Hallo Renate I would like to thank you, too, for the interesting history of the Meier zu Oestringen farm. I appreciate your kindness in looking up the information and passing it on. Linda ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan und Renate Dry" <alan-renatedry@osnanet.de> To: <NIEDERSACHSEN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 8:57 AM Subject: Re: [NIEDERSACHSEN] MEYER, PIEPENSCHNEIDER >Hello Jerry >The farm Meier zu Oestringen was mentioned in 1223 "villicus in >Osteringen". >I found a brief history of this farm (which still stands today) in a book >about Haste. >In 1240 Meier zu Oestringen belonged to the Bishop of Osnabrück. In 1240 >the farmer had to pay the following to the bishop: >6 pigs >4 Malter (old measurement) barley >1 load of dry wood >2 Malter rye >1 Urne (old measurement) butter >10 hens >3 "maldra" cheese >for Easter >100 eggs >100 "seutelas" >2 geese >10 Denare (currency) >In the 14th century the convent in Enger received income from Meier zu >Oestringen. >The following people registred on the farm in 1540: >the farmer Meier zu Oestringen >his wife >2 farmhands >2 farm lasses >The following people were registred in 1601: >Meiger to Oestringen >with his wife Anna >the farmhand Dirk >the shepherd Hans >the miller Joest >and Hüsselte Hille (Hüsselte were people of lower status who found a place >to live on a farm) >in the Leibzucht (a smaller house on the farm usually used for the old >farmer and his wife when the farm was taken over by the heir) Lüdeke with >his wife and sister Lise. >Livestock in 1557: >8 cows >9 cattle >30 sheep >16 pigs >5 horses >The following open fields belonged to the farm in 1723: >die Lienwiese >Meyers Esche >Der Rübengarten >Auf dem Oesteresch >Das Kirchenstück >Der große und kleine Berg >Die Hove >Die Holle >In der Stegde >Der Fischteich >Der große und kleine Sunderkathen >Der Mühlenhof >Der Cleeberg >In 1677 the bishop gave the farm including the mill to the Earl of Platen. >After >that the Court Marshal von Moltke und then Itel Stael were in possession >of >the farm. >In 1730 the farm was bought by the convent Gertrudenberg >There is still an inscription at the main building: >Burned down in 1780, rebuilt a lot bigger in the same year by Mother >Superior Walburger von Sarau. Reerected the 27th of June. >At the beginning of the 19th century the Meierhof consisted of the main >building, about 15 Scheffel (old measurement) arable land, the right to >fish >the river Nette within their land and the mill that belonged to the farm. >It isn't known when this mill was built. The mill was pulled down in >1888/89. At the beginning of the 17th century a so called copper hammer >belonged to the farm. >In 1772 the convent let the farm to Johann Bernd Gerdinck from Malgarten >whose family worked the farm for more than 200 years. The Gerding family >left the farm in 1984 and the arable land was sold to another farmer >(Hanesch) in Haste. The building is now used for living purposes only. > >Well, I hope the above is of some interest to you. There is also a >Grothaus >farm in Haste but I can't see a connection to the Grothaus in Harderberg. > >Kind regards >Renate DRY >in Germany