THE GARBELMANN ANCESTORS
The German name Garbelmann appears in different forms including Garvelmann, Garmelmann, Gerbelmann in various historic documents. In this report, Garbelmann is used throughout even though the original record may have used one of the variations.
The Garbelmann family, starting in the early 1600s, is found in two very small, adjacent German villages: Portenhagen and Avendshausen. These two communities, located about 50 miles south of the city of Hannover, Germany, were at one time part of the Duchy of Calenburg, which was part of the Kingdom of Hannover. In addition, this area was under French rule from time to time. These two villages are adjacent to the Solling Forest, which is still a forested area today. Today, Portenhagen, is included in the city of Dassel, Germany.
The Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg which was founded by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1253. It existed until 1806 when Napoleon abolished the old empire and made this Duchy part of the French Empire, until 1814. Hannover, after the expulsion of the Corsican in 1814, became a Kingdom. In 1866 it was conquered by the Prussians. (Note that part of the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg was the principality of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, whose border was just a few miles from Avendshausen and Portenhagen. Therefore, historic family records can be in Hannover or in Wolfenbüttel.)
The Oldest Garbelmann Relative?
In 1585, there is a baker, Borchard Garmelmann, within the Principality of Calenberg-Göttingen, which was part of the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg. This is the oldest record. However, the relationship of Borchard to the rest of the Garbelmann family is unclear.
Harmen Garbelmann (10th great grandfather)
The oldest documented ancestor is Harmen Garbelmann, born approximately 1615. His wife's name is unknown, but their first son was born in 1639, leading to the conclusion that he was married before 1639. Their second son was Heinrich Garbelmann.
Note that Harmen Garbelmann and his family were living in the middle of the 30-Years War (1618 to 1648), the worst war in German history, when 1/3 of the population died.
The records that have been located so far are:
1639–Son Christoph Garbelmann born
1645--Recognized as a person that did not show up to take the oath of allegiance (German word: Huldigung) in Portenhagen. This would probably be allegiance to the local lord, although it could be to the territorial prince, the Elector of Hannover, who later became King of England.
1664--His two sons do service. One is reportedly with Hermann Kreist in the village of Ellensen
1671--He is recorded as being an old man
Christoph (Stoffel) Garbelmann (9th great grandfather)
Christoph is the son of Harmen. He was born in 1639, the middle of the 30-Years War (1618-1648). (His age comes from his death record that gives his age as 68 years in 1707 when he died.) In his father's records, it is listed that the father's two sons did (military?) service, and one is with Hermann Kreist in the village of Ellensen. We do not know if this was Christoph or his brother, Heinrich. Christoph married Anna Haselmann. (Note: The very rare surname of Hasselmann exists primarily in the village of Ellesen; it can be speculated that this connection with Hermann Kreist is how Christoph met his wife.)
Christoph was a farmer on a small farm (German word: Kötner) in Portenhagen. The records show:
1671--He took the oath of allegiance. This would probably be to the local lord, although it could be to the territorial prince, the Elector of Hannover (later King of England).
1675--He was merely an average farmer (somewhat negative connotation; German word is Mittelkötner). He is living with his wife, Anna Haselmann, but they do not have any living children. (Anna was born about 1635, as her age is given as 65 years when she died in 1700.)
1680--He pledged allegiance again, perhaps to a new lord; he is called a "Grosskötner" meaning that he has large landholdings
1686--He is sick and poor
1687--He is a Kötner and very poor
1688–Three persons who are over 14 years of age live in his cottage; he has 3 Morgen of land (about 2 acres)
1689--He has a wife, 3 children and 3 Morgen of land
1696/97--He is a Leibzüchter (life annuitant), transferring farm ownership at age 60 years to the eldest son (or other child) and then living in a small house on the farm (Leibzüchterhaus)
1700--His wife Anna dies
1701–He marries (at age 62) Margarete Stöcken on April 4. Margarete was born about 1650 and died in 1715.
1707–Christoph dies
Christoph and Anna had four children: Johann Heinrich (b: Abt. 1661; d: 1724), Hans (b: Abt. 1667; d: 1707), Anna (b: Abt. 1676), and Cord (b: Abt. 1678).
Hans Garbelmann (8th great grandfather)
Hans, the son of Christoph and Anna, is not registered in the old records of the church in Portenhagen. However, in 1706/07, he is named, together with his brother Heinrich, as people in Portenhagen that have to pay taxes for farmland that they apparently own. In this case, it was special farmland, as it was a burned down previously forested area. The village of Portenhagen location today is adjacent to the Solling Forest, so it is possible that this is close to where the farm was located. (Note that there are different kinds of farmers that existed at this time--those with their own land and those without--those with land could own that land, or could rent the land, and so on.)
Records for Portenhagen indicate that Hans had a farm (Köterei) in this village. He was married to Anna Dorothee Rosen (b: Abt. 1667; d: 1709). They had 4 children: Heinrich Christian (b: 1697), Hans Jürgen (b: 1700), Ernst Christoph (b: July 16, 1702) and unknown (b: after 1703). Hans died at age 40 in 1707. After Hans' death, his wife was remarried in February 29, 1708 to Harmen Namuth. She died in 1709. The children, 5 to 10 years old, were most likely raised by their step-father. It is likely that the eldest son, Hans, inherited the Garbelmann farm, as his step-father Harmen was only a "timewise" owner.
Ernst Christoph Garbelmann (7th great grandfather)
Ernst Christoph, born July 16, 1702, is the third son of Hans and Anna Garbelmann. His father died in 1707 and mother in 1709. His paternal grandparents died in 1700 (grandmother) and 1707 (grandfather). It is likely that his step-father raised Ernst and his 3 siblings.
On April 7 (or 17), 1739, Ernst married Catharina (also called Trina) Marie Bährelts in Avendshausen. Records indicate that he married into "die halbe Köterei" of his wife. Halbe is half and Köterei is a farm. The 150 Reichstaler (currency of the time) that he brought into the marriage is probably something that he earned previously as he was already 37 years old and a bachelor prior to his marriage to Catharina.
Catharina's father was Thomas Wilhelm Bährelts (b: November 29, 1668 in Göttingen in the principality of Hildesheim in the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg. Göttingen is over 60 miles south of Avendshausen). Thomas was both a master shoemaker and a shepherd; he was married 3 times. Thomas died in 1737 in Avendshausen. (Note: His surname is also spelled Berelts and Bartoldes.)
Note that in 1714, Duke George I of Hannover (which is the large region where the Garbelmann family lived) became George I, the King of England. This close tie to England most likely facilitated movement to America from Hanover; it did cause suffering when England was at war in Europe.
Ernst and Catharina had four children. The names of the first two are unknown. The third child was Dietrich Christian (b: September 15, 1742 in Avendshausen) and the fourth was Catharina Maria (b: 1745).
Catharina Maria married Johann Andreas Düe (b: 1741) on May 17, 1772 in Avendshausen. Johann died in 1786. Catharina then married Heinrich Conrad Wessel on October 7, 1787 in Lüthorst. Heinrich died in 1787. Catharina died at age 76 in 1817.
Ernst died in 1756 at the age of 54 years. Catharina died in 1788 at the age of 75 years).
Dietrich Christian Garbelmann (6th great grandfather)
Dietrich Christian Garbelmann was born September 15, 1742 in Avendshausen, to Ernst and Catharina. He married Theresa Sophia Elisabeth Hasselman. We only know of one child, from this marriage; that is Heinrich Jurgen, born June 12, 1770 in Avendshausen. Dietrich's occupation was a cow herder.
Dietrich died on August 2, 1821 in Avendshausen.
Heinrich Jurgen Garbelmann (5th great grandfather)
Heinrich Jurgen, born June 12, 1770 in Avendshausen, was the son of Dietrich and Theresa Garbelmann. He married Sophie Rosine Brand (b: March 13, 1773 in Portenhagen) on October 9, 1795. We only know of two children of this marriage, Christian Heinrich, born September 16, 1798 in Avendshausen, and Georg Heinrich Garbelmann, born November 12, 1811 in Avendshausen.
Georg married Johanna Justine Specht (born January 12, 1822 in Holtensen; died April 10, 1896 in Holtensen). Georg died September 13, 1877 in Holtensen. One of Georg and Johanna's descendants is Diethelm Garvelmann who lives near Göttingen, Germany. He is your 4th cousin, twice removed.
Heinrich was a cottage farmer and a linen weaver. Heinrich died September 28, 1845 in Avendshausen. Sophie died August 23, 1838 in Avendshausen.
Christian Heinrich Garbelmann (4th great grandfather)
Christian Heinrich, son of Heinrich and Sophia, was born September 16, 1798 in Avendshausen. He married Henriette Christine Geffers (born about 1802). Christian and Henrietta had four children: August Heinrich Christian (born August 1, 1825 in Avendshausen), Wilhelmina (born May 18, 1829 in Camelshausen), Johanna (born July 31, 1832 in Hanover), and George (born in 1835 in Hanover) (Note: This birthplace probably refers to the German State of Hanover and not the city of the same name).
Henrietta died November 19, 1838 in Germany.
Christian subsequently came to the USA 14 August 1854 from Bremen to New York City on the ship KOSMOS with his family. The passenger ship listing includes Christian Gerbelmann (56) whose occupation is listed as a weaver. He was accompanied by August (29), Wilhelmine (25), Johanne (22), George (18), Caroline (26), and Johanne (6 months). It is likely that Caroline Garbelmann (26 years) is the mother of Johanne (6 months), but who these two people are and how they are related to the others is not known.
Upon arrival in the United States, the family settled in Somonauk, IL. A large number of people from this area in Illinois, including the Garbelmann family, subsequently moved west to State Center, Iowa, which is in Marshall County. Shortly after their arrival in State Center, they also shortened their name to German. All of the children married soon after their arrival in the U.S.A. August married Johanna Wilhelmine Luise "Caroline" Fricke on October 1, 1854 in Ottawa, IL. Wilhelmine married Frederick Bader in 1854 in Somonauk, IL. Johanna married August Ludwig "Louis" Frohwein on August 4, 1856 in Ottawa, IL. George married Barbara Kunkel on September 11, 1861 in Marshall County, Iowa. These families had 30 children.
Christian's death date is unknown, but it is prior to May 1868 and was in the State Center, Iowa area.
This report was prepared by Eugene M. Wengert. It has been researched over several decades and with assistance from many people. This version was prepared October, 2002. The kinship references, such as 4th great grandfather, refer to the relationship that my children have with that person.
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