Petzingers in England and Ohio

In my researching, I have found clumps of PETZINGER's across the United States and a couple in England.  So, what is their story and how do they relate to us???


I started with Henry and Elizabeth, the only PETZINGER's that showed up in the English census in the late 1800s.  The earliest is 1871 where Henry is working as a laborer and he and Elizabeth have three children, Maria (4), Ludwig (3), and Elizabeth (6 mos.).  Importantly, it tells me that they were both born in Germany  about 1847 (Frankfurt) and so the German originations persist.  Frankfurt is not far from Darmstadt where most of "our" PETZINGER's are from. It may be that they simply gave the nearest big city when asked their homeland.


I also found a marriage bann and application showing that they were both minors, needing consent and were married July 27, 1865 in England and that Elizabeth's maiden name was Riehl.  In 1881, Henry is working as a greengrocer and they are still in Lancashire with a few more kids:  John Henry (b. 1873), George (b. 1876) and Louise (b. 1879).  Still in Lancashire in 1891, they have continued with the children:  Fred (b. 1881), Anthony (b. 1882) and William (b. 1886).


They emigrated to the United States in 1893 with their youngest children, George (17), Fred (11) Anthony (9) and William (7), specifically stating their final destination was Cleveland Ohio.


Hmmm, I have seen PETZINGER's in Ohio, so apparently he was joining a family member, but who???  The only PETZINGER I could find in Cleveland in the 1880 census is Adam and Mary, and their two daughters, Bertha and Gertrude.  So, where did Adam and Mary come from? 


Lots of hours and research later, I found they were born in Butler County, Pennsylvania to John and Catherine (I think, or there may have been a previous wife, Elizabeth born the same year) PETZINGER.  It turns out that although John was from Darmstadt, his wife was from the Frankfort area.  Oh yeah, and remember Henry was born in Frankfort.  Cool, huh?  John and Elizabeth were busy, busy, busy making babies, including one set of twins that died at birth.  There is Conrad, Henry, Elizabeth, John, Adam, Catherine, Mary Samuel, Isabel, and William. 


But, here is where additional confusion comes in because I found a few other PETZINGER's in the census for Butler county, Pennsylvania with interesting spellings:  PATSINGER, PETSINGHER, PETSINGER, PITING, and PETAINGHAR!  Apparently, though, all but Adam stayed in Pennsylvania primarily using the spelling PETSINGER.  So, how was Henry related to Adam and how are either of them related to us?


Darned if I have been able to figure it out, but the Ohio and Butler Count Pennsylvania PETZINGER's and PETSINGER's were fruitful and multiplied.