In a message dated 7/30/03 2:11:21 PM, mikael@writeme.com writes: << I have an ancestor born 1682 in Riga who is supposed to decend from an old noble family, Winter zu Fronkirchen, probably from the Darmstadt area in Hessen. Does anyone know where on the map Fronkirchen is or were situated? >> There is a Frauenkirchen in Austria. Was this name printed out in a book or elsewhere? If it's a passed-down story, perhaps the name has been corrupted. Places that you perhaps should explore: Fraenkisch Crumbach, east of the city of Darmstadt, in Odenwaldkreis. And, there are a couple of places called Feldkirchen in Bayern. Dona Ritchie

writes: > > << I have an ancestor born 1682 in Riga who is supposed to decend from an old > noble family, Winter zu Fronkirchen, probably from the Darmstadt area in > Hessen. Does anyone know where on the map Fronkirchen is or were situated? >> > > There is a Frauenkirchen in Austria. Was this name printed out in a book or > elsewhere? If it's a passed-down story, perhaps the name has been corrupted. > Places that you perhaps should explore: Fraenkisch Crumbach, east of the city of > Darmstadt, in Odenwaldkreis. And, there are a couple of places called > Feldkirchen in Bayern. > > Dona Ritchie > Since the family name is given as "Winter zu Fronkirchen" it is probable that "zu Fronkirchen" is an estate and Winter is the family name. The rules for "von" and "zu" when included in a name are: "von" indicates the estate that the family name was derived from "zu" indicates that the family holds and occupies the estate. "von and zu" indicates that the family is of the lesser ranks of the nobility and is occupying the estate that its name is derived from. "Fronkirchen" may not be the name of a town at all therefore you need to research the family farther to find out where its seat was.