Kaspar Jenta 1741 - 1787

Kaspar Jenta was born on the 30^th of April 1741 to Conrad Jenta, who emigrated from Germany. Kaspar had two siblings, Anna Jenta 1733-1769 and Barbara Jenta 1734-? Kaspar’s father was a Gerber or tanner of cowhides. To do this you needed to have plenty of water which the area does. We assume Kaspar helped his father in the tanning process.  In 1742 Chrisoph Haßler the Gerwer (tanner)  of Medikon, sold for himself and on behalf of his siblings to Mr. Conrad Jënta the following: The house and home, together with the tree bark and the 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.

Untermedikon

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 three children Anna Jenta 1733-1769 and Barbara Jenta 1734 and Kaspar, Susanna's grandfather, in 1741 and Anna 1748. In Germany the name is also spelled as Jentha or Jänder. Susanna was definitely of German heritage. (Peter Bertschinger)

When Susanna's grandfather Kaspar was 10 years old  in 1751 the family became Swiss citizens in Ettenhausen. To do so they had to pay for it (buy-in). It normally takes some years after moving to a community that you can become citizen and you had to buy a house. The Jentas lived in one of the few houses west of the main cantonal street, probably a street today called Winkelstrasse. Susanna's grandfather Kaspar Jenta, became a Schulmeister or schoolmaster to teach the "dumb" farmer children in Ettenhausen. Kaspar and his wife Anna Wolfensberger had 7 children.

Ettenhausen School

Kaspar taught from 1767 to 1790 or 23 years. When Kaspar died in 1790 he son Johannes took over and taught from 1790 to 1828 or 38 years. That means that Susanna's uncle taught Susanna from the time she entered school until she left home. The school was held in Johannes's parlor from 1790 until 1809, at which time the first school building was built. School was held in that building until 1954.  When Johannes died in 1828 Susanna's uncle Johannes' son Heinrich took over and taught from 1828 until 1949 or 21 years.  (Jenta history researched by Peter Bertschinger, Full history, & photos of Ettenhausen by Peter Bertschinger, History of the municipality of Wetzikon)

What was school like for these School Teacher Jentas?

In 1799 schoolmaster Johannes Jenta reported on the conditions in the school which went into great detail on what school was like for his students. The agency over the school was the pastor of Wezikon. This wasn't a school just for Ettenhausen but included six small surrounding hamlets all 10 to 12 minutes away. Ettenhausen had far and away the largest number of students totaling 76 everyday students and 26 repeater students. The other hamlets made up 10 students and 7 repeaters. There were 85 High School Students in the summer. School was 6 hours a day. Most of the year they met daily but in summer they met only 2 days a week.  School began with prayer, then songs from the Schmidlischen Choral Songs, the Psalms of David, and Songs of the Christian hymn book. Children were divided into the following five classes. 1. Nammenbuchli, 2. Teacher, 3. Test Book U. Psalter, 4. Psalm Book and 5. Testament. The schoolmaster is examined by the Convent of Zurich for the pastor's presence and standstill , after the rehearsal, reading, writing, singing, The schoolmaster has a wife and 2 children. Students paid a small tuition of 20ß  and Johannes received 10 fl a year. The schoolmaster kept the school in his own room (parlour), from which he receives interest above school fees, approximately from the church property for Sunday school 5 fl. (Salutation: Ettenhausen. in March. 1799.  Greeting and brotherly love Schulmstr Jenta., Ettenhausen School report 1799,) 

Notes

(Notes for above: Stillstand - church overseers, also called Ehegaumer. They had to stand still after the sermon on Sunday and discuss with the pastor all the scandals that happened at their place/ 1 fl. is one Florin = one Gulden, used to be a piece of money, coin, quite valuable/1 ß is one shilling, a part of a florin like a dime/ The wood of the big Ettenhausen forests was necessary to heat the oven in the school house during winter season. Often the pupils had to bring a log to the school to heat./Namenbüchli was full of names, often from the Bible - the kids used it to learn the letters, i.e. to spell./Scheuchzer was a famous (rich family) in the City of Zurich. They sponsored a fund, to make possible the school in Ettenhausen, i.e. to pay the teacher).

Kaspar died in 1790 at 49 years old. His wife was three years younger and we do not have her death dates he died in 1767. His funeral including Rudolf 19, Johannes 17, Hartman 12 and Regula 9.  

Kaspar's son Johannes became a teacher and had 6 children. Rudolf was a municipal worker and had 13 children. 

Hartman, unknown profession, married Verena Anliker from Birr, Canton Aargau who divorced Hartmann in 1801. They were married for 2 and 1/2 years. In 1811 she married  Jakob Gratz. Hartmann was a Bűrger, meaning that he held citizenship in the town of Ettnhausen. His daughter Regula died at 20.

Where was Kaspar born?
According to the Haushaltsrodel Wetzikon, Kaspar Jenta was born 30.04.1741 to Conrad (born 02.05.1698) - but the Rodel does not mention where he was born.

Conrad Jenta was from Schmidmühlen (Oberpfalz, Bavaria, Germany). He had married Elisabeth Landis on 11.12.1732 in Aeugst am Albis - so the earlier assumption that Kaspar may still have been born in Germany is rather unlikely … but where was he born?

On 09.02.1751 Conrad (and his family) gained the citizenship of Wetzikon, after he had bought the tannery. Did he gain citizenship just after buying the tannery - or had the family lived in Wetzikon (or one of the nearby villages) for some time before (which would have been more usual)? The baptismal registers of Aeugst am Albis and Wetzikon been checked for the baptism 1741 with no results.

Kaspar married Anna Wolfensberger on 13.06.1768 in Zürich-St.Peter.

Kaspar died in Ettenhausen (or was buried in Wetzikon) on 20.01.1787, where he had been Schulmeister.

Zürich-Waisenhaus-Schulmeister translation: Orphanage schoolmaster

Teachers

Joos Spörri of Ettenhausen, elected in 1711

Hans Heinrich Wolfensberger from Ettenhausen, elected in 1749

Hans Kaspar Jenta, from Untermedikon, elected 1767

Johannes Jenta, of Ettenhausen, elected 1790

Heinrich Jenta, of Ettenhausen, elected 1828

Johann Rudolf Müller, of Sünikon (Steinmaur), elected 1853 from https://www.wetzipedia.ch/index.php/Schule_Ettenhausen

Document Relating to Kaspar Jenta:

This document from a book on Wetzikon give the birth year of Kaspar Jenta. 
We have looked for his baptismal record without success.

Film 008191940 page 354

Translation Kent Gardiner (upper left corner)

Upper left: Kaspar Jenta, Schulmeister, Ettenhausen, 30 April 1741, Anna Wolfensberger 29 November 1744

Translation Wolf:  

Note: 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). Totenbuch Spitalkirche brings you directly to the page - this is one of the city of Zürich church records: we had a few marriages in Zürich before, if I remember correctly in St.Peter. Here is the start page for these records. (See Rudolf's death record below second from last document)
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.

Note: Jakob Huber will be the father of Rudolf's second wife, "Marget" Huber. He was von der Kniebreche - we've had this place in a previous discussion: (Wolf: I wasn't sure about the very faint line under the name of Barbara Huber - but on the abstract it says "Heisch (Hausen am Albis)" - and now I recognise "Heisch Hausen".)

13 Jan 1769 Kaspar Jenta marriage, Wetzikon

Translation by Wolf:
Note: Then you were assuming 1769, based on an incorrect index setting - and on the corresponding page there was no such entry. The marriage had taken place in Zürich St.Peter - and I found the entry there in 1768: https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/epaper/PRD/SAR/Pfarrbuecher/VIII-C-24-a_output/web/html5/index.html?pn=295. With the correct date you have now found the (rather short) entry in Wetzikon:
Translation: 1768 den 13. Junj
Kaspar Jenta von Medikon
Anna Wolfensperger von Etenhausen
Note: No mention where it took place - but the fact it was recorded as side note, likely at some later date, indicates it was not in Wetzikon.

13 Jan 1769 Kaspar Jenta marriage, Wetzikon, Page 282, see source below

Translation by Wolf:

"I spent a long time looking for Caspar Jenta's marriage in the link listed above."
I picked the wrong marriage for Rudolf (present topic) - should have been https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/epaper/PRD/SAR/Pfarrbuecher/VIII-C-25_output/web/html5/index.html?pn=279.
But you had mentioned Caspar 1769 - and this is on https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/epaper/PRD/SAR/Pfarrbuecher/VIII-C-24-a_output/web/html5/index.html?pn=295 (left side bottom, last but one)

20 Jan 1787 Kaspar Jenta burial, from Wetzikon death record page 301

Translation: WSeelentag:
The age at death is given as 45y 8m 21d - there are different ways ages were calculated - one leads to 30.04.1741 as date of birth: this is the date you give on your web page - is that based on this calculation, or have you actually found the corresponding baptismal entry?
Note: If you actually have such an entry, the death entry would fit - and I would trust this date of death, rather 1790 (what is the source for this?). 

Translation: WSeelentag:
The age at death is given as 45y 8m 21d - there are different ways ages were calculated - one leads to 30.04.1741 as date of birth: this is the date you give on your web page - is that based on this calculation, or have you actually found the corresponding baptismal entry?
Note: If you actually have such an entry, the death entry would fit - and I would trust this date of death, rather 1790 (what is the source for this?).
Note: For the cause of death: the second part is very faint - but I read Lungensucht - which could be shortened for Lungenschwindsucht = tuberculosis.

Geschichte der gemeinde Wetzikon 

Zürich Archives, Kaspar Jenta Family Record, Wetzikon E lll 139.21 p 1733

1744  Kaspar Jenta andAnna Wolfensberger family in Wetzikon CH, Billeter notes

Kaspar Jenta Family from Jenta Family of Wetzikon by Julius Billeter page 1