Help Deciphering Please - German Kurrent - Badly Written Document

[davecapps]

Update
have done some more research with others in a german forum with following result
They all tend to German emmigrants in America

People leaving Germany at the start of the 19 century were either iliterate or had a very limited knowledge of written German. The spoke a mixture of German and English and the two Languages merged together. Words were written down as spoken (pidgin)

The supposed Knud Zeteil is not a person. it reads Rend Zettel (Rent paper)

Rend (rent) Zetell (Zetttel) von Johan Hell zu
Gregori Stirlling.
Johan Hell gibt der gantze (ganze)
Blatz (Platz) was in dar (der) Wente ist vir (für) zwei Jahr vier
der Tritell (drittel) im Walt (Wald).
Die Maten (Matten) und die Jart (yard) vrei (frei) Hingegen
verrspricht (verspricht) Gregori die Log (log=holz) vir (für) eine doblte (doppelte)
Scheune und (Stal(l)u(n)g) beizufiren (beizuführen)
und die Fenzwegen Sauber halten.
Johannes Hell - Gregori Stierlen
August dem 24. An(no) 1840

Rent paper (tenancy agreement) between  Johan Hell and Gregori Stirlling.
Johan Hell gives the whole tenancy for the place in the Wente
for 2 years and a third in the forest

The Maten (matten) and the Jart (yard) however are free
and Gregori promises to contribue the Log (wood) for a double barn and stable
and keep the the fence ways clean.
Johannes Hell - Gregori Stierlen
August 24. An(no) 1840

Matten is a Swiss term for fields or meadows

Phew
Dave

[Zefiro]

Dave, glad I called you and the German forum to the rescue. Now Zacktyr has to solve the mystery of why this ended up between the papers of a Frenchman

[davecapps]

👍

[davecapps]

There could be a Connection to French
Matten is a Swiss Word and They speak French in Switzerland
Maybe They were Swiss emmigrants

[Zacktyr]

Hello Davecapps, Zefiro, and Molly C

Unfortunately, I've been in an area with no internet access for the past week and a half so was unable to access any responses and didn't get an opportunity to login here before I left.  So my apologies for my very tardy reply.

Davecapps, your explanation of German emigrants to America is very enlightening.  My association with German individuals has always been of highly educated ones.  So, it comes as quite a surprise to learn that there were many who were functionally illiterate.  My own German schooling was in 'High German' but we were informed of 'Low German' but never taught it.  "Rend Zettel" certainly makes perfect sense in the context of this piece of paper being some sort of rent contract.  Thank you so much for your patience and diligence in sifting through this messy document.  It is a great help.

Zefiro, you are quite right.  Thus far, there is no explanation as to how or why my German emigrant to Argentina went back to Europe for a rental contract for a piece of woodland.  Very curious.  He was from Bettendorf, Germany, which, at one time, I believe was under French rule.  His birth registration is written in Latin having been extracted from the Bettendorf archives with the certification in French from the Mayor of Bettendorf in 1825.  This rental contract is the only document out of 10 that is written in German.

Once again, thank you all for your assistance and contributions to solving this document.  Your efforts are greatly appreciated.