There are four departments that together make up the Champagne-Ardenne region: from north to south these are Ardennes, Marne, Aube and Haute-Marne. Eva was born in the Marne department in a town called Charville in Champagne, France in 1715. I'm sure that this is a picturesque part of the country where all the vineyards are growing grapes for the famous French Champagne. It was in the mid 1700s, that the royal government of France dictated the size, weight and shape of Champagne bottles and corks. They also mandated that the cork be securely tied onto the bottle.
Were Eva and her spouse, married in 1723, involved in the business of champagne? It's certainly a possibility and maybe we'll find out some day. What we do know is that this couple arrived in America in 1739. Perhaps Jean and Eva left France for religious reasons, since we know that Jean was a Huguenot.
The following list of their children may not be complete. Rachel was the only child who was born in France. The other children were all born in Pennsylvania.
Rachel unknown date
J. Nicholas abt. 1740
Catherine 1743
Anna Barbara 1744
Anna Christina1745 (our ancestor)
Heinrich F. 1746
John 1748
Ursula 1752
Anthony 1753
Eva Marie died after 1755 in Dover, York, Pennsylvania.
Jean Nicol Chateau was a French Huguenot from Charleviille, Champagne, France, born in 1715. He married Maria Eva Molitor, at age 17, who was a little older than Jean. They emigrated to Philadelphia, arriving on September the 3rd, 1739, with a young daughter. Their ship was called Loyal Judith.
Looking at the birthplaces and christenings of their children, it appears that this family lived in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, but perhaps in a few different counties. However, since the county borderlines were in a state of constant change in the early years of Pennsylvania, it is difficult to determine if the family was moving around, or merely that the counties were changing around. The children were born and christened in these counties: York, Berks, Lancaster, and Adam. The eldest child was born in France. The third child was christened on the 7th of August in 1744 at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Goshenhoppen, in Berks, PA, pictured above. The church is set in an idyllic rural landscape in a community typical of a small town.
"In 1743, Fr. Schneider established St. Aloysius Academy, a fledgling educational institution that marked the beginnings of Catholic primary education in Pennsylvania. Now known as St. Francis Academy, the school is reportedly the oldest continuously operated Catholic school in Pennsylvania, and one of the three oldest in the original thirteen colonies. Protestants and Catholics lived in harmony, and the former seemed to offer a welcoming spirit that ran against the deep religious divisions that sometimes flared up in the British colonies." a quote from Wikipedia. This spirit of ecumenism and mutuality would, in my opinion, suit the Chateau family, because of the fact that Jean was a Huguenot. So, I like to think that the two older children may have attended this school.
By the fall of 1753, the Chateau family settled at Dover, York, PA. Jean died there in 1797.
This sixth great grandmother was born about 1701 in Rheinland, Germany, probably in the area of Bad Kreuznach where she married Johannes Valentin Berntheusel in 1720. (By the way, the term "Bad" means bath or spa, suggesting that this town is/was a place for tourists to enjoy warm water recreation.) Their first five children were born in Klein-Neidesheim of Bad Kreuznach. The other two were born after the family emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania. The first child's name is unknown. The other children's names and birthdates are listed here:
1. --------------? 23 Dec 1721
2. Johannes 27 May 1723
3. Maria Catharina 15 Nov 1725
4. Johann Jacob 23 May 1728
5. Johannes Martin 19 May 1729 (our ancestor)
6. Susanna Catharina 22 May 1733
7. Rebecca abt. 1740
Great grandmother, Susanna, died in Berks County, Pennsylvania, date unknown.
Our 6th great grandfather, Johann Valentin Bernthausel, had a number of nicknames such as Val, Veld, or Velten but he seemed to prefer to be called Felty, especially in his later years. He was born in a place called Bad Kreuznach, Germany, shown in the picture above, in 1699 and was baptized at the Lutheran Church on the 25th of June that year. Years later, he is listed as a shoemaker in the local records. He picked Susanna Bohlen to be his bride and they were married on the 12th of November in 1720. Their first four children were born in Klein-Neidesheim.
Felty and his family arrived in the port of Philadelphia on the ship "Samuel" in 1728. The next record we have tells of Felty's purchases that he made at the estate sale of Laurence Bingam in Philadelphia County, PA in April 1733. In that same year, a new daughter is being baptized in Schifenthill in Philadelphia County. In 1734, great grandpa has signed his Declaration of Intent and on 11 April 1741 he received his Naturalization papers. Now, he's able to buy land in Buck County. He bought 100 acres in 1745 and 50 more acres in 1750 and this land seems to be located in what was later called Lynn Twp. in Lehigh County, where "Valentine Barontheisel" is listed as an early settler.
Are you noticing how much our ancestors moved around? In 1752 a "Felty Bensel" shows up on a tax list in Tulpehocken Twp. in Berks County and in 1760 in Albany Twp., Berks County.
Felty died in Windsor Twp., Berks County, PA in 1764.
Today's entry is about our final couple who fit into our fifth great grandparents list, which means that we'll begin discussing our 6th great grandparents next weekend!
I am not yet confident about this Mackey couple because I haven't found any records to prove that they are indeed our ancestors. I found some information about this William Mackey in a book about Horsefall Valley Mackey families, residents in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The author of the book seemed to believe that our Mackeys of Welsh Run, also in Franklin County, are descended from this William Mackey who emigrated from Edinburgh, Scotland. It is exciting for me to contemplate and search for evidence, that William may be our Scottish emigrant to America, and I will do my best to find the proof that we need to make this a fact.
Here is what the aforementioned author had to say about William and Jean:
William Mackey was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1712. He came with his parents and some siblings to Pennsylvania about 1729. William married Jean Montgomery who was born in Fannetsburg, PA in 1714. One of their sons was Robert Mackey, born in 1750 (possibly our ancestor who owned real estate in Welsh Run, Franklin County, PA and lived there for a number of years).
There are four departments that together make up the Champagne-Ardenne region: from north to south these are Ardennes, Marne, Aube and Haute-Marne. Eva was born in the Marne department in a town called Charville in Champagne, France in 1715. I'm sure that this is a picturesque part of the country where all the vineyards are growing grapes for the famous French Champagne. It was in the mid 1700s, that the royal government of France dictated the size, weight and shape of Champagne bottles and corks. They also mandated that the cork be securely tied onto the bottle.
