In Search of Heinrich’s Roots

#52 ancestors
April 1-7 Week 14: Brick Wall

 In Search of Heinrich’s Roots 

by Myra Vanderpool Gormley © 2019 

Daaden https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Matthias_Schaefgen

 Heinrich (Henry) Gimper [sic] (also recorded as Kimber) arrived in Philadelphia 2 October 1753 on the ship Edinburgh from Rotterdam, last from Cowes. He might be from Daaden, a small rural town about 10 miles south of Siegen, only a few miles south of the Sieg River. But, no proof, yet and he remains a brick wall. Until evidence can be found to support this possible village of origin, it is just a theory, based on research of others who claim that four others on this same ship were from this village. [1] 

Surnames of those from Daaden who arrived on the same ship with my Heinrich (Henry) Gimper/Kimber were: HOEFFER, MEYER, KLEIN, GREGELO, JUNG, CRAEMER, TIEL, KLOECKNER, and BRAUN. On the Edinburgh other shipmates who may have originated from the same area were: Anthon REUSCH (whose name appears as Anthon KEUSCH, and is listed next to my Henry GIMPER on the list); and also there’s a Henrich Gottfried THIEL and Johannes REINSCHMIDT (Johannes Renschmit). 

While my Heinrich (Henry) might or might not have been from Daaden or a nearby locality, he probably came from that region. So far, no solid clues have been uncovered to ascertain where the origins of the 20-year-old Heinrich (Henry) Gimper/Kimber were. He is the only one of that surname on the ship. [2] 

While he may, under the general rules, fall into the “brick wall” category, I just consider him a challenge, albeit a difficult and a long-time one, and I keep hammering and chiseling away. 

 Experienced researchers advise that 18th-century German emigrants seldom came to America on their own. Rather they generally grouped together with others from their same villages and areas and made the entire voyage together. That’s why I’ve focused on those who arrived on the Edinburgh in October 1753 with my Heinrich/Henry. He evidently married soon after he arrived in Pennsylvania and if the place of birth of his children is correct, he soon migrated to North Carolina. He settled on or near Stinking Quarter Creek, which is a lengthy tributary of the Alamance Creek of the Haw River, running westerly across what is now central Alamance County and into Guilford County. The Alamance Creek and Stinking Quarter Creek area of old Orange County, North Carolina, was settled almost exclusively by German Lutheran and Reformed families, beginning in the 1750s. Heinrich/Henry was naturalized 22 September 1764 in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina (p. 559, Superior Court Minutes). 

 “They [German immigrants] may have gone separate ways soon after arriving or may have continued their association. Part of the reason why they stuck together as groups [originally] was because of the recruiting that was going on in Germany. Recruiters for some of the U.S. colonies were paid a certain amount per emigrant they could provide for their prospective colony. The competition for willing emigrants by these recruiters was intense and their means were often quite unethical. They would say almost anything to try to convince a group of people that they should change their plans and join say the New England or Nova Scotia group instead of the Pennsylvania or Carolina group they may have initially thought to join. These recruiters would go through each village in a neighborhood and assemble a few families and individuals from each of the villages. They would then lead the entire group up the Rhine River to Rotterdam where they would be paid for their efforts.” [3] 

It takes time to break down brick walls. In our fast-paced world we often expect instant genealogical answers by typing in a name and perhaps a date and locality, and it can be frustrating to be faced with several options and possibilities and/or no definitive answers. Plus, we have to deal with name variants — when did Gimper/Kimber become Kimbro? And is the Heinrich/Henry Gimper who landed in Philadelphia in 1753 the same fellow who wound up in Orange County, North Carolina? Were any of his ship mates kin or neighbors in the “old country”? So far, I’ve been unable to determine his wife’s name, which adds to the frustration. Neither Henry nor his wife (widow) is listed in the 1790 North Carolina census. The last record in which I’ve found them (I think) is dated 1789. 

My hopes to finding the origins of my ancestor, Henry Kimbro (and all his variant names/spellings) have been focused on learning more about and tracing the ship mates who arrived on the Edinburgh (and other ships) in the autumn of 1753 and especially any who may have wound up on Stinking Quarter Creek in Orange County, North Carolina. I also research the families into which his children married and look for clues or evidence of their European origins, and I track down his neighbors — always looking for snippets of information that might solve this puzzle. 

This often has been tedious, boring research with mostly negative results. Frequently, I put it away and let it set. After all, my ancestors aren’t going anywhere. And, then the nagging starts, and I pull out the research logs and data I have about Heinrich/Henry Gimper/Kimbro (ca 1733-1789) and I create a new research plan, hone the chisels and grab a hammer, and go back to work in hopes of knocking down this so-called brick wall. Knowing full well, the minute I solve that problem, two more will pop up — like whack-a-mole. 


Endnotes:

[1]“Emigrants from Daaden, Rhineland-Palatinate, 1753,” by Henning Schroeder Im Sohl 60: 5270 Gummersbach 1; West Germany 1986 — an article that appears in The Palatine Immigrant, Vol. XII, No. 1, 1987. Family History Library (US/CAN FHL 973 B2pi). Available online for purchase at: http://www.palamgermangenealogysociety.org/bkstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=193

[2] Strassburger, Ralph Beaver, and William John Hinke. Pennsylvania German Pioneers: A Publication of the Original Lists of the Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808 ... 2 vols. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing C0., Inc., 1980.

[3] “Emigrants from Daaden, Rhineland-Palatinate, 1753,” by Henning Schroeder