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Katherina Ruf
Katherina
(Catherine)
Ruff

Michaëlis. In it's oldest known form the name is spelled MICHAËLIS. Henri (right), upon his arrival to America in 1847 changed it to MICHAELIS and his first name to Henry to better conform to the English language. I have heard three stories as to the origin of the surname. One, that it is the Latinized version of the name Michael. Another says that it is Latin for 'son of Michael". A third says that it is Latin for "St. Michael". I guess that means that the name is Latin? They are probably all true, but which one was the actual inspiration for our unknown forefather? We shall probably never know.

The Michaëlis line seems to have originated in Prussia, at least that is where the most people with the surname have their origins. Another clue pointing to this is the fact that the Prussian version is also pronounced the same as the Luxembourg version.

Henri Michaelis?
Believed to be
Henri Jean Michaëlis
(Henry John Michaelis, Sr.)

Whatever the origin, our Michaëlis ancestors appeared in Luxembourg quite early, probably in the 1500's, as I have been told that there is mention of the surname during that time period in the Luxembourg Archives. In Bettembourg, Luxembourg where our oldest proven Michaëlis ancestor Peter was born (abt 1710), the name is mentioned in the Feuerstätten (a census of houses having fireplaces) for both the years 1611 & 1656.

Beyond that, we only know of Dominik Michaëlis, whom we suspect to be Peter's father. On 24 June, 1708 the Chaplain Johann Molitor of Sassenheim certified that Dominik Michaëlis was a "Koster", school-master, and Scribe to Sassenheim, and as a pastor for three years had had a good effect. Solidifying this suspicion is the fact that Peter's family enjoyed a certain respect in the village community. The Michaëlis children were looked up to due to their clean and maintained handwriting, while most neighboring children could hardly read and write. Coincidence?

We do know that the Michaëlis family has always been heavily involved with the Catholic church, producing numerous priests and nuns. This was true even in older times, as Luxembourg was for a time the center of Constantine's Holy Roman Empire, and unlike the rest of Europe, escaped involvement in the Reformation. Catholicism stayed true and strong there, and so too in our Michaelis family, generation after generation.

Seagulls

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Genealogy Databases

My original database is several years old and I have been getting lots of requests to update it. The new database is current as of 12-7-98 but I am still ironing all of the wrinkles out of it and converting it to a different format. Until I get it squared away I will leave them both online. The databases contain all of my ancestors and their descendents, both the Michaelis's from my my father's side and the Allison's from my mother's. At the last HTML conversion last year the database contained nearly 3000 people. Countries of origin include England, Germany, Ireland, Scotland & Luxembourg. The most common names in the database include;

  • MICHAELIS
  • ALLISON
  • HILER
  • RICHTER
  • NICKELS
  • PAWSON
  • ROSNER
  • NEYEN

The Michaelis Genealogical Database #1 - This database is indexed by decade rather than surname, but it is still very easy to find people. The nice thing about it is the fact that each person now has their own separate page, leaving lots of possibilities for future customization. If you need to have me make a correction, please let me know the page name. With nearly 3000 pages, it's a bit tough without it!

The Michaelis Genealogical Database #2 - This is the latest database and utilizes the WebGED software. See if you like it any better. Lots of JavaScript is used to run it so be sure you have an up-to-date browser.

londshld.jpg (3937 bytes) Michaelis Family Tree - View a cool scrollable Michaelis Family Tree, courtesy of Family Tree Maker®.

londshld.jpg (3937 bytes) Michaelis Online E-mail Directory - This is an attempt to list every Michaelis descendant's e-mail address in a directory. The Directory is a great way to meet and make contact with other Michaelis cousins so be sure to add yours!

londshld.jpg (3937 bytes) Michaelis Mysteries - Unsolved mysteries and missing persons of the Michaelis family!

londshld.jpg (3937 bytes) Michaelis Document Archives - When completed this section will hold digital copies of all the available Michaelis documents.

londshld.jpg (3937 bytes) Michaelis Maps - Maps related to the Michaelis family.

All Things Michaelis - Links and facts & queries on anything Michaelis related. Post a Michaelis Query!

Michaelis Crests - Images of all known Michaelis crests.

Michaelis Sagas - Interesting stories and tales about the Michaelis family.

Luxembourg Links - Links relating to the Michaelis Homeland, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Chosen by America Online's International Channel for their Travel/Europe/etc. forum

Contact Me - Need to get hold of me? Here's how.

londshld.jpg (3937 bytes) Downloads - Genealogy files you can download from this site.

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Sword of Truth

 

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