We have traced our ancestry back to John and Francis also.
I did receive a letter from another descendent who said a
family story she had heard from her parent was that Francis
lived in that area between France and Germany. It was constantly being over run by the 'other' country who made
the citizens pay taxes etc to them - and with that country's
money. He became enraged at the unfairness of this and came
to America with 16 coins of the last ruling country, even
tho they were of no value. Maybe that will help you focus
on an (much too wide) area.