In a message dated 4/1/2006 10:29:12 PM Mountain Standard Time, fredmoretz@earthlink.net writes: My ancestor, Simon Moriz and his family left Susice(Schtenhofen) and came to Hessen in 1650. I have his marriage record in the Hessen church. Can anyone tell me what route they and the others who came with them would have taken from Bohemia to their new home? Thanks for any help. ---------------------------- Fred, That is not an easy answer. One would expect they had the usual household necessaries like sheets, blankets and towels, pots and pans and cleaning supplies. There are many things that would impact what they took with them: -- did they have a horse or cow to pull a wagon or did they walk all the way with only what they could carry --if they had a trade did it require brining special tools and equiiopment or raw materials (a weaving loom and spinning wheel? Blacksmith tools? Farming implements?) --did they live in a large house or in a little "welfare" cottage --could they read and write (probably not) --how qyuickly did they have to depart at a time when many Germans were moving into Bohemia (they may not have been catholic and moved because of that) --did they sneak out of Bohemia or depart openly (if they were serfs they had to have the noble lord's permission to leave) --how many children did they have --did they have any large pieces of furniture (armoires, beds with wooden canopies, Eckbank (corner table setups) --did they have items like an heirloom creche diorama they set up at Christmastime --did they have any chickens, geese, goats or other livestock --was their route secure or dangerouse (robbers? border guards to avoid?) I'm sure other list members can think of more factors that would impact how much and what they took with them. Karen