Except that in this case the German term "Hof" should be translated as
"farm" or at most "manor", not "court". The Meyer had a big farm, though in
the feudal system it didn't legally belong to him but rather to the local
king/prince/bishop/duke/count/lord/whatever.
Thanks to both of you for your explanations. My ancestors, named Gügelmeyer,
were listed in some records in the 1800's as being "heuermann". Does the
Gügel in the name indicate anything? There are no apparent records of
Gügelmeyers in the same area before 1782--that could mean a patronymical
name, right? Any guess what the original name might be?
According to my German-English dictionary, "Heuer" is a hay-maker.
"Gügel" does not appear, but in Switzerland "Güggel" means "rooster".
Barbara Stewart wrote:
According to several of my references, a "heuermann" was a renter or tenant.
Your "G�gel" might have been the name of a farm.
Paul Scheele
Date sent: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 18:50:12 -0600
Thanks to both of you for your explanations. My ancestors, named
Gügelmeyer, were listed in some records in the 1800's as being
"heuermann". Does the Gügel in the name indicate anything? There are
no apparent records of Gügelmeyers in the same area before 1782--that
could mean a patronymical name, right? Any guess what the original
name might be?
Let's not mix apples and origins here. What is written below goes way back in time
and has little to do with what went on in our historical time when records were kept.
Names formed early but let us not assume that many of our ancestors actually had
the occupation or stand in society which their names signified at some time in the
past.
The word Heuerleute (plural) and Heuermann (singular male) is daily topic in both
the hannover and oldenburg list and is a subject which still confused many readers.
In brief lets just say that it was a subservient position to a landholder on whose land
that family lived. They were under contract to supply labor for the use of selter and
some land to at least survive on. Basically they were very poor landless people at
the bottom of society. Therefore the many immigrants from that status.
Gugel/Gügel at first thought does not belong into our region. Checking barlow
confirms my suspicion. It is from high German and we live in low German land on
this list. There is a song I have on a CD where they always sing of the kuckula. It's
from the highlands and I never had any idea what they were singing/talking about.
It's from the Latin cuculla which brings us back to Gugel or Kapuze (hat). The Gugel
used to be worn by farmers over their heads as part of their coat (Kapuze am Rock
oder Mantel besonders bei Bauern). Sort of a modern day rain poncho. I think in
that sense it also has something to do with a roosters comb and therefore the song.
One lives and learns a little every day. 
So who knows how the first Meyer became a Gügel. He must have looked the part.
Fred
Hi,
maybe it is interesting to know something about the other village people in
former times. Paul Kasameyer volunteered to translate it.
The "Meier-right"
Before the Sachsen People were organized into the Frankish Kingdom by
Karl the Great, the farmers were free. However, in the 9th to 11th
century , through forced protection [Zwangsma�nahmen?] the Frankish men
found themselves on a path of dependency on the lords of manors
[Grundherren]. There was, at the same time as the Count, other
relatives of nobility or the church with their various institutions.
They leased parts of their landed properties to obligated ministerials
and vassals,who acted in their own part as lords of the farms in
conformity with the "Meierrecht".
The "Meierrecht" began in the 12th and 13th Century. The "Meier" was a
Zeitp�chter (Holder of a lease for a fixed time). He leased the manor
usually for seven years, but often for more. Up to the end of the 15th
century, one was satisfied with the agreement passed by word of mouth,
"Truw und holt zu sein" (faithful and devoted). In 1492, this form of
oath in the domain of the establishment or seminary Verden metamorphosed
into the Bauernleben (peasants tenure) the so-called Meierbrief (Meier
letter). Therein the occupant pledged to carry the load of the farm
without obtaining a mortaging, sale or encumberance. By the delivery of
the letters there was, agreed to by sharing glass of wine, a payment
perhaps as high as the yearly rent. To the "Meier" belonged only the
right of use of the land and soil. The buildings, the inanimate
inventory (the tools), the livestock, the fertilizer, the provisions and
the crop of standing corn (yet unharvested crop in the field) were
property of the "Meiers". If the rent were lapsed, the farmer can, if he
has kept care of the farm to the satisfaction of the Landowner, ask for
an extension of time to pay the rent. It was however rare, that a farmer
would be evicted (?) from the homesite on the farm or that his son would
not be able to rent the property. At the beginning of the 16th century
the tenancy for a period of time evolved gradually into an hereditary
tenancy.
In many villages there are old tax lists still kept. In them is the name
of the Meierh�fe and the actual tax burden. At least a dozen tithes
encumbered the manor. These high burdens could only be endured, because
the laborers were cheap, the capital investments were small, and the
living standard was quite humble.
Members of the estate with an interest could, through division of large
"full manors", create two viable "half manors". The "half manor" brought
then more income and employment than the larger "full manor". The
"Pr�ven", the duty to the clergyman and the sexton, is part of the
yearly tax. The main tax for the "Meier" appeared though the duty of the
tithe, which originally was an assessment for the maintainance of the
church and her priests. Later it often became a commercial object, i.e.
often sold, mortgaged or leased.
The largest tithe was the "Grain tithe". The farmer had to cut and bind
all the grain and on the field erect it in piles (steps?) of about 20
sheaths. The tither then loaded each tenth sheath and departed. Only
then could the farmer collect his harvest. It was common to lay out
piles with about 22 sheathes, thereby a tithe was actually and
"eleventh".
How the "Grain tithe" was constructed was precisely laid down in the
tithe ordinance (Zehntordnung) of the Dukedoms of Bremen and Verden from
the year 1743. The "Grain tithe" must be given , from all flatlands
where the muck-cart goes, from all crops one might grow on or in the
earth. Farmland was not allowed to be converted into pastures, meadows
or gardenland. Seed was not to be [abgeh�tet] or fed? to the cattle. The
sheaves must be all bound to the same size. Because some tithing rules
came upon the idea that a great deal of grain was left laying for the
final raking, a tenth had to also be supplied from the raking.
The small or narrow tithe was raised annually for all cattle. Similarly,
for newborn colts, calves, piglets, lambs as well as for chickens, geese
and bees. Therefore it was called also the meat or blood tithe.
According to the Tithe Ordinance, it was strictly forbidden to hide
cattle. Surely many animals were absent from the manor at the time of
the counting.
Since this procedure was very laborious, in the 17th century, in many
jurisdictions, one might lease his tithes for perhaps 7 years. The
tithes were paid only one time yearly between Martini and Christmas as
cash. In the Jordebuch of Kreise Rotenburg it can be read the grain and
lard tithes of Jeddington from the Royal Chamber at the Bailiff Weber
were leased for 65 Taler annually for seven years.
Some farmers could redeem themselves from all these requirements.
Thereby they became gutsherrenfrei, or free squires.. Then they called
themselves free farmer, self farmer or Erbexe '.
With the end of the 30 Year War in 1648 in many places the basic rule changed.
Many manors were transferred to the crown of Sweden as gifts to higher
officers and officials in Swedish services. Starting from 1680 the
manors came then to a large extent again under the national rule.
The farmer and his family were also dependent on the Lord of the Manor.
They were "schollenplichtig ", i.e. he and his family were not premitted
to leave the manor without premission of the lord of the manor.
Likewise, for marriages, transfer of the farming rights, and the
reserving of part of the estate for use by the parents in their old age,
the agreement of the lord of the manor was necessary. If the farmer
fulfille his obligations to the lord of the manor, then he had nothing
to fear. He could become "abgemeiert' (removed as Meyer?) however
through lack of ability or unreliability. The manor would then be
written out, and leased to a new farmer. If a new Meier were introduced,
besides the "Weinkauf" (a drink to seal the deal) other taxes were due,
such as the Shirt- and Stief-fees. If a Meier had no heirs, the manor
fell under the right of return back to the Lord of the manor.
One or two days a week, the farmer had to work with his team of animals
for the Lord of the manor. Beyond that there were other obligations, for
example, errands or prisoner guard-duty, assigned on different manors.
After the French revolution in 1789, everyone spoke of liberty. But only
in 1825 were regulations published for the combining of boundaries and
for the dissolution of the gemeinheit (meanness?). In 1831, the Assembly
of Estates in Hannover completed a Decree for Freeing of Farmers, the
socalled "Abl�sung" or detachment. Through that each farmer could free
himself from all loads, if he paid for these for 25 years in advance.
Since the necessary financial means were not always availble, the
government established the "Kreditanstalt f�r Abl�sungen im K�nigreich
Hannover". It was created so that the farmers could put forward the
necessar funds.
Uwe