Vautrin ancestors came to America in 1733, 1739, 1749 and 1754 and established the lines of descendency now spelled WATRING, WOTRING, and WOODRING.
Paulus Vautrin, was born about 1570. He died in 1633 and is buried in Barbelroth, Pfalz, Palatinate, Germany. His spouse's identity is unknown at this time.
His son, Hans, and the next two generations of Vautrins lived in the area of Kirrberg, France, which is very close to present-day Fenetrange. Hans was mayor of Kirrberg. His son, John Peter, was an Elder of the Reformed Church at Hellering.
This area, very close to the Rhine River, is known as Alsace. It was ruled at various times by Germany and by France, and the area was under constant dispute. German and French are both spoken there. These descendents were of the Reformed faith and, as such, were persecuted by the Catholic Church in France. Their forebears, who lived in the Lorraine area, migrated to Alsace, which was under German control. There, they could worship as they chose without persecution.
However, John Peter's grandson, Abraham, left France in 1733 and came to America, via Rotterdam on the "Richard & Elizabeth." He landed at the Port of Philadelphia on September 28, 1733. He thus qualifies as a "Huguenot," who were French Protestants persecuted by the Catholics and forced to leave France. Six years later, on September 3, 1739, Abraham's first cousin, John Daniel, landed in America on the "Robert & Alice." Three years later, on September 15, 1749, Abraham's brother, Samuel, landed on the "Phoenix." And finally, John Daniel's sister, Mary Susanna, migrated to America with her husband, Johann Peter Engels, Sr. They were on the ship Barclay which docked in Philedelphia in 1754. These are the only four known descendents of Paulus to have migrated to America.
Abraham and Samuel settled in the Lehigh County area of Pennsylvania, at that time, Northampton County. John Daniel and Mary Susanna settled in Frederick County, Maryland.