Rosenkrans is the most famous Danish noble family (and probably
was its richest). The first known member of the family was Erik 1227,
who came from Norway and settled between Arhus and Randus in Jutland
in an eastern extension of the peninsula to 11 degrees, now a part of
Germany. The family seat is Schleswig Holstein. Erik, the son of Neils
Iverson 1308, was a knight and the first person to have a seal in
Denmark. He received a rose-wreath from the Pope in 1325, added it to
his coat of arms and adopted the name Rosenkrans. In 1553 Jacob
Dircksen Rosenkrans was banished from Denmark because of his religion.
After a short stay in Holland, the family moved to Bergen,
Norway, where their tower still stands. Jacob's son Dirk was Captain
of the Guard when William the Silent was assassinated. Dirk's son, Herman
was a whaler 1617-1626. Herman's son Henrik (or Hendrick) the Burgesell. Henrik's son,
Hermon Hendrik Rosencrans, came to America and married the colorful Magdalena (Volckert) Dircks
in Kingston, NY, on 3-Mar-1657. Hermon was a timber
cutter in New Amsterdam and frequently sued his neighbors for
defamation of character. Since he always lost, he was constantly in
financial ruin. Later in life, Magdalena, who had a "bunch" on her
neck and knew that Indians hated physical deformities, chased them off
her property by running out and shaking it at them. Her son Alexander
moved to Walpack twp., Sussex, NJ, about 1714. His son, Col. John
Rosenkrans had well over one thousand acres of land and many slaves.
His son, Alexander married Mary Mortman in Walpack, NJ. They then
moved to Delaware twsp, Northhampton Co, PA with his brother Charick
DeWitt Rosenkrans - see 1790 census. Sarah was born there. In 1795,
Alexander moved back to a farm near Bridgewater, Somerset Co, NJ which
he sold on April 1, 1801. He then moved to Havana, Shuyler, NY.
Our cousin, General
William S. Rosankrans, "Old Rosie", was the profanist and
hardest drinking general in the Union Army. He was the commanding
general of the Ohio/Cumberland Army and was personally responsible for
the bloodiest defeat of the Union Army at the Battle of Chickamauga.
(The Rosenkrans Family in Europe and America, Allen Rosenkrans,
1900, NJ. which discusses the family of Alexander Rosenkrans on pages
73 and 94 with errors; "The First American Mrs. Rosencrans" by
Bennett, NY Genealogical and Biographical Record, January 1959, 2
parts).
