Our Forrer (Furrer) Family Genealogy

Family crest of Peter Furrer (†1693) of Eyholz, Canton Valais, Switzerland.

Family crest of Johann Anton Furrer (1708-1788) of Mund Switzerland.

(Source: http://www.burgerschaftvisp.ch/geschichtliches/burgergeschlechter/furrere.php)

Please note that neither of these crests are known to be related to our particular Furrer family branch. Interestingly, they appear to have similar contents.

There is another Forrer family crest; that of a naked, bearded man holding two small pine trees. The origin of that crest is from the 1576, Magdeburg, so called; Böklin writ.

The 1576 Magdeburg Forrer crest as per the Böklin writ.
This one may have originated from an old German-based Forrer family. As far as I can determine, our particular branch of the Forrer family has no known connection to the history of this writ. At that time, the anchestors of our family went by the name "Furrer" and was poor farmers, not royalty, and thus unlikely that they ever had a family crest. Our family roots trace back from 16th-century Switzerland directly to Holland, without known German history.

For those interested, below are copies of the documents located in Magdeburg, Germany. Although copied several times as it passed hands in my family, the copies are quite legible.

Böklin writ part 1.

Böklin writ part 2.

Böklin writ part 3.

Böklin writ part 4.

Böklin writ part 5.

With help from a Duke University Scholar in anchient Germanic languages, we arranged the pages in order to read the story:
It basically is a decree bestowed upon family Forrer brothers; Geörgen, Kylian, Ulrichen, and Konraden. It said that Simon and Osiasen had already passed away.

In great detail, the writ first decribes the authority of the landlord Böklin (you can Google about him), followed by details of the different components of the coat of arms and its appropriate uses in war and peace, business etc.

I understand that such documents were often scribed by scholarly monks, like in this case, in Magdeburg. What is of particular interest in this document is its writing style. The Duke scholar was somewhat sceptical that it does not look like 1576 period handwriting, rather perhaps for the 19th century.

The Origins of our Forrer family branch.
Below is a list of Dutch and Swiss Forrer/Furrer generations:
The name “Forrer” was adopted by Johannes Forrer (1760) when he settled in Holland. Before that it was “Furrer” in Switzerland.

Clinhans (Klein Hans) Furrer (b. unknown) & Anna Ruegginer (b. unknown).
------ Hans Jacob (1597) , Hans (1599), Uorich(1602), Heinrich (1604),
------Hans (1606), Elsbet (1608).
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hans Jagli (Jacob) Furrer (1597) & Regula Fenner (Pfenner)(----).
------Anna (1626), Catharina (1627-1627), Hans (1632), Hans Jagli (1633),
------Jacob (1635), Lienhart (1639-1639), Lienhart (1640) ,
------Elisabeth (1643), Heinrich (1645)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Lienhart (Leonard) Furrer (1640-1726) & Magelena Kägi (1649-1707).
------Barbara (1670), Anna (1672-1672), Rudolph (1673), Jacob (1676),
------Elisabeth (1677), Hans Heinrich (1680) , Anna (1683).
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hans Heinrich Furrer (1680-1750) & Regula Murer/Maurer (1686-1745).
------Hans Erhard (1710), Hans Jacob (1713), Heinrich (1715),
------Hans Heinrich (1717), Jacob (1719), Magdalena (1721-1723),
------Magdalena (1724), Hans Heinrich (1726) .
-------------------------------------------------------------
Heinrich Furrer “Durstelers” (1726-1770) & Regula Kündig (1726-1770).
------Elisabeth (1748), Jacob (1751), Regula (1753),
------Catarina (1755-1757), Heinrich (1758-1759),
------ Johannes (1760) , Barbara (1762-1771),
------Hans Jacob (1765-1765), Maria (1766-1766).
=============Furrer//Forrer===============
Johannes Forrer (1760-1829) & Johanna van Wijk (1771-1849).
------Regina Filippina (1796), Hendrik (1799) , Loisa (1801),
------Huibertje (1804), Johannes (1807),
------Jacob (1809), Pieter (1812).
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hendrik Forrer (1799-1863) & Susanna van Geffen (1807-1881).
------ Johannes (1828) , Trintje (1831).
-------------------------------------------------------------
Johannes Forrer (1828-1894) & Aartje den Otter (1834-1919).
------Susanna (1865), Jannetjie (1857), Hendrik (1860),
------Antonia (1862), Harmen (1865) , Arnoldus (1866),
------Dirk (1868), Johannes (1871),
------Adriaan (1872-1873), Adriaan (1874-1881), Trintje (1876).
-------------------------------------------------------------
Harmen Forrer (1865-1942) & Helena Hoffschlag (1869-1966)
------ Johannes(1897) , Harmen(1899-1966)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Johannes Forrer (1897-19??) & Anna Hoffmann (????-19??)
------ Herman (1921) , Hein (1926)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Herman Forrer (1921) & Christina Helena Frowein (1922-1997)
------ Johannes Barry (1946) , Aletia Herma (1948), Matthys Richard (1953)

The name Furrer is found in several parts of Switzerland. In the Zürich area, the name Furrer was most likely derived from the medieval name, Fuorenwangen (Latin: Fuorewangen) (such as that associated with the terraced land around Canton Wallis (Valais). Records dating from the 1500’s from towns, villages, and farm homesteads, around the old “Fuorenwangen” show the name Furrer. The origin of our particular Furrer branch relates from the land between the towns of Saland and Schönau (in the Töss river valley). This part of Switzerland is part of the Zürcher Oberland and described as follows:

-----"The Zürcher Oberland (Zürich highlands) is the hilly south-eastern part of the Canton of Zürich, bordering on the Toggenburg, including the districts of Uster, Hinwil, Pfäffikon as well as the Tösstal as far as the district of Winterthur. The territory gradually fell under the control of the city of Zürich from 1408 to 1452. In the 18th century, the jurisdiction lay with the reeve of Grüningen for the southern part, and with the reeve of Kyburg for the northern part together with most of the Zürcher Unterland.
Municipalities: Bäretswil, Bauma, Bibikon, Dürnten, Fehraltorf, Fischental, Gossau ZH, Grefeinsee, Grüningen, Hinwil, Hittnau, Kyburg, Maur, Mönchaltorf, Pfäffikon, Russikon, Rüti ZH, Sclatt ZH, Seegräben, Sternenberg,Thubenthal,Uster, Volketswil,Wald,Weisslingen, Wetzikon ZH, Wila, Wildberg, Zell."
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C3%BCrcher_Oberland)

The Identification of the 18th-century Furrers of Adetswil.
(Source: "Het leven van de familie Forrer" by Peter Christiaan Forrer (2008), private publication.)

-------"It became evident during research into the Swiss Furrers that some “facts” left uncertainties that needed to be resolved. One of the most important sources for genealogical research on rural Zürich population from the 17th and 18th centuries are commonly found in church documents such as pastoral diaries and church registries. However, entries in these registries are often confusing, especially when it involves family members with the same first names. It simply was not a priority for pastors to accurately record such details --- they often knew members of the congregation personally as they had to baptize, confirm, marry, and preside over funerals. Unfortunately, inaccuracies often present problems for later researchers.

In early Switzerland, custom was to give a child the name of a baptismal witness. This way, in 1760, Johannes Furrer is named after a baptismal witness, Johannes Weber. This baptismal name, however, is not always used consistently. This inconsistency later leads to confusion regarding the names of Heinrich and Hans Heinrich Furrer.

Hans Heinrich Furrer and Regula Maurer settled in Adetswil around 1710-1713 with their son Hans Erhard. Later are born: Hans Jacob (1713), Heinrich (1715), Hans Heinrich (1717), Jacob (1719), Magdelena (1721), Magdelena (1724), and another Hans Heinrich (1726). In later references, the last son is simply called Heinrich. It is clear that a distinction can to be made between the two Hans Heinrichs by their dates of birth. This is particularly important when interpreting their father’s will of 1750.

The burial record of Heinrich Furrer and Regula Kündig from 1770 shows an erroneous entry by the pastor: That they both were 44 years old at their death instead of 43 years of age. Next to Regula’s name, there is a stricken last name, “Schneider”, replaced by a correction, “Kündig”. Perhaps this could be explained; pastor Köchli is a newly-appointed clergyman in the congregation and probably did not yet know all the names from memory. It is interesting that Heinrich is mentioned in the household registry of 1770/1771 by a nickname “Dürstelers”. Most likely, that addition was to distinguish him from another Heinrich Furrer living in Adetswil or the neighboring Bäretswil.

The confusion with the names Heinrich and Hans Heinrich is apparent when one tries to determine the funeral date of the older Hans Heinrich. In church records, the name is not recorded as Hans Heinrich, but rather just, Heinrich. It is written that in 1750, a certain Heinrich Furrer is buried; there is an entry saying that he died in the town of Wädenschwil. In addition, two Heinrich Furrers from Adetswil are buried in 1759. One of these is known to be a child of Heinrich Furrer and Regula Kündig. The other one is unknown. In all probability, the 1750 entry is for the older Hans Heinrich, whom it was believed, was quite ill at the time. The second entry of 1759 is most likely that for the 1715-born Heinrich, the 11-year older brother of Heinrich Furrer “Durstelers”.-----------

Downloadable Materials.

The Forrer family tree in MS Excel format.

"Het leven van de familie Forrer" by Peter Christiaan Forrer (2008).
(English translation by Johannes B. Forrer from the original Dutch).

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