My Seventh Great Grandfather Has a Sense of Humor
His humor is causing me trouble. Zacharias Krebs is the scribe. When he enters the births of his children into the Birth Book, he enters them in the first person. (I Zacharias Krebs....)
Once Baerbelj explained this to me, his entries were easier to read. This entry, however, is much harder. He inflated the record to make it look like the birth of his 14th child was a very important event. There are so many adjectives in the record that I cannot read all of it.
It is so wordy that when I researched his family in 1918, I didn't even recognize it as part of my family history. For four years I researched past this entry while looking for other family members. Now that I recognize it as mine, I am trying to enter an accurate translation.
Below is the record, and my "translation" of it. I'm not even sure that what I have translated is accurate.
Translation:
On 16 May 1771 on Pentecost Sunday Evening between the 8 and 9 hour in the evening my God has ........... me and my wife, Zacharias Krebs, schoolmaster here, Mother: Margaretha
Krebs. A younger son was born. On the 18th of ditto Month of May was baptized and his name was named Johannes Krebs. His Godfather is the ......... reverend Herr ............ his beloved Herr Father Vritz Joyckh, Godmother the ........... David Holly .......... here in Stannern, his ......... wife Catharina Holly ... ...... here.
Thank you for all your help. I hope Baerbelj sees this. She may remember the scribe who wrote in the first person.
Answers
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Could you share a link to where you found the record online (or reference information so we can locate it)? Images are generally clearer in the original online version, and it helps to be able to compare the handwriting with other pages.
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Sorry, I usually do that.
Thanks
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Thanks for the link! I'm also tagging @BaerbelJ since you mentioned hoping she'd see your post:)
Transcription:
Den 16 Mayus am pfingst Sonn abendt Zwischen 8 Undt 9 Uhr
ein vierdtel Stundt auff 9 Uhr Zu abendt Hatt mir gott der
Allmächtige Mir Undt meine Haußfrauen, Zachariaß Krebß
schulmeister alhier, Mutter Margaretha Krebßin ein Jungen
Sohn gebohren, ist den 18 dito Monadt Mayus getaufft wor=
den sein Nahmen genandt Johannes Kreb seine Patten
seindt diß ietzigen Wohl Ehrwürdigen Herrn Pfahrers sein
geliebter Herr Vatter, Veitus Joyckh(?), ge Patterin deß Ehrbahren
Davidt Holly mittnachtbahr alhier ihn Stannern seine Viellge=
liebte Haußfrau Catharina Hollin mit nachtbahrin alhier
Translation:
On 16 May [1671, not 1771] on Pentecost Sunday [in the] evening between 8 and 9 o'clock, at a quarter toward 9 [i.e., at 8:15 p.m.] in the evening, God the Almighty has me and my wife, Zacharias Krebß, schoolmaster here, mother Margaretha Krebß, a young son was born, on the 18th of ditto month of May was baptized and his name was named Johannes Krebß. His Godparents are the current, honorable Mr. pastor his beloved Mr. father, Veitus Joyckh(?), [and] as godmother the honorable David Holly, *neighbor here in Stannern his much beloved wife Catharina Holly, neighbor here.
*A neighbor (Mitnachbar) is a full citizen who could and had to take part in community meetings. You could only become a neighbor after certain conditions and against payment of a sum of money or benefits in kind to the community treasury by vote of the community assembly. Becoming a neighbor also required a reliable guarantor, the consent of the feudal lord, and a certified certificate of one's background and behavior. Explanation taken from https://forum.ahnenforschung.net/showthread.php?t=90318
In other words:
On 16 May 1671, Pentecost Sunday, at 8:15 p.m., God the Almighty sent me, Zacharias Krebß, and my wife, Margaretha Krebß, a son. He was baptized on 18 May and named Johannes Krebß. His godparents were the current pastor's beloved father, Veitus Joyckh(?), and (as godmother) the neighbor Catharina Holly, wife of David Holly, an honorable neighbor here in Stannern [aka Stonařov, same as the parish].
It was common for priests and scribes to record longer entries for events in their own family members' lives since those events had a personal meaning attached to them. I'm sure many of us would have written more in our family members' entries than in other entries if we had been the ones writing these records, too! :)
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