.

Images of the church records are shown below as thumbnails. Click on each of the thumbnails to view a larger version of the records in another tab.

Christening record in the Church Book (Kirchenbuch) of St. Emmeran, Mainz

Christening record of Franz Michael Mueller — Christening,
Franz Michael Müller,
30 Nov 1748

Source: Kirchenbuch, 1540-1875, Katholische Kirche Sankt Emmeran Mainz, Taufen 1723-1798, FHL Microfilm 957272.

Köhler Church Records

Line number Age Death date Name Village Parish of record

9 60 1808 Dec 31 Franciscus Mehler Leichtling Semenovka

Source: Boyd, Darryl et al. (trans.), Köhler Parish Records, 1803-1895, Concord, CA, 2021.

List of Colonists to Russia in 1766

Page 61:

31 of May 1766.
Public colonist, arrived from Rewal by the pink "Slon"
Under the command of Lieutenant Sergey Panov

Ewald Jacob, Cath., farmer from Mainz, doc. No. 568, wife: Margaretha, children: Friedrich, 8, Catharina, 6, Dorothea, 4, Margaretha, 1,5.

Page 90:

18 of June 1766.
Public colonist, arrived from Luebeck
by the Luebeck's ship "Die Perle" with the Skipper Thomson

Mueller Franz Cath., shoemaker from Mainz, doc. No. 1075, single.

Source: Pleve, Igor, List of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg, Saratov, Russia: Saratov State Technical University, 2010.

Note: While Aschaffenburg is quite some distance from Mainz (about 47 miles), it was formerly part of the Electorate of Mainz (Kurmainz).

First Settlers List

Colony of Ilavlya, or Leichtling
founded 14 May 1767

29.      Ewald, Jacob, 49, Cath., farmer, from Aschaffenburg
           wife: Margaretha Rein, 39
           children: Friedrich, 12, Catharina, 8, Margaretha, 3
           arrived: 14.05.1767
           received from the Office of Oversight in Saratov: 75 rubles in 1768 the household had 2 horses, 1 cow,
           1 desatinya of plowed land, 4 chetverik of seeded rye.

Source: Pleve, Igor R., The Germans on the Volga: The Second Half of the Eighteenth Century, Lincoln, NE (Saratov, Russia): American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 2001, p. 416.

Leichtling, Russia, founded 14 May 1767

Family #34
Mueller, Franz, 20, from Mainz
wife: Anna Maria Schnellbecher, 22
daughter: Sarah, 9 weeks

Source: Original Settlers’ List, http://www.boydhouse.com/leichtling/firstsettlers.html, based on Pleve, Igor R., The Germans on the Volga: The Second Half of the Eighteenth Century, Lincoln, NE (Saratov, Russia): American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 2001, p. 418.

1798

Leichtling, Russia

Register made for the Office [Kontora] of Immigrant Oversight by Deputy of the Chief Justice, Court Counsellor Popov, in the Colony of Illavlya [Leichtling], listing the male and female foreign residents, with and indication of their ages, which males between the ages of 16 to 60 years are able to work, and remarks by the colonists about the colony.

October 7, 1798.

No.	Names of Foreigners	Age	No. of Souls		Able or not to work		Remarks*
			M	F	Y	N
1.	Franz Meler [Meller?]	49	1		1
	wife Margareta Ewald	35		1
	son: Friedrich	15	1			1
	daughters:
	Barbara	13		1
	Elisabeta	8		1
	son by deceased wife: Georg	19	1		1

* Remarks about those disabled, those discharged with or without passports; information about 3-ruble debt payments

No.	Head of Household	Workers	Livestock				Fowl
			Horses	Cows	Sheep	Swine	Geese	Turkeys	Ducks	Chickens
1.	Franz Meler [Meller?]	2	4	11	15	6			6	15
32.	Johannes Meler [Meller?]	1	3	5	6	3				10

Planting of grain and potatoes
Autumn 1796 and spring 1797

No.	Rye		Wheat		Barley		Oats		Millet		Peas		Potatoes
	¼	C	¼	C	¼	C	¼	C	¼	C	¼	C	¼	C
1.	3	1	3	6	1		3	6		3			1	2
32.	2		2		1		2			2			1	4

No.	Who left the Colony	Year
13.	Elisabetha, daughter of Jakob Ewald, married in Yelshanka [Husaren]	1793

Source: Meininger, Dr. Robert (trans.), No. 2841, The 1798 Description of the Saratov Colony of Illavlya also known as Leichtling, No. 122, Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1996.

1798

Husaren, Russia

Jakob Rockoshewski                     62              Unable to work                He is in Semenovka colony.
Wife:
Barbara Konrad                             54

Son:
Paul Rockoshewski                         38                Able to work                 Works at the mill for the Kamyshin merchant Gorbunov
Paul's wife:
Magdalena Scheffer [Schäfer]      36                                                      From Kamenka colony
Their daughter:
Christina Rockoshewki                     8

Barbara's children from her deceased husband, Jakob Konrad from Semenovka colony:
Mathias Konrad                                30              Able to work
Mathias' wife:
Anna Elisabetha Evald [Ewald?]    29
Their daughter:
Anna Maria Konrad                         1

Peter Konrad                                     21             Able to work
Anna Maria Konrad                         16                                                      Works in Semenovka colony

3 workers
2 horses
1 cow
4 sheep
3 swine
20 chickens

In autumn 1796 and spring 1797, he planted:

2 chetvert of rye
2 chetvert of wheat
2 chetverik of barley
1 chetvert of oats
1 chetverik of millet
2 chetverik of peas
1 chetvert of potatoes

In 1797, he had a harvest of:
3 chetvert of rye
3 chetvert of wheat
2 chetvert of barley
4 chetvert of oats
1 chetvert of millet
1 chetvert of peas
1 chetvert of potatoes

Source: Kholmatov, Bachtiar (trans.), No. 2835, The 1798 Description of the Saratov Colony of Yelshanka also known as Husaren, No. 116, Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1996, p. 12.