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Swiss Books & CDs for Sale by Picton Press
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INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO SWISS GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH. By Lewis Bunker Rohrbach, CG. Swiss American Historical Society Publication No. 21. 128 pages. Soft cover. 2004. #2016. $14.95.
This is the first new guide to the sometimes perplexing subject of Swiss Genealogical Research to be published in several decades. First it takes you through a brief history of Switzerland and its people and cantons. Next it explains the uniquely Swiss format of Swiss citizenship, Heimatort rights, and Geschlecht membership. A detailed explanation of the different waves of Swiss emigration to North America is then followed by suggestions on how you can do research in America to help locate the correct Gemeinde in Switzerland for further research.
In real estate investing the three golden rules are location, location, and location; in Swiss genealogical research it's Heimatort, Heimatort, and Heimatort. Without knowing your ancestor's Heimatort, virtually no useful Swiss research can be done. Once you've located the right Heimatort, your research pace and research satisfaction will accelerate enormously.
This guide will help you whether you use it in doing your own research or use it to help direct research work you have performed by others. In combination with the other books mentioned below, this Introductory Guide will greatly simplify your Swiss search.
SWISS SURNAMES: A Complete Register, based partially on the volumes commonly known as Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz. Preface by Lewis Bunker Rohrbach, CG. CD-Rom 2nd edition. 2003. #2041. $49.50
For two generations, Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz has dominated the landscape of Swiss genealogical research like a benevolent giant. First published in two volumes in 1940 at a time when the turbulent world made the importance of being Swiss self-evident,Familiennamenbuch was next published in a six-volume edition in 1969 and in a final three-volume edition in 1989.
The original volumes contained every surname now found in Switzerland (a total of 48,500 surnames) arranged alphabetically, together with the Heimatort or community where eachGeschlecht (surname clan) holds Heimatortrecht (hereditary rights of citizenship), and a rough indication of when each Geschlecht first gained Heimatortrecht there (in most cases, only indicating whether Heimatortrecht was granted in the 20th century, in the 19th century, or prior to 1800). The manner of gaining Heimatortrecht also was indicated: by migration from another Swiss community; by immigration from a foreign country; or by marriage, adoption, or other legal action. Roughly half of the surnames had been in Switzerland for many centuries, and half had come to Switzerland after 1800.
Picton Press published the first American edition of Familiennamenbuch in 1995 in a 3-volume set with a total of 1,344 pages for $149.50 (the Swiss edition then cost $280.00!). Those printed volumes have now gone Out of Print.
In its place, our new 2nd edition CD-Rom contains all of the information in the originalFamiliennamenbuch plus much more. All Geschlecht which were given Heimatortrecht by Bernese government action in 1861 are identified; many Geschlecht are now given with a more exact date as to when Heimatortrecht was granted; those Geschlecht which were studied by Julius Billeter (see below) are identified; those Geschlecht mentioned inBibliography of Swiss Genealogies are also identified; and a number of other sources are cited. Finally, one of the great new features in this CD is that for each of Switzerland's 3,200 Gemeinde it shows you exactly which surnames have Heimatortrecht in thatGemeinde.
BILLETER-SAMMLUNG: Julius Billeters genealogische Arbeiten. Published by the Genealogisch-Heraldische Gesellschaft der Regio Basel. 74 pages. Soft cover. 2001. #2032. $9.50.
Julius Billeter (1869-1957) was a Swiss-Born Mormon genealogical researcher. Working in 1896-1957 from the original Kirchenbucher or church books, he compiled complete genealogical records on roughly 3,750 Swiss Geschlecht or surname clans, often extending over 300 years or more. Only about 1,750 different Swiss surnames were involved since he often worked on multiple families with the same surname. All in all he recorded data on some two million people.
His work is extremely useful as an index to, and a preliminary study of, these Swiss families. Even though the quality of his work was quite uneven, when used together with detailed study of the original Kirchenbucher themselves, it can save you very significant amounts of time.
This small but valuable booklet includes an Introduction in German and a key to Billeter's abbreviations of Christian names and or words. The body of the text lists all of the families he studied, together with the Heimatort or Wohnort (residence) of each family he studied, plus the year of the earliest birth dates included in that study and the number of pages of his original notes on that particular family. No knowledge of German is needed to use this booklet. It is an indispensable tool for all researchers of Swiss genealogy, and armed with it, you will know whether you want to look up on Mormon microfilm his original notes.
The data contained here are also found, in slightly modified form, on the Swiss Surnames/Familiennamenbuch CD-Rom described above.
GENEALOGICAL DATES : A User-Friendly Guide. By Kenneth L. Smith. 200 pages. Illustrated, 5½½"x8½½", soft cover, 1998 (1994). Book only: #1396 $17.50; Book and computer disk: #1396d $19.50
"Everything anyone would ever want to know about dates and dating throughout recorded time." - The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.
"One of those basic reference books that should be on every researcher''s shelf." - The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter.
Was your ancestor born on Elftausend Jungfrauentag, but you haven't the faintest idea when that was? Puzzled by the changeover from Julian to Gregorian calendars? Mystified by a Napoleonic-era reference to the month of NivÔse? Help is at hand!
This easy-to-use book explains in straightforward fashion the Julian and Gregorian calendars; the double dating system of years; the Church calendars [including a 95 page list with some 7,000 entries of Saint's days, Feast days, and the like - more than you can shake a stick at]; the Roman calendar, the French Republican calendar, and the Quaker calendar; and perpetual calendars 1400-2000.
Also available is a DOS-based program which will automatically give you the date of birth for any ancestor whose date of death and age at death you know, solving one of those pesky problems which all of us face.
The program also converts Julian/ Gregorian dates; finds the day of week for a specific date; finds the month and day of a specific religious holiday; and adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides pounds/shillings/pence and dollars/reales.
GERMAN CHURCH BOOKS : Beyond the Basics. Revised edition. By Kenneth L. Smith 224 pages. Dozens of illustrations, samples of original German 17th and 18th century church book entries; 8 pages of variant upper and lower case letters; appendices, indexes. 1999 (1993). Soft Cover #1150s $19.95
"This book should be purchased by every library serving patrons doing research in German church records. It is a must-read for every beginning and intermediate researcher." -Western New York Genealogical Society Journal
"This book is a must for anyone, whether beginner or advanced, who researches in German records" - The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine
"This book is a must for the serious researcher." - Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Los Angeles Times
"This is a book that you want to read once and then return to whenever you encounter a problem." - Der Kurier, journal of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society
This valuable and complete how-to guide to doing research in German church books will interest, educate, and aid almost all genealogical researchers who have progressed beyond the simple basics covered by other how-to books. Starting with the assumption that the reader will already know how to read some "church book" German, the author takes you on a thorough examination of virtually all possible data which can be found in, or even more importantly, deduced from, German church books.
In an easily understood manner, the author walks the reader through the research problems and opportunities which occur. The book includes frequent specific examples and a thorough discussion of the underlying principles involved. A complete set of hundreds of handwriting samples of each and every letter, both upper- and lower-case, adds an entirely separate and very valuable dimension.
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SWISS GENEALOGIES . By Mario von Moos. Registers of Towns and Names. 848 pages on CD-ROM. 2000. #1962 $29.00
This is the American edition of one of the most important Swiss genealogical books; compiled by highly regarded Swiss genealogist Mario von Moos and published in 1993 by the Genealogical Society of Switzerland. Already a classic and the first of its kind for Switzerland, von Moss'' book presents researchers with information on all published works, in any language, concerning all non-noble Swiss families. Keep in mind that, as with all bibliographies, each entry is given in the language of the original title.
The result of more than ten years of research, this book contains over 6,000 entries referring in all to some 10,000 Swiss families. One of the most valuable parts of this work is the Town Register section. If you know where your name or family is from, by looking up the town you will find all local family names which have published genealogies. You don't know which town(s) your family was from? Consult the classic source, Swiss Surnames: A Complete Register, #1630, below, which has been providing the answers to that and other questions for over fifty years.
If your particular surname is not among the names in the Bibliography of Swiss Genealogies, chances are extremely high that, considering the size of these small communities, your family will be included in one of the other genealogies published on the village or town your people were from. It is hard to overemphasize the importance of this work. If you are doing any work on Swiss families at all, you will want to consult this CD, and Swiss Surnames before starting your Swiss research - it is sure to save you untold hours of work. When you consider that inquiries to the Swiss Genealogical Society cost about $20.00 per surname, you will realize this CD will save you substantial money as well!
MEN OF BERN: The 1798 BÜrgerverzeichnisse of Canton Bern, Switzerland. Edited by Lewis Bunker Rohrbach, CG. 3 volumes. 1,760 pages. 60,137 entry Every Name Index. 1999. 3-volume set #1780 $295.00
When the French Revolution and Napoleon reached Switzerland in 1798, all men in every canton in Switzerland aged 20 to 70 were required to sign an Oath of Allegiance to the new Constitution. The resulting lists of all Swiss men usually include, as a minimum, the men's ages, occupations, place of hereditary Heimatort, and place of physical residence. As such, the BÜrgerverzeichnisse supplies a complete census of adult males 20 to 70, two full generations before the first census of 1855 (which, even then, does not name individuals)!
By arrangement with Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, Picton Press has transcribed and translated all 17 original volumes containing data on all 60,000 Bernese men aged 20-70 alive in 1798. None of these volumes has been filmed or published before! As with all lists compiled by many different officials, the exact data varies from Heimatort to Heimatort. In many Bernese Heimatort, these 1798 lists include additional information such as: exact date of birth or baptism; relationship to other men of the same Geschlecht (surname clan); comments such as "sick" or "left the area for France three years ago", etc.
All in all these are wonderful, fascinating, and seriously important lists. They serve as a substitute for non-existent Bernese censuses as well as a superb research tool. Picton Press hopes to publish subsequent volumes covering the balance of the Swiss cantons to the extent that their 1798 BÜrgerverzeichnisse lists still survive.
To see a complete list of surnames contained in this set, please visit our web site at www.pictonpress.com.
GEOGRAPHISCHES LEXIKON DER SCHWEIZ . CD-ROM. Volumes 1-6 plus supplement, each volume available individually or as an entire set. The text is in German.
Volume 1 -- Aa- Emmengruppe #1988A
Volume 2 -- Emmenholz-Kraialppass #1988B
Volume 3 -- Krailigen-Plentsch #1988C
Volume 4 -- Plessur-Schweiz #1988D
Volume 5 -- Schweiz-Tavetsch #1988E
Volume 6 -- Tavetsch-Zybachsplatte #1988F
Supplement (originally in Vol. 6) #1988G
Entire set -- all 7 CDs #1988
Individual CDs $19.50/each
Entire set of 7 CDs $99.50/set
In any good lexikon you expect to find information on a multitude of locations, usually the villages, towns, cities, etc. of an entire area. However, Geographisches Lexikon der Schweiz, with typical Swiss precision, carries the basic concept one step further. It contains a broad variety of information (topography, orthography, geology, climate, flora & fauna, culture, recent and ancient history, and much more) on all of Switzerland's villages, towns, cities, Gemeinde (the basic Swiss unit, sometimes a single village, sometimes a collection of several tiny communities), Berzirke (= counties) and Kantons (= states). In addition, it includes mountains, valleys, rivers and streams, etc. and then it goes on to cover Switzerland's industries, professions, population, etc. The inclusion of a number of minutely detailed maps adds significantly to its usefulness.
Finding your ancestor's Gemeinde is absolutely the first step in Swiss genealogical research, and for this purpose Geographisches Lexikon der Schweiz is an indispensable tool which you will use again and again. Want to know how many cows, horses, pigs, goats, sheep and beehives were in your ancestor's Gemeinde in 1876, 1886 and 1896? This is the book for you!
The book, as the title Geographisches Lexikon der Schweiz indicates, is entirely in German. Using it requires a German/English dictionary but not a great deal of familiarity with the German language. The bulk of genealogists interested in Switzerland, and we hope that this includes you, will find this reference one of those "wish I had known that a long time ago" sources.
Totally unavailable in print for the past three-quarters of a century, this important research tool, originally printed in six large bound volumes, is now available from Picton Press on seven CD-Roms. This professional research tool will take you leagues forward in your research. Now available in economical and space-saving CD-Rom format, this is a set which you will refer to again and again.
PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN PIONEERS : The Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia 1727 to 1808. By Ralph Beaver Strassburger; edited by William John Hinke. Three volumes; 864, 928 and 768 pages for a total of 2,560 pages. Printed end sheets in all 3 volumes; 25 maps, portraits, documents, and paintings. 503 pages of indexes, including a complete index of the names of the 29,902 signers; also indexes of captains, indexes of ships, indexes of officials & merchants, and two lists of Christian names (both male & female). 1992 (1934).
Vol I [the typeset passenger lists 1727-1775]. #1342 $65.00
Vol II [the original lists, with signatures and marks]. #1343 $70.00
Vol III [the typeset lists 1785-1808; index to all lists 1727-1808;
and five other indexes]. #1344 $60.00
The entire 3-volume set #1345 $175.00
"Strassburger and Hinke are an essential source for German immigration researchers and Picton Press presents it in the durable format such a resource deserves." - Der Kurier, publication of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society.
"As always, Picton Press published this series with heavy acid-free paper, sewn bindings, hard covers in quality linen, and full standard size; these books are larger than their counterparts by other publishers. Libraries will want the full set and individuals will want, at the least, the new Volume 2 containing the signatures." - The Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine.
"In completeness and accuracy these lists easily surpass all those that have gone before. In order to enable the genealogist to settle disputed spellings for himself, the entire second volume of the publication has been given over to the reproduction in facsimile of all available signatures. It is a model in method, in the accomplishment of its aim, in setting a standard for future works of this kind." - The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography (1935)
Since its publication in 1934 over two generations ago, Strassburger and Hinke'sPennsylvania German Pioneers has been the cornerstone, virtually the bible, of all Pennsylvania German genealogical research. Its three volumes contain the verbatim passenger lists, including the original signatures, of virtually all of the 30,000 heads of German-speaking families who arrived in the port of Philadelphia during the fifty years prior to the American Revolution. The total of 65,000 passengers covered in these lists represent roughly two-thirds of all German-speaking immigrants who arrived in American during the almost one hundred years 1683-1775!
Owning a set of Pennsylvania German Pioneers is absolutely essential to any research on German-speaking immigrants prior to the American Revolution!
This is the first complete reprint of Pennsylvania German Pioneers. Also, our reprint includes a new Introduction by Lewis Bunker Rohrbach, cg; corrections of the few lists incorrectly identified; and reference to the two lists not found in 1934. If you purchased the incomplete 2 volume reprint done in 1966 and reprinted in 1980, you will want to purchase the missing middle volume (Volume II above) to complete your set. Similarly, libraries whose sets are incomplete for any reason can purchase the missing volumes separately, as shown above.
AMERICA EXPERIENCED: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Accounts of Swiss Immigrants to the United States. Leo Schelbert, Editor, Hedwig Rappolt, Translator. 480 pages. 22 photos, maps, and illustrations. 4,500 entry Every Name Index. 1996. #1530 Now out of print.
First-hand accounts written by ordinary immigrants are among the rarest yet most valuable sources for understanding the motivations and experiences of immigrants. Such accounts also offer unique viewpoints on America as seen by outsiders.
In this book you will see America as it appeared to Swiss immigrants, in their own words, from 1704 through 1906. These fascinating accounts range from the promoters and settlers of 1710 North Carolina to the Mennonites of 18th century Pennsylvania; from the Mormon Swiss of the 1870s to the Italian-Swiss winegrowers of late 19th century California.
There are colonial-era letters from Pennsylvania 1736-1769; Maryland 1704; North Carolina 1711; and North Carolina 1733-1785. Nineteenth-century letters cover Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Utah, Wyoming, Michigan, and California.
Interested in immigrants; in German-speaking settlers; in colonial America? This book is for you.
ERPRESSTE SCHWEIZ: Zur Auseinandersetzung um die Haltung der Schweiz im Zweiten Weltkrieg und um die Berichte der Bergier-Kommission. [The Extortion of Switzerland]. Edited by Arbeitskreises Gelebte Geschichte. 206 pages. 6"x8¼¼", paperback. 2002. #2052 $19.50
History is made by each generation, not just in the time of our ancestors. Sprechen Sie Deutsches? Here, written in German, is an account of the extortion of $1.2 billion from Switzerland partly as one of the results of the 1996-2001 Bergier Commission. Repetition of large lies doesn't make them true. Read here how a ruthless and aggressive campaign by some of America's less savory politicians and special-interest groups led to the extortion of a sum roughly equal to more than $600 from each and every Swiss family.
LA SUISSE FACE AU CHANTAGE: Son attitude en 1939-1945 Critiques des rapports Bergier [The Extortion of Switzerland]. Edited by Groupe de Travail Histoire VÉcue. 200 pages. 6"x8¾¾", paperback. 2002. #2053 $19.50
With four national languages (German, French, Italian, and Romansh), Switzerland can be a complicated country. Parlez-vous franÇais? This book is the French-language edition ofErpresste Schweiz (above), and for all French-speaking researchers offers a unique look at the workings of the modern-day Swiss, one of the most interesting countries in Europe.
BRIGHTNESS REMEMBERED . By Carol Williams. 224 pages, smyth sewn, lithocase bound. 2001. #1993 $22.50
Looking for an interesting novel about Swiss immigrants? Here is one about a Swiss family which came to Saxe-Gotha Township in South Carolina in 1756. The second book in a trilogy, this novel, like the others, is about the blending of cultures and how these Swiss became American. All of our ancestors would have had similar experiences. The first book in the trilogy The Switzers saw the young Swiss couple, Johannes and Madle Lienhardt, through the end of the Cherokee War in 1761. The last book in the trilogy, By Wonders and By War, ends in 1782. What about the years in between?
In this book all characters are fictitious although the author has taken the name of one of the main characters from one of her own ancestors since, like her namesake, Margaret Allen is a strong-minded woman.
Margaret meets Rudi after rescuing him from a serious accident. Since he was from below the "Deadfall Line", where the German-speakers settled, and she from above, where the Scots-Irish settled, there was bound to be trouble with a "Romeo-Juliet" type of situation.
Read all about this turbulent period and how these strong-willed people overcame many hardships.
RETROSPECTIVES ON SWITZERLAND IN WORLD WAR II . Edited by Donald P. Hilty 160 pages, 6"x9"; smyth sewn, lithocase bound. 2001. #1959 $19.50
Much in the news in the recent past, the story of the effects of World War II on Switzerland, and the Swiss response to that pressure is much more than sound bites and snappy headlines. If you are interested in the true story, this book will fascinate and educate in equal proportions. First published in German in 1997 by the Neue ZÜrcher Zeitung and already in its second Swiss printing, this book now is available for the first time in English. Eight prominent Swiss authors and intellectuals have contributed to this insightful study of the Swiss mind and actions during one of the twentieth century's worst periods.
The well-known contributors include Hugo BÜtler, Chief Editor of the Neue ZÜrcher Zeitung, who examines the tension between neutral Switzerland and humanitarian Switzerland; Hans Schaffner, former Federal Councilor and President of Switzerland, who discusses Switzerland''s foreign trade policy during World War II; as well as Professor Klaus Urner, who gives insights into neutrality and trade wars. Hans Senn, former General Chief of Staff of the Swiss armed forces, discusses the readiness of the Swiss Army in WWII; Professor Dietrich Schindler writes on how Swiss Neutrality was contested; and Professor Walther Hofer examines the question of just who prolonged WWII. Detlev F. Vagts, professor at Harvard Law School, discusses the interplay of International Law, Switzerland, and WWII, while Sigmund Widmer, former Mayor of ZÜrich, examines Switzerland's place in World War II.
Highly recommended to all students of Switzerland - whether the Country of today or the world of the 18th century. This is one of my personal favorites.
SWITZERLAND UNDER SIEGE 1939-1945 A Neutral Nation's Struggle for Survival. Edited by Leo Schelbert. 272 pages; adhesive casebound; 24 pages of full-color maps and illustrations; 1,639 entry name and subject index. 2000. #1971 $25.00
In today's western world of comfort and safety, almost sixty years later few seem able to remember or understand what World War II felt like ---- or what it was all about. Many Americans, protected by an ocean, are even less aware of European military history. Switzerland's place in that conflict has been shaped in the past decades by selective reporting and revisionist thinking. A comprehensive look has been long overdue.
Switzerland Under Siege 1939-1945 brings you the true story of Switzerland and World War II. In carefully written and impartially edited studies of all aspects of neutrality in general and of Switzerland's neutrality in particular, you will learn about:
German and Italian invasion plans for Switzerland, and the Swiss Army's response - in dozens of color maps and illustrations.
Allied and Axis espionage in neutral Switzerland
The American bombings of Zurich, Basel, and Schaffhausen - simple errors or deliberate retaliation?
Myth vs. reality: the actual story of Jewish refugees and Swiss humanitarian efforts - not the front page sound bites.
Women's roles in war-time Switzerland
Daily life on a neutral's home front
Honor and morals in an immoral world
The major demands, and limited rewards, of true neutrality
Descendants and historians alike will find this an excellent and thought-provoking book, well written and well documented. We recommend it highly and are proud to be the publishers.
AN AMERICAN APPRENTICESHIP : The Letters of Emil Frey 1860-1865. Edited and translated by Hedwig Rappolt. Swiss American Historical Society Pub No. 7. 232 pages. Hard cover. 1986. Peter Lang. #1600 $17.50
Students of Switzerland, of America's Civil War, and of emigrant letters home, will find this a fascinating book. Emil Frey, a member of a prominent family in Canton Basel-Land, upon his return to Switzerland entered politics. In a varied and unusual life he later became President of the Nationalrat, the Swiss House of Representatives and subsequently Swiss Ambassador to America. He was a complex and difficult man whose career is worth studying.
SWISS AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY REVIEW. #1981 $8.00 per issue; $20.00 per year (3 issues are published per year) Please specify volume and issue number when ordering individual issues.
Founded in 1927 in Chicago and reactivated in 1964, the SAHS unites people interested in the involvement of Swiss and their descendants in American life, in aspects of Swiss American relations, and in Swiss history.
As its name suggests, the Society's activities pertain to Swiss-American history and to promoting historical and genealogical research involving Swiss immigrants. Yet the interests of the SAHS reach beyond history and include the ties between the United States and Switzerland. Issues of the SAHS Review and papers presented at the Society's meetings have explored topics such as "Bern, Switzerland, a Medieval City Today" (E. Schmocker); "Benjamin Franklin and Heinrich Zschokke" (D. H. Crosby); "Bombing the Sister Republic: The United States and Switzerland During World War II" (J. H. Huston), "The Crisis of Switzerland at the Threshold of the European Union" (H. D. Page).
With members mainly in the United States, Canada, and Switzerland, the SAHS fosters contacts with both sides of the Atlantic and serves as a link between Swiss-Americans, Swiss, and Americans in an effort to promote cultural awareness and mutual understanding.
Here is a great opportunity for non-members to enjoy the interesting topics published in theReview.
ONE SMALL LIFETIME. By Ernest Albert ThÜrkauf, edited by Ernest Albert Thurston, Jr. Swiss American Historical Society Publication No. 20. 272 pages. 2002. #2045 $29.50
Here is a story of one Swiss family's struggles as they traveled from Switzerland to Halifax, then through Canada and ultimately to the United States. These memories were burned deeply into ThÜrkauf's mind, having grown up under harsh conditions and helping in the many tasks of survival both in coal camps and on prairie farms. The family depended on his efforts.
Life in its rawness has a way of impressing itself on young minds in a way that later years can never erase! Included in this book along with the reminiscences are several family letters, notes from travel diaries and some Swiss family documents.
The elder Ernest ThÜrkauf recently passed away on September 22, 2002 aged 95 years!
SWISS SISTERS SEPARATED: Pioneer Life in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Washington 1889-1914 from the Letters of Louise Guillermin Dupertuis to her sister Élise Guillermin, the painter. Translated and edited by Jeremy Dupertius Bangs. 496 pages, including 16 pages of full-color photos; 20 other photos; extensive genealogical section. 2003. #2039 $39.50
Immigrant letters home are among the most valuable windows into the soul of America regardless of the time period involved. But seldom do we get an opportunity, as we do here, to see the immigrant experience from the viewpoint of the women involved. Jeremy Bangs, well-known Pilgrim scholar and director of the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum, Leiden, The Netherlands, brings us some 300 letters written by the 19th century immigrant Louise Dupertuis to her sister back home in Switzerland.
Originally written in French and translated here into English, the letters offer us insights into the clash between the primitive conditions of western American settlement and the middle-class comforts of life in French-speaking Canton de Vaud, Switzerland.
Those interested in Women''s Studies, in the American immigrant experience, in letters and journals, and in Switzerland will be well-served by Mr. Bangs' fine work.
THE 1710 SWISS AND GERMAN SETTLERS OF NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA by Lewis Bunker Rohrbach, cg. This is Volume 2 of the 3-volume set Even More Palatine Families: 18th Century Immigrants to the American Colonies and their German, Swiss, and Austrian Origins by Henry Z Jones, Jr., fasg and Lewis Bunker Rohrbach, cg. 2,424 pages in 3 volumes, 2,000 families, photos, maps, illustrations, 66,599 entry Every Name Index. 2002. #1752 $195.00 (for all 3 volumes)
Drawing on a combined 80 years of experience, two of America's foremost genealogists bring you major new finds on literally thousands of German-speaking immigrants who came to North America between 1710 and the Revolution. Both authors have won the prestigious Donald Lines Jacobus Award and similar honors in the past. Their work here fully justifies their reputations, and the fine reputations of the other professional contributors such as Brigitte Burkett, Friedrich WollmershÄuser, Klaus Petry, and Ulrich Pfister.
The contents are impressive and varied. The entire first volume contains new discoveries 1717-1776 by Hank Jones and others; the second volume is devoted to the first comprehensive study of the 1710 Swiss and German settlers of New Bern, North Carolina by Lew Rohrbach. Other items published here for the first time include the entire Nova Scotia Passenger Lists 1750-1752 transcribed by Brigitte Burkett; the famed Hunter Lists 1712-1714 transcribed by Marlene A. Groves, cg; Swiss research by Ulrich Pfister; and extensive new discoveries by Friedrich WollmershÄuser, Klaus Petry, and others. In addition, all surviving 1710 Rotterdam Departure Lists are published here for the first time in verbatim and corrected form, as are all five of the 1709-1717 Return Party Lists. As almost dessert, lists of Salzburger and other refugees who passed Schwabisch HÄll 1750-1758 are included.
The ground-breaking Volume two gives a complete account of the 760 Swiss and German immigrants who settled New Bern, NC in 1710, as well as new statistics and sources on the 2,500 who settled in New York at the same time. Today millions of Americas from across the country are descendants of these sturdy pioneers.
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