Johann Heinrich Kraus was born 27 Jun 1734 in Spielberg, the son of Stoffel Kraus. Johann Heinrich and Maria Barbara Bartholomeus were married on 6 Mar 1755. Maria Barbara was born on 12 Oct 1732, the daughter of Johannes Bartholomeus. Their son Georg Friedrich was born on 24 Aug 1755.
The family arrived in Russia on 4 Jul 1766 and settled in Messer the following year. They are reported on the Messer First Settler's List in Family #76.
- Parish records of Spielberg on Archion.de
- Decker, Klaus-Peter. Die Auswanderung von 1766/67 aus der Grafschaft Ysenburg-Büdingen nach Russland: p. 143
- Pleve, Igor. Lists of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg (Saratov: Saratov State Technical University, 2010): p. 130
- Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet, 1764-1767 Band 3 (Göttingen: Nordost-Institute, 2005): p. 149