Dr. Thomas
Heldt’s report
« An intriguing scenario is
not a substitute
for a factual scenario ».
Donald Long January 22nd,
2015
No one understood better the importance of our research for the origins
of Philip Long than Helmut Klingelhöfer, archivist, from the Marburg Archives
in Germany when he looked at my blog. He knew right then that I needed
professional help. Moreover, he understood the seriousness of my hypothesis and
the pressing need to put it to the ultimate test. He referred me to Dr. Thomas
Heldt, a professional historian and genealogist in Marburg.
1. A matter of continuity
Genealogy is somewhat about the « prediction » of the past using
whatever documents available. It’s about connecting dots in a particular way so
that it shows a recognizable pattern, a continuous flow between the events in
the life of an individual or family. So, in either direction, we are walking on thin ice.
What lead me to believe that Philipp Lange, the Waldeck soldier during
the American Revolutionary War (ARW), could very well be my ancestor? I have
dealt with this matter in previous sections of my blog. Let me summarize my
main reasons that have evolved a bit from my latest readings.
(1)
Philip Long was a member of the King’s American Regiment from 1781 to
1783. So, he could have been a soldier between 1776 and 1781.
(2)
Philip Long said that he was part of the ARW from 1775 to 1783.
(3)
No one yet has been able to find a birth certificate for someone with a
name close to Philip Long and who could have been a soldier in the ARW.
(4)
Many German mercenaries deserted their regiment and enlisted in a
Provincial Company (British).
(5)
Many of those deserters to a Provincial Company received land grants
from various Canadian governmental authorities in 1783.
(6)
Some German mercenaries with the family name of LANGE (but not all of
them) changed their name to LONG after the ARW.
(7)
I assume that Philipp Lange, once he had deserted from the Waldeck
Regiment in 1778, enlisted soon after in a Provincial Company and was part of
the « Big Runaway » from the North down to the South a few months afterwards.
That would explain why a Philip Long was part of the West Florida Royal
Foresters in 1781.
(8)
My readings on the subject of desertion lead me to conclude that
desertion during the ARW came in all sizes and shapes. The reading of those
primary documents changed my perception of the ARW itself. And my readings
about the life of the German mercenaries were just as convincing. Desertion
slowly came up as a key concept in the understanding of Philip Long’s life
during the ARW. In fact, he mentioned in a letter the detrimental impact that
the ARW had on his lifestyle afterwards. It is not surprising that they were
all expecting a form of compensation, because they had all suffered.
(9)
I strongly believed that Philipp « deserted » from one company to the
next, not because he was fleeing from danger or whatever reason, but because he
was a dragoon, a cavalry soldier, and that these soldiers were better paid and
in great demand during the ARW. So, I assume that he went from one offer to a
better one. The fact that he was a cavalry soldier for three years could
explain why he stole a mail bag from the Continentals only to bring it « to the
British » as it was written.
(10)
He was not recognized as a British subject (British Isles) by a Scottish
journalist who met him at Lac Témiscouata long after the ARW, a journalist who
was more than happy and relieved to meet English-speaking travelers a few days
before. Philip identified himself as an American Loyalist, not as an American.
(11)
Philip did not stay in New Brunswick after his arrival in 1783: he chose
to rather integrate a French-Canadian society. He married a French-Canadian
girl and became a courier interacting with French-speaking employees and
customers.. It seems that the language barrier was not an obstacle. In fact,
his own company captain, Captain Alberti, wrote his muster rolls in French. As
a German soldier, it is possible that Philipp Lange had a certain understanding of the French language.
(12)
Jean-Pierre Wilhelmy has demonstrated that German mercenaries who
deserted and chose to live in Quebec went to quite a length to erase their
German roots. Many of them adopted French-Canadian surnames and refused to
teach their children the German language. It is clear that I will try to get
more information on that matter from Claude Crégheur considered as another of the few experts on the matter of German mercenaries who stayed in Quebec after 1783.
(13)
The birth date of Philipp Lange is very close to what is indicated in
Dean & Kavanagh’s reports while Philip lived in Clair NB. In the 1830 US
Census of Penobscot County, Maine, Philip is said to be between 80 and 90 years
old: he would have been 77 or 78. We don’t know if he knew his exact birthday,
if it was him that gave the information to the censors, nor if his family knew
about his birthday. He would have been 67 when his last child, Michel, was
born. Surprisingly, the priest made an 11-year error on his wife death
certificate while she was living with family members. It doesn’t mean, though,
that the censors made this kind of error in 1830. I don’t see any connection
between these two events. The real questions are: did Philip knew about his
birthday and was his family aware of it in 1830?
One day, watching a hockey game involving the Toronto
Maple Leafs, you discover a player with a different name and he is unknown to
you, Al Dubre.
Your
research turns up the following result. He’s been playing in the NHL for three
years. But, you cannot find any trace of him in the small leagues years before.
The first year, he played with Tampa Bay. But, where does he come from? You
simply don’t pop up in the NHL without leaving traces in the smaller leagues and teams.
Finally,
you discover that Tampa Bay had signed two Russian players a few years back.
One of them went by the name of Alexander Dubrevinski. What is the probability
that Al Dubre is Alexander Dubrevinski compare to a few other ordinary citizens in the USA
by the name of Alex Dupre, Alexander Dubrov and even by the same name, but never played hockey?
2. Dr. Thomas Heldt’s bio
Dr. Thomas Heldt is a professional historian and genealogist living in
Marburg, Germany. Anyone can reach him through his website at the following
address:
3. Dr. Thomas Heldt’s report
Let me describe to you various parts of Dr. Heldt last report received on the 22nd
of January 2015.
According to Dr. Heldt, Philipp Lange belonged to the following family
and Johann Henrich enlisted in the Waldeck regiment is, as I suspected,
Philipp’s brother from Wirmighausen:
The family of Johann Lange and Maria Margaretha Figge
Excerpts from Dr. Heldt report:
« Johann Paul
Lange and his wife Maria Margaretha Figge must be the
parents of Johann Henrich Lange * 1750 and Johann
Philipp Lange * 1753. There is only this family with the surname
Lange, which lived in Wirmighausen in the 1740s to 1760s….»
«…Sadly the two
baptism entries of Johann Henrich and Johann Philipp Lange are missing in the
church records (I have checked the relevant years from 1750-1755 twice!). This
could be the consequence of an inaccurate record keeping of the church records.
It indicates that
the Adorf church records are not complete concerning their entries. This is not
only an Adorf phenomenon. I recognized it also in the church records of many
other parishes.
The Adorf parish
is very large and some of the entries in the church records seemed to be made
in great hurry, because the handwriting is very bad with tiny letters. Maybe
the parson made his entries in the church records with the help of small
notepads, which he made on the day and the place of the baptism, marriage or
burial. If one of these papers was lost, there was no entry. Another reason
could be the age of the parson.
If we would have
the time to compare the entries in the confirmation records of the Adorf church
records with the baptism entries, we would possibly find many people who are in
the confirmation records but are missing in the baptisms.
About the origin
of the father Johann Paul Lange we have two
different notices in the church records. At his marriage, it is said that he
was from Buchenberg which lies about 16 kilometers
south of Korbach near Kirchlotheim. In 1756, it is mentioned, that he was from Rühle.
Rühle is a small
village on the banks of the river Weser, about 5 kilometers south of
Bodenwerder (the home town of the famous Baron von Münchhausen). To be certain
about his origin, further research will be necessary.
I have made an attempt
to find his own and his wife’s death entries, but without success. Because of
the tiny handwriting, you sometimes need a magnifying glass to see what was
written. But, I am very sure that both died in Wirmighausen. That his parents
still lived in Wirmighausen might have been one reason for Johann Henrich
Lange, to go back to this tiny village after his adventures.
The mother of
Henrich and Philipp Lange was named Maria Margaretha Figge. Figge
is a very common name in this part of Waldeck. So, she was from an
old-established family, whereas her husband was a foreigner. In her marriage
record she is mistakenly called Maria Magdalena after her sister, who was
godmother in 1747.
Her first marriage
took place in Wirmighausen in 1741 with Henrich Backhaus from Rhenegge who died
2 months after the marriage.
As a widow, she
married Johann Paul Lange. I have found the confirmation of a Maria Margaretha
Figge in Wirmighausen in 1730. If she is the right one, it could be verified
with further research.
The maternal
ancestors of the Lange brothers could be easily found in the Adorf church
records back till 1648.
The couple Johann
Paul Lange and Maria Margaretha Figge lived from 1743 till, at least, 1766 in
Wirmighausen. Because of the gap between the baptisms of their children between
1749 and 1756, there could be the possibility that the couple lived in another
village. The fact that their first daughter Anna Elisabeth died in Wirmighausen
in 1752 is a proof that they definitely lived in Wirmighausen during that time.
This verifies, that Johann Henrich Lange * 1750 and Johann Philipp Lange * 1753
were definitely born in Wirmighausen.
In all the muster
rolls, which I could find in the Marburg state archive, Wirmighausen is the
mentioned birthplace for both! However, the given ages are wrong in the muster
rolls.
That the Lange
couple had no easy stand in Wirmighausen, because Johann Paul Lange was not
born there, reveals the fact that he was never godfather in Wirmighausen
between 1743 and 1760 (the years, that I have checked in the baptism records).
Therefore, one can suppose that he was to a certain degree an outsider. Even
his sons Henrich and Philipp Lange are not mentioned in the baptism records
from 1769 till 1776 as godfathers!
As I have said
before Johann Friedrich Möhle was a Waldeck soldier as early as 1749 and lived
in Wirmighausen. I am very sure, that he made the contact or interested both
Lange brothers to join the Waldeck military service.
Johann Philipp
Moehle (or Moehlen in HETRINA) was also a soldier in the 3rd Waldeck pay
regiment, but concerning to HETRINA did not survive. After his return from
America Johann Henrich Lange married Möhle’s sister. »
Since my next step should be to find descendants from Henrich Lange, his
findings give me some hope. But, did Henrich have a son?
When Dr. Heldt says that Johann Paul was an outsider to Wirmighausen, it
doesn’t mean that he came from another country. Apples fall close to their
tree.
At that period, there were Langes all over Germany and in adjacent countries. It doesn’t mean, though that they are all related. Our own recent
experience with DNA testing proves that over 300 Longs belong not to one , but to many unrelated
haplo groups. A DNA test is very efficient within a well-defined genealogy. The
problem is that those with such a well-defined genealogy don’t get a DNA test. Why would they?
Moreover, a DNA relation between two individuals with the same surname does
not prove that they share a recent ancestor. This sharing could go back many
centuries. Consequently, we are not close yet to pinpoint a potential DNA
candidate in Germany. But, there is some hope.
4. Johann Henrich Lange
My documentation lead me to believe that Henrich Lange was Philipp’s
brother and that he went back to Germany after the ARW. The research of Dr.
Heldt confirmed my suspicion.
« After the extensive campaign of the 3rd
Waldeck regiment in North America Henrich Lange came back to Wirmighausen, to
found a family. He married the daughter of the soldier in the Waldeck regiment
Johann Friedrich Moehle (Waldeck soldier and inhabitant of Wirmighausen in
1749). If he has ever heard of his brother Philipp Lange again, remains a
mystery. »…..
…..« Therefore
he was born in 1750! This fits perfectly with his confirmation record of 1763,
when he was 13 years old. Remember that his elder brother Johann Friedrich was
born in 1747 and was confirmed in 1760! Therefore the confirmation age in the
Adorf parish, back then, was 13 years.
As a consequence Philipp Lange, who was confirmed in
1766 must have been born in 1753. » (Dr. Heldt)
Dr. Heldt gives also the name of the children born to Henrich and his
wife, Maria Elizabeth Möhle:
Children of
Henrich Lange and Maria Elizabeth Möhle
NOTE. Henrich Lange is not, in any way,
bringing Philipp Lange closer to Philip Long. Henrich and Philipp were both
Waldeckers during the ARW. My interest for Henrich grew out of the hope that
Henrich could be linked to Philip Long during or after the ARW. Up to now, I
have not found any document that shows a relation between them (Henrich Lange and Philip Long, that is). All I have
found is that Philipp and Henrich were brothers and soldiers in the same German
regiment.
Maybe this kind of proof will come from a most
unexpected source….
5. Henrich, the wrongly classified
deserter
Henrich is believed to have deserted in 1777:
that’s what it says in one record of his military file. I also know that he
came back to its regiment after this so-called desertion. From Dr. Heldt’s
research, we now know what really happened:
« The privates Peter Kraemer and
Henrich Lange from the company of the Obrist and Johann Burghard from the
company of Capt. von Haack have ransomed themselves and came back to the regiment
on December 27th 1777. The named Henrich Lange is the newly mustered soldier,
because he was as a deserter expelled without his knowledge. » (Dr. Heldt)
In fact, Henrich didn’t desert: he was captured
and he subsequently bought his freedom, a regular practice during the ARW.
6. Philipp’s military file
One of the most intriguing records in Philipp’s
military file is the one dated 18.9.1778. I already knew that he had deserted
in August 1778. I was hoping to learn something more about this second record
after his desertion. It turned out to be empty. I’ll live with that!
« In this record there are reports
(Rapporte) from 1777-1783, but the report from 18.9.1778 concerning Philipp
Lange is missing. »….
….« Therefore the
information in the report (on page 69), we were in search for, was part of the
„Rapport“, which was made on Staten Island on September 18th 1778. As a
consequence Philipp Lange must have deserted form the camp on Staten Island
maybe to NY and from there to Canada.
His brother Henrich Lange was on
duty with the regiment in the company von Hanxleden. » (Dr. Heldt)
7. The missing muster roll
Dr. Heldt found a note that says that a muster
roll existed early in 1776, but is not stored at Marburg. He’s right. From 1776
to 1778, two muster rolls exist at the PRO in Kew, England. I got a copy of two
of them from the David Library in Pennsylvania. These muster rolls prove that
Philip was never made POW. Philipp does not show up in the subsequent muster
rolls because he deserted his regiment.
8. Conclusion
(1)
Even if you’re interested in reading the full report of Dr. Heldt, I can send it to you. His report
is written in German and in English. Only this aspect of it is worth the
effort of reading it!
(2)
I’m trying to go from 99% to 100% certainty about my ancestor’s origins.
I want you to know that I’ve known from the very beginning that an ocean
separates those two values. I have to believe strongly in my hypothesis simply
because, at 10% assurance, it won’t be enough to motivate me. At 100%, I will
quit. So, I prefer to bring myself at one arm’s length to my goal: seeing is believing!
(3)
Seriously, I know that I am working for a whole family, and I’m trying
to be a devoted employee, that’s all.
(4)
Many of you will keep hanging to deep interrogations about my research,
my findings and the connections that I’m making between the dots….. That alone
keeps me alert and going strong. It shows, also, a strong interest on your part
along the way.
(5)
After this firm report of Dr. Heldt, don’t think that I’m celebrating. No: I’m
sweating!
(6)
His report brings us closer to the next step: find a DNA candidate in
the area of Wirmighausen.
(7)
We haven’t been able to find a sample of Philipp Lange’s signature. I
have studied, though, dozens of German signatures in Pennsylvania during the
time of the ARW. It sure is surprising to see their similarity to Philip Long’s
signature. But, that might be simply coincidental. From Philipp’s signature, it
seems that he didn’t go to school very long.
(8)
One thing is sure: my confidence hasn’t fall down to 98% !!!
(9)
These results are not enough to enter any family tree pertaining to
Philip Long and insert 1753 as his birth date. Please don’t! And
frankly, there
are so many dates and places of birth in those trees that a cat would loose his
kittens! There is nothing wrong about ignoring an answer.
This is a research, not a contest!
I wish to express my deep and sincere appreciation
to Dr. Thomas Heldt
who brought my research
way ahead of what I was expecting.
9. References
Burgoyne, Bruce E. (2008). The 3rd English-Waldeck
Regiment in the American Revolution.
Heritage Books. Westminster, Maryland.
Doyle, Robert C. (2010) . The Enemy in Our Hands.
America’s Treatment of Our Prisoners of War from the Revolution the War on
Terror. University Press of Kentucky.
Hagist, Don N. (2014) Article : Would they
change their names?, Journal of the American
Revolution, July 28 2014.
HETRINA
Kaufholtz-Couture,
Claude, & Crégheur, Claude. Dictionnaire des souches allemandes et
scandinaves au Québec. Les Éditions Septentrion. ISBN 9782894487310. 552 pages.
Krebs, Daniel (1974). A Generous and Merciful
Enemy. Life for German Prisoners of War during the American Revolution. Campaigns & Commanders. Gregory J. W. Urwin. Series Editor.
University of Oklahoma Press.
Merz, Helmut Merz
Wikipedia. Loyalists fighting in the American
Revolution
Wilhelmy,
Jean-Pierre. Wiki. En plus de nombreuses autres publications qu’on trouve
aisément sur Internet.
Wilhelmy, Jean-Pierre. Les mercenaires allemands au
Québec 1776-1783, Éditions Septentrion, 1997, nouvelle
édition 2009.
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