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Rettich - Radick - Readick - Readdick - Reddick: from Odenwald to Georgia

Rettich - Radick - Readick - Readdick - Reddick: from Odenwald to Georgia

Posted: 3 Feb 2014 7:31PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Rettich Radick Readick Readdick Reddick
Hi Folks,

Most portions of the following information dealing with German origins for the Georgia Reddick / r320s were contributed by Dr. Ulf-Dietmar Radicke. His own research into the origins of r320-surnamed folks in his area has led him to collect a great deal of information about various r320 lineages in southwestern Germany. Dr. Radicke is not related to the Georgia Reddicks, but he has greatly helped us in finding our German ancestors. We know that Ulf is not related to us due to his having undergone a yDNA genealogical test in which his results do not match those of the Georgia Reddicks.

However, a connection between the Georgia Reddick / r320s and modern German Rettigs has been proven by yDNA testing. Two Rettigs in Germany match with multiple Reddicks with Georgia origins. Their origins lie in the Reichenbach Parish of the Odenwald region of southwestern Germany.

Further, Dr. Radicke has examined Reichenbach Parish records and with them has helped us to establish a paper trail linking the Georgia Reddicks' ancestors to the ancestors of the German Rettigs who originate in Reichenbach Parish.

This deals with the Reddick & Readdick lines established in Georgia starting in 1737. These immigrant people originated in Reichenbach Parish of the Odenwald region. In modern terms this area of Reichenbach Parish is part of the community of Lautertal, a portion of the Bergstrasse district, and is found in the southernmost portion of modern Hesse (Hessen) state. This is a region of low mountains just east of the Rhine River, south of Frankfurt am Main and further south of Darmstadt.

Johannes Rettich was born in Gadernheim, Reichenbach Parish, in 1701. He married Maria Barbara Wolff circa January, 1724. They lived in Raidelbach, Reichenbach Parish, where Johannes was probably a peasant farmer. The portion of Reichenbach Parish in which they lived was then part of the County of Erbach-Schonberg (a portion of the parish also lay in the Electoral Palatinate of the Rhine - Rheinpfalz or simply Pfalz). Reichenbach Parish was a Lutheran church parish. They emigrated early in 1737 and passed through Rotterdam, Neatherlands prior to embarking out of Cowes, England in October of that year. Johannes and Maria Barbara had six children, four of which arrived in Savannah, Georgia.

1. Anna Katharina Rettich b. 24 OCT 1724 in Raidelbach, Reichenbach Parish, Erbach-Schonberg (modern Hessen), Germany, d. < one year.

2. Johannes Rettich b: 18 APR 1726 in Raidelbach, Reichenbach Parish, Erbach-Schonberg (modern Hessen), Germany, d. > 1775, colonial or state Georgia, aka John Radick / Raddick / Readick / Reddick.

3. Johann Michael Rettich b. 1728 in Raidelbach, Reichenbach Parish, Erbach-Schonberg (modern Hessen), Germany, d. c. 1793 (will OCT 12, 1793) in Chatham Co., GA, USA, aka Michael Radick / Readick / Readdick.

4. Anna Apollonia Rettich b. 1731 in Raidelbach, Reichenbach Parish, Erbach-Schonberg (modern Hessen), Germany, d. > 1737 in colonial or state Georgia.

5. Johann Peter Rettich b. 1734 in Raidelbach, Reichenbach Parish, Erbach-Schonberg (modern Hessen), Germany, d. c. 1778 (will NOV 7, 1778) in Chatham Co., GA, USA, aka Peter Radick / Readick / Readdick.

6. Elisabetha Margaretha Rettich b. 1737 in Raidelbach, Reichenbach Parish, Erbach-Schonberg (modern Hessen), Germany, d. 1737 in route between Germany & Georgia (she did not arrive in Georgia).

The family arrived off Tybee Island at the mouth of the Savannah River December 20/21, 1737 aboard the ship Three Sisters, which sailed under the command of a Captain Hewitt. Upon arrival in Savannah the six family members were recorded as follows with anglicized naming:

1194. Radick, John -- Palatine Tr. servt.; arrived 20 Dec. 1737.
1195. ----------, Maria Barbara, w.
1196. ----------, Ann Apolonia, d.
1197. ----------, Hans Michl., son.
1198. ----------, John, son.
1199. ----------, Jo. Peter, son.

This listing of the new arrivals came from page 42 of "A List Of The Early Settlers Of Georgia" edited by E. Merton Coulter and Albert B. Saye.

AND

Radick, (Anna) Apollonia, Palatine, transport 7 (Three Sisters), daughter of Johann
Radick, (Maria) Barbara, Palatine, transport 7 (Three Sisters), wife of Johann, granted land 1757 on Lacy's Island
Radick, Johann I, Palatine, transport 7 (Three Sisters), husband of (Maria) Barbara, granted land 1754 on Little Ogeechee (River), 1758 CG Little Ogeechee, 1764 Christ Church Parish (NOTE: this last entry was almost certainly for his son Johannes / John.)
Radick, (Hans) Michael, Palatine, transport 7 (Three Sisters), son of Johann I, granted land in 1754, 1755 CB Acton, granted land 1759 Point Hope (Providence Plantation on what became Providence Island, later Liberty Island, finally Dutch Island), 1778 witness
Radick, (Johann) Peter, Palatine, son of Johann, husband of Catharina (Cattarenah Herbach), granted land 1759 in Christ Church Parish, 1778 will

This second listing was found on page 91 of The Germans of Colonial Georgia: 1733 - 1783 by George F. Jones.

Of those four children who arrived in Savannah, here's a brief outline of their fortunes in Georgia.

2. Johannes Rettich became John Readick (Raddick, Reddick, Radwick, Redwick, Redwike, etc) and was awarded lands in Christ Church Parish (Chatham County) during 1760s. In 1767 he received 300 acres along the Ogeechee River in what is now Bulloch Co., GA. In 1775 he was awarded another 100 acres adjacent to the prior land grant. The identity of his wife is unknown and when he died is also unknown (about 1775 or thereafter, presumably). He had four known sons: Nicholas, Jacob, Peter, and Francis (see below).

3. Johann Michael Rettich became Michael Readick (Readdick, Radick, Reodick, etc) and was awarded 50 acres in 1759 on what was first called Providence Island, then Liberty Island, and lastly Dutch Island in Christ Church Parish (Chatham County). Michael and his wife Salome had no recorded children in Michael's will of 1793. Their property on what is now Dutch Island passed on to the family of Michael's brother Peter.

4. Anna Apollonia Rettich (aka Ann Apolonia Radick) leaves us with no further records after her arrival in 1737 with her parents and brothers. I have speculated that she married the prominent miller and Justice of the Peace Francis Paris, but this is just a hypothesis based on Paris' continuing association with this generation of Readicks and a following generaton of four Reddick brothers.

5. Johann Peter Rettich became Peter Readick (Readdick, Radick, Reodick, etc). He married Cattarenah Herbach and they had eight children as listed in his 1778 will. He was granted land on Piney Island and Lacey's Island (later Turner's Rocks) in Christ Church Parish (Chatham County). His family inherited the land of his brother Michael and sister-in-law Salome on what is now Dutch Island. His sons Jacob and Gaspar resided in Chatham County and farmed on the islands near Savannah. Those two brothers were still alive in 1818 when they each were participants in deeds involving their family's land. Peter and Cattarenah had six daughters of which three married.

John Readick (# 2, above) had settled on the Ogeechee River near Burgholder's or Burkhalter's Crossing / Ferry in what is now Bulloch County. This is just upstream and across the river from Oliver in Screven Co. It is nearly directly across the river from the old railroad stop at Halcyondale in Screven Co. Because of associations between John Readick and four Reddick brothers with members of the Burkhalter family and the miller Francis Paris it appears that the four brothers are the sons of John. Two of the four brothers named sons of theirs John. The four brothers Nicholas, Jacob, Peter, and Francis are first found starting in 1785 along Brier Creek in what was then Burke Co. They were living along the creek and adjacent to the millpond constructed by Francis Paris (in 1770) on the creek.

A. Nicholas Reddick (Readick, Redick, Rettig, Rettige), b. colonial Georgia, d. < 1811

B. Jacob Reddick (Readick, Redick) b. colonial Georgia, d. c. 1808

C. Peter Reddick (Readick, Redick) b. colonial Georgia, d. < JAN 01, 1815

D. Francis Reddick (Readick, Redick, Readdick) b. colonial Georgia, d. < 1805

It is from these four brothers that most of the Georgia Reddicks arise. yDNA genealogical tests have been performed with descendants of Nicholas, Jacob, and presumably Francis. They all match as related cousins. A descendant of Gaspar Readick (son of Peter Readick and grandson of Johannes Rettich) has also undergone yDNA testing. His results also match with the others. These Georgia Reddicks and Readdicks match with two German Rettigs and two Rettigs whose ancestor settled in Butler County, PA during the 19th century. They are all distant cousins with shared German origins.

I've included most of the common spellings of the surname during those early generations in Georgia. There is another form of misnaming that did occurr: 'Jacob Lewis Reddick'. Jacob Reddick was -never- recorded as 'Jacob Lewis Reddick' in the records examined that name him. Jacob Reddick had a son Nicholas Moses Reddick who in turn had a father-in-law named Jacob Lewis. A bit of confusion by someone years ago probably led to the creation of the faux identity of 'Jacob Lewis Reddick' when mixing together the names of Nicholas Moses Reddick's father and father-in-law.

I hope that this proves to be helpful to those who are interested in the Georgia Reddicks.

Dale E. Reddick
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