Elisabetha Sidler was born on a cold 10 December day in 1747 to Hans Jakob Sidler and Anna Hug.
Elisabetha was the 10th of their 12 children. Rudolf Sidler married Elisabetha
Sidler 6 January 1768 in Ottenbach. The marriage was performed by Rudolf
Hamberger, Ottenbach Parish Pastor.
It seems unusual for a married couple to share the same
surname however most people at the time in the village of Ottenbach were
distantly related to other members of the community in one way or another. This
was the case with Rudolf and Elisabetha who were not first, second or third
cousins. Cousins were allowed to marry sometimes, but the pastor then wrote 3.
“Grad” (degree or generation) next to their name in the parish book.
What happened to their children?
What happened to their children?
Hans Jakob Sidler 1768-1769 died at 5 years 2 months 5 days
Dorothea Sidler 1769-1844 married Hans Kaspar Bär 4 December 1792, had 8 children, died 17 June 1844, lived to be 74 years 6 months 14 days
Dorothea Sidler 1769-1844 married Hans Kaspar Bär 4 December 1792, had 8 children, died 17 June 1844, lived to be 74 years 6 months 14 days
Anna Barbara 1771-1774 b 21 Jan 1771 died 14 May 1774. She was 3 years 3 months 23 days old.
Caspar Sidler 1772-1811 married Elisabetha Hegetschweiler in 1799, Elisabetha gave birth to a still born child on 24 September 1800, two days later Elisabetha Hegetschweiler died at age 23, Caspar and his second wife, Margaretha Berli, had four children, lived 39 years, 5 months 9 days
Caspar Sidler 1772-1811 married Elisabetha Hegetschweiler in 1799, Elisabetha gave birth to a still born child on 24 September 1800, two days later Elisabetha Hegetschweiler died at age 23, Caspar and his second wife, Margaretha Berli, had four children, lived 39 years, 5 months 9 days
Johannes Sidler 1773-1774 b 25 Oct 1773 died 17 May 1774, lived 6 months 22 days.
Johannes Sidler 1774 infant death
Hans Jakob Sidler 1776-1777 lived 1 year 9 months 10 days
Johannes Sidler 1777-1834 child out of wedlock with brother Caspar's widow, married Susanna Jenta, tailor, had three girls, large posterity, lived 56 years 6 months 7 days
Elisabetha Sidler 1779-1828 second wife of Heinrich Berli who had 3 wives, no children, lived 49 years 10 days according to her death record
Johannes Sidler 1774 infant death
Hans Jakob Sidler 1776-1777 lived 1 year 9 months 10 days
Johannes Sidler 1777-1834 child out of wedlock with brother Caspar's widow, married Susanna Jenta, tailor, had three girls, large posterity, lived 56 years 6 months 7 days
Elisabetha Sidler 1779-1828 second wife of Heinrich Berli who had 3 wives, no children, lived 49 years 10 days according to her death record
Anna Sidler 1780-1846 married Rudolf Hurter of Affoltern, lived to be 66. According to FamilySearch she had 12 children, lived 65 years 7 months 28 days
Heinrich Sidler 1781-1786 lived 4 years 8 months 6 days
Jakob Sidler 1783-1862 married Elisabeth Gut, no children (Billeter made a mistake on this person) lived about 61 years
Jakob Sidler 1783-1862 married Elisabeth Gut, no children (Billeter made a mistake on this person) lived about 61 years
Hans Ulrich Sidler 1784-1826 married Anna Barbara Schneebeli, had a stillborn daughter and a son who married
Hans Caspar Sidler 1786-1841 married Anna Häberling, 2 children, the boy married the girl didn't lived 54 years 2 months 2 days
Melchior Sidler 1788-1843 "since 1812 carpenter in Vienna", died in Ottenbach 54 years 5 months 18 days
Hans Caspar Sidler 1786-1841 married Anna Häberling, 2 children, the boy married the girl didn't lived 54 years 2 months 2 days
Melchior Sidler 1788-1843 "since 1812 carpenter in Vienna", died in Ottenbach 54 years 5 months 18 days
Marriage Court
In 1525 Zwingli and the municipal council in Zürich
established the marriage court, which quickly became a model for other cities
in southern Germany and Switzerland. The Reformed marriage court became a new
discursive site characterized by a specific combination of circumstances: the
municipal Reformed marriage courts represented the practical application of the
new teachings on matrimony, but in many respects, they also adopted traditions
from canon law....In Zurich, as in Basel or Augsburg, the activities of the
marriage courts at first centered on clarifying the validity of promises of
marriage and questions off divorce. The prosecution of illicit sexual behavior
was initially delegated to special morals courts, as in Zürich, or to the
Unzüchter (the municipal office responsible for maintaining public order and
morals. as in Basel or Augsburg which mainly issued warnings and reprimands....
In Zürich the two courts were practically synonymous....(Social Control in
Europe, 1500-1800 vol 1)
Many difficult cases were treated by the marriage court in
Zurich.
Childhood Mortality
Rudolf Sidler and Elisabetha Sidler had 15 children. Nine
lived to adulthood and married. Rudolf Sidler never saw any of his three girls
marry or saw any grandchildren. Death was a major part of their lives.
We often see that from the age 20 years on, when marriage
was allowed by the church, the parents had least one child every year, often
stillborn. The rule for naming was that the godparents gave their first name to
the child,. For example if a child named Barbara died, they continued the name
until one survived the first years. From this Julius Billeter concluded that a
child died young and noted a "dy" by their name. On average these big
farmer families had about two boys and two girls that made it to adulthood and
most of them got married. (Peter Bertschinger)
Elisabetha married Hans Kaspar Schwarzenbach of Adliswil when she was 61. Ottenbach Pastor Locher performed the marriage in the Ottenbach Kirche. Adliswil is 8.5 miles east of Ottenbach. It is located quite near Lake Zürich. Adliswil was established as an independent Protestant church parish in 1898 from the church parish of Kilchberg. Civil registration began in 1876. On 19 May 1828 Kaspar died. His burial record is found in the Kilchberg Parish records and includes lots of great information. He lived 70 years 4 months 11 days. Kaspar was born 8 January 1758 in Adliswil. Elisabetha was to live her last 3 years 5 months 24 days alone.(Source: Elisabetha's death certificate and marriage certificate enclosed, Wikipedia)
Elisabetha married Hans Kaspar Schwarzenbach of Adliswil when she was 61. Ottenbach Pastor Locher performed the marriage in the Ottenbach Kirche. Adliswil is 8.5 miles east of Ottenbach. It is located quite near Lake Zürich. Adliswil was established as an independent Protestant church parish in 1898 from the church parish of Kilchberg. Civil registration began in 1876. On 19 May 1828 Kaspar died. His burial record is found in the Kilchberg Parish records and includes lots of great information. He lived 70 years 4 months 11 days. Kaspar was born 8 January 1758 in Adliswil. Elisabetha was to live her last 3 years 5 months 24 days alone.(Source: Elisabetha's death certificate and marriage certificate enclosed, Wikipedia)
Elisabetha's Death
The parish record below gives Elisabetha's death date as 12
November 1831. This means she lived to see her son Johannes marry and saw three
grandchildren from Johannes, namely Jakob, Barbara and Anna. Unfortunately Susanna
was born the next year and never met her grandmother. Elisabetha lived 83 years
11 month 2 days. That is a record in the Sidler family. To give this
perspective Period Life Expectancy at birth in the mid-19th century was around
40 years for males and 42 years for females. These figures increased to around
45 and 50 years respectively by 1901.
Who was alive to mourn her death? Dorothea age 62, Johannes
age 54, age Anna age 51, Jakob age 48 ,
Hans Caspar age 45 and Melchior age 43. They stood with neighbors, friends and
relatives in the Ottenbach Kirche yard as her body was delivered back to mother
earth. She returned to see her other 9 children who had passed.
Elisabetha lived a full life. She bore 15 children, 5 of whom died in infancy. She married twice. Elisabetha lived through Napoleon's army encampment in Ottenbach. In all respects Elisabetha was one amazing woman.
Records related to Elisabetha Sidler:
Elisabetha Sidler 10 Dec birth Jacob Sidler, Anna Hug, film 008014328 page 434
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| Sidler and Hegetschweiler Temple Record book by Julius Billeter pages 41, 42 Second marriage for Anna, Elisabetha as a child in her parents family. |
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| Kaspar Schwarzenbach birth 8 January 1758 film 8194791 page 153, death date noted by the Pastor, The birth of Elisabetha's second husband. |
Jakob Sidler Anna Hug 1749
Census w Elisabeth born 1747
film 8014124 FHL page 97
film 8014124 FHL page 97
Sidler and Hegetschweiler Temple Record by Julius Billeter, page 49 - 50
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Rudolf Sidler and Elisabetha Sidler marriage 26 January 1768
film 8014328 page 600 Note: Billeter read this entry too quickly
and put their marriage date at January 6, but as you can see there
is a little "2" just before the 6 which makes the marriage date
26 January 1768. Ottenbach Pastor Rudolf Hamberger performed
the marriage and wrote this entry for the happy couple.
|
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Jakob Sidler Anna Hug 1749
Census w Elisabetha born 1747
film 8014124 page 97, FHL
film number 1185176, Elisabetha is 2
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1795 Ottenbach Haushaltungsrodel, page 197 film 8126955)
Rudolf Sidler family record, See all the beautiful children!
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| Elisabetha Sidler marriage to Hans Kaspar Schwarzenbach of Adliswil 6 March 1808, Entry by Pastor Hans Kaspar Locher film 8126955 page 887 |
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| Elisabetha Sidler marriage to Hans Kaspar Schwarzenbach of Adliswil 6 March 1808 film 8126955 page 887, Entry by Ottenbach Pastor Hans Kaspar Locher. |
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| Hans Kaspar Schwarzenbach death 19 May 1828 film 8194791 page 854 |
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| Rudolf Sidler E_III_88.19_S_72 Death entry for Elisabetha showing the date of death |
Elisabetha Sidler 12 Nov 1831 death Tot Reg._Ottenbach_E_III_88_5_S_593_halb
This is a photograph of the actual Parish book entry written by Pastor Hans Jakob Locher.
Translation: Elisabetha Sidler ehelich (married) witue (Widow) achgelassene
(was left behind) Caspar Schwarenbach, sel (deceased). 83 years 2 days.
(he left out the 11 months) Billeter read this and included this information
in the document above.
