The Goodner Name
What is the meaning of the name "Goodner", and what was its spelling in German, since the name is of extraction?
Attached to the pension papers of Conrad Goodner, filed in 1835, now on file in the War Department Archives in Washington, there are some leaves, torn from Conrad's old Bible, giving the names and birth dates of certain of the older members of his family and written in German. From what is stated in these pension papers, this writing, or that which was done in German, was evidently done by Conrad's father-in-law, Jacob Daniel Scherrer. The date of the last name written in German is that of Maria Saloma, "Sally", on May 21st, 1786, which fact by the way may determine the approximate time that Conrad and Elizabeth left Guilford County, since the date of the next child, David, on October. 26, 1788, is in English. Jacob Daniel, remaining in Guilford County, was thus not available to carry on the record in German.
Here the name is written "Gűttener". This is the only known record of the Goodner name in German, and because it was written at the time that Conrad was living, and by his father-in-law who had a good German education, it would appear that we should accept it as correct. Not only did Jacob Daniel know Conrad, but he would also have known Conrad's parents and would have conversed with them in German. Thus we can be assured that he was familiar with the proper spelling of the name. Facsimiles of these papers appear with the balance of the facsimiles of Conrad's pension papers. Incidentally, here is recorded the only known writing of Jacob Daniel.
Now that the name in German is established, what is it's meaning? In the year 1931, Mrs. Lena Goit met a Professor Shearer in St. Petersburg, Florida, - a very learned man and a professor of languages, formerly of Cincinnati. Prof. Shearer was born in Wurzburg, Germany, and came to this country when 15 years of age. On question from Mrs. Goit as to the translation of the name Goodner into German and explanation of it's meaning, Prof. Shearer said that the best translation would be "Gutner,” - that the first part of the name "Gűt", means estate, and that the name meant "an owner of an estate.”
Coinciding with this opinion of Prof. Shearer is one of a recently arrived German of apparently good education, who upon being asked the same question as propounded to Prof. Schearer, stated that the meaning of the name meant the owner of an estate, but not the owner of a farm. or of a small estate, but a very large estate, more in the nature of a domain.
Thus if the name does have that interpretation, then such a meaning might convey significance to the tradition in the family of a landed estate having belonged to our Goodner forebears. And since it was in the 13th century that all Germans were ordered to adopt a family name, indications are that they were owners of a landed estate at that time.
The name "Gűttener" and "Gűtner" differ slightly. Whether in the course of 200 years the " Güttener" could have been shortened to " Gűtner " is something not known, but since such changes are common in the English language, it is logical to assume that similar changes would occur in other languages.
In "Rupp's Thirty Thousand Immigrants,” there appears the name of a Michael Goodner, who arrived in this country on October 20th, 1752, on the Ship Duke of Wirtemberg, Daniel Montpelier, Commander, which came from Rotterdam but which was last from port of Cowes on the Isle of Wight. A perusal of the names of the other immigrants on this ship does not reveal any of the known German families that settled in the counties of Orange and Guilford in North Carolina. No known descendants of this Michael have ever to our knowledge been found. In the publication, "Pioneers of Massachusetts", by C. H. Pope, published in 1900, there appears the name of an Edmund Goodner, a resident of Ipswich, Mass. He is listed as one of a group appointed by the General Court of September 27th, 1642, to look after the manufacture of saltpeter. The finding of a Goodner in the New England colonies posed a certain problem and some conjecture, since these colonies were settled by the English, and the thought naturally occurred as to whether there was an English branch of the family from whom this Edmund might have come. However, searching more deeply into the matter, it was found that Pope was in error in giving the name as "Goodner'; the name actually being Goodnow, but sometime written as Goodnor, which might have been the cause of the error. The recognized authority on these early settlers in Massachusetts is "Banks Typographical Dictionary of 2885 Emigrants to New England 1620 to 1650". He gives the name as Goodnow, and states that Edmund Goodnow came over in the Ship "Confidence", that he came from the Parish of Donhead, Wiltshire, England, and landed in Sudbury, Mass. On this same ship came John and Thomas Goodnow, who came from the Parish of Shaftsbury, Dorsetshire, England, and from "Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of Revolution", page 585, published by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it was found that the name of Goodnow, in addition to the variation Goodnor, was also spelled Goodnew, Goodenough, Goodenow, etc.
Still trying to learn more of the Gűttener name and family, I wrote in 1958 to a Herr Hans Gűtner in Hamburg, Germany, whose name was found in the Hamburg telephone directory. The letter reads as follows:
June 2nd, 1958 Dayton, Ohio
Herr Hans Guttner
Handels-Verti
Gflottb von Thűnen Str. 14
Hamburg, Germany.
Dear Herr Güttner:
I am writing you about a matter on which I hope you can, and will, give me some information. It is a problem on which I have studied for years and on which I have done much research, but which I have been unable to solve. In searching through your Hamburg telephone directory , a copy of which is in our City library , I came across your name, which is the only Güttner in the book.
Briefly, my problem is this. Sometime between the years 1755 and 1770 a German family came to America and settled in what is now the State of North Carolina. The name of this family as spelled in English is "Goodner." On the leaves of a very old Bible, there is a notation of some births in which the name is spelled as have never been able to find out the meaning of this name, or where in Germany the seat of the family was. I am inclined to think that the name "Güttener" and " Güttner " is one and the same. And this is my reason for writing you.
Would you be so kind as to write me and tell me if in your opinion the names represent the same family, that if in the course of years the name could have been shortened by the dropping of the "e "? Also, will you write me the meaning of the name, if it has one, and if possible where the seat of the family might have been 200 years or so ago. Any additional information you can give me regarding the name of your family, and of the one on which I am seeking some knowledge, will be sincerely appreciated.
I am writing a genealogical history of the family, of which I am a descendant, and such information will be highly interesting and valuable. I shall look forward to a reply from you with considerable interest and anticipation.
Very truly yours,
Hubert W. Lacey II
This letter was translated into German through the kindness of a friend, and posted. In due time I received the following reply:
Hamburg - Gr.
Flottbek
den 27-7-1958.
Herrn Hubert W. Lacey
7240 Union School
House Road
Dayton 4, Ohio
Sehr geehrter Herr Lacey:
Durch die Urlaubszeit und den anschliessenden grősseren Arbeitsanfall komme ich erst heute zur Beantwortung Ihrer freundlichen Zeilen vom 6.6.1958.
Ihr Unternehem ist sicher ein sehr schwieriges und ich befűrchte leider, dass ich zu dessen Erfolg nicht viel beitragen kann. Aber zur Sache.
Eine Bedeutung fűr den Namen Gűttner kann ich nich geben. Wahrscheinlich ist der Name im Laufe der Jahre vielfach abgewandelt. Ich bin auch nicht sicher, dass die Namen "Guttener" und "Gűttner" ubereinstimmen. Es gibt in Deutschland viele ähnliche Familiennamen, z.B. Bűttner, Jűttner, Grűttner, und ähnliche.
Nach einer schriftlich nicht vorliegenden Uberlieferung soIl ein schwedischer Oberst oder Oberstleutant "von Gűttner nach Deutschland gekommen sein, wahrschleinlich im Laufe des 30-jahrigen Krieges mit Konig Gustav-Adolf, der sich in Sachsen sesshaft gemacht hat. Von den Sőhnen dieses von Gűttner soll einer nach Mecklenburg und einer nach Schlesien ausgewandert sein. Das Adelsprädikat sollen die Sőhnen wegfallen lassen haben.
Wenn die Uberlieferung stimmt, so kann ich Ihnen nicht einmal sagen, zu welcher Linie meine Familie gehort. Yon meiner direkten linie kann ich nur folgende Angaben machen:
Urgrossvater Carl Friedrich geb. 28.3.1800 in Lissa, Kries Posen
Grossvater Carl Louis, geb. 3.12.1834 in Danzig
Vater Adolf Robert, geb. 6.3.1875 in Danzig
Ich selbst bin such in Danzig geboren und dort gross geworden. Im Jahre 1925 ging ich nach Hamburg. Ich habe noch einer Bruder, der nach dem Kriege auch in Hamburg eine neue Heimat gefunded hat. Meine Familie ist evangelisch.
Aus diesen Angaben ist keine Ableitung oder fűr Sie nűtzlicher Hinweis zu entnehmen.
Meine verstorbene Mutter hat sich in den letzten Jahren vor dem Kriege etwas mit der Ahnenforschung befasst und dabei Verbindung mit der oben erwähnten ursprűnglichen Linie aus Mecklenburg gehabout Aus den hinterlassenen Unterlagen konnte ich folgende Angaben entnehmen:
Johann Andreas Gűttner, geb. 1689. gest. 21.2.1769, Kűster zu Carlow in Mecklenburg.
Johannes Andreas Gűttner hatte 5 Tőchter und einen Sohn. Nachfolgend gebe ich nur die Sőhne an.
Martin Jűrgen Christoph, geb. 8.7.1727 - gestorben Kűster u. Schneidenneister in Carlow.
Dessen Sohne :
1. Hans Jacob Friedrich WilhelIn, geb. 22.4.1762 - gest. 30.6.1831. Kuster u. Schullehrer in Carlow.
2. Andreas Wilhelm Christoph, geb. 22.1.1765 - gest. 31.8.1766
3. Hartwig Christoffer, geboren. 6.9.1769 - gestorben; Es fehlen weitere Angaben.
4. Joachim Martin, geboren. 5.10.1771 - gest. 6.8.1814. Rademacher u. Kirchenjurat in Carlow.
5. Johann Andreas, geb. 1775 – gestorben ? - Schuhmachermeister 7. Johann Friderich Bonaventura, geb. 5.12.1776- gestorben ?
Die Aufzählung der weiteren Nachkommenshaft ist fűr den vorliegenden Fall wohl ohne Bedeutung. Ich kann sie mir daher ersparen Auffällig ist vielIeicht, daß fűr den Vater Martin Jűrgen Christoph und seine beiden Hartwig Christoffer (Nr. 3) und Johann Friedrich Bonaventura (7) die Todesdaten feWen, sowie jeder Hinweis bei den Sohnen, was ailS ihnen geworden ist. Eei dem beiden Sohn Johann Andreas (Nr. 5) kann ich zwar das Todesdatum auch nicht finden, was aber das Datum seiner Hochzeit am 12.6.1813 mit Thrin Marie Dierk aus Stove.
Ich wűrde mich freuen, wenn Sie mit Ihrer gewiss műhevollen Arbeit Erfolg haben und ich bin auch weiterhin gern bereit. Sie hierbei zu unterstűrtzen, sofem Sie glauben, daß es fűr Sie nűtzlich sein kann und Sie mir dabei etwas Zeit lassen konnen.
Mit freundlichen Grűssen
Hans Guttner
Translated, the letter reads:
Hamburg, Germany,
Von Thűnen Street No.14
July 27th, 1958
Hans Guttner
Dear Mr. Lacey:
Because of vacation and the accumulation of work I have not been able to answer sooner your friendly letter dated.
Your task is surely very difficult, and I am afraid that I cannot contribute much to its success. But to proceed:
I cannot give you the meaning of the name Guttner. Probably the name has been changed often during the past years. I am not sure that the names ”Guttener" and "Guttner" are the same. In Germany there are many similar family names, for example, Bűttner, Jűttner, Grűttner and similar ones.
According to written data which I do not have on hand, it is said that a Swedish Colonel had come to Germany during the 30 Year War with Gustavus Adolphus and had settled in Saxony. One of the sons of this von Guttner had emigrated to Mecklenburg, and another son to Silesia. Supposedly, the sons had dropped the term of nobility.
If this information is correct, I cannot tell you to which line my family belongs. Of my direct line I can give you the following information:
Great Grandfather Carl Friedrich was born March 28th, 1800, in Lissa, district of Posen.
Grandfather Carl Louis was born December 3rd, 1834, in Danzig.
Father Adolph Robert was born March 6th, 1875 in Danzig.
I was born in Danzig also and raised there. In 1925 I moved to Hamburg. I have yet one brother who found a new home in Hamburg after the war. My family is Evangelistic.
From this information you cannot derive much useful data.
My deceased mother was engaged in the search of ancestors in the last years before the war, and had formed connections with the original line from Mecklenburg, mentioned above. From the documents left behind I was able to learn the following information:
Johann Andreas Gűttner, born 1689, died February 21st, 1769, a sacristan in Carlow in Mecklenburg.
Johann Andreas Gűttner had five daughters and one son. The following information is only about the son.
Martin Juergen (Jűrgen) Christoph, born July 8th, 1727. Died - ?;Sacristan a tailor in Carlow.
His sons:
1. Hans Jacob Friedrich Wilhelm, born April 22nd, 1762. Died June 30th, 1831. Sacristan and teacher in Carlow.
2. Andreas Wilhelm Christoph, born January 22nd, 1765. Died August 31st, 1766.
3. Hartwig Christoffer, born Sept. 6th, 1769. Died -? Additional information is missing.
4. Joachim Martin, born October 5th, 1771. Died August 6th, 1814. Wheelmaker and member of church committee in Carlow.
5. Johann Andreas, born 1775. Died - ? Shoemaker.
6. Johann Fredrich Bona Ventura, born December 5th, 1776. Died - ?
In this case it is not necessary to name the other descendants. Perhaps it is strange that the dates of death of the father, Martin Jűrgin Christoph and his two sons, Hartwig Christoffer (No. 3) and Johann Friedrich Bonaventura (No. 7) are missing, as well as any indications of the career of the two sons. I could not find the date of death of the son Johann Andreas (No. 5), but I found the date of his wedding to Thrin Marie Dierk from Stove, June 12th, 1813.
I will be glad if you are successful in your hard work and I will be willing to help you at any time, if you think I can be useful to you and if you will give me some time for it.
With best regards,
Hans Guttner
There is a Guttner living in Sarasota, Florida, at present writing, born in Cleveland, Ohio, but whose father, living in Cleveland, Ohio, was born in Silesia. He is evidently a descendant of the one son of the Colonel Guttner who settled in Silesia shortly after the ending of the 30 Year War. They could tell me nothing about the family.
The 30 Year War was principally a religious one, and the army of Gustavus Adolphus while largely composed of Swedes did contain many soldiers from the other lands sympathetic to his cause, so it cannot be determined with any degree of certainty if the Colonel von Guttner was of Swedish blood or whether he might have been of German nationality. The term "von" was used in both countries, and was confined to the use of nobility.
There has been speculation from time to time as to whether the Goodners, or Gűtteners, had a crest, and some search has been made in Germany. To Mrs. David Tudor of Dallas, Texas, we are indebted for a statement made by the eminent authority, Dr. Ottofried Neubecker, Curator of the High State Office of the National Fine Arts Division, West Berlin, under date of May 28th, 1949, that "It is positively ascertained that there is no family by the name of Guttner, Gudtner, Goodner, or anything similar, that had a crest."
If the Goodner, or Gűttner, family originally came from Sweden, or Switzerland, settled in Germany for some generations before coming to America, then there could be a possibility of a crest in those countries. Those who are interested in such matters might make a check of the crests in Switzerland and Sweden.