Mennonite Births in the
Evangelische Kirche Zeyer Kirchenbuch:
Part 1

Extracted by Glenn H. Penner (gpenner@uoguelph.ca)

Microfilm #208456 of the Mormon collection contains births for the years 1797 to 1840 in the Evangelische Kirche Zeyer (Kr. Elbing) Kirchenbuch. Mennonites are included, and designated, starting in late 1799. This extraction contains information that cannot be found in any existing Mennonite church records, since the existing church books for the Rosenort and Elbing congregations only begin in the mid 1800's. These birth records cover the villages, in order of decreasing frequency, of Ellerwald, Einlage, Zeyer Vorderkampen, Zeyer, Stuba, Bollwerk and Fischerkamp. These records also include the hour of birth and the date the information was given to the Lutheran pastor, which I have not extracted. The fathers mentioned below are classified as Mitnachbar (land owning farmer), Einwohner (possibly landless), Einsaasse (also possibly landless resident), Pächter or Mietsmann (rented his land), Eigner or Eigentumer (owned his own land) and Haker or Hakenbudner (owned a sort of General Store). Unless otherwise stated the father was listed as a Mitnachbar.

The original records are in order of when the birth was reported and hence recorded. Therefore the actual birth dates are not in order. Some parents waited months before reporting the birth and name of a child. This was probably considered a rather low priority by the Mennonites since they had their own church records at this time (which have not survived to the present). As a result the list below does not include all of the Mennonite births in these villages.

Several of the families mentioned below can be identified in the lists of those who emigrated to Russia and provide significant additional information.

If anyone has any questions or comments please contact me.

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