Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

MacArasach · 31st December 2013, 08:31 PM

Well, have lurked for years and this forum, never got to signing up. Then, on a search I found this post.

My Swiss ancestors were from Kanton Zurich. Neff, Nave, Knave, Naff...list goes on and on. All related by DNA. There are about 13 different branches of them! So, good luck! And does not mean your guy is one of my guys. Lutherans, so church records are pretty good till about 1500 or so.

Here in America they were blacksmiths. Landed in America early, prior to 1740. Also very heavily connected to...Scottish side of my family [MacKay - Lord Reay and Middleton. Yes, yes. "Those" Middleton.] Both by marriage and business contacts. Dutch East India Co. My Scottish side were merchants that were known to import from Scotland and Germany to what would become America. Based out of Port Royal, Boston, Rhode Island, Norfolk, VA and Charleston, SC. Also had folks at Darien, GA. The big Scottish settlement.

Hard to tell who he is. I do not have him in our records. But German and Swiss blacksmiths along with cannoniers [sp?] were exempt from many "state" regulations due to their strategic trade. Anyway...

We also had gunsmiths from Scotland into Charleston, SC in the family prior to 1720. So, just plain hard to tell. Shame you could not get some more history from the previous owner to narrow the search? Is it possible a Germanic bladesmith was connected to a Scottish firm? Yupper, sure enough!

31st December 2013, 08:31 PM	#11
MacArasach Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 1	Peter K.....??? Well, have lurked for years and this forum, never got to signing up. Then, on a search I found this post. My Swiss ancestors were from Kanton Zurich. Neff, Nave, Knave, Naff...list goes on and on. All related by DNA. There are about 13 different branches of them! So, good luck! And does not mean your guy is one of my guys. Lutherans, so church records are pretty good till about 1500 or so. Here in America they were blacksmiths. Landed in America early, prior to 1740. Also very heavily connected to...Scottish side of my family [MacKay - Lord Reay and Middleton. Yes, yes. "Those" Middleton.] Both by marriage and business contacts. Dutch East India Co. My Scottish side were merchants that were known to import from Scotland and Germany to what would become America. Based out of Port Royal, Boston, Rhode Island, Norfolk, VA and Charleston, SC. Also had folks at Darien, GA. The big Scottish settlement. Hard to tell who he is. I do not have him in our records. But German and Swiss blacksmiths along with cannoniers [sp?] were exempt from many "state" regulations due to their strategic trade. Anyway... We also had gunsmiths from Scotland into Charleston, SC in the family prior to 1720. So, just plain hard to tell. Shame you could not get some more history from the previous owner to narrow the search? Is it possible a Germanic bladesmith was connected to a Scottish firm? Yupper, sure enough!