|
Georg Christoph,Coester
Contributed by John Merz
For the record:
The church records of Rev. G.C. Coester having been mentioned by a subscriber of
our Hessians mail list, this is what is known about him and his records and
where to locate them.
Personal Data:
Georg Christoph, his date of birth not quoted, was baptised 15 Dec 1751 in Ersen
(today Liebenau-Ersen near Hofgeismar)Father Johann Georg Coester, Pastor in
Ersen and Hofgeismar,
mother Anna Martha, nee Weeten, daughter of a pastor. Immatriculation at Marburg
17 April 1771, in 1776 Feldprediger (Chaplain) at the Hessen-Kassel Regiment von
Donop, garrison in Hoberg/Efze) August 1786 to 14.July 1790 Pastor in Malsfeld,
died at that date. Married 1. May 1787 in Oberlistingen, had 2 children.
His military church records were published in Germany under: Geschichtliche
Nachrichten aus Treysa = Das Tagebuch des Feldpredigers G.C. Coester 1776-1784,
subtitle: Hessische Feldprediger im amerikanischen Unabhaengigkeitskrieg - Als
Beitrag zum Verstaendnis der Zeit
(a contribution to the understanding of those times) by Heinz Krause, 1969. I
personally still have the photocopies of the whole publication, which I received
from a person in Hessen by paying for each page (total 65 pages).
One English translation of Coesters records in shortform was researched and
published by Marie Dickore, A.M., of Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1959, under the title
"Hessian Soldiers in the American Revolution - Records of Their Marriages
and Baptisms of Their Children in America performed by theRev. G.C. Coester,
1776-1783, Chaplain of two Hessian Regiments. The photocopies I have came from
the Washington Memorial Library, total 25 pages. including a very well indexed
list of names. Worth mentioning is the fact that Coester was Chaplain not only
of the Kassel Regt.
von Donop, but also of the Kassel Regt. von Lossberg.
Trusting that this information will help some of you who are looking for those
records, to locate them in your libraries.
With my best wishes,
Yours
John Helmut Merz,
RETIRED!
(btw. there is no connection or relation to your General George A. Custer of
Indian fame)
|
