Neither Gustina or any Niemeiers are in my tree. However, they could be related in Germany. I did not trace lines in Germany except my direct relatives.
Christian is my 3rd great grandfather.
NAME CHANGE: GARBELMANN TO GERMAN
Shortly after the family arrived in Marshall County, Iowa, they changed their name from Garbelmann to German. Two distantly related family sources have the same story: The Garbelmanns arrived and settled in an area called French Grove” just north of State Center. The name change was made because local people perhaps could not remember the name Garbelmann, so the family was called “The Germans on the hill.” The name was quickly changed to German, which is still used today. In contrast, St. John’s Lutheran church in State Center, Iowa, which has records of births, deaths and marriages, continued to use the Garbelmann name for decades in these official records.
Christian was popularly called the "German on the hill." The designation stuck; the surname was changed to German. [In the U.S, there are some Iowa land transactions that show the name was changed to Garman quite early. There was, at this time, no formal procedure required to change one’s surname.]
CHRISTIAN GARBELMANN’S ANCESTORS IN GERMANY
The German name Garbelmann appears in different forms including Garvelmann, Garmelmann, Gerbelmann in various
historic documents. In this report, Garbelmann is used throughout even though the original record may have used one of
the variations.
The Garbelmann family, starting in the early 1600s, is found in two very small, adjacent German villages: Portenhagen
and Avendshausen. These two communities, located about 50 miles south of the city of Hannover, Germany, were at one
time part of the Duchy of Calenburg, which was part of the Kingdom of Hannover. In addition, this area was under French
rule from time to time. These two villages are adjacent to the Solling Forest, which is still a forested area today. Today,
Portenhagen, is included in the city of Dassel, Germany.
The Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg which was founded by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1253. It existed
until 1806 when Napoleon abolished the old empire and made this Duchy part of the French Empire, until 1814.
Hannover, after the expulsion of the Corsican in 1814, became a Kingdom. In 1866 it was conquered by the Prussians.
(Note that part of the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg was the principality of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, whose border
was just a few miles from Avendshausen and Portenhagen. Therefore, historic family records can be found in Hannover
or in Wolfenbüttel.)
The Oldest Garbelmann Relative?
In 1585, there is a baker, Borchard Garmelmann, within the Principality of Calenberg-Göttingen, which was part of the
Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg. This is the oldest record found. However, the relationship of Borchard to the rest of
the Garbelmann family is unclear.
4th Great-Grandparents
Christian Heinrich Garbelmann was the son of Sophie Rosine Brand (b: March 13, 1773 in Portenhagen) and Heinrich
Jergen Garbelmann (born June 12, 1770 in Avendshausen your 5th great-grandparents. Sophie and Heinrich were
married October 9, 1795. We only know of two children of this marriage, Christian Heinrich, born September 16, 1798 in
Avendshausen, and Georg Heinrich Garbelmann (4th great-granduncle), born November 12, 1811 in Avenshausen.
Heinrich was a cottage farmer and a linen weaver. Sophie died August 23, 1838 in Avendshausen. Heinrich died
September 28, 1845 in Avendshausen.
Georg Heinrich Garbelmann married Johanna Justine Specht (born January 12, 1822 in Holtensen; died April 10, 1896 in
Holtensen). Georg died September 13, 1877 in Holtensen. One of Georg and Johanna’s descendants is Diethelm
Garvelmann who lives near Göttingen, Germany. He is your 4th cousin, twice removed.
5th Great-Grandparents
Heinrich Jergen Garbelmann was the son of Theresa Sophia Elisabeth Hasselman and Dietrich Christian Garbelmann
(born September 15, 1742 in Avendshausen). I found only one child from this marriage; Heinrich Jurgen, born June 12,
1770 in Avendshausen. Dietrich’s occupation was a cow herder. Dietrich died on August 2, 1821 in Avendshausen.
Sophie Rosine Brand was the daughter of Clara Anne Wolter (born December 23, 1735 in Lüthorst, just west of
Portenhagen; died December 26, 1778 in Portenhaugen) and Johann Dietrich Brand (born March 29, 1735 in
Portenhagen; died April 30, 1803 in Portenhagen). They were married July 24, 1762 in Portenhagen.
6th Great-Grandparents
Dietrich Christian Garbelmann was the son of Catharina “Trina” Marie Bährelts (born about 1713 in Göttingen) and
Ernst Christoph Garbelmann (born July 16, 1702). Ernst and Catharina were married on April 7 (or 17), 1739 in
Avendshausen. Records indicate that he married into "die halbe Köterei" of his wife. Halbe is half and Köterei is a farm.
The 150 Reichstaler (currency of the time) that he brought into the marriage is probably something that he earned
previously and had saved, as he was already 37 years old and a bachelor prior to his marriage to Catharina. Göttingen, in
the principality of Hildesheim in the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, is over 60 miles south of Avendshausen.
Ernst and Catharina had four children in the records. The names of the first two are unknown. The third child was
Dietrich Christian Garbelmann (b: September 15, 1742 in Avendshausen) and the fourth was Catharina Maria
Garbelmann (b: 1745; died 1817; 6th great-grandaunt).
Ernst Christoph Garbelmann died in 1756 at the age of 54 years. Catharina Marie died in 1788 at the age of 75 years.
Catharina Maria Garbelmann (b. 1745; 6th great-grandaunt) married Johann Andreas Düe (b: 1741) on May 17, 1772 in
Avendshausen. Johann died in 1786. Catharina then married Heinrich Conrad Wessel on October 7, 1787 in Lüthorst.
Heinrich died in 1787. Catharina died at age 76 in 1817.
7th Great-Grandparents
Ernst Christoph Garbelmann was the son of Anna Dorothee Rosen (born about 1657; died 1709) and Hans
Garbelmann (born about 1667 in Portenhagen; died 1707 in Portenhagen). Hans is not registered in the old records of
the church in Portenhagen. However, in 1706/07, he is named, together with his brother Heinrich, as people in
Portenhagen that have to pay taxes for farmland (köterei) that they apparently own. In this case, it was special farmland,
as it was developed from a burned-down forested area. The village of Portenhagen location today is adjacent to the
Solling Forest, so it is possible that this is close to where the farm was located. (Note that there are different kinds of
farmers that existed at this time; some owned their land and others rented.
They had 4 children: Heinrich Christian (b: 1697), Hans Jürgen (b: 1700), Ernst Christoph (b: July 16, 1702) and unknown
(b: after 1703).
Hans died at age 40 in 1707. After Hans’ death, his wife was remarried in February 29, 1708 to Harmen Namuth. She
died in 1709. The Garbelmann children, 5 to 10 years old, were most likely raised by their step-father, as their paternal
grandparents died in 1700 (grandmother) and 1707 (grandfather). It is likely that the eldest son, Hans, inherited the
Garbelmann farm, as his step-father Harmen Namath was only listed as a “time-wise” owner.
Catharina’s father was Thomas Wilhelm Bährelts (b: November 29, 1668 in Göttingen in the principality of Hildesheim in
the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg. ). Thomas was both a master shoemaker and a shepherd; he was married 3
times. Thomas died in 1737 in Avendshausen. (Note: His surname is also spelled Berelts and Bartoldes.)
8th Great-Grandparents
Hans Garbelmann was the son of Anna Hasselmann (born about 1635; died 1700) and Christoph Stoffel Garbelman
(born about 1639 in Portenhagen; died 1707 in Portenhagen). Christoph Stifle Garbelmann was born in the middle of the
30-Years War (1618-1648). His birthdate comes from his death record that gives his age as 68 years in 1707 when he
died. Christoph and Anna had four children: Johann Heinrich (b: Abt. 1661; d: 1724), Hans (b: Abt. 1667; d: 1707), Anna
(b: Abt. 1676), and Cord (b: Abt. 1678).
In Christoph’s father's records, it is listed that the father's two sons did (military?) service, and one was assigned with
Hermann Kreist in the village of Ellensen. We do not know if this was Christoph or his brother, Heinrich. Christoph
married Anna Haselmann. (Note: The very rare surname of Hasselmann exists primarily in the village of Ellensen; it can
be speculated that this connection with Hermann Kreist is how Christoph met his wife.)
Christoph was a farmer on a small farm (German word: Kötner) in Portenhagen. The records show:
1671--He took the oath of allegiance. This would probably be to the local lord, although it could be to the territorial
prince, the Elector of Hannover (later King of England).
1675--He was merely an average farmer (somewhat negative connotation; German word is Mittelkötner). He is
living with his wife, Anna Haselmann, but they do not have any living children. (Anna was born about 1635,
as her age is given as 65 years when she died in 1700.)
1680--He pledged allegiance again, perhaps to a new lord; he is called a "Grosskötner" meaning that he has large
landholdings
1686--He is sick and poor
1687--He is a Kötner and very poor
1688–Three persons who are over 14 years of age live in his cottage; he has 3 Morgen of land (about 2 acres)
1689--He has a wife, 3 children and 3 Morgen of land
1696/97--He is a Leibzüchter (life annuitant), transferring farm ownership at age 60 years to the eldest son (or
other child) and then living in a small house on the farm (Leibzüchterhaus)
1700--His wife Anna dies
1701–He marries (at age 62) Margarete Stöcken on April 4. Margarete was born about 1650 and died in 1715.
1707–Christoph dies
9th Great-Grandparents
Christoph Stoffel Garbelmann was the first son of Harmen Garbelmann (born approximately 1615). His wife’s name is
unknown, but their first son, Christoph Garbelmann, was born in 1639. Their second son was Heinrich Garbelmann.
Note that Harmen Garbelmann and his family were living in the middle of the 30-Years War (1618 to 1648), the worst war
in German history, when 1/3 of the population died.
The records that have been located so far are:
1639–Son Christoph Garbelmann born
1645--Recognized as a person that did not show up to take the oath of allegiance (German word: Huldigung) in
Portenhagen. This would probably be allegiance to the local lord, although it could be to the territorial
prince, the Elector of Hannover, who later became King of England.
1664--His two sons do service. One is reportedly with Hermann Kreist in the village of Ellensen
1671--He is recorded as being an old man
AVENDSHAUSEN, PÖRTENHAGEN, LÜTHORST, EIMEN, and WENZEN
In the early history of this area, it was in the county (Kreis) of Braunschweig, in the state of Brunswick. In the mid-1850s,
these small villages were part of the Prussian province of Hannover; Wenzen was in Braunschweig. Today, they are in
the State of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Germany. These villages were in the district or county (Kreis) of Northeim,
until 1974, when they were incorporated into the District of Einbeck.
These villages are about 50 miles south of the current city of Hannover (English spelling is Hanover). Portenhagen is
about one mile west of Avendshausen. Eimen is about two miles north of Avendshausen. Wenzen is one mile east of
Eimen. These village names appear in the genealogy of the various Garbelmann families and spouses.
(views: 429)