> >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. > > > > > >