Mr. von Frank traced our line of Whitenacks to about 1600 in Adelshofen, Baden. He thought there might be found in the State Archives of Baden which would include records of feudal estates, tax payments, etc. This would be an expensive research unless one knew just where to look. The records are not indexed so many bundles of records would have to be gone through. Also it requires an intelligent person with a knowledge of German, Latin and probably French and no doubt one who had some knowledge of surnames and their changes in spelling.
Although the Whitenacks were living in Baden, Alsace and Regensburg in the 1600's, they may have originally been from lower Austria or most any place in Europe.
Information about the Weidknecht family living in Adelshofen came in response to an ad in the November, 1963 issue of Archiv fur Sippenforschung which was placed by Mr. von Frank.
I am showing the first generations know as Family No. 1, Family No. 2, Family No. 3, then In America calling the various families A, B, C, etc. If you want to know just how many generations have been traced, find <missing the remainder of the sentence> ...
Family No. 1.
Martin Weidknecht, burgomaster of Adelshofen, (district Sinsheim, in the Kraichgau, Baden) (village of about 200 houses, some very old with stables attached to the houses). Martin Weidknecht was born about 1601 and died June 24, 1671, age 70 when he died; married before 1633 to Barbara ----, who was born about 1607 and died December 25, 1687 in Adelshofen, 80 years old when she died. Issue:
Johann Martin Weidknecht, born about 1633 who died Dec. 6, 1688 in Adelshofen.
Family No. 2
Andreas Weidknecht, magistrate, burgomaster in Adelshofen, who was born about 1644 and died February 2, 1708 in Adelshofen. He married (1): Catherina Weidknecht, the daughter of Hans Weidknecht, inhabitant of Adelshofen who was born about 1619/20 and died Feb. 18, 1670, age 50 who married before 1641 Catherina ---, born about 1611 and died August 17, 1679 in Adelshofen. Besides Catherina they had a son Hans Kilian Weidknecht born about 1641/42 who died Feb. 28, 1675 in Adelshofen who married Maria --- from Switzerland whod died April 8, 1672 in Adelshofen. Andreas Weidknecht first marriage to Catherina Weidknecht was no Nov. 14, 1671 (she was born about 1648 and died Nov. 12, 1675 in Adelshofen.
Family No. 3
Issue of this marriage was Michael Andreas Weidknecht, born Nov. 1, 1672 in Adelshofen and married Margaretha -----, and they were the first emigrants to America in 1709. The town where their three children were born whom they brought with them to America is unknown. SEE BELOW FOR THEIR NAMES.
Andreas Weidknecht married (2) Anna Elisabetha Schlütter on July 25, 1677 in Adelshofen who was born about 1653 and she died Oct. 24, 1738. Issue by this marriage:
Hans Martin Weidknecht, born Jan 28, 1697 in Adelshofen. He is the Martin Weidknecht (Wytknecht) who landed at Philadelphia Sept. 30, 1732 on board the ship "Dragon" (List 26 A, B.C.) 55 passengers on boat from Rotterdam last from Plymouth, England.
Records were searched in nearby towns for the records of Michael Andreas and Margretha Weidknecht's childrent; these towns were Richen, Ittlingen, Borwangen, Eichtersheim, Eschelbach, Daisbach, Eschelbronn, Neidenstein, Epfenbach, Grombach and Gemmingen but nothing was found.
The "Castleman" family correctly spelled: Kasselmann, mentioned in Kocherthal records in connection with the Weidknecht family in America also came from Adelshofen.
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