Page News & Courier
Heritage and Heraldry
The Hessian and a case of good fortune - the Strole-Keyser connection
Article of January 14, 1999
In 18th century Colonial America, immigrants were making it to North America by various means. Christian Strohl made his way to America, not as a colonist, but as a Hessian soldier sent to aid the British in putting down the upstart Continental Army. Born in Rumpenheim, Hesse, Germany in September 1758 to Peter (who was the son of Johan Conrad Strahl) and Margaretha Seybel Strahl, Christian was one of at least five siblings and was confirmed at his Lutheran Church in Rumpenheim in the spring of 1772.
Before recent information was uncovered and according to family history, Christian Strohl was believed to have settled in the Shenandoah Valley in 1776. Furthermore, he was also believed to have been one of the 8,000 Hessians that were captured at Saratoga, N.Y. while serving under General Baron Riedesel. These same captured Hessians were supposedly transported to Boston, Massachusetts to be sent back to their country. Upon arrival at Boston, many refused to leave. Thomas Jefferson, then governor of Virginia, suggested they be sent to Williamsburg instead and put in the stockade. After arrival at Williamsburg, they refused incarceration and consequently opened some sort of protest to remain in America. From Williamsburg, the men were divided into three detachments. One was sent to Charlottesville, Va., the other to Winchester, Va., and the last to Frederick, Md. A plan was then devised to indenture these men for some years to residents of the areas and then grant them freedom.
Recent information however, shows that in 1782, Michael Kiser purchased the indenture of a "recently captured Hessian soldier named Christian Strohl (Strole)." The difficult question to resolve is how recently Christian had been captured. Perhaps then his exact unit of origin and place of capture could be confirmed.
Nevertheless, Christian had come upon good fortune in being purchased by Michael Kiser. The Reformed Lutheran church records back in Rumpenheim show that the Kayser and Strohl families lived near each other, attended the same church, intermarried, and witnessed each other's baptisms. Therefore, it is very possible that Michael purchased Christian's indenture and was subsequently freed as a result of the family acquaintance.
A year after the purchase, Christian, along with the Kiser family left Berks County, Pennsylvania for Michael Kiser's new tract of 1,030 acres along the south fork of the Shenandoah River in what was then Rockingham County. Despite his obligation to Michael Kiser, Christian did have the opportunity to purchase a 300 acre tract from Martin Strickler on September 7, 1785. Today the same parcel of land, along with the house that Christian built, can be viewed along the Strole Farm Road in the bend of the river directly to the west of Grove Hill in the Shenandoah Iron Works District of southern Page County.
Michael released Christian from his indenture in 1788, which in turn, allowed his marriage to Michael's daughter Elizabeth in that same year. Christian found further good fortune in his efforts as a farmer, miller and father of four sons and eight daughters. The family attended Monger's Church (now St. Paul Lutheran Church) but were buried on their farm; Christian dying in 1841 and Elizabeth in 1854.
Further information on the Strole family can be found in the Page Public Library in the bound Christian Strole History. Information on the Strole-Kiser connection can be found on the internet at the URL: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/6359/kiser/kiser.html.
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