From the records of the First German and English Congregation in Knowlton Township, Sussex County, New Jersey (Knowlton Township was in Warren County after 1824): BEGIN [CHRISTENED] JANUARY 8, 1766. Johan Jost, born October 20, 1765, son of Johan Jost and Anna Elisa. Witnesses: Elisabetha Schneider and ____. On April 28th, [1772] the following children were baptized: Adam, son of Jost Giersbach and his wife Anna Elisabetha, born September 14th. Witnesses: Adam Schneider and Maria Charlotta Raubin. Johanna, daughter of Joseph Kirchsbach and his house-wife Elisabetha, born May 31, 1776, and baptized June 2, 1776. Witnesses: Johanna Fris and Henrich Zimmerman. Anna Elisabetha, born February 15, 1784, daughter of Jost Kirschbach and Elisabetha, baptized April 29, 1784. Witnesses: Parents. END From "The Myers Family History" by Timothy F. Myers (0.307) in 2005: BEGIN Johan Jost Giersbach left from Rotterdam, Holland on a sailing vessel, "Two Brothers", in 1751 and sailed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (This comes from Strassburger & Hinke, Penn-Pioneers ships' list). He came from Ebersbach, Dillkreis, Hassen-Nassau, Prussia (Just outside present day Dillenburg, Germany). He was most likely a young unmarried man as his wife is not mentioned on the passenger lists. His wife, probably a Schneider, was Anna Elizabeth. As was the custom in those days, usually parents, aunts and uncles witnessed baptisms. All of the witnesses of the baptisms of the Giersbach children were Schneiders. Johan Giersbach and Anna Elizabeth Schneider's family earlier, came to New Jersey through Philadelphia, to escape the almost starvation-type conditions in the "fatherland" as well as the persecution because of their religious practices. They were independent and did not accept the state religion without question. They were part of the droves who came during the thirty to forty years period and before. Most ended up migrating to the West Jersey Society lands, Hunterdon County, and what are now Warren, Sussex, and Morris Counties, New Jersey. They went to the so called "German Valley", Lebanon, Alexandria, New Germantown, Spruce Run, Phillipsburg and Stillwater. Our ancestor family, the Kirschbach (Giersbach or Kishpaugh) family, is one of those mentioned in the work, New Jersey Early Germans. They were members of churches usually, Germand [sic] Reformed, Dutch Reformed, Lutheran, and later Presbyterian (union) churches. Many times these people met and held services in private homes or barns because ministers were scarce and they had to wait, sometimes years, for pastors. These German and Palantine peoples were very independent and hardworking. They were mostly pious or at least, devout, fervent and spiritual. They laid stress more on inner life than upon outward forms and ceremonies. In addition, partly because of the influences of their background and the difficulties they had experienced under the rule of the monarchs and local nobility in the "Fatherland", many of them joined local town militias or the "New Jersey Line" during the revolution. As was the case many times, the Giersbach name was adulterated by the US Census takers and town clerks who recorded annual taxables and it became Kishpaugh, Kishback, Kishbaugh, Cierspaw and so on. Johan Jost Kishpaugh and his wife Anna Elizabeth lived in Knowlton Twp., Sussex County, N.J. and attended "The First German anbd English Congregational Church" according to church records and had fourteen (14) children between 1765 and 1786. Snell's History of Warren and Sussex Co.'s N.J., pg. 659, states Joseph Kishpaugh's farm was within the 1200 acres covering the Hamlet of Mount Herman. Mt. Herman was named in 1849 and was formerly Green's, from Thomas Green, who was the original pioneer settler of the place (Snell's pg. 663). Joseph was listed in the New Jersey rateable for 1773-1774 as Joseph Caspers with 50 acres and 8 cattle; 1774 as Joseph Cierspaw. The History of Northwest New Jersey", Vol. II pg. 71, tells us; "The Kishpaugh mines gave its' name to the village that grew up in the neighborhood. The vicinity is also called Marble Quarry, from the deposits of pink crystalline limestone,giving [sic] the appearance of Granite Scotch that was formerly quarried here." Page 696 of the same book tells us "The settlers of Paulins Kill Valley, in Harwick twp., were nearly all Germans, as evidenced by the family names: Shafer, Wintermute, Vass, Snover, Kishpaugh, Shuster, Lambert, and Vough." According to the "New Jersey Guide to the Presen [sic] and Past, compiled and written by the Federal Writer's Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of New Jersey, Published by the Viking Press, NY, June, 1939"; "Great Meadows, N.J. is the center of the onion-velery-lettuce farms in this section of the state. It is situated on the tip of a fertile tract of lowland, once pure bog, reclaimed after a campaign begun single handed, in 1850, by Dr. J. Marcshall Paul, of BeLuidere. Great Meadows was known as Denville before it's principal interest became agriculture, then it's main industrial plant was "The Kishpaugh Mines'." The Blairstown Press, May 18, 1887 stated "The Kishpaugh Mines have been running for twelve years and are in a flourishing condition. They employ fifty men,not counting the drivers. The employees receive $1.10 to $1.35 a day and the work is divided into three eight hour shifts. They cart about 700 to 1.000 [sic] tons of ore to Great Meadows every month." The old Green Chapel Cemetery located at Mount Herman, in the northwest part of twp., Hope is mentioned in Snells History also. The notation mentiones that among the families buried here were the remains of several Kishpaughs. This is possibly the Cemetery of the Harmony Methodist Church. The inventory, at his death, of Joseph Ceirspaw is filed in the Archives and History Bur., N.J. State Library,No. 58085. This shows notes with interest to nine of his children: Herbert, Henry, John, Jacob, William, Philip, Joseph, Martin, Elizabeth and one John Pudenbaugh (son-in-law - husband of Daughter, Jane). The inventory follows: True and perfect inventory of all and singular the goods and chatel rights and credits of Joseph Censhpah, late of Hardwick Township in the Co. of Sussex and State of New Jersey made this fourth day of February. [sic] 1823. Personal apperal [sic] lot of chatle [sic] ....................... 1.00 Cash ............................................................. 6.42 Bed and bedding .................................................. 5.50 One chest ........................................................ .50 Two old locks .................................................... .25 An old saddle .................................................... .70 A note with interest against Herbert Kenchpah .................... 0.25 do ---------------- do ........................................... 50.60 do ---------------- do ........................................... 70.66 do ---------------- do ........................................... 89.41 .................................................................. 13.64 A note with interest against Henry Censhpah ...................... 89.14 do ---------------- do ........................................... 50.61 do ---------------- do ........................................... 4.45 do ---------------- do ........................................... 122.30 A note with interest against John Censhpah ....................... 105.45 do ---------------- do ........................................... 64.17 do ---------------- do ........................................... 2.21 A note against & interest against John Pudenbaugh ................ 40.70 A note and interest against Jacob H. Kenchpah .................... 126.88 A note and interest against William Censhpah ..................... 103.29 do ---------------- do ........................................... 177.66 A note and interest against Philiop Cenchpah ..................... 57.34 do ---------------- do ........................................... 116.45 do ---------------- do ........................................... 452.52 A note and interest against Joseph Ceshpah ....................... 209.57 do ---------------- do ........................................... 16.23 A note against Elizabeth Censhpah ................................ 4.51 A judgement infa [sic] of deed against Martin Kishpaw before Thomas McIntire ........................................... 65.72 25 Feb., 1822 for debt of cost ................................... 65.72 Signed, Michael Hertzell, Barnet Sepley Sussex Co.,: Barnet Sapley one of the appraisers of the true inventory and duty Sworn according to law did approve and say that the goods, chatel [sic] and credits in this inventory as drawn and specified, were by him appraised according to the true respecting rates and values, after the best of his judgement and understanding and that Micheal [sic] Hertzell, the other appraiser whose name is thereto subscribed was present at the same time and consented in all things to the doing thereof (except as to the appraised judgement rendered before Esq. Mcintire) and that they appraised all things that were brought to this view for appraisement. Sworn and Subscribed before me this 4th day of Feb., 1823 Barnet Sepley Wm. L. Anderson, Surrogate Sussex Co.: William Wintermute, the administrator of Joseph Carsback within named being duly Sworn and approved and say that the within writing contains a true and perfect inventory of all and singular that [sic] goods chattels and credits after said deceased which now come to his knowledge or or [sic] other of any other person or persons for his use. Sworn and Subscribed before me this day Wm. L. Anderson William Wintermute, Surrogate END from rootwseb.com message boards ... Re: Jacob Giersbach-Eibelshausen, Ger. Posted: 15 Sep 2004 3:55PM GMT This is a note I received from a Hans Giersbach in 2001 through our site at www.giersbach.com. It might be of interest in your genealogy: "Hello Mr. W. Giersbach. I am from Eibelshausen in Hessen, Lahn-Dill-Kreis. A town which belong not to westfalen. It`s a place near Dillenburg. Fischelbach (Kreis Siegen-Wittgenstein) is in Westfalen. We live near the border to Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is very nice to see that in usa also live peoplewith the name giersbach. Dillenburg belongs in the history tonassau-Dillenburg. Dillenburg is the birthplace of Wilhelm von Oranien. Weare Nassauer! Fischelbach belongs in the history to Nassau-Siegen. More information from Eibelshausen you can find under: www.eschenburg.de. The name of my uncle is also Walter Giersbach. He live in Dillenburg-Frohnhausen. About the genealogy of my family I must ask my aunts Hilde Giersbach, Elisabeth Giersbach. They live in Eibelshausen. My father know more about our family, but he died in 1996. He was a 2.world war soldier and fihgts in 1944 in france.Do you know the old house-name of your grandfather? The house name of my father is dolls-martin.I am interessted in the history of my family and I hope I can get more informations." giersbachhm@compuserve.de From "Fare To Midlands: Forgotten Towns Of Central New Jersey" by Henry Charlton Beck in 1939: BEGIN More than Judge Van Dyke's investigations centered at Griggstown. The late Adjutant-General William S. Stryker, of Trenton, who dug up much valuable information on forgotten facts about the Revolution, discovered that [John] Honeyman's patriot neighbors actually brought an action against him, an inquisition bearing the date of June 9, 1778. Hendrik Probasco, Hendrik Stryker, Thomas Skillman, Reynier Veghte, Peter Stryker, John Stryker, Cornelius Lott, Frederick Van Liew, Abraham Ditmass, Abraham Beekman, Christopher Beekman, Nathan Allen, Joest Kershow, Garret Voorhees, Joseph Hageman, Garret Terhune, Jr., and Martin Nevius, "good and lawful men of the said county," went before Edward Bunn, Esq., and swore that Honeyman "did aid and comfort the enemies within this State against the form of the allegiance of the State, the Government and the Dignity of the same." END My Note - In spite of the above, John Honeyman is generally recognized as being a spy for George Washington during the Revolutionary War, and crucial in gathering intelligence for Washington's victory in the Battle of Trenton. However, whether John Honeyman was actually a Tory or a spy for Washington is debated to this day. - MEL