Ancestral Line 1 – Niclas Pontius
Line 1 originates in Dienstweiler, respectively Eborn, near the city of Bükenfeld in the German Bundesland Rheinland-Pfalz.
Niclas Pontius (1570 – 1623) is recorded as the first member of this line. Niclas had 5 daughters and the sons Johannes (1596 – 2nd generation) Niklas (1599 – 2nd generation) and Velten (1606 – 2nd generation). Son Johannes died early at the age of 21 without descendents. Only one son of son Niklas could be found, namely Hans Nickel (1632 – 3rd generation)
Velten had 7 children, among them the sons Hans Nickel Pontius (1633 3rd generation), Conrad Pontius (1635 3rd generation), Peter Pontius (1640 3rd generation), and Andreas (1647 3rd generation). Son Conrad died as an infant. No further details are known about Andreas’ life. The descendents of Peter are only traced to the 5th generation. Descendents up to the present are know only of Hans Nickel Pontius (1633), who was married in first marriage to Margaretha Anthoni and in second marriage – without undeniable proof – to Anna Margaretha Hoffmann. His son Johann Peter Pontius (1684 4th generation) continued line 1.
Johann Peter Pontius (1684) had six sons and two daughters, among them the sons Johann Friedrich (1715 5th generation), Johannes (1717 5th generation) and Johann Nickel (1728 5th generation). Three sons died as children. The two brothers Johannes and Johann Nickel emigrated in 1738 from Berglangenbach to Norh America. As confirmed by a document, their then widowed mother emigrated as well, accompanied by Nickel Simon (Source: LA Speyer, volumne 2, number 4607, Fol. 66 back side 66 v.=verso). Johannes and Johann Nickel are the forefathers of the majority of Pontius families in the USA today. (It is known that one daughter Maria also emigrated with the family. She married George Christopher Herrold Jr.)jw2011
The oldest brother Johann Friedrich, who wanted to follow his mother in 1739, was not able to realize his plan. Because of difficulties with the sale of his properties and other assests, he failed to come up with the sum of money necessary to buy himself his freedom from his serfdom.
In 1736, Johann Friedrich married Anna Maria Laub in Heimbach. The majority of their descendents live in Rheinland-Pfalz, in paticular in the areas of Baumholder, Birkenfeld, Idar-Oberstein and last but not least Berglangenbach. Pontius families have been on record in Berglangenbach without interuption since 1715. Descendents of Johann Friedrich Pontius have also settled in the county of St. Wendel.
The data of the Pontius families of Line 1 are predominantly recorded in the books of protestant parishes of Birkenfeld and surrounding areas.