Debbie Jennings
7th Great Granddaughter of Phillip Heinrich Ratz
FOR DESCENDENCY CHART
https://www.angelfire.com/in3/longagoandfaraway/page39a.html
IndianaResearch@aol.com
Phillip Heinrich Ratz is my earliest documented ancestor in this line. He was born in Germany and came to America aboard the "Good Ship Edinborough" which made port in Philadelphia in 1754. With him on the ship was Lewis Winkler, another surname that is prominent in my lineage.By 1761 he had taken up residence in Shrewsbury township, York county, Pennsylvania. There are several land records to bear out this fact, it has been said that Phillip was a tailor by trade, however, I have found no proof of that at this time.There is a marriage record in Weisbaden Germany for Phillip and Anna Catharina George in 1743, I believe this to be one and the same person. Regarding the death of Phillip Heinrich Ratz, there seems to be as many theories as researchers. I myself do not accept the theory of death in the Cumberland Gap...for numerous reasons. My line of descent from Phillip is through his son, Godfried and his son, Henry. Godfried migrated to North Carolina about 1772 and settled in the Sandy Creek area in Rowan county, North Carolina. Godfried married Margaret Swicegood and one of their sons was named Henry. He was the one who changed the spelling of the last name from RATZ to RATTS, he did this after the death of his father in 1804. Godfried and Margaret can be found buried at the St. Lutherans Church, their stones are both in German and crudely hand carved, although very interesting. Henry T. Ratts, their son was an attorney in Rowan county, his name is seen on documents of all surnames. Henry married Barbara Winkler and they migrated to Washington county Indiana about 1823. Henry served as a Justice of the Peace there and also helped in the founding of a Lutheran Church.Both Henry and Barbara remained there until their deaths and are buried in the Blue Creek Cemetery in Washington county, IN.They also had a son named Henry who married Rebekkah Goss about 1816 and they later migrated to Morgan county about 1825 as land records bear out. This family and their descendants continued to reside in Morgan county and some are there today.
