H2401
The study's number for this person. Cite it and it will always lead here, whatever the spelling.Maria Spring
Born in 1760 and last recorded at Reichenbach im Kandertal in 1790.
born before 1760 died after 20 Aug 1790
Life story
Maria Spring was a citizen of Kirchdorf, in Canton Bern, Switzerland, and the wife of Christen Hirschi of Schangnau. She was very probably the mother of Peter Hirschi, and so the great-grandmother of Susanna Katharina Hirschi, who married Leonhard Hegnauer in Illinois in 1866.1–2
Family
Maria and Christen's son Jacob was baptised at Kirchdorf, her home parish, on 10 July 1774.3 Their son Bendicht followed at Spiez in March 1776, and from 1777 the family lived in the parish of Reichenbach, in the Kander valley, where Maria (1777), Peter (6 August 1779), David (1781), Samuel (1782), another Maria (1784) and Abraham (1787) were baptised; her last known child, Nickolaus, was baptised at Reutigen in August 1790.1–2, 4 The baptisms of 1776–1779 were copied into the register of Schangnau, her husband's home parish, where the pastor entered her as "Maria Spring of Kirchdorf".1
The record of her death has not been found. Her sons Peter and, it seems, Jacob made their homes in the district of Thun, at Thierachern and at Reutigen.5
What we know
Proven
- Birth, 1760
- Marriage to Christen Hirschi, 1774
- Death, 1790
- one home, from the census and other records
What's still open
- Birth. Not found. The FamilySearch tree takes her to be the Maria Spring baptised on 23 May 1754 (indexed at Gurzelen as the daughter of Hans Spring, and at Mühlethurnen as Maria Springer), which fits a first child in 1774.
- Death. Not found. The FamilySearch tree gives 2 Feb 1815, with no source seen.
- Parents. Not yet identified.
Sources
Sources 1–2
1 Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, 1776
Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern (StABE), K Schangnau 3, Taufrodel [baptism register] 1779–1796, p. 10, "Ausserhalb getauft" [baptised elsewhere] (online PDF image 6 of 131): home-parish copies, from the baptismal certificates, of three baptisms of legitimate children of Christen Hirschig of Schangnau and Maria Spring of Kirchdorf: Bendicht, at Spiez, 31 March 1776; Maria, at Reichenbach, 23 October 1777; and Peter, "an gleichem Ort, gleichen Eltern", 6 August 1779. query.sta.be.ch/detail.aspx?ID=423412 (register image read 27 September 2026).
In the archive: O06714
2 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1779
"Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptism of Peter Hirschy, 6 August 1779, Reichenbach im Kandertal, Bern; parents Christen Hirschy and Maria Spring. FamilySearch record 68V5-YQ1J
In the archive: O06789
Source 3
3 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1774
"Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptism of Jacob Hirrschi, 10 July 1774, Kirchdorf, Bern; parents Christen Hirrschi and Maria Spring. FamilySearch record 68VL-R2J2
In the archive: O06799
Source 4
4 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1776
"Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptisms of children of Christen Hirschig (Hirschy) and Maria Spring: Bendicht, Spiez, 31 March 1776 FamilySearch record 68VR-KFZW; Maria ("Zirschi"), Reichenbach im Kandertal, 3 October 1777 FamilySearch record 68VR-4LNP; David, Reichenbach, 18 February 1781 FamilySearch record 68VR-WJTP; Samuel, Reichenbach, 3 November 1782 FamilySearch record 68V5-BH57; Maria, Reichenbach, 2 July 1784 FamilySearch record 68VR-S7JR; Abraham, Reichenbach, 22 June 1787 FamilySearch record 68VT-6JV6; Nickolaus, Reutigen, 20 August 1790 FamilySearch record 66JF-5LTV. The 1777 and 1781 entries are attached to the couple in the FamilySearch tree; the mother's name in them was not read.
In the archive: O06805 , O06806 , O06807 , O06808 , O06809 , O06810 , O06811
Source 5
5 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1845
"Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, burial of Jakob Hirschi, 2 June 1845, Reutigen, Bern; died 30 May 1845, aged 71 years; father Christian. FamilySearch record 68VY-21RZ
In the archive: O06800
More sources are in the evidence below.
Life in time
before 1760
Birth
How we know
Not found. She was a mother by 1774. The FamilySearch tree takes her to be the Maria Spring baptised on 23 May 1754 (unchecked).
Her first known child was baptised on 10 Jul 1774, so she was born before about 1760. The FamilySearch tree's identification with the Maria Spring baptised on 23 May 1754 (Gurzelen, daughter of Hans Spring) has not been tested; she was a citizen of Kirchdorf, the next parish.
before 10 Jul 1774
Marriage, with Christen Hirschi
How we know
Not found. Their first known child, Jacob, was baptised at Kirchdorf, her home parish, on 10 Jul 1774.
Christen Hirschi (Hirschig) and Maria Spring are named together as parents at the baptisms of their children from 1774 to 1790 (FamilySearch index; the home-parish copies of 1776–1779 read on the image). The record of their marriage has not been searched for.
between 31 Mar 1776 and 20 Aug 1790
Residence , Reichenbach im Kandertal, Bern, Switzerland
How we know
With her husband at Spiez (1776), at Reichenbach in the Kander valley (1777–1787) and at Reutigen (1790), where their children were baptised.
Schangnau's copies of the baptisms of 1776–1779 (image read) and FamilySearch's index of the Spiez, Reichenbach and Reutigen registers.
after 20 Aug 1790
Death
How we know
Not found. The FamilySearch tree gives 2 Feb 1815, with no source seen.
She is last named as the mother at the baptism of her son Nickolaus at Reutigen on 20 Aug 1790; no later record of her has been looked for.
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1760 Birth
Not found. She was a mother by 1774. The FamilySearch tree takes her to be the Maria Spring baptised on 23 May 1754 (unchecked).
Her first known child was baptised on 10 Jul 1774, so she was born before about 1760. The FamilySearch tree's identification with the Maria Spring baptised on 23 May 1754 (Gurzelen, daughter of Hans Spring) has not been tested; she was a citizen of Kirchdorf, the next parish.
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1774 Marriage, with Christen Hirschi
Not found. Their first known child, Jacob, was baptised at Kirchdorf, her home parish, on 10 Jul 1774.
Christen Hirschi (Hirschig) and Maria Spring are named together as parents at the baptisms of their children from 1774 to 1790 (FamilySearch index; the home-parish copies of 1776–1779 read on the image). The record of their marriage has not been searched for.
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1776 Residence
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1779 Son born: Peter Hirschi
- proven
- family event
Hover or drag along the line, or select a point and use the arrow keys.
Places in this life
one place- 1 Reichenbach im Kandertal, Bern Residence between 31 Mar 1776 and 20 Aug 1790
Family
Records
Search the archive →Births and baptisms
- 6 Aug 1779 probable Baptism “Maria Spring”, mother Reichenbach im Kandertal, Bern Staatsarchiv Bern · O06852
Also cited as evidence: 11 records filed under relatives
- 10 Jul 1774 unlinked Baptism “Jacob Hirrschi” FamilySearch
- 31 Mar 1776 unlinked Baptism “Bendicht Hirschig” FamilySearch
- 3 Oct 1777 unlinked Baptism “Maria Zirschi” FamilySearch
- 6 Aug 1779 probable Baptism “Peter Hirschig”, filed under Peter Hirschi Staatsarchiv Bern
- 6 Aug 1779 probable Baptism “Peter Hirschy”, filed under Peter Hirschi FamilySearch
- 18 Feb 1781 unlinked Baptism “David Hirschy” FamilySearch
- 3 Nov 1782 unlinked Baptism “Samuel Hirschy” FamilySearch
- 2 Jul 1784 unlinked Baptism “Maria Hirschy” FamilySearch
- 22 Jun 1787 unlinked Baptism “Abraham Hirschig” FamilySearch
- 20 Aug 1790 unlinked Baptism “Nickolaus Hirschig” FamilySearch
- 2 Jun 1845 unlinked Burial “Jakob Hirschi” FamilySearch
The evidence 4 facts with their grades, 7 sources, and the research notes
Facts
Research notes
- Sources: Schangnau's register of citizens baptised elsewhere (K Schangnau 3), read on the image that the Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern publishes online (27 Sep 2026), and FamilySearch's index of the Kirchdorf, Spiez, Reichenbach and Reutigen registers (entries read 28 Sep 2026).
- Mother of Peter (probable): as for her husband; the argument is on Peter's profile.1, 2
- Children: see Christen Hirschi's profile.4
- Birth: Not found. The FamilySearch tree takes her to be the Maria Spring baptised on 23 May 1754 (indexed at Gurzelen as the daughter of Hans Spring, and at Mühlethurnen as Maria Springer), which fits a first child in 1774.6, 7 The study has not tested that identification: she was a citizen of Kirchdorf, and other Maria Springs of the district have not been ruled out. An earlier WikiTree biography of her son gave "Maria, born 1748 at Kirchdorf", without a source.
- Death: Not found. The FamilySearch tree gives 2 Feb 1815, with no source seen.7
- Leads: the Kirchdorf baptism register about 1745–1758 for Maria Spring; the marriage of Christen Hirschi and Maria Spring (Kirchdorf, Reichenbach or Schangnau, 1767–1774); burial registers of Reichenbach, Reutigen and Thierachern after 1790.
- This profile is part of the Hegnauer one-name study.
Working notes
- Maria Spring, citizen of Kirchdorf (K Schangnau 3 p. 10, O06714); probable mother of Peter Hirschi H2192 (see H2400); mother of Jacob 1774 and Peter 1779 in the index (68VL-R2J2, 68V5-YQ1J) and of the children 1776-1790 found by the index search father Hirs* x mother Spring; FamilySearch tree M2MZ-7KL gives bapt. 23 May 1754 (Gurzelen 66J6-26WK / Muehlethurnen 68VR-QK4K, father Hans Spring) and d. 2 Feb 1815 - unchecked
Sources
- 1
Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern (StABE), K Schangnau 3, Taufrodel [baptism register] 1779–1796, p. 10, "Ausserhalb getauft" [baptised elsewhere] (online PDF image 6 of 131): home-parish copies, from the baptismal certificates, of three baptisms of legitimate children of Christen Hirschig of Schangnau and Maria Spring of Kirchdorf: Bendicht, at Spiez, 31 March 1776; Maria, at Reichenbach, 23 October 1777; and Peter, "an gleichem Ort, gleichen Eltern", 6 August 1779. query.sta.be.ch/detail.aspx?ID=423412 (register image read 27 September 2026).
In the archive: O06714
- 2
"Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptism of Peter Hirschy, 6 August 1779, Reichenbach im Kandertal, Bern; parents Christen Hirschy and Maria Spring. FamilySearch record 68V5-YQ1J
In the archive: O06789
- 3
"Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptism of Jacob Hirrschi, 10 July 1774, Kirchdorf, Bern; parents Christen Hirrschi and Maria Spring. FamilySearch record 68VL-R2J2
In the archive: O06799
- 4
"Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptisms of children of Christen Hirschig (Hirschy) and Maria Spring: Bendicht, Spiez, 31 March 1776 FamilySearch record 68VR-KFZW; Maria ("Zirschi"), Reichenbach im Kandertal, 3 October 1777 FamilySearch record 68VR-4LNP; David, Reichenbach, 18 February 1781 FamilySearch record 68VR-WJTP; Samuel, Reichenbach, 3 November 1782 FamilySearch record 68V5-BH57; Maria, Reichenbach, 2 July 1784 FamilySearch record 68VR-S7JR; Abraham, Reichenbach, 22 June 1787 FamilySearch record 68VT-6JV6; Nickolaus, Reutigen, 20 August 1790 FamilySearch record 66JF-5LTV. The 1777 and 1781 entries are attached to the couple in the FamilySearch tree; the mother's name in them was not read.
In the archive: O06805 , O06806 , O06807 , O06808 , O06809 , O06810 , O06811
- 5
"Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, burial of Jakob Hirschi, 2 June 1845, Reutigen, Bern; died 30 May 1845, aged 71 years; father Christian. FamilySearch record 68VY-21RZ
In the archive: O06800
- 6
"Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptism of Maria Spring, 23 May 1754, Gurzelen, Bern, father Hans Spring FamilySearch record 66J6-26WK; the same baptism indexed at Mühlethurnen as Maria Springer, father Hans Springer FamilySearch record 68VR-QK4K (as attached in the FamilySearch tree; identification not tested).
- 7
FamilySearch Family Tree, Maria Spring, M2MZ-7KL ("before 23 August 1754 – 2 February 1815"), wife of Christen Hirschi, KCPW-QTS, with ten children from Jakob (1774) to Niklaus (1790) (viewed read-only, 28 September 2026; compiled data, not checked against the records except where cited here).