Thanks to your posting, I now know that my gg-grand was a merchant or
storekeeper. He is referred to as an "Erbk�tter" in several papers. His son
was listed as a "farmer" on the ship's manifest and came to StL and opened a
grocery - an odd choice for a farmer, I thought.
According to the information, "Those, whose land was too small for a farm,
were called Kotters. They generally had no livestock, but only a garden.
The word Erbe actually means "inheritance." The inheritor is often called
"Erbman."
My Erbk�tter Stoltmanns therefore must have been a merchant family with
limited land and probably grocery storekeepers, bakers, etc.
I have ancestors form near Osnabruck whose surname is Kotter (I can't get
the umlat to work). Several Kotters married Martings (Johann Martinck
Remmert first known ancestor that farmed in 1593 in Oldendorf) and came to
southern Ohio as farmers but guess what - opened grocery type or dry goods
stores (several Martings went to St. Louis and Iowa as well). There was
even a Marting Department Store (much like Lazarus, Dillards, Jones Store in
the mid-west) in Ironton and Athens, Ohio. Just thought it was a cool
coincedence. From what I've read about my Marting family, I'm pretty sure
they were tired of farming for someone and chose a new direction in the New
World. My gggg-grandfather died and all 7 children sold his belongings and
came to America almost immediately. Ironically, my father and his father
farmed together for almost 40 years, raising Hereford cattle, and
supplemented their income auctioneering. My grandmother swears that the
German side of our family are work-aholics. I also have Kneppers in my line
who were furniture-makers in Germany and continued their trade in
Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, if anyone out there on the list has additional info on my family
names, please contact me @ llove1@kc.rr.com. I am planning a trip to
Germany when I turn 40 (3 1/2 years from now) and am preparing to do further
research while visiting.
For all of you who want to type "Umlaute" and do not have them on their keyboards I listed the commands below to create them. Hold down the "ALT" key, while holding it down, type the three digits, then release the "ALT"-key.
ALT 132: ä
ALT 142: Ä
ALT 129: ü
ALT 154: Ü
ALT 148: ö
ALT 153: Ö
Hello Lorri,
If you are using a PC, hold down the "Alt" key and type 129 on the numeric keypad (Num Lock must be on) to get ü, use Alt-148 for ö, and Alt-132 for ä. For ß use Alt-225. The capitals use 154, 142 and 153, respectively.
If you have a laptop without a separate keypad, just use an 'e' after the letter with the umlaut, it means the same thing. If you have a Mac, perhaps someone else can help you.
Hello,
I have a Mac. It's easy. Hold down the ALT key and hit the "u"--let go
and hit the "u" again, (or the o or the a). Same command for all three
letters. If you want other markings, as in French, etc. go to the Mac
Help on the bar above the desktop, use the index and type in "umlaut" and it
will show you the commands for each one.
Barbara
Not really. He was simply a Kötter (small farmer) who had the
rights of inheritance attached to his place. That is not to say
that he did not do other things besides farming. Most small
farmers and Heuerleute did other things as they came along -
anything to help survive, but storekeepers as such were rare
and far and in between. People simply sold what they had
when they had a chance to sell it. Mostly they lived off the
land and had no need for or money for other things.
Fred
Fred & Marlies Rump
On the road somewhere between New Jersey and Florida.
Actually In Charlotte, NC at Carowinds RV Park
239-269-4781 or 609-284-6007 (cell phones)
FredRump@Earthlink.net
Long time since we've corresponded. Some of the information that I didn't
include was that the Stoltmann family did own a bakery by at least 1888 and
later a grocery so my questions are you is:
Assuming there was a small family farm and no bakery nor grocery:
1. What size are we talking about - 1 acre, 10 acres?
2. I was always under the impression that a Heuerleute was continually
scrambling for money.
I do know that my g-grand came to StL with enough money to start a
grocery store and start a family.
Assuming there was a small family farm and no bakery nor grocery:
Never assume.
1. What size are we talking about - 1 acre, 10 acres?
This is strictly conjecture but it should be researchable in local
sources. If you know where your ancestor lived on an
Erbkötter farm there should be local records available.
Katasteramt records may be available.
But if I were to take a guess I would place such a farm in the
under 5 acres category. I would not leave it at that though and
attempt to contact the local historical (Heimatverein) society
or dig into this some other way.
2. I was always under the impression that a Heuerleute was continually
scrambling for money.
Not just Heuerleute (plural for Heuermann). Money was
always tough to come by in a farm society where food was
also barter. This is where the side jobs came in especially in
the early 19th century. By the 1880s (I think that's where you
are, right?) money was more available and shops started to
become a normal business.
I do not know the place you are speaking off nor do I know
where your folks lived in this place but it would determine their
status as a farm place or a village shop. Many farmers baked
their own bread and then sold some to those around them. It
was a matter of economies of scale. But grocery stores as
such would only be located in the village or town itself. You
need more customers there. So if they lived in town they
could well have had a small shop selling this and that. People
kept trying to enhance themselves.
I do know that my g-grand came to StL with enough money to start a
grocery store and start a family.
Yes, most had sold everything they had and that was their
seed money. You didn't need a lot to get started in this
country just lots of labor hours. Witness immigrants of today.
If you have seen pictures of early stores in this country they
were not much but they were a start of some very big
businesses later on.
Fred
Fred & Marlies Rump
On the road somewhere between New Jersey and Florida.
Actually In Charlotte, NC at Carowinds RV Park
239-269-4781 or 609-284-6007 (cell phones)
FredRump@Earthlink.net
I was taught that it was proper to assume if it was part of a question
Anyway, I won't.
He emigrated in 1854 to StL at 22 years old. His mother was the second wife
of the father and therefore was cut out of any claim. He didn't have
anything to "sell" except his "shares". As I've heard and read, many of
these impartible inheritance "victims" were "bought off," went on their way
and expected never to return. It must have been amicable though since he
sponsored several of his half-nephews when they came to StL later. Thanks
for helping me visualize this situation more completely - makes for better
questions.