Johann Georg (George) See formerly Zeh

Johann Georg (George) See formerly Zeh

Born about 1689 in Germany

Son of Johannes Zeh and Anna Magdalena (Unknown) Zeh

Brother of Christian Zeh, Maria Margaretha Zeh, Johannes Zeh, Maria Barbara Zeh, Johan George Zeh, Johann Gerhardt Zeh, Ignatius Zeh, Johann Peter Zeh and Johann Adam Zeh

Husband of Mary Margret Unknown — married [date unknown] [location unknown]

Father of Barbara See, Jacob See, John See, Madline See, Margaret See, Johann Frederick (Zeh) See, Mary See, Michael See, George See, Elizabeth See, Simon See and Anna Maria Zeh

Died before in Augusta County, Virginia

Johann Georg Zeh was confirmed at New German Colony (West Camp Lutheran Churchbook, a List of First Communicants pp. 81-86) on 30 Apr 1711. However, I do not believe that he could have been the usual age for confirmation of about 12 years or even the usual age of first communion at 7 years. This would calculate his date of birth to be about 1699-1703, as would the Third List of Palatines in London in the year 1709. This cannot be because one of his oldest children, Frederick Michael See, was born about 1712 in New York. This would make him 14 years old at Frederick's birth. It is a well known fact that the churches of the time did not sanction marriages of boys this young. Usually a male would be at least 21 years old and be able to prove that he could support a family. Therefore, I am estimating his date of birth to be at least 21 years before the birth of Frederick; and, his wife to be about the same age. Consideration of the fact that the family entered the protestant faith from the Catholic faith, leads one to believe that he could have been much older at first communion or confirmation. He appears on the list of Names of Male Palatines, Above Twenty-one Years Old in Livingston Manor, New York in the Winter 1710 and Summer 1711, which would support a year of birth of about 1689. In addition, more research is needed to ascertain whether or not the marriage date of 1709 in Switzerland, mentioned in A Chronicle of the See Family by Irene See Brasel is correct. The further I go with this, the more I am doubting exactly what the maiden name of Mary Margaret was. I am starting to get that old feeling of trying to put a square peg in a round hole; and, this usually means that something does not add up. Hence, more research is on the menu.

I found something on the CD of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of West Camp, New York Records which I think is significant for showing that George WAS older.

Rupp's 30,000 Immigrants list George Zeh among 33 German Palatinate families arriving in New York in 1710, spending 1710-1711 winter and summer in Livingston Manor, Sullivan County, New York, on page 448; then moving in 1713 to Schoharie County, New York. He is also listed on page 465 among the "Names of Early Settlers in Tulpehocken, Berks, and Lebabon Counties", where as early as 1723, thirty-three families of Germans who had come to New York in 1710, settled in Schoharie in 1713, then many moved to Tulpehocken Creek in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where George joined them in 1728 and was a member of the Lutheran Congregation. He appears on the list of "Names of Early Settlers in Tulpehocken, Berks and Lebanon Counties, as having arrived in 1728 with another group of settlers who came from Schoharie. He also is listed by Mr. C. Lindemuth on his list made from land deeds and land patents which was published in The Pennsylvania German in Lebanon, Pennsylvania in 1904, V, 191. Although the map drawn up by Mr. Lindemuth, locating the patents, was dated by him "1723", it obviously should be of some later date, certainly after 1728, according to Early Palatine Emigration Appendices in FTM CD 267 German and Swiss Settlers in America, 1700s-1800s copyrighted by MyFamily.com, Inc. George may have come to Tulpehocken as early as the fall of 1725, as there is a "Hans Jery Say" on the Tulpehocken Township Tax Assessments, a handwritten list of 36 names. Hans is a shortening of the name Johannes and Jery was used in the lists for other men known to have been named George in other documents. (This information was contributed by Sara Patton.)

Conrad Weiser, an early Schoharie Palatine Immigrant, in his autobiography, which was not published until 1875, states that the first group who came to Tulpehocken in 1823, comprised of fifteen families, floated down the Susquehanna in dugout canoes, up the Swatara, and then moved on to Tulpehocken, "and drove their cattle over land."

George was included with the early settlers of the 1740's to present day Hardy County, Virginia, settling near the present village of Lost River on the stream of Lost River. Since he appears on a list of members of the Tulpehocken Lutheran Church 1743-1746, made by Rev. Tobias Wagner, he probably arrived in western Virginia about this time.

Extracts from the Diary of Leonhard Schnell and John Brandmueller of Their Journey to Virginia, October 12 - December 12, 1749: "Above the gap, we came to the Germans, where we called on George Zeh (See). Here we appointed a sermon for the next day. When the neighbors heard of our arrival, several came at once and implored us to baptize their children. I turned them off as well as I could. This continued for a long time. In the evening our host asked us: Why do you teach that the Savior accepts all men, and yet you refuse to baptize these children? I told him because these people give their children such a poor training. On November 7th, a woman came very early to us asking for the baptism of her child. In the same way, six others came whom we could not refuse. Brandmueller preached on the words: Behold the Lamb of God. After the sermon, a general request was made for baptism. Hence, I baptized two girls and a little boy. In the afternoon we went back part of the way to Mr. Joachim, where we had appointed a sermon. George Zeh took us twice through the river on horses."

Estate of George See may be found including administration by Frederick Sea of 27 Aug 1751, with inventory listed on 27 Aug 1752 in Augusta County Will Book 1, 1745-1753, Reel 41, Pages 375-377, at Virginia State Library at Richmond, Virginia.

The origination of the name Johannes "Ludwig" See may have come from the following source which was listed in A Chronicle of the See Family and their Kindred by Irene See Brasel: "Philadelphia was the point of entry and its docks and wharves were scenes of activity as the vessels made return trips with regularity. Passenger lists named the heads of families and boys under sixteen years of age; females were unlisted. The immigrant was required to sign an oath of loyalty to the government upon his entry. The original lists of the names of these Swiss, German and other immigrants were on file in the Secretary’s office in Harrisburg and published in 1857 by Prof. Daniel Rupp in an edition called A Collection of Thirty Thousand Names, etc. In list 32, September l8, 1733, was Palatines, the Brigantine, Pennsylvania, Merchant of London, John Stedman Master, from Rotterdam last from Plymouth. Passengers were 71 males above 16; 56 females, 37 males under 16, 64 males and females under 16 - in all 191. The name of John Ludwig See appears." Actually, the name "John Ludwig Sees" is listed on page 90 of "A collection of Upwards of Thirty Thousand Names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French and other Immigrants in Pennsylvania From 1727 to 1776" by Prof. Israel Daniel Rupp, Leary Stuart & Co., Philadelphia, Pa, 1898 by Edwin S. Stuart, which is the same book referenced previously for George having entered the country. So, it seems quite possible that Johann George See and Johannes Ludwig See were two different individuals who have been spliced together by some researchers into one person named "Johannes George Ludwig See/Zeh".