"On the other side were Schwenkfelders who left Silesia (German/Polish border area) for religious reasons in the 1700s and became very well established in eastern PA. So - it is boring - simply Anglo-Saxon."
You may already know this Paul, but in the mod 1700’s Silesia was being continually fought over by Frederick the Great, Maria Theresa of Austria, and occassionally ( depending on who they allied with this time) the Russians. Old Fritz pretty much came out on top after the Battle of Leuthen. ( You might remember reading from your music days the Prussian soldiers singing the "Leuthen Chorale" after this battle. JS Bach’s "Nun danket alle Gott" BWV 79).
Thanks Bob - I did know most of that and quite a bit more due to the fact that the Schwenkfelder Heritage Center in PA caught up with me in the 1980s after my great uncle provided them a bunch of family history data. He was proud to be a Schwenkfelder and hoped I would become active in the efforts of their Society. Already a very busy fellow, I did not go in heavily but in the course of things they educated me fairly well about the old history of that area, the back and forth dominance, the key actors, etc. In the early 2000s they sent a delegation into the Polish side of the area to locate, photograph and write about some of the ancient monuments and grave markers. It was during elk season and I didn't sign up for the trip. We don't see those forefathers as either Polish or German - simply strong folks from Saxony - like Martin Luther. Thanks again.
