Jakob Sidler was born 1665. When he was 25 he
married Verena Häberling from Bickwil who was 5 years younger. Bickwil is about
a mile south of Ottenbach. The little hamlet is now part of Obfelden which is
in the Ottenbach Parish. They had seven children. Jakob was a Sekelmeister
in Ottenbach. Verena lived to be 58, dying in 1728.(Temple Record Sidler and
Hegetschweiler, by Julius Billeter, page 25)
Unusual Death After his wife's death he lived alone for 13 years. Jakob died a most unusual way. According to his death record below he died "from a stab from a knife during a fall." Jakob died in 1741 at almost 76 years old. (Translation from Marion at the FHL SLC)
What does a Seckelmeister do?
The titles of each tithe had to be measured
first. Ktifer Heinrich Berli, Seckelmeister (cashier) Melchior Leutert and Hans
Ulrich Hegetschweiler were entrusted with this task. Afterwards, a commission
of one person was set up to calculate the payments of the individual farmers.
It was not until 1835 that all the farmers had completely repaid their
redemption debt. In 1822, the capitalization of the tithes took place at
Martini. Thus, from the second quarter of the 19th century Ottenbach was
largely free of tithes. (Ottenbach's population In the course of time by
Bernhard Schneider)
A Seckelmeister for the church was the
administrator of the confessional financial budgets and treasure. Both parties
appointed a special Treasurer for a period of six years... (Patrick A. Wild)
All Children Lived
One of the most unusual aspects of the Sidler history is that Jakob Sidler and Verena Häberling had seven children and no stillbirths or infant deaths. Also, all of their children married. Lastly Jakob and Verena never needed to remarry because of an early death. Verena died first and 13 years later Jakob passed.
All Children Lived
One of the most unusual aspects of the Sidler history is that Jakob Sidler and Verena Häberling had seven children and no stillbirths or infant deaths. Also, all of their children married. Lastly Jakob and Verena never needed to remarry because of an early death. Verena died first and 13 years later Jakob passed.
What happened to their children?
Othmar
Sidler 1691-1746 married Elsbeth Sidler, had 10 children, 4 married,
he was a sekelmeister, adjudant in Ottenbach, he lived 54 years 1 month 28
days,
Anna
Sidler 1693-1762 married Heinrich Sidler, 6 children 17 days,
lived 68 years 11 months 18 days
David Sidler 1696-1720
David Sidler 1696-1720
married Elisabetha Funk on 8 May 1719, had one
child, Elisabetha on 11 February 1720 in Ottenbach. 7 months 16 days
later David died in Flandern which translated means Belgium, David lived 23
years 10 months 8 days
Katharina
Sidler 1698- at least 1737, married Melchior Sidler, had 7 children, 3
married and large posterity
Anna Sidler 1702-1752 married Heinrich Sidler, had 7 children, lived 49 years 11 mo 7 days
Hans Kaspar Sidler 1705-1768
Anna Sidler 1702-1752 married Heinrich Sidler, had 7 children, lived 49 years 11 mo 7 days
Hans Kaspar Sidler 1705-1768
married Veronica Schneebeli who was four years
younger and they had 5 children. She died in 1746 when she was just 37 years
old and a year later, married Elisabeth Schneebeli of Affoltern, a relative but
not a sister to his first wife. They had one child in 1751. Hans died 17 years
later in 1768,. lived 62 years 10 months 2 days, large posterity
Melchior Sidler 1707-1765 married Anna Schneebeli, 8 children, lived 57 years 10 mo 4 days
Melchior Sidler 1707-1765 married Anna Schneebeli, 8 children, lived 57 years 10 mo 4 days
During their lives:
1727 Ottenbach plans for the construction of a Reuss bridge
which fails because of the resistance of Lucerne. Ottenbach can continue
to ferry their goods and citizens beyond the Reuss. (Ottenbach
Municipality website)
1700. In Muri Monastery, counseling takes place between
Lucerne and Zurich MPs about tithing from Ottenbach.
1712. For the sake of the war, the following is determined:
The tithe, who belongs to the church there on Merisch wander Boden from
Ottenbacher goods, is readily available; Lucerne again receives a travel
certificate for moving the tenth to Ottenbach. (Obfelden, Gedenkschrift zum
50-jährigen Bestand der Gemeinde, Oktober 1897)
1726 Reuss River
On December 4, 1726, the Ottenbach priest Hans Konrad Rahn
Land informed Johann Heinrich Fries von Knonau that "my wife Ottenbach had
a heartfelt and ardent desire to build a bridge over the Reuss River, as which
not only became necessary and useful to her, but which was also of no use to
anyone at night and was Jewish to me. Driving is very dangerous, he said.
People have been killed in accidents all the time. A new one had to be built
every year, which required expensive imported wood. The Giiters on the other
side of the Reuss are always being attacked by the "cheeky
neighbors", "ill-treated, defiled and robbed" because the people
of Ottenbach could not quickly get there by waiter a Briicke. Finally, Rahn
understood that a bridge would enable them to cultivate the good land, which
was not suitable for meadows, instead of using it as pasture. The people of
Ottenbach are prepared to use the Briicke only for the egg. (Ottenbach's
population In the course of time by Bernhard Schneider. Note: the bridge wasn't
completed until 1845)
Pastors In Ottenbach during Jacob's lifetime
1677. Hans Kaspar Huber. Dean 1684. When he was employed in
Kappel, he suffered a stroke, the consequences of which he soon died.
1696. Hans Heinrich Nötzli. Teacher at the Karolinum in
Zurich. Died
1701. Johann Heinrich Zwingli.Died in 1707 from a stroke.
1707. Hans Konrad Rahn. Deposed in 1737 for offense. Died
1744.
1737. Balthasar Zwingli, son of Hans Heinrich Zwingli. The
greatest, most handsome man among all his brothers in office. In 1753 almost
all of Ottenbach burned down. The pastor fell ill, had epilepsy (apoplectic)
coincidences, never went to the pulpit again, died in 1757.
1737 Pastor Rahn and Veronika Gut Adultery
Born in 1664 and ordained in 1688, Hans Konrad Rahn became
vicar in Niederweningen in 1690 and parish priest in Wigoltingen TG in 1692. In
1707 he took over the parish office in Ottenbach; in 1737 he was dismissed for
adultery at the age of 73. Afterwards he moved to Horgen, where he died in
1744.
1711 A wool theft, a Sad Story
"In 1711 a trial for wool theft took place in Ottenbach,
which gives various hints on the situation of the homeworkers in the early 18th
century. The 60-year-old Helena Riggert von Gersau was caught on 21 March 1711
in Knonau with ten pounds of wool "and a little syden" and arrested
"for dangerously woolen and silk tolerant". She had "become
orphaned in her youth". Her husband was no longer alive. Two of her
children had reached adulthood, but she did not know "where her two
children might be currently". She herself moved throughout the
German-speaking world! of Europe, "like the poor people clever
thugs". Throughout her life she had lived on begging.
"About four years ago a woman in Ottenbach asked her if she
could use money. She answered that she had "vii vonnothen". The woman
then told her to go to a "poor husli". There she had sold her six
pounds of wool, the pound for 8 lbs. In Zug and Baar she, Helena Riggert, had
sold the wool for 10 lbs. At the shop in the "Husli" in Ottenbach was
attended by a second woman, who later sold her wool and silk for the same pound
price, with which she was then caught by the bailiff. Helena Riggert was obviously
punished by being bred and sentenced to life imprisonment.
"The trial records show that the two women in the
"husli" were only intermediaries. They bought wool from Ottenbach
wool spinners in small quantities, which they had stolen from the raw wool
supplied by their client and processed on their own account. According to the
bailiff of Knonau, this was "to the greatest detriment of the masters
fabricants". The spinners received four shillings (1.6 lbs.) per quarter
of a pound of stolen wool. The middlemen beat a quarter on top of that and
Helena Riggert as a saleswoman charged a margin of another quarter.
The profits of these women varied, but were in any case very
small. Helena Riggert, who took the biggest risk from alien participants, for
which she earned the most for every pound sold, explained that it was
"done out of dead poverty and (she) felt sorry for hunt". There is no
reason to doubt this statement. If she was not caught by the bailiff on 21
March 1711 where in the course of four years, she had just earned four pounds
of the 16 pounds of wool in question. Since she was caught, she lost a total of
8½ pounds, was obviously humiliated in Zürich, and was given a life-long
expulsion. Hardly anyone who had enough to eat took such a risk." (Ottenbach's
population In the course of time by Bernhard Schneider)
Documents related to Jakob Sidler:
 |
| Jacob Sidler birth 18 June 1665 film 8014328 page 197 |
Wolf:
den 18. t(en) Junij [1665]Kind: Jacob.
Elteren: Hanß Rudj Sÿdler allhir Wagners / Margretha Grobin.
Zeügen: Jaglj Wäber von Rifferschwÿl ... / Verena Schneewlin Josen tochter hir.
Note: I can't tell you with confidence what the 3(?) letters after Rifferschwÿl are: "wir" ??? What would that mean? Abbreviation for Wirt???
Verena Schneebli's father was likely a Joseph.
 |
| Jacob Sidler married 6 Dec 1690 Verena film 8014328 page 355 |
Auff den 9. Xbris [1690]
Joglj Seidler, auch von Ottenbach, vnd Vrenj Häberlig von Bickweil.
Häberlig = today Häberling: citizens of Obfelden ZH
 |
| 1708 BV: Jacob Sidler and Verena Häberling 1708 Church Census film 7765851 page 656 |
These censuses
were taken every few years. It was a way for the Parish Pastor to report
what he is doing to the higher ups. Some of the censuses have great
detail. Not the case with this one however, it does include the birth years.
.
 |
| Jakob Sidler b 1665 in the 1733 Census wife has passed film 8126955 page 478. |
 |
| Jakob Sidler death 22 May 1741 film 8014328 page 615 |
Wolf:
Starb an einem Stich von einem Meßer in Fahl(?) empfangen.
Died from a stab with a knife received in Fahl(?).
I am not sure about Fahl: from the context I expect a place name - but the only Fahl I can find is in (catholic) Appenzell-Innerrhoden: why would he be there?
As discussed before: "alt Seckelmeister" = retired Seckelmeister (treasurer).
Starb an einem Stich von einem Meßer in Fahl(?) empfangen.
Died from a stab with a knife received in Fahl(?).
I am not sure about Fahl: from the context I expect a place name - but the only Fahl I can find is in (catholic) Appenzell-Innerrhoden: why would he be there?
As discussed before: "alt Seckelmeister" = retired Seckelmeister (treasurer).
Transcription:
Abgestorbene.
1741
Den
22. Maij wurd begraben (was buried), alt Seckelmeister (old treasuerer) Jacob
Sydler zu Ottenbach
aet.
(aetas latin, Alter, age) 76 (years), u.(nd) 4 Monath
Starb
...
Translation, somewhat helpful:
Deceased. 1741
On May 22nd was buried (was buried), old Seckelmeister (old treasuerer) Jacob Sydler zu Ottenbach
aet. (aetas latin, age) 76 (years), u.(nd) 4 Monath
Died ...
 |
| Sidler and Hegetschweiler Temple Record by Julius Billeter page 25 |