Re: Zembower Vs Sembower
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In reply to:
Re: Zembower Vs Sembower
1/29/02
Hi Dennis
I read your note tracing the name "Sembower".
What you wrote is likely. It is correct that farmers when they could not afford to buy much land, they tock a fragment of 1/10 or 1/8 of the land, which might be one reason to call such a farmer "Zehntbauer".
On the other hand this explanation is not that likely, because in this case it must be supposed that the respective farmer was free to buy land. But in Bavaria the farmers were released from peonage in 1808 and the name "Zehentbauer" only appears in Bavaria in significant numbers http://www.verwandt.de/karten/absolut/zehentbauer.htmlhttp://www.verwandt.de/karten/absolut/zehentbauer.html
So what is more likely is that the name "Zehntbauer" might be derived from 1/10 "Zehnt"as a synonym for the midlevel taxes which always was 1/10 of what was produced by a farmer.
So the "Tehntbauer" might have been a farmer who was very accurate in delivering his taxes.
On the other hand I admit that the motivation to quit the family should also be taken into consideration.
As can be taken from the map (above) the name is concentrated northeast from Munich, Bavaria (still today). In those days between 1700 and 1800 this was a rich country with an excellent soil. In those times there were also no significant wars or other destructions, which means that from this side there was no reason to emigrate. This fact in my view is also underlined by the map showing a clear concentration of the name still today.
However, one thing is sure, that in that region / county they all are Roman Catholics and this Catholicism is so deeply rooted there that they would never give it up at all. If Adam Sembower and the Sembower / Zenbower family are also Roman Catholic this might underline your suggestion that "Sembower" can be derived from "Zehntbauer".
If the Sembower / Zembower family and their ancestors are Protestants this might be a strong contra indicator to your suggestion.
Pennsylvania in those days was the country which was known for the fact that the protestant religion can be practiced free.
Why should a Roman Catholic move into a protestant state which from his point of view is as unacceptable as converting to Islam today?
Further on: As can be taken from the listings of the fashionable first names in those times in that area, you see that in that area of Bavaria does not even appear in the listing: http://www.beliebte-vornamen.de/8436-zawiw-ulm.htmhttp://www.beliebte-vornamen.de/8436-zawiw-ulm.htm
And there is a further aspect I would like to draw the attention to: You write: "In fact one tax record in Bedford County, PA lists them as Saigntbower a pretty good transliteration by a clerk listening to the German pronunciation."
What is misleading in that suggestion is to suppose that there was a "German pronunciation" in those days. In fact there was no "German" at all, but a huge plurality of very strong local dialects. Nobody spoke German in those days, but everybody spoke his local dialect. "Zehntbauer" in Bavarian dialect is pronounced similar to "Tsendbaua" or "Zendbaua" (starting hard and becoming softer in the middle of the word). I do also agree with the suggestion that an English speaking clerk might hear an "i" in it like "Tseindbaua" or "Zeindbaua".
In Franconia dialect it is pronounced much softer like "Dsendbaua".
On the other hand I do have records of the protestant part of the Schwendtbauer family forced to move away from upper Austria in order not being forced to become Catholic again. In 1848 they went to the most southern part of Prussia, which was the Ansbach County and some of the settlers of that trek moved on to Pennsylvania as can be taken from http://www.delmars.com/family/moser-m.htmhttp://www.delmars.com/family/moser-m.htm. Among them Margaret he Schwendtbauer / Schwembauer. In the case that she already adapted the Franconia dialect of Ansbach, she would have said "Schwendbaua" or "Suendbaua" or "Schwenbaua" or Suenbaua" or the like to introduce herself.
In the case that she still practiced her Austrian dialect (which is more likely, since the settlers mainly had contact to each other), she would have said "Schweintbaua" / "Schwentbaua" or "Gswentbaua" or the like to introduce herself.
In my view the dialect terms "Schwentbaua" or "Gswentbaua“ and "Saigntbower" are pretty close.
As a last argument I would like to add that it is known that protestant emigrants from the Ansbach County, previously coming from Upper Austria settled in the Perkiomen Valley at New Goshenhoppen, in Philadelphia County (now Montgomery County, near the Berks County line) in 1728. Montgomery County is approximately 70 miles east from Bedford County the name of Adam Sembower was noted.
However, I do not know if these arguments will help you to dig a little deeper and to reconsider some of the arguments already presented.
I would be interested in the information if Adam Sembower was Protestant or not. If he was Protestant this fact would be a strong argument that he cannot have his roots in the Zehntbauer family, whereby I suppose that the Zehentbauer family always was and still is Catholic.
So if anybody has further arguments to share, I would appreciate that.
Thank you
Thomas