Andreas Hagenbuch Sails Aboard the Charming Nancy

1737 is an important year for the Hagenbuch family. It was the year Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1715) and his first wife, Maria Magdalena (Schmutz), landed in Philadelphia to begin a new life in the Americas.

Andreas was 22 years old the year he journeyed across the Atlantic to the Pennsylvania Colony. He was likely living in Grossgartach (now called Leingarten). Leingarten lies just outside of Heilbronn which is on the Neckar River. In 1737, these towns were located within the Duchy of Württemberg, near the Electorate of the Palatinate, and were part of the Holy Roman Empire. Today, this region is in modern-day Germany between Stuttgart to the west and Heidelberg to the east.

The Palatinate and nearby areas had been repeatedly invaded by the French during the War of Succession, leading to devastation and famine for the people living there. There was also the threat of religious persecution. The Hagenbuchs were Lutherans, while the French were Catholics.

Andreas’ mother, Anna Christina (Fritz) Hagenbuch (b. 1692), had died in 1727 and his father, Hans Michael Hagenbuch (b. 1685), in 1735. With no parents to attend to, Andreas was likely eager to set out on his own. On April 26, 1737, he did just that and married Maria Magdalena Schmutz, the daughter of Jacob Schmutz. The couple was married in Schluchtern, a neighboring town to Grossgartach. It is believed that Maria Magdalena was already pregnant with their first child together, Henry.

Grossgartach, Germany in 1684 by by Andreas Kieser. Credit: Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg

Married and with a child on the way, the couple decided to leave for America and settle in Pennsylvania. They planned to board a ship at Rotterdam, in what was then called the Dutch Republic (now known as the Netherlands). The easiest route to Rotterdam was via a boat on the Neckar River to Heidelberg. Here, the Neckar joins the Rhine River. Once on the Rhine, they could continue by boat to Rotterdam, where passage on a larger vessel could be purchased. Still, a river journey might have taken them several weeks to complete.

Once in Rotterdam, Andreas and Maria Magdalena boarded a ship named the Charming Nancy. Passage for an adult ranged from five to ten pounds sterling. Children were less. The Charming Nancy had been built in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was then part of Great Britain’s colonies in North America. It was 115 tons and was launched on November 18, 1736. It was registered to John Stedman, Alexander Andrew, and George Catanach. All three men were from London. John’s brother, Charles Stedman, would captain the ship on its voyage.

Andreas and his family set sail aboard the Charming Nancy on June 29, 1737. They arrived in Plymouth, England on July 8th. There they spent nine days, loading additional supplies for the long voyage across the Atlantic. More passengers boarded too.

Lady Washington, a modern replica of a 1700s sailing ship similar to the Charming Nancy. Credit: Wikimedia.org/”Mike” Michael L. Baird

On July 17, 1737 the Charming Nancy left the port at Plymouth and began its journey to America. Traveling by sea in the 1700s was a cramped, unpleasant, and an often deadly ordeal. In a work of fiction from 2015, author Susanne Woods Fisher imagined what life would have been like on the ship.

In addition, we are lucky enough to have a brief, firsthand account of this specific voyage from Rotterdam to Philadelphia. This was written by Bishop Hans Jacob Kauffman on an old Swiss calendar, which was later discovered in a Bible. He writes:

The 28th of June while in Rotterdam getting ready to start, my Zernbli died and was buried in Rotterdam. The 29th we got under sail and enjoyed only 1-1/2 days of favorable wind. The 7th day of July, early in the morning, died Hans Zimmerman’s son-in-law. We landed in England the 8th of July, remaining nine days in port during which five children died.

Went under sail the 17th of July. The 21st of July my own Lisbetli died. Seven days before Michael’s Georgli had died. On the 29th of July three children died. On the 1st of August my Hansli died and Tuesday previous five children died. On the 3rd of August contrary winds beset the vessel from the first to the 7th of the month, three more children died. On the 8th of August Shambien’s Lizzie died and on the 9th died Hans Zimmerman’s Jacobi. On the 19th Christian Burgli’s child died. Passed a ship on the 21st. A favorable wind sprang up. On the 28th Hans Gasi’s wife died.

Passed a ship 13th of September. Landed in Philadelphia on the 18th, and my wife and I left the ship on the 19th. A child was born to us on the 20th—died—wife recovered. A voyage of 83 days.

Port of Philadelphia as painted by Peter Cooper in the early. Credit: Library Company of Philadelphia

Kauffman’s account vividly depicts the suffering endured by passengers aboard the Charming Nancy. Many people died, especially children, and their bodies buried at sea. After two months on the Atlantic, sighting land must have been cause for jubilant celebration.

Andreas Hagenbuch and his wife, Maria Magdalena (Schmutz), landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 18, 1737. She was six months pregnant. Immigrant men 16 and older were required to sign the Oath of Allegiance to the King and the Oath of Abjuration, where they renounced previous loyalties. On October 8, 1737, Andreas and Maria Magdalena visited the courthouse in Philadelphia to take these oaths. Andreas signed in his own hand, while a third party signed “wife” for Maria Magdalena.

Thanks to the Pennsylvania Archives, we are able to see Andreas Hagenbuch’s signature as preserved on a microfilm copy of the original document. It’s interesting to see that Andreas was able to sign his full name to the oath. This indicates that he had some education and was able to write and probably read too. While this may not seem impressive today, in 1737 this put him above many other immigrants.

Notice the curved character Andreas has placed above the “u” in Hagenbuch. This is not an umlaut or other diacritical mark. Instead, it is a way of designating the character as a “u” in Old German, where the “u” could be confused with an “n” or “m”.

Signature of Andreas Hagenbuch with the text “wife” written after it, October 8, 1737

One can only imagine the hopes, dreams, and fears Andreas and Maria Magdalena had upon arriving in this foreign land. They were young, recently married, and would soon have a newborn to care for. Money was limited, and they would need to quickly acquire arable land in order to secure food and a livelihood. All the while, they spoke only German and would have to adjust to the English culture of the colonies.

In Philadelphia, the Hagenbuchs had no immediate family to support them that we know of. Although there was growing community of German immigrants in the city, if things didn’t go as planned, there was no quick return to Europe. Today, we know that they would never see their former home again.

Sailing aboard the Charming Nancy was only the first of many hardships Andreas Hagenbuch and his family endured on the path to build a life in Pennsylvania. Future articles will continue to follow the Hagenbuchs as they seek opportunities within a new and wild land.

This article was updated in 2020, 2021, and 2025. Updates include revising Andreas Hagenbuch’ birth year to 1715, removing Catherine as Andreas’ first wife since there is no evidence that she existed, removing Anna Barbara Hagenbuch as the eldest child because she is believed to have been born later, and finally noting that Henry Hagenbuch was born in December of 1737.