Friday, July 3, 2015

Who was the father of Elisabeth Krebs?



Consulting vital and census records in the Bas-Rhin region for any mention of Elisabeth Krebs’ father brought two possible results. This is an evaluation of the records mentioning Elisabeth and her possible parentage.

November 1830 in Tieffenbach, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France1 Elisabeth Krebs married François Dentel. Elisabeth was said to be born 7 January 1810 in Burbach to Jeannette Krebs which points to a birth record but no father’s name is on the record.

Elisabeth’s birth record 7 January 1810 in Burbach2 gives only one parent for Elisabeth, her mother, Johanetta Krebs. However, what is said on the record raises questions. Apparently she was born in Burbach, moved away as a child and afterward had no steady place of residence. She gave birth to Elisabeth at the home of Christophel Fritsch who reported Elisabeth's birth.

Elisabeth’s death in 18803 does not give the names of any parents. It is unclear whether the informant who may be a grandson had any knowledge of the facts.

The table below lists the children of Francois Dentel and Elisabeth Krebs4
Child’s Name
Event Type
Year/Town
Father’s Name
Mother’s Name
Elisabethe Dendel
Birth
1831/Tieffenbach
François Dendel
Elisabethe Krebs
Elisabeth Dentel
Death
1861/Wingen-Sur-Moder
François Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs
Christine Dentel
Birth
1834/Tieffenbach
François Dentel
Elisabeth Sandebeck
Christine Dentel
Marriage
1855/Ingwiller
François Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs dite Sandebeck*
Françoise Dentel
Birth
1837/Wingen-Sur-Moder
François Dentel
Elisabethe Krebs
Madelaine Dentel
Birth
1839/Wingen-Sur-Moder
François Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs
François Dentel
Birth
1841/Ettendorf
François Dentel
Elisabethe Krebs
François Dentel
Death
1845/Wingen-Sur-Moder
François Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs
Catherine Dentel
Birth
1844/Wingen-Sur-Moder
François Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs
Catherine Dentel
Marriage
1866/Ingwiller
François Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs
Catherine Dentel
Death
1871/Ingwiller
François Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs
Sophie Dentel
Births
1846/Wingen-Sur-Moder
François Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs
Joséphine Dentel
Birth
1848/Mietesheim
François Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs
Josephine Dentel
Marriage
1869/Wingen-Sur-Moder
François Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs
Joséphine Dentel
Death
1873/Wingen-Sur-Moder
Franz Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs
Ferdinand Dentel
Birth
1850/Wingen-Sur-Moder
François Dentel
Elisabeth Krebs
*Elisabeth Sandebeck called Krebs         

As can be seen from the table Elisabeth is Krebs in records for all but one child. The marriage record for Christine proves that Elisabeth Krebs and Elisabeth Sandebeck are the same person. Unfortunately a search of Wingen-Sur-Moder and Ingwiller records have not resulted in a death record for Christine as of yet.

To further explain the use of Sandebeck we have to delve into Elisabeth’s mother, Jeannette Krebs. Some of the records that she generated help to shed further light on the use of the name.

Elisabeth Krebs married Philippe Jacques Sanderbeck in Saarwerden, Bas-Rhin, 30 March 18155. Part of the document includes a statement [see below] the groom made in which he said his wife’s two children are legitimate and that he is the father of them.

Saarwerden, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, "Marriage Records (Acte de Mariage)", Volume Mariage 1815, Number 1, 30 March 1815, Marriage Record of Philippe Jaques Saderbeck and Elisabethe Krebs;  Archives Départementales du Bas-Rhin, http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/.


Obtaining the death for Philippe6 along with the marriage record of Jeannette Krebs second marriage7 verify that Elisabeth and Jeannette are the same person.

Further examination of records in the area of Burbach, Sarre-Union, Tieffenbach and Sarrewerden reveal no other children, Krebs or Sandebeck, born to Jeannette or Elisabeth Krebs. It is possible that the child may have been born using a different surname. However, given the fact that their marriage occurred in March and she gave birth to a child in August8 he may have been referring to her pregnancy as the second child.

Nothing definitive shows that Philippe Jacques Sanderbeck was the father of Elisabeth. Her use of Krebs throughout her life raises concerns as to why she did not use the Sanderbeck surname instead. The fact her mother was present at the time of Elisabeth’s marriage to François Dentel and did not state the name of the man who legitimized her daughter seems odd. The space of time between Elisabeth’s birth and their marriage is another issue but seems to not be a rare occurrence in the family. It is also possible since Jeannette was living in the house of Christophel Fritsch that he could be the father. Given all records it is apparent that further research needs to be done to determine who is the father of Elisabeth Krebs.


1 Tieffenbach, Saverne, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, "Marriage Records (Actes de Mariage))", Volume Mariages 1830, Number 13, 23 November 1830, Marriage Record of Francois Dentel and Elisabeth Krebs; Archives Départementales du Bas-Rhin, http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/.
2 Burbach, Saverne, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, "Birth Records (Actes de Naissance)", Volume Naissance 1810, Number 2, 7 January 1810, Birth Record of Elisabethe Krebs; Archives Départementales du Bas-Rhin, http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/. Thanks to the Genealogy Translation group on facebook for the assistance of translating the document for me.
3 Wingen-Sur-Moder, Saverne, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, "Death Records (sterbe urkunden register)", Volume 1880, Number 5, 13 February 1880, Death Record of Elisabeth Krebs; Archives Départementales du Bas-Rhin, http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/.
4 Various vital records viewed online at Archives Départementales du Bas-Rhin, http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/.
5 Saarwerden, Saverne, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, "Marriage Records (Acte de Mariage)", Volume Mariage 1815, Number 1, 30 March 1815, Marriage Record of Philippe Jaques Sanderbeck and Elisabeth Krebs; Archives Départementales du Bas-Rhin, http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/.
6 Sarre-Union, Saverne, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, "Death Records (Actes de Décès)", Volume Décès 1824, Number 87, 11 December 1824, Death Record of Philippe Jacques Sandrebeck; Archives Départementales du Bas-Rhin, http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/.
7 Tieffenbach, Saverne, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, "Marriage Records (Actes de Mariage)", Volume Mariages 1830, Number 7, 26 May 1830, Marriage Record of Joseph Arnold and Jeannette Krebs; Archives Départementales du Bas-Rhin, http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/.
8 Tieffenbach, Saverne, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, "Marriage Records (Actes de Mariage)", Volume Mariages 1836, Number 2, 20 April 1836, Marriage Record of Jean Jâques Sanderbeck and Anne Uhrhan; Archives Départementales du Bas-Rhin, http://archives.bas-rhin.fr/.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Western Pennsylvania Landowners Map- 1777

Just a quick post to inform about a resource I just discovered.

If you have western Pennsylvania land owners in 1777 you have to check out this site. I have been trying to map the location of some deeds for my Philadelphia research on Johan Martin Rau/Rauh/Variants. This map had the deeds mapped out perfectly so I wish I had seen this over a year ago when I was struggling. You can zoom in and see the neighbors and even overlay a current map to help locate the property now. It also gave me the ability to browse by surname so I was able to find another land deed for him that was under a spelling I didn't even think to check.

Another issue I have had with my research is a location for Johan Martin's son-in-law and my ancestor, Abraham Hargis. A few years ago I found a 1781 tax list with him as an innkeeper in the Southwark area. Further research did not help me locate the inn but I did find Abraham mentioned in another list as being in South Ward with the same neighbors. When I started locating the neighbors on this landowner's map in South Ward I quickly noticed that there was an inn close to them. Not enough to prove that this was the one Abraham kept but it is enough to start researching the place. It also helped locate a free masons lodge very close to the inn. I have reference to him being removed from a lodge in Philly around the time he would have moved to Delaware. Knowing the location of the closest lodge gives me the opportunity to do more research into his freemason's link than a more generalized "all of Philadelphia" search.

If you check the about tab on the site it also gives you what sources they used to complete the map and links to further information about each one.

http://www.archives.upenn.edu/WestPhila1777/map.php

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Ode to an Italian marriage record.



I can’t say it enough. I love, love, LOVE Italian genealogy. Every time I get that new microfilm of records I thank anyone who will listen that my maternal grandmother’s maiden name is Primavera. When a marriage packet gets you not 1 or 2 generations but four who wouldn’t be ecstatic? Due to one marriage from 1844 I was able to trace back one line of my family to 1706. If you are doing Italian Genealogy and dealing with the Civil Registration records from 1809-1900 I hope you are checking the processetti records (if available) for the marriages.

In terms of what records are available:

  • Births for Bride and Groom
  • If the father of the bride or groom is deceased proof of his death
  • If the father of the father is deceased proof of his death (This is only if the father is deceased)
  • I haven’t dealt with a second marriage but I imagine you would at least get the death of the earlier spouse
  • I have also randomly found copies of mothers death records but not in every case and in the case of the very early marriage records at least the death date of both parents if needed.


I will walk through what I discovered in the 1844 marriage file of Pietro Savino and Fioralba Iezzi and also two other cases where the records were vital in finding out information. This will give you an idea on what is possible to discover.

As a bit of background. My great-grandfather, Oscar Primavera, was born in a small town in Chieti, Italy called Guardiagrele. His parents were Antonio Agostino Giuseppe Primavera and Maria Teresa Savino. Antonio died when Oscar was about 5 years old and the family emigrated to America over the next few years with the last being “Teresa” with Oscar and Rocco, the two youngest of her children.

Pietro and Fioralba are the parents of Maria Teresa. They were older when they married in October 1844. Pietro was 32 and Fioralba 27, making them older than all but one of Oscar’s paternal grandparents. Neither had been married before so there were no records pertaining to a previous spouse.

Fioralba’s father, Antonio, was still living at the time of their marriage so the only record available was her birth record. For Pietro I hit gold though. Pietro’s father, Luigi, died in 1830 so there was a transcript of his death. Luigi’s father, Filippo, died in 1817 so there was also proof of his death since Luigi was deceased. A transcript of Pietro’s birth record was included as well.

Guardiagrele, Chieti, Italy, vol. 1844 Processetti, Processetti Number 33 (1844), Death Extract for Filippo Savino in Processetti for Pietro Savino and Fioralba Iezzi; FHL microfilm 1174786

Filippo Savino was, according to his 1817 death record, the son of Antonio Savino and Angela Rosica, born about 1755 in Guardiagrele. Well, Italy did a tax/land assessment called the Catasto di Onciario during the early 1750s. Guardiagrele’s was done in 1753 so it was fairly close to Filippo’s birth. It was worth a shot to check to see what Savinos were listed. The Guardiagrele Catasto di Onciaro of 1753 has been transcribed and put online which is a definite plus. Listed under “foreigners” was the only Savino family in the town, Antonio Savino and his wife Angela Rosica, with 2 daughters and a son! The fact that the family was listed as foreigners was just stating that Antonio Savino was not native to Guardiagrele but to Letto de Palena (actually Lettopalena.) It does not necessarily mean that your ancestor was not from what is now Italy it just means they are not native to the town they were residing in at the time. Antonio being 47 in 1753 makes his birth year approximately 1706! So it opens up a whole new avenue of research.

The second example (see below) includes a death record pre-1809 written in Latin. This is a record impossible for me to obtain except for a trip to Italy to scour the handful of churches that are in Guardiagrele. It is also good to point out that this death record transcription was found in the marriage files for the grandson of the deceased. I am descended from the groom’s aunt so doing collateral genealogy is essential in Italian research. There may be times where the father may not have been deceased when your ancestor was married but had died when a sibling married later on.

Guardiagrele, Chieti, Italy, vol. 1844 Processetti, Processetti Number 41 (1844), Death Extract for Angelo Antonio Orlando in Processetti for Pietro Maria Orlando and Maria Oliva Primavera; FHL microfilm 1174786


Always get the original of the record but at least it gives you the death date. Instead of searching through years of death records looking you can go straight to the original. It may also be the only way to get the information as the original may be long gone. The transcriptions of the records are extremely reliable at least with the records I am working with. I have yet to find a mistake in the copying. Not to say that it doesn't happen.

The third example goes back to Antonio Agostino Giuseppe Primavera (I just love his name) and Maria Teresa Savino and doing collateral research as well. It also points out why we should read and transcribe the entire document. Antonio and Maria Teresa were married 21 May 1891. The records for that time period do not include the processetti so I was out of luck with that. I transcribe and translate the entire document and source it into my genealogy software program and go onto the next document.

Antonio’s sister, Teresa Primavera, filed her Pubblicazioni di Matrimonio (Banns) with Francescopaolo Zulli on 18 July 1891. Leaving just short of two months between the two events. The fascinating part of these two records is the residence of the father. On Antonio’s marriage record their father, Vincenzo Primavera, was living in Guardiagrele. But when Teresa filed her banns her father’s residence was Stati Uniti dell’ America (see below). Vincenzo had gone to America between May and July of 1891!

Guardiagrele, Chieti, Italy, vol. 1891 Matrimoni, Matrimoni Number 36 (1891), Marriage Record for Antonio Primavera and Maria Savino; FHL microfilm 1416255
Guardiagrele, Chieti, Italy, vol. 1891 Matrimoni, Matrimoni Number 40 (1891), Marriage Record for Francescopaolo Zulli and Teresa Primavera; FHL microfilm 1416255


I run over, not too gracefully, to the Castle Garden site and enter the information I have. 9 June 1891 a Vincenzo Primavera arrived in the U.S. with a 17 year old Giuseppe Primavera. All the information fits being my Vincenzo and his son Giuseppe, who I knew emigrated to America. The only issue is the arrival date being too soon after Antonio’s marriage. It could come down to them just copying the parent’s information over from the Pubblicazioni di Matrimonio of Antonio and Maria Teresa. That occurred 21 March 1891 so it seems more plausible that he left after that date instead of the actual marriage.

I hope this gives someone help with researching their Italian roots. A tip before I go if you are. When I order the microfilms I save all records with surnames of families I am researching into an unlinked folder for that year and I also save the name index. I enter the names from the index into a spreadsheet that I have for the event and that way I can go back and look for new names in my research and see if I had run across them before or not.

Also keep an eye on Family Search because they are putting these records online. It may keep you from having to order those films.

Ciao!