hegnauer.family
hegnauer.family

Switzerland

Volketswil, the parish of Hegnau: the Hegnauer families, 1590–1801

· 18 min read · 60 people named

This file was written on 27 Sep 2026 from the FamilySearch index. The record pages were read one by one for their digital folder and image number, and the film was searched as a whole. Nothing was attached, edited or downloaded. The data changes are in edits/2026-09-27-volketswil.json (places, people, corrections) and in data/raw/volketswil-2026-09-27.json, the input for tools/add_occurrences.py (O05938–O06086). No register image has been read, so everything below is index-only. The occurrence and people IDs are those of data/.

Hegnau, the village that gave the surname, lies in the Reformed parish of Volketswil (Zürich, Uster district). Until today the study called the parish's register the "'Schwyz' index series", because FamilySearch standardizes an entry whose place is only "Schweiz" as Schwyz, Switzerland.

Summary

  • The register. Every one of the study's entries in the old series sits on digital folder (DGS) 8120584. The FamilySearch catalog lists that folder as Film 889427:
    • item 1: Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche Volketswil, Taufen, Heiraten, Tote 1588–1801 (koha:227192);
    • item 2: Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche Uster, Tote 1863–1875 (koha:368230).
    • Every entry of 1590–1801 is Volketswil, and every burial of 1863–1875 is Uster. The two books do not overlap in time.
    • The study's entries fall on these images:
      • entries of 1753–1801, a later book filmed first: images 148–206;
      • baptisms of 1590–1706: 278–381;
      • marriages of 1597–1740: 411–443;
      • baptisms of 1731–1745: 454–479;
      • burials of 1636–1736: 542–592;
      • the Uster burials of 1863–1873: 632–732.
    • The film is the parish of Hegnau itself. The index of the same film has Felix Gul von Hegnau (married 1740) and a child of the Kochen von Hegnau (buried 1721), and Hans Gul von Hegnau appears in the Zürich records of 1483 (see the list of variants).
  • What was corrected (every row was checked on its own record page):
    • the 63 occurrences placed "Schwyz, Switzerland": 56 are Volketswil and 1 is Uster (the 1869 burial of Elis Hegnauer). The other 6 are on other films: 2 at Ardez GR (the Adank family, 1863–1864, probable), 1 at Wülflingen ZH (1829) and 3 at Liestal BL (1843, 1863, 1864);
    • all 128 study rows on DGS 8120584, including the parent lines and the entries placed "Schweiz". 125 are Volketswil and 3 are Uster (1868, 1869, 1873);
    • 94 people. 88 now carry the family line "Volketswil ZH (Hegnau's parish)", which is also given to Hans × Verena Hösli (H2165, H2166). Their birth and burial places now read Volketswil. Four went to "Zürich area": Regula × Jacob Stötschi, who married at Dübendorf in 1719 (DGS 8480716), and Margredt × Adam Huber, entered at Ellikon an der Thur (DGS 8125667). The 1869 burial of Elisabetha (H0979) is Uster, and the Adank baptism of 1864 (H0396) is Ardez.
  • What was added. The film was searched as a whole (18 surname patterns, see the search log), and 149 new entries came in: 147 Volketswil and 2 Uster. The study had harvested only "Hegnauwer"-type spellings. The book mostly writes Hegneüwer (1659–1688), and the indexer read the name as Hagneüwer, Hegnarwer, Hegendwer, Kegneuwer, Kernadwer, Heynadwer, Higrauven, Segnauwer, Gepnauwer, Begnauwer and, in the marriages, "Hegner".
    • 71 people added (H2300–H2370); 143 of the new entries are linked. Six are left unlinked because the surname is doubtful.
  • Families reconstructed (about 20 households, 1590–1736). Grades are those of the links, see Evidence below.
    • The first generations are unchanged from the variant harvest: Clinhans (1590–1600), Felix × Elsbeth Wolfensberger (1593–1613), Hans Jagli × Barbara Ochsner (1605–1616) and their sons Andreas (× Anna Eberhart, m. 1634) and Marx (× Cleophe Isler, m. 1637).
    • Newly dated events for them:
      • Barbara Ochsner was buried in 1636;
      • Cleophe Isler was buried in 1687;
      • Hans × Margret Ochsner married on 17 Apr 1627.
    • The generation of 1660–1700 is new:
      • Hans × Elsbeth Gast (1660);
      • Jacob (Jagli) × Anna Gul, with six children 1662–1676;
      • Hans Rudolf (b. 1641) × Verena Fürer (m. 1666), with seven children 1668–1678. Verena was buried in June 1681, and he is probably the Rudolf who married Susanna Kuhn that November (five more children 1684–1697). Rudolf was buried in 1699, aged 58, and Susanna in 1718;
      • Felix × Anna Trüeb (m. 1672), with children 1672–1685. Felix was buried in 1707, aged 68, so he is probably Marx's son of 1639; Anna was buried in 1717;
      • Hans × Catharina "Füchman", with children 1680–1691, including Jacob, bapt. 5 Feb 1682;
      • Heinrich (Heini) × Regula Lang (m. 1684), with children 1685 and 1688; Regula was buried in 1709;
      • Hans × Elsbeth Bosshart (m. 1684), with Verena (1686);
      • Hans × Barbara Güttinger (m. 1703), with Hans Jacob (1706–1736).
    • Two women were wrongly made daughters. In the variant harvest, "Regel Lang" (buried 1709, H1882) and "Ann Trueb" (buried 1717, H1884) were read as Hegnauer daughters under married names. They are the wives of Heinrich and Felix: the burial index puts the husband in the parent field, as the lead's event-type review found for the spouse lines. Both people are corrected, as probable.
    • Nineteen Hegnauer women married into other families: Gul (four, 1597–1801), Dietrich (two, 1659–1681), Müssel, Günz, Brumann (Margreth, c.1653–1711, five children), Rümbel, Diener, Koch, Muggli (married at Dürnten 1634), Kaufflinger, Bulen, Kauber, Kurz, Gehring and Bruch.
    • The last Hegnauer entries in the book are baptisms of children of Hegnauer mothers in 1800 and 1801. No Hegnauer male line is seen at Volketswil after the burial of Hans Jacob in 1736.
  • Links outside the parish: Elgg and Igis, see Volketswil, Elgg and Igis below.

Chart format: Name (b./bapt. – d./bur.) [H-ID] {occurrence IDs}. × introduces a spouse, and children are indented under their parents. Unless noted, all places are Volketswil. The H-IDs of the variant harvest (H1831–H1909) and of the first mapping (H1140–H1155, H1279, H1878–H1889) are kept.

The households, 1590–1736

Hegnauer women married into other families

No family link (burials with no kin; each is kept as its own person, as in the variant harvest):

  • Margreteli (bur. 9 March 1650) [H2355];
  • Andreas (bur. 21 September 1652) [H1892];
  • Hans (bur. 1 March 1659) [H2356];
  • Verena (bur. 6 October 1659) [H1893];
  • Hans (bur. 23 February 1661) [H1894];
  • Elsbeth (bur. 22 November 1661) [H2357];
  • Hansseli (bur. 13 June 1670) [H1895];
  • Margrethli (bur. 23 May 1670) [H2358];
  • Jacob (bur. 14 April 1672) [H2359];
  • Dorothea (bur. 11 November 1690) [H1896];
  • Hans ("Hegner", bur. 15 April 1693) [H2354];
  • Margetli (bur. 12 November 1694) [H1897];
  • Heinrich Peter (c.1659 – bur. 1 December 1698) [H1279];
  • Heinrich (b. and bur. 13 August 1729) [H2360].

Burials that the study attaches to known people as possible (their occurrences are linked there):

Unlinked entries of the film (surname doubtful):

  • Margrett "Hegma" × Jagli Sgering, 1611 (O05941);
  • Barbara "Hegiren", buried 1664 (O05960);
  • Elssbathli "Hegman", buried 1668 (O05965);
  • Barbara "Joegner" × Hans Rudolf Walder, 1731 (O06066);
  • Hans Caspar "Hegmann", buried 1753 (O06071);
  • "Ischer Hognau" × A. Geerig, November 1755 (O06082);
  • Jacob Fischer, buried 1706, b. 1653, with a parent "Meister Hegnauer" (O04687, O02096).

The Uster burials on the same film (item 2, 1863–1875)

These entries are placed at Uster and belong to the Uster families in Uster, Wetzikon, the Zürich Oberland and the Thurgau border:

  • Wilhelm (O02169, buried 12 June 1868, H0983);
  • Elis (O02168, buried 10 October 1869, H0979);
  • Regula Grob, wife of Rudolf (O02098, buried 7 September 1873, H0954).
  • New: Barbara Markwalder, wife of Heinrich [H0972], buried 22 February 1868, b. 1797 (O06085 → her death date on H0973).
  • New: Johannes "Hagmaur", buried 7 April 1872, b. 1823 (O06086 → H0976, probable).

Volketswil, Elgg and Igis

  • The Elgg link: Hans × Elsbeth Bosshart.
    • "Hanss Hegmaner" married "Elssbetha Bosshart" at Volketswil on 23 April 1684 (O06079, image 430). Their daughter Verena was baptized there on 9 February 1686 (O06036, parents Hanss Hagnauwer × Elssbeth Bosshart). Nothing more of the couple is in the Volketswil index.
    • At Elgg, a Hans Heinrich Hegnauer × Lisabeth Bosshart (indexed "Buethant" and "Busshart") had Elsbeth baptized on 9 Jan 1689 (H1612) and Hs Heinrich in Feb 1691 (66VS-13X7, not yet in the study).
    • The study takes the two couples as one (possible): the wife's name, the dates and the move from Hegnau's parish to Elgg all fit. The groom's full name at Volketswil (Hans or Hans Heinrich) and whether he was "von Elgg" can come only from image 430. The Volketswil entries are linked to the Elgg couple H1610 × H1611 with the grade possible.
    • This is candidate 1 for the origin of Jacob of Igis in Where did Jacob Hegnauer come from?.
  • The Igis question: Jacob, bapt. 5 Feb 1682. Jacob Hegnauer, first at Igis in 1715 (H1434), has an unknown origin.
    • The only Volketswil Jacob of the right age who does not die in the register is Jacob, bapt. 5 February 1682 (H2335), son of Hans × Catharina (O06015, image 356). This is candidate 3 of the jacob-origin report.
    • The whole film was searched, and no marriage and no adult burial of this Jacob was found at Volketswil up to 1801.
    • His siblings Anna (1680), Hans (1684), Hanss (1688) and Rägula (1691) all died as children, by 1699.
    • The other Volketswil Jacobs of 1665–1690 are eliminated:
      • Jacob, bapt. 1671 (H2315), buried 1676;
      • Jacob Kaspar, bapt. 1670 (H2319), buried 1676 as "Caspar", father Rudolff;
      • a Jacob buried in 1672 (H2359).
    • Other Volketswil names fit the Igis family:
      • Hans Heinrich, bapt. 1678 (H2329; "Hegmann", possibly Felix's son) leaves no later trace at Volketswil. The Igis burial of 1729 is of a Hans Heinrich Hegnauer;
      • the names Hans, Jacob, Elsbeth and Hans Heinrich are all common in this register.
    • Nothing here decides the question. The images that would settle it are the Igis entries listed in the jacob-origin report, Volketswil image 356 (the 1682 baptism, for godparents), image 430 (the 1684 marriage) and the Zürich Bevölkerungsverzeichnisse of Volketswil, about 1690–1715 (Staatsarchiv Zürich, E II 700), which list absent sons.
  • From the variant harvest (unchanged):
    • The children of Clinhans, 1590–1597 (H1832–H1836), are probable: the baptism names only the father Clinhans. There may be two men of the name, since a Hans and a Barbara were baptized two months apart in 1590.
    • Elsbeth (1593, H1839) and Felix (1601, H1840) are probable children of Felix × Elsbeth Wolfensberger: the baptism names only the father Felix, and he is the only Felix of the time.
    • Andreas (b. 1608) is the groom of 1634, and Marx (b. 1613) the groom of 1637 (probable: the only men of those names).
    • Hans Rudolf (b. 1641) is the Rodolff who married Verena Fürer in 1666 (possible, now supported by the burial of 1699, b. 1641).
    • Rägeli (bur. 1687) is the daughter of Rudi × Susanna Kuhn (probable; now also her baptism of 8 Jan 1684).
    • The burial of "Rägoli", 1 Jan 1689, father Hans, is probably Regeli's of 1 Jan 1699 (H1155) with the year misread (possible).
  • Wives buried with the husband in the parent field. The Volketswil burial index often puts the husband's name where a parent would stand. The lead's event-type review found the same pattern for the "spouse" lines (O04688, O04706). So:
    • "Regel Lang" (1709, "parent" Heinrich Hegnauwer) is Heinrich's wife Regula Lang (m. 1684, mother of his children 1685–1688), probable;
    • "Ann Trueb" (1717, "parent" Felix Hegnauwer) is Felix's widow Anna Trüeb (m. 1672, mother of his children 1672–1685), probable.
  • Rudolf (b. 1641) × Verena Fürer = Rudolf × Susanna Kuhn (probable, not merged: H1869 and H1151).
    • Verena, "wife of Rudi", was buried on 24 Jun 1681. "Rudolf" married Susanna Kuhn on 8 Nov 1681.
    • A Rudi, b. 1641, was buried on 9 Nov 1699. Susanna, "wife of Rudi", aged 68, was buried in 1718.
    • No second Rudolf appears in the series between 1666 and 1699.
  • Felix (bur. 1707, aged 68) = Felix bapt. 1639, son of Marx (probable, not merged: H1883 and H1868). The age fits exactly, and no other Felix of that generation is in the register.
  • The mothers' names are misread across a family's baptisms. Children are linked to one couple when the father's name and the run of dates agree:
    • Fürer is also read as Schüri, Füter, Friter, Fischer and Eürerin;
    • Gul as Gürt, Gurt, Güll and Güt;
    • Kuhn as Kuch, Kern and "Catharina Kurnin" (1685, possible);
    • Regula Lang as "Rëgel Erng";
    • Catharina "Füchman" also as Lühner, Fühman, Füsperin and Füserin.
  • Child burials matched to baptisms (probable): each burial names the father, fits the age, and follows the baptism of the same name in that family:
    • Hansseli, 18 Jul 1674, six days after Hans's baptism;
    • Jacobli, 1676;
    • Caspar, 1676;
    • Hans Heinrich, 1676;
    • Margaret, 1676;
    • Elssbethli, 1678;
    • Annaeli, 1681;
    • Hansseli, 1687;
    • Hans, 1698 (b. 1688);
    • Regeli, 1699 (b. 1691);
    • Susann, 1700 (b. 1683).
  • "Hegner" in the marriage index = Hegnauer (probable for Felix 1672, Heinrich 1684 and Hans 1703, whose wives are the mothers of Hegnauer children). The same reading makes Hans Ulrich "Begner/Hegner" (m. 1683) and Margaretha "Hgner" (m. 1647) possible Hegnauers.
  • Hans × Barbara Güttinger (H1878).
    • The marriage of 1703 ("Hanss Hegner") and Barbara's burial of 1727 as Hans's wife (b. 1661) go together (probable).
    • Hans Jacob, bapt. 1706, son of "Hannss Jacob Hegenmann" × Barbel Güttinger, is the Hans Jacob buried 1736, b. 1706, "Hans' nachgelassener [Sohn]" (probable).
    • The father link from Hans Jacob to H1878 is possible.
  • Margreth × Hans Jacob Brumann (H2339).
    • Five baptisms of 1684–1699 name a Hegnauer mother and a father read Büman, Buman, Bodman, Bruman and Baumann.
    • Margreth, buried 1711, b. 1653, is "wife of Hans Jacob Brumann".
    • One couple, probable.

Search log (FamilySearch, read-only, 27 Sep 2026)

#Search (q.filmNumber=008120584 unless stated)ResultsOutcome
1Record pages of the study's 140 rows of the old series and its people (gedcomx: DigitalFilmNbr, ImageNbr)140128 on DGS 8120584 (images 278–732); the others on 8196022_004 (Ardez), 8341072 (Wülflingen), 8114755 (Liestal), 8480716_001 (Dübendorf), 8125667_001 (Ellikon), 8014312 (Dürnten), 8480733 (Russikon), 8341352 (Gossau)
2Catalog, film number 0081205842Volketswil (Taufen, Heiraten, Tote 1588–1801) and Uster (Tote 1863–1875)
3Catalog 008196022, 008341072, 008114755, 008480716, 008125667, 008126175–Film 1192669 Ftan/Ardez/Guarda/Lavin; Wülflingen; Liestal; Film 996832 Dorf (items 1–3) and Dübendorf (items 4–5); Ellikon an der Thur; Jenins, Zizers, Fläsch, Sur
4surname Heg*229 (all pages)Hegnauwer 74, Hegneüwer 51, Hegnauer 13, Hegnanwer 8, Hegnau 7, Hegner 6 …
5Hag*, Hig*, Hog*, Hug*, Hög*, He*n*w*r, *gnau*, *gnaw*, *gnow*, *nauw*, *neüw*, *nadw*, *narw*, *nauer, H*gn*, *egn*, Ke*n*d*217 more personasNew readings: Hagneüwer, Hagnauwer, Hagnouwer, Higrauven, Hependwer, Heynadwer, Heÿneweler, Begnauwer, Segnauwer, Gepnauwer, Kernadwer, Kegnamer, Kegendwer, Kegneuwer, Hgner, Begner. Not Hegnauer: Hager, Hagmann, Hug, Hüg, Tüfenauer/Tieffenauer (a Volketswil family), Hägni (Uster 1863, 1867), Reutlinger and Koch "von Hegnau", Felix Gul "von Hegnau" (m. 1740)
6The 446 personas make 324 records; 189 of them carry a Hegnauer-type name–81 already in the study (128 rows); 108 new records → 149 occurrences
7Record pages of the 108 new records (image numbers) and of the 12 marriages (dates)–All on DGS 8120584; 1590–1801 = images 148–592; 1863–1872 = images 632–722
8surname Adank, films 008196022 and 0081261757 / 864Adank baptisms at Ardez 1860, 1864; Adank the main family of 8126175 (Fläsch)
9Clalüna, Bischoff, Pitschen, Filli, Salzgeber, Rauch, Janett, Vital on 008196022 (by image group)–Group 004 = Clalüna (Ardez) 51 of 62; 006 = Filli (Lavin) 48 of 62; 002 = Rauch, Vital, Janett (Ftan)

Negative results: no marriage or adult burial of a Jacob Hegnauer born 1665–1690 in the Volketswil index up to 1801. No Hegnauer male line in the register after 1736.

Open questions

  1. Image 356 and image 430: the godparents of Jacob (1682), and the groom's full name and origin at the 1684 Bosshart marriage.
  2. Rudolf and Felix: should H1869 = H1151 and H1868 = H1883 be merged? The images of the burials of 1699 and 1707 would give the full entries ("Rudolf Hegnauer, Ehemann der Susanna Kuhn"?).
  3. The Bevölkerungsverzeichnisse of Volketswil (Staatsarchiv Zürich, E II 700, about 1634–1771) list every household with the children's ages and absent members. They are the best check of the families above, and of where the Hegnauers of Hegnau went after 1736.
  4. Doubtful surnames: are Hegmann (1678, 1753), Hegner (Ulrich 1683–1686, Hans 1693) and Begner (1801) Hegnauers? The images would show.
  5. Clinhans (1590–1600): one man or two? The Hanss who is the father of Dorothe in 1600 is linked to him only as possible.
  6. Earlier than 1590: the Zürich tax books (Steuerbücher) of 1357–1470 and the 1483 "Gul von Hegnau" entry concern the village itself. They should be read with this register in mind.

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