Ann, Have you considered the common German name of METZGER/MEZGER? The online LDS Family History Library catalog at FamilySearch shows the church and civil records for Frankenthal have been microfilmed and are available for rent at your local LDS Family History Center. There are 5 churches listed in the catalog with records that cover the early 1600s. (BTW, records in the LDS FHL catalog for this area are identified as part of the Kingdom of Bavaria.) Be forewarned that Frankenthal is a "county seat" and as such your Michiel may have given that as a reference point for a nearby village. ShtetlSeeker shows there are about 125 villages within 10 miles. At 12:00 AM 12/29/2006, you wrote: >From: Ann Messecar <annmess28@yahoo.com> >Subject: [Pfalz] Michiel Mesger/Miscaer/Mesker from Frankenthal >To: PFALZ@rootsweb.com > >Dear List members, > Recently I came across the information that our family ancestor, > Michiel Mesger, > had sailed with Peter Stuyvesant to New Amsterdam, arriving in > 1647 on the ship De Princess Amelia. He signed on as a soldier > from "Frankendael (Frankenthal) in Rheinish Bavaria." > There are records in Amsterdam and in New Amsterdam (New York) > confirming his Frankenthal location. > > I have three questions: > Are parish records in Frankenthal the only place I might find > more information on Michiel? > How does one locate the names of the parishes in this area? > Has anyone on this list ever run across "Mesger" in early 1600s research? > Any ideas are appreciated! Thank you very much. > Ann Messecar > > Mesger, Messer, Miscaer, Mesker, Massiker, Massecar, Masseker, Etc. > Yes, the name was even "Massacre"d!