When Cristoffel Columbus Rhines & family fled Alsace

by Erin Rhines-Bierly
(Olivet, Michigan, USA)

Hello! Thank you for your site! This is so Cool!

My ancestor Cristoffel Columbus Reyn (Rhines) was born in 1742 in Alsace and had his first child in 1770 in America.

I have read much about war during the mid-1700's and assumed his family fled somewhere else or straight to America somewhere between 1742 and 1770. I am new to my family search, and can't believe I made it all the way back to Europe in less than a week! But where to go from here? Perhaps Christening records? Church records? I have no idea where in Alsace they lived. Only that it is Lorraine province, France (at the time! :).

I am searching for a ship manifest during this period into either Philadelphia, PA, US or Boston, Mass, US.

I do know the family settled a church called the German Reformed Church in Sharon, New York, PA.

Kind regards,

Erin Rhines-Bierly