? – before 1791
Christopher’s 6th great-grandfather · ancestor no. 448 · generation 9
Evidence: identity documented
Family
- Children in this vault: Bendicht Neuenschwander (fl. 1766)
Life and evidence
‘Peters sel.’ — the late Peter Neuenschwander of Langnau, father of at least four sons in the Jura: Christian (at Münster; children 1767–1788), Hans (at Münster; children 1776–1788), Michael (at Münster, m. Barbara Steiner of Signau; father of the Putnam County pioneer), and Bendicht (at Souboz). Earliest Neuenschwander found so far; the Langnau baptism registers (1555–) are the next step back.
- Search Langnau baptisms c.1720–1745 for Peter Neuenschwander’s sons task/ai
In their lifetime
- 1738 — 1738 The Charming Nancy
- 1750 — 1750 The Brotherhood
- 1757 — 1757 The Hochstetler massacre
- 1764 — 1764 Captives returned after Bouquet’s treaty
- 1776 — 1776 Census of Mennonites in West Prussia
- 1789 — 1789 First Prussian Mennonites settle in Russia
Sources
Lead (Claude, 2026-10-31)
Müller (1895), p. 249, lists a Peter Neuenschwander of Langnau among the Anabaptists at Courtelary–Cormoret in 1745, with Johann Hochstettler of Schwarzenburg. It could be this Peter or a relative. Unverified: check the original list in the Porrentruy archive. See Anabaptist population by place.
Mennonite Encyclopedia III: "Peter Neuenschwander and family left their home in Langnau in 1729 and settled at Cortébert in the Jura. A son Michael lived on the Münsterberg." Possibly this Peter (unproven). See Mennonite Encyclopedia - family and place entries (read 2026-10-31).
Narratives and research
- Stories: The Neuenschwanders of the Jura
- History: 1738 The Charming Nancy, 1750 The Brotherhood, 1757 The Hochstetler massacre, 1764 Captives returned after Bouquet’s treaty, 1776 Census of Mennonites in West Prussia, 1789 First Prussian Mennonites settle in Russia, Anabaptist population by place
- Sources: Bern K Langnau 36 - Taeuferfamilien Heimatrodel
Record compiled 31 October 2026.
About this research
Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.