The Renn
Family History
The Renn
family of Howard County, Maryland, can trace their origins back to the early
and mid-1800’s, to a small town called Hombressen, in
the northernmost part of the German state of Hesse-Kassel
(originally spelled Cassel). Though the original
immigrants' place of birth is often listed as Prussia, technically Hesse-Kassel was not annexed by Prussia until 1866, twenty
years after they left. The nearest large city to Hombressen
is one called Hofgeismar; less than twenty miles to
the south lies the capital city of Kassel, where the
Brothers Grimm lived and wrote their timeless fairy tales. The Grimm's first
collection, Children's and Household Tales, was published in 1812; the
first illustrated edition aimed at children was published in 1825. It is
possible that the Renn children were among the first
children in the world to fall asleep to these bedtime stories about Cinderella,
Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, and so
many other now-familiar characters.
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Map of Germany, 1815 (click to enlarge) Hesse-Kassel is in the center |
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Map of Germany and Italy, 1803 (click to enlarge) |
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In January of 1846 a 44-year old
Johannes Renn left for America with his five
children: Maria Louisa, 21, Anna Christina, 16, Friedrich, 14, Augustus
(Justus), 11, and Christoph, 9. Johannes' wife Christina
was likely with them, though she is not listed in the emigration indexes found
so far. Johannes was listed as having money in the amount of 1200 Taler, which seems to be a fairly good sum for the time. A
Johann Georg Renn, age 66,
who may be related, had left the same city nine months previously, in April
1845. The Renns settled in the Howard district of Anne Arundel County in Maryland. In 1851 this
area was to become Howard County. In various old and new records the Renn’s names can be found in both their original and
Anglicized forms. Johannes became John, Friedrich became Frederick, and Christoph became Christopher.
John Renn became a farmer upon his arrival in America. In 1854, John and
Christina purchased 147 acres of land in Howard County for the sum of one
thousand dollars. Their community included several other newly arrived German
families of the Lutheran faith. Lacking a place of worship, these families
would gather together at one another’s homes to hold religious services. In
1870 they decided to build their own church, and so created Saint Paul’s
Evangelical Lutheran Church, in an area which was to become the town of Fulton
in 1882. Much of the Renn history on the pages that
follow is taken from the records of St. Paul’s, and many of the names listed
can also be found on the gravestones in the small, well-tended cemetery behind
the church. Justus Renn died single and childless at
the age of 34, but his brothers and sisters began families which have in turn
led to the many Renn descendants around today. Anna
Christina Renn married Columbus Dettmar;
they moved to Baltimore County and had six children. The other siblings all
remained in Howard County. Maria Louisa Renn married
Jacob Gerwig and had five children; Frederick Renn married Catherine B. Strouse
and had nine children, while Christopher married her sister Barbara Eva Strouse and had five children of his own.
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1860 map of Howard County, District 5. |
The location of the Renn
farms can be seen on these maps of Howard County from 1860. Districts 1 and 5 were adjacent, and the Renn’s property was along the border. Look at the bottom
right of District 5, and the bottom left of District 1. |
1860 map of Howard County, District 1. |
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