John Brobst b.~1807 who lived in Ky was my ggrandfather. I found his wife Margaretha Osborne Brobst and son Jacob Brobst 1840-1862 gravestones but have not yet found John. His five other children all died well after 1861 and were buried as Probst. It is likely that John was also buried as a Probst (he shows up in 1880 Census as Probst). His name when he married and for many years afterward was Brobst. All these Brobst/Probst were buried in Ky as far as we know.

In reviewing Probst/Brobst records I reread the following valuable narratives written by Bill Brobst and have a few questions:

“Probsts Across the Atlantic:
Following the example of other Alsatian families, some of the Alsatian Probsts left their native soil to emigrate to the United States, hoping to find a better life. Thus, Joseph Probst (~31 years old rwv), born on October 20, 1812 in Rouffach, made his request for a passport in the year 1843 for the destination of the land of Thomas Jefferson. [Note: Jefferson had a few decades earlier been the envoy to France, and was well respected there.] The same year (1843, rwv), Jean Probst, then 18 years old (b.~1825 rwv) and a farmer, left Rouffach for the State of Kentucky. (Other Probsts also emigrated to America in the mid-1800s and settled in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.)” This quote is from Probsts Families of Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France Translation by Bill Brobst July 4, 1999 (Published with the permission of the CDHF) This information was found on the world wide web in the URL, published by the Archives Departementales du Haut-Rhin.

1. Does anyone have specific information on hand regarding those immigrants to Ky mentioned above that they would care to share? i.e. What were their names, when and in what part of Ky did they settle?

From Bill Brobst:

“The American Brobst family traces back into the 1500's near Bern, Switzerland, where Rudolph Probst was born in 1595. His father may have been Niklaus Probst b. 1554, and his grandfather Hans Probst b. 1531, although those two earlier generations are not certain, Yes, the name "Brobst" was originally "Probst." Propst means 'Main Pastor.'

Others of the larger Probst family lived in northwestern Switzerland also, from Siselen in the northwest of Kanton Berne to Lutzelfluh in the northeastern part of Kanton Berne. Many of these Probsts also emigrated elsewhere in Europe -- into Germany and into southern Alsace, France. Some of those who moved to southern Germany had moved further north into Saxony by the 1800s. (Note: John Frederick Probst, b. 13 Aug 1824 in Hanover, Germany came to America and attended Gettysburg Seminary.) Many Probsts came to America from Switzerland, Germany, and France later in the 1700s and 1800s. These families are not the primary focus of the Brobst Family Historical Registry, although there is some information on the other American Probst.

In the early 1600's , Rudolph moved to Wangen, Germany. In the mid-1600's, his only son, Barthel, floated down the Rhine to Kandel, in the German Palatinate, near the border of Alsace, France. Barthel had a large family, one of which was Christophel b.1661. Because living conditions there were so deplorable, three of Christopher's children came to America -- Philipp Jacob b.1692, Johann Michael b.1701, and Elizabetha Margaretha (Vossellmann) b.1703. These three were the first Probst's to come to America. They arrived in 1732, the year George Washington was born.

The three children of Christophel Probst arrived in Philadelphia in October 1732, after a horrible voyage on the ship "John and William." Philipp Jacob came with his wife, C'erine, and three young sons -- Jean Michael, Jean Valentine, and Jean Martin. Johann Michael was unmarried, but married Anna Marie Kerr shortly after his arrival. Elisabetha Margaretha came with her husband, Hans Erhardt Vossellmann. The English-speaking clerk misspelled their name phonetically as had the ship's captain. The Brobst then settled in the area now known as Berks and Lehigh Counties, PA, about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia. All American Brobst descended from one of those three children of Christophel.”

2. My ggrandfather was John Brobst, born in Germany, but his son Jacob Brobst was born in Ky, thus Jacob was an American Brobst not descended from the children of Christophel.

Recall the mystery of the three brothers Probst who emmigrated from Germany/France ostensibly to avoid military service? I wish I knew the source of this information?? Are we just guessing here? These brothers were (perhaps) John b.~1807, Jacob b.~1810, and Joseph Frank b.1818. Joseph Frank immigrated in 1852 and his family's stated destination was Louisville, Ky. Joseph Frank was listed as a Brobst in the 1860 Census while John and Jacob were both listed as Probst. (This in itself is a bit strange since John's son Jacob b.1840 was buried after 1860 as a Brobst and John's wife was buried even later as a Brobst.) Jacob b.1810 was listed in the 1850 Census in Ky. as a Probst and this goes along with what has been stated before, that Joseph Frank arrived in the U.S. after John and Jacob. We still haven't figured out why Jacob 1810 was buried as a Propst. In any case the confusion would be partially cleared if we could find the parents of these folks.

William Brobst notes:

“On the other hand, the records of Mark. W. Thomas, well documented, show that they (Jacob Probst 1810 and Antonia Kraft, rwv) were married in Jefferson Co, Kentucky, in 1849. Their Kentucky marriage is well documented in "Jefferson County, Kentucky, Marriage Book V, Part I", pp 20 and 34. So they must have come to America prior to 1849. If so, could he have been the son of Johann Jacob Probst, b abt 1774, who came to America in 1832 with his wife Maria, b abt 1883 (should be 1783. rwv), and eleven children, one of which was Jacob age 21, therefore born abt 1811?”

3. Does someone have the name of the ship that Johann Jacob Probst, b abt 1774 came over on? I haven't been able to turn that up yet. This is important since the list of passengers may implicate Jacob b.~1810, who married Antonia, as relative of John b.~1807 both ending up in Jefferson County, Ky in the 1800's. If you also have the list of passengers that would be most helpful. bob voll