Gies

The Walter First Settler’s List reports two Gies families: Family #51, Balthasar Gies with his wife Katharina and infant son; and Family #53, Johann Gies with his wife Katharina, an infant daughter, sister Elisabeth, and nephew Heinrich. 

The Kulberg book reports three Gies families arriving in Russia on 13 Sep 1766: Balthasar Gies, with his wife Anna Katharina; Johann Gies, single, with four sisters: Catharina Elisabeth, Anna Catharina, Anna Maria, and Anna Catharina; and Anna Eva Gies with her son Johann Heinrich. 

The Büdingen marriages report that on 10 Jun 1766 Balthasar Gies from Burghaun married Catharine Rauber from Crainfeld. The Büdingen marriages also report that on 10 Apr 1766 Johannes Gies from Gelnhausen married Maria Catharina Schleich from Büdingen. 

The Burghaun parish records report the following: Reinhard Gies (son of Hermann Gies) married Anna Maria Pfeiffer (daughter of Jost Pfeiffer) on 8 May 1727. Baptisms for children of Reinhard Gies are reported on the following dates: Anna Maria, 29 Aug 1730; Maria Catharina, 28 Mar 1733; twins Catharina Elisabetha and Eva, 14 Feb 1735; Maria Catharina, 12 Dec 1737; Johann Balthasar, 4 Aug 1740; and Johannes, 16 Jan 1743. 

On 20 Apr 1762, a baptism is recorded for Johann Heinrich, the illegitimate son of Anna Eva Gies. 

It seems clear that Balthasar and Johannes are the same men who appear on the Walter First Settler’s List. And it seems clear that the marriage in Büdingen for Balthasar is the same man as the one that settled in Walter. The marriage recorded in Büdingen for Johannes Gies is probably not the man who settled in Walter - later Gelnhausen records indicate this couple returned there.  Unclear is exactly how the sisters listed for Johannes in the Kulberg book match up with his sisters according to the Burghaun parish records.