Life and evidence
Langnau Täufer register, p. 18
“Neuenschwander, Peter, von hier, zu Perrefitte, K[irchgemeinde] Münster, ein Schuhmacher — Elisabeth Hutmacher, seine Ehefrau — copul. 10. Oct. 1810. Kinder: 1. Johannes, geb. 28. Junij 1811 · 2. Christen, geb. 23. Nov. 1812 · 3. Anna, geb. 16. Octob. 1814 · 4. Elisabeth, geb. 29. Dec. 1816.”
A shoemaker of Langnau citizenship living at Perrefitte, near Moutier. Named as the father of Christen in the 1844 Langnau marriage entry (no. 141).
French civil birth record of his son Johannes, Perrefitte, 28 Jun 1811 (K Moutier 6, p. 67)
“Pierre Neuyechevandre âgé de vingt-trois ans, [cordonnier], domicilié à Perrefitte”, presents a boy born 28 June 1811, son of Pierre and Elizabeth [Hutmacher] his wife, named Johannes. The father “a déclaré ne savoir signer” (could not sign his name).
He was about 23 in June 1811, so born about 1787–88. This rules out the earlier candidate (Peter, son of Bendicht, b. 1766, who would have been 44).
Parents still unknown. Candidates from the Langnau Täufer register (unproven):
- Peter, b. 18 Jan 1790, son of Michael Neuenschwander (son of the late Peter) and Barbara Steiner of Signau, at Münster (Langnau 36, p. 9): closest in age (21 rather than 23), same parish. Possible but weakened: see the test below (no back-reference, unlike his brothers).
- No Peter born 1786–89 appears among the other Neuenschwander households on pp. 7–9 (Christian × Elisabeth Ummel’s Peter was b. 1773; Hans × Anna Gerber had no Peter).
Also at Perrefitte: Jean (Johannes) Neuenschwander, 36, farmer, × Catherine Baumgartner, daughter Lisette born 18 May 1812 (K Moutier 6, p. 70): possibly a relative (b. c.1776; Langnau 36 has three Johannes/Hans born 1776).
Negative searches (2026-10-31): his 1810 marriage is not in the Perrefitte civil marriages (only three marriages that year: Merillat, Chevalier, Grandlienard); son Christen (Nov 1812) is not in the Perrefitte civil births for 1812. The Anabaptist family seems to have used the civil register only once.
- Tested 2026-10-31: inconclusive, leaning against. Langnau 36 read through p. 91 (everyone born before c.1820):
- Peter (b. 1790), son of Michael × Barbara Steiner, has no separate entry anywhere, so he is not proven to be someone else.
- But Michael’s other married sons do carry back-references to their father (“Michael, Michaels sel. Sohn (pag. praec.)” and “Daniel, Michaels sel. Sohn (pag. praec.)”, p. 10), and our Peter’s entry on p. 18 has none: just “Peter, von hier, zu Perrefitte, ein Schuhmacher”. The keeper usually wrote the link when he knew it, so its absence weakens the Michael candidate.
- Johannes Neuenschwander of Perrefitte × Catharina Baumgartner (married 11 Apr 1806, daughter Elisabeth b. 18 May 1812; p. 20) also has no back-reference. The two Perrefitte Neuenschwanders, a shoemaker of about 23 and a farmer of 36, may be brothers from a household that was never entered on pp. 7–9, perhaps because their father was dead or outside the Jura before the register began in 1791.
- Not the same man: Peter, son of Samuel × Elisabeth [Leuch?], b. 12 Jan 1817 on the Münsterberg (p. 83).
- Searched K Langnau 16 (Taufrodel, auswärts Getaufte, 1785–1820: Langnau-citizen children born outside the parish, with back-entries to the 1760s), pp. 1–45 (births to about 1793), 2026-10-31: no Peter Neuenschwander born 1786–90. Neuenschwander households there: Daniel × Maria Liechti (1781–86); Hans × Magdalena Ring? (Hans 1786, 1789); Johannes × Magdalena … (Niklaus 1786, Anna Barbara 1788, Anna 1789); Johann Jacob × Catharina Gäumann? (Jean Jacob 1786); Christen × Verena Pfäffli? (Daniel 1789); François Isaac (1780); Gabriel (1778, 1784); and the earlier families (1770s). The 1790 Peter of Michael × Barbara Steiner is not entered here either, so this register is incomplete for the Anabaptist families.
- Langnau 11 (main baptisms 1772–99) not searched: Jura-born Anabaptist children were not baptized at Langnau, and Langnau 16 is the register meant to catch them.
- Remaining routes: Johannes of Perrefitte’s 1806 marriage (Moutier 11, marriages 1766–1815); Peter’s death record (Moutier 24, 1816–56, or in America); Langnau 16 pp. 46–80 in case of a late back-entry task/ai
- Moutier 13 / Belprahon / Roches civil marriages 1810 for Peter × Elisabeth Hutmacher task/ai
Children in this vault
Narratives and research
- Stories: The Neuenschwanders of the Jura
Research log
- 2026-10-31: Negative searches (2026-10-31): his 1810 marriage is not in the Perrefitte civil marriages (only three marriages that year: Merillat, Chevalier, Grandlienard); son Christen (Nov 1812) is not in the Pe
- 2026-11-01: Langnau marriage register K Langnau 26, 1810 (images 26–28, both ‘here’ and ‘married elsewhere’ columns) read: no Peter Neuenschwander × Elisabeth Hutmacher (10 Oct 1810). Other Neuenschwander marriages that year: Johann Franz (son of Heinrich) × Judith Bourgeois, at Montcherand, 27 Apr 1810; Hans Ulrich (son of Samuel) × Elisabeth Leeman (Oswald’s daughter), at Kirchberg, 14 Dec 1810. Next: Moutier 13/14 (Perrefitte marriages 1802–15) and Langnau 25 if the year is off
- 2026-11-01: Langnau 36 pp. 17, 20, 28, 44 read: p. 20 has Johannes Neuenschwander, of Langnau, at Perrefitte × Catharina Baumgartner (m. 11 Apr 1806, daughter Elisabeth 1812), also with no back-reference to parents: probably Peter’s brother. No entry names Peter’s parents
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.