I'm looking for hometown/any informaton on Ulrich URNER who may have been born in Switzerland about 1667. According to family legend, he fled Switzerland to Alsace in 1672 (with his parents?) due to religious persecution--he was Anabaptist. Because of his surname, some say the family must have originated in the Canton of Uri. That may be true but I suspect the family was called Urner because they moved from Uri to another canton and were thus identified as Urner before surnames became fixed. Some traditions say the family fled from Zurich Canton. Tradition, tradition. I'd rather have hard proof than a Fiddler on the Roof to perpetuate my tradition. The familiennamenbuch der Schweiz indicates that the Urner surname existed in Hirzel, ZH before 1800. I haven't seen the entry myself so I don't know if there is a previous origin listing (in parenthesis). I'm surprised this surname is not more common if it means a person from Uri. If Ulrich was born about 1667, and he "fled" in 1672, he was only a child. That would mean his parents were Anabaptists and it may mean that little Ulrich was not baptized in Switzerland in which case there will be no birth record. Are there other ways at that time and place that birth information was recorded? Ulrich's son, Martin supposedly was born in the Alsace (town not known) about 1695. There were brothers Jacob and Johann born in the 1690's also. The family emigrated to North America in 1708. Martin Urner became a famous minister in the American Anabaptist movement. There has been much written about Martin and Ulrich Urner but mostly general stuff based on tradition and speculation which does not allow for further research so I'm looking for better sources. I can read German so I will be able to follow any suggestions group members may have. Regards, Paul Rands near Portland, OR

> Von: Paul Rands [mailto:paulrands@hotmail.com] > Gesendet: Dienstag, 4. April 2006 05:46 > > I'm looking for hometown/any informaton on Ulrich URNER who > may have been born in Switzerland about 1667. > [...] > Because of his surname, some say the family must have > originated in the Canton of Uri. That may be true but I > suspect the family was called Urner because they moved from > Uri to another canton and were thus identified as Urner > before surnames became fixed. You are quite correct: the family will most likely originate in Uri - but when living there, Urner was not their name (most likely surnames had not been "invented" yet). > The Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz indicates that the Urner > surname existed in Hirzel, ZH before 1800. I haven't seen > the entry myself so I don't know if there is a previous > origin listing (in parenthesis). No - just the "a" for prior to 1800. BTW - Hirzel is the only pre-1800 citizenship - all other lines living today originate from there. > I can read German so I will be able to follow any suggestions > group members may have. So you won't have a problem following the thread on http://www.geneal-forum.com/forum_d/showthread.php?id=1355 I recommend, however, you register with the forum and add this thread to your Favourites - in this case you'll be informed by mail about any future response to your question. Best regards - Wolf __________________ Wolf Seelentag, Ph.D. Reherstr. 19 CH - 9016 St.Gallen +41 (0) 71 - 288 51 21 wolf.seelentag@swissonline.ch