Thank you, thank you. This helps my research tremendously and I believe this explanation could open up other avenues for lost lines. >>From a previous message: >I am not at all familiar with the document being discussed here, but >could easily come up with a possible explanation for confusing Geiger >and Griger. In German script of this time period, the lower case "e" >and lower case "r" are not too disimilar in appearance (especially >when read by a 20th century English speaking American)and could have >been mis-read. This may especially be true if you are using a >translation of the original document or if the penmanship is >particular poor in the original. > >Gary >14 Jan 1999 >Baltimore > > >==== GEIGER Mailing List ==== >Looking for information on the Christian Geiger family? Try: http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/k/y/g/Russell-A-Kyger/ and http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ridge/3251/ > >

Luckily there is no question as to my Geiger lineage back to 1560, but I was trying to be of help to others who haven't been so lucky. I agree with you about Florida and have been trying to get somebody (anybody!) there to check out the 10 volumes of records from the early Florida indian wars of the very early 1800s. There are quite a few Geigers listed there by various spellings and I believe they might prove insightful for the lost lines. Unfortunately, Clayton library doesn't have that set of books, but I know they're held by many FL libraries. -----Original Message----- From: Tlind44@aol.com <Tlind44@aol.com> To: GEIGER-L@rootsweb.com <GEIGER-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Thursday, January 14, 1999 8:14 PM Subject: [GEIGER-L] Re: GEIGER-D Digest V99 #22 >Beverly, you wrote that we may need to look into other spellings of geiger in >Ga. >I think that we may need to look more in Fl. The folloeing geigers I found In >Nassau co. Fl. whitch is on the Ga. border. 1850 census Alexander,Mary,Anna, >Clifford, Eletha,Harriet,Jacob,Jacob,James,James,Jefferson,John,John >Phillip,John W., Joshua,Leonard,Louisa, Ann, Margeret, Marian(born in >S.C.),Marjory,Martha,Marthja,Martha,Martha,Mary,Polly,Polly,SarahMarie,Seli na, >Thomas,and Virgina. > All but Marian were born in eather Fl. or Ga. > >Thomas H. Lindsay P.S. My Geiger was Martha who married Archibald Barber in >the 1830'S in what is now Backer co. Fl. > > >==== GEIGER Mailing List ==== >Thanks for joining our Geiger/Kiger/Kyger family. You are always welcome here. Check out our Webpage at: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~geiger/ > >

> >I went back to study the copy of the Ebenezer Record book (I own one if >anybody needs info from it) and found that the original book is in the >Library of Congress. I hope I can get there within the year becasue I >really prefer to do research from original sources. I have found instances >where well-meaning people have made transcription errors in abstracts that >were never challenged and have caused many subsequent errors when other >researchers base their work on these things. > >The Ebenzer book was transcribed (according to the author) on bad >photostatic copies which included many varying styles of German script. The >author states that there appears to be different spelling of the same >surname and "it is up to the genealogist to determine whether the various >spellings are used by the same or different familes." > >For instance, it has been proven that many entries for Keiffer were actually >Reisers. Even without seeing the original handwriting, this is easy to >understand since the letters "ff" back then was really the letter "s". And >a faded "R" would bear a striking resemblance to a "K". > >I understand about tracing the lines back to try to determine the origin as >Joan suggested would be helpful. This would certainly apply in the case of >the list of Salzburger emmigrants who were not listed on any transport >ships, but just showed up in Ebenezer during the early 1750s. It was >speculated that they came from Purrysburg "across the river." John Casper >Griner comes to mind. This could possibly be John Casper Geiger who was >last seen in O'burg about that time. > >I feel that if I could study the original document -- knowing what I was >looking for -- I might be able to find some missing answers. > >By the way, my grandmother Pearl Tisdale Gieger (b. 1895 from the MS clan) >used to pronounce the name "Gigger." I thought it was just an inside joke >until I started genealogical research. > > > > > >

I believe that we may have to look at very different spellings of Geiger back in pre1800 GA to find some answers. I am looking into the possibily that the name was spelled Gugel in some documents. Before all of you delete this before reading further, let me give you some reasons for this hypothesis: The letters G and K were interchangable in the early German language. Of course, we have accepted that because of the 1767 land grant to Ulrich Kegar (Geiger). But I recently came upon some documents listing Matthias Gugel, yet he signed his own name in German spelling it "Krigul." Effingaham records show Anna Maria Guger (Gugel spelling also used) marrying William Stafford in 1773. In 1798 Abraham's daughter, Mary Hoffman, conveyed land to Abraham Stafford. Descendants of this line know Anna Maria to be a Geiger. I recently came upon a Geiger document spelled as Griger and have wondered if the German language translates an "R" differently or if somone later made transcription errors. Additionally, there were only 20 letters used in the German language and the translation to English is not terribly accurate. Now, I have not seen the original Ebenezer Record book which was written in German so I don't know if whoever translated it misread the faded writings or took these things into account or considered that people spelled phonetically back then. There are historians that felt that the Geiger brothers intentionally altered the spelling of their names when they fanned out from Orangeburg. This would not surprise me as a story has been passed down for generations in my Geiger line that Jesse Gieger (b. 1793) was adamant that we came from the Geiger line which spelled it as GIEGER. He (wrongfully) stressed that the original spelling was always GIE. I just can't help but wonder if these sons altered their names to assert their new indepence in a new land or if there were just a lot of scrivnor errors. Just a thought...

According to the 1990 edition of the DAR Patriot Index (the most recent one) these are the Geiger, Geigher, Gigher, Giger patriots which have been proven: Bernard m. Mary Smith (PA) Charles m. (1) Anny Mary Dilbon, (2) Mrs. Margaent Speck (PA) George m. Margaret Pechin (PA) Jacob m. Elizabeth Schultz (MD) Jacob m. Rudy Murph (SC) Jacob m. (1) Ann Kaigler (2) Mrs. Dororthy --- (SC) Jesley m. Marry Dannenhauger (PA) John m. Mrs. Anne Murff Ruff (SC) Paul m. Maria Eva Kistler (PA) Valentine Sr. m. (1) Mrs. Sarah Vetatoo (2) Marvaret Nagel (PA) Valentine Jr. m. Elizabeth Eppely (PA) William m. Elizabeth --- (PA) Rev. War pension applications (which are on microfilm at Clayton). The following Geigers are listed: Henry, PA Jacob, PA Jacob, SC and Dorothy John L. PA

I have copies of the following plats from Bryan County, GA. 1. Abraham Gaiger-400 a pine land-cc Bryan Welch & Will Futch 2. Abraham Geiger-200 a pine land adj Geiger-cc 2 unreadable Geigers 3. David Gieger-250 a pine-cc Elij Gieger & Eli Futch 4. James Martin-300 a w/homesite-cc James Bennett & Abrm Geiger 5. Samuel Gieger-300 a pine land-cc Asa Gieger & Saml Gieger 6. David Gieger-54 a-cc Wm Futch & ? Williams 7. James Martin-Land on Caney Branch 8. Jeremiah Gieger-?250 a-cc Samuel Gieger & Asa Gieger 9. Asa Gieger-200 a pine land-cc Samuel Gieger & John Gieger also this page has: David Gieger-200 a land adj Saml Gieger-cc Saml Gieger & ? Casin 10.James Martin-250 a adj vacant land & Caine bay-cc Asa Gieger & ? Martin 11.Abraham Geiger-100 a pine land adj Wm Thompson-cc Ben Thompson & John Strickland Only one of these plats has been "cleaned up." The rest are rather dirty but you can read them easily. Email me privately if you wish copies. There is no charge for the copies. Margie Barden mhbarden@rose.net

Has anyone thought of a group research project? There are several motels and an rv park in Statesboro, GA. Meals could be prepared dutch treat at my small townhouse and we could use it as a base of operations for visiting the surrounding counties. We would have the computer, copier and my limited genealogy library available. My son will occupy it until the spring semester ends but after that almost any date (except the first weekend in August) seems good to me. The blue Barden van transports six but we could always use two vehicles. My three sisters and I find we accomplish much more in courthouses and libraries when we join forces. Statesboro has the Bulloch County courthouse. It is just a half hour from Bryan and Screven County courthouses and about an hour from Wayne, Effingham, Chatham and Liberty County courthouses. South Carolina isn't all that far away. Anyone interested?

Sydney and all those looking for the early Georgia Geigers, you might try the following: Ladsen Library in Vidalia, GA GA Historical Society in Savannah, GA (and if it ever moves the genealogy collection back to town,) Savannah Public Library, Savannah, GA Mr. Ladsen collected both South Carolina and Georgia information. The library has thousands of old books, rare documents and genealogical gems. Vidalia is a little off the "beaten path." Before they began renovation several years ago, the Savannah Public Library had easily available and well indexed microfilm copies of the oldest GA newspapers. When renovation began, they moved the genealogy section way out and not everything was accessible. Check before driving into Savannah. Margie