Timeline of Palatine Immigration

Submitted by OHDSmith

1695

Aug. 12th:
Gerhart Walrath & Anna Maria Reffi are married.
Great, Great, Great, Great Grandparents of John Delos Smith

1700

Mar. 15th:
Johann Adolph Walrath is born to Anna and Gerhart Walrath at Niederhausen.
90 km south - west of Frankfurt
Great, Great, Great Grandfather of John Delos Smith

1710

The benevolent Queen Anne formed the design for the protection of her transatlantic frontier, by establishing new settlements, for displaced Lutheran and Protestant families of the German Palatine who were allies in King William's War 1684-97 ( England, Holland & Germany ) "the Grand Alliance" and Queen Anne's War "the Spanish Succession" 1700-13 against Louis XIV King of France ( Roman Catholic Church ). Schenectady in 1690 was destroyed by a force of French and Iroquois Indians from Canada. She sent 10 ships to New York and promised to settle them in the Schoharie Valley on land offered by the Mohawk Indians.

June 14th:
2,600 Palatines, driven from their homes by the ravages of two wars and religious persecution ( the Palatinate is along the Rhine river ), arrived at Nutten Island ( Governors Island ). Huts were constructed and after a period of quarantine, they moved up the Hudson River valley 100 miles to seven camps.
List - Master Conrad Weiser's camp was at Queensbury.



July 4th:
Gerhardt Walrath made his appearance on Governor Robert Hunter's list of "Palatine Heads of Families" as 2 persons over 10 and 2 persons under 10.

1712

John Conrad Weiser and other Palatine soldiers and families move to strengthen ye garrison at Albany, for the protection of the citizens against the French & Huron Indians.
About the same time 50 Palatine families were working to clear the way thru' the woods, a 15 mile trail to the promised land, Schoharie.
Along Rt. 146 about 1 mile south of Rt. 20, a NY Historical Marker locates the original 1712 Palatine road to Schoharie.
The numbers of Germans who came hither to were more, than the land already granted them by the Indians. Gentlemen of Albany having purchased land around them, to hem them in.

1718

The Palatines in conclusion that neither kindness nor justice was to be expected from the Gentlemen of Albany, and that appeal must be made to a higher power. To this end they appointed three of their best men to go to London and lay their grievances before King George. The departure of deputies John Conrad Weiser, William Scheff and Gerhart Walrath had to be by stealth. They sailed from Philadelphia, but their ship was overtaken by pirates. The pirates stripped the ship of everything valuable, leaving only clothing sufficient for their nakedness. When released, the ship sailed to Boston for new supplies and upon reaching London the Palatine deputies were forced to live on kindness and credit. 
These did not stead them very long, the hoped-for supply of funds from America was delayed, and the poor unfortunates were imprisoned for debt. There they suffered great misery, in the midst of which, and by force of which, Walrath died. Hunter himself had returned to London to recoup his fortune. He falsely claimed that the Palatines had taken possession of lands in Schoharie already granted to others. He pointed out that the proprietors had only a modest rent. His suggestion that they be offered other lands on the frontier was adopted. Weiser came back to New York in 1723.

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