Franz Ludwig Michel - Early American Arms

 
James Dempster
 
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James Dempster
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11 February 2015 16:31
 

Another possible armiger for the Roll of Early American Arms

http://www.patc.us/history/native/michel2.html

 

http://www.patc.us/images/michel3.jpg

 

James

 
Michael F. McCartney
 
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Michael F. McCartney
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11 February 2015 17:01
 

What a delightful find! - many thanks!!

Mike~~

 
arriano
 
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arriano
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12 February 2015 17:03
 

Link doesn’t work for me. Can you post the coat?

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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12 February 2015 19:13
 

arriano;103532 wrote:

Link doesn’t work for me. Can you post the coat?


I thought I had put him in the roll.  He’ s in my draft book on heraldry in Virginia.

 

http://americanheraldry.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1403&stc=1&d=1423786307

 

My write-up on him:

 

Franz Ludwig Michel (c. 1680-aft 1713), who came to Virginia in 1702 to investigate the prospects for establishing a Swiss settlement in the colony, was a member of the patrician family of Michel von Schwertschwendi of the city and canton of Bern and a former officer in the French royal army.  After an initial visit of about seven weeks, he returned to Bern and wrote an account of his journeys that was instrumental in the subsequent establishment of Christoph von Graffenried’s colony, New Bern, in North Carolina.  Michel returned to Virginia and neighboring colonies in 1704 and again in 1706-07, when he conducted extensive explorations of the lower Shenandoah Valley.  After helping Graffenried settle New Bern in 1710, he disappeared on the Carolina frontier in 1713 and is presumed to have died there.

 

The manuscript of Franz Ludwig Michel’s account of his first visit to Virginia is adorned with a painting of the family arms.  The arms are of the type called canting, or punning, Schwert being German for “sword.”  The motto, undoubtedly personal to Franz Ludwig himself, is apt for a man who led such an adventurous life.

 
Michael F. McCartney
 
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Michael F. McCartney
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12 February 2015 19:26
 

Looks good!

Would it be appropriate to include the URL that JD posted?

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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12 February 2015 19:52
 

Yes, I provide a citation of sources:

Robert A. Selig, “Wilhelmsburg,” Colonial Williamsburg (Summer 1998 ), rpt by Potomac Appalachian Trail Club at www.patc.us/history/native/michel2.html

 

H. W. Haller, “Drei Ahnentafeln der Familie von Erlach,” Archivum Heraldicum 20 (1906) 59.

 

And I plan to seek permission from Colonial Williamsburg to include the emblazonment posted by James.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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13 February 2015 12:59
 

Now on the REAA under the letter M.

 
Michael F. McCartney
 
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Michael F. McCartney
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13 February 2015 17:11
 

The text in the REAA entry is considerably shorter than your notes above.  Will your more detailed account also be posted somewhere that could be linked to the REAA entry?  (I’m guessing that the longer text might not fit in the available space for an REAA entry.)

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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13 February 2015 17:40
 

The longer text is for my book.  I was barely able to bring myself to compromise it by posting it here!

 
Michael F. McCartney
 
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Michael F. McCartney
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15 February 2015 01:31
 

Ah - a budding author!  Think of your postings as a teaser to boost sales!