The following is a partial
quote from two messages I received from Michael Palmer:
"...the works to which I have ready access give the following four EBERSOL family groups that emigrated to North America in the 18th-century:
1: Abraham E., with 3 family members -- arrived on the "James Goodwill," oaths of allegiance 27, ix, 1727. I know nothing of this family's origins.
2: Johannes, Jost, and Peter E. -- arrived on the "Robert & Alice",
oaths of allegiance 3 Sep 1739. [source: Werner Hacker, "Auswanderungen
aus Rheinpfalz und Saarland im 18. Jahrhundert" Stuttgart. Konrad Theiss,
1987, p. 301, no. 3067, indicates that Peter was a Mennonite
[Wiedertäufer], and that he came from D-67161 Gönnheim, 4 kilometers
east of Washenheim an der Weinstrasse, in the Palatinate."
"Hermann and Gertrud
Guth, and J. Lemar and Lois Ann Mast, "Palatine Mennonite Census Lists,
1664-1793" Elverston, Pennsylvania, Mennonite Family History, 1987: "1685:
'Mennists living in the Palatine territory': Jost Ebersohl, on the Monsheim
estate [D-67590 Monsheim, on the Pfrimm River, 13 kilometers due west of
Worms], p. 14.
3: Carl E. -- 21 years old, arrived on the "Peggy," oaths of allegiance
25, ix. 1753. Annette K. Burgert, Eighteenth Century Emmigrants from the
Northern Alsace to America, Pennsylvania German Society, Publications,
26 (1992), p. 135, no. 116, indicates that Carl was born in F-67320 [post
code] Berg, near Drulingen, in the department of Bas-Rhin, France, on 25.ix.1732.
The son of Johann Michael
Ebersoll of Berg and his wife Anna Christina, nee Wilhelm. The registers
of the Lutheran Church for Berg and Thal begin in 1712; the Family History
Library has microfilm copies of the registers for 1712-1794 (rolls 0729847
and 0729848), and you can borrow copies of these microfilms through any LDS
Family History Center. For earlier records for Berg, check the microfilm
copies of the Protestant church registers for Drulingen for 1704-1712 (roll
0740053) and for Lorenzen for 1671-1704 (roll 0772792).
4: Jacob E. -- arrived on the "Chance," oaths of allegiance 1.xi.1763. I know nothing of this man's origins.
"Returning to Peter Ebersoll, I checked Hermann and Gertrud Guth, and J. Lemar and Lois Ann Mast, "Palatine Mennonite Census Lists, 1664-1793 (Elverston, Pennsylvania; Mennonite Family History, 1987), and found the following "Ebersohl" references:
1685 ("Mennists living in the Palatine territory:") Jost Ebersohl, on the Monsheim estate [D-67590 Monsheim, on the Pfrimm River, 13 kilometers due west of Worms; p. 14].
1724 ("Reports on the holder of sheep pastures, flayers and hangmen as far as they [such reports] had been requested and arrived here in 1724" [because of their work, owners of sheep pastures, hangmen, and knackers were persons who stood outside of society. Mennonites also had a special status and were consequently included in these registers.]) Peter Ebersohl, hereditary tenant on the Seebacherhof in Gönnheim; no assets [p. 28].
1738 ("List of those Mennonites in the Palatine Electorate who have paid the protection fee, as well as of those who did not pay.") Peter Ebersohl, in Gönnheim [p. 35].
Ebersole, C. E., 1937, The Ebersol Families in America 1727-1937:
"Our ancestors came
to America from Germany, but they were of Swiss Descent. While living in
Germany they spelled the name in German 'Ebersohl." A Swiss student taking
post-graduate work in Harvard wrote recently that he was raised near a village
called "Ebersol." He says our name is typically Swiss-German. To quote from
his letter, "Ebersol is a lovely hamlet in the Swiss state of Saint Gall.
The name means a place where men are hunting for wild boar. Eber-
Wild Boar, and Sol- ground or place. There are many families there
carrying the name "Ebersol." The town "ebersol" is four mils northeast of
Butschwil in the Toggenbur District. The people are Protestants and Catholics
who raise cattle and make embroideries in Switzerland. One is "Upper Ebersol"
in the Canton of Luzern. These 300 people raise cattle, fruit and farm. Near
this village, but on a leave 130 feet lower, is "Lower Ebersol" with about
150 Catholics. There are also families of Ebersolds living at Zaziwil, Burgdorf,
Stalden, and farmers along the Emmanthal River in the Canton of Bern.
"Our ancestors must
have been originally Catholics, some of whom left that faith to become Protestant
Mennonites. They escaped death from religious persecution in Switzerland
by fleeing to Wurttemberg and Baden, Germany, about 1690. Some years later
because they hated to take an oath, and from fear of being drafted to serve
in war, and because they wante to worship God in their own simple way, they
made their way down the Rhine river in Germany and each one paid his own
ship passage from Rotterdam, Holland, to Philadelphia. At least five of these
six men settled at first in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania."
"Our six ancestors who
came to America may have been brothers. As the story commonly goes, but it
looks like Abraham was an uncle of the others. They all signed their names
in German on the boat registers when they landed in Philadelphia. They all
spelled their names "Ebersohl;" except Jacob who wrote his "Ebersoll." But
this means nothing, for in those days people gave little attention to spelling
of their names. Most of our present various spellings of the name seem to
have come from the custom of writing names on Master Rolls by sound during
the Revolutionary War. So I have found the name spelled over thirty ways
in records and directories; such as Ebersohl, Ebersol, Ebbersol, Ebersold,
Ebersole, Ebersoll, Eversole, and Eversull."
"...Abraham Ebersohl,
born about 1700. He came down the Rhine River to Rotterdam, Holland, with
his wife and three young children. For here he sailed on the English ship
"James Goodwill." The ship stopped at the port of Falmouth, England,
before sailing to America. After a voyage marked by much suffering and hardship,
they landed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sept. 27, 1727, where Abraham
repeated and signed the Declaration of Allegiance to King George II of England.
His land grant of 300 acres in Lancaster County was November 25, 1735.
"Johannes (John) Ebersohl
was born about 1705, landed at Philadelphia, September 3, 1739, on the ship
"Robert and Alice" from Rotterdam, Holland. He also came from Southern
Germany. His name on the register is not with those of Peter and Jost. Johannes
is not mentioned among the land grants of the U.S. Reports. If he paid taxes
he went under the name John.
"Peter Ebersohl also
landed on the same boat with Johannes, Sept. 3, 1739. His name is given above
that of Jost, probably a brother. He was granted 300 acres of land in Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania, May 3, 1740. He paid taxes in Lebanon Township in 1773,
and in West Hanover Township, near Hummelstown in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
in 1779 and 1782.
"Jost (Joseph) Ebersohl
also landed at Philadelphia on the ship, "Robert and Alice" on September
3, 1739, from Rotterdam, Holland. He was granted 200 acres of land in Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 1740. He also paid taxes on land, horses,
and cattle in Rapho Township, where his farm was located, in 1772. His name
comes next below Peter on the register."
"Carl Ebersohl, born
1732, landed at Philadelphia at the age of 21, on Sept. 24, 1753 on the ship
"Peggy" from Rotterdam, Holland. He seems to have no record of land
or taxes. He married Elizabeth, who was buried with him in Zion Cemetary,
New Germantown, Pennsylvania.
"Jacob Ebersoll, landed
at Philadelphia on Nov. 1, 1763, on the ship "Chance" under the charge
of Captain Chalres Smith. It sailed from Rotterdam, Holland, stopped at Cowes,
England, with 97 persons on board. Jacob had with him his wife, who was Mary
Smith and some young children. He was probably the Jacob who was granted
72.5 acres of land in Lancaster County on Sept 5, 1770. He paid taxes on
land and one house in Lebanon Township, and was one of a few peo;le on a
list of "Freeman" in 1773 paying $75.00 taxes for that year. This was a very
high amount at that time."
Swiss Genealogist
A while back, I contacted
a Swiss genealogist, Manuel Aicher, about Ebersold connections in Switzerland.
His address is: Manuel Aicher, Vogelaustrasse 34, ch-8953 Dietikon, Switzerland.
Manuel is a professional genealogist and will work on this family if he gets
a group of people willing to support his efforts. He sent me a printout of
Ebersold and related surnames that he had in his database. They are as follows...