Boger Family Geneology



Genealogy The Boger Surname is of Palantine German origin. Specifically, it seems to be of occupational origin (perhaps meaning "bowmaker"). My ancestors first enter recorded history in the village of Schwaigern (near Heilbronn) in Wuerttemberg, near the Alscace-Lorraine region of modern day France. Schwaigern is in the south-central area of modern day Germany. It is in the heart of German wine country, and surrounded by vineyards and fields of sunflowers. Boger continues to be a well-known surname in Schwaigern. Some have speculated that the Boger surname may be related to the common Hungarian surname of Bogar. Our Bogers enter recorded history in the old church books of Schwaigern in about 1580. Prior to that time, Schwaigern was ruled by the House of Neipperg. The Neipperg's exist to this day in Schwaigern and their family archives are kept at the Castle Neipperg. Their records extend the Boger history back in about 1500. The House of Neipperg changed religion depending upon the tides of war in the 16th and 17th centuries so perhaps the people of Schwaigern were saved some of the destruction visited upon Germany in those days. At any rate, the wars of the 1600's were bad for much of the ethnic German population, and were followed by the Napoleonic Wars which again ravaged the region. The Schwaigern church records do not often record dates of death during the 1600's, suggesting that many children did not live into adulthood. During these times William Penn visited the Palantinate seeking inhabitants for his new colony of Pennsylvania. In order to procure settlers for his land, Penn visited the Rhine provinces, whose once peaceful valleys, thriving fields and vine-clad hills had become the hunting ground of political and religious fanatics. Personally, and through agents Penn disseminated the news of his acquisition and invited the Rhinelanders, the suffering Palatines, to help him found a State in which religious and civil liberty would prevail.... Hans Paulus Boger (aka John Paul, Paullus, Johann Paulus) and his brother Martin were early emigrants from Schwaigern to the new world. Hans Paulus, his wife Eva, and their children Philip, Matthias, Michael and Justina left for America aboard the "snow" Samuel (an example of a snow is at left) commanded by Hugh Percy or Piercy, departing from Rotterdam (see a picture of the Port of Rotterdam above). After a stop in Cowes (On the Isle of Wight), they reached Philadelphia on August 11, 1732. It is not known where Hans Paulus and his family first lived upon reaching Pennsylvania. What is known is that in the 1740's his sons established farms of their own. Philip appears to have settled in Northampton County (Pennsylvania), and later moved into the Cabarrus County area of North Carolina where other pockets of Palantine Germans had settled. His descendants are numerous in that area, and throughout the United States. Michael and Matthias decided to farm together in what is now North Annville, Twp. (Lebanon County). Technically the farm is located in Union Water Works in what was Lancaster County, PA. The farm was known as the "Locust Grove Farm." Here's a picture: The picture at right is of the farmhouse as it appears today. Hans Paulus and his wife may have been buried at the Locust Grove Farm. In any event, Michael eventually left the farm and settled in Loudoun County, Virginia. His descendants tend to spell their name BOGAR . I don't know whether this was due to the Pennsylvania Dutch tendency towards phoenetic spelling, or what (recently it was suggested to me that it was somewhat common to slightly change the spelling of your name after a family dispute between brothers). Michael's descendants also prospered and are found throughout Pennsylvania and these United States. Matthias continued to farm in Union Water Works and eventually passed the farm on to his son Valentine. Valentine allegedly added the larger portion of the farmhouse in about 1779 when his brother's widow and her children moved in. Valentine and his brothers were militiamen in the Revolutionary War. I recently visited Valentine's grave at the Hill Church in Cleona, PA. I'll post a picture of his headstone in upcoming additions. Upon his death the farm passed into the possesion of his son Joseph. Apparently my ancestors weren't happy about that development and waged a legal battle to take control of the farm. They eventually lost this challenge, but the proceedings produced documents that exist to this day. You can read more about the Locust Grove Farm below. Bogers of this descendancy fought (at least) in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War (on both sides), the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II (on both sides), and the Korean War. There are at least 1864 Bogers listed in U.S. Phone Listing Directories. This month (January) check out my Schwaigern Chapter. This month (February) you can learn about the original Boger family farmstead in America! Visit the Locust Grove Manor. This month (March) I added the translated text of a brochure from Schwaigern detailing Emigration from the 18th and 19th centuries. I also added an interesting (to genealogy freaks) chart called How Many Ancestors Do You Have? This month (May, 2000) I am working on uploading my entire Boger genealogy database onto my home page at Family Tree Maker. Quite frankly, this software is somewhat sucky as it was not designed to work on my MacIntosh, and I had to enlist the help of their tech support people. Bear with me people. When its up, I have a database of Boger's that includes over 1,600 people. Now (June 2000) you can see my entire Boger genealogy database (or at least 12 generations worth, from 1580) in GEDCOM format at my familytreemaker home page. Hopefully in July you'll also be able to see more usable descendant outline trees, and photos. (August, 2000) Okay, okay -- my database isn't at Familytreemaker yet (although if you're browser is java enabled, you can see a GEDCOM file). That's because their tech support people are idiots. I'm getting there though. In the meantime, I'm in Schwaigern, Germany visiting our ancestral home. I'll return with lots of photos and information I hope! (September, 2000) I've added all kinds of photos and information from my trip to Schwaigern. For instance, you can take a virtual tour of Schwaigern. I've also added most of the pictures on this site, to my familytreemaker site. (March 2001) Check out Win Wood's web pages on Boger genealogy Win is a "cousin" and researcher specializing on the Mathias Boger Jr. line and her pages have a lot of awesome information, sources and pictures. Thanks Win!
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Genealogy

The Boger Surname is of Palantine German origin. Specifically, it seems to be of occupational origin (perhaps meaning "bowmaker"). My ancestors first enter recorded history in the village of Schwaigern (near Heilbronn) in Wuerttemberg, near the Alscace-Lorraine region of modern day France. Schwaigern is in the south-central area of modern day Germany. It is in the heart of German wine country, and surrounded by vineyards and fields of sunflowers. Boger continues to be a well-known surname in Schwaigern. Some have speculated that the Boger surname may be related to the common Hungarian surname of Bogar. Our Bogers enter recorded history in the old church books of Schwaigern in about 1580. Prior to that time, Schwaigern was ruled by the House of Neipperg. The Neipperg's exist to this day in Schwaigern and their family archives are kept at the Castle Neipperg. Their records extend the Boger history back in about 1500. The House of Neipperg changed religion depending upon the tides of war in the 16th and 17th centuries so perhaps the people of Schwaigern were saved some of the destruction visited upon Germany in those days. At any rate, the wars of the 1600's were bad for much of the ethnic German population, and were followed by the Napoleonic Wars which again ravaged the region. The Schwaigern church records do not often record dates of death during the 1600's, suggesting that many children did not live into adulthood. During these times William Penn visited the Palantinate seeking inhabitants for his new colony of Pennsylvania. In order to procure settlers for his land, Penn visited the Rhine provinces, whose once peaceful valleys, thriving fields and vine-clad hills had become the hunting ground of political and religious fanatics. Personally, and through agents Penn disseminated the news of his acquisition and invited the Rhinelanders, the suffering Palatines, to help him found a State in which religious and civil liberty would prevail.... Hans Paulus Boger (aka John Paul, Paullus, Johann Paulus) and his brother Martin were early emigrants from Schwaigern to the new world. Hans Paulus, his wife Eva, and their children Philip, Matthias, Michael and Justina left for America aboard the "snow" Samuel (an example of a snow is at left) commanded by Hugh Percy or Piercy, departing from Rotterdam (see a picture of the Port of Rotterdam above). After a stop in Cowes (On the Isle of Wight), they reached Philadelphia on August 11, 1732.

It is not known where Hans Paulus and his family first lived upon reaching Pennsylvania. What is known is that in the 1740's his sons established farms of their own. Philip appears to have settled in Northampton County (Pennsylvania), and later moved into the Cabarrus County area of North Carolina where other pockets of Palantine Germans had settled. His descendants are numerous in that area, and throughout the United States. Michael and Matthias decided to farm together in what is now North Annville, Twp. (Lebanon County). Technically the farm is located in Union Water Works in what was Lancaster County, PA. The farm was known as the "Locust Grove Farm." Here's a picture:

The picture at right is of the farmhouse as it appears today. Hans Paulus and his wife may have been buried at the Locust Grove Farm. In any event, Michael eventually left the farm and settled in Loudoun County, Virginia. His descendants tend to spell their name BOGAR . I don't know whether this was due to the Pennsylvania Dutch tendency towards phoenetic spelling, or what (recently it was suggested to me that it was somewhat common to slightly change the spelling of your name after a family dispute between brothers). Michael's descendants also prospered and are found throughout Pennsylvania and these United States. Matthias continued to farm in Union Water Works and eventually passed the farm on to his son Valentine. Valentine allegedly added the larger portion of the farmhouse in about 1779 when his brother's widow and her children moved in. Valentine and his brothers were militiamen in the Revolutionary War. I recently visited Valentine's grave at the Hill Church in Cleona, PA. I'll post a picture of his headstone in upcoming additions. Upon his death the farm passed into the possesion of his son Joseph. Apparently my ancestors weren't happy about that development and waged a legal battle to take control of the farm. They eventually lost this challenge, but the proceedings produced documents that exist to this day. You can read more about the Locust Grove Farm below. Bogers of this descendancy fought (at least) in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War (on both sides), the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II (on both sides), and the Korean War. There are at least 1864 Bogers listed in U.S. Phone Listing Directories.

This month (January) check out my Schwaigern Chapter.

This month (February) you can learn about the original Boger family farmstead in America! Visit the Locust Grove Manor.

This month (March) I added the translated text of a brochure from Schwaigern detailing Emigration from the 18th and 19th centuries. I also added an interesting (to genealogy freaks) chart called How Many Ancestors Do You Have?

This month (May, 2000) I am working on uploading my entire Boger genealogy database onto my home page at Family Tree Maker. Quite frankly, this software is somewhat sucky as it was not designed to work on my MacIntosh, and I had to enlist the help of their tech support people. Bear with me people. When its up, I have a database of Boger's that includes over 1,600 people.

Now (June 2000) you can see my entire Boger genealogy database (or at least 12 generations worth, from 1580) in GEDCOM format at my familytreemaker home page. Hopefully in July you'll also be able to see more usable descendant outline trees, and photos.

(August, 2000) Okay, okay -- my database isn't at Familytreemaker yet (although if you're browser is java enabled, you can see a GEDCOM file). That's because their tech support people are idiots. I'm getting there though. In the meantime, I'm in Schwaigern, Germany visiting our ancestral home. I'll return with lots of photos and information I hope!

(September, 2000) I've added all kinds of photos and information from my trip to Schwaigern. For instance, you can take a virtual tour of Schwaigern. I've also added most of the pictures on this site, to my familytreemaker site.

(March 2001) Check out Win Wood's web pages on Boger genealogy Win is a "cousin" and researcher specializing on the Mathias Boger Jr. line and her pages have a lot of awesome information, sources and pictures. Thanks Win!