Following is a "summary" about GG Grandfather Joachim Borchwardt who came to Madison Co., Illinois from (probably) Prussia. The summary memo was prepared for the Prussia RootsWeb List, but if anyone on the Madison co. list has some help for me it would be greatly appreciated. Don Dickason (New Jersey) ===================== We are searching for Joachim Borchwardt who arrived in the United States about 1870 from Germany, more details below. His first wife Christina Schmidt (from baptismal records of the children) is recorded in Illinois documents. We understand that there may be a number of logical different spellings, e.g., Borchward, Borgwart, etc. We THINK that is probably really is Borxxxxx, rather than Burkhardt, although we cannot rule out the Buxxxx possibility. We also recognize the fact that most Germans had multiple forenames so that Joachim could have been 1st, 2nd 3rd or even the 4th name. If not the first name, our understanding of the naming convention in place at that time is that Joachim might next most logically have been his second name. We have four different scenarios. 1 - The 1880 census, Madison Co. IL, list him as Joachim BORCHWARDT, age 36, "Fr. Prussia." This would make him born 1844±. 2 - His application for naturalization in December 1873 lists him as BORCHWARD being "from Germany" and "about 30," so this would make him born late 1843 or early 1844. 3 - Joachim BORCHWARDT's grave stone (Madison Co., ILL) lists his death as 31 December 1885, age 43Y, 5M, 10 days. These elements calculate to a birth date of 21 July 1842. 4 - We have for some time thought that our Joachim was "J. BORCHWARDT, 28 years" who arrived in New York on the ship Dr. Barth on 12 Dec. 1869 coming from Hamburg. We have now proven that the person on that ship was Joachim Christian Johann BORGWARDT, born 5th Feb 1843 in Kröpelin, and his wife Anna Marie Christiane, nee Ohde, b. 5 Dec 1846 in Rederank. Married 30 Oct 1869 in Kröpelin. At the time they came to America they came from Danneborth. The ship list records said that their destination was "Ohio" but we have not been able to prove that. We have not been able to find any other ship list in this general time frame which would fit with "our" Joachim. 5 - There is another Joseph BURKHARDT who supposedly came from Baden (SW Germany) in 1869. The 1870 census shows him present in Madison County with his wife Elizabeth. He was born about 1840, she about 1841. ============= So dear friends on the Prussian E-list (and by this copy, Madison Co., IL, list), can you provide any guidance, suggestions, or conclusions based on this information. Will the real Joachim Borchwardt please stand up. Items #1, #2, and #3 are "primary" pieces of evidence, although we realize that the frailty of human remembrance could affect the accuracy of the dates on those records. Those three tell us born anytime from July 1842 to the first half of 1844. Item #4 birth date is in range, but the wife's last name does not line up. Help! Don Dickason, New Jersey