Franklin and Marshall
College has been designated the public repository for the research collection
of the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association
(JSHA) an organization dedicated to the history of "Hessian" soldiers
from the German principalities of Hesse-Cassel, Hesse-Hanau, Waldeck,
Brunswick, Anhalt-Zerbst, and Ansbach-Bayreuth who served as auxiliaries
to the British crown during the American Revolution (1775-1783) and who
became citizens of the new United States after the war. Available to interested
researchers are family history materials, journals, monographs, and manuscripts
documenting German-American families, history and culture. A complete
inventory of the collection can be viewed here.
The collection does not have information concerning "Hessian" or
German immigrants who came to North America outside of this context, either
earlier in the 18th century or afterward, nor do we have original German
military or church records.
(Please note that Franklin
and Marshall College does not administer the JSHA
certificate program, publish the JSHA's journal The Hessians:
Journal of the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association, publish
the website jsha.org or otherwise have responsibility for fulfilling
the mission of the JSHA. All inquiries not related to the research collection
as listed should be directed toward the
JSHA)
Accessing the collection
Due to the heavy volume of requests
and limitations on staff time, we can no longer answer genealogical
inquiries or offer photocopying
services of files or materials from this collection.
All persons are welcome to schedule appointments to visit
the Archives and Special Collections to conduct in-person research
using the collection. However, since the collection is secondary in
nature and there is limited information available on specific soldiers,
it is not recommended that persons make a special trip
from long distances just to use the collection, as they are likely to
be disappointed. In general, the collection is more helpful to those
beginning their Hessian soldier search and those seeking information
on the soldier's life in North America than for those who already have
a great deal of information or are looking for information on their
ancestor's prior life in Germany. Persons unable to visit the collection
in-person may choose to enlist the services of a local professional
genealogist in researching your ancestor using this collection. A list
of researchers is provided through the Association
of Professional Genealogists. (We cannot/will not offer recommendations
or endorsements of any particular researcher.)
Please note that in many cases the material that we do have on file
does not contain much more than what is listed on the JSHA's online
registry
or in published profiles and articles in the JSHA's Journal.
This is especially the case concerning a Hessian's German origins and
antecedents in which we have very little information. When looking for
a name (including those not listed in our inventory or in the
JSHA registry/journal) standard sources that you should consult via
your local library or interlibrary loan include:
Auerbach, Inge and Otto Froehlich. HETRINA (Hessische Truppen
im Amerikanischen Unabhangigkeitskrieg = Hessian Troops in the American
Revolution) 6 vols. Marburg : Archivschule Marburg, 1972-1987,
a listing compiled from original German records of all who served
from the principalities of Hesse-Cassel, Hesse-Hanau, and Waldeck.
DeMarce, Virginia Easley. Mercenary troops from Anhalt-Zerbst,
Germany, who served with the British forces during the American Revolution
McNeal, Ariz. : Westland Publications, 1984.
DeMarce, Virginia Easley. The settlement of former German auxiliary
troops in Canada after the American Revolution : a monograph
Sparta, Wis. : J. Reisinger, c1984.
Merz, Johannes Helmut. Guide to help you find your Hessian soldier
of the American revolution [Hamilton, Ont. : J.H. Merz, 2001]
Merz, Johannes Helmut. The Hessians of Upper Canada Hamilton,
Ont. : German Canadian Historical Book Pub., c1997.
Merz, Johannes Helmut. Register of German military men who remained
in Canada after the American Revolution Hamilton, ON, Canada
: German Canadian Historical Book Pub., 1995, c1993.
Reuter, Claus. Brunswick troops in North America, 1776-1783 :
index of all soldiers who remained in North America Bowie, Md.
: Heritage Books, 1999.
Smith, Clifford Neal. Brunswick deserter-immigrants of the American
Revolution Thomson, Ill. : Distributed by Heritage House, 1973.
Smith, Clifford Neal. Mercenaries from Ansbach and Bayreuth,
Germany, who remained in America after the Revolution Thomson,
Ill. : Distributed by Heritage House, 1974.
Smith, Clifford Neal. Mercenaries from Hessen-Hanau who remained
in Canada and the United States after the American Revolution
DeKalb, Ill. : Westland Publications, c1976.
Smith, Clifford Neal. Muster rolls and prisoner-of-war lists
in American archival collections pertaining to the German mercenary
troops who served with the British forces during the American Revolution
DeKalb,, Ill. : Westland Publications, 1974-1976.
Staedtler, Erhard. Die Ansbach-Bayreuther Truppen im Amerikanischen
Unabhängigkeitskrieg 1777-1783 Nürnberg : Kommissionsverlag
Die Egge, 1956, listing those who served from the principality of
Ansbach-Bayreuth and those who deserted.
Please understand that we cannot conduct research concerning specific
soldiers, nor can we conduct searches
for the name of an ancestor "thought to have been a Hessian".
To enlist the services of a professional genealogist in your area and/or
locally in researching your ancestor, a list of researchers is provided
through the Association of Professional
Genealogists (We
cannot/will not offer recommendations or endorsements of any particular
researcher.)
For additional genealogical tips, please visit the Johannes Schwalm
Historical Association's primer for genealogical research at:
You may also try the following sources for information on your ancestor:
The county or local historical society and/or library in the area where
your ancestor settled may have local histories, genealogies, cemetery
registers, obituaries, newspapers, etc. that document your ancestor.
County or municipal government offices such as the Recorder of Deeds,
Register of Wills, etc. and local and regional church archives are another
major source of documentation. For Hessians who settled in Pennsylvania
who were likely members of the Reformed or Lutheran Churches the Evangelical
and Reformed Historical Society and Lutheran
Archives Center at Philadelphia may be helpful.
Information on Hessian ancestors before they settled in North America
may be available in German archives. Information concerning persons
from the prinicipality of Hesse-Cassel (the area supplying the majority
of troops known as "Hessians") may be found at the Hessisches
Staatsarchiv in Marburg, Germany. Information about Duchy of Braunschweig
(Brunswick) soldiers may be found through the Niedersachsisches
Landesarchiv in Hannover, Germany. Information on Ansbach-Bayreuth
troops may be found through Die staatlichen
Archive in Bayern.
The Archives and Special Collections of Franklin and Marshall College
also maintains several other collections relating to German-American
culture and history which can be viewed at this
link.
