Michael the First NailsmithAA  A 

 

Hans Schmidt's oldest son, Johann Michael and his wife Maria Eva belonged to the Hatten congregation, although Michael's death record was later recorded in Buhl.  Michael signed his own name and spelled the surname "Schmid." 

 

The extant Hatten church registers only record one child, Johann Georg, born to Michael and Eva.  There is some uncertainty regarding Johann Georg's fate.  He doesn't appear again in Hatten or Buhl records, not even when his mother Eva died in 1762, or when his father died in 1763.  It was usual for adult children to sign their parents' death records, and not uncommon for relatives to come from nearby towns for an important family occasion. 

 

While it's possible Johann Georg emigrated from the area, this seems unlikely, since, as the son of the eldest son, he was the logical heir to the family business.  This, combined with his absence from his parents' funerals imply he died in childhood and the record was lost or missed by the researcher. 

 

Michael and his younger brother Jacob were both nailsmiths, presumably in business together in Hatten.  We call Michael "the First Nailsmith" because we know his father was a tailor, and no earlier nailsmiths in this family are mentioned.  A 1722 Hatten church record mentions him as Hans Michael Schmidt, nagelschmidt, when he was about 29. This is the earliest record we currently have that's clearly connected to the descendants of Hans the Master Tailor.

 

Fourteen years older than his brother Jacob, (then 6), Michael must have set up business on his own, hardly anticipating that family members would carry it on for over 100 years.  While he may not have passed on his genes, his cultural legacy must have been significant.