Salomon and Madaleine Chapelle:
In Search of Religious Freedom and Prosperity
 

The Palatine Project: Ship Arrivals
 

Pennsylvania German Pioneers

During the period 1750 through 1753, 15 families emigrated from the Dürrmenz-Mühlacker area to Pennsylvania, including the family of Salomon Chapelle.  It is hard to imagine what would drive these people to carry out the long, dangerous trip across the sea.  Perhaps the years of suffering from hunger, lack of available land and paying high taxes to both the church and state caused sufficient desperation to make the trip look worthwhile.  Then there was the lingering issue of their freedom to practice religions other than Lutheran or Catholic.  Perhaps it was becoming increasingly clear the reformed religion in Württemberg would eventually be overwhelmed by pressure from the Lutherans.  Match all of this against the optimistic stories of abundant land, religious and civil freedoms, and potential prosperity coming back from the colonies.   In 1751, Salomon Chapelle made his decision to relocate to America, with his 19 year old son Eberhart.  His oldest son Jeremie, perhaps already knowing his wife Madeleine was expecting another child, emigrated two years later with a larger group of families from that area.  He may also have delayed just to give the first emigrants time to become established in Pennsylvania while he took care of selling the families land back in Germany.  No record of Salomon is found in the ship records (or in Pennsylvania), so he probably died before or during the trip.  An examination of some of their fellow travelers follows.

The following were among the immigrants arriving on the Ship Patience, Captain Hugh Steel, originating in the port of Rotterdam and lastly from Cowes, England; 255 passengers were on board.  They were qualified at Philadelphia, Monday, 9 September 1751, in the presence of the Mayor. 

Name	Signature	Research Notes
Eberhart Chappelle		Unlike Dürrmenz church records, name now spelled with two "p"s.
Daniel Tien [Tiers]		Son of Simon Thiers / Tiers and his wife Francoise, nee Morel.
Jean Henri Pierre / Tien [Tiers]		Henry Tiers and Catherine Chapelle nee Rouchon sponsored the baptism of a child of Paul Cafferel (see 1753 list below) in 1743.  Jean Henry and Catherine were married. Son of Daniel Thiers/Tiers, and cousin of Daniel above.  Henry's brother, Etienne, supposedly emigrated in 1751 to PA, but is not on the ship list.  Daniel (the father), was married to Marte Morel, Daughter of Henry Morel.
Matthieu Moret [Morel]		A Matieu Morel and Elizabeth, nee Ozias, sponsored the baptism of Jeremie and Madeleine Chapelle's son Matieu on 22 April 1746.

The following were among the immigrants arriving on the Ship Patience, Captain Hugh Steel, originating in the port of Rotterdam and lastly from Cowes, England.  They were qualified at Philadelphia, Monday, 17 September 1753, in the presence of Benjamin Franklin, Esquire.  This is a good example of how the Germans usually emigrated in groups, less frequently alone.  There were numerous other French names in the list that probably could be linked to Dürrmenz if researched.

Name	Age	Signature	Research Notes
Jeremie Chappelle	25		Unlike Dürrmenz church records, name now spelled with two "p"s.  Actually was age 27 at the time.
Jean Pierre Chappelle	---		A Jean Pierre Chapelle was married in 1750 to a Catharine Don, in Pinache, a village about 5 km south of Dürrmenz.
Peter Roshon / Pierre Rouchon	22		Jeremie Chapelle's first two wives, Catherine and Madeleine, were both Rouchon.  Further research needed on Rouchon family in Dürrmenz and Pinache records.
Hendrick Roshon / Henri Rouchon	20		Jeremie Chapelle's first two wives, Catherine and Madeleine, were both Rouchon.
Peter Goodier /  Pierre Gautier [Cordier]	31		There was a Pierre Cordier and wife Anne in the Waldenser church of Dürrmenz
Jacob Goodier / Jaques Goutier [Cordeir]	27		There was a Jaques Cordier and wife Suzanne in the Waldenser church of Dürrmenz
Jean Jaques Servai [Servay]	29		Etienne Thiers, a Schöenberg farmer, married Madelaine Servay, daughter of Simon Servay from Großvillars.  Etienne left to emigrate to PA in 1751.
Paul Caffarel	45		There was a Paul Caffarel in the Waldenser church of Dürrmenz
Mathias Dear / Matieu Tier	30		There was a Matieu Tiers and wife Suzanne in the Waldenser church of Dürrmenz
Jacob Dear [Jaques Tiers]	18		Baptism entry in the Waldenser church of Dürrmenz for Jean Jaques, son of Jaques and Madeleine Teirs, 12 Jan 1733.

(1)  Fieß, Christian.  Die Auswanderer der Stadt Mühlacker 1577-1952 im Spiegel der württembergischen Auswanderungsgeschichte (Manuscript in German), 509.  Family History Library microfilm, 1475623 Item 2, Salt Lake City, 1987.

(2)  Strassburger, Ralph Beaver, LL.D., and edited by Hinke, William John, PH.D., D.D.  Pennsylvania German Pioneers, Volumes I, II, III  (Camden, Maine: Picton Press, 1992).  Originally published in 1934 by the Pennsylvania German Society.