A Line of The Empie Family of the Mohawk Valley

A Branch of The Empie Family of the Mohawk Valley

Information about this particular branch of the Empies, an early Montgomery County Palatine family, was contributed by Colleen Freidberg. "The first three generations are part of an extensive genealogy compiled by Dr. Keith Fitzgerald and on file at the Montgomery Co. Archives in Fonda, NY. Subsequent generations are my own work based primarily on microfilms rented through the Family History Library and original records at the Fonda Archives." Colleen Freidberg June 26, 1998

John Ernst EMICHEN arrived in London as part of the first party of Palatines 6 May 1709. His family at that time included his wife Maria Ursula ROSENBACHIN and four sons ages 9, 6, 5 and 1 1/2. During their stay in London Maria died and John Ernst married Margaretha WINTER on 21 Aug 1709 at the Lutheran Church in Savoy, London, England.

(Note: I asked Colleen about the name change from Emichen : "I don't know about the name change from Emich to Empie. When I first came across it in my Sponable research it was Oemiche and I was sure it must be Irish! Dr. Fitzgerald, whose chart I am using, actually spells it Empey and another woman's material that was sent with this chart lists 20! variations. I have a copy from the Calendar of Wills published in 1896 and it is spelled Empie there. In this chart the surname is only used once and it is spelled Emichen. This is in reference to a source from Worms, Germany Lutheran Church (1673-1735)".)

Johannes Emichen, b.11 Oct 1702 in Worms, Germany, married Elizabeth SNELL (SCHNELL), b. ca.1704-08, ca.1726. Dr. Fitzgerald's note does not give the place name but his source was "The Book Of Names" by Lou D. MacWethy, published in St. Johnsville, NY, 1933. Their children:

John Frederick, born ca.1730, died ca. 1795
Anna Margaret, born ca.1730
Adam, born ca 1738, died Oct 1782/8 Dec 1783 (will)
John, born ca. 1742, died May 1825
Anna Maria, born 8 Jan 1744
Johan Jacob, born 1 Nov 1752-7, died Aug 1777 at the Battle of Oriskany

John Frederick first married ca 1749; wife's name unknown. A son Philip was born ca. 1750-1812. Philip married Elizabeth ENSLIN 10 Dec 1771 and died in 1812.

John Frederick married 2nd Maria Elizabeth SCHULTS [7 Jun 1739? - 23 Jan 1779; ae 38/10/28 gs (gravestone)]. No date given for this marriage. Their children:

Dorothea, born 13 Sep 1760
Johannes F., born 20 Jan 1762, died 25 Oct 1857(a note with the death date says this could be John, by Frederick's first wife), married Anna Katherine KUHL (KUGEL) 29 Oct 1782
Anna, born 2 Mar 1764, married Philip KUHL*
Maria, born 15 Jul 1766 (infant death)
Jacob, born 31 Aug 1769 (died young ?)
Fridrich, born 30 Mar 1773
Maria, born 6 Feb 1775
Johan Jacob, born 9 Jan 1779, died 20 Sep 1809 age 67, married Suzanna DAVIS 21 Jan 1809
All of the children's names are followed with the note as sourced from the Book of Names.

* My files indicate that Philip Kuhl's birth was recorded in the Dutch Reformed Church of Palatine, NY as 14 Mar 1768.

* Catherine Kuhl, born 23 Oct 1788 (daughter of Philip Kuhl and Anna EMPIE) Ephratah, NY, died 16 Nov 1846
- married John Henry SPONABLE (SPANKNABLE), born 2 May 1784 Ephratah, NY, died 25 Oct 1860, on 22 Feb 1807 at Ft. Plain, NY.

* Harmon Sponable, born 1 Feb 1823 (son of John H. Sponable and Catherine Kuhl), died 2 Dec 1901
- married Elizabeth KRING, born 19 Apr 1828 Kringsbush, Montgomery County, NY, died 24 Jan 1906, St. Johnsville

* Catherine Sponable, born 4 Jan 1846, (daughter of Harmon Sponable and Elizabeth Kring), Oppenheim, Fulton County, NY, died 2 Mar 1902 Oppenheim
- married Henry BETTINGER, born 6 Jan 1839 Hesse, Germany, died 20 Dec 1914 Fulton County, NY

Colleen would like to correspond with other researchers whose ancestral Empie/Empeys, Sponables and other well-known families intermarried into her direct line. Again, our thanks to Colleen for her contribution of a transcript of the Kring/Tillaboro Cemetery, Town of Ephratah, burial place of members of the Sponable family.

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