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The German hometown
of Jacob Keckley, Sr. (1701-1788) is unclear. The historic region of
Wurttemberg is known from primary sources, but the town is referred to
as Stammein, Stanheim or Hammein in various sources. The most likely
town may be Stammheim, but there are two historic towns named Stammheim
in the historic Duchy of Wurttemberg
(1495-1806). One is now a northern suburb of Stuttgart. The other Stammheim is
now a neighborhood in the town of Calw, about 33 km west of Stuttgart.
Both towns of Stammheim were historic towns or villages in times gone by. The Stuttgart suburb can be seen on a historic map of the Duchy of Württemberg,
circa 1750. (The
walled city of Stuttgart is a red spot at about 48.35 Occ., 31 Sep.
Stammheim is marked just above of the word Stuttgart at about 48.40
Occ., 31 Sep.)
The second "Stammheim" is about 40 km (25 miles) west of Stuttgart. The Calw neighborhood and historic village of Stammheim are mentioned in the Wikipeidia article about Calw. Since Calw was mentioned in written records as early as 1037 and was apparently flourishing in the 18th century, the Stammheim village is likely to have existed at that time. In fact, a map of "Wirtenberg", circa 1619 shows a town named Stamm just southeast of a town named Kalb alongside a river (at 48.32 Occ., 30.30 Sep.). Kalb is in the same location as the current town of Calw.
The Frontier Culture Museum of Staunton, VA notes that about 100,000 German immigrants arrived in the colonies in the 18th century. Württemberg was one region from which many German immigrants originated. Read a description of what it may have been like for the newly arrived immigrants and for the existing residents when the newcomers arrived in Philadelphia. By 1730, German immigrants had migrated across the Potomac into the northern Valley of Virginia, bringing distinctive German cultural icons into the region. For more info about Württemberg in the 1700's, see: Wilson, Peter H. (1995). War, State and Society in Württemberg, 1677-1793 (Cambridge Studies in Early Modern History) . Cambridge University Press. Next - Jacob and Alice/Alcy's cabin in Virginia |
