First Owners
The first owners of the Branchweilerhof: 1682
For the safety of the Mennonites in the Palatinate, Registration and Tolerance documents where issued, which where called "Konzessionen". The first such Konzession, as previously mentioned, was issued by Kurfürst Karl Ludwig on the 4. August 1664. After each Throne change a request from the Mennonites was confirmed, including the ones by Kurfürst Karl in 1682, Kurfürst Philipp Wilhelm in 1686, Kurfürst Carl Philipp in 1717 and Kurfürst Carl Theodor in 1743. Following is an Excerpt of the "Schutzgeldlisten" (Protection List) of the Mennonites found in the General State Archive in Karlsruhe:-----
1685
Spital Branchweilerhof
Friderich (Fritz) Dester
Jakob Weber
Daniel Stauffer
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1717
Abraham Egly
Daniel Hege
Hans Ellenberger
Johs. Guth
Wilhelm Mayer
Jakob Dester
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1724
Jakob Dester, very poor
Johs. Dester, average Wealth
Johannes Ellenberger, average Wealth
Daniel Hege, not Wealthy
Jakob Guth, not Wealthy
Abraham Egly, First owner of the Kloster St. Lambrechts
Guts, is Wealthy, Duttweiler
Christian Lichti
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1738
Neustadt
Jakob Möllinger (Clock Maker)
Branchweilerhof
Daniel Hege
Abraham Egly
Johs. Dester
Phllip Giesing (?)
Johs. Ellenberger two Widows
Jakob Guth
Duttweiler
Abraham Eichli (Egli?)
-----
1739
also in 1738, but without Widows
-----
1743
Branchweiler
Johs. Dester, 1 Male, 1 Female, 4 Children
Daniel Hege, 1 Male, 1 Female, 5 Children
Jakob Guth, 1 Male, 1 Female, 5 Children
Abraham Egly, 1 Male, 1 Female, 7 Children
Elizabeth Büren ? Widow, 1 Female
Christ. Stauffer Widow, 1 Female looking for Bread
Jakob Dester, 1 Male, 1 Female (Day worker?)
Elizabeth Guth, Widow, 1 Female
Johannes Ellenberger, 1 Man
Duttweiler
Jakob Egly, 1 Male, 1 Female
Johs. Lichti, 1 Male, 1 Female, 7 Children
Egly Widow, transferred everything
-----
1753
Neustadt
Jakob Möllinger (Clock Maker)
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1759
Branchweilerhof
Abraham Egly, 11 in Household
Jakob Egly, 4 in Household
Jakob Dester, 7 in Household
hired his Brother as Farmhand
Christian Hege, 7 in Household
Jakob Hirschler, 6 in Household
hired his Sister as Maid
Johs. Ellenberger Wwe., 4 in Household (1 Grandchild)
Duttweiler
Johs. Lichti, 7 in Household
Isaac Berktold, 1 in Household
-----
1768
Mußbach
Andreas Jotter
Neustadt
Jakob Möllinger Widower
Spital Branchweiler
Abraham Egly
Jakob Egly
Jakob Hirschler Widower
Christian Hege
Johannes Ellenberger Widower
Jakob Dester Widower
Duttweiler
Johannes Bergthold
Johannes Lichti
Böhl
Christian Bechtel
-----
1773
Abraham Egly, 8 in Household
Joh. Jk. Egly, 4 in Household
Christian Hege
J. Mayer
Chr. Hege (Married Couple, Brother,
Sister of the Wife and 1 menn. Maid)
End of the Schutzgeldlisten (Protection List).
Ernst Müller reported, that around 1732 the Church at the Spitalhof ½ hour from Neustadt, including subordinate Areas of the Haardt and in Esslingen, Duttweiler and Mußbach. Total of 25 Families included. "History of the Bernese Anabaptists" ("Geschichte der bernischen Täufer", Frauenfeld 1895).