Philippi Family of Keskastel

One PHILIPPI family who lived in the village of Keskastel lived there for at least 150 years and witnessed the village change from ownership first of the Counts of Nassau as part of the grafschaft (countdom) of Saarwerden; then in 1845 the village was turned over to the Nassau-Weilburg branch of the noble family; and finally in 1793 the entire region became property of France and soon after was annexed to the department (equal to U.S. State) of Bas-Rhin, France.

A study of both Church and Notary records reveal that a Philippi family in Keskastel were descendants of a Nickel (Nicolaus) Philippi who lived in Saarbrücken, Germany which is directly north of the area where Keskastel is located. It was Philip Philippi, son of Nickel Philippi, a butcher in Saarbrücken, who married 24 April 1726 in Keskastel to Maria Elisabetha Fischer, daughter of Hans Heinrich Fischer of Keskastel. A son of Philip Philippi, "Hans Adam" was baptized in the Lutheran faith 25 Sep 1729 and later married Maria Elisabetha Brehm an their 8th child was Johann Adam Philippi, baptized 22 May 1774. This Johann Adam Philippi was married to Eva Margaretha Reeb and during one decade between late 1820s and early 1830s of in the early emigrated from Keskastel to the U.S.A. where they resided in Eden Township, Erie County, New York. Their oldest daughter Eva Margaretha Philippi had marrie Jacob Barth in Keskastel where two Barth children, Caroline and Catharina Barth were born. They are found resident of Lancaster Township, Erie County, during the 1850 census. John V. Reeb