Sailing Snow/Ship named the Thane of Fife out of (home port) Aberdeen, Scotland

Sailing Snow (a type of ship) named the Thane of Fife
out of (home port) Aberdeen, Scotland.
Voyage in 1741 to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. William Weems, Master.
Embarked Palatine "passengers/freights" in Amsterdam, Holland.
Last port of call prior to sailing for Pennsylvania was Aberdeen, Scotland.

Seeking information about origin villages in Europe for passengers on ship.

Especially ‘Johan Adam (A) Kircher’ (aka Adam Kerchner in Pennsylvania records)

and those standing and registered immediately before and after him on this ship list.

I am especially seeking any German manumission records for people on this ship.

See detailed ship passenger list displayed below.

Also, YDNA testing proves two more Kerchner/Kirchner males related to my Adam Kerchner

were on the Ship Brothers which arrived at Philadelphia PA in 1751. See the Ship Brothers ship list.

Link to Kerchner/Kirchner Surname Genetic Genealogy YDNA Testing Project

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Research note: The English who governed colonial Pennsylvania generally called all German speaking immigrants Palatines in these early ship lists even though many of these immigrants did not actually originate from the Palatinate. Many came from other German principalities such as Baden, Wuerttemberg, and Hesse. Others were German speaking Swiss and French Huguenots. Thus, even though a ship list declared the passengers as Palatines one should not assume that all of them came from the Palatinate. Many did not. Also, even though the lists may state they were imported from a port in Holland one should not surmise these people were born in Holland. The ports of Holland were the embarkation point for many German speaking immigrants who traveled down the Rhine River from the German speaking principalities to emigrate to Pennsylvania and other English colonies in the New World. Often friends and relatives from the same village traveled to the New World together. Thus people registered on the arrival lists standing next to each other in line during the registration process in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, possibly could be related or friends from the same village of origin.

Map of South-West Germany Near the French Border re Search Area for Adam Kerchner's Home Village

Names, signature marks if not literate, and ages of "palatines" imported as "passengers/freights" on the Thane of Fife:

Gabriel Jung (52), Johann Nickel Bolander (36), Jacob Furtine (20), Johan Adam (A) Kircher (37), George (HK) Creim (30), Carl Grim (22), Adam (A) Grim (25), Johannes (X) Boss (18), Mattias (O) Kolb (26), Vallentin (O) Esman (19), Vallentin Winterstein (40), Chas Ludwig (+) Essig (22), John Henry (+) Bob (30), Anthony (X) Shneyder (17), Peter (X) Seinier (28), Johan Sebastian Hub (37), Henrich Whiteman (37), Hans Adam Whiteman (16), Lenhart (O) Zarburger (50), John Nicklas (X) Ketch (27), John Georg (X) Weyman aka Jerrie Wightman (25)

Typical sailing ship known as a Snow. The Thane of Fife would have looked similar to this.

Pennsylvania German Pioneers - The Original List of Arrivals at the Port of Philadelphia (3 Volume Set)
by Strassburger & Hinke. (Ship Lists of 18th Century Arrivals Including Signatures for Port of Philadelphia PA.)

Palatines to America Home Page.
An Organization Focused on Germanic Migration to America.

Gabriel Jung (Gabriel Young), age 52.
European Records: of Winterbach, (s.w. of Kaiserslautern), Rheinland-Pfalz (Palatinate), Germany.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Johan Nickel Bolander (Nicholas Bolander), age 36.
European Records: None found to date.

Research note: Based on the name this person’s family may originally have been from the village of Bolanden, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.
American Records: Born 1706 in Germany. He arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife. He married to an Anna Maria. He died 18 Jul 1761 in Greenwich Township, Berks Co PA.

Research note: Information for a Johann Nicholas Bolander (1706-1761), died in Berks County PA, found in the following Ancestry.com family tree: http://person.ancestry.com/tree/27739234/person/5054140755/facts There is some confusion with the information at Ancestry.com since it reports his wife died in 1740 in Berks Co PA which would be before he arrived in Pennsylvania. Thus something is amiss either with his wife’s date of death or where she died. An update on 22 Mar 2022: A long-time genealogical researcher, Tim Conrad of Allentown PA, has this Nicholas Bohlander in his family tree and he found records for him in Rittersheim, Donnersbergkreis, Rheinland-Palatinate, Germany. See this link for details about Nicholas Bohlander: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/33575136/person/18497632728/facts

Jacob Furtine (Jean Jacob aka Jacob Fortineux), age 20.
European Records: Born 2 Nov 1720 in Otterberg (just north of Kaiserslautern), Rheinland-Pfalz (Palatinate), Germany.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife. He married 22 Apr 1749 to Anna Marie Kinger. He died 21 Apr 1761 in Lancaster PA.

Research Note: Jean Jacob Fortineux of Otterberg had a first cousin named Marie Marguerite Muller, daughter of Hans Adam Muller and Marie Judith (nee Fortineux) Muller, married on 21 Aug 1736 to George Guilleume Kirchner. That Kirchner family also lived in Otterberg. Given that Jacob Fortineux is listed right next to Adam Kircher/Kirchner on this ship list, and this family connection back in Germany between the Fortineux and Kirchner families of Otterberg is a possible clue of where to look for more information. But thus far, no further evidence has been found of an Adam Kircher/Kirchner being found in any records in or near Otterberg.

Johan Adam (A) Kircher (Adam Kerchner/Kirchner), age 37.
European Records: Nothing definitive found to date. I currently have no definitive, good, or solid targets as to his village of origin. In searches of various German archive libraries such as in Kaiserlautern, no manumission record or any other type of record for him in Europe has ever been found. But over the decades, I have formulated some theories and ideas based on traditional genealogy and genetic genealogy hints. One was that he may have been from near the villages of Grossbundenbach, Wallhalben, and Saalstadt which are located southwest of Kaiserslautern, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. But nothing could be found via searches of the local archives for that area. Another possibility was for a very small village such as Marienthal or there about which is near and east of the small town of Rockenhausen which is north of Kaiserslautern, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Again, nothing could be found in the local archives. Another area suggested by the points of origin for others on this ship is the east bank region of the Rhine River in the area of the Knielingen and Blankenloch sections of the Karlsruhe district. Current research is focused in that area. Another suggested theory was made by another researcher was that Adam maybe was related to the David Kircher or Bastian Kircher families of the villages of Helfenberg, Auenstein, and Beilstein (which are located south-east of Heilbronn), Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. An Adam Kircher born in 1704 was found in that family line. But contacts by me with German genealogists in that area and testing multiple descendant Kircher males in that area with a direct paternal line YDNA test, we have found no matches to me to any of the Kircher male lines in that area, or in any other area for that matter, to-date. My YDNA testing project has helped many other Kerchner/Kirchner/Kircher males in the USA find ancestral connections in Germany. But so far not for me. Another possibility suggested by a researcher was the Kirchner/Kircher families living near the village of Hutten (near Schlüchtern), Hessen, Germany. This village is in southern Hessen. There is record of a Johann Adam Kircher (sic) born there in 1704 and after his last surviving parent, his mother, died in the late 1730’s, this Adam Kircher disappears from local records. I have tried but to date I have not been able to make contact with a local genealogist to assist me. Also, I have been unable to find Kircher or Kirchner males still living in that area who are willing to do a direct male line YDNA test. YDNA testing has also ruled out a relationship to the Michael Kerchner family of Freudensberg (near Wertheim), Baden, on the Main River. This family line in Germany spelled their family surname exactly the same as my family here in Pennsylvania. But paper trail research and YDNA testing rules out any connection between us. Another lead found via macro analysis of my YDNA haplotype YSTR marker profile indicates a low-resolution random gross match in an anonymous European YDNA database to an unnamed male living when tested in the city of Freiburg,which is near the Rhine River in southwest Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. As can be seen from these leads, they all point to southwest Germany which confirms the family oral history that our immigrant Adam Kerchner was a “Palatine” and part of the Great Palatine emigration to Pennsylvania. Many clues provided by this ship list point to the Rheinland-Pfalz as his Reich State of origin. My personal gut instincts as of Feb 2015, and based on the locations of origin of others on the snow/ship Thane of Fife, and the later arriving ship Brothers, is that my ancestor emigrated from a village (at the time of his emigration) located in a reasonable radius of distance (~ 30 kilometers) from a straight map line drawn between the cities of Kaiserslautern, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany and Karlsruhe, Baden-Wuerttemburg, Germany. This is just my research and gut instinct based on clues in hand thus far. Nothing has been proven.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife. All record of him disappears in the colonies for about 10 years. Being illiterate and likely poor, I suspect he was sold upon arrival into indentured servitude to repay via the ship’s Captain for his ship passage fee from the Old World to the New World. But no record of any indentured servitude contract has been found for him. Since his first born, a son named Frederick, was born in Mar 1750, Adam apparently married about the year 1749 somewhere in one of the three original counties of s.e. Pennsylvania to an Anna Barbara (nee __ ). I have often mentally speculated that she may have been a daughter of his indentured servitude master. About 1751 he acquired and owned about 50 acres of wooded land on South Mountain in what was then still part of the original county of Bucks County, PA, and what is now Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County, PA. He later expanded his land holdings circa 1767 to include land in Hereford Township, Berks County, PA. The county line cuts through part of what was his land in 1767 and 1768. Persons were taxed on where their home’s master bedroom was located. Adam was taxed in 1767 and 1768 on a total of 200 acres of land as a resident of Hereford Township, Berks County, PA. He appears to have relocated his primary residence across the county line from what was then Northampton (now Lehigh) County, PA to Berks County, PA Per an entry in “The Journals and Papers of David Shultze”, a Surveyor, Adam died 26 Aug 1768 "on old Seiler's place". That Old Seiler’s Place track of land was in Hereford Township, Berks County PA and which land in 1768 was very near Adam Kerchner’s original 50 acres of land, which was across the county line in Upper Milford Township, Northampton (now Lehigh) County, PA. Adam Kerchner’s religion was: Protestant/Evangelisch - German Reformed. His family members worshipped with the German Reformed Congregation, which ultimately became part of the UCC Protestant Denomination church which is today located in Old Zionsville, Lehigh County, PA. Adam was not literate. He made his mark on extant legal documents with the capital letter "A", the first letter of his secular “call name” of Adam. His mark is found on both the legal record of his arrival on this ship list and also on his Last Will and Testament, made the same day as his died on 26 Aug 1768. I suspect he was mortally injured while working on the Seiler farm property, or was suddenly taken very seriously ill and was at the Seiler property farm for final care in his last day or days, and thus his passing away on the Old Seiler Place, and the last minute making of his Will. Adam had one known son named Frederick Kerchner, his first born known child, born in 1750 somewhere in s.e. Pennsylvania, from whom I descend. For many more details about what I know about this Adam, my immigrant ancestor, see: Kerchner Genealogy Home Page 18th Century German Naming Customs

George (HK) Creim (George Krim/Grim), age 30.
European Records: None found to date.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Carl Grim (Carl maybe aka Charles Krim/Grim), age 22.
European Records: None found to date.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Adam (A) Grim (Adam Krim/Grim), age 25.
European Records: None found to date.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Johannes Boss (Johannes aka John Boss/Boos), age 18.
European Records: None found to date.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Mattias (O) Kolb (Mathias Kolb), age 26.
European Records: of Wallhalben, Saalstadt, Rheinland-Pfalz (Palatinate), Germany.

Possible church record for him found in Feb 2015 by researcher in Germany: In the Wallhalben church records were found: "Anno 1739 den 13. January Johann Matthias Kolb mit Jungfer Maria Magdalena Näßmannin alhier zu Wallhalben copuliert". Translation: “on January the 13th 1739 Johann Matthias Kolb had been married to maid Maria Magdalena Näßmannin at Wallhalben"

American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Valentine (O) Esman (Valentine maybe aka Felty Nassman/Neassman), age 19.
European Records: of Saalstadt, Rheinland-Pfalz (Palatinate), Germany.

Possible church record for him found in Feb 2015 by researcher in Germany: In the Wallhalben church records I found: "Anno 1739 den 13. January Johann Matthias Kolb mit Jungfer Maria Magdalena Näßmannin alhier zu Wallhalben copuliert". Translation: “on January the 13th 1739 Johann Matthias Kolb had been married to maid Maria Magdalena Näßmannin at Wallhalben". The CLDS IGI has this entry for Wallhalben: Name: Johann Valentin Naessmann. He may have been a brother to Maria Magdalena who was married to Mathias Kolb.

American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Vallentin Wintersteen (Valentine maybe aka Felty Wintersteen), age 40.
European Records: Possible church record for him found in Feb 2015 by researcher in Germany: In the Marienthal (near and east of Rockenhausen) records can be found Valentin Winterstein: "Anno 1741 den 8. Marty ist der Johann Valentin Winterstein gewesener Koch bey der hochgräflichen Herrschaft zu Reipoltskirchen mit Anna Catharina Grillin von mir ........ copuliert worden". Translation: “on the 8th or March 1741 Johann Valentin Winterstein who had been cook at the county of Reipoltskirchen had been married by me with Anna Catharina Grillin”.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife. A long-time genealogical researcher, Tim Conrad of Allentown PA, a long-time genealogical researcher, found records for him in Reipoltskirchen, Kusel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Tim reports that this Valentin Winterstein was married to the sister of the wife of Nicholas Bohlander, a person also listed on this ship list. See this link for more details about this Valentin Winterstein: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/33575136/person/102347324064/facts

Ludwig (+) Essig (maybe aka Louis/Lewis Essig), age 22.
European Records: Some say possibly he was of Massenbach (a very small town/location south of the town/locale of Massenbachhausen in Baden-Wuerttemberg that is now part of Heilbronn county. You must zoom in on the map and scroll around to find it. Massenbach is a little south-southeast of Massenbachhausen. And these are to the west of Heilbronn). Others have him possibly from Obermoschel, Rheinland-Pfalz. Possible church record for him found in Feb 2015 by researcher in Germany: The CLDS IGI has the following Johann Carl Ludwig Essig from Obermoschel, that may be the one on the Thane of Fife. Name: Johann Carl Ludwig Essig
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

John Henry (+) Bob (Henry Bopp/Pape), age 30.
European Records: None found to date.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Anthony (X) Snyder, age 17.
European Records: None found to date.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Peter (X) Seiner (Peter Sinor?/Snyder?), age 28.
European Records: None found to date.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

John Sebastian Hub (Sebastian Hub/Hueb, some indicate Hurb/Hurben, some indicate Huber which later became Hoover), age 37.
European Records: A Sebastian Hueb 1694 marriage record, possible father or grandfather or other relative of this Sebastian, located in Simmertal.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Possibly this is his marriage record for marriage on 7 Feb 1744 to Catarina Mueeler (sic) in Tulpehocken, Berks County PA.

Possibly some colonial time frame genealogical information about him found online at Ancestry.com which reports he was born in Koblenz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany..

Lenhart (O) Zarburger, age 50.
European Records: Possible church record for him found in Feb 2015 by researcher in Germany: In churchbook Marienthal (near and east of Rockenhausen), 1719, Lenhart Sarburger sponsor: “„den 24. Mai hat Johann Georg Diel und seine Frau Catharina, Beisaß zu Marienthal, ein Söhnlein taufen lassen, so den 20. Morgens geboren, Paten waren Johann Lenhard Sarburger und seine Ehefrau von Rockenhausen und Conrad Becker und Ehefrau Elisabeth von Grünstadt, Name Johann Conrad”. Translation: "on May 24th Johann Georg Diel and his wife Catharina, "Beisaß" at Marienthal (Beisaß means that somebody is living there but is not a citizen), had a little son christened, so born in the morning of the 20th, sponsors had been Johann Lenhard Sarbuger and his wife of Rockenhausen and Conrad Becker and his wife Elisabeth of Grünstadt, name of child Johann Conrad [Diel]".
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

John Nicklas (X) Ketch (Nicholas Ketch), age 27.
European Records: None found to date.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

John Georg (X) Weyman (George Whiteman), age 25.
European Records: None found to date.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Henrich Whiteman (Henry Whiteman), age 37.
European Records: None found to date.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Hans Adam Whiteman (Adam Whiteman), age 16.
European Records: None found to date.
American Records: Arrived in Philadelphia PA 7 Nov 1741 on ship Thane of Fife.

Note: Johan Adam (A) Kircher (sic), who is my direct male line immigrant ancestor, listed in the ship passenger list for the snow Thane of Fife arriving in 1741 has been conclusively proven via traditional research and using Y chromosome DNA testing to be related on direct male line to the J. George Kirchner and Friederich Kirchmer (sic) who were traveling together and were imported to Pennsylvania on ship Brothers in 1751. That ship Brothers arrived at Philadelphia on 16 Sep 1751. See below link for more details about these two later arriving Kirchner men and ship list for 1751 voyage of ship Brothers.

Ship Brothers 1751 Voyage Ship Passenger List

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