1. Christian1 Kuntzi[i] was born in Bilten, Konolfingen District, Switzerland abt 1700. Christian died Nov 1774 Alsace Twp, Berks, PA, at 74 years of age. His body was interred 1774 in Kinsey Cem, Kinsey Homestead, Oley, Berks Co, PA.[ii]
He married Sarah ??. Sarah was born in Switzerland abt 1705. (Additional notes for Sarah ?? [iii]) Sarah died 1789 at 84 years of age. Her body was interred in Kinsey Cem, Kinsey Homestead, Oley, Berks Co, PA.
He emigrated, 21 Jan 1734. Point of origin: Switzerland.[iv] He bought property Mar 1734. Christian was listed in a directory Germantown, PA, 1742.[v] He petitioned the court to become a citizen in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co, PA, 10 Apr 1761.[vi] He made a will Alsace Twp, Berks, PA, 24 Mar 1773.[vii] The KUNTZI family originated in the lake or Oberland regions of Canton Bern, Switzerland. This family name has been variously spelled Kinsey, Kinzie, Kintzi, Kuentzi, Kuntzy, and Kuntzi. Christen KUNTZI's descendants moved to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania during the 1770s, to southwest Virginia during the 1780s, and later to Ohio in 1805, Indiana in 1845 and later to Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.
From "America Experienced: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Accounts of Swiss Immigrants to the United States" by Leo Schelbert.
The Kinsey/Kinzie name is the English form of the Swiss name "Kunzi" or "Kuenzi". It is a family name of the Canton of Berne. Derived, like "Kunz", from the given name "Kunrat". Research has been done on the Kinsey/Kinzie families and they have been traced back to the 13th century. There were burghers [citizens] at Bolligen in the 13th century, Frutigen, [Adelboden], Konofing e, Seftigen, and Thun. They were a noble family of the city of Berne, extinct in 1745.
The "Küntzÿ" coat-of-arms is a Blue Fleur-De-Lis in the middle of a Gold pile rising from the base of the shield; a Gold star on each side of the point in the upper portion of the shield.
Our ancestor, Christen KUNTZI applied for permission to emigrate to Pennsylvania on January 21, 1734. The government had agreed and gave instructions to his commune to let KUNTZI have as much of his property as he needed for his journey. The place referred to is the hamlet, Honegg in the commune of Uebeschi, which belongs to the parish of Thierachern and to the district Thun. There are still KUNTZI's in this area, which is approximately 15 miles southeast of Bern, Switzerland. At that time in Central Europe, it was considered an act of disloyalty for a person to leave his country of birth. In fact, in Switzerland there were several mandates against emigration. However, many Swiss were compelled to leave due to heavy taxation and religious oppression. A civil passport was required which stated that the holder was a person of good character, was debt free, and had paid the emigration tax. The second document, which was mentioned above, was a certificate of dismissal from the state church.
Christen KUNTZI received 100 acres in the Oley section of Philadelphia (now Berks County, Pennsylvania) in March 1734. He added an additional 50 acres in November 1738 and 50 more in Alsace Township in June 1750. Other land patents were recorded in 1743 and 1759. Quakers including the Boones, Lincolns, and Lees had first settled Oley Township. By 1734, Oley had 34 landowners, most of them German emigrants who had first settled in the Schoharie valley of New York. This area had also been settled by Swiss Mennonites and other German speaking religious sects and was a center of the 'Pennsylvania Dutch'.
It is not known the original religious affiliation of Christen KUNTZI. In 1742, the head of the Moravian church in Europe, Count Zinzendorf, came to America in an attempt to consolidate the many German religious sects into one organized church. A multi-denominational synod was held in Germantown, PA that Christian KINTSY attended. Although many of the 50 attendees listed their affiliation as Tunker, Lutheran, German Reformed, Mennonite, Moravian, or other, KINTSY did not name his denomination. It is known that the Kinsey’s were active in the Oley congregation of German Baptists, which were commonly known as Dunkers and now known as the Church of the Brethren. Christen KUNTZI's son, David, was a minister of the church in 1780, and son, Christian, was a trustee.
He become a naturalized citizen of the British colony on April 10/11 1761 when a resident of Alsace township, Berks County, PA.
He listed his wife Sarah, his children, and his grandchildren, the children of his son Johannes in his will.
Christian Kuntzi and Sarah?? had the following children:
2 i. David2 Kuentzi was born in Switzerland. David died abt 1811 Alsace Twp, Berks, PA. His body was interred in Kinsey Cem, Kinsey Homestead, Oley, Berks Co, PA. He married Susanna ?? in Oley, Berks Co, Pa, 1762.
3 ii. Abraham Kuentzi was born in Switzerland.
4 iii. Magdalena Kuntzi was born in Switzerland.
5 iv. Catherina Kuentzi.
6 v. Maria Kuentzi.
+ 7 vi. Johannes Kuntzi was born abt 1724.
8 vii. Jacob Kuentzi was born in Switzerland 14 Jan 1725. Jacob died Sep 1790 in Oley, Berks Co, Pa, at 65 years of age. His body was interred 1790 in Kinsey Cem, Kinsey Homestead, Oley, Berks Co, PA. He married Margaret (Unmerket) ?? 01 Oct 1752. Margaret was born May 1732. Jacob and Margaret Kintzi/Kinsey's wills were recorded in Lancaster County, PA in 1790 and 1801 respectively, book Y vol. 2 pages 385 and 378 and they are probably the same Kintzi's who lived in Warwick twp. contemporaneously with Henry Kinsey.
9 viii. Christian Kuntzi was born in Switzerland abt 1740. Christian died 07 Dec 1825 at 85 years of age. He married Mary ?? in Oley, Berks Co, Pa, 1769. He bought property in Botetourt Co, VA, 1790. Prior to moving to VA in 1790, Christian Kintzi, son of the immigrant, had lived in Cocalico twp, Lancaster Co, PA. In his first Lancaster land purchase deed of 1772 he's described as a shoemaker from Berks County.
10 ix. Henry Kuentzi was born abt 1742. Henry died Oct 1828 in Frederick Co, MD, at 86 years of age. He married Barbara ??.
http://members.core.com/~sharprm/library/kinsey.htm
