This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------E324A87B765BF6F463BA8653 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --------------E324A87B765BF6F463BA8653 Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Delivered-To: rrbauer@accessus.net Received: from accessus.net (bville-42.dialup.accessus.net [207.206.149.42]) by mail1.accessus.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8B48072752 for <rrbauer@accessus.net>; Thu, 25 May 2000 23:04:53 -0500 (CDT) Message-ID: <392DF9D7.A2F059F6@accessus.net> Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 23:13:11 -0500 From: Roland Bauer <rrbauer@accessus.net> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.06 [en] (Win98; U) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Roland B - Bauer <rrbauer@accessus.net> Subject: [Fwd: NORDRHEIN-WESTFALEN-D Digest V00 #40] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Roland Bauer wrote: > In response to several recent questions; > > Surnames----- > > In the NE part of Westphalia near Guetersloh, Bielefeld and Herford ( and maybe > others) our ancestors had a very practical method of heredity. > > A couple sometime had a child or 2 to be sure that they were able to reproduced. > In the church records this child was identified as "before the marriage". I t > was most important to have children to help with the work on the farm and for the > family to exist. > > When a couple had a heredity right to a small part of the land, it was often > the youngest son that would inherit the property. Can't think of the word at the > moment but it is the opposite of primogeniture. > > For several reason > > 1 When the oldest son was ready to marry and set up a household the parents were > not ready to "retire" and give up the main house to the new family and move into > a smaller house on the property. > The parents tried to marry the older sons to the daughters of another farm family > who had no son, only a daughter. That son then took the name of the wife's family > and became the heir. Thus in some records you will find the name "Johann Braun, > called Schmidt" or "also known as ". But then the children will carry the > surname of Schmidt, after the family of the mother. > > 2 If the older sons have no prospective heirs to marry , (daughters of other > farms) the family would then try to provide another occupation. > > 3 my Gt. gr. f had an older brother who was sent to Am in the early 1840s who > settle in St. louis. He had to learn English as the govt was not bilingual > (Spanish-Am) at that time, > He served in the Mex. War. Came back to St. l. Started a dry goods store and > eventually was Pres. of the German American Bank in St. Louis on 4th & about > Olive(?). > > 4 my Gt. gr. father was sent to Switzerland to learn watchmakeing in 1856 . He > then came to St. louis in 1857 and opened a jewellery in the ground level of a > hotel near the old cathedral. .After a few years he was able to move to the great > North St. Louis German area near 14th & St. Louis Ave. etc. , where he prospered > and raised a family > > 5 the youngest son stayed in Westphalia and inherited the property. He founded a > distillery which he owned for many year. it appears he was childless and the > farm/distiller was sold to the present owners about 1876 > > As I said before: > When the youngest son was ready to marry and take over the farm, > the parents usually gave up the main house and moved to a smaller > house on the same property. > > 6 One of the gr. fathers sisters married a widower who was born Koenig. But he > had assumed the name of Meister which was that of his first wife. The first wife > was the heredity heir . > > She died and when her widower (Koenig known as Meister) remarried . > > The second wife assumed the surname of her husband which was the name of the farm > of the first wife. Everyone was now know as Meister although there was not a drop > of Meister blood in their veins. > > My fathers mother was a Meister from Gutersloh (1857) My mother was a Goessling > from Bielefeld (1852) > > Any comments appreciated > > Roland Goessling Bauer near St. Louis USA > > 5th gen. Ger-Am > --------------E324A87B765BF6F463BA8653--