Söhn family
The Söhn's were a numerically large family in Krasna. Their name only existed in Krasna, in no other Bessarabian colony. The Söhn family probably came from the Saarland/Palatinate region. Their place of origin has not yet been determined. A Johann Söhn/Sehn settled as a private settler in the district of Zamosc together with Dirk, Speicher, Paul, Löb and others (spelling could also be: Sehn, Sein, Seinn, Senz, Sentz).
- One emigrant to Galicia registered in Vienna was called Johannes Sehn/Seinn.
Johann Seinn 4 pers. Boßheim from the Türkheim WK 201/14
Departure Vienna 30.06.1784 (meaning Losheim)
- Registered as a private settler in the Zamosc region in 1786
Find: Settlers list from the Court Chamber Archives: Johann Sehn 2 persons from Rasebach/Hasebach?? (there is a Hausbach near Losheim).
- This family was settled in Sitaniec. There is no reference to their children there. Did the two children mentioned above at the time of registration in Vienna die on the way?
Whether John himself went on to Bessarabia is not yet entirely clear. The following statement rather speaks against it: Jacek Klaudel, whose ancestors belong to the above-mentioned group of immigrants, says to Söhn in the Zamosc area: "When Johan Sehn died, his wife married Johan Ternes1. After his death, the land went to Johan Sehn's son Jacob Sehn. On August 12, 1819, Jakob Klaudel bought Jakob Sehn's land and buildings, as he was planning to move to Russia. Jakob Sehn then changed his mind and wanted his land back. J. Klaudel turned to Zamoyski Ordination and asked that he be allowed to keep the land, as he had paid for it honestly, and he was granted his right."
It is conceivable that Jakob Sehn's siblings went to Russia (Bessarabia) in 1814 and that he therefore sold his land a few years later in order to move there too?
In any case, children or grandchildren of Johann Söhn certainly came to Krasna. There is evidence that he was born in Krasna before 1814:
- Johannes Söhn * 1788/89, FILES: 1819 files of sick colonists, in the colony of Krasna, Bessarabia; Original documents located at Odessa State Archive, Odessa, Ukraine; Johann Senius/Söhn, age 31yr, was sick 20 Sept 1819
With this year of birth, he cannot be the emigrant to Galicia who arrived there as early as 1784.
He was married to Rosina (surname not known). The couple had three children in Krasna.
- Gertrude * 1790, who was already married to Peter Kuss when she immigrated to Krasna. (Hopf Liste: Kuss, Peter 1814 Zamosc/Lublin/Dutchy of Warsaw Russia with wife Gertrude)
- Christian Söhn (Sehn)2 * vor 1777, who immigrated from the Zamosc region in Poland, wife Gertrude. (Hopf Liste: Sehn, Christian 1814 Zamosc/Lublin/Dutchy of Warsaw Russia with wife Gertrude). No age is given, but a two-person marriage suggests a younger couple (around * 1790).
Christian appears in the church register in Krasna as godfather. In July 1831 Christian Söhn is named as godfather to Elisabeth Rikert.
Neither Christian nor Johann Söhn are listed in the 1835 Krasna census; presumably they had already died by this time. The first son there is Peter.
- Elisabeth * 1795 (Age confirmed in census and death register; surname in baptismal register #291), husband Johannes Ternes
- Anna Maria * 1799 (CENSUS: 1835/1850; Krasna REC #8; Anna age 51 yr.), 2. Wife of Nikolaus Schreiner
Nikolaus marries 1st wife on 19.02.1813 Elisabeth Speicher (22)
Nikolaus Schreiner: Birth of daughter Susanne (15.05.1814), wife Elisabeth Speicher
Hopf Liste: Schayner, Nicolaus 1814 Zamosc/Lublin/Dutchy of Warsaw Russia with wife Elisabeth.
It is possible that daughter Susanne is still in Poland and first wife (Elisabeth Speicher) died on the journey to Krasna.
- Peter * 1802, calculated according to Census 1835 (Peter age 33 yr)
first wife Rosina Kletke, second wife Katharina Ternes
Christian could perhaps be the father of Peter Söhn; however, Hopf (see above) only mentions the couple as emigrants to Russia, no children. Johann *1788 also appears a little too young to be the father of Peter.
They should all have been born in Sitaniec. But the church register of Sitaniec does not contain any information about Söhn/Sehn; it is incomplete, however, and also just at the time when the above-mentioned were born. Only the periods 1780-1789 and 1810-1819 are available.
Author:
Eduard Volk
Neuwied, April 2025
Eduard´s Ancestor is Klemens VOLK
- This could be the second wife Anna Maria * 1766 mentioned with Johann Ternes .
- Emigrants from the Zamosc region to Russia in 1814
Reference: Hopf list (name, year, region, family members)