Doug - I'll be very interested to see what kind of replies you get as I've found similar gaps in an area in Kanton Sankt Gallen which is located just west of the area in which you seem to be researching - the villages of Benken and Schaenis, both located immediately west of the Walensee. My sense is that a couple of factors are at work here - but I have no real proof of this. The factors, I believe, were economics and the unique character of Swiss community-based citizenship. In other words, economic need sometimes required that a young male seek work elsewhere than the community of his birth. Often, especially during the period to which you refer, this employment was in the form of 'mercenary' activity, but I am sure that there were other examples. Years later - given the retained citizenship rights - the person in question, along with the family that they had produced during the intervening years, returned to the community in which they held citizenship. But - not always, but often - the baptismal records for their children had been recorded elsewhere. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, another generation begins appearing in the church records. Another variation of this - again, I have no proof - I believe sometimes occurred in the wake of a marriage to a spouse from another community. One of the parties to the marriage moved to the home community of the other spouse. Years later, sometimes with one or more children in tow, the party returns to the community in which they have citizenship. And, once again, people begin turning up in the church records for whom there are no baptismal records. I would very much appreciate it if you would post to the list or privately forward to me any responses you get that help explain the phenomena. Good luck. Jim Schneider DHILBS@aol.com wrote: > I have researched the Mels and Flums Kirchenbuchs back to 1641 and something > strange occurs in both localities. > > Mels - couple 1 first child 1699. Next couple first child 1751. A > spread of 52 years. Otherwise from 1641 to 1821 there was always a > generation every 20 to 25 years. > > Flums - couple 1 first child 1720. Next couple first child 1760. A > spread of 40 years. Otherwise from 1666 to 1820 there was always that > generation every 20 to 25 years. > > No historians, was there a religlious reveloution, a plague, a massive flood > of the Rhein or Seez rivers, any other natural disasters that would explain > the generation gap? > > Thanks in advance. > > Doug Hilby > > ==== SWITZERLAND Mailing List ==== > Going on vacation? Gone longer than 4 days? > mail to Switzerland-L-request@rootsweb.com > subject line: unsubscribe > nothing in message