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| Naturalization index card for "John H. Rittgers" (John Augustus Rittgers). Note that the reference is to "P203, C Journal No. 17", which is conveniently digitized on FamilySearch. "Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L996-QY4C?cc=1987615&wc=MCFK-B29%3A265561801%2C265569001 : 21 May 2014), Fairfield > Naturalization cards 1801-1900 A-Z > image 260 of 362; county courthouses, Ohio. |
I'd seen this index listing of the naturalization of my 4th great grandfather John Augustin Rittgers in 1844 before, but I hadn't looked up the full entry until now. I found the following through the FamilySearch catalog:
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| John's name is at the center bottom right, clustered with the men who came from France (!). I'm assuming that means like Alsace Lorraine? I thought Rittgers sounded German. Ohio, Fairfield County, Common Pleas journal no. 17, 1844-1846, October Term 1844, page 202, Admitted as Citizens, October 1844; Fairfield County Court House, Lancaster; FHL microfilm 505,919; digital image, FamilySearch Fairfield County court records, 1801-1900 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C911-C7GK-H?i=440&cat=26342) : accessed 27 Jan 2018. |
It always pays to see the original, or as close as you can get to the original, when it comes to these index entries.
Saying someone was from France is quite vague, and although the journal entry did not elaborate on where in France Rittgers was from, it did at least group the new citizens by where they originated from. John Rittgers not listed in any of the following places:
Kingdom of Wertemberg [sic]
Dukedom of Baden
Government of Switzerland in Germany
Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Hanover
Dukedom of Hesse Kassel
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Kingdom of Denmark
Free City of Brehman
King Emporer of Germany
Govern[ment?] of Waldick (?)
Kingdom of Prussia
Dukedom of Berlinberg (?)
Wales
He is listed, along with the following men, from "the Kingdom of France":
Joseph Etienne
Momon (?) Bersee (?)
Michael Bersee (?)
Joseph Philips
Jacob Eissemman
Bernard Vagnier
Barthol. Vagnier
Victor Vagnier
Augustus Winter
Michael Strahl
Fred'k Walters
Nicholas Jacob
John H Rittgers
Barnhart Claus
I hadn't seen these names before. Maybe he knew them from back in the old country, or maybe they all just ended up in Fairfield County, Ohio from different paths. The only thing the court mentioned was that "they have severally resided in the United States for more than five years last past". I am not quite sure when John Rittgers came to the United States, although he might be the "John Riticher" who came into Philadelphia in 1792:
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| Ancestry's index to the entry. Follow this link at the Internet Archive to see the transcribed name in context (The ship Fame came into the Philadelphia port from Rotterdam on 23 Sep 1792). |
So my next step will be researching the other men, and consulting contemporary maps (circa 1844 or before) to try to narrow down what "Kingdom of France" meant, minus the other governments.
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Hello, My name is Cecilia Clark and John A. Rittgers 1767-1848 was my 4th great grandfather, too. It's fascinating that the naturalization papers you exhibit here show that he was from France. I have a book, "Those Roving Rittgers" by Joyce Rorabaugh that states his naturalization papers state he was from "The Kingdom of Prussia." Both are too general to figure out his actual place of birth. Have you made additional progress in identifying his place of birth?
ReplyDeleteHi cousin! I have not made any additional progress on this problem. He is such a tough nut to crack :-( I also don't have much experience with German (and French) records from the 1700's, so I'm a bit out of my depth at this point. If I ever figure that out I will definitely post about it.
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