Alsace to Medina County - Henri Castro
What attracted our Ancestors to Texas
In February 1842, a Frenchman named Henri Castro. received a land grant contract from the Republic of Texas. The grant promised him more than a million acres of land in South Texas if he would introduce at least 600 families and/or single men within three years and establish four towns.
To entice people to leave Alsace and other regions of Europe and come to Texas, Castro promised each head of a family 640 acres (one square mile) and each single male (17 or older) 320 acres. The settlers had to agree to build a cabin, cultivate at least 15 acres, and live on the property for at least three years.
On September 3, 1844, Castro, with 50 men and 27 oxcarts, crossed the Medina River near the site of the present-day Landmark Inn. Two weeks later, on September 12, 1844, he founded Castroville, 25 miles west of San Antonio. Between 1842 and 1847, Castro introduced more than 2,100 colonists to Texas, second only to Stephen F. Austin.
About Henri Castro https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/castro-henri
Colonists' Ships - 1840's and 1850's https://sites.rootsweb.com/~txmedina/PassengerLists/ships.htm
1843 France.. Département of Haut-Rhin is circled in Blue.
Journey to Texas
Our TSCHIRHART, SCHOTT, & MEYERS ancestors joined the large group of Alsatians organized by Fr. Gregor Pfanner, the Catholic pastor of Soppe-le-bas, in response to Henry Castro's immigration project.
Two ships the Probus and the Norwegien were commissioned and sailed from Antwerp in December 1844. The two ships with some 300 passengers reached Galveston (or New Orleans?) in January 1845 and proceeded to Port Lavaca, where they were met by Henry Castro and escorted to Castroville.
Among the passengers of The Norwegian was 30 year old Nicolas TSCHIRHART, b. 1814, of Soppe-le-Haut, Haut Rhin, Alsace, France
The Norwegian SHIP LIST
Captain H Arveskawz, Departed Anvers (Antwerp) 19 December 1844, destination Lavaca
Ship List: from Haut Rhin Tschirhart, Nicolas Age 30 farmer
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~txmedina/PassengerLists/norwegian.htm
Among the passengers of The Probus were Joseph Stephen MEYER, b. 1801 and his wife Catherine SCHOTT, b. 1804, of Wittlesheim, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France. At the time they would have been approx ages 43 & 40. Daughter Catherine MEYER, b.1827, would have been abt 17 yrs of age
Joseph Stephen Meyer and his wife Catherine [SCHOTT] traveled on the Probus with their children, Joseph, Theresa, Michael, Erasmus, and Edward. Their oldest daughter Catherine was also with the family, but the stories conflict. Some say she traveled on the Norwegien where she met Nicholas, others think she traveled with relatives, but wasn’t listed on any ship log.
The Probus SHIP LISTS - CONFLICTING INFORMATION
online ship lists of the Probus arriving in Jan 1845
Ship Master DeVries or Captain Denries
DEPARTED: 6 or 19 Dec 1844 Anvers [Antwerp], Belgium or Amsterdam, Netherlands
ARRIVED 27 Jan 1845 New Orleans, LA - HOWEVER, our ancestors arrived at Galveston or Port Lavaca, so this is not clear.
Catherine SCHOTT Meyers' father, Antoine SCHOTT and her sister, Marie Anne SCHOTT Bader also immigrated.
Conflicting PROBUS ship online lists:
Departed Antwerp 19 Oct 1844 on the "Probus." Arriving on 29 January 1845 at New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana,
Departed Antwerp December 6, 1844 on the 'Probus' and arrived 27 January 1845 at New Orleans, LA
Marie Ann Schott married Joseph Bader on January 2, 1823 in Wittelsheim, Haut Rhin, Alsace, France.
Probus Passenger List found online
https://www.genesearch.com/neworleans/probus1845.html
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~txmedina/PassengerLists/probus.htm
this list shows as departed from Amsterdam and lists TWO MEYER Families:
MEYER Family #1 - Family of 8
- Jos Meyer * (44m, Laborer, Germany, Texas)
- Cath Meyer (42, Laborer, Germany, Texas)
- Jos Meyer (20m, Laborer, Germany, Texas)
- Cath Meyer (15, Laborer, Germany, Texas)
- Therese Meyer (11, Germany, Texas)
- R. Meyer (6m, Germany, Texas)
- M. Meyer (4, Germany, Texas)
- E. Meyer (4m , Germany, Texas
MEYER Family #2 Haut Rhin family of 8
(these ages sdo not ync with our our MEYERS ancestors)
- Joseph 39 farmer
- Catherine 38
- Waldebourg 13
- Seraphine 9
- Catherine 8
- Imerinzia 7
- Marie 3
- Louise 10 mo
Another Probus Ship List
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~txmedina/PassengerLists/ships.htm
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~txmedina/PassengerLists/probus.htm
Captain Denries, departed Anvers (Antwerp) 6 December 1844, destination New Orleans
Haut Rhin Meyer Family of 7
Joseph 7 44 farmer
Catherine 42
Joseph 15
Therese 9
Michel 8
Rassimus 5
Edouard 6 mo
to be continued ...
JEAN KEY, a ship bringing emigrants from Antwerp to Galveson.
The Tschirhart Line
data below is draft only - some is unconfirmed, un-sourced
Hans TSCHIRHART
Born 1554 Soppe-le- Haut, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Died Unknown Soppe-le- Haut, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Marriage unknown
unsure about the Switzerland connection
Jean Hans TSCHIRHART
Born; 1570
Died 1632 Soppe-le-Haut, Haut Rhin, Alsace, France
Marriage 1590 Soppe-le-Haut, Haut Rhin, Alsace, France
Anna or Anne FRIEDRICH / FRIDRICH
Born 1575, Soppe-le-Haut, Haut Rhin, Alsace, France
Died 1675 Soppe-le-Haut, Haut Rhin, Alsace, France
Jean Thiébaut TSCHIRHART
Born 1594 Soppe-le-Haut, Haut Rhin, Alsace, France
Died 9 FEB 1661 Soppe-le-Haut, Dep Haut-Rhin, Alsace
Marriage: 14 MAY 1630 in Roderen, Haut Rhin, Alsace, France
Agethe MEYER
Birth: ca 1600; Death unknown.
Thiébaut & Agethe moved from Switzerland to Soppe-le-Haut, Dep Haut-Rhin, Alsace
Jean Vieux Joannes TSCHIRHART
Born 1636 or 37 Soppe-le-Haut
Died 1 MAR 1703 or 30 NOV 1701, Soppe-le-Haut or Mortzwille
Marrage 26 SEP 1662 Masevaux, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Jacobé HIBSCHGIPP
Born 1642, Bourbach-le-Bas, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Died: 28 JUL 1718 , Soppe, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Jean Pierre Petrus TSCHIRHART
Birth 24 JAN 1675 Soppe, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 24 AUG 1731 Soppe, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Marriage 28 Jan 1699 Soppe, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Anastasie MANIGOLD
Birth ABT 1678 Guewenheim, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 1 JAN 1745 Soppe, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Jean Pierre TSCHIRHART
Birth 03 JAN 1702 Soppe Le Haut, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 10 DEC 1782 Soppe Le Haut, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Marriage 21 Feb 1726 Soppe Le Haut, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Anne Marie SCHMID
Birth 12 MAR 1703 Soppe Le Haut, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 02 FEB 1761 Soppe Le Haut, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, Franc
François Antoine TSCHIRHART
Birth 04 OCT 1736 Soppe, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 02 FEB 1795 Soppe, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Marriage: 10 Nov 1761 Soppe, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Régina Agnés TSCHIRHART
Birth 6 FEB 1742 Mortzwiller, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 20 JAN 1782 Soppe, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Jean Pierre Peter TSCHIRHART - a School Teacher
Birth 17 SEP 1780 Soppe Le Haut, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 19 JAN 1817 Soppe Le Haut, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
1st Marriage 1804 to Madelaine HENNER
2nd Marriage 07 FEB 1812 Soppe Le Haut, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Elizabeth LUGENHUHLER 2nd Wife of Jean Pierre
(Mother of Nicolas TSCHIRHART)
Birth 23 NOV 1780 Soppe, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 25 JUL 1846 Soppe, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Her parents are Jean Michel LUGENBUHLER & Elisabeth TSCHIRHART
Parents of Nicolas TSCHIRHART - Pierre & Elizabeth
Nicolas was the only son of Perrie TSCHIRHART and Elizabeth LUGENBUHLER
Married 7 Feb 1812 Soppe-le-Haut, Haut Rhin, Alsace, France
Father: Jean Pierre TSCHIRHART a School Teacher
Born 17 Sep 1780 Soppe-le-Haut; Died 19 Jan 1817 Soppe-le-Haut, Haut Rhin
Mother: Marie Elizabeth LUGENBUHLER
Born 23 Nov 1780 Soppe Le Haut, Haut Rhin, Died 25 Jul 1846
Parents of Catherine MEYER Tschirhart
The Meyer family does not appear in the US census of 1850 for Castroville, but a parish census done by Father Leopold Moczygemba, includes the entire Meyer family. Nicholas and Catherine appear on both of the censuses. The Meyer family does appear in the 1860 US census, and in 1870, Joseph Meyer is listed living alone.
Nicolas | Nicholas | Nicolaus TSCHIRHART aka Tschirhard
Born 4 May 1814 Soppe-le-Haut, Departement du Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Married: 7 Feb 1846, Medina County, Texas
Died 12 NOV 1866 (age 51–52) Castroville, Medina County, Texas
Burial: Saint Louis Cemetery, , Castroville, Medina County, Texas,
Nicolas died in the fall of 1866 during the cholera epidemic and there was no church record for him. We suspect that because the cholera was so feared, that many were buried immediately without a service, which might account for no record in our church burial record .
Catherine aka Katerina MEYER | MEIER
Born 2 Feb 1827, Wittelsheim, Departement du Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Married: 7 Feb 1846, Medina County, Texas
Died 10 Oct 1890 (age 63), Castroville, Medina County, Texas, USA
Burial: Saint Louis Cemetery, Castroville, Medina County, Texas, USA
Catherine MEYER Tschirhart is the daughter of Joseph Stephen MEYER, b. 1801 and his wife Kathrin / Catherine SCHOTT, b. 1804, of Wittlesheim, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France.
Joseph Stephen Meyer 1801–1883
Birth 4 Jul 1801, Wittelsheim, Département du Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 29 Mar 1883 (aged 81), Castroville, Medina County, Texas, USA
Burial Saint Louis Cemetery, Castroville, Medina County, Texas,
Married 9 Nov 1824 Wittlesheim, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France.
Catherine / Kathrin / Katherine SCHOTT Meyer 1804–1879
Birth 12 Feb 1804, Wittelsheim, Département du Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 1879 (aged 74–75) Medina County, Texas, USA
Burial Saint Louis Cemetery, Castroville, Medina County, Texas, USA
Catherine SCHOTT Meyer is the daughter of Antoine and Rosine SCHOTT
ANTOINE SCHOTT is our TSCHIRHART ANCESTOR was first ancestor to live on American soil
Birth 27 Sep 1773, Wittelsheim, Département du Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 25 Feb 1854 (aged 80), Castroville, Medina County, Texas, USA
Burial, Saint Louis Cemetery, Castroville, Medina County, Texas, USA
Married: 18 Jan 1802, France
Rosine EGLER Schott 1776–1817 - NEVER LEFT FRANCE
Birth 30 Aug 1776, Wittelsheim, Département du Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Death 12 Dec 1817 (aged 41), Wittelsheim, Département du Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France
Burial Details Unknown
Visit CASTROVILLE page on this website for the next generations
.... to be continued
