Absalon Bartsch, Jr.

Pedigree Index

Documentation: We have the records of Paul W. Bartsch, Sr. and Paul W. Bartsch, Jr. (Supplement V) that Johannes Bartsch, Sr. had brothers named Henry, Jacob, and Absalom. Johann Becker has documented independently the records of Johannes Bartsch, Sr., Heinrich ("Henry") Bartsch, and Jacob. He does not document the existence of Absalom Bartsch III. Moreover, according to Paul Bartsch, Sr. and Paul Bartsch, Jr., the father of Johannes Bartsch, Sr. was Johann Bartsch, the Delegate to Empress Catherine II of Russia. This does not appear to be correct. A biographical sketch of Johann Bartsch (1757-1821) reveals that he was married twice, and that his children by his first wife, Susanna Lammerts, were Susanna, Maria, and Sara. After his first wife died, he remarried her younger sister, Magdalena. The couple had nine children, but only two survived infancy, Helena and Margaretha. Clearly, none of the surviving children of either marriage was named Johannes. We conclude that the Paul Bartsches were incorrect in believing that Delegate Johann Bartsch was the father of Johannes Bartsch, Sr.

Documentation: From the records of Johann Becker we are able to deduce that the father of Johannes Bartsch, Sr. (1817-1859) was Absalon Bartsch (born in 1797), and that his wife was Maria nee Penner. In addition to statements regarding Johannes Bartsch, Sr.'s brothers as stated by Paul W. Bartsch, Jr. (Supplement V), namely, Henry, Jacob, and Absalom, Becker cites Maria Bartsch and Cornelius Bartsch as being siblings of Johannes, Sr., and children of Absalon Bartsch, Jr. and Maria Penner Bartsch. The family line extending up from Absalon, Jr. comes from Johann Becker.

Documentation: Johann Bartsch Baptismal Record. We have a record that Absalon Bartsch (Jr.) was married to Maria nee Penner. In truth, we cannot see what Maria's maiden name was, but we know from other documents that it was Penner. We also can demonstrate that Absalon and Maria were the parents of Johann Bartsch (Johannes Bartsch, Sr.), that Johann was born Nov. 4, 1817 in Rosenort, and that he was baptized on May 15, 1837, at the age of about 19 1/2. He evidently lived in Heiligenbeil at the time of his baptism.
It might be protested that Johann Bartsch's surname appears to be "Bartoth," not "Bartsch." However, when we see his parents listed, there is no question but that the surname is "Bartsch." It seems a bit strange that so few of the baptismal candidates have any parents listed.

Birth of Absalon Bartsch, Jr. - He was born the son of Mennonite parents at Orlofferfelde, West Prussia, Prussia, in June of 1797.

Wife of Absalon Bartsch, Jr. - Maria Bartsch nee Penner. We have no date of her birth, and we do not know her parents. We do have a record that the two were united in marriage as Mennonites in the town of Markushof, West Prussia, Prussia on October 15, 1815.

The children of Absalon and Maria:

Absalom Bartsch, III. (Conjectured) We conjecture that Absalon and Maria had a son named Absalon (or Absalom), Jr. We have no independent records of his birth date, nor is his name associated with Absalon and Maria in any official document. We only have the statement by Paul W. Bartsch, Sr. that his grandfather, Johannes Bartsch, Sr. had three brothers, Henry, Jacob and Absalom. A note from PWB, Sr. says of Absalom, "all trace has been lost." Nothing was said about any sisters, but, of course, that does not preclude their existence.

Johann (Johannes) Bartsch, Sr., born Nov. 14, 1817 in Rosenort, Gross Werder, West Prussia, Prussia.

Maria Bartsch, born on Jan. 27, 1820, of Mennonite parents, in Markushof, West Prussia, Prussia.

Cornelius Bartsch, born on March 10, 1824.

Heinrich Bartsch, born on April 17, 1825, of Mennonite parents, in Markushof, West Prussia, Prussia.

Jacob Bartsch, born May 22, 1827, of Mennonite parents, in Markushof, West Prussia, Prussia.

Death. We do not know the date of his death.

Absalon Bartsch, Sr. We have no record of the date or place of his birth. However, we have a record of his having been "Christened" as a Mennonite on May 19, 1793 at Orlofferfelde, West Prussia, Prussia, in 1793. Knowing Mennonite tradition to some degree, I am assuming that this does not mean he was christened as an infant, but rather, baptized as an adult. I have seen another male "christened" (i.e. baptized) at the age of 18. Assuming Absalon, Sr., was baptized at age 18 in 1793, he would have been age 22 when his first child, Absalon, Jr., was born in 1797.