Melchior Paulus and Catharina Schneider

Citing this biography: Boyd, Michelle, "Melchior Paulus and Catharina Schneider," article, Olive and Eliza, last accessed [current date]."

Melchior Paulus was baptized 23 July 1623 at St. Martin’s Church, Orb (now Bad Orb), Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Hesse, Germany to Michael Paulus and Barbara Benner. Melchior married Catharina Schneider 17 January 1650 at St. Martin’s Church, Orb, Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Hesse, Germany. Catharina was of Rieneck, Main-Spessart, Bavaria, Germany.

Melchior was a citizen of Orb at the time of his death. He died before 2 May 1678, when one of his daughters (called "relict fil.," indicating that her father had died) was married.

Sorting Out the Paulus Family

The Bad Orb OFB, associates Melchior (husband of Catharina Schneider and father of Eva and Catharina Paulus) with a Michael Paulus of Pfaffenhausen, stating that Michael was also called Melchior. It also does not associate Melchior the father and husband with Melchior, the son of Michael and Barbara. The reason for considering Michael and Melchior the same person was not explained in the OFB, however. The evidence in the Kirchenbuch does not clearly support the idea that they were one and the same. In addition, Michael and Melchior are generally not seen as interchangeable and have different origins, although there may be enough phonetic similarity that one could possibly be mistaken for another. Without further evidence, I have assumed that Melchior Paulus of Orb and Michael Paulus of Pfaffenhausen were two different men.

Sorting out the children of Melchior and Michael requires a look at the Kirchenbuch. The OFB states that Michael was the father of Anna Eva, Maria, Margaretha, and Catharina. In the Kirchenbuch, no baptismal record has been found for an Anna Eva. Maria and Margaretha were recorded as children of Michael Paulus of Pfaffenhausen. The OFB gives a baptismal date for Catharina but a look at the Kirchenbuch shows that an unnamed daughter of Michael was baptized that day and there is no confirmation that this daughter was Catharina. The marriage record of Catharina Paulus who married Jacob Pfeifer was the daughter of the late Melchior Paulus of Orb. There was also an earlier marriage of another daughter of Melchior Paulus to Laurentz Daus. A baptismal record for Catharina's daughter Eva Pfeifer, all but one of the baptismal records for the children of Lorenz Daus, and the burial record for Lorenz Daus' wife note that her given name was Eva. One of the baptismal records for the Daus children gives her name as Anna. While there is the possibilty that Lorenz Daus' wife's full name was Anna Eva Pfeifer, it is highly likely that the Anna in the one baptismal record was a mistake by the clerk and that she was simply Eva Pfeifer.

Melchior and Catharina’s children are:

Eva Paulus, married Lorenz Daus 2 May 1678 at St. Martin’s Church, Orb (now Bad Orb), Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Hesse, Germany, died 5 May 1692 in Orb, Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Hesse, Germany.

Husband: Lorenz Daus, m. 1) — — (a widower at the time of his marriage to Eva).

Children: Anna Barbara Daus (d. young), Heinrich Daus, Anna Maria Daus, Johannes Daus, Maria Daus, Margaretha Daus, and Johannes Jacob Daus.

Catharina Paulus, married Jacob Pfeifer 2 Sep 1680 at St. Martin’s Church, Orb (now Bad Orb), Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Hesse, Germany.

Husband: Jacob Pfeifer, born about 1651 to Jacob Pfeifer and Eva Stenger.

Children: Eva Pfeifer, Heinrich Pfeifer, Michael Pfeifer (m. Anna Maria Schüssler), Maria Pfeifer, Anna Margaretha Pfeifer (d. young), Johannes Jacob Pfeifer (d. young), Margaretha Pfeifer, Anna Maria Pfeifer (d. young), Valentin Pfeifer (m. 1) Catharina — and 2) Maria Elisabetha —), and Barbara Pfeifer.

Summary of Sources

Kirchenbuch (Taufe, Trauung, Tod), Parish: Bad Orb, St. Martin, Fulda, r.k. Bistum, Deutschland. Available on Matricula, https://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/fulda/bad-orb-st-martin/.
Kertel, Karola, Ortsfamilienbuch Bad Orb, Online OFB, https://online-ofb.de/bad_orb/?lang=de, last accessed 21 January 2023.

Source Materials

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Baptisms in the Kirchenbuch of St. Martin's, Bad Orb, Hesse

Baptismal record for Milcher Paulus — Baptism of
Milcher Paulus
23 Jul 1623
Link to image on
Matricula

Baptismal record for Anna Barbara Daus — Baptism of
Anna Barbara Daus
31 Dec 1678
Link to image on
Matricula

Baptismal record for Henrich Daus — Baptism of
Henrich Daus
5 Jan 1681
Link to image on
Matricula

Baptismal record for Eva Pfeiffer — Baptism of
Eva Pfeiffer
3 Sep 1681
Link to image on
Matricula

Baptismal record for Joannes Daus — Baptism of
Johannes Daus
28 Oct 1683
Link to image on
Matricula

Baptismal record for Maria Daus — Baptism of
Maria Daus
6 Mar 1687
Link to image on
Matricula

Baptismal record for Margaretha Daus — Baptism of
Margaretha Daus
1 Dec 1689
Link to image on
Matricula

Baptismal record for Joannes Jacob Daus — Baptism of
Johannes Jacob
Daus
17 Feb 1692
Link to image on
Matricula

Source: Taufbuch, Parish: Bad Orb, St. Martin, Fulda, r.k. Bistum, Deutschland, Archival identifier: 2-01, Date range: Jan. 1, 1607-Dec. 31, 1714. Available on Matricula, https://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/fulda/bad-orb-st-martin/.

Marriages in the Kirchenbuch of St. Martin's, Bad Orb, Hesse

Marriage record for Melchior Paulus and Catharina Shneider — Marriage of
Melchior Paulus and
Catharina Shneider
17 Jan 1650
Link to image on
Matricula

Marriage record for Laurentz Daus and a daughter of Melchior Paulus — Marriage of
Lorenz Daus and
the daughter of
Mechior Paulus
2 May 1678
Link to image on
Matricula

Marriage record for Jacob Pfeiffer and Catharina Paulus — Marriage of
Jacob Pfeiffer and
Catharina Paulus
2 Sep 1680
Link to image on
Matricula

Source: Kirchenbuch (Taufe, Trauung, Tod), Parish: Bad Orb, St. Martin, Fulda, r.k. Bistum, Deutschland, Archival identifier: 1-01 and 1-02, Date range: Jan. 1, 1607-Dec. 31, 1715; Jan. 1, 1714-Dec. 31, 1772, Trauungen 1714-1772. Available on Matricula, https://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/fulda/bad-orb-st-martin/.

Deaths in the Kirchenbuch of St. Martin's, Bad Orb, Hesse

Death record for Eva Daus — Death record of
Eva Daus
5 May 1692
Link to image on
Matricula

Source: Kirchenbuch (Taufe, Trauung, Tod), Parish: Bad Orb, St. Martin, Fulda, r.k. Bistum, Deutschland, Archival identifier: 1-01, Date range: Jan. 1, 1607-Dec. 31, 1715. Available on Matricula, https://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/fulda/bad-orb-st-martin/.

Ortsfamilienbuch Bad Orb

Familienbericht

Melchior PAULUS [1]
auch genannt: Melchior Baulus
✶        23.07.1623 in Orb
Taufe:     23.07.1623 Orb
Religion:     röm kath
Ereignisse:     Paten: Bals. Basser hinterlassener Sohn Melchior
- Ergänzungen -
Taufbuch: Den 23 Dag Heyhmonad (Heumonat) michel baulus Untt sein weib Barbara ein sohn gedaufftt ist Bals. basser hintter lassener Sohn milcher geffatter wortten.

Eltern
Vater: Michael PAULUS
✶ um 1593
† vor 5 Sep. 1660 in Orb

Mutter: Barbara BENNER
✶ um 1593
† 25.04.1630 in Orb

Geschwister

Sohn PAULUS ✶ um 1621, † vor 19 Apr. 1622 in Orb
Elisabetha PAULUS ✶ 23.12.1629 in Orb, † 2.10.1630 in Orb

Quellen
[1] Kirchenbücher Orb (matricula)

__________

Michael PAULUS [1] [2]
auch genannt: Michael Pauli/ Paul/ Melchior Pauli
✶        um 1625 in Pfaffenhausen
†        vor 1678
Religion:     röm kath
Beruf:     civi orbensis (Bürger von Orb)
Wohnsitz:     Orb
- Ergänzungen -
Trauzeugen: kein Eintrag

Ehen / Partnerschaften

Ehegatte: Catharina SCHNEIDER
✶ um 1625 in Rieneck
⚭ 17.01.1650 in St. Martins - Kirche Orb

Kinder

Anna Eva PAULUS ✶ um 1652, † 5.05.1692 in Orb
Maria PAULUS ✶ 18.11.1652 in Orb
Margaretha PAULUS ✶ 8.04.1655 in Orb
Catharina PAULUS ✶ 11.12.1657 in Orb

Quellen

[1] Hess. Familienkunde, Band 31/1/2008: Trauungen Auswärtiger in Orb ab 1607 - 1799; Josef Krah
[2] Kirchenbücher Orb (matricula)

Catharina SCHNEIDER [1] [2]
auch genannt: Catharina Schneiderin
✶        um 1625 in Rieneck
Religion:     röm kath
Wohnsitz:     Orb

Quellen

[1] Hess. Familienkunde, Band 31/1/2008: Trauungen Auswärtiger in Orb ab 1607 - 1799; Josef Krah
[2] Kirchenbücher Orb (matricula)

Anna Eva PAULUS [1]
✶        um 1652
†        5.05.1692 in Orb
Religion:     röm kath
Ereignisse:     Alter: ca 40 Jahre
Rufname: Eva
Wohnsitz:     Orb
- Ergänzungen -
Taufpatin
am 3. September 1681 bei Eva Pfeifer
am 13. April 1687 bei Maria Bormann

Ehen / Partnerschaften

Ehegatte: Lorenz DAUS
✶ um 1650 in Wirtheim
† vor 1722
⚭ 2.05.1678 in St. Martins - Kirche Orb

Kinder

Anna Barbara DAUS ✶ 31.12.1678 in Orb, † 29.08.1680 in Orb
Heinrich DAUS ✶ 5.01.1681 in Orb, † 27.11.1738 in Orb
Anna Maria DAUS ✶ um 1682, † vor 7 Aug. 1771 in Mernes
Johannes DAUS ✶ 28.10.1683 in Orb
Maria DAUS ✶ 6.03.1687 in Orb
Margaretha DAUS ✶ 1.12.1689 in Orb, † 17.04.1735 in Orb
Johannes Jacob DAUS ✶ 17.02.1692 in Orb

Quellen

[1] Kirchenbücher Orb (matricula)

Lorenz DAUS [1]
auch genannt: Laurentius Daus
✶        um 1650 in Wirtheim
†        vor 1722
Religion:     röm kath
Wohnsitz:     Orb
- Ergänzungen -
Traubuch vom 2. Mai 1678: viduus (Witwer)
Trauzeugen: parente Sponsi ex Wirtheim (Eltern des Bräutigams aus Wirtheim) et Joanne Weigand.

Quellen

[1] Kirchenbücher Orb (matricula)

Maria PAULUS [1]
auch genannt: Maria Pauli
✶        18.11.1652 in Orb
Taufe:     18.11.1652 Orb
Religion:     röm kath
Ereignisse:     Paten: uxor (Gattin des) Asmi Fingerhuth de Legdeborn (Lettgenbrunn)

Quellen

[1] Kirchenbücher Orb (matricula)

Margaretha PAULUS [1]
auch genannt: Margaretha Pauli
✶        8.04.1655 in Orb
Taufe:     8.04.1655 Orb
Religion:     röm kath
Ereignisse:     Paten: filia (Tochter des) Jacobi Gürr in Deutelbach

Quellen

[1] Kirchenbücher Orb (matricula)

Catharina PAULUS [1]
✶        11.12.1657 in Orb
Taufe:     11.12.1657 Orb
Religion:     röm kath
Ereignisse:     Paten: filia (Tochter des) Joannis Rehberger
Wohnsitz:     Orb

Ehen / Partnerschaften

Ehegatte: Jacob PFEIFER
✶ um 1651
⚭ 2.09.1680 in St. Martins - Kirche Orb

Kinder

Eva PFEIFER ✶ 3.09.1681 in Orb, † 28.02.1725 in Orb
Heinrich PFEIFER ✶ 6.06.1683 in Orb
Michael PFEIFER ✶ 31.08.1687 in Orb, † vor 1747
Maria PFEIFER ✶ 16.02.1690 in Orb
Margaretha PFEIFER ✶ 18.10.1692 in Orb, † 8.11.1694 in Orb
Johannes Jacob PFEIFER ✶ 20.10.1695 in Orb, † 14.01.1696 in Orb
Margaretha PFEIFER ✶ 12.11.1696 in Orb
Maria PFEIFER ✶ 3.03.1698 in Orb, † 5.05.1699 in Orb
Valentin PFEIFER ✶ 16.08.1701 in Orb
Barbara PFEIFER ✶ 18.11.1705 in Orb

Quellen

[1] Kirchenbücher Orb (matricula)

Jacob PFEIFER [1]
auch genannt: Jacobus Pfeiffer
✶        um 1651
Religion:     röm kath
Wohnsitz:     Orb
- Ergänzungen -
Traubuch: Trauzeugen anwesend. Copulabat Joes Marcus Lieber Parochus orbensis.

Eltern

Vater: Jacob PFEIFER
✶ um 1616
† 4.06.1680 in Orb

Mutter: Eva STENGER
✶ um 1616 in Bieber

Geschwister

Elisabetha PFEIFER ✶ 17.08.1642 in Orb
Heinrich PFEIFER ✶ 17.11.1644 in Orb
Valentin PFEIFER ✶ 5.07.1647 in Orb
Maria Magdalena PFEIFER ✶ 10.04.1652 in Orb, † 2.05.1741 in Orb
Dorothea PFEIFER ✶ 5.04.1655 in Orb

Quellen

[1] Kirchenbücher Orb (matricula)

Source: Kertel, Karola, Ortsfamilienbuch Bad Orb, Online OFB, https://online-ofb.de/bad_orb/?lang=de, last accessed 21 January 2023.

First Settlers List

Kolonie Pfeifer
(russischer Ortsname: Gniluška)
gegründet am 15. Juni 1767

6. Pfeifer, Johannes, 28, kath., Ackerbauer aus Orb
Frau: Katharina, 22
Tochter: Marianna, 3/4
in der Kolonie eingetroffen am 15.6.1767
erhalten von der Voevodenkanzlei in Saratov 25 Rbl., 2 Zäume, 5 Sažen' Seil, 2 Pfd.
1768 gab es in der Wirtschaft 2 Pfd., gepflügt: 1,5 Des.

Source: Pleve, Igor, Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet 1764-1767, Band 3 (Kolonien Laub - Preuss), Göttingen: Nordost-Institut, 2005.

Luzern Census

Lz29 Jakob Pfeifer h 56

Anna Maria Bizar sp 54

Jakob s 15

Workers: 1

Livestock:
Horses   5
Cows    4
Sheep   7
Swine    3

Fowl:
Chickens 15

Planted - 1796/1797:
Rye             3 chetvert
Wheat        5 chetvert
Barley         4 chetverik
Oats           1 chetvert
Millet          1 chetverik
Potatoes    1 chetvert

Harvested - 1797:
Rye             25 chetvert
Wheat        30 chetvert
Barley         2 chetvert
Oats           12 chetvert
Millet          4 chetvert
Potatoes    4 chetvert

Source: Mai, Brent Alan, 1798 Census of the German Colonies along the Volga: Economy, Population, and Agriculture, Volumes 1 and 2, Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1999.

Pfeifer Census, Oct 1798

Register made for the Office [Kontora] of Immigrant Oversight by Fellow of the Chief Justice, Court Counsellor Popov, in the colony of Gnilushka [Pfeifer], about the number of foreigners residing therein, males and females; with an indication of their ages, who among them from the age of 16 to 60 years is able to work, and remarks about the colony, by personal observation. October 1798.

No.	Names of Foreigners	Age	No. of Souls		Able or not to work		Remarks
			M	F	Y	N
40.	Johannes Pfeifer	60	1			1
	wife Katerina Jäger	50		1
	son: Heinrich	28	1		1
	wife Anna Maria Schwab from Semenovka	25		1
	sons:
	Matthias	2	1			1
	Peter	½	1			1