France

The city of Metz has an impressive 3000-year history, having variously been a Celtic oppidum (“city of Mediomatrici“), an important Gallo-Roman city, the Merovingian capital of Austrasia, the birthplace of the Carolingian dynasty, a cradle of the Gregorian chant, and one of the oldest republics in Europe. The city has been steeped in French culture, but has been strongly influenced by German culture due to its location and history. ( Wikipedia)

Metz family lore tells us our earliest known Metz ancestor was one Peter Van (von) Metz. We know nothing about him. Our immigrant ancestor Lodwick Metz is said to have been born “near Metz” in 1705. Related to these stories is a recurring repetition that the father of Lodwick Metz was “a Frenchman”.

The sources below do not tell us our ancestor was from Alsace/Lorraine or who his father was, but they shed light on the history of the area and the fact that at least for a while this area was a refuge from religious persecution and the home of many Swiss and German refugees.

An interesting perspective on the Mennonites in Alsace, from a French Abbot and historian, says “The Mennonites always live in the country, on the estates of large landowners, who like to take them as renters because they pay more than others, . . . by the industrious tilling of the soil and their good conduct. They are the most gentle and peace-loving of all people in their trade; they are energetic, alert, moderate, simple, benevolent. They wear beards, their shoes have no ties, their clothes no buttons. They seek to settle in the loneliest parts of the Vosges (mountains). When it is time for the harvest, mowing and threshing, the Swiss Brethren come and help, and when the work is finished they return to the places where they are tolerated or those where they are not known.”

Neff, Christian. (1957). Grandidier, Philip Andreas (1752-1787). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 October 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grandidier,_Philip_Andreas_(1752-1787)&oldid=145300.