This Albright family originated in Switzerland. The emigrant family can be traced back into the 1500's in Stadel, Switzerland a small hamlet just north of Zurich.

Recently an error in a link has been discovered. I have divided the genealogy into two parts:

The ancestors in Switzerland with proven descendants to Heinrick Albrecht (b. 1765) of Albany County New York, and the descendants of John Carpenter Albright (b. 1803) probably of Albany County, New York.

The Stadel genealogy is well documented and I wish to leave it on the site for others to utilize. proven link to John Carpenter Albright is presently being pursued.

Hans is about to lose everything, his citizenship and property. To add insult his government was adding a tax to his intended action. The reason for this drastic action is that his family wanted to emigrate to North America. They would never be permitted to return to their home town of Stadel, just north of Zurich, Switzerland, under the threat of imprisonment.1 What prompted such drastic action by his government? Prior to these new regulations for emigration, the Swiss lost a significant number of the male population when it encouraged the poor and criminal element to emigrate. Switzerland had also lost a significant percentage as mercenaries. Being more than successful, this strategy left the country with mostly middle and wealthy class citizens. In the mean time, letters from America told of the opportunities and freedom. Many families became interested in this new land called America, where they were able to own land and their children would have more opportunities.

Stadel the home town of Hans is about 10 miles north of Zurich. (see map) The area has been covered with glaciers four times with a depth of several hundred meters. Resulting in Glacial gravel. Stadel lies in a valley where the river drains into the Rhine to the north. The early inhabitants were probably the Celts followed by the Romans in the 8th and 9th century.2

The town name "Stadel" was first used in 1044 means a large house or barn. The ancestors of Hans are documented through church records in Stadel back to the late 1500's. Hans who wants to immigrate is living here just after the Reformation, in late 1600's and early 1700's. with protestants predominately in the North, and Catholics in the South of Switzerland. It is evident that religion is important, the censuses not only listed the family and birth dates of each family member, but also the status in the church and whether a person was confirmed and or had taken communion. Switzerland is made up of a confederation of individual cantons each ruled by the nobility. Stadel in the Zürich canton, joined the Swiss Confederation in 1351 and subsequently was purchased in 1467 from the Hapsburg empire.3 Hans and Anna are living in a time the country is in transition with the government in unrest and the future unsure. During the 1730's and 1740's the noble class enacted laws and regulations that made it next to impossible for the middle and lower economic class to better themselves. Also during this time Switzerland became the recruiting ground for mercenaries for foreign armies. The pay was good and men saw a way to improve their lives. Many of these mercenaries did not return home. The inevitable depopulation of the country lead to strict emigration laws.4 A limited number of people from the Zürich Canton obtained permission to emigrated from 1734 to 1744 is reported to be near 2300. Unofficially others left without permission.5