Life Sketch
Josue Zumbrunnen was the sixth son (and 11th and final child) of Landammann Mansuetus Zumbrunnen and Barbara Aschwanden.
Like his brother Mansuetus II, Josue became involved in politics in Lugano. and was the chief clerk of Lugano from 1554 to 1566. He returned to Altdorf and served as the church bailiff.
With his wife Margaretha von Fleckenstein he built a house, which is still standing, at the estate of Allenwinden in Altdorf.
He must have acquired considerable wealth because in 1583 he donated 1,000 florins (the gold in these coins by itself would be worth nearly $150,000 today) to establish a foundation at the hospital named “Muosspende” and built a chapel there. With his brother Johann, he was the donor of a bell for the St. Martin Church in Altdorf.
He died in 1588.
Vital Information
Name: Josue Zumbrunnen
Sex: Male
Birth: Early-1500s
Residence: Altdorf and Lugano
Offices: Chief clerk in Lugano, 1554-66; church bailiff in Altdorf 1566-68
Death: 1588
Family Members
Father: Mansuetus Zumbrunnen
Mother: Barbara Aschwanden
Siblings: Landammann Johann Zumbrunnen III, Erasmus Zumbrunnen, Magdalena Zumbrunnen, Margarita Zumbrunnen, Walter Zumbrunnen, Dorothea Zumbrunnen, Lucretia Zumbrunnen, Mansuetus Zumbrunnen, Kunigunda Zumbrunnen, Hugo David Zumbrunnen
Spouse: Margaretha von Fleckenstein
Children: Heinrich Zumbrunnen, Josue Zumbrunnen II, Margareta Zumbrunnen, Madelaine Zumbrunnen
Cousin: Martin Zumbrunnen
Sources
[…] JOSUE, son of No. 8, built the house which is still standing at the estate of Allenwinden, in Altdorf, Switzerland. In 1583, he donated 1,000 Florins (the gold in these coins by itself would be worth nearly $150,000 today) to establish a hospital named “Muosspende” and built a chapel there. He was the chief clerk (this title was called “landschreiber”) in Lugano from 1554-1567, church bailiff of Altdorf from 1566-1568. Died in 1588. […]
[…] secretary, who would have been in charge of the record keeping and bookkeeping of their region. Josue Zumbrunnen, Mansuetus Zumbrunnen and Johann Zumbrunnen were landschreiber in Lugano. Johan Zumbrunnen, Hugo […]