MySource:JeffreyRLehrer/Lehrer Families

Initial email

Hello Tom,

Having looked around the web I believe that you are the font of information for the Lehrer families of Ferdinand and Matthias (1714-1787).

I do not think I am related to this family however I am particularly interested in the information that you have for the earliest 2 generations which apparently takes the family back to to 1654. I have been doing a poorly executed one name study of the Lehrer Families for a long time and I have a Matthias Lehrer who was born in 1655 in Wurttemberg.

Sounds pretty close to me so I am trying to learn more and while we might not have a clear match it is certainly similar and so I am trying to either confirm either way whether these could be the same people and if I can't confirm either option then at least make it known why.

Regards Jeffrey

Response 1

G’day,

I guess I’m unaware of what’s on the web from - or about - me, and I’m not sure I’m a font, informational or otherwise. What I can tell you is that Ferdinand and Matthias Lehrer, who changed their names to Lair, were cousins. I am descended from Matthias on my mother’s side of the family, and I have traced his roots back to Otisheim, Germany in Baden-Wurttemberg, where he was born in November of 1714. The principal element of proof is the couple, Jerg and Margretha Hepple, who were present as sponsors at the christening of Matthias’ first four children at St. Michael’s and Zion Church in Philadelphia, following Matthias’ immigration to America in 1738. The Hepples also immigrated from Otisheim and can be found listed in the church records there as being present at other Lehrer events, so apparently the two families were friends in Germany. If this connection is accurate, Matthias is the grandson of Mattheus Lehrer who - whether he took his name (teacher) from his profession or from other, earlier Lehrers – actually was the schoolmaster in Otisheim. He appears in the church records of the town three times – twice for marriages and once at death. The latter occurred on Feb. 6, 1721 and the record says he was 67 years and 17 days old when he died, indicating that he was born around the 21st of January in 1654. I have not been able to trace ancestors of the elder Mattheus.

I looked on your Lehrer page, and I assume the Matthias you mention below is Matthias Lehrer, born in Reichenbach on November 13, 1655. There is no connection I know of between the Lehrers of Otisheim and those of Reichenbach. That said, the two towns are not that far apart, geographically. Reichenbach is little bit southeast of Stuttgart and Otisheim is a slightly greater distance to the northwest of the same city. It’s possible the families are related from an earlier generation, although a quick look at the names of children doesn’t reveal a great overlap. If you ever find a connection, I would be quite interested to know of it.

Regards,

Tom

Response 2

Hi Tom,

I wasn't expecting to find a clear connection even with the relative closeness of where they lived, but it was certainly worth asking.

Thanks for getting back to me. If any connection ever comes up i will let you know.

2nd email sent in response

Can you please tell me, who were the parents of Matthias and Ferdinand?

Thank you Jeffrey

Response 3

The father of Matthias was Mattheus Lehrer, the baker of Otisheim who was born in 1687. His mother was Anna Elizabetha Scheur. Ferdinand’s full name was Johann Ferdinand Lehrer, eighth child of Hans Jerg who was born in 1689, and his wife Maria Ott. As I said below, the two men were cousins. Their fathers were the first and second sons of Mattheus, the schoolmaster of Otisheim, and his first wife, Anna Catherina Magdalena.

Other Responses

Thanking each other for interest and time taken.