According to my great grandfather's naturalization papers, he arrived in Boston, from Prussia, on 29 FEB 1856. He was 15 years old. Family story says he worked his way over from Germany as a cabin boy on a ship. He never spoke about the "old country". My father said he thought his grandfather came from Essen or Stettin. In looking at a map of Prussia of 1850, Essen was not part of Prussia so it appears that Stettin, now Szczecin, Poland, is possibly a starting point for my research. This is my last line and brick wall of my tree which I have been researching for 40 years. I have only come across WORMELL as an English name and any records I have seen for Germany/Prussia do not show the name. If anyone can point me in the right direction as to where to start based on this information, it would be greatly appreciated. I have gone so far as taking a long shot and joining the Germany DNA group to have have my DNA tested, in hopes that there might be a match. No 37 marker matches. Interestlingly, the both witnesses on his naturalization papers were from Denmark. Both worked in shipping industry...one as a captain, the other as the owner of a "employment agency" for the shipping industry. Both also lived near him in East Boston. My great grandfather was a sea captain. Thank you, Jim Wormelle ("e" added on early 1900's)
Jim, If you don't mind a little speculation, read on. You've got to figure out the surname before you can do much good researching German records. There are no listings in the online Germany phone book for Wormell. So what was the name? I searched the phone book with the "Show similar names" box checked. The only alternates that came up were Formel and Formell--16 of each as private listings, I.e. surnames. (Be careful because Formel means Formula in German so one must ignore commercial listings such as Formel 1 which I suspect has to do with automobile racing). Note that German letters V and F both sound like English F. It's not hard to see that, in what I believe is called a hyperurbanization of the English V to German W that the similar F got thrown in. Ignore that last sentence and just say Wormell and Formell and you can see how German Formell might have been changed to English Wormell if you know that W is pronounced like V in German. Would this be a backwards hyperurbanization? So much for my amateur linguistics knowledge. I went to Geogen (http://christoph.stoepel.net/geogen/en/Default.aspx) to see where these 32 Formel/Formell surnames are located but can see no concentrations. This could be because there are so few of them to start with. Formel, while not "concentrated" are scattered about the northwest quarter of modern Germany. Formell listings are in both the northwest and northeast (but still well west of Stettin)> The paucity of listings for Formel/Formell could suggest they were from Stettin and that most emigrated abroad or never made it into the borders of modern Germany but Stettin is practically on the border with Germany today so that's not my first choice. I'm more inclined to say they were from Essen which was part of Prussia for a time even though it's not what I think of as traditional Prussia (eastern Germany and parts of Poland and the Baltic states). To back up my suggestion of Essen area, go to FamilySearch and check out the listings for Formel/Formell. Most non-U.S. listings show Prussia (Preussen in German) but they are western areas (the Rhineland and Westphalia) more consistent with an Essen area origin. There are three listings for Westpreussen (West Prussia) which is actually pretty far east of Stettin so I'm discounting them heavily. International Genealogical Index - Germany 45. Adam Formel - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: About 1780 Wickrathberg, , Rheinland, Preussen 46. ADAM FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: 1800 Alt Czapel, , Westpreussen, Preussen 47. ADAM FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: 1800 Alt Czapel, , Westpreussen, Preussen 48. Anna Catharina Formel - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Birth: About 1805 Wickrathberg, , Rheinland, Preussen 49. Anna Catharina Formel - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Birth: About 1805 Wickrathberg, , Rheinland, Preussen 50. ANNE MARIE WILHELMINE FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Christening: 05 SEP 1875 Sankt Johannes Evangelisch, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 51. ANTON CHRISTIAN FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: 12 APR 1810 52. ANTON CHRISTIAN FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: 12 APR 1810 53. ANTON HEINRICH OTTO FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: 04 JAN 1838 54. ANTON HEINRICH OTTO FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Christening: 25 MAY 1874 Sankt Johannes Evangelisch, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 55. BEREND HENRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Christening: 21 FEB 1830 Evangelisch, Heepen, Westfalen, Preussen 56. BERNHARD HEINRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Marriage: 07 FEB 1858 Evangelisch, Bochum, Westfalen, Preussen 57. BERNHARD HEINRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Marriage: 11 FEB 1859 Evangelisch, Uemmingen, Westfalen, Preussen 58. BERNHARD HEINRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Marriage: 07 FEB 1859 Evangelisch, Bochum, Westfalen, Preussen 59. BERNHARD HEINRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Marriage: 07 APR 1867 Evangelische, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 60. CHRISTIAN HEINRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Christening: 24 APR 1870 Sankt Johannes Evangelisch, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 61. CHRISTINE HENRIETTE FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Christening: 09 NOV 1851 Sankt Johannes Evangelisch, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 62. CHRISTINE HENRIETTE FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Birth: 20 OCT 1851 63. ELEONORA FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Birth: 02 JUL 1835 Schlafkau, , Westpreussen, Preussen 64. ELISE HENRIETTE FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Christening: 17 NOV 1844 Sankt Johannes Evangelisch, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 65. ELISE CHRISTINE HENRIETTE FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Birth: 25 JUL 1869 >From the 1880 U.S. Census, you also see Formell but with the generic origin of Prussia Census - 1880 US Census 2. Julius FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Self Gender: Male Birth: <1842> PRU 3. Karolina FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Wife Gender: Female Birth: <1843> PRU 4. Dora FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Dau Gender: Female Birth: <1861> PRU 5. Christian FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Son Gender: Male Birth: <1863> PRU 6. Sophia FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Dau Gender: Female Birth: <1865> PRU 7. Charles FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Son Gender: Male Birth: <1866> PRU There are two cities named Essen in Germany. Herford and Heepen are closer to the smaller Essen (in Lower Saxony) but still 65 miles or more away and over 100 miles from the bigger Essen. Wickrathberg is 47 miles southwest from the bigger Essen. But Bochum is only 11.5 miles from the larger Essen (North Rhine-Westphalia) and is (for me, at least) an interesting possibility. Uemmingen is near Bochum (about 4 miles). Uemmingen must have been a wide spot on the path because there are roads, and a lake named for it but no village that I can see. Maybe it was a large farm (hofgut) with employees living on it. But it had its own church (see below). My conclusion? I'd look for Formel/Formell in the area around Bochum and Uemmingen. To find Uemmingen in mapquest, you'll have to spell it Ummingen. The website for Bochum is www.bochum.de. Bochum had both a Lutheran and a Catholic church in the 1800's. One source states that Uemmingen is grouped into the city of Langendreer and another that Langendreer is part of Bochum. Perhaps they're all in the same municipality. Uemmingen did have a Lutheran church during the time frame you're speaking of and still has an historic cemetery on Uemminger Lake. See http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Cmmingen and http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historischer_Friedhof_%C3%9Cmmingen It would be interesting to see if there is a listing for the headstones in the cemetery. The LDS have microfilms for the churches in both Bochum and Uemmingen (spell it Ummingen if you search). Regards, Paul near Portland, Oregon
As soon as I saw the name WORMELL it reminded me of a famous Liverpool dignitary, Dame Ethel Wormald http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-dame-ethel-wormald-1475460.html Hope this helps Marged If you don't mind a little speculation, read on. You've got to figure out the surname before you can do much good researching German records. There are no listings in the online Germany phone book for Wormell. So what was the name? I searched the phone book with the "Show similar names" box checked. The only alternates that came up were Formel and Formell--16 of each as private listings, I.e. surnames. (Be careful because Formel means Formula in German so one must ignore commercial listings such as Formel 1 which I suspect has to do with automobile racing). Note that German letters V and F both sound like English F. It's not hard to see that, in what I believe is called a hyperurbanization of the English V to German W that the similar F got thrown in. Ignore that last sentence and just say Wormell and Formell and you can see how German Formell might have been changed to English Wormell if you know that W is pronounced like V in German. Would this be a backwards hyperurbanization? So much for my amateur linguistics knowledge. I went to Geogen (http://christoph.stoepel.net/geogen/en/Default.aspx) to see where these 32 Formel/Formell surnames are located but can see no concentrations. This could be because there are so few of them to start with. Formel, while not "concentrated" are scattered about the northwest quarter of modern Germany. Formell listings are in both the northwest and northeast (but still well west of Stettin)> The paucity of listings for Formel/Formell could suggest they were from Stettin and that most emigrated abroad or never made it into the borders of modern Germany but Stettin is practically on the border with Germany today so that's not my first choice. I'm more inclined to say they were from Essen which was part of Prussia for a time even though it's not what I think of as traditional Prussia (eastern Germany and parts of Poland and the Baltic states). To back up my suggestion of Essen area, go to FamilySearch and check out the listings for Formel/Formell. Most non-U.S. listings show Prussia (Preussen in German) but they are western areas (the Rhineland and Westphalia) more consistent with an Essen area origin. There are three listings for Westpreussen (West Prussia) which is actually pretty far east of Stettin so I'm discounting them heavily. International Genealogical Index - Germany 45. Adam Formel - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: About 1780 Wickrathberg, , Rheinland, Preussen 46. ADAM FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: 1800 Alt Czapel, , Westpreussen, Preussen 47. ADAM FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: 1800 Alt Czapel, , Westpreussen, Preussen 48. Anna Catharina Formel - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Birth: About 1805 Wickrathberg, , Rheinland, Preussen 49. Anna Catharina Formel - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Birth: About 1805 Wickrathberg, , Rheinland, Preussen 50. ANNE MARIE WILHELMINE FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Christening: 05 SEP 1875 Sankt Johannes Evangelisch, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 51. ANTON CHRISTIAN FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: 12 APR 1810 52. ANTON CHRISTIAN FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: 12 APR 1810 53. ANTON HEINRICH OTTO FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Birth: 04 JAN 1838 54. ANTON HEINRICH OTTO FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Christening: 25 MAY 1874 Sankt Johannes Evangelisch, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 55. BEREND HENRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Christening: 21 FEB 1830 Evangelisch, Heepen, Westfalen, Preussen 56. BERNHARD HEINRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Marriage: 07 FEB 1858 Evangelisch, Bochum, Westfalen, Preussen 57. BERNHARD HEINRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Marriage: 11 FEB 1859 Evangelisch, Uemmingen, Westfalen, Preussen 58. BERNHARD HEINRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Marriage: 07 FEB 1859 Evangelisch, Bochum, Westfalen, Preussen 59. BERNHARD HEINRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Marriage: 07 APR 1867 Evangelische, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 60. CHRISTIAN HEINRICH FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Male Christening: 24 APR 1870 Sankt Johannes Evangelisch, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 61. CHRISTINE HENRIETTE FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Christening: 09 NOV 1851 Sankt Johannes Evangelisch, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 62. CHRISTINE HENRIETTE FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Birth: 20 OCT 1851 63. ELEONORA FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Birth: 02 JUL 1835 Schlafkau, , Westpreussen, Preussen 64. ELISE HENRIETTE FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Christening: 17 NOV 1844 Sankt Johannes Evangelisch, Herford, Westfalen, Preussen 65. ELISE CHRISTINE HENRIETTE FORMEL - International Genealogical Index / GE Gender: Female Birth: 25 JUL 1869 >From the 1880 U.S. Census, you also see Formell but with the generic origin of Prussia Census - 1880 US Census 2. Julius FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Self Gender: Male Birth: <1842> PRU 3. Karolina FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Wife Gender: Female Birth: <1843> PRU 4. Dora FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Dau Gender: Female Birth: <1861> PRU 5. Christian FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Son Gender: Male Birth: <1863> PRU 6. Sophia FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Dau Gender: Female Birth: <1865> PRU 7. Charles FORMELL - 1880 United States Census / Illinois Son Gender: Male Birth: <1866> PRU There are two cities named Essen in Germany. Herford and Heepen are closer to the smaller Essen (in Lower Saxony) but still 65 miles or more away and over 100 miles from the bigger Essen. Wickrathberg is 47 miles southwest from the bigger Essen. But Bochum is only 11.5 miles from the larger Essen (North Rhine-Westphalia) and is (for me, at least) an interesting possibility. Uemmingen is near Bochum (about 4 miles). Uemmingen must have been a wide spot on the path because there are roads, and a lake named for it but no village that I can see. Maybe it was a large farm (hofgut) with employees living on it. But it had its own church (see below). My conclusion? I'd look for Formel/Formell in the area around Bochum and Uemmingen. To find Uemmingen in mapquest, you'll have to spell it Ummingen. The website for Bochum is www.bochum.de. Bochum had both a Lutheran and a Catholic church in the 1800's. One source states that Uemmingen is grouped into the city of Langendreer and another that Langendreer is part of Bochum. Perhaps they're all in the same municipality. Uemmingen did have a Lutheran church during the time frame you're speaking of and still has an historic cemetery on Uemminger Lake. See http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Cmmingen and http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historischer_Friedhof_%C3%9Cmmingen It would be interesting to see if there is a listing for the headstones in the cemetery. The LDS have microfilms for the churches in both Bochum and Uemmingen (spell it Ummingen if you search). Regards, Paul near Portland, Oregon ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message