update 000622

Book of Record (1737-1761)
© Joop Giesendanner, the Netherlands

Reasons why Barbara Egly might have been Rev. John Giessendanner second wife:

When Barbara Hugg died in 1758 the Rev. was left with 4 living children: Henry (16), Elizabeth (13), Johannes (11), Daniel (9) and Susannah (3). Another daughter, Susannah, born in 1752 had died in 1755.
On this sad Saturday morning he had to bury his wife Barbara Hugg together with his youngest child George, who had only lived for 2 days, barely long enough to be baptized.

(original transcript by Joop Giesendanner)
(1758)
(On Saturday March 18th was enterred in the Church Yard at Orangeburgh)
In the Same Cophin with her was laid and buried in the Same
Grave her little Infant, born last Tuesday March 14th, having been
baptized on Wednesday and named George, died on Thursday
Night March 16th 1758.
(Rev. Giessendanner)

Painful it must have been to lose your wife and child in almost one incident, also for the remaining children, who would still have been greatly dependent on their mother. I'm sure some period of official mourning was appropriate, but as we have seen in many other occasions, the family had to go on and the hand of a woman was considered to be crucial.

People seemed to have some sort of "practical solution" for these ordeals, in many cases I've seen that the widower afterwards married a younger sister of the deceased (and also a brother in case of a widow was not at all uncommon). Though this may seem to be somewhat strange in our eyes, in European early farmer communities it was a practical thing to do. The families involved did already know each other (the communities were small any way), the land, involved in the heritage, stayed in the hand of the same families this way.

In this particular case I don't think the Rev. would go very far to find himself a new wife and a mother for his children.
Neither did he take a long time to do so.
Having two brothers in the age of 9 and 11 and a little sister of 3 no doubt Elizabeth of 13 had a full time job after her mother died. This had to be solved within an appropriate time.
We know for a fact that the Rev. and a new Barbara had a child born on September 10, 1759.

(original transcript by Joop Giesendanner)
(1759 On Sunday Octobr 21st in Orangeb. Church)
Eôdem Die et Locô (The same day and place)
Anna, Daughter of John & Barbara Giessendanner;
born Monday Septembr 10th 1759. Surets Christopher
Rowe, Rachel, Wife of Andrew Govan, and Barbara,
wife of John Jennings; Born between 9 & 10 o'Clock
(Rev. Giessendanner)

From what I know of the birds and the bees, the Rev must have been very close with his new Barbara at least as early as late 1758 or early 1759. Now which of the unmarried Barbara's in the Congregation of Rev. Giessendanner had good papers? To my opinion Barbara Egly.

She associates to the families of:
Knobel; Dirr and Fichtner in 1754; Strowmann, Giessendanner and Ott in 1754; Ott, Heller and Giessendanner in 1755

From these families stronger bonds, beyond professional, tie in with the Rev. He is not only their minister, but also a sponsor at several baptisms for their children:
Strowmann in 1754; Dirr in 1756.

Sponsoring families to the children of Rev. Giessendanner from his first marriage are:
Wurtz, Lahrij and Roth (Diedrich) in 1742; Straumann (Zanger) and in Abnet (Negely) in 1745; Amaker, Larey, Koch (Cook) in 1747; Leysaht and Row in 1752; Suther and Hugg in 1755.

Sponsoring families to the children of Rev. Giessendanner from his second marriage are:
Row, Govan and Jennings in 1759

Which leads to a tight bond between the families for both Giessendanner and Egly of:
Dirr and Straumann (Strowman)
On one occasion both Barbara Egly and Rev. John Giessendanner were sponsors at the same baptism:

(original transcript by Joop Giesendanner)
(1754)
On Sunday July 28th In Orangeburgh Church
John, Son of Henry & Catharina Strowmann;
born July 7th 1754: Susceptr. John Giessendanner,
John Ott, & Barbara Egly.
(Rev. Giessendanner)

On one occasion Barbara Egly was sponsor together with the Rev. John's brother Jacob:

(original transcript by Joop Giesendanner)
(1755)
On Sunday Decembr. 21st In Orangeburgh Church
Jacob, Son of Jacob & Margaret Ott; born
August 14th 1755. Suscept. John Heller, Jacob
Giessendanner, & Barbara Ygly.
(Rev. Giessendanner)

Adding all this up, I think there is a strong case, Barbara Egly could have been a fine candidate for the Rev.'s second Barbara.

Others candidates:
there are 88 Barbara's in my database, ruling out all those born after 1739
we have 69 Barbara's left, ruling out all Barbara's born before 1719
leaves us 43 Barbara's, ruling out all those already married
narrows it down to 16 Barbara's, not counting his sister
15 Barbara's:

*Barbara Giegelman 15.10.1719; there is no indication that she even was in SC
*Barbara Negely ±1720(?); she might have been older, thus not likely to be a mother in 1759
*Barbara Salley 04.01.1725; there seems to be no special bond between the families
*Barbara Sistrunk ±1726; no info on her except: she is the sister of Henry Sistrunk
*Barbara Horger 1727; she could also be a good candidate, in 1759 her brother Jacob buys 300 acres, which originally belonged to George Giessendanner, father of Rev. John, the Horgers circle in the families of: Shaumloffel, Straumann, Ott, Golsen, Stehely, Snell, Zanger and Myer
*Barbara Dantzler ±1731(?); Dantzlers seem to associate in other families
*Barbara Tshudy 16.03.1732; ditto
*Barbara Burckhard v1733; not very likely, associates in Amelia
*Barbara Egly ±1735; see above, good candidate
*Barbara Hatcher ?-n20.09.1735; the date only 'proofs' she is alive on this date and independent enough to be neighbor to Henry Salley
*Barbara Liss; ?- ?; no info to go on
*Barbara Schnell ?- ?; she was probably the wife of Henry Sr Snell
*Ann Barbara Ernst ?-n16.04.1750; only indicating she was alive at this date
*Barbara Apeer ?- ?; no indicators
*Barbara Haym ?- ?; ditto

Which leaves us with TWO good candidates: Barbara EGLY and Barbara HORGER.
Any info on the matter very welcome.

Bezoekersteller