German Research Report “sample”
Research Goals:
Conduct family history research in Germany for XXXX family members who likely resided in/or around “Hanover, Germany” in the first half of the 19th Century.
Known Information:
Based on information outlined in the family history sketch, The Family History of Robert R. XXXX, the XXXX family emigrated from the Port of Bremen in 1851,
Information identified in the Ships Manifest confirms that George XXXX and his family emigrated from the Port of Bremen to the United States and arrived in the port of New Orleans on XXXX 1851.[1] While reviewing information in the German Emigrant Databank from the Historical Museum of Bremerhaven, I discovered documents associated with the XXXX family emigration in 1851 which also correlates with the XXXX Ship’s Manifest.[2]
Research Questions:
- Who was George XXXX (aka Gerhard XXXX and at times, Henry XXXX) and where did he and his family reside prior to emigrating to the United States of America in 1851? On-hand documentation indicated Hanover, Germany but what did they mean by Hanover… the city or the region?
- What was George XXXX’ birth name and who was the wife of George XXXX?
Identifying the exact location of residence was key to discovering proof documents that would confirm the identity of the George XXXX listed on the Manifest and some of his family members.
Note:
After researching online repositories such as Ancestry and FamilySearch for all family members who arrived in New Orleans in 1851, I was fortunate enough to discover an obituary in a local newspaper for the oldest child of George and Maria Anna. The birth information found in the obituary not only correlated with other documentation but it was the first piece of evidence that identified a more precise place of birth rather than simply “Hanover”… Gersten, Lengerich, Emsland, Hanover, Germany.
Assuming that the family was Catholic, I began my research on Maticula.de, I discovered that there could have been only one church in the area that had records dating back to the early 19th Century - St. Benedikt, Catholic Church. A quick search led me to the baptismal record of Maria Theresa XXXX.
Biographical Sketch based on the findings outlined in the following report:
- Gerhard Heinrich XXXX b. circa 1811, son of Johann Bernard XXXX and Elizabeth XXXX marr. Maria Anna XXXX on 17 Feb 1835, St. Benedikt Church, Gersten, Lengerich, Emsland, Kingdom of Hannover.[3] He married his second wife Malia XXXX on 14 Apr 1870 in XXXX .[4] He died in MN on 16 Jul 1876.
- Maria Anna XXXX b. circa 1811, dau. of Johann Heinrich XXXX and Maria Catherine XXXX marr. Gerhard Heinrich XXXX on 17 Feb 1835, St. Benedikt Church, Gersten, Lengerich, Emsland, Kingdom of Hannover.
Executive Summary… challenges and limitations: One of the main challenges faced in this research project was the fact that although XXXX family members indicated that they were from “Hanover, Germany”, Germany as a nation did not exist in 1851. German unification did not take place until 1871. Prior to that, “Germany” consisted of 25-plus principalities with one of them being the Kingdom of Hannover.
Therefore, initial research was focused on utilizing US online repositories with an intent to possibly discover pieces of information that would lead to identifying either a town or community of birth or residence. Since the XXXX family both anglicized and tended to adjust the order of their Christian names, initial research revolved around using various spellings and alternate order of names to find documents that would provide more detail about the XXXX family’s life in “Hanover” prior to emigration.
Key facts that impacted on this research:
- Following the Congress of Vienna in 1815, The Kingdom of Hannover was created and remained that way until 1866.
- While under French control, registration of citizens took place in the Hannover area from 1811-1815. Official population records began in Germany on 01 Jan 1876.
- It was imperative to identify the exact town or community of residence as records such as birth, baptismal, marriage and death were maintained by the local church prior to 1876.
- It was also critical to confirm the family’s religious faith as Church Record Books are retained in the region’s archdiocese with many found online… Archion.de for Protestant denominations, and Matricula.de for members of the Catholic faith.
Methodology: The following online repositories were used in support of this research; Ancestry.com, Ancestry.de, FamilySearch.org, Archion.de, Matricula.de, and the deutsche-auswanderer-datenbank.de.
----Full report with proof docs and analysis of documentation included in the Research Report are left out due to Client privacy guidelines----
[1] New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., Passenger Lists, 1813-1963 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006, digital archive (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/730521) accessed on 13 May 2024) database for Passenger Ship XXXX originating in Bremen and arriving in the Port of New Orleans on 02 Dec 1851 (two pages).
[2] Philip Thieler Compiler, German Emigration Database, digital archives (https://www.deutsche-auswanderer-datenbank.de/homepage: accessed on 08 May 2024), database entry for George XXXX.
[3] Philip Thieler Compiler, Matricula.de, Marriage Records for the Parish of Lengerich, St. Benedikt, digital archives (https://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/osnabrueck/lengerich-st-benedikt/0051/?pg=20: accessed on 11 May 2024) database entry for Gerhard Heinrich XXXX m. Maria Anna XXXX, p. 20.
[4] Philip Thieler Compiler, “Marriage Records, State of Minnesota, Wabasha, digital archives (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/xxxx : accessed on 11 May 2024) database entry for Gerhard Heinrich XXXX m. Malia XXXX, p. 203.