Dear Mr. Donohue!
Thank you very much for your letter of Nov 7th and the enclosed check of US$ 325.00
In the meantime l went two times to the archive in Bruhl and found further information about your ancestors.
I checked first the church records of Frechen to find more details about the families COLL(E)N and HOFF. Unfortunately the marriage registers of Frechen contain no marriages before 1765. Therefore I couldn't find the marriage of Johannes COLLEN and Catharina HOFF. The first child of this couple was Edmundus, bapt. Frechen June 15th, 1766, witnesses: Joannes HOFF and Catharina HOFF, the child was buried July 16th, 1766.
In Frechen I found the further dates of the ancestors COLLEN, but, of course, no marriages. I didn't find the death of Margaratha SCHOLL(ENS), no. 21 of your ancestor chart.
As I checked the church records of Bachem for the KAYSER family, I found a marriage of an Edmund(us) HOFF and Christina LOVENICH ex Frechen I was sure that this couple were the parents of Catharina HOFF who married Johannes COLN because their first child (s.a.) was a son named "Edmundus", b. 1766!
And I was right, Edmund HOFF moved from his home town Bachem to Frechen, the home town of his wife, Christina LOVENICH! There I found 6 children of this couple: 1. Eva, bapt. 04.10.1736, 2. Catharina, bapt. 17.03.1738 (= your ancestor), 3. Elisabeth, bapt. 02.10.1740, 4. Elisabeth, bapt. 02.05.1744, 5. Joannes, bapt. 29.03.1746 and 6. Anna Maria, bapt. 20.10.1748.
The wife of Edmund HOFF, Christina LOVENICH, was bapt. in Frechen in 1713, her father was Simon LOVENICH, who died between 1713 and 1721, in 1721 the death registers of Frechen begin.
Then I decided to search for the HOFF family in Bachem. I found the baptism of Edmund(us), 1712, the marriage of his parents, Matthias HOFF and Margaretha BURGHARTZ, 1705, and the death of her, 1756. Because it is stated that she was a widow, and the death register of Bachem begin in 1730, I think Matthias HOFF died between 1723 (birth of his youngest child} and 1730.
Unfortunately I didn't find any baptisms of the families HOFF or BURGHARTZ in the older records. Matthias HOFF and Margaretha BURGHARTZ had the following children: 1. Catharina, bapt. 17.01.1706 (Witnesses: NiclaB Weber and Catharina Willems), 2. Laurenz, b. 30.09.1708 (W: Laurenz Burghartz and Agnes MN. WIDOW Hillems}, 3. Wilhelm, b. 19.01.1710 (W: Wilhelm Burghartz and Gertrud EBels), 4. Elisabeth, b. 01.09.1715 (W: Johannes Croll and Elisabeth BURGHARTZ, 5. Johannes, b. 08.07.1718 (W: Johannes Engers and Christina BURGHARTZ SOROR PUERPERA!!!), 6. Gertrud, b. 26.05.1721 (W: Johannes Gimnich, son of Peter G. and Gertrud BURGHARTZ SOROR PUERPERA!), and 7. Gertrud, b. 07.04.1723 (W: Johannes Gimnich and Gertrud Burghartz.
Then I found the baptism of a child of Elisabeth BURGHARTZ, Johannes, bapt. 21.04.1718 the witnesses were: Christ ma BURGHARTZ. SOROR MATRIS, her father was Wilhelm BURGHARTZ. Now we know who was the father of your ancestor Margaretha BURGHARTZ: it is the same Wilhelm B., because the Christina BURGHARTZ who is stated as sister ("sorer") of Elisabeth BURGHARTZ in 1718 is the same as the Christina B. who is stated as sister of Margaretha BURGHARTZ in 1718! Wilhelm BURGHARTZ died between 1718 (when he was stated as the father of Elisabeth) and 1730 (beginning of the death registers of Frechen).
I checked the death records of the vital register office between 1799 and 1823 but couldn't find the death of Johann KAYSER and his wife Catharina DOLER But I found and a marriage at a Theador KAYSER IN 1806 who was a brother of Henrich KAYSER (b. 1767 = no. 04) and was perhaps the godfather of your ancestor Theodor KAYSER b. 1814. In this marriage record is stated that Johann KAYSER; the father was dead and Catharina DOLER; the mother was still alive. I hope I will find his death in the records before 1799.
In the meantime I wrote to the catholic parish of Cronenberg if they have any records about the death of Louise FISCHER nee WARTENBERG in 1816 but unfortunately the records were destroyed and begin in 1837 (there was a fire in 1856). I also wrote to the city archive of Elberfeld if they have any further dates of Ignatz Anton FISCHER, but I didn't yet received a response.
I hope you will enjoy the further information about your ancestors!
Sincerely yours,
Alexander Fulling
Henning Schroder
G.-Alexander Fulling
Genealogy Emigrant Research Heir Research Publications
16.10.1991
Dear Mr. Donohue!
It is time to give you a first report of my research for the KAYSER and FISCHER families in Frechen and Elberfeld.
It was no problem to find the birth of the children of Theodor KAYSER and his wife Johanna Franzisca FISCHER in Frechen between 1840 and 1855. It was the same with the birth of Theodor KAYSER in Frechen and the marriage of both in 1837 in Cronenberg.
But then I had the first difficulties with a further research: Neither in Elberfeld nor in Cronenberg I was able to find the birth of Johanna Franzisca FISCHER! Therefore I decided to check the bann papers. And there I found those very interesting information that the birth of Johanna Franzisca FISCHER wasn't stated in the birth records of the vital record office because of the Napoleon wars! I made a transcription of the banned papers and there I found the interrogation of four witnesses: Louisa TILGER, second wife of Ignatz Anton (not Franz as you stated in your letter!) FISCHER. 2. Christian TILGER, brother of Louisa FISCHER nee TILGER, Wilhelm WARTENBERG, uncle of Johanna Francisca FISCHER and Theodor HEUBES, a neighbour of the FISCHERs.
Louisa TILGER said that she knows that Johanna Francisca FISCHER was born in November 1813 at "Neuenhaus" in Elberfeld and that her mother, Louisa WARTENBERG died two years later. Louisa TILGER took care of the children and married later Igantz Anton FISCHER.
The second wittness, Christian TILGER, said the same. The third wittness, Wilhelm WARTENBERG, a brother of Louisa WARTENBERG (first wife of I.A. FISCHER), stated that J.F. FISCHER was born in November 1813 and that his sister died in September 1816. He said that in that time (1813?) the Cossacks were in Elberfeld and that was the reason why the birth of J.F. FISCHER wasn't registered.
That is the first time in my life that I found those papers!
Well, then I tried hard to find the marriage and death of Ignatz Anton FISCHER and Louise WARTENBERG, but I didn't find it between 1792, neither in Cronenberg nor in Elberfeld. I then checked the vital records for other families named WARTENBERG
I found in Cronenberg the death (+ 07.02.1837) of a Louise WARTENBERG, daughter of the deceased Louise WARTENBERG (!) who died at Grunewald (!) at the age of 22 years and 5 months. This child was born in Elberfeld 15th Nov. 1813, the mother was a needlewoman and 28 years old, she lived at "Trubsaal no. 470" in Elberfeld.
Then I found the marriage of Caroline WARTENBERG' * Elberfeld 08.05.1792, daughter of the deceased "Muhlenwaagemeister" Wilhelm W., who died in Dusseldorf 29.08.1802 and of the deceased Gertrud FISCHER who died in Zons 30.08.1798, with Peter Caspar WOLFERTZ, * Elberfeld 26.04.1786, son of the teacher Peter Caspar W. and of Maria Gertrud JOHANN.
And:
Marriage of Georg Heinrich Gottfried WARTENBERG, * Elberfeld 31.01.1788, brother of the above mentioned Caroline, with Maria Elisabeth WIRTZ, daughter of "Handelsmann" Heinrich W. and Theodora WESTHOFFE, * Elberfeld 11.11.1780.
I checked the vital records of Dusseldorf for the marriage of I.A.FISCHER and L WARTENBERG, because the- father of the siblings in Elberfeld died in Dusseldorf, but I didn't find anything.
I didn't find the death of I.A. FISCHER or Louisa TILGER after 1837 in Elberfeld, Cronenberg or Frechen! It is very very strange!!! I will now try to get further information from the city archive in Elberfeld about Ignatz Anton FISCHER and his family before 1837.
I was more successful with the family KAYSER in Bachem and Frechen. I found the baptisms and deaths of Henrich KAYSER his wife Eva nee COLLEN. But there are also some errors in the church records: First the Christian name of Henrich KAYSER was changed at his marriage in 1795 to "Johannes" (like his father's name). Second the Christian name of Eva COLLEN was changed in the baptism entry in Frechen in 1769 into "Christina". But it must be the right one because two years later the same couple had a daughter named Christina and Eva COLLEN died in Frechen 1846 at an age of 77 years. And one of her godfathers was "Eva HOFFS", perhaps a sister of her mother Catharina HOFF.
Well, I hope you will enjoy the new information about your ancestors. Please tell me on which line I shall go further on.
Sincerely yours,
Alexander Fulling
Henning Schroder
G.-Alexander Fülling
Genealogy o Emigrant Research o Heir Research o
11.01.1992
Dear Mr. Donahue!
Thank you very much for your letter of Dec. 27th
I think I solved the mystery around the birth of Johanna Franzisca FISCHER: After a long research I found the second marriage of Maria Magdalena TILGER, second wife of Franz Anton FISCHER: She married in Dusseldorf Johann ULMER. In this marriage record it is stated that one year before her daughter (!) Juliana married in Dusseldorf. I found that marriage and Juliana FISCHER was born in 1826. Therefore I decided to look for the marriage of Franz Anton Fischer and Maria Magdalena TILLER before 1826! But I didn't found it ! Fortuitous I checked the further marriage entries and - found the marriage between Franz Anton FISCHER and Maria Magdalena TILGER - in 1832!
In this record it is stated that Franz Anton FISCHER had four children with two women between 1813 and 1828. His first wife, Gertrud SCHLIEPER, died just in 1831! I was astonished that there were two daughters stated which were children of Louise WARTENBERG and Franz Anton FISCHER: Louise, b. 1813, and Louise Charlotte, b. 1816, but no Johanna Franzisca. As I told you in my letter of Oct. 16th (p. 2) I found a death certificate of a Louise WARTENBERG in 1837. First I thought that she is the 1813 born Louise WARTENBERG, but then I am now sure that the 1816 born Louise Charlotte WARTENBERG died in 1837 and the 1813 born Louise WARTENBERG is your ancestor Johanna Franzisca FISCHER!!! The vital record officer made a mistake when he stated that the child's name was Louise! And in 1837,
With this I went on with the research of the WARTENBERG family in Elberfeld and Ratingen. The father of Louise WARTENBERG, Johann Wilhelm W., was "Muhlenwaagemeister", that means that he was responsible for the correct weight of the scales which were used by the millers. His father, Friedrich Wilhelm W., was "Consul et Scabinus" in Ratingen, which means that he was alderman and juryman in the city of Ratingen. He was related to his wife, as the father-in-law of his son, Johann Arnold FISCHER, therefore they both need a dispensation from the church to be married.
Though it is stated that Maria Gertrud BIRCKESDORFF came from Julich, I didn't find her birth or marriage there. There was a family BIRCKESDORFF in Derichsweiler, but there was no Maria Gertrud born.
With this letter I will send you the following copies:
Alexander Fulling
Encls.
Henning Schroder
G.-Alexander Fulling
18.08. 1992
I think you will be astonished to hear from us after such a long time but I just received an answer from the catholic parish in Hagen. I wrote to them in Dec. last year! After I had remained them several times I now got an answer from a local record searcher that he could not find the birth of Franz Anton FISCHER in Hagen or the marriage of his parents Franz Joseph FISCHER and Charlotte LANGE. It is very disappointing that we come here to a "dead end".
I also tried to check some sources for further information about Franz Anton FISCHER in Elberfeld, but when I asked the city archive of Elberfeld they told me that they have no records which will give us more information about Franz Anton FISCHER as we yet have.
Therefore I propose to close this research with this letter and I enclose
our final invoice. I am sorry that we weren't able to find more personal
information about Franz Anton FISCHER and his family.
Sincerely yours,
Alexander Fulling
Encl.
02 KAYSER, Theodor, kath.,
04 KAYSER, Henrich,
08 KAYSER, Johann,
14 WARTENBERG, Johann Wilhelm,
20 CÖLLEN, Johannes,
26 LANGE, ...
28 WARTENBERG, Friedrich Wilhelm,
44 HOFF, Matthias,
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90 BURGHARTZ, Wilhelm,