Sunday’s Sentiments

Caspar Kuhn the Progenitor of the Coon Family 

For as long as I can remember, the only country that I have desired to go is Switzerland. It is ironic that when I began researching fifteen years ago, that I learned in researching the Kuhn maternal line that the progenitor of the Kuhn family, Caspar Kuhn, emigrated from Switzerland. A trip to Switzerland is added to my bucket list; however, for now I will learn about my ancestors and their homeland.
   

Anyone who has researched the Kuhn familial lineage soon found out there are many spelling variations to this surname. An experienced genealogist, would know that you look for spelling variations as you research surnames or given names. My mother’s surname was spelled Coon. When I began researching fifteen years ago, I quickly learned to look for Kuhn, Coon, Coone, Conn, Koon, and other possible variations when researching the Kuhn familial lineage. The resource that was a great help in researching my maternal line ancestors was a book by Gwendolyn Pryor “The Swiss Connection” Hans Caspar Kuhn (1713 – 1792) of South Carolina and His Descendants with Related Families of Kinsler, Nettles, and Wyrick. I am forever grateful for Gwendolyn Pryor sharing her meticulous research in this well documented book about my Kuhn/Coon ancestors. Along with this book and pedigree information for the Kuhn/Coon family that other researchers posted on FamilySearch.org and at that time Rootsweb.com I could research my direct maternal line Kuhn/Coon family. Remember from previous blog articles that I only had a few names, dates, and places of my mother’s family that she had given me in the early seventies. Who is Caspar Kuhn? Where did he emigrate from? When did he emigrate?

Caspar Coon emigrated from Zurich, Switzerland in 1739 and came into the Port of Charles Town. He settled in South Carolina in 1749. He had three wives Anna Magdalen Mejer, and Anna Maria Anna Barbara Ernst, He lived in South Carolina until in death in 1792.

Source
Pryor, Gwendolyn, The Swiss Connection, "Hans Caspar Kuhn (1713-1792) of South Carolina and His Descendants with Related Families of Kinsler, Nettles, and Wyrick," Gateway Press, Inc. Baltimore, MD 21202. 1991.

Author's note: You can find Gwenolyn Pryor's book in several libraries in the United States and one in Switzerland. You can find those libraries by going to World Cat.

Map from Google Images