[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]

Descendants of Mattheis Riegell

Generation No. 1

1. MATTHEIS¹ RIEGELL was born 1602-1612 in Munster Emmel, Amt Wittlich, Germany, and died January 17, 1672. He married MARIA WERNER Abt. 1632 in Rheinland Pfalz (Germany), daughter of JOST WERNER.

Notes for MATTHEIS RIEGELL:
This data comes from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Morman Church) Germany International genealogical Index (IGI) There is a time gap between Christian Riegel and Christoff Riegel but it is logical that Christoff is descended from Christian. Perhaps the connecting information will be found by future historians.

Oldest records found:
1332 - Knight Riegeler in Wurttemberg.
1390 - Christian Riegel born in Zwickau, Saxony.
Children:
Joseph Riegel born 1420, Zwickau, Saxony.
Johanna Riegel born abt 1430, Zwickau, Saxony.
1552 - (abt) Christoff Riegel born in Chemnitz, Saxony.
+Christina Rebentisch b. Abt 1557 m. Dec 8, 1577 in Koenigswalde
       Catharina Riegel b. Abt 1570
       Martin Riegel b. 1578
       Christophorus Riegel b. August 14, 1578
       Michael Riegel b. August 23, 1579
       Jacob Riegel b. February 1582 in Chemnitz Saxony, Germany
       + Barbara Rebentisch b. Abt. 1590
Matheis Riegel b. February 2, 1607
Christoff Riegel b. November 6, 1611
Rosina Riegel b. Abt 1616
        Joerg Riegel b. March 26, 1621

Rheinland-Pfalz was involved in the "Thirty Years' War" from 1618 to 1648 during which the country was turned from prosperous to a wilderness of uncultivated land. In 1621 this region was in the possession of Spain. After the war ended a period of peace followed but it was of short duration. The French King Louis the XIV was opposed by all the princes of northern Europe, who leagued themselves against him, England, Holland, and the Germans standing as a solid mass against France. King Louis was unable to cope with this mighty combination and he determined that "If the soil of the Palatinate was not to furnish supplies to the French, it should be so wasted that it would at least furnish no supplies to the Germans." So the destruction went on. Whole villages were set afire along with all the surrounding farms within the Palatinate. The fields where the crops were sowed were plowed up. The orchards were hewn down or burned. The damage done during WW II were minimal compared to this. The population of the region decreased from 17 million to 4 million during this period. The war ended with the treaty of Rhyswick signed in 1697. William Penn visited here in 1671 and in 1677 and offered them a home in his province where they could live without wars and persecutions and under laws which they would share in making. As early as March 10, 1682 Penn's agent sold several 5,000 acre tracts to merchants in Crefeld, Germany. In 1683 an agent for a number of German Friends, bought 25,000 acres, and upon these the town of Germantown, PA was soon located.

Children of MATTHEIS RIEGELL and MARIA WERNER are:

ANNA² RIEGELL, b. 1633, Bad Munster, Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany); d. Aft. 1672.

ii.

JOST RIEGELL, b. 1635, Bad Munster, Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany).

iii.

MICHELL RIEGELL, b. 1636, Munster Emmel, Rheinland Pfalz (Germany); d. May 26, 1676, Germany; m. CATRINA BIBER, January 06, 1662.

iv.

HANS HENRICH RIEGELL, b. 1646, Meisenheim, Rheinland Pfalz (Germany).