There is no central index. You have to search in each civil register separately. That whould be impossible. Many immigrants told in America "born in Prussia" but really they were born in another country which is unknown in America. So they told "Prussia". I checked the German Emmigration-Database: No result. But try on this site: http://www.passagierlisten.de/ (also in English available) If you write Lübbens (which is a similar pronunciation to Libbens) you will find a person called Gesche Lübbens from Hannover who emmigrated in 1845. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Ellen Chambers" <maryln61@yahoo.com> To: <prussia-roots@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 5:58 PM Subject: Re: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Suggestions re: On Line Prussia AncestorResearch Stefan~ The part of the change over data was given to my cousin when he was studying in Rome. He spent time trying to find our g grandfather on holidays in Prussia area. Kept getting directed to Belgium and the commonality of the surname there. Interesting. Therefore, it would behove us to perhaps concentrate on the Rhineland & those parts of the Palatine returned to Prussia after Napoleon's defeat. Where might we find an index of civil births for that area circa 1830-1840? Thank you so much. Mary Ellen ________________________________ From: Stefan Rückling <rueckling@gmx.de> To: prussia-roots@rootsweb.com Sent: Thu, September 29, 2011 11:42:26 AM Subject: Re: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Suggestions re: On Line Prussia Ancestor Research Mary, Belgium was never part of Prussia. France occupated at the end of the 18th century the Rhineland (Rheinland) and the Palatine (Pfalz). Then Napoleon imported the civil registers in this occupated region, so these registers begin 1792. After Napoleons defeat (1815) Prussia get the Rhineland and parts of the Palatine. The Prussian government continued the civil registers. In all other parts of Prussia they begin in 1874 and in the rest of Germany in 1876. The birth place "Prussia" is really not very specific so it's very hard to find the region where your ancestor came from. Sincerely, Stefan www.rueckling.de ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Ellen Chambers" <maryln61@yahoo.com> To: <PRUSSIA-ROOTS@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 5:12 PM Subject: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Suggestions re: On Line Prussia Ancestor Research My family has tried to trace my g grandfather back to Prussia but have not had any success. Part of the issue is all we have is Prussia which is on the few records we have as place of birth. Realize that is like saying New England! We have tried passenger lists coming into Baltimore, approx. 1850 to 1860. We use this time-line because, he married my g grandmother 1860 to 1864 in either Cecil County or Baltimore County, MD. MD civil records did not start until 1898. About 1869 he moved his family to Crestline Crawford Count y OH. My g grandmother's family also moved with them. She was American born 1845 but her father was from Hesse Darmstadt per 1880 census & her mother from Bayonne. Again huge areas of Germany to try to find the "Needle in a haystack". His name John Ludwig Kiel/Kile/Kyle. I noticed on the list that there are Civil Records available for some areas in the late 18th century. Would there be a list/index for the various areas of Prussia which state the start for their civil records?? Even though there may be numerous men with the same given & surname, it might give us a more defined area to search. It appears that my paternal g grandfather's surname LIBENS (various spelling) is often in what is now Belgium. However, I have been told that the part of Prussia which is now Belgium was changed D/T Napoleon's defeat. I have a b. year for him of 1836 which would have been long after the defeat. Therefore, find it strange that Prussia continued to be used as his place of birth if he was actually born in that part which changed. Or would using it be better define that part??? Would anyone on the list have any ideas? My g grandfather was John LIBENS b. 1836 Prussia, expired 1879 Crestline Crawford County OH. On the 1870 census the surname was spelled LABENS and on other census LIBBENS, LIBBONS. Once the families settled in OH, we have numerous records. It is MD back to Prussia which is our brick wall. In MD both families lived in Rising Sun, Cecil County MD; near Elkton. They were of the Lutheran faith. Mary Ellen Chambers Lakewood, OH ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message