Members Notice Board Page Four

From: Bryan Lewis, e-mail him

The name of interest to me is "WIDAU", mainly originating from Neustadt - Glewe, although my Great Grandfather came from Hamburg.
When I have time I will write a piece for the magazine as I have discovered two German third cousins (and have visited them) and between us we have got back as far as 1645. In fact we visited Neustadt Glewe and met a distant relative and who lives in the original family house dating back to the 17th Century. I have also found a family with the same name in America but have not been able to make a connection yet.

From: Norman Alan Steel, e-mail him

My names of interest are

Elias Steel - born in Germany in 1817

Frederica Hahn - born August 7 1816 in Strumfelbach, Neckarkreis, Wurttemberg, Germany

Rachel Han - born Frankfurt on the Man (F), Germany in 1818

Please e-mail me if you know anything about them.

From: Nick Evans, Caird Doctoral Fellow of the National Maritime Museum
Maritime Historical Studies Centre, University of Hull e-mail him

I thought members of your society may be interested in an online article that I wrote about european migration through Hull (Hull having a large German immigrant population). The details are as follows:--

http://www.norwayheritage.com/ships/hull.htm

Should any of your members have any information on the journey their ancestors took from the continental port of departure to the east coast port of arrival I would be very interested to hear from them. I would also be interested in anyone whose ancestor used their linguistic skills in Britain in encouraging or facilitating European migration to or through Britain.

For more information on my research please see:--

http://www.hull.ac.uk/history/MHSC/research4.htm#evans

Many thanks for your help with this enquiry.

From: Jane Lauder, e-mail her

My names of interest & where they came from are:- DENKER 1834, Hansfeld
DENKER 1872-1884, Travemunde, Schleswig-Holstein
DENKER 1908, Edmonton, Middx
DENKER 1957, Finchley, Middx
LAUDAU 1843-1853, KL Wessenberg, Mecklenburg
LANDAU 1875-1910, Schwarzenbek
LANDAU 1988, Hamburg

If anyone comes across these names then please e-mail me.

From: Nancy Dowling, e-mail her

My details are ;
Family in Whitechapel areas- around 1849 onwards,
Name ROHWOLD -with several known varients, RAWOHLT ,ROWOHRT, REUHOLD, ROWOLD etc.
Father HENRY (HEINRICH ) was a SUGARBAKER . Wife -MARGARET (MARGARETTA) - maiden name ORTMULLER. Both born in Germany, their six known children all born in England. Eldest Daughter SUSANNAH born in SOUTHAMPTON (??) The rest in WHITECHAPEL. Any info /links would be great as am finding it hard to get any further with this family

From: Tim Moykopf Salisbury, e-mail him

I am researching my family the Moykopf's, who were prominent Bootmakers in Picadilly from 1854 until the business was sold to John Lobbs,St James in 1950.

My Great Great Grandfather Charles Johann Theodore Moykopf arrived in the UK in 1854 from Waren, Meckelenburg Schwerin, from a long line of German Bootmakers . I have recently found the last remaining Moykopf , Richard Charles living in Wiltshire and reintersted him in the family name, which I carry.

Are there any other members searching in and around the Waren area of Germany. The family still had property there in 1916 as my Great Great Uncle left a house to his widow, the former Emmy Hagan who originated from the town.

Do you know if there is a site where I can obtain a map of the town, So far I have been unable to trace a site.

Please e-mail me, Tim Moykopf Salisbury member 2545

From: John Staines, e-mail him

I am trying to find the birth place of my GGG/Grandfather Franz ( Francios) STEINES he arrived in England in August 1834. He was born `about 1800 (only guessing this ). He had 3 sons that I know of and they came to England at different times, Jacob Steines, born in Germany 1821 arrived in England November 1830, John Steines born in Germany 1829 arrived in England September 1834 and Peter Steines born in Germany 1831 arrived in England via New York USA November 1848. I do not know where they settled in England but the boys were married in St Pancras and one in Bermondsey. I have copies of their marriage certificates but they do not mention their birth place but state that their father Franz or Francios as being a farmer. The only census that I have been able to check at this stage is the 1881. Both John and Peter are listed as being Bakers, one living in Edmonton and the other Islington but there is no mention of Jacob or his father Franz. So far I haven't found any of them in the 1891 census they have moved and I don't know where to.

From: June Hartko, e-mail her

I am a member of AGFHS who lives in the U.S. I am having a hard time in my research on my mother's family on her father's side. They lived in the East End of London, her father's name was John Peter Ruff, a portmanteau maker, born in 1861 and his father's name was Peter Ruff, wine cooper. I have had no luck tracing them through the 1881 census as living in London, you have to know the street where they lived at the time of the census and this family seemed to be constantly moving, every child was born at a different address. I am hoping I will have more luck with the 1901 census which I have'nt had time to explore yet.

I have reason to believe that Peter Ruff was born in Germany from family hearsay and on the 1891 census I did find a Peter Ruff and a Sophia Ruff who claimed their birthplace was "Bada" Germany, whether this is my great grandfather is hard to say at this point as I have not yet found a birth certificate for John Peter my grandfather. I sent a request to Len Metzner indexes and got back a listing from the German Lutheran Church on Allie Street in London and there is a Johann Peter Ruff born November 22 1861 whose father was Peter Ruff, but then in another paper where the parents of baptized children are noted it says he was a shoemaker from Rohrbach. I don't know where this place would be in Germany and if there is any connection with "Bada" which may be a census taker's interpretation of Baden and I am not even sure if Peter Ruff wine cooper and Peter Ruff shoemaker could be the same person. I have a feeling also that they tried to get out of participating in census taking because of a language problem, The information in the 1891 census showed that the Peter and Sophia Ruff had their daughter and husband (presumably English) and their children all living together in the same house. The son-in-law was Adam Neil.

In any event, you may post my names John Peter Ruff and Peter Ruff on your web site and maybe something will catch someone's attention. Actually it is really strange, we have a NHL Hockey coach over here, who used to be a player for the New York Ranger's, Lindy Ruff, my husband and I met him and his wife some years ago at one of the dinner's that the fan club used to give. There are certain physical aspects of his features that are so much like my son and my brother that I mentioned my interest in the name to him and found out that his family came from Germany also. His wife even mentioned that I looked something like one of his aunts. Of course I never pursued it at that time, but I think about the similiarity quite often when I see him on TV.(We love Ice Hockey in this house)