Genealogy of the Boehner / Böhner Family of Nova Scotia (c. 1730

First Generation

1. Johann Georg Boehner. Born abt 1731 in Ansbach. Johann Georg died in Lunenburg, Lunenburg Co., Nova Scotia, on 17 Jan 1804; he was 73.

Johann Georg Böhner who reportedly came from the Markgrafschaft (Margraviate of) Ansbach, likely came from another territory under the jurisdiction of the Markgraf von (or Margrave of) Ansbach. The Margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach, were also the Grafen von (Counts of) Sayn-Altenkirchen. It is very likely that Johann George Böhner, Johann Matthias Bleisteiner and other settlers of Lunenburg from the Markgrafschaft Ansbach actually came from the Rhenish territory of the Grafschaft (Countship of) Sayn-Altenkirchen. The likely town of origin is Neu-Anspach in modern Hessen.

Johann Georg was 21 years old when he left Ansbach. On the passenger list of the ship Gale in 1752, he is listed as being single and a butcher by occupation (Bell's Register, P.A.N.S., MG 1, vol. 109-111, hereafter Bell's Register). The passengers for the Gale left from Leimen, Electorate of the Palatinate on 6 May 1752 (Gregorian calendar or New Style [N.S.]). The Gale left Rotterdam on 5 June 1752 (N.S.) and arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 26 August (Julian calendar or Old Style [N.S.])/6 September (N.S.) 1752. The passengers were allowed to disembark on 26 September 1752 (N.S., all dates after 14 September 1752 are New Style)(Winthrop Bell, The 'Foreign Protestants' and the Settlement of Nova Scotia, p. 199, hereafter Bell, 'Foreign Protestants'). Like the majority of settlers, Johann Georg was indebted to the Crown for his passage to Nova Scotia. He owed the Crown fl. 75.12.0 (Bell's Register), which was equal to £6.17.6 at the contemporary rate of exchange of florins to pounds sterling (Bell, 'Foreign Protestants,' p. 261). It is not recorded where the passengers from the Gale were quartered, but it may be assumed that they were settled at the isthmus of the Halifax peninsula with the other German settlers. He is listed as No. 8 on the Halifax victualling list, Gale arrivals, for September-October 1752 and again for February-April 1753 (Bell's Register).

In May or June 1753 Johann Georg Boehner, along with the other German and Montbéliardais settlers, removed to Lunenburg, N.S. which was in the process of being founded by the British authorities in Halifax for the settlers. At Lunenburg he is found on the 'Return of Arms' in December 1753 as residing in Creighton's Division (ward). Thirty acre lots were distributed by lottery in 1753-54., and Johann Georg received lot D-6 in the South Division of ranges. Livestock was distributed in the fall of 1754. Johann Georg was paired with Felix Liebestein for the livestock lottery. They received as a pair three sheep and two goats. The records of the livestock lottery list them as 'Bad Singlemen' (Bell's Register). The listing of Johann Georg as a 'Bad Singleman' may indicate that he was involved in the Lunenburg insurrection of December 1753 (for a full account see Bell, 'Foreign Protestants,' pp. 450-68).

Catherine Regina Rubin (the -in in Rubin is the feminine German noun suffix and indicates that the family surname was probably Rube) came to Nova Scotia on the ship Pearl which left from Rotterdam on 6 June 1752 (N.S.) and arrived at Halifax, N.S. on 10/21 or 11/22 August 1752 (O.S./N.S.). The passengers were allowed to disembark on 24 August (O.S.)/4 September 1752 (N.S.) (Bell, 'Foreign Protestants,' p. 198.) The passengers from the Pearl were placed at the isthmus of the Halifax peninsula (Bell, 'Foreign Protestants,' p. 379). Catherine Regina Rubin accompanied her sister and brother-in-law Maria Catherine (Rube) and Johannes Linck and their child who apparently died on the passage to Nova Scotia since the child's name does not appear on any victualling lists. The two Lincks and Catherine were indebted for three adult freights, fl. 226.16.0. Catherine and the Lincks appear as No. 7 on the Pearl arrivals victualling lists for August-October 1752 and for February-April 1753. As with the other German and Montbéliard settlers, the Linck family and Catherine Regina Rubin removed to Lunenburg in May or June 1753, and according to the 'Roll of Arms' in December 1753, they were living in Moreau's Division (Bell's Register).

Johann Georg Boehner and Catherine Regina Rubin were married on 10 December 1754, but were listed separately on the victualling list for June 1755. Johann Georg was No. 1062 on the list while Catherine, under her maiden name, was No. 1036, directly below Johannes and Maria Elizabeth Linck, Nos. 1033 and 1035 respectively. However, they appear together as George and Regina Bener, Nos. 785-786 on the victualling list for February to May 1756 while their daughter Catherine, No. 1295, appears for a half ration. The three Boehners last appear on the victualling list for January-May 1757 (Bell's Register).

Johann Georg participated in the cattle expedition of 1756 which gathered abandoned Acadian cattle from the Grand Pré region. The Registry of Town Lots in 1760 has Johann Georg listed as residing at lot E-3, Creighton's Division of Lunenburg. This lot was shared with Frederick Ott, each having half the lot (Bell's Register). Each lot measured 40 feet by 60 feet (12.2 metres by 18.3 metres) (Bell, 'Foreign Protestants,' p. 427). The Registry of Thirty Acre Lots (12.14 hectare lots) in 1760-62 lists George Bener for lot D-6 in the South Division of ranges and, by order of Col. Sutherland, 16 acres (6.5 hectares) behind lots D-9 and D-10 South Division because "his own 30-Acre Lott falling short of that quantity." Northwest Range lot A-42 was listed at the Halifax registry of deeds under the name Jonathan Beener, who was probably Johann Georg as there was no settler by the name Jonathan Beener that appears on any lists. In the second drawing for 300 acre (121.4 hectares) lots in November 1763, George Bohner received lot A-1 in the Second Division which is located behind the Clearland thirty acre lots. The Lunenburg Township grant of 30 June 1784 lists George Bohner, Sr. as owning 160 acres (64.75 hectares) (Bell's Register).

Georg Boehner appears in the 1770 Nova Scotia census (Lunenburg, p. 5). His household consisted of 9 people: 1 man, 1 woman, 2 boys and 5 girls. He owned 2 Cows and 1 Swine.

On 1 July 1782 American privateers attacked and lotted Lunenburg. George Boehner and another man, name unknown, "started out from the Back Harbour [of Lunenburg], in an open boat, on the morning of the enemy's arrival, reaching Halifax in the evening..." (Mather Byles DesBrisay, History of the County of Lunenburg, p. 68).

In the Nova Scotia Poll tax of 1794 for Lunenburg, George Boehner, Sr. was listed as a butcher and was taxed 3 schillings for owning four 'Neat Cattle' (Census of Nova Scotia Poll Taxes, 1793-96, P.A.N.S., RG 1, vol 4441/2).

On 10 Dec 1754 Johann Georg married Catherine Regina Rubin, daughter of Rube, in Lunenburg, Lunenburg Co., Nova Scotia.1 Born abt 1736 in Hzm. Württemberg. Catherine Regina died in Lunenburg, Lunenburg Co., Nova Scotia, on 5 Jul 1821; she was 85.

Possibly from Schmie bei Maulbronn, Württemberg.

They had the following children:

2i.

Maria Catherine (~1755-1840)

3ii.

Johann Georg (~1757-1847)

4iii.

Anna Barbara (1759-1845)

5iv.

Margareta Barbara (1761-)

6v.

Maria Elizabeth (1764-)

7vi.

John Frederick (1767-1830)

8vii.

Johanna (1769-)

9viii.

Regina (1771-)

10ix.

Johann Jacob (1773-1864)