The purpose of this web page is to share findings on ancestor Philipp
Heinrich Stiber among those researching him and make our knowledge available
to other descendants or researchers, to avoid duplicating work, and to
disseminate the results of research more easily. I would also like to
gather together those interested in pursuing the ancestry of Philipp Stiber.
Origins
I believe Philipp Heinrich Stieber was born about 1761 in Bad Kreuznach, Palatinate of
the Rhine, Germany, just south of Bingen, son of Sebastian Stiber and Katharine
Prene or Frene or Fresse.
He was raised as a Calvinist in the Reformed Church of Rheinland-Pfalz.
Discussion:
Philipp's birth date is based on his ages provided in the muster rolls of
the Anhalt-Zerbst regiment. If he entered military service upon turning 18,
then his birthdate is likely to be in the fall of 1760. The location of birth, given
as 'Creinacht near Mannheim' by Fr. Patrice Gallant in his "Registres de
Gaspésie" has been identified by Mr. John Helmut Merz and others as a bad rendering of
"Kreuznach." (see rootsweb message boards at http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/script/main/rw
). In addition, Philipp gave his birthplace as Creuzennach in one muster
roll, and Cronstad, Palatinate of Pfalz, in a second. The first names of the
parents have been Germanicized from the names given by Gallant in his book.
The mother's maiden name is given variously as Prene (De Marce and under
the Stiber in the repertoire), Frene-Fresse (under Rochefort in the
repertoire), and Fresse (in De Marce). It would seem to be an issue of
reading the handwriting in the record.
The Calvinist church or sect was identified by Aldo Brochet in a posting at
rootsweb.
It appears that the information comes from
Genealogie des Familles de la Riviere-Ouelle by Adolphe Michaud, who
is reffered to as a priest, "l'abbé Adolph." Is there
a church record of his renunciation of Calvinism?
Surname Variations
Like all surnames, especially non-French ones, the spelling is never
consistent. Philippe-Henri is reported to have signed the name the
following different ways:
- Stubert
- Shétivert
- Steuivert
- Stivre
- ... (and more)
Genealogists give the following variants:
- John Merz gives the following variations: Stiber, Stieber, Stueber.
- Bona Arsenault gives these variations: Stibre, Steber, Styver.
- Gallant uses these variations: Stiber, Stibre.
- Other variations encountered: Stiver.
According to Raymond Smeets, whom I have asked about this surname
"Stieber" is a "Souabe" dialect rendering of "Stüber."
Philipp Heinrich Stiber, the Hessian
Philipp Stiber was under the government of the German state Anhalt-Zerbst.
Along with a thousand or so of his kinsmen, he was "hired out" by their
political ally Great Britian to fight for them in the American Revolutionary
War. The Anhalt-Zerbst regiment came to America in several detachments over the
course of 1778-1781: 624 men in 1778; 82 men in April 1779; 50 men in May
1780, and 420 men in April 1781. It appears that Philipp came in
1779. He does not appear on the muster roll of July 12, 1779 in Canada,
nor the muster roll of 1781 on Long Island, which, according to Virginia De
Marce, appears to consist of the men sent in May 1780.
1 De Marce implies that
the recruits of 1779 did not make it on the 1779 muster roll. However,
Philipp does appear on the muster rolls of June 20, 1782 and January 1, 1783.
On the muster roll of 1783, his
length of service is specified as 4 years, 1 month, which would indicate
that his service began in December 1778.
It is possible, though, if the length of service merely indicates length of
military service to his German lord, that he may have come over in 1781;
then this information would only serve a clue as to his age.
Philipp was in the company of Major George de Rauschenplatt.
Philippe-Henri's post-military profession
Philippe Henri is said to be a cordonnier at the marriages of his
daughters Catherine and Louise in August 1814.
The Family of Philippe Henri Stiber
On October 10 or 11,2
1784, Philippe Henri Stiber (as he was called in Canada) married
Felicité Huret dit Rochefort, daughter of Charles and Marie-Anne Pelletier,
in Rivière-Ouelle, county of Kamouraska, Québec.
- It appears that Felicité was their first daughter, born before October 11,
1784 and legitimated by their marriage. She married, first, Jean Lancup and second,
Daniel Lelièvre.
- Philippe-Henri was born December 19, 1785 at Rivière-Ouelle.
- François was born January 26, 1787 at Rivière-Ouelle.
- Angelique was born June 10, 1788 at Rivière-Ouelle and married Antoine Paquet dit Lavallée.
- Marie, who married Daniel Smith. No further information was available in Gallant's book.
- Joseph (Matt) was born December 8, 1787 at Grand-Rivière and married Hélène Alain.
3
- Geneviève was born August 14, 1791 at Grand-Rivière and married Barthélémi Vallée.
- Judith was born January 10, 1793 at Grand-Rivière and married Joseph Baker.
- Louise was born April 9, 1794 at Grand-Rivière and married François Vallée.
- Philippe-Henry was born January 3, 1796 at Grand-Rivière and married Marie Béliveau.
- Catherine was born November 25, 1799 at Grand-Rivière and married François Dupuis.
- Laurent was born October 4, 1801 at Grand-Rivière.
Not recorded in Gallant, but appearing in Arsenault, is the marriage of
Marie-Anne, a daughter of Philippe-Henri and Marie-Félcitié Huret,
to Joseph Baker, on Ocrober 18, 1810, apparently at Paspébiac, and recorded
in the register of Bonaventure.
#Huret's death#
Philippe Henri Stiber remarried Thérèse St-Fill, widow of Antoine Blais of Newport,
and daughter of Paul Blais and Catherine David, on September 1, 1817, at
Grand-Rivière. It appears that there were no children from this marriage.
Sources
Bibliography
-
Arsenault, Bona, Registres de Bonaventure, 1791-1900 :
incluant de nombreux actes de baptêmes, mariages et sépultures des premiers
établissements du versant sud de la Gaspésie, de New-Richmond à
Rivière-au-Renard. Ottawa : B. Arsenault, en collaboration avec les
Editions Marquis, 1981. (CS88 .B66 A77)
-
DeMarce, Virginia Easley, Mercenary Troops from Anhalt-Zerbst, Germany,
who served with the British forces during the American Revolution.
2 vols. McNeal, Ariz. : Westland Publications, 1984. (E268 .D46 1984)
-
Lowell, Edward J., The Hessians and the other German auxiliaries of Great
Britain in the Revolutionary War. (E268 .L9)
- Proulx, Armand, Répertoire des mariages de Rivière-Ouelle,
1672-1972. La Pocatière, [Québec] : 1972. (CS88.R54 P76)
Other sources consulted
- Augustin, Heinz, Familienbuch der Evangelischen Kirchengemeinde
Gutenberg 1691-1905 : (55595 Gutenberg, Landkreis Bad Kreuznach).
Köln : Westdeutsche Gesellschaft für Familienkunde, 2002. (CS627.G88 A94 2002)
- Eelking, Max von, The German allied troops in the North American War
of Independence, 1776-1783. trans. and abridged by J. G. Rosengarten.
Baltimore : Genealogical Pub. Co., 1969. (E268 .E26 1969)
- Katcher, Philip R. N., Encyclopedia of British, provincial, and
German army units, 1775-1783.
[Harrisburg, PA]: Stackpole Books, [1973]. (E267 .K37)
Other works referenced but not consulted
John Merz, in a posting at rootsweb, referred to a genealogy of the Stiber
family published (written?) by Michel LeMoignan. I do not have access to
this book, and I would like to know what it contains.
Genealogie des Familles de la Riviere-Ouelle by L'abbe Adolphe
Michaud.
Notes
1It would seem to be a simple matter to determine if this was a
muster roll of 50 or 420 soldiers; perhaps, though, De Marce does not trust
Lowell, who gives the particular breakdown quoted here, since other writers
give different opinions (albeit uncorroborated by the muster roll).
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2
In the listing under Stiber in the Repertoire des mariages de
Rivière-Ouelle, the marriage date is given as October 10; every other
source, including the listing under Rochefort in the same book, gives
October 11.
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3
This must be an error, because Angelique was said to be born just 6 months
later, on June 10, 1788. Probably it should read 1789 instead of 1787.
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