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Fretz Family Association |
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Promoting Fretz Family Heritage |
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The Fretz Family Crest
Links to Bucks County Homesteads:
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the Fretz Family Origins |
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“Safety, Peace, and Tranquility” According to Professor Albert Heintz, in his book “Die Deuthsche Familienamen” (“The German Family Names”), the meaning of Fretz is “Safety, Peace, and Tranquility”. The spelling of family names changed often due to language, geographic location, etc. Some spellings of Fretz are: Fretes, Frets, Frethe, Fritz. The oldest records found begin with a Johannes Frethe in 1483 in Friesland Islands, off the cost of Prussia, later Germany. Early Fretzes were ship builders/farmers. Because of continual wars and floods, they left their island homes for the mainland. Here ship building was not in demand so they apprenticed and learned trades: goldsmith, weaver, miller, merchants. It was a time of political and industrial upheaval and families kept moving to keep out of harm’s way. Also, many had already become followers of Menno Simon, patriarch of the Mennonites. Sometime before 1729, John, Mark, Christian and Elizabeth decided to forsake their past and head for the New World. We are told Mark died at sea. Some think Elizabeth married a Kulb, either before or after arriving, and her line is lost. John and Christian finally settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania on adjacent farms in Bedminster and Tinicum Townships. **Based on “Fretz Origins”; Compiled by Osmund R. Fretz (Vol. II, p.93, Sect: 111) It should be noted that members of the Fretz family have lived in the area of Zurich and Kloten, Switzerland since 1450 A.D. |
