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Terryberry
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Hans Peter Dürrenberger (Terryberry)
Eva Catharine ????
Hans Peter and Catharine were married 25 September 1708 as recorded in church records in Mertzweiler, Alsace, Germany.
Hans Peter and Catharine had at least nine children. The first five were born in Mertzweiler. Sometime between 1717 and 1721 the family moved to Gundershoff, and the others were born in Gundershoff as per baptismal records of the Evangelical Church there.
Peter Dürrenberger 1709-? m. Dorothea Frank Stephan Dürrenberger 1711-1776 m. Anna Dufford Magdalena Dürrenburger 1713-? Michael Dürrenberger 1716-? Jacob Dürrenberger 1717-? m. Anna Bastian Bernhard Dürrenberger 1721-? Margaretha Dürrenberger 1722-? Catharina Dürrenberger 1725-? Dorothea Dürrenberger 1729-? Michael Dürrenberger 1731-?
A possibility exists that a Georg Dürrenberger, born about 1719 might be a son whose baptismal record is not known. His date of birth is during the period when the household had moved. Further, the names of four of his children bear names of his older siblings, Magdalena, Stephan, Jacob and Michael, reflecting the naming convention of the time. Georg married Susanna Jung, and he died in 1775.
Another question arises about the second Michael, born 1731. It is obviously not a memorial name, since the first Michael (b. 1716) went to America in 1738. Yet, the church record states that Michael (1731) was born of Eva and Peter.
Note that in old records the German naming convention was, for sons to precede the given name with either Hans or Johan (both of which translate to John), and for girls to precede the given name with the mother's name, in this case Eva.
The Dürrenberger family is thought to have been Calvanists from Switzerland who went to Mertzweiler in the Alsace region of Germany sometime about 1650. They are mentioned in archives in Basel, Switzerland.
Alsace is a region between the Rhine River and the Vosges Mountain, with portions in eastern France and western Germany. During the period of this history, the region's association with Germany which had lasted for hundreds of years was terminated in 1648. This marked the conclusion of the Thirty Years War, and Alsace became a part of France. Under their new political masters, the people continued to speak German and follow German customs. But the changes were especially hard on the German Protestants, or "Palatines."
This was associated with the persecution of Protestants everywhere at that time in central Europe by the Catholic majority. In addition to the Germans, Swiss and French Protestants (Hugenots) were subject to harassment and persecution.
By the early 1700's, a mass migration of these people ensued which took thousands from their ancestral lands to Holland and England on their way to a new life in America. (For more information on this terrible situation, see the OVERHOLT chapter of this history which describes a Swiss family's migration.)
Among this mass of humanity were three of Peter's sons, Stephan, Michael and Jacob..
Stephan Dürrenberger (Terryberry) (1711 - 1776)
Anna Clara Dufford (1718-1794)
Stephan and Anna Clara, daughter of Phillip Duffort of Langensultzbach, were married 31 January 1736 in Gundershoffen, Germany. (This surname appears in records variously as Duffort, Dufforth, Tufford and Tuffort).
Stephan (in the Passenger List as Stofe Terberger) came to America from Germany on the ship Robert and Alice which sailed from Rotterdam, Holland making a call at Dover, England and arriving at Philadelphia 11 September 1738. On board were 159 German Palatines.
His brothers Hans Michael and Hans Jacob, and father-in-law Phillipp Duffort are also listed as passengers. It is likely that his wife, Anna Clara and infant son Johann George were also aboard, but females and children were customarily not listed as passengers.
Some time after their arrival, the new colonists anglicized their name to Terryberry. But as was common of the period a wide variation in spelling ensued. Both family surnames, Dürrenberger and Terryberry are thus reported in many documents in a variety of ways. This is due, of course, to the literacy problem of the time. Few common people could write, and when events were recorded by public scribes or the clergy the writer put down his version of what he heard as the name. Thus, the written names we see today in old records are phonetic interpretations.
Yet, Terryberry is a legitimate old world surname. Some of the German family appears to have found their way to France in years gone by as a French family member is quoted as saying that Terryberry/Derryberry is the proper French version of the surname.
Upon disembarkation, they were required to take the Oath of Allegiance. Michael and Stephan then made their way up the Delaware and Musconetcong Rivers of West Jersey to the German Valley, now Morris County, New Jersey. Jacob went to Lehigh Co., PA.
As a sidenote, it is thought by some family historians that the progenitor of the large southern family with surname Derryberry is this Jacob. Similarly, the large Dernberger family of 1800s New Jersey is traced to Phillip Durnberger, son of Stephan and Anna Duffort Dürrenberger.
Steven died in 1776. His will, proved 25 February that year names his wife, Anna Mary and children:
Johann George Terryberry 1736-? Philip Terryberry 1740-? m. Dorothea Swackhammer Anna Elizabeth Terryberry 1752-? m. Adam Sagar Margaret Terryberry 1755-? m. John Swackhammer Mary Godlieben Terryberry 1758-? m. Daniel Landerman Jury Frederick Terryberry 1760-1814 m. Mary Mullins Stephan Terryberry 1762-? m. Elizabeth Laurentz
Johann George was born in Germany; all the others in New Jersey. Since the will
mentions Philip as the eldest son, we may conclude that George died young.
Family histories indicate there were eight daughters. Three are identified in
the will (above). While they were of age, they must have been unmarried and
living at home. The will quaintly refers to the father's concern for their
dowry, my three youngest daughters, Ana Lisabeth, Margaretha and Mary
Godlieben as they arrive to become of age, an outfit proportional to what the
rest of my daughters had in their fitting out. This indicates the five
older daughters had married and left home.
Philip Terryberry (1740 - ?)
Dorothea Swackhammer (1746 - ?)
Philip and Dorothea had eleven children:
Philip Terryberry 1764-1852 m. Mary Ann Hann
John Terreberry 1766-1854 m. Margaret Young
Joseph Terryberry 1768-? m. Elizabeth Hildebrant
David Terryberry 1770-1834 m. Margaretta Welch
Ann Elizabeth Terryberry 1773-? m. Philip Reid
Christopher Terryberry 1774-?
Lawrence Terryberry 1776-1797
William Terryberry 1779-1847 m. Ann Young
George Terryberry 1781-1866
Morris Terryberry 1783-1864 m. Mary Young
Samuel Terryberry 1788-1818 m. Catherine Moore
Samuel Terryberry (1788-1818)
Catherine Moore (1793-1851)
During the years following the end of the American Revolution the British in Canada opened large parts of Canada for settlement. Chief among these were the Maritime Provinces and Upper Canada, later to become Ontario. First to settle on Crown grants were soldiers of the disbanded armies. They were followed by thousands of Tory refugees who were dispossessed of their property during the war. A third, smaller wave of immigrants were farmers recruited by Crown officers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. There was a crucial need for experienced farmers in Canada who could quickly get land into production of food and who could teach the soldiers and refugee families how to farm. The enticement which made this program a success was the offer of land.
Among those who went to Canada in the early 1800s were members of the Terryberry family. Among these was William (1779) who settled in Barton Township, John (1776) in Clinton Twp. and Morris (1783) and Samuel (1788) in Grimsby Township. These brothers became the progenitors of the large Terryberry family now living in Canada.
Samuel died in 1818 at age thirty leaving his widow and three children.
Catharine, then age about 25, married, (2nd) Martin Overholt and had three more children, Margaret Overholt, Henry Overholt and Mary Overholt.
The children of Samuel and Catherine were:
John Terryberry 1812-1866 m. Phoebe Slough
Dorothy Terryberry 1813-1895 m. George Slough
William Terryberry 1816-1878 m. Mary Bradt
Dorothy Terryberry (1813-1895)
George Slough (1807-1891)
For further information on this family, see the SLOUGH section of this book.
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Updated 4-17-03