The Glauburg Saga continues

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I recieved this translation from the Haarlem marriage supplements today: It is a statement from Heinrich Ludwig von Glauburg concerning the consent of marriage of Heinrich Ludwig georg Glomberg (aka Glauburg).

“While at one hand it is not certain that I really am the natural father of a certain Susanna Streuber’s illegitimate son born in 1789, who in Holy Baptism received the names Heinrich Ludwig Georg Glomberg, and who now would be in Haarlem and wants to marry the daughter of Johannes Flach there,
but that it is rather probable that Peter Friedrich (?) Greifenhahn, who later married this S. Streuber , and before the Court accepted him (nvdh: i.e. HLG) , together with another son of his as his children, is his father
And on the other hand, when this Susanna Streuber delivered an illegitimate child, and ?? ??? to give me as the father of her child, I, to avoid judicial proceedings which I did not want due to my circumstances then, have so richly settled this, for many years as well without having had any obligation and so generously supported her son, that even In the unlikely event that I really would be his father, I have done much more than I ever could have been required to do according to Prussian law.
While this Heinrich Ludwig Georg Glomberg does not affect me in any way (or: does not relate to me in any way), I therefore do not see why my consent to his marriage would be needed. As such is required though, I herewith declare that I can bring up just as little against the marriage of Heinrich Ludwig Georg Glomberg as I could bring up against the marriage of any other resident of Haarlem
And as I wish all the people all the best and have to do so as a Christian, I therefore wish these people all the best as well. “
Now apparently the Dutch questioned his statement given in response to the consent for Marriage and extracted the birth records of the young man in question. (Of which, I am glad they are a stickler for documentation, or this might have never surfaced):

“Extract of the Book of Baptism of the Lutheran Parish (?) in Winzenheim under jurisdiction of the Mayor of Langenlonsheim. On the 9th of October 1789 Susanna Streuber, daughter of the late Rede…???(illegible therefore untranslated text) Jacobi Streuber of Rechtskirchen gave birth here to an illegitimate child which was baptised on the 11th of the same month, witness was Johann Georg Stolting (?) and his housewife Frederika and [the child] received the names Heinrich Ludwig Georg. The father who represented himself in writing and who was reported by her (Susanna?) is Heinrich Ludwig von Glauburg, Governor of the Frankfurt Poorhouse and (Kas??? (illegible) Titular who ordered the child to be given his name Heinrich Ludwig Georg Glomberg.
Laubenheim 9 December 1816. Conform extract, the Mayor of Langenlonsheim, G. Hohlmann

Now, my questions are:

Given his political position in Franfurt in 1789, could he have not easily have proven her (susanna, the daughter of the late rev. Jacob Streuber) to have been a liar, had her put in prisson for an attempt at blackmail, sentenced her to a workfarm or something like that if it were highly unlikely he was the child's real father, or why not just shoot her as they would a roma during that era.

There were greater men than he, that acknowledged their illegitmate children and gave them inheritance, and from what I can find, many would take a mistress of the serfs, so why was it advantagious for him to stay out of court due to his position?

Why would he allow a liar to give her illigitimate son his name and support the boy quiet generously for many years, without a fight, waiting until the child was 18 and in another country to denounce his parentage?

From what I have breifly read about Prussian marriage laws, at one point due to the population explosion, and many people being so poor, in order to marry you had to prove you could support a family, so it would make sense if a man ( Peter Friedrich (?) Greifenhahn) loved a woman (susanna streuber) and regardless of how many children she may have had, or who their father really was, " he would tell the courts, that he would take the children and raise them as his own" in order to get the approval to marry his lady.

Point blank, why would a man, in any time quite richly support a child that was not his, no likely hood of being his, if he didn't have something to hide? Why would he submit to blackmail, from a woman he had never dallied around with? I wonder what Susanna Steuber had on this man, that he would not argue the fact of the child's parentage at birth, and give the order for the child to be named after him, so easily, if the child was not in fact his child?

Wouldn't it be nice to go back in time and see for ourselves the actual events?.

Seeing as Susanna was the daughter of a minister, wouldn't it have made more sense for her to marry within her social class, per say another minister?

So, I guess, in a way I am back where I started from. Family stories say My Great grandfather was related to the Frankfurt Glauburgs, and there is the "unlikely event" that the family stories are true.

Fact is: I will never know...LOL.. Fact is he gave the child his name, he claimed the child at birth(in order to stay out of court), so he says. Hmmmmmm, now if it was that easy to just pin a man down and claim him as the father of your illigitimate child, why not pick someone with even greater standing than him, why pick him of all people? She has lost her respectability by having an illigitimate child, so why would he buckle under without a fight and give the child his name, unless he knew he couldn't win in court? Wouldn't it be nice to find what she had on him, that she could just claim "Him" of all people to be the child's father?

open for discussion
Nancy

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Hi Nancy.

               I can not shine any light on the background to your dilemma, except to point out that as far as the illegitimate Child was concerned. His life was limited in that he could not inherit property, nor could he become a member of a Guild.There were other restrictions placed on an illegitimate person, depending on what part of Germany that Child was born/Lived.

            It is possible that this may have formed some part of the reason that the child was recognised "By this Man" to have a known person as the Father??? All this is pure conjecture & may not at all be any reason as to why! I think that you probably have most of the options covered already?

        Cheers, Bill.

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Bill,
Yeah, I know. Well apparently he didn't inherit, But yet his son's done quiet well for themselves in America. They say my Grandmother used to have some type of documentation, but her home burnt in the 50's and therefore she lost her papers. I at least know now that the family stories were true, at least that is what the boy grew up believing and he taught his son's the same, my quest has been successful in the fact that I proved the Frankfurt link, even if it still leaves a lot to be questioned. On the bright side, what a story I can weave of this when I finally put it on paper to give to the rest of the family. Now I can move on, and go back to the French side of the family, who were knife makers in France but suddenly became doctors in America. LOL...Talk about a big jump in occupations...LOL..
Nancy

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Hi Nancy,

Thanks for sharing this transcript with us.
Facts seems to indicate that Heinrich Ludwig von Glauburg is neither denying nore confirming his paternity, but being so kind providing his consent and given the fact, that the dutch authorities accepted this inexpressively writing, is hinting to some substance to this paternity-case.

With regard to his political and family structure I would like to point out the following:
Family structure:
The von Glauburgs were are highly exposed family within the Frankfurt townsmanship. At the time he was definitely married for 10 years (to another member of the local Frankfurt nobility), his marriage being established "somewhere else". This is usually indicating to a non-legitimate start of the marriage; maybe he slept with her without necessary family consent, or he impregnated her and therefore had to marry her. If I remember correctly he was the last male descendant of the Glauburgs, with the probable stress to maintain the legal descendantship for his family - and the therewith the position of local power for his family.
Having upto mid 1789 3 daughters and upto 5 dead children it might add a notch or two to this pressure.

Political situation in Europe
In 1789 the French revolution started and swept away the establishment in the old world. In Frankfurt this establishment is primarily defined by the Limpurgers. As HL von Glomberg is born in 1789 his marriage is probably taking place around 1810, a time were the political environment is changing dramatically and Napoleon is conquering Europe replacing old poltical structures were he goes. In addition the Age of Enlightenment is providing new thinking structure for the prospering middle class which is pursueing political power.

Political structure in Frankfurt:
Frankfurt is an independent town of the Holy Roman Empire only answerable to the emperor. It is ruled by mainly two groups: the Limpurgers - merchants meeting at the Limpurger building - and the Frauensteiner - craftsmen meeting at the nearby Frauensteiner building. Von Glauburgs have been members of the Limpurgers for a couple of centuries. The Limpurgers ruled Frankfurt for nearly as long and maintained the status as independent town carefully but is required to start sharing power since early 17th century with the Frauensteiner.
Even if the Limpurgers are a major political force in Frankfurt, I don't see any chance to misuse the position for silencing unfavourable roumors or erasing real facts. The structure was more or less in any case a fragile balance between parties and he has at no time the position of an absolute monarch to enforce his personal bidding.

Family situation
Even if Heinrich Ludwig is intending to accept his illegitimate son, he has to think about his - and the Limpurgers - position of power within the structure of Frankfurt. The latter is loosing 1806 their status as independent town, the ruling families probably fighting for survival.
A second aspect might be family pressure by his wife and reluctance on his side to risk a social affaire. Specifically when is own "class" might treat him as collaborator when the other side sees him as having taken advantage by his position of late Susanna Streuber. The family of his wife was another very powerful Frankfurt family and member of the Limpurgers.
Thirdly he seems to go as far as he could, supporting the child generously through time. Being a former netherland officer it is likely that he could have obtained a position for the child in the Netherlands. Maybe this indicates he was not willing to deny his fatherhood at all but couldn't accept him officially.

Best wishes

Ralf (Jordan)
ahnen@rgjordan.de

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Ralf,
You certainly gave me food for thought here, and a different insight into the situation. I wasn't thinking of this quite in this light. You have probably given the best explanation that can be given without actually having been there and knowing the people.
Thanks for the input and most likely putting it in proper focus.
Guess, I was thinking like a female for a bit, and with the american twist of how they seemed to settle things with guns and a noose. LOL...
Nancy