According to the Dictionary of
American Family Names, Vol. 3, pg. 514, the Tysinger surname may be traced to
the small village
of Theissing in upper Bavaria.There, residents were referred to as
“Theissingers”, one of the manyspellings of the surname.This area of Europe, often
referred to as the Palatine region, is rich in history and endured much strife and conflict from several rulers,
tyrants, and military dictators.During these troubled times, most
German people went about living meager lives trying to keep their families
safe while surviving starvation, disease and torture.When living conditions in the area became
unbearable, many families considered leaving in search of a safer and more
hospitable place to live.
In the 1700’s, many Palatines, tired of persecution and
lured by stories of a new promise land, journeyed down the Rhine River to Rotterdam and other
seaports with intent to secure passage on one of the many ships already
venturing to America.It is highly probable that our Tysinger
ancestors did the same and endured the long trek by ship to the new world.
Leonhard Deisinger, who came
from Germany to Pennsylvania in the early to mid 1700’s may have been our
first Tysinger ancestor in America, settling in Lancaster County,
Pennsyslvania.In his will, he bequeathed
property to a son, Adam Deisinger, born 12 February 1756.
Adam is the first known Tysinger in Davidson County, North Carolina (actually RowanCounty at that time).At some point he must have decided to move
to RowanCounty and take ownership of a land grant which was located between the present towns of Thomasville and Lexington.Adam married Sara Summey in 1783-1784 and
they had seven children; Peter (b. ca 1786, d. 1876), Adam II (b. ca 1788, d.
1844), Polly (b. ca 1791), Rebecca (b. ca 1794), Barbara (b. ca 1796),
Michael (b. ca 1804, d. between 1870 and 1880), and Magdelena (b. 7 Aug 1806,
d. before 1821).Adam and his family
eventually resettled in southern Davidson County in the Silver Hill
community.There the family farmed and
worked at the Silver Hill mine during the late 1700’s and 1800’s.
During the past 200 years or so,
members of the Tysinger family have immigrated to 36 of our 50 states.
