Rev. Johann Heinrich Haeger

Johann Henrich Haeger was not a Lutheran Reformed minister, he was a Reformed minister, never Lutheran. He was born in 1644,in Antzhausen and baptised at Netphen on 27 Aug 1644, the son of Johann Haeger and Guda Schram. Johann Henrich Haeger attended the Gymnasium/Latin School in Siegen, then attended the Herborn Paedogogium, admitted there on 16 Apr 1668. He was a teacher at the Siegen Gymnasium/Latin School in 1678. He and Anna Catharina Friesenhagen were married on 3 Dec 1678, she was born on the 24 May 1663 and baptised on 31 May 1663 at Freudenberg, the daughter of Jacob Friesenhagen and Anna Maria Dresler. Her father, Jacob Friesenhagen, was the Mayor of Freudenberg and the family was very prominent in the Siegerland.

Johann Henrich Haeger was promoted to the position of Conrector of the Gymnasium in 1689 and appointed as the pastor at St. John's Church in Oberfischbach in 1703. Was this a demotion as the parish of Oberfischbach was quite a step down in comparison to the position he had at the Gymnasium in Siegen. On 3 Apr 1711, Rev. Haeger requested, and was granted, permission to retire due to ill health, but he was healthy enough to immigrate to Virginia in 1713 with the other members of the First Colony, recruited as miners by Johann Justus Albrecht, the Agent for the George Ritter Company, a joint stock company incorporated in London in 1710 and whose members include Christoph de Graffenreid and Franz Ludwig Michel.

While Rev. Haeger was the pastor in Oberfischbach, Hans Jacob Holzklau was the schoolteacher there, he lived there with his family and the Spielmann family and the family of Jost and Gertrud (Reinschmidt) Cuntze also attended church in Oberfischbach during this time. All of these people, along with relatives and friends of Jacob Holzklau's in Trupbach, immigrated in 1713, members of the First Colony and all recruited as miners by the George Ritter Company, along with others from Muesen.

On 12 Jul 1713 Rev. Friedrich Georg Knabenschuh vsited Oberfischbach and reported to the Prince "that Rev. Pastor Hager, until now residing here, has moved this early morning from here, according to his word [pretense] to settle in the Land Berg [a neighboring duchy], of which departure he never thought or said a word, but it is presumed by everyone as if [he] intends to travel to his son, and because it was just learned [that] the one time school man [Schuldiener] Hanns Jacob Holtzklau is also willing to travel away [and] as I just talked to him about that gave me as an answer that he was well decided to do so should he get the permission of the Just Government."

On 17 Jul 1713, Hans Jacob Holzklau requested permission to immigrate along with his wife and children; on 31 July 1713 Jost Cuntze from Niederndorf requested permission to immigrate and on the same day, Philip Fischbach did the same and his request included his son in law, Hans Jacob Richter and his family. Prior to this, on 5 Sep 1711, Hermannus/Hermann Otterbach requested permission to immigrate, just three weeks after Johann Justus Albrecht signed a contract with the Ministers of Siegen regarding the recruitment of miners to work "in Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania and other remaining provinces be allowed to mine gold, silver and other precious metals...."

There is no evidence that Rev. Haeger went to New York to meet with his son, Pastor Johann Friedrich Haeger, but there is evidence that Rev. Haeger, Christoph de Graffenreid and Johann Justus Albrecht met with Nathaniel Blakiston, Lt. Gov. Spotswood's Agent in London, and Micajah Perry regarding the miners arrival in London.

In a letter from Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood to the Board of Trade dated 21 Jul 1714, he states the “Germans were invited over, some years ago, by Baron de Graffenreid, who has her Majesty’s Letter to the Governor of Virginia to furnish them land upon their arrival." From the Importation Statements filed on 2 Jun 1724 by the 1714 Immigrants, we know that they arrived in Virginia in April 1714. We can also surmise from the the Importation Statements, or lack thereof, that several members of the original 42 members did not survive until 2 Jun 1724, i.e., Philip and Elisabeth (Heimbach) Fischbach; Hermann and Elisabeth (Heimbach) Otterbach along with their sons, Johann Philip, Johannes b 1693, and Johannes b 1702; Johann Henrich Weber/Weaver and his son, Johannes; and Maria Elisabeth (Freudenberg) Heide/Hitt and her daughter, Maria Elisabeth Heide.

Rev. Haeger died prior to 28 Mar 1737 when his will was probated in Prince William County, Virginia, it was written on 10 April 1733 and witnessed by Jacob Holtzclaw, Johan Jost/John Joseph Martin and Johannes/John Camper/Kemper. We do not know the date of death for his wife, Anna Catharina (Friesenhagen) Haeger.

Barbara Price, Trustee/Genealogist The Germanna Foundation

Sources:

BC Holtzclaw, Germanna Record No. 5: Ancestry and Descendants of the Nassau-Siegen Immigrants to Virginia 1714-1750, (Culpeper, Virginia, The Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia, Inc., 1964), 169-174.

Church books at St. Martin's Church, Netphen, stored in the Catholic parish house archives, found by Barbara Price and Archer Martin on 21 Jun 2019.

Church books at Nikolai Church, Siegen, the marriage of Johann Henrich Haeger and Anna Catharina Friesenhagen, given to Barbara Price by Gerhard Moisel, Retired Archivist for the Protestant Church in Siegen on 21 Jun 2019.

Staatsarchiv Muntser, Furstentum Siegen, Landesarchiv 24, No. 76

Spotsylvania County Will Book A, pgs. 73-75

Dr. Peter G. Rainey, Germanna Road, Three Hundred Year History of Lower Orange County, Virginia, with particular attention to the Alexandria Tract and Lake of the Woods, (Author House 1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403 2010). Pg. 13

Prince William County Virginia, Will Book C, pp. 108 & 117.

Barbara Price, Trustee/Genealogist The Germanna Foundation

• *Johann Henrich Haeger and Anna Catharina Friesenhagen are my 9th Great Granparents
• from Hager - 4th generation

Johann Heinrich Haeger (Heger), clergymen and scholar, B 27 Aug 1644 Anzhausen (christened at Netphen), D 1 Jan 1737/38 Germantown, Prince William (now Fauquier) County, Virginia.

He was the son of Heinrich and Guda (Schramm) Haeger [schoolmaster at Anzhausen ]. Johann Heinrich married about 1678 to Anna Katharina Friesenhagen, born 1663. Johann Heinrich was admitted in April 1668 to the Teacher’s College in Herborn, about a third of the way from Siegen to Giessen to the southeast. In 1669, he taught at the Latin School in Hanau east of Frankfurt about 65 miles southeast of Siegen). In 1678, he was teaching at Siegen.

In 1689, Johann Heinrich was “Konrektor” or Associate Director of the school at Siegen at the same time was a pastor. From 1703 until 1711, he was a pastor at Oberfischbach, just west of Siegen. Members of this Lutheran Reformed church boarded a ship in Rotterdam and sailed to New York in 1709, likely because of religious persecution.

On April 3, 1711, Johann Heinrich received permission to retire from the pastorate because of ill health, but this did not prevent him and his family and 12 other families in the mountains from leaving Oberfischbach in the summer of 1713, and emigrating to the New World. In early 1713 Lieutenant-Governor Al exander Spotswood of Virginia had asked Swiss nobleman Christoph von Graffenried to send him some miners to search for iron ore on his estates along the Rappahannock River. Once he had arrived to New York, Johann Heinrich moved down to Virginia. Thus, he undertook and led the families arriving in April 1714 to Tappahannock and then up about 20 miles west past Fredericksburg to construct the Germanna Colony settlement and Lutheran Reformed Parish on the Rapidan River.

(Sources: Translated by Jaque Pinton of Chambrun, who wrote about events after 1660 through 1690. Friedrich Wilhelm Cuno, Geschichte der Stadt Sieg en (1872), page 244; H.J. Ruetenik, Bahnbrecher der deutschen Reformiert en Kirche in den Vereinigten Staaten von Nordamerika (1901), page 81; Sie gerland: Blätter des Siegerländer Heimatvereins (1926), pages 49-54; William J. Hinke, The 1714 Colony of Germanna, Virginia (1933), page 121; Alfred Lück, Erz und Abenteuer (1955), pages 28-30, 70f.; Friedrich Wilhelm Ba uks, Die ev. Pfarrer in Westfalen von der Reformationszeit bis 1945 (1980 ), page 175; and Otto Renkhoff, Nassauische Biographie (2l992), page 265.)

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ID: I2036 Name: Johann Henrich HAEGAR Rev. Surname: Haegar Given Name: Johann Henrich Suffix: Rev. Sex: M Birth: 27 Aug 1644 in Antzhausen,Nassau-Siegen , Ger. Death: 1737 in Germantown,Fauquier, Va.. _UID: C65E2F907B41D511BD9EBDC3D79617311532 Note: connected with Siegen Church in latter part of 17th century and wasconnected with a Latin school first as teacher than as assistant principal from 1678 or earlier to 1703. Promoted to pastor of Oberfischbach by Prince of area. Resigned from this position in 1711 for health reasons and continued to live there in retirement til July, 1713.He cane with 1714 immigrants. His father was a teacher at Anzhausen, a small village about 4 miles east of Siegen. Prince William County Virginia Will Book C 1734-1744 Abstracted and compiled by John Frederick Dorman 1956 pp. 25-26

Page 108 - Will of Henry Hager 10 Apr 1733 " Henry Hager, minister of the Word of God among the Germans at Licking Run in Prince William Co. Va. being sick and weak. Unto my loving wife Anna Catharine all my estate, goods, chattles whatsoever to her during her Natural life. Unto my grandaughter Anna Catharine Fishbach one cow and calf. After the decease of my wife Anna Catharine I will and ordain that all my estate, goods.& chattles whatsoever be then divided amongst my seven grandchildren- Anna Catharine Fishbach, John Frederick Fishbach,Elizabeth Fishbach,and Henry Fishbach, Agnes Hoffman, Anna Catharine Hoffman and John Hoffman. I do hereby revoke and make void all other and former wills and testements by me heretofore made. H. Hager Verbi Dei Minister Wittness: Jacob Holtzclaw Johann Jost, Minister Johannes Campes German Reformed Congregation in London, England" whom pastor Heinrich Haerger visited in 1713 before von Graffenriedt sent him to Virginia, and who remembered him under preacher Werndli in 1719? Interestingly, the signers of the 1719 petition appear to be [as the family names suggest] from quite different parts of the German-speaking continent, namely Austrian [Edlinger], Prussian [Hanckwitz], Swiss-Basel [Stehelin.], Swiss-Zurich [Werndli]. Rev. H. Haeger [Nassau-Siegen] would be a northern German and the fund-and-petition raising Zollikoffer a man from the Swiss St. Gall. Apparently the denomination that held the London men together bound more than any narrowly local patriotism.Andreas

The eleven hundred and thirty-second note in a series on the Germanna Colonies

Looking at some of the individuals who made the trip from Siegen to London, there is one family to whom we might ascribe a motive with some certainty. That is Rev. Häger whose son had arrived in New York in 1710. All of the family that remained in Germany consisted of Rev. Häger, his wife, and his two young daughters. If all of these went to the New World, the living members of the family could be reunited. This was certainly a motivation. It was not an easy decision to make for Rev. Häger was about 70 years old, retired, and, it was thought, not in the best of health. If he died, then his wife would be left to care for the two daughters.

Possibly, Rev. Häger had been influenced by the Protestant pastors in Siegen. They had signed an agreement with Albrecht in which they were to receive money from the profits of the mine. Perhaps they, the Siegen pastors, had encouraged Rev. Häger to go as an encouragement toward the recruiting of the other individuals. The Häger family seems to have been giving up a comfortable life as a retired family. They had a house with servants. If anyone in the group had a reason for not leaving, the Häger family could claim the prize.

Another family who would seem to have little reason for going was the Jacob Holzklau family. He held a job as a school teacher and was probably farming. It would not seem that he was under any economic pressure. But like the Hägers, there were family reasons. The family of Margaret Holzklau, Jacob's wife, seems to have been going "in masse." (These were the Otterbachs.) So perhaps the Holtzclaws and the Hagers were primarily motivated by family reasons. They went either to keep a family united or to be reunited with family members.

Hans Jacob Richter earned his admission to the Guild of Steelsmiths and Toolmakers in 1712. To be admitted, presumably as a Master, meant he had studied the craft for many years. The existing members of the guild did not admit members freely to the guild since the primary purpose of the guild was to ensure a comfortable living for the members. They did not want too much competition. Someone who had won the status of Master could expect a comfortable living. So why did Jacob Rector leave Trupbach? Again, one reason is family. Jacob Richter had married Elizabeth Fischbach and the Fischbach family was leaving.

So of the first three families that we have examined, it would appear that none of them had a pressing economic reason for leaving. The three families seem to be trying to keep a family united or to reunite a family. This leaves the basic reasons with the Otterbachs and the Fischbachs and we will look at them in another note but I will not promise any answers. Incidentally, both the Otterbach and the Fischbach families lived in Trupbach. Trupbach itself, from the historical description, seems to have been a small, quiet village, basically of farmers.

John Blankenbaker William Montgomery Clemens, VIRGINIA WILLS BEFORE 1799 [Baltimore: Geneal. Publ. Co., 1981] p. 41 Henry Hager, Prince William Co., VA. Will filed March 28, 1737. Named: wife Anne Catherine. Granddaughters: Anna Fishback, Elizabeth Fishback. Grandsons: Henry Fishback; John Fishback. Grandson John Hoffman. Granddaughters: Agnes Hoffman, Anna Hoffman.

Rev. Henrich Haeger's successor as the Oberfischbach pastor, Rev. Knabenschuh, wrote a letter to his superiors in which he noted that Haeger had left quietly in the morning without telling anyone. He adds that Jacob Holtzklau is willing to travel if he gets permission of the authorities.This is one of several letters which were translated by Andreas Mielke in the article, "The Decision of Henrich Haeger to Emigrate" in the September 2003 issue of Beyond Germanna.Apparently, the First Colony did not leave in one total group. Haeger may have left separately and independently of the others and perhaps he had no original intention of joining the "miners."John Isn't it a fact that Rev. Haeger left without permission? I think that he was retired in 1711, he was sick. The life that he led in Oberfishbach, described by Herr Moisel, was not an easy one and quite a step down for him, if I remember correctly. It's interesting to me that he left, without permission, and that he influenced the others to go, too. following from Barb Price at RockCatt@aol.com As for Hager, there is most definitely a Haeger/Hager connection to Germanna--Rev Johann Henrich Haeger, John Henry Hager, was the minister for the 1714 Colony. He was living in Oberfischbach at the time of emigration and my ancestors, Hans Jacob Holtzclaw and his first wife, Anna Margreth Otterbach, were also living in Oberfischbach, Jacob being the schoolmaster there at that time. There is a lot of information about the Haegers and the Friesenhagens, his wife, Elizabeth's, family. Change Date: 26 Jul 2010 at 01:00:00

HintsAncestry Hints for Johann Henrich HAEGAR Rev.

   2 possible matches found on Ancestry.com	Ancestry.com

Father: Henrich HAEGAR b: 1590/1595 Mother: Guda SCHRAMM b: ABT 1610

Marriage 1 Anna Catherina FRIESENHAGEN b: 24 May 1663 in , , , Ger. Married: 3 Dec 1678 in ,Nassau-Siegen,Ger. Children Has No Children Johann Frederick HAEGAR b: ABT 1684 in Netphen, , Ger. Has No Children Elizabeth HAEGAR b: 1687 Has Children Agnes HAEGAR b: 26 Oct 1697 in Siegen, , Ger. Has Children Anna Catherine HAEGAR b: 15 May 1702 in Siegen, , Ger.

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db...

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/h/e/John-M-Wheat/GENE1...

1. REV. JOHANN HENRICH4 HAEGER (HENRICH3, JOHANN2, GERHARDT1 HUEGER) was born 1644 in Antzhausen, Nassau-Siegen, Germany, and died 1737 in Germantown, Fauquier, Virginia. He married ANNA CATHARINE FRIESENHAGEN 03 December 1678 in Siegen, Nassau-Siegen, Germany, daughter of JACOB FRIESENHAGEN and ANNA DRESLER. She was born May 1663 in Freudenberg, Nassau-Siegen, Germany, and died Aft. 1737 in Germantown, Fauquier, Virginia.

Notes for REV. JOHANN HENRICH HAEGER: SOURCE: Willis Miller Kemper, Genealogy of the Fishback Familiy in America: The Descendants of John Fishback, The Emigrant, With an Historical Sketch of His Family and of the Colony at Germanna and Germantown, Virginia, 1714-1914. Library of Congress, Washington, DC, CS71.F5325 1914. pp31-40. [p31] "By far the most important man in this colony was its pastor, John Henry Haeger. As so many people in the record are descended from him he is entitled to considerable notice. The Protestant church in Siegen, and all the Protestant churches in the neighborhood are German Reformed, not [p32] Lutheran churches. Connected with the Siegen church, in the latter part of the seventeenth century, was a Latin school; and connected with this school, first as teacher and then as assistant principal from 1678 or earlier to 1703, was a man who was long the leader and teacher in this colony. This man was Rev. John Henry Haeger, born at Antzhausen, September 25, 1644. He was the son of Henry Haeger, the school master at Antzhausen, a village about 5 miles due east of Siegen and one of the 27 villages of the parish of Netphen. Antzhausen was in the Catholic part of the county, and during some of the troubles between the two faiths, about 1652-4, Henry Haeger moved with his family to the northwest of Siegen into the Protestant part of the county. John Henry Haeger studied theology and on September 25, 1678, his thirty-fourth birthday, was appointed the third teacher in the Latin school at Siegen. Under the date of December 3, 1678, the following appears on the record of the Siegen School: 'The worthy and learned Mr. Henry Haeger of Antzhausen was married to Anna Catharine, daughter of Jacob Friesenhagen, late Mayor of Freudenberg.' Freudenberg is about six miles a little northwest of Siegen. This union lasted more than fifty-four years, for the wife was living when Mr. Haeger made his will in April, 1733. He seems to have dropped the John from his name in later years, and was known as Henry; and we will Anglicize his name to Hager. "Twelve children were born of this marriage; we are interested in the third, John Frederick, born 1684, baptized the 18th Sunday after Trinity (September 28), 1684. "4th. Elizabeth, b. 1687. "9th. Agnes, b. 26 Nov., 1697. "11th. Anna Catharine, b. 15 May, 1702. "Henry Hager became assistant rector at Siegen in 1689 and so continued till 1703, when the following entry appears on the church records: 'On the 21st of January 1703 Rev. Mr. Schmidt was appointed as conrector in the place of Rev. Mr. [p33 -- plate of title page of book translated by Henry Haeger ("Courtesy of Presbyterian Historical Society") appears opposite. Translator is cited as "HENRICUM HAEGERUM, der Lateinischen Schul in Siegen Con Rectorem."] Hager, whom the most noble prince wished to transfer and promote to the pastorate of Oberfischbach.' The map will show this village about three miles west of Siegen. "Hager did not spend all his time in teaching: for in 1690 he translated from French into German, at the request of Count William Morrice of Nassau-Siegen, a cousin of King William III of England, and published at Herborn, the 'Story of Rev. Jacque Pineton de Chambrun,' court preacher at Orange in France, of William III. Because of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, and the consequent persecutions of the Protestants, de Chambrun was arrested and imprisoned, and with many other of his co-religionists suffered great hardships. He finally escaped and made his way to Holland, where he was protected by William of Orange, later King of England. He there wrote in French an account of sufferings of himself and his fellow-Protestants, and it was this work that Henry Hager translated into German in 1690. A copy of it is still one of the cherished relics of the Latin School, now the Gymnasium at Siegen. The writer has a photograph of the title page. A reproduction of it appears on an adjoining page. Hager seems to have pleased the prince by his work, and was later rewarded by a promotion to the pastorate at Oberfischbach. "Here he remained for some time, but was ill for a while, and in conseqence obtained permission for his son John Frederick, who had been licensed to preach in 1708, to assist him. In 1711 he was suffering from a rupture, and on February 16, 1711, he handed in his resignation, and on April 13 received an honorable dismissal. He lived in retirement at Oberfischbach until July 1713. [Footnote: For complete details with reference to the life of Henry Hager, see an article by Rev. W. H. Hinke in The Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society, Vol. II, Nos. 1, 2 and 3.] "Hager's fourth child, Elizabeth, married either in Germany or in England, it is yet uncertain which, John Jacob Rector. He was an important man in the colony, and was one of the [p34] elders of the congregation while the colony was at Germanna. He went to Germantown, but seems to have died soon after the colony went there, before 1729, for the Germantown land was set off to Elizabeth Rector, illegally of course. She had one son born at Maidstone in England and another born in this country. She seems to have married again, a man named Marr. Here was exactly the same situation as happened in the Spilman-Gent family later referred to. But there was a tragedy in the Gent marriage, for the pleadings recite that 'Gent has been a runaway from this colony for many years,' leaving poor Mrs. Spilman with the entire care of her Spilman and Gent children. Mrs. Marr made some kind of compromise with her Rector children, for she transferred one hundred acres of the Germantown tract to her eldest Rector child, to whom it belonged under the law. Apparently Marr died comparatively soon, for the tradition is that in her later years Mrs. Marr marred a prominent and wealthy citizen of Culpeper, Col. John Finlason, and that after the first Mrs. John Fishback died, she took her niece Elizabeth Fishback, then a baby (perhaps also the other daughter, Anna Catharine) and raised her. Quite possibly this had something to do with the early marriage of Elizabeth Fishback to John Peter Kemper, for the marriage took place when Elizabeth was 15 years 6 months and 24 days old; and also with the marriage of Anna Catharine Fishback to her cousin Mrs. Marr's son, John Rector. "John Frederick Hager the third son of Henry Hager had applied to the English government to be sent to the New World, as pastor of some of the Palitinate colonies, which the English government was planting in America. England was attempting to make of these Germans, communicants in the church of England, and refused to send Hager as a Reformed minister, so he was ordained in the Church of England December 20, 1709, and is 1710 went to New York as a Church of England minister. The colony and the proselyting were failures. The colonists left their lands and their new religion, [p35] after several years, and after many thrilling and unfortunate experiences finally drifted over into Pennsylvania, and Hager was later known as a Reformed minister. "We do not know, but it is more than likely that the adventures of the son in America prompted the father, although then sixty-nine years of age, to think of America, and his neighbors, de Graffenreid's Virginia colony of iron-workers, just at that time starting for America, gave him the opportunity of going; at any rate he made application to "The Society fo the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts" in London to be sent to America as a missionary. Whether he made this application from Oberfischbach, or whether he was with the colony in London at the time, is uncertain, but on October 2, 1713, the following appears upon the minutes of the Society: 'Reported from the committee that they had taken into consideration the petition of Mr. Hager father of the Societies missionary among the Palatines in the Province of New York, to them referred, and they agreed in their opinion that the case of said Mr. Hager does not properly lie before the Society.' "No doubt because the man was a German Reformed minister, and refused to be ordained in the Church of England, and the colonists were members of the German Reformed Church. So the old minister was compelled to go with his family to Virginia at his own expense. And go he did, with his wife, and in the colony went also his daughters Elizabeth, and Agnes, and Anna Catharine; and in April, 1714, this little flock, with its minister, already old, numbering about thirty persons, was set down in the Virginia wilderness." Kemper, pp31-35. What was source of birthdate? Holtclaw, p170, gives chrstening date at 27 Aug 1644.

VOCATION: Pastor of the German Evangelical Reformed Church, and first pastor at the Germanna Colony in Virginia, about 1714. "Born at Anthausen, near Siegen, about 1644, he had taught Latin in schools in that town, and afterwards had served as pastor to various congregations in the district." Germanna: Outpost of Adventure, p74. He was co-rector of St. Nikolai Church in Siegen, from 1689 to 1703. Germanna Record No. 7, p.66 He was the first German Reformed Pastor in America.

B.C. Holtzclaw, Ancestry and Descendants of the Nassau-Siegen Immigrants to Virginia 1714-1750, 1964. pp8, 31, 169-172. Published by The Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia, Inc., P.O. Box 693, Culpeper, VA 22701. p169 "All the descendants of the 1714 colonists, John Fishback and John Huffman, by their first marriages, are also descended from Rev. Henry Haeger and his wife, Anna Catharine Friesenhagen, who also came over in 1714 with their two daughters, later Mrs. Fishback and Mrs. Huffman. Rev. Henry Haeger was born in Antzhausen in the Catholic part of Nassau-Siegen in 1644, and was christened at Netphen Aug. 27, 1644. His father, Henrich Haeger, was the schoolmaster at Antzhausen. Henry Haeger attended the Gymnasium or Latin School at Siegen as a young man, and from there went to the Herborn Paedogogium for further training, being admitted there April 16, 1668. He became a teacher in the Siegen Gymnasium in 1678, and married at Siegen Dec. 3, 1678 Anna Catharine Friesenhagen, daughter of Jacob Friesenhagen, decd., former Mayor of Freudenberg. She was born at Freudenberg May 24, 1663 and was thus nearly 20 years younger than her husband. Henry Haeger continued as a teacher of the third class in the Siegen Gymnasium until 1689, when he was promoted to the position of Conrector, or associate director of the school. He continued to hold this position until 1703, when he was appointed to the pastorate at Oberfischbach. Just before this date he published a book, a translation from the French, which is discussed in the Fishback genealogy. On April 3, 1711 he received permission to retire from the pastorate because of ill health, but this did not prevent him and his family from leaving Oberfischbach in the summer of 1713, and emigrating to the New World. Henry Haeger's full name was Johann Henrich Haeger (see 'History of the Higher School System of Siegen, 1636-1936,' p. 83, for this and other information about Henry Haeger's academic career). Rev. Henry Haeger died in 1737 in Prince William Co., Va., leaving his property to his wife, Anna Catharine, and to his Fishback and Huffman grandchildren. His wife was still living in 1733, when the will was written, but it is uncertain whether she survived him." Holtzclaw, p169.

p170 "Henrich Haeger (Johann Henrich Haeger, or Rev. Henry Haeger), b. 1644, d. in Virginia 1737, m. Dec. 3, 1678 Anna Catharina Friesenhagen. They had 12 children, all born at Siegen except the last, who was born at Oberfischbach. Apparently only three of Pastor Haeger's children survived. His family at Oberfischbach, shown in [p171] May, 1708 in a census list of the District of Freudenberg (Siegener Landesarchiv, 16, No. 4), consisted only of himself, his wife, his son Johann Friedrich, and his daughters Agnes Catharina and Anna Catharina, besides a manservant and two maids. His chilrden were: 1. Johann Henrich, chr. the 17th Sunday after Trinity, 1680; godfather, Herr Hans Henrich Klingspor. 2. Johann Jacob, chr. the 9th Sunday after Trinity, 1682; godfather, Johannes Heger (i.e., the father's brother). 3. Johann Friedrich, chr. the 18th Sunday after Trinity, 1684; godfather, Monsieur Johann Friedrich Prume', bachelor. Johann Friedrich Haeger matriculated July 5, 1703 at the Herborn Paedagogium, and on Feb. 14, 1708 he was examined by the Consistory in Siegen and licensed as a preacher. On Dec. 20, 1709 he was appointed by the Bishop of London to go with the Palatinates to America. He married at Arnsberg (?) Nov. 15, 1715 Anna Rosebach (?), and died in the winter of 1721 or the spring of 1722 in the colony of New York, leaving a widow and two children, who lived at Albany, N.Y. ('Siegerland,' 1934, p130ff, which gives the above information). 4. Elsbeth, chr. Oculi Sunday, 1687; godmother, Elsbeth, Martin Seelbach's wife (i.e. the mother's sister, Elbeth Friesenhagen Seelbach). This child died in 1693 and was buried May 23, 1693. 5. Johannes, chr. the 6th Sunday after Trinity, 1689; godfather, Johannes Hermann. [p172] 6. Anna Maria, b. Nov. 11, 1692 and chr. the 255th Sunday after Trinity; godmother, Margareta, wife of Tillmann Strauch. 7. Johann Moritz, b. Mar. 17, 1695 and chr. the 1st Sunday after Easter; godfather, Johann Moritz Walrabe, counselor at law (?). This child d. Mar. 28, 1695. 8. Johannes, b. Aug. 20, 1696 and chr. the 12th Sunday after Trinity; godfather, Mayor Johannes Driesbach of Siegen. This child d. Sept. 3, 1696. 9. Agnes, b. Oct. 26, 1697 and chr. the 22nd Sunday after Trinity; godmother, Agnes, wife of Jost Seelbach; she m. in Virginia ca. 1714/15 John Fishback, the 1714 colonist, as his first wife (see Fishback genealogy). 10. Johann Henrich, b. April 27, 1700 and chr. Jubilate Sunday; godfather, Johann Henrich Lange, Mayor of Siegen. This child d. May 11, 1701. 11. Anna Katharina, b. May 15, 1702 and chr. Rogate Sunday; godmother, Anna Katharina Wertenbach; she m. in Virginia Nov. 7, 1721 John Huffman, the 1714 colonist, as his first wife (see Germanna Record No. 3). 12. Johann Jacob, b. 1704 at Oberfischbach and chr. Nov. 30, 1704; godfather Johhann Jacob Becker of Siegen, 'my deceased sister's son' (written by Rev. Henry Haeger himself, then pastor at Oberfischbach). This child d. July 21, 1705." Holtzclaw, pp170-172.

1733 WILL: Prince William County Virginia Will Book C 1734-1744. Abstracted and compiled by John Frederick Dorman 1956 pp. 25-26. Page 108 - Will of Henry Hager 10 Apr 1733 " Henry Hager, minister of the Word of God among the Germans at Licking Run in Prince William Co. Va. being sick and weak. Unto my loving wife Anna Catharine all my estate, goods, chattles whatsoever to her during her Natural life. Unto my grandaughter Anna Catharine Fishbach one cow and calf. After the decease of my wife Anna Catharine I will and ordain that all my estate, goods.& chattles whatsoever be then divided amongst my seven grandchildren - Anna Catharine Fishbach, John Frederick Fishbach, Elizabeth Fishbach, and Henry Fishbach, Agnes Hoffman, Anna Catharine Hoffman and John Hoffman. I do hereby revoke and make void all other and former wills and testements by me heretofore made.

     H. Hager 

     Verbi Dei Minister  Wittness:  Jacob Holtzclaw  Johann Jost, Minister  Johannes Campes 

Transcripts sent by Mike Peters, npeters102@aol.com

See Also: "Germanna: Outpost of Adventure 1714-1956," Germanna Record No. 7, Published by The Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia, Inc., Box 693, Culpeper, VA 22701.

1733 BURIAL: He is buried in the Germantown cemetery, near what is now Crockett Park in Fauquier County, Virginia.

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Rev Johann Haeger anndavis056 anndavis056 originally shared this on 19 Jan 2011

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• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: May 17 2021, 0:38:24 UTC

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GEDCOM Note

Germanna Colonist, from Oberfischbach at time of departure; 1st colony of 1714 - He was the first German Evangelical Reformed Church Pastor in America. He is one of my 7g-grandfathers.

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The Haegers come from Freudenberg, Germany. According to researchers Suzanne Matson and Barbara Price, who have both viewed the actual church records, Rev. Häger 'left in the early morning hours with out a word...' indicating he did not seek and/or obtain permission to leave.

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From Mike Peters, 10-16-2000 by e-mail: "Nancy Moyers Dodge sent me the following re: Rev. Haeger's will: Prince William County Virginia Will Book C 1734-1744 Abstracted and compiled by John Frederick Dorman 1956 pp. 25-26 Page 108 - Will of Henry Hager 10 Apr 1733 'Henry Hager, minister of the Word of God among the Germans at Licking Run in Prince William Co. Va. being sick and weak. Unto my loving wife Anna Catharine all my estate, goods, chattles whatsoever to her during her Natural life. Unto my grandaughter Anna Catharine Fishbach one cow and calf. After the decease of my wife Anna Catharine I will and ordain that all my estate, goods.& chattles whatsoever be then divided amongst my seven grandchildren- Anna Catharine Fishbach, John Frederick Fishbach, Elizabeth Fishbach, and Henry Fishbach, Agnes Hoffman, Anna Catharine Hoffman and John Hoffman.

I do hereby revoke and make void all other and former wills and testements by me heretofore made. H. Hager Verbi Dei Minister Wittness: Jacob Holtzclaw Johann Jost, Minister Johannes Campes'

Sincerely, Mike Peters npeters102@aol.com

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From www.germanna.org , the official site of the Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia:

"First German Reformed Church
The first German Reformed Church in America was established at Germanna by the 1714 Colonists and their minister, the Reverend John Henry Hager.

Germanna is first mentioned in a statute, that somehow escaped the vigilance of Hening when compiling the treasure of Virginia's history, the Statutes at Large. In the Virginia State Library is a volume, Acts of Assembly Passed in the Colony of Virginia from 1662 to 1715, printed in London in 1727. One of the last Acts in this is one to exempt certain German Protestants from the payment of levies for seven years, and for erecting the parish of St. George, passed in 1714:

'...whereas certain German Protestants, to the number of 42 persons or thereabouts, have been settled above the falls of the river Rappahannock, on the southern branch of the said river, called Rapidan, at a place named Germanna, in the county of Essex, and have there begun to build and make improvements for their cohabitation, to the great advantage of this colony and the security of the frontiers in those parts from the intrusions of the Indians, it is enacted that they shall be free from the payment of all public and county levies for seven years, as should be any other German Protestants who might settle there, always providing, however, that they did not leave Germanna and settle elsewhere.' Therefore, these German Protestants, who came in 1714, were the "First Settlers" of Orange County, first called Essex, and later Spotsylvania."

also:

"The first written description of the Germanna Colony was given by John Fontaine in the Journal, describing his 1715 visit as follows:

'We went to the German minister's house, and finding nothing to eat, lived upon our own provisions and lay upon straw. Our beds not being easy, we got up at break of day, and in a rail walked about the town, which is palisaded with stakes stuck in the ground close to each other and nine houses all in a line, and before every house, twenty feet distance, they have sheds for their hogs and their hens, so that hog-stys on one side and dwellings on the other make a street. The place paled in is a pentagon, regularly laid out and in the center is a blockhouse with five sides, answering to the five sides of the great enclosure ... This is intended for a retreat in case of their not being able to defend the palisades from the Indians. They use the blockhouse for Divine Service. They go to prayers once a day and have two services on Sunday. We went to hear them perform their service, which is done in their own language, which we did not understand but they seem very devout and sing the psalms very well.'..."

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• Reference: TNG Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jun 16 2021, 2:57:10 UTC

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