Translation of "GUTKNECHT"

[Mama...@cs.com]

I know that I asked this question waaaaaaayyyyyy back on GEnie, but I'm still not sure of the true translation. 

What is the English translation of the surname GUTKNECHT?   Or course, the name became  GOODNIGHT, but some GOODNIGHT researchers think that back in Germany, or maybe even in Switzerland, some ancestors were actual knights.

I think it was Professor Frank who said that it means "servant."  Someone else said "squire of noble birth."     A fellow in Oklahoma has just published a HUGE 2 volumes on descendents of Hans Michael GUTKNECHT, who arrived in Philadelphia 4 Oct 1752 on the ship Neptune, along with my KRESS ancestor.  I want to set him straight on the meaning of the surname!

I started a big controversy years ago with other KRESS researchers when I contested their opinions that Johann Nicholas Heinrich KRESS married a widow named Catherine EBERHART.  I say that Johann married Catherine GUTKNECHT/ GOODNIGHT, who was the sister of Hans Michael GUTKNECHT!

For years, I've been looking for proof of a marriage between a George CONDER and Susanna GOODNIGHT, supposedly the daughter of Hans Michael.  No luck!

I hope  that our crew members who live in the Midwest and upper New England are okay after all the terrible ice storms.   Chief Ship's Bird Lisa, please report in when you can.   Isn't there someone else on the Ship Samuel who also lives in Oklahoma?

Capt. Ski (Re-Ret.) 

[Robert Knupp]

Ahoy, Cap'n (re-ret.) and Crew,

 

"What is the English translation of the surname GUTKNECHT?" asks Mama Ski.

 

I don't know, but I can help you muddle the possibilities a bit. 

 

First, about the "Knecht" part.  Yes, a Knecht is indeed a "servant."  It's obviously cognate with the English word "knight" who is, after all, created a servant of the monarch.   Any person in a position of servitude could be a Knecht.

 

A Gut (the antique spelling was Guth) is a piece of property (either chattels or real), and can mean an estate of land.  A Gutknecht could be a serf, a near-slave who performed menial chores for the master, especially in caring for the master's property, including either land or chattels (livestock, personal property, fortune).

 

My KNOPP/KNUPP line intermarried with the GUTH line in Virginia (Shenandoah Valley).  They were all pre-1800 arriving Swiss.  The "U" in GUTH was short, incidentally (it rhymed with "foot"), not to be confused with the long "U" (as in "boot") normal for the word translated as "good".  Major branches of the family changed the spelling to GOOD and GOODE.  Sadly, the idiotic Congressman Goode in Virginia comes from a cousin line in my own tree.

 

Is that the meaning of Gutknecht?  Who knows?  It borders on folk etymology at this point.  Lacking documentation of alternate or earlier forms, one can only speculate.

 

Ain't this a fun hobby?  8^)

 

Bert Knupp in Music City USA

Formerly of Tillamook Bay

 

 

[ksgm]

Robert Knupp wrote:

> Ahoy, Cap'n (re-ret.) and Crew,
>
> "What is the English translation of the surname GUTKNECHT?" asks Mama Ski.
>
> I don't know, but I can help you muddle the possibilities a bit.
>

> First, about the /"Knecht"/ part. Yes, a /Knecht/ is indeed a

> "servant." It's obviously cognate with the English word "knight" who
> is, after all, created a servant of the monarch. Any person in a

> position of servitude could be a /Knecht. /
>
> A/ Gut /(the antique spelling was /Guth) /is a piece of property

> (either chattels or real), and can mean an estate of land. A
> Gutknecht could be a serf, a near-slave who performed menial chores
> for the master, especially in caring for the master's property,
> including either land or chattels (livestock, personal property, fortune).
>
> My KNOPP/KNUPP line intermarried with the GUTH line in Virginia
> (Shenandoah Valley). They were all pre-1800 arriving Swiss. The "U"
> in GUTH was short, incidentally (it rhymed with "foot"), not to be
> confused with the long "U" (as in "boot") normal for the word
> translated as "good". Major branches of the family changed the
> spelling to GOOD and GOODE. Sadly, the idiotic Congressman Goode in
> Virginia comes from a cousin line in my own tree.
>
> Is that the meaning of Gutknecht? Who knows? It borders on folk
> etymology at this point. Lacking documentation of alternate or
> earlier forms, one can only speculate.
>
> Ain't this a fun hobby? 8^)
>
> Bert Knupp in Music City USA
> Formerly of Tillamook Bay
>
>
>
> >

>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.10/626 - Release Date: 1/14/2007 8:29 PM
>
>
Ahoy Bert,

Could you take a stab at my GUTTENER surname with the to little dots
above the U??? It has been anglisized to GOODNER as soon as the
"Goodner's" landed in Charleston way back in the 1750-1760's. Take
your time, what's another 100 years :-D
Thanks in advance for all your efforts.......CDOB, KathyM

[Jean Cloke]

Good evening Capt. & Crew:

 

<<<Chief Ship's Bird Lisa, please report in when you can.   Isn't there someone else on the Ship Samuel who also lives in Oklahoma?>>>

I am the other one from Oklahoma and have been absent from conversations for a while. I apologize for my absence. My computer had some serious difficulties 2-3 mos. ago, but I finally got a new one. However, I lost nearly all of the old e-mails I had saved over the past 3-4 years. I have also increased my caseload significantly in order to increase my income, so I don't have as much free time as I used to either. I'm hoping things will level out soon and I can get back to doing at least a little genealogy on occasion.

 

Anyway, glad to hear Chief Ship's Bird Lisa and her family are OK. We are all fine here in Meeker (near Shawnee, 40 miles E. of OKC) after all the ice and snow. We got nearly a half inch of ice and about 3-4 inches of sleet & snow in the first round, and a couple inches of rain in the second which was supposed to be 5-10 inches of snow. It just didn't get cold enough here for the snow. Some areas got hit hard though. My in-laws live on Lake Eufaula near Checotah and got 1 1/2 inches of ice. They were without electricity for 7 or 8 days and have trees & limbs down all over the place. The damage to the trees in that area is just unreal.

 

I hope everyone else aboard the Samuel is doing well and able to avoid the winter storms.

 

Have a good day,

Chief Ship's Social Director Jean