The Father of Marie Philippine Krückeberg

Was the father of Marie Philippine Krückeberg, who married May 10, 1812, the late Johann Heinrich Krückeberg (1767-1805) or another Johann Heinrich Krückeberg who was still alive?

Backround

Reference: Refer to this timeline snapshots for Johann Heinrich Krückeberg (1767-1805).

As is true of all marriage records of this time period, the mother of Marie Philippine Krückeberg born 1794 in Steinbergen is not mentioned in her May 12, 1812, marriage record only her father. The column for the bride labeled "Name, Religion, "Geburtsort und Wohnort der Braut" ("name, religion, place of birth and residence of the bride") reads:

Jungfrau Marie Philippine Krückebergs Tochter des Johann Heinrich Krückeberg Leibzüchters aus n.10 in Bärenbusch. Luth. Conf. u. jetzt 18 Jahr alt.

— name, religion, place of birth and residence of the bride

which translates as:

Maiden Marie Philippine Krückeberg, daughter of Johann Heinrich Krückeberg, a life-estate holder (Leibzüchter) at No. 10 in Bärenbusch. Lutheran confession and now 18 years old."

— name, religion, place of birth and residence of the bride

This Nachtrag (addenda) immediately follows the text above, but it is written in a smaller hand:

geb. 1794 in Steinbergen gest 14.2.66

— Nachtrag (addenda)

born 1794 in Steinbergen died February 14, 1866

— Nachtrag (addenda)

Ernest Thode’s German-English Genealogical Dictionary translates "Leibzüchter" as "person on life estate":

  • A Leibzüchter is an aging or retired farmer who has transferred the farm (typically to a child or heir) but retains the right to live on the farm and receive support (often food, clothing, firewood, care) for the rest of his life.

  • It was not a tenancy in the modern sense (i.e., renting from someone else), but rather a post-retirement life arrangement.

The record does not state the father is deceased:

  • "Leibzüchter" implies a current, active status: The term describes someone currently receiving the benefits of a life estate. If the individual were deceased, they would no longer be a "person on life estate."

  • He is not described as "des verstorbenen(late/deceased) Vaters Johann Heinrich Krückeberg" unlike the groom’s late father, who is "des verstorbenen Albert Raulfing n. 13 in Bärenbusch" ("of the late Albert Raulfing [of] n. 13 in Bärenbusch").

Johann Heinrich Krückeberg (1767-1805) was born in Berenbusch in 1767, but he died in 1805 at age 38 at no. 19 Evesen, which was the residence of his wife, Anna Catharine Sophia née Krömer, prior to their marriage in 1790.

No. 19 Evesen is where Johann Heinrich and Anna Catharine Sophia née Krömer lived when their children were born:

According to his three daughter’s confirmation records, after his death in 1805 his surviving wife and three daughters continued to live at "no. 19 Evesen". The first two records below list both parents, but all three records confirm their residence as "no. 19 Evesen":

The two oldest daughter’s married before 1827, the last year of the "Verzeichnis der Getauften, Konfirmierten, Getrauten und Gestorbenen 1785-1827" that records their parent’s marriage and their births, baptisms, confirmations and marriages. The 2nd oldest daughter, Christine Louise, married on December 1, 1816. Philippine Louise Eleonore, the oldest daughter, married at age 29, on May 12, 1822.

Both of their marriage records note that their father is deceased and that his address while he was alive is still their address, "no. 19 Evesen":

Jungfrau Christine Louise Krückebergs, des verstorbeneen Johann Heinrich Krückeberg n. 19 in Evesen hinterlassene eheliche Tochter. Luth. Conf. u. jetzt 19. Jahr alt geb. 26.4.1798 gest. 11.9.1878

— Name, Religion Geburts u. Wohnort der Braut
for Christine Louise

Maiden Philippine Louise Eleonore Kruckeberg, legitimate daughter of the late Heinrich Krückeberg of No. 19 in Evesen. Lutheran, and now 29 years old. Born 4/26/1798 Died 9/11/1878

— Name, Religion, Birthplace and Residence of Bride)
for Christine Louise

This grammatical breakdown explains how the German is rephrased in English:

  1. Main subject:

    "Jungfrau Christine Louise Krückebergs"
    → “Maiden Christine Louise Krückebergs”

    • The -s on Krückebergs is not possessive, but likely a dialectal/feminine marker.

  2. Appositive genitive(possesive) phrase:

    "des verstorbenen Johann Heinrich Krückeberg n. 19 in Evesen hinterlassene eheliche Tochter"
    → “legitimate surviving daughter of the deceased Johann Heinrich Krückeberg of No. 19 in Evesen”

This entire genitive phrase modifies and explains who Christine Louise is — she is the daughter of this man.

The bride’s "Geburts u. Wohnort" (birthplace and residence) is given in terms of her late father’s address.

While "n. 19 in Evesen" is grammatically modifying the father, because it appears under the column for "Geburts und Wohnort der Braut" (birthplace and residence of the bride), and no other residence is given, it is certainly meant to indicate that Christine Louise currently lives at No. 19 in Evesen, even if described indirectly through her father’s former home.

This style is used repeatedly in the later Petzen marriage records: individuals are identified by their household and using the father’s name and house number to define the residence.

The "Name, Religion Geburts u. Wohnort der Braut" for Philippine Louise" for Philippine Louise is identical:

Jungfrau Philippine Louise Eleonore Kruckebergs, eheliche Tochter des verstorbenen Heinrich Krückeberg n. 19 in Evesen Luth. Conf. U. jetzt 29 Jhr alt

— Name, Religion Geburts u. Wohnort der Braut
for Philippine Louise

Maiden Philippine Louise Eleonore Kruckebergs, legitimate daughter of the late Heinrich Krückeberg n. 19 in Evesen Luth. Conf. and now 29 years old

— Name, Religion, Birthplace and Residence of Bride
for Philippine Louise

Contrast this with the marriage record for Marie Philippine Krückeberg. In the column for the groom labeled "Name, Stand, Religion und Eltern des Bräutigams" ("Name, status, religion, and parents of the groom"), it reads:

Junggeselle Friedrich Wilhelm Raulfing, des verstorbenen Albert Raulfing n. 13 in Bärenbusch hinlerlaßener Sohn und Anerbe Luth. Conf. und jetzt 23 Jahre alt geb. 13.7.88&npsp;gestr. 5.12.59

— Name, Stand, Religion und Eltern des Bräutigams

Rephrased in English:

Bachelor Friedrich Wilhelm Raulfing, surviving son and principal heir of the late Albert Raulfing of No. 13 in Bärenbusch. Lutheran confession, currently 23 years old. Born July 13, 1888. Died December 5, 1959.

— Name, Status, Religion and Parents des Bräutigams

The fact that Friedrich Wilhelm Raulfing’s father is deceased is clearly noted. He is verstorben—​deceased, late (the inflected "-en" ending is needed because "verstorben" is in the genetive case).

Summary

  1. In marriage records the bride’s "Geburts und Wohnort der Braut (birthplace and residence of the bride)" is identified using the father’s name, i.e, the household, and then by the village and number. The father’s name was used even after his death to identify his daughter’s residence, but if the father is deceased, the adjective "verstorben" (late, deceased) is used.

    In Marie Philippine’s marriage record, the groom’s later father is "des verstorbenen Albert Raulfing n. 13 in Bärenbusch…​" (the late Alber Raulfing), and in the marriage records for the two oldest daughter’s of Johann Heinrich Krückeberg(1767-1805), they are "Tochter des verstorbenen Vaters…​" (daughter of the late father…​).

    Marie Phlippine Krückeberg’s father is not "verstorben".

  2. After Johann Heinrich Krückeberg’s marraige in 1790, all recorded church ceremonies involving his children—​baptism, confirmation and marriage—​list "no. 19 Evesen" as the family residence. There is no record of Johann Heinrich (1767-1805) living at number 10 Berenbusch after his marriage. He died at no. 19 Evesen. His wife and three daughters continued to live at this address as atested by the marriage records of his two oldest daughters:

    eheliche Tochter des verstorbenen Johann Heinrich Krückeberg n. 19 in Evesen

    — 1816 marriage of Christine Louise Krückeberg

    eheliche Tochter des verstorbenen Heinrich Krückeberg n. 19 in Evesen

    — 1816 marriage of Phlippine Christine Krückeberg

    If Marie Philippine was his daughter, why was she not living with her sisters and her mother prior to her marriage no. 19 Evesen?

  3. When Johann Heinrich Krückeberg died in 1805 his death records gives his "Gewerbe (trade, occupation)" as "Colon", a farmer, an active farmer. A Colon was a leaseholder, not an outright owner of the farm. The lease type was often heritable and lifelong.

    The marriage record for Marie Philippine states she is "Tochter des Johann Heinrich Krückeberg Leibzüchters aus n.10 in Bärenbusch" (daughter of a Leibzuchter at no. 10 Bärenbusch). A "Leibzüchter" is a retired farmer living on the family farm, usually with life rights.

    "Colon" and "Leibzüchter" reflect different, non-overlapping stages of life and responsibility within the rural social structure of Schaumburg-Lippe.

    Johann Heinrich Krückeberg (1767-1805) died a Colon before he ever could become a Leibzüchter.

  4. Johann Heinrich had a son who died around age three. He had only three children alive when he died, his three daughters, who are identified by their baptism, confirmation and marriage (for the two eldest) records in the Petzen "Verzeichnis der Getauften, Konfirmierten, Getrauten und Gestorbenen 1785-1827" as:

    • Philippina Eleonora,

    • Christine Louise and

    • Sophie Caroline.

    That he had only three living children at the time of his death is confirmed by his 1805 death and burial record which gives his Hinterbliebenden (survivors) as "eine Wittwe and 3 Kinder" (a widow and 3 children).

    Maria Phlippine could not be his daughter, too, because he only had three.