Hello, Ralph, you wrote: > Etienne has pointed out how Bavaria's rule of Alsace & Lorraine > began in > 1816 and Prussia's rule followed the Franco-Prussian War of 1871. Sorry Ralph, you misread my posts. Bavaria has NEVER ruled Alsace nor Lorraine. In 1816, Alsace and Lorraine were French. Alsace, at least the major part of it, was French from 1648 to 1871 without interruption. Etienne Le 10 nov. 08 à 21:29, alsace-lorraine-request@rootsweb.com a écrit : > Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:52:59 -0700 > From: "Ralph Taylor" <rt-sails@comcast.net> > > Etienne, merci beaucoup for your information on the ruler-ship > changes for > the Alsace (Elzass) and Lorraine (Lothringen) regions. This is a > complicated > subject and worthy of an organized approach, as it is the source of > much > confusion. > > Which leads to: ".. I'm more confused than ever. On census records > he always > said he was born in Alsace." > > If it is true that "Adam Becker and his wife Maria Brunon Becker > were killed > in the 1860s.", they could have appeared only in TWO (2) of the US > decennial > censuses which would list them specifically by name and give their > birth > places -- 1850 & 1860. Censuses before 1850 did not list individuals > (only > households, by name of the head of household) nor did they contain > birthplace information. So, "always" is being used loosely, I think. > > Further, the "always" statement conflicts with "In later census > records he > said he was born in Bavaria or Prussia." Is it "always Alsace" or > "later > Bavaria or Prussia"? > > Adam, having died, is unlikely to have said anything in 1870 or > later. I > suspect the "later" statements to be from or about the Becker > children's > birthplaces of their parents -- not direct statements by Adam or > Maria. > Therefore, 1870 and after censuses are, at best, secondary sources. > > It is common for US census information about birthplaces -- especially > foreign ones -- to be misleading. Sometimes, neighbors would give > information in the absence of actual knowledge. Sometimes, the > enumerated > would interpret their birthplaces or their parents' birthplaces to > the > current political situation. > > Etienne has pointed out how Bavaria's rule of Alsace & Lorraine > began in > 1816 and Prussia's rule followed the Franco-Prussian War of 1871. > -rt_/)