Source:Hollenbach, Raymond E. Schneider-Snyder Families of Heidelberg

Watchers
Source Schneider-Snyder Families of Heidelberg
Author Hollenbach, Raymond E. (compiler?)
Coverage
Place Heidelberg, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, United States
Publication information
Type Book
Citation
Hollenbach, Raymond E. (compiler?). Schneider-Snyder Families of Heidelberg.
Repositories
Lehigh County Historical Society (Pennsylvania)Other

The binder at the Lehigh County Historical Association that contains the title manuscript, contains what appears to be five separate manuscripts covering Schneiders in Lehigh County:

  • Schneider-Snyder Families of Heidelberg (3 Schneider brothers, Johan Freidrich, Johan Nicolaus, and Johannes Schneider who came to America in 1738)
  • A collection of lists mentioning Snyders (military service, tax lists, etc.)
  • Ancestors of Carl Snyder (descendants of Daniel Schneider and Catharina Nein if this manuscript is to be believed)
  • Descendants of Conrad and Balthasar Schneider of Heidelberg (Conrad came to America 1732)
  • The Snyder Ancestry by Glenn E. Snyder (focused on the author's branch descended from Balthasar Schneider)

It is not clear if Raymond Hollenbach actually authored any of these. The typed cover label says Schneider-Snyder Families of Heidelberg, by him, but it could have been a misunderstanding on the part of the librarian who added the label to the binder. The label inside the cover says "donated" by him, and since all the manuscripts have handwritten annotations, these have the appearance of being, perhaps, his working file on the Schneiders, rather than his creation. The other manuscripts are not separately identified on the cover, and only two identify their author (3 and 5). The various manuscripts are not cohesive and frequently contradict each other. Raymond Hollenbach was instrumental in publishing some of the church records of the area, and since some of the errors found in these manuscripts flat-out contradict church records he had a role in transcribing, it would be surprising if he was the one would made these errors.

It is very difficult to sort out the Schneiders/Snyders of this area. Multiple immigrants came to the area in the 1700s, each starting large families, and living there for generations, insulated, speaking German, with little relocation until later in the 1800s. It is not uncommon for women whose maiden name was Schneider to marry a man named Schneider. There are several cases of four or five people with the same exact name, and birthdates all within a year or two, to be found in an area with a population of only about a couple thousand people. So, these manuscripts can be useful. And it is not surprising that errors were made. But these manuscripts are so error-filled, it is imperative not to rely on them alone without also finding baptism records, marriage records and wills to confirm the information presented here. --Jrich 21:05, 29 July 2010 (EDT)