Who were Conrad's parents in Germany?
Research by WSeelentag
The parish of Emhof (in the Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany) belongs officially to the parish of Dietldorf, but lies halfway along the road to Schmidmühlen. Hans Georg Jander/Jänder and his wife Margaretha live in Emhof - they have at least 4 children baptised:04.07.1689 Hans Georg Jander in Dietldorf
27.12.1691 Agnes Jänder in Schmidmühlen
02.08.1694 Conrad Jänder in Dietldorf
26.07.1702 Anna Barbara Jander in Dietldorf
*I have not found any marriages in either Schmidmühlen or Dietldorf - but there are no marriage entries from 1686 or 1683 (unless I have overlooked something).
*The name and origin of Conrad Jänder, born in 1694, would certainly match the Conrad Jenta we are looking for - but the date of birth differs by 4 years from the date in the Wetzikon population register ... what possible explanations are there?
1) The information in Wetzikon is simply wrong: not impossible, but with a difference of 4 years not overly likely.
2) Conrad (*1694) died young and had a brother born in 1698 who later emigrated to Switzerland.
a) There is no corresponding death entry: the Dietldorf death register does not begin until 1712, while that of Schmidmühlen has a gap between 1693 and 1701.
b) Further children could well have been born between 1694 and 1702 - a Conrad (*1698) would therefore be possible.
c) However, there is no corresponding baptism in 1698 in either Dietldorf or Schmidmühlen. I have also found no further mention of Jander in the name registers of neighbouring parishes.
*Summary: However, as no other Jander/Jänder family can be traced in the area of the Dietldorf or Schönmühlen parishes in this time period, it can probably be assumed that Hans Georg Jander/Jänder and his wife Margaretha are the parents of the emigrated Conrad.
Kent: Conrad Jenta born 2 May 1698 came from Schmidmüllen, Oberpfalz, Bavaria. It was a commercial center due to its location on the Vils and Lauterach rivers, as well as the site of one of the largest hammer works in that era. The crest for the city has a hammer and wheel. Conrad was a Gerber or tanner of cowhides. He married Elisabeth Landis 11 December 1732 who was from Wengi, near Aegust am Albis near Affoltern am Albis, Canton of Zurich in the Church of Aeugst in 1732. The church was built in 1667, after the Reformation and during the Renaissance and is five miles from Ottenbach. Susanna would later come back to the same area and married Johannes. Most people in the 18th and 19 centuries married people from their community. Not Conrad and Elisabeth. From Schmidmüllen to Aeugst am Albis is 321 miles which is a long way back then when people traveled by walking or riding horses. How they met is a mystery..
The Jenta family first lived in Untermedikon on the west of the river. Untermedikon and Robank are part of Wetzikon in the West of a little river called Aa-Bach. This area early attracted industrial activities along this river. So it is easy to imagine the first Jenta's coming there to tan cowhides into leather. The couple had two children Kaspar, Susanna's grandfather, in 1741 and Anna 1748. In Germany the name is also spelled as Jentha. Susanna was definitely of German heritage.(Peter Bertschinger)
Note: The Jenta Family in Ettenhausen has died out. They are not found in the 2020 phonebook and they are not listed in the Familennamenbuch der Schweiz. But they still seem to exist in Germany.
Research:
The District office for Schmidmuhlen is Newmarkt
According to Meyers Schmidmuhlen means outlying farm
and Schmidmuhlen also means market.
The parish records are held by the Archive of the Bishopric of Regensburg
Just check records for Dietldorf and Schmidmühlen yourself. Nice feature: the have surname indices. There is just a single other Jander/Jänder entry - mentioned on my Geneal-Forum post (last line):
13.05.1668 in Dietldorf a Johannes, son of Johannes Jander and his wife (another) Margaretha: also lived in Emhof, so likely related, but impossible to prove how … could be Conrad's uncle … just a wild guess. Problem: the early records have gaps. See document below:
Note: The Jenta Family in Ettenhausen has died out. They are not found in the 2020 phonebook and they are not listed in the Familennamenbuch der Schweiz. But they still seem to exist in Germany.
Research:
The District office for Schmidmuhlen is Newmarkt
According to Meyers Schmidmuhlen means outlying farm
and Schmidmuhlen also means market.
The parish records are held by the Archive of the Bishopric of Regensburg
Regensburg is 45 minutes south of Schmidmuhlen
Regensburg is 4 hours and 36 minutes from you.
Have you been to Schmidmuhlen?
Kent: Matricula seems amazing.
Note from Wolf: Agreed - Matricula is great! Includes many records - most important for me: all catholic parishes in Bavaria. Recent scans of high quality - and available for free ;-) !Just check records for Dietldorf and Schmidmühlen yourself. Nice feature: the have surname indices. There is just a single other Jander/Jänder entry - mentioned on my Geneal-Forum post (last line):
13.05.1668 in Dietldorf a Johannes, son of Johannes Jander and his wife (another) Margaretha: also lived in Emhof, so likely related, but impossible to prove how … could be Conrad's uncle … just a wild guess. Problem: the early records have gaps. See document below:
Documents related to Conrad Jenta:
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Wetzikon E lll 139.13 p 533 Translation from PeterRight side 1) (firstly) Den 9. Febr. 1751 ward (was) Mstr. = Meister means Master Gerwer, Gerber = Tanner) |
Conrad Jenta, the Gerwer (tanner) von
Schmiedmüllen aus der Oberpfalz
zum Bürger (citizen) angenommen (accepted), weil (because) er (he)
die Gerwe (the tannery house) in Medikon gebaut (has built in Medikon the building, that was the part of the price he had to pay) hatte (had). Der Grossvater (the grand father) war (was) dieser (this), getauft 2.V.1698 (baptized 2. Mai 1698).
2) (secondly) ist (is) Seidenweber (silk weaver) & (and) war (was) sesshaft (was living, but not citizen)
in Maschwanden. 1857.13 XII (on 13. Dezember 1857 einen (a)
Familenschein (schein crossed) -auszug (family extract) gefertiget (was made out).
Documents relating to Conrad and Elisabeth
Left Side
83
(left side:)
(Title) Ettenhausen
(page) 533
Alt Ge__ _ so fo. 535
† Heinrich Jenta, 1.)16.X.1808 2.)16 Oct 1808 2. death? 24.IV (April) 1863. (husband, son of Rudolf Jenta 19 April 1771 and Elisabeth Frei 13 Nov1774 - 18 April 1816
Par. (Latin abreviation for parents)
† Rudolf Jenta, Ge ?(possible occupation)
Fr Margaretha Salzman ______30 September 1804 † 13 April 1877 (wife)
Par: Heinrich Salzman ____
Anna Catherina Barman
marriage 2 Nov 1829
Anna Catherina Barman
marriage 2 Nov 1829
Kinder (Children)
Elisabetha 29 March 1829 confirmation abt Feb 1845 marriage 20 May 1850 Conrad Gassmann from Hochfelden Maschwaden
Elisabetha 29 March 1829 confirmation abt Feb 1845 marriage 20 May 1850 Conrad Gassmann from Hochfelden Maschwaden
Anna 14 April 1833 confirmation abt 1850 marriage 23 Oct 1860 or 23 November 1860 to Conrad ? Spinner from Zurich
(see names of Swiss people for his last name)
Right Side
1) (firstly) Den 9. Febr. 1751 ward (was) Mstr. = Meister means Master Gerwer, Gerber = Tanner)
Conrad Jenta, the Gerwer (tanner) von
Schmiedmüllen aus der Oberpfalz
zum Bürger (citizen) angenommen (accepted), weil (because) er (he)
die Gerwe (the tannery house) in Medikon gebaut (has built in Medikon the building, that was the part of the price he had to pay)
hatte (had). Der Grossvater (the grand father) war (was) dieser (this),
getauft 2.V.1698 (baptized 2. Mai 1698).
2) (secondly) ist (is) Seidenweber (silk weaver) & (and) war (was) sesshaft (was living, but not citizen) in Maschwanden. 1857.13 XII (on 13. Dezember 1857 einen (a) Familenschein (schein crossed) -auszug (family extract) gefertiget (was made out).
Who were Conrad's parents? Next research-
The District office for Schmidmuhlen is Newmark. According to Meyers Schmidmuhlen means outlying farm and Schmidmuhlen also means market. The parish records are held by the Archive of the Bishopric of Regensburg page 440
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| Film 008191940 page 354 |
Translation by Wolf:
This is a complicated one - the following is more a summary rather than a full transcription.
First line (including the note #): Am 9. Febr. 1751 ward Meister Conrad Jenta, der Gerwer von Schmiedmüllen [Schmidmühlen] aus der Oberpfalz zum Bürger angenommen, weil er zu Medikon die Gerwerei gekauft.
Conrad Jenta from Schmidmühlen (Oberpfalz, Bavaria, Germany) had bought the tannery in Medikon and was consequently given the citizenship on 9 Feb 1751. In the note it also states der Großvater (of Rudolf) war Conrad Jenta, b(aptizatus) 2. V. 1698.
Second line: Starb den 5 November 1822 im Spithal in Zürich.
This will relate to Rudolf Jenta: died 5 Nov 1822 in the "Spital" in Zürich. A "Spital" then cannot be compared with a hospital of today: is was at least partly more like an old people's home. You find his death entry in the Totenbuch Spitalkirche: Rudolf is actually noted as Patient - and died from Wassersucht (dropsy).
Next lines: Rudolf Jenta Gemeindrath, g(eboren) den 19. Maj 1771.
Lisabeth Freÿ von Birr, Aargäu, g(eboren) den 23. November 1774, starb den 18. April 1816 abends um 5 Uhr.
cop(uliert) 7. Oktober 1792
Note: In the left hand column Rudolf's parents are listed (already discussed previously). Below the children (born 1793 through 1816) are listed. A widower he married a second time: Marget (Margreth) Huber, g(eboren) den 2. September 1792 (or 1793? - very faint) on 6. Januar 1817; (Marget) starb 19.II.1849 in Husen. The couple had one child, Anna Lisabeth, born 19. Jul. 1821.
Note: On the same page follows the son Heinrich Jenta (born 1808) and his family.
This is a complicated one - the following is more a summary rather than a full transcription.
First line (including the note #): Am 9. Febr. 1751 ward Meister Conrad Jenta, der Gerwer von Schmiedmüllen [Schmidmühlen] aus der Oberpfalz zum Bürger angenommen, weil er zu Medikon die Gerwerei gekauft.
Conrad Jenta from Schmidmühlen (Oberpfalz, Bavaria, Germany) had bought the tannery in Medikon and was consequently given the citizenship on 9 Feb 1751. In the note it also states der Großvater (of Rudolf) war Conrad Jenta, b(aptizatus) 2. V. 1698.
Second line: Starb den 5 November 1822 im Spithal in Zürich.
This will relate to Rudolf Jenta: died 5 Nov 1822 in the "Spital" in Zürich. A "Spital" then cannot be compared with a hospital of today: is was at least partly more like an old people's home. You find his death entry in the Totenbuch Spitalkirche: Rudolf is actually noted as Patient - and died from Wassersucht (dropsy).
Next lines: Rudolf Jenta Gemeindrath, g(eboren) den 19. Maj 1771.
Lisabeth Freÿ von Birr, Aargäu, g(eboren) den 23. November 1774, starb den 18. April 1816 abends um 5 Uhr.
cop(uliert) 7. Oktober 1792
Note: In the left hand column Rudolf's parents are listed (already discussed previously). Below the children (born 1793 through 1816) are listed. A widower he married a second time: Marget (Margreth) Huber, g(eboren) den 2. September 1792 (or 1793? - very faint) on 6. Januar 1817; (Marget) starb 19.II.1849 in Husen. The couple had one child, Anna Lisabeth, born 19. Jul. 1821.
Note: On the same page follows the son Heinrich Jenta (born 1808) and his family.
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| Konrad Jenta Family of Wetzikon by Julius Billeter page 1 |
Where was Conrad born?
Next research:
The District office for Schmidmuhlen is Newmark. According to Meyers Schmidmuhlen means outlying farm and Schmidmuhlen also means market. The parish records are held by the Archive of the Bishopric of Regensburg page 440
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| 1742 Conrad Jenta purchase of tannery, Landvogtei Grüningen: Grundprotokoll Band EE, Seite nnn © Staatsarchiv Zürich, Signatur B XI 11.37 |
Chrisoph Haßler der Gerwer (tannery) zu Medikon, hat für sich selbsten und in Namen seiner Geschwüsterten verkaufft gegen Mr. Conrad Jëntann auß der Wengi der Herrschafft Knonauw.
............................ Nammlichen ...................................
Hauß und Heimmen sambt der Gerwi und Rinden Stammpf wie auch der dazu gehörigen Freÿhait, item Krautgarten
und den Plaz beim Hauß so außgemarchet werden solle, sambt
der Gaß nebent dem Garten, bei einanderen zu Medikon
gelegen.
Transcription by Wolf:
Verzeichnuß der Verstorbenen
Sterblichkeit! Du strenge Muter! Du übst deine Kräfte aus
Gegen alle, die die Feder wird in diese Blätter schreiben;
Du, o Herz der Ewigkeit! Führ uns aus der Erden-Haus
In das selige Ort der Freüden, wo wir können ewig bleiben.
Anno 1756 sind unter Johannes Schmidlin folgende verstorben.
Translation by Wolf:
The four lines in between translate to "Mortality, you stern mother! Thou exertest thy powers against all whom the pen shall write in these pages. You, o heart of eternity! Lead us from the earth's house to the blessed place of joys, where we can dwell forever."
Question: Is the entry a death or burial?
............................ Nammlichen ...................................
Hauß und Heimmen sambt der Gerwi und Rinden Stammpf wie auch der dazu gehörigen Freÿhait, item Krautgarten
und den Plaz beim Hauß so außgemarchet werden solle, sambt
der Gaß nebent dem Garten, bei einanderen zu Medikon
gelegen.
Translation by Wolf: Chrisoph Haßler the Gerwer of Medikon, has sold for himself and on behalf of his siblings against Mr. Conrad Jëntann auß der Wengi der Herrschafft Knonauw.
............................ Namely ...................................
House and home together with the tannery and bark trunk or stamp mill as well as well as the associated grounds, the herb garden and the space next to the house that is to be cleared, together with the lane next to the garden, situated next to each other at Medikon situated.
............................ Namely ...................................
House and home together with the tannery and bark trunk or stamp mill as well as well as the associated grounds, the herb garden and the space next to the house that is to be cleared, together with the lane next to the garden, situated next to each other at Medikon situated.
Wolf wrote: Hauß und Heimmen sambt der Gerwi (tannery) und Stinden Stammpf (Stamp mill)
Note by Peter: Is not a St (and also not a K ...), but an R: (tree) bark tamp(i). The tanner needed the tannin in the tree bark as a component of the so-called tan to tan the leather.
Wolf Note: bark trunk is incomplete: Stampfi = Stampfmühle is a stamp mill. It is a large machine used to crush tree bark - which then is a component of the chemical used to tan the leather. This machine will usually run by a watermill - one of the reasons why a tannery is always next to some sort of river. You will have a similar machinery e.g. also in a smithy.
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| 1742 Conrad Jenta purchase of tannery, Landvogtei Grüningen: Grundprotokoll Band EE, Seite nnn © Staatsarchiv Zürich, Signatur B XI 11.37 |
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| 1742 Conrad Jenta purchase of tannery, Landvogtei Grüningen: Grundprotokoll Band EE, Seite nnn © Staatsarchiv Zürich, Signatur B XI 11.37 |
 |
| Wetzikon film 008480741 page 276 header for Conrad death |
Verzeichnuß der Verstorbenen
Sterblichkeit! Du strenge Muter! Du übst deine Kräfte aus
Gegen alle, die die Feder wird in diese Blätter schreiben;
Du, o Herz der Ewigkeit! Führ uns aus der Erden-Haus
In das selige Ort der Freüden, wo wir können ewig bleiben.
Anno 1756 sind unter Johannes Schmidlin folgende verstorben.
Translation by Wolf:
The four lines in between translate to "Mortality, you stern mother! Thou exertest thy powers against all whom the pen shall write in these pages. You, o heart of eternity! Lead us from the earth's house to the blessed place of joys, where we can dwell forever."
Question: Is the entry a death or burial?
Answer: So this does not answer the question. However, as nothing is mentioned about a burial, only "the deceased", I consider date of death to be the more likely. On the other hand, this is a formality of no real consequence for the family history. It does have some influence on the formulation of the text. In this case I would write "The tanner Conrad Jenta died on 9 April 1761 in Medikon, and was buried in Wetzikon."
Translation by Wolf:
den 9. Aprilis (1761) Meister Conrad Jenta Gerwer zu Medikon.
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| 1761 burial of Conrad Jenta April 9 film 008480741 page 281, Wetzikon |
den 9. Aprilis (1761) Meister Conrad Jenta Gerwer zu Medikon.
Note: Gerwer means Tanner, this is for sure the same Conrad Jenta!
Summary: "The tanner Conrad Jenta died on 9 April 1761 in Medikon, and was buried in Wetzikon."