Notes for Johann Philipp Korffmann: [morrismarvin.FTW]
JOHANN PHILIPP KORFFMANN of Alzey and Stein-Bockenheim, Kreis Alzey, Rheinhessen, formerly part of Hessen-Darmstadt, West Germany, was born 1653, birthplace and parentage not found. (He may well have descended from Conrad Korffmann of Neuss am Rhein, Westphalia, born about 1498, whose son Wilhelm became a burgher there 1555.) He died Stein-Bockenheim April 1726 and was buried there 30 April 1726, aged 73 years:
1726/ Den 30. Aprilis Johann Philipp Korffmann Schultheiss begraben, aetatis 73 Jahr. (Kirchenbuch Stein-Bockenheim)
He married (1) about 1675, ANNA OTTILIA LUFFT, born Stein-Bockenheim November 1653, died there and was buried 5 February 1711, aged 57 years 2 months and about 12 days:
1711/ Den 5ten Februarij Annam Otiliam, Philipp Korfmanns Schultheissen Hausfrau, begraben, aetatis 57 Jahr 2 Monath -12 Tage. (Kirchenbuch Stein-Bockenheim)
She was the eldest daughter of Johann Daniel and Anna Catharina Lufft of Stein-Bockenheim. He married (2) Stein-Bockenheim 27 July 1711, ANNA MARGARETHA (...) FRANKFURTER, born May 1659, died and was buried 15 December 1720, aged 61 years 7 months, widow of Johann Leonhard Frankfurter, baker and grocer of Stein-Bockenheim.
Philipp was a Palatine-electoral overseer and tax collector (kurpfälzischer Fauth), a mayor or chief magistrate under the Count of the 'Wild and Rhine (Wild- und Rheingräflicher Schultheiss) at Stein-Bockenheim, a district magistrate or supervisor (Oberschultheiss), a landlord or innkeeper and an Evangelical elder (Kirchenältester). Regarding him, Fröhlich wrote (24 October 1967):
Philipp appeared in 1685 as a Palatine-electoral Fauth under the Ausfauth at Alzey who, with the help of Fauths in individual municipalities, was responsible for the administration of taxes against Palatine subjects not living in Palatine territory. This system was refered to as the Wildfangsrecht.
Philipp could since 1698 or later have become Schultheiss under the Count of the Wild and Rhine, but could not have been both Fauth under the Elector Palatine and Schultheiss under the Count at the same time.
it is very likely he was in the Palatine military service before he was appointed a Fauth. The electors were a body of independent sovereigns who elected the German monarchs. The chief residence of the Elector Palatine was Heidelberg castle. Philipp served under Carl II who ruled the electorate from 1680 until his death in 1685. He was the last of the Protestant Simmern line of electors. His sister had married the duke of Orleans, brother of Louis XIV of France, and Louis accordingly claimed part of the lands of Carl. French troops took Heidelberg castle, devastated the Palatinate, and Carl, who died without heirs, was succeeded by the Catholic Philipp Wilhelm of Neuberg whose son and successor Johann Wilhelm deprived Protestants of various civil rights. Such hardships plus others eventually led to mass emigrations to the American colonies.
The Ausfauth of Alzey was mentioned 1680: 1680 Juni 2. ... Stein-Bockenheim ... Der Ausfauth zu Alzey hat die Wildfänge eingeführt, sonst gibt es keine fremden Rechte oder Belastungen.
In the Stein-Bockenheim archives an entry for 1685 in "The Old Stock-book of the Alzey Wine Cellars, A Renewal of the Daimbach Courtholdings of 1568," states: "thus the beginning was made by the Palatine-electoral Fauth Johann Philippus Korffmann":
Alzeyer Kellerei, Alten Lagerbuchs Eine Erneurung des Daimbacher grossen Hofguths anno 1568 ... 1685 ... so von Chur-Pfaltz Fauth Johann Philippus Korffmann der Anfang gemacht worden. (SBA.)
About 1689 or later Philipp succeeded his step-father-in-law Johannes Lauer (Lahr) as Schultheiss, which office he held until his death in 1726 when he was succeeded by his son Johann Daniel. The Schultheiss, who held the highest secular office in German villages and was above the burgomasters, exerted authority in the legal, judicial and administrative matters of a village and was also responsible for garrisoning troops for its protection during emergencies. Philipp was Schultheiss under the Wild- und Rheingraf of the Rheingrafenstein line once in residence at the castle on the Rheingrafenstein on the Nahe river at Bad Münster am Stein, about six miles northwest of Stein-Bockenheim, until the castle was destroyed by the French in 1688 and the residence was removed to Graugreweiler.
In 1696 in the Stein-Bockenheim records of provisions of citizens (Nahrungszettel) on page 181, "Johann Philippus Korffmann" was credited with a house "in need of repair" in the Hintergasse, some raw oats and the annual leases, taxes and rentals of various properties including Akerfeld, then belonging to Alzey, the wine cellars of Daimbach cloister, then part of the wine cellars of Alzey, the Stein-Bockenheim Evangelical church and the parish of Aberndorf.
On 26 Feb. 1697 Philipp witnessed the administration of the estate of his father-in-law Johann Daniel Lufft. He signed "J P Korffmann MP" the "mp" standing for manu propria, a true signature. (See page 20.) The share of his wife included part ownership of a house and Courtyard on the Hintergasse, a share in a lodging on the Kirchgasse, a Courtyard and small garden on the Bachgasse near the town gate and ,shares in some fields and meadows.
He was mentioned in a Heidelberg record with others 26 Jan. 1704: Herr Schott fand im Heidelberger Stadtarchiv eine Urkunde vom 26 1. 1704, in der 'Philipps KorbMann' zusammen mit dem Schultheissen und einem anderen Schöffen von Stein-Bockenheim gennant wird.
In the Archives du Bas-Rhin at Strasbourg (Strassburg), Lorraine, France, pertaining to his son Caspar, he was refered to as "Philippe Korffmann. aubergiste et ecoutete de Steinbockenheim" (aubergiste=innkeeper, 'ecoutete=mayor), The same archives refered to him as "Oberschultheiss de Steinbockenheim" when he witnessed the baptism of his grand-daughter Suzanne Catherine Jeanne Korffmann at Diemeringen 1719.
Adalbert Goertz's Regional German FAQs Rheinhessen FAQ By Adalbert Goertz, Colorado Springs, CO
Q1: Where was Rheinhessen?
A1: Rheinhessen was one of the three provinces of the Grandduc Hessen, the other two being Starkenburg and Oberhessen. Its capital was Mainz located West of the Rhine river. Today Rheinhessen is a district of Land Rheinland-Pfalz of the new Germany together with Rheinpfalz and the (formerly Prussia districts of Koblenz, Trier and Montabaur.
Q2: What was Rheinhessen's recent history?
A2: France annexed the area in 1802. After Napoleon's defeat, Rheinhess was given to the Grandduchy of Hessen in 1815 and became kno Rheinhessen.
Q3: What were the administrative areas of Rheinhessen?
A3: In 1890 Rheinhessen had the following (5) Kreise (counties): Alzey,Bingen,Mainz,Oppenheim,Worms. Its population was 46.3% Evangelical,49.3% Catholic,0.3% Jewish.
Q4: What were the court districts in 1890?
A4: The highest court in the Grandduchy of Hessen was the Oberlandesgericht in Darmstadt.
The provincial court for Rheinhessen was Landgericht Mainz with (11) Amtsgerichte: Alzey,Bingen,Mainz,Niederolm,Oberingelheim,Oppenheim,Osthofen, Pfeddersheim,Woellstein,Woerrstadt,Worms.
Of special interest are the land deed records with no published survey known todate.
Q5: How do I find locations and maps for Rheinhessen?
A5: The best German gazetteer is Meyers Orts- and Verkehrslexikon des Deutschen Reiches,1912 editio which is available on microfiche in the LDS Family History Center
There is LDS microfilm #068814 available of Karte des Deutschen Reiches, scale 1:100000, 1km = 1cm which may be loaned thru the LDS Family History Centers. It covers Germany for 1914-1917.
Topographical maps (Messtischblaetter 1:25000) as well as historical maps may be purchased from
For details see: Learned, Marion Dexter, 1857-1917: Guide to the manuscript materials relating to American histo in the German state archives, Washington, D.C., Carnegie Institution of Washington. Publication no. 150 , 1912, 352 p.: -also Kraus reprints NY 1965-
p.275-277:Darmstadt archives
More About Johann Philipp Korffmann: Burial: 30 Apr 1726, Stein-Bockenheim, Germany.7022
More About Johann Philipp Korffmann and Anna Otillia Lufft: Marriage: 1675, Stein-Bockenheim, Rheinhessen, Germany.7023, 7024
Children of Johann Philipp Korffmann and Anna Otillia Lufft are:
Schultheiss Johann Philipp Korffmann (b. 1653, d. 20 Apr 1726)
Notes for Johann Philipp Korffmann: