Shep's Place Family Tree

It is probable that Daniel and Mary came to New Castle, Delaware, on the ship "April". Family legend is that they arrived from Holland on 25 December 1817. The ship "April" arrived here from Holland on 25 December 1817.
Daniel and Mary were most fortunate to have survived.

Captain D.C. de Groot was to sail the "April" to North America with 1200 German emigrants onboard. They first stopped at a naval harbor in northern Holland. The captain discovered that there was not enough food or water for the voyage, so he returned to Amsterdam to get supplies. While he was away, the ship was infected with typhus, and the situation became terrible.

When he returned, the captain wanted the passengers to disembark so that the ship could be disinfected. Navy officials said, "no," because they thought that the typhus was infectious. From miles away people could smell the stinking air from the ship. The captain decided to go against orders for the sake of his passengers; however the Navy said if he didn't sail away, they would open fire with their cannons.

De Groot sailed to Wieringen island where only the ill passengers disembarked. They had nothing to lie on but straw. Captain Lnt. Wardenburg, commander of H.M.'s warship Zeeland reported that children were hiding their dead parents under the straw because they wanted to stay with them. Meantime the relatively healthy passengers were still on board while the ship was disinfected with sulfur. Still there was no enough food or water. Several passengers had commited suicide.

King Willem I ordered the Navy to supply enough food, water, wood, etc. for the passengers. At last the poor people got their food, but many people died--sometimes 30 people a day. Many of the crew also died of typhus.
On 15 September a new crew came onboard. Just 700 of the original 1200 were alive, among them about 42 orphans. The April set sail for America on Oct. 10. The seas were rough so that most passengers got seasick. On November 5, there was a heavy storm and one of the main masts came down. They thought that Capt. de Groot would die of the fevers, but he recovered.

25 December--Christmas day--1817 the pilot for the river Delaware came onboard. Soon after their arrival the indentures were "sold." Indentures were German passengers who didn't have enough money to pay for their passage. They were indentured to work for an American who would pay for their passage. This was a terrible time, the captain said, for many families were separated. About 100 people were not hired and were placed in a special house to be sold later.

After being repaired in Wilmington, Delaware, the April returned to Holland in 1819.

In May 1820 Daniel purchased lot 61 in the town of Sistersville, Virginia ‎(now West Virginia)‎ for $300. This deed shows that he sold the lot on 22 January 1828 to Calvin Cutter for $120. The interesting part of this deed is that Daniel signed it in German, viz. Daniel Rothengatter.

At the same time, we found an old deed concerning land in Tyler County in which it stated that he had signed his name in German. After much searching we did find a deed with his German signature - Rothengatter.

Several years ago my husband had a lady in Germany do research for his Weber family. When we looked on the German map we found that Gernsbach was quite close to his ancestors home as well as to the lady who did the research. She and her husband went to Gernsbach on two occasions and found church records for me. I am sending you the information. Until we saw that his signature in German had the same spelling as the records we were not sure that it was the same person--there is a difference in the date of birth. That could be because of his emigration, marriage or forgetfulness!

If he and Mary did marry after entering this country and the first child, John Frederick, was born in October 1818 it seems that we are on the right track. You will notice that his older brother was Johann Frederick.

I wrote to the Historical Society of Delaware and they could not find either of the names in their records and there are no ship passenger lists for 1817, but they gave me the name of a lady at the Library of Congress who was doing a history of a ship, Aprill. There was an advertisement in the local paper, January 1818, concerning the Aprill being in port with 300 German passengers. I wrote the lady and she called me and said she was not the person but that there is a man in the Netherlands who is writing and was quite excited about what we know about this. The ad called the passengers "Redeptioners". That was a new term to me and evidently refers to indentured persons.

They could not find marriage records for Daniel or his brothers or sister. She did not think it unusual for him to be so old when he married since his father had married when almost 40. I sometimes wonder if they didn't leave together to emigrate. They say that the ship Aprill stayed in harbor so long waiting for a wind and because of the crowded conditions many people died and were thrown overboard.

"Daniel Ruttencutter an alien, who has lately arrived in the United States, and is desirous of being naturalized a citizen thereof, this day appeared in Court, and on pursuance of the act of congrefs, made a report of himself which report is in the following words to wit. I, Daniel Ruttencutter, make the following report of myself to the county court of Tyler County in the state of Virginia. that is to say I report that I was born in the Town of Gernsbach in the Dominion of the Margrave of Baden in Germany on the 14th day of January 1780 being now in the 48th year of my age, that I am a subject of the Margrave of Baden, owing allegiance to that monarch and none other, that I emigrated from Germany to the United States & arrived at Newcastle in the State of Delaware in December 1817 & that I intend to settle myself in the county of Tyler in the State of Virginia, one of the United States. given under my hand this 14th day of May 1827"
Daniel Ruttencutter

First I do give and bequeath unto my dear wife Mary Ruttencutter all rents and profits of all and every of my Lands Houses and appertenances situated in Tyler County Virginia for and during the term of her natural life for the purpose of educating and raising my children. Also I do give and bequeath unto my said wife all my personal property after all my just debt and funeral expences are paid excepting such as I do afterwards dispose of in manner and form following.

Item. I do give and bequeath unto my son Frederick, the mare that I purchased of Daniel Reynolds with the saddle on which he usually rides.
Item. I do give and bequeath unto my daughter Eliza, a Colt that I purchased of Edmund Riggs with the saddle on which she usually rides. Also a work stand; also one silver table and one silver tea spoon.
Item. I do give and bequeath unto my son William two steers of two years old each for a yoke of oxen. Also one silver table and one silver tea spoon.
Item. I do give and bequeath unto my daughter Rosina one silver table and one silver tea spoon.
Item. I do give and bequeath unto my daughter Louisa one silver table and one silver teaspoon.
Item. I do give and bequeath unto my son Joshua one silver table and one silver tea spoon.
Item. I do give and bequeath unto my son Abraham one large silver ladle.
I do also give and bequeath at the death of my wife Mary all my real estate to be equally divided in equal portions share and share alike unto my children Frederick, Eliza, William, Rosina, Louisa, Joshua, Betsy and Abraham their heirs and assigns forever. I do also appoint and constitute my said wife Mary to be Solo Executive of this my last Will & Testament revoking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore made, ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and testament.

In testimony whereof I Daniel Ruttencutter have to this my will consisting of one sheet of paper set my hand & seal this 29th day of June 1839.
Daniel Ruttencutter ‎(seal)‎

Signed, Sealed, published and declared by Daniel Ruttencutter the above named testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us, who at his request and in his presence have subscribed our names as witnefses thereto
Thomas Browse
James Bailey
Edmund Riggs
Basil Riggs

Tyler County Court August Term 1839. This last will and testament of Daniel Ruttencutter deceased was presented in Court and the acknowledgement of the said Daniel Ruttencutter thereto was proven by the oaths of Thomas Browse and James Bailey subscribing witnefses and the same was ordered to be recorded
...D. Hickman Clerk

Appraisement bill of the personal property of Daniel Ruttencutter, dec'd.
To the Honourable Court Tyler County, on the 6th Sept 1839 we the undersigned, James Bailey, Edmund Riggs, Basil Riggs and Thomas Browse did after being first sworn for that purpose approve the following property showed to us by Mary Ruttencutter, Executive, as the personal property of Daniel Ruttencutter deceased

Lot of joiners tools $85.00
D. Kitchen furniture 7.50
Loom 2.00
Grindstone 1.50
Kettle & bales 2.50
Pot & copper kettle 1.75
Lumber for porch 11.00
2 kettles & bales 5.00
1 Plough 3.50
1 Shovel ‎(Do.)‎ .50
Log Chain 2.50
2 ‎(axes)‎ 2 mattocks 1 spade 5.00
2 ox yokes 2.00
Lot of old iron 5.00
Crop in garden 4.00
15 acres of Corn 100.00
Wheat in stack & heap 45.00
Potatoes 25.00
Lot of Iron 4.00
2 Sets of horse gears & doubletrees 3.25
Lot of potatoes 1.25
Barrow & Chaff cutter 3.00
Grafs cutter 3.50
Scythe & 2 sickles 2.25
Barrels ...in the cellar 10.00
Glafs & Earthenware 3.00
1 Laddle 6 table spoons & 6 tea spoons
willed to the children 30.00
Sub-total $369.00

Next page carried over $369.00
German Clock 5.00
Desk Book case & table 20.00
Work table ‎(willed to Eliza)‎ 2.50
6 chairs 5.50
1 Bed & bedding 15.00
1 Do Do 15.00
1 Do Do 10.00
1 Do Do ‎(trundle)‎ 3.00
1 Large & 1 Small table 4.00
1 Bureau 8.00
Bedding 25.50
Fire Irons .50
1 Bed & bedding 5.00
1 Do Do 5.00
3 Spinning Wheels & Reel 2.50
Leather 1.00
2 Chests 2.00
Timber 2.00
Candlestick brush & Looking glafs 2.00
Lot of Hogs 52.50
Wool 10.00
2 Calves 37.50
1 Horse 50.00
3 Cows
2 Oxen 40.00
2 Do ‎(Willed to William)‎ 28.00
Lot of corde Wood 25.00
Flare 5.00
Oats in Stack 3.50
1 Mare & Saddle ‎(Willed to Frederick)‎ 38.00
1 yearling Colt & Saddle ‎(Willed to Eliza)‎ 30.00
Mary Ruttencutter administrative 825..50
Appraisers:
Bazil Riggs
James Bailey
Edmund Riggs
Thomas Browse
Tyler County Court
February Term 1840
This appraisement bill of the personal estate Daniel Ruttencutter deceased was presented in Court & ordered to ‎[be]‎ recorded
...D. Hickman, Clerk

Daniel Ruttencutter, his grandfather, was a native of Germany. When he came to American as a young man he settled in Tyler County, West Virginia, and after reaching there he married a young woman who had come with him from Germany on the same ship. From Tyler County he moved to Middle Island Creek in Pleasants County. While he owned a farm, he was by trade a cabinet maker and one of the old time artistic masters of that trade. He made a great deal of hand made furniture, some examples of which are still in existence, showing not only sturdiness but artistic lines. This old couple reared a family of eight children, and their descendants comprise the only Ruttencutters in the United States.

Some of the dates in this old Ruttencutter family bible differ from others. One would think that these would be correct.

John Frederick Ruttencutter was borne October 16th 1819
Eliza Ruttencutter was borne February 7th 1821
William Ruttencutter was born December 15th 1823
Louise Ruttencutter was born August 5th 1827
Elizabeth Russell Ruttencutter was born July 4th 1829
Joshua Russell Ruttencutter was born February 15th 1831
Abram Birkhead Ruttencutter was born June the 9 1834
Mary Ruttencutter the mother of the above children was born December 25, 1796.

‎[Beautiful flourishes in the writing; used the fs for a double s.]‎

J. Frederick Ruttencutter, one of the substantial old farmers of Pleasant county, was born in Sistersville, in 1819, his parents being Daniel and Mary ‎(Pacracy)‎ Ruttencutter, both natives of Germany. The father was born in Strassburg ‎[no]‎, where he served an apprenticeship at the carpenter and cabinet trades, and came to America when a young man. When he arrived he was quite poor and worked at his trade for a living for several years.

The mother upon her arrival in America bound herself to service in a family, where she remained for several years. ‎[I believe that she couldn't have worked for someone for several years because she and Daniel were having a family. It has been said that Daniel paid for her indenture.]‎ Mary arrived in America on the 25th of December, was married on December 25, and joined the Methodist Episcopal church on Christmas day.

After their marriage they moved to Sistersville, where they settled and remained about three years. At that time Mr. Ruttencutter bought land near Middlebourne, where he raised a family of eight children.