In a message dated 11/17/2003 5:49:41 PM Eastern Standard Time, drorer@fuse.net writes: > Hannover could never be mistaken for Hanau. Most likely the parents were > born in the kingdom of Hanover which was adjacent to the electorate of Hesse > (Hesse-Kassel) > > > > From: "Pat Hanrahan" <lauman48@yahoo.com> > I am searching for further information on the background for the family of > my ancestor, Maria Juliana MICHEL who was born on 22 March 1803 in (35274) > Kirchhain, Hessen Province. Her parents were Carl MICHEL (born 24 Dec 1771 in > Kirchhain) and Anna Catharina DALWIGK. They were married on 29 Jan 1797 also > in Kirchhain. > Maria Juliana MICHEL later married Carl Fredrick > STREIBELEIN on 22 August 1826 in Hesse-Kassel, Germany. In 1850, she moved to St. > Louis, Missouri, USA with her children. The 1880 US Census gives some clues to > her background. Her birthplace in the census is listed as "Kirchein" while > the birthplace of both of her parents is listed as "Hanover." One clue that I > was given is that Hanover could refer to either Hannover or Hanau in Hessen. > I am assuming that this is a Huguenot family, but I have no proof for this > connection. Any hints about how I could trace my MICHEL and/or DALWIGK > families further back are more than welcome. > Dear Pat - Kirchhain is a small fortified town in the immediate vicinity of Marburg, and at various times belonged to Waldeck, the Landgrave of Marburg, the Kingdom of Westphalia, Hesse-Kassel, and Hesse-Nassau. For your period of interest, it was definately part of Hessen. The Dalwigk name is an old noble family centered around the area of Korbach, sme thirty miles north of there and in Waldeck. A Dalwigk served as an officer in the American Revolution, and traces of the family are still to be found in the area (village of Dalwigksthal, Waldeck). I agree with Mr Rorer that you cannot confuse Hanau and Hannover, and would be inclined to believe Hannover here, since a family of the Uradel (von Dalwigk) would probably not marry far out of kingdom. Or, for that matter a Huguenot :-)). Another thing that speaks for Hannover is the fact that the von Dalwigk family has been very active in Hannover for over four centuries, right down to modern times. Can't help with the Michels. Werner Saemmler Hindrichs Director of Operations ALS, Inc 1-540-592-7215 Fax: 1-703-832-0692