Speicher Parish, Appenzell, Switzerland Genealogy

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Geography
Speicher is located in the former Mittelland district. It has an area of 8.2 square kilometers (3.2 square miles). The area is used thusly:

54.8% agriculture 28.6% forest 16.1% settlement .5% non-productive

History
Speicher was first mentioned as Spicher in 1309. At this time it was used as a granary (Kornspeicher) for the Abbey of St. Gall. It was established as an independent protestant parish in 1614, previously belonging to Sankt Laurenzen parish in the city of Sankt Gallen and to the parish of Trogen. In 1667, the population was 908; by 1734, the population had risen to 1,634.

Locations within Speicher
Almenweg Aue Bendlehn Betleheim Birt Blatten Brand Brug Brugmoos Buchen Ebni Einfang Erilen Engelsried Erlengschwend Flecken Gern Halden Häusle hinter dem Acker hinter der Wis Hinterwies Hohrüti Holderschwendi Horst in der Wis Kallabinth Kohlhalden Lender Löchimühle Nepenegg ob dem Holz Oberwilen Rohrersbühl Röhrenbrug Rührersbühel Rüthi Rütenen Sägli Schönenbühl Schupfe/Schupfen/in der Schupfen Schützengarten Schwendi Sitz Sonder Speicher Speicherschwendi Städele Steinegg Stoss Sumpf Teufenschwendi Tobel Töbeli Unterbach unter dem Holz Unterdorf Unterwilen Vögelinsegg Vorderer Flecken Weilen Weite Wisbühel

Surrounding Parishes
Bühler Eggersriet (Sankt Gallen) Rehetobel Sankt Gallen (Sankt Gallen) Teufen Trogen

Church Records
The parish of Speicher was established in 1614 from the parish of Sankt Laurenzen in the city of Sankt Gallen and the parish of Trogen. Records held by the Family History Library include baptisms (Taufen) 1614-1839, confirmations (Konfirmanden) ;1758-1838, marriages (Heiraten) 1614-1839, and deaths (Tote) 1628-1839. Records after this time period are housed at the Cantonal Archive in Herisau, Switzerland.

Family book (Familienbuch) records are available at the Family History Library for the 17th and 18th centuries (undated). Additionally, books compiled in 1834, 1840, and 1876, as well as for non-citizens (Beisässen) are available at the FHL. The following family book records are available at the Cantonal Archive in Herisau: Volume 1 (1734) - household visitation Volume 2 (1735) - non-citizen resident records Volume 3 (1740) - household visitation Volumes 4-6 (1771) - citizen family registers Volume 7 (1799) - registry of unmarried citizens Volume 8 (1809-1873) - emigration registry

Genealogies
(see here for article describing Swiss compiled genealogies)

The following genealogies have been researched for Speicher families:

Altherr family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,467)Frehner family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,007; see also FHL Film 193,471) Hörler family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,474) Iller family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,475)Koller family, by Rosa Holzer (FHL Film 1,183,641) Künzler family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 1,183,714) Niederer family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 127,965; see also FHL Film 193,480) Rechsteiner family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 1,183,559; see also FHL Film 193,481) Rüsch family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 388,803 and 127,969; see also FHL Film 193,482) Schoch family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 127,986; see also FHL Film 193,483) Schoch family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,009; see also FHL Film 193,483) Sturzenegger family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,485) Zellweger family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,008) Zuberbühler family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,036)

Civil Registration
Civil registration began in 1876. Speicher belongs to the Mittelland Appenzell civil registration district. Records are only available in Switzerland. For further information, contact the civil registry office at:

Zivilstandsamt Mittelland A.Rh. Postfach 144 CH - 9055 Bühler AR

Tel: +41 71 791 70 91

email: [mailto:za@buehler.ar.ch za@buehler.ar.ch]

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Speicher prior to 1875:

Alder (1823 from Urnäsch) Altherr Bänziger Baumgartner Bodenmann (1855 from Urnäsch) Bruderer Buff Etter Eugster Frehner Graf Grunholzer Gschwend Haas Hofstetter Hörler Iller Kast Kästli Kellenberger (extinct) Keller Klee Koller Kriemler Krüsi Künzler Kuser (extinct) Lanker Locher Meier/Meyer Mittler (extinct) Mötteli/Mötte (extinct) Nänny/Nänne (extinct) Niederer Pflick (extinct) Rechsteiner Ringeisen (extinct) Ritter (1850 from Hundwil) Rüsch Schefer Scherrer (extinct) Schittli Schläpfer Schlumpf (extinct) Schmid (from Schwellbrunn) Schmidli Signer (extinct) Sonderegger Sonderer Stauber (1850) Sturzenegger Tanner Tobler Wirth (1849 from Hundwil) Zähner Zuberbühler (extinct) Zürcher

Societies and Libraries
Cantonal Archive of Appenzell-Ausserrhoden (in German)