In Schleithal, the three brothers André, Anthoine and Pierre Herpin owned an abondoned house with a barn, a cot and other buildings including land, gardens and meadows. (1) They sold the land with the buildings on October 30th, 1681. In 1700, Schleithal (Map of Elsace, Palatinate ) belonged to the distrikt of Steinweiler in the Palatinate, today it is part of Alsace in France. André and Pierre Herpin’s descendants stayed in the Palatinate (in Elsace) or emigrated to North America with the exception of Pierre’s eldest son Jean, who went with his wife Jeanne Bailleul to Schmargendorf in the Uckermark after the birth of their first daughter in 1694 in Steinweiler. André Herpin’s offspring can only be traced down one line in North America to present; otherwise, four generations can be shown in the Palatinate (in Alsace). From Pierre Herpin’s descendants in the USA a greater number of lines are traced until 21th century, whereas in the Palatinate (in Alsace) until seven generations are proved. The exakt dating of births, marriages and obits before 1703 is hardly possible as the church registers of Billigheim burned in 1703. The notation of the name Herpin is mainly quoted with Herpin or Herpain as it appears near France. Both words are spelled the same way in French. Rare are the notations Herpen, Herpein, Herbin or Herbyn. In three lines of Pierre Herpin the offspring’s name is Herbein.
(1) Extract from the document of sale on October 30th, 1681, Landesarchiv Speyer