| Notes |
- == Biography =='''Birth and parents''' : Durs was born c.1611 in Switzerland.
[Davis, Richard Warren (1994) "Swiss Anabaptist Refugees of 1671" in ''Mennonite Family History'' vol.13 no.1, p.6. Elverson, PA : Mennonite Family History : References the ''List of Anabaptists exiled from Switzerland and living in the Dirmstein district in the Pfalz, December 14, 1671. Taken by Valentine Hutwole, Minister.'']According to Newman & Newman, he was the son of Ullrich, who was the son of Hans. Citing the April 6, 1672 Palatine Census in which he was 60, they say he was born in 1610, probably in Ober Kneubuhl, BE, CH. [Newman, George Frederick and Dieter Eby Newman. ''The AEBI-EBY families of Switzerland, Germany and North America 1550-1850''. Eds. Ann L. Newman and Tara B. Newman, NMN Enterprises Ltd., Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. Pages 120-121. ] The earliest records found by Newman & Newman for him were in StAB, ''Affoltern im Emmenthal Church Book'' on 17 March 1733, and in the StAB, ''Sumiswald Church Book'', on 20 April 1643, when he appeared as Tauf Zeugen.
'''1st Marriage and Children''': He married, about 1630, probably in Oberkneubuhl, BE CH, Elsbeth Aeschelman, born c. 1611, probably in Ruegsau, BE, CH. They were the parents of at least four children, born between about 1631 and 1643. [Newman & Newman.] [ Their children included :]
# Andreas b.c.1631, died after May 25, 1683.
'''2nd Marriage''': Durs married Margaret Steiner. They are not known to have had any children. She died after July 15, 1681, probably in Trachselwald. [Newman & Newman.]
In 1671 or maybe April 6, 1672, a list of Anabaptists who had been exiled from Switzerland, and who had sought refuge in the Dirmstein region of the Pfaltz, included Thurs Abi (age 60), living in Ehrstadt with his wife, Margaret Steiner (age 62) and four children. The neighbouring household was occupied by Andreas Abi (age 40) and his wife Elsbeth Phadt, with eight children aged 1-18 years.[ It is assumed that Andreas was a child of Durs and Margaret.]
Durs is reported to have returned to Switzerland, and to have been captured several times, imprisoned at least once (for 16 days in 1679) and to have been exiled again. By 1681 he was living in Emmenthal.
The last record found for him:
The last note on Durs Aebi in Bernese records is an entry in the council manual of May 26, 1684, according to which, among others, the "aged and lame Aebi from Emmental" had escaped from the orphanage. Once again the order went out to the Grossweibel to investigate how this could have happened and who was the one who helped the Anabaptists to escape.[ Website ''Paths to Freedom - Durs Aebi and Margret Steiner from Sumiswald, at https://wege-zur-freiheit.ch/en/verfolgt-und-vertrieben/durs-aebi-und-margret-steiner, citing StABE, A II 511, 408f.]
Newman and Newman state that he died after May 26, 1684, probably in Trachselwald.
==Research Notes==
There appear to have been several men of this name in the area at the time. Care needed to ensure they have not been confused or conflated.
Earlier version of the profile recorded :* He may be the Ursus (Durs, for Dorus) AEBI, b. 5 Mar 1610, recorded at Oberbuchsiten as son of Johannes AEBI, b. c1579 and Elisabeth WAGNER. A man of this name appears also at Barschwil in the 1630s, where he married first Verena GROLLIN and 2nd Maria KARN about 1640. The Newmans give his wife only as Margreth STEINER. Richard Davis in Mennosearch in 2010 lists a dozen families of AEBIs at Oberbuchsiten, Solothurn, during the 1600s. Solothurn is N of Bern, toward Basel. [A man of this name also appears in parish burial records in Oberbuchsiten in 1636,["Schweiz, Katholische und Reformiert Kirchenbücher, 1418-1996", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F8Q-YT75 : 5 April 2023), Ursus Aebi, 1636.] and another in 1643.["Schweiz, Katholische und Reformiert Kirchenbücher, 1418-1996", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F8Q-YTDJ : 5 April 2023), Ursus Abÿ, 1643.] There does not seem to be any reason to assume that Ursus b.1610 left Oberbuchsiten.]* Some sources suggest that "The man in Ehrstädt is probably Durss AEBI of 'a village north of the Emmental', a Catholic priest who was excommunicated in 1666 for teaching Anabaptist ideas. By 1670 he was a teacher himself among the Anabaptists."[Ruth, John Landis (2001). "The Earth Is the Lord’s : A Narrative History of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference" in ''Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History'', No. 39, p.108. Scottsdale, PA: Herald.] Also cited in "the Eby Report", Durst AEBI was from Oberbuchsiten, Solothurn, Switzerland and was a Catholic Priest at Barschwil up until he was excommunicated in 1666 and became an Anabaptist minister. [This seems unlikely, given that he apparently had children born in the 1640's.]* 6 Apr 1672 Thoirs ÄBJ was recorded as age 60, his wife Margriet STEINER 62, at Ehrstädt when the Holland Mennonites listed those who needed help in the Kraichgau. They had 4 children with them, married. It is probable that they were in Germany prior to 14 Dec 1671, when they were listed in an enumeration of Anabaptists in the Pfalz. The next family listed was Andries ÄBJ age 40 with wife Lysbet PLADT and 8 children aged 18 to 1 year. [Note this text had referenced Davis (1994) in ''Mennonite Family History'', but that document names Thors Abi (age 60, with wife Margaret Steiner and four children) in the 1671 list, and does not include them in the 1672 list.] Theodor Blück says this Thoers ÄBJ was on land owned by the Von DEGENFELD family and that he was the uncle of the Durst EBY who emigrated to American and died Sept 1727 in Earl Tp. [Note other sources give that Dors was the grandfather, not uncle, of Durst Eby who emigrated to Pennsylvania.] * Durss AEBI and his family were expelled from Switzerland in 1672 and their property confiscated. After 7 years in the Kraichgau, Durss and Margaretha returned to Switzerland. He was hunted as an Anabaptist leader. Davis says he has found no further trace of Durs & Margretha but the Newmans say he is shown in Bern records after having returned there some time after 14 May 1679, per Trachselwald District Accounting records. In 1683 his son Andreas wrote to the Swiss authorities trying to get back the confiscated estate, and the reply to his letter states that his father Durss AEBI is still alive and living in the orphanage at Trachselwald. (Source needed.)* Davis on MennoSearch says : ''He was chased out of the country several times by the government because he was an Anabaptist. He was for part of the following years in prison; 1670, 1671, 1679, 1680, 1681, 1682, 1683 and 1684. He was listed as a Swiss Anabaptist refugee living at Ehrstadt, Baden, Germany, age about 60 with his wife Margaret STEINER, age 62. It stated that they had four children, married. His son Andreas was listed next to him. He signed a letter in 1672 in the Pfalz as one of the ministers of the west side of the Rhine River.'' [Document Nr. 117: Mennonite Church Archives in the Amsterdam Municipal Archives, inv. nr. 1411 (written 2/12 February 1672, received 19 February). Letter from the Swiss clergy - Ully SEYLLER, D. ABI, Ully MULER, Peter GUTT, Georg LIECHTE, Hans REYST, Hans WEINMETS, Kristen HER, and Jost ÜNGEL [ENGEL?].]
== Sources ==
See also :
*{{FamilySearch|G9XT-ZS9}}.* "Schweiz, Katholische und Reformiert Kirchenbücher, 1418-1996", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:66JV-JCCW : 4 April 2023), Urs Abi, 1631. Marriage of Urs Abi and Elsbet Eschlimann on 24 Jan 1631 in Oberburg, Bern, Switzerland.
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Abt 1610 - Aft 1684 (> 74 years)
