When Heinrich Jenta was born on 16 October 1808, in Wetzikon, Zürich, Switzerland, his father, Rudolf Jenta, was 37 and his mother, Lisabeth Freÿ, was 33. He married Margaretha Salzmann on 2 February 1829, in Maschwanden, Zürich, Switzerland. They were the parents of at least 2 daughters. He died on 24 April 1863, at the age of 54, and was buried in Amt Konstanz, Baden.
Silkweaver:
Heinrich was a silk weaver. Before the Industrial Revolution, the creation of a patterned silk textile required a skilled weaver and a considerable investment in equipment and raw materials. The warp was threaded on the loom according to the design of the textile, after which two people were required to weave the textile—a weaver who inserted the wefts and a “drawboy” who controlled the pattern mechanism. (MET Museum Website)
The
silk weaver is a weaver specialized in the processing of silk and semi-silk.
Weaving silk and especially silk brocade requires the weaver to have the
highest degree of perfection, consistency and feel for the material. Silk
threads tear very easily during weaving. Knots of torn threads are very
difficult or impossible to hide in the smooth and very fine silk fabric and
reduce their value considerably. (
In the 19th century silk factories sprang up in rural areas, particularly on the left bank of the Lake of Zurich. From 1840 to 1900 the trade was the most important processing industry in the Canton of Zurich. In the 1850s and 1860s Zurich grew into the second largest silk producer in the world, famous all over the globe for black taffeta and bolting cloths for sifting flour. (lebendige website)
Maschwanden is 3.7 miles south of Ottenbach. Dr Hegetschweiler was the district doctor and as such could have delivered her out of Ottenbach. Susanna’s mother’s maiden name was Frei and she was born in Birr, Aargau, AG. The founding families of Maschwanden include the Frei family. There must be a connection between the Frei’s of Burr and the Frei’s of Maschwanden.
Note: Susanna's silk weaving brother Heinrich's wife Margaretha Salzmann was from Maschwanden. Could Susanna have stayed with her sister-in-law's parents or relatives? Unfortunately we don't have any information on her parents other than their names.
Family information:
Heinrich 1808 son of Rudolf was a silk
weaver.
Heinrich married 2 Feb
1829
Marg. Salzmann born 27 September
1804 Maschwanden
Margaretha's Parents: Heinrich Salzmann and Anna Katharina
Barman
Heinrich and Margaretha's Kinder
1. Elisabeth born 21 March 1829 married 26 May
1850 Konrad ? Gassman from (Hochfelden?, Zurich, Switz.) died ?
2. Anna born 4 April 1833 married Conrad Spinner from Zurich. 23 November
1860, died 1861
Documents relating to Heinrich Jenta:
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| 1808 Heinrich Jenta baptism 18 October Wetzikon page 102 |
Wolf:
This page makes me scratch my head 😉. The page top states 1808. Let me now summarize the bottom part:25.12. Heinrich des Hans Jakob Wolfensperger
17.07. Barbara des Hans Konrad Flachsmann - (born or baptised) in Uster
28.10. Jakob des Jakob Weber (illegitimate) - (born or baptised) in Rorbas
This is followed by some statistics for 1808.
20.12. Johannes der Emerantiana Heß (illegitimate??) - (born or baptised) in Oetwil
no date Jakob der Anna Maria Weinmann (illegitimate??) - (born or baptised) in Zürich
15.10. Heinrich des Rudolf Jenta von Etenhausen & Lisabeth Freÿ von Birr - no place for baptism mentioned
31.07. Marx des Johannes Günthardt - baptised [….].
25.06. Anna Maria des Salomon Bachofner - baptised in Zürich-St.Peter
18.10. Anna Wilhelmina des Johann Wilhelm Burri - baptised in Zürich
Note: This makes me think we have here external births/baptisms, entered in the order in which notifications arrived in Wetzikon: I would assumed these children will likely have been baptised in the nearest parish to their place of birth.
Question: What does that mean for Heinrich's baptism? No place mentioned! If he was born and baptised in Wetzikon: why is the entry not in the chronologically correct place - either top of this or bottom of previous page (which you also have uploaded)?
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| 1829 Marriage Heinrich Jenta Margaretha Salzmann 2 Feb Wetzikon film 008480741 page 518 |
Wolf:
1829 - 25. Jan.
Heinrich Jenta von Ettenhausen, seßh(aft) im Maschwanden
Margaretha Salzmann von Maschwanden
cop(uliert) 2. Febr. beym St.Peter in Zürich.
Note: So this is the announcement - the marriage took place (or should have taken place) in St.Peter in Zürich: I don't find the corresponding entry however !? No entry in the parishes of the "old" city of Zürich (prior to the mergers of 1893 and 1934) either.
1829 - 25. Jan.
Heinrich Jenta von Ettenhausen, seßh(aft) im Maschwanden
Margaretha Salzmann von Maschwanden
cop(uliert) 2. Febr. beym St.Peter in Zürich.
Note: So this is the announcement - the marriage took place (or should have taken place) in St.Peter in Zürich: I don't find the corresponding entry however !? No entry in the parishes of the "old" city of Zürich (prior to the mergers of 1893 and 1934) either.
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| Title Page for Machwanden marriages re: Heinrich Jenta film 008125639 page 116 Note: The section before this is confirmations. |
Ehebuch
Transcription: Darinnen Beschriben werden die Persohnen, So in dißer / Pfarr sich in den Ehelichen Stand Begeben, und daßelbig / mit offentlichem Kirchgang Bezeüget haben durch …
Translation: It describes the persons who have entered the married state in this parish and have testified to this by going to church in public by …
Johann Jacob Obermann / Pfarrer Zu Maschwanden, Anno 1750.
Transcription: Cernere fac omnes Agni Sponsalia Santi / Qui gamicum celebrant in pietate diem.
Translation: See all the made holy promises of the lamb celebrating the festivity on this pious day.
Note: I am not at all happy with this translation - so if you know someone better at Latin, you should ask!
Question: I also have another question: with this title page a list of marriages actually taken place in Maschwanden begins. The pages I am aware of (1824 and 1829) list announcements - note the different column header. Are actual marriages and announcements interspersed - or is there a separate section for the announcements?
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| 1829 Marriage Heinrich Jenta, Margaretha Salzman 25 Jan Maschwanden film 008125639 page 151 |
This is a separate section in the marriage register for external marriages. Is there a "title page" to this section, possibly just some notes prior to the first entry? If yes, it would be nice to see a copy.
Now for the header:
Transcription: No / Hießige Bürgerinnen, die sich außwärts verheiratet haben / Getauft / Namen ihrer Bräutigame / Verkündet.
Translation: Number / female citizens from here who married externally / Baptised / Names of their grooms / Announced.
So these are clearly announcement dates - not marriage dates.
1829 / No. 70
Margaritha Salzmann, Heinrich Salzmanns des Schuhsters ehl(iche) Tochter (The Shoemakers' daughter)
den 30. Sept. 1804
Heinrich Jenta von Wetzikon
den 25. Januar
Margaritha's father was a shoemaker.
Notes: There is no mention when and where the marriage took place. First assumption will usually be: the groom's parish. Actually we also have an announcement in Wetzikon from 25 Jan, stating that the marriage took place in Zürich-St.Peter … but - see above - that doesn't seem to have happened. So we still have the question: where did the couple get married?
Maschwanden has an area of 4.7 km2 (1.8 sq mi). Of this area, 61.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 24.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 8.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (6%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[5]
The municipality is located on the east banks of the Reuss River near the confluence of the Lorze River into the Reuss.
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| Icon for Maschwanden |
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| 1829 Elisabetha Jenta baptism 29 March Maschwanden film 008125639 page 68 |
Elisabetha / nata 21. und / baptizata 29. Maerz [1829]
Heinrich Jenta von Wetzikon / Margaretha Salzmann
Herr Schulmeister Jakob Studer / Elisabetha Salzmann, Schwester der Mutter
Note: The mother's sister acted as godmother.
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| 1833 Anna Jenta baptism 4 April Maschwanden film 008125639 page 72 |
Kent:
Birth: Anna Jenta born 4 April 1833, baptized 14 April
Parents: Heinrich Jenta and Margaritha Salzmann
Godparents: Johann Frick, Anna Salzmann (Both surnames are common in Maschwanden.)
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| 1863 April 26 Heinrich Jenta burial Konstanz, Baden, Deutschland pages 194,195 |
Todtenbuch 1863
Heinrich Jenta
Transcription: Im Jahr: Eintausend achthundert drei und sechszig, den vier und zwanzigsten April, nachts ein Uhr starb hier und wurde am sechs und zwanzigsten beerdigt: Heinrich Jenta, Ehemann der Margaretha geb. Salzmann, Seidenfabrikant hier, alt fünf und fünfzig Jahre. Die Ältern sind unbekannt. Zeugen: 1) Jakob Honegger, Fabrikant hier; 2) Ludwig Roman(?), Revisor(?) hier.
Constanz, 26 April 1863. A. Leys(??)
Translation: Heinrich Jenta died in Konstanz 24 April 1863 at 1 am and was buried 26 April. He was the husband of Margaretha nee Salzmann (i.e. she was still alive), and silk manufacturer in Konstanz, aged 55 years. His parents are not known.
Witnesses were Jakob Honegger, manufacturer in Konstanz, and Ludwig Roman (not sure about the surname) - I believe Revisor = accountant in Konstanz. Not sure about the signature at all - but this is not really relevant.
BTW - no German or Swiss would ever(!) talk of "Konstanz am Rhein" - always "Konstanz am Bodensee" (Lake Constance). If you mention "Konstanz am Rhein", 99% of all will ask back "which other Konstanz??".
BTW - no German or Swiss would ever(!) talk of "Konstanz am Rhein" - always "Konstanz am Bodensee" (Lake Constance). If you mention "Konstanz am Rhein", 99% of all will ask back "which other Konstanz??".
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| Heinrich Wetzikon E lll 139.21 p 1737 |
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| Film 008191940 page 354 Familienbuch page 533 upper rt corner |
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 (the grandfather 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" (hospital) 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
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.
On the same page follows the son Heinrich Jenta (born 1808) and his family:
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| FamilySearch microfilm 008191940 page 355 |
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| Heinrich Jenta from Jenta Family of Wetzikon by Julius Billeter page 3 |