• General Notes

  Hans Michael/Michel Dieter was born March 26, 1671 in Schwaigern, Germany. He was the son of Wolfgang "Wolf" Dieter and Anna Catharina Zimmerman. Church records show that Hans Michel Dieter, the younger, (father of George Teter, the immigrant to America), was General Magistrate in 1699, in 1702 he was Tax and Fee Collector and Church Warden (Burgermeister); he became First Magistrate and Deputy of Mayor in 1710. In the Schwaigern Witch Trials (1712-1716), he was third ranking after the High-Earl of Neipperg and attorney-Johann Balthasar Muller. On his death record, May 2, 1734, was entered "gewesener Schultheiss" (late the Mayor) of Schwaigern. At the present time Burgermeister in Germany is what we term mayor, however in 1700, in Wuertemberg towns, Burgermeister meant the man in charge of collecting payments in money and services imposed on the citizens. The church warden did a similar job for the Lutheran church. The records show that Hans Michel Dieter was about everything a prominent man could be in his community.
  
  Hans Michel married 1st November 19, 1695, Maria Catharine/Katharina Frey, daughter of George Frey. He married 2nd Maria Elisabetha, her surname not known, who died in 1737.
  
  Records from the Lutheran Church at Schwaigern show only the children we record for Hans Michael Dieter and Maria Catharina Frey."The Henckel Genealogical Bulletin", page 172, states the following:
  
  ".....As we have stated so very often one must search all records, and not be guided by name alone. This time the City Archives of Schwaigern were also searched. The Lutheran Church book was examined in detail. The earlier records were from the family card files. There was a John Michael Teter ( Hans Michael Dieter), born 1685, whose marriage to Maria Katharina ----- was not recorded in Schwaigern. Children 7, 9, 10, and 11 as listed on page 147, would appear to belong to this couple, and not to our Michael....."
  
  ".....Interesting details which support it, but in some cases are confusing. To simplify this presentation I will use the more common spelling of the Christian names, and make no attempt to use the many ways they appear in the original records...."
  
  Detailed Events Concerning the Dieter/Teter Family:
  "Hans Michael Teter made a will in 1716 in which he mentioned four children. In 1724, after the death of his first wife, he made another will listing three children. It would appear the daughter Mariana Magdalena died between those dates, however no entry for this was found in the death register.
  
  "The following material was compiled by Mr. Karl Wagenplast from records in the Archives of the City of Schwaigern. In the partition of the estate of Hans Michael Teter on 5 July 1734, the heirs are listed as the widow Maria Elisabetha (second wife); son Hans George, who emigrated some years prior to Pennsylvania; Eberhardina, wife of Jacob Baumgartner of Schwaigern; and Juliana, wife of Dieter Eberle, the baker. The records show that Juliana died in 1733, and eight weeks before the partition Dieter Eberle married Christina ---, she died 1741.
  
  "From the partition recrods dated 5 June 1734, 'May it be remembered that the late, often cited Mayor Hans Michael Teter provided in the recorded written marriage contract of the 21 June 1728, that his surviving wife, Maria Elisabetha, have the use and enjoyment as free seat and residence-so long as God will grant her life-in his upper half of the house with all appurtenances and pieces therein described'.
  
  "Whereas now the mother, to wit, widow Maria Elisabetha sees that her step-daughter Eberhardina would have to live in rented quarters, she the said widow-has declared herself kindly and voluntarily, without any obligation whatever, but out of pure maternal love, willing to take the daughter with her husband into her house and that she would reserve herself for her own using nothing but the free seat in the upper rooms with the bedroom and kitchen."
  
  "Three years later, Maria Elisabetha, the mayor's widow died. The mayor's son HANS GEORGE TETER (HANS JORG DIETER), who has lived in America since 1727, received as his share still 855 Guilders at the partition.
  
  "Herewith is to be remembered that the deceased Mayor Hans Michael Teter was bound in serfdom to the most gracious High-Earl and Lordship of Neipperg for which the three heirs must provide and pay out from his estate in equal parts twenty guilders." (Inventory and Partition Book 1733/34, p. 290b)
  
  From the Minutes of the Police Court of Schwaigern 1727, p. 220:
  "Johan George Teter son of Schwaigern Mayor Johann Michael Teter who has decided in furtherance of his expected success to render himself to Pennsylvania under Royal British Sovereignty. (This entry shows that our George Teter did come to Pennsylvania in 1727 as we thought)."
  
  "In the handwriting of Hans Michael Teter is a partition of the estate of his father, Wolfgang Teter, dated 5 Dec. 1698. This shows as survivors: his widow Anna Catharine (Zimmerman), son Hans Michael, and daughter Susanna, wife of Hans Bernhard Bohler."
  
  Following are comments by Mr. Wagenplast about our Dieter family:
  "Hans Michael, the son of farmers, must have studied (i.e. academic studies) because his clear-cut, faultless handwriting could not be explained otherwise. Hans Michael Dieter who was soon sitting on the municipal board (a type of town council), became advocate in 1710, that is First Magistrate and deputy of the Mayor, and as such was the third-ranking figure - after the lordly ruler and his manager, an attorney from Heilbronn who served also as deputy bailiff, Johann Balthasar Muller - in the upcoming Schwaigern Witch Trails (1712-16).
  
  "In 1724 it happened: about the middle of the year Hans Michael Dieter was entrusted with the office of Mayor by the lord of Neipperg.
  
  "He bought a new pair of gray cloth pants for his marriage to his second wife, Maria Elisabetha. Before he owned only one pair of buckskin pants. He also bought a new doublet of black cloth and a new grey coat. Also he owned only two paris of stockings and two pairs of gloves. As a head-cover he wore a so-called beaver-hat (probably three-cornered)."
  
  "1693, the 8th of June, Michael, the senior, overseer of the poor and juror of this place, arrived in Heilbronn while fleeing from the enemy, became ill, and was buried there, 70 years, 8 months."
  

Details of Hans' family with Maria Catharina Frey