I am looking for any information/history or even photographs on the village
of Meinsen in Schaumburg-Lippe. I have been instructed that there was a book
written about Meinsen but it is out of print and in Germany only. Does anyone
know where I can find the following book "Meinsen wie es früher war: 800
Jahre Meinsen, by Heinrich Hokamp". (Bückeburg: Hokamp, 1981)
In addition the following is the information I have on my family:
Frederick Wilhelm Fout was born in Meinsen, (near Buckeburg) Schuamburg
October 30, 1839. His father was Frederick Wilhelm Fout (the village blacksmith
and his mother was Sophia Philipenia Spannuth. and her father was the school
master . His wife (Mathilde C. Brandt) who he married in New York
(August 27, 1866-the same day she arrived in the United States) was 16 years old
when she arrived. Mathilde was born in 1850 in Meinsen
Frederick Wilhelm had three known brothers and their names were
Ernest H. Faut (Fout) born October 30, 1835
Karl (Carl) maybe Charlesborn 1841
Wilhelm no birth date but was still living in Germany in 1902.
The following is some information that we have on Ernest H. Faut (could also
be Fout)
Ernst H. Faut was a Prussian subject and named after Frederick Wilhelm the
Third. Being a blacksmith by trade, all the boys had to work in the shop as
soon as they could take hold of the bellows-poles, and the children had to attend
school from the age of seven to fourteen. In the year 1848 the revolution
broke out in Germany. Ernest H. Faut father thought that his son Ernst would be
of more benefit to him in the blacksmith shop than in the school room. An
application was gotten up to the highest school authority for his release, which
had been approved by the subordinates before it was presented to the supreme
authority. The approval (according to records) read as follows" His knowledge
will do" and his father needs him badly. This application was presented, and
in a few days after it was granted. The cause of this was that the official
authorities of the Government were scared about the revolution in the country
at this time and they were willing to grant almost anything at that critical
moment, but Ernst was cheated out of proper schooling. Several of his
neighbors (?) had already emigrated to America he solicited his father for permission
and after a few years his father consented and he emigrated to America in
1854.
Ernst Faut and his brother Frederick Wilhelm Fout had a cousin living in
America by 1856 by the name of Ernst W. Faut.
Other information we have about Meinsen is, a German Doctor by the name of
Ronenberg who came from Buckeburg, Schaumburg-Lippe also was living in the
America by the 1830-1840s.
Does anyone know were we can find birth (baptism), death or marriage records
on this area and also any other history
of the area.
David Witte
Faut, Fout, Brandt, Spannuth