Hello Perry County Listers:
I am the gg-grandson of Jacob Wagner (b. AUG 1838 d. 29 APR 1911)and
Anna Barbara Poehlein (b. 25 JUL 1840 d. 19 NOV 1928) through their
second child, first son, Henry W. Wagner (b. abt. 1862 d. 28 JAN
1890) and his wife Mena Margaret Rausch (b. 12 APR 1866 d. SEP
1948). While doing research on my family, I have encountered some
questions. Hopefully there is someone out there who can provide some
information to help me clarify these areas.
First - Regarding Jacob's mother. I have found Johann Wagner, his
wife "Anna," and children Johann, Heinrich, Catharina, and Jacob,
arriving in New Orleans on/about 15 May 1848 on the ship Desdemona.
The 1850 US Federal census lists John and family in Tobin Township,
Perry County, Ind., with John's wife named "Anna." I have found no
other reference to John and Anna Wagner; however, in the 1860 US
Federal census, there is a "Christina" Wagner, age 62, residing with
Jacob and wife in Tobin Twp which I'm guessing is Jacob's mother. I
have seen unsourced information that Jacob's mother was Christina Petri.
My first question is... Is John's mother the "Anna" in the Passenger
List and the 1850 census and is the "Christina" in the 1860 census
really Jacob's mother; thus "Anna" = "Christina"?
Second - Both Jacob and his brother, John, indicated in the census
lists that they were born in "Prussia." I have seen unsourced
statements that say Jacob was born in Munsingen, Prussia. However,
the only Munsingen I find in Germany is southeast of Stuttgart in the
Kingdom of Wurttemberg. I'm no scholar of German history, but I don't
think that Wurttenberg was ever a part of Prussia. The Wurttenberg
Emmigration Index shows no Wagner that I can tie to mine that
emmigrated in early 1848. There is a "Messingen" in Lower Saxony,
which I think was part of Prussia, and a "Moessingen" which is
southwest of Stuttgart. I have found a marriage record from
Kastellaun, Rhineland, Preussen, for Johann Georg Wagner and Anna
Katharina Petri on 3 AUG 1823. I don't know whether this is the John
and Anna who settled in Perry county in 1848, but there is a name correlation.
So my second question in - does anyone out there have information
about where John and Anna (Jacob's parents), and their children lived
in Germany prior to emmigrating to North America? or have a source
for Jacob being born in Munsingen?
Many thanks...
Ken Wagner
s/o Joseph E. Wagner <- Edward Henry <- Henry W. <- Jacob <- John Wagner
Portsmouth, RI