From: Nutmeg421@aol.com Subject: Re: [A-L] Bischwiller To: alsace-lorraine@rootsweb.com >> In a message dated 11/10/08 10:18:04 AM, etienne.herrbach@wanadoo.fr writes: >> Before WWI, very few Alsatians in the countryside understood French.?? They spoke dialect and understood German.? >> >My grandfather knew French, as did my father who helped me with my college French. Of course, my grandfather died in the 1860s before Germany was organized. He also spoke German and Italian, and learned English when he came to America. They left from LeHavre, not Hamburg, went to England and left there for America. My grandfather came to America very young, in about 1868. He said he arrived in NYC on Good Friday, 1867, but we found that to be untrue. It was probably 1868 or even earlier. If he was 18, it was 1866. They are not listed in the Germans to America books. Charles and Nicholas Becker. Hi Jean, I¹ve been following your postings, and have not jumped in earlier since I have not been able to comprehend exactly whom you were looking for. Now it is clearly Charles and Nicholas Becker coming into NYC from Le Havre and London circa 1868, though you typed Good Friday 1867. So, I¹ve taken a look, and found a nice possibility: (Easter 1867 was April 21; Easter 1868: April 12; and Easter 1869: March 28.) On board the S. S. Cella, Benjamin Glendell, Master, into NYC on 30 March 1868 (!!!) from ³London and Havre² (though I believe from the list that the ship began in London and then picked up passengers in Le Havre) and on page 8 of 9 of the passenger list, are found as 3rd to 7th passengers from the bottom of the page: Pierre Becker; 27; M; Farmer; Prussia; St. Paul; Steerage. Joseph ³ ; 23 (?); M; Farmer; Prussia; St. Paul; Steerage. Nicolas ³ ; 17; M; Farmer; Prussia; St. Paul; Steerage. Anna Maria; 92; F; none; Prussia; St. Paul; Steerage. Elisabeth; 72; F; none; Prussia; St. Paul; Steerage. IF your Charles said Good Friday....but in 1868 (?) , this is a really good possibility with the near date. I have a friend whose family legend told of the ancestor who arrived in NYC on Christmas Eve. When she searched the microfilms (back in ³those² days) and could not find him on 24 or 25 Dec that year, she worked her way backwards....and found him on 19 Dec arriving NYC. She figures it may have taken those 5 days before the passengers were allowed off the boat, so he just might have finally got into NYC on Christmas Eve! Re: Charles, is it possible that ³Joseph² could have been a ³Carl Joseph² or a ³Joseph Carl²? Wouldn¹t you just love to have these two elder women in your BECKER line? Perhaps the grandmother and great-grandmother came along with this set of three brothers? Since parents Adam and his wife had already died? And there¹s Nicholas Becker in Eagle Twp, Black Hawk County, Iowa in 1870 census as an 18yr old farm hand b. Baden ( which could explain the ³Prussia.² ) Jean, that¹s all I¹ve got for you, for what it¹s worth......except that I¹d like to suggest you sit down and create a timeline with what you know of your Adam, Charles and Nicholas. Put everything in chronological order, and then repost it. I still don¹t know if Adam and his wife ³were killed² in the US or back in the old country‹ whichever country that might have been. Your story is an interesting one, but it¹s really difficult to figure out just who is who and when & where things happened. I¹ll look forward to your timeline hitting the ALS-LORR list. Cari Thomas