Since I have my mom with me in Iowa this week, I am going to take advantage of her secretarial skills (and her ability to type almost as fast as I can read), and read her some of the "stuff" and begin expanding the lineage, literally, exponentially.
Keep an eye out...big things are coming!
PS: My brother, James III (Jamie) Nesselroad e-mailed this to me from geocities (will have the link at the end):
Nestlerode Family History
Nestlerode Family History
By Talwin Nestlerode
The additions of surnames began in Northern Italy about 1000 A.D., and spread northward. Most Europeans had surnames by 1500.
The first Nesselrode I found was Berthold, Esquire, the Administrator of Altenberg (12.5E-51N) in 1275. His family resided in Thuringia (a German State) for a long time. Berthold could have been a Thuringian, a Frank, or a Saxon. All were Barbaric Germanic tribes. The Thuringians were the first Germanic tribe civilized by the Romans about 350 A.D. The Franks controlled Thuringia from 531 to 908. During the Franks' Rule, the Thuringians were Christianized by ST. Boniface (a Frank) in the early 720's. In 908, Thuringia was placed under the control of Saxon Dukes. In 1039, the area was ruled by the Royal Saxon Family of Ludowing. The control passed to the Royal Saxon Family of Wettin in 1264.
Other notable Nesselrodes were:
- Walter, Administrator of the Saxon Administration of Drefurt in 1338. I believe this to be Erfurt today.
- William, received (by marriage) the Lordship of the Stein and Erheshofen, by their death in 1389. He was to devide the control of the Stein, Ehreshofen, and Rhode Branches.
- Johann (von), Marshall by heredity, was the Administrative Aide of the Count of Berg in 1466. Johann was of noble birth, with the same name of his ancestral home, by the Wupper, near Solingen.
- Baron Bertrand (of the Stein Branch) was Marshall (by heredity) of the Berg Duche. The Berg Duche was established in 1610.
- Bertrand's son was Chamberlain and Counselor of the State of the Elector of Cologne, and Governor of the lands of Nest for 58 years. His name could have been Phillip Wilhelm Christopher Von Nesselrode, who was Baron of the Empire 3/7/1653.
- Baron Franz Karl Von Nesselrode (1713-1798), a native of Hungary, of the Catholic line became a Count 20/11/1729, following the death of Count Schalt Zu Ehreshofen Wien of 4/9/1705.
- Count Wilhelm Nesselrode (1724-1810) of the Orthodox line. I believe this man to be the Wilhelm born in Nesselrode, Germany near Solingen, that became the Ambassador of Russia to Portugal. He was one father of Count Karl Robert (1780-1862), born in Bisbon, and was the Foreign Minister of Russia in the mid 1800's.
I found several references to Nesselrode, Germany-near Solingen. See #3 and #7 above. Today a suburb of Solingen is called Nesselroth. Therefore, I believe the original spelling of our name was Nesselroth, and modernized by our ancestors sometime after 1760. There were other adult males living in the 1760's, by the names of William, Frederick and Charles. I'm sure there were many more male Nesselrodes not mentioned here that would be descendants of Berthold (#1), for there were Nesselrodes and Nesselroths in Austria, Hungary, Holland, and Russia, as well as in other parts of Germany. We could be descendants of any one of them.
J. Christian Nesselroth (1737-1813) sailed from Hamburg, Germany aboard the "Queen of Denmark", and landed in Philadelphia, PA, on Nov. 2, 1752. He signed the passenger list with an X. He is listed as Sardin Christian Nesselroth on his land purchase records in Lancaster County, PA. He married Elizabeth (Kurz). They had three sons, Christian (1762), Israel (1763), and Daniel (1769).
Christian (1762-1813) married Markrat (Bottin), and moved his family to Centre County, PA. about 1801. His first son John (1784-1835) married Mary (Nesselroth), the daughter of Israel. There is a family cemetery located about 1/2 mile northeast of Blanchard, Centre County, PA. On the tombstones, the spellings are: Christian Nestelroth, John Nestleroad, Mary Nestlerode (1785-1863). (Note: See Christian's will on the documents page.)
Israel (1763-1833) married Christine (Klein). He and his descendants remained in the Lancaster, PA. area. All of their spellings are Nestleroth. (Note: See Israel's will on the documents page.)
Daniel (1769-182?) married Cathrine (Gatshall). They and one son (born about 1806 in Cumberland County, PA.) moved to Fairfield County, Perry Township, Ohio in 1820. I was unable to find any record of them after 1820.
In Baptism and marriage records of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Lancaster, PA., the names were Nesselroth or Nestelroth. I found wills of Christian (1835), and Israel (1833), and court records of J. Christian death (1813) intestate.
John (1765) and Christopher (1774) Nesselroad were first located in 1800 (by name) in Brooke County, VA. (now W.VA) There was no record found of their entry into this country, or of them being sons of J. Christian (1737). The only listings of Nestlerodes, of any spelling, in the 1790 census was J. Christian and his three sons, in Lancaster County, PA. It is possible that these two men (I believe them to be brothers) entered the U.S. from Canada, or with the British Military during the Revolution, and accepted the option to remain in the U.S. after the War.
John (1765), wife-Hannah, settled in the Ravenwood area of Mason County, VA. (now Jackson County, W.VA.) about 1802.
Christopher (1774), wife Mary Ann, settled in Olive area of Morgan County, Ohio. Their oldest son John (1806) was born in VA. Christopher was in the Ohio Infantry during the War of 1812. His youngest son- Robert )who was in the Indiana Infantry during the Civil War) claimed his father was born in Germany. I have received reports that his parents were Peter and Christina. (No proof).
I have received many other reports that I have not been able to verify. However, I believe some of our family have been too hasty in trying to relate to Count Karl (1780). We may be related, but not descendants, J. Christian, John, and Christopher were all born before Count Karl. Furthermore Count Karl was a German.
Christian (1762-1835) was a member of the 4th Battalion of the Lancaster Militia. Therefore, his female descendants are eligible to be members of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Henry Nesselrode (1832) and wife-Anna Mary (1852), both born in Germany, entered this country about 1880, and settled in Pope County, Ill. They had 2 sons and 6 Daughters, I have not been able to make contact with any of their descendants after 1900.
The westward movement of the family was to Indiana - 1855, Illinois - 1860, Iowa-1861, Missouri-1870, Kansas - 1876, Oklahoma-1892, and California 1900.
"http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/5807/historyn.html#nestlerode"
