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- 1 Sep 1788 Johann Friderich See son of Johann Wilhelm See of Wolckranshausen Christina Maria Sattler daughter of deceased Georg Satter
RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. Research summary on the Hartwich family by Rose Green, a Stoker/Roemer descendant and excellent German researcher. Rose provided the following by email 26 Apr 2015:
"I read original German records. My husband is a German professor and we lived in Germany for a number of years, so I learned German. When I was working on the Roemers, I ran into a guy who was born in Birkenau. He isn't blood related to us, but a number of his family members married a number of ours, so we had common interests. He picked up a number of historical booklets for me from the city that had articles about our family in them. Yes, I could get the bare bones out of the church records, but it was so interesting to read about these people. Apparently Johannes Roemer was a tanner and also owned a mill (which is still there). He was quite well respected (a ton of people came to his funeral) and he had the mixed-religion marriage. When issues came up later in town with mixed-religion marriages, he was sort of held up as a standard of, well, he managed to do it, so it must be possible.
Schooling was compulsory from 1705(?). Joh. Michael Roemer who came to America was quite literate -- his signature on his will is in lovely perfect German script.
Joh. Michael Roemer and his wife Charlotta Amalia Hartwich were apparently the first people from Birkenau to emigrate to America.
Charlotta Amalia comes from a really interesting family. The earliest record we can find of her dad, Georg/Jurgen Andreas Hartwig/Hartwich, is that he was a lieutenant in Wolfenbüttel (then part of the country of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel) in 1701. In 1703, Georg hired on as a Rittmeister [Cavalry Captain] for Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, which was then part of Denmark, to command a regiment in this War of Spanish Succession. (It had something to do with Hapsburgs and was fought all across modern Germany.) He served until 1715, and then moved down to the Odenwald in southern Hessen, first to Michelstadt, then Reichelsheim, and finally Birkenau. In Reichelsheim, he was asked to move because he was training soldiers at a barracks and was apparently too violent with them.
His wife, Dorothea Sophia Schumacher -- I had someone search a series of printed marriage registers for northern Germany for me once, and they did not find a marriage for these people. I have read about a couple of Schumacher families that was sort of middle class in Schleswig-Holstein (i.e. a similar class that Georg was part of -- commissioned army officer, owning land, getting an education), but Schumacher is an awfully unspecial name ... I would really love to nail these people down and find out where they ultimately came from.
With a lack of personal records on him, I turned to the people he knew and where they came from, which is how I traced him to northern Germany. One such person is the Graf (Count) von Erbach. He was a student at the Ritterakademie (Knight's Academy) in Wolfenbüttel at the same time Georg was in town, and he was also I think in the cavalry in this same war. I think he's the one who got the Hartwigs [aka Hartwichs] down to Hessen after the war. His wife, the countess Charlotta Amalia von Erbach, was the godmother of Charlotta Amalia Hartwich (who married Johann Michael Roemer).
The other interesting northern connection is a professor by the name of Johann Justus Bode. He was from Bodenburg (again, up in the Wolfenbüttel area), the inventor of a traveller's sundial and a math and religion professor in Coburg, which is quite far away in today's Thuringen north of Nurnberg. He was the godfather for Charlotta's next older brother, Johann Justus. He didn't show up for the christening, but had a proxy stand in his stead. Why did these people know each other? I don't know.
When Georg came to Birkenau, he bought the Carlebach mill, which is also still standing. It had formerly belonged to the von Bonn family (Lords of Birkenau), but the Lord died and his sisters ended up with it, and they decided to sell it. The new Lord, by the way, was not Lutheran but Catholic, which apparently caused instant friction with the Lutheran Georg Hartwich. (That, or Hartwich's er..."friendly" personality.) (Remember, this was not horribly long after the 30 Year's War--a war between Catholic Hapsburgs and northern Lutherans, devastated the area.) Georg Hartwich started selling I think alcohol without a permit, or else was fishing without a permit, or something -- essentially, he was baiting the lord, who tried to fine him. Georg's oldest son, Georg Ernst Andreas, went to complain, and got to spend a night in jail to cool his heels over it. Things escalated until all the Hartwichs holed up in a mill in an armed standoff. Charlotta was nine. Things did eventually cool down, but let's just say the Hartwigs were not quiet, unassuming people. When Georg died, his funeral text was the hymn "Auf Christenmensch, auf auf zum Streif" (something about, good Christian men, to the fight! to the fight!). Appropriate, I think.
We have no record of the births of the other children, but judging from marriage records, they must have been born during this war. Here is who I've found:
1. Georg Ernst Andreas, b. about 1700? When living in Reichelsheim, he produced an illegitimate child, Johann Peter, with Anna Elisabetha Friedrich of Brensbach. They did not marry, and the child died at age 5. Georg Ernst suffered from depression ("melancholie") and actually shot himself inside the mill. The entry is quite sad; it explains that they knew he had had deep bouts of depression, but that lately he'd been doing better. It also said he was a law student, but I have not found his matriculation records. My husband says that university matriculation records often have gaps, though, and it's quite possible to be true, even if they didn't write him down. In any case, it was believable to the people at the time that he would be in college.
2. Nicholas Adolph married Maria Sophia Hedwich Mettenius in 1739. She was a widow from Rimbach. I found a couple of children for them.
3. Johanna Friderica married Johann Ernst von Hitzacker in 1730, had a child in 1732, and died in 1735. The von Hitzackers were from up north, and they were a lesser branch of the Welf dynasty that ruled Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel. They were a big military family, with holdings in Ascherode and Luneburg. Their child's christening record reads: "The 22nd of October was born and the 24th baptized the son of well-born Mr. Johann Ernst von Hitzacker, royal Prussian officer, and his wife, Mrs. Johanna Friderica. The son, named Andreas Christoph Wilhelm Otto, was lifted from the holy baptism by [the father's] father-in-law, [cavalry] Captain Georg Andreas Hartwig, as well as Mr. Christoph von Hitzacker, royal Prussian Hauptmann (a military title of some kind of leader) in the Litauisch regiment and heir of Ascherode, and also by Mr. Otto von Hitzacker, heir and Lehnsherr of Lüneburg." Unfortunately, this family has since died out; I've been trying to pursue them and find out what their connection to the Hartwigs might be. And to find out whatever happened to husband and son after Johanna died.
4. There's a Peter Hartwich living in Birkenau in 1741. Hartwich is a northern name and I haven't found anything more about him other than I think paying taxes that year. Is he a relative? Possibly/probably. In 1741, Peter Hartwig contributed money to build a new gallows in Birkenau. (Source: Einwohnerlisten der Zent Birkenau 1439-1841, by Rudolf Kunz and Karl-Ludwig Schmitt, published in 1988) This is the only mention of this person I can find. There are no other Hartwigs in the area, so I assume he is part of our family.
5. Conrad Friedrich married Maria Cordula Walter in 1735 and had children. She was Catholic.
6. Franz Christian married a Maria Magdalena. I don't have a marriage date, but they had a child in 1742.
7. Anton Joachim. Anton's death record lists his age as 62 at time of death; however, this seems to be an estimate, since most entries give the age to the day. Since he was not from the area originally, it would be understandable that his age be only approximated. According to this estimate his birth would have occurred in 1710. He was confirmed in 1727 in Reichelsheim. Lutheran confirmations tend to occur between 12 and 14 years of age, which would move his birth year up to 1713-15, at the end of his father's military service, and in any case, probably predating the family's move to the Odenwald. Anton was a tanner's apprentice, according to his marriage record, but he also ran the family mill (Carlebachmuehle, today Firma Frank on Weinheimerstr. 6). This mill he ran until December 1742 (1200 Jahre Birkenau, p. 241). He also was in charge of the Donels or Nikolai-Muehle (mill) on Lindenstr. 3 jointly with Hans Michael Nikolai (1762 -- see p. 244 of 1200 Jahre Birkenau). Anton also shows up in historical archives because he tried to convince the pastor's daughter to elope with him when she was only 16. The pastor took out a restraining order on him. Later, he married Eva Katharina Romer, the sister of Joh. Michael Roemer. Their kids' christening records play hopscotch in the Catholic-Lutheran records, but Anton actually grew up to be quite respectable. He became a Lutheran church elder. Later, there was a case of a teenage girl whose family was Lutheran and she wanted to be Catholic, or Catholic and she wanted to be Lutheran. At any rate, she actually tried to run away so she wouldn't be forced into the religion not of her choice. Anton intervened, calmed everyone down, pointed out that his father-in-law Johannes Roemer managed to deal with the whole two-religions-under-one-roof thing just fine, and that the girl should be free to follow her own conscience. Anton had a hairy start to life, but it sounds like he grew up to be a wise and respected kind of guy.
8. Johann Justus, b. 16 Oct 1717 in Michelstadt: "On the 16th of October (1717) a little son was born to Georg Andreas Hartwig, cavalry captain, and his beloved wife Dorothea Sophia, born Shumacherin, and the ____ ____ (a date, unreadable) was Johann Justus baptized. The godfather was Mr. Johann Justus Boden, a theology professor in Coburg. In his place stood Mr. Buttner, former chamberlain in Fuerstenau." He d. there 2 Aug 1720: "The 2 day of August (1720), Johann Augustus, age 2 years and 9 months, little son of Mr. Georg Andreas Hartwig, cavalry captain, and his beloved Dorothea Sophia, was buried in the still of the morning at 5 o'clock."
9. Charlotta Amalia (and BTW there is no Maria in her name in any document except for Familysearch): "Steinbach (an area in Michelstadt), 1720: On the first day of July, a little daughter was born to Mr. Georg Andreas Hartwig, cavalry captain, and his beloved [wife] Sophia, nee Shumacher, and on the 5th Charlotta Amalia was baptized. The godmother was Lady Countess Charlotta Amalia, noble wife of Count Philip Carl in Fuerstenau."
Anyway, they were all very interesting people -- and a little notorious sometimes too. I keep coming back to take a stab at the Hartwigs. There were a ton of Hartwig families paying taxes in a printed record in 1678, but I don't know if Georg was attached to any of them. Part of the problem is simply access to the records. I'm sure that if I was in Wolfenbuttel, I could go to the archive and spend a year searching, and find him ... much of the information in these articles about the Hartwich family antics came from the Archiv des Freiherrn Wambolt von Umstadt, apparently..."
2. From Rose Green's contribution to Family Search in the entry for George Andreas Hartwich accessed 18 May 2015:
"The following is a collection of what we know and hypothesize about Georg Andreas Hartwich. At present, the holdings we need from the Staatsarchiv Wolfenbüttel are not online or available through the Family History Library on microfilm; more research should be done, but it might have to be done in person in Wolfenbüttel.
Firstly, Hartwich and Hartwig are alternate spellings for the same pronunciation in German. And Georg = Jürgen.
Thus far, we have not located Georg's birth information. We sure know a lot about his life, though! If you go by his death record, he was born in 1666 (never take death records as gospel truth -- the subject in question isn't around to correct you). I'm fairly positive he was from the Kingdom of Braunschweig/Wolfenbuettel. I found a book of tax records from 1679 as well as a list of funeral records from Wolfenbuettel where there were many Hartwig families of appropriate class. He shows up in the military as a lieutenant in 1702 in Wolfenbuettel and while I can't find any record of him being a student there, his daughter Charlotta's (our ancestor) godmother was the wife of a Count (the Graf von Erbach) who did attend school at the Ritterakademie (knight's or maybe just cavalry academy) in Wolfenbuettel at that time. He hired out to Schleswig-Holstein (these are all parts of modern Germany but were their own countries back then) as a Rittmeister, or cavalry captain, around 1703 when the War of Spanish Succession was going on. Occasionally you see him referred to as a "von Hartwig" in a few articles on the military campaign, but I don't think he really was. However, he was an officer, which means that someone in his family must have had a little money. You don't work up through the ranks for that. I haven't looked lately, but at the time I was researching, the church records for Wolfenbuettel weren't available without going to the physical archive in town, but perhaps someday they'll be digitized. Who knows! I think really, the way to find him is to read every page in the church book until he shows up. But it's handwritten, unindexed, and in German. So, time consuming. (Plus the access issue.)
He got out of the military in 1715. He had married by then, and we know his wife's name was Dorothea Sophia Schumacher (or Schumacherin, to use the archaic formation for female name endings). However, their marriage doesn't show up in any printed marriage lists, and I checked all the ones I could find. She was born about 1682, according to her death records. I found eight, maybe nine children for them, but only birth records for the last two. Anyway, they moved to Michelstadt in the present-day state of Hesse, presumably because the local count (the Graf Philip Karl von Erbach) was someone he knew from his Wolfenbuettel days. He was retired, but he still worked training the soldiers or something. Two of his children were born in Michelstadt -- Charlotta Amalia, on 1 July 1720 in Steinbach, a part of Michelstadt. Her godmother was the Graf's wife, the Countess Charlotta Amalia), and Johann Justus, b. 16 Oct 1717 in Steinbach and d. 2 Aug 1720 there. The godfather was, interestingly, a man named Johann Justus Bode, who was a theology professor in Coburg (which is not really near any of those other places), and a Mr. Buettner, a former chamberlin in Fuerstenau (i.e. the part of Michelstadt where the count lived) stood in for him. Johann Justus Bode was also from Wolfenbuettel, however... (You see how all signs point back there?)
Georg Andreas Hartwich ended up moving somewhat out of town to Reichelsheim, but apparently he had a bit of a temper, and was finally asked to quit his military training job because he was "too violent to the soldiers." Ouch. His oldest son, Georg Ernst Andreas, apparently produced a child in nearby Niederkainsbach with someone's maid, though (Anna Elisabetha Friedrich; child Johann Peter, b. 16 May 1726, d. 28 Apr 1731 of smallpox).
Then the family moved to Birkenau, a little west of Michelstadt. The old count there had died and his sisters did not inherit his ruling power, but they did end up with some land that they wanted to get rid of. So they sold a mill over on the Weschnitz River to our friend Hartwich. A distant relative of the deceased count showed up to take over, and he was Catholic (the Hartwichs were Lutheran, and this was not terribly long after the Catholic-Lutheran 30 Years' War that killed 90% of the population in Birkenau, so you can imagine that prejudices may have been strong). The new count and the Rittmeister did not get along, you might say -- Georg Hartwich liked to do things like fish in the pond and serve alcohol without proper papers, and the count sent the law after him. Oldest son Georg Ernst spent a night in jail for protesting the treatment his father got, and at one point the whole Hartwich family holed up inside their mill and had a sort of armed standoff.
Georg Andreas Hartwich died in Birkenau 13 Jun 1734. This is his death record: "(1734), entry #408. On the 13th of June died Mr. Georg Andreas Hartwig, cavalry captain, and on the 5th, being the third day of Pentecost, at a crowded meeting and funeral sermon he was buried. His age: 68 years, a few months. The text was I ___ him ___ ___ (illegible) the 3rd and 4th verses from the song Auf Christenmensch auf auf zum Streit. (The name of the song is something like, Christian people--to the fight! to the fight! which seems rather appropriate...)
Sources I found regarding Georg:
1701 Lieutenant in Wolfenbuettel, according to a letter from the Niedersaechsischen Staatsarchiv in Wolfenbuettel, 17 June 2002. They found it in the "Index des Bestandes 3 Alt (Bestallungen)" under number 670 and 684. (That would be your call number for the document that mentions him.)
1703-1712 A letter from the Landesarchiv von Schleswig-Holstein in Schleswig, dated 21 March 2002 said this: "Juergen (Georg) Andreas Hartwig ist in den Jahren 1703 bis 1712 als Rittmeister und Kompaniechef des sog. 'Reichskontingents' merhfach nachzuweisen; des 'Regiments zu Pferde' des Herzogs von Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, das als 'Reichshilfe' am Spanischen Erbfolgekrieg teil nahm." (Jurgen/Georg Andreas Hartwig can be documented many times as cavalry captain and company head of the so-called Reichskontingent/national contingent? -- the horse regiment of the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottof that took part in the War of Spanish Succession.)
1717-1720 lived in Steinbach, Michelstadt, Hesse (as mentioned in the Lutheran church records of Michelstadt)
1720?-1728 Lived in Reichelsheim, Hesse (mentioned in the Freiherrlich Wamboltisches Archiv, Bestand 191/7)
1728 bought the Carlebachmuehle (Carlebach Mill) in Birkenau, Hesse. In the sale he's called "der holsteinische Rittmeister Georg Andreas Hartwich" (the Holstein Cavalry Captain Georg Andreas Hartwich). Mentioned in the book 1200 Jahre Birkenau, published 1994 by Verlag Bitsch in Birkenau.
Died in Birkenau in 1740, age about 58 years (source: Birkenau Lutheran church records)
A book called Die Kopfsteuerbeschreibung des Fuerstentums Braunschweig-Wolfenbuettel von 1678, by Heinrich Medefind, published by Verlag Hahnsche Buchhandlung Hannover, 2000, mentions Hartwig families on the tax rolls in the following areas around Wolfenbuettel:
Uefingen, Vogtei Leiferde, Gericht Beddingen: Verwalter Heinrich Hartewieg, farmer; wife, sister, servant, 2 field hands, a boy, an overseer, and 2 girls (maids)
Wenzen, Amt Greene: the widow of Claus Hartwieg (a second-rate overseer), son, 2 sons (boys), daughter
Stadt Helmstedt, Ostviertel: Hanss Hartwig's widow, sister, daughter
Grasleben, Kloster Mariental: (farmers) Christian Hartwig, wife, 3 sons, daughter
Gut Allrode, Grafschaft Blankenburg (Adlige und Schriftsassen; Hausleute zum Gute gehoerig/people belonging to the estate; it's unclear whether these are the nobles or the servants): Andreas Hartwig and wife
Faktorei Tanne, Kloster Michaelstein, Grafschaft Blankenburg: Andreas Hartwig, wife, smith's servant, boy
Braunlage, Amt Blankenburg (house servants): Zachariass Hartwig, carpenter, wife, daughter, mother-in-law
The really good article that discusses Georg's regiment in detail is called "Schleswig-holsteiner unter gottorfischer Fahne im spanischem Erbfolgekrieg," by Christian Kock, published in the Zeitschrift der Gesellschaft fuer Schleswig-holsteinische Geschichte, 64. Band (64th volume), Karl Wachholz Verlag, Neumuenster in Holstein, 1936, pp. 161-200.). It's all in German, naturally, and in the horrible Fraktur typeface. The gist of it as it refers to our man Hartwig is this:
7 Sept 1701 -- England, Holland, and Austria form an alliance. Denmark decides to support them. (Schleswig was part of Denmark at the time.) Gottorf initially wasn't a fan of the war but changed their minds. Their leader fell in battle in Klissow in 1702 and the new leadership decided to support these other armies by sending 4 regiments: 2 cavalry and 2 infantry. 30 Sept 1702 -- they declare war against France.
The cavalry regiment of Hinrich von der Osten had 6 companies that were sent as the Reichskontingent, each numbering 50 men:
1. Leibkompagnie, led by Capt. lieut. von Pederstorff
2. Oberstleutnant von Baehr's company
3. Major Nicolaus Elver's company
4. Rittmeister von Alpenbourg's company
5. Rittmeister von der Luehe's company (including 36 riders from Luebeck)
6. Rittmeister Hartwig's company. (Officers: Rittmeister Juergen/Georg Andreas Harwig, Lieutenant Rotjer Hatthiessen, Kornett Martin Pribbert Normann, who fell at Hoechstedt on 13 Aug 1704)
They crossed the Elbe River near Artlenburg on the way to Frankfurt am Main. Joined the army of Markgraf Ludwig von Baden at Oberrhein, and joined with dragoons of Braunschweig-Lueneburg, with whom they had fought alongside in the past. Marched to the front on 12 July 1703.
Von Osten didn't want to fight for the Kaiser so he was replaced by Major Nicolaus Elver. Not much action in 1703 -- only some sick horses. At the end of November they went into winter quarters. However, Gottorf got sent to help out the war in Amberg (in today's Bavaria) on 23 December 1703. They had to winter in the Bayrische Pfalz and it wasn't very nice -- there weren't many comfortable places for the army. At this time, according to the Staatsarchiv Kiel A. XX Nr. 1441, the company of Hartwig consisted of the following:
Men:
present: 36
send on missions elsewhere: --
dead: --
deserted: 22
captured: 2
taken on: --
missing: 18
Horses:
present: 32
in bad shape: 2
deserted: 5
captured: 4
dead: 5
missing: 16
16 Feb 1704 Major Elver wrote from Nurnberg
6 Mar 1704 Elver wrote from the Stabsquartier in Stadel then in Amberg
22 Mar 1704 from the Stabsquartier Rentzlingen (Rensling). The regiment quartered around Kuntzenhausen, near Weissenburg, in Mittelfranken (in today's Bavaria)
May 1704 -- off to battle again. Elver became Obristleutnant in Feb 1704
13 Aug 1704 battle at Hoechstaedt--allies defeat French. Alpenbourg died and Hartwig took over his company. Hartwig's own company was decimated in battle in 1703 (see the Gottorfisches Geheimes Conseil-Archiv, 5. Cammer, Nr. 320, in the Reichsarchiv Kopenhagen).
17 Sep 1704 in Landau
2 Jan 1705 report from Elver assessed Harwig's company as follows:
Men:
present: 43
fallen: 5
wounded: 7
captured: 2
deserted: --
died of illness: --
total decrease: 7
horses dead of disease: 10
15 Jan-4 Mar 1705 in Amt Zweibruecken, and in the villages of Neuschweiler, Hischberg, and Saalstatt. Then to Amt Wied, Oberhausen and Schmittshausen. Then to Vogelbach, Muehlbach, Lambsburg, Reissenberg, Kanshafen, and Niederenbach.
3 March to Worms (Sachsen Eisenach). They had no more money to sustain themselves. They moved into town and all got "Fleckfieber" (smallpox? Some kind of feverish pox?) The horses went to Fourage. The foot soldiers tried going to Aschaffenburg but returned as it wasn't much better.
1706 They owed the city of Worms 1453 Reichstaler and 16 Schillings for feeding horses, and in the spring they decided to go home.
2 Jun 1705 camped by Ober-Biel (Buehl) near Stollenhofer line.
14 Jun 1705 2 weeks at quarter by Zweibruecken.
July 1705 Lauterburg and Crohn-Weissenburg (Alsace), defending the fortress of Landau
17 July Fort Louis von Strassburg
26 July Hugelsheim
18 Sept made camp at Drusenheim, SW of Hagenau in the Oberpfalz
6 Oct Hagenau falls to the Allies (our side)
October -- some were told to winter in the county (Grafschaft) of Leiningen because there wasn't room for them all in Worms. The rest went to Worms.
19 Nov still in Hagenau
1705 assessment of Hartwig's company/squadron:
Men:
dead: 2
caught: --
deserted: 5
missing: --
total: 7
Horses:
dead: 5
sick: --
captured: --
deserted: 4
retired from service: 18
total: 27
12 Feb 1706 near Zollenspieler over the Elbe River and into Amt Bergedorf. Hartwig's company went to Kurslack. Then to Eckernfoerde. They didn't like it.
25 Mar 1706 went to Husum
24 Feb 1707 started out again
15 Mar 1708 Elver got out and was replaced by Goertz. Meanwhile, von Osten is still paying for all of this, even though he's not leading.
30 May went over the Elbe River into Lueneburger land and stayed 6 days
5 June Hildesheim, 4 days
9 Jun Wolfenbuettel, 1 day
10 Jun Eichsfeld, 3 days
13 Jun Muehlhausen and in the Vogtei, 2 days
15 Jun Eisenach, 2 days
17 Jun Fulda and Hanau, 8 days
25 Jun Darmstadt, 3 days
28 Jun Maiinz and Pfalz
1 July camp in Linckenheim, norht of Karlsruhe, Baden
3 Aug 1708 Muehlberg, Baden (by Karlsruhe)
1 Sept Elberg
Apr 1709 Detenheim, Meierhof am Rhein
May 1709 Headquartered in Ettlingen (Schwarzwald)
Aug Weissenburger line in Elsass
Nov 1709 Grafschaft (county) Erbach, Amt Breuberg
Oct 1709 Muehlheim
Spring 1710 Philippsburg, Mainz, Caub
Winter 1710-11 Heilbronn, Wimpfen, Neuenstadt, Weinsberg, Apfatersbach
1711-12 Philippsburg and Dobel. Aslo Rintsheim, Friedrichstal, Graben, Rheindoerfer Rutzheim, Brandenheim, Liedolsheim, and Hochstetten
1712-13 winter in Weinsberger Tal (valley) -- Neuenstadt and Moeckmuehl
The soldiers' wives usually stayed behind if the soldiers were already married. 1 in 8 soldiers were married. The kids and wives who came made for slow progress.
As you can see, the article is pretty detailed. And he was everywhere!
I know there have to be records on Georg Andreas Hartwich. I just haven't found them yet. Most of the things I did find were by tracing all his friends and associates -- where did he know the Graf von Erbach from? What about this Dr. Bode in Coburg? That's how I found the military records in Wolfenbuettel. But I don't know anything before 1702. I wish I could find something on his wife, but she could be from "anywhere" -- it's a very common surname (it's just Shoemaker!) and he was all over modern Germany while in the military. Hopefully this will give someone some clues to pursue, however."
3. Rose Green per email of 18 May 2015. Reference is made in other notes to the Carlebachmuele. The following is addtional information:
"The Carlebach mill is not the same as the mill the Roemers owned. That was the Donels or Nikolai Mill. The tanner Johannes Roemer acquired it in 1706 with the intent to put a Lohmuhle on it (and I have no idea what that is -- but I think it has something to do with mills and tanning. Not knowing anything about either one, I can read definitions of it, but I still don't really know what it is. The wiki article in German says it does something with bits of wood. Maybe some kind of sawmill, but what does that have to do with tanning? Plus, they still had to pay 1.5 bushels of grain in tax on it every year.) The Roemers kept it until 1740, and after that, it was run by our friend Anton Hartwich and Hans Michael Nikolai (not such a stretch, since Anton married into the Roemers). In 1791 the mill went to the Kadel family due to a marriage.
In modern times it was owned by "Firma Frank" (the Frank company). It sits at the bottom of a very steep ravine, sort of on the main road, on the dividing line between Birkenau and Weinheim. There was no place to pull off to take a picture, though. But maybe it's visible on google street view? Both mills were there in 2002.
As of this date, the following is a weblink to the mill http://www.carlebachmuehle.de/
4. Rose Green provided me on 18 Jul 2015 the following research paper for the use of hiring a professional researcher to review records at Wolfenbuettel. On 20 Aug 2015, I hired Marion Wolfert; 2541 Campus, 7136 South; SLC. Phone 801 943-8891 mwolf45@juno.com.(currently awaiting her research). The research report:
"Georg Andreas Hartwig, Rittmeister Born about 1666, according to death record (13 June 1734, Birkenau, Hessen, age "68 Jahr weniger Monat")
1701—Shows up in the Niedersächsisches Staatsarchiv, Forstweg 2, 38302 Wolfenbüttel: "Auch im Index des Bestandes 3 Alt (Bestallungen) wird unter Nrn. 670 und 684 ein Leutnant Georg Andreas Hartwig (1701) erwähnt" I think he made lieutenant on 21 June 1701. I have seen *some* records from this collection and mostly they just mention him by name, but without biographical data. There may be more, but I was dependent on someone else making copies at the time.
1703-1712—serving in the War of Spanish Succession in the cavalry of the Herzog of Holstein- Gottorf as "Rittmeister und Kompaniechef des sogennanten ‘Reichskontingents' mehrfach nachzuweisen; des ‘Regiments zu Pferde' des Herzogs von Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, das als ‘Reichshilfe' am Spanischen Erbfolgekrieg teilnahm." The Landesarchiv of Schleswig-Holstein in Schleswig did not have any other biographical information on him. Son Anton was born about 1710, according to his death record, so this would be during his service as a Rittmeister.
1717-1720—living in Michelstadt, Hessen (two children christened in Steinbach, today a Stadtteil of Michelstadt)
1720-1728—According to reports in the Wambolt archives in Birkenau, he lived in several different houses in Reichelsheim, Hessen, but they don't show up in the Kirchenbücher (no children being born or dying). He was finally asked to leave by the Ortsherr because of his violent nature (wanted to introduce beatings to the soldiers). The military records from Reichelsheim were moved to Darmstadt and bombed in WWII.
1728—purchased the Carlebachmühle on Weinheimerstr (#6) in Birkenau from the sisters of the late Ortsherr von Bonn. Which started any number of problems with the new Ortsherr, Wambolt von Umstadt (Wambolt thought he should get it, and the sale was done without his knowledge). In 1729 there was an armed standoff in the mill between Hartwig and the mill people on one side, and Wambolt's people on the other. The Hartwigs did not come off conquerors (they kept the mill but had fines and the oldest son, Georg Ernst Andreas, got to spend a night in jail to cool his temper).
Married Dorothea Sophia born Schumacherin, who was born around 1682 (died in Birkenau 28 Jan 1740, aged "ohngefuehr 58 Jahre.") I searched some of the printed marriage records for northern Germany and did not find their marriage.
Known children:
1. Georg Ernst Andreas. B. about 1700. Produced an illegitimate child in Nieder-Kainsbach (source: Kirchenbuch Brensbach) 16 May 1726 with Anna Elisabetha Friedrich. Georg was specifically named as the son of the Rittmeister Georg Andreas Hartwig. In 1728 he spent a night in jail in Birkenau after he went to protest the fine his father was supposed to pay over irregularities in the mill purchase. Possibly the oldest. On 29 April 1740, after a period of deep "melancholie," he shot himself in the Carlebachmühle. The church entry was rather understanding, saying he'd been doing better but then had a strong attack of depression. It also said that he was a law student at the time. I have checked all of the printed university matriculation records I could find, but did not find him mentioned.
2. Johanna Friderica, born about 22 Jan 1704 (reckoned from death date). Married Johann Ernst von Hitzacker, a royal Prussian military officer, at the Carlebachmühle in Birkenau on 24 Sept 1730. Had one child, Andreas Christoph Wilhelm Otto von Hitzacker, born 20 Oct 1732 in Birkenau (from FHC film 1340344, Evangelische Kirche Birkenau): "Den 22 Oktobr. ist gebohren u. den 24ten getaufft worden, des wohlgebohrenen hln. Johann Ernst von Hitzacker, königl. preußischen Officiers, u. seiner Gemahlin Fr. Johanne Friderica. Sohn Nahmens Andreas Christoph Wilhelm Otto, welcher aus der hl. Tauffe gehoben, sein hl. Schweigervatter der hl. Rittmeister Georg Andreas Hartwig, so wohl von sich also auch von Hn. Christoph v. Hitzacker, auff Ascherode Erb. Hn. Kön. Preuß. Hauptmann unter dem Litauischen Regiments, und den, von Hn. Otto von Hitzacker, Erb. U. Lehns Hn. zu Lüneburg." Johanna died 27 Jan 1735 in Birkenau. Nothing is know about what happened to either her husband or son.
3. Peter. This is a maybe. On a list of people raising money in 1741 to build a new gallows in Birkenau, his name shows up. He could also be a grandson. The name Hartwig otherwise ONLY shows up in the Birkenau area in connection with this family.
4. Conrad Friedrich. Married Maria Cordula Walterin 21 Feb 1735 in Birkenau.
5. Anton Joachim. Born about 1710, according to death record. Was an apprentice tanner. Tried to elope with the 16 YO daughter of the pastor, who put a restraining order against him when he found out. (Anton would have been 26). A few months later (18 Jul 1736), he married Eva Katharina Römer in Birkenau. Later became a rather respected church elder. Died in Birkenau 23 Feb 1772.
6. Nicolaus Adolph, miller on the Weschnitz River. Married widow Maria Sophia Hedwich Mettenius (first husband: Johann Philipp Schrump) in Birkenau 24 Sep 1739
7. Johann Justus was born in Steinbach, Michelstadt, Hessen. "On the 16th of October (1717) a little son was born to Georg Andreas Hartwig, cavalry captain, and his beloved wife Dorothea Sophia, born Schumacherin, and [date, unreadable] was Johann Justus baptized. The godfather was Mr. Johann Justus Bode, a theology professor in Coburg. Standing in for him as proxy was Mr. Buttner, former chamberlain in Fürstenau." (Michelstadt church records) Bode was born in Bodenburg, near Wolfenbüttel. Little Johann Justus was buried in the still of the morning of 2 August 1720 in Steinbach, Michelstadt, Hessen.
8. Charlotta Amalia was also born in Steinbach, Michelstadt, Hessen. "On the first day of July [1720], a little daughter was born to Mr. Georg Andreas Hartwig, cavalry captain, and his beloved [wife] Sophia, nee Schumacher, and on the 5th Charlotta Amalia was baptized. The godmother was Countess (Grafin) Charlotta Amalia, noble wife of Graf Philip Carl in Fürstenau." She was confirmed around 1732 in Birkenau. The Graf went to school at the Ritterakademie in Wolfenbüttel and was there in 1701. I think he was also in the cavalry in the War of Spanish Succession. Charlotta Amalia married Johann Michael Römer in Birkenau on 18 July 1736, and they were the first couple to leave Birkenau for America, in 1738. Died in Frederick, Frederick, Maryland on 8 Feb 1779.
Georg Andreas Hartwig died 13 June 1734 in Birkenau. His death record reads as follows (Birkenau Kirchenbuch 2, p. 190): "(1734), entry #408. On the 13th day of June died Mr. Georg Andreas Hartwig, Rittmeister, and on the 5th, being the third day of Pentecost, after a crowded meeting at the funeral sermon he was buried. His age: 68 years, a few months. The text was I (word illegible) him (word illegible) the 3rd and 4th verses from the hymn ‘Auf Christenmensch auf auf zum Streit.'"
Dorothea Sophia Schumacherin died 28 January 1740 in Birkenau: "On the 28th of January the widow of the Rittmeister Mr. Hartwich, who lived at the mill in this place and who died in 1734, died, age about 58 years, and was buried on the 31st of the same month following a funeral sermon. The sermon text was Ecclesiastes 3:21. She was named Dorothea Sophia nee Schumacher."
He was a commissioned army officer.
His son was a university student (or at least, people believed he was).
His daughter married another commissioned officer, who happened to be a member of a lesser branch of the house of Welf (the von Hitzackers).
Another daughter had the Grafin as her godmother.
Another son had a professor as his godfather, even though the man was not there in person at the baptism, and lived very far away (Coburg).
He bought a mill from the sisters of the former Ortsherr.
This man has to be mentioned somewhere!"
5. September 2015, I hired the professional genealogist Marion Wolfert to research Georg Andreas Hartwich in person during her recent visit to Germany. I hired her for research at Wolfenbuettel and Braunschweig. In Braunschweig she met in person with two key archivists to identify record sets that could work. The archive is the one with the two lions in the front and may also be called locally the city archive. The archivists checked their inventory lists and they assured her there was nothing that could be found in their archive in regards to our quest. It was thought that there may be military records there that could help and its search was secondary to the Wolfenbuettel search.
Not much better results at Wolfenbuettel. The strategy was to look at the emigration records to try to identify a local pattern of Hartwigs from that area to perhaps help zero in further efforts. The emigration records were extracted for all Hartwigs and the report follows. At this point Marion felt there was nothing more that could productively be done in a reasonable time. (I had hired her for a full day with the option to continue if there was something that could be productive.) An exhaustive parish by parish search for Andreas may be required, but there is the chance that he may never have been there to begin with in a normal parish manner. In any regards we see some possibilities in the emigration list as shown below.
I don't know whether or not we have exhausted the possibilities of these archives, but it would probably now take a non-standard, creative, and lengthy approach in record sets most people would probably not normally consider -- I don't think such a thing could be hired out with standard genealogists.
Marion's address is:
Marion Wolfert, A.G.
2541 Campus Drive
Cottonwood Heights, UT
84121
Marion reported:
"The State Archive in Braunschweig has no information about your ancestral Georg Andreas HARTWIG, a Rittmeister (born about 1666).
As agreed, I checked the emigration records, compiled by the archive in a book. It lists the following HARTWIG people:
1. Schoolrector HARTWIG, died 1817, He was working in Grande and Kirchrohsen (Emmerthal)
2. Otto HARTWIG, born 22 Aug 1861 in Schweinemuende
3. Andreas Otto HARTWIG, born 12 Mar 1835 in Hassel by the Weser River
4. Georg HARTWIG, born 29 Apr 1842 in Hassel close to the River Weser
5. HARTWIG born about 1844 from Dorveden
6. Samuel HARTWIG, born 1784 in Offenbach
As you can see, all of the above listed persons were born way too late and the place of origin for each one of them is from different parts in Germany. I guess, the surname HARTWIG was not isolated in a certain area, but can be found all over in Germany."
BIRTH:
1. His death record in the Evangelische Kirche Birkenau, Kreis Heppenheim, Germany, states that he was "68 years, a few months" on 13 June 1734. Military records point to a possible birth location in Wolfenbuettel, Germany.
DEATH:
1. Church Death record. Birkenau Kirchenbuch 2, p. 190: (1734), entry #408.
"Den 13 Jun isst gestorben hr. Georg Andreas Hartwig Rittmeister, und darauff den 5sten als am 3ten Pfingsttage bey volkreicher Versammlung und Haltung einer Leichpredigt begraben worden. Aet: 68 Jahr weniger Monat. Text war Ich ___ ihn ___ ___ der 3te und vierte vers aus dem Liede Auff Christenmensch auff auff zum Streit."
Translation: "On the 13th of June died Mr. Georg Andreas Hartwig, cavalry captain, and on the 5th, being the third day of Pentecost, at a crowded meeting and funeral sermon he was buried. His age: 68 years, a few months. The text was I ___ him ___ ___ the 3rd and 4th verses from the song Auf Christenmensch auf auf zum Streit."
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