NICHOLAS FIRESTONE
(NICKEL, HANS NICKEL, OR JOHANN NICLAUS FEUERSTEIN)
We probably can't be sure exactly when Nickel Feuerstein was born, but the list below is a general clue. It was transcribed from the Captain's List of adult male passengers on the Ship Peggy, when it arrived in Philadelphia in September of 1753 with a hold full of immigrants. The two names at the bottom of the second column are Nicholas Firestone and Nicholas (ditto) Junior.
The passenger list above is not completely authoritative. When were the ages recorded, in September of 1753 or before the Peggy sailed, maybe two months earlier or as much as six, seven, or even eight months earlier? And how accurate is it? Nicholas Junior is listed as 21, but he was actually only 18. The captain of an immigrant ship frequently owned the indenture contracts of his passengers, and they were more valuable if he overstated a young man's age and understated a middle-aged man's age. Nicholas Senior does not appear in the birth/baptismal records of the Berg Church, which begin on December 25, 1712. Given that, if he was exactly 40 upon arrival in Philadelphia, he was born between September 25 and December 24 of 1712, but the odds are pretty good that he was a little older.
Another useful source is the 1742 census (transcription below) where Nickel is listed as being a 32-year-old farmer of moderate means. Unfortunately, the census for Berg and Thal has a few errors, so it's also not entirely authoritative, but taken together with the Captain's List, Nickel's birth was about 1710-1712.
Jason W. Firestone put Nicholas' birthday on March 25, 1706 (March 27 at times), but that date is not possible; his brother Andreas was born in December of 1705.
Nicholas was a carpenter-in-training (ein zimmergesell) in January of 1733 (source: baptismal record shown below), additional evidence that 1712 is a reasonable birth year for him (and 1706 is not). March 25, 1712 is sometimes given as his birthday and this may be correct, but the source and reliability of this date do not appear to be widely known. Possibly it's in a family Bible passed down through the generations. If that date is correct, then Nicholas was 41 when he arrived in Philadelphia.
Another useful source is the 1742 census (transcription below) where Nickel is listed as being a 32-year-old farmer of moderate means. Unfortunately, the census for Berg and Thal has a few errors, so it's also not entirely authoritative, but taken together with the Captain's List, Nickel's birth was about 1710-1712.
Jason W. Firestone put Nicholas' birthday on March 25, 1706 (March 27 at times), but that date is not possible; his brother Andreas was born in December of 1705.
Nicholas was a carpenter-in-training (ein zimmergesell) in January of 1733 (source: baptismal record shown below), additional evidence that 1712 is a reasonable birth year for him (and 1706 is not). March 25, 1712 is sometimes given as his birthday and this may be correct, but the source and reliability of this date do not appear to be widely known. Possibly it's in a family Bible passed down through the generations. If that date is correct, then Nicholas was 41 when he arrived in Philadelphia.
Nickel Feuerstein in the 1742 Census. Partial translation: Nickel Feuerstein, farmer, 32 years of age, 6 children, lutheran,... 4 horses, 2 beeves, debt 400, medium prosperity. Source: "Die Einwohner des Krummen Elsaß und seiner Umgebung im 18. Jahrhundert" by Gerhard Hein.
JOHANN NICLAUS AND
ANNA CATHARINA NONNENMACHER FEUERSTEIN
In a small parish like Berg and Thal, most people knew each other. The Feuersteins and Nonnenmachers witnessed baptisms together throughout the years of the Berg Church records and earlier, according to the records of nearby churches. The first documented evidence of Nickel and Catharina together is in 1728 when they witnessed a baptism at the age of about 16 or 17.
The following table is from two baptisms that both Nickel and Catharina witnessed before their marriage. In hindsight, the witnesses at the first are nearly a family group. In addition to Nickel and Catharina, is Matthis Gartner, the miller at the Froshmuhl. A son of Matthis later married a niece of Nickel's and took over the operation of the mill from his father. The second baptism shows that Nickel is "ein zimmergesell", a carpenter-in-training.
The following table is from two baptisms that both Nickel and Catharina witnessed before their marriage. In hindsight, the witnesses at the first are nearly a family group. In addition to Nickel and Catharina, is Matthis Gartner, the miller at the Froshmuhl. A son of Matthis later married a niece of Nickel's and took over the operation of the mill from his father. The second baptism shows that Nickel is "ein zimmergesell", a carpenter-in-training.
NICKEL AND CATHARINA TOGETHER AS
WITNESSES AT BAPTISMS
| Baptism of Catharina Barbara Rauch | ||||||||
| Witness | Relation | Head of House | Occupatio | Residence | Date | Book | Page | Num |
| Matthis | self | Matthis Gartner | miller | the froshmuhle | 1 MAY 1728 | B1712 | 79 | 14 |
| Hans Niclaus | son of | Hans Feyerstein, deceased | carpenter | Thal | 1 MAY 1728 | B1712 | 79 | 14 |
| Catharina | daughter o | Marcel Nonnenmacher | farmer | Berg | 1 MAY 1728 | B1712 | 79 | 14 |
| Anna Barbara | wife of | Joh Ort | clerk | Berg | 1 MAY 1728 | B1712 | 79 | 14 |
| Baptism of Anna Maria Eylert | ||||||||
| Witness | Relation | Head of House | farmer | Town | Date | B1712 | 108 | 3 |
| Maria Elisabetha | wife of | Johann Doussing | farmer | Weyher | 12 JAN 1733 | B1712 | 108 | 3 |
| Catharina | daughter o | Marcel Nonnenmacher | farmer an | Berg | 12 JAN 1733 | B1712 | 108 | 3 |
| Hans | self | Hans Kuipper | tailor | Lorentzen | 12 JAN 1733 | B1712 | 108 | 3 |
| Nickel, ein zimmergesell | son of | Hans Feyerstein, deceased | carpenter | Thal | 12 JAN 1733 | B1712 | 108 | 3 |
The marriage record of Nickel and Catharina is on the "Johannes Feuerstein" page, along with his other children.
The births of Johann Niclaus' and Anna Catharina's children are listed below. The names of the parents and children are just as they appear in the baptismal register. All the information in the table is taken from the baptismal records of the Berg Church, except Michael's. His birth year is calculated from a court petition for a guardian after his father's dealth. For more about Michael, see the Shirer website listed on the "GUESTBOOK & LINKS" page.
The births of Johann Niclaus' and Anna Catharina's children are listed below. The names of the parents and children are just as they appear in the baptismal register. All the information in the table is taken from the baptismal records of the Berg Church, except Michael's. His birth year is calculated from a court petition for a guardian after his father's dealth. For more about Michael, see the Shirer website listed on the "GUESTBOOK & LINKS" page.
B I R T H T A B L E
Notes on the naming of the Feuerstein children
Knowing that most people in Berg and Thal went by their middle name, it is interesting that the first two daughters of Nickel and Catharina were Anna Catharina and Eva Catharina. Anna Catharina was a logical and customary choice, being the name of her mother and grandmother, but the reason for choosing Eva Catharina is not clear. We see only the name "Catharina" for Nickel's mother, but it's possible that her full name was Eva Catharina. On the other hand, Nickel's brothers and sister did not name any of their daughters Eva Catharina, but two of them, Margaretha and Andreas, named daughters Anna Catharina. This, and other circumstantial evidence, suggests that both grandmothers were named Anna Catharina. The first daughter went by Catharina and the second went by Eva.
Johann Joseph and Johann Theobald were presumably named after Catharina's younger brothers. Rosina was a very common name for Feuerstein daughters in Berg and Thal, so it was likely the name of someone who meant a lot to them. The names of the other children were very common in the parish and so may have been inspired by friends or other family members.
Knowing that most people in Berg and Thal went by their middle name, it is interesting that the first two daughters of Nickel and Catharina were Anna Catharina and Eva Catharina. Anna Catharina was a logical and customary choice, being the name of her mother and grandmother, but the reason for choosing Eva Catharina is not clear. We see only the name "Catharina" for Nickel's mother, but it's possible that her full name was Eva Catharina. On the other hand, Nickel's brothers and sister did not name any of their daughters Eva Catharina, but two of them, Margaretha and Andreas, named daughters Anna Catharina. This, and other circumstantial evidence, suggests that both grandmothers were named Anna Catharina. The first daughter went by Catharina and the second went by Eva.
Johann Joseph and Johann Theobald were presumably named after Catharina's younger brothers. Rosina was a very common name for Feuerstein daughters in Berg and Thal, so it was likely the name of someone who meant a lot to them. The names of the other children were very common in the parish and so may have been inspired by friends or other family members.
This view of the Kirchberg is from a tourism website.
Answer to "FUN WITH FRAUD" near the Bottom of the Previous Page
The bottom of the purported Feuerstein family crest on the previous page says "Austria." The actual name of the country is Österreich, so an authentic Feuerstein crest would be very unlikely to have Austria on it. It's also very unlikely for a crest to have a family name on it. However, the BIG FRAUD is that only a small percentage of families, the nobility, have crests (coats of arms). Like most families, the Feuersteins do not have a crest.
