Rau Family Page
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Welcome to The Rau Family Page, which furnishes historical detail beyond the site index, exploring four generations of Raus in the line of Johannes Rau Sr. of Germany, as well as the line of Hans Steinkopf of Oppenheim, Germany.
10. Catherine Elizabeth Rau (Feller)--Catherine (Catharina) Rau (Row or Rauh), the mother of Johann Nicolas Feller, was born Jan.2, 1697 (per baptismal records of the Oppenheim Lutheran Church). After her family immigrated to New York in 1709 she married fellow immigrant Johann Phillip Feller in 1716. Catharina's parents were Niclaus Rau and Gertraud Steinkoff. In The Pallatine Families of New York (p. 747) Henry Z. Jones states: "Niclaus Rauch (Rau) was a resident of Oppenheim in the Pfaltz, according to the marriage record of his daughter, Catharina Elisabetha (Rauh) to Johann Phillip Feller (son of Niclaus of Guntersblum in the Earldom of Leinnig-Hartenburg). This marriage is recorded in the West Camp [German settlement, west side of Hudson River] Lutheran Churchbook." Catherina and her husband were both born in Germany prior to their parent’s immigration to America--in 1709 for the Rau family and 1710 for the Feller family. Catherina survived her husband. Philip Feller's widow was on the Rhinebeck tax list of 1765-66 (Dut. Tax Lists). She was probably the Catherine Feller who acted as a sponsor with her son Philip, Nov. 16, 1771 and may have died not long after this.
11. Niclaus Rau --The father of Catharina Rau Feller and son of Johannes Rau (Jr.), Niclaus (Nicolas) was born in Oppenheim, Germany, ca.1675 (Wikitree gives the birthplace as Neubulach, Calw, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany). In 1696 in Sankt Sebastian, Oppenheim, Hessen, Germany, he married Gertraud Steinkoff, who was born March 8, 1674 in Oppenheim, Mainz-Bingen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany and died in 1742 in Dutchess, New York. (See below for more Steinkoff ancestry.) Henry Z. Jones' book, The Pallatine Families of New York, quotes the German marriage record which includes the name of Niclaus' father: "Marriage of Niclaus Rau and Gertraud Steinkopf, 3 Jan 1696, in the Oppenheim Lutheran Church, Oppenheim in the Pfaltz; Johann Rau of Hohen-Selsen in Grafschaft Falkenstein. Johann is listed as father of Niclaus." Niclaus and Gertraud immigrated to NY in 1709 with 3 children over 10 years of age. Niclaus was naturalizaed as an American citizen in 1715. Also "Nicolas Rouw was on a list of foot company of Mallitia for the town of Shawangunk under command of Cap'n Nicolas Hoffman in Collo. Jacob Rutsen's Ulster Co. regt in 1715." (Report of the State Historian, Vol. I, p. 564). Niclaus was a sponsor "also, with wife Maria Gertrude at baptism of their granddaughter, Maria Gertrude Bernhardt, Oct. 25, 1741, at West Camp" (Loonenburg Lutheran Churchbook.) Niclaus died sometime after 1742; his mother’s name is uncertain.
12. Johannes Jurgen Rau --The father of Niclaus Rau, Johannes Rau was born in Germany ca. 1645-50 and died ca. 1691. His wife and mother’s names are uncertain, however Ancestry.com (unconfirmed) lists his wife as Catharina Horn (1645-Feb. 23, 1718 of Solingen, Solingen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany).
13. Johannes Hans Rau --Johannes Hans Rau, the father of Johannes Jurgen Rau, is the earliest known Germany ancestor in this line. An unsourced Geneanet tree says he was born in 1601 in Weiher, Amberg-Sulzbach, Bayern, Germany, married a wife named Catherine in 1621, and died Nov.20, 1701 at about age 100 in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. They are said to be the parents of the following children: Anna Katharina Rauh; Anna Margarethe Rau; Casper Rau; Eberhard Rau; Hans Nikel Rau; and Johann Hans (or Jurgen) Rau Jr. No further details are known about him or his wife and parents.
STEINKOPF
12. Gertraud Steinkopff (Rau) --The mother of Catharina Elisabeth Rau, Gertraud Steinkopf (Steenhoff) was born ca. 1677 in Germany, married Niclaus Rau in 1696, and died after 1742 (probably in NY). Her parents were Johann Wilhelm Steinkopf and Anna Maria Quint, daughter of Jost Quint. Below I quote her biography from the Rowe Family website (https://rowefromrau.tripod.com/id6.html:)
"Gertraud Steinkopf married Niclaus Rau in Oppenheim in 1696 and migrated to England and then on to New York in 1709. Her paternal family included butchers, city councilmen, and a church elder. Her maternal relatives managed two different inns and were also on the city council. A great-uncle was mayor of Oppenheim. Her family on both sides were well-established citizens, tradesmen and leaders in the city. Gertraud Steinkopf was baptized at St. Katharinen on 8 March 1674. She and Niclaus Rau were married at St. Sebastian's Lutheran Church on Tuesday, 3 January 1696. The marriage record terms him a son of the late Johannes Rau of Hohen-Silsen in the Earldom of Falckenstein.
The births of their first three children are recorded at St. Sebastian. He is first called a day worker and an inhabitant (not citizen) of Oppenheim. On the second child's birth record he is called a citizen. But on the third child's birth record he is again an inhabitant. They probably left the city after 1702, as the next two children do not appear in the records of either Protestant church there. Where they were, or what they were doing before the appear in the The Palatine Families history is not clear at this time.
Children (surname Rau):
Catharina Elisabetha born 2 January 1697, baptized on the 6th
Johannes born Saturday, 25 April 1699, between 7 and 8 am, baptized on 14 May.
Agnes born 14 August 1702, Monday morning, baptismal sponsor was her aunt Agnesa Steinkopf (baptismal date illegible).
Elisabetha born, say, 1704
Maria Gertraud born, say, 1706. A later birth date has sometimes been assumed for her because she married in 1738. But she fits here and her parents migrated with four or five children (accounts differ) so it seems more probable that she married late.
Maria Catharina born ca. 1713 in New York
Anna Margareta born in New York"
13. Johann Wilhelm Steinkopf --The father of Gertaud Steinkopf Rau, Wilhelm was born Nov.24, 1638 in Oppenheim, Mainz-Bingen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. A butcher by trade, he married Anna Maria Quint in 1661. In the church records he is initially called Johann Wilhelm, but later he used only the middle name Wilhelm. The records say,"Johann Wilhelm Steinkopf is termed a worthy apprentice butcher and a citizen of Oppenheim. She is termed a virtuous maiden." The Oppenheim Reformed Churchbook akso records that Joh. Wilhelm Steinkopf died Jan. 31, 1700, aged 61. Johann's mother, Anna Marie, was born in 1640 in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany and died there in 1735. Johann Wilhelm Steinkopf’s father was Johann Wilhelm Steinkopf I, born 1612 in Oppenheim, Mainz-Bingen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany and died there in 1684. Per Ancestry.com (unconfirmed) Anna Marie Quint’s parents were Jost Quintin Jr. (Sept. 9, 1610-June 28, 1657) of Oppenheim, Hessen, Germany and Anna Maria Fauth (May 17, 1612-May 22, 1644) of Oppenheim, Mainz-Bingen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Johann's German parents were Hans and Madgalena Steinkopf. Here is a list of the children of Wilhelm and Gertraud Rau (from the Rowe Family website):
Elias baptized 29 October 1662
Johannes Matthias baptized 1 November 1665
Maria Martha baptized 14 August 1667, the sponsor was her aunt, Martha Steinkopf.
Ægidius baptized 24 November 1669, sponsor was Ægidius Quintin, married Anna Dorothea —, died 1714 - 1717, leaving at least two sons. Konfession und Alltag shows his signature on page 138.
Anna Maria baptized 28 January 1672
Gertraud baptized 8 March 1674, sponsor was Gertraud Quintin, married Nicolas Rau and migrated to New York.
Agnes baptized 2 February 1679, sponsor was Agnes, Walther Steinkopf's wife, she in turn sponsored Agnesa Rau in 1702.
14. Johann Hans Steinkopf --The father of Johann Wilhelm, Hans Steinkopf was born in Oppenheim, Germany ca. 1620 and married his wife, (Maria) Madgalena (maiden name unknown), in his hometown in 1638. Hans’ parents are uncertain. Below is the bio and children list from the Rowe Family website (based on Henry Z. Jones' book), followed by a bio of Jost Quint, the father of Johann Wilhelm Steinkopf's wife, Anna Maria Quint:
Johann Steinkopf was a butcher, citizen of Oppenheim, and an elder of the St. Katharinen Reformed Church. Neither his birth nor death dates have been found. He took communion on Easter 1635. He died after 1659 but before the 1670 marriage of his son Johann Jacob. Maria Magdalena — was born about 1622. She married firstly Hans Trager, butcher at Worms. She was buried at St. Katharinen 29 May 1682, aged 60. If this age is correct, she married, was widowed, and remarried by the age of 16!
This couple had their banns published on 14 January 1638 at St. Katharinen. In this record the German word for maiden is crossed out and her status as a widow is noted.
Children (surname Steinkopf):
Johann Wilhelm born 24 November 1638, married Anna Maria Quintin and their descent is continued.
Johann Jacob baptized 9 December 1641
Anna Maria baptized 17 March 1644
Johann Jacob baptized 2 December 1646, married firstly Barbara —, a widow, on 9 June 1670, secondly another widow on 7 June 1695, died 3 April 1723, butcher and former city councilman of Oppenheim.
Johann Michael baptized 2 July 1648
Martha baptized 16 February 1651, sponsor was Martha, Jost Quintin's wife, he the host at The Swan.
Walther baptized 11 April 1653, married Agnes Seemann 25 April 1676. At the 1680 baptism of a son he was a butcher and innkeeper at The Rose. At the 1683 baptism of a daughter he is only a butcher. Walther died 30 December 1696, his age being incorrectly recorded as 34 instead of 43.
Stephan baptized 27 December 1659
Jost Quintin was baptized 9 September 1610 at St. Katharinen. He was the second host at The Swan. Jost and Christoff Quintin took communion on 7 October 1632 at St. Katharinen. Christoff's relationship is not known. Jost was buried on 28 June 1657 at St. Katharinen, leaving a pregnant second wife. He married firstly Anna Maria Fauth on 3 June 1633. She was the daughter of Balthasar Fauth, former host of The Rose. She was baptized on 17 May 1612 at St. Katharinen. She died, between 7 and 8 o'clock in the morning, on 22 May 1644. He married secondly, on 17 September 1644 Martha, a daughter of the late Johann Webe– (illegible). Children by first wife (surname Quintin):
Jost baptized 10 September 1634, sponsor was his uncle Jost Fauth
Ægidius baptized 2 September 1638, see below
Anna Maria baptized 27 June 1641, married Johann Wilhelm Steinkopf 25 August 1661 and their descent is continued.
Children by second wife (surname Quintin):
Johannes baptized 26 December 1645
Gertraut baptized 11 April 1647.
She sponsored the baptism of her niece Gertraud Steinkopf on 8 March 1674.
Anna Christina baptized 12 November 1648, married shortly after 16 April 1678 (when their first banns were published) Johannes Gunther.
Johann Peter baptized 18 August 1650
Anna Margaretha baptized 8 May 1653
Johannes Jost baptized 30 December 1655, the sponsor was Johann Steinkopf, the butcher, buried 27 January 1659.
Johannes Reichhard baptized 7 February 1658, after his father's death. His occupation on his death record is beer brewer, so apparently the family gave up The Swan and concentrated on brewing. He died 22 September 1712. A son, Johann Carl Quintin, was a baptismal sponsor in 1706.