The Search for Heinrich Stief: A genealogist on the loose

By Les Bowser

Heinrich and Regina Stief left their homeland in 1749 and settled in Pennsylvania. From there, they and a small band of fellow settlers migrated to the rough terrain around New Brunswick's Peticodiac River. Faced with starvation, frigid winters, and abandonment by their sponsors-among them Benjamin Franklin-the settlers defied the odds by not only surviving but prospering. Steeves descendants now number upwards of 150,000 worldwide.

Heinrich and Regina Stief left their homeland in 1749 and settled in Pennsylvania. From there, they and a small band of fellow settlers migrated to the rough terrain around New Brunswick's Peticodiac River. Faced with starvation, frigid winters, and abandonment by their sponsors-among them Benjamin Franklin-the settlers defied the odds by not only surviving but prospering. Steeves descendants now number upwards of 150,000 worldwide.

Heinrich's tale has been told so many times that its parts have become legend. From the stories his earliest descendants told around the fire to the ones family historians have written and published since then, the facts surrounding Heinrich Stief, his roots, and his exploits have become confused, murky,and half remembered. Certain pieces of the puzzles has always eluded genealogists.

Recently, a Stief family descendant with a knack for research and more than his share of luck has uncovered a piece of history that is as significant as it was elusive. Here, then, is Heinrich Stief's story, told as never before.

About the author

Les Bowser is an author and historian from southeastern New Brunswick. He is a direct descendant of five of the first eight settlers who came to Moncton from Philadelphia in 1766, including Heinrich Stieff. He traveled to Germany to uncover the roots of the Steeves Family beyond Heinrich and Regina, finally discovering the names of their parents, grandparents, and other relatives in old church records.

Details

288 pages
6 X 9"
Nimbus Publishing, 2001 978-1551093758