David, Thanks for the link on the history of Nassau & the military info. As for the translation it's not mine, but was done for me by Marion Wolfert a well credentialed German researcher. She's been doing this for a long time so I just took what she gave me & went with it. The German on the marriage record that deals with his military service is supposed to say... "Reiter unter dem Rittmeister Dasholdt, welcher eine hessisch Darmstaettische Companie Commandiert". I've posted a scan of the marriage document on my webspace here... http://www.brianeberling.com/GeorgAnnaMarriage1710.gif Regards, Brian Eberling ----- Original Message ----- From: David Rorer <drorer@fuse.net> To: "Brian Eberling" <bze@apexmail.com> Sent: Mon, 17 May 2004 16:12:39 -0400 Subject: Re: [HESSE] Geography question / also Hesse military early 1700s / other stuff < see http://13.1911encyclopedia.org/N/NA/NASSAU.htm < Dillenburg was the capital of Nassau-Dillenburg prior to the Napoleonic < wars. Afterwards < both Nassau duchies were combined under one ruler. After 1866 Nassau, < Hesse-Kassel and the < City of Frankfurt am Main were incorporated into Prussia as the province < of Hesse-Nassau < < You seem to have translated the sentence on the marriage record into < literal English from < the original German. < Ritter does not mean "rider" but is equivalent to private < Heer does not mean "Mr." but is an honorific equivalent to "sir." < It was quite common at that time for soldiers to join the military of a < state other than < the one of their birth. In fact officers would begin their career with < one state then < exchange into the military of another as a means of advancement. < < David Rorer < ----- Original Message ----- < From: "Brian Eberling" <bze@apexmail.com> < To: <HESSE-L@rootsweb.com> < Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 12:36 AM < Subject: [HESSE] Geography question / also Hesse military early 1700s / < other stuff < < < > For a year now I've thought, due to some info I received a while back, < that < > Dillenburg was a part of Hesse-Kassel. I've finally found some decent < maps < > of the area from my ancestors time period there (1710-1845) and it < looks to < > me like this town is a part of what was during that time (pre < Hesse-Nassau) < > Nassau, not Hesse-Kassel. Am I right? There doesn't seem to be much < out < > there are far as info on Nassau. < > < > If I am right, or even if I'm not, I have something else that's < confusing < > me. I've got a copy of my 6th Great Grandfather's marriage record (20 < Dec. < > 1710) from Dillenburg. Part of it states that he's "a rider with the < Hessen < > Darmstadt Cavalry under Mr. Dahsoldt". Seems odd to me that he'd be in < > Dillenburg, whether it was part of Hesse-Kassel or Nassau, and be a < part of < > the Hesse-Darmstadt military. Did that region share a military in some < way? < > Did Nassau "rent" troops from Hesse? < > < > The same marriage record says my 6th Great Grandfather Johann Georg < Eberling < > was born "close to Heilbronn" in Wurttemberg. That seems like an < awfully < > long way for a 20 year old man to have come from in that time. Did < people < > usually move around that much in the late 1600s/early 1700s? I'm < wondering < > if it might actually be Herborn, which is near Dillenburg, and not < > Heilbronn. The Heilbronn church books show no Eberling's for the proper < > time period, but of course "close to" could mean lots of things. The < > translation was done by Marion Wolfert and given her credentials I < trust her < > reading of the nearly 300 year old record, but thought I'd ask. < > < > Sorry for the long winded message. < > < > < > Thanks in advance, < > Brian Z. Eberling < > Crystal, Minnesota, USA < > < > < > ==== HESSE Mailing List ==== < > Many towns in Germany have the same name! Add the 5-digit < > zip code in front of the name! Zip codes explained, < > http://members.cox.net/hessen/table.htm < >