Revision 1.0 November, 2025
Introduction written by John Francis Druding Jr. (1976-Living)
Much of the work on this page is a result of a few family historians who met each other via the mail in the 1960’s and 1970’s and exchanged information. According to a letter from Irma E Walton Druding (1926 – 1994), elements of this history was obtained by Irma from unknown Drudings in Cloppenburg, Germany. Another family historian, Julius Charles Druding (1899 – 1976), arranged to have it translated from German. He also appears to have added his own contributions. There are also several other contributors mentioned including:
- Victor Stukenberg who was said to be a school principal in Cloppenburg in 1947 contributed tax records and part of the written history
- Hellmuth Rehme, a researcher at Cloppenburg, provided records from 1613 – 1702 from the St Andreas Church (Catholic) at Cloppenburg.
- Dr. Dietrich Graf von Merveldt, Director of the Bistumsarchiv Münster (1970–1980), responded to a letter that was likely sent to him by Julius Druding
This document was transcribed from scanned paper documents that I received from my grandmother, Kathryn Wicker Druding (1918-2005) and the original content only lightly edited. Based on references within the document and other letters, it seems this document was assembled between about 1947 and initially published in 1978.
I have added some additional detail, clarification and context, where possible. These interjections begin with “Editor’s Note:” and end with “End of Editor’s Note”.
Links to Scanned Original Documents:
The Genealogy of the Drudings and Druedings of Cloppenburg, Germany
Editor’s Note: John F Druding Jr, 2025:
The section that follows appears to be the work that was obtained from a Druding family in Germany. Irma Druding said it was in German and that Julius Druding had it translated to English.
End of Editor’s Note
The research into the genealogy of the Drudings of Cloppenburg covered a period of five years and all leads were pursued to their ends.
In order to present a genealogy of the Drudings and Druedings of Cloppenburg, it is thought best to first give a condensed history of the Saxons and Franks insofar as it relates to the Drudings and Druedings. Their ancestral origin was Saxon. The Saxons were a strong tribe.
The Saxons
The Saxons were first mentioned by Ptolemy the geographer in the 2nd Century, and he revealed that there were in the southern part of the Cimbrician (Danish) Peninsula and spread southward. They were a confederacy tribe about 150 AD in Holstein south of the Angles who lived in Sahleswig. They moved south and Westward and absorbed the greater part of Chaucii (German Chauken) later Oldenburg and the Angreveris which were south of the coastal area of the North Sea known as Fristil which they did not enter. They held the area west of the Elba river as far south as Osnabuck and West to Holland about 300. They went westward and were joined by the Cheruscii and settled on the Flemish coast about 410. Large groups joined the Angles and Jutes in the English conquest after 450. (The Angles did not settle in Northern Germany).
They also expanded southward to the north shores of the Lippe river and westward to the Rhine river. They were of Germanic origin.
They were of four groups, Westphalians which included Westphalians, Angrarians and East Nordbalginginas. The name of the fourth group was not determined. These included Saxons.
Otto I, son of a Saxon Noble named Ludolf was the first Duke of Saxony, 880-912. Luneburg (near Hamburg) was the Center of Lower Saxony. Oldenburg is now a part of lower Saxony. Oldenburg existed from the 12th Century and since World War II is a part of Lower Saxony. Prussia included Saxony and Westphalia. Otto and Charlemagne were of two separate and distinct empires. Otto was a king of Germany and later a Holy Roman Emperor, called the Great. 962-973.
The Franks
“Franks” is a generic name of uncertain origin for a group of Germanic tribes dwelling north and east of the middle and lower Rhine in the 3rd Century AD. Mitchell’s atlas shows that the Franks started their movement from an area including Cloppenburg and crossed the Rhine at Cologue and went past Aachen (aix la Chapelle) to the west central part of Gaul (France) to the north of Paris to form the states known as Neustria and Austrasia. At Aachen they had their headquarters.
The Franks were a leading confederacy of West Germanic tribes first mentioned in 241 AD and included western Chaucii, the Ampsivarii and the Chamavi. They later formed the Salian Franks, Bructeri, Sugambri, and the Chattnarii (later the Ripuarians Franks) and Chatti. They fought against the Romans in 253. The Ripuarins dwelt on both sides of the Rhine, near Cologne.
The Salians were permanently settled in the region occupied by the modern Flemish and Dutch Netherlands by 410 and the Ripuarians and Chatti settled in the Rhine Land, and Hesse and northern Bavaria by 450. They founded the kingdom of France under Charlemagne in the 9th Century. France derived its name from Franks.
The Franks were in Mainz and Frankfort in 241 and went east as far as northern Bavaria principally around Mittle Franken at and near Nurnberg. They crossed the Rhine to invade the Roman Empire as early as 253. During the 8th Century Charlemagne christanized the Saxons.
Coat Of Arms
The Truding coat of arms (shown as a part of this genealogy) came into being at Court Heidenheim which is very close to Gunzenhausen about 15 miles southwest of Nurnberg in the north central part of Bavaria. In north Germany the spelling was Druding. Since the “D” was generally unknown for commencing names or was not used to commence names the letter “T” was substituted to read Truding. The name Truding in southern Germany is evidence that the Saxons were among the Franks and involved in their migrations and activities. Heidenheim is in Mittle Franken.
Heraldry came into being during the Holy Crusades 1096-1270. The lower part of the coat of arms has a Torteaux (or wastell): roundels of Gules (red) and said to represent a cake of bread or Wastell cake. Originally, they were supposed to have been consecrated cake used by the church on festive days, such as the cross-buns of Good Friday or the Passover cake of the Jews. There was some feeling that they represented the Eucharistical wafer. At Heidenheim the Trudings settled to live and named the place “Truding.”
The Genealogical Records
The tax records were obtained by Victor Stukenberg, a school principal of Cloppenburg 1947. The St Andreas Church (Catholic) records at Cloppenburg were searched from 1613 when they start to 1702 by Hellmuth Rehme, a researcher at Cloppenburg. The church records are considerably deteriorated and many of the sheets are stuck together which made research difficult. Also, there are some gaps. It may be that the religious wars and Thirty Year’s War from 1618 to 1648 had a bearing on how well the records were kept. After the wars, the records are in better condition. Following are the tax and church records for Cloppenburg and surrounding.
Drude The Elsten:
This was a small court (district) where families of the same name lived. Sometimes a family moved from one court to another. In 1545 Drude the Elsten owned only a few cattle. There is no doubt that Drudinck derived from Drude during the centuries before 1545 and that the name Drude originated in the lower Danish peninsula. Source 22 Frankforter a.m . 1912 shows a v. Drudicke, researched by Alex Schwartz of Ottendorf, West Germany.
Editor’s Note (John F Druding Jr, 2025):
The next section appears to be authored by Victor Stuckenburg, likely in 1947.
End Editor’s Note
All genealogical research ends with a farm or farmstead. Farm huts or sheds are older than our villages, cities, and aristocratic citizens. The proper names of the farms are not as old as one earlier thought. Many names are regional, place, or site names, for example: Farmhouse, Part of the Mountain; others owe their names to the position of the farms, for example: Northman (north farm), Southkamp (south enclosure or preserve), Westerhoff (western farm), Osterhus, (eastern house). Others originated out of earlier owners of Christian names, for example: From Albertus – Alberg, Alberding; from Bartholomaus – Barthel; Thole – Tholking; from Diedrich – Dierkes, Druhe, Druding, etc.
Professor Dr. Pagenstert, in his book “The Farmstead of the Domain of Vechte”, wrote, ‘very many derivations of names under which also on Page 15 the derivation of Druding from Diedrich.’
Professor Dr. Hans Neumann, specialist in name research from the University of Gottingen, writes ‘the name Druding from Diedrich is very strange. The name Druding has been good germanic and was used for nine hundred years as a female personal name in the form of Drudinga, there are old document derivations which represent Drudo which are today known as Drude. They belong to Drud, trut (traut) from germanic Druda Galienter, Geliechte, but also a younger extraction out of the short form of Gertrude (Gertrud) can be questioned.1
From where do the Drudings in Cloppenburg stem? With great certainty this family is from the farmstead of Thole in Elsten. This village still has tax records. According to the tax records, the following families lived there:
- 1498 – Tole Drudink
- 1535 ” Werneke Drudink
- I580 – Bernhard Drudink
- I609 – Tole Drudink
Since 1651 only the name Tole is used. The tax records do not list a Druding in Cloppenburg until 1672. In this year, the following is listed:
Thole von Elsten and the wife of the household, also sons Arendt 4 and Carl 1 year old, paid 1 Goldgulden.
According to the records at the city hall of Cloppenburg, Thole von Elsten owned in 1668: 1 horse, 3 cows, 2 oxen.
In 1676, his name is shown as Tole Druding von Elsten. The church records show the following children were born and baptized:
May 18, 1670 – Carolus Georgius of Cloppenburg
Parents: Tole von Elsten and Anna Margareta Borggraves
Sponsors: Carolus Grothaus, satrapa, and Georgius, centurio
(The child Carl is, according to the tax record of 1672, one year old. This was recorded on March 18, 1672, by the judge of Cloppenburg, Jodnous Langren and the privy councilor, Hermann Hesselmann of Munster. The original is in the city archives of Munster.)
April 3, 1672 – born and baptized Margareta of Cloppenburg
Parents: Thole von Elsten and Margareta, wife
Godparents: Margareta Klostermann, wife of Consul is Roden, and Joes Meyer of Cloppenburg
From now on the church records do not show the name Thole von Elsten, instead they show the name Druding. Here are three recordings:
May 18, 1683 – married, Gerhard Druding ex Cloppenburg and Gesche Osterkamp
Witnesses: Tobias Schwaffermann, Cath. von Gronheimb.No children have been recorded from this marriage; the wife was born about 1640.
Listed in the death records are:
April 4, 1699 – Gerhard Druding of Cloppenburg
April 23, 1711, ex Cloppenburg, Gesche Osterkamp vel ridua Druding. The church records have been changed. The name Tole has been crossed out and Osterkamp written in above it.
The confirmation list of 1709 lists names of the following houses:
| Druding | Drudinck |
|---|---|
| Joan Arnold p.f. | Wilhelm Krampe cond. |
| Lucke Maria m.f. | Sybilla Christine m. |
| Joan Bernard, fil. | Christine Elis. fil |
| Marg. mater joris | Joanna Meyer Coh. |
| Joh. Herm. fil. | |
| Martin Theod. fil. | |
| Franziskus fil. | |
| Sybilla fil. | |
| Joan Herm. fil. |
There existed only one Druding family, the second Druding house was leased to Krampe who took in a woman with five children. This second house of Druding was probably owned and occupied earlier by Gerhard Druding (died in 1699) and his wife, Gesche, nee Osterkamp. The Mrs. Druding was not confirmed in 1709. She may have been confirmed earlier in 1682, 1694, or 1700. She also may not have participated because of illness.
The original house of the Drudings in Cloppenburg is located on the corner of Osterstrasse-Amthauestrasse, now occupied by the merchant and innkeeper Jos. von Amburen.
Thole von Elsten in Cloppenburg and Thole Druding are one and the same family.
Editor’s Note (John F Druding Jr, 2025):
This table that follows was likely assembled by Victor Stuckenburg, around 1947. Before the table are a few helpful definitions likely added by Julius or Irma Druding.
End Editor’s Note
Tax Records:
Legend: Gg = Goldgulden; Sch = Schilling; D = Daler/Thaler; Deut/Doit = small coin; v. = von; fil. = filius/filia (son/daughter); m.f. = mater/femina? (mother/female); p.f. = pater/filius? (father/son); cond. = conductor (tenant/leaseholder); vel vidua = or widow; satrapa/centurio = office titles as written in record.
| Date | Information |
| 1498 | Tole Drudinck, 3 persons (The “ck” ending was apparently from Dutch influence, and “g” was later used as end letter for the name “ck” is equal to “g”. |
| 1535 | Tole Drudinck, One half Gg. |
| 1535 | Werncke Drudinck, One half Gg. |
| 1535 | Tole Drudinck, 2 Gg, 2 Schrickenberger |
| 1538 | Oldenburg Invasion, Tole Drudinck from Jurgen van Holle. Purchased one ox 3 Daler. |
| 1545 | Tole Drudinck has 6 milk cows, 4 horses, 2 oxen, 7 goats, 8 cattle, 13 pigs, 20 sheep, 2 beehives, appraised at 108 Gg. ( of it taxes) one half Gg 11 Doit |
| 1545 | Werncke Drudinck, 2 milk cows, 4 horses, 3 oxen 6 goats, 6 cattle, 11 sheep, 14 pigs, 6 beehives – 130 Gg–one fourth Gg 3 Schillings one and one half deit. The first place is larger and has more livestock, but they owe allegiance to the landlord and therefore had to pay higher taxes. The second place owned by Werncke Drudinck is smaller but is higher appraised because they do not owe allegiance. |
| 1548 | Greta Borchgrevesche and daughter Alheidt lived in Cloppenburg. Their were named Borggreve. (This record is from the Staats Archive at Oldenburg) |
| 1549 | Tole Drudinck, Greta wife, Dirich son, Swaneke, Gesse, ( 5 persons) |
| 1562 | Toele Drudinck, gehele erus, egen |
| 1564 | Borchardt Drudinck, one Schilling pay for farmhand |
| 1576 | Borchardt Drudinck one fourth service pay |
| 1576 | Thole Drudinck gave one bushel rye and 4 barrels oats and Desumsgefalle.[Editor’s note: contemporary copies disagree—one typescript reads 4 barrels, another 4 bushels. The original German unit is unclear; see note after table.] |
| 1578 | Thole Drudinck one and one fourth Gg. |
| 1597 | Barend Drudinck 1 /4 Gg household taxes |
| 1609 | Tole Drudinck gives Desgumsgefalle.(From 1594 to 1616 we find no tax records. The church records start in 1613) |
| 1616 | Sept. 18, Borchardt v. Elsten appears as a godfather for– (not clear) Was grandfather of Thole Von Elsten. Wessel v. Elsten was a godfather 1616(small “v” means a noble von) |
| 1618 | Tole Druding gives Desgumsgefalle |
| 1627 | Sept. 26. Thole von Elsten married Grete. Name of baptized not entered or clear but must have been a son. Sponsors: Judge Pille, Wessel v Elsten, Greta Meyers zu Sevelten. Born in Cloppenburg. Thole was bro. of Wessel v. Elsten. Thole who married Anna Margareta Borggreve was a son of Wessel v. Elsten ( it appears that von Elstens in this report all stemmed from Borchardt Johann v. Elsten. Wessel v. Elsten was godfather in 1616. He was the father of Thole von Elsten. ( Line descendants also are classed as noble “von. 11 or 11v. 11Note: (Grete: Greta = Gretchen- Gertrude – pearl = Alheidt = Alice) |
| 1630 | Here is where the birth of Anna Margareta Borrgreve should appear according to her age when she died in 1728, Feb. 16. according to church record – At age 98) |
| 1631 | Oct. 16 Thole von Elsten, solider of the city hall of Cloppenburg married Margaretha, child named Wubbecks. Sponsors: Matthias Fischer of Cloppenburg, Takeke the Waichs. |
| 1646 | Johan zu Nieholt and Wubbecke von Elsten were married. |
| 1650 | Feb. 13, Dietrich von Elsten and Lucke von Cappeln, Witnesses Gotfried von Cappeln, Wessel Windhauss, Jost Zurmeyer and others. |
| 1650 | Dietrich von Elsten and Lucke had a child named Gerdt Arnold. Sponsors: Arnold Volbier, Treasurer and Margaretha Gerdraus Duvell. Diedrich von Elsten was from the Burg Cloppenburg because his lord, the Treasurer Volbier and the wife of the law writer were godparents of his child. |
| 1652 | March 10, Diedrich von Elsten and Lucke had a child named Gerdt Arnold. |
| 1657 | Sept. 10, Wessel v. Elsten was a sponsor for Hackmann zu Stapelfeld |
| 1658 | April 8, Dietrich Burggreff e and Annecke had a daughter named Anna Dorothea Clara. Sponsors: Anna Dorothea born von Weix, wife of the High Bailiff, and Clara Volbier, wife of the treasurer. |
| 1661 | September, Bernt Borggreve from the Burg Cloppenburg was buried after a few years of life. |
| 1663 | Jan 7, Thole von Elsten was sponsor for a child of Diedtrich Freidrichs zu Vahren |
| 1663 | Sept. 13, Willecke von Elsten and Hille Hellmes witnesses Arndt and Gerdt, Bernt von Gronheim. Not related to Thole von Elsten. |
| 1666 | March 2, Wellecke von Elsten= 2nd oo 1666 with Gertrud Wittrock, Not related to Thole von Elsten. (00= marriage ) |
| 1667 | October 19th, parents: Johann Brandt and Gretke Mullers, Margaretha Maria, sponsors: Margareta Borggreve and Margareta Tole’s and Frederich von Hanstrup |
| 1667 | November 22, Joan Gert von Elsten and Gertrut Frei, witnesses Joan Frie, Wilke von Elsten, Abel von Sevelten. |
| 1668 | Thole von Elsten tax record. |
| 1668 | Here is where Thole von Elsten and Anna Margaretha Borggreve were married (In 1947 Victor Stukenberg listed the name as Borggrave but Rehme insists the spelling is Borggreve according to birth records for the children of Thole von Elsten and Anna Margareta). However, the record does not appear in the church records. (The year is arrived at because tax record shows their first child to be born in 1668. The birth record of Arendt is not recorded. It may be assumed that the Borggreve were from some other place in Germany and that Anna Margareta was born at her parents home and this would apply also to her marriage to Thole and the birth of their first child, Arendt. Johanna Arndt-full name. |
| 1668 | Christina von Elsten and Thole appeared as sponsors. Names not clear. |
| 1668 | March 26, Dietrich Dobbecke married Elizabeth Suskens and Christina von Elsten and Thole were witnesses. |
| 1670 | (approximately), Christina von Elsten married M. Hilmer Halbwasser. |
| 1670 | April 27, Wilhelm von Els ten witness for Dirk Dobke |
| 1670 | May 4, Thole von Elsten witness for Bruns Wessel from Osterstrassen and his wife Feniker ( Veronica Trincke). |
| 1670 | May 18, Thole von Elsten and Anna Margareta Borggrevesche his wife, niarried, had a child named Carolus Georgius, Sponsors, Carolus Grothuss, Strapa, and Georgius, Centurion. |
| 1671 | May 3, Thole von Els ten was a witness for Henricus son of Herman Meyer von Buhren and Fraucke his wife. |
| 1671 | October 5, Christina von Elsten and M. Hilmer Halbwasser had a child, first name not clear. |
| 1672 | Herman Wigberts tax. NOTE· Record 1668 shows birth of Arndt 1668. He died as Johann Arnold Druding on 7/18/1735 as Consul at Cloppenburg age 72. This places his birth in 1663. The death record means that Thole and Anna Margareta were married in 1662-1663. |
| 1672 | April 3, Thole von Elston and Anna Margareta his wife had a child named Margaretha, Sponsors: Margaretha Clostermann, wife of Consul Roden and Joseph Meyer. |
| 1672 | Herman Wigherts – Burggraf and wife, Tax record (Herman not the count) |
| 1673 | Jan 17, Margaretha Borghreve was sponsor for Johan Cristopher the son of Wessel Rode and Gesina Klostermann |
| 1673 | May 8, Berendt von Gronheim married Taleke von Warnsteet, Witnesses: Matthias von G r o n h e i m and Lutteke F r e i . |
| 1674 | April 22, Thole von Elsten and Anna Margaretha Borggrevesche, his wife, the born child was Chritina Adelgundis, Witnesses: Anna Christina Duvels, Frans Volbier, treasurer, Franz Klare. The ending of name “sche” indicated, means the feminine for Borggreve |
| 1675 | April 23, Wupcke wife of Johan von Elsten was buried. |
| 1676 | A tax record shows the name: Thole Druding von Elsten. (There is no doubt that Druding is the new spelling instead of Drudinck which does not appear after Borchardt Johann Drudinck tax records . ) In other words, Thole von Elsten and Thole Druding are one and the same person. Druding was not a Christian or Baptismal name. It was the family name. |
| 1679 | November 26, Johan von Elsten was buried. |
| 1682 | March 10, Berendt von Gronheimb and Lucke, his wife had a child: Lucretia Margareta. Sponsors: Johan von der Holdermuhlen, Anna Margareta Frei, Lucke Alheit Velthuss. |
| 1683 | May 18, Gerhard Druding and Gesche Osterkamp married; Witnesses: Tobias Schwappomann, Catherine von Gronheim, wife born about 1640. No children from marriage (Gerhard Druding see record Thole von Elsten born 3/10/1652. ) |
| 1697 | Feb. 17, Heinrich von Cappeln married Anna Margaretha Druding. Witnesses: Bernard von Amburen and (this record reveals that for reasons unknown von Elsten is no longer in use. It could be due to some attitude of the natives to vons or attitude of vons to the natives and not wanting to be considered apart from their neighbor friends. There is no knowledge of any action against von Elsten. The line may have preferred to go back to the ancestral Druding name? Anna Margaretha Druding was the child of Thole von Elsten and Anna Margaretha Borggrevesche. Born April 3, 1672. |
| 1699 | April 4, Gerhard Druding died (see 3/10/1652 and 5/18/1683). |
| 1700 | March 25, Heinrich Hummert married Anna Margaretha Druding widow of Heinrich von Cappeln. |
| 1701 | January 31, Johann Arnold Druding married Margaretha Lucretia von Gronheimb (parents Berndt von Gronheim and Lucke, married. Witnesses: Claus Polzer and Matthias von Gronheimb. Johan Arnold was the first son of Thole von Elsten and Anna Margaretha Borggrevesche in 1668. The “b” ending of Gronheim indicates the Latin and French influence which was at Cloppenburg. Also there appeared French names there during the 17th century. Also, Dutch endings were used. Victor Stukenberg believed that Hermann Wigbers or Wigbert was the count at Cloppenburg during the 17th century. He was in error because there was no Count by those names and there is no such coat of arms. He probably was a supervisor of the Burg. Hellmuth Rehme writes that Wigbers was not a count. It is my understanding that counts are made by the Pfalzgraff in the name of a ruler or by the Emperor. The underlined records indicate the Druding von Elsten line shown on the chart which is a part of this report. (small “v” means noble von” Telephone directories were searched for the name Druding, Druding in Schleswig, Holstein, Kiel, Lubeck, Luneberg, Oldenburg, Braunschweig, London, Detmold, Lippe, Berlin, Bremen, Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Duisberg, Essen, Frankfurt, am-Main, Hannover, Cologne, Munich, Stuttgart. And many other places with negative results. Arnold and Horst Druding were found in Hamburg, Heinrich Druding was found in Bonn. The Luneburg Drudings came from Oldenburg before 1352 (Bahlow). The Luckes were descendants of Emperor Otto 1. Borggreve ancestry goes back to 800 AD.According to Hellmuch Rehme. Stukenbeg was in error when he reported that Elisabeth Beckermann wife of Caspar Julius Druding was born Haussettle. He gives evidence that she was the natural child of Heinrich Beckermann and his wife Elisabeth Kathmann. See the chart for information. |
Editor’s note on units (1576 entry):
Two mid-20th-century typescripts disagree on the oats quantity (“4 barrels” vs “4 bushels”). Period German sources used regional measures like Scheffel (≈ one bushel, ~35 L) and Fass/Faß (“barrel”), whose capacity varied widely by place and commodity. Without the German original, we leave the unit as “measures”and record both readings. On scale: 4 bushels ≈ 140 L of oats; 4 barrels could range from ~120 L up to several hundred liters depending on locality.
Editor’s Note (John F Druding Jr, 2025):
Below is a letter response from Dr. Dietrich Graf von Merveldt, Director of the Bistumsarchiv Münster (1970–1980). The family history document does not include a copy of the original inquiry. In a letter from Irma Walton Druding to Marie Druding from October 12, 1978, Irma stated that Julius Druding, who seemed to be the original assembler of this document, was very eager to find royalty in the Druding family. Irma said:
“Poor Jules, he wanted to so badly to find royalty in the family.”
As result, it is a reasonable to assume that Julius Druding sent a letter to Dr. Dietrich Graf von Merveldt, inquiring about the Druding family history, and specifically, if the were any royal connections.
End of Editor’s Note
Below is a letter from Dr. Count v Merveldt, Bischofliches Centralvikariat, Munster (Westf.)
Your letter can be generally answered. Burg Cloppenburg was inhabited by the contemporary appointed High Bailiff of the Cathedral, at Munster. This elected official for the surrounding villages–even Cloppenburg was not a city–was named Grothaus in 1659. There was no count at Cloppenburg since the Thirty years war.
Editor’s Note (John F Druding Jr, 2025):
The stylistic and tonal changes suggest that the following information was written by Julius Druding. Julius’s later additions integrate etymology, speculative ancestry, and cross-references to other researchers, likely reflecting his personal enthusiasm for uncovering noble connections, as mentioned in Irma’s letter to Marie.
End of Editor’s Note
Note: Baron v. Ruepprecht writes as a rule, “v.” before a name indicates nobility.
Note: See 1674: Christina Adelgundis: gund- Kampf- fight or struggle. Adel= nobel. Gundis is an early medieval Frankish name. Christina: Christian. Gundis is a feminine form.
There was no count at the Burg, which burned in 1716. ” No mention is made in the letter as to who occupied the Burg before the end of the Thirty Year War in 1648. No doubt there was much turmoil and destruction during the war and that there were a number of nobles in charge of the Burg and Cloppenburg. According to Dr. H. Ottenjann at the Museunderf in Cloppenburg the Burg was under the Tecklenburg Graften in the 13th century and came under the Bishop of Munster in the 15th century. The burg ruins were leveled in 1806. Pictures d the castle are a part of this report. When built is not determined.
In 1803 Hannover ceded Cloppenburg, Vechta and Wildeshausen to the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. At one time in the distant past Cloppenburg was spelled Kloppenburg. The witnesses and sponsors given in the records are an impressive list; I searched the coat of arms records at Gottingen Bibliothek and some idea is arrived from the following: Lucke: A coat of arms as follows “Die v. Ludolf genant Leutholf” (Non-descriptive matter). Lucke, “Preussischer Adel”; Groithaus (Barons, Westphalia, Grothaus, v. Groithaus, Grothusen et Grothuss; Grothusen, Suede, Adel; Grothusen, Suede (Barons); Grothuss, Courland, Livonie, All nobles; von der cappel (Kappel Frankischer, v. Kappel; Cappel (von) ou Capellen de Wallenbruck, Westphalle; Cappellen (von der) Prov. Rhen; Cappeln, Prusse, Orig. de Franconie; Roden von Hirzenau, Furstlich; Roden, Im Stift Halberstadt; c. Roden, Graf; v. Roden. None were found as Burgerlich. I am inclined to believe that Gronheim was the spelling for Kronheim and Cronheim, at Cloppenburg, due to different orthography in north It is a strange fact that Gronheim, Druding and Druhe appeared at Cloppenburg and Cronheim, Truding and Truhending appeared at Heidenheim. Heidenheim where the Trudings lived (see coat of arms and information on separate sheet) is very close to Gunzenhausen where the Cronheims lived. It is strange that Gronheim was at Cloppenburg. In the middle ages is it possible they were fellow travelers with the Drudings? The Franks and Saxons together moved from Cloppenburg westward and southward. It is an assumption. Martin von Cronheim lived up to 1485. Hans Jorg von Cronheim at Cronehim, near Gunzenhausen in 1626 belonged to the Brandeburg Knighthood of the Netherlands (from coat of arms information on Kronheim). Trudingen is plural for Truding. The Trudingen coat of arms and related information were researched by the Niedersachsische Staats-Und Universitatsbibliothek at The George-August University in Gottingen. The letter “D” was not used in Bavaria to begin names. “T” was used. In those days and years “C” was practically unused for commencing names. “G” was used. Heinz v. Tryller, Genealogist and Heraldiker in Berlin believes that Kronheim, Cronheim, and Gronheim are one and the same line of vons. (Coat of arms information is too voluminous). The London area was searched for Drudings- Druedings and found none. The Genealogical Society of London reports there are no Drudings or Druedings, etc. listed in their records for England. The chart shows the outline of genealogy. In Germany some pronounce Druding like Drud-ink or ing, not Dru-dink or ding. When the umlaut (2 dots over the u) are dropped they always place an e after the u. Thole was an ancient Egyptian name for some kind of being 500 years before Christ. The Centurian mentioned in the records was commander of the military forces at Fortress Schloss Cloppenburg. In the 13th Century, people began to name themselves after the places where they lived. This was not the case with the Drude-Drudings as my report already shows. I am inclined to believe Thole and his line were goldsmiths. A small v before a name indicates a noble or nobility. In Canada the von before a name is restricted by law to only those who are nobles. Information from Dr. Siegfried Wiarda, Neuenhaus, Dr. Baron v. Ruepprecht, and Dr. Remy J. Leenaerts, archivist, Brussels, Belgium, indicate that two families possibly from the same place or descent named Borggrave and Borggreve (before then under different spellings) existed in Holland and Belgium. In Belgium: in Flanders, Ypres, Bois le Duc, Aalst, Brugge, Kortrijk, Gent and the county of Waes. They were noble lines through centuries in Belgium and Burgs de Altin Belgium and Holland. They migrated from Belgium during the religious upheavals to Holland and then to Germany where many remained to live, mainly in Oldenburg. The upheavals were during the 16th century. The coats of arms were two salmon on a field of blue. The fish were placed back to back. It is believed that Anna Margareta Borggrevesche was a descendant of Count Daniel deBorchgreve on one Count Arent Crull on the other. Hendrik Borggreve in the 16th century married a sister of Count Arent Crull of Holland. It is believed that the first son of Thole and Anna Margareta Borggrevesche was named after Arent Crull. The name Arndt or Arnold do not appear in Cloppenburg.
Closing Reflection, written by John F Druding, Jr.
In reviewing Julius and Irma Druding’s notes in today’s time, it is impossible not to admire the determination and intellectual curiosity behind them. Their correspondence with each other, scholars, archivists, and clergy across Germany and beyond represents a remarkable effort for any researcher, especially in a pre-digital age. Their work laid the foundation for much of what we can explore and verify today. In continuing this project, I view my own research as an extension of theirs, made possible by new tools and access to information that he could only have imagined. Their passion for discovery endures here, guiding the next chapter in the ongoing story of the Druding family.
Revision History
| Revision | Date | Change Log |
| 1.0 | November 8, 2025 | Initial release |
Druding 