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The Montz Family of Louisiana 1721 - Present |
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by Monty Montz |
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Page 32 |
of official documents in the keeping of the Louisiana Historical Society; by ransacking the archives of the
city of New Orleans and a number of countryside parishes, and by compiling the genealogies of these
families of the different generations, to ascertain their original names, and to connect the old German settlers with the generations of Creoles of German
descent now living were conclusions reached.
Various circumstances contributed to the changing of these names. The principle one, was, no doubt,
the fact that some of the old German colonists were not able to write their own names.
(45)
DEILER GOES ON TO STATE THAT IT WAS PRIESTS AND OFFICIALS who originally
misspelled the names of the settlers when they first enrolled in Churches and parish
records reflected these name spellings. And, another statement by Deiler indicates a very important fact:
"TO PROVE THE LAST ASSERTION, THREE GERMAN NAMES SHALL be considered: "Schaf, Schoen, Manz." In South Germany
where most of these people came from, "A" is pronounced broad, and almost approaches the sound of the "O". The
German peasant does not say, "meine Schafe," but, "mei Schof." No wonder the French officials spelled the
name of "Schaf," as "Chauffe." In this form the name still exists in Louisiana.
45 Ibid., pp. 119-122