Susanna's brother named Heinrich born 1808 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 Salzman 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 Jenta 16 October 1808 married 2 Feb
1829
Marg. Salzmann 27 September
1804 Maschwanden
names of parents of married couples (left
side)
Roudolf Jenta 19 May 1771
Lisabeth 13 June 1774
Heinrich Salzmann
Anna Katharina Barman
Parents:
Heinrich Salzmann and Anna Katharina
Barman
Kinder
Elisabeth born 21 March 1829 married 20 May
1850 m L Konrad ? Gassman from (Hochfelden?, Zurich, Switz.
place from FS)
Anna 4 April 1833 (ancestry married Kaspar
Spinner from Zurich. 23 November
1860)
Documents relating to Heinrich Jenta:
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| Heinrich Wetzikon E lll 139.21 p 1737 |
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| Heinrich Jenta from Jenta Family of Wetzikon by Julius Billeter page 3 |
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FamilySearch microfilm 008191940 page 355
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