Hi Judy, The URL below will give you some insight as to the naming practices in early Europe. Also Hans, Hanns, Hansen, Hance, Hantz, Hanse, Hens are all aberations of the name JOHANNES / JOHAN which we today know as JOHN. The ship Edinburgh made several trips almost alwasys with James Russel (l) as captain. It left from Rotterdam, stopped at Portsmouth / Cowes. There was a JOHANNES KEMMER on the Edinburfg in Sept 1754. I have no info on him. But the middle names and the death records all STILL lead me to believe HANS NICKEL is yours. Good hunting, Kay http://www.kerchner.com/germname.htm -- Genealogy without documentation is mythology!