Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex, J. H. Beers, Toronto, 1905, p. 85-87:
Rev. Alexander Scratch (Kratz), a retired minister of the Methodist Church, a direct descendant of one of the pioneer families of Essex County, and one of the most highly revered citizens of Leamington, was born in Gosfield township, Essex, July 18, 1826, son of Henry and Isabella (Wilkinson) Scratch.
The name of Scratch is a corruption of Kratz, the change being of comparatively recent date...
On Feb. 14, 1756, at Teutonhoofer, was born Leonhard Kratz... in 1776, at the age of twenty, he was a soldier in an army that came to America from Germany to help England quell the rebellion of her Colonies... Under Gen. Burgoyne they participated in that General's historic invasion, which ended in his surrender of his whole army... The German (or Hessian) contingent of the surrendered army was marched into the colony of Virginia, and there held prisoners of war two years... They were offered free passage home, or the privilege of sharing with loyal subjects of King George in grants of land. This was in 1779...he determined to avail himself of the guaranteed land grants.
In 1779-80, many colonists left Virginia for Kentucky, and among the numerous bands was one in which traveled the Munger and Toffelmeyer families and Leonard Kratz... In the Munger family was a daughter Mary, between whom and the young guide sprang up a lasting affection...their marriage ceremony was performed, in the open air, by the side of the wagons holding all their earthly possessions. The party then proceeded to the fertile valley of the Licking in Kentucky. Ruddell's, a station for protection against the Indians, was built...In the spring of 1780, after their corn was in, came the terrible raid of six hundred Indians and Canadians, the former under the notorious Simon Girty... The settlers became the prey of the Indians, the young wife of Leonhard Kratz giving birth to her first child during the excitement...the women and children were placed in boats and carried down the river. A few evenings later...the poor baby's head struck the tree, causing instant death...The men prisoners were taken to Detroit, and purchased from the Indians by Gen. McCoombs...Mr. Kratz had no knowledge of his wife, but he kept constant watch of the boats arriving with prisoners from all over the country. At last she came...
In 1781 Leonhard Kratz and his wife located on Hog Island, and once again began life together, and in time a son, Peter, was born to them. ..Mr. Kratz had never been discharged from the army... It necessitated a trip to Germany, which he made in 1782, securing his honorable discharge... At the end of eighteen months he returned home to find his son Peter had died in his absence...
Peter
Scratch
Child1 Scratch ca 1780-ca 1780
Susanna Scratch 1785-1860
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