Amrein im Kanton Luzern
Verfasst: Di 7. Jul 2026, 18:04
Hallo zusammen,
I am an American researcher trying to locate the specific Swiss origins of my direct paternal ancestor, who immigrated to the United States in the mid-18th century. I have hit a wall regarding his exact birthplace and his parents, as my data contains a conflicting mix of primary source documents and 20th-century family lore. I am hoping someone might recognize him as a "missing son" in an established Swiss Amrein/Amrhein tree, or offer advice on where to look next.
The Primary Evidence (Documented Facts):
Name: Johann Heinrich Amrein (often recorded in America as John Henry Amerine / Ammarine).
Immigration: He arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 22, 1754, on the ship Halifax (Thomas Coatam, Master) sailing from Rotterdam.
Origins noted on manifest: The passenger lists note the inhabitants were from "Wirtenberg, Hesse, Franconia and the Palatinate".
Signature: He signed the required oath of abjuration in Philadelphia with a mark, and the clerk recorded the name phonetically as "John Henry Amrein".
The Secondary Evidence (Lineage Books & Lore):
Birth Year: American lineage books state he was born in 1732.
Parents: These same secondary sources claim his parents were Henry Ammarine (b. ~1704) and a French woman named Florette Vattier, whom he allegedly married in 1731.
The Huguenot Claim: The 1732 son is frequently listed in these older books as a "French Huguenot refugee".
Family Legend: An old family story suggests his parents died simultaneously around 1733 (possibly in a Rhine flood or epidemic), leaving him an orphan.
My Research Dilemma:
The Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz shows a strong concentration of the "Amrein" spelling in Canton Lucerne prior to 1800. However, Lucerne's strictly Catholic history seems to severely conflict with the claim that his mother (Vattier) was a French Huguenot refugee.
My Questions for the Forum:
1) Does anyone have a Johann Heinrich Amrein (born around 1732) in their Canton LU (or other canton) trees who disappears from the parish records before 1754?
2) Are there any known instances of an Amrein marrying a French/Huguenot Vattier in the 1730s, perhaps in a Protestant canton like Bern or Basel?
3) Given the spelling "Amrein" by the Philadelphia port clerks, should I be focusing strictly on Lucerne, or was this spelling common in other regions along the Rhine during this era?
Any insights, corrections, or guidance toward specific Taufregister or Totenrodel would be deeply appreciated.
Thank you for your time and expertise!
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urspr. Titel: AMREIN von Lucerne
I am an American researcher trying to locate the specific Swiss origins of my direct paternal ancestor, who immigrated to the United States in the mid-18th century. I have hit a wall regarding his exact birthplace and his parents, as my data contains a conflicting mix of primary source documents and 20th-century family lore. I am hoping someone might recognize him as a "missing son" in an established Swiss Amrein/Amrhein tree, or offer advice on where to look next.
The Primary Evidence (Documented Facts):
Name: Johann Heinrich Amrein (often recorded in America as John Henry Amerine / Ammarine).
Immigration: He arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 22, 1754, on the ship Halifax (Thomas Coatam, Master) sailing from Rotterdam.
Origins noted on manifest: The passenger lists note the inhabitants were from "Wirtenberg, Hesse, Franconia and the Palatinate".
Signature: He signed the required oath of abjuration in Philadelphia with a mark, and the clerk recorded the name phonetically as "John Henry Amrein".
The Secondary Evidence (Lineage Books & Lore):
Birth Year: American lineage books state he was born in 1732.
Parents: These same secondary sources claim his parents were Henry Ammarine (b. ~1704) and a French woman named Florette Vattier, whom he allegedly married in 1731.
The Huguenot Claim: The 1732 son is frequently listed in these older books as a "French Huguenot refugee".
Family Legend: An old family story suggests his parents died simultaneously around 1733 (possibly in a Rhine flood or epidemic), leaving him an orphan.
My Research Dilemma:
The Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz shows a strong concentration of the "Amrein" spelling in Canton Lucerne prior to 1800. However, Lucerne's strictly Catholic history seems to severely conflict with the claim that his mother (Vattier) was a French Huguenot refugee.
My Questions for the Forum:
1) Does anyone have a Johann Heinrich Amrein (born around 1732) in their Canton LU (or other canton) trees who disappears from the parish records before 1754?
2) Are there any known instances of an Amrein marrying a French/Huguenot Vattier in the 1730s, perhaps in a Protestant canton like Bern or Basel?
3) Given the spelling "Amrein" by the Philadelphia port clerks, should I be focusing strictly on Lucerne, or was this spelling common in other regions along the Rhine during this era?
Any insights, corrections, or guidance toward specific Taufregister or Totenrodel would be deeply appreciated.
Thank you for your time and expertise!
-----------------------------
urspr. Titel: AMREIN von Lucerne