The Zirckle Family who came to America in the early 1720’s, came from a country that had been war-torn for many years. For this was during the time of the 30 year war between France and Germany. In their day our family lived in the most fertile garden spot in the Deutschland (Germany). The place was the Rhine-Nekar River Valley. Of course, they spoke the Deutsche (German) language every day.
The Palatinates were prosperous farmers. Due to the mass, widespread, scorched-earth destruction of the French-German War of 1685-1699 many were killed, fields destroyed totally ruining the area. The population was cut from 500,000 to 50,000. William Penn, son of Admiral Penn, traveled up and down the Rhine Valley seeking for setters for Penn’s colony in the New World. His mother was German, and he spoke their language. Soon after 1700 a stream of Palatinates started down the Rhine to Rotterdam to England and the Port of Philadelphia. Travel agents called New-Landers were paid to promote the movement. Thousands of little pamphlets were issued extolling the virtues of the new land across the sea. One of them was Daniel Falkner’s little booklet describing how good life was around Philadelphia. Parson Anthony Jacob Henkel had served five congregations in the Palatinate until 1717 when he emigrated to Pennsylvania. His last parish was at Neckargemund (five mile from Heidelberg), where the Elsenz Creek joins the Nekar River. He lived at New Hanover, Pennsylvania, which is now in Montgomery County. The German settlements grew in Pennsylvania by leaps and bounds.
The refugee emigrants packed all their belongings in trunks including equipment that would be needed in the new land. They also packed a large supply of dried fruit and other food to last them down the Rhine, through the custom house delays, and the great sea voyage.
Life aboard ship was crude and often the sea so furious that men cursed the day they set sail and prayed to die and be spared the storms ahead. Food became foul, wormy and revolting. Diseases, scurvy, boils, lice and filth spread the misery and suffering. Often large numbers died and were buried at sea. To say the voyage across the sea was rigorous would be an understatement.
Later the public authorities would require a health inspection of immigrants and an oath of allegiance to the crown and the proprietor. Thereby began the practice of making a list of all persons on each ship to enforce the regulations. The ship lists began in 1727 for the Port of Philadelphia. The Zirckle’s came before then.
Heinrich (Henry) Zirckle was our immigrant ancestor who came from the little town of Ittlingen, Baden, in Germany. He brought with him his son Ludwig and his twin sister Anna Maria. They settled in Pennsylvania.
In the year 1955, Rev. Zirckle, in quest of the ancestry of Heinrich Zirckle and the birthplace of his son Ludwig, was in correspondence by letter with a William Zirckle of Chicago,
Illinois. William put him in touch with a Mr. Wilhelm Zirckle of Ravensburg, West Germany who eventually contacted a Pastor Heinz Schuchmann in Duhren, near Sinshein in Baden Germany. After about a year, a letter finally came with the complete record of Ludwig’s birthplace and material on his parents and grandparents. The letter was mailed on December 13, 1955, by Pastor Heinz Schuchmann on his official stationery. Here is the record of Ludwig Zirckle as given by Pastor Schuchmann:
Heinrich Zirckle, Lutheran, Occupation unknown, Wife Euphrosina
CHILDREN:
1. Johann Heinrich, named as godfather & unmarried in Ittllingen in 1722.
2. Hans Martin Born 8/22/1701 in Ittlingen.
3. Eva Margretha Born 1/20/1703 in Ittlingen.
4. Johann Ludwig Z. Born 10/9/1705 in Ittlingen.}Twin
5. Anna Maria Born 10/9/1705 in Ittlingen.}Twin
6. Eva Rosina Born 9/1/1710 in Ittlingen
Concerning Ludwig Zirckel’s grandparents, Pastor Schuchmann reports their wedding record from the Evangelical Parish register of Reihen (another small nearby town in Sinsheim): “the 23 of January 1672 are married Joh. Lofenius Zirkel, the leaved son of the died Conrad Zurckel, Chaplain (Caplan) in Hambach in the County of Solms Braunfels (Palatinate), to Catherine, the leaved daughter of the died Heinrich Hirtzel, citizen of Reyheim (today Reihen).”
Pastor Schuchmann further states that: “Johann Lofenius Zirckel a Lutheren citizen and smith (farrier), settled in Kirchardt, then in Babstadt, where he died. He had emigrated after the Thirty Years War 1618-48 into this depopulated county in the Territory of the Lutheran Knights of the Kraichgau in the Palatinate. His wife Catherine Hirtzel was born in Switzerland, in the village Aublikon (parish Pfeffikon), the daughter of Hans Heinrich Hirtzel and his wife Maria Steiner. After the Great Thirty Years War, the Hirtzels also settled in Reihen where their relative, Pastor Clemens Hirtzel, a Calvinist clergyman from Winterthur in Switzerland, was minister from 1651 to 1670.” Their children (all born in Kirchardt):
1. Ursula b. 1/30/1672
2. Hans Jacob b. 4/20/1674
3. Heinrich b. 11/10/1676
4. Anna Maria b. 3/19/1678
5. Hans Georg b. 3/30/1680
6. Katherina b. 8/10/1682
7. Anna Barbara b.4/13/1684
8. Johann b. 5/5/1685
