Kreller-Creller 

From the lands of the Rhine to America


Also spelt - Kruler, Cruller, Kroler, Keeller, Craller, Crellior, Crouler , Cullen ,Treller and possibly Crawler (perhaps more spellings to follow)

From what we have been able to gather, the Creller family ( perhaps spelt Kreller in the beginning) originated in the Palatine area of Europe, (what we know now to be Germany). There was an on going history of feudal fighting in this area becausee the separate states were forged into one united Germany (almost similar to what we find in Yugoslavia in the 1990's ). Strong feudal lords or Princes of small realms, (to a Canadian or American perhaps the area of a large modern farm) each with his own alliances, political, economic and religious were rebelling against greater forces of the mostly Prussian feudal Lords, as they did not want to give up any territorial privileges to join a larger ruling body . A situation very similar on the Canadian political scene (except for the violence) as each Provincial Prime Minister wants to keep his powers ( mostly taxing and spending powers) for himself rather that allowing himself and his province to join the Federal body for the benefit of the whole (CANADA)).

The17th century in southern Germany, as well as in all of Europe is a nightmare scene. Swedish, French Austrian English Spanish and Hungarian troops battled each other, as well as those Dutche speaking forces, on what is now German soil. The troops engaged in fighting were outnumbered five to one by the hordes of camp followers. This horde was made up of men, women and children,no army regulations controlled these followers who lived a parasitic existence.

Armies marched two days ahead of the camp followers who acted as beast of burden, lugging the cooking utensils, a little furniture and the children. They were a ragged, poor , dirty ,emaciated, sickly part of humanity. As an army advanced through a territory they helped themselves to whatever food and tools that they needed from the local farms. The camp followers lived off the soldiers leavings, and took what the soldiers might have over looked. After an area had been pillaged, famine plague, typhus and/or cholera was certain to follow.

In 1688 Louis the XIV, King of France ordered that the earth of the Rhine Valley be burned. The only castle to survive was the Marksburg. History tells us that the Elector Wilhelm stood on the walls of his castles at Mannheim and counted in one day, twenty three villages on fire.

That any church and court records, somehow managed to survive the ravages ia a miracle.

This disturbance or feudal conflict is part of what inspired the people to leave the Rhineland. In addition to which the rulers of the individual German states, burdened their subjects with unreasonable taxes and forced military service.

Of course there were also the " Golden Books " , written by various good doers, such as the Rev Kocherthal, a German Lutheran pastor. The books prepared on the most part from hearsay evidence, extolled the life in a new land, the Island of the Carolines. They told of a land without taxes, free transportation to get there, and that farming tools would be provided to till the rich land. It was propaganda at its best and behind the scheme was the government of England.

England was the protector of the Protestant cause in Europe. Queen Anne came to the throne in 1702, and the War with the Spanish Succession began in 1707. England attempted to secure religious rights and civil rights for Protestants on the Continent. Queen Anne’s consort was a Lutheran, who had brought many of his co-religionists to England. Under Queen Anne’s influence , the government of the time recruited and proposed to finance the Palatine emigration to America.

It was decided that the newly appointed governor to New York would sail in 1710 with 2,800 Palatines, they were to be transported in 11 ships . The trip down the Rhine took from 4 to 6 weeks. Boats didn't move on the Sabbath nor on holidays, there were 36 customs houses to pass and tolls to pay at each. At each toll, the cargo was inspected, at the major points every thing had to be unloaded, those who chose to follow this route were taxed in various forms and many arrived penniless at Rotterdam.

The Palatines, however flooded Rotterdam by the thousands in the spring of 1709. They filled inns, houses, they camped on beaches in reed shacks and in the open air without shelter. They weren't expected in these numbers and were not welcomed. Food and shelter hadn't been provided and there was no transportation to England. Finally ships that were transporting military troops to the Continent were used to transport the Palatines to England on their return trips. England itself was caught unawares. The English gouvernment had instigated the mass exodus, but had not prepared for the number of people who wanted to take advantage of the offer in the new lands. Once again the people were crushed together in barns, tents and on shipboard, awaiting what would be the hellish trip to New York.

Those of the Catholic faith who had left the Rhineland were given the opportunity to convert or to be sent back., many were simply sent back, of those Protestant who arrived some 3000 of then were sent to Ireland against their desire

The English government had rounded up the eleven boats in which to transport the Palatines. They were boats that had been declared unfit to transport cattle to the colonies, and of course the owners were delighted to have cargo. Each of the eleven boats had a German list master. Of the first 2,814 Palatines who set sail for New York 446 died on the trip, and 250 died upon landing, there were by family count 847 in number.

When they disembarked from the ships they found a life as bad or more so then the one from which they were fleeing. New York did not want them, the city council was angry that 2,500 or so disease ladened newcomers were on their door steps, so the Palatines were force together into tents set up on Hutten Island, off shore from New York.

Before the Palatines had left England for America they were read the terms under which they would live once they arrived in the Colony. They all agreed to the version read to them in their own Germanic language. They agreed to pay the cost of their settlement out of the profits that they would make from manufacturing tar for the British Navy. Once these costs had been paid, each would receive 40 acres of land in the area of New York called Schoharie.

The Gouvernment of England however had come up with another plan, in Henry Jones's " The Palatine Families of New York 1710 'Volume I' " there is a brief outline of this plan

On Sept. 29 1710, Governor Hunter entered into an agreement with Robert Livingston, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, to purchase a tract of 6,000 acres on the east side of the Hudson for the purpose of settling the Palatines there to manufacture naval stores. In October, many of the Germans began going up the river, clearing the ground and building huts on the Livingston Tract. Gradually, small distinct settlements appeared at East Camp called Hunterstown, Queens-bury, Annsbury and Haysbury : the villages on the west side of the Hudson were Elizabeth Town, George Town and New Town.

The settlements on the East side of the Hudson is now the town of Germantown . The camps on the west side is know today as West Camp . Rev Kocherthall established a congregation there and it continues today as the Lutheran Church.

Records have been provided information indicating that a Peter Kreller left an area near Dresden, travelling to Rotterdam where he embarked on his journey to the New World.

On June 17 1734 we find records of Johanne Peter Creller taking the oath of Allegiance to the British Crown, becoming a naturalized British subject in the colony of New York (Remec NY)

Records also show that Peter married Anna Maria Dorethea Wollenben (born in West Camp, New York 19 Nov. 1714) and brought up a family in or around Rhinebeck NY . It is from this family that a branch of the Creller is connected to the Macfie of Clarenceville Quebec.

The only Creller family records that have been found so far are records that show a Maria Catharina Creller born about 1692, in Daudenzell ( Dresden) ,marrying a Leonhardt Hans Erkenbrecht (b 1687). They had one child named Anna Maria Dorotea,( Peter appears as witness the baptism (in the new world)) . It is assumed that this Maria is Peter Creller's sister and she named her child after his wife, who may have been her best friend in America.

We have been fortunate enough to have been provided with some information on Anna's family line, her great grandfather apparently was a Pastor named Johann Paulis Wohleben of Steinbocken, Westphalia . Johann Paulis arrived in America with two sons who were named , Johann Philipp and Vanentin. Johann Wollenben married Anna Margreth and had a daughter Anna Maria born May 12 1713 in West Camp, NY and Vanentin was married to Susanna. (There is one family name attached to the births of the children of these two couples, Caputzgin, so it could be assumed that the two women, or at least one of them may have carried this as their family name. It is noted that often two brothers of one family married the two sisters of the other family.

Unfortunately at this time (2001)( nor in 2003) we do not have very much information regarding the life and times of Peter Creller and his family as they lived their life in the 13 Colonies, we do know that they in the majority remained loyal to the British Crown, and the event of the American Revolution caused them difficulties. There appears to have been a split in the Creller family with one family moving north into Canada while the other remained in the northwestern part of New York State.

We find one Creller family with new residence in the upper part of the continent ( upper Vermont state as we know it today). Three Creller fought with the Loyalist forces at Bennington , they were Peter John and Phillip . Peter and phillip listed among those taken prisoner by the revolutionary forces. It is believed that John was killed during this encounter, however no records of his capture nor death have been found .

As the American Revolution began in earnest in 1774, some forty years after Peter Creller became a British subject, we are uncertain that we can assume that he himself or his wife Anna Maria Doretea was still living. If they were,they would be probably in their early 70's. No records have been found attesting to thier deaths, nor burials.

Many people did not survive to the promised three score and ten, and we cannot assume that Peter and his wife were any different. They had already progressed through many difficulties, wars in Europe, overseas travel, beginning again in a new land, a land of English where they were the foreigners.( This is one area that remains to be researched in more detail and at this time there are several particulars working on these details ).

While the Creller name does not appear very often in any documentation regarding the history of the area where it has been assumed that they first settled we have found many other family names with whom the Creller have associated themsleves, either though marriage,or simple association.

While it is very difficult to locate records pertaining to the Creller family, the Wollenben family has been recorded at several places in the history of West Camp NY. By clicking here you will be able to see more of the information that has been accumulated. WOLLENBEN

Maria 27 Mar 1754
Margaretha 25 Mar 1756
Catharia 27 Jan 1765
Whillem 24 Apr 1767
Cornelius 15 Mar 1770
Johannes 20 May 1775

For a more indepth history see the Hoener (Hayner) Family

For more on Jacob Hoener

There is a record of one Johannes Honsinger, a Palatine arriving on the SS Robert Ann 11 Sept 1733.
There is record of one Johannes Hutziger taking the Oath of Alligence, Dutchess Co NY 25 Apr 1743.

It would appear that from this union came one Petrus Honsinger ( Hunzinger), as Petrus married a Debora and had two children one Petrus born 23 06 1773 and one Johannes born 12 04 1779. Both children were baptized in 1779 and at that time thier mother Debora was listed as deceased. Johannes Hunzinger and his wife Margareth were the witness at the christening

There is a Hunzinger or Horsiner family that emigrated to the Alburgh Vermont area, close to where the Creller can be traced, it has not yet been confirmed that Anna Margararet Creller was of this particular Vermont , Hunzinger family.

Children of Susanna Creller and David York

Daniel York -1762- about 1850

Elizabeth 22 Apr 1775
David York jr 27 July 1777

David York jr 1778 -1867 & Hester Weaver 1781-1865

Pieter Creller

1742-1818

As of August 2005, it is believed that Peter Creller did not marry, but remained single, not records of any union have been located for him. After having lost his holdings in the new formed United States, the grant of land that he received in Canada was left to his nephew, son of Phillip.

Records show one Peter Craller, holding lease of 87 acres of land at East Manor , Rensaelar, N Y as of June 19, 1770

There is a Peter Creller (farmer of NY) listed on the role list of the King's Rangers, more commonly called Roger's Rangers.

There is evidence that Peter Crawler, Peter Crawler (jr) and John Crawler were members of Capt Abraham Van Aernam's Company posted above Poesten Kill in 1767. In this listing we find John Hunsinger, Hendrick Young, Peter Bacchus, Jacob Martin, John Jacob Primmerman,Jacob and Peter Rosenberger and Baltus Kammel, all famillies that intermarried to the Creller family.

There is a list in the Canadian archives listing the members of Loyalist soldiers who had fallen under the command of Samuel McKay , who had taken over the command of Col Francis Pfister who was killed at Bennington. On this list we find both Peter Creller and Phillip Creller as having been taken prisioner by the Rebels ( the Americans). John Hunsinger, Jacob Rosenberger, Jacob Hainer jr, Frederick Hainer jr, listed as prisioners, Peter Bockus, Frederick Bockus as having been killed , Henry Ploss, John Near, Frederick Hainer , John Hunsigner, Jacob Hunsinger and Jacob Hainer were listed as Private. The list was made out Dec 20 1777 at Chateauguay Quebec.

We can only assume that perhaps the name of Johannes Creller may be one day found on a similar listing.


In the record at Albany, there is a commiittee report stating that Peter Craller was being liberated from confinement upon his entry into Bond of Security for his appearance and future good behavior dated Feb 1778 . There are also records that one Peter Creller, Henry Catchapah, and Charles Near were member of Roger's Rangers - or the Kings Rangers.

We have Johannes Housinger and Johannes Plowts ( Ploss) listed as members of the Royal Yorkers, or King's Rangers.

Peter Craller appears on a census in 1790 as residing at that time on the Canadain side of the border as a loyalist refugee.

Some historical notes on Bennington V T

I had thought that Anna might have been married to on Hendrich Young a neighbour who had his name listed with the Loyalist forces of 1767. A child of hendrich and one Anna, was bron 1782, Margareth and the witness to the christening was Phillip Creller. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any documented evidence that clearly establishes a relationship between Hendrich Young and Anna Creller as of 2008 . so until it is determined to be so , I shall leave Anna Creller waiting here for her soulmate.

Abraham 7 Mar 1778
Annatje 25 Oct 1766
Catrina 10 Oct 1782
Derick 15 Aug 1768
Jacob 9 Aug 1775
Johannes 19 Apr 1780
Marytje 17 Feb 1771
Petrus 21 Jul 1773
Philippus 29 Apr 1785
Ebenezer 18 June 1791

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Petrus Martin (21 July 1773) & Elizabeth Smith
Elizabeth 3 Oct 1791
Peter 18 Jul 1795

For a more complete Martin family record we direct you to Regi Milan's web page ....