Hi Peggy,
the ship and the reconstructed passenger list is on the web. Your David Keel arrived September 3.September 1742 in Philadelphia, but no other info on him. No family either, perhaps they came later. Before you can find any further information on him in Germany you need to get to know him in America first.
Where did he die? Death Certifcate? Where is he burried? Where did he go to church? Church Records? Where did he live? Did he get married and when? Do you have records of that? Who were his children? Where did they live and die? Any of those certificates or any entries in church books could tell you where he was from in Germany. Did he own property? Tax records? Once you know him better you will eventually find the town he came from in Germany.
Hello Yvonne -
I am so grateful that you have replied to my inquiry and appreciate all the information you have sent. I have to use an on-line translator to communicate, sort of, in German. So I will continue in English.
I have been able to find quite a bit of information on David Keel, Caile, Cales, etc. after he got to the states.
I know where he lived, where his children were born, he was married either in Burlington, NJ or Germany, he was a Protestant, don't know what church, he owned property in Beverly Manor, Augusta Co., VA and died there. I can follow his descendents to my father, but documentation of birth, marriage, death, etc. records were not commonly kept in the 1700's in the colonies.
I do need to search further for his church and burial site.....that is a great suggestion. I have been in contact with several other researchers here in the states that are also searching for David and so far all we know is that he sailed out of Rotterdam and those records have been destroyed.
I am happy to get any suggestions I can and will look forward to any further assistance.