Introduction
The family tree of the Thut’s from Linthal (today: Glarus Sud) in the Canton of Glarus reaches back to Georg (Joerg) Thut, who was born about 1540. He came from «Schänis (St. Gallen)» and got the «Landrecht» (law of agriculture) of Rüti GL in 1566. He had to Sons. Today there are only descedents of his younger son Fridolin (abt. 1590 – 1655).
The line from Linthal seems to be independent of the Thut line from Seengen. There is still no provable connection between the two lines. I’m still try to find out more about that.
One interessting character of the Linthal line was the giant Melchior Thut (11.01.1736 – 03.08.1784). He became 2.31m height an travelled as the largest Swiss in Europe. He wear the old Swiss mercenary soldier uniform and earned money by exhibit himself. Duke «Karl Eugen von Württemberg» employed him later and he became his favorite valet. His life was written in the novel «Der Riese im Baum» (The giant in the tree) in 1988 by Eveline Hasler.
Also famous became Johann Thomas Thut (1808 – 1886), who first climbed the «Tödi» (highest peak of the «Glarner Alpes») successful in 1837. Many of them failed before.
His grandson, also called Johann Thomas Thut (1862 – 1935), emigrated in 1882 together with his wife Susanna Glarner to Duluth, Minnesota, USA. It seems like there still exists descendants of this line in United States, because in Census Records of Duluth City 1940 is listed a Thomas Thut, born about ca. 1898. (If you are a descendant of this Thut line, please contact me!)
Source Census Records: 1940 U.S. Federal Population Census, NARA Publication Number: T627, NARA Microfilm Roll Number: 1972, Line Number 35, Sheet A4
Heraldry
In the swiss genealogical-heraldry web-catalog (www.chgh.net) there are two family crests about the Thut from Linthal (But they must be the same).
Thut from Linthal (Glarus Süd)description:
In silver growing, black spearhead.source:
Wappen der am Schlusse des 19. Jahrhundert lebenden Bürger-Geschlechter des Kantons Glarus, von Samuel Wild, 1902.
