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Hi Bonnie: If I may put my 2-cents in - no,it was not common for
single females to travel alone but yes, it did happen more
frequently than you might think. Two of my grandmother's sisters
and possibly a third made the trip entirely alone. I think that
Berndt's idea that the two lovers connived before they ever left
Germany is right on. And since it appears that his family was
going anyway, what could have been easier than to take her along?
She might have been 27 but her father would have had absolute
control of her until she married (or was declared a spinster). And
fear of the military was not a factor in 1848. That only entered
into the picture after the conquest by Prussia in 1866-71. But
remember, the year 1848 was a year of political turmoil all over
Europe - so much so that those emigrants were called the 48ers.
Richard Wagner escaped from Saxony to Switzerland; Karl Schurtz (a
journalist of New York fame) escaped from Baden to the US., etc.
Re: the trunksful of silver, linens, she certainly would have
needed help with that but could they have belonged to his family?
Or might she have gone back for a visit later? And yes, even back
then she would have needed a "sponsor" in order to enter the US
unless his family claimed she was travelling with them. Hope this
is some help to you. Jane
Jane Swan
jeswansong@earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
I only read this far.
Jane what is the process of being declared a spinster.
I keep coming back to read all the good stuff that I find on this
mailing list.
Meyer in Bleckede area Oldendorf church Nahrendorf
Grote, Seil, Luhman,
and Heins from Bergen- Munster Celle.
Henke from who knows where, but married at Munster [ no umlaut]