Beeks line: The family of Christian Gutknecht 1722 -1795

 Yes, there are several German or quasi German lines in the Beeks family history.  Yes, they are easy to get mixed up.  Yes, this line is better documented than some because of its connection to Barack Obama, a couple of generations down line from this one.  Christian is the immigrant ancestor, having been born in Bischwiller, in what is now France.  It was part of the Palatinate-Zweibrucken when Christian was born.  He is the son of Johannes and Anna Barbara Keiffer Gutknecht.  I was surprised to learn that he was a tobacco preparer before he came to America, and that Alsace actually grew their own tobacco at the time.  

Christian married Magdalena Marie Grunholtz, the daughter of Johann Michael and Magdalene Mitscher Grunholtz, in 1746 in Bischwiller, while the War of Austrian Succession was being fought, with negative consequences for the couple.  It became harder and harder to make a living, and in 1749, the couple, along with their first two daughters, migrated to Pennsylvania, where they settled in Germantown, just north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  

Christian and Magdalena are the parents of six known children, although just four are known to have survived to adulthood.  

Their first daughter was Maria Magdalena, born in 1747.  She is thought to have accompanied her parents on the trip to America, but there is no known record of her here and she may have died on the voyage, as was, sadly, not uncommon.

Maria Elisabetha was born in 1748 and married, in 1770, Christopher Henrici or Henritzy, whom I can't further identify.  They had a least one child, Gerhard Christian.  Christopher died in 1790 and in 1794 she married Peter Hartmann.  Elizabeth died in 1822 in Germantown.  I am sure there is more to her story than I have been able to uncover.  There is a high likelihood there were more children born during her first marriage, which lasted 20 years, but she would have been quite old to have had children with Peter.

Christian was their first son, born about 1754 in Germantown.  He married Elizabeth Rittenhouse or Rittenhaus, the daughter of Garret and Mary Bartleson Rittenhouse.  Rather than fight in the Revolutionary War, he chose to provide a substitute, and also paid  a supply tax to the state.  It is interesting to think about what he did as the battle raged around Germantown.  Did he and his family leave town, hide in a basement, or somehow help in or after the battle?  We don't know.  Christian's children are listed as Elizabeth, Deborah, William, Susanna, Christopher, and John. Christian died in 1823.

Samuel was the next son, born about 1761.  He married Magdalena Berkheimer, the daughter of Johann Leonard and Maria Catherine Kerger Berkheimer.  This couple had at least 5 children, all of whom apparently spelled their name as Goodnight.  The children are Martha, Christopher, Leonard, Catherine, and Samuel.  I will write more about this family in my next blog post. 

Catherina was born next, in 1764.  She died in 1767, which was a sad thing but not uncommon.

Finally John Christopher was born in 1769.  I did not locate much information about him.  He may have married Gartraut Freimauer, and later Dianah Watson. He is the only one of the siblings to have left Germantown, settling in what is now West Virginia.  Census records show that he probably had at least five children, but I found names for only two-Mary Magdalena and Sally.  He died about 1842 in Hardie, in what is now West Virginia.  He is noted as being a veteran of the Revolutionary War, which means the birth date I've shown may not be correct.  He was also likely involved in the War of 1812, based on where he lived and the known history of that area and era.    

This family sketch is not nearly as complete as I'd like it to be, but it's a start.  There are more stories to find, hidden in brief clues, and I hope you will share them with me.