First Families of Orangeburgh District, South Carolina
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Giesendanner, Gissendanner (Giezendanner, Gietzendanner)
1a. JACOB GIETZENDANNER, the son of GEÖRG GIETZENDANNER and URSELA BRÄKER, was baptized on 3 Jul 1683 in Lichtensteig, SG, Switzerland[1,2] and died in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina.
Although there is no explicit record of the elder Jacob in Orangeburg, Swiss records indicate that he was one of the immigrants. With Jacob, the known Giessendanner immigrant party totals eleven as indicated by their land grant and as mentioned by Hans Ulrich Giessendanner in his 1737 letter to Samuel Paravacini[4].
"When the Counselor of Lichtensteig found out that the goldsmith Hans Ulrich, his brother Georg, the hatter, and his brother Jakob, the tin man, were to emigrate to "Carolina, an island in the sea", he gave them the fatherly advice not to undertake such a costly, far and dangerous journey, at least not as long as some of the children were infants. When they persisted in their decision, the Counsel granted 36 and 30 Gulden, to Jakob 2 Doublonen "Viaticum", which had to be paid back in case of a return."[3]
1b. HANS ULRICH [Rev. John(1)] GIETZENDANNER, the son of GEÖRG GIETZENDANNER and URSELA BRÄKER, was baptized on 17 Jun 1686 in Lichtensteig, SG, Switzerland[1,2] and died in 1738 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[5]. He married UNKNOWN, his housekeeper for 26 years, on 15 Nov 1737 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[5,6].
Hans Ulrich Gietzendanner was a goldsmith by trade. His involvement with the Pietist and Inspirationist religious movements of Germany and Switzerland led to his banishment from Marburg (in Hesse) and to continual problems with the Swiss religious authorities. When the Lichtensteig authorities passed a law in 1736 against any meetings which might draw people from established public worship it was really directed against Hans Ulrich. He and his family left for America in the fall of the same year[3].
Although he was never an ordained minister, Hans Ulrich Gietzendanner established the first church in Orangeburg and served as it's pastor until his death about 1738[3].
Hans Ulrich and his brother George platted 550 acres of land and a town lot on 21 Oct 1737 (see below)[7].
1c GEÖRG GIETZENDANNER, the son of GEÖRG GIETZENDANNER and URSELA BRÄKER, was baptized on 9 Sep 1691 in Lichtensteig, SG, Switzerland[1,2] and died in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina. He married SUSANNA BARBARA GIETZENDANNER, the daughter of ULRICH GIETZENDANNER, on 25 Jan 1718 in Lichtensteig[1,2].
Hans Ulrich and his brother George platted 550 acres of land and a town lot on 21 Oct 1737[7]. In 1748, Hans Ulrich having died, George, Jr. petioned for the grant to be issued in his father's name[8].
Page 316: Meeting of Wednesday A. M. 15 June 1748
The Humble Petition of George Gesendaner Jun'r in behalf of his Father Geo: Gisendaner setting forth That your Petitioners Father is the next surviving Bro. to Hans Ulric Gisendanner who had a Warr't for 550 acres of Land Granted to him the 15th Aug't 1737 w'th Lot No. 148 in Orangeburg Township and the Platt returned by Geo Haig Esq'r on October 1737 as appears by the Surv'r Gen'ls Certificate That your Petitioners uncle being Dead without any Heirs to said Land devolves on your Petitioner's father who having 6 Children is desirous of selling the said Land Praying an Order to Certifie the said Platt of 550 acres now in his Office and that a Grant as before Granted free of Charge may pass to y'r Petitioner's Father. Ordered that the Prayer of the Petition be Granted Provided George Gesendaner the Elder be now Living in this Province.[8]
A grant for a town lot and 550 acres of land was issued to George Gesendanner on 19 Oct 1748[9]. Three hundred acres was later sold to Jacob Horger[10].
Childrern of Geörg Gietzendanner and Susannah Barbara Gietzendanner are:
a. ELISABETH GIETZENDANNER, bapt. 7 Mar 1719 in Lichtensteig, SG, Switzerland[1], m. LUDWIG REICHEN bef. 15 Oct 1741 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[5,6]. Ludwig d. late September 1746[5,6].
Ludwig and Elisabeth had one child, Margaretha Reich, bapt. 1 Feb 1747 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[5,6].
b. HANS ULRICH [Rev. John(2)] GIESSENDANNER, bapt. 1 Mar 1721 in Lichtensteig, SG, Switzerland[1], d. bef. 24 Jul 1761 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina. He married (1)BARBARA HUGG, 1739-1742 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[5,6], bapt. 1 Dec 1724 in Aarmuhle, BE, Switzerland[5], d. 17 Mar 1758 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[5,6]. He married (2)BARBARA [unknown] bef Jan 1759[5,6].
Rev. John Giessendanner continued the work of his Uncle (the first Rev. John) as pastor of the Orangeburgh Church and is the author of The Book of Record. In 1738, at the request of the congregation, he went to Charleston ton to obtain orders from the Bishop of London's commissary but was persuaded by Major Mott to apply to the Presbytery of South Carolina who gave him the authority to preach among his German [Swiss] neighbors. In 1749 he traveled to England and took orders in the Church of England. He returned to Orangeburgh in 1750 as an ordained minister in the Church of England[5,6].
c. GEÖRG GIETZENDANNER, bapt. 17 Jul 1723 in Lichtensteig, SG, Switzerland[1]. He married AGNES ZUNG (possibly Jung), widow of ___ Diedrich, in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[5,6]. George d. 29 Aug 1751 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[5,6]. Agnes d. 25 Mar 1758[5,6].
On 2 Feb 1752, Agnes married Peter Roth in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[5,6].
d. JACOB GIESSENDANNER, bapt. 25 Jan 1727 in Lichtensteig, SG, Switzerland[1]2, d. 16 Aug 1759 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[5,6].
e. VERENA GIESSENDANNER, bapt. 1 Apr 1730 in Lichtensteig, SG, Switzerland[1], m. JOHANN CUNRAD STEIGER 23 Apr 1754 in Lichtensteig[1], d. 8 Sep 1778, aged 48 years 6 months in Lichtensteig[1].
There is no doubt that Verena remained behind when the rest of her family emigrated. Her marriage record states that she is the daughter of Geörg Gietzendanner, the hatmaker, and his wife Barbara Gietzendanner
f. [unknown son] GIESSENDANNER, b. 24 Apr 1732, d. 24 Apr 1732 (born dead) in Lichtensteig, SG, Switzerland[1].
g. URSULA GIESSENDANNER, bapt. 28 Jul 1733 in Lichtensteig, SG, Switzerland[1], m. JOHANNES WILHELM LEYSAHT on. 3 Oct 1752 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[5,6].
A different hand added the note "obiit" (died) to Ursula's baptism record but this has to be a mistake since she married in Orangeburgh.
h. SUSANNA BARBARA GIESSENDANNER, bapt. 23 Jun 1736 in Lichtensteig, SG, Switzerland[1], died in South Carolina[5,6].
Susanna Barbara is mentioned several times in the Book of Record as a "Suret" to baptisms[5,6]. Evidence suggests (but doesn't prove) that she was the second wife of George Ulrick[11].
REFERENCES:
1. Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche Lichtensteig (Sankt Gallen). "Kirchenbuch, 1647-1842". FHL INTL Film 948659.
2. Jakob Wickli-Steinegger, "Toggenburgisches Genealogienwerk (Frey, Uli - Gieger)", FHL INTL Film 1860956.
3. Joop Giesendanner, "Hans Ulrich Giezendanner alias ...", http://www.xs4all.nl/~sail/hz000014a.html, Feb 2007.
4. Joop Giesendanner, " Letter to Samuel Paravicini", http://www.xs4all.nl/~sail/rev001.html.
5. Joop Giesendanner, "The Book of Record, Orangeburgh, SC". http://www.xs4all.nl/~sail/.
6. A. S. Salley, The History of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, 1898.
7. SC Archives, Colonial Plat Books, (Gisendanner, Hans Ulrick And George Gisendanner), Ser. S213184, Vol. 0004, Pg. 00408
8. Brent Holcomb. Petitions for land from the South Carolina Council Journals, Vol. II : 1748-1752, 1997, p. 32.
9. SC Archives, Colonial Land Grants, (Gesendanner, George Sr.), Ser. S213019, Vol. 00424, Pg. 00303
10.SC Archives, Conveyance Books,( Geissendanner, George And Wife To Jacob Horguer), Ser. S372001, Vol. 0200, Pg. 00265.
11. Joop Giesendanner, "Ulrick, Book of Record (1737-1761)", http://www.xs4all.nl/~sail/orange/ulrick.html.
Other references to this surname are found in OSGSG Newsletters: Vol. 1, pp. 3, 5, 6, 16, 21, 22, 43, 82, 98, 115, 116, 127; Vol. 2, pp. 16, 27, 61, 96, 115, 133, 141, 150; Vol. 3, pp. 9, 25, 49; Vol. 4, p. 71; Vol. 5, pp. 5, 35, 62, 69, 93, 115, 143-145; Vol. 6, pp. 59, 112, 127, 129, 145, 154; Vol. 7, pp. 4, 5, 27, 29, 54, 85, 94, 159; Vol. 8, pp. 13, 17, 37-39, 53-55, 60, 63; Vol. 9, p. 27, Vol. 10, pp. 18, 24, 60, 86, 97, 109, 111; Vol. 11, pp. 9, 21, 23, 65, 70, 90, 103, 121, 122.
Information provided by Joop Giesendanner and Jim Rickenbacker on 24 Feb 2007.