Just where in Europe our ancestors came from is not clear at this writing. It has been handed down by word of mouth, that the Fritzs came from the same general area as that of the Byerlys and Leonards. These families came from the Rhine-Palatine of Germany German-French border area). The name Leonard is French, as is the name Ulrich and Wooldrich. The people of the Rhine-Palatine area often migrated to Holland and then England before arriving in America. During the years of about 1709 to about 1806 the term "Palatine"was applied indiscriminately to a large percentage of immigrants arriving from neighboring territories.
In the year 1738, sixteen ships arrived at the port of Philadelphia-- two direct from London, England, one from Amsterdam, Holland, and thirteen from Rotterdam, Holland, with a stop at one of the ports in England for supplies and possibly additional passangers. Of these ships only one listed a Fritz. However we have found that the common Lancaster Co., PA names for the year 1738, two Fritzs are listed, but not by first names.
It is our belief, that Hans Ulrich Fritz, who was listed on the Captains List as age thirty years, is the father of Wooldrich (Fredrerick)Fritz, who would have been seven years old, when they arrived at Philadelphia, PA ont the ship "Elizabeth" along with sixty-eight other passengers for a total of seventy: 43 men, 21 women, 6 children. George Hodgson from Rotterdam, Holland, commanded the ship--Elizabeth last from Cowes, England, starting the voyage with ninety-five passengers.
Due to the many hardshipsit has been determined that one-fourth of all those leaving Europenever arrived in America.
At what date the ship Elizabeth arrived in Philadelphia is not known. Before a ship was allowed to anchor in the harbor, it was neccesary for a physician to examin all passengers for any possible contagious diseases. If any were found, the ship then had to anchor one mile from land until such time as a clean bill of health was given. We do know that all the men over the age of sixteen, including Hans Ulrich, were taken in procession to the courthouse in Philadelphia on 30 Oct, 1738, from the ship "Elizabeth", where they took and Subscribed to the Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown.
"We subscribers, natives and late inhabitants of the Palatinate upon the Rhineand places adjacent, having transported ourselves and family into this Province of Pennsylvania, a colony subject to the crown of Great Britain, in the hopes and expectation of finding a retreat and peaceable settlement therin, Do dolemnly promise and engage, that we will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His present MAJESTY, KING GEORGE THE SECOND, and His succesors, kings of Great Britain, and will be faithful to the proprietor of this Province; and that we will demean ourselvespeaceably to all His said Majesty's subjects, and strictly observe and conformto the Laws of Englandand of this Provinceto the utmost of our power and the best of our understanding."
Hans' name was written three different ways: List A -- Hans George Fritz age 30; List B -- Hans Ulrich (x) Fritz; and List C -- Hans Uhllerick (x) Fritz. This happened primarily because English clerks were taking unfamiliar Palatine names and spelling them phonetically in English. List A -- is the Captain's List which contained the names of all males above the age of sixteen; List B -- contained all the names all males above sixteen, who were required to repeat and subscribe to the Declaration of Allegiance with their own hand if they could do so and if they could not, their names were written by a clerk and they made their mark; List C -- was an autograph duplicate of list B.
Only those passengers who could pay for the trip were then allowed to leave the ship and start their new lives. During the long weeks or months between the time the travelers started for America and the time they actually arrived cost many of the travelers their savings. In order to pay their debt to the ship's captain, it was neccisary to sell themselves; hence they were classified as "redemptioners". At this time, we do not know whether Hans and his son Wooldrich (Frederick) were redemptioners or not. It was our belief that they were, but this is pure speculation, as there is no proof either way. An adult redemptioner would serve between three and seven years, but a child would serve until the age of twenty-one.
