Jost Family

Our Jost Family

Polli Jost Turner, Editor

We owe a debt of gratitude to Winthrop P. Bell, the author of the book, "Foreign Protestants and the Settlement of Nova Scotia" [1961]. It is often difficult to learn about immigrant ancestors, trying to discover when they came to America, what boat they travelled on, and (most important to further research) where they came from in the Old World. In the 1700's, the French presence in Canada was already strong. But the British desired a strategic port on the eastern seaboard, in competition with the French presence, as well as the rich potential of the cod fishing industry there, and began settlement of Halifax and Nova Scotia. England was unwilling to lose more citizens to the westward migration. So the plan was formed to recruit "Foreign Protestants," largely German-speaking Lutherans, to help settle the new land. Between 1751 and 1753, about 1500 immigrants were brought to Halifax, most of them being taken to build the new settlement of Lunenburg in 1754. Bell developed an interest in this group of "Foreign Protestants," and began to compile research for a book on the subject, to clarify misconceptions that had arisen over the intervening years. That research makes available to us detailed information on all the immigrants, gleaned from the records of the day which would be unavailable to the general public. Thanks to Bell's work, we have been able to locate the birth record of our immigrant ancestor, George Jost, in Strasbourg, making possible further research on our Jost ancestors in Europe.

First Generation—Johann Georg Jost, "George" born May 30, 1727, in Strasbourg; died June 7, 1775, in Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; 48 years old. The Betty’s passenger list states that he was an unmarried locksmith from Strasbourg. Married (December 17, 1754, in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia) Susanna Catherine Morasch, born August 11, 1735, in Kleinheubach; died April 3, 1811, in Hailfax; 75 years old. Kleinheubach is a small village in Germany, on the south side of the Main river in Bavaria, just southeast of Frankfurt. George and Susanna were buried together in the cemetery of the Little Dutch Church in Halifax. Notice that they named three of their sons John! It was a custom among Germans that the first name given a child was a baptismal or christening name, often a Biblical name, and the child would use the second name. That’s why, although George gave his name (you might say his legal name) as Johann Georg when he boarded the ship in Europe, he went by "George" in all the records of Nova Scotia. On the ship’s passenger list, the man who wrote the names of the passengers wrote the name as Jean Georges Jost, using the French translation, but when George signed the indebtedness list, his signature read, "Johann Georg Jost."George was naturalized September 12, 1758, using his full name, John George Jost. Winthrop Bell comments in his notes, "How he managed this is not determinable. By September 1758, only the arrivals legally of 1751 had sufficient length of residence to be entitled to naturalization." I wonder if he was allowed this privilege because his wife was among the 1751 arrivals.

After George’s death, Susanna remarried (September 8, 1776) Johann Caspar Drilliot, "Caspar," born ca. 1726, in Switzerland, according to the Speedwell’s passenger list. He arrived in Halifax in 1851. He married first (April 9, 1752) Mary Schuffelburger. They had three children before her death, sometime after 1762. Caspar and Susanna had a daughter of their own, Catherine. Catherine married Nicholas LeCane. The family name has been seen as Drillis, Drillio, Drilliot, and even Trillian and Trilliot! His signature was awkward and uneducated, and looks to be "Drilliot. It is unusual that Susanna was buried with her first husband George, particularly since he died almost 30 years before she did. Presumably Casper preceded her in death, and was buried with his first wife, leaving Susanna to be buried with George.[More about Johann Georg Jost][see the Morash family]

1. Rachel [or Regina] Elizabeth Jost,"Elizabeth," born 1755, in Lunenburg, died February 3, 1840, in Halifax; 84 years old. She was buried near her parents in the Little Dutch Church cemetery. Married (July 31, 1776, in St. Paul’s Church in Halifax) John David Longard, "David," born March 18, 1755 in Lunenburg. He was a blacksmith, his parents were Ulrich and Marianna Anna Longard (probably originally Lankert). Ulrich Lankert was a farmer from Switzerland, and arrived in Halifax on board the Betty (with George Jost) in 1752. He was apparently single at the time.

2. John Michael Jost,baptized September 18, 1757, in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Died young. Buried in the Little Dutch Church cemetery.

3. George Frederick Jost, baptized April 23, 1760, in Halifax (St. Paul’s Church). Married (August 14, 1785, in Lunenburg) Maria Elizabeth Reichardt (Anna Elizabeth?). Lived in Herring Cove, an area of Halifax, in 1792-3 as a "labourer."

4. Andrew Jost, a twin, baptized July 3, 1761, in Halifax (St. Paul’s). Probably died young.

5. William Jost, a twin, baptized July 3, 1761, in Halifax (St. Paul’s). Probably died young.

6. John Casper Jost, born September. 11, 1763, in Halifax; died June 13, 1850, in Halifax; 86 years old. Baptized September 17, 1763, at St. Paul’s. Married (March 29, 1791, in Halifax) Mary Catherina Hirtle, born August 5, 1770, in Halifax (baptized August 26, 1770); died March 14, 1846; 75 years old. He was buried in Camp Hill Cemetery in Halifax.

7. Jacob Jost, baptized January 10, 1765, in Halifax (St. Paul’s). He possibly died young.

8. Catherine Barbara Jost,"Barbara," baptized October 1, 1766, in Halifax (St. Paul’s); died November 9, 1864; about 98 years old. Married (April 3, 1787) Alexander Moir, who was probably born in Scotland. Both were buried in the Camp Hill Cemetery in Halifax. He was a blacksmith. Their sons started the Moir chocolate factory in the early 1800’s. The company was purchased by the Hershey’s company during the 1970’s.

9. Margaret (or Mary) Sophia Jost, baptized February 16, 1768, in Halifax (St. Paul’s). She died young.

10. Mary Philipina Jost,"Philipina," born 1769, in Halifax; died May 18, 1832, in Halifax; 63 years old. Married (January 21, 1789, in the Little Dutch Church in Halifax) William Jeremiah Vickers, "Jeremiah," born ca. 1762, in Halifax; died June 13, 1826, in Halifax; 64 years old. A tinsmith. They had at least 8 children.

11. John Philip Jost, born 1771, in Halifax; died February 7, 1854, in Lunenburg; 83 years old (82 years old, acc. to the Stayner Collection). Married (October 25, 1796, in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia) Anna Gertrude Pentz (or Penn), born 1775, in Lunenburg, died October 10, 1858; 83 years old (85, according to Stayner). Her father was John Martin Penn. All their children were born in Lunenburg, where Philip farmed.

12. George Henry Jost,born or baptized March 28, 1773, in Halifax; died February 1, 1849; 75 years old. He was a carpenter. Married (September 29, 1801, in Halifax) Margery Smith, born 1777; died December 5, 1851, in Halifax; 74 years old. They were buried in the Little Dutch church cemetery, near his parents. Their children were all born in Halifax.

Sources:works of Dr. Arthur Cranswick Jost, dec.Gordon (dec.) and Jim Drysdale, Guysborough, Nova Scotia
Avard Marr, dec.Clara Jost Marr, dec.Jean Marr McCorkindale, dec.Frank Jost Newson, dec.Evelyn Murray Mullane (dec.) and daughter Joan Mullane Carroll, of Halifax
Allan G. Jost, Nova Scotia
Norman and Beth Jost, Codys, New Brunswick
Roland and Joyce Jost, Newfoundland
Blair Vessie, Bathurst, New Brunswick
Dorothy Hamilton, Victoria, British Columbia
Marion Hope, Ottowa, Ontario
Gordon M. Muirhead, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Roy Longard, Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
The "Foreign Protestants" and the Settlement of Nova Scotia, by Winthrop P. Bell, 1961. Winthrop Bell’s Notes, available on microfilm #1421430 from Salt Lake City, through local Family History CentersInformation from the Provincial Archives of Nova Scotia (PANS), sent by Terrance Punch, a genealogist of Halifax, Nova Scotia
The Stayner Collection, microfilmed notes in PANS, transcribed by Allan G. Jost

Jost Links:
Allan Jost's gedcom of our Jost family:http://jostfamily.tk/
Halifax County, Nova Scotia GenWeb Project:http://www.rootsweb.com/~nshalifa/
Guysborough County, Nova Scotia GenWeb Project:http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~guys/index.html
Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia GenWeb Project:http://www.rootsweb.com/~canns/lunenburg/shiplists.html
Lunenburg First Familieshttp://www.seawhy.com/fifamndx.htmlhttp://www.seawhy.com/ffjost.html
Antecdotal Histories of Life in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, by Nancy Shaver:http://www.flora.org/nancy/lunenburg/
Josts buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Guysborough:http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/7525/Cemetery/EverGuy2.htm
The historic Jost House, now a museum in Sydney, Cape Breton:http://fortress.uccb.ns.ca/historic/jost.html
Thomas Jost Mangos' information on the Jost name in Germany